Theme: HUSH HUSH MEETING (41A: Secret get-together, or what occurs literally in each of this puzzle's circled squares) - All the circled letters where two words meet are silent.
5A: Clever move: COUP
8D: Prefix with science: PSEUDO
9A: Bad-mouth: KNOCK
9D: Hillock: KNOLL
28A: Organ numbers: HYMNS
4D: Newspaper feature: COLUMN
48A: Like Letterman lines: WRY
48D: Eerie apparition: WRAITH
54A: Omen: SIGN
40D: Oppose: REPUGN
64A: Like a question that isn't a question: RHETORICAL
57D: Prefix with stat: RHEO
73A: Oversimplify: DUMB
63D: Blockbuster, e.g.: BOMBBox office disaster
My goodness, P, K, N, W, G, H & B, only L is missing (almond). "Hard G" Don Gagliardo did it again.
The theme entries are not symmetrical in this grid, but the grid itself is. I counted total 70 theme squares.
I knew repugnant, REPUGN is new to me. Was also unaware of the criticism meaning of KNOCK. Did not know the Blockbuster BOMB either. Wikipedia says it's used in WWII by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Also called cookie.
Across:
1A: Like a dotted note, in mus.: STAC. Short for staccato, opposite legato, which is never shortened as leg, to my surprise.
14A: Cancún green: PESO. Money. I was thinking of the color green. VERDE in Spanish.
15A: Browser drop-down list, briefly: URLS. Those addresses starting http://.
16A: Film that involves a lot of taking off: NUDIE. I was in the plane take-off direction.
17A: Stem-to-branch angle: AXIL. Like this.
18A: Good: BENEVOLENT
20A: Peak in Jap.: MT. FUJI. It's FUJI San in Japanese. San is mountain.
22A: "The Clan of the Cave Bear" writer: AUEL (Jean). It's pronounced like "owl". She lives in Oregon.
23A: 7-5, e.g. in tennis: SET. We are lucky to witness both Roger Federer and Tiger Woods at their very best.
24A: Truck name: MACK. Not a familiar name to me. Wikipedia says it belongs to the Volvo Group. Volvo is literally "I roll" in Latin.
26A: Where to find heros: DELIS. Hero sandwichs. My mind wandered off to the battleground. Too bad McNamara's career is defined by Vietnam War. He was so successful before and after that.
31A: UN Workers' group: ILO (International Labor Organization)
33A: Vena __: heart vessel: CAVA. Vena = Vein. CAVA = Hollow. Latin.
36A: Pencil game winner: OOO. Use pencil for tic-tac-toe?
37A: Cell: suffix: CYTE. No idea. Dictionary gives leukocyte (white blood cell) as an example. Then it says CYTO is a "cell" prefix, as in cytoplasm.
39A: Favor: PREFER
44A: Bony: OSTEAL. Literal "Bony". You don't call Kate Moss as OSTEAL, do you? I thought of SKINNY, which has 6-letter also.
45A: Srs. lobbying gp.: AARP
46A: Gehrig of baseball: LOU. The "luckiest man on the face of earth". And the "Say Hey Kid" MAYS (43D: Giant Willie), who is quite aloof and unapproachable to fans.
47A: Actress Ward: SELA
49A: 1972 Bill Withers hit: USE ME. No idea. Here is the clip. What a strange song title.
51A: Not as healthy: ILLER. Made-up word.
58A: Country where Baha'i was founded: IRAN. Wikipedia says Baha'i is derived from the Arabic Bahá, meaning "glory" or "splendour". I think they have an annual Ramadan-style fast period too.
60A: "CSI" workplace: DNA LAB
67A: Accolade: KUDO. Always see this word in plural form.
68A: Fruit in balls: MELON. Thai fruit carving is an art. This rabbit is really cute.
70A: Jack of "Rio Lobo": ELAM. Lobo is Spanish for "wolf". Oso is "bear". I've never heard of the movie.
72A: '60s musical: HAIR
Down:
2D: Send a high-tech message to: TEXT
5D: Part of cc.: CUBIC. CUBIC centimeter. I was thinking of carbon copy.
6D: Tram contents: ORE
10D: Nada, to Noël: NUL. French for nil/zero.
11D: With "The", 1972 Frederick Forsyth novel: ODESSA FILE. No idea. Hmm, "Compulsively readable ..."
12D: Film: CINE. Short for cinema.
13D: Etta of old comics: KETT. Learned her name from doing Xword. Nice line: I've been saving myself for you.
21D: Violinist Heifetz: JASCHA. Completely unknown to me. It's pronounced like YAH Shuh, Russian form of Jacob or James.
25D: First-aid aids: KITS
27D: Gangsta rap pioneer: ICE-T. Oh, I did not know he pioneered gangsta rap. Thought it might be Dr. DRE.
28D: Hostess snack cakes: HO HOS. Both HO HOS & Drake's YODELS are Xword cakes to me.
29D: Brooklyn pronoun: YOUSE. No idea. It's plural of you.
30D: Probably: MOST LIKELY
32D: "The Merry Widow" operettist: LEHAR (Franz). He died in 1948. Somehow I thought he was a 19th century composer.
34D: Fang output, at times: VENOM. Cantonese eat everything, including snakes.
35D: Get contentious: ARGUE
38D: Brynner who played a king: YUL. "The King and I".
50D: Unclogged, as a pipe: SNAKED. I know plumber's snake. Was unaware that SNAKE can be a verb also.
52D: Motor City team: LIONS. Detroit LIONS. 0-16 last season. NFL record.
55D: Lazy type: IDLER
56D: It "marches on its stomach": Napoleon: ARMY. Nice fresh clue. Napoleon is 5'2''. I was surprised to read Dennis's FF yesterday that Stalin was only 5' 4''. He looked big.
59D: Sweet Sixteen initials: NCAA. March Madness.
62D: Cain raiser: ADAM. Raising Cain.
Answer grid.
C.C.
5A: Clever move: COUP
8D: Prefix with science: PSEUDO
9A: Bad-mouth: KNOCK
9D: Hillock: KNOLL
28A: Organ numbers: HYMNS
4D: Newspaper feature: COLUMN
48A: Like Letterman lines: WRY
48D: Eerie apparition: WRAITH
54A: Omen: SIGN
40D: Oppose: REPUGN
64A: Like a question that isn't a question: RHETORICAL
57D: Prefix with stat: RHEO
73A: Oversimplify: DUMB
63D: Blockbuster, e.g.: BOMBBox office disaster
My goodness, P, K, N, W, G, H & B, only L is missing (almond). "Hard G" Don Gagliardo did it again.
The theme entries are not symmetrical in this grid, but the grid itself is. I counted total 70 theme squares.
I knew repugnant, REPUGN is new to me. Was also unaware of the criticism meaning of KNOCK. Did not know the Blockbuster BOMB either. Wikipedia says it's used in WWII by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Also called cookie.
Across:
1A: Like a dotted note, in mus.: STAC. Short for staccato, opposite legato, which is never shortened as leg, to my surprise.
14A: Cancún green: PESO. Money. I was thinking of the color green. VERDE in Spanish.
15A: Browser drop-down list, briefly: URLS. Those addresses starting http://.
16A: Film that involves a lot of taking off: NUDIE. I was in the plane take-off direction.
17A: Stem-to-branch angle: AXIL. Like this.
18A: Good: BENEVOLENT
20A: Peak in Jap.: MT. FUJI. It's FUJI San in Japanese. San is mountain.
22A: "The Clan of the Cave Bear" writer: AUEL (Jean). It's pronounced like "owl". She lives in Oregon.
23A: 7-5, e.g. in tennis: SET. We are lucky to witness both Roger Federer and Tiger Woods at their very best.
24A: Truck name: MACK. Not a familiar name to me. Wikipedia says it belongs to the Volvo Group. Volvo is literally "I roll" in Latin.
26A: Where to find heros: DELIS. Hero sandwichs. My mind wandered off to the battleground. Too bad McNamara's career is defined by Vietnam War. He was so successful before and after that.
31A: UN Workers' group: ILO (International Labor Organization)
33A: Vena __: heart vessel: CAVA. Vena = Vein. CAVA = Hollow. Latin.
36A: Pencil game winner: OOO. Use pencil for tic-tac-toe?
37A: Cell: suffix: CYTE. No idea. Dictionary gives leukocyte (white blood cell) as an example. Then it says CYTO is a "cell" prefix, as in cytoplasm.
39A: Favor: PREFER
44A: Bony: OSTEAL. Literal "Bony". You don't call Kate Moss as OSTEAL, do you? I thought of SKINNY, which has 6-letter also.
45A: Srs. lobbying gp.: AARP
46A: Gehrig of baseball: LOU. The "luckiest man on the face of earth". And the "Say Hey Kid" MAYS (43D: Giant Willie), who is quite aloof and unapproachable to fans.
47A: Actress Ward: SELA
49A: 1972 Bill Withers hit: USE ME. No idea. Here is the clip. What a strange song title.
51A: Not as healthy: ILLER. Made-up word.
58A: Country where Baha'i was founded: IRAN. Wikipedia says Baha'i is derived from the Arabic Bahá, meaning "glory" or "splendour". I think they have an annual Ramadan-style fast period too.
60A: "CSI" workplace: DNA LAB
67A: Accolade: KUDO. Always see this word in plural form.
68A: Fruit in balls: MELON. Thai fruit carving is an art. This rabbit is really cute.
70A: Jack of "Rio Lobo": ELAM. Lobo is Spanish for "wolf". Oso is "bear". I've never heard of the movie.
72A: '60s musical: HAIR
Down:
2D: Send a high-tech message to: TEXT
5D: Part of cc.: CUBIC. CUBIC centimeter. I was thinking of carbon copy.
6D: Tram contents: ORE
10D: Nada, to Noël: NUL. French for nil/zero.
11D: With "The", 1972 Frederick Forsyth novel: ODESSA FILE. No idea. Hmm, "Compulsively readable ..."
12D: Film: CINE. Short for cinema.
13D: Etta of old comics: KETT. Learned her name from doing Xword. Nice line: I've been saving myself for you.
21D: Violinist Heifetz: JASCHA. Completely unknown to me. It's pronounced like YAH Shuh, Russian form of Jacob or James.
25D: First-aid aids: KITS
27D: Gangsta rap pioneer: ICE-T. Oh, I did not know he pioneered gangsta rap. Thought it might be Dr. DRE.
28D: Hostess snack cakes: HO HOS. Both HO HOS & Drake's YODELS are Xword cakes to me.
29D: Brooklyn pronoun: YOUSE. No idea. It's plural of you.
30D: Probably: MOST LIKELY
32D: "The Merry Widow" operettist: LEHAR (Franz). He died in 1948. Somehow I thought he was a 19th century composer.
34D: Fang output, at times: VENOM. Cantonese eat everything, including snakes.
35D: Get contentious: ARGUE
38D: Brynner who played a king: YUL. "The King and I".
50D: Unclogged, as a pipe: SNAKED. I know plumber's snake. Was unaware that SNAKE can be a verb also.
52D: Motor City team: LIONS. Detroit LIONS. 0-16 last season. NFL record.
55D: Lazy type: IDLER
56D: It "marches on its stomach": Napoleon: ARMY. Nice fresh clue. Napoleon is 5'2''. I was surprised to read Dennis's FF yesterday that Stalin was only 5' 4''. He looked big.
59D: Sweet Sixteen initials: NCAA. March Madness.
62D: Cain raiser: ADAM. Raising Cain.
Answer grid.
C.C.
78 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - I really enjoyed the puzzle this morning, great clues and I thought it was an extremely clever theme once I realized the shaded letters weren't going to make a word.
Had a couple unknowns in 'Auel'and 'Jascha'. 'Lehar' as the Merry Widow operettist is one of those answers I don't know I know, but pops out when I read the clue. Isn't it amazing the stuff we have stored and don't realize it? Can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, but I've got a wealth of arcane/obscure information in there.
Cleverest clues for me were 'Where to find heroes' and 'Cain Raiser'. Still don't like 'iller'. And 'youse' is very much a Philadelphia pronoun as well.
Today is Video Games Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "On the whole, age comes more gently to those who have some doorway into an abstract world -- art or philosophy or learning -- regions where the years are scarcely noticed and the young and the old can meet in a pale, truthful light." -- Writer Freya Stark
Fun Facts for the day:
- The busiest shopping hour of the Christmas season is between 3pm and 4pm on Christmas Eve.
- At General Motors, the cost of health care for employees now exceeds the cost of steel for cars.
After the first two puzzles this week, this puzzle was an absolute struggle for me. Though that might be attributed to attempting to complete it at 3AM. Working the night shift was rougher than I thought.
I usually nail clues like "where to find heroes" (actually remember that one from previous puzzles) but today I was all over the place.
Dennis, if memory serves, a previous CEO of GM stated that the company is now more of a health care and pension provider than a car manufacturer. Not surprised that the health care costs now surpass the cost of steel.
Off to bed for me. Have a good day all.
whereswebb, you're right, and the health care costs the unions have managed to impose have been a problem for many years and are largely responsible for the downfall of GM.
Off to the gym.
Good morning
Re: 56 down
Napoleon was referring to his invasion of Russia in 1812 when the Russians used the " scorched earth " policy to starve the invading army and force Napoleon to retreat.
Film that involves a lot of taking off: NUDIE. I was in the plane take-off direction.
I felt guilty because I could only think of the word PORNO. I was sure it couldn't be correct. It wasn't and yet I apparently was on the right track.
Martin
Good morning, All. I did pretty well for a Wednesday. The top left corner was the last to fill in for me. I got the Hush Hush Meeting straight away, but my paper's puzzle didn't have shaded squares.
Bill Withers, and when he does, he looks like a prune (49A)
Ice-T is a rap pioneer? (27D) Did you know Blondie did one of the first "modern" rap songs with "Rapture"?
My favorite clue was Sweet Sixteen initials (59D). I was thinking the teenage thing.
Good morning c.c. and all,
I thought it was nice to see cc in the puzzle today too.
Dennis,
Not only GM--so many other companies, especially smaller ones have been killed by health care costs. It's one big reason for the great outsourcing of jobs overseas, where employers don't have that burden.
I thought at first this puzzle would be a hammer today. But with a bit of googling for CAVA, USE ME, ELAM (I know, I should have known that one), JASCHA and ODESSA, everything else fell in.
I grunted over NUL, at first thinking it should be RIEN, but then light dawned. I agree about iller and youse, though I can see the need for a plural "you" when you take into account that most other European languages have one. I did know LEHAR and AUEL, although I still try to make her Auer instead most times.
I thought Cain raiser was a clever clue. Never heard of Hohos, but guessed. I don't buy any processed items that have no food value. The silent letters were a good giveaway for several answers once I had the letter next to them.
Enjoyed todays puzzle. Especially liked dumb/bomb, cine/nudie, tame/ami, prefer/repugn crossings; plus spam/text, snaked/venom, ark/hymns; and for whatever reason - wraith/hair made me smile.
For some reason, a Jack Elam talk show interview has stuck in my mind for years. He said there are four stages to an actor's career: Who is Jack Elam? Get me Jack Elam. Get me somebody like Jack Elam. Who is Jack Elam?
I wonder if people really talk like that in Brooklyn or if our learned acceptance is only through movie depictions...
Interesting reference to Blondie being the first rapper.
If you want to really wonder why you know what you do, play Trivial Pursuit at pogo.com. Some of the stuff you know will really blow your mind...
The circles did not appear in the San Jose Mercury rendition of this puzzle so I did not understand the 41A clue. I still was able to complete the puzzle but the circles would have helped.
good morning c.c. and all,
wow, great puzzle, definitely required some scratching around to complete. started out slow in the northwest corner with STAC, AXIL, MTFUJI and TEXT .. once that filled in i was off and running.
no circles online, so no help there. ultimately do-able anyway. great clue raising cain, but i didn't even see it. RHETORICAL, what a perfect puzzle word. makes up for ILLER.
love Love LOVE the WOW today.
CandiL, i heard don cheadle use that exact quote in an interview, got a big laugh. never knew it came from jack elam.
dennis from yesterday, what would be the wrong way?
two and a wake-up :)
Good morning CC et al., Fun puzzle but had trouble in the South and East. Never knew wraith and the word iller just plain hurts. Knew Jascha Heifetz but couldn't spell it. At any rate, a good puzzle.
'I-ran' through the puzzle when
'nudie' came thru the blocks. And when it crossed benevolent? Hello! 'O(be)steal' my throbbing vena cava! A few 'prefer'ential
'stac''knock's at a 'hush hush
meeting'(in Argentina?) is 'most likely' enough to pump up anybody's 'fruit in balls' 68A and 28A 'organ numbers'. What a great stimulus pkg! What a coup! 'Set' my clock! I just wanted to yell (to whoever's in charge of those arrangements),"Use me!" Oh well.
Don't have the 'peso's for it anyway. However, it occurred to me that I can apply to be the 3rd Ho in the lineup of 'Ho Hos' for Santa's 3 fine Ho's. The facts that I could even bring a discount, thanks to AARP and answer many questions about the Ark (b/c I was there) are not 'sign's that I probably need to 'tame' my ways and enjoy my 'yoyos'! Oh,no,no,no. I'm no 'idler'& don't give 'A-dam' about age. Those facts just show that I am vintage and capable of handling anybody's 'melon's with finesse and even while serving Ice T. Nothing 'psuedo' here, baby!
Company's gone and hope it's ok if I respond to some comments from
yesterday.
Dennis: LMAO with your comment yesterday. Now, about that Declaration of Independence... you know the part that says all men are created equal? well....
Linda Blair was the perfect visual!
Argyle: I would love to do the blog but will have to defer to you for now...daughter has upped her wedding A YEAR and is getting married Aug 2. I'm overwhelmed w/showers etc. I feel like I could teach Linda Blair in the Exorcist a few more things about head spinning.
SBKaren: Daily Press here. Does Pilot still have the LAT?
KittyB: thanks for the shingles info. I had the shot a few mos ago...no big deal except the expense.
All: Thanks for the sweet compliments.
Sorry for the length, CC.
CandiL: Youse guys should come to Philadelphia (as Dennis said) and youse guys will hear lots of people really do talk like that. Plural of "you" in the South - "all y'all".
I really struggled with the puzzle today. Had to Google LEHAR and KETT and doing the puzzle on-line the theme was of no help, but is very clever.
Busy again today getting ready for the big Los Altos Art and Wine Festival this coming weekend. Hope the economy doesn't dissuade the shoppers from buying.
TTFN
Had some head scratching spots today. Totally missed 'column'. That messed up 'mack". Repugn??
I liked Cain raiser. Also got 'rhetorical' right off. Oh well.
Closest thing I get to video games is Wii Fit and Wii Sports.
Lois-I think it's easier to plan weddings quickly. Don't get bogged down and the longer you plan the more crap you add! We did 2 weddings in our back yard. That was great. Made it much more casual.
Good Morning All, That's what I get for taking a day off! I did the puzzle on the LAT site and even though it got itself solved, it didn't have circled letters. So I switched to cruciverb.com, got the circled letters and STILL couldn't figure it out. Thank goodness for C.C.'s timely explanation.
Thanks to my classical music loving parents, I had no problem with JASCHA or LEHER. The Merry Widow Waltz is one of the most lovely musical pieces in light opera.
I didn't like ILLER either, but OTOH, "sick" is the same as "ill" and a person can get "sicker", so why not ILLER?
Thanks again for all the lovely birthday wishes. GAH surprised me with an afternoon trip to San Francisco, where we met daughter, S-I-L and grandkids for an early dinner. That was fun, but then we all went for the evening tour of Alcatraz. We've often driven over the bridges and seen the island in the distance, but this was the first time we've taken the boat for the tour. It was really fascinating. Now when we drive that way, we'll just be able to look at the walls of San Quentin and be glad they don't give tours there...too many REALLY bad guys still at that place.
Good morning, all.
My sister is visiting so there's not a lot of time to post. I finished the puzzle but I thought it was tough for Wednesday. I started reading the across clues, and when there wasn't a single answer in place in the upper third, I shifted to the downs. I finally began to fill in some of the clues and finished the puzzle in that now familiar 'hunt and peck' style.
I didn't catch the theme as I did the puzzle, but I thought all the silent letters were pretty darned clever. Most of the names were pretty easy this time around.
ILLER just seems like such a bad word to use in a crossword puzzle! Jerome, I'm not saying that it isn't a word, but it surely lacks elegance and challenge.
It's overcast and rainy in Chicago. I hope you all have a good day.
Good afternoon (in the east coast). Had fun with this, but couldn't spell Jascha. Had it Yascha. Also, KUDO is just plain wrong. Even my dictionary says "Kudo may also be an erroneous singular of the word kudos." I'm chagrined that I missed DNA LAB because I watch CSI whenever possible.
Other holes where I didn't know show biz names, but it was fun to get so far.
Well, youse guys - quite an interesting puzzle today. My paper (Lois - the Pilot still publishes the LATS) had 41A 'secret get together or what occurs literally in each of this puzzle's shaded squares' but didn't shade anything so I was completely confused. Got that answer easily but totally missed the point of the whole puzzle.
Martin - my first thought for 16A was porno and when it didn't work went for the airplane bit - pretty p.o.'d when the answer turned out to be nudie.
Agree there was a lot of cleverness in this xword but it wasn't my cup of tea, so to speak. Liked 'cain raiser' 'tablets holder' and 'sweet sixteen initials' - wish 'iller' would never appear again.
Lois - you defy description - your comments just keep getting better and better.
Clear Ayes - your birthday sounds wonderful; glad you had such a good time.
No circles online, I think that would have helped. I will have to try the cruciverb next time. I did get the HUSH HUSH MEETING, just had no idea what it referred to.
CC thanks for the many links. I hadn't heard the song USE ME for many a moon. Brings back memories. Had no idea who sang it, nor would I have recognized it by the name.
I agree that there were many great clues today. Funny how sometimes you see the light immediately, and other times you can't get past your idea of the answer. I immediately wrote in DELIS today, but was thinking of age for Sweet Sixteen and also planes for NUDIES (I confess Martin, PORNO came to me first too). I did eventually get them all though. Get contentious struck a note with me as that is what life is like daily with a 17 year old. Ho hum.
Dennis, great WoW today. I think athletes have the most difficult time aging, as they expect too much of their bodies, not enough of their mind and creative talents.
Is the second busiest shopping hour midnight on Christmas day? My daughter likes to go out for the "deals" and she talked about the traffic jams on the way to the mall. I prefer to sleep in myself.
"KUDO" (67A) is an illiteracy. The word "kudos" is a singular noun that does not accept a plural. Hence, it's pronounced with an "s" sound at the end, not a "z" sound. Errors of this stripe are expected from sports writers and middle schoolers but not from constructors of crossword puzzles. This is the last straw for me: no more Norris & Lewis. Hank Moss
Wasn`t there a character in OKLAHOMA name "Aunt Iller?" Still missing my puzzle of choice....
Jimbo: Here`s another reminder...
Dennis: All your " Words of Wisdom" are dead on...because wisdom comes only through experience...and experience often, only comes with age.
But to quote another sage , "Sometimes, age just comes by itself."
Hi c.c. and all:
Well did have to google a few, and its only Wednesday! Did not know Jascha, couldn't remember Odessa File although I had most of the letters in place, and googled Auel although I had it in but wasn't sure of the spelling. I had porno instead of Nudie at first. I hope I will have better luck tomorrow, but it isn't promising.
c.c.: Once again I had to come here to find the key even though I had all of the right letters. As always, great job! Very clever puzzle.
Have a great day everyone!
When I got up yesterday morning, I discovered my monitor had peacefully passed away during the night. It had been giving me some hints that it was getting ILLER and ILLER, but I had ignored it until it was a former monitor. That required a trip to town and a $150 that I hadn't anticipated spending. So that is why I didn't get to the blog yesterday.
Linda, LOL....Aunt Eller
Sorry I missed you Buckeye. I did get a book of original poems by Gilliam Nutler Bates. Could the book store have made a shipping error?? In the meantime, while I'm waiting, here's an original by W.B. Yeats. I don't necessarily agree with the sentiments of the poem, but I definitely agree with the title.
Men Improve With The Years
I am worn out with dreams;
A weather-worn, marble triton
Among the streams;
And all day long I look
Upon this lady's beauty
As though I had found in a book
A pictured beauty,
pleased to have filled the eyes
Or the discerning ears,
Delighted to be but wise,
For men improve with the years;
And yet, and yet,
Is this my dream, or the truth?
O would that we had met
When I had my burning youth!
But I grow old among dreams,
A weather-worn, marble triton
Among the streams.
Morning all...Fun, but a toughie.
Printed it last night from cruciverb and got the circles but didn't really "get it" because I was looking for a word. Finally broke down and G'd LEHAR(had HAR and no clue, even though I've heard the Merry Widow) and KETT(???)
Finished the bottom before the top, was trying to think of a movie title like GYPSY for 16A. Also knew Heifetz but was iffy on the spelling. Everything else has pretty much been covered.
Liked Sweet Sixteen, Tablets holder, organ numbers...very clever puzzle once I read C.C.'s comments...also agree about ILLER, and REPUGN, but sometimes you just have to accept that and move on if it fits.
Dennis...awesome WoW...I think of Wayne Thiebaud, one of the greatest living American painters, who like so many in the past, painting everyday into his late
80's(and still playing tennis). Having something creative keeps you young and your mind open and active...I plan on painting forever...and KQ, excellent insight and so true.
CA...had feeling you had an away gift...sounds like fun. Where did you eat in SF? So many great restaurants. Glad you had a terrific day, it must have been beautiful in the city.
Hoping to get over to Los Altos to see Elissa over the weekend.
Gorgeous weather, so lots to do.
Candi L., thanks for the recommendation of Trivial Pursuit on Pogo - I'll definitely try it.
MH, good to see you -- it's been a long time. How's the rod? (the CAR, Lois)
Melissa Bee, clothed. Two and a wakeup until girls' weekend? Will there be pictures?
Lois, I didn't think there was a prayer that you'd ever top yesterday's, but damned if you haven't done it. Just brilliant.
Clear Ayes, you went through Alcatraz at night? That must've been spooky as hell. I'll bet it's a great tour.
Hank Moss, from what I read, 'kudo' is legitimate, it's "simply one of the most recent words created by back-formation from another word misunderstood as a plural."
Linda, I thought of you when one of the guys at the gym informed us that God drives a Plymouth. He then quoted the Bible, which said something like, 'and God, in his Fury, drove Adam and Eve out.' Cracked me up. Hey, simple humor for simple people.
For some reason, it made me happy that so many of you put 'porno' first for 16A...
Hey Gang -
I'm with Hank. In this venue, it is tragic to see a puzzle with so many great features, that could have been a virtuoso masterpiece, ruined by such horrible errors.
ILLER is a word-like letter sequence in the abstract, but not a word in the real word. This is a cheat.
KODO is such a horrible gaffe, that I am astounded - and not in a good way. It's unbelievable that Rich Norris would allow this!
OSTEAL means "relating to the bones or the skeleton." I to does not mean "bony," as in Kate MOSS. Sloppy non-correspondence.
First and worst, though -1A STACcato is simply wrong. The term "dotted note" actually means something. it is a note followed by a dot, indicating that the duration of the note is increased by half. Thus, a dotted half note equals a half tied to a quarter. it's true that staccato (a shorting of the note's duration) is indicated by a dot above (or below, depending on which way the stem points) a note. But that is not what the musical term "dotted note" refers to. As a solver, I value ambiguous and misleading clues. But when the answer is the conceptual antithesis of the clue, the mistake is unforgivable.
This is strike 4.
Note to constructors: if you don't understand technical jargon, either don't use it, or do the minimal amount of research it takes to get it right.
Note to editors: Edit!
Cheers!
Dennis: I`ve been called "simple" before but never by a cooler guy! (and actually, Jesus drove a very large Accord, "...and they were all in one accord..."
Jazbumpa: Please remind me to NEVER make a mistake on the blog! I`m still cowering in the corner from your diatribe! :) (We does feel strongly abouts our puzzles doesn`t we!)
CA: (AKA one of two "major babes with birthdays this month." My on/off button on my monitor is iller than yesterday...I have to mash all over it till it finally connects...I`d hate to replace it just for that....loan me $150?
Hi:
"Scattered showers" in Chicago has come to mean "all-day rain" as I discovered--leaving the 18th hole dripping wet. Growing up on the west side of Chicago included hearing "youse guys" many, many times. Another Chicago expression: "I'm coming by your house."
A vacation is coming soon. Each time I go away for several days, I put a post-it note on my computer reminding me to bring it in for repairs. I'm hoping a robber will see the note and figure it isn't worth taking.
Linda, my 'simple' comment was referring to our little workout group, not to anyone here. Thanks for the compliment, though.
Jazzbumpa..."ruined...cheat....horrible gaffe....sloppy....unforgivable", and ending with your delightful upbeat signoff, "Cheers!". Had to laugh.
Lois, you are definitely on a roll!
WM, Nothing too out of the ordinary for our SF dinner. Remember, we had an 18 year old, a 15 year old and a 10 year old with us. A more adventurous restaurant will have to wait for next time. It was Pier 39 and Swiss Louis Restaurant this time around. Still and all, the kids got their pizzas and I got some good seafood, so we were all happy.
Linda, after footing the bill for our SF dinner and tour, GAH is cash poor. As in most marriages, what's his is mine and vice versa, so basically I paid as much for my birthday excursion as he did. That's a round-about way to say, you're on your own for the monitor. Hope it keeps working for a while, but when they start winking and blinking, you'd better be ready to say a fond adieu.
Dennis, an evening Alcatraz tour in July is mostly daylight, and the island is well lit....but, some of those nooks and crannies are kind of eerie and the place does echo.
Guday, all. I, too, found "iller" and "cudo" haunting, to say the least. Got Jascha but can never remember "Cave Bear" Auel and "Merry Widow" Lehar. Will do better on those two in the future. A fun puzzle with a few glaring errors. An eventual conquest today.
Clearayes; no, the book I sent was Yeats and am sorry to say I agree with everything he said in the poem you gave us today. Maybe it's because of a lousy two months. I'm looking at window and roof repairs now.
Ladies, the reason men do not fear snakes is because we handle them in one size or another several times a day. That's the reason I don't fear elephant trunks.
Wish DrDad were still around. Here at the GBRV we're working on an "Invisibility Cloak". His input would be greatly appreciated. We thought we had it when Ben Dover yelled out, "Everybody's disappeared". Then we realized his glasses had fallen off.
I must be off
Clear Ayes- people can, and do, get ILLER. It's a perfectly legit word. Not so sparkly, but legit.
KUDO is also a legit word. Every mainstream dictionary contains it and defines it precisely.
And because people do become ill and iller that is the reason why every worker in this country deserves first-class, a-one, top-notch health benefits. If we could get those greedy, dinosaur thinking, fat cats at companies like GM to live a more humble life there would be plenty for us all. From the laborer to the school teacher it's the working class that built and maintains this country. To blame any economic problem on the workers of this nation is simply falling for the bosses point of view and the lies of the rich and powerful.
Started off tough today wanting comics for column, beneficial for benevolent, and I had no clue what Hillock was and had guessed at troll. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Somehow it all worked it's way out. Totally missed the porno/nudie thingie too. Hmmm. Got some perp help with Ilo, cava, and cyte and had to hit the g-spot for Lehar and Odessa file.
Still covering for the boss this week and am finally figuring out it's not much different than my job. So Dennis, I took your advice and gave me a raise. We'll see how that cruises through HR.
Got a call from Day camp that there was a little "issue" today. Not that big of a deal I guess. For crying out loud they call you if a kid gets a scraped knee...which was the case. LGJ can just add them to his other ones. No guts no glory.
BTW Dennis, no video games allowed in my house so we won't be celebrating that today.
Mainiac I am still laughing about your snake fiasco yesterday.
C.C. good to see you back.
I have zucchini coming out of my you know what. Anyone have a good bread or muffin recipe?
CA...Pier 39 is fun, if touristy. Our youngest and I would often head up to SF and the fog when the South Bay got too hot...her favorite place to eat was Forrest Gump's not bad seafood and the view was great. Maybe the next time you head for SF all us South Bay ladies can meet up with you.
So...Buckeye...I'm not sure what it means that I really like snakes(except poisionous ones) and have no problem with elephant trunks either. Hmmmm? ;o]
Dennis and Linda re: cars...LOL
Vern...you're so funny!
Hi C.C. & gang, a medium hard puzzle today, I think there were only 2 unknowns that I had to look up.
RE:Jean M.Auel
I've read all of the Clan of the Cave Bear series but I've never seen the movie version. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in (one version of)early human history
Speaking of zucchini. Years ago my then wife and I planted a small truck garden in Billings, Mt. We never got any trucks, so we planted three zucchini plants. We ended up feeding everybody zucchini in Yellowstone County from July thru September. I recently found out that a company in California grows five zucchini plants and supplies all of the commercial zucchini in the world. Strange but true.
IMBO
Just the right amount of challenge today. Added wraith and repugn to my vocabulary. And C.C. thanks for the Kate Moss eye candy. Although I prefer my women a little less osteal. She might be even wraith-like. Either way, she could stand to eat a few HoHos.
Sorry, that's the best I could do. Lois is a tough act to follow.
Linda -
Uh, sorry. I wasn't yelling at you, I was yelling in your presence. Big difference.
And I have nothing agianst mistackz. Heck, if I haven't made 6 before lunch, I probably slept in 2 late.
Hanging out here is having a conversation (OK, the occasional diatribe) among friends. If nobody makes a mistake, I'll be disappointed.
See - I'm wrong about Iller and Kudo.
Curiouser and curiouser, I guess. Let's throw while it we're at too grammar out.
But it's different when critiquing the output of a published professional. I expect a puzzle constructor to respect the language, the solver, and himself.
Even when I'm wrong.
C.A. -
I do have a hyper-active sense of the absurd. And I always sign off with "Cheers!" Maybe i should used a different word when I rant. "Grumps!" maybe?
Jerome -
Excellent point. The only time the U.S has ever run significant deficits has been in pursuing wars (hot and cold.) Historically, the cost of social programs has been trivial. Grt Brtn instituted universal single payer health care in 1948, when it was close to bankrupt from WW II.
Cheers (and Health!)
Jerome, while certainly not a discussion for this blog, I've long believed that unions are responsible for the mediocre products this country produced for so long. They had a purpose back in the sweat-shop days, but things have been taken to extremes. I've seen it first-hand at various trade shows, for example, where the guy who puts up the booth curtains isn't allowed to do anything else, including the slightest repositioning of the steel poles. That's a different person. A small example, but stuff like that is just ridiculous. I see it with delivery people, who are only allowed to bring stuff 5 feet into my store.
I've never seen myself as naive or gullible, so I don't think I'm buying into the lies of anyone. I know what I see.
And worst of all is when union strikers disrupt the lives of ordinary people - that really frosts my ass.
Sorry for the long off-topic post; I'll not say anything else about it. I'll give Jerome the last word.
Talk about a Chicago accent...
I get the biggest kick out of Bonnie Hunt when she talks "Chicago-ese". She exaggerates it quite a bit, but it's pretty funny. Especially when she talks about "a hunnerd dollars" for a $100. It's so right on.
Okay Dennis, you just hit a very sore spot of rememberance for me in trade shows. As you know I put on two pretty big ones a year and two springs ago they totally screwed up my table order. They ordered 60 instead of 260. Luckily I had the work order in hand. They had to take their lunch break when the extra tables finally showed up and we were not ALLOWED to drape them ourselves. Meanwhile I have 150 vendors standing around waiting to set up.
I did the only self preserving thing a gal like me could do...Bitch and get a discount on the exhibitors bill and pour a stiff one then cry in my hotel room.
jeannie, why oh why didn't you stay lurking and take tarrajo with you. anyone that has a baby out of wedlock should be ashamed of the fact not proud of the fact.
Ok, let's uniformly ignore the ill-informed anon. He/She's not worth the keystrokes, ok?
Sorry Dennis, my MOTHERS hackles are raised. Anon...you have no idea how hard I struggled with the decision on how to proceed with as you put it my immoral predicament. Abortion was out of the question and I couldn't give up something that was so much a part of ME. I had a good job and knew I would be able to raise him/or her to the best of my ability. So far I have succeeded in my opinion and many other's opinions here on this blog. I will not defend Jeannie as she is more than capable of doing that herself. DO NOT EVER take a hit at me or my kid again. This is no place for it. Sorry C.C.
20:41 today. I just never got going on this puzzle. Even something like ODESSA FILE (which I've read) was like pulling teeth. And "Cain raiser", well, I initially put in LEAH (I know next to nothing about biblical characters), which caused major consternation in the SE.
Oh, and I saw the Bill Withers clue and immediately thought "which Righteous Brothers song fits that?" Oh my, I don't know how I confused Bill Medley with Bill Withers in my feeble brain!
Oh, and did I mention I Never. Saw. The. Theme. Even though it was literally spelled out for me? I filled in the entire grid, looked at the circled letters, scratched my head. Never. Saw. The. Theme.
Did I mention that I struggled with this puzzle? (See 20:41 time, above.)
@tarrajo: Get yourself some chickens for the zucchini. They just love them (cut in half and put them in the chicken yard face up). Once I discovered this, I started planting extra zucchini plants and letting them grow to gigundo size just to feed the chickens.
Oh, and congrats on your raise. "It's good to be the king" (or queen, in your case).
Jazzbumpa: You missed an excellent time to rant at ME...I purposely mis-spelled your name last time! Some of my former students thought it was a fighting offense to be called "out of my name." To borrow from Lois, it`s all good.
Dennis...all was forgiven before I wrote, even if it HAD been for me...
CA: "As in most marriages????" In OURS, what`s mine is mine and what`s his is also mine... :)
To whom it may concern "He/she who is without sin, let him/her cast the first stone..."
Embien: My new favorite word is "gigundo" It goes with "humongous" and "gimongous".
Linda, very good words of advice once again.
Tarrajo...good answer and I could understand why you needed to respond. As far as having to defend myself? Why. I am okay in my own skin.
Good Afternoon All,
I started the grid this morning and started up again this afternoon. Couldn't finish and came here. My biggest problem was no circles printed out from the LAT web site and had similar unknowns that have already been discussed. Good puzzle.
Totally agree with you on unions Dennis. Part of my shop is unionized and I have seen business reps negotiate away anything that might go into the employees pocket for union security. State law here does more for employees than anywhere I've seen. They don't need to pay for it. The auto makers are nuts. They actually pay a percentage of an employees salary when they are laid off. Wait a minute.........what's the point? Sorry for the rant, its been a day.
Lois, you da babe! I needed that one.
As always Buckeye, good to hear from you. I still hate snakes!
Have a good one!
tarrajo, if you would, shoot me an email.
@c.c.: only L is missing (almond)
I pronounce the "L" in almond, and that's the way it's pronounced in the Blue Diamond Almonds commercials on TV. Am I missing something?
Embien and c.c.,
I don't pronounce the "L" in almond either. I think it's a British -vs- American difference.
ClearAyes :
when you said your monitor died and you had to go to town and pay $150 for a new one, I had two thoughts: I had no idea lizards were so expensive, and, why would you be in ahurry to get another one. Then Linda said she was having trouble with hers as well. At that moment the dense fog surrounding my head from the massive brain fart cleared, I slapped my forehead, and called myself a dumb f--- . I guess that's what happens when country bumpkins like moi go high-tech.
Jerome:
I rarely let anyone have the last word, and you're no exception. My word for you is: Amen, brother!
Tarrajo:
With the exception of one apparent idiot, we all admire and respect what you've done with your son. Just ignore the
b--t--d.
Hello All--Had a hard time with this puzzle. I put it aside and came back to it a couple of times, then was able to get all but repugn. This was my new word for the day. My internet was down, so couldn't Google--which was probably a good thing, because I eventually got most of the puzzle on my own. I had to work at it though.
I liked Where to find heros: Delis and Tablets holder: Ark the best .
Lois: You've done it again!
Melissa Bee: Loved your new avatar license plate. Fits perfectly!
Buckeye: My usual laugh for the day came after reading your two postings. Keep them coming.
Tarrajo: I have a great zucchini recipe for bread and muffins. I could e-mail them to you if you are interested. In fact I have a whole recipe book of just zucchini recipes. I use it all the time.
Dennis: According to Freya Stark's quote today, we'll all age gently as we are surely ALL learner's on this blog.
Candi L,Dennis, and others: it truly makes me feel old. I have the Trivial Pursuit as the board game it was originally. More fun to do it with a few people rather than online, IMHO.
Especially when my son beat me fairly often. (He was in his 20s, not a child, I hasten to add.)
Also it's interesting that it's on a site called Pogo. Either that or Calvin and Hobbes are my favorites, but long gone.
Cheers.
Thanks Chickie...I will send you an e-mail. Dennis check yours.
Jazzbumpa: I completely agree with your comments about this puzzle. My anger was with KUDO, but reading your bits about things you know about makes this a good example of what to do. Constructors need to do their research and editors need to edit carefully.
Thanks.
@ embien - do you also pronounce the L in salmon?
Just wondering?
VCD
Here is a short list of some other silent L words:
calf half salve
could should would
colonel
Lincoln
3 of Four...may be a west coast thing. We grow a lot of ahl-monds in CA and we are also famous for our saah-mon...I had friend from Baahstun(Boston) that used to pahk her car in the grraage after coming home from draaama class...regional stuff.
Hello all, No circles meant no theme. The local paper did have faint smudges like when I erase a letter. Jean Auel was a gimmie since she is one of my favorites. She is what I call an author of historical fiction. She is supposed to be still working on #6.
Ayla is "home" and has accepted her future role with the Zenlandoni. Diana Gabaldon is Another writer of historical fiction. I finally just wrote the "c" for 21D and moved on. I had the "n" from 9D so there was no porno for me today.
Have to go to Save Mart for another Germ. Choc. Cake. Love GCC.
Sallie- What in today's puzzle makes you think the constructor hasn't done his research and the editor was not careful? I'm not sure I'm getting this. Is it about KUDO? ... a real word.
Hey:
nice job tarra jo and jeannie; that minnesota cold obviously does good things to its women. puzzle was fun, but like each of us, flawed. as a young boy it was the best to get a toy Mack Truck . they made all the monster trucks.
y'all (i lived in the south too long, and am happily divorced from an alabama girl) should go to new york city and experience the bronx and brooklyn. it is amazing how narrow the regionalism can be. plus broadway, the museums, the buildings....
loved sweet sixteen and heros (or is it heroes?) or is that the clue? will always have a fond place for a this FACE .
@3 of 4: You nailed it, my friend. The Oregon state fish is pronounced with a silent L in these parts.
Thanks for that and the other silent L words. My comment was really only about c.c.'s "almond" statement, as I'd never heard the nut pronounced without the L.
Lemonade714: Only north and some parts of central FL are really the "South."
Speaking of Brdwy shows...did you catch a "Capital 4th" with the Jersey Boys? I was dancing all over the place...Frankie Valli was My era. I did have to laugh when one sang "Walk Like A man" in a falsetto!
For the readers: Am reading my third Jodi Picoult novel...the themes are fascinating:Eugenics and the paranormal. A real page-turner...and I`ve learned more about diabolical eugenics than I ever wanted to know...
Incidentally, my husband...you know...the one with the funny names for people, places and things...
his "name" for Jack Elam was "ole wooggity-eye."
Here`s one even better, the truth, so help me...I have an aunt by marriage with an eye just like that...and to top it off, her mother named her Jezebel! Remember, it`s only by marriage!
Thanks for the entertainment this afternoon.
I so love a good rant:}
Give en hell Tarrajo!
CA-did the Alcatraz tour in 99. WOW! I grew up in Sacto and had never been there before. Did decide the original part of the prison in Boise made Alcatraz look like a country club! (Except for the part about being an island).
I'll think of you Windhover next time my monitor acts up.
Your "almond" discussion resurrected an old memory. I was presenting a motivational program for disadvantaged youth, encouraging them to pursue further education. I related the story of a woman I observed at Mars Candy Co. placing two almonds on each candy bar. I asked her how long she had been at Mars--she said 20 years. I asked her what jobs she had. She said the same job--almonds on candy bars. I then told the group--that's O.K. if that's all the woman could do, but if she had the ability she should pursue additional goals. The Mar's point was early in an hour & one half program. When finished, a young black boy rushed up and I thought, "Wow, I've reached him." He then proceeded to tell me "It's pronounced "ahlmonds" not "almonds" (al rhyming with pal). Another success story from my past.
Okay, y'all, repeat after me 'I will not respond to any anon troll that attacks people/comments on the blog. From here on, I promise to COMPLETELY ignore them forever'.
Just when I got done laughing trying to figure out whether Jesus preferred a Plymouth to an Accord, the blog got crazy - did last nite's full moon bring out the weird in people or what?
Linda - just got back from seeing 'My Sister's Keeper' by Jodi Picoult. They changed the ending from the book but I enjoy reading her - she's very popular with my book club.
Tarrajo - can't help you with the zucchini problem. I don't understand why we have so much world hunger with zucchini around - two plants will feed an entire city. I made the mistake of planting it once and never again. You can't give it away fast enough.
Howdy y'all (or "Hey youse?")--this was a definite ramp up
on the difficulty scale, but still fun--any puzzle with words like LULU, HOHOS, and YO-YOS gets bonus points, but I think a better, braver clue for the latter word is:"Cellist Ma, and others"(!?) Great WOW, Dennis--like CA's example Wayne Thiebaud, Georgia O'Keefe painted into her eighties--and before dying she was learning to throw pots from her forty-something lover, Juan--talk about a good retirement plan!
JazzBumpah...thank for clearing up the "dotted note"issue...I thought STAC was plain wrong,but
my answer couldidn't be shoehorned into four squares--heck, I got ostealgia (bone pain) trying to make it work.
Good Japanese saying about Mt Fuji..."One has to be a fool not to
climb Fuji-san once, and one has to be a fool to climb it twice."-----...OK,time to make dinner, wish me luck!
Linda,
Got your reminder. Had about a full page written up----and lost it. Don't feel like doing it over at this late hour. Maybe tomorrow. I remember ole Jack Elam. I once told him I thought he was the ugliest man in the world---He replied, you better hope I never die.
(Not really. I've never met him)
Vaya con Dios
Jerome: I am referring to Jazzbumpa at 1:20. He mentions three more errors covering things that I don't know about. My earlier post quoted my dictionary's reference to KUDO as an error, and as an English teacher I always considered kudos a complete word – not a plural. I still don't accept kudo. (Nor does my spell check.)
Jerome -
Reading Sallie's comment in the context of mine, I'm guessing she was referring to 1A: STACcato.
This is similar to the conceptual error of temper = anneal that I ranted about a few weeks ago.
Linda -
I actually missed the mis-spelling, but it's pretty amusing. What is not so amusing is that I have a very simple 4-letter last name, and when somebody who I don't know calls on the phone (usually asking for some sort of donation) they can't pronounce it.
Tarrajo, et al -
Isn't it interesting that when some member of the community gets dissed, its always by ANON!
What a courageous and useful citizen that one is.
I understand your anger and frustration at the personal attacks. But, hey, your friends are your friends, and you know who they are.
Trolls aren't worth bothering with.
Cheers and/or Grumps!
I love ah-monds and all the wit and wisdom displayed here; why cant the Twins play well against the hated Yankees?
Tarrajo: Please email me because my husband has a zucchini bread recipe that is wonderful.
Hey my blog friends thanks for "flanking" me. I am sorry that I had to comment on the anon but HAD to. I have not had not had one easy day since LGJ has been born, but have TOO MANY rewarding ones to count.
Okay, Chickie...got your recipes. Made zucchini bread tonight and LGJ didn't know he just ate another serving of veges...after dinner. BTW...didn't make a dent in my zucchini stash. An old friend of mine that I gave some to ambled over tonight with a fresh "canned" jar of rhubarb and cherry jam his darling wife made for trade. I am thinking I made the better trade as I pawned off two more to them.
Lemonade...perhaps we should have Tarrajo and Tashajo take "thouse" guys on. Maybe we would have a chance then. Just sayin'. Maybe I could be the "ball girl"...okay bowing out now politely...while I still can.
Tarrajo--Glad that your son enjoyed the hidden veggie dessert. It freezes very well, also, so you can gift it well after the zuchinni season is over!
BTW--Anonymous people are truly cowards--that's all I'll say about the comment made. It was terribly unfair.
Hi all,
Have been way too busy watching Truman for the past 2 days to complete a c/w and comment, but it's late and I am reading and laughing and agreeing. Love Auel and Piccoult, and I'm not sure if Jesus had a license to drive. Was saddened by the death of CA's monitor, but it was nice to know it wasn't a painful passing.Would meet in SF any time!
Tarrajo's plea for a good zucchini recipe spurred me to action. I loved this choc. cake(found in Sunset Mag. years ago) and made it often (can't imagine how many WW pts it would use up)
mmm good Better than a HO Ho!
I pronounce the l in almonds.
Kitty B, thanks for posting the stats on the shingles vaccine..most helpful..still pondering. Recently got the pneumonia shot.
Kudos to all... especially Lois and Buckeye.
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