Theme: None
Total blocks: 30
Total words: 70
Probably the easiest Doug Peterson Saturday I've tackled. I filled in lots lots of blanks before I cheated. Maybe someday I will solve a Doug Peterson/Barry Silk LAT Saturday unassisted if Rich Norris keeps this easing-up phrase. You should try Doug's Newsday stumper sometime. It's just impossible for me.
Loads of multiple word entries in today's grid, 16 if I counted right:
5A: Dumps: SCRAP HEAPS. Initially thought the clue was asking for a verb phrase.
16A: Dashiell Hammett's last novel: THE THIN MAN. Unknown trivia to me. He also wrote "The Maltese Falcon".
18A: Tubeless and with no moving parts, electronically: SOLID-STATE. New word to me. Can you give me an example?
23A: "Care to make it interesting?" WANNA BET? Lovely.
30A: Speed limit posting, e.g.: ROAD SIGN
35A: Acknowledge silently: NOD AT. Mine was NOD TO.
49A: Recline next to: LIE BY
56A: "See ya!": I'M OUTA HERE. Thought it's OUTTA.
59A: Juvenile retort: AM SO. I TOO has four letters too.
60A: "London Fields" novelist: MARTIN AMIS. Had letter NA??S ready, then the "London" tip, MARTIN AMIS popped up immediately. He is the son of Kinglsey Amis.
62A: Very slow rate: SNAIL'S PACE
2D: Uncommon things: RARA AVIS. Latin for "rare bird". Our Kazie is a RARA AVIS. So is Sade.
3D: Successor to the mini: IPOD NANO. Was thinking of the miniskirt. I like my IPOD Classic.
8D: Busting one's hump: AT IT. "Busting one's hump" is a new phrase to me.
37D: Boggle accessory: EGG TIMER. Boggle makes me headache.
38D: Toy with engine: TRAIN SET. The Lionel model trains.
Did I miss any, Jerome/Crockett? Those triple-stacked 10's on the upper right and lower left corners are especially lively.
Across:
1A: Often dramatic number: ARIA. Nailed it. "Dramatic" tipped me off.
15A: Finds fault with: RAPS. Put down NAGS first.
17A: Marsh critter: CROC
19A: Site of the mythical Lethe River: HADES. Lethe (LEE-thee) is the river of forgetfulness in HADES (HEY-deez), Greek "hell". Hot there.
21A: Little foxes: KITS. Thought it's KIDS.
22A: Bible book before Nehemiah: EZRA. Also Hebrew name, meaning "help", as in poet EZRA Pound.
25A: Trout spot: BROOK. I love steamed trout.
26A: Personification: AVATAR. Mine is Justin Morneau, Twins' first baseman.
27A: How to see the obvious: PLAINLY. Oh well, obviously I don't know how. Stupid!
29A: Feminine force: YIN. Masculine force is YANG.
39A: Wearing a bolero: JACKETED. Did not know JACKET can be a verb.
42A: Lab alert?: GRR. Lab = Labrador.
44A: Some modern tribal operations: CASINOS
47A: Grammy category: REGGAE. The precursor to REGGAE is SKA.
50A: Blush, for one: COSMETIC
52A: River to the Ligurian Sea: ARNO. Only knew ARNO River as Italian river, which flows through Florence/Pisa. Had no idea where Ligurian Sea is.
53A: Playback machines, briefly: VCRS
55A: Move (away), like a coward: SLINK. Wrote down SNEAK.
63A: Disposal bits: ORTS
Down:
1D: Majestic entrance: ARCHWAY. The most famous one is probably Arc de triomphe, which looks quite plain in the daytime.
4D: Climb: ASCENT. Oh, "climb" here is a noun. Tried ASCEND first.
6D: Require the Heimlich maneuver: CHOKE. Heimlich is pronounced like HAHYM-lik.
9D: Profs' degrees: PHDS. Is PHD a must in order to be a professor?
11D: Recording, as in a journal: ENTERING
12D: Online shopping mecca: AMAZON
13D: Cop's duty: PATROL. Thought of the California girl who was slaved for 18 years. Those cops missed the chances to rescue her earlier.
14D: Double-dealing: SNEAKY
20D: Franco-German border region: SAAR (Zahr). I simply forgot. See this map (lower left). It's clued as "German coal region" last time.
24D: Rodeo mount: BRONCO
25D: Specialty, slangily: BAG
27D: Three-part H.S. exam: PSAT (Prelimary SAT). Verbal, Math and Writing.
28D: Some water bottles: LITERS. Did not come to me readily at all.
31D: NASA go-aheads: A-OKS
32D: '50s pres.: DDE. And DEMS (41D: 32-Down wasn't one of them). IKE was a Republican.
34D: Horn of Africa country: DJIBOUTI (ji-BOO-tee). See this map. On the Gulf of Aden.
43D: S'poses: RECKONS. South slang I s'pose.
44D: They may be staked: CLAIMS. Idiom: stake a claim.
45D: Aviator: AIRMAN. Airwoman=Aviatrix (ey-vee-EY-triks)
46D: Chihuahua female: SENORA. Chihuahua the Mexican state. Not the dog.
48D: Italian for "frozen": GELATO. Followed by another word CREMA (50D: Espresso foam). Italian for "cream".
51D: Courtier in "Hamlet": OSRIC. Needed the Across help.
53D: Movers, but hopefully not shakers: VANS. Is this your own clue, Doug? Very nice.
57D: '80s band '__ Tuesday: 'TIL. No idea. Guessed FAT first. Did not pay attention to the apostrophe before the blank. The guy on the lower right corner looks like a woman.
58D: Language suffix: ESE. Like Chinese.
If you have extra time tomorrow, have a look at Newsday puzzle. It's constructed by our Fred. I think it's his Newsday debut. Congratulations, Fred! (Update: Fred's puzzle is Universal Crossword.)
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of our fellow LAT solver Martin and his beautiful wife Imelda in Baguashan Park, Changhua. Martin is an Assistant Professor in Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He is from Ottawa, Canada. Martin has a very deep understanding of Chinese languages and culture. I love reading his comments because they often resonate with mine. This one has some very interesting statues behind them.
C.C.
Total blocks: 30
Total words: 70
Probably the easiest Doug Peterson Saturday I've tackled. I filled in lots lots of blanks before I cheated. Maybe someday I will solve a Doug Peterson/Barry Silk LAT Saturday unassisted if Rich Norris keeps this easing-up phrase. You should try Doug's Newsday stumper sometime. It's just impossible for me.
Loads of multiple word entries in today's grid, 16 if I counted right:
5A: Dumps: SCRAP HEAPS. Initially thought the clue was asking for a verb phrase.
16A: Dashiell Hammett's last novel: THE THIN MAN. Unknown trivia to me. He also wrote "The Maltese Falcon".
18A: Tubeless and with no moving parts, electronically: SOLID-STATE. New word to me. Can you give me an example?
23A: "Care to make it interesting?" WANNA BET? Lovely.
30A: Speed limit posting, e.g.: ROAD SIGN
35A: Acknowledge silently: NOD AT. Mine was NOD TO.
49A: Recline next to: LIE BY
56A: "See ya!": I'M OUTA HERE. Thought it's OUTTA.
59A: Juvenile retort: AM SO. I TOO has four letters too.
60A: "London Fields" novelist: MARTIN AMIS. Had letter NA??S ready, then the "London" tip, MARTIN AMIS popped up immediately. He is the son of Kinglsey Amis.
62A: Very slow rate: SNAIL'S PACE
2D: Uncommon things: RARA AVIS. Latin for "rare bird". Our Kazie is a RARA AVIS. So is Sade.
3D: Successor to the mini: IPOD NANO. Was thinking of the miniskirt. I like my IPOD Classic.
8D: Busting one's hump: AT IT. "Busting one's hump" is a new phrase to me.
37D: Boggle accessory: EGG TIMER. Boggle makes me headache.
38D: Toy with engine: TRAIN SET. The Lionel model trains.
Did I miss any, Jerome/Crockett? Those triple-stacked 10's on the upper right and lower left corners are especially lively.
Across:
1A: Often dramatic number: ARIA. Nailed it. "Dramatic" tipped me off.
15A: Finds fault with: RAPS. Put down NAGS first.
17A: Marsh critter: CROC
19A: Site of the mythical Lethe River: HADES. Lethe (LEE-thee) is the river of forgetfulness in HADES (HEY-deez), Greek "hell". Hot there.
21A: Little foxes: KITS. Thought it's KIDS.
22A: Bible book before Nehemiah: EZRA. Also Hebrew name, meaning "help", as in poet EZRA Pound.
25A: Trout spot: BROOK. I love steamed trout.
26A: Personification: AVATAR. Mine is Justin Morneau, Twins' first baseman.
27A: How to see the obvious: PLAINLY. Oh well, obviously I don't know how. Stupid!
29A: Feminine force: YIN. Masculine force is YANG.
39A: Wearing a bolero: JACKETED. Did not know JACKET can be a verb.
42A: Lab alert?: GRR. Lab = Labrador.
44A: Some modern tribal operations: CASINOS
47A: Grammy category: REGGAE. The precursor to REGGAE is SKA.
50A: Blush, for one: COSMETIC
52A: River to the Ligurian Sea: ARNO. Only knew ARNO River as Italian river, which flows through Florence/Pisa. Had no idea where Ligurian Sea is.
53A: Playback machines, briefly: VCRS
55A: Move (away), like a coward: SLINK. Wrote down SNEAK.
63A: Disposal bits: ORTS
Down:
1D: Majestic entrance: ARCHWAY. The most famous one is probably Arc de triomphe, which looks quite plain in the daytime.
4D: Climb: ASCENT. Oh, "climb" here is a noun. Tried ASCEND first.
6D: Require the Heimlich maneuver: CHOKE. Heimlich is pronounced like HAHYM-lik.
9D: Profs' degrees: PHDS. Is PHD a must in order to be a professor?
11D: Recording, as in a journal: ENTERING
12D: Online shopping mecca: AMAZON
13D: Cop's duty: PATROL. Thought of the California girl who was slaved for 18 years. Those cops missed the chances to rescue her earlier.
14D: Double-dealing: SNEAKY
20D: Franco-German border region: SAAR (Zahr). I simply forgot. See this map (lower left). It's clued as "German coal region" last time.
24D: Rodeo mount: BRONCO
25D: Specialty, slangily: BAG
27D: Three-part H.S. exam: PSAT (Prelimary SAT). Verbal, Math and Writing.
28D: Some water bottles: LITERS. Did not come to me readily at all.
31D: NASA go-aheads: A-OKS
32D: '50s pres.: DDE. And DEMS (41D: 32-Down wasn't one of them). IKE was a Republican.
34D: Horn of Africa country: DJIBOUTI (ji-BOO-tee). See this map. On the Gulf of Aden.
43D: S'poses: RECKONS. South slang I s'pose.
44D: They may be staked: CLAIMS. Idiom: stake a claim.
45D: Aviator: AIRMAN. Airwoman=Aviatrix (ey-vee-EY-triks)
46D: Chihuahua female: SENORA. Chihuahua the Mexican state. Not the dog.
48D: Italian for "frozen": GELATO. Followed by another word CREMA (50D: Espresso foam). Italian for "cream".
51D: Courtier in "Hamlet": OSRIC. Needed the Across help.
53D: Movers, but hopefully not shakers: VANS. Is this your own clue, Doug? Very nice.
57D: '80s band '__ Tuesday: 'TIL. No idea. Guessed FAT first. Did not pay attention to the apostrophe before the blank. The guy on the lower right corner looks like a woman.
58D: Language suffix: ESE. Like Chinese.
If you have extra time tomorrow, have a look at Newsday puzzle. It's constructed by our Fred. I think it's his Newsday debut. Congratulations, Fred! (Update: Fred's puzzle is Universal Crossword.)
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of our fellow LAT solver Martin and his beautiful wife Imelda in Baguashan Park, Changhua. Martin is an Assistant Professor in Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He is from Ottawa, Canada. Martin has a very deep understanding of Chinese languages and culture. I love reading his comments because they often resonate with mine. This one has some very interesting statues behind them.
C.C.
Morning, Re: 41D
ReplyDeleteI remember when Truman defeated Dewey in 1948 and was president in 1952 when DDE was elected.
eddyB
Good morning, C.C. and gang - certainly not a walk in the park, but, as with the rest of this week, this one was definitely easier than normal given the day of the week.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get any initial traction until I got to 5D, then once I had 'sts', 'choke' and 'relit', the perps fell pretty quickly, then I was able to move clockwise all the way around to the NW. Had a bit of trouble there, as I took 'climb' to be a verb, not a noun, and had 'ascend' instead of 'ascent'. I liked the slang answers of 'wanna bet' and 'I'm outa here', although whenever I use 'outta', I spell it with two 't's.
Being a Doug Peterson puzzle, there were some outstanding clues, including 'lab alert', 'movers, but hopefully not shakers', and 'Chihuahua female'. Just a great Saturday puzzle.
Martin, great pictures - you have a very attractive wife.
Today is Be Late for Something Day, and Cheese Pizza Day. We've got two parties to go to today, so I'll have to make sure we're fashionably late to both.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Our spiritual life is a constant battle between the part of the soul that loves others and the part of the soul that will gladly eat them up." -- Robert Bly
A couple interesting definitions:
- Idealist: a cynic in the making. -- Irving Layton
- Interpretations : the revenge of the intellect upon art. -- Susan Sontag
Profs' degrees: PHDS. Is PHD a must in order to be a professor?
ReplyDeleteUniversities have a ranking system starting with Lecturer/Instructor then Assistant Professor and going up to Associate Professor, Full Professor and Distinguished Professor/Professor Emeritus. According to wikipedia having a Ph.D. and being hired to teach at a university "traditionally" gives you the rank of Assistant Professor. Somebody who is hired with a Master's degree then would only start as an Instructor. It is, however, possible to rise in rank by doing research and publishing in reknowned journals. A teacher who has neither a Ph.D. nor published research may eventually be seen as an embarrassment and would be replaced with somebody with a Ph.D. and publications. It is not unheard of, however, for someone with a Master's degree to eventually become a Distinguished Professor.
Martin
Another enjoyable themeless from Doug. Very clever clues which I come to expect from Sir Doug. Parts of it were very hard. I had lots of trouble with the northeast corner but was able to finish the puzzle without googling.
ReplyDelete@CC
My Sunday puzzle is a Universal Crosswords puzzle, not a Newsday puzzle. When I bring up The Minneapolis Star Tribune online they show a Universal Crosswords puzzle. Do they also carry Newsday (which also I enjoy solving)?
Good Morning, C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteI am back to posting, now that the anniversary party is over. It was a great success.
I found this to be a very workable Saturday puzzle. I sailed right along until I got to the SE corner, where I was stumped for a while over the very clever clue for grr; I am not sure I understand the clue for eggtimer. Maybe I better look up boggle. I thought it meant confuse as in "boggles the mind". Help, anyone?
Great pictures, Martin and Jazz. What a lot of grandchildren!
I hope our drought is about to break; we had a little rain on Tuesday, and more is forecast for today.
How 'bout them second stringers beating the Vikings even after coughing it up four times? Go Cowboys!
Boggle
ReplyDeleteGood morning gang, not an easy puzzle but I was able to plow through, the lower left corner gave me the most problems, once I got "claims" I was able to fill in the rest. Working this morning until noon, then off to Logan Airport around 2. I am happy it is "Be Late for Somthing" day, I will finally have an excuse. I will be back from the Emerald Isle on the 14th. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all,
ReplyDeleteA 22 minute Saturday has got to be a record for me. I guess it has been an easier week. I thought it was all the sleep I've been getting on vacation this week!
I put in 'nags' and 'ascent' to mess up the NW corner. I thought of 'arf' for 42A, though it was 'plainly' more 'Chihuahua' like than 'Lab'.
I liked the cross of 'nod at' and 'aok' and the fresh clues for 3 short words 'van', 'bag', and 'orts'.
Dennis, your Irving Layton quote "Idealist: a cynic in the making" brought back a memory. My mother once called me an incurable optimist. It was only about a year before teen cynicism took hold.
Fred,
ReplyDeleteI've corrected my mistake. Yeah, our local Star Tribune newspaper carries the Newsday puzzle, though they have Universal Crosswords online.
Pattycake57 & all the other tyros,
Welcome!
Good morning all.Fred,looking forward to your puzzle in the morning. Have a safe holiday weekend.
ReplyDeleteScooter
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteBreezed through this one in about 6 1/2 minutes, which may be the quickest I've solved a Saturday LA Times puzzle. I think the only utter unknown today was DJIBOUTI, but that was easy enough to get via the crosses. Well, almost easy. I hesitated on the "O" since I always get the river ARNO and the composer ARNE mixed up, but this time I guessed correctly.
Oh -- one other unknown was OSRIC. I wanted YORICK, but that didn't fit. I thought I new Hamlet, but it has been so many years since I read it that I totally forgot poor OSRIC. Alas. ^_^
eddyB,
ReplyDeleteDo you remember the story of the Chicago Daily Tribune headline "Dewey Defeats Truman"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Deweytruman12.jpg
(Can someone tell me how to put in a hyperlink?)
Good Morning!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not easy for me. But defintely interesting.
I got traction at the NE and happily filled in all, and then was left with all the empty sqaures with just ARIA, TRAINSET and TEEN.
Gave up and went online to use red letter help. :(
Sadly, the P and A in PLAINLY were my last fills...Gosh!! I need to learn to see the obvious ;)
Loved seeing RARA AVIS after so long. Had forgotten about DJIBOUTI.
Also thought of female dogs for Chihuahua female till SEN put me in the right track.
CC, thank you for your wonderful explanations. I still thought lab as in labratory and GRR to mean cold, till I read your comment.
DUH!
Argyle, thanks for the boggle explanation.
In another 2 hours, I'll be on a Cessna with my friend who's learning to be a pilot. Wish me luck!
I'm excited and at the same time, scared, this being my first time in a small plane.
Have a great long weekend!
Oops! Forgot to mention:
ReplyDeleteMartin,
Beautiful pics.
Fred,
Will try and do your puzzle tomorrow.
@C.C. Solid State just means transistors have replaced tubes, which have to warm up enough to arc electrons across a gap before they work. Transistors are "instant on", like little electrical switches. We used to have what we called transistor radios, which would be solid state. Now, we don't bother with calling it that, as it has become the norm. Instead, we specify the opposite, as in a "Tube amp", which I have for my guitar because it has a "warmer" sound. Although, for all the sound effects, like distortion, tremolo, etc, I have a special pedal that can produce 44 different SFX, plus many drum patterns, and that is "solid state".
ReplyDeleteC.C. How do you think the movie Prince of Tears is going to be received?
@Martin, you lucky dog!
Thanks, Argyle for the Google clue. I was unaware of the game by that name.
ReplyDeleteMoon, have a safe flight. You reminded me of my Navy days when a fellow officer aboard the USS Glenn, APA 239, bought a small plane, and rebuilt the engine in his stateroom! When he asked me if I wanted to fly with him after the overhaul, I accepted, and had a great time. Looking back, it was probably a very risky decision. Oh, to be young and foolish again!.
@Mary;
ReplyDeleteCopy this string:
<a href=""></a>
Then in between the two double quotes, paste the link where I have URL, and something descriptive to click on where I have text:
<a href="URL">text</a>
Then click preview to test and make sure it works before publishing.
I'm dancing in the streets. First week I can remember when I figured out the entire week's puzzles before checking the blog each day. Key words here - figured out. I never expect to know the answers and am a dictionary - not google - user so success is limited.
ReplyDeleteDaily lurker - by the time I figure the puzzle out not much left to comment on. Do enjoy everyone's contributions.
Al, thanks for the link lesson--
ReplyDeleteeddyB,
Do you remember the story of the Chicago Daily Tribune headline
Dewey Defeats Truman
Moon, you can actually go up with someone who's learning to be a pilot?? I wasn't allowed passengers when I was learning.
ReplyDeleteSusie, welcome, and your contributions are always appreciated, no matter what the time.
Morning All -
ReplyDeleteI must have enjoyed this puzzle, as I actually spent the time to finish it. Don't often finish the Sat puzzle. I needed a little help from CC, but overall, think it went all right. Enjoyed many of the same clues others have mentioned.
My favorite was the Ligurian Sea mention. We spent part of our honeymoon in Cinque Terre in that region. Stayed in the town Vernazza; the room we stayed in is in the pinkish building along the left coastline with the upper and lower green shuttered windows. Family owned home that rents out rooms. The balcony overlooks the father's beautiful garden as well as the sea. Lovely!
We found it on Trip Advisor and reserved directly via email with the family who held our reservation without a credit card - they go on the honor system that you're going to show up when you say you are, and even meet you in the town center to walk you up the narrow alleys to the house. Good thing they do that - you'd be hard pressed to find it on your own through the maze!
Enjoy the day! Go Badgers!
Andrea
Fun write-up, C.C. The VANS clue was Rich's, and it was one of my favorites too.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the seed entry for this puzzle, but it might have been THE THIN MAN. Dashiell Hammett is one of my favorite authors. And my favorite entry was DJIBOUTI.
I'm glad Al explained SOLID STATE. He knows a lot more the subject than I do. :)
Good Morning All, I had pretty much the same experience as Dennis. I didn't get a hold until 5 through 10D. Then I worked around clockwise and finished off with IPOD NANO. I had to "G" post-puzzle to find out what the NANO was.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading so many constructors comments, I keep looking for little hidden connections. It's a stretch, but after seeing 16A clue "Dashiell Hammett's last novel", I was struck by the clue for 21A "Little foxes". The Little Foxes was a play by Lillian Hellman, who was Hammett's long-time lover. Hammett based THE THIN MAN character of Nora Charles on Hellman.
My "out of thin air" fills were RARA AVIS and DJIBOUTI. I have no idea why those were the first things I thought of.
Argyle, I've never played Boggle, so thanks for the explanation.
Martin, Very nice pictures.
ClearAyes, great catch!! DougP, was that more of your 'weaving'?
ReplyDeleteHi everyone -
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful time on the top 2/3's of the puzzle and then I really hit the wall! I did have trouble with 3D as I had never heard of an IPOD NANO. I also had RAGS in for 15A at first but that corner straightened itself out eventually. I just couldn't finish the lower part of this.
Pattycake: Welcome (I missed the chance to say that yesterday). I envy you your trip to Ireland...let us know all about it on your return.
Martin: such a nice picture of you and your pretty wife.
Moon: you are a very brave lady!
Dennis: Loved the idealist defination-how true that is. Life is a teacher isn't it?
We sold our old Honda last night! I was so surprised that it went so fast. We had just put the signs on it last Sunday. Yea :)
Hi C.C. & gang, we finished the top right half without help today! Then got stuck on the lower left and quickly finished it using the online version. We had ascend vs ascent also. My wife has an Ipod Nano so that wasn't too hard for her.
ReplyDeleteHere's more that you need to know about busting one's hump
Happy Saturday!
ReplyDeleteI was all ready to complain about how Saturday puzzles with no theme are too hard and therefore no fun for me. But once I got started on this one, I did OK (with some red-letter help) and enjoyed it. Several people have mentioned that Rich Norris is making the puzzles a bit easier lately. Is this something he has stated as a fact or just your observation?
I was stumped by "Toy with engine." I was stuck on tinker with engine like a tune up. Lab Alert stumped me at first but once I figured it out, I thought it was very clever. "Brook" is such a pretty word, don't you think?
Nice photo Martin!
@Clear Eyes - Interesting connection to "The Little Foxes," and it was completely unintentional. But who knows, maybe I made a subconscious cross-reference there.
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon to those in the East and Central Zones.
ReplyDeleteMary, yes I do. The photo was taken
when HST stopped on his way to DC.
The AP wire picked up the photo and
story. It was the headline in al-
most every news paper in the US.
The 1952 convention was at the Cow Place in San Francisco, so, the west coast people were up for two more hours.
Also sailed through the Ligurian Sea on our way back from a two week stay in Naples. We stopped in
Genoa. There is a long story about my feeding one of the "working girl's baby" while in whites and wearing a side arm. Maybe later.
eddyB
Good morning CC and all,
ReplyDeleteI think I've taken too many sips from the River of Lethe, as I just "lost" my whole comment.LOL
This was a senora of a puzzle for me. I could not complete the SW corner even though Djibouti was a gimme. I should have known casinos as we visited "Red Hawk" 2 wks ago.
It was frustrating to fill in things and not know what they were like ipod nano, raraavis,and orts.Thanks for clearing these up.Egg timer should have been a gimme as we played Boggle often, but I needed 1 or 2 letters to jog my memory.Clever clue for aria.. didn't get it at 1st.
Loved lab alert... I wasn't even close.
Andrea, gorgeous picture with a lovely story.
Martin, what a darling wife. It's so nice to see you. I so enjoy all of your entries.
Hope everyone has a great holiday.
Reliving history-
ReplyDelete1698- Russia's Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards.
"Peter ordered his noblemen to wear fashionable Western clothes instead of their archaic long costumes. To add insult to injury, Peter personally cut off the beards of his noblemen. All men except the peasants and priests had to pay Peter's yearly beard tax and wear a medal proclaiming, "Beards are a ridiculous ornament."
Today the taliban does the opposite-they must wear a beard.
1839 the 1st opium war began in China
1844- Iron ore was dicovered in Minnesota's Mesabi Mts.
1966- Jerry Lewis had his 1st Muscular Dystrophy telethon and raised $15,000. His 44th telethon starts on Monday. He has raised $1.46 billion!!!
1975-"Squeaky" Fromme attempted to assassinate Ford in Sacramento.
1980- The world's longest auto tunnel opened in the Swiss Alps.
Hello All--I enjoyed this Saturday puzzle and only Googled three clues. Names of course. 80's band, "London Fields" author, and Horn of Africa Country. I felt pretty good about everything until I got to the SE corner and put in Sass for Juvenile retort. That soon fixed itself, but not before I pulled out a few hairs.
ReplyDeleteI had all put the P in I-pod Nano. I don't have an I-pod and so was trying to think of an article of clothing after the mini (skirt?)
I really liked the clues for Aria and Lab Alert?, though, our labs were all so mellow, we seldom heard them growl. I was on Moon's track with something in a Laboratory. Had a Duh moment when I finally "got" it.
Martin, what a lovely picture of you and your wife. I would love to have seen that little one, too.
Thank you also for the explanation on professorships at University.
I remember voting for DDE for his second term. My first time voting for a President. He was such a hero to all of us who grew up during WWII.
Here's a car that does not go at asnail's pace
ReplyDeleteWhy, you ask, did that crazy lady post this? The original video I saw sounded like gelato (with a hard G)but it is a Gallardo.
Hi to all. I just love when the constructors chime in on the blog. CC, you must know that you have created a really great vehicle when that happens.
ReplyDeleteI too thought it a little easier of a Saturday puzzle, but struggled with a few. Shakespeare always stumps me as I haven't read it. I struggle too much with it to enjoy. I nailed the NE corner immediately. So many of the clues ended up being my first thought, but I was afraid to put them down for some reason. Oh well.
Loved Lab alert? and Movers,but hopefully not shakers (my first fill of the puzzle). I have an Ipod Nano, so that should have been a given but it wasn't. I thought of TRAIN SET right away, as we just visited a museum at Balboa Park with all toy trains. The landscapes were reproductions of the areas during the hey days of trains moving things. Fascinating.
My favorite part of the puzzle was "wanna" bet, and "outa" here and "s'poses", "am so", all those shortened slangly words. Lots of fun.
Martin, such lovely pictures of you and your spouse. You are a wonder.
Looking forward to Fred's puzzle tomorrow. I suppose I have to go online to do it, as I believe that Star Trib carries Newsday in the paper. I believe there has always been a discrepancy between what they print vs what they carry online. Don't understand that.
Have a great weekend all.
Hey Gang -
ReplyDeleteFun Puzzle today - but I do prefer themes. Lots of great clues, though. Nice job, Doug.
What I was late for today was the whole day - didn't get out of bed until after 10.
Crazy Mud Hens game last night. Lots of sloppy play by the Hens and the Columbus Clippers. The first six batters struck out, and I was expecting a pitcher's battle. Then Columbus got 5 in the second, on three doubles, a triple, and I forget what else. Hens battled back, and were ahead 11-10 in the ninth. For a novelty, 2rd Baseman Mike Hessman played one inning at each position, and came on to pitch in the 9th with a one run lead. You can do this sort of thing on the last home game of the season, when you're 10 games out of first, and your opponent is 15 behind you. Hessman got the first 2 batters on routine grounders, then the wheels came off. The Clippers got 2, helped alond by throwing error on the SS, and won 12-11. The game took about 3 1/3 hours. It's time consuming to score 23 runs. Then there were the post game fireworks
We got home after midnight and to bed after 1:00.
Cheers!
JzB
12:01 today. Very nice themeless by Doug P. I didn't really have any problem except I initially filled in ETHIOPIA for the Horn of Africa country, so that took a bit of time to sort out (I solve "downs first" so ETHIOPIA went in with no crosses--it took some doing before DJIBOUTI emerged).
ReplyDeleteMy last fill was the V in VCRS. I never think of VCRS in these days of DVDs. Wonder what I'll ever do with my 5-6 hundred tapes that are laying around? Sell the house and move away without them, most likely.
@martin: wonderful pictures of you and your spouse. That looks like a very scenic spot.
@andrea: What a beautiful town Vernazza must be! I remember seeing a TV program a while back about the Ligurian coast--it looks spectacular.
I felt like a genius working on this puzzle, but I knew it was an illusion, and the puzzle is easy for a Saturday. Still…..
ReplyDeleteI didn’t see anything until EZRA, then YIN, and things started falling into place’ CASINOS, IM OUTTA HERE, SNAILS PACE were gimmes, but I would never have guessed RARA AVIS or DJINBOUTI, so I came to a standstill with SOD. Had to look for CC’s answers.
I loved the cluing for this puzzle, and I’m looking forward to the next Doug Peterson crossword.
Doug P, thanks for checking in.
Favorite clue was LAB ALERTS, because it brought a giggle.
Jazz, great looking family, and all those kids in one place must be a ton of fun.
Crockett, I loved the picture of you and your wife in Wales, and Martin, you and your wife look even nicer than I had imagined you to be.
Mary, TA DA on the link. You’re a quick learner.
Bill G, I agree. The word Brook is so pretty, I can understand why people name their daughters that. I always think of my mother’s eyes as ‘brook brown.’
Hello again,
ReplyDeleteOur son has a 1965 VOX AC30 amp which he uses for his Rickenbacher.
Buys the 12AX7s when he goes to England on one of his many trips. I
remember when you would buy tubes
at the drug store.
Time to do the daily Universal Puzzel in the SF Chronicle. Will try Fred's and Merl's tomorrow.
Bye.
eddyB
Good afternoon. Took the puzzle with me to the farmers' market. Stocked up on apples, garlic, herbs, mustardy cheese, veg'tables and "fair trade" coffee. One of the "spice girls" treated me to an iced tea in exchange for helping her letter a sign. I now know to spell "marjoram." Sang backup on "Mack the Knife" with a street musician. She was very good. I can barely carry more than three notes in a row, but with weather that good, no one seemed to notice. Completely spontaeous. Hand gestures are my forte, it turns out!
ReplyDeletePuzzle was slow starting, but enjoyable. Sort of like a tough sudoku: scan, enter, stall, think, guess, walk away, come back, try again--and eventually it all falls into place, and the world seems a little more fun and slightly more logical. Djibouti wasn't top of mind, let's just say that ;-§.
Sunday's paper is waiting but it seems like cheating to tackle the grid a day early!
Has anyone else tried "Bing," Microsoft's newish search engine yet? I suspect the version I access via phone is watered down, but I had high hopes. Not finding anything too innovative there yet, but will keep trying. I'm always hopeful that the process for looking for things will become more intuitive. Yahoo and Search.com seem to rank "hits" differently, and once you scan pass acres of ads they do turn up stuff sometimes that our beloved G-spot buries on page 92. I still love a good dictionary or atlas or almanac in hard copy, all the same!
Will check back later. Popsicles are on the menu....
A late "Hi!" from me today.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the puzzle was not the reason. I found it to be surprisingly easy for a Saturday. Except for the N of YIN/NANO and the I of AMIS (I had E), I did it with no help at all, just some lucky guesses. I had forgotten that YIN/YANG were male/female, I had no idea about Boggle, but guessed it must be a game. I got the DJ- of DJIBOUTI, so guessed that would be all that would fit there. Didn't remember OSRIC either but got it with perp help. All in all an enjoyable Saturday CW.
Martin,
Very nice pix of you and your lovely wife. You look extremely happy.
Andrea and Dot,
Use my email to get us in touch before Sept. 27th to try to arrange something. I still would prefer avoiding large crowds at either event that day.
Jazzbumpa -
ReplyDeleteI do like the Mud Hens stadium. Interesting fit amongst the buildings.
JazzB:
ReplyDeleteThat write up of the Mud Hens game deserves to be in the Toledo Blade! (Does that paper still have an orangishy pink section for what used to be called "Women's News"?) I miss that publication. Had a blast at the handful of Hens' games I attended. Wrigley Field, about a mile north of us here, can only dream of having such diehard fans. The sweet old lady who once sat next to me at a game was a season ticket holder and was sprung from the nursing home to attend every single game, accompanied by a nurse and two cartfuls of medical equipment. She could barely speak above a whisper but managed to hit a 90 decible yelp whenever a base was scored. She stole a sip of beer from me too. Hard to say "no" to a thirsty gal like that! If the last thing she ever remembered was a hometown win and a swig of ale, well, there are worse ways to go out. The nurse had a little, too.
I don't think anyone answered my question about whether Rich Norris has said he is easing up on the difficulty level of the puzzles or whether it just seems that way?
ReplyDeleteSince you did so well with the round manhole question, here's another. What shape are the nuts on fire hydrants that turn the water on and off? Why do they have that shape?
PJB,
ReplyDeleteI did the puzzle at Farmers' Market this morning as well, except I was selling. Ours is a new market in a small town (pop. 4000), where people are accustomed to getting the surplus of neighbors gardens free or buying food at Wal-Mart. It's an uphill battle to convert them, but we're making a little progress. The time away from the puzzle helped me solve it without help. I rarely enter guesses the first time through, since I solve in ink. But once a cross gives me some assurance that the guess might be correct, in it goes.
I went wrong with ascend instead of ascent. I actually got Djbouti because a girl (PC: woman, but I was 50 at the time and she was 19) in one of my political science classes broke into giggles every time the name came up. That was 14 years ago, but I haven't forgotten it.
The last two days make it clear that the puzzles have been eased up; I have never been able to do Fri/Sat puzzles without help. But these were fun puzzles, brain stretchers with no shopworn words or clues. Challenging, but doable.
PJB, (again),
your descriptions (today and previously) make city life sound very attractive and fun. I don't think I could live in
the city, although I love visiting, but it sounds as though life there, at least as you approach it, is vibrant and fun. And I'm reminded of a phrase I heard or read somewhere years ago (which I will probably bungle), "Stadt luft macht frei". Kazie and others, and probably you can translate, but the meaning as I got it was, "City air makes you free", playing on the freedom of behavior in the anonymity of living in the city, as opposed to the often stifling attention of neighbors in the smaller town. But country air is pretty liberating, too. I'm sitting on my back porch at the moment, drinking a Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold Lager, and the nearest visible house is about a mile away. So when I need to get rid of than beer (in sort of a reverse process of the miracle at Cana) I will walk about twenty steps and do so. Could be ten, but the Irish gets a little p----d ( no pun intended) when I water her basil.
Anyway, your daily description of your moving about are very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but one more beer and I'll be doing a little Mack the Knife myself.
One and out today. I've got friends to write to.
Good evening CC et al., Great puzzle. Certainly not one for the 'scrap heaps' today. Same unknowns and favs as others.
ReplyDeleteLoved and had to laugh at how Ezra was over Brook- just missing an 's' for Ezra Brooks Ky straight bourbon whiskey - and crossing
'plainly' marked brown paper 'bag'. All of which reminded me of Ky and meeting Windhover. Good times.
Also had to laugh at 8D Busting one's hump in the same puzzle as 'Bronco'. Certainly brings to mind some of my favorite cowboys who do have the knack of keeping 'at it' and not at a 'snails pace' either. Shoot, those guys need 'road signs' that say STOP!or maybe an 'egg timer' that screams "Time's up Buckaroo!" I wouldn't 'wanna bet' on any of them observing either of those anyway. They'd rather 'lie by' the signs or timers, keep shakin'
'djiBOUTIE' and take the 'raps', with 'claims' of ignorance saying, "I didn't 'no dat'. Isn't it 'a tit' for a tat here in these parts? I 'reckons' not!" 'Dems' ain't the brightest stallions in the herd, but 'am so' lucky to know them. They never quit and they don't 'choke'. They give hard core a whole new dimension. I do love me some cowboys!
Well, my 'ascent' from 'Hades' is complete, altho' temporary. The 'teen's arrive Tues and as you all have so wisely advised me, I'm going to document everything and be 'sneaky' in being invisible when it comes to the one administrator who has been unanimously nicknamed so appropriately 'the fugly troll'. So, it ain't just me. I see it as fodder for great jokes. Can't wait!
CA: LMAO at your comment yesterday about Gladiola Montana. That was priceless! And it's true, especially askin' a cowboy about the size of his spread (unless you really want to find out).
Jazz: great pic and beautiful all of you. Don't know if I said that already or not.
Martin: you too. Beautiful people and you guys look so happy.
'Im outa here'. Party on!
What shape are the nuts on fire hydrants that turn the water on and off? Why do they have that shape?
ReplyDeletea pentagon so only special wrenches will turn them on.
Bill G., yes, Rich Norris has acknowledged as much.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Argyle. I couldn't find a pic with a good view of the pentagon nut.
ReplyDeleteHen's play in 5th/3rd field, after the bank that bought the naming rights. There are a number of 5th/3rd fields. Here is one in Dayton. And here is a great 24 photo gallery of the one in Toledo. Scroll down to see the captions. Below #4 it says: " class="Georgia-24pxFFFFFFn">5th 3rd Field will go down in history as one of the great innovators of the way ballparks are utilized today. A movement began in the late 1990's and early 2000's to bring the ballpark back to the city, often finding the baseball stadium as the jewel of the downtown area. 5th 3rd Field has taken this concept the next level.
Friday's game was the 27th sell-out of the Season, and the Hens again drew over a half million for the year. Not bad for a team finishing a distant 2nd.
Here is the Blade's Write up. More detail than I had, and an interview with Hessman - who is the Hen's all time HR leader.
PJB -
You're referring to the Peach Section. When I was a kid, it was a 4 Pg section on orangish colored paper. Now it's a single page, of pop-culture, trivia, and other not-quite-the-news kind of stuff.
Cheers!
JzB the minor league trombonist
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteI've been lurking most of the summer and finally had time to join in after reading all the posts! Being able to learn from the c/w's thanks to C.C. and Argyle's explanations (invaluable when you get the fill, but not WHY...) has really drawn me in, as well as the camaraderie.
So excited to have actually completed a Sat. puzzle, albeit with lots of guesses, perp help and only a few red letters! Had lots of fun with the clues too - thanks, Doug and Rich.
I hope to comment more, but I usually don't get here until evening, after most everything's already been said.
@Crockett: You can add me to the map in Fort Lauderdale (City of Plantation to be specific). I see a few neighbors here already.
@Lois: Sipping a few ounces of tonic water usually relieves leg/foot cramps within 15 minutes for me. Never tried it as a preventative though.
Yes, I'm long-winded... I will try to behave and keep it short! Let me know if I make any other blunders - I learn quickly.
One last comment for now: the word BROOK evokes a relaxed, peaceful feeling. DJIBOUTI is just fun to say!
Thanks for making my summer so enjoyable!
Annette
@Jazz: Wait, did they move the Hens? I left Toledo about 9 years ago and had heard they were thinking about relocating the team closer to downtown, but has that come to pass? I miss that place.
ReplyDeleteWH. Thanks for the kind words. I lead a very quiet life but when I venture out, I put on my game face and say "why not" instead of "why?" As a true introvert, being within two miles of the center of attention gives me the creeps, flop sweat and a case of the hives, but I have learned to adapt. Sign me up to do something embarassing, and I now show up. Not true for three quarters of my life, but I'm making up for lost time.My one small gift is making people smile. Your life among growing things is five times more interesting than mine, but the only stories I can tell are what I have lived. P.S. For gosh sake, do not p@@ on the basil.. Gardenias may be the better target? Azaleas? I don't want your lovely wife to think ill of me; we're probably fifth cousins, thrice removed! County Clare or Cork. Both are family roots.
Depending on your dictionary, I'm "outa" or "outta" posts. Be well, all.
Lois, We've missed you for the last couple of days, but you have made up for it with your "cowboy rap" today. Very funny and always clever!
ReplyDeleteAnnette, Welcome to the fun and games. It is fun to lurk, but once you jump in, you'll find the water is fine.
Windhover, Hang in there at the market. Quality will eventually pay off. LOL, GAH was outside this evening admiring the sunset for a while. In the future, maybe I'd better make sure he doesn't wander too close to the basil.
Thanks for the welcome, Clear Ayes.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention how much I'm enjoying the member's photos. Great idea! So is the Google map.
Thanks for the reminders to thoroughly wash our fresh herbs!
Had trouble with the NW corner today. Had to come here to finish it. Love those crossword puzzle words like ADIT and ORTS. Enjoyed the clues for CASINOS and GRR. Do the puzzle in pencil in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Where is the map several people referred to?
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to find things in the dictionary and the atlas instead of running to google. Wasn't sure which part of Africa is the Horn but I had the D and J so I looked for a country that started that way and looked at all horn-shaped parts of the continent.
I really enjoy cc's post and all your comments. Annette--don't worry about what time you comment; I always write at night, often quite late like tonight (2:30 a.m.) My computer clock is usually wrong; I changed it last night but it is off by and hour again.
Candy Dulfer
ReplyDeleteI like this smooth Jazz sax player
ALL GRAVY NO GRIEF