google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday October 2, 2009 Jack McInturff

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Oct 2, 2009

Friday October 2, 2009 Jack McInturff

Theme: Let Me C - Letter C is inserted in front of a R-starting 4-letter word of a familiar phrase/word.

20A. Grouch in the army?: MILITARY (C)RANK. Military Rank. A grouchy person is a crank.

27A. Small-time hood's pottery?: PUNK (C)ROCK. Punk Rock. Punk=hood. Ruffian.

36A. Accident in a qualifying race?: HEAT (C)RASH. Heat Rash. Heat = preliminary or qualifying race.

47A. Family insignia for designer Edith?: HEAD (C)REST. Headrest. Edith Head was a costume designer with 8 Oscar awards. Did anyone put PIAF first?

54A. Jalopy used as a trade-in?: EXCHANGE (C)RATE. Exchange Rate. Both jalopy and crate refer to beat-up cars. New to me.

Too bad the base word headrest is single word. All the other theme answers have two-word base phrases.

Simple yet clever theme. Neat to have CYCLE (30D. Repeating series) connecting three of the theme answers. Neater to have a letter C placed in the very middle of the grid.

Quite a few unfamiliar names, but mostly obtainable from crosses.

Across:

1. List of options: MENU. Easy start.

14. Informed about: UP ON. Sometimes the answer is IN ON.

15. Rod Stewart's ex: ALANA. Also George Hamilton's ex.

16. Parade honoree: HERO

17. Sugar and spice product?: GIRL. Nursery rhyme: "... What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and all things nice". Boys from "snakes and snails and puppy dog tails."

18. Turbine part: ROTOR

19. __-Z: classic Camaro: IROC. I just remember it as I ROCK.

23. Upright, for one: PIANO. Or "Grand, for one". I like how it intersects PPP (23D. Very quietly). PPP stands for pianississimo. Piano can mean soft too, abbreviated as P.

26. Tell stories: LIE. Nice clue.

31. Hardwood tree: ALDER. Rot/water resistant. Birch family.

33. Downing St. VIPs: PMS (Prime Ministers). The "British legislators" are MPS (Members of Parliament).

34. Small island: CAY. Same as key.

39. Ford failures: EDSELS

42. "Bad" cholesterol, briefly: LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein). The "good" cholesterol is HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein). And OAT (29D. Cholesterol-reducing grain).

43. "The Gold Bug" author: POE. Easy guess. I was not aware of this short story.

46. Hedren of "The Birds": TIPPI. Melanie Griffith's mother.

51. '70s-'80s Pakistani leader: ZIA. Learned his name from doing Xword. Khan and ZIA.

53. Analyze grammatically: PARSE

64. River near Kassel, Germany: EDER. The red line? I only saw ELBE.

65. Like Chicago, so they say: WINDY. Chicago is nicknamed the "Windy City".

66. Where the Jazz play: UTAH. Utah Jazz.

67. Belgrade native: SERB

68. Pair in the middle of dressing?: ESSES. There are a pair of letter S in the very middle of the word "dressing".

Down:

3. Old Viking descendants of northern France: NORMANS. Derived from Norsemen.

4. Separate, as chain parts: UNLINK

5. Indian cover-up: SARI. I liked the clue. "Malaysian cover-up" is SARONG.

6. Congeal, as blood: CLOT

7. Pro __: RATA. In proportion.

8. Arctic jacket: ANORAK (AN-uh-rak). The Eskimo parka. The boy in the middle has a boy Dennis look.

9. Martin and Magdalene: MARYS. Don't know Mary Martin.

11. Harbingers: HERALDS

12. Many O. Henry endings: IRONIES. I like how it's placed side by side with MOCKERY (13D. Farce).

21. Express's opp.: LOC. Local?

24. Periodic table suffix: IUM. Elemental ending, as in titanium.

28. Old ColorTrak TVs: RCAS

35. Like worn tires: BALD. No tread.

36. With it: HEP

37. "My Fair Lady" flower seller: ELIZA. Eliza Doolittle.

38. Old vitamin bottle abbr.: RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance). What's the abbreviation on the "New vitamin bottle" then?

39. Refinery gases: ETHENES. Thought it's spelled ETHANES.

40. Carbon __: DIOXIDE. The greenhouse gas.

41. Phantom: SPECTER

43. Italian jewelry designer Elsa: PERETTI. No idea. Got her name from Across fill.

44. CIA predecessor: OSS (Office of Strategic Services)

45. When the French fry?: ETE. Ha ha, identical clue in Jack McInturff's March 25 puzzle.

47. Traditional Scottish dish: HAGGIES. Ewwww.

48. Yr.-end auditor: CPA. Kind of tired to see CPA every day. Probably not for KQ.

49. Inform on, slangily: RAT OUT

52. Really impressed: IN AWE

55. Chef's secret ingredient, perhaps: HERB. I only like chives.

56. Fish-eating birds: ERNS. OK, here is the correct ERN (Thanks again, Roger). Looks ferocious, doesn't it? TERN, on the other hand, looks rather dumb.

58. Actor Fernando et al.: REYS. Obtained his name from crossings. Spanish actor.

63. Short at the poker table: SHY

Answer grid.

Dot/Frank, read this interesting article on daily crossword & long marriage connections. 70 years, amazing!

C.C.

66 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - again today, a fun puzzle, albeit easier than a Friday should be. (Please tell me it's Friday)

I thought the theme was very clever. Like C.C., I loved how 'cycle' connected 3 of the theme answers. Had a couple unknowns that fell pretty quickly, but I was completely perp-lexed at the crossing of 37D and 51A. Didn't know either one, and actually spun through the alphabet all the way to 'z' before the 'aha' moment.

I'm curious - how many people knew Elsa Peretti off the top of their heads?

Today is Name Your Car Day.

Today's Words of Wisdom: "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography." -- Ambrose Bierce

Couple more definitions:

- Experience: a comb life gives you after you lose your hair.

- Epitaph: a belated advertisement for a line that has been discontinued.

Got a bit of disturbing health news today - I guess I can't complain, as I've been in such good health my entire life. Seems a murmur my doctor picked up on some time ago has gone from minor to a 'moderate' aortic valve leak. Got an MRI scheduled to get a better idea as to what's going on. The good news is that the cardiologist said I didn't need to change a thing in my routine, other than staying away from trying to do maximum weights in my workouts, and instead doing higher reps with less weight. They should have something you can drink, like the 'StopLeak' stuff they sell for leaky car radiators. If I wait long enough, they probably will.

On a happier note, my wife has to go to Atlanta for business all next week, so I'm gonna use the opportunity to return to the scene of my teens to see some friends and indulge in the world's finest chili dogs; leaving tomorrow night to drive down. I'll be off and on during the week.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Dennis,
ZIA appeared in a Barry Silk puzzle before, with the identical clue.

Clear Ayes,
Maybe Honeycrisps have to grow in Minnesota. They are super sweet and flavorful.

Argyle & Embien,
Besides OSLO, EURO (clever answer, Argyle), BERN and ROME for the "European capital" clue, Rich Norris provided RIGA & BERN.

Hahtoolah said...

Morning, C.C. I really admire how you can provide such stunning and informative commentary each morning on the clues.

This was a fun theme. After I got MILITARY CRANK, I knew to look for a C before an R in the theme clues.

Lots of fun clues: Upright one (23A): PIANO and When French fry (45D): ETE were favorites, along with Downing St. VIPs for PM, instead of cluing as after noon.

Tiffany's sells a lot of Elsa Peretti's jewelry.

Have a good weekend.

Dick said...

Good morning C.C. and all, another fun puzzle today and again I have found the puzzles to be a bit more challenging than the previous ones. I had a very difficult time recalling the flower seller in “My Fair Lady” and the cross with Zia did not help.

The theme came early and certainly did help in solving. I liked the piano clue.

Dennis sorry to hear you are experiencing some health problems, but, as you know, they can do so many great things in heart repair today. Good luck!

Hope you all have a great Friday. Me an my bride are off to Cabo San Lucas today.

Lemonade714 said...

Very nice 5 word theme, and a few unknowns that required the perps, such as PERETTI (did any of you he men know that name? Not I, I certainly love shopping, but do not memorize designers).

I agree about ETHENES, "Gas produced in petroleum refineries by cracking, reforming, and other processes; principally methane, ethane , ethylene (which apparently can be called ethene, butanes, and butylenes."

Dennis, you have all our best wishes; I guess all this being nice to the bloggers had its effect on your aortic valve. Sensitivity ain't easy. I did think of you when I wrote MILITARY CRANK, from the good old days. Seriously, I send prayers and as much humor as you can take.

Send pictures to CC guys, I miss our daily reveals.

later...

Anonymous said...

Dennis, I will put you in my little prayer book that I work on daily.

Couldn't complete this one the entire way. Having ETHANE didn't help. I got the theme, just couldn't transfer it to an E. I also never would have gotten PIANO or SPECTER. Oh well. Too much to do today to spend more time on it, or I may have been more successful in the end. I did really like the puzzle though and only missed a few letters in the end.

CC, I too grow weary of CPA, even though that used to be my profession. It is not an easy fill to make colorful is it? I assure you that lots of CPA's I know are very colorful characters though, despite their stodgy reputation.

As for Honeycrisps outside of the Midwest, I don't know why they wouldn't be as good. They are my favorites, but I haven't yet tasted the SweeTango's. I hear they are superb also. Lunds didn't have them the other day. A trip to the apple orchard is due I guess.

Hosted our neighborhood Bunco last night and we had a great time.

Dot, what a wonderful article about you and your husband. Congratulations again on your anniversary. Only one day apart from each other, I cannot imagine. I haven't seen my husband for 8 days, and he leaves for another 5 on Sunday. How times change.

Martin said...

Almost did it without googling but I had BARE instead of BALD so when I got HEAD CREST I ended up with BARD and I had to google LDL to get the L. I also started with CUP for MUG, SCOOT for SCRAM and FIB for LIE. I don't mind that it was easier because, as I said, I came very close to solving it all by myself, which is a real thrill for a Friday.

Martin

Argyle said...

The Eder River flows east into the Fulda River. The Fulda flows north through the city of Kassel and then northwest to join with the Werra River to form the Weser River which then empties into the North Sea at Bremerhaven. You may now promptly forget all this.

Argyle said...

Good Morning, C.C. et al.

My last letter change: Eliza with a "Z", not Elisa with an "S".

Mary Martin as Peter Pan. Her son, actor Larry Hagman.(Dallas)

kazie said...

Thanks Argyle,
You saved me the trouble. I had to get all my most detailed German maps out to find it--a very minor river.

I thought yesterday was a struggle? Today really burned me. I actually had to look up quite a few things today: PPP and HERALDS successfully, IROC, not so, I guessed it when the perps fell in after changing military CROSS to CRANK. Also couldn't come up with PUNK until PPP was there. IUM is a mystery to me as to why it has anything specific to do with the periodic table; elements, yes, table, no. Chemistry and music are both still very foreign languages to me.

Dennis,
Sorry to hear your worrisome news. At our age we have to keep an eye on everything, but hopefully it's not a real issue.

Argyle said...

I'll try another link.
Eder River

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Here's is some chemical nitpicking. As Lemonade pointed out, Butanes and butylenes, (properly buteneswhich can exist in different isomeric forms, can sensibly be referred to in the plural. Ethene - the proper chemical name of ethylene - is a simple symmetric molecule that can only exist in a single form, and does not reasonably admit to a plural. ETHENES makes no more sense than oxygens - which is to say, none at all. While I'm ATIT, carbon is a pretty flimsy clue, no matter what fill follows it. First thing to pop into my mind was DISULFIDE.

Does cheeky really mean the same thing as brassy? No quite, if you ask me.

Other than that, good puzzle. Took me a while to "C" the theme.

Symmetry:
The story goes that after OTIS Redding hear Aretha Franklin sing R-E-S-P-E-C-T, he said, "That GIRL done stole my song."

With oatmeal as the cholesterol reducer, it's interesting to see it under CLOT. And, over HAGGIS, which is stuffed with it.

Cold and rainy here this morning. We're off to T-town.

Cheers!
JzB the cheeky tombonist

Jazzbumpa said...

Ooops. Sorry for all the typos.

I do proof read. I'm just really bad ATIT. Something lacking in eye-brain coordination.

Cheers! (2)
JzB the penitent trombonist

Argyle said...

A real treat ;-)

Enter The Haggis

Andrea said...

Good Morning All -

I enjoyed todays puzzle, and was stumped on quite a few, but eventually worked it out without outside help. The theme came together quickly, and was a big help figuring out the remaining theme entries.

My only stumbles were the intersection of Zia and Haggis (didn't know either, and guessed every letter but A for the crossing), and Poe - I had Beretti instead of Peretti.

Will be exciting to hear if Chicago gets the Olympics today. We will get some of the biking events in our area, so I am really hoping it happens! Would be so much fun to be a part of the Olympics!!

Enjoy the day.

Andrea

Jeannie said...

This was a very enjoyable puzzle for a Friday. Yes Dennis, it is Friday! I only had to hit the g-spot for Elsa Peretti. Unlike Lemonade, I hate to shop! I got some perp help with zia and rata and my favorite clue today was “when the French fry” - Ete. Poe was a total guess for the author of “gold bug”. Just once I would like to see PMS clued as “women’s monthly malady” :)

I always name my cars. My current one is a grey Buick named Jeeves.

Dennis, I hope you will be okay. I applaud you for even going to the doctor. There are a lot of men I know that won’t visit their physician or even have one for that matter. I have a special recipe just for you today my meat-lover. It will follow shortly.

Kelev said...

I don't think that article is about Dot and her husband, KQ. It appears to be another couple who have enjoyed doing xwords during their 70 year marriage.

I don't get the Mary Martin / Larry Hagman reference, Argyle. I know they are mother and son, but what is today's connection?

Al said...

About ETHENE... Organic chemistry is all about the Carbon atom bonding with other Carbon atoms.

No, stay awake here please, it's all about C-C, see?

ETHENE is the IUPAC (international standard) name for the gas given off by plants that encourages growth and ripening, more commonly known as ethylene. It's why your bananas turn brown, and why you can force green tomatoes to turn red if you put them in a closed paper bag with a banana.

Carbon is the molecule of life. It can use either one, two or three of those bonds to join to another carbon atom, and that to another, and another, etc. The term for that is catenation.

When it is all single bonds (C-C), the compound is "saturated", such as in saturated fats, which are solids at room temperature.

When at least one double bond exists (C=C), the compond is termed an Alkene, is "unsaturated", and usually is a liquid. Polyunsaturated fats, like olive oil, have multiple double bonds. Margarines and trans-fats are unnaturally made by breaking one of the double bonds on liquid-y unsaturated fats and adding hydrogen atoms.

The ETH prefix means there are two Carbons, a PROP prefix would mean three.
one bond C-C is ethane
two bonds C=C is ethene (ethylene)
three bonds is ethyne (acetylene)

The "standards" names are technically correct, but not used much outside of a chem lab, so "in the language" is kind of questionable here, but the answer is certainly legit.

Do I hear snoring? Bueller? Anyone?

Jeannie said...

There are tons of variations on a good old fashioned meatloaf. Here is my take on it.

Jeannie’s Meatloaf

1 ½ lb ground chuck
½ lb ground pork
4 strips of bacon
1 medium onion diced fine
1 cup shitake mushrooms diced fine (secret ingredient)
1 clove of garlic minced
½ cup of bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 medium eggs
¼ cup of ketchup (I am guessing here as I just squirt some in)
A couple shakes of the bottle of Worcester sauce
A few drops of soy sauce
Black Pepper to your liking
3 sprigs of thyme (strip the leaves) or ¼ tsp dried thyme

Saute the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in some butter until they are soft and the onions are translucent. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl combine all the other ingredients except for the bacon strips. Work in the onion/mushroom mixture and form into a loaf. Place in a 9x13 glass baking dish and drape the bacon slices over the top. Bake for about 1 ½ hours at 350. Enjoy!!

Argyle said...

Kelev, from C.C.'s original post:
9D. Martin and Magdalene: MARYS. Don't know Mary Martin.

Moon said...

Good Morning!
Enjoyable puzzle. I got the theme after MILITARY CRANK and PUNK CROCK.
Had problem getting PIANO and PPP.
Like most of you, had problem with ETHENES: never heard of it before.
But ZIA was a gimme as I grew up in India and Pakistan's head of state is always news there.
POE was a wild guess: couldnt think of any other author with 3 letters in the last name.
Loved the "Where the Jazz play" clue though I took time getting UTAH (ofcourse felt like kicking myself that I couldnt get it immediately).

Dennis, Its good that your condition was discovered early. Hoping that the MRI finds you hale and hearty.

All this cholestrol clues remind me: DH's lipid results are expected anytime today: his numbers are usually borderline. The problem is that he refuses to change his ways.

Finally, the work week ends today...somehow not in a mood to work this week. :)

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Warren said...

Hi C.C. & gang, I think we only finished ~1/2 of today's Friday puzzle before my wife left for work. I went online and filled in everything and found a few mistakes that way. I really liked the clue for 23A: Upright, for one - Piano.

Dennis, I'm sorry to hear of your heart problem, I wish you the best medical care you can get! Life is too short you know...

For Jeannie: another recipe? I like a good meatloaf so I printed it out for later.

Car naming? I've never followed that practice but I still remember a 1978 Pontiac Fire-bird that my sister named Maria

Mainiac said...

Hello CC and All,

Another hectic morning as the wife had to leave early for training and I had to get the kids off to school. I was getting hungry so I took a break for the puzzle. Definitely a higher difficulty level but not what some Friday's have been because I finished it. I got the theme answers but not the theme until CC's explanation. All the names were complete guesses which required a lot of erasing. Finally got it all with no red letter help.

Dennis, positive thoughts heading your way. Glad they caught it and hopefully some "stop leak" will fix it. An avid biker I ride with occasionally was diagnosed with a similar ailment. He takes some sort of medicine and still rides (upwards of 5000 miles per year, yeah fanatic). His doc wasn't thrilled with the riding so they compromised and he rides with a bike computer that has a heart monitor.

A year ago August my father made a couple of comments to his doctor about some strange sensations he was having while swimming. After a stress test he was sent to a cardiologist that kept him there for a triple by-pass. I was extremely impressed with the facility and technology available to deal with Dad's issue. He was out of the hospital four days after the surgery (that nearly gave my mother a heart attack). He's back to his regular routine again. Truly amazing!!

I made the mistake of complaining about my knees and shoulder at this year's annual. My doc sent me to an orthopedic who diagnosed me with osteo-arthritis. I now where these cute little wraps just under my knee caps (that help) and take an anti-inflammatory and chondroitin (which I don't think do much). Also got a shot of cortisone in my shoulder. The good news is the major stuff is all good (prostate, heart and liver amazingly) and my good cholesterol out weighs my elevated LDL! Like Dad says "Keep movin' so you don't rust up.

Look at me ramble!

Have a great day!

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, There were a lot of stoppers for me today. I guess I don't shop at Tiffany's enough (never) to know who PERETTI is. I suppose I shouldn't complain as long as a future constructor doesn't have a fill that is clued as "Elsa Peretti's birthplace".

Those four letter rivers, Oder, Ider, Isar, Eder, Yser are all crosswordese to me. Today's SPECTER could have easily been spelled SPECTRE. I really would have been up a creek (the EDER?) without a paddle if that had been the case.

I didn't know LOC, PPP, or ZIA and had a brain freeze with the cross of WHIM and WHIR. The NE corner was the last to finally give in.

HAGGIS is interesting stuff. The Scots have a sense of humor about it. Piping in the haggis. There is a ritual in a Burn's Night Dinner that involves not only haggis, but the consumption of a great deal of whiskey. Dalwhinnie ($300 a bottle), anyone?

Dennis, I do admire a man who takes care of his internal health. I've known a couple men who looked great on the outside, but refused to have checkups or paid attention to warning signs. They are no longer with us. You are obviously a very smart guy. We are all wishing you the best. Have fun next week.

Dick said...

@andrea1263, sorry but Chicago lost out on the Olympics.

PJB-Chicago said...

Oh, oh, oh. My head is still spinning from all the chemistry. No one will ever say that this blog isn't educational! Lol. We do learn lots here, for which I am grateful.

I have "accrued" so much vacation at one of my three jobs that I have today off, which means I have all day to cook (Jeannie's recipes) and polish off a couple writing assignments before the deadline hits and my poor editor has to correct my lousy use of punctuation.... i have to pay her 1 penny for each improper use of parentheses. I now owe her about 9 bucks.

Puzzle was a complete stumper today, but fun. Got stalled in the SE corner. Also, Ms. Peretti was not at the tip of my tongue. SPECTER is a word I should know but forgot. German rivers are a mystery to me. Now you know why I'm not on Jeopardy.
The theme eluded me until the bitter end, but somehow the grid fell into place without having to Bing or dip into Google. Looking forward to tomorrow's grid.

C. C. very fine blogging today. Probably my ninth time to say this, but I have NO idea how you manage to pull together your insightful commentary day in and day out. Kudos, and I doff my hat to you.
No links to "hot buns" today? :-§

@Dennis. No need to stress. Please allow me to put on my healthcare hat for a moment. What you have is absolutely treatable. Only wise counsel I can offer is to get a second opinion before anyone implants or extracts anything. If your insurance company balks, email me and I can walk you through the appeal process. Oh, let me add that naps (siestas
) are proven to lessen cardiovascular disease. Heart tests do vary from minute to minute, so they may ask you to wear a halter monitor, to see how your ticker functions 24/7, which is annoying but not invasive. Be well.

@Al. May I steal your line about Carbon being the "molecule of life"? I'm fixing to do a toast of a wonderful, soon-to-retire colleague and that could come in handy. She is, I believe, a carbon-based life-form although the RNA test was inconclusive.

Al said...

@PJB, knock yourself out if you think it's all that appealing...

Actually, I should have said carbon is the element of life, rather than molecule...it takes carbon compounds to be molecules.

JD said...

Good morning CC and all,

Argyle, great job on Mon/Tues..was too busy to write...plumber is under house, daughter and husband got keys to new house, and we took a trek up to wine country to visit a place called Safari West (a prelude for our real safari next week).
Had to do puzzle in USA Today for a few days.One clue/answer I did not grok:" Cry's partner-hue ???

Jazzbumpa and Al, you guys blow me away with your knowledge.

"First thing to pop into my mind was DISULFIDE." ha,ha,ha! I filled in ethanol.Had to change the L to S for Serb,but I thought Oder was correct.For me, it doesn't always have to make sense; it just has to be somewhat familiar.Zia was not familiar, and I "G'd" Peretti.

The theme actually helped me, although it wasn't easy today- a word here, a word there, back and forth.

Good luck to the windy city!

Warren said...

For JD,

Hue and Cry:
1. A public clamor, as of protest or demand: raised a great hue and cry about political corruption.
2.
a. The pursuit of a felon announced with loud shouts to alert others who were then legally obliged to give chase.
b. The loud outcry formerly used in such a pursuit.

Re: Safari West? We're staying there overnight in a tent cabin at the end of November.

PJB-Chicago said...

#2. Chicago, as Dick mentioned, is out of the running for the Olympics. Michelle Obama gave it her all, and the first US president to make a pitch in front of the IOC couldn't sway the vote. Two thirds of my siblings kind of won't talk to me because they were huge fans of hosting the games here and I was opposed. Both of them have homes with a guest room which made them see dollar signs in the hope that they could rent those rooms to attendees. My take on the games was that our public transportation system couldn't handle the influx of visitors, nor could the city avoid losing money on the deal--all moot points, now.

Other news flash: David letterman is in deep dung for extracuricular activites with staff. I just do not get how someone so smart could be so stupid. Talk about a WHIM, eh?

Andrea said...

Bummer about Chicago...

My champagne edition VW Beetle convertible is named Boursault, after the Chateau de Boursault in France's champagne region. It was built in 1843 by Mme. Cliquot, of Veuve Cliquot champagne fame. (Veuve is french for widow.) We stumbled upon this incredible chateau and the accompanying Brut blance, a nice blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and charonnay grape, after driving up what seemed to be a cow path carved into the hillside.

After we visited the chateau, we stopped in the charming little town for one of my all time favorite meals. After announcing that we were three for lunch, we were seated in a small dining room filled with farmers enjoying their hearty midday prix fixe meal. Not only were my friends and I the only foreigners in the place, we were the only women, so we stuck out like sore thumbs. If memory serves, we were also the only ones not wearing overalls.

The only decision we had to make about the meal was whether to start with une coupe de champagne - when in Rome... of course the answer was an enthusiastic yes! After that, Madame brought out course after course: charcuterie, choucroute, some kind of meat casserole, iles flottante (yummy meringue dessert), and finally cafe. All for 50 francs, roughly $10 at the time...

I happy relive the experience in my mind every time we take Boursault out for a spin.

Al said...

If you all can tolerate just a bit more: It's interesting to note that plants(vegetation) and refineries(plants) both give off ethylene gas. Well, it is to me, anyway.

Also, interesting that JD mentioned ethanol, which is a two-carbon (there's eth again) alcohol. It is related to ethane, one bond, not ethene, double bond.

So, @PJB, you can toast to someone who is the element of life with a compound that is the molecule of life ;-)

Lemonade714 said...

Ladies, stop picking on me, I just hate doctors; my uncle was a doctor and I grew up hanging around the hospital, so my avoidance is based on knowledge.

David Letterman is just another example of nothing being free in life. Fame and fortune seem like goals, but the there are too many temptations and too many pipers to pay. I know the majority of humans would in positions of power succumb to various treats, I would; it is easier to live a happy life without the complications. 15 years from now he will have to not only deal with his wife, but his child. I have made enough mistakes that are difficult to explain, certainly mistakes that are on the front page are the most difficult of all. Good luck to Dave, and to the women who contributed.

JB and Al great information on ETHENE; I do love new stuff.

Buckeye said...

Guday all: Dennis, it is Friday. In fact, it's April Fools Day. Elsa Peretti came to me in a heart beat. I used to date her. My parents named , not their car, but me. They named me Jr. after my dad because after they saw me, they didn't know how to spell "Bluuuuck"

I think Norris is toughening things a bit. I like that.

Again, most of my "hang ups" were already stated but I meddled through, with perp help. So, again, not much to offer on the puzzle.

I feel queer (the old usage - see Fred) being so useless regarding the puzzle. That's why I don't post that often anymore. I DO NOT want to use c.c.'s blog as a "chat room". It's far more important than that.

So---if I have nothing to contribute to the x/w discussion, I bail, but still read the comments.

I love you people to death. Many of you have become "friends" even though we've never met. I hope to contribute enlightening things and some humor from time to time, and I hope it will be for a long time.

However, I recently had a mild heart attack (my third) and my doctor said I only have one to thirty years to live. Please bring on the "death panel".

I must be off

Buckeye said...

P.S. Nurse Ratchet said, " If you die, you small d****d m**********r, I'll kill you, or haunt your afterlife forever. You don't really satisfy me, but you bring great amusement".

Lord, she's scary; and Halloween is coming up. Send help at The Golden Buckeye Retirement Vi;gWG'EGQKGWPP ooh sh8u[-oi

imbtrsxewa

Buckeye said...

Lemonade714: Your post came up during my stupidity posting. All people are us! We think they have skills, and they do, and we have none! WRONG!! We all possess skills. Find them and use them. For example; we have a person on this blog named
Clearayes". She is like a sister to me, and she always brings joy and harmony to her posts. She will never be recognized for the enlightenment and joy she brings to others, but we share and enjoy it everyday.
And there are so many more on this blog, I wish I could name them all, that share their lives and feelings with their "friends."

c.c. has created a MASTERPIECE. Relax and enjoy it.

IMBO

windhover said...

Buckeye:
Sad to hear that Nurse Ratchet has turned out to be a size queen. And I suppose it's not only the case that "amused" is a synonymn for "tickled" just in xword puzzles.

Judging from the language at the end of your post, that last encounter must have been quite a religious experience for you. OTOH, I have heard that speaking in tongues can be a reasonable substitute for ......... Well, you know.
Now we're probably both off.

JimmyB said...

Dennis - Sorry to hear of your recent health challenge. I hope all our healing prayers headed your way aid in the resolution. And think of the bright side: I'm sure your daily fitness regimen has played a major role in the positive prognosis.

Hahtool - Thanks for the Peretti link. I swore I had never heard of this woman before until I saw your link to the Tiffany's ad. That's when I recognized that little gold heart that was so popular back in the 80's (I think). I got one for my wife but never knew about the designer.

Clear Ayes said...

Buckeye, Oh my! Thank you. I've said it before, you do have a way with a compliment. There you are in Ohio, feeling queer and I am in California feeling very gay. We must be related.

I've been saving this poem for a special (or possibly queer) occasion. Today is as good as any. Making a MOCKERY of William Carlos Williams poems is taking a chance, but poet Kenneth Koch pulls it off very well.

Variations on a Theme by William Carlos Williams
1
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.
I am sorry, but it was morning, and I had nothing to do
and its wooden beams were so inviting.

2
We laughed at the hollyhocks together
and then I sprayed them with lye.
Forgive me. I simply do not know what I am doing.

3
I gave away the money that you had been saving to live on for the next ten years.
The man who asked for it was shabby
and the firm March wind on the porch was so juicy and cold.

4
Last evening we went dancing and I broke your leg.
Forgive me. I was clumsy and
I wanted you here in the wards, where I am the doctor!

- Kenneth Koch

Luxor said...

Dennis,
sorry to hear about your heart problem. i'm sure you know heart valves are being replaced nowadays. i hope it doesn't come to that, however there is help available.
also, repetition gives you definition moreso than the amount of weight you lift. weight gives you bulk.
wishing you the best.

lux

Jazzbumpa said...

Dennis -

Sorry to hear of your condition. I don't know about there being a stop-leak in your future, but the situation does sound manageable. Take heart - and PJB's excellent advice.

We just had AORTA yesterday. This is spooky.

Buckeye - Hey guy, I miss you when you're not around. I always enjoy your ramblings - er . . . posts, even when they're in imaginary languages. (Or are you just a bad proof-reader, too?) You take heart -and good care of yourself - as well.

Speaking of missing people, has anyone up north heard from TJ?

Al - excellent posts, my Chemiker amigo.

Just to further confuse things, ethanol can also be called methyl carbinol (and actually is, by the surprising number of G-hits.) I don't see any need to pay $300 for a bottle of it, though. Lagavulin is fine at 1/4 the price. I've never had Haggis, but really suspect about half a liter of J&B might put me in a mood to try it - or slump face-first into the plate. (Probably a better choice.) For a little nip on a Friday evening, I prefer Lagavulin or Talisker.

We scuttled the trip to T-town today. The LW has a bit of a headache, so we stayed home -- and she spent the next several hours doing house work. When I have a headache I lay down and moan a lot. She is made of sterner stuff.

Now we find that Letterman has a little problem. So it's not just politicians. Being really smart has never kept anyone from being really dumb. It's one of life's mysteries.

PJB - Improper use of parentheses! (What can that possibly mean?) I'd offer to fix them for you butt I can't prof reid.

And I'm with you in the Olympics. Doesn't it usually end up a net economic negative for host cities? We had world cup soccer here about 15 years ago (as did Chicago.) Really a pain in the SIX for anyone commuting near it.

Andrea - That was a great little adventure at the Chateau de Boursault. No haggis there, I'll bet. Alas, I've never been off the continent.

Cheers! (#3)
JzB the malt sipping trombonist

embien said...

10:11 today. I'm not a big fan of the "add and/or delete a letter" kind of theme, but as those go, this one was OK. Each of the theme entries was cleverly clued and I did at least smile several times, if not break out in a chortle.

c.c.: Old vitamin bottle abbr.: RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance). What's the abbreviation on the "New vitamin bottle" then?

I've blogged about this before, c.c., usually when RDA is incorrectly clued. Go look at a vitamin bottle. RDA is no longer used by the government, but instead you'll find something called "Daily Value" on the label. FDA Labeling

Chickie said...

Hello All--I did finish the puzzle today and got the theme right away, however, I had to Google the last three words in the SE corner. Peretti, Otis, and Utah. Most celebrity and sport's names still elude me.

I put in Oder river instead of Eder so Ethenos was something that sounded right, but wasn't. JazzB and Al, thank you for the chemistry lesson. No snoring as it was interesting information.

I did enjoy the Upright, for one, clue as well as Clod chopper and When the French fry? No real new words for me today, but the Eder river will go into my CW dictionary of new words.

Dennis, my thoughts and prayers will be with you in the coming days. I commend you for going to the doctor, then following through on his recommendations.

Dick, I'm envious of your trip to Cabo.

Mary Martin was considered America's leading lady of Musicals. She had the original roles in "South Pacific" (Nellie Forbush) and Maria in "Sound of Music". Her role in "Peter Pan" has already been mentioned.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. The weather is supposed to be just about perfect for fall. Warm during the day and very cool at night.

Chickie said...

My hubby just told me that Rio de Janeiro will host the Olympic Games instead of Chicago or Madrid. Tokoyo was a long shot at best. Apparently, the committee said they felt that the Atlanta games were too commercial and didn't want that to happen again. Olympic games seem to me to be very commercial wherever they are held.

Hahtoolah said...

Rio really shouldn't be a surprise. There have never been Olympics in South America. Rio is exotic, erotic and "safe." Terror threats still are a very real possibility in Spain.

Linda said...

Hello CC and friends...just had a chance to print the puzzle because of what CA said...grrrrr!. Have had quite a successful day considering there are sales all over town...at last count, we had made nearly $500.00 and have tomorrow to go!

Dennis: You have such a good heart...and I`m praying that it will be a well heart. God heals through medicines, through surgeries and through miracles. We don`t care how He chooses to do it...we`ll just thank Him when He does it!

Jeannie How does an obviously good cook stay so trim? I`m my own best customer, unfortunately. Thanks for the kind condolence words. They were from Hubby`s class but have become my dear friends too, over the years.

Linda said...

BRW: Hubby did stay to help me all day today...My gorgeous granddaughter comes tomorrow to help and then I`ll loose him, I know!

Crockett1947 said...

Hello, everyone!

I've been busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, and this is the first day I've been able to sit down in front of a computer and catch up on the crosswords and the blog. I've missed you guys!

The new avatar are daisies for Jeannie. She sure has been putting out some delicious recipes the past few days!

Dennis, my wife has always named her cars. Both of ours are named already. Elsa who? It IS Friday. Hope your health news is readily fixable. You going to Cincinnati? (Cincinnati chili dogs are a legend) I must confess that I named my GPS Hermoine (I usually silence her rather quickly)

@dick, Have a great time in the south land.

@jazzbumpa, your symmetries the other day were outstanding!

@jeannie Wow, another killer recipe. Can't tell you're a foodie, LOL!

Had to do the last couple of day's puzzles using the Times' aplet -- AcrossLite has me spoiled, but I can't download it onto the library's computer.

All this chemistry talk is making my head hurt!!

See you all later.

Clear Ayes said...

I think Rio should be the place for the Olympic Games. The main reason, today at least, is that it gives me the chance to link Hugh Jackman singing I Go To Rio from The Boy From Oz. It isn't the best version, he falls flat on too many notes here, but hey....it's Hugh Jackman!

Linda, glad to hear you made some money today. Yard sales are hard work. What time did the "early birds" show up this morning?

Linda said...

CA: Dawn 30.... :(

Bill G. said...

Crockett doesn't care for the Times aplet and much prefers Across Lite. I started with the Times aplet and am used to it. One of the versions of Across Lite skips over the letters already filled in from crosses and jumps to the next open square. That really throws me off. I much prefer going square by square. I think the newer version of Across Lite does it that way too.

Regarding David Letterman and some politicians: Joy Behar says, "When Mr. Happy gets hard, the brain gets soft."

:>)

I hope the Dodgers get out of the doldrums or it's going to be a long weekend.

Dennis said...

Hey guys - thanks for the thoughts and good wishes - I have no doubt this has a successful outcome, whatever happens.

Crockett, no, the Varsity in Atlanta, the largest drive-in restaurant in the world (multi-level) is where I'm going for the world's best chili dogs.

PJB, fortunately I don't 'stress' about anything. Matter of fact, I get grief about not taking things seriously enough. I appreciate the advice, and I'll certainly heed it; there'll be lots of opinions before there's any 'procedures'. We've got great insurance, so that's luckily not an issue. The nap thing I'll have to work on.

Mainiac, this must be something less serious than what your friend has - the cardiologist said no problem with the big bike rides. He said the key was that as long as you could speak a sentence without gulping for air, it was cool.

Since I won't be here tomorrow, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Southern Belle, who must be approaching her 40s by now. Hope it's a great one.

Anonymous said...

23. Upright, for one: PIANO

I was thinking about vacuum cleaners.

Thanks for the recipes Jeannie.

RSD

Crockett1947 said...

@dennis The Variety sounds like my kind of place -- enjoy!

JD said...

Warren, thanks for the hue and cry def., was not familiar with hue, except when it refers to color.

You'll love Safari West; the "tents" look very comfortable.Got amazing pictures of the zebras and giraffes.
Next time we'll stay there instead of in town.

This is a Truman day..back later

Anonymous said...

C.C. Thanks for the interesting link. We'll never match them because we married too late to make it to seventy. In fact, when we married we said we would never celebrate our 50th but it has now been 57 years. One way in which I'm sure we will match this couple is that it is "Til death do us part."

KQ, Thanks for the good thoughts even though they were not deserved.

Dennis, sorry to hear of your health problem & will pray that it is soon corrected. One medicine I'm sure you get a lot of is laughter. A merry heart doeth good.

I had to google several answers tonight. C.C., I wonder how you find some of the answers that are unknown to you? Names are easy but how about phrases such as 'when the French fry"?

Those who have been wanting harder puzzles should be happy, even though this was not a hammer.

I'm glad, Linda, your garage sale is going well. I helped with one a few weeks ago & the weather was so cool that buyers were scarce. Then we were going to do it the following week and it rained. My friend still has a garage full of stuff & Oct. in Wisconsin is being very cool, rainy & dreary. Not normal!

Dot

PJB-Chicago said...

Am back. Jeannie's tomato recipe was a hit. Dropped some by a neighbor's house and she called me ten minutes later demanding the recipe. I'm always telling ClearAyes to publish a poetry anthology, and C. C. to pen an autobiography, so I'll add you to my list of people who get my unsolicited advice (c.f. Dennis)! Here goes: I think you have a cook book in you! Or a foodblog.

Speaking of ClearAyes; that is a heck of a poem. Wry. Was at a party not long ago & some poseur was quoting the original but he got the wrong fruit. I bit my tongue and didn't correct him in public, but gently told him one on one. Same guy also mispronouced the first name of photographer Diane Arbus, but that wasn't worth pointing out, because I could have been wrong and he's an art critic! He did redeem himself by making very good bacon- wrapped figs though. I think that's Spanish?

Forgot to mention that my big goof in the puzzle was putting in BRAZEN in 35A, instead of BRASSY. Perped my way out of that foul up.

Lots of Chicagoans are licking their wounds today. Only about 35% of city dwellers supported the IOC bid, but lots of people here thought we were a slam dunk for the games. Travel agents are already booking tickets to Rio, and the local language schools are getting lots of calls for Portuguese!

Bendoregonphotos said...

I had no idea your blog existed! I love it. I was stumped on a few of these clues and decided to search on the net. Boom, here I am! Thanks for the help!

JD said...

So much great stuff again today!

Welcome bendoregonphotos, we love new input

Jeannie, that meatloaf recipe sure is an upgrade from mine. Thanks!

Dennis, so happy that you have smart common sense too. As a densa, I'm still in awe of the scientific progress in the medical field. Sending you an OMmmmmmmm.

CC, as always, thanks for the time and energy you give each to every one of us

CA, had a hearty laugh with that video :)

After reading Jimmy's comments about the Peretti hearts, I went back to your link, Hahtool. Those are the hearts I bought my girls for Valentines Day one year, just the small silver one. Had no idea who designed them.They still are wearing them.

Today was an adventure for Truman. I took him to have lunch with my middle school teacher friends. Then I took him to the music room as there was no class going on. He has not decided if he is going to be a drummer or a piano player.

Jeannie said...

PJB, I knew you would appreciate that recipe. I just made it again tonight as I have tomatoes coming out of my SIX. I plan on freezing some, soup that is; and blanching and freezing the rest of my crop. I did bring in my oregano, thyme, and rosemary into the house as they are manageable pots. Dennis, no comment on the meatloaf recipe just for you? I am hurt.

Linda, I can assure you I have some curves. I am not a slimjim by a long shot. Moderation is my key. I get the best "high" out of feeding friends who appreciate my passion. I have finally realized that cooking is one of my talents and somewhat a sanity giver after looking at numbers all day long.

PJB, if you have any tomatoes left, I implore you to make the the basil/tomato pie. (Romas work the best) It's my favorite recipe I have posted here.

Bill G. said...

Jeannie said: I implore you to make the the basil/tomato pie. (Romas work the best) It's my favorite recipe I have posted here.

I copied your meatloaf recipe but missed this one. Could you email it to me please? Thanks.

Jeannie said...

This one is for you BillG and anyone else that missed it. If I have a signature dish, besides my Lasagna (which I have to keep to myself), it's this one and my Meatloaf which I had to post for Dennis. Okay, you are right; I have others up my sleeve from appetizers to entrees to brunch items. If I had the wherewithall, I would open a catering business. It's a scary venture though knowing I have all the benefits through my regular job.

Tomato and Basil Pie Recipe
1 piecrust, unbaked
1 1/2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
5 Roma or 4 medium tomatoes
1 C. loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 t. ground white pepper

Unfold piecrust according to package directions. Or try the vodka pie crust recipe, as I did. Place in a 9-inch quiche or pie dish. Prebake according to package directions. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Adjust oven to 375?F.

Cut tomatoes into slices drain on paper towels. Arrange slices on top of melted cheese in the baked pie shell.

In a food processor bowl, combine basil and garlic; process until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle over tomatoes.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine remaining Mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Spoon cheese over top, spreading evenly to cover basil mixture.

Bake at 375?F. for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve warm. Sprinkle with basil leaves if desired.

PJB-Chicago said...

Ms. Jeannie. I can get more tomatoes from my friends, so I can try the pie. Would have taken more after my little stint as babysitter but had a briefcase with me and groceries to pick up on my way home. I passed your recipes on to those folks, but they don't cook too much during the week, so they'll be busy this weekend. I grow romano basil at home but to be honest, it's not very good. I like lemon and Thai basil, but they're not great for some recipes. The thyme gets unhappy in winter because my flat is so drafty, and the rosemary attracts flying things. I buy a new plant every few months.

My Mom is a terrfic cook; she can eat something at a restaurant and replicate it at home. I didn't inherit that gene. She measures nothing, so when you call for a recipe she uses words like "a handful" or "half a box." The one thing she used to make that was truly awful was meatloaf. Claims that she got the recipe from Dad's mother and can make good meatloaf, but I don't believe her! Not one of her kids will ever touch meatloaf EVER again. I don't even like to be in the same room as the stuff! Like neighbors who swear up & down that you'll LOVE their fruitcake, [blech] no one has ever made a meatloaf I can stomach, no matter how good it probably might be... I'm a very nice person most of the time, so when I am somewhere where meatloaf is served, I claim I'm vegetarian :-} I'm sure yours is wonderful and that people who were not traumatized by scary meatloaf as children will adore it!

Welcome BendOregon. Not only are we fans of puzzles and wordplay, but we're fun to hang out with online.

@Dot: thanks for the inspiration about marriage! Won't ever make that trip down the aisle myself, but spend hours each week with folks with marital problems, so I'm lucky to have friends with great marriages to remind me that some people really do make it work.

#5 and out till tomorrow!

Jeannie said...

PJB...I had no idea you were a vegetarian. Now you must definitely try the tomato/basil pie, and the butternut squash soup recipe. I have a breaded eggplant recipe up my sleeve too. Stay tuned. I hope you have a homemade marinara recipe up your sleeve. I am pretty sure you do.

Annette said...

I'd never heard of Elsa Peretti, but got it from the perps. Funny thing, once I followed the link for it, I realized that the necklace I'd worn today was one of hers! I knew it'd been a gift from Tiffany's, but didn't know the designer. It's a silver starfish.

Today's puzzle was fun, although I was doing it on paper and had to google 2-3 clues. Favorite clue was 'When French fry'

I feel like I finally made the paradigm shift for this when I saw the clue 'Pair in the middle of dressing?', and after only a brief DF image, I "saw" the answer. I never seemed to get those types of clues. Maybe next I'll start seeing the themes more often...

Crockett1947 said...

@bendoregonphotos Welcome to the community! There are a fair number of Oregonians here.

@jeannie I think pjb is a vegetarian of convenience -- when he wants to avoid certain foods he makes the claim.

@annette Bravo!