Theme: WRENCH (48D. A type of one begins the answers to starred clues)
20A. *Bakery fare named for their shape: CRESCENT ROLLS. Crescent wrench has a head shaped like a crescent. And it has a adjustable jaw to fit nuts/bolts of different sizes.
29A. *Quixotic reveries: PIPE DREAMS. Pipe wrench is also an adjustable wrench, used to grip and turn pipes. Did you hum "To dream the impossible dream ..." while filling in the answer?
45A. *Playground fixture: MONKEY BARS. Monkey wrench was named after the inventor Charles Moncky. Wikipedia says it's an old type of adjustable end wrench and was popular in the nineteenth century.
54A. *Beat poet who wrote "Howl": ALLEN GINSBERG. Allen wrench is a L-shaped bar with a hexagonal head at both ends. Used to turn screws/bolts with hexagonal sockets.
Man, I just call a wrench a wrench. Had no idea they have so many different names. But the answers were all easily obtainable due to the straightforward clues.
Very smooth puzzle. High Dan Naddor Index (total non-theme entries with 6 or more letters). I counted 21. The side by side placement of LOON (36D. Minnesota's state bird) and MANDARIN (37D: Official spoken language of China) just elated me. Mao Ze-dong is Mandarin Chinese. Mao Tse-tung is Cantonese spelling. Maddening differences, aren't they?
Those who solve NY Times regularly is probably familiar with today's constructor Todd Gross. He just made his NY Times debut with a Sunday "Let's Play Bingo" last month. Today's WRENCH is his first LA Times. Congratulations, Todd!
Todd also said Mike Peluso (one of our regular LAT constructors) helped him get this puzzle in "Rich-ready" format. And the puzzle was accepted before our TMS Daily /LAT switch. It's initially intended as a Wednesday puzzle, but moved to Thursday obviously due to this ease-up phase.
Across:
1. Premium movie station: SHO. Also HBO.
4. Hammer-wielding Norse god: THOR. The Norse god of thunder.
8. First voice of Mickey Mouse: DISNEY. Oh, I did not know Walt Disney was the original voice.
15. Will Rogers prop: ROPE. Will Rogers had Cherokee roots.
16. Rallying cry: ONWARD. No idea. Have never heard this word at the ball games.
19. Scrubs, as pots: SCOURED
23. Actress Holmes: KATIE. She is married to Tom Cruise, taller than he is, obviously.
32. 1953 Western hero to whom Joey cried "Come back!": SHANE. "Come back, SHANE".
34. Vacation home, maybe: RENTAL
41. Sunday dinners: ROASTS
43. Certain Sri Lankan: TAMIL. Tamils mostly live in north-eastern Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil of course.
47. Immortal racehorse Man __: O'WAR. The most famous racing horse in history, right?
51. Opie's dad: ANDY. From "The Andy Griffith Show".
52. Coffee dispenser: URN
53. Eagle's nest: AERIE
58. Ohio city north of Columbus: MARION. Got the answer from crosses. Interesting, Wikipedia says both John Dean (Nixon/Watergate fame) and President Warren Harding grew up here. Hmmm...
62. Really digs: IS INTO
64. MMX ÷ X: CCI. 2010 ÷ 10 = 201.
65. Basic doctrines: TENETS
66. One-armed bandit: SLOT. One-armed bandit is a slot machine.
67. "__ Haw": HEE
Down:
2. "Way to go!": HOORAY
3. Little barn fliers: OWLETS. Owls are far-sighted. They have difficulty seeing things up close.
4. Cease-fire: TRUCE
5. L'eggs product: HOSE
6. Good thing to keep when hearing opposing views: OPEN MIND. Keep an open mind. I like the clue. Also like the clue ASSET (53D. It's a good thing). It's all good, as Lois often says.
7. Bureaucratic waste: RED TAPE. I wonder why red tape and red herring are both red.
8. "Take care of it": DO SO. Do you use this phrase in your conversation?
9. "Batt. not __": INCL. Included? I never pay attention to the abbreviations in those packages.
10. Puffed up, as a sprain: SWOLLEN
11. Make queasy: NAUSEATE
12. Throw wide of the mark, say: ERR. Nicely placed beside YDS (13D. NFL gains).
22. Ham holder: RYE. And BUN (46D. Hot dog holder). "Holder" clue echo.
26. Detroit-based financial org.: GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corporation). Owned by US government now.
27. Capital on a fjord: OSLO. Why the heck is Norway rather than Sweden awarding Nobel Peace?
29. Variously colored flower: PANSY
30. Small weight units: DRAMS. 1/16 of an ounce.
31. One way to lower an APR: REFI. APR = Annual Percentage Rate. I did not even see this clue. The answer emerged all by itself.
39. Traveling show: CARNIVAL
42. Toronto's includes the CN Tower: SKYLINE. The Dubai Tower has surpassed CN Tower as the tallest building in the world.
43. Quotas: TARGETS
44. Leopold's co-defendant: LOEB
49. Snoopy's flying persona, e.g.: AIR ACE. Snoopy the Flying Ace.
50. Baseball's Jackson, a.k.a. "Mr. October": REGGIE. Because he always delivered during World Series games. Despite his performance against the Twins, A-Rod is no Mr. October, nope!
55. Ex-senator Trent: LOTT. Yep, he has his own lobbying business now.
56. Genesis grandson: ENOS. Grandson of Adam/Eve. Son of Seth.
57. Pixar clownfish: NEMO. From "Finding Nemo".
58. Sch. near Harvard: MIT
59. Enzyme suffix: ASE. Pineapple contains some enzyme which breaks own protein, hence pineapple juice is sometimes used to marinade and tenderize meat.
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A. *Bakery fare named for their shape: CRESCENT ROLLS. Crescent wrench has a head shaped like a crescent. And it has a adjustable jaw to fit nuts/bolts of different sizes.
29A. *Quixotic reveries: PIPE DREAMS. Pipe wrench is also an adjustable wrench, used to grip and turn pipes. Did you hum "To dream the impossible dream ..." while filling in the answer?
45A. *Playground fixture: MONKEY BARS. Monkey wrench was named after the inventor Charles Moncky. Wikipedia says it's an old type of adjustable end wrench and was popular in the nineteenth century.
54A. *Beat poet who wrote "Howl": ALLEN GINSBERG. Allen wrench is a L-shaped bar with a hexagonal head at both ends. Used to turn screws/bolts with hexagonal sockets.
Man, I just call a wrench a wrench. Had no idea they have so many different names. But the answers were all easily obtainable due to the straightforward clues.
Very smooth puzzle. High Dan Naddor Index (total non-theme entries with 6 or more letters). I counted 21. The side by side placement of LOON (36D. Minnesota's state bird) and MANDARIN (37D: Official spoken language of China) just elated me. Mao Ze-dong is Mandarin Chinese. Mao Tse-tung is Cantonese spelling. Maddening differences, aren't they?
Those who solve NY Times regularly is probably familiar with today's constructor Todd Gross. He just made his NY Times debut with a Sunday "Let's Play Bingo" last month. Today's WRENCH is his first LA Times. Congratulations, Todd!
Todd also said Mike Peluso (one of our regular LAT constructors) helped him get this puzzle in "Rich-ready" format. And the puzzle was accepted before our TMS Daily /LAT switch. It's initially intended as a Wednesday puzzle, but moved to Thursday obviously due to this ease-up phase.
Across:
1. Premium movie station: SHO. Also HBO.
4. Hammer-wielding Norse god: THOR. The Norse god of thunder.
8. First voice of Mickey Mouse: DISNEY. Oh, I did not know Walt Disney was the original voice.
15. Will Rogers prop: ROPE. Will Rogers had Cherokee roots.
16. Rallying cry: ONWARD. No idea. Have never heard this word at the ball games.
19. Scrubs, as pots: SCOURED
23. Actress Holmes: KATIE. She is married to Tom Cruise, taller than he is, obviously.
32. 1953 Western hero to whom Joey cried "Come back!": SHANE. "Come back, SHANE".
34. Vacation home, maybe: RENTAL
41. Sunday dinners: ROASTS
43. Certain Sri Lankan: TAMIL. Tamils mostly live in north-eastern Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil of course.
47. Immortal racehorse Man __: O'WAR. The most famous racing horse in history, right?
51. Opie's dad: ANDY. From "The Andy Griffith Show".
52. Coffee dispenser: URN
53. Eagle's nest: AERIE
58. Ohio city north of Columbus: MARION. Got the answer from crosses. Interesting, Wikipedia says both John Dean (Nixon/Watergate fame) and President Warren Harding grew up here. Hmmm...
62. Really digs: IS INTO
64. MMX ÷ X: CCI. 2010 ÷ 10 = 201.
65. Basic doctrines: TENETS
66. One-armed bandit: SLOT. One-armed bandit is a slot machine.
67. "__ Haw": HEE
Down:
2. "Way to go!": HOORAY
3. Little barn fliers: OWLETS. Owls are far-sighted. They have difficulty seeing things up close.
4. Cease-fire: TRUCE
5. L'eggs product: HOSE
6. Good thing to keep when hearing opposing views: OPEN MIND. Keep an open mind. I like the clue. Also like the clue ASSET (53D. It's a good thing). It's all good, as Lois often says.
7. Bureaucratic waste: RED TAPE. I wonder why red tape and red herring are both red.
8. "Take care of it": DO SO. Do you use this phrase in your conversation?
9. "Batt. not __": INCL. Included? I never pay attention to the abbreviations in those packages.
10. Puffed up, as a sprain: SWOLLEN
11. Make queasy: NAUSEATE
12. Throw wide of the mark, say: ERR. Nicely placed beside YDS (13D. NFL gains).
22. Ham holder: RYE. And BUN (46D. Hot dog holder). "Holder" clue echo.
26. Detroit-based financial org.: GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corporation). Owned by US government now.
27. Capital on a fjord: OSLO. Why the heck is Norway rather than Sweden awarding Nobel Peace?
29. Variously colored flower: PANSY
30. Small weight units: DRAMS. 1/16 of an ounce.
31. One way to lower an APR: REFI. APR = Annual Percentage Rate. I did not even see this clue. The answer emerged all by itself.
39. Traveling show: CARNIVAL
42. Toronto's includes the CN Tower: SKYLINE. The Dubai Tower has surpassed CN Tower as the tallest building in the world.
43. Quotas: TARGETS
44. Leopold's co-defendant: LOEB
49. Snoopy's flying persona, e.g.: AIR ACE. Snoopy the Flying Ace.
50. Baseball's Jackson, a.k.a. "Mr. October": REGGIE. Because he always delivered during World Series games. Despite his performance against the Twins, A-Rod is no Mr. October, nope!
55. Ex-senator Trent: LOTT. Yep, he has his own lobbying business now.
56. Genesis grandson: ENOS. Grandson of Adam/Eve. Son of Seth.
57. Pixar clownfish: NEMO. From "Finding Nemo".
58. Sch. near Harvard: MIT
59. Enzyme suffix: ASE. Pineapple contains some enzyme which breaks own protein, hence pineapple juice is sometimes used to marinade and tenderize meat.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - sat here for quite a while trying to think of something to say besides the usual 'a fun puzzle, clever theme, but still too easy for (fill in the day).' No luck. No pauses, no perp help, just filling in blanks.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever heard someone say 'do so', even for 'take care of it'. Thought of C.C. with the back-to-back clues about Minnesota and China. And there's a couple clues/answers that should get Lois smoking.
C.C., you got my curiosity up, so I did some quick research: It looks like the term 'red tape' came into being when Henry VIII flooded Pope Clement VII with petitions which, as was the custom of the day, were bound with red tape or ribbon. And 'red herring' might have originated from the practice of hound training, where 'red' herrings (which had a strong smell) were dragged perpendicular to a scent path to try and throw the dogs off while they were being trained to follow the original scent. Not really sure if either one is true, but both seem plausible.
Hope it's a great day for everyone - nor'easter's on the way, threatening our business district's Saturday Oktoberfest, which we've been putting together for the past three months, and for which there is no rain date possible. I'm looking forward to watching the beer tents relocate themselves in the gale-force winds, and the balloon vendors disappear into the clouds...
49. Snoopy's flying persona, e.g.: AIR RACE. Snoopy the Flying Ace
ReplyDeleteShould be AIR ACE not RACE
Good Morning, C.C. and Dennis. You too, anon.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of air ace: your mechanic's favorite wrench is the AIR WRENCH.
Good to see you, Argyle. Computer problems?
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, CC. What a fun puzzle today. It was challenging in a good way. The earlier puzzles this week I completed in one pass. This took more thought.
ReplyDeleteThere were some clues designed to lead one astray, me, at least. Wanted HBO instead of SHO (1A); ELM could have been OAK (which was my first thought, since I have a old Live Oak in my backyard).
LOON was probably a gimme for all you you from Minnesota, but my initial thought was LARK.
It's good to keep an OPEN MIND when doing challenging puzzles.
I also liked both the "holder" clues for RYE and BUN.
Another Seriously Muggy day. Will we ever get some cooler temps here? We're all gearing up for the President's visit today, so I hope he doesn't mind the humidity.
QOD: An Intellectual may be defined as a man who speaks with general authority about a subject on which he has no particular competence. ~ Irving Kristol
Good to see you, too, Dennis. Yeah, I had a bit of computer trouble. Did you have trouble making bail? ;~) Hope you had a good time.
ReplyDeleteNo bail - I was secluded in a convent, as you'd expect.
ReplyDeleteGot into lots of bad habits.
You guys are pretty quick with the quips this morning.
ReplyDeleteLike most so far, I had no serious problems today, I slowed down a little in the middle--not being a habituée of coffee shops, wasn't sure if CAF would work but it looked good so left it there, and I didn't know Marion, but guessed it since it's my first name. We've talked of Ginsberg and loons recently, so no pauses there. I didn't get the theme until WRENCH fell in though. I've heard of them all but it wasn't connecting until then.
The newsletter I've been working on is almost under control now, so things will soon be better. I've learned a few things along the way, like not assuming all the bits and pieces will stay where you first put them as other things come in. Next time (in December) will be smoother.
Good Morning!
ReplyDeleteCut 2 of my fingers last evening while opening a soup can and now typing is a pain.
On to the puzzle..its too easy. If I can do it in Master mode, I can understand what seasoned solvers are feeling.
Like Dennis, thought of CC while filling in LOON and MANDARIN.
Have a great Thursday.
Re: Red tape/herring: Legal documents in general have been bound by red ribbons/tape since the 17th century. The Henry etymology is more likely to be a slight embellishment by people over time to make the phrase origin story a bit more interesting.
ReplyDeleteRed herring as a way to confuse foxhounds though, is a popular story, which came from an English journalist, William Cobbett:
"He used the story as a metaphor to decry the press, which had allowed itself to be misled by false information about a supposed defeat of Napoleon; this caused them to take their attention off important domestic matters: It was a mere transitory effect of the political red-herring; for, on the Saturday, the scent became as cold as a stone."
It is not really true that herrings were used to confuse, but were actually occasionally used as a training aid. The long explanation here.
So the phrases about tape and herring, despite both having red in them, really have nothing to do with their common color or each other.
G'morning!
ReplyDeleteArgyle welcome back! C. C., I realized it was you blogging straight away and loved your comments on (37D) Mandarin vs Cantonese. Remember during the last Olympics when US news anchors/reporters were tripping over their tongues trying to pronunce names with Q and X in them? Surely one NBC staffer spoke native Mandarin to write up a "cheat sheet"?
I never have said the phrase DO SO (8D) as a standalone, just as an extra emphatic form of a verb; examples may include "I do so hope Eileen's face lift goes goes well" or "We do so hope Friday's puzzle has more teeth in it." DO SO has been clued as a "playground retort" before as a response to a taunt like "You don't have any skills at jumprope." Which usually involves the accuser sticking out a tongue, and the defendant raising a fist and spitting out "DO SO" or "Do Too."
23A: Tom Cruise used to insist that his most recent wife be called Kate instead of Katie, but that didn't stick. She's from Toledo, OH, like JazzB.
Fave clue is 12D, with "wide off the mark."
Good to see a new constructor name, but wish the puzzle had more clues like that, to make it feel more Thursday-ish.
Hahtool: do please share any "scoop" you get about the president's visit. I hope there is something annouced there about some new well-thought out policy, legislative, financial initiatives. Also for Miss. & Ala., too.
Good Morning, all.
ReplyDeleteHahtool, we have the opposite complaint. We have had 18 days in a row of colder than normal temperatures. It should be in the mid sixties to the low seventies here, and instead, we have been in the mid forties! I understand that the weather is supposed to warm up as soon as my husband brings the boat home.
An example of current red tape: My niece, who is now twenty, and attending college, had a fender bender. The Indiana Dept. of Motor Vehicles requires her to have her insurance company provide proof of insurance in order to reclaim her driver's license. She and the car are covered by her parent's insurance. Her parents arranged for the insurance company to fax a letter proving coverage. The DMV refused it, saying they don't accept faxes, and informing them that the request must come from my niece, not her parents. Unfortunately, while she is covered, she is not the owner of the policy. I'm thinking they're just a bit too rigid in Indiana!
Jazz, I meant to tell you yesterday that I enjoyed the pictures of your Em. She's so tiny that her backpack is almost bigger than she is. What a cutie!
Dennis, I've heard someone say "Please do so," but it's not something you hear in everyday conversation. I rather like Jean-Luc Picard's "Make it so."
In keeping with Rich's difficulty scheme, this puzzle took me about a minute and a half more than yesterday's puzzle.
Great blog today, C.C. Thanks for the wrench links. Why is it that a pipe wrench isn't also a crescent wrench? Does it have to do with the movable head?
Rain today. 100% precipitation is forecast. I'm going to go put on my woolies and personal flotation device and get to work. Have a good day, all!
23. Actress Holmes: KATIE
ReplyDeleteHere are the reasons why I watched Dawson Creek.
Monica Keena
Katie Holmes
Michelle Williams
@KittyB, both crescent and pipe wrenches are adjustable, but a crescent gets set to a "fixed" position to fit a nut or bolt, something with shoulders on it. You can then work in either direction to tighten or loosen.
ReplyDeleteA pipe wrench is meant to work on a smooth rounded surface and only works in one direction. You have to take it off and flip it over to do the opposite action. Along with the "sloppiness" or looseness of the fit/adjustment, the teeth grab the round surface one way, and release their grip when you rotate it backwards. It uses a similar sort of action as a ratchet does, just moving the handle back and forth, but it doesn't have the actual mechanism a ratchet does. With a crescent wrench, you have to keep taking it off and putting it back on if you are working in a confined area, and with a pipe wrench, you don't.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteMy fellow (or more appropriately gal) Toledoan, KATE (if Tom insists) is the fifth child of devoutly Catholic parents who went to Central Catholic High School, same as me and the LW.
It must NAUSEATE them to see the life style their daughter has chosen. I try to keep an OPEN MIND. But, she IS IN TO the TENETS of a LOONy faux-religion built around a Sci-Fi writers PIPE DREAMS. (Derived from opium smoking.)
But, as Heywood Broun said, "An open mind is a cave of the winds." He didn't say if they're sustained.
Worked the puzzle in the Thursday home-delivered Freep over my 2nd cup of half-CAF. Just noticed the coffee sub theme of CAF, URN, and ROASTS.
I'll bet Buckeye and Crockett knew MARION. Anyone else?
"CRESCENT" is a Brand Name, as the linked picture illustrates. That tool is properly called an adjustable wrench. The angle of the jaws remains constant when opened or closed. The top jaw of a PIPE wrench tilts to give a different angle, which allows it to get a good grip on a round pipe.
PJB's take on DO SO sounds right to me.
I had a pause with ONWARD and SCOUR, and AERIE has variant spellings, so perp help is required.
We can say HOORAY for the AIR ACE, NAG in the AOL chat rooms, and have lunch on a RYE BUN. But TARGET'S logo is a red bull's eye, not RED TAPE. That's all. One can only DO SO many symmetries.
Cheers!
JzB the OPEN MINDed, windy trombonist
I hope this joke isn't too controversial, but I just had to share...
ReplyDeleteGod asks Peyton Manning first: "What do you believe?"
Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, "I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans."
God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning, and offers him a seat to his left.
Then God turns to Aaron Rodgers and says, "What do you believe?"
Aaron says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are the fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose, I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing fields."
God is greatly moved by Aaron's sincere eloquence and he offers him a seat to his right.
Finally, God turns to Brett Favre: "And you, Brett, what do you believe?"
Brett replies, "I believe you're in my seat."
Hi C.C. & gang, a medium hard puzzle for today. I had some trouble coming up with 'DO SO' for 8D "Take care of it" and "INCL" for 9D "Batt. not ___"
ReplyDeleteI had d--o for the longest time.
Does anyone remember the catch phrase make it so on the old Star Trek TV show?
One of the side effects of the eased up puzzles, is the loss of momentum from the peanut gallery -us. Without challenging, controversial, convoluted cluing to argue about, there is not much pizzaz here. While I appreciate the nun humor (who does not love a good priest, rabbi or minister joke) and I admire the skill involved in constructing this puzzle with a good theme, lots of long words, some new clues, we are quiet. Ah well, the burden is on all the newbies who have not given their versions, their stories, and have not heard all of ours.
ReplyDeleteThank those who liked my football talk yesterday, I grew up glued to all sports, and have been fortunate to meet many of the players. Certain overriding truths: the players are HUGE. They are HUGE! Most are really such nice people off the field. I had the pleasure, Maniac, of getting to know Lance Alworth after his career was over, and he is a wonderful person. He became a developer of mini-warehouses, and my brother’s bank financed some of his projects. He was raised in the humidity of Mississippi and went to college at the University of Arkansas, and was shocked when he arrived to play in San Diego, and would work out and not sweat. My kids were little, but he would take the time to play catch with them. A really nice man; he was also dating Linda Evans at the time, among others.
More later.
We will get out first taste of fall this weekend here in paradise, all the way down to 68!
Happy Thursday all.
BTW why does everyone think of C.C. when they see MANDARIN LOON? Hmm
ReplyDeleteDid you hum "To dream the impossible dream ..." while filling in the answer?
ReplyDeleteTo dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
PJB - you never fail to crack me up.
ReplyDeleteDennis - nice to see you back. It feels pretty wierd to miss someone you only know on a blog... but you were missed.
I do love how the puzzles seem more and more connected to our friends here. Trombone puzzles, Mandarin Loon, what's next??
Cold and yucky again here today. Ugh. I'm off to buy warmer socks.
Andrea
Some tunes are not worth humming.
ReplyDeleteFrex: the one that Don Quixset sings is a concrete example.
I'll granite old Don some credit, though. He was in a good form, and would never gravel, even when pre-stressed.
In the aggregate, he was a fine man, though pour; and never coarse. Unless he was in a slump.
End of screed. I'm throwing in the trowel.
Hope this doesn't pave the way for other bad JESTs.
Cheers!
JzB the once again not apologizing for any of this
. . . trombonist
ReplyDeleteNo problem today except I had "butterfly roll" at 20a on the first pass. When I got a couple more of the starred clues, I realized the theme was types of wrenches, so I went back and changed it to "Crescent."
ReplyDeleteI'm never good at Roman numerals, so CCI had to come from fills.
I had a professor of 20th Century Poetry in college who was a huge fan of Allen Ginsberg. A class session didn't go by without some mention of him. Couldn't stand him myself (the poet, not the professor!)
Lemonade714 said: "One of the side effects of the eased up puzzles, is the loss of momentum from the peanut gallery -us. Without challenging, controversial, convoluted cluing to argue about, there is not much pizzaz here. While I appreciate the nun humor (who does not love a good priest, rabbi or minister joke) and I admire the skill involved in constructing this puzzle with a good theme, lots of long words, some new clues, we are quiet. Ah well, the burden is on all the newbies who have not given their versions, their stories, and have not heard all of ours."
ReplyDeleteGood point. Not much to discuss. On the other hand, the alternative is having too many puzzles I can't do and therefore, don't enjoy. What about one trickier Friday or Saturday puzzle with a theme? Just a thought.
Hello, everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you all liked my puzzle. Still new to construction and learning what people like.
By the way, I lived in Minnesota for 6 months (worked for IBM in Rochester). Didn't know about C.C. and this blog at the time. I'm glad my puzzle made her feel elated.
For DCannon: C.C. posted this once before about how to remember Roman numerals and works! Just remember the catch phrase: lucky cows drink milk
ReplyDeleteOf course, you could always go searching... C.C.'s comment about seeing red was interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteRed handed
Paint the town red
In the red
Red Letter day
I never saw the 'pipe wrench' shown on the link in C.C.'s answer page. The 'stillson wrench'(named after it's inventor) is the age-old 'pipe wrench'.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the crescent wrench is known as an 'adjustable' wrench. There is also the 'box' wrench, the open-end wrench, and the basin wrench as well as the torque wrench.
Oh, I forgot to mention the crescent wrench derived it's name from the name of the tool mfgr."Crescent" , not it's shape.
ReplyDelete5:32 today. On Tuesday, this would have been a good puzzle. I enjoyed seeing the different types of wrenches, and any puzzle that can work the entire name ALLEN GINSBERG (which I always want to spell with a U) in it is fine by me.
ReplyDeleteBut, it's not Tuesday. So boo! hiss! on that score. On Thursdays, I want something with a little more meat to it.
kittyb beat me to the punch line, but I have a desire: tougher late-week puzzles! To Rich Norris: Make it so.
Hello All--I don't have much to add to what has already been said. Again, I have been able to finish every puzzle for well over a week without any outside help. I don't think it is because I'm getting better at solving.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the wrench connections today. The clues Throw wide of the mark, Ham holder, and Hot dog holder were favorites today. I almost had to eat worms as I couldn't remember Loeb as Leopold's co-defendent. We've had this before. The across fills gave me the answer and I won't forget it again.
Moon, Stay away from those sharp soup cans. They can be a REAL pain. I hope your fingers heal fast.
Todd G. Thank you for stopping by today.
I worked outside again this morning, still cleaning up debris. The weather is back up to over 80 degrees this afternoon. Cooler fall weather was here, but no more.
@jazzbumpa Marion was unknown to me. I'm from downstate, and anything north of Columbus was foreign territory, LOL!
ReplyDeleteHellp all. I have a question. I'm sure you all heard the term nooks & crannys. What are the nooks and what are the crannys. Anyone know.
ReplyDeleteTodd G:
ReplyDeleteWelcome to C.C.'s Blog. Always good to have the constructors visit and let us in on some of the inside info.
I enjoyed your puzzle today. Air Ace kind of hung me up. Kept wanting to find WWI or RAF in there somehow.
Look for C.C.s constructors link. I would like to see her interview you.
Happy Sailing,
A.R.E.
Todd G.
ReplyDeleteThanks for chiming in! I thoroughly enjoyed your puzzle today. A very clever theme! I wonder which of the published clues were your originals and which were altered. As it was clued, it was very easy for me, as a mid-group solver.
Congratulations on your debuts in the NYT and the LAT! I look forward to more of your creations.
I think the phrase 'do so' is just old-fashioned terminology. I remember hearing people, like my mother, use it, as in, "I want you to make your bed and do so right now."
ReplyDeleteDot
Hey & wassup puzzlepeoples?
ReplyDeleteThat's my best impression of a twenty-something. Not too convincing & out of date, eh?
C. C. asked why the Nobel Peace Prize is issued from Oslo, not Stockholm, as the other Nobels (e.g., Lit., Econ., etc.) are handed out.
Best info I could scope out online is that no one seems to know--or will say--the reason why. What is known is that each prize committee deliberates separately. Many picks for Peace have been contoversial. Mother Teresa won a peace prize although her street cred comes more from humanitarian acts than helping to foster peace among nations.
Neither Angelina Jolie nor Jennifer have won such a prize, in case y'all were wondering....
Poetry, nonfiction, and science prizes are especially debated within their fields. Sparks fly! Pablo Neruda, South American writer, died without winning a Nobel while alive, for example,---( but he got one posthumously). Now, there's a way to keep the acceptance speeches short!
It's all political... Every prize is.
Alfred Nobel was a "dynamite" guy.
Yep, I just made myself YAWN, too!
Per Lemonade714, am just trying to keep up the momentum. Todd G, thanks for paying us a visit & look forward to seeing your byline again.
C.C.: Concerning ONWARD, rather than baseball, think of soldiers. The commander shouting "ONWARD, men!' as he leads them into battle. Then there's also the hymn "ONWARD Christian Soldiers".
ReplyDeleteAl: thanks for the explanation of the wrenches. Also, loved at the joke!
Jazz: I spent almost a year in Dayton, driving back and forth to Pittsburgh, so I was familiar with MARION.
Al, thanks for the explanation of crescent versus pipe wrenches. As you described it, I could remember seeing my dad and my husband making the motions needed to use each.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip of the hat, embien. I agree with you. Perhaps we should petition more actively for more difficult end of the week puzzles.
KittyB said: "Perhaps we should petition more actively for more difficult end of the week puzzles."
ReplyDeleteYes. Keep the progression of easier to harder but Friday and Saturday puzzles should be harder than they are presently. My vote would be for the Saturday puzzle to be the hardest but with a theme.
I "DO SO" agree with a preference for more difficulty throughout the week. Less experienced solvers get to test their mettle MTW and those with more notches under their belt get to ramp up day by day and tackle harder grids later in the week.
ReplyDeleteI hate to resound the same pitch so often, but probably the only way for Rich and his posse of constructors can get back to what they do best is for our phone calls, emails, and postal missives to outweigh, drown out, and outnumber those letters to our local paper AND to TMS, complaints which called for "easier" puzzles. We need leverage, noise., and numbers.
I confess to almost feeling guilty when I start solving puzzles in locally available weekly papers such as the "Onion" and the "Chicago Reader," instead of the Trib, but I personally would prefer a puzzle to be slightly too tough than too easy.
I have seen on the "Comix" page that some strips have come back and others dropped based on reader feedback. Columns and columnists go missing if enough people scream aloud enough.
Bye-bye Dear Abby = good example.
Maybe we can do the same?
L'eggs product: HOSE
ReplyDeleteLeggs
l'eggs commercial from 1984 "Nothing beats a great pair of leggs!" was the old slogan.
1984
FRED NITRO