google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday August 14, 2009 Dan Naddor

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Aug 14, 2009

Friday August 14, 2009 Dan Naddor

Theme: NO WAY (51D: "Forget it!" (and a clue to this puzzle's theme)) - WAY is omitted from familiar phrases.

19A: Alleviate a tie-up?: FREE(WAY) TRAFFIC

21A: Partly built residence, perhaps?: HALF(WAY) HOUSE

29A: Periscope lens kept as a souvenir?: SUB(WAY) TOKEN

38A: Euphoria at Pebble Beach?: PACIFIC COAST HIGH(WAY)

44A: Embodiment of a footrace? RUN(WAY) MODEL

57A: Play on a wide stage?: BROAD(WAY) SHOW

59A: Shot at a D.C. bar?: CAPITAL BELT(WAY)

A special 16*15 grid, to accommodate the center 16-letter theme answer PACIFIC COAST HIGH.

BELT is a slang for a shot of liquor, hence CAPITAL BELT. I was picturing a terrible gun shot at a D.C. bar. Halfway house is the only base phrase I had never heard before.

Dan Naddor seems to be fond of stacking theme answers on top of each other, esp. the first two and the last two. I've noticed this in his past several grids. Not easy to pull it off.

I normally start with the lower right corner for Friday puzzles, the tie-in word is often placed there. And getting NO WAY earlier today certainly helped me.

I still struggled a bit, but I fared much better than I did last week. Lots of abbreviations in today's puzzle, maybe the result of heavy 72 theme squares.

Across:

1A: Mine tram bit: LUMP. LUMP of coal. I lost myself on the first hole.

5A: Univ. sites: BLDGS

10A: Foul line indicators: POLES

15A: Beam of support: I-BAR

16A: Baseball Hall of Famer Combs: EARLE. No idea. Wikipedia says EARLE Combs played his whole career with the Yankees (1924-1935).

17A: Submit taxes on an impulse? E-FILE. Why "on an impulse"?

18A: "__ the mornin'!": TOP O'. Irish slang for "Good morning!". New to me.

23A: Throw from the saddle: UNSEAT

24A: Quebec's Festival d'_: ETE. Summer Festival. Easy guess.

25A: Ticks off: IRES. I wrote down IRKS first. I thought IRE is only a noun.

26A: Church-owned Lone Star State inst.: SMU (Southern Methodist University). Site of the Bush Presidential Library. Laura Bush's alma mater.

27A: Toast topping: PATE. Rarely.

34A: Goose egg: ZERO

35A: Seat of Dallas County, Alabama: SELMA. The civil rights march city. I have never heard of the Dallas County though.

37A: Old dagger: SNEE

41A: Son of Rebekah: ESAU. Or "Son of Issac". I am more familiar with the "Biblical brother" clue. ESAU is Jacob's brother.

42A: Midshipman's prog., perhaps: NROTC. Stumped. It's Naval ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps.)

46A: Noted pairs guardian: NOAH. He filled the ARK with pairs. A Biblical sub-theme in this puzzle.

47A: Nietzsche's "never": NIE. And "Nietzsche's "no" is NEIN.

48A: Feds: G-MEN. FBI agent.

50A: Hamlets: Abbr.: TNS. Towns I suppose.

63A: Little guy: SHAVER

61A: Davenport site: IOWA. The clue "site" made me think of Davenport the sofa rather than the city.

62A: Argumentative retort: ARE SO

64A: Reddish brown: ROAN

65A: Odessa native: TEXAN. Nailed it immediately. Odessa is a oil city in W Texas.

66A: __ Martin: ASTON. James Bond's car.

67A: "Grand" brand of ice cream: EDY'S

Down:

1D: Athletic: LITHE. I associate LITHE with supple rather than athletic.

2D: Destroyer destroyer: U-BOAT. WWII German submarine.

3D: Sweet, nutty pie: MAPLE PECAN. I've only heard of pecan pie.

4D: Plum, e.g.: Abbr.: PROF. Not familiar with the board game Clue or the character Professor Plum.

5D: "___ I forget...": BEFORE. I felt silly not filling in the blanks immediately. LEST will be good for "___ we forget".

6D: "Law of the Lash" star: LA RUE. Lash LA RUE.

7D: Slip cover?: DRESS. Stumped. Nice wordplay on slipcovers.

9D: Spike preceder, in volleyball: SET. It's a maneuver in which a ball is directed to a point where a player can spike it into the opponent's court. Not a familiar term to me.

10D: Oil source: PEANUT. No. 1 cooking oil in China.

11D: Whacks: OFFS. OFF here is a verb, meaning "to kill". Whack is slang for "to kill" too.

12D: Long sentence: LIFE. LIFE sentence. Good clue. I like how it parallels OFFS.

13D: "Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist" essayist: ELIA. Easy guess.

14D: Cainites, e.g.: SECT. Cainite is "a member of a Gnostic SECT that exalted Cain and regarded the God of the Old Testament as responsible for evil" according to dictionary.

20D: Latin ballroom dances: RUMBAS

22D: "__ the Week" 1930s record label: HIT OF. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says it the record was sold at news-stands, not record stores. And as the name implied, new records came out at the rate of one each week.

26D: Rash source, maybe: SUMAC. Itchy itchy.

28D: Planet ending: ARIUM. Planetarium is a new word to me.

29D: Bandit one hopes to take money from?: SLOT. One-armed bandit, the SLOT machine.

30D: Irish-born actor Milo: O'SHEA

31D: Honor for Connery: KNIGHTHOOD

32D: Lines of thought?: EEGS. Saw identical clue before. Still like it.

33D: O. T. book: NEH

34D: Silents star Pitts: ZASU. A combination of "Eliza" and "Susan", relatives of her mother. ZASU is pronounced as zay ZOO. Gimme for Jerome & Buckeye & me.

35D: Mountainside debris: SCREE. Learned from doing Xword.

36D: Sierra Club concern: Abbr.: ECOL

39D: Jawaharlal's daughter: INDIRA. I only knew Jawaharlal Nehru as Nehru. So, I struggled with INDIRA (Gandhi).

40D: Govt. obligation: T-BOND. Treasury Bond.

45D: Common pickup capacity: ONE TON. 2,000 pounds.

46D: Pick up: NEATEN. New definition of "Pick up" to me.

49D: Musical tempo modifier: MOLTO. Meaning "very", musically.

52D: Some trumpeters: SWANS. Trumpeter swans, with loud, trumpeting style honks.

54D: Fictional braggart: HARE. The moral guy Aesop's HARE?

55D: Top spot: APEX

56A: It's usually taken in stores: VISA. The credit card. Tricky clue.

57A: OPEC units: BBLS (Barrels)

58D: Term of royal respect: SIRE. Archaic.

60D: Bucolic setting: LEA

Answer grid.

Today's picture: A beautiful photo from our fellow solver Moon. She said: "A pic of my family taken during my sister's wedding in Feb, 2009. Usually all of us meet very rarely, the previous time was in Feb 2006 and before that, it was during my wedding in Oct 2002.

Starting from left is my Dad, my better half, me, my younger bro-in-law, my younger sis, my elder sis, my older bro-in-law and my mother."

Email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you want to share with us a part of your memories.

C.C.

79 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - I really, really enjoyed this puzzle today, which is unusual for a Friday - usually on Fridays I walk around with my head buzzing for about an hour after I get done. Nice job by Dan Naddor.

I slid all the way to the NE before I got traction; I never would've gotten 'lump' and 'bldgs' without perp help. I fully expected 'quads' for 'Univ. sites', and I'm still not comfortable with 'bldgs'. Anyway, I caught the theme with the first answer, which helped a lot, and I thought the theme cluing was just outstanding. Some great misleading cluing as well - 'submit taxes on an impulse', 'Odessa native' (c'mon, who thought Texas?), 'lines of thought' and 'it's usually taken at stores'. And a piece of crossword knowledge that I somehow stored unknowingly popped out with 'Jawaharial's daughter/Indira'. Didn't know the '30s record label, 'Hit of the Week', and didn't know Charles Lamb (Elia) wrote "Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist". Had a fun time with this one.

Today is National Creamsicle Day (again, a recent conversation here) and also VJ Day, the day the Japanese cabled their surrender to the U.S. in WWII.

Today's Words of Wisdom: "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come." -- Victor Hugo

And by popular request, a couple Friday Fun Facts:

- Jim Henson made Kermit the Frog out of his mother's overcoat.

- 25% of American adults say they never exercise.

Hahtoolah said...

Morning, All: This was a fun, fun puzzle today. My "Friday" this week was Wednesday's puzzle. I got the theme fairly quickly. I got NO WAY, then after solving FREE TRAFFIC and HALF HOUSE, the light went on.

There were some really clever clues: Davenport site (61A), Slip cover (7D) and Long sentence (12D). I thought Univ. sites (5A) was a bit weak, however.

I never heard of ZaSu. She was pretty.

Tomorrow begins the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Here is the Smithsonian article that someone referred to last night, with the backstory of that iconic photograph.

Birthdays today:

1928 ~ Lina Wertmuller, Italian film director. She was the first woman director to be nominated for an Academy Award. One of her more well known and controversial films for American audiences was "Swept Away By an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea in August."

1945 ~ Wim Wenders, German film director.

1947 ~ Danielle Steele

QOD: Satire is a sort of glass, wherein the beholders do generally discovery everybody's face but their own. ~ Jonathan Swift

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

Dennis, Hahtool et al,
Re: MBA (clued as "Wall St. wall plaque" on Wednesday). Chickie commented that "Tell me why an MBA Diploma would be called a plaque? My diploma is a paper one which is framed. I consider a plaque something that has been made of metal or wood and then mounted on a wall or a building. I couldn't get that around my thinking even though I had the BA already down".

Your answer is?

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

Chickie,
Happy Belated Birthday! Thank you for the warmth and cheerfulness you bring to us every day. Wasn't it you who tipped us off of "Sneak some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch" last week?

Melissa,
Our blog readers are all over the world now. I think the "it" girl sobriquet has global appeal.

Lemonade714 said...

Happy Friday, this was a really challenging and well done puzzle, except: Univ. sites: BLDGS, which we all seem to agree was just a lazy clue. My favorite was Slip cover?: DRESS, which had me for a long while. Finally, I see PATE served with those little toast triangles all the time, so I must disagree, respectfully.

I really enjoy the new big pictures, and it is nice to have a complete mental picture of our individuals; again thank you C.C.

Hahtoolah said...

CC: I think we have to let our MBAs out there answer why their diploma is consider a "plaque." I certainly have no idea and was confused by that answer (but then I was confused about almost everything in last Wednesday's puzzle.)

Lemonade: I think Toast Topper / Pate was a bit misleading. When I have my toast at breakfast, I certainly don't put pate on it. I would use butter/oleo/jam/peanutbutter ... If I have pate, then I might put it on toast, but that would certainly be more of a rare occurrence that other toppings.

Linda said...

No (way) I can get the puzzle finished before an early appt.

tarrajo: You never bore me...I`m a fan...

MJ: I was simply inquiring as to your appox. age...politely, I hope.

Clearayes: Lovely pic, "exploding head" and all!

Dennis: We often travel through Kermit the Frog`s hometown. There is a museum, but I`m afraid to stop. Ms. Piggy doesn`t like other blonds.

Three days after Woodstock, another "concert" was held for which Hell`s Angels were hired as "security." You don`t hear as much about that one. The "security" actually killed a crowd member!

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Definitely more of a challenge today than yesterday. I turned off the clock (thanks, Melissa!) but it probably took me twice as long. To be honest, I wasn't overly fond of this one, despite the fact that I did manage to eventually solve it unassisted. I just don't like to see things like TNS, BLDGS and BBLS all in the same puzzle.

It took me awhile to get the them. At first, I just ignored the long acrosses and tried to fill the perps in as much as possible. When I finally got NOWAY for 51D, I figured it was safe to try tackling the theme answers. My big "AHA" moment came with PACIFIC COAST HIGH, and I was able to get most of the other theme answers in quick succession after that.

Unknowns today were relatively few and included NROTC and, well, actually I think that was it. The clues were actually much trickier today than the answers. I know what a SECT is, but "Cainites" was completely new to me and I really thought the answer would end in an "s". I also wasn't too crazy about SLOT being clued as, "Bandit one hopes to take money from," since I've only heard a one-armed bandit referred to as a SLOT machine or, collectively, the SLOTs. I've never heard once called simply a SLOT. But maybe that's just me.

One answer that totally mystified me was TREAT defined as "Terrific." Just could not figure that one out. It was only when I didn't get the "TADA!" at the end that I went back and realized that "Feds" actually referred to GMEN and not TMEN. I guess I was thinking "Treasury" instead of "Government."

Have a great one, all!

Barry G. said...

Oh -- and I should mention for future reference that the only thing I dislike more in puzzles than an overabundance of lazy abbreviations is a preponderance of "fill in the blank" type clues, of which this puzzle was mercifully short.

Number three on the list would probably be a plethora of obscure proper names (Broadway stars of the 1930s, one-term politicians of no renown, etc.) If I wanted to play trivia games, I'd be hanging out at the local pub instead of doing crossword puzzles. Assuming there actually is a pub that does trivia games near me, of course...

Jeanne said...

Morning all,
Wow, a Friday puzzle that I really enjoyed. Still needed a bit of red letter help but did amazingly well. CC, I, too, started in the SE corner and it was a huge help in getting the theme of the puzzle. Will have to remember to do that in the future. Loved “slip cover” for dress, didn’t like bldgs for “univ. sites, and got Noah for “noted pairs guardian” right away. After Thursday and Friday’s puzzle, I am almost looking forward to Saturday’s puzzle--dare I hope it will be doable.

If I do the puzzle online, usual for Friday and Saturday puzzles, I keep a notepad handy and write down letters and blank lines for words I don’t know. Especially helpful for vertical words. It generally gives me a better visual of the answer.

Love the picture enlargements. Keep them coming. Are there any other blogs that have built such a family-like setting? The only other blog I’m on is for my neighbor in Afghanistan; so I’m not familiar with the tenor of other blogs. Looking forward to the weekend--grandson will be here for a big family gathering celebrating the 95th b-day of my husband’s aunt. She is amazing and is flying in alone from Cincinnati, OH. Will be nice getting everyone together. Have a great day all.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, I got it done, but not without a lot of jumping around and skipping back and forth (who says 25% of Americans don't exercise?).

I had to start in the middle section and work my way down and out. Both east and west coasts were mostly unpopulated until the big finish.

I had APPLE PECAN pie for quite a while. It sounds pretty tasty! Speaking of tasty, toast is mostly a breakfast staple, but when it's a canapé, I usually think of toast as a base for Caviar, not PATE

The perps were essential right from the beginning. I wouldn't have filled in LUMP, BLDGS, EARLE, HIT OF, ELIA and quite a few others without them.

The theme was slow in coming for me, even after I had NO WAY. The "Aha" came with SUB TOKEN. As a California gal, I was ashamed I didn't get PACIFIC COAST HIGH sooner. We've traveled it dozens of times.

Argyle said...

I CONFESS, oops, that was yesterday. I am ashamed I didn't get __ Martin: I had ASTIN, then ASTEN before I got ASTON Martin. And me, a car guy! DB4 convertible

Moon said...

Good Morning!
Interesting puzzle though I did struggle a lot.

Started with HALF HOUSE and managed to fill in a bit. Lots of unknowns though: ZASU, BBLS (is this billion barrels?), NROTC, SLOT, MAPLE PECAN.
Loved DRESS and NOAH clues.
Hated BLDGs (why Univ. sites?)
I thought the theme clues were very clever.

Have a good Friday!

kazie said...

Liked this one after I got traction in the SE. Luckily, that also gave me the theme, which helped with my guessing everywhere else--and that's what most of this puzzle was for me. I didn't even know what the Sierra Club was/is. Also didn't have a clue why a plum could be PROF.

I g'ed SELMA, HIT OF and INDIRA as well as ZASU. I remember my Dad speaking of Zasu Pitts, but couldn't come up with her name. I thought the best clue was slip cover/DRESS, and that was my first fill--I was proud of that. Also that I remembered ELIA, though I'd forgotten which essayist used the name. I think my argumentative nature is why I liked the essays best in HS English.

I also disapprove of BLDGS, tried CAMPI at first (pl. of campus), had APPLE PECAN for a while too.

Barry G,
Hear! hear! on the trivia! I think I've complained of that a long time ago too. Unlike several others here, I find I cringe when I see Naddor's name.

Clear Ayes said...

Lots of Woodstock memories out there. For instance -

"I was conceived at Woodstock 1969, and my father is unknown. Pretty trippy Huh?? PEACE!! My mother was a major hippie! - Siouxsie"

or

"I was there. It was not fun. It was a very rough weekend. Try sitting in p**s...no food...wet and dirty...lost...scared of those wicked storms. - Rick"


Then there was this, written by Jimi Hendrix.

500,000 Halos

Outshined the mud and history.
We washed and drank in
God’s tears of joy,
And for once...and for everyone...
The truth was not a mystery--

Love called to all...music is magic.
As we passed over and beyond the walls of nay.
Hand in hand as we lived and
Made real the dreams of peaceful men--

We came together...danced with
The pearls of rainy weather
Riding the waves of music and
Space--music is magic...
Magic is life...
Love as never loved before...
Harmony to son and daughter...man and wife.

melissa bee said...

good morning c.c. and all,

alot of sticky spots today, my comments have already been made by others. great puzzle, had to work for it. realized the theme with HALFHOUSE, but the varying positions of WAY being left out didn't really make the solving any easier.

beautiful picture moon, thanks for sharing. carol, clear ayes and elissa too.

chickie, a belated happy birthday, what a perfect puzzle for you yesterday!

jd, and whoever else cares about hockey .. my daughter just got the call yesterday that she was one of ten (out of over 300 who tried out) chosen for the tank patrol this season. she'll be easy to spot, little ball of energy bouncing around the ice.

Al said...

I think the clue Univ Sites means places at a university rather than places where a university can be located. I agree it's pretty non-specific, though. Halls or Dorms might have been better academically oriented words.

C.C., Filing taxes on an impulse probably refers to the current of the electrons which are not harmed, but are terribly inconvenienced whenever someone uses the internet.

Today's puzzle has a few of what I think of as "reduction" clues. There are actually multiple parts to these clues, and while I certainly don't know the answer outright, I might be able to guess at part of it.

For example, Jawaharial's daughter is going to be a female name. I remember old puzzles where sometimes that's all the clue you would get. The name looked Indian to me, so I thought, what is a famous female Indian name? Indira.
I have no idea who Jawaharial is but with only a couple of perp letters, I was able to "see" the answer.

I'd never heard of the Quebec festival, but what is a french word we have seen a lot? ETE. So it was a clue for Summerfest in Cananda.

"Seat of Dallas County, Alabama" Reduced to "Alabama City" to my way of looking at it, and SELMA is fairly significant historically. As C.C. stated, Dallas county is probably fairly unknown outside of Dallas county, and that was just there to try to distract you. On the other hand, seeing "Dallas" near to the Odessa clue, made me jump to the Texas answer right away.

The essayist clue reduced to "4-letter literary name we have seen before with a lot of vowels": ELIA. I haven't even read anything by him, let alone memorized any of his other titles, but I've seen that answer in a lot of puzzles, albeit with simpler cluing.

It's kind of like Jeopardy!. It's unbelievable that anyone would really know those things when you look at the whole clue, but when you reduce it down, you can see that they must sometimes just guess by separating out and examine only the part they do know.

I'll quit now. I hope this didn't sound condescending, I was just trying to capture my thoughts on how I solve...

melissa bee said...

i thought 'filing on impulse' was sort of a punny way to mean both the electronic impulse, and at-the-last-minute-because-it's-april-15th impulse.

Anonymous said...

Did we all start at the SE corner today? I thought those were the most doable clues to start with. As soon as I got BROAD SHOW, I knew that the them was going to be missing WAY. A Friday difficulty level, but still pretty doable. I like the clues for DRESS, EFILE, VISA and LIFE. Never hear of SCREE, or NROTC before, but got them through the perps. I agree on BLDGS and BBLS being a little weak.

I think PATE is a perfectly acceptable clue. The toast is probably meant to stump a little bit, but lots of things are served on toast, but not breakfast items. Think bruschetta also.

What a lovely picture of Moon and her family. So fun to see everyone.

Linda, are you speaking of the concert at Altamont? At one time I watched a documentary on it. They have live footage, as the Rolling Stones were playing during the incident I believe.

ClearAyes, nice poem by Jimmi Hendrix. Interesting how everyone's take is different on the experience. However, Jimmi was probably a little "high" at the time don't you suspect? I am guessing many were though.

Argyle, thanks for the help. I thought registering might be the answer, but I try not to register for too many things. Will attempt that later today. And we will all be talking all day about how you missed that ASTON clue.

Chickie, Happy belated birthday. Hope it was wonderful.

MelissaBee, congrats to your daughter.

For all you golfers out there, here is a fun little picture I received from my brother. He lives in Florida. When he went looking for his ball after hitting his drive, this is where he found it - FOR REAL. I guess he submitted the pic to Callaway. I do not believe he retrieved the ball in this case.

Elissa said...

AL: What a great way to think about xword solving. Wish I had read that before trying to solve today's puzzle.

I got the theme pretty early with HALFHOUSE, but was also not helped by the mid/end placment. Considering that and notwithstanding how many things I knew, this puzzle was the usual Friday slog for me. I don't know why BBLS is an abbreviation for barrels and never saw TNS for towns. (At least BLDGS is a real abbreviation for me.) Never heard of EDYS brand. Is it related to Dreyers which also as "Grand" line? I don't buy ice cream because I would eat it, if you get my drift. PROF Plum was my DUH! moment only gotten once I got to the blog. MAPLEPECAN? HITOF? Really?!? But I did love "slip cover" and "Davenport site" which both had me thinking in the direction of 'sofa'.

Dennis: "who thought Texas" for Odessa - not me! As for the WoW, I hope this applies to health care reform.

MelissaBee - I presume that "tank patrol" refers to the Shark Tank, which for those outside of our area is what we call the NHL Sharks arena.

Moon: I can see the family resembles. Looks like your new b-i-l is bringing some height to the team.

Incredible picture of the 'Lockheed Fire' on the front page of the paper. It is a huge fire and major concern.

kazie said...

KQ,
Neat shot (pun intended).

Moon,
Your photo is beautiful. Everyone looks so attractive and colorful.

Al,
I think that's a lot how I solve too, plus trying to be as much outside the box as possible. Though I did miss some of those today.

treefrog said...

Morinig C.C. and group,
Had a heck of a time with this puzzle. Did my run through of easy answers. Then I just plain looked up any clue I had no idea about! Then I was able to do a good portion of the puzzle. NW corner got me again. Didn't get the theme until i came here. I liked DRESS,PEANUT,EFILE,and NOAH. Also thought BLDGS and BBLS were weak.

Carol-great photo,glad you had a good time.

I am right handed-but do many tasks as a lefty. My grandma was a lefty when the teachers whacked your hand if you wrote left handed.


PJB-ah, the flying monkeys. As a child I swore I saw them in my closet one night. Still won't sleep with a closet door open. My grandkids think they are cool.

Moon-I love the photo. Such a good looking family.

We lived in Livermore when the Altamont concert took place. Hubby worked at the Rad Lab. A coworker lived in the Altamont area. For months after the concert there were really strange people camping in the area. Now there is a big energy plant being built there. Somehow makes fuel from garbage. Will fuel the garbage trucks and others. Fuzzy on details. My son's company is a partner on the project.

Time to get a move on. MORE $%#(*& window trim to paint.

Al said...

I got BBLS for barrels because back in the day when there were muscle cars and you could actually work on them yourself, you wanted a 4-barrel carburetor. The label on the box cryptically said 4-BBL, so I had to find out what that meant. As usual with many other origins, it can't be pinned down with complete confidence.

The "b" may have been doubled originally to indicate the plural (1 bl, 2 bbl), or possibly it was doubled to eliminate any confusion with bl as a symbol for the bale. Some sources claim that "bbl" originated as a symbol for "blue barrels" delivered by Standard Oil in its early days; this is probably incorrect because there are citations for the symbol at least as early as the late 1700s, long before Standard Oil was founded.

Argyle said...

And now here's something we can all relate to...what was I saying???

Anonymous said...

Very cute Argyle!

Anonymous said...

Good morning everyone. I got very few of the answers – even after getting no way. So then I give up and come here and see how dumb I am.

A couple of comments tho. I have made tons of honey pecan pie, and they're excellent (my mother's recipe). Never heard of maple or apple.

That's a great picture of you and your family, Moon. Beautiful.

Apropos of nothing: I am very upset that the Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick. He should not be allowed to play in any team. Serving two years was not enough IMHO. Any part of dog fighting, or rooster fighting, or forcing any animal to fight is not human.

g8rmomx2 said...

Hi c.c. and all:

Absolutely loved this puzzle! A lot of great clues. Especially when I finally figured out the theme which didn't come until the last two entries. I had Gals instead of BBLs and so I kept wanting to put in Grand instead of Broad. Finally the "aha" moment came. I did google both Zasu and Indira, but no others. For a Friday that was great for me.

Moon: Beautiful picture from the wedding.

Dennis I agree with you about Bldgs I wanted Quads or Dorms. And, as you said Odessa, TX??? Nope, was thinking of the Ukraine.
And, BTW I am not part of the 25% who never exercise so off to the gym for me.

Have a great day everyone!

Clear Ayes said...

Argyle, very funny video!

Sallie, I know Vick has been to jail, but I can't help but hold a grudge on people who mistreat animals. Going back to making millions at pro football just doesn't seem right to me either.

Linda, Maybe it didn't get as much press in other parts of the country, but the Altamont concert, which was held almost four months after Woodstock, was very well covered in California and is a sometimes subject of conversation when we head over the pass to visit with Sis and family.

The Rolling Stones were the the bad boys of rock in those days, (They've since become geriatric poster boys...but still edgy!) and drew a very different crowd than Woodstock.

Got to get going on the day. See you later.

carol said...

Hi C.C. and everyone -

I couldn't believe I so well on a Naddor puzzle. Usually I am nearly bald after fighting my way through one. It's not that I finished this but I didn't leave that many open spaces. I did not get the theme but I enjoyed the whole thing anyway.

I am glad for the explanation of 4D (plum/prof). I have never played Clue, so I had no clue!!

My favorite clue was SLIP COVER.

Argyle - cute clip. That should be the CRS club theme song

On the 3D clue/answer: I have never had pecan pie and never thought of it as anything other that just 'pecan pie'. It does sound sweet though. I think I'll stick with marion berry, or chocolate.

Can you imagine 'whacking' a kid on the hand to get them to change from left to right? It happened to my Mom and I know it was a regular practice in those days. It never did any harm to her but it seems so cruel!
(it didn't change her either :))

I will post a picture of the 4 of us later today or tomorrow. That was some HUGE airplane...and to think it only few for a few minutes and never again.

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning, everyone.

A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle once again. Loved the 7D slip cover?/DRESS couplet.

I started at the SE corner because that's where I got the most early traction. Getting NO WAY was helpful to get the theme answers, for me.

@moon Very nice family picture. Nice that you have the opportunity to get together as a group at a joyous occasion.

@kq So he had to take a drop and a penalty, right? Golf can be soooo traumatic.

@al Thanks for the journey through your solving. I think I use some of that technique as well, just have never sat down and thought about it.

@argyle Thanks for the laugh to start the day!!

@carol So glad you and Joe and Dick and his wife had a great time. Sorry I couldn't join you, but there will be other times.

Have a great Friday, all!

Dan Naddor said...

Hi y'all. Sorry about BLDGS, BBLS, TNS and NROTC. Believe me, I try to give you guys pristine fills, but with so much themage (which I hope you like) there's bound to be a few clunkers. BTW, "Campus components: abbr." was the original clue for BLDGS before it got changed. Would that have been more tolerable?

Also, I had clued BROAD SHOW as "Golden Girls, e.g.?", but we nixed it on un-PC grounds. Would any of you have been put off by that clue?

Thanks for the feedback. See you next week!

Dan

Anonymous said...

@dan naddor I like your original clue for BLDGS and think the non-PC clue for BROAD SHOW would have been more fun.

Great puzzles, sir. Thank you for your quality.

Crockett1947 said...

Well, don't know how that comment came through as anonymous, but it was me. (12:33 PM)

Dennis said...

Dan, no apology necessary - there would, I think, have to be a few weak spots in just about any crossword of substance.

I don't know that 'campus components' would've helped - my question was 'why campus?'. Why not skyline, or something like that? As to 'Golden Girls', I can't imagine anyone in this group being offended, but I'll leave that to them to answer; I'm about as un-PC as they come.

And thanks so much for checking in - it should be very flattering to C.C. that you actually think of us when you're constructing.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Naddor, congrats on a super puzzle. We always need something to gripe about, so it is good that you give us a few of those silly abbreviations. Honestly, we should just shut our mouths. Could any of us put together something even remotely as good as what we just solved? LMAO on the originally BROAD SHOW clue. That would have been my favorite, but I can see why you changed it.

Dennis, while we are not linked to other xword blogs, we must be legit as the constructors are kind enough to chime in periodically.

Argyle, interestingly enough, as long as he replaced the ball in a like hazard no nearer the hole he would not have had to take a penalty. The rule for "dangerous" situations. And yes, golf is brutal. I will witness the brutality Sunday at the closing round of the PGA. Cannot wait!!!

I am in the 75% and off to do my exercise.

Anonymous said...

Not a bad puzzle overall, but I agree and call foul on the cluing for bldgs (not in the least specific to univ. sites), ires (should have been irks as cc noted; ires is NOT a verb), and slot (Iarm would have been better trick answer there, with the "I" doubling as the Roman numeral one).

I hadn't realized pecan pie makers fall into maple and corn syrup camps. Here's a maple syrup version.

-anon-hp

Argyle said...

KQ, interestingly enough, that was Crockett's comment.

Dennis has the right rule except...if is reasonable to think the ball was carried away from where it landed, you could get a free drop from the point where it was thought to be. If the point is still dangerous, you are allowed to back up, keeping the initial point between you and the hole

windhover said...

Al ,
that was an excellent explanation of how the human mind works if it's properly cared for. When you stop and think about it, the human animal is born with a brain that basically only governs instinctive and involuntary functions. From that moment on it is being developed. Without much evidence, I believe the nature of that develop
ent, parenting e.g., accounts for a lot more of what we normally describe as "intelligence" than does heredity or genetics.
Again, excellent tutorial.

Anonymous said...

I didn't see your post Mr. Naddor until after I'd posted myself. In response to your questions, yes, I think the original campus component and Golden Girls, e.g.? clues would have been much better. And no, I would not have been put off by the broad reference.

Thanks for asking for our feedback.

-anon-hp

Dennis said...

Clear Ayes, Sallie, I agree about Vick, even though he'll probably help my team. He should never have been allowed back on a football field. I'm way on the other extreme from him, I could much easier kill a human than a dog, and I think he should've been given the same treatment he gave them.

I did hear they're next bringing O.J. in to work with the running backs on the slash play.

Also, Pete Rose said he thought it was worth the gamble, and put the Eagles at 5-2 to win the Super Bowl.

Moon, my apologies, I thought I'd mentioned it before and didn't - great-looking family; obviously a very happy group.

PJB-Chicago said...

Good afternoon! Just checking in over "lunch-equivalent time." I still have about 10 squares barren & some more with tiny faint letters indicating that those are "maybes" so I'm averting my eyes to avoid spoilers. Saw that Dan Naddor popped by, which is classy of him. I think that he honestly cares what we solvers think. Plus, it reminds me, because I do forget, that each grid is a co-creation between constructor and editor (Jerome, too, explains how that proccess works.) Seems to be a much healthier relationship than that between Alfred and Tippi while working on the Birds!

Second, I bet that over half of the people outside this blog, of course, who say they exercise regularly are either dishonest, demented or delusional. Every study on how people respond to surveys shows that we tend to underestimate---really, under-report---how much we eat, booze, smoke, and cheat, but we inflate our acts of charity, bouts of sensible eating and trips to the gym. (Umm, ok, maybe that's just me.)

See y'all later after I go on my three hour powerwalk.....I have to inspire those orpaned Special Olympians somehow!

Chickie said...

Hello All--Just a quick entry today, as this is another unusually busy day in a very busy week for me. The puzzle will have to wait until late this afternoon. I scrolled really fast through the answers to read some of the blog before I have to leave for the day.

Thank you C.C. and others for the kind birthday words. And, yes, it was me who alerted everyone to the Zucchini on the porch day. Maybe I shouldn't own up to it, but I couldn't resist what with all our gardens being soooo prolific this year.

Tarrajo, Don't change anything. We love you the way you are. You are an awesome mom and we applaud you for that.

I'm off.

Crockett1947 said...

@hp Great looking pecan pie recipe! My favorite.

@tarrajo Keep on keeping on. You're doing great!

IMBO

Jerome said...

Dan's puzzles are like Johnny Depp movies to me. I've never seen one I didn't like, and I know I'm going to enjoy the ones he hasn't yet made.

Things to stand up and clap for- Stacking four of the theme entries, as C.C. mentioned. But most of all, crossing KNIGHTHOOD and MAPLEPECAN through six theme answers.

Once I've solved a puzzle I search for the 'goofy' stuff, accidental things that prolong the fun of a puzzle. 26 down, SUMAC, is also the writer CAMUS backwards. 12 down, LIFE, crosses FILE. 57 across, BROAD SHOW anagrams to HOW SAD BRO.

For anyone who's considering taking a shot at constructing- Today's puzzle is a good example of how a great puzzle doesn't have to come from a dazzling idea or a brilliant discovery. Simply drop WAY from common phrases and you have the making of an interesting, clever theme.

Clear Ayes- I always got a kick out of The Stones being thought of as "bad boys". The folks I hang with wouldn't be too frightened of rich, skinny white boys decked out in designer clothes crusin' around in a limo.

Elissa said...

Dan: IMHO "The Golden Girls" for BROAD SHOW is great. Certainly the actresses on GG would have agreed. Being an old broad myself, I think it is not un-PC. (On the other hand, I don't like "gal". Go figure.)

Jeanne said...

Let me first state that I think what Michael Vick did was evil, disgusting, immoral and criminal. I could certainly do without him in pro football. But I am somewhat amazed at the outrage of Vick playing football again. He has served over two years in federal prison, lost most of his fortune and certainly will always carry the stigma of what he did. He will have to constantly prove himself as a worthy human being and if he fails, he will not get a third chance. Our country is usually a very forgiving nation--especially if one has paid their dues. But I guess if the sin is against an animal, that doesn’t hold true. I wish he weren’t playing for the Eagles--but I believe he should be given a second chance.

IRISH JIM said...

Good Afternoon CC and all.

Almost another completion. Had 44a run medal which caused problems. Otherwise did ok.

Did not like Tns for hamlets. I was ok with BLDGS and BBlS as have actually seen them used.
Top o the mornin, I have never heard that term used except in movies.

Al great insight into your thought process.

KQ, I would have played the ball as it lay. As James Bond said "strict rules of golf Goldfinger". We have Gators here and they are to be avoided. A dog once picked up my ball and deposited it in a pond.

As has been said keep up the family pictures. It does put faces to the names we know.

Must go watch the Tiger show.

Jimmy

Lee said...

Very good looking family. I use your blog almost everyday to help me with the days crossword. I enjoy your comments and web links.

Warren said...

Hi C.C. & gang, A real stumper Friday puzzle for me. Even in online Red it took me over an hour (with breaks included). I did not understand the 4D: Plum answer of 'Prof' before coming here. I did get the theme clue rather quickly but I'm not very good with plays on words...

RE Maple Pecan Pie? :here's a recipe from Betty Crocker.

Dennis said...

Lee, yes, we are a very good-looking family. Oh -- you mean Moon? Yeah, you're right there too. And please join our 'family' with your comments; we're always looking for new 'relatives'.

Before you ask, yes, we have the requisite 'odd' aunts and uncles too, as well as black sheep who have been relegated to other 'families', and a wonderful matriarch in C.C.

Question for the group: If this blog was a TV show, what would it be called?

Anonymous said...

Argyle and Crockett, my apologies, I addressed the wrong person today. Thanks for politely responding anyway Argyle.

IrishJim, I agree wholeheartedly, play it as it lies. You first!

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

Al,
Any photo to share? Great post @ 9:31am. Thanks for "impulse". I was not aware of that meaning.

Dan Naddor,
Great to see you. Your "Golden Girls, e.g.?" for BROAD SHOW is too much for me.

KQ,
What a shot!

Dennis,
"Friends"?

Linda said...

Dennis: "CC and the Writers"

Hahtoolah said...

Dan: I am glad you stopped in today. I really enjoyed your puzzle. The theme was really fun, although I must admit, I wasn't fond of Univ. sites. "Golden Girls" would have been a really funny clue for Broad Show.

Jeanne, great new picture. From a wedding?

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

Jerome,
Everybody except me seems to like Dan's BROAD SHOW clue. HOW SAD, BRO!

Warren,
Vacation again?

Linda,
Beautiful picture yesterday.

Jeanne,
Maybe you can email me your avatar picture?

carol said...

Moon - such a nice picture of you and you family! Thanks for sharing.

Lee - welcome, glad you found us.

Dennis: Assuming if the blog were a TV show and they didn't cancel us after 2 weeks, how about: The DF Files or Crossword Crazies or That V-8 Moment?

I will put the picture of the 4 of us (Dick, Irene, Joe and myself) up later today or tomorrow. I know these are taken sort of far away but they wanted to try to get in the wing of the 'Goose' that we were standing under. It's very hard to do that as the thing is so big.

JIMBO said...

Dennis @ 1:39

I've always held you in the highest regard, but there is something terribly wrong with that statement. Please tell me I read you wrong.

Warren said...

Hi C.C., no vacation,just a busy work week and not much extra time to blog until today...

;-)

Clear Ayes said...

Thanks to Dan Naddor for dropping by with some explanations. It is a real compliment to C.C. that he is interested in this blog.

I have no problem with "broads", "gals", or just about any other common nickname term for women. I wish there were some other terms for my friends. Guys (or men, if you prefer) can have "buds", "buddies" or "pals", but "women friends", "gal pals", or "lady friends" just sound silly. I guess I'm stuck with the juvenile "girl friends".

I feel sorry for so many younger women who don't seem to think that there is anything wrong with calling each other "bee-atch". Now, that is one I have a problem with!

Jerome, LOL, I just can't picture a crossword constructor hangin' with boyz from the hood. But you are right about The Stones. Now they are just older very rich guys whom we still get a kick out of for old times sake. We also like to play the "How long can Keith Richards last?" YIKES!

kazie said...

Dan,
Though I said I cringe at your name, I appreciate that you visit us and give us insight into the process. My background and present isolation from many of the commercial/cultural temptations common to city dwellers further handicaps me here. So your puzzles are just a little more challenging for me. It doesn't mean I don't respect them. Oh yes, I head a group of local ladies of a certain age who meet regularly and call ourselves "the old broads", so no problems with that clue for me.

Sallie et al.,
I agree about Vick. there are some who do not deserve to walk this earth with the rest of us. And I really don't think any ballplayer is worth what they get.

I don't really like pecan pie, so I am not aware of the finely tuned differences in the sweetening options. My all time favorite is pumpkin, nice and spicy. Never had it in Oz, so it was a newly acquired taste after moving here.

embien said...

23:18 today. I took a good long while in the SW corner where VISA and HARE refused to come to mind for the longest time. I did enjoy the theme, but didn't feel it was one of Dan Naddor's best efforts.

I aplogize in advance for not reading all the blog entries--we are meeting friends for dinner and time is short.

@moon: Loved your picture. My wife (non-Indian) loves her sari--I think they are so beautiful--but we don't go to events where she can wear it anymore.

Woodstock for me was practically unknown as I was either on my honeymoon or just shortly after the honeymoon, getting settled with my new bride (well, we had been living together prior to the wedding, so "getting settled" might not be the appropriate term).

@Linda: I think the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway (the one at which the Hells Angels "security" killed a fan) is fairly well known, actually. A pretty good description of the event is in Hunter S. Thompson's book on the Hell's Angels, as I recall.

MJ said...

Dan--Thank you for another great puzzle. IMHO, your original clues for 5A and 57A were great! I believe Betty White is the only "Golden Girl" still living, and I'll bet she would be tickled by your clue.

@Moon--Beautiful family photo! Thank you for sharing.

@Argyle--Thanks for the ??? ode. What a hoot, though sadly true at times.

@Elissa--Dreyer's and Edy's are one in the same. East half of the country has Edy's, west half has Dreyer's.

@Linda--I was definitely not offended by your inquiry, just confused, as my age is on my profile. It's not a "young" number, but it's just that, a number. I'm having as much fun in life today as I did thirty years ago!

@anon-hp--ire can be used as a transitive verb meaning to anger, to irritiate

Al said...

@C.C. Sent a pic to the address listed on the main blog page.

I wouldn't have a problem with the Golden Girls as a clue because Bea Arthur's character on the show regularly called herself (and the others) old broads, so it would be in line with the plot. Of course, a person would only know that if they watched the show; others might be bothered by it and complain due to a mis-perception, so I understand the decision.

treefrog said...

Argyle-loved the video. If the CRS doesn't kick in I will show it to Dick when he gets home.
Dan-would have liked the original clue for broadshow.
New rule for our household. Don't do ANY inside painting without locking up the &^%$) cats. Violet jumped on the TV tray holding my paint tray. Guess I'm lucky the carpet is in it's last year of the 5 year plan. Damn cat.

JD said...

Good afternoon CC and all,

Waylayed was my theme for this c/w today.Dennis is correct. Mr. Naddor's cluing was excellent, but it separated the haves and have nots. No way I could finish, and I also use Al's approach; I just don't have his brain. Most of you understood the theme after getting a few of those entries.Couldn't get it and thought free traffic might be an east coast thing.Still don't get the clue periscope lens..sigh,... and I could not figure out what thighs had to do with euphoria at Pebble Beach. Kept thinking "Clam Bake". LMAO! At this point I needed a Creamsicle, a latte was not going to help.
Loved many of the clues, like plum,e.g.and bandit one hopes to take money from?

Argyle, loved that song

Moon, a lovely picture

KQ, ha,ha,loved that photo.Bob ran into many of those critters when he lived in Naples. In fact, he would catch little ones for people who wanted them. Why? I ask.

Melissa, I am so excited for your daughter. What a fun gig that will be. I will look for her.

Mr Nador, thanks for honoring CC by visiting us. Yeah, I'm just another one of those broads :)

MJ said...

JD--For periscope lens read "sub(way) token". Not familiar to us left coasters.
I love your theme "waylayed"! Very clever!
How's the new little one doing?

JD said...

MJ,I get subway token, but what is a periscope lens?

Grady is 3 wks today and has begun to stay awake between feedings, the night ones. Ha! Ha! I'm glad I'm not doing that anymore.

Lemonade714 said...

The thing about Dan Naddor’s puzzles, is that they all seem impossible after the first glance at the clues, but there are always some attainable long answers that open up various possibilities. Then, boom, they are like dominos, and things fall in place. I really enjoy them, and was very pleased to read the constructor's comments. I do not understand the tie between universities, or campus and BLDGS; maybe we could have a contest for a clue for BLDGS. My entry is "Arch. babies."

WOODSTOCK while wet and messy, was also beautiful at times, as the crowd was not all hippies, or all druggies, or all of anything. You saw the best and the worst of mankind, as many helped each other, others tried to get rich off the difficult conditions (selling water in a bottle, for gosh sakes!) but the music was so varied and the artists (except Arlo Guthrie) were so gracious, and much was memorable. There really was love all over the place.
Unlike, Altamont

MJ said...

JD-- I think it has to do with the "eye" shaft that pops up from a submarine, to view the surface.

Glad to hear little Grady is doing well. Sounds like his parents need to turn his days and nights around!

MJ said...

JD--Couldn't think of the word at the time--it's the periscope that views the surface.

Chickie said...

Hello All--Finally got around to finishing the puzzle, well, almost finishing the puzzle. I had a terrible time filling in the NE corner. I wanted Lamb for "Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist" never thinking of his pseudonym. Oh well, this was a learning experience.

I did get the theme with no way, and had all those fills, but again I was stumped by some of the shorter perps. Lithe being one and Offs, another.

I did like the Slip cover clue. That was very clever as was Davenport site.

Mr. Naddor, Campus Components would have been clearer, I think for Bldgs.

If we were a TV Show? How about DF Family Hour?

Clear Ayes said...

I feel bad because I concentrated on a Keith Richards photo earlier and gave no recognition to the remaining Stones Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger and the other "looker" in the group, Ron Wood. Ladies....enjoy!

Lemonade, Inquiring minds want to know. What was it that Arlo Guthrie did or said?

Anonymous said...

Crockett1947: it's one of my faves too.

MJ: thank you kindly for your input, but despite what a dictionary or two may claim, I still say baloney in the nicest way on the word "ire" as a genuine verb, transitive or otherwise. If I were to put it to use, I might say it ires me to hear my native tongue so abused! Well, perhaps I've gotten a bit too ired up on the topic. One has to expect some clunkers like that from time to time in xwords and Scrabble.

I would like to point out however that if you check out the word at onelook.com, you'll find that most mainstream dictionaries consider it a noun only. Even MS Word's grammar/spelling check would like to flag it as problematic in my sentences above. I've only found a later edition of Merriam Webster saying otherwise.

-anon-hp

Lemonade714 said...

CA:
Well, Arlo Guthrie, remember it like yesterday. He really just was not into the whole show; first, everyone wanted him to play Alice's Restaurant, which was his hit, and the movie had just come out, and not only would he not play any of it, his response was like, screw you crowd, I will play what I want. Then he sort of played weird stuff that was not entertaining; apparently I am not alone in my view of this Guthrie review . It is funny, because now he talks about it like it was wonderful....anyway, it was midnight, it rained like a son of a gun, and he sucked.

Lemonade714 said...

the good news, Arlo was preceded by melanie and the day ended with the AMAZING voice of Joan Baez

JimmyB said...

Dennis -

How about "CSI: Crossword Scene Investigation"?
(Plot: forensic discussion of crossword clues and crimes of constructors. Sub-plots: birthdays, photos, reminiscences, rants, innuendos, recipes, and zucchini.)

Jazzbumpa said...

Good idea. I'll be on the rant team.

Anonymous said...

.


C.C.

Great site and good input by all.

I will check back often!

wake@doramail.com

~

Cian said...

Does anyone actually say 'Top of the marnin' to ya' in Ireland.

I certainly don't but sher I suppose it could be worse.

Maybe your readers would be interested in all the Irish Slang on http://www.slang.ie