Theme: Initial Exposé - reinterpretation of famous people's initials.
27A: Author who's rarin' to write?: EAGER BEAVER WHITE (E. B. WHITE - author of "Charlotte's Web")
45A: Daredevil writer?: HANG GLIDER WELLS (H. G. WELLS, writer of 'The Time Machine'')
67A: Explosive blues singer?: BIG BANG KING (B.B. KING, blues legend)
92A: Hard-hitting mystery writer?: PILE DRIVER JAMES (P. D. JAMES, British mystery writer)
109A: Threatening, but harmless, showman?: PAPER TIGER BARNUM (P. T. BARNUM, the circus showman)
15D: Merchant who moonlights as a union boss?: LABOR LEADER BEAN (L. L. BEAN, founder of the mail-order giant)
44D: Poet surfing the Net?: WEB BROWSER YEATS (W.B. YEATS, Nobel Literature poet)
Of all the 7 theme answers, I like PAPER TIGER BARNUM the post. Chairman Mao used to call the United States PAPER TIGER.
Good to see Edgar Fontaine's name again. It's been a long time since we last solved his TMS Daily puzzle.
Amusing theme. Some of the clues are very tough. Plus quite a few unknowns. I just struggled again.
Across:
1A: Autograph site: CAST. Wanted EBAY, the site where I got some of my autographed baseball cards.
5A: "Yesterday": ASAP
9A: Hefty competitor: GLAD
13A: Twist together: ENLACE
19A: Emperor after Galba: OTHO. No idea. He overthrew Galba and ruled for just only three months in AD 69.
20A: "A __ technicality": MERE
21A: Pressure, loan shark style: LEAN ON. Not familiar with the "Exert pressure" meaning of LEAN ON. "Rely on", yes
23A: Help out at the trampoline: SPOT. Why?
25A: Florida Marlins uniform color: TEAL. Ha ha, I've never paid attention to Marlins' uniform color. That's Miguel Cabrera, who is now with the Tigers.
26A: RoboCop, e.g.: CYBORG. It stands for Cybernetic Organism. New word to me. Not familiar with the movie RoboCop either.
31A: River through Silesia: ODER. The German/Polish border river. Flows to the Baltic Sea. I could not find Silesia though.
32A: __War: 1850s conflict: CRIMEAN
34A: Deep-seated: INBRED
36A: Connecting: BETWEEN. Can you explain to me how these two are synonymous?
39A: Insurance that covers bridges?: DENTAL. The ? mark did not prevent me from thinking of the river bridges.
41A: Vermont ski resort: STOWE. No idea. Is it named after Harriet Beecher STOWE?
50A: Jazzman Calloway's birth name: CABELL. Cab Calloway. Total stranger to me.
52A: Campanella of Ebbets Field fame: ROY. Gimme. Catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers who played in the Ebbets Field. Hall of Famer.
53A: Green-lighted: OK'D
54A: Sainted Norse King: OLAV II. Easy guess. It could only be OLAV II or OLAV IV or OLAV VI.
56A: Horse of the Middle East: ARAB
56A: Ocular sphincter: IRIS
58A: Africa's largest nation in area: SUDAN. I am glad I don't live in Darfur.
60A: Blue-pencils: EDITS. Oh, I associated EDITS with red-color.
61A: Dead center?: TOMB. Great clue.
62A: "Oh, brother!": MAN
63A: Series opener?: MINI. Miniseries.
64A: Hill worker: AIDE. Capitol Hill.
66A: Geppetto wished on one: STAR. "When You Wish Upon a STAR", from "Pinocchio". I was stumped. Did not know who Geppetoo is.
70A: Keep out of the lineup: REST
79A: Give rise to: SPAWN
82A: Pin on a rowboat: THOLE. Ah, T' HOLE. That's how I remember it.
84A: Come ci, comma ça: SOSO. "Come ci, comma ça" is literally "Like this, like that".
85A: Bring in: EARN
86A: Try to hit with: TOSS AT
88A: White House nickname: IKE. It can only be IKE or ABE.
89A: Take up, perhaps: HEM. Take up/HEM the sleeves an inch.
90A: Creamsicle color: ORANGE. Did not know the Creamsicle brand.
96A: Much of Chile: ANDES
97A: High-tech card interpreter: READER. Bar code READER?
98A: Seriously restrained, as a prisoner: IN IRONS
100A: Thwart: STYMIE. Crossing TRIPS (101D: Fools, with "up").
102A: GM debut of 1964: GTO (1964-1974).
103A: They work in wheels: POTTERS. POTTER's wheel.
108A: Rochester's love: EYRE. From "Jane EYRE".
114A: Frock wearers: FRIARS
117A: Bibliography abbr.: ET AL
118A: 13 for Al, e.g.: AT NO. Did not know aluminum's Atomic Number is 13.
119A: Go quietly: TIPTOE
120A Malibu landmark: PIER. Malibu PIER.
121A: "Clair de __": LUNE. Clair is French for "Clear". LUNE is "moon". "Clair de LUNE"= "moonlight". Debussy's piece.
122A: Luth. or Meth.: PROT (Protestant)
124A: Like a stained shirt pocket, maybe: INKY
125A: Christian name?: DIOR. Christian DIOR. Nailed it immediately.
128A: Title word in an annual Guy Lombardo classic: SYNE. "Auld Lang SYNE" (Literally "Old Long Since"). I've never heard of Guy Lombardo. He is credited with popularizing the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, according to Wikipedia.
Down:
1D: Sine's reciprocal, in trig: COSEC. My goodness. I thought it's COSINE.
2D: How some stocks are sold: AT PAR
3D: Chess, Japanese style: SHOGI. Sho=General (as in Shogun). Gi=Chess.
4D: __ pole: TOTEM
5D: Unicellular life: AMEBAE. Plural of AMEBA, though AMOEBA is more common.
6D: "God Bless America" inning: SEVENTH. The effect of Sept 11. Weird to sing "Take Me to the Ball Game" while inside the stadium.
7D: Part of WATS: AREA. WATS = Wide Area Telecommunications Service. New acronym to me.
8D: Sicko, for short: PERV. Pervert. I only know perb, which stands for perpetrator (or perpendicular crossing in our blog).
9D: It doesn't conceal much: G-STRING. Lovely matching baby doll top.
10D: "Gigi" composer: LOEWE. Learner & LOEWE.
11D: Indian wet nurse: AMAH. It's called AMAH in Hongkong too.
12D: Place for a bagel with a schmear: DELI
13D: City in California's Imperial Valley: EL CENTRO. Literally "The Center". New to me. Wikipedia says Cher was born here.
14D: Napoleonic Wars marshal: NEY (Michel). Napoleon called him "the bravest of the brave".
16D: Galvanic cell part: ANODE
17D: Like baked apples: CORED. You don't want to bake an Honeycrisp apple.
18D: Certain B.S. holder: ENGR
28D: James Dean persona: REBEL. "REBEL Without a Cause" in particular. He was kind of a REBEL in "East of Eden" too.
29D: Milton's "Lycidas", e.g.: ELEGY. No idea. Wikipedia says "Lycidas" was a poem dedicated to the memory of Edward King, a collegemate of Milton's at Cambridge who had been drowned when his ship sank in the Irish Sea.
30D: Trident feature: TINE
35D: Turned on the waterworks: BAWLED
37D: Blender name: WARING. Not familiar with the brand. It's named after musician Fred WARNING.
38D: Grandson of Adam: ENOS
39D: Antelope named for the sound it makes when frightened: DIK-DIK. Oh, good to know. Good morning, DIK-DIK, don't be afraid.
40D: Icelandic epic: EDDA
41D: Sings like Ella: SCATS
42D: It has Lovers card: TAROT
43D: 2004 Democratic keynoter: OBAMA. I remember that speech very vividly. My first encounter with the name OBAMA.
46D: Lizard's habitat?: LOUNGE. LOUNGE lizard.
47D: DLX÷ X: LVI. 560÷ 10= 56.
48D: Beyong tipsy: LIT
49D: Word before boom: SIS. SIS boom bah.
51D: Perching places: LIMBS. For birds.
57D: Grammy winner Bonnie: RAITT. Fascinating voice.
58D: Inasmuch as: SINCE
59D: Some grandkid spoilers: NANAS
63D: Jiffy Bag, e.g.: MAILER. Oh, I just call Jiffy Bag bubbled envelop.
65D: All-natural abode: IGLOO. Inuit for "house". Constructed of snow, hence "all-natural" I suppose.
68D: Arrange, as a deal: BROKER
69D: Chemical relative: ISOMER. Same compound with different arrangement of atoms.
71D: Serengeti grazer: ELAND. The spiral-horned antelope.
72D: Suit material: SERGE. Woolen fabric.
73D: Nano or Shuffle fillers: TUNES. iPod Nano/iPod Shuffle.
75D: Ancient wreath for the head: ANADEM. New word to me. LAUREL doesn't fit.
79D: Indy additive: STP
80D: Pacific finger food: POI. You eat POI with finger?
81D: Comm. method reputedly used by Koko the gorilla: ASL (American Sign Language). Stumper for me.
83D: Cellular structure: HIVE
84D: High roller?: SEMI. Nice clue.
87D: Went (all over): TRAIPSED
89D: Capital WNW of Manila: HANOI. Vietnam's capital.
91D: Haile Selassie worshipper: RASTA. They wear dreadlocks.
93D: "The very __!": IDEA
94D: Wired, so to speak: JITTERY. Edgy.
95D: Opera heroine, often: SOPRANO
99D: More stately: NOBLER
100D: Fertile Crescent land: SYRIA. See this Fertile Crescent region map. It's shaped like a crescent.
102D: Gibberish, metaphorically: GREEK
104D: Nabs using trickery: TRAPS
105D: Log item: ENTRY
106D: Yak, yak, yak ..: RUN ON. I often imagine how Geri (our fellow Canadian solver) looks like. She is so quiet yet so present.
107D: Walloped, old-style: SMOTE. Biblically.
108D: New newts: EFTS
110D: Big __: baseball's David Ortiz: PAPI. Nick name for Ortiz, another steroid user.
111D: Tiger Wood's wife: ELIN. ELIN Nordegren. A former Swedish model/nanny.
112D: Fix, in a way: GELD. Oh, neuter fix.
13D: Fancy case: ETUI. Aren't you glad we don't have PTUI any more?
115D: Sushi ingredient: ROE. I've somehow lost appetite for salmon ROE sushi.
Answer grid.
C.C.
27A: Author who's rarin' to write?: EAGER BEAVER WHITE (E. B. WHITE - author of "Charlotte's Web")
45A: Daredevil writer?: HANG GLIDER WELLS (H. G. WELLS, writer of 'The Time Machine'')
67A: Explosive blues singer?: BIG BANG KING (B.B. KING, blues legend)
92A: Hard-hitting mystery writer?: PILE DRIVER JAMES (P. D. JAMES, British mystery writer)
109A: Threatening, but harmless, showman?: PAPER TIGER BARNUM (P. T. BARNUM, the circus showman)
15D: Merchant who moonlights as a union boss?: LABOR LEADER BEAN (L. L. BEAN, founder of the mail-order giant)
44D: Poet surfing the Net?: WEB BROWSER YEATS (W.B. YEATS, Nobel Literature poet)
Of all the 7 theme answers, I like PAPER TIGER BARNUM the post. Chairman Mao used to call the United States PAPER TIGER.
Good to see Edgar Fontaine's name again. It's been a long time since we last solved his TMS Daily puzzle.
Amusing theme. Some of the clues are very tough. Plus quite a few unknowns. I just struggled again.
Across:
1A: Autograph site: CAST. Wanted EBAY, the site where I got some of my autographed baseball cards.
5A: "Yesterday": ASAP
9A: Hefty competitor: GLAD
13A: Twist together: ENLACE
19A: Emperor after Galba: OTHO. No idea. He overthrew Galba and ruled for just only three months in AD 69.
20A: "A __ technicality": MERE
21A: Pressure, loan shark style: LEAN ON. Not familiar with the "Exert pressure" meaning of LEAN ON. "Rely on", yes
23A: Help out at the trampoline: SPOT. Why?
25A: Florida Marlins uniform color: TEAL. Ha ha, I've never paid attention to Marlins' uniform color. That's Miguel Cabrera, who is now with the Tigers.
26A: RoboCop, e.g.: CYBORG. It stands for Cybernetic Organism. New word to me. Not familiar with the movie RoboCop either.
31A: River through Silesia: ODER. The German/Polish border river. Flows to the Baltic Sea. I could not find Silesia though.
32A: __War: 1850s conflict: CRIMEAN
34A: Deep-seated: INBRED
36A: Connecting: BETWEEN. Can you explain to me how these two are synonymous?
39A: Insurance that covers bridges?: DENTAL. The ? mark did not prevent me from thinking of the river bridges.
41A: Vermont ski resort: STOWE. No idea. Is it named after Harriet Beecher STOWE?
50A: Jazzman Calloway's birth name: CABELL. Cab Calloway. Total stranger to me.
52A: Campanella of Ebbets Field fame: ROY. Gimme. Catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers who played in the Ebbets Field. Hall of Famer.
53A: Green-lighted: OK'D
54A: Sainted Norse King: OLAV II. Easy guess. It could only be OLAV II or OLAV IV or OLAV VI.
56A: Horse of the Middle East: ARAB
56A: Ocular sphincter: IRIS
58A: Africa's largest nation in area: SUDAN. I am glad I don't live in Darfur.
60A: Blue-pencils: EDITS. Oh, I associated EDITS with red-color.
61A: Dead center?: TOMB. Great clue.
62A: "Oh, brother!": MAN
63A: Series opener?: MINI. Miniseries.
64A: Hill worker: AIDE. Capitol Hill.
66A: Geppetto wished on one: STAR. "When You Wish Upon a STAR", from "Pinocchio". I was stumped. Did not know who Geppetoo is.
70A: Keep out of the lineup: REST
79A: Give rise to: SPAWN
82A: Pin on a rowboat: THOLE. Ah, T' HOLE. That's how I remember it.
84A: Come ci, comma ça: SOSO. "Come ci, comma ça" is literally "Like this, like that".
85A: Bring in: EARN
86A: Try to hit with: TOSS AT
88A: White House nickname: IKE. It can only be IKE or ABE.
89A: Take up, perhaps: HEM. Take up/HEM the sleeves an inch.
90A: Creamsicle color: ORANGE. Did not know the Creamsicle brand.
96A: Much of Chile: ANDES
97A: High-tech card interpreter: READER. Bar code READER?
98A: Seriously restrained, as a prisoner: IN IRONS
100A: Thwart: STYMIE. Crossing TRIPS (101D: Fools, with "up").
102A: GM debut of 1964: GTO (1964-1974).
103A: They work in wheels: POTTERS. POTTER's wheel.
108A: Rochester's love: EYRE. From "Jane EYRE".
114A: Frock wearers: FRIARS
117A: Bibliography abbr.: ET AL
118A: 13 for Al, e.g.: AT NO. Did not know aluminum's Atomic Number is 13.
119A: Go quietly: TIPTOE
120A Malibu landmark: PIER. Malibu PIER.
121A: "Clair de __": LUNE. Clair is French for "Clear". LUNE is "moon". "Clair de LUNE"= "moonlight". Debussy's piece.
122A: Luth. or Meth.: PROT (Protestant)
124A: Like a stained shirt pocket, maybe: INKY
125A: Christian name?: DIOR. Christian DIOR. Nailed it immediately.
128A: Title word in an annual Guy Lombardo classic: SYNE. "Auld Lang SYNE" (Literally "Old Long Since"). I've never heard of Guy Lombardo. He is credited with popularizing the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, according to Wikipedia.
Down:
1D: Sine's reciprocal, in trig: COSEC. My goodness. I thought it's COSINE.
2D: How some stocks are sold: AT PAR
3D: Chess, Japanese style: SHOGI. Sho=General (as in Shogun). Gi=Chess.
4D: __ pole: TOTEM
5D: Unicellular life: AMEBAE. Plural of AMEBA, though AMOEBA is more common.
6D: "God Bless America" inning: SEVENTH. The effect of Sept 11. Weird to sing "Take Me to the Ball Game" while inside the stadium.
7D: Part of WATS: AREA. WATS = Wide Area Telecommunications Service. New acronym to me.
8D: Sicko, for short: PERV. Pervert. I only know perb, which stands for perpetrator (or perpendicular crossing in our blog).
9D: It doesn't conceal much: G-STRING. Lovely matching baby doll top.
10D: "Gigi" composer: LOEWE. Learner & LOEWE.
11D: Indian wet nurse: AMAH. It's called AMAH in Hongkong too.
12D: Place for a bagel with a schmear: DELI
13D: City in California's Imperial Valley: EL CENTRO. Literally "The Center". New to me. Wikipedia says Cher was born here.
14D: Napoleonic Wars marshal: NEY (Michel). Napoleon called him "the bravest of the brave".
16D: Galvanic cell part: ANODE
17D: Like baked apples: CORED. You don't want to bake an Honeycrisp apple.
18D: Certain B.S. holder: ENGR
28D: James Dean persona: REBEL. "REBEL Without a Cause" in particular. He was kind of a REBEL in "East of Eden" too.
29D: Milton's "Lycidas", e.g.: ELEGY. No idea. Wikipedia says "Lycidas" was a poem dedicated to the memory of Edward King, a collegemate of Milton's at Cambridge who had been drowned when his ship sank in the Irish Sea.
30D: Trident feature: TINE
35D: Turned on the waterworks: BAWLED
37D: Blender name: WARING. Not familiar with the brand. It's named after musician Fred WARNING.
38D: Grandson of Adam: ENOS
39D: Antelope named for the sound it makes when frightened: DIK-DIK. Oh, good to know. Good morning, DIK-DIK, don't be afraid.
40D: Icelandic epic: EDDA
41D: Sings like Ella: SCATS
42D: It has Lovers card: TAROT
43D: 2004 Democratic keynoter: OBAMA. I remember that speech very vividly. My first encounter with the name OBAMA.
46D: Lizard's habitat?: LOUNGE. LOUNGE lizard.
47D: DLX÷ X: LVI. 560÷ 10= 56.
48D: Beyong tipsy: LIT
49D: Word before boom: SIS. SIS boom bah.
51D: Perching places: LIMBS. For birds.
57D: Grammy winner Bonnie: RAITT. Fascinating voice.
58D: Inasmuch as: SINCE
59D: Some grandkid spoilers: NANAS
63D: Jiffy Bag, e.g.: MAILER. Oh, I just call Jiffy Bag bubbled envelop.
65D: All-natural abode: IGLOO. Inuit for "house". Constructed of snow, hence "all-natural" I suppose.
68D: Arrange, as a deal: BROKER
69D: Chemical relative: ISOMER. Same compound with different arrangement of atoms.
71D: Serengeti grazer: ELAND. The spiral-horned antelope.
72D: Suit material: SERGE. Woolen fabric.
73D: Nano or Shuffle fillers: TUNES. iPod Nano/iPod Shuffle.
75D: Ancient wreath for the head: ANADEM. New word to me. LAUREL doesn't fit.
79D: Indy additive: STP
80D: Pacific finger food: POI. You eat POI with finger?
81D: Comm. method reputedly used by Koko the gorilla: ASL (American Sign Language). Stumper for me.
83D: Cellular structure: HIVE
84D: High roller?: SEMI. Nice clue.
87D: Went (all over): TRAIPSED
89D: Capital WNW of Manila: HANOI. Vietnam's capital.
91D: Haile Selassie worshipper: RASTA. They wear dreadlocks.
93D: "The very __!": IDEA
94D: Wired, so to speak: JITTERY. Edgy.
95D: Opera heroine, often: SOPRANO
99D: More stately: NOBLER
100D: Fertile Crescent land: SYRIA. See this Fertile Crescent region map. It's shaped like a crescent.
102D: Gibberish, metaphorically: GREEK
104D: Nabs using trickery: TRAPS
105D: Log item: ENTRY
106D: Yak, yak, yak ..: RUN ON. I often imagine how Geri (our fellow Canadian solver) looks like. She is so quiet yet so present.
107D: Walloped, old-style: SMOTE. Biblically.
108D: New newts: EFTS
110D: Big __: baseball's David Ortiz: PAPI. Nick name for Ortiz, another steroid user.
111D: Tiger Wood's wife: ELIN. ELIN Nordegren. A former Swedish model/nanny.
112D: Fix, in a way: GELD. Oh, neuter fix.
13D: Fancy case: ETUI. Aren't you glad we don't have PTUI any more?
115D: Sushi ingredient: ROE. I've somehow lost appetite for salmon ROE sushi.
Answer grid.
C.C.
71 comments:
Good Morning, All. A very challenging puzzle for me today. My first theme clue was EAGER BEAVER WHITE, and once I figured out that, the rest of the theme clues fell into place. I must admit, however, that it took a few passes before EB White clicked for me.
My favorite clues: Hefty competitor (9A) and Insurance for Bridges (39A).
Math is my downfall. Instead of dividing the roman numerals, I tried multiplying them. No wonder I had trouble fitting my wrong answer in 47D.
I discovered creamsicles in junior high. I loved them. Haven't thought of them since, though.
CC: I admire how well you provide thoughtful and humorous responses to the clues. I love reading your commentary!
Today is my niece's birthday. She turns 21, so I guess that means she will celebrate with a drink!
QOD: Good things, when short, are twice as good.
Good Morning, C.C., Hahtool, and the rest of you, when you get here(although some might be 'Good Afternoon')
Certainly easier once I understood the theme. I liked Big Bang King the best. I'll look for an appropriate song later.
23A: Help out at the trampoline: SPOT. Why?
Spotters are there to catch you or a least, break you fall if something goes wrong. Very common in gymnastics.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - a tough, tough puzzle for me this morning, just rife with clever, misleading clues; a great way to start the day. Loved the theme.
Too many 'huh?'s to mention here, and I'm off to the gym this morning instead of tomorrow morning. More later, hopefully.
C.C., someone who 'spots' a person on a trampoline walks the perimeter to make sure the person doesn't get too close to the edge. We 'spot' each other at the gym; when someone's doing bench presses, one person will stand behind the weights to ensure that when muscle failure is near, the weights get back on the stand and not on the person's chest.
And be very careful buying autographed items off of Ebay - investigations by our trade publications estimate that as much as 80% of the stuff out there is bogus. And anyone with a printer can make a very fancy, authentic-looking provenance, or certificate of authentication.
Born Riley B. King, he gained the nickname "Beale Street Blues Boy", later shortened to "B.B.King", in Memphis. This clip is B.B. and friends performing what you might say is our blog themesong, Let the Good Times Roll. Can anyone tell what function this was from?
Here is a signature Cab(ell) Calloway piece. I don't think I ever wondered about his given name.
Whew! Just under an hour to complete it...lots of red letter help. Liked the theme.
Somehow WHITE came naturally after EAGER BEAVER (dont know how). Then after LABOR LEADER BEAN, the 'aha' moment for the theme. The problem is that I dont know PT Barnum, BB King. And instead of Yeats, I was thinking Keats (read a lot of his poems in school) and desperately trying to remember if he had a middle name. I have heard of PD James but when I think of mystery writers, I always think of Agatha Christie.
Loved the insurance for bridges clue? Like CC, I too thought of river bridges.
Have a great Sunday
Good morning CC and all,
Yesterday's c/w completely eluded me.I loved the mythology references, but didn't get far enough to slap my head. Haven't yet printed out today's.
Moon, double congrats! All of us could have told your boss that you have a great attitude!
Jerome, You made a valid suggestion to anon. No wonder we get duplicate clues over time. I would love the research, but I can see why others wouldn't.
Reliving History
1173- Construction of the Tower at Pisa began, but it took 2 centuries to complete.
1483- The Sistine Chapel opened
1930- Betty Boop debuted in Max Fleisher's "Dizzy Dishes"
1965- Singapore gained independence from Malaysia
1969- The Manson family committed Tate-La Bianca murders (I can still see the headlines and gruesome pictures)
1974- Nixon resigned & Gerald Ford became the 38th president
Thank you for your wishes on the new job..I'm really excited and at the same time scared (lots to learn). But I'm really looking forward to making an impact soon.
On the discussion about the blog and other blog writers from last night, honestly I dont care.
I love CC's blog: discovered it while looking up some clue on google a year ago.
Now, its on my browser fav list and I visit it everyday, even if I dont comment.
What distinguishes this blog from the rest are:
A. Amazing notes on the clues and answers by CC (and Argyle on mondays)
B. The humility of CC that shines through
C. Dennis' comments...seriously if his' is not the first comment, I feel something is wrong :)
I always read the quote and love Mr fun facts and ofcourse the day theme.
(So how many zucchinis are on your porch?)
D. All the comments from the regular and not so regular visitors.
I believe CC's blog will gets its due from other bloggers in time.
Naval Air Facility El Centro is the winter home of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels.
97A: High-tech card interpreter: READER. Bar code READER? Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it refers to computer punch cards.
@C.C. A card reader is a device that can stay connected to your computer although most cameras and MP3 players today have a connection port to hook directly to the comuter themselves via a special cable. The reader allows you to transfer multiple memory cards from a camera, for instance, that might have gotten filled on vacation.
The only example I can think of for between/connecting is a connecting flight, usually a small hop in between the main legs of a flight that is not direct.
Thos function names always confused me as not being logical too. After all cotangent is one over tangent so why wouldn't cosine be one over sine? But it isn't. You just have to remember them in the order they taught them in Trig:
sine cosine tangent
correspond to
secant cosecant cotangent
WATS lines used to be common in big businesses with multiple offices and data centers, with poeple working remotely. Now they are more likely to use a VPN connection over the internet because it's easier, and it doesn't tie up your phone.
I always thought the title for Bach's air on the G-string was a little suggestive.
Oops, three typos, and missing commas. Accidently hit enter instead of scrolling down to preview, sorry all. Hey, it looks like a spiffy new preview box pops up now. Cool. I don't have to scroll back and forth now to make changes.
I took 54 minutes today online with much red help. i only knew about half the answers and had to work to get the others. Caught the gist of the theme early, but once the initials were revealed I had to struggle with some of the last names that simply wouldn't come to me. JAMES was unknown, mixed it up with P.G. Wodehouse. I've never heard SIS before BOOM.
c.c.,
I too remember being extremely impressed with Obama at the 2004 convention.
Good Morning All, I finished this puzzle last night via Cruciverb. Since I solve online, I rather enjoy getting a head start.
I had VERWHITE, a light bulb went off and I backtracked to fill in the rest. The gift of the theme title kicked in then and I saw the initials. I love E B WHITE and still have copies of Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web.
I skipped around after that and worked on the theme areas, concentrating on the last names, filled in the first initial and they all seemed to fall into place. I'm familiar with all the names, so none of them were very difficult.
There were some sticky non-theme places. I had problems with "Jiffy bag", "Houston school", "Pin on a rowboat" and "Cellular structure", so the center area with the crossings of MAILER, RICE, THOLE and HIVE was the last to be filled.
Hahtool, LOL, your QOD is just begging for DF comments! Thanks for the Cab Calloway link, he was a favorite of my parents.
Boy, do I feel old! My early New Year Eves were spent watching Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians on a 17 inch black and white TV. He was born in London, Ontario, which was the city I lived in as a teenager. He was a VERY big deal there.
I almost forgot a couple of links. Get up, start dancing and sing along with Little GTO (102A)...Wah wah...
Then there is the fabulous Bonnie RAITT (57D). The only problem is picking a song. How about the bluesy Pride and Joy
I forgot to mention earlier, today is our son and d-i-l's first wedding anniversary, and they are celebrating with her family in Chemnitz. A prelude perhaps to the probably relocation there later this year. A related sad note, we were at their house yesterday showing it to two enthused prospective buyers. Seems such a shame after all the work they've put into it. But his firm wants him back over there, and they seem to prefer living there, so we want them to be happy.
Clear Ayes: I forgot to give credit to the QOD. It was Baltasar Gracián y Morales, (January 8, 1601 – December 6, 1658) a Spanish prose writer. He had a lot of pithy sayings, including: A beautiful woman should break her mirror early.
Kazie: I wish your son and d-i-l a very happy anniversary. If they move, it will be a good excuse for you to travel!
Didn't do too bad today. I knew the theme right away. YAY! Didn't know PD James and knew PT Barnum but missed the paper tiger part.
Just a quick check in today. Almost time for church.
I once read Helter Skelter. After the first chapter describing the murders I put the book down for a week. Manson still gives me the creeps.
Have a great day.
an hour+ later, I have 'er done(with a breakfast break).. well, almost. Like CA, the center was the hardest. Had to "steal" the le(thole) and mi(mini). Thanks CC!
Also had trouble filling in the last word of each theme, but it was doable. Had laughs over g- string, dental insurance, and Greek. Loved the word traipsed. I was surprised that dik-dik and eland were in the same puzzle.Can't wait to hear from Lois.
CC, a fig? :)
Also, thanks for your work today. Sundays are lonnngg.
New to me: anadem, amah, and Ney, probably others if I look where the perps filled in.
Teal is also the color of the SHARKS.Opening day @ home: October 8th-Woo Hoo!
Argyle,thanks.I thought Blue Angels were from Fla.Years ago they came to Lemore each year.At that time I lived up in Three Rivers (gateway to Sequoia Nat. Park) When they are up our way, we play golf at a near-by course in Mt. View which gives us a spectacular view.
Many years ago my wife was the girlfriend of a very famous Oakland Raider football star. A hell of a lot of fans believe they have his autograph. I don't want to cause anyone pain so I won't mention a name. But there's a great number of people that are the proud owners of my wife's signature.
I had an easier time with this than yesterday’s puzzle, thank goodness. But I guess that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I loved the themes; I actually GOT IT this time, and it helped immensely, as well as added to the fun. My favorite was LABOR LEADER BEAN, but BIG BANG KING was close behind. I had a hard time with YEATS, but I bet CA got it in one.
My favorite clue was DEAD CENTER. I have fond memories of Creamsicles from the ice cream man. Too bad we don’t have ice cream trucks any more.
I never heard of Emperor OTHO, and would never have figured out AT NO. I would hate to eat POI with my fingers. yuk
In the phrase UP AND DOWN, *AND* is the connecting word, or the word between Up and Down.
@barbb Ah, but when you are at a luau enjoying the entertainment with hundreds of like minded tourists, you are encouraged to "go native" and have at the poi with your fingers. There was even a demonstration, IIRC.
Was determined to NOT give in on this one, and beat it down after five or six passes through.
Have a great Sunday, everyone!
Clear Ayes, thanks for Little GTO - always a favorite.
Argyle, back in our day, yes, 'card reader' referred to punch-card readers, now the term is used for smart-card readers.
JD, the Blue Angels' home base is Pensacola, Florida, the home of Naval Aviation. As Argyle said, El Centro is their winter home. Which reminds me, where are you, Hayrake?
Jerome, an excellent point about autographs. Babe Ruth and many others were notorious for having the 'clubhouse boys' learn and then sign their signatures.
BarbB et al, TGI Fridays makes an excellent Creamsicle, and sell it by the bottle. Only needs ice and a blender. And it's damn good, tastes exactly like the old Creamsicles. Also, I always think of a different 'connection' regarding up and down.
Howdy! A walk in the park.....Not a description of the puzzle but of the morning's activities. When a puzzle begins with "sine's reciprocal" (1D) my stomach sinks, but the longer non-theme answers gave me a little something to hold on to. Theme answers took a while. Fave clue/answer pair is 109A, because PT Barnum's story is timeless and somehow very American.
Tiger Woods's wife (111D) is not American, but she has many other good traits. Having OBAMA (43D) in so many puzzles has been criticized by some solvers, but with 60% vowels and easy to cross consonants (compare his M and B with conductor OZAWA's rarer consonants) I think its more "smooth fill" than political statement. I do wonder if editors such as Rich Norris have to closely check for crosses with the President's surname. You can probably cross Guy Lombardo or EB White answers with anything, but references to politicians, current or historical, can kick up a storm..... Gorilla Koko's use of ASL (81D) also set off sparks by opening the questions about whether "language" is unique to humans over a certain age.
I'm sure glad Google is free or I would have to fork over a boatload of money today. Even if I didn't get the answers too easily, many of the clues were very clever.
Beautiful day in the park, by the lake, but too gusty to puzzle outside. We had cold pizza and iced tea, and scared the birds (and maybe a few joggers) away with our sung renditions of old advertising jingles & country/western songs. Lake Michigan is beautiful, and deserves better musicians!
Clear Eyes,
Do you think maybe you feel old 'cause you are sixty-seven?
Dennis,
There's a soda called orange ceamsicle made by Stewarts. Try it, it's pretty good. It comes in 12 oz. bottles in a 4 pack carrier.
As much as I'd like to delete the above message, I think it tells us all we need to know...
good morning c.c. and all,
lots o' fun this morning - took me till the fourth theme answer to figure out the theme.
smiled with claire de LUNE and EYRE, two all time favorites.
c.c., re: connecting, think bridge. what happens if you bake a honeycrisp apple?
moon, well done!
jeannie, collective soul rocks.
jimmyb, which restaurant served babette's feast?
that's a 4 bottle carrier.
Some people think they are God and can go around deleting messages. Kinda like being a tyrant, or egotist.
Luxor, perhaps you've noticed your post is still there. I think it's important that the rest of the posters see your childish act for themselves.
forgive the redundancy, i saw this after my last post. same music but with aquatic visual .. mesmerizing.
that's an actual seahorse in the pic. wild.
luxor ... fercryinoutloud ...
Hi everyone, It's a slow comment day. Maybe it will pick up later.
Last night's downlown from the LAT site didn't have clues for 83D & 84D. As it turned out,they weren't needed. Checked the Merc this morninng and they ran the NYT puzzle. That was a first.
I used to work across 101 from Moffett. Used to watch the Angels and the U2s take off.
Never played Sunnyvale Muni.
Guess no one thought that Peanuts was funny.
Back to the IRL race at Mid-Ohio.
eddyB.
I am flattered that Luxor thinks it important enough to keep track of my age. Age, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For my husband, I am "The Rose of the World". It is unfortunate that not everyone is loved so well.
What a good segue for one of my favorite (and Irish Jim too, I think) poets. YEATS wrote this poem to Maud Gonne, with whom he was deeply in love. He suggests that while most human life passes by like a dream, Maud Gonne's "lonely face" lives on...ageless.
The Rose of the World
Who dreamed that beauty passes like a dream?
For these red lips, with all their mournful pride,
Mournful that no new wonder may betide,
Troy passed away in one high funeral gleam,
And Usna's children died.
We and the labouring world are passing by:
Amid men's souls, that waver and give place
Like the pale waters in their wintry race,
Under the passing stars, foam of the sky,
Lives on this lonely face.
Bow down, archangels, in your dim abode:
Before you were, or any hearts to beat,
Weary and kind one lingered by His seat;
He made the world to be a grassy road
Before her wandering feet.
- William Butler YEATS
Good afternoon everyone.
Got a few right, skipped the rest and came here.
It always surprises me when the few I get are ones others don't know.
I am back to believing that Luxor should be treated like anon and ignored. Don't feed the trolls.
I like books with unusual titles. Elizabeth Peters has "The Last Camel Died At Noon" and now "Laughter of Dead Kings". She writes very good mysteries centered in Egypt in 1900s.
Cheers.
Clear Ayes,
YOU are important. I read your posts every day and you seem like a great gal. I said what I did as a friendly gesture. But, of course the tone of voice and inflection are missing here. I think you're a DOLL and I meant no disrespect.
dennis, as for you, you can go jump in the lake.
Crockett, they didn’t have that demonstration when I was in Hawaii. I probably would have a totally different perspective if they had.
Luxor, got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? I notice that you’re barely one step away from anon –you give no personal information about yourself. How old are you? From your posts today I’d say 11. So, I guess I can cut you a little slack. When you get a little older, we’ll show you how to go blue. Don't be afraid to ask.
Connecting, between— you win, Dennis, your answer covers it all.
We don’t have a TGIF’s here, but I think I can get Stewarts soda; thanks guys.
But I still miss the ice cream man.
Melissa Bee, That's a SEAHORSE? Looks like seaweed. Stunning pictures.
barb, luxor is not anon?
anon;
Are YOU luxor?
Since, I was the subject of Luxor's post at 1:28...and he apologized for any misunderstanding....
Luxor, Hopefully, you think I'm enough of a "doll" to take my advice seriously. I did see the possibility that your post was meant to be viewed humorously. You seem to have a somewhat mocking and even sardonic sense of humor. That humor is almost impossible to get across in print. As you said, "tone of voice and inflection are missing". No one can see the smile on your face, or feel the friendly poke in the ribs, so if it can be taken as an insult, it very probably will be.
Second, there is a proven need for the administrator Delete. C.C. can't be monitoring 24/7, so it's a done deal. I can assure you that you are pretty much alone in your disapproval of Dennis' authority. Dennis is aware of it and so is the rest of the blog community. There is no point in going on about it.
Finally, a word to the wise, you only alienate yourself to blog members by insulting Dennis, or anyone else. Not everybody is going to like everyone, but if you don't like a poster or post, either ignore, or politely disagree.
That's #4 today. Our chorus is meeting for a back-to-practice get-together at a local pub this afternoon. Sounds like a sing-along may be in the works after a couple of bottles of Guinness. Be back later to see what else develops.
a clear ayes fan.
Clear Ayes,
You are certainly a wise person and I will heed your words of wisdom. I apologize to dennis and all of his supporters. I don't dislike him, I just don't like being pushed around, and he is pushy.
Again, thank you for your help Clear Ayes.
Lux
I usually like hanging out with a Sunday puzzle for a while, but this one beat me up pretty good. I got the names at the end of the long clues, but just kept looking at the first two words and couldn't for the life of me figure out what significance they were. Had to come here to figure that out. CC you are awesome.
I liked Insurance that covers bridges?, Dead center? and Lizards habitats?. I wanted SOBBED vs. BAWLED, PIT CREW vs. POTTERS, and that is just the start. That is how it went the whole time. Lots of red letter help.
MelissaBee, what a beautiful picture.
Al, that preview box is great isn't it? I saw that one a few days ago. I really like it.
As for all the discussion about this blog not being recognized on other blogs, I really don't worry about what others think. I too found this by googling an answer and have never left. We don't even get the LAT puzzle in our paper, but I think it is a better puzzle and love all the analysis and chatter that goes with it. You are a great bunch.
Jerome, interesting story.
I think Stewart's soda's are sold at high end grocery stores, and I think at Potbelly Sandwich shops too.
ClearAyes, classy, as usual. You are a dear.
This one was a disaster for me. Puzzles with a lot of literary references are my downfall. I never ever grasped the theme until coming here. The only thing that kept me going was thinking how Lois could have a field day with some of the fills. Alas, no Lois today. Yet.
Luckily my spirits are still high after seeing Julie and Julia last night. What a charming picture. Streep owns it; just ship her the Oscar right now and get it over with. I've always loved Amy Adams and she does not disappoint.
Melissa Bee - I don't think that restaurant exists any more. It was in one of those white buildings on the west side of the SJ airport runways (off of Coleman). I can't remember the name, and Google was no help. Great restaurant, bad location.
Well, I am kind of freaking out. My son was at a party last night when a tornado hit about a mile from his locale. Luckily, no one was hurt. Then tonight I go up to take him to church, and realize that the other touchdown site was less than a mile from our house. Major trees down, one home has half it's garage ripped off. Was it following our family? Too close for comfort for me!!
On a brighter note my other son is in Dallas, halfway home from his Mexico trip and all went really well there. Will be good to have him back on US soil. Can't wait to see him late tonight.
KQ,
I hear you. Tornados are creepy things, and kids are always a worry when they are on their way anywhere, no matter how old they are.
CA,
As always, cool headed and good advice.
Julie and Julia is on my short list for the near future too.
Hello All--Late today in posting. It is my Hubby's BD and we went to see Julie and Julia. So much fun and Meryl Streep is superb.
I started the puzzle last night on line and finished up after our trip to the theater. I got the theme early on and actually got all the theme answers before I filled in the whole puzzle. I especially like Eager Beaver White which gave me the rest of the theme idea. I thought the theme and puzzle was fun today.
New words for me today were thole and anadem.
I would never have gotten 13 for AL or the Emperor after Galba but for the perps and red letter help. I really enjoyed the clues for Bridge insurance, and Dead Center. Both very clever.
Koko the Gorilla was housed near our area and a wonderful children's book was distributed by Scholastic Books called "Koko's Kitten". If you had any doubts about this gorilla communicating just read this book.
-Clear Ayes
Taking your suggestion under advisement that we should politely disagree leads me to conclude that
it appears that Mr. D is a bit of a dominate authoritarian and Ms's TJ & Jeannie are subservient disciples.
That is not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation.
anon, do you not understand that you have no credibility, that no one is going to take you seriously, until you assume an actual blue ID and stop denigrating others? If you just do that, then you'd be able to have a meaningful dialogue on here. Until then, people will rightfully assume that you're "an 11-year-old" using mommy's computer.
I could give a rat's ass what you think about me, but trust me, tarrajo and Jeannie are subservient to no one.
Mr. D-
'No credibility'? I understand it could be marginal credence but why do you launch a personal attack characterizing me as an 11 year old? That in itself is juvenile.
I'm simply observing you all on here and commenting.
No, it's no credibility, which you've brought on yourself. And my characterization was a quote from another blogger, which was based on your MO. The solution is so simple, why not do it?
Mr. D-
Quoting another blogger doesn't negate your nasty insult by insinuating I was using "my mommy's computer".
It only further reveals true character.
Dennis as your subservient disciple (Geez who knew?) I am advising you to come back into the fold of Minnesota niceness where the pretty girls with blonde hair fly and the zucchini is prevelant.
Okay, MN sweetcorn is in season too.
anon - if you're not going to address the question, there's no need for further discussion.
Jeannie, you guys fly??
Good night!
Hey, guys!
Remember to ignore the trolls! (And that includes Luxor.)
I may even add a few more !!!
Sallie, in fairness, it wasn't 'anon' when the discussion started...
Chickie...happy birthday to your hubby. It was hot here today and Brady Joe and I spent the day in the canoe and in the lake swimming. He's a pretty good swimmer. I just cannot believe what I just spent this weekend on second hand gear for football. Who knew?
I just caught up on the comments today, and I must admit I didn't know I was part of Dennis' harem either as I got no fringe benefits. Hmmm, and I've been a really subservient, and a good disciple too. Jeannie are you hogging?
I can't speak for Tarrajo but my hair flies in the wind...Tarrajo?
Yes Tarrajo, I am hogging. Only because I am subservient and a disciple.
I can't think on my own and just asked Dennis to place my BK french fry orders for next week. He's also in charge of ordering the flowers for my gourmet show August 17th.
What did you do after you fed your son, got him to bathe, washed his clothes, made his and your lunch for tomorrow and cleaned house?
Did you kiss Dennis' ring tonight? Did you wash his feet? I rest my case. I win...
Ring?
Yes Dennis you have to order onion rings tomorrow.
Wow, the heat here in Chicago is suffocating. I had popsicles for dinner and lemon ice for dessert. Our Creator didn't see fit to give me genes for lasting hair, well-organized teeth, clear skin or any snappy dance moves whatsoever, but S/He did give me a blazingly fast metabolism. I guess that sort of makes up for the other stuff.
On the comedy blog that I co-administer, someone started a thread entitled "Things NOT to say to a 12 year old before bed." Most of the entries can't be printed here because they're either too naughty or off-color. Comedy is all about context, so things that would work on stage don't always translate well to the written word, & vice versa; any decent performer knows that even weak bits can go over well once the crowd is primed.
Three of the better ones IMHO are:
* "Honey, remember to hide all the beer cans before Dad wakes up."
*"You know we lock your door from the outside for YOUR protection right?"
* "Snookums, go kiss Daddy and his new boyfriend goodnight, OK?"
*"If you hear the baby crying, just give him some Mountain Dew and he'll go right back to sleep."
*"Remember to thank Jesus that only a few people gave the zucchini back."
Hmm, I wonder who inspired and who wrote the last one??
All this is just to change the subject! I hope it helps a little bit...
PJ
So many lines about happy meals, but I'll be good.
Okay Jeannie I get it...Dennis when you get done placing Jeannie's orders can you swing my house, say sixish? We need to get my boy awoken, get his backpack stocked with lunch and those pesky things us single MOM'S have to think of. You're off the hook as far as the shower thing goes. He did that tonight. Breakfast is important so make sure he at least has some fruit and some sort of carb/protein. When you drop him off and get to my work make sure you don't schedule any trucks to receive any more than 40 min apart. Oh, and that pesky shipping part...you can't schedule a guy over so many hours.
Whew, Thanks Dennis for taking care of me, and mine.
Jeannie, isn't he great? I am so happy to be subservient and a disciple of HIM.
oooops; FYI, changing the subject did not mean Jeannie, Dennis or Tarrajo. You do make me giggle. I like that.
Melissa Bee, your seahorse picture is stunning!!
Jimmy, could the restaurant have been Coleman's Stil, or the 49th Aero Squadron? I've probably misspelled both of them.
PJB, I loved your mac 'n cheese story the other day!
Lois, I will keep looking for DIG magazine.You must be so proud of Kenny.
CA, classy as always; very sage advice.
JD - No, those restaurants are farther down Coleman. This was on Aviation Avenue, literally just west of the runways. It might have been in the "terminal" for the private planes that fly out of that side of the airport. It might have been something like L'Horizon. As I recall it didn't last long.
A fine evening out was had by all, with a great visit and dinner. A sing-along did take place, even if it was only by me and a dear friend when we launched into the Irish drinking song "The Wild Rover" (twice). I count myself very fortunate to have a friend who isn't shy about singing in front of a group. She doesn't even drink alcohol. Her drink of choice was a Square Cow, which turned out to be some fruit juices and grenadine over ice and topped with whipped cream. It tasted just like a Creamsicle!
PJB, LOL, I didn't escape the dreaded zucchini after all. When GAH and I dropped off the dear friend couple, she asked me if I'd like some peaches. Absolutely! I did get a nice bag of peaches, but we passed the zucchini patch on our way back to the house. Before I knew what was happening her husband was handing over a half dozen zucchini. After they had been so nice, what could I say? "Oh goodie! I love zucchini!"
Jeannie and tarrajo, keep that sense of humor. It will always define you as winners. Now remember to turn your backs and walk away.
#5 and out. Lois, I hope you are sleeping well tonight!
JD, Melissa Bee, Barb B - Ladies, I just sent you an email which should have the Mercury News article about Babette's Feast and the restaurant L'Horizon.
29:47 today. I'm really too late to blog, but here I am anyway. I really enjoyed the theme, and it actually helped me fill in some of the blanks.
RE: respect from other blogs. I came to c.c.'s blog when Rex Parker had a bit about how crummy the old TMS puzzle was (and I agreed with him). Since The Oregonian, my local paper, carried the TMS puzzle at the time, I came here and haven't left. I have the utmost respect for c.c..
I still post occasionally at LA Times Confidential (the "other" LA Times blog), though I never put in personal stuff there like I do here in this community. I think we can all get along.
If you google Rex Parker, I'm sure you'll find those blogs (Rex's main blog is for the NY Times puzzle).
JimmyB: If you have a link to that article in the San Jose paper about L'Horizon, I'd love to see it. A quick Google search didn't come up with anything.
@jerome: That story about your wife's signature was too funny! It would be even funnier if the "experts" authenticated her signature and deemed the real star's signature to be the phonies.
tarrajo: A sure cure for excess zucchini is to get some chickens. They just love to eat them, the bigger, the better (split them in half and lay them out in the chicken yard face up).
If you don't have chickens, there's always the compost bin. This time of year I don't think even Loaves & Fishes will take zucchinis, lol.
You folks need to listen to your parents or grandparents when they visit. The ones you've never heard of are common knowledge to the rest of us oldsters. And I'm only 62!
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