Theme: L-adder (Letter L is inserted at the beginning of familiar words/names)
18A: Hope of one placing a personal ad? (L)OVER MATCH. Overmatch, a contest in which one opponent is distinctly superior.
26A: Peruvian worshiper?: (L)IMA BELIEVER. "I'm a Believer". The Monkees 1966 hit. Composed by Neil Diamond. Lima is the capital of Peru.
42A: Knock a motorcycle daredevil flat?: (L)EVEL KNIVEL. Evil Knievel, the stunt performer.
54A: Kid going nuts with building blocks? (L)EGO MANIAC. Egomaniac, obsessively preoccupied with oneself, like the former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Thought of Scott Turow's "One L" after I was done with the puzzle.
I wonder what's the main seed entry for the theme. Probably LIMA BELIEVER. The constructor also clued NEIL (31A) as "Sweet Caroline" singer Diamond. He is probably a Neil Diamond fan. "Sweet Caroline" was inspired by Caroline Kennedy.
Across:
1A: 1988 tennis Grand Slam winner: GRAF (Steffi). She's married to Agassi.
5A: Partner of alas: ALACK. Alas and ALACK! Woe is me!
10A: "City of Seven Hills": ROME. The Eternal City. I think girls are shapely there because it's is so hilly. Also REMO (2D: San __, Italy), the Riviera resort (bottom left).
14A: Sitcom named for its country star: REBA (McEntire)
16A: French state: ETAT. Louis XIV once famously claimed "L'ETAT, c'est moi" (I am the state). Putin has the same attitude.
17A: Cupid: AMOR. Ah, "Omnia vincit AMOR ("Love conquers all"). It took courage to go to Argentina for a hike. True love!
20A: Camera bag accessory: ZOOM LENS
22A: "Carmen", e.g.: OPERA. By Bizet.
36A: Former Alaska Territory capital: SITKA. The largest city in the US by area. Alaska's first capital. Oh, you can definitely see Russia from there.
39A: Collector's goal: SET. It took over $250 to collect a Topps Chrome Heritage Baseball Card SET. Too expensive for me.
40A: Il __: Mussolini: DUCE (DOO-chey). Literally "leader". Rooted in Latin dux ("leader"), so is "duke".
41A: Talk show host Gibbons: LEEZA. Learned her name from doing Xword. Have never watched or listened to any of her shows.
45A: One you don't find in a foxhole?: ATHEIST. Not familiar with the aphorism "There are no ATHEIST in foxholes". Wikipedia explains that it's used to argue that "in times of extreme stress or fear, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power." Make sense. Nice crossing with DEISM (40D: Belief in a non-intervening God), belief in God through reason, a type of theism.
48A: Prepares to shoot: AIM. Not fond of the clue due to PREPARED (50A: Ready).
57A: Insolvent S&L company: WAMU (Washington Mutual). Biggest bank failure in U.S. history.
58A: Roman road: ITER (IT-air). Root for itinerary.
60A: Novelist Hunter: EVAN. Oh, it's he who wrote the screenplay for "The Birds". Unknown to me.
63A: Archaeology projects: DIGS
Down:
1D: Austria's second largest city: GRAZ (Gräts). No idea. Vienna is the largest city obviously. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in a farming village 2km from GRAZ. Don't wait. He won't be back.
4D: Agricultural worker: FARM HAND
5D: State without proof: ALLEGE
6D: Train maker in the National Toy Hall of Fame: LIONEL. Did not know there is a Toy Hall of Fame.
7D: Dirt bike relatives, briefly: ATVS (All-Terrain Vehicles)
8D Friend of Fidel: CHE (Guevara)
11D: Playful swimmer: OTTER
12D: Computer shortcut: MACRO. What is MACRO? I strung the answer together from Across fills.
13D: Revolutionary Allen: ETHAN. American Revolutionary War patriot.
25D: New Balance rival: AVIA. Latin for "fly".
28D: Barrier at a zoo: MOAT
29D: Big name in chips: INTEL. Dummy, I thought of potato chips again.
32D: Chicken __: deep fried dish: KIEV. Have never tried Chicken KIEV.
33D: Wood-shaping tool: ADZE. Or ADZ.
36D: Navigators and Explorers: SUVS. By Ford. Good clue.
37D: "Cool" rap artist?: ICE-T. Good clue too.
38D: Couldn't make up one's mind: SEESAWED. Like Hamlet. "To be, or not to be".
42D: Poe's "rare and radiant maiden": LENORE. From "The Raven".
43D: Self-defense method: KARATE. 空手. Literally "empty hand". Kara = empty. Te = hand.
44D: Family reunion attendees: NIECES
45D: Chalmers' business partner: ALLIS. ALLIS-Chalmers, the farming equipment manufacturer. Windhover mentioned this brand before. But I forgot.
47D: Philosopher who was a pioneer of German idealism: HEGEL. He certainly influenced Karl Marx's and later on Chairman Mao's philosophy. And yours as well, Windhover?
52D: Cyberzine: EMAG
53D: Pressures for payment: DUNS. Learned this word while working for Pinkerton. Fraud & due diligence investigation is hard and not fun.
55D: Battery buys: AAS
56D: Cavs' and Mavs' org.: NBA. Nice rhyme. Shaq is now with the Cavs, hopefully he will "win a ring for the King".
Answer grid.
C.C.
18A: Hope of one placing a personal ad? (L)OVER MATCH. Overmatch, a contest in which one opponent is distinctly superior.
26A: Peruvian worshiper?: (L)IMA BELIEVER. "I'm a Believer". The Monkees 1966 hit. Composed by Neil Diamond. Lima is the capital of Peru.
42A: Knock a motorcycle daredevil flat?: (L)EVEL KNIVEL. Evil Knievel, the stunt performer.
54A: Kid going nuts with building blocks? (L)EGO MANIAC. Egomaniac, obsessively preoccupied with oneself, like the former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Thought of Scott Turow's "One L" after I was done with the puzzle.
I wonder what's the main seed entry for the theme. Probably LIMA BELIEVER. The constructor also clued NEIL (31A) as "Sweet Caroline" singer Diamond. He is probably a Neil Diamond fan. "Sweet Caroline" was inspired by Caroline Kennedy.
Across:
1A: 1988 tennis Grand Slam winner: GRAF (Steffi). She's married to Agassi.
5A: Partner of alas: ALACK. Alas and ALACK! Woe is me!
10A: "City of Seven Hills": ROME. The Eternal City. I think girls are shapely there because it's is so hilly. Also REMO (2D: San __, Italy), the Riviera resort (bottom left).
14A: Sitcom named for its country star: REBA (McEntire)
16A: French state: ETAT. Louis XIV once famously claimed "L'ETAT, c'est moi" (I am the state). Putin has the same attitude.
17A: Cupid: AMOR. Ah, "Omnia vincit AMOR ("Love conquers all"). It took courage to go to Argentina for a hike. True love!
20A: Camera bag accessory: ZOOM LENS
22A: "Carmen", e.g.: OPERA. By Bizet.
36A: Former Alaska Territory capital: SITKA. The largest city in the US by area. Alaska's first capital. Oh, you can definitely see Russia from there.
39A: Collector's goal: SET. It took over $250 to collect a Topps Chrome Heritage Baseball Card SET. Too expensive for me.
40A: Il __: Mussolini: DUCE (DOO-chey). Literally "leader". Rooted in Latin dux ("leader"), so is "duke".
41A: Talk show host Gibbons: LEEZA. Learned her name from doing Xword. Have never watched or listened to any of her shows.
45A: One you don't find in a foxhole?: ATHEIST. Not familiar with the aphorism "There are no ATHEIST in foxholes". Wikipedia explains that it's used to argue that "in times of extreme stress or fear, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power." Make sense. Nice crossing with DEISM (40D: Belief in a non-intervening God), belief in God through reason, a type of theism.
48A: Prepares to shoot: AIM. Not fond of the clue due to PREPARED (50A: Ready).
57A: Insolvent S&L company: WAMU (Washington Mutual). Biggest bank failure in U.S. history.
58A: Roman road: ITER (IT-air). Root for itinerary.
60A: Novelist Hunter: EVAN. Oh, it's he who wrote the screenplay for "The Birds". Unknown to me.
63A: Archaeology projects: DIGS
Down:
1D: Austria's second largest city: GRAZ (Gräts). No idea. Vienna is the largest city obviously. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in a farming village 2km from GRAZ. Don't wait. He won't be back.
4D: Agricultural worker: FARM HAND
5D: State without proof: ALLEGE
6D: Train maker in the National Toy Hall of Fame: LIONEL. Did not know there is a Toy Hall of Fame.
7D: Dirt bike relatives, briefly: ATVS (All-Terrain Vehicles)
8D Friend of Fidel: CHE (Guevara)
11D: Playful swimmer: OTTER
12D: Computer shortcut: MACRO. What is MACRO? I strung the answer together from Across fills.
13D: Revolutionary Allen: ETHAN. American Revolutionary War patriot.
25D: New Balance rival: AVIA. Latin for "fly".
28D: Barrier at a zoo: MOAT
29D: Big name in chips: INTEL. Dummy, I thought of potato chips again.
32D: Chicken __: deep fried dish: KIEV. Have never tried Chicken KIEV.
33D: Wood-shaping tool: ADZE. Or ADZ.
36D: Navigators and Explorers: SUVS. By Ford. Good clue.
37D: "Cool" rap artist?: ICE-T. Good clue too.
38D: Couldn't make up one's mind: SEESAWED. Like Hamlet. "To be, or not to be".
42D: Poe's "rare and radiant maiden": LENORE. From "The Raven".
43D: Self-defense method: KARATE. 空手. Literally "empty hand". Kara = empty. Te = hand.
44D: Family reunion attendees: NIECES
45D: Chalmers' business partner: ALLIS. ALLIS-Chalmers, the farming equipment manufacturer. Windhover mentioned this brand before. But I forgot.
47D: Philosopher who was a pioneer of German idealism: HEGEL. He certainly influenced Karl Marx's and later on Chairman Mao's philosophy. And yours as well, Windhover?
52D: Cyberzine: EMAG
53D: Pressures for payment: DUNS. Learned this word while working for Pinkerton. Fraud & due diligence investigation is hard and not fun.
55D: Battery buys: AAS
56D: Cavs' and Mavs' org.: NBA. Nice rhyme. Shaq is now with the Cavs, hopefully he will "win a ring for the King".
Answer grid.
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - ok, I know something's going on when I can blow through a Friday puzzle with just one perpassist. The only thing I went blank on was WAMU (Washington Mutual).
ReplyDeleteI usually feel a bit smarter after one of the later-in-the-week puzzles, but this week, I feel dumb as ever. I hope we'll get back to some challenging ones again, even if it's only once in a while. I did, however, like the theme; very clever. Also, I thought 'Navigators & Explorers' was a great clue.
C.C., that saying, 'there are no atheists in foxholes' has a lot of truth to it; guys who didn't have a trace of religion 'found God' when death was looking them in the eye. Of course, that tended to disappear if they survived...at least until the next time. It's the whole 'divine intervention' thing.
Today is National Cheeseburger Day and most importantly, POW/MIA Recognition Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "If you meet it promptly and without flinching - you will reduce danger by half. Never run away from anything - Never!" -- Winston Churchill
Couple more definitions:
- Efficiency: intelligent laziness.
- Conclusion: what you reach when you get tired of thinking.
Morning, All! An unbelievably easy Friday puzzle. It took a few minutes longer to complete than the puzzles earlier in the week, but was still easily doable. I keyed on the theme when I got LIMA BELIEVER, so knew to look for an additional L in the next theme clues. Beyond that, tickled my fancy.
ReplyDeleteLove your commentary, though, CC.
September 18 Birthdays:
1939 ~ Frankie Avalon
1905 ~ Greta Garbo (d. 2005)
1819 ~ Jean Bernard Leon Foucault (d. 1868), French physicist best known for the Foucault Pendulum.
1779 ~ Joseph Story (d. 1845), US Supreme Court Justice (he should have been born on the 17th as several of his fellow Justices were.)
QOD: A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain. ~ Samuel Johnson
37D: "Cool" rap artist?: ICE-T. I did not like that clue Should have been Rapper Tracy or L & O SVU Detective.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of LL Cool J. Star of The new CBS series starting next Tuesday NCIS:Los Angeles
LLCOOLJ
Wow, we really did get crossword puzzles lite this week; the theme was nicely thought out, but this all flew into the squares. C.C said never watched or listened to LEEZA; why should she?
ReplyDeleteWe use Macros to speed up tasks on the computer, they are like templates for procedures MACRO .
Many of you apparently like mystery fiction, and may also remember the 87th Precinct TV show, where Ed McBain was the creator, and a pseudonym for Evan Hunter .
L’Shana Tovah to you all, may you be inscribed in the book of life for a healthy and sweet year.
good morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeletei agree this was a bit easier than a typical friday, but, unlike some, not exactly a walk in the park.
loved the ATHIEST clue, and thought the theme quite clever. LIMA BELIEVER, nice. WAMU came easily, as i was a customer.
i'm on the road for the weekend, good excuse to make the most of cheeseburger day. will also be making use of some hotel conveniences ..
col g, beautiful family.
mom, happy bday to jonah, call you from the road.
have a great weekend.
Good morning C.C. and all, today was not a continuous fill for me as the earlier ones this week. I did not know 1D Graz, but it came from the perps. Also, I did not know 60A Evan and 57A; both revealed themselves with the perps. 45D was a gimme as we had those tractors on our farm. Overall this was a very nice and easy flowing puzzle. Hard to believe that this whole week has been so easy. When will the hammer strike?
ReplyDeleteHope you all have a great Friday and a better weekend.
Rosh HaShanah, which marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown tonight. The new month is Tishri (crosswords often ask for Jewish months!) The period between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is often referred to as the Days of Awe. These are the Holiest Days of the Jewish year.
ReplyDeleteBecause this is a Crossword/Recipe blog, I thought I would share with you a traditional Ashkenazic honey cake that is served at Rosh HaShanah. The cake symbolizes a “sweet” future for the coming year. Because it is so easy and tasty, I make it year-round. Once when I had no honey, I used molasses.
L’Shanah Tovah!
1 Cup Honey
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs
2 ½ Cups Flour
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Ground Allspice
½ tsp instant coffee granules
½ Cup Hot Water
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
½ tsp Lemon Extract
½ tsp Almond Extract
Beat the first 4 ingredients at a medium speed. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to the honey mixture. Mix well. Dissolve the coffee granules in the hot water and add to the mixture. Stir in flavorings. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
Bake at 325 Degrees F for 1 hour to 1.25 hours, or until a wooden tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool loaves and remove from pans.
Good Morning CC and All,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I got through this one it wasn't without significant effort. I never got the theme but got Lovermatch and Limabeliever. I did finish without red letter help but with much erasing.
Fall temps have hit. I've been covering my tomatoes at night to protect from frost. (The few I haven't lost to blight.) Tough year for the garden.
Have a great day!
Maniac, congrats on making it into the puzzle today! Yes, certainly an easier than normal week. I am with Dennis on wanting a little more of a challenge, but just wait until we get it and then we will have something to complain about again.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Milwaukee ALLIS-Chalmers was a household name, but still surprised when it came out of the depths for me. I traveled through GRAZ in the '80's. Stunning beauty. The mountain lakes are crystal clear and the autobahns are unbelievable. You go from bridges looking down on treetops to tunnels inside. It still takes my breath away just thinking of it.
Thanks CC for the explanation of ATHEIST. I kept looking at that wondering what it meant. I used to use MACRO's with my Excel spreadsheets. When you have a repetitive task that takes many keystrokes, you can use a macro to record the strokes. Each time you need to complete the task, you just run the macro and it does it all for you. It is a huge time saver once you get it set up properly.
I will need to get out the ZOOM LENS next week as my son is "dancing" on the boys danceline for the Homecoming pep fest at his school. Should be a good laugh for everyone.
BarbB, yes, Happy Birthday to Jonah. What a sweet thing.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteI also had to guess on WAMU, since I didn't know DUNS. Got the theme today, and only slowed down when I hit the bottom quarter, but it all came out with no help.
My High School motto was "LABOR OMNIA VINCIT". (Work conquers all). No love (AMOR) there--an all girls' high school, but their motto now reminds me more of the Nazi "Arbeit macht frei" on all the concentration camp entrances. (Work makes you free).
c.c.,
Interesting that the map you found for SAN REMO was obviously a German one.
Dennis,
Today's WOW and the definition of efficiency go together well, also with Hahtool's QOD.
Lemonade,
C.C said never watched or listened to LEEZA; why should she?
Why should anyone? I'd never heard of her either.
I'll be off a bit later to meet Dot and Andrea in Madison. I'm excited!
Good Morning!
ReplyDeleteDidnt get the theme till I came here, though I did manage to finish the puzzle. Didnt enjoy it as there are too many names, most of them unknowns.
At the same time, it wasnt challenging enough for a Friday :)
CC, Thanks for the atheist in a foxhole explanation. I got it from perps but didnt understand.
Happy Sweet new year to all who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
Have a great day, everyone!
Wow! Another fairly easy puzzle. This is scaring me.
ReplyDeleteKind of guessed on Graz. Then checked for sure. I don't know where I pulled 60A from. But got it. Had no idea about Allis, but it fit so I left it!
Vote for the painting more than once? That's sneaky. Ok, I've already voted 3 times. Yes, I thought about using the kids email addresses, just haven't done it yet.
Stuff going on this weekend. Lots to do. Will catch you all later.
Didn't have time to post this week, getting ready for the holiday. L'shana tovah.
ReplyDeleteHi everybody.
ReplyDeleteI am delighted with the easier level of difficulty. I think the fun of crosswords is being able to complete a clever puzzle, not in having to Google or get the answer by coming here. So for me, I am enjoying these. I'm guessing Friday will be more of a challenge.
See you tomorrow.
Good Morning All, Only three unknowns in a Friday puzzle, GRAZ in the NW, MACRO in the NE, and WAMU in the SE.
ReplyDeleteIt was a clever punny theme. I particularly liked LEVEL KNIEVEL. I also liked that both DEISM and HEGEL crossed ATHEIST.
I was curious about progressive puzzle difficulty and checked back on this week's Monday puzzle. About the only difference I could see between Monday and today was that on Sept.14th there were quite a few three letter fills and today there were quite a few four letter fills. Does that make a puzzle more difficult to solve? It doesn't seem like it to me.
So the gist is that I haven't seen the puzzles regularly getting tougher as the week goes on.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the solving and look forward to C.C.'s and the guest blogger comments.
What I do miss is the sense of delightful dread as Friday approaches. OTOH, if they crossed my puzzle laziness line, I'm sure I'd be griping that they were too difficult.
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteHenry Ford,II was also called
"Duce".
Being 5-0 at this point of the week is ridiculous for me.
I down loaded the Matt Jones cw last night. That one was difficult.
This there a way to check my answeres without going back and filling the grid online?
Enjoy the weekend. It is supposed to get very hot around here.
eddyB.
That's a great picture Col. Good looking group.
ReplyDeleteCongrats BarbB!!
Off to football practice. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Here I thought that my couple weeks of not completing the puzzle actually helped my solving skills. Now I read that everyone thinks these have gotten easier. Oh well, I still feel good for completing them this last part of the week without anything other that perp help. Today’s included Graz, Allis, and Hegal.
ReplyDeleteBarbB congrats on your newest addition to the family.
Col G, very nice looking group and I love the ladies attire.
Hahtool that honey cake sounds scrumptious. To all my Jewish friends enjoy your holiday.
Had to share this with the group:
ReplyDeleteLooseParts
Hi Gang -
ReplyDeletePleasant puzzle today. Clever theme, good long fills, and a minimum of crosswordese.
LIMA BELIEVER snugged up against NEIL is a nice touch.
There needs to be a song "Leeza with two E's, not Liza with an I
."
Foucault's Pendulum
is also a novel by Umberto Eco. Like Dan Brown's The daVinci Code it draws heavily on the Templar lore,complex conspiracies, secret codes, and the Holy Blood conundrum portrayed in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a speculative non-fiction book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. Unlike Brown, though, Eco, who's novel precedes Brown's by over a decade, is a thoughtful writer, not a hack.
The LW is a HUGE NEIL Diamond fan. I am not.
Any reference to WAMU gets me RAVIng. When my identity was stolen, WAMU let the theives open accounts on line with deposits of a few pennies. When I started getting statements from them - after the accounts were overdrawn bu several hundred dollars - I didn't know what the hell to think, since I had never heard of WAMU (which actually sounds like a joke - WAMU? Really?) And they were profoundly unhelpful throughout the whole ordeal. Thoroughly third-rate organization.
But that's all in the past. We got out of it relatively unscathed.
Cheers!
JzB the somebody-really-wanted-to-be-me? trombonist
We had a lovely teasing rain last weekend, but then nature blew us a "raspberry". Out patio thermometer reads 100 degrees right now.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you couldn't tell from going out our front door, summer is almost over. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this poem that seems to take place where the summer weather is not so extreme. He grew up in Scotland, so maybe that is where the children's boats are drifting. It sounds so relaxing and pleasant.
Where Go the Boats?
Dark brown is the river,
Golden is the sand.
It flows along for ever,
With trees on either hand.
Green leaves a-floating,
Castles of the foam,
Boats of mine a-boating--
Where will all come home?
On goes the river
And out past the mill,
Away down the valley,
Away down the hill.
Away down the river,
A hundred miles or more,
Other little children
Shall bring my boats ashore.
- Robert L. Stevenson
Hi C.C. & gang, I agree it was the easiest LAT Friday puzzle we've had yet. Best clue for us was the atheists.
ReplyDeleteFor Hahtool: I printed out your recipe and we decided to try it out. My wife thought it was unusual not to have any salt in it? The loaves just came out of the oven and are too hot yet to taste. We'll bring them to our potluck dinner tomorrow night after our pottery and jam sale.
Greetings all,
ReplyDeleteCA, thanks for the poem. As I began to read it, I suddenly realized that I must have memorized it as a child, as I could almost recite it. I have not thought about it or read it since. Isn't it amazing how the brain can retain such things, hidden away, but not forgotten.
Bless you all.
Youse guys busted my bubble. I thought I was really progressing by only needing help with Ravi (51d) and WAMU (57a). Well I did have a little trouble with Avia(25d), but the cross would have taken care of that if I hadn't misspelled Neil.
ReplyDeleteAll in all though, I'm happy. At least, I know two or three words that I didn't know six months ago.
I even caught the theme.(After I finished the puzzle)!!!!
Bet tomorrow will be a "Whammy".
Vaya con Dios
Hi C.C. and all -
ReplyDeleteIs this really Friday??? Am I getting smarter??? Normally I do not like 'punny' fills but these were cute.
We were with WAMU as well - it was Washington Mutual, but some idiot decided that WAMU sounded better (?!!?) Go figure on that one!! Maybe they were thinking of 'wazoo'. Anyway the ol'wazoo changed to Chase and I am reserving my opinion.
CA - I love that poem (and all of Robert Stevenson's works). My Dad read poems to me from the old Childcraft books. His poems are in vol 1 (Poems of Early Childhood).
Kazie - be sure to get pictures of you, Dot and Andrea so you can share them with us.
Dennis - (2:00) re: Loose Parts - LOL
Just received a cute joke from my sister:
ReplyDeleteFather O'Malley answers his phone:
'Hello,is this Father O'Malley?'
'It is!'
'This is the IRS. Will you help us?'
'I will!'
'Do you know a Ted Houlihan?'
'I do!'
'Is he a member of your congregation?'
'He is!'
'Did he donate $10,000 to the church?'
'He will!'
Hey Fred or anybody.
ReplyDeleteI finally got registered at Cruciverb and went down the right-hand column looking for Jonesin' but couldn't find it. What am I doing wrong?
Holy Blood, Holy Grail was an interesting, but frustrating book that presented a lot of factoids as proof of the authors hypotheses. The book has been described as Pseudohistory. "The authors maintain that only through speculative "synthesis can one discern the underlying continuity, the unified and coherent fabric, which lies at the core of any historical problem." To do so, one must realize that "it is not sufficient to confine oneself exclusively to facts." That puts the book squarely in the not-really-non-fiction category.
ReplyDeleteThe DaVinci Code was an amusing mystery novel which obviously took a major chunk of background from Holy Blood, Holy Grail. It didn't asume to be anything else but fiction.
Jazzbumpa's right. Foucault's Pendulum is a much better book.
Dennis, LOL at the Loose Parts cartoon.
A funnel cloud was seen hovering over the land near my office this afternoon. It apparently didn't touch ground. Heavy rain accompanied the phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteWarren, I hope you enjoy the cake.
Bill G,
ReplyDeleteI found this site with the Jonesin puzzles to do the Across Lite version. If you want to do the Java Version, here is another site. I depends on how you like to complete online.
His puzzles are only on Thursday's. The Cruciverb.com site said in their forum that they made a link, but I could not find it. Possibly it only shows up on Thursdays? Fred? Do you know the answer?
Hello All--I finished the entire puzzle with only one error, and I think I'll have to eat worms, as I put in Rawi instead of Ravi. That made Evan ,Ewan. I'll remember it next time as I've seen it several times and it just didn't stick.
ReplyDeleteI liked the theme, but didn't get the "L" placement until I came here. Thank you once again, C.C.
I liked the Navigators and Explorers clue as well as "Cool" rap artist. With the quotation marks around cool it was a give away.
I didn't know a few of the names, but got the rest with perps. Edith Piaf was one in particular I didn't know.
Hatool, the Honey cake was mentioned in our paper today. A Rabbi in the area visits local offices and he takes a honey cake with him to share. Such a nice gesture. The cake sounds delicious.
C.C. Chicken Kiev is tasty, but rich, so I stay away from it if possible.
Dennis, Thank you for the Loose Parts link and the WOW for today.
Wow,
ReplyDeleteTwo shout outs from CC this morning. Thanks. I
also find myself in 4D, 45A, 40D and 13D. Worked the puzzle early but didn't have time to check the blog till now.
Dennis:
I mistrust Churchill's advice. If the British had not run away at Verdun, they would have had nothing left to fight with later. The first rule is to survive.
I'm back. I see Andrea and Dot haven't checked in, but my DH is still not home, and I'm filling in time until supper.
ReplyDeleteWe had a great time learning more about each other, and I have sent the photo to c.c.
Chickie,
Edith Piaf was the French singer who made "La Vie en Rose" famous.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI forgot--Loose Parts was cute.
Like so many others, I'm surprised at the ease of this Friday puzzle. We did enjoy breezing through it, however.
ReplyDeleteAnd we really enjoyed our visit with Andrea and Kazie. Anyone coming into Madison who wants an excellent lunch should visits Andrea's Brasserie V on Monroe St.
It's too bad you can't hear Kazie's Australian accent when she is giving us her linguistic analyses!
Dot
Am vey sorry to be out of touch for so long. Last week my right hand began cramping up, moving involuntarily and forming a claw. Next day, I realized that I had lost approximately 75% of my grip strength, couldn't hold a pen or open a drawer or use a razor to shave. Since I'm right handed, this was a big deal. Knew I hadn't had a stroke because I had no other symptoms. Was hoping it was a temporary side effect of the diuretics ("water pills") I take for another health condition. Did my best to hide the problem at work. Woke up the next day with no change. Trying to eat was getting harder. Fast forward a few more days and the situation had gotten neither better, nor worse, so called the doctor who had his colleague see me. Performed numerous tests, all inconclusive. Not being able to type or scroll on line kept me from commenting here and elsewhere, which put a real damper on the week.
ReplyDeleteMy worst fear of course was that the myopathy (muscle damage) or neuropathy (nerve damage) would spread or become more pervasive. That hasn't happened, which is good news, and the strength has very gradually been coming back. I'm at about 50%. No numbness and minimal tingling, which is good but it's still slow going.
I can sort of hold a pen and guide it with the left hand to write almost legibly, but navigating is still sort of random hit or m miss and the hand tires quickly. Still, I'm relieved to get back here and sorry not to have chimed in on the joys and sorrows of my puzzlefriends. What a week....Havent been able to chime in but I do read every word and you all are never far from my mind.
Puzzles have seemed watered down this week. I wonder if Mr Norris is under pressure to make them easier?
Will write more when I'm able. Also have a couple local volunteers (friends) to lend a hand if need be.
Be well!
Did my best to hide the problem...
ReplyDeleteWhat were you thinking? Please get help as soon as possible when something like that happens. We don't want to lose you!
Jeez, I second what Argyle said - get whatever tests you need and let someone figure out what it is before it degrades further.
ReplyDeletePJB - I ditto Argyle. Get this checked out. I miss the late night chuckles you were so good at providing so get this looked at soon, OK?
ReplyDeleteKazie, Thank you for the link to Edith Piaf's Bio. She was completely unknown to me.
ReplyDeletePJB, I second Argyle's and Dennis' sentiments. I'm sending positive thoughts your way. But seeing a Dr. is a must.
A Foucoult's Pendulum was/is in the Acadamy of Sciences in San Francisco. People would line up around the circle and watch as it gently swung back and forth. It was amazing to see. My girls didn't want to leave to look at other things when we were there.
@pjb-chicago Please do whatever you need to do to get this behind you. Your input has been missed. Take care, friend.
ReplyDeletePeace.
Sorry not to be clearer; yes, I did see a doctor who performed many tests and didn't find anything too concerning. Nerves were tested and are intact; I have had some muscle wasting for months due to underlying bileduct disease, but nothing to explain the sudden lack of strength in the one hand (rest of arm works well), so the best guess is side effect of the diuretics and the remedy to keep better track of potassium levels. Can't switch diuretics or back off dose because those side effects would be worse, so as long as I keep the hand mostly functional, which it's getting to be, there's no cause for major alarm. Every day has gotten a little easier.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words and care. No doubt I will be back to my usual irreverance shortly....and armed with some good stories!
G'night all.