Theme: RUNNER (48D. Ball carrier, and clue for 20-, 40- and 59-Across)
20A. See 48-Down: ICE SKATE BLADE. Figure skating is beautiful to watch.
40A. See 48-Down: TRACK COMPETITOR. Ah, the Lightning Bolt (Usain), probably the most famous Jamaican after Bob Marley.
59A. See 48-Down: LONG NARROW RUG. Now I want a Navajo runner rug, with a purposely woven flaw.
Normally I am not fond of same clue for different theme answer puzzles. This one is rather unique, with the defining RUNNER structured in the grid.
Not familiar with this constructor Jack Sargeant. Could be his debut. If so, congratulations!
JimmyB, one of our regular commenter, wrote a very informative post yesterday:
"Today marks the 6-month anniversary of switching to the LA Times crosswords. In that period Rich Norris has presented us with 159 puzzles (only counting Monday's through Saturday's) submitted by 67 different "constructors". Five of those constructors were actually Rich himself. Most often used by far is Dan Naddor with 22 puzzles. Next most popular are David W. Cromer, Don Gagliardo, and Donna S. Levin with 7 apiece. Doug Peterson and Jack McInturff are close behind with 6. Thirty-six constructors have been used only once."
I forwarded the information to Rich Norris. Rich responded: "Thanks to Jimmy for the update. I haven't kept count since March, but I do keep track on an annual basis. Through October 31st, I will have published 95 different constructors in 2009, not including me."
Across:
4. Strokes on a green: PUTTS. The other golf reference is SAM (21D. Golf legend Snead). I think Rich Norris likes Ben Hogan more. Hogan had the most efficient swing.
14. What the Mad Hatter served: TEA. Mad Hatter is a fictional character in "Alice in Wonderland".
15. Apple's instant messaging software: ICHAT. Guessed. I am using a PC.
16. No longer tied up: LOOSE. Adjective here.
18. Barton of the Red Cross: CLARA. The Red Cross founder.
19. Divided country: KOREA. Divided at the 38th parallel. Since 1948.
23. Piano part: PEDAL
24. Bando of baseball: SAL. Got his name from Down fill. Don't know much about the old Oakland A's. Did pull a Catfish Hunter autograph out of a blaster box once.
25. Airport waiter: CAB. And SEMIS (31D. Big rigs).
28. Sheds feathers: MOLTS
32. Stereotypical eye patch wearer: PIRATE. "Aaarrr!"
34. Start of an order to an attack dog: SIC. "SIC 'em!"
37A. Partner of woes: CARES. Why? I am at a total loss.
39. Fed. org. concerned with workplace woes: OSHA. I like the consecutive "woes" weaving.
44. Ill-advised: RASH
45. Pageant topper: TIARA
46. Old draft org.: SSS (Selective Service System)
47. Clothes: ATTIRE. And TAILORED (43. Fitted, as a suit).
50. Slow mover: SNAIL. Edible snail would be ESCARGOT.
52. Canada's smallest prov.: P.E.I. (Prince Edward Island). No idea. It's on the right coast. Just learned that there are ten provinces and three territories in Canada. How are those territories differ from provinces?
53. Fashionable boot brand: UGG. OK, they all wear UGG boots. From left to right, Kate Moss, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Aniston.
55. Starbucks offering: LATTE
64. Descendant: SCION. Chinese often call ourselves as "Descendants of Dragon".
66. Walking __: euphoric: ON AIR
68. Fill with wonder: AMAZE
69. Three-card scam: MONTE. No idea. Have no knowledge on card games.
70. Cocktail party bowlful: DIP
71. Chair craftsperson: CANER. Alliteration again.
73. Va. clock setting: EST
Down:
1. Vegas attraction, with "the": STRIP. Sitting above STRAP (34D. Subway rider's aid).
3. Went off course, at sea: YAWED
4. Burglar: PICKLOCK. New word to me.
5. Golden State sch.: UCLA. The Bruins.
7. Empty truck's weight: TARE. The "Waste allowance" is TRET.
9. Acid neutralizer: ALKALI. It turns red litmus paper blue.
11. Weather Channel offerings: FORECASTS. Still summer here, but my morning glory suddenly stopped blooming yesterday.
13. Grazing site: LEA
22. Once around the track: LAP. Would prefer a different clue as TRACK is part of the theme answers.
26. Pal of Aramis: ATHOS. And Porthos. Dumas' "The Three Musketeers".
27. Nursery rhyme trio: BEARS. "Goldilocks and the Three BEARS".
29. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC. Any fellow solvers there? I know we have quite a few from the Madison area.
30. Horse's gait: TROT
33. Louis XIV, to his subjects: ROI. Louis XIV is known as "le ROI Soleil (the Sun King). Haute couture originated in his reign.
35. Hot under the collar: IRATE
36. Spanish dialect that's now standard: CASTILIAN (ka-STIL-yuhn). No idea. Only know Catalan.
38. Period of time: SPAN
41. Greek X: CHI. The "Greek T" is TAU.
42. Paleozoic __: ERA
49. "Which came first?" item: EGG. Or chicken.
51. Judge's concern: LAW
54. Travelocity mascot: GNOME. I liked this new clue.
56. Stock market transaction: TRADE
57. North African capital: TUNIS. Nice parallel with EGYPT (58D. Exodus locale). TUNIS is the capital of Tunisia. I wonder if anyone fell into the CAIRO for the capital trap.
60. Seep: OOZE
61. Any minute now, to a bard: ANON
62. "The Fountainhead" author: RAND (Ayn). Waiting for Windhover to comment on her philosophy.
63. Baptism or bar mitzvah, e.g.: RITE
64. Anatomical pouch: SAC
65. Nashville awards gp.: CMA (Country Music Association). Started in 1967. Tell me what Jessica Simpson & Carrie Underwood have in common.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a photo our fellow solver Bill and his wonderful wife Nancy at his sister's wedding a week ago. Both Bill and Nancy love solving Xword. Bill often makes me laugh with his witty and grumpy comments. Ask him if you have any question on computer or bluegrass.
C.C.
20A. See 48-Down: ICE SKATE BLADE. Figure skating is beautiful to watch.
40A. See 48-Down: TRACK COMPETITOR. Ah, the Lightning Bolt (Usain), probably the most famous Jamaican after Bob Marley.
59A. See 48-Down: LONG NARROW RUG. Now I want a Navajo runner rug, with a purposely woven flaw.
Normally I am not fond of same clue for different theme answer puzzles. This one is rather unique, with the defining RUNNER structured in the grid.
Not familiar with this constructor Jack Sargeant. Could be his debut. If so, congratulations!
JimmyB, one of our regular commenter, wrote a very informative post yesterday:
"Today marks the 6-month anniversary of switching to the LA Times crosswords. In that period Rich Norris has presented us with 159 puzzles (only counting Monday's through Saturday's) submitted by 67 different "constructors". Five of those constructors were actually Rich himself. Most often used by far is Dan Naddor with 22 puzzles. Next most popular are David W. Cromer, Don Gagliardo, and Donna S. Levin with 7 apiece. Doug Peterson and Jack McInturff are close behind with 6. Thirty-six constructors have been used only once."
I forwarded the information to Rich Norris. Rich responded: "Thanks to Jimmy for the update. I haven't kept count since March, but I do keep track on an annual basis. Through October 31st, I will have published 95 different constructors in 2009, not including me."
Across:
4. Strokes on a green: PUTTS. The other golf reference is SAM (21D. Golf legend Snead). I think Rich Norris likes Ben Hogan more. Hogan had the most efficient swing.
14. What the Mad Hatter served: TEA. Mad Hatter is a fictional character in "Alice in Wonderland".
15. Apple's instant messaging software: ICHAT. Guessed. I am using a PC.
16. No longer tied up: LOOSE. Adjective here.
18. Barton of the Red Cross: CLARA. The Red Cross founder.
19. Divided country: KOREA. Divided at the 38th parallel. Since 1948.
23. Piano part: PEDAL
24. Bando of baseball: SAL. Got his name from Down fill. Don't know much about the old Oakland A's. Did pull a Catfish Hunter autograph out of a blaster box once.
25. Airport waiter: CAB. And SEMIS (31D. Big rigs).
28. Sheds feathers: MOLTS
32. Stereotypical eye patch wearer: PIRATE. "Aaarrr!"
34. Start of an order to an attack dog: SIC. "SIC 'em!"
37A. Partner of woes: CARES. Why? I am at a total loss.
39. Fed. org. concerned with workplace woes: OSHA. I like the consecutive "woes" weaving.
44. Ill-advised: RASH
45. Pageant topper: TIARA
46. Old draft org.: SSS (Selective Service System)
47. Clothes: ATTIRE. And TAILORED (43. Fitted, as a suit).
50. Slow mover: SNAIL. Edible snail would be ESCARGOT.
52. Canada's smallest prov.: P.E.I. (Prince Edward Island). No idea. It's on the right coast. Just learned that there are ten provinces and three territories in Canada. How are those territories differ from provinces?
53. Fashionable boot brand: UGG. OK, they all wear UGG boots. From left to right, Kate Moss, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Aniston.
55. Starbucks offering: LATTE
64. Descendant: SCION. Chinese often call ourselves as "Descendants of Dragon".
66. Walking __: euphoric: ON AIR
68. Fill with wonder: AMAZE
69. Three-card scam: MONTE. No idea. Have no knowledge on card games.
70. Cocktail party bowlful: DIP
71. Chair craftsperson: CANER. Alliteration again.
73. Va. clock setting: EST
Down:
1. Vegas attraction, with "the": STRIP. Sitting above STRAP (34D. Subway rider's aid).
3. Went off course, at sea: YAWED
4. Burglar: PICKLOCK. New word to me.
5. Golden State sch.: UCLA. The Bruins.
7. Empty truck's weight: TARE. The "Waste allowance" is TRET.
9. Acid neutralizer: ALKALI. It turns red litmus paper blue.
11. Weather Channel offerings: FORECASTS. Still summer here, but my morning glory suddenly stopped blooming yesterday.
13. Grazing site: LEA
22. Once around the track: LAP. Would prefer a different clue as TRACK is part of the theme answers.
26. Pal of Aramis: ATHOS. And Porthos. Dumas' "The Three Musketeers".
27. Nursery rhyme trio: BEARS. "Goldilocks and the Three BEARS".
29. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC. Any fellow solvers there? I know we have quite a few from the Madison area.
30. Horse's gait: TROT
33. Louis XIV, to his subjects: ROI. Louis XIV is known as "le ROI Soleil (the Sun King). Haute couture originated in his reign.
35. Hot under the collar: IRATE
36. Spanish dialect that's now standard: CASTILIAN (ka-STIL-yuhn). No idea. Only know Catalan.
38. Period of time: SPAN
41. Greek X: CHI. The "Greek T" is TAU.
42. Paleozoic __: ERA
49. "Which came first?" item: EGG. Or chicken.
51. Judge's concern: LAW
54. Travelocity mascot: GNOME. I liked this new clue.
56. Stock market transaction: TRADE
57. North African capital: TUNIS. Nice parallel with EGYPT (58D. Exodus locale). TUNIS is the capital of Tunisia. I wonder if anyone fell into the CAIRO for the capital trap.
60. Seep: OOZE
61. Any minute now, to a bard: ANON
62. "The Fountainhead" author: RAND (Ayn). Waiting for Windhover to comment on her philosophy.
63. Baptism or bar mitzvah, e.g.: RITE
64. Anatomical pouch: SAC
65. Nashville awards gp.: CMA (Country Music Association). Started in 1967. Tell me what Jessica Simpson & Carrie Underwood have in common.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a photo our fellow solver Bill and his wonderful wife Nancy at his sister's wedding a week ago. Both Bill and Nancy love solving Xword. Bill often makes me laugh with his witty and grumpy comments. Ask him if you have any question on computer or bluegrass.
C.C.
64 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - this might be the easiest week we've seen since the Wayne Williams days; I had to keep reminding myself that this was a Thursday.
I had no idea that 'picklock' was a noun, synonymous with 'burglar', but the perps gave it up pretty easily. I didn't pick up on the theme until I got the 'reveal'; thought it was very clever. A fun puzzle, but damn, I'd sure like at least a hammerette now and then.
Today is National Cherries Jubilee Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem." -- Theodore Rubin
A couple interesting observations about men and women:
"A woman need only know one man well in order to understand all men, whereas a man may know all women and not understand one of them." -- Helen Rowland
"If women are often frustrated because men do not respond to their troubles by offering matching troubles, men are often frustrated because women do." -- Deborah Tannen
I have been up since 4:00 am and have done two puzzles. This one was interesting, new clues, nice theme, but not much to comment on. I guess for those of you who do not like proper names, this was a good one.
Three card monte is a variation of the missing pea, where you have to select a certain card, in the ever raging hand versus eye. It was a staple of street con men for years.
Thanks for the data on puzzles Bill. Nice "happy" picture.
Well I salute you Mr. Sargeant, great day all
Here is a great article from today's paper about Bernice Gordon, one of our constructors, who's 95 and still going strong.
JimmyB, great stats; most informative.
Bill, great to see you guys - how many years married?
Morning, All! A good Thursday puzzle. A little easier than most Thursdays, but I did like the theme. I'm with you, CC, I don't usually like this style, but I did enjoy this one.
Are the three BEARS (27D) really from a nursery rhyme? I thought that was a story. All I could initially think of were the 3 BLIND MICE and the 3 MEN IN A TUB.
PICK LOCK (4D) is a new term for burglar to me.
My sister was in the Peace Corps years ago and spent 2 years in TUNIS (57D), so that answer was a gimme.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND (52A) is where the ANNE of GREEN GABLES takes place. We often see ANNE of GG in crossword puzzles.
Favorite clue: Airport Waiter (25A): CAB
2005 ~ Hurricane Rita hit the western parishes of Louisiana. Rita is the “forgotten” hurricane, being overshadowed by Katrina.
September 24 Birthdays:
1936 ~ Jim Henson (d. 1990), creator of the Muppets
Muppets.
1898 ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald (d. 1940), American novelist. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorites.
1755 ~ John Marshall (d. 1835), 4th U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
1739 ~ Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin (d. 1791), Russian statesman and favorite of Catherine the Great. There was an early silent movie, Battleship Potemkin, with a famous scene in which a baby carriage rolled down Odessa Steps
1725 ~ Arthur Guinness (d. 1803), founder of the Irish brewery. I wonder if he knew we’d be drinking his beverages over 200 years later.
QOD: Doing nothing is very hard to do … you never know when you are finished. ~ Leslie Nielson
Good Morning CC and All,
This was an easy Thursday with some clues that required a bit of a stretch. Sort of a different feel with this constructor. I didn't really like Ill Advised for Rash. Mostly because that was my last fill.
PEI is quite a beautiful place. It has some wonderful beaches and the ocean is warmer than here due to the effects of the gulf stream.
Had to laugh at the observations Dennis. Quite ironic because the wife and I are having one of those weeks. I'm emailing them to her this AM.
Have a great day!
Dennis, 23 years together and 18 years married.Third time was a charm for both of us.
Liked CAB, Didn't like PICKLOCK. I would call a burglar a LOCKPICK. In fact, I've heard that term in the past. Lots of new words today or at least some we've not seen in a long while. SCION, MONTE, PEDAL, TIARA.
CC, CARES and WOES. Bye, Bye Blackbird
CY'all Later
Hi There:
As always, thanks for all of your help. In today's puzzle, the "partner of woes" is "cares" due to the words of the song, "Bye, Bye Blackbird". It's pack up all your cares and woes.
Linda
Good Morning C.C. and group!
Dennis, thank you for including the article from the Inquirer on Bernice Gordon. Very interesting. Did you complete her puzzle that was included? If so, what did you think of the difficulty level? By the way, how were you able to post this?
I had no problem with today's puzzle. Thought it was rather "ho-hum". Only got scion from the perps - not familiar with this word. We had a clue yesterday "dumb" down. I feel that is what is happening to some
of these puzzles.
Have a good day everyone!
Bill and Linda: Thanks for the CARES and WOES explanation. The Bye, Bye Blackbird reference was rather obscure.
The egg came first. Various reptiles were hatching from eggs long before there were domesticated chickens. Unless you are looking it up here.
What Jessica and Carrie have in common is too much makeup...
Hahtool, The song Bye, Bye Blackbird came immediately to mind when I saw the clue. Here are some of the lyrics:
"Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird"
Clear Ayes & Windhover,
I love those sausage link wordplay, but I hope everyone stays within the 5-post limit.
Bill & Linda,
Thanks for the CARES. Not familiar with the song at all.
Al,
They both dated Tony Romo.
Bill, congratulations on the third-time victory.
Carol2, yes, I did the puzzle and thought it was on a par with today's LAT puzzle in terms of difficulty (or lack thereof). The article is on philly.com and I just linked to that site. Glad you enjoyed it.
Good Morning All, No tough fills today, except for PICKLOCK. I'd never heard of that one.
I had to start with the downs and fill in as much as possible before going back and completing the 13 and 15 letter answers. But it was speedy work without much pondering.
My favorite was CAB for "Airport waiter". I had to look at it for a few seconds after it was filled in before the lightbulb went on.
Nice photo, Bill and Nancy.
Hi all!
Hahtool,
I agree, I'd call it a fairytale.
Dennis,
I also enjoyed reading about Bernice Gordon. i hope I can stay that good mentally for that long.
Super easy Thursday for me, and yes, I enjoyed the absence of proper names. Three clues fell in without my even reading them: CHI, KOREA, MOLTS.
I do have a former colleague who lives and teaches now in Fond du Lac (which means bottom of the lake). If you look at the map, it's at the southernmost tip of Lake Winnebago, WI, so, aptly named.
Bill,
Very nice photo of both of you. Looks like it was a nice, comfortable, casual wedding.
I forgot to say, that CAB was also a fave for me. It reminded me of the long lines of them at German airports like Frankfurt--they're all a very pale cream color, and when you walk outside, they're as far as you can see along the street. And boy, do they get bent out of shape if you try to avoid walking to the head of the queue to get in one closer to where you are.
Also, I thought the theme was nicely tied together, though I didn't know where it was going until RUNNER fell in. I thought at first it would be sports equipment after BLADE.
Good morning..must be quick..will do puzzle at school
Reliving history
1948-the Honda Motor C. was founded
1960-USS Enterprise, the 1st nuclear powered aircraft, was launched
1964- Munsters premiered on TV
1968- " 60 Minutes" premiered
1972-Patty Hearst was sentenced to 7 yrs. for her part in the 1974 bank robbery. She was released after 22 mo. by Pres. Carter
1991- Doogie Howser lost his virginity
Welcome, "not blue" Linda.
More after I "do" puzzle.
Dennis: Re Helen Rowland quote...We are told in the Word, "Husbands, dwell with your wife according to knowledge..." When even we don`t often know what we want, the only place to acquire that knowledge is from God. When we start the day asking Him for that knowledge...that day goes better. IMHO...and from nearly 50 years of experience.
Bill: Wonderful picture...my youngest son is in his third marriage...I pray he`s as blessed as you seem to be.
Good Morning!
Did not post yesterday as I had nothing to say :)
Today's puzzle took a while: around 20 mins.
Didnt get the theme till RUNNER. Good learning: never knew runner to be a rug or the blade.
I did think of CAIRO but the perps woulnt allow it.
ATHOS, pal of Aramis reminded me of the Slumdog Millionaire which won the Oscar last year.
Today's theme made me think of the NFL team that I support: The Indy Colts. Why cant they have an explosive RUNNER? Is it the O-Line?
Loved the Monday night game against Miami, but this see-saw is taking a toll on my heart.
Have a great day, everyone!
CC:
Thanks. Will heed the limit in the future, whatever the occasion.
Interestingly, my response to that post was the same as Rich's.
The most appropriate thing to say about the philosophy of Ayn Rand is that it has been thoroughly discredited by the policies of her best-known acolyte, Alan Greenspan, and by its tacit endorsement by the faux-conservative (a more accurate description of the term neo-conservative) Republican Party since 1980. The belief in the efficacy of turning the management of the country, in particular the financial markets and public policy, over to an elite group of "superior" men, with no regulation or interference in their activities, has led us almost in a straight line to the deep economic depression and the bitter class resentments that we are "enjoying" today.
On a happier note, the company Mr. Guinness founded is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. I prefer Murphy's stout, but it's all good.
Hi C.C. & gang, a medium hard puzzle today, I think we finished only 2/3 of it before my wife left. The theme came slowly to me e.g. I've never heard of a shoe called 'UGG' but I knew about PEI from my visit to Nova Scotia.
Does anyone remember this type of Travelocity TV ad staring the Gnome?
With DVR recordings we don't watch TV ads anymore (just fast forward through them)except maybe the ads for the Superbowl.
In haste, so more about the puzzle later. Touring the Guinness factory in 1982, the guide told us that the beer company once used the slogan "Killed thousands, saved millions."
!!
No sign or advert backed the claim, so I wonder, but a fantastic story all the same!
That was before the US grew so fond of the "black and tan," which I don't actually like, but..... My own slogan for the Guinness would have been "Beer You Can Chew" but they never asked me.
In that era, I learned the hard way NOT to order a NewCastle (brown) ale while in Ireland!
Later.....
Dennis - Thanks for the heads up on the article on Bernice Gordon. Fascinating lady.
C.C. - Sal Bando was the team captain back in the glory days of the A's. Went to Arizona State along with Rick Monday and Reggie Jackson (no wonder ASU was such a baseball powerhouse back then).
Which brings up my all-time favorite baseball trivia question (involving a former A's player):
What former baseball player's name includes four body parts?
Answer - Tony Armas.
Thanks to everyone's help. I finally got it to work by using the following work-around solution offered to me yesterday on this blog: "on the "comment" page, there is an underlined link that says "show original post" which, when clicked, shows C.C.'s blog and the reader comments."
I really appreciate your help!
Favorite clues today, Vegas Attraction (STRIP) - because I like to visit the Strip at least once or twice a year; and, Airport Waiter (CAB) - I completely was couaght off guard by the clue at first...was thinking of the waiter who serves food.
Enjoy the weekend! My whole office just got the day off for reaching our United Way goal.
Make it count,
Jeff
Hi C.C. and all -
It is Thursday, right???? I whipped this one out so fast I thought I had somehow been transported back to a Monday and even then, we have had harder Monday puzzles. I have to agree with Dennis (and Bill) - the hammer is around the corner, but a 'hammerette' would be more fun now.
Bill - such a nice picture of you and Nancy!
Dennis, thanks for the info on Bernice Gordon. I forgot to mention that Will Shortz was in Portland a few days ago to address a college group. I'll bet Crockett read about it too and he might have saved it. I don't know how to link things like that.
Good afternoon everyone.
Deborah Tannen's book "You Just Don't Understand" is excellent. As I read it, her main point is that when women are upset and tell a man about it, he tells her some solution. That's not what she wants; she wants comfort and pats. When a man tells a woman about a problem, he expects some sort of solution. But all he gets is comfort and pats.
Nice to see you Bill and Nancy.
I like the ease of these puzzles. No complaint from me. Except I put in CAP for airport waiter and then couldn't figure out what PEARS had to do with any nursery rhyme. Duh.
Cheers. It's a gorgeous day in SW Florida. Hope yours is too.
Okay, the only clue I missed today was PEI crossing with CASTILIAN. Interesting to see it not clued as the architect though. Otherwise, good puzzle and quick to fly though. I did consider CAIRO, but was pretty sure that LATTE was the Starbucks offering they were looking for. My son is a Barista now, at a Starbucks in Target. Me thinks he eats and drinks away his earnings quite speedily though. Need a new approach on that.
FOND DU LAC is a gimme. My husband's old roommate is from there. Not to far from my old stomping grounds of Milwaukee.
Didn't know the definition of SCION. Toyota's Scion's are descendants I guess.
I am not a fan of UGG's. Ridiculous how the stars all wear them in California where it is not even cold. I found them sloppy to wear when I tried them on. My Aussie friend said growing up her dad would not let her wear them. They were for the "lower" class, and you didn't want to be labeled as such.
Interesting men/women observations Dennis. Cherries jubilee sounds really good. Maybe they will offer it at dinner tonight. We are taking our daughter out for her 23rd birthday.
Bill what a grand picture.
Jimmy B and C. C.; golly gee, neither of you give anyone a chance to answer your questions. Speaking of Tony Romo, he may be the over-hyped flop of the decade in the NFL, yet to win a big game. Speaking of quarterbacks, it is almost impossible to have an offensive line that can pass block to protect a pure passer, like Peyton Manning, and also run block. The techniques are very different, but the Colts do all right as they are. Also, the Colts do not like running backs having let Marchall Faulk and Edgerrin James both go. Almost as bad as the 16 teams (including the Dolphins with a young Dan Marino) who passed on Emmit Smith. Those of us from Gainesville were upset having seen what Emmit could do. Indy has drafted John Elway, Jeff George, and Peyton; I am babling, see ya.
Lemonade,
I can't agree with you more on your assessment of Romo. His head is definitely not on the game. Lucky bastard is trying to keep up with Brady off the field. You nailed it on the Colts O line. Consistently the best at pass and run blocking.
My Pats are playing like they skipped preseason. Bellichick needs some new tackles. Light and Kaczur got their asses handed to them last weekend, so did the wide receivers.
Love talking football.
Great picture Bill and congrats on 23 years.
Off to practice.
Update on the Will Shortz write-up in our newspaper:
He will be in Portland on Oct 10 to deliver the keynote address for Portland State Univ. He has constructed a "Portland Concentric" puzzle. You can access the site at:http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/09/portland_presents_the_puzzlema.html There is also an interview with Mr. Shortz on the next page.
I haven't done the puzzle as yet.
KQ,
I have a pair of Uggs. I first heard of them though when I was there in 2001. Growing up I don't think they existed. But mine were bought as slippers, and they are wonderful to slop around in the house but sturdy enough to go out to get the mail if there isn't too much snow on the ground too. I don't think I'd want to be seen with them on in public.
BTW, it doesn't get colder than California anywhere in Oz either, and they mostly don't have central heating in their homes because of that, yet it is cold enough to need warmer clothes.
6:26 today. I love this kind of theme (multiple definitions of the same term), unlike c.c., so I found htis puzzle to be fun and clever, albeit very easy. As others mentioned, PICKLOCK was a new term for me.
Here is the correct link to the interview with Will Shortz and the special Portland "puzzle". Will Shortz interview.
The "puzzle" isn't a true crossword, but instead one of those gimmick puzzles. It would never get published by any newspaper besides The Oregonian (which is generally clueless when it comes to crosswords). I hated it.
I got the woe and care connection right away, but not the way others did. If you care about a bad situation it can bring you woe. If you dont care about it there is nothing to be woeful about.
Calef.
Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood have another thing in common besides Tony Romo. They both record country music (Jessica's country debut album "Do You Know" came out about a year ago. Had one minor hit.) Carrie Underwood, of course, is a superstar and won last year's ACM Entertainer of the Year award (country's biggest and most coveted award).
Hello All--It didn't seem like a Thursday puzzle at all. I got all but one fill and that was Rand. I should know the name by now, but it didn't register. It crossed with Monte, which I didn't know. This bottom middle was the last piece to fall in place for me.
Hatool, You are correct, "The Three Bears" are not in a Nursery Rhyme. They are a fairy tale or a nursery tale. I too, thought of mice and the three kittens, but neither would fit.
Picklock was a new word for me as well. I've never heard it used.
C.C., what was Rich Noriis' response to the info that you sent? It didn't show up on your write up.
Bill, a great picture of you and your lovely wife. Was the wedding in Hawaii or a Hawaiian theme?
Dennis, Thanks for the Inquirer article on Bernice Gordon. An active mind at 95 is a real blessing.
Found it: Carrie Underwood wins ACM ("I've got nothing" one of the top quotes in award history.)
Enjoy.
Kazie...just a California clarification. Even though people like to think our weather here is mild, from the edge of the Sierras east and most of the northern part of the state the winters can include snow, sleet and tempertures well below freezing and occasionally into the teens and lower. Central heating or wood stoves are a must. We have even had rare snow on the ground in the bay area and we aways get get snow on the hills usually in Jan through March...and although we have nothing to compare with the rest of the country it still gets quite cold.
Good afternoon all,
Running a little late today.
For those singing "If I had a hammer...." try the Matt Jones
crossword. I down loaded it after
I breezed through the LAT. Big mistake as it took hours. Answeres may be found at "the phoenix.com"
Al, They are both dyed blonds with black roots showing.
Kazie, She had a word or two with the new superintendent when he throw out all the Macs because PCs were more professional.
Two words about last night's dinner. YUM! YUM!
Linda, Funny thing about about your calling yourself an educator.
When I bought Jill a box of business cards, I had them change Teacher to Educator.
I have the USA and Chron puzzle to solve.
eddyB.
Chickie,
I don't know what happened to the Blogger software. It worked earlier. Rich said: "Thanks to Jimmy for the update. I haven't kept count since March, but I do keep track on an annual basis. Through October 31st, I will have published 95 different constructors in 2009, not including me."
I found the puzzle easy for a Thursday.
John Elway stated he would not play for the Colts but they drafted him anyway and then traded him immediately to the Broncos in a prearranged deal.
@carol Will Shortz will be addressing the Portland State Alumni Association on October 10. Complete the puzzle on A4 and send it in for a chance to meet Mr. Shortz. (mine is in the mail)
Well, I see embien scooped me on the link.
Have a great remainder of this beautiful Thursday!
Greetings and salutations to All.
I enjoyed todays puzzle as well as
C.C.'s comments. I really like the pictures of fellow bloggers that are posted at the end of the solutions.
C.C., you have set up and organized a wonderful idea with this Blog. It is enjoyed by so many from across the country.
I apologize for any comments that I posted previously on the blog to you and Dennis that were not very nice.
I give you my solemn promise that I will not ever post anything that is negative in any way or that disrupts the proceedings on this blog again.
mea culpa,
lux
Kazie and WM, my comments on Uggs, stars and California. Yes, I know that it doesn't always stay warm in that great state, but of course I am from Minnesota, so I my version of cold is somewhat skewed. However, I believe that these women are in LA (not the bay area or north) and really, it is a fashion statement. They are generally not wearing them for warmth. Only one of them even has a warm coat on for goodness sakes.
They can be fuzzy and comfy but just seemed too floppy on my feet. I have friends who wear the ones that are like clogs all day or for slippers. I know lots of people who think they are the best thing since sliced bread. I am still not a fan. Just my opinion.
The article and resulting discussions about Bernice Gordon and Will Shortz reminded me that there the first crossword puzzle was published in December 1913. It was commemorated in a US crossword postage stamp in 1998.
Warren: In answer to your question about the Gnome in the velocity advert ~ no, I am not familiar with that particular ad, nor can I really recall seeing any such ads.
Heyho! Finally completed the puzzle!
Back in the 5th century, when I took my first Español, we were taught the "veddy proper" castilian Spanish. Me professora dice: "This is not what they speak on the street."
Street Spanish is as full of lazy tongues, slang and dropped endings as our street (what passes for) English. "Picklock" was clumsy, "caner", too, although we have had need of one. Having an 18x24 inch piece replaced in a DR chair (because a bony child`s knee went though it) cost $150!
CC: We are told in the Word to "...cast your cares on Him for He careth for you..."
Al: Neither of us can prove our views but I believe the chicken was created first with the ability to "produce after its own kind."
eddyb: We are all "educators" to one degree or another. We educate others as to how to and not to treat us, whether we can be trusted, what we consider important, whether we truly care about them, how we`ll behave in a given situation...and perhaps most importantly, what happens after this life. And we do all that just by how we live every day. I think you paid your wife a great compliment by using that word on her business cards. Ask her if she was ever told, "Education isn`t considered a profession as yet, because we have no common body of knowledge and behaviors for which we are tested and licensed. So, to be a `professional`, you will have to teach as though there were."
Warren, yeah, I saw that ad - it was one of the few gnome commercials that I thought was amusing.
Anybody have a vote for most annoying commercials? I'm torn between the cavemen and that stupid-ass pile of money.
Hello again,
WM, I remember the winter when we had an inch of snow in the front yard and Brian built a snow man.
The only poeple who knew how to drive were the ones fom snow country.
90s on Sat and 70s on Mon. Happy flu season!
Order of difficulty - easist to hardest. LAT, Chron, USA and Matt Jones. The Chron had a lot of proper names.
eddyB
Thank you C.C. for answering my question about Rich Norris' response. I could access some of your links, but not all of them.
I went to Cruciverb, registered and found Jonesin'. I apparently need the Across Lite application to open it. I found Across Lite but apparently the newest version for Macs won't work on my machine because the newest OS X doesn't support the Classic environment. So I'm stuck. Any ideas? When I go to Cron.com, the daily crossword there seems to be in Across Lite format. What to do?
Dennis@4:57 Any commercial by the late Billy Mays is immediately muted or channel switched at our house. People either loved to laugh at the guy, or couldn't stand him. GAH and I found him extremely annoying. Even though he died a few months ago, his commercials are still showing up on TV.
Least fave TV ad? AFLAC spots come to mind, as do the Geico pile of money ads. ShamWow is up there too, along with a local carpet store ad featuring "world's worst actors" where they make googly eyes at each other while sitting on the floor and lovingly touching their new flooring. ClearAyes, though, is spot on with the Mays commercials, based on sheer volume and the creepiness factor of him being dead and all. Watch out; his sound-alike sons may follow in his noisy footsteps!
Dennis -
Those cave men are hard to beat. I'll call it a draw with those vikings or whatever they are in the Capital 1 credit card ads. Basically, I just hate advertising.
But I didn't hate today's puzzle, and would not OUST it. Not too hard, not too EASY - sort of an UPSCALE EYETEST. I was KIND of ABLE to get through it quickly. Never felt ASEA of AFAR from completion, though I don't give a SOU for VAL d'Isere.
I would be displeased, though probably not FUMING if anyone offered me HOT TEA. Please, only the iced variety when it's so warm out.
At rehearsal last night there was some ANGST about the UPBOWing in Beethoven's 5th.
Ooops. Just realized I pulled all those FILLS from the wrong puzzle. The FREEP has the LAT and the Wayne Williams Daily. UGG - I feel AWFUL and SIC. Sometimes I AMAZE myself.
Enjoyed the movie yesterday. Anyone interested in a review can find it on my blog.
Got some really bad news last night. Our third trombonist was diagnosed with acute leukemia. That's the type that if it's discovered on Monday, you start chemo on Tuesday. Very dishearterning.
Everyone have a great evening, count your blessings, and remind those you care about how much you love them. You never know what will happen tomorrow.
Cheers!
JzB the trying to be cheerful trombonist
Bill -
You need version 2. Works perfectly with OS 9/10.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litsoft.html
Cheers!
JzB the version 2.0 trombonist
Jazzbumpa-My hopes, prayers and best wishes are with your trombonist friend. Please let him/her and his/her family know that there is a web site (caringbridge.org) where they can set up a page to communicate with loved ones about treatment, etc. By coincidence, I spent a few hours today, which I do about once a week, "walking the mall" and visiting with a friend who is recovering from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). She can't be in the sun, so the mall works. She had her bone marrow transplant (God bless that 26 year-old young woman, a stranger!) Dec. 10th, and it has been a battle all the way. A quote from friend's husband on a Caring Bridge post: "Be extra nice to the people you meet since everyone's fighting their own battles."
C.C.-What is a blaster box? I googled it and know it has something to do with baseball cards, but don't completely understand.
Dennis-Thanks for the Bernice Gordon link. How do I get the puzzle that was mentioned?
Bill and Nancy-Congrats on 23 years together!
I had classes yesterday evening so I did the puzzle before I went to bed. It was a bit harder than usual simply because the paper had gotten wet and the first few down clues were all smudged off! Oddly enough though it was CAB ("Airport waiter") along with OSHA and SSS that did me in and caused me to not be able to get ATHOS or BEARS and left me with six blank squares. If I were to quibble I would say that Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a childen's story and NOT a nursury rhyme! I was thinking of the three blind mice or the three men in a tub (the tinker, the tailor and the candlestick maker).
Martin
Good evening CC and all,
"...if it lasts for 24 hours, call your doctor." ... or how about
June Allyson advertising Depends?
There are so many annoying commercials;turning up the volume just adds to the misery.FF is a gift.
I have no complaints (except nursury rhyme and picklock as a noun) on today's puzzle, but it was pretty easy for a Thursday. Had never heard of yawed,ichat,monte or scion. Mispelled ugg as ugs, so had snome for Travelocity mascot.LOL
The Ugg fad is true. The teens wear them with shorts. I wear mine :) with jeans in the winter, mostly at home or grocery shopping. I'd never make it in Dallas!! Bob agrees that they are ugly, but they are warm and comfy.
Did anyone read the "Clara Barton Registered Nurse "series? No, I didn't either. I was reading "Little House on the Prairie" series. Late bloomer...
WM,
It was KQ @1.26 who was dissing the lack of cold in CA. I was simply giving my take on it, knowing Oz isn't cold enough for comparison with WI or MN, but cold enough to need warm clothes when there is no central heat in buildings.
EddyB,
I don't understand your reference to the superintendent. Was that meant for someone else?
Good evening, all. Went to a French function tonight after work and wow, my jaw & lips are exhausted after almost 3 hrs...I don't use those muscles like that every day. Wonder if my face is skinnier now! Got there too late for appetizers so grabbed Thai noodles w/ spicy peanut sauce on the way home. Yum, but now my tongue hurts, too...
Two rapid puzzle comments and a few shoutouts.
"Yawed" (3D) was new to me as was "Athos" in 26D. Didn't know runner was an iceskate blade, either. My fashionable friend "Hope" wears Uggs that are actually decent looking, but the good gossip is that her husband "borrows" them to get the paper on snowy mornings!! Brave man, that one.
@Dennis: Great quotes re: men and women. Have learned to ask women friends the following question when they tell tales of cares and woes: "You just looking to vent or are you wanting a little feedback/advice?" It works!
@Windhover; Well put re: Ayn Rand. Whenever I see a 20-something carting her books around I am so tempted to say something snarky. The ever-engigmatic Alan Greenspan has made a couple comments as of late which almost seem to admit the error(s) of his ways. Never quite sure what he really means.
@JimmyB: belated thanks for the stats. i love stuff like that.
@Linda "blue" In France, teachers/educators go through various levels of testing to obtain national certification. Highly competitive but they are well compensated (relatively speaking) for the higher certs. Secondary teachers there are something like college profs here in that they don't teach even close to 35 hours/week once they have a few years under their belts. Not a perfect system, but some of the best of the best can pretty much work wherever they choose.
JazzB. Sorry about your friend. You obviously "careth" and I'm sure he's lucky to have you around. Great music is a fine respite from worries, I have seen and found. Your blog entry re: the J&j
film is definitely a good read.
G'night all.
My take on Uggs is ugh. They are not worthy of MN winters, and in my opinion are not stylish in the least. I have to "dress" for work here in MN and if it's really snowy out I will wear my Sorell's and change at work into my dress shoes. I never understood why they became a fashion statement. You would think in LA they would make your feet sweat.
I didn't have time to do the puzzle today, but read C.C.'s comments/blog. One thing hit me between the eyes. Dip at a party and I feel inclined to share a simple recipe.
BLT Dip
Bring to room temp two 8oz packages of cream cheese
Fry 5 slices of bacon to med-well done and somewhat crispy. Let cool and crumble.
Take about 6 green onions and chop fine. Chop fine two Roma tomatoes. Combine it all together and serve in a lined "lettuce" bowl. I know this doesn't sound too sanitary, but I mix it with my hands (in gloves). I find my hands are the best tool for this one. It is fantastic on toast points, crackers, or veggies.
This one is a winner folks and everywhere I have brought it I am asked to bring it again...
I skipped through the puzzle pretty easily today, but still enjoyed the fresh clues and new words. They were enough to make me think a little, but not hard enough to frustrate. I've never heard of a 'picklock' either.
I love the song "Bye Bye Blackbird", so that was an easy fill for me!
My mother used to make us cherries jubilee - mmmmmmmm! So easy, but so impressive and good!
My most-hated commercial right now is the Vlasic pickle ones. The very loud crunch startles me when I'm not paying attention to the tv so I don't mute it in time...
PBJ:
thanks. I feel I should admit that I read and to some extent bought into Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead in my early twenties. The philosophy (and it's really a stretch to dignify it with that label, it's basically a dogma) of Positivism appeals to the young and strong. Once you acquire a little life experience and get a clue about how life and society really function, it quickly loses it's luster. Evidently Greenspan is a slow learner, as evidenced by his reluctance to repudiate his monetary policies long after it was clear they were destined to fail.
Stuck in my craw tonight was the expression "cares and woes" from the Blackbird song by the Beatles...The first use I could find on Google was 1784 by Scotsman Robert Burns (1759-1796) in a poem called "Man Was Made to Mourn." Were I more clever, I could link y'all there, but it's a little beyond my skills. Add that to my list of things to learn.
Worth a gander if you're so inclined; it's a thing of beauty. Perhaps it wasn't the first appearance, but that's as far as I could trace it.
@WindHover: heck yeah, I read Rand too, 1981 on a train to Sicily and part way back, when I got bored and traded either Atlas or Fountainhead (forget which) for a guidebook to Sweden, which turned out to be my next big trip. You're so right that age and experience teach us better than to trust ideologies that are pretty on paper but don't pan out as planned in the real world.
Be well!
I like the puzzle to get harder as the week progresses. Puns and plays on words are good, obscure names are not
Kristin
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