Theme: PARTS OF SPEECH (37A: Grammar elements, or what the first three letters of 17-, 30-, 45- and 62-Across literally are) - the starting 3 letters of each theme entry are all parts of the word SPEECH.
17A: Where to hear letters recited: SPELLING BEE. Have you seen the documentary "Spellbound"? Those kids are so nerdy.
30A: Lady Godiva spotter: PEEPING TOM. Lady Godiva rode naked in the streets to protest her husband's taxation. Everybody shut their windows and stayed indoors, except PEEPING TOM. He peeped and was struck blind.
45A: "anyone lived in a pretty how town" poet? E.E. CUMMINGS. Our Melissa's favorite poet. She wrote all her comments in lowercase to pay homage to e.e. cummings.
62A: Recording studio feature: ECHO CHAMBER. For aural illusion effect.
Nice touch on the proper order of the above three-letter phrases/name. My favorite is ECHO CHAMBER. I can feel the SPE-PEE-EEC-ECH ECHO effect.
This puzzle made me feel so smart. I only had to cheat once. Several of the unknowns are easily inferable from the crosses. Hallmark of a well-constructed puzzle.
Do read Dan's interview. He talked about his thought process regarding those theme answers.
Across:
1A: Savory gelatin: ASPIC. My grandma liked to put a few drops of sesame oil & thinly sliced spring onion on top of her ASPIC.
6A: Green gems: JADES. Lots of women wear jade pendant in Canton/Hongkong, often with red string. For luck.
11A: Delivery experts, briefly: OBS (Obstetricians)
14A: Irish writer who said "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much": WILDE. I guessed. I had no idea that this line is from Oscar WILDE.
15A: All thumbs: INEPT. Can't tell how INEPT differs from INAPT/UNAPT.
19A: Pipe with a bend: ELL
20A: Sending to overtime, as a game: TYING
21A: Avoided a trial: SETTLED. And ESTOPS (45D: Legally impedes).
23A: German "Alas!": ACH. Was clued as "Bavarian beef" last Saturday.
25A: Word sung after a ball drops: AULD. "AULD Lang Syne". Sung on New Year's Eve.
27A: Prefix with sol: AERO. Aerosol.
28A: Oscar Madison, e.g.: SLOB. Oscar Madison is a character in "The Odd Couple". Evidently he is a SLOB. I got the answer from Down fills.
34A: Arena for MacArthur: KOREA. Philippines too. In fact, the whole Pacific Arena.
36A: Have in the crosshairs: AIM AT
42A: Wavy design: MOIRE. Refers to the silky fabric, correct, Kazie?
43A: Tossed course: SALAD. I love Waldorf salad: julienned honeycrisp apples/celery & toasted walnuts. Yum!
50A: "The Shining" climax setting: MAZE. Again, obtained the answer from Down fills. Have never watched "The Shining". Don't like horror movies. Loved Geoffrey Rush's "Shine".
51A: Tuber with eyes: SPUD. My brother calls it murphy.
52A: Harness the wind, in a way: SAIL. Wrote down SAVE first, thinking wind energy.
55A: Colossal: TITANIC
59A: Move with stealth: SKULK. Cool word, with two K's.
61A: __ Miss: OLE. University of Mississippi.
66A: Like nos, above zero: POS (Positive)
68A: Take a piece from?: UNARM. Did not know "piece" is a slang for firearm.
69A: Bilko's rank: Abbr.: SGT
71D: Wounds: SORES
Down:
1A: Cribside chorus: AWS. And CUTEST (47D: Most likely to elicit 1-Down).
3D: Teeming amount: PLETHORA. Nailed it.
4D: One way to sit by: IDLY. Sit IDLY by.
5D: Salsa singer Cruz: CELIA. Cuban. Known as "Queen of Salsa". Alien to me.
6D: Commercial tune: JINGLE
7D: Director Lee: ANG. The director for "Brokeback Mountain". My favorite ANG Lee movie is "Eat Drink Man Woman". Eat, drink and make love are basic human desires in Chinese saying, hence the title.
8D: Balls' belles: DEBS
9D: Olympics event with swords: EPEE. Hope golf will enter the Olympics soon.
10D: Proofer's mark: STET. "Leave in".
11D: Denver __: OMELET. We call it Western OMELET: diced ham, onions, and green bell peppers.
12D: Ravel classic: BOLERO. Featured in Bo Derek's "10". Just beautiful! Those flowers are so pretty.
18D: __ to one's neck: IN UP
22D: Wrestling partners: TAG TEAM. Learned this term a few months ago. Here is the Dictionary definition: a team of two or more wrestlers who take turns competing against one of the wrestlers on another team, with the idle teammates waiting outside the ring until one of them is tagged by their competing teammate.
24D: Hoof-on-cobblestones sound: CLOP
26D: Overwhelms with noise: DEAFENS. Deafening silence/silent scream are two oxymoron.
29D: Hamilton is its capital: BERMUDA. Guessed. Did not really know the BERMUDA capital.
31D: Sorority letters: PIS. PI is 16th letter of Greek alphabet.
32D: Troublemaker: IMP. Elf is also troublemaker.
33D: Some Scottish Parliament votes: NAES. "Some Russian Duma votes" would be NYETS.
35D: Subject for Bohr: ATOM. Niels Bohr (Danish) was awarded Nobel Physics in 1922 for his work on ATOMS. His son won Nobel Physics in 1975.
38D: __ city (computer game): SIM. No idea. Looks so complicated.
39D: "...__quit": OR I. Brings to mind Kim Jong-il's juvenile one-upmanship.
40D: Candy in a red and blue wrapper: CLARK BAR. Unknown to me. Some peanut butter crisp with a chocolate covering. Named after its creator David. L. Clark. Here is 1950's store decal.
41D: Vague: HAZY
44D: Actress Sandra: DEE. Bobby Dorin's wife. Did you like Kevin Spacey's "Beyond the Sea"?
46D: Novel postscript: EPILOG
48D: It's removed at the pump: GAS CAP
49D: Follower of Guru Nanak: SIKH. Stumped me. I did not know who Guru Nanak is. According to Wikipedia, he is the central figure in Sikhism, and is the first of the ten SIKH Gurus. How come that picture has 11 guys? SIKH is Sanskrit for "disciple". Pronounced like "seek".
53D: Maui shindigs: LUAUS. Interesting, I just found out that LUAU is literally "young taro tops", which were served at outdoor feasts. I bet POI is a popular item at those LUAUS.
56D: Untouchables leader: NESS (Eliot). Kevin Costner's "The Untouchables" is one of my favorite movies.
57D: "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE-T. I wonder if he knows that his damned name appears in Xword all the time.
58D: Grammy winner for "Believe": CHER. "... Do you believe in life after love..." Great song.
60D: Pre-P queue: LMNO. Alphabetically LMNOP.
63D: Luis' "Listen Up!": OYE. No idea. Spanish for "Hey!". "OYE como va" = "Hey, what's up?"
64D: Afore: ERE. Poetically.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of our fellow LAT solver Crockett and his lovely wife Jeanette, ready to tackle a Welsh breakfast. Crockett started to follow my blog in early Feb 2008, only a few weeks after I started my adventure. He also created a Crossword Corner Google Map for us. Email him if you want your name appear on the map. Crockett is a retired middle school math teacher and now does lots of volunteer work. He is also a great chess player.
C.C.
17A: Where to hear letters recited: SPELLING BEE. Have you seen the documentary "Spellbound"? Those kids are so nerdy.
30A: Lady Godiva spotter: PEEPING TOM. Lady Godiva rode naked in the streets to protest her husband's taxation. Everybody shut their windows and stayed indoors, except PEEPING TOM. He peeped and was struck blind.
45A: "anyone lived in a pretty how town" poet? E.E. CUMMINGS. Our Melissa's favorite poet. She wrote all her comments in lowercase to pay homage to e.e. cummings.
62A: Recording studio feature: ECHO CHAMBER. For aural illusion effect.
Nice touch on the proper order of the above three-letter phrases/name. My favorite is ECHO CHAMBER. I can feel the SPE-PEE-EEC-ECH ECHO effect.
This puzzle made me feel so smart. I only had to cheat once. Several of the unknowns are easily inferable from the crosses. Hallmark of a well-constructed puzzle.
Do read Dan's interview. He talked about his thought process regarding those theme answers.
Across:
1A: Savory gelatin: ASPIC. My grandma liked to put a few drops of sesame oil & thinly sliced spring onion on top of her ASPIC.
6A: Green gems: JADES. Lots of women wear jade pendant in Canton/Hongkong, often with red string. For luck.
11A: Delivery experts, briefly: OBS (Obstetricians)
14A: Irish writer who said "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much": WILDE. I guessed. I had no idea that this line is from Oscar WILDE.
15A: All thumbs: INEPT. Can't tell how INEPT differs from INAPT/UNAPT.
19A: Pipe with a bend: ELL
20A: Sending to overtime, as a game: TYING
21A: Avoided a trial: SETTLED. And ESTOPS (45D: Legally impedes).
23A: German "Alas!": ACH. Was clued as "Bavarian beef" last Saturday.
25A: Word sung after a ball drops: AULD. "AULD Lang Syne". Sung on New Year's Eve.
27A: Prefix with sol: AERO. Aerosol.
28A: Oscar Madison, e.g.: SLOB. Oscar Madison is a character in "The Odd Couple". Evidently he is a SLOB. I got the answer from Down fills.
34A: Arena for MacArthur: KOREA. Philippines too. In fact, the whole Pacific Arena.
36A: Have in the crosshairs: AIM AT
42A: Wavy design: MOIRE. Refers to the silky fabric, correct, Kazie?
43A: Tossed course: SALAD. I love Waldorf salad: julienned honeycrisp apples/celery & toasted walnuts. Yum!
50A: "The Shining" climax setting: MAZE. Again, obtained the answer from Down fills. Have never watched "The Shining". Don't like horror movies. Loved Geoffrey Rush's "Shine".
51A: Tuber with eyes: SPUD. My brother calls it murphy.
52A: Harness the wind, in a way: SAIL. Wrote down SAVE first, thinking wind energy.
55A: Colossal: TITANIC
59A: Move with stealth: SKULK. Cool word, with two K's.
61A: __ Miss: OLE. University of Mississippi.
66A: Like nos, above zero: POS (Positive)
68A: Take a piece from?: UNARM. Did not know "piece" is a slang for firearm.
69A: Bilko's rank: Abbr.: SGT
71D: Wounds: SORES
Down:
1A: Cribside chorus: AWS. And CUTEST (47D: Most likely to elicit 1-Down).
3D: Teeming amount: PLETHORA. Nailed it.
4D: One way to sit by: IDLY. Sit IDLY by.
5D: Salsa singer Cruz: CELIA. Cuban. Known as "Queen of Salsa". Alien to me.
6D: Commercial tune: JINGLE
7D: Director Lee: ANG. The director for "Brokeback Mountain". My favorite ANG Lee movie is "Eat Drink Man Woman". Eat, drink and make love are basic human desires in Chinese saying, hence the title.
8D: Balls' belles: DEBS
9D: Olympics event with swords: EPEE. Hope golf will enter the Olympics soon.
10D: Proofer's mark: STET. "Leave in".
11D: Denver __: OMELET. We call it Western OMELET: diced ham, onions, and green bell peppers.
12D: Ravel classic: BOLERO. Featured in Bo Derek's "10". Just beautiful! Those flowers are so pretty.
18D: __ to one's neck: IN UP
22D: Wrestling partners: TAG TEAM. Learned this term a few months ago. Here is the Dictionary definition: a team of two or more wrestlers who take turns competing against one of the wrestlers on another team, with the idle teammates waiting outside the ring until one of them is tagged by their competing teammate.
24D: Hoof-on-cobblestones sound: CLOP
26D: Overwhelms with noise: DEAFENS. Deafening silence/silent scream are two oxymoron.
29D: Hamilton is its capital: BERMUDA. Guessed. Did not really know the BERMUDA capital.
31D: Sorority letters: PIS. PI is 16th letter of Greek alphabet.
32D: Troublemaker: IMP. Elf is also troublemaker.
33D: Some Scottish Parliament votes: NAES. "Some Russian Duma votes" would be NYETS.
35D: Subject for Bohr: ATOM. Niels Bohr (Danish) was awarded Nobel Physics in 1922 for his work on ATOMS. His son won Nobel Physics in 1975.
38D: __ city (computer game): SIM. No idea. Looks so complicated.
39D: "...__quit": OR I. Brings to mind Kim Jong-il's juvenile one-upmanship.
40D: Candy in a red and blue wrapper: CLARK BAR. Unknown to me. Some peanut butter crisp with a chocolate covering. Named after its creator David. L. Clark. Here is 1950's store decal.
41D: Vague: HAZY
44D: Actress Sandra: DEE. Bobby Dorin's wife. Did you like Kevin Spacey's "Beyond the Sea"?
46D: Novel postscript: EPILOG
48D: It's removed at the pump: GAS CAP
49D: Follower of Guru Nanak: SIKH. Stumped me. I did not know who Guru Nanak is. According to Wikipedia, he is the central figure in Sikhism, and is the first of the ten SIKH Gurus. How come that picture has 11 guys? SIKH is Sanskrit for "disciple". Pronounced like "seek".
53D: Maui shindigs: LUAUS. Interesting, I just found out that LUAU is literally "young taro tops", which were served at outdoor feasts. I bet POI is a popular item at those LUAUS.
56D: Untouchables leader: NESS (Eliot). Kevin Costner's "The Untouchables" is one of my favorite movies.
57D: "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE-T. I wonder if he knows that his damned name appears in Xword all the time.
58D: Grammy winner for "Believe": CHER. "... Do you believe in life after love..." Great song.
60D: Pre-P queue: LMNO. Alphabetically LMNOP.
63D: Luis' "Listen Up!": OYE. No idea. Spanish for "Hey!". "OYE como va" = "Hey, what's up?"
64D: Afore: ERE. Poetically.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of our fellow LAT solver Crockett and his lovely wife Jeanette, ready to tackle a Welsh breakfast. Crockett started to follow my blog in early Feb 2008, only a few weeks after I started my adventure. He also created a Crossword Corner Google Map for us. Email him if you want your name appear on the map. Crockett is a retired middle school math teacher and now does lots of volunteer work. He is also a great chess player.
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - seems like we're having an easy week. I got through this one with minimum pauses, and just a few unknowns, which the perps filled in quickly. I did not, however, have a clue as to the theme until I came here. Very clever.
ReplyDeleteUnknown for me was Calia Cruz, and I didn't know who 'Luis' was in 63D. Favorite clue: Take a piece from. I too thought of Mustang Mel with the e.e. cummings answer.
C.C., 'inept' means lacking in ability, 'inapt' means inappropriate.
Today is Skyscraper Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "It is difficult to keep quiet if you have nothing to say." -- Malcolm Margolin
More Fun Facts:
- Both of James Madison's vice presidents died in office.
- Robert De Niro isn't Italian. He's mostly Irish.
Crockett, great picture!
Morning, All. What an absolutely WONDERFUL puzzle. This is my favorite puzzle of this week. Stunning clues and I Loved the theme. I thought of Kazie once I uncovered PARTS OF SPEECH.
ReplyDeleteI love the word PLETHORA (3D). It’s just such a cool word.
Here are some cool moire (42A) patterns.
Favorite Clue: Tossed course (43A): SALAD
September 3 Birthdays
1965 ~ Charlie Sheen
1926 ~ Irene Papas, Actress
1923 ~ Mort Walker, cartoonist. Is Beetle Bailey still in your newspaper?
1914 ~ Dixie Lee Ray (d. 1994), First female governor of Washington State. She was trained as a marine biologist and taught at a university before getting into politics.
1910 ~ Kitty Carlisle (d. 2007), Louisiana girl. I only remember her vaguely from “To Tell the Truth.” She was in “Six Degrees of Separation” in 1993, and her last film was “Catch Me if You Can”, in which she played herself on the “To Tell the Truth” panel.
1856 ~ Louis Sullivan (d. 1924), one of the first great American architects. Creater of the modern skyscraper. Many of his buildings still stand in Chicago. PJB may even work in one of Sullivan’s buildings.
1849 ~ Sarah Orne Jewett (d. 1909), Maine author, most famous for her book of short stories “Country of the Pointed Firs.”
1499 ~ Diane de Poitiers (d. 1566), Favorite mistress of Henri II of France, who was 20 years her junior.
QOD: The Time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. ~ Sydney J. Harris.
Here's Celia Cruz (1925-2003), La Vida es un Carnaval. She is full of life here!
ReplyDeleteThe theme was very inventive, and by starting in the SE, I once again had the theme early. This week does seem easier, or the change in approach makes a big difference.
ReplyDeleteIf you lived in South Florida, CELIA CRUZ would have been a gimme, up there with GLORIA ESTEFAN and JENNIFER LOPEZ.
Nice picture Crockett, where were you breakfasting?
This puzzle made me feel so smart. I only had to cheat once. Several of the unknowns are easily inferable from the crosses. Hallmark of a well-constructed puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The only unknowns left for me were ASPIT (I had originally written JELLO), HILDE and CELIA. I had OHS instead of AHS for 1 Down. That's pretty good for a Thursday puzzle.
Did anybody else originally
write HURTS instead of SORES?
Martin
Good morning all,
ReplyDeleteI agree, this was my favorite puzzle of the week also. A little bit of a struggle for me, but I like puzzles to be challenging. Sometimes early week puzzles make me feel "is that all there is". I really enjoy all the wonderful blogger comments!
Absolutely seems like an easier than normal week for me. Only a few unknown that came with perps. I started to write down the first three letters of the theme answers (as the puzzle told me to) and quickly came to the conclusion that they were all parts of the word speech. Fun to get the theme pretty early on.
ReplyDeleteI liked the clue Delivery experts, and tossed course. TITANIC and PLETHORA seemed to fit nicely together also.
My daughter had a SIM CITY game years ago, and I could hardly stand it. It seemed very slow and mindless, and was a huge time sucker. You couldn't just play for a short time - it was an all day affair. I thought it was really pointless.
We have been to Hawaii several times, but never done the LUAU. Have always heard they are overpriced and the food is marginal. Anyone have a different experience?
The PEEPING TOM had me thinking of my 15 year old's girlfriend. She emailed him yesterday that she and her friends were "skinny dipping". We are going to have to keep our eyes wide open for that pair - I feel like the secret police over here. They are trouble with a big T.
Crockett, such a lovely photo. Once again, a nice looking bunch we have here.
Will have to read the interview with Daniel Finan later. I am sure it is full of fun information, but must be off to Yoga right now. Everyone have a great day.
I am disappointed that everyone agrees this week has been easy...I thought I was getting better and faster!!
ReplyDeleteGood early morning, everyone!
ReplyDeleteNice solvable puzzle with an elegant arrangement of theme entries! Loved the way the PARTS of SPEECH were done. e.e. is a favorite of mine as well.
Thanks for the picture comments. It was in Conwy Wales in May 2007.
Have a great Thursday.
Today is my favorite so far too! Definitely an easier than normal week-- not complaining though!
ReplyDeleteI also got the theme quickly--thanks Hahtool! Unknown connections were CELIA, ICE T, WILDE and OLE. But guessing and perps took care of all with no googling. MOIRE gave me trouble, oddly enough. I was thinking of the pattern, rather than the fabric, not helped by my having OH I instead of OR I quit. My French dictionary says it's "watered silk", which would suggest a less defined pattern in the fabric than c.c.'s link. this is more what I had in mind. this gives a clear diagram of how it works.
Happy couple, Crockett, nice photo! Looks like a nice place for a relaxed breakfast. I like that you linked our map again, c.c. It's getting filled up, isn't it? On enlarging it I notice none of my Madison neighbors have joined in yet!
I did this Thursday puzzle with just a few bits of red letter help. I had to correct AHS to AWS and SNEAK (which I knew was wrong because I knew SIKH, but mis-entered it as SIHK) to SKULK, at which point I filled in all of the rest of the blanks with no further help. I got all the theme answers, but didn't get the theme 'aha' until I read the interview with Dan.
ReplyDeleteWas so busy yesterday, never got to read the comments, although I had done the puzzle. Today looks only slightly better. I think I have to practice saying 'no' to some of those volunteer 'opportunities'.
Crockett - nice picture. Hmmm - breakfast - yeah that's the ticket.
ReplyDeleteKQ - when my nephew was 16, my brother (sitting alone at his beach house) took a call from one of his son's (girl) friends asking for my nephew. When he told her his son wasn't there, the girl asked if she could come over anyway. My brother was appalled and said 'no'. When he told me the story, I asked if he was appalled because she asked or because he said no. He agreed that was his quandry. Keep your eyes open. Seems clear girls have changed a lot since we were kids.
Good Morning All, Not quite as easy as earlier in the week, but that is the way it is supposed to work.
ReplyDeleteNothing was a stopper today. Just a little help from the perps and it all came around. "Follower of GURU Nanak" SIKH was a perfect example of "needed the perps".
The theme fills were very clever and even after I had them all completed in, I had to read them several times over before I got it and had a lovely "Aha" moment.
I enjoyed seeing both Oscar WILDE and E.E. CUMMINGS (it doesn't look right capitalized). Now I'll have to decided which one's poem to post.
I loved PLETHORA, what an unusual fill.
We're going on our usual shopping trip today. I'd forgotten how tasty a CLARK BAR is. I'll have to check at the grocery store to see if they are available.
Kazie, I agree with the MOIRE silk pattern, but I could only look at the diagram for a couple of seconds...made me dizzy.
Clear Ayes,
ReplyDeleteMe too--I was so intent of linking it, I didn't study it for too long.
I also forgot to mention I hadn't ever heard of a CLARK BAR, must have ceased before my time here, but then I never buy much candy anyway.
On the subject of "Skyscraper day", I was with my son's in-laws all day yesterday, and they were talking about the weekend they had in Chicago. They were amazed at the "Wolkenkratzer" (cloud scratchers) there. Their hotel was in one, but it was next to the Hancock building and they were amazed by the effect of looking straight up at the Hancock, then straight down at the ground from the roof of their hotel building.
the WoW today reminds me of Sarah Palin. What on earth is she going to find to say to that gathering in Asia?
KQ and Elissa, When my oldest grandson was 15, he had his first real girlfriend, who was 16. My daughter kept a VERY close eye on them and had some VERY serious (and probably embarrassing for both of them) talks with him. The girl broke up with grandson because, as my daughter later found out, grandson wasn't as ready to "take the next step" as the girl was. Grandson's heart was broken as it can only be by a first love. As it turned out the girl soon got another boyfriend who was a couple of years older and she became a mother at 17. Thank goodness that grandson was mature enough to know that he wasn't mature enough!
ReplyDeleteIs today Thursday? If it is then it’s the first time I have ever completed a Thursday puzzle without any outside help! Got a little perp help with moiré, aspic, pis, and sikh. For a moment I wanted “sin” city instead of “sim” city. My favorite clue today was “take a piece from” – unarm. Dennis, like you I never got the theme until coming here either.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick poem before we head to town. Summer is almost over, so here's a lovely e.e. cummings poem to make us think about childhood, summer and the sea.
ReplyDeletemaggie and milly and molly and may
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
for whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
Loved the puzzle...easy for a Thursday! Must take issue with the color of a Clark bar wrapper...it was (is?) orange and blue.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning!
ReplyDeleteWonderful puzzle, though I must admit I got PARTS of SPEECH and still missed ee cummings (never heard of him. Used google)
Also googled BERMUDA and looked up possible synonyms for colossal to get TITANIC. Also didnt know ESTOPS..had -STOPS for a long time.
So I guess, I'm not as smart as the rest ;)
CC, Great interview.
Crockett, Beautiful pic..all smiles. The breakfast and Godiva from the puzzle made me hungry :)
good morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeletegreat, fun puzzle today. i stared at the theme answers a long time before i figured out the theme. ohhhhhhh .... so clever.
definitely easing up, but still challenging. the top almost filled itself in, the bottom took a little more work. lots of fun words, like SKULK and PLETHORA, the theme entries were all fun, and i did love seeing E.E. CUMMINGS.
speaking of which, c.c. you have a mind like a steel trap, i don't know how you remember all the litle bits of trivia about your commenters.
last verse from a favorite e.e. cummings poem:
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteA very nice puzzle and and extremely interesting interview with D.A.Finan. Thank you so much, C.C..
Ditto the remarks about the lovely couple having a good time, Crockett and Jeanette.
I first thought of vomit for tossed course. Am I the only one? And I missed the theme. When I had parts of speech, I could think only of nouns, etc. Couldn't figure out what parts of speech had to do with the first three letters. Duh
Cheers.
ClearAyes, Wonderful poem. I'm not that familiar with e.e.cummings
ReplyDeleteHi C.C. & gang, I think we finished over 1/2 of today's puzzle before my wife had to leave for work. She came up with 'parts of speech' and 'ee cummings' and she thought moire was a TV test pattern?
ReplyDeleteSomething like: Moire camera focus
CA and Elissa, you are scaring me big time. My son is dead set on having a girlfriend (has been for years) and we have had too many talks to count lately. He has been going on "bike rides" and meeting her at the local pool I find out. I am actually having to follow him around to see what he is really doing. I am exhausted from continually trying to figure out what he is up to. Electronics have been banned as they have too many secret ways to converse to count. He keeps asking why he isn't allowed to spend time "alone" with her, and when I tell him that "making out" at 15 just isn't appropriate he asks why not? What do I say? Ugh!!! And her mom seems to be okay with any of it, so I certainly have my work cut out for me.
ReplyDeleteKazie, I too got dizzy from that pattern. It is negating all the balancing I did in Yoga this am.
Moon, you are one smart gal. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And doing the xwords and reading this blog will continue to add to that intelligence.
CA - lovely poem for a beautiful summer day.
anntique - Here is a link to picture of a Clark bar. Kind of an orangy red I would say.
Interesting quote that our yoga instructor had today:
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
- Dr Wayne Dyer
Morning.
ReplyDeleteMissed you guys. Been so busy, did the puzzles, but no time to check the blog.
Only had to g a couple today. "The Shining' clue was a gimme. I'm a Stephen King fan. Not bad for a Thurs.
Carol-don't think my kids had to do parallel parking on their driving tests. They range in age from 30 to 41.
Ok, I need to figure out why Outlook won't let me in. I keep getting a 'forbidden' message. I can get to email through my hotmail accounts. But I don't like it as well.
Great photo Crockett.
Sallie,
ReplyDeleteLOL your vomit reaction--no, salad was all I thought of.
Warren,
Those test patterns hurt my eyes more than the diagram I linked.
sallie, LOL!
ReplyDeletekq, that is one of my favorite wayne dyer quotes.
crockett, forgot to mention it earlier, great photo, nice to see jeanette.
I was interested to find out that both Crockett and I are retired middle school math teachers. I still do some tutoring.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this clever puzzle very much, especially because I could do it. I even managed to figure out the theme (after I had finished the puzzle).
There were lots of words I haven't noticed in crosswords before and very few of the old "standards" like oleo and oreo, etc. Plethora was good. Now if he could have only found a way to include "flummox" also...
Good afternoon all
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to stop by and say how much I enjoy all the interviews with the constructors. Helps to know what some one is thinking if you want to solve their puzzles.
Good to see everyones pictures, always nice to put a face to a name.
My news paper has graciously put the answers to the puzzle right next to it everyday, the real challenge is not to peek.
MOIRE was a new word for me. I liked this puzzle in general, but for my favorite of the week so far I'd give the edge to our homey Jerome.
ReplyDeleteSallie - Loved your answer for "tossed course". Hysterical. Maybe VOMIT is more of a Friday or Saturday answer to the same clue.
KQ - I guess it's not just in California where the girls have become much more aggressive. My youngest of three boys is the same age as yours, so I know what you are experiencing. We dealt with it by sending our guys to an all boys school! That wasn't the main reason, of course (the school has an outstanding academic reputation) but it narrowed down the interactions until they were a bit more mature. The Jesuits do a darn good job of backing up the values stressed at home.
You all are on target about young girls becoming more and more aggressive; I see it in the skateboard store all the time. In fact, I had a teenage girl come in several months ago to buy a skateboard and some other stuff for her boyfriend. When I added everything up for her, she was $60 or so dollars short. She actually offered a sex act for the difference. I deflected the comment with something like, 'just keep saving, you'll have the difference in no time', but I was totally shocked, and I don't get shocked by much. And the guys that work for me, in their twenties, are always talking about how 'easy' girls are today.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was growing up, even getting to first base took an act of God, or at least several sloe gin fizzes...
Good morning CC and all,
ReplyDeleteand again, a very fun and clever c/w today.Favorite clues: "take a piece from?" and "it's removed at the pump." Both were in the lower portion that didn't come as easily.
Moon, I too had trouble "seeing" titanic.. I thought of so many other synonyms. I also don't know an s stop, and my 2 "G's" were Bermuda and Celia.and Moon, I left one blank square, the i in aimat/pis.But, I know I am improving.. so are you!
Kazie, loved the dizzy clip. Moire is new for me too.
CA, lovely poem.
Crockett,another great picture that gives us all a sense of "family." CC, you're the best. BTW, loved the Bolero/flowere clip.
KQ,we have been to 3 luaus over the years, and I agree that they are overpriced and have bad food. BUT, the last one we went to was fabulous and worth every penny. It was on Oahu at the Marriott at Ko-Olia where we were staying. It was smaller than usual , and the food was prepared by the hotel(excellent). The Samoan dancers had identical tattoos covering their arms and legs.The "chief" invited the children up several times and had audience participation.We loved it.
BTW, I love that Oscar Wilde quote..it's like smiling at someone after they flip you off.
Hej, folks,
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful treat this puzzle was! I had the top half filled, and was guessing that BEE and TOM were the keys to the theme. Was wracking my brain trying to think of what novel, movie, etc. had these characters. Then I came to 37A which directed me to look at the FIRST three letters. I immediately jumped to 45A , got EECUMMINGS with the first couple of perps, and AHA! Ever so clever theme and construction! After the fact I realized that the clue for 45A was without a capital letter, a quietly subtle sub-clue.
KQ--You are so right to be VERY vigilant with your teenage son. My experience as the mother of three sons is that teenage girls are MUCH more precocious than the boys, yet the boys' hormones are raging just as much as the girls', which often becomes a recipe for disaster.
Crockett, you and Jeanette look so happy. Great photo!
C.C.--Another insightful interview. Thank you!
Have a terrific Thursday, all!
Quick good morning as I'm running late and will be taking off in a minute.
ReplyDeleteFirst...Crockett so good to see you and your lovely,radiant wife. Looks like you were having so much fun. Have driven around parts of Wales and the scenery is stunning.
Had a great time with the puzzle but got terribly stuck in the center for some reason. Had all four corners filled and like Tarrajo, put in SIN city which messed up the eecummings for a bit and had put in all but 2 of the letters of BERMUDA before the penny dropped. Didn't know OYE and CELIA but everything else was pretty much ok. Lovely, clever and well-designed puzzle because most things I had any difficulty with I was able to get help from the perps.
Will catch the interview upon my return. Today I have to tackle the yard and bake some more zuccini bread...I can't seem to keep up. :oP Company here for the weekend so may not be back until until Tues...will have to see.
Morning all -
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle for a Thursday!! I really enjoyed it and had no major problems and even though there were quite a few I did not know, the perps took care of them.
I too put in SIN instead of SIM - does that say something about how our thoughts work?
Kazie - is Moire sometimes referred to as 'watered silk'? It is a beautiful fabric.
C.C. thanks so much for the Bolero concert and flower show...just lovely.
Sallie: (10:10) LOL re tossed course!!
What a hoot.
I laughed and also felt sad when looking at the picture of the Clark bar and seeing that 10 cent price. sigh. Only thing a little sadder, is I can remember when they were a nickle.
I still see them in some areas. They are so good, although I try to avoid things like that. (I am not always successful)
Crockett: You and your wife looks so cute! What a nice breakfast setting.
I like your beard better now though.
Re the 'easy girls of today'...WOW, Dennis! I can't believe it either, 'course you are not too hard on the eyes, but still!! I wonder about my teenage grand-daughter (14 going on 30). I can't say anything but sure hope she is well supervised...kinda doubt it since she had my son completely wrapped around her fingers and she is a 'non-truth teller' (how's that for a euphemism?) Is this newish trend toward slutty behavior because of all they see on TV, movies and read in magazines? sigh again.
Good afternoon, all!
ReplyDeleteAnother fine puzzle today. Did it on the morning train and felt proud to finish without having to cross out too many slip ups. That doesn't happen very often. Pure proof that visiting here daily really helps solvers. I'd lost my lucky "puzzle pen" and had to replace it. New one is so far so good!
One thing learned here is that good puzzles have livelier cluing. Today's grid is a great example. "Cribside chorus" really shines.
In one week we've gone from "puce" to "toile" to "moire". I can't say I've ever used those words in an English sentence, but the tiny corners of my brain that know French kick in when least expected. "Clop," "All thumbs," "Bolero"and "Skulk" were good to see.
What's the difference between "unarm" and "disarm"?
Thanks for the ee cummings poetry. I wish more poetry today had such joy in it.Overdoses, global warming and slit wrists seem to prevail. Tried to translate one of his poems once--abject failure.
C.C., yes, Ang Lee's "Eat drink man woman" was such a good movie. Haven't yet seen his newest about Woodstock; this weekend perhaps. The film "the Shining" was partially filmed in Estes Park, CO. Truly scary stuff. A nightmare writ large. Took me two boxes of gummy worms to get through it!
Time to sail....
JD, Jill taught at Brooktree Elem. in thr Berryessa district. And yes, very proud and happy for her.
ReplyDeleteShe deserved this honor a long time ago. I saw the long hours and dedication put into educating HER students.
BTW. The big county whoop-de-doo is on Sept 30th at 6:30P at the Heritage Theater in Campbell. The honoree this year from Los Gatos is Gayle Gordon.
The Thur. LAT CW took a few more minutes as I had to stop and think a few times.
eddyB.
Clark Bars are available from the Vermont Country Store. Ten for$16.95, Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteeddyB.
Just read yesterdays posts, and wanted to thank Windhover for the crimson clover info. I plan on hitting the garden center this weekend and planting.
ReplyDeletePJB - you are welcome to use my line anytime. I didn't think it was all that profound, but glad you did. It's not that we like our daughter any less, just that our son is more prone to accidents (generally boys are). Interestingly, she had a fender bender within 6 months of getting her license, he has had his almost 1 1/2 years and has yet to get in an accident (knock on wood a million times!)
Tarrajo, hope LGJ's legs are better. I am guessing it is growing pains (my kids also had them). If you want to put him to bed with heat, buy one of those pads you can warm in the microwave. You can heat it to a more comfortable temp and keep them on all night long without worrying about electrical shock.
JD, we stayed at the same place on Oahu a couple of years ago. Really liked it. Didn't do the luau though, but should have I guess.
Dennis, unbelievable story about the girl. Unfortunately, with my son's testosterone surges, I am afraid he won't be able to say no.
8:28 today. I don't keep a log but that has to be a record (or nearly so) for a Thursday for me.
ReplyDeleteWhoo hoo! What a glorious week of puzzles. Each of them have been clever and there has been an awful lot of fabulous fill (PLETHORA, I'm talking about you). I loved this theme (I solve "downs first" so it took a while for the theme to become evident) and found the puzzle to be outstanding from top to bottom.
@crockett: That picture of you and your spouse is outstanding. I've never been to Wales, personally. Looks like I'll have to plan a trip there (my wife is still nervous about travelling abroad even though I try to convince her that there's not much more terrorism threat there as here).
@dennis I know I don't have to tell you this, but any sexual contact, even consensual, when one party is an adult and the other is under 18 can be cause for serious jail time. Fortunately, I never seem to run into the kind of situation you described. (BTW, where were all those "bad girls" when I was a kid--I missed out.)
Hi Gang -
ReplyDeleteReally good puzzle today - clever clues and fresh fills. GAS CAP and JINGLE! WILDE and very creative theme theme. Possible Subtitles: Parsing "Speech" or "Rightly Dividing the Word."
Any King Crimson fans out there?
One big negative, though. Is there any more of a lame non-word fill than an alphabet string?
Re: jail time - that varies from State to State
, and with the age difference between the participants. Alabama wins some sort of a prize with the legal age at 12.
Lo, these many decades past, I was one of those teen-aged boys who was able to, and did say, "No."
Disaster avoided, on a lot of levels -- but I've been conflicted (if not regretful) ever since.
SEE YA -
JzB
Wow! that is all I can say, in my school day's sex was taboo and we had a dress code we had to follow also.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone heard this story of a principal using zip ties as a belt for kids with pants that fall below their waist and show their 'under things?'
Glendale
Richmond In. dress code. No prints including stripes or plaids.
ReplyDeleteFirst things first:
ReplyDeleteWolfMom:
LOVE the new avatar. ;-)
First things second:
MJ @11:56, and all other commenters,
re: raging hormones in teens.
Can anyone tell me when they stop raging?
I once asked an 81 year old friend of mine that question.
He said, "Can't say. You'll have to ask somebody older than me."
Ditto.
Hello All-A great puzzle today. I did not know Celia which held up Auld. I wanted the word GOAL for Word sung a after ball drops. (My Grandchildren all play a lot of soccer).
ReplyDeleteThe theme didn't come until I got to the site. I couldn't figure out how the theme fills could be parts of Speech. Duh!
My favorite clues today: Tossed course, and Take a piece from?
Crockett, Great picture of you and Jeanette.
CA, the poem today brought to mind lovely word pictures.
Am I the only one who didn't realize that the Olympic Sport of Fencing was called Epee? I knew that the fencing sword was called that, but not the sport. I even took two quarters of fencing in College.
WH...so glad :o) Original size 36 x 42
ReplyDeleteAnd to PJB...if you want a comedy routine on trying to update information on the phone with the Microsoft Customer Service I will will gladly email you...couldn't get to the website online no matter what I tried and had to update the expiriation on a credit card which it turned out was one we had cancelled and had re-issued due a fraudulent charge and having to prove who I was since I no longer had that specific credit card # and I apparently guessed my favorite author from 7 years ago incorrectly as a verification for my identity and after going through everything about 4 more times I started listing my favorite authors until she said "I'll take that one" which was the all the apparent ID she needed, but then....OMG I SOOOO don't want to deal with that again. Then the credit card company called us with an internet fraud alert because we had added that onto the card because...well...you get the picture. I think I will go clean the bathrooms...sounds like a whole lot more fun.
Hello CC and gang: Got some other stuff going so haven`t done the puzzle YET!...
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know just how wild too many young boys and girls have gone, read some Jodi Piccout! Their "party games"...put me on my knees even more for my grandchildren. I`m hoping that`s why she includes such porno in her ,otherwise excellent, stories...so that we slightly and much older adults will know just what kids face this day and age.
Crockett 1947: Wonderful picture!
Out of pocket for several days...have a safe holiday, everyone.
FYI, WM's new avatar is titled "Windhover Farm". She has such a wonderful perspective from above in many of her landscapes with a horizon which seems to go on forever. I love the falcon in the foreground.
ReplyDeleteMy first High School prom dress was made from moire "silk". However, I used the cheaper version made from rayon. The fabric patterns were white on white or red on red, etc. so they weren't quite so dizzying.
A belated welcome to Carol2, Diane and anntique (great name) -- thanks for joining us and please contribute often; it's always great to get fresh opinions.
ReplyDeleteembien, thanks for the astute, albeit totally unnecessary, warning. Not sure what prompted that.
Chickie, I only knew the sport was called 'Epee' because I'd heard it announced that way at the Olympics. And about your comment on prom dresses, I could never understand why they weren't made of breakaway material.
Windhover, regarding 'ditto': Amen. Although I'd define it more as a steady relentless burning now, as opposed to 'raging'. Raging hormones were fun, but got me into too much trouble.
EddyB, et.al., Clark Bars are readily available at any drug store, convenience store, etc., here in the NE.
WM, sounds like a bit on Crank Yankers
Dennis...that's pretty much it!
ReplyDeleteThanks to kazie, elissa, moon, sallie, treefrog, melissa bee, jd, mj, wm, carol, embien, chickie, amd linda for your comments on the picture.
ReplyDelete@carol That was the year I was growing my beard for the 100th anniversary of our local neighborhood association. I like it shorter as well.
On the map -- please be sure to tell me your screen name when you make a request. I don't want to have to guess who is who!!
@Jazz--You can add South Dakota to your list of "winners." 10 years old?!?
ReplyDelete@Windover (3:49)--LOL! Your friend has a great attitude.
@Mariposa--No plaids or stripes? Sounds a bit over the top for a dress code.
BTW--Has anyone ever heard of making a pie crust with vodka as part of the liquid? I saw this on a cooking show. Supposedly this makes for a flakier crust as the alcohol evaporates, hence essentially less liquid. I gave up making pies many years ago (switched to crisps) because I just couldn't make a decent crust.
Have been running around all day, so haven't attempted the puzzle yet, but wanted to follwup on a couple things:
ReplyDeleteTerrajo - Found the tomato sauce recipe:
Heat 1/4C oil from sun-dried tomato + 4T butter. (or just olive oil as a substitute)
Chop and saute for 15 min:
1 lg yellow onion
3 ribs celery
3 carrots
3 cloves garlic
1t fennel seed
Add 4lbs tomatoes, 3/4C sun-dried tomatoes, 1C white wine. (I sometimes omit sun-dried tomatoes and wine, and it's still delicious.)
Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Blend until slightly chunky, not completely smooth.
Enjoy - YUM!
Regarding meeting in Madison - would love to meet at our restaurant, or anywhere else if more convenient. Sept 27 is also the annual Monroe Street Festival, so I will be there after the Free to Breathe event ends. It's a fun day to visit Monroe Street!
WM, Windhover Farm is gorgeous. I love the little sheep and the shadow of WH on the field. Now, how about an oak covered hillside in northern California (just kidding...kinda).
ReplyDeleteCrockett, I really liked the photo of your Wales breakfast. It is such a beautiful country and it looks like you and Jeanette were enjoying every minute of it. GAH and I just passed through Wales in May 2007 on our way from London to Ireland on the ferry. Did you hear a train in the background? That must have been us. :o)
As Linda so discreetly pointed out, oral sex has become the new "nice to meet you" for many teenagers. They have been warned about the dangers and emotional entanglements of intercourse and have cleverly decided that they can keep their virginity and still get the POW of sex. No dummies there. "Just say no" doesn't seem to work any better where sex is concerned than it did for drugs. Where there is a will, there is a way and those hormones provide a lot of will.
MJ, Vodka pie crust?? Sounds logical. I'll have to give it a try.
MJ I have actually tried this pie crust and it is phenomenal. It is the only recipe I use now.
ReplyDelete2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka , cold
1/4 cup cold water
WM beautiful picture of Windhover's farm. Still waiting on my daisies though....
Second step...sorry
ReplyDelete1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no flour uncoated ). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
Tarrejo, Dr. Gott, who writes a medical column in the WI St Journal, has said to put a bar of soap under the sheet in your bed in the area the legs touch to prevent leg cramps at night. He says he does not know why this works, and I certainly don't, but a number of people have written in with testimonials to its effective
ReplyDeleteness. Let me know if you try it and if it works.
Dot
Tarrejo, Dr. Gott, who writes a medical column in the WI St Journal, has said to put a bar of soap under the sheet in your bed in the area the legs touch to prevent leg cramps at night. He says he does not know why this works, and I certainly don't, but a number of people have written in with testimonials to its effective
ReplyDeleteness. Let me know if you try it and if it works.
Dot
I was listening to a cooking show host being interviewed on the radio and she said she mostly uses those pre-made pie crust you can buy at the supermarket. She said life was too short to sweat the small stuff and that the pre-made pie crust were really good.
ReplyDeleteMJ...Jeannie has it exactly right on the pie crust. I have used Julia Child's recipe for eons and what makes it so good is the combination of the butter and vegetable shortening...it produces and easy to handle, flexible crust that bakes up golden and flaky...will definitly have to try the addition of vodka...It is good logic...the butter also loses water through evaporation and the escaping steam is what separates the layers of the dough to make it flaky.
ReplyDeleteAndrea...thanks for reprinting the tomato sauce recipe. Today is handle garden produce day, 2 loaves of zuccini bread, with 2 more to come tonight, cut up piles of fruit for salad, and was getting ready to start on tomato sauce with the plum tomatoes. I am definitely trying that sauce. Will report back.
CA you've been reading my mind...the last two paintings have been related to the surrounding hills...but I do believe I have a Daisy painting to complete first. ;o)
I think this is #4
Wolfmom, I am glad to see you have your priorities in order :) You can still incorporate your field theme as what I picture in my head and see almost every day is a field of daisies as far as the eye can see just growing wildly. It's so pretty.
ReplyDeleteTarrajo and whoever else likes fresh tomato sauce:
ReplyDeleteI only planted 3 slicing tomato plants because Joe is the one who likes the fresh tomatoes (I don't care for them)...anyway they have produced (and still are) so many that ripen at the same time, that I took 6 or 7 of them and made what Joe called 'stewed tomatoes'. I washed them, placed them in boiling water (with a big bowl of ice water standing by) until the skins 'cracked' and plunged them into the ice water. Then I skinned and cored them and cut them into large chunks.
These chunks went into a sauce pan with chopped green bell pepper (about 1/2 of a medium pepper),chopped onion (I used 1/4 of a medium red onion), a bit of garlic powder, 1 tsp sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about an hour, stirring every so often.
He really loves this over spaghetti noodles. You can adjust the amounts by the amount of tomatoes you have.
CA - (6:37) about the 'slut puppies' of today, I just got off the phone with my sister-in-law and was telling her of Dennis' experience with the girl in his shop. She said she had heard so many stories about the girls sending their nude pictures over their phones to guys in their school! Geez, what happened to morals and modesty and playing 'hard to get'...oh wait, that IS what they are playing. oops.
If LGJ's leg cramps are anything like the charley horses I've had from time to time, I can attest to the agony - especially in the middle of the night.
ReplyDeleteGentle stretching before bedtime might be helpful. High potassium foods like bananas might also might help.
Here are alternative from a Google search.
Cheers!
JzB
Andrea, I just made your tomato sauce minus the fennel seeds as I didn't have them. Instead I substituted a small onion. It is cooling now and heading to the freezer. Jeannie, your pie dough sounds um...interesting. I am not much of a baker and when I make pie I am more like MJ...I make cobblers. Here's an easy "crumb top" recipe. One stick of softened butter, one cup of brown sugar, one cup of oats. Optional, 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. Combine and put over any cut up fruit that is sprinkled with a little sugar and cinnamon. Works every time and everyone loves it; especially if some good vanilla ice cream is involved.
ReplyDeleteJazz, Melissa, Dot and all thanks for the remedies of LGJ's leg cramps. His Dr. claims it's just growing pains as boys tend to grow fasted in their legs. Dot, I am not one for fluke remedies, but for the heck of it will try the bar of soap. WTH?
BTW, you guys are scaring me about the sex talk among young kids...
Thanks C.C. and Daniel, I love to hear how constructors think about the process.
ReplyDeleteI loved the theme today, a little obscure but I knew to look for it. Actually I had first done the puzzle online before the newspaper came. I finished it in 12 minutes, which I thought was too fast for me on a Thursday. I had used the red letter help, I suppose turning that off might be more satisfying. And once I was done I had no idea what the theme was. So later I put the answers into the newspaper and took the time to figure out and enjoy the theme.
The PEEPING TOM tie to Lady Godiva was new to me. Thank you C.C. It took CUTEST for the AWS to make sense. I wanted the baby to be making the sounds, like Mama or something. STREP throat is the SORESt kind of sore throat. Nice placement there.
MOIRE used to be a big problem in analog color TV. Tweeds and fine B&W stripes would shimmer and turn colors. The camera operator would try to minimize it by zooming in or out just a little. Not an issue with digital TV.
Nice picture Crockett, and I like your map too.
tarrajo: before I sign off for the day, my Mom used to give me quinine for my severe leg cramps when I was a child. I`m pretty sure you have to have an rx for it now, but it is an ingredient in "tonic water" in the mixer section of the drink aisle. Read on the label. It doesn`t taste very good but over ice, it`s palatable...and is still preventing leg cramps for my Mom...and probably me too, eventually. She drinks a cup about three times a week. Worth a try.
ReplyDeleteJeannie--Thanks for the pie crust recipe. It sounds exactly like what I saw on the cooking show. I'll try it when it cools down around here.
ReplyDeleteAndrea and Carol--Thanks for the tomato sauce recipes. My Bro-I-L has one that is a cross between both of yours and is yummy! He also adds dried oregano and basil.
Tarrajo--Keep the lines of communication open, and hope and pray for the best. It looks like you are doing a great job as a mom! Our middle son gave us some grief in his later teenage years, and my mantra became the proverb "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." He is now 27 years old and a joy to be around. I wish you the best.
Just heard on the news that the fire north of LA which has burned over 147,000 acres and led to the death of two firemen has been determined to be arson. Close to my heart as my youngest son is a firefighter here in SoCal. Some from his station are on the front lines.
MJ said: Just heard on the news that the fire north of LA which has burned over 147,000 acres and led to the death of two firemen has been determined to be arson. Close to my heart as my youngest son is a firefighter here in SoCal. Some from his station are on the front lines.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for your son. It seems like they're getting a handle on this dreadful fire. Where in SoCal? Anywhere near Manhattan Beach?
(Here's hoping for cooler weather.)
~ Bill G.
All this talk about the behavior of young girls today ... I was at a Bat Mitzvah last weekend. Since our Jewish community is relatively small, most of the kids in attendance were non-Jewish friends of the Bat Mitzvah. My contemporaries and I were shocked at the dress of all these young 12 -13 year old girls. They all looked like "working" girls! Their parents allow them to dress like this ~ and at a place of worship, no less? Do they dress like this when they go to their own places of worship?
ReplyDeleteAlthough they dressed liked they were much older, in their conversations, it was abundantly clear that they were still only kids.
Vodka works wonders in pie crusts. I don't have first hand cooking knowledge of this as I don't cook unless forced to. My sister makes the best pies from scratch. Her pie crusts are to die for. She makes the crusts; I drink the vodka. Just kidding. Vodka does make for flaky crusts, though.
Night, All. It's been a long day for me.
Crockett, I was just looking through the blog again, and I know I commented already on your picture, but on second look, does your wife have exceptionally long hair or is it just an illusion?
ReplyDeleteMJ, I'm sure we'll all keep your son in our thoughts. Please keep us posted on how he's doing.
And Crockett, the silver thing on the table in front of you; is that a French press?
ReplyDeleteI was a Sergeant (E-5, SGT) in the US Army. Bilko was a Master Sergeant (E-8, MSG). So instead of SGT into days puzzle for Bilko's rank it should have been MSG not SGT!!!! He would turn in his grave and be highly insulted!!!
ReplyDelete@dennis She does have long hair, but she also has her windbreaker slung over the back of her chair. Windbreaker is black and hair is salt and pepper.
ReplyDelete@argyle Yes, that's a French press coffee server on the table.
Will work on the map tonight and have an updated version bright and shiny in the morning.
Bill G.--We are in South OC. I am curious about your math puzzle column. What paper? C.C. and Dennis have my e-mail, and I would be happy for them to share it with you, so we could communicate off the blog. I'm with you on the cooler weather. As one of the witches in OZ said, "I'm melting!"
ReplyDeleteDennis--Thank you for the kind thoughts. My son is not deployed this time, but his coworkers are. Firefighters, in general, are a very close family.
gmony, I was a Sergeant (E-5) as well, and I too caught the error, but in fairness, and unlike today, he was always called 'Sergeant Bilko'. A bit of license today, yes, but I thought the clue worked ok. I think only those of us who were in the military even realized his actual rank.
ReplyDeleteWhen were you in?
Jeannie, I copied/pasted the vodka pie crust recipe. I had a good hot water pastry recipe, that makes very flaky crust (weird, huh?), but I'm going to try yours this weekend. I'll be making GAH's favorite banana cream pie and I'll let you know how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteTarrajo, Sorry if I worried you by talking about current adolescent sex practices. I have a tendency to say things right out loud. Better you should know that oral sex is becoming more and more prevalent among teens.
You are on the right track with your talks with LGJ. He is already growing up with respect for women. Keep talking when you have watched TV or movies that might have romantic scenes or iffy dialog (it is hard to avoid). He will know he can talk to you about anything that might bother him. Always be honest in your discussions, even if it might be embarrassing. Hang in there, it is never easy to rear a child, but you are definitely doing well so far.
I give props to my daughter for her vigilance with grandson. Her straightforward talks may have embarrassed the heck out of him (her too), but I think they were most responsible for his taking the wiser road for his age.
Why didn't his dad have these talks with him? It has always been my daughter who communicates with the kids more easily.
# 5 and out for tonight. Sleep well, everyone.
TarraJo:
ReplyDeleteabout Dot's soap in the bed suggestion:
I have suffered from night time leg cramps for years, especially after days when I lose fluids. On high humidity 90+ degree days in the hay field, I can drink 1 1/2 gallons of water and still lose 4-5 pounds. I can expect to wake up cramping. About 6-7 months ago, I turned over in bed one night and felt a lump down around my legs. "What the hell is that in the bed?", I said. "Thats a bar of soap", said the Irish. And why is there a bar of soap in the bed?", I said.
Rather than carrying this conversation all the way through, I'll tell you how it happened. She had mentioned my cramps to a friend of hers, who told her about the soap remedy. Knowing I would think she was nuts, she just put the soap in without telling me. At the point I discovered it, it had been there about two months. I had not had a cramp for that whole time and I have not had one since. Like Dot's Dr. Gott, I don't how it works, but like you said, WTH, it can't hurt anything. Eating high potassium foods helps, and their is a Morton's salt that contains potassium.
I know certain bloggers are going to have a field day with this one, but let me say that the elephant and tiger repellent I have deployed around the farm is working very well also. I haven't seen one in years.
BTW, my brand is Lever 2000 Original, unscented. Good Luck.
On the positive side of life, I have raised two boys by myself and have had as many as 16 teenagers spend the night, and never had any inappropriate sexual behavior in my house by any of them, notwithstanding the often slutty outfits worn. I spend a great deal of time talking realistically to my boys, and to the other children about what risk reward means, and what makes sense in life and what does not. I can assure, as can all of the other honest men on this blog, we were all horny all the time from an early age, and when confronted with overly aggressive girls, were mostly scared. In any event, I have never found a method to avoid opportunity; if your kids want to fool around they will find a way. It is better to have an honest relationship and talk to them often. As for Dennis being accosted, life is full of tests, and there are and always have been girls who believe in POP. I personally think it is like liquor, if you make it all sound too forbidden and too awful, kids will want it more. As far as the teenage girl who wanted to come over anyway, many of my son’s female friends visit me and I have not had anything bad happen; maybe she just needed some companionship or advice. Relax, parenthood and love require granting free will, or they will never survive.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I find myself getting fatter just reading all of these recipes....
ReplyDeleteDennis, Might have made that prom dress of breakaway material if it had been available. Would have been a sensational frock!
ReplyDeletedennis: embien, thanks for the astute, albeit totally unnecessary, warning. Not sure what prompted that.
ReplyDeleteIt's been in the news a lot here in Oregon recently. Sorry if I overshared. There was a case here where a prosecutor brought charges against an 18-year old for having sex with his 16-year old girlfriend (they had been partners for years--it was only after he turned 18 that the parents turned in the poor guy).
Very interesting discussions today. We did not discuss sex at home at all, growing up. One parent slipped a pamphlet under my pillow when I hit Junior year in high school. It was a publication of some Catholic organization, dated sometime pre-Vatican II, I think circa 1940s, with one section for boys and one for girls. Body parts were alluded to, but not mentioned by name. No technical information provided, just dire warnings about the eternal risks of "unclean" thoughts and actions. In case of nocturnal emission, the instructions were to say x number of "Hail Mary"s and "Our Father"s. When plagued by impure thoughts, meditate on the Crucifiction or the fires of hell.
ReplyDeleteNot very informative!
Kids today have access to so much more information than we had but still get lots of misinformation. The stuff about "how 2 tell if ur girlfriends really a virgen" is priceless.
The one thing that I do wish someone would have told me is that yes, the "first
time" may be memorable and special but it's incredibly awkward and embarassing and almost always very brief. And that no one is born good at sex, so it takes lots of practice to do it well. Knowing that would have helped.
Today they also have to worry about hidden cameras and webcams. All we had to worry about then was avoiding stains on the carseats!
G'night.
@mary, biilg, elissa You are all on the map now.
ReplyDeleteC.C. The title has been changed.