Theme: Dog-tired-all theme answers are clued as "Really exhausted".
20A: ON ONE'S LAST LEG
28A: READY TO DROP
36A: ENERVATED
47A: TUCKERED OUT
56A: WORN TO A FRAZZLE
Normally I have trouble with same word(s) used as clues for theme answers style puzzle. Not today.
Maybe because all the theme entries are familiar to me. Just learned ENERVATE a few months ago. I used to confuse ENERVATE with the exact opposite INNERVATE (invigorate/energize) until I read Kazie's prefix "é" = out/away explanation.
Can you guess how old the constructor Michael Blake is? His clues are quite expressive: "Really exhausted", "Love to pieces", "Really cold", etc.
Across:
1A: Colored part of the eye: IRIS. Greek for "rainbow".
14A: John Wesley's relig.: METH. Wesley founded Methodist Movement.
15A: Love to pieces: ADORE. Nice crossing with IDOL (6D: Object of worship).
17A: Arizona city: MESA. And the "Arizona county/river" is GILA (HEE-luh).
18A: Fenway Park team, briefly: BOSOX. They won the first ever World Series (1903, against Pirates), which takes place in OCTOBER (42D: Halloween month).
24A: Honey maker: BEE. Ah, our blog BEE's , sweet!
27A: 11-point blackjack card, at times: ACE
33A: Copier paper size: LTR. 8.5" x 11".
34A: Creole vegetable: OKRA. Fried OKRA sounds delicious.
35A: Mil. school at Annapolis: USNA. Senator John McCain's alma mater.
40A: Bassoon cousin: OBOE. Derived from French hautboy/hautbois (HOH-boi). Bois = wood. Haut = high, as in "haute couture" or "haute cuisine".
54A: Concrete -reinforcing rod: REBAR. Re = Reinforcing. New to me.
61A: Ali who stole from thieves: BABA. We got "Open Sesame" from "Ali BABA and the Forty Thieves".
62A: Broom rider of the comics: HILDA. No idea. Have never heard of Broom-HILDA the green-skinned witch. According to Wikipeida, she is Attila the Hun's ex-wife and she is perpetually looking for a new husband. Good luck then.
63A: With 66-Across, roadside stop: REST. Placed directly above AREA (66A: See 63-Across).
67A: Sitcom radio station: WKRP. "WKRP in Cincinnati".
68D: Gunslinger's "Hands up!": REACH
Down:
1D: Unethical: IMMORAL. Like Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling of ENRON (21D: Bankrupt energy company).
2D: Bring to life again, as a Civil War battle: REENACT
3D: Romance-ending words: IT'S OVER. Sad, "that's all she wrote".
4D: 1953 Alan Ladd Western: SHANE
8D: Singing Bing: CROSBY. Great golfer as well. Founder of the current Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
9D: Moderate-sized chamber group: SEXTET. Group of six. Sex is Latin for "six". Don't know what is Latin for "sex".
10D: Board game with suspect: CLUE
11D: Closet assortment: HANGERS. Same pronunciation as airport HANGERS.
12D: Jennifer of "Friends": ANISTON. She plays Rachel. Maybe Jennifer ANISTON should date a baseball/football player instead of actors/singers.
13D: House cat: PET. And EEK (36D: Response to a mouse).
31D: Camp for presidents: DAVID. Named after Ike's grandson DAVID.
42D: Faulty firecracker: DUD. Alliteration.
37D: Latin 101 verb: AMO. AMOS (I love), amas (you love), amat (he/she/it loves).
38D: Sigma follower: TAU. The Greek T.
39D: Additional: EXTRA. Two X's, and two Z's in this grid.
40D: Horse player's hangout, for short: OTB (Offtrack Betting).
41D: Defensive wall: BULWARK. Rampart is seven letter too.
44D: Really cold, temperaturewise: SUB-ZERO. Lived in sub-tropical Guangzhou before I moved to Minnesota in 2001. Our coldest days are in January, average low is 50F.
45D: Shrunken Asian lake: ARAL SEA. Nice to see its full name for a change.
46D: Furtive listening device: WIRETAP. The coolest guy I've worked with is an ex-Marine. He is a debugging expert.
48D: Extensive period: EON
49D: Preferably: RATHER
50D: Star, in France: ETOILE. Our state motto is "L'ETOILE du Nord" (the Star of North). What's yours?
55D: Poet Pound and others: EZRAS. Cornell founder is EZRA Cornell.
58D: Edison's middle name: ALVA. Learned from doing Xword.
59D Banking regulatory agcy.: FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Ben Bernanke just said that the recession is probably over. He predicted earlier this year that the recession would probably last until Oct.
60D: Diaper problem: RASH. Have never changed a diaper in my life.
Answer grid.
C.C.
PS: Please email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you have any family photos to share.
20A: ON ONE'S LAST LEG
28A: READY TO DROP
36A: ENERVATED
47A: TUCKERED OUT
56A: WORN TO A FRAZZLE
Normally I have trouble with same word(s) used as clues for theme answers style puzzle. Not today.
Maybe because all the theme entries are familiar to me. Just learned ENERVATE a few months ago. I used to confuse ENERVATE with the exact opposite INNERVATE (invigorate/energize) until I read Kazie's prefix "é" = out/away explanation.
Can you guess how old the constructor Michael Blake is? His clues are quite expressive: "Really exhausted", "Love to pieces", "Really cold", etc.
Across:
1A: Colored part of the eye: IRIS. Greek for "rainbow".
14A: John Wesley's relig.: METH. Wesley founded Methodist Movement.
15A: Love to pieces: ADORE. Nice crossing with IDOL (6D: Object of worship).
17A: Arizona city: MESA. And the "Arizona county/river" is GILA (HEE-luh).
18A: Fenway Park team, briefly: BOSOX. They won the first ever World Series (1903, against Pirates), which takes place in OCTOBER (42D: Halloween month).
24A: Honey maker: BEE. Ah, our blog BEE's , sweet!
27A: 11-point blackjack card, at times: ACE
33A: Copier paper size: LTR. 8.5" x 11".
34A: Creole vegetable: OKRA. Fried OKRA sounds delicious.
35A: Mil. school at Annapolis: USNA. Senator John McCain's alma mater.
40A: Bassoon cousin: OBOE. Derived from French hautboy/hautbois (HOH-boi). Bois = wood. Haut = high, as in "haute couture" or "haute cuisine".
54A: Concrete -reinforcing rod: REBAR. Re = Reinforcing. New to me.
61A: Ali who stole from thieves: BABA. We got "Open Sesame" from "Ali BABA and the Forty Thieves".
62A: Broom rider of the comics: HILDA. No idea. Have never heard of Broom-HILDA the green-skinned witch. According to Wikipeida, she is Attila the Hun's ex-wife and she is perpetually looking for a new husband. Good luck then.
63A: With 66-Across, roadside stop: REST. Placed directly above AREA (66A: See 63-Across).
67A: Sitcom radio station: WKRP. "WKRP in Cincinnati".
68D: Gunslinger's "Hands up!": REACH
Down:
1D: Unethical: IMMORAL. Like Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling of ENRON (21D: Bankrupt energy company).
2D: Bring to life again, as a Civil War battle: REENACT
3D: Romance-ending words: IT'S OVER. Sad, "that's all she wrote".
4D: 1953 Alan Ladd Western: SHANE
8D: Singing Bing: CROSBY. Great golfer as well. Founder of the current Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
9D: Moderate-sized chamber group: SEXTET. Group of six. Sex is Latin for "six". Don't know what is Latin for "sex".
10D: Board game with suspect: CLUE
11D: Closet assortment: HANGERS. Same pronunciation as airport HANGERS.
12D: Jennifer of "Friends": ANISTON. She plays Rachel. Maybe Jennifer ANISTON should date a baseball/football player instead of actors/singers.
13D: House cat: PET. And EEK (36D: Response to a mouse).
31D: Camp for presidents: DAVID. Named after Ike's grandson DAVID.
42D: Faulty firecracker: DUD. Alliteration.
37D: Latin 101 verb: AMO. AMOS (I love), amas (you love), amat (he/she/it loves).
38D: Sigma follower: TAU. The Greek T.
39D: Additional: EXTRA. Two X's, and two Z's in this grid.
40D: Horse player's hangout, for short: OTB (Offtrack Betting).
41D: Defensive wall: BULWARK. Rampart is seven letter too.
44D: Really cold, temperaturewise: SUB-ZERO. Lived in sub-tropical Guangzhou before I moved to Minnesota in 2001. Our coldest days are in January, average low is 50F.
45D: Shrunken Asian lake: ARAL SEA. Nice to see its full name for a change.
46D: Furtive listening device: WIRETAP. The coolest guy I've worked with is an ex-Marine. He is a debugging expert.
48D: Extensive period: EON
49D: Preferably: RATHER
50D: Star, in France: ETOILE. Our state motto is "L'ETOILE du Nord" (the Star of North). What's yours?
55D: Poet Pound and others: EZRAS. Cornell founder is EZRA Cornell.
58D: Edison's middle name: ALVA. Learned from doing Xword.
59D Banking regulatory agcy.: FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Ben Bernanke just said that the recession is probably over. He predicted earlier this year that the recession would probably last until Oct.
60D: Diaper problem: RASH. Have never changed a diaper in my life.
Answer grid.
C.C.
PS: Please email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you have any family photos to share.
85 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - man, what a fast Wednesday puzzle - no pauses, no perpassists, just blew through this one as fast as I could write.
All the theme answers were apparent with the first few letters, and that certainly helped speed things up. Everything else was pretty simple; can't even find a clue on which to comment.
C.C., latin for 'sex' is 'sexus'. And our State Motto is, "You got a problem wit dat?".
From yesterday, CA/GAH, you guys are in my thoughts, but I know you take great solace in the fact that she had such a long (and I assume happy) run. And Linda, I don't know what it is that you're dealing with, but good thoughts are coming your way. Hopefully, we'll always be able to find some comfort in this group when problems arise.
Today is Collect Rocks Day, Step Family Day, Mayflower Day, Mexican Independence Day, National PlayDoh Day, and Working Parents Day. Not a food group among them, dammit.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Honest criticism is hard to take -- especially when it comes from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger." -- Franklin P. Jones
And a couple great Steven Wright quotes:
"I bought a dog the other day...I named him Stay. It's fun to call him...'Come here, Stay! Come here, Stay!' He went insane."
"Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died."
Good Morning, C.C. and Dennis.
And Dennis inre: State Motto.
What R U? A wiseguy? I'm keeping an eye on youse!
(An excuse to show off my new avatar.)
Argyle, the avatar's outstanding! Nice job.
Well, three for three. Not bad for me. Maybe I'll get lucky again tomorrow. A "J" and a "Q" short of a pangram.
Sand this AM and (maybe) prime this PM. If that works we'll paint tomorrow. Hooray, the end is in sight!
CY'all Later
Good morning C.C, and all, a surprisingly easy puzzle for a Wednesday. I flew through this one with amazing speed. No stops and no hesitations just writing fills. No much to comment on except the ease of the puzzle. This is three in a row for me without outside help; maybe I am on a roll.
PA state motto is “Virtue, Liberty and Independence”, however, Pennsylvania State University motto is “Making Life Better”, but I have heard it as “Making Beer Better.” Gotta love those college kids.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday
Good Morning CC and All,
A very smooth cruise this AM with no erasures. Enervated is a new word for me. Not much to say about this one.
CA and GAH, Condolences on your loss. Positive thoughts.
Jeannie, Thinking of you and your friends.
We need some music! Since I had a smooth sail with the puzzle, here's something Smooth to start your day. There's a wicked jam at the end of it if you have the time.
Have a great day!
Morning, All! Like C.C., I generally don’t like, or do well, where the theme is the same word throughout. Not with this one. I immediately pounced on ON ONE’S LAST LEGS. From there all the rest fell into place. Maybe I did well on this puzzle because I actually got a good night’s sleep so wasn’t DOG-TIRED!
This was one of the few puzzles where I barely had to use the perps.
We’ve seen a few responses in recent days: SOSA and DUD(S).
September 16 Birthdays:
1927 ~ Peter Falk, I loved Columbo.
1925 ~ B.B. King
1924 ~ Lauren Bacall
1898 ~ H.A. Rey (d. 1977), along with his wife, Margret, was the creator of Curious George.
1886 ~ Jean Arp (d. 1966), Alsatian sculptor and painter
1875 ~ James Cash Penney (d. 1971), founder of the retail store J.C. Penney’s.
1507 ~ Jiajing Emperor (d. 1567), 11th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Well I am all TUCKERED OUT and the day has only begun. Having not slept well for quite a few days, this puzzle was meant for me. A nice Wednesday puzzle to complete, with a few fills that were right up my alley, being a CPA myself, and my husband worked for an energy company during the time that ENRON was taken down. It was his favorite job ever (I remember he was skeptical about taking it at first), but once ENRON went down, all the energy related companies slid with it. It wasn't the same after. He misses that job today.
Bing Crosby was so passionate about golf, he died on the course on the way back to the clubhouse after a round. It is said his last words were "That was a good round fellas". One of my favorite movies is White Christmas.
To everyone needing prayers, CA, Linda, Treefrog, Jeannie, you are added to my list today.
As already noted, a very easy Wednesday. Unknowns for me were REBAR, HILDA, BOSOX (sounds like Botox) but all were resolved quickly with perps.
I giggled when I read the explanation of Hilda as Broom Hilda, an obvious play on the name Brunhilde from the legend on which Wagner based his "Der Ring des Nibelungen" opera. Complicated story, but she was one of the Valkyries, I think.
Good Morning all -
Pretty straightforward today, even with a couple of missteps. First, I don't know how I read bankrupt energy company, but I interpreted it as company which helps you with bankruptcy. US Govt didn't fit... so that was a problem at first. Then I put NAVY instead of USNA. Fortunately, they both straightened themselves out.
CA, my thoughts are with you and GAH. A close friend of mine's mother recently passed away; they shared this poem at her funeral.
Warmer than the summer sun,
Softer than the breeze,
Sweeter than a rose in bloom,
A mother is all of these.
She will always stand by you throughout your childhood years,
She'll be around to comfort you if you should shed a tear;
She will always pick you up, no matter why you fall;
Because the love of Mothers is the strongest love of all.
Yes, Mothers are God's angels, but remember they're on loan.
And one day in the future, God will call them home.
So, if you have a Mother,
please show her that you care,
And let her know you love her,
And the memories that you share.
Averil Joyce Bayard
Today is Grandparent's Day at Zoe's preschool, so I am fortunate to be able to hug my Mother today!
And, my aunt (Mom's identical twin sister) is visiting from Indiana, so Zoe gets a bonus visitor, and I get a bonus hug.
Enjoy the day.
Andrea
Wow, ridiculously busy day, but too much going on to miss the day. First the puzlze was easy, and I agree with Dennis, not much to comment about.
On the other hand, Clear AYes, sorry about your MIL, it is never easy to lose a parent, no matter how ready they are to go.
Jeannie, you know we all send our best for Mary and John and the wonders of medical science.
Melissa Bee, I am so impresssed by your inspiring a day of gracious Luxor comments.
KittyB, thank you for joining me in not liking that movie; others act like I am one of the aliens from Men in Black.
I always loved the C. in JC Penneys was for cash; there was a great episode on his life on Biography starting out in Wyoming of all places and working his way east.
Florida adopted "In G-d We Trust" as the state motto in 2006, barely edging out "A hanging chad, is worth two birds in hand and Bush in the white House."
In G-d we trust; all others pay Cash.
Good morning everyone.
Jeannie, I'm sending good thoughts your way for your friends John & Mary.
Sounds tough.
Nice to have a Wednesday puzzle that I could do easily. A few false steps, corrected by the perps.
Cheers
In Tuesday's puzzle 19 across clue Long in the tooth OLD.
In todays puzzle 55 down Poet pound Ezra.
Pound's outspoken opinions led to arguments and the loss of friends. A much quoted line, written before moving to France in 1920, described Britain as 'an old bitch long in the tooth.' Such remarks were remembered to his discredit.
Wonder if the puzzle maker was aware of the subconscience mention of poet Ezra Pound?
Also Sammy Sosa makes a return visit today.
Speaking of Ms. Jennifer Aniston, she should date me and I could make her happy. Anyway enjoy these bloopers from the best show ever Friends.
FRIENDS
Good Morning!
The puzzle started out well but I got stuck in the SW. Didnt know what Bassoon was...checked it in Wikipedia , read the first line and was able to put down OBOE. Had LEAK instead of RASH and that part took some time.
Overall a good puzzle.
Still donot understand how "Hands Up!" is REACH.
Loved the EEK clue :)
I turned 31 today...still deciding what to do with the day, other than the daily grind.
Any suggestions?
Have a great day, everyone
Hi all - I haven't worked the puzzle as yet but I just read yesterday's late afternoon and evening comments.
CA - I am so glad GAH was able to be with his Mother and she was able to have all her family around her. That will heal the hurt and loss for him faster.
Treefrog - Happy to hear your granddaughter is doing well. As someone stated yesterday, now the problem will be to keep her quiet for the prescribed amount of time. :)
Jeannie - please give your friend Mary a big hug for me too. What a terrible ordeal for all of you!
Back later
Wow. No problems, no red letters. Very pleasant puzzle, and clever.
Our blog thing at 24A (BEE) Yay.
Perfect theme for me and for my friend tomorrow. I won’t have time to do the puzzle, because I’ll be in the hospital as a birthing partner for my godchild, Johah. We have to be there at 6:30, as Jonah’s mom is impatient and asked to be induced. I told her she doesn’t know what she’s asking for but she’s adamant. Then I threatened to take a picture of her afterwards when she looks totally ENERVATED, ON HER LAST LEGS, TUCKERED OUT, AND WORN TO A FRAZZLE, but she just laughed and said “go ahead and post it on the internet; I’m shameless”. LOL. Wish us luck.
moon, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and many, many more! I've added you to our B-day list.
Hi, Gang -
I'm late with this, but C.A., Jeannie and Linda, I'm not a praying kind of guy, but my best thoughts and wishes are with you.
Treefrog - glad the GD's procedure went well. Adults that I've known have been pretty badly bruised by the pulse wave. Hope she's resilient and recovers quickly.
Michigan's State Motto:
"Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice"
"If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you."
I would have guess-translated this as "So queerly penetrating a circumspect ameoba." Sounds like a gene splicing experiment.
I believe Ohio's State Motto is "I don't give a damn for the whole State of Michigan."
I should have done today's puzzle yesterday, since I was living the theme. Got a good night's sleep, and am doing much better today.
Still, had some problems in the middle section between READY TO DROP and TUCKERED OUT. Didn't know ENERVATED, can never remember the order of the Greek alphabet, and was looking for a PC related ans. to the mouse clue.
Shouldn't AMO be clued as "I love Latin?"
IMAX is EXTRA large.
Symmetries:
IT'S OVER SUBZERO
IMMORAL WIRETAP
Bing CROSBY was a big ETOILE
One DABS salve on a RASH
Many still ADORE ELVIS
URI is an ACE mentalist
ANISTON demonstrates that a BULWARK can be a breastwork
Cheers!
JzB the displaced Ohio trombonist
Hi C.C. & gang, a few missteps today but easy to correct with the perps e.g. I wanted Yuma vs. Mesa and Tom for Pet!
Otherwise it went down very smooth...
CA's state motto? See
CA motto
"Eureka (I have found it)"
good morning c.c. and all,
all i can do is agree with everyone else, very smooth puzzle, no hangups.
argyle, love it.
dennis, bilingual?
lemonade, knock on wood.
moon, hands up=reach for the sky. happy birthday! howbout yoshi's and/or monterey bay aquarium this weekend, both good bday outings.
thanks again everyone for the nice feedback yesterday.
sallie, you cracked me up last night.
ca/gah, linda, jeannie, treefrog, thinking of you.
Moon asked: Still do not understand how "Hands Up!" is REACH.
I guess you haven't watched as many old westerns as I have. REACH is short for 'Hands up!' or 'Reach for the sky!'
I think I've read every book by Robert B. Parker, (detective/crime fiction). Can any of you recommend anything similar I might enjoy as much?
MelissaBee, as many as it takes.
kittyb, forgot .. you were right of course about isms, and apparently it's not universal knowledge.
dennis, perfect.
Bill G.
try John Grisham or Sue Grafton I enjoyed those books. As a child I enjoyed Nancy Drew also.
ALL GRAVY NO GRIEF
Easy one today. Nothing jumps out at me worth mentioning.
Granddaughter is sore today and willing to chill out.
Buckeye-you always make me smile.
Jeannie-prayers to John, Mary and you.
Linda-same to you. Hang in there.
Andrea-thanks for the poem. It's been 5 years and I still think of things to tell her. So I do!!
Warrem-grew up in Sacto. Remember learning the motto and all that crap. Third grade social studies-all those damn missions. Loved Sutter's Fort as a kid. Need to take the grandkids there when we go visit.
Good Morning All, The first thing I thought about after finishing this puzzle was the wonderful Madeline Kahn singing I'm Tired from Blazing Saddles.
There were so many terrific fills today. I particularly liked ANISTON, BULWARK, OCTOBER and SUBZERO.
What struck me is that all the seven letter words were so well clued they weren't difficult to figure out. "Romance ending words"?..hey...IT'S OVER!
Happy Birthday, Moon. I hope it special.
Warren already mentioned California's motto. I don't know if it refers to stumbling on California before falling into the ocean or to finding gold in 1849. It seems to me that it should be followed by an exclamation point, "Eureka!". I've heard several jokes about "Eureka", all of them of a DF nature.
Thanks again to everyone for their kind comments. GAH is golfing this morning. As you true golfers know, there is nothing better to innervate the spirits than a morning spent being totally frustrated.
To Treefrog, Linda, Jeannie and to anyone else whose September has been a rough one so far, good wishes are sent your way.
C.C. Not even one diaper? Is that because you haven't been exposed to a baby in need of diapering, or because Chinese babies are not diapered like American babies?
Well, this was a good puzzle to do after not completing one in a while. Now that the foodshow books are up and running I have a little more time to breathe and take a lunch for that matter. I found this to be a really easy puzzle. It is Wednesday right?
Thanks all for the well wishes for me and my friends. They are in the middle of the procedure right now so I should hear something soon.
Moon, happy, happy birthday to you!
Anonymous said: try John Grisham or Sue Grafton I enjoyed those books. As a child I enjoyed Nancy Drew also.
I enjoyed the Hardy Boys as a kid. Probably still would. I do enjoy the first 95 percent of John Grisham books but not the endings. The man doesn't know how to write an ending. The protagonist goes off to witness protection or something else equally unsatisfying.
KQ,
I've lost my hope on Morneau since mid-August.
Moon,
Happy Birthday! Maybe try something new after work: a new perfume, a new bra, a new restaurant.
Clear Ayes,
Your mother-in-law was indeed very wise, and strong. I've had no chance taking care of babies.
Arizona's motto is "Ditat Deus" God Enriches.
Most of the puzzles lately have been just right for me except for Friday and the weekends. I still try them though.
Linda why do you think somebody on the blog is having chemo?
Sorry to read that so many people are having problems.
Moon,
Happy 31st! Such youth to inspire us of the long teeth!
Sallie,
I forgot to mention I LOL'ed at your comment last night too.
Jeannie,
I hope that all goes well for John. These days you never know. Meantime, keep your friend uplifted as much as you can.
I also forgot, Wisconsin's motto is FORWARD! Succinct, but optimistic, I guess.
Speaking of diapers, I saw an article in Sunday's State Journal on ways to save money, and one topic was diapers, but in one place they referred to them as "nappies". This being the British/Oz word for them, I wondered where they stole the article from. Do Canadians also say that?
BarbB:
re yesterday's response,
you have a friend in Kentucky.
MelissaBee,
does being bilingual also double one's chances?
Back again,
Really easy puzzle for a Wednesday! The theme was how I felt this morning but don't know why..just not much energy early on but after my bike ride, I was fine. Maybe it took the 10 mile ride to shake cobwebs loose :)
Barb B (10:05) LOL
Moon - a very Happy Birthday to you!!! Do whatever you feel like unless it's illegal.
Bill G - Have you read any of Stuart Woods' books? Google his name and you can preview all of them (there are 38 at last count)...they are all a fun, exciting, fast read. I love his style.
Morning all. Today is my puzzle as the older cat decided she needed company all last night and then kept waking me up each time I fell asleep, then an early morning phone call to start the prep info and proceedures for husband's upcoming surgery, so, I am on my second cup of coffee and still not quite awake...have to deliver paintings for the Ascendent Technologies people today...four more out of the studio...Woo hoo! If I can stay awake long enough.
Great puzzle and loved the double ZZ in Frazzle, whipped through it though definitely not at warp Dennis speed and even knew ETOILE...no idea where that came from. Loved response to a mouse and didn't have to eat worms on OTB...seems to have finally stuck like ETUI/PTUI...
Sallie...you are so funny(re:last night)
Jeannie...stay strong and you are a good friend to your friend...Daisies are still coming...hopefully b4 the end of the week.
Dennis, love Steven Wright and his wry sense of humor.
Having grown up with a very critical parent I guess I have learned to accept actual, real constructive criticsm well...otherwise...PTUI. ;o)
oops...Moon, a very happy birthday and take C.C.'s advice and do something nice for yourself...
Happy Birthday, Moon! I hope it's a memorable one.
Bill G, try Lee Child, and/or James Patterson. Dean Koontz is good, his books lean toward the supernatural; super dogs (Watchers) and spirit figures (Odd Thomas series). They're actually fun to read, and they always end well.His new one is Relentless; I liked it a lot.
Have any of you read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein?
Enzo the dog is a character you'll never forget. I like him better than Marley, and I love Marley.
EZRA Pound was an interesting and controversial character. He was one of the earlier modernist aesthetic poets. He was an American, but during WWII, he broadcast propaganda speeches from Italy on behalf of Mussolini's fascist government. He was also a notorious antisemite. After the war, he was charged with treason and spent 12 years in a mental institution because he was found to be insane and incompetent to stand trial. Some authors, when writing about him, have called him a savant, a person who wrote great poetry but didn't have a sense of reality about the world around him.
Salutation
O generation of the thoroughly smug
and thoroughly uncomfortable,
I have seen fishermen picnicking in the sun,
I have seen them with untidy families,
I have seen their smiles full of teeth
and heard ungainly laughter.
And I am happier than you are,
And they were happier than I am;
And the fish swim in the lake
and do not even own clothing.
Hello all,
Bill G, I'm on book 7 of 13 in Lee
Child's Jack Reacher series. Great reads. Reacher is an ex MP and a cross of Michael Westen (Burn Notice) and Dirty Harry.
Enjoy.
eddyB
Good morning CC and all,
Not being around for 3 days, I feel like I am out of the loop.
Melissa, I read your wonderful blog and loved the owl and the sideroad picture. It reminded me of some of those old roads off of Summit Rd, like the Old Santa Cruz HW.Did you know that a streets in Soquel are lined with antique stores??
CA, "The Road not Taken" was a perfect match to the picture. I was so sorry to hear about GAH's mom, but nice to know that her family was with her.
Treefrog, no child should have to bear that pain. It is worse than childbirth because it is constant, no time to rest between minutes. I had 2 bouts with them.I'm glad she is finished with the ordeal, and she will be as good as new in no time.Do they know the reason for them?
My heart goes out to you Jeannie and your friend, Mary. John is in my prayers.
Happy Birthday Moon!! It's a lovely day, so I hope you are going somewhere fun. Yesterday we were at the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Wowser! They have done a great job.Oh, it's also my daughter's b'day today too, and the other daughter's b'day is tomorrow.Cake, and more cake. Yum!
The puzzle? Oh yes, I finished it and it was so easy for a Wed which surprised me.There wasn't anything that slowed me down. Loved the theme.Enjoyed rest
area
Well, I am worn to a frazzle and am going to get my book and take a nap..I wish.
Moon -
Happy birthday. You're half my age.
Bill -
Try Lawrence Block. He has two long series of crime novels. One has titles of the form, "The Burglar Who _____________." They're pretty light-hearted and usually have trumped-up, unsatisfactory endings. The other series features a drunk, unlicensed P.I named Matt Scudder. These are very noirish and edgy, and have titles like "A Walk in the Graveyard." Block is a reformed alcoholic, so I think he speaks of Scudder's blackouts with some authority.
We saw THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on Friday for the Nth time. Quite a good performance at the Detroit opera House. Stage is rather small, but they made do.
The Phantom's final lines are:
You alone could make my song take flight.
IT'S OVER now, the music of the night.
Cheers!
JzB the gray-haired old trombonist
Just FYI:
Congratulations Kathleen,
You’ve been chosen as one of the top 10 art entries in our Show us your America online contest!
First, let me just thank you so much for entering. We had over 2,000 entries and an amazing amount of creative talent to choose from to get us to the final 10. But yours clearly stood out as one of our favorites.
Voting will official begin today and will continue through October 2. So, next for you is to shake trees, knock on doors, maybe buy a billboard or two to get the word out. Okay, that might overdo it a bit, but do tell your family and friends to vote!
Also, it's one vote per person, per category. We'll be watching the voting process very closely to make sure we have a fair winner.
And lastly, we'll be sending you a publicity release in the case there is media coverage down the road.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email any time. The voting site will be up shortly.
www.Showusyouramerica.com
I just want to thank everyone so very much for your support and if I can get just one more vote(this time it is limited to 1 vote per person) from everyone...Woo Hoo! Sorry for the self promotion here but you all have been terrific.
Hugs and all, WM
Happy Birthday Moon! Advise from one who celebrates for the entire month.......Go Nuts!!
Just found out that Maine's motto is Dirigo which translates to I direct or I guide. I've only known Maine as the Dirigo state and always thought our motto would have something to do with drinking beer since UMO's school song is The Maine Stein Song.
The legislature chose the motto in the same year Maine entered the Union. An explanation from the resolve: "
"...as the Polar Star has been considered the mariner's guide and director in conducting the ship over the pathless ocean to the desired haven, and as the center of magnetic attraction; as it has been figuratively used to denote the point, to which all affections turn, and as it is here intended to represent the State, it may be considered the citizens' guide, and the object to which the patriot's best exertions should be directed."
The "Polar Star" in the seal is intended to represent the new State of Maine as indicated above. The motto, Dirigo, extends the character of the "Polar Star... considered the mariner's guide...", referring to the state as the "citizens' guide" while also exhorting the responsibilities of the citizens to the state, "...the object to which the patriot's best exertions should be directed."
Big Yawn! Apparently our founding fathers didn't have shit for burning issues back then. Now the Legislature seems to have shit for brains.
Sorry, just had a meeting with MDOT getting and going nowhere.
More Music
5:23 today. Two Wednesdays in a row with super-easy puzzles. I guess we're well into the "easing up" promised by Rich Norris.
I love the puzzles (like this one) where a clue is repeated, but usually they have different meanings in the fill, whereas this one had the same meaning in all the theme fills--not quite as satisfying.
What I'm talking about is a puzzle with clues of wash (to pick a random example), and the fill is BATHE, DRY CREEKBED, AMOUNTING TO NOTHING, etc.
Just checked the website and they still have the old gallery up...so maybe wait a day or 2 and thank you.
BillG...if you want some terrific police procedurals/murder mysteries in the British vein, explore Peter Robinson's Inspector Alan Banks, Ian Rankin's Scottish detective John Rebus and P.D. James, and Martha Grimes(earlier books only, later books involve animal rights issues)...all great reads and extrememly well-written and clever, especiall the first 3...Also the Inspector Morse Mysteries.
Congrats WM!!
It doesn't look like the site is updated yet. I'll check again tomorrow.
Off to the oldest's football game.
Have a great evening!
I don't have much to say about today's puzzle that hasn't already been said, but I must say how heartwarming it is to be associated with such a supportive group whose concern and thoughtfulness go far beyond the sharing of crossword tips. I believe it is a tribute to C.C. and the tone that she sets that this blog has attracted such caring individuals, whether it be support for those grieving, prayers for those facing the challenges of cancer, best wishes for those facing an ugly job market, or even just creative ideas for those overwhelmed by their vegetable gardens. All of these battles are easier to face knowing that they are not faced alone. To all the warm wishers, I salute you! And to those having to face some of life's tough breaks, I, and I'm sure many others, add my thoughts and prayers. Just because I/we don't always chime in doesn't mean we're not thinking of you.
And then there's all the fun stuff that comes with this blog, like stuffing ballot boxes for our resident artist extraordinaire. Way to go WM!
WM, REACH for the sky, but only to wave your arms and shout "Yippee!".
Now is the time for each of us to send a email to all our correspondents and ask them to vote for our own best artist Kathleen Wolf's entry. She is so talented (you can blush now if you want to, WM) and really deserves to win. If you haven't seen it yet, here is her American Landscape.
I just checked www.Showusyouramerica.com at the voting process isn't up yet. If not today, be sure to check it tomorrow.
Congratulations WM!
Afternoon CC and Gang:
Did the puzzle while dining at the Senior Citizens Center. Wouldn`t go for the longest...pride and all...till I found out that a cook from my former school was cooking there...Knowing she made the best rolls and cobblers finally pushed me over there... :)
Stubling on the theme early on helped me finish it quickly, with only four erasures!
Santana; i haven`t been very regular to the blog for a few days and I thought I had read about someone with cancer and chemo...I often make wrong assumptions...
Moon: Oh to be 31 again, or 41 or even 51! Happy birthday!
To: Dennis, KQ, Jazzbumpa, treefrog, Lois and anyone else I`ve missed: Thank you for your thoughts and prayers...it really does make the load a little lighter to "dump" it on your friends. :)
Jeannie: I`ll always regret not giving Cancer Treatment Centers of America a try when we lost someone with the same problem...might be worth looking in to.
My "problems" are relational on several fronts...which exacerbate some physical problems...If they would all just listen to me...I know eactly what they all should do...
Yeah, right! I`ve made my own share of horrendous mistakes but God is still good and merciful. Thanks for asking.
Greetings, C.C. and all,
I agree with everyone about the ease of the puzzle. I am looking forward to more of a challenge tomorrow.
C.C., Jennifer Aniston dated Tony Romo of the Cowboys a couple of years ago, with disastrous results for him. The Cowboys had won their division and had a bye for the first round of playoffs. Romo took the opportunity to take Jennifer to Cozumel for a fling. The Cowboys then lost their first playoff game bigtime, primarily to Romo's bad play.
BillG, I agree with others' recommendations. You might try some of Elmore Leonard's earlier works, before Hollywood discovered, and IMHO, ruined him.
I also like John Sandford's "Prey" series. If you like the British crime genre. P. D. James and Elizabeth George are hard to beat.
My heart and prayers go out to those who have suffered losses and other difficulties.
I just heard from Mary and John is out and resting. Unfortunately they were only able to treat one of the two lesions today as they are too far apart to be accessed by the same artery. He will have to go back in about 6 weeks to have the other one treated.
Thanks again for all your well wishes.
CC - Maybe we now know why we were giving up on Justin. Must be hard to play with a broken back. He fully admits he loses steam in the late season, but this is a little more than that apparently.
For interesting reads, Dennis Lehane can be riveting. He wrote Mystic River and my favorite Shutter Island which is coming out as a movie (I know it won't be half as good as the novel). Always a major twist in the end, and sometimes throughout the entire story.
Barb B, I just started The Art of Racing in the Rain. Just loving Enzo. Can't wait to read every night. Wish I had more time so I could finish ASAP.
Moon, Happy Happy Birthday, and if you decide to do something illegal, just don't get caught.
WM, congrats. I was following the works and frequently voting, and I knew you would be in there. Nothing even close to yours!
Moon: Happy, Happy Birthday. Go out and treat yourself to something nice. Like Mainiac, I tend to celebrate the entire month of my birthday. My husband calls it the "Month of Hahtool."
WM: Congratulations to you on being selected as one of the finalists! Will vote, but only once so that it counts.
Which brings me to my State's motto. Contrary to popular opinion it is NOT: Vote Early and Vote Often.
The Louisiana State motto is: Union, Justice, Confidence.
The State Seal came first, which depicts a mother brown pelican and three of its young. The Seal, which was adopted in 1902 had "Union, Justice" inscribed over the head of the pelican, and the word "Confidence" underneath.
The motto was formally adopted in 1981 in the State's Pledge of Allegiance.
Does anyone know their State's beverage?
Another nickname for CA might be "can't pass a balanced budget on schedule" see: budget crisis
Moon, HB and many more; it is nice to have you young un's playing here.
Melissa Bee, too painful.
Bill G.; I also have read every Robert B. Parker, it depends on why you like them, but try:
Sue Grafton is a good choice.
Jonathan Kellerman.
Joan Hess.
Fr. Andrew Greeley
Martha Grimes.
Patricia Cornwell
Janet Evanovich.
And do read all the Rex Stout Nero Wolfe books, starting with Fer de Lance which has the same wit as Parker.
Tell me what you like about parker, and I will tell you what I have read that is similar.
WM: Fabulous and I am sure we are all with you.
Hahtool, I have always used a 30 day window for my birthday celebration, not wanting to put too much pressure on anyone.
Jeannie, we are all here for your friend as well, even Luxor, I am sure.
Mainiac: I always think of Rudy Vallee when I think of the Maine Stein Song. Rudy Vallee spent two years at the University of Maine in the early 1920s before transferring to Yale. He wrote the lyrics to the song. You can hear him singing in this recording.
Hang in there Jeannie
I hope your friends get well!
Good Afternoon,
Happy birthday Moon.
Speaking of Eureka, has anyone seen the TV show of that name? It's a kick.
Nice comments JimmyB !
Lemonade-glad you like some of my favorite authors, Kellerman, Cornwell and Evanovich. I also read Dean Koontz and Stephen King.
I've been reading Harlan Coben and Michael Connely. There's also Kathy Reichs-the show Bones is based on her work.
What can I say-When hard up I used to read the kids books. There's no trip to the bathroom that doesn't deserve taking a book with me!
Will check our library when the computer system is back up and see if we have Lee Childs.
JD-running tests on the granddaughter to see what might be causing the problem.
Jeannie -thanks for the update on John.
Later!
Hello All--Eureka! (Also our state motto as has already been stated). Three days in a row without needing any help. I did today's at the Dr's. Office while waiting for my annual checkup. I had it finished before I had to leave the waiting room. Wished I had brought my book with me as I had an hour and 20 min. wait. They booked me with the wrong Dr. (Two Docs have the same name!!!)I was lucky to even get in today without a proper appointment.
It was an easy fill today, and the theme set the tone for my "tuckered out" feeling this morning. I am a chronic insomniac so I'm often enervated of a morning
Happy Birthday, Moon. Go someplace for dinner so you don't have to cook.
WM, Congratulations on your being chosen among the top ten in the AAron Bros. contest. Way to go!
Bill G. I've gotten hooked on James Patterson books this summer. Google his name and his website comes up.
Treefrog, thank you for keeping us posted on your GD's progress. I'm glad she is going to be fine.
Congrats WM !!! You deserve to win, I love your painting style.
Jimmy B (2:53) What a nice post, and so true. I have made several friends through this blog (thank you C.C.) and look forward to 'tuning in each day that I can to see what is happening in all of your lives. It is a great format even if we have to put up with the occasional troll.
Jeannie - Keep us posted on John. I will be sending you and Mary positive thoughts. I cannot imagine how going through that would be. I am glad she has you for a friend!
TFrank:
I'd say Romo has his priorities pretty straight. Football is only a game, the company of a woman is a way of life. And as one of our most eminent and wise philosophers said, "Too much is not enough".
never heard of fried okra. has anybody else?
C.C., i think 'broom hilda' has some connection with 'brunhilde' from norse mythology...not sure tho. and..I never changed a diaper
either and have four children. do you have children?
that's my post. forgot my name.
Lemonade714 said: And do read all the Rex Stout Nero Wolfe books, starting with Fer de Lance which has the same wit as Parker.
Heh heh. I've read all of them too, though many years ago. I could probably read them all again and wouldn't remember much from the first time.
Thank you all for your input.
tfrank, I think it was Jessica Simpson, not Jennifer Aniston, but Windhover's point remains valid.
Guday, all. Another easy Wed. and most things have been covered.
Jeanie; Tell John to hang in there. So far, so good. My thoughts are there.
Jazz. "Jazz - "We don't give a damned about the whole state of Michigan!" JZB "Come Home". Ohio-Sweet, Ohio.
I must be off!!
Bill G; John Valen, T. Jefferson Parker, Dick Francis, Jeffery Deaver, Joseph Wambaugh, John D. MacDonald, Ross McDonald, David Baldacci...and all those mentioned previously.
Today's B-Day you forgot Hardan Young. Today he is 66 years young. It is also my B-Day and I was born in '43, (I'll leave it up to you to guess which century).
Buckeye, HAPPY FRIGGING BIRTHDAY, my friend; I hope you did something memorable.
windhover, at least.
Thanks to all of you for the love and laughs. Prayers and good thoughts to those in need.
Illinois' motto is "State sovereignty, national union" Catchy, huh?
Buckeye - you old '-art, happy, happy birthday and many more. Don't ever change and I hope all the stellar citizens at the GBRV give you a big party. Don't be drinkin in your hot rod Lincoln or you may end up in a place occupied by O. Shitte, O. Mygod and I.M.Wett.
Happy Birthday, Buckeye. You too Hardan!
The ShowUsYourAmerica voting site is open and accepting votes. The following email is what I sent to everyone in my address book. Feel free to copy and send it on to your email list.
"I have a good friend, Kathleen Wolf, who is a San Jose area artist. She recently entered a national Aaron Brothers contest for art that best represents America. Her painting has been chosen as one of the ten finalists. I would appreciate it if you would take a minute and check the following website. Her piece is the very inventive "American Landscape". If you like it as much as I do, please place your vote for her and forward this email on to others on your correspondents list. She would appreciate it very much.
http://showusyouramerica.com/votes
Thanks for your help in supporting a terrific artist and a very nice person."
Dennis; Have you ever tried sex on a trampoline?
Don't.
Ohio's motto is:
"Cogito ergo I'm not from Michigan".
I'm having a great time. I'm on my second bottle of Jonnie Walker Blue. Wish you were all here. In fact, I wish anybody was here.
It's time to light the candle on my Birthday cupcake. With all the scotch I've consumed, I'm afraid to blow out the candle. I'll set the curtains in my cell ...er..room on fire.
Nurse Ratchet says she has a surprise for me later tonight and I'm scared s**tless.
IMBO
Dennis; Have you ever tried sex on a trampoline?
Buckeye, it's all a matter of timing.
Nurse Ratchet says she has a surprise for me later tonight and I'm scared s**tless.
She probably just wants to blow out your candle...
Hello bloggers, the Irish and I are on the town (Lexington, Ky)
listening to a band called "The Young Dubliners". They aren't young, but they're kicking ass. We're thinking of emigrating. I've only had four Guinness so far, but I'm told they're good for you and may have a couple more before closing time, when, as the Killer from Loiusiana said, the girls all get prettier. What puzzle?
First, thank you to absoulutely everyone for all of your support and kind words...and second...hey Buckeye...HBDTY, HBDTY, HB dear Buckeye, HBDTY...and many many more.
All great book selections and I would definitely add in the Kathy Reichs...as they are about her real cases the books are always fascinating.
And a special thank you to CA...as always, a lovely and gracious lady, whom I am pleased to call a friend and can't wait to meet face to face soon..
More hugs to you all whether you think you need them or not, :o)
Windhover, I hope your Irish is the sober driver...for more than one reason. I am glad you guys are out there enjoying the band.
Luxor, do you even read C.C.'s blog? Do you think if she had some children of her own she would have had some diaper changing experience? Just common sense in my thinking.
Buckaye...even though you are diss'n my home state I still am going to give you a big SSSMMMOOOCCCHHH right where you need it. Happy Birthday, and thanks for thinking about me today.
All you people out there dealing with stress and strife, I feel for you. The ones that come to name are Linda, Clearayes, Treefrog, and Jeannie.
Treefrog, there was a special tug on my "Mommy" heart strings for you. A bloody lip that needed stitches put me over the edge. I can't imagine losing a small child and then having the scare you went through with this one. I am sorry that they suffered, but happy to hear the outcome. Brady is doing well at school and is the star running back on his football team. They finally found out he can catch the ball as well as run with it.
Jeannie, I hope your friends are doing well through this situation. I am sure your friend Mary is very happy to have your shoulder. It sounds like you have quite a history together. If I had to compare it, it would be much like my sis Tashajo.
Luxor,
See my 8:31 on Brunhilde. This is a much briefer rundown on the saga than I found this morning, when I thought it was too long to link.
Buckeye,
I wish you a happy 66th birthday! I wonder if at this late hour and after so much whisky, you'll even see this post, but I wish you well anyway!
WM,
I'm on my way to vote! Good luck!
Forgive me Dennis and C.C. but anon, you are mean and cruel. I am not looking for attention but comfort. I am really sorry you don't know the difference. 'Nuff said.
Anonymous said: "Okay, here we go with Jeannie touting about somebody we don't even know...ATTENTION,ATTENTION,ATTENTION. That is all she craves. She hasn't even posted in the last few weeks and all of a sudden you guys rally for her? Do you not remember why she was banned from this site? Now she brought Tarrajo out of the woodwork...."
I'm a new kid on the block. Why are you 'anonymous' and what's going on that I don't understand? This post seems less than friendly to me.
Bill G, ditto on Ian Rankin's Rebus books. They're terrific. Try to read them in order (even though they stand alone) because some characters appear,reappear, and continue, and there is a last one, (maybe.)
ClearAyes, my sympathies to your family on the loss of your MIL.
Liz
To me, todays puzzle was easier than yesterdays. ????????
@gmony Sometimes that happens. And sometimes the puzzle is just on the right wavelength for you.
Buckeye, Many Happy Returns of the Day. It sounds like you did do something special today.
Terrajo, It is good to hear from you again. We were worried.
CA, thank you for the sight and the note to send to our mailbox friends. Even if we just get a few more votes from each mailbox it will help.
Kazie; The wicked never sleep.
Thanks to all of you for the Birthday congrats. It is greatly appreciated.
IMBO
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