Theme: Hockey Penalties - the starting word of each theme answer is a type of hockey penalty.
17A. Electrical worker's action: TRIPPING A SWITCH. A tripping penalty is called when a player trips an opposing player with his stick/his body.
24A. Discount retailer's action: SLASHING A PRICE. A slashing penalty occurs when a player slashes/swings at his opponent with his stick.
41A. Feuder's action: HOLDING A GRUDGE. A holding penalty is caused when a player grabs/holds his opponent from moving with his body/stick.
54A. Accused speeder's action: FIGHTING A TICKET. A fighting penalty happens when a player engages in a physical fight with his opponent.
47D. Place where the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers result in a penalty: RINK
Without RINK the unifying answer, I'd never had figured out the theme. Not a hockey fan, not wild about our Minnesota Wild at all.
Hope my understanding of above terms is correct. Those penalties all result in a 2-minute stay in the penalty box, correct, Dennis?
Definitely a tougher puzzle than last Wednesday's. I was stalled several times.
Across:
5. Benchwarmer: SCRUB. Second-stringer.
14. Spiritual guide: GURU. Sanskrit for "teacher".
15. Pageant trophy: TIARA. Always associate trophy with cup.
20. Stuff to capacity: SATIATE. Surfeit is 7-letter too.
21. Like the healthiest corned beef: LEANEST. Oh, speaking of food, I did not have a cold or flu. Just ate something I should not have touched.
22. White House advisory gp.: NSC (National Security Council)
23. "Don't tase me, __!": BRO. Uttered by a University of Florida student during a John Kerry appearance.
35. Exaggerated publicity: HYPE. And RAN IN (39A. Arrested). Man, the balloon boy hoax. The family sure got the fame they craved.
40. Parson's home: MANSE
46. Traffic jam causes: CRASHES
50. Toronto skyline landmark: CN TOWER. Now Dubai Tower is the tallest, with 160 floors.
57. Two-time U.S. Open winner Fraser: NEALE. I drew a blank. An Aussi. I thought Slazenger is only a golf ball brand.
58. Opposite of aweather: ALEE. Aweather is in the direction of the wind.
60. Freezing cold: GELID. Was stumped last time when Allan E. Parrish clued it as "Quite cold".
Down:
1. Bilko and York: Abbr.: SGTS. Anent abbr, wish we had NHL today.
2. Subtle emanation: AURA. Funny how I've never got tired of AURA as a crosswordese.
3. "True __": John Wayne film: GRIT. What's your favorite John Wayne movie?
4. Rotate face-up, as one's palm: SUPINATE (SOO-puh-neyt). New verb to me. I only know the adjective supine (lying on the back). Prone is lying on your face.
5. Pain in the side: STITCH. Oh, I've never heard of the term side stitch, though I've experienced such pain after reading the explanation. I was picturing pain au chocolat. Pain is French for bread.
6. Movie: CINE. I fell into the FILM trap.
7. Tabloid: RAG
8. Russia's __ Mountains: URAL. The Europe/Asia border mountain.
9. America's pastime: BASEBALL. Cole Hamels is going to pitch for the Phillies tonight. Hope he won't disappoint Barry Silk and all your Phillies fans.
10. Key of Beethoven's Ninth: D MINOR. The answer emerged itself.
12. Gremlin and Pacer: AMCS
13. Capital of Thailand?: BAHT (baht). Capital here refers to currency. See these images. Bangkok is so far away now.
18. Out of fashion: PASSE
19. Time irregularities, in sci-fi: WARPS
24. Prefix with foam: STYRO. Styrofoam.
25. Boutonniere site: LAPEL. Just learned that Boutonniere old French for "buttonhole".
27. Spanish sweetheart: NOVIA. Or fiancée/bride. Feminine. Novio is masculine sweetheart or fiancé/groom. Both new to me.
29. "Of Thee __": I SING
30. Thicket: COPSE. Same pronunciation with cops. I used to confuse it with corpse.
31. Olympics sword: EPEE
32. Peacock Throne occupant: SHAH. The name comes from the shape of a throne, having the figures of two peacocks standing behind it.
36. Challenging the rapids, maybe: CANOEING. Several non-theme ING-ending words in this puzzle.
37. Police cruiser: RADIO CAR
40. Poly- equivalent: MULTI. Both mean "many".
42. Sprints: DASHES
46. Corp. money bigwigs: CFOS. Andrew Fastow (ex-Enron CFO) will be out in 2 years.
49. Dagger of yore: SNEE. Scottish dagger. Learned from doing Xword.
50. Colombian cartel city: CALI. Gimme, right? I've mentioned the drug connection a few times. Loved the C C C alliteration.
51. How many employees are pd.: WKLY
55. Word before Friday or pal: GAL. Thought it's Girl Friday.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Electrical worker's action: TRIPPING A SWITCH. A tripping penalty is called when a player trips an opposing player with his stick/his body.
24A. Discount retailer's action: SLASHING A PRICE. A slashing penalty occurs when a player slashes/swings at his opponent with his stick.
41A. Feuder's action: HOLDING A GRUDGE. A holding penalty is caused when a player grabs/holds his opponent from moving with his body/stick.
54A. Accused speeder's action: FIGHTING A TICKET. A fighting penalty happens when a player engages in a physical fight with his opponent.
47D. Place where the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers result in a penalty: RINK
Without RINK the unifying answer, I'd never had figured out the theme. Not a hockey fan, not wild about our Minnesota Wild at all.
Hope my understanding of above terms is correct. Those penalties all result in a 2-minute stay in the penalty box, correct, Dennis?
Definitely a tougher puzzle than last Wednesday's. I was stalled several times.
Across:
5. Benchwarmer: SCRUB. Second-stringer.
14. Spiritual guide: GURU. Sanskrit for "teacher".
15. Pageant trophy: TIARA. Always associate trophy with cup.
20. Stuff to capacity: SATIATE. Surfeit is 7-letter too.
21. Like the healthiest corned beef: LEANEST. Oh, speaking of food, I did not have a cold or flu. Just ate something I should not have touched.
22. White House advisory gp.: NSC (National Security Council)
23. "Don't tase me, __!": BRO. Uttered by a University of Florida student during a John Kerry appearance.
35. Exaggerated publicity: HYPE. And RAN IN (39A. Arrested). Man, the balloon boy hoax. The family sure got the fame they craved.
40. Parson's home: MANSE
46. Traffic jam causes: CRASHES
50. Toronto skyline landmark: CN TOWER. Now Dubai Tower is the tallest, with 160 floors.
57. Two-time U.S. Open winner Fraser: NEALE. I drew a blank. An Aussi. I thought Slazenger is only a golf ball brand.
58. Opposite of aweather: ALEE. Aweather is in the direction of the wind.
60. Freezing cold: GELID. Was stumped last time when Allan E. Parrish clued it as "Quite cold".
Down:
1. Bilko and York: Abbr.: SGTS. Anent abbr, wish we had NHL today.
2. Subtle emanation: AURA. Funny how I've never got tired of AURA as a crosswordese.
3. "True __": John Wayne film: GRIT. What's your favorite John Wayne movie?
4. Rotate face-up, as one's palm: SUPINATE (SOO-puh-neyt). New verb to me. I only know the adjective supine (lying on the back). Prone is lying on your face.
5. Pain in the side: STITCH. Oh, I've never heard of the term side stitch, though I've experienced such pain after reading the explanation. I was picturing pain au chocolat. Pain is French for bread.
6. Movie: CINE. I fell into the FILM trap.
7. Tabloid: RAG
8. Russia's __ Mountains: URAL. The Europe/Asia border mountain.
9. America's pastime: BASEBALL. Cole Hamels is going to pitch for the Phillies tonight. Hope he won't disappoint Barry Silk and all your Phillies fans.
10. Key of Beethoven's Ninth: D MINOR. The answer emerged itself.
12. Gremlin and Pacer: AMCS
13. Capital of Thailand?: BAHT (baht). Capital here refers to currency. See these images. Bangkok is so far away now.
18. Out of fashion: PASSE
19. Time irregularities, in sci-fi: WARPS
24. Prefix with foam: STYRO. Styrofoam.
25. Boutonniere site: LAPEL. Just learned that Boutonniere old French for "buttonhole".
27. Spanish sweetheart: NOVIA. Or fiancée/bride. Feminine. Novio is masculine sweetheart or fiancé/groom. Both new to me.
29. "Of Thee __": I SING
30. Thicket: COPSE. Same pronunciation with cops. I used to confuse it with corpse.
31. Olympics sword: EPEE
32. Peacock Throne occupant: SHAH. The name comes from the shape of a throne, having the figures of two peacocks standing behind it.
36. Challenging the rapids, maybe: CANOEING. Several non-theme ING-ending words in this puzzle.
37. Police cruiser: RADIO CAR
40. Poly- equivalent: MULTI. Both mean "many".
42. Sprints: DASHES
46. Corp. money bigwigs: CFOS. Andrew Fastow (ex-Enron CFO) will be out in 2 years.
49. Dagger of yore: SNEE. Scottish dagger. Learned from doing Xword.
50. Colombian cartel city: CALI. Gimme, right? I've mentioned the drug connection a few times. Loved the C C C alliteration.
51. How many employees are pd.: WKLY
55. Word before Friday or pal: GAL. Thought it's Girl Friday.
Answer grid.
C.C.
56 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - a no muss, no fuss puzzle today; loved the theme, which I got after the second theme answer (being a hockey fan helped). And C.C. you're right about the first three, but fighting gets you a five-minute major.
The rest of the puzzle fell into place very quickly; seemed like a lot of abbreviations to me - maybe it was just because there were a couple at the end. Needed the perps for 'novia' and 'Neale'; unknowns to me. Favorite clue was 'Gremlin and Pacer' - the designers of those cars had to be on heavy 'medication'.
C.C., your mention of Bangkok brought back a lot of memories - whoever named that city knew what they were doing...
Today is Count Your Buttons Day, National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day and Babbling Day. I had Pumpkin cheesecake for the first time at a Cheesecake Factory last week - absolutely decadent.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more." -- Woody Allen
A couple more definitions:
- Adolescence: a period in a kid's life when parents become difficult.
- Baby: a loud voice at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.
Good morning, CC. I am so glad you are back with us. I had fun with this puzzle. I love hockey, so this was a fun theme for me. We'd go to the hockey games for the bloooood, hoping to see some action in which the players were penalized.
There were some new words for me: SUPINATE and GELID. If that had been clued previously, I certainly didn't remember.
It was fun to see EPEE and SNEE in the same puzzle. I though that a Hard to Find Shoe Width (52D): EEEE was a bit of a stretch, however.
Favorite clue: Sits on the sill: COOLS (33A).
QOD: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it. ~ Russell Baker.
Almost finished this one but CALI, NEALE and GELID were all unknowns for me. Of course they crossed. I also thought RADIO CAR was a bit off a stretch: the term is SQUAD CAR.
Martin
Good morning C.C. and all, a very nice puzzle today with the difficulty at a nice level. The theme came early as I worked the bottom section first. As with Martin the slow down area, for me, was the bottom center as I did not know Neale or Gelid, but managed to get them after some thought. Favorite clue today Gremlin and Pacer.
Go Philadelphia!!
Hope you all have a great Wednesday
Good morning CC, et al., Welcome back. So good to have you in the saddle again, altho' Argyle, et al., have done so well.
This puzzle was 'tripping' me up all over the place, which is unusual. Never heard of 30D'copse'before and 39A ranin for arrested doesn't work for me. Haven't been caught enough I guess. Also 51D how many employees are pd? I wanted to put 'all of them' but it wouldn't fit. And 23A Don't tase me, __! I thought was a misprint for 'tease' and couldn't fit anything I was thinkin' in 3 blanks. 60A Gelid? Well, it is 'gelid' outside so I'm going to warm things up w/a good 'cine'...a documentary on worm wrestling. Quite exciting. May have to have security nearby. Woohoo!
It's a day! Hope you enjoy it.
This puzzle was kind of fun. Had to think and work back and forth to fill it all in, not a speed solve today. About right for a Wednesday, I thought.
Dennis, I found it amusing how that "Baby" definition made no mention of age...
C.C. Glad to hear you're feeling better.
Morning, folks!
Nice puzzle today and I enjoyed the theme muchly. Never heard of SUPINATE before and was a bit surprised to see it in the grid. I knew GELID, but for some reason I thought of it as meaning more along the lines of "generally cold" and not necessarily "freezing." And NOVIA was a gimme for me, but I wonder how many non Spanish speakers would know it. NEALE, on the other hand, was another complete unknown.
I could done without WKLY, but that's really my only complaint in an otherwise fine puzzle.
Oh -- and I guessed CALI right away, but took it out when I saw that it caused 50A to start with "CN." I knew that couldn't be right. Except, of course, it was...
C. C.., Am so glad to see you back in print! Be well. Thanks go to Boomer for stopping by, and to you for walking us through the puzzle day after day. Argyle held his own, and made Mon./Tue. commentary a delight to read, so thanks to him as well. Your puzzlefans do miss you when you're not here, all the same.
Wasn't planning on doing the xw quite so early, but the paperman/lady/person made sure I woke up with a resounding thud on the door not long after 6. I haven't subscribed to the paper for at least a couple years, but they still throw one my way from time to time.
This XW had some tough words in it, eh? I got Gremlin (drove one for a year!) and CALI and NOVIA, but ALEE, GELID and CINE had me twisting in the wind. SUPINATE is fun to say. I knew TASE because my brief (<5 minutes) comedic rant onstage about backyard barbeque parties and beer and Tasers caused me to get my first hatemails not long ago. I'm not anti-gun, by the way, but booze and bullets shouldn't mix, IMHO. (uh oh, politics). I've been offered a chance to perform next weekend with the "big kids" and they specifically asked for that piece, but the stage is very far away and am not quite sure I'm up for the travel. Baht (and Bangkok) didn't take long because I briefly lived there, "light years ago and miles away." [quote stolen from Joan Baez]. Still have a few Thai coins stashed away somewhere!
Now, time to take a brisk walk and face the day.
Hey, I found this really cool optical illusion of the CN Tower.
If you stare at the picture for a long time, evnetually you'll notice that the tower is in the background. Females are supposed to be able to spot it much faster than males.
Hi gang -
C.C. - Glad you're back.
Just checking in to say hi. Off to T-town today, then rehearsal tonight.
Printed the puzzle to work in pencil later.
Will report back if there is time.
Cheers!
JzB the on-the-go trombonist
Dennis: Love the WOW and definition of adolescence. So perfect! I'm lookin' for some pumpkin cheesecake as soon as I can escape here and even if I have to go Bangkok to get it. Sounds yummy! I've got 'babbling day' covered. Good stuff, as usual.Thanks.
Enjoyable fill today with some neweys and a few pauses to make it interesting. Hockey is of course a foreign language to me so without the perps to get RINK, I'd never have got that connection either.
C.C., Welcome back to the land of the living!
I agree with Martin about RADIO CAR, but it fell in easily. I also did not know CALI or GELID, and had to look at a map to get the C of Cali. Toronto's tower name was unknown as well, although I know it was mentioned here a few days ago.
I did know Neale, and actually own a Slazenger tennis racket. Originally it was my mother's and I used it for years growing up. But the last time I got it restrung in 1968 it was done with gut, and I just know if I tried to use it again it would bust. It's just been sitting around in its frame all these years.
Morning all -
CC - glad to see you're back up and at 'em.
Al - quite the optical illusion...
Today is the first time in ages I came to the blog with empty spaces... Same problem as others: Neale/Gelid/Cali intersections. Also had Pies instead of Ryes, so Radiocap and wkli made absolutely no sense, but I eventually sorted them out. Also went the film route, which made it difficult to figure out scrub. I did get the theme and associated answers right away. Hockey is pretty big around here - Go Badgers!
Off to finish packing lunch. Peanut butter and honey. Again... Thank godness no one at Zoe's school has peanut allergies - I don't know what she would eat.
Enjoy the day.
Andrea
Re: Gremlin and Pacer
@C.C., only you would connect "pain" with French bread.
anon, meaning......?
Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok. Poor video quality but the lyrics (click on 'more info') are provided.
Al, for some reason I am unable to see the tower. Help me out!
Felt that RATE was vague/weak answer. Distance/time is usually speed or velocity. RATE can be many things divided by time; ie rev/min, interest rate, etc.
Loved the capital of Thailand clue. Counted 5 gerunds including the theme answers. (ISING doesn't count :-))
Nice midweek CW with some pause moments.
@Dick, I had the exact same problem at first. Try this: Hold up your left hand, with your palm facing the screen, thumb sticking out and pointing to the right, and in parallel with the keyboard. Start by hiding the lower right corner, making a triangle shape on the screen and gradually move your hand diagonally towards the top left until most of the picture is hidden except for a smallish triangle of blue. Once all you can see is mostly blue, then it should be more noticeable. Oh, and keep your fingers together, or it might not be very effective.
Loved the Gremlin and Pacer clue. I took my driver's test in my mother's baby blue Pacer that was recognizable all over town, so I HAD to be a polite driver. It held a lot of memories (and groceries!) but we did have to put up with a lot of ribbing.
Then, the first car I bought was a used light green Gremlin! Despite all the jokes about them, I loved that car, logging many miles and memories in it, as well.
37. Police cruiser: RADIO CAR
Martin in New York NYPD refers to their cars as RMP's
The NYPD vehicle fleet is primarily made up of Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. There are also Dodge Chargers equipped with Hemi engines, Ford Explorers, and Chevrolet Tahoes in the vehicle fleet. They are not termed as "cruisers" or "squad cars" but rather as Radio Motor Patrol units (RMPs).
NYPD RMP
Good Morning!
Loved the puzzle though I dont know hockey at all.
Didnt get all the theme answers at first try: had TRIP, FIGHT. This helped to get RINK and the other words fell into place.
Needed red letter help to get the intersection of CALI and GELID and MANSE and COPSE (didnt know any of those words).
Got AMCS from perps but didnt understand it. So I Googled it..I was thinking more in terms of sports team and was surprised to see cars.
Busy day ahead..somehow the work day is not enough to complete all the different things on my plate. The weather's not helping..its dark and cold and I've a hard time getting up.
Have a great day, everyone!
Good morning everyone.
C.C. It's good to have you back. One nitpick though. Alliteration usually means the same sound, so Colombian Cartel City would, to a purist, have only two alliterations.
While I'm on a rant, I think it's great that the corned beef is feeling well. The clue, to those of us who care about such things, should have been Like the most healthful corned beef. Grump over.
Cheers
C.C.- I'm glad you're getting up to speed and feeling better.
Aura is not crosswordese. Alee would be a better example. No matter how often we see aura in a puzzle it's still a common word. Ditto for aloe, Ali, Alou, Abe, Audi, axed, ace, and a cast of thousands of other words.
Crosswordese is obscure words we rarely see outside of crossword puzzles. Constructors use them because of the convenient letter combos and their vowel friendliness. Alee isn't too bad but I'm sure Donna wasn't thrilled with it. Traditional crosswordese would be helot, rood, irae, radii,
esne, inri, oda, obi, ad nauseum.
Hi everybody.
I too had trouble at the bottom of this puzzle with NEALE, GELID, CALI and CNTOWER but made it through OK with the crosses.
It's interesting how we each bring our own experiences to bear when discussing crossword clues. RADII doesn't seem like crosswordese to me since I used it often in teaching geometry. Likewise, RATE made perfect sense to me since those word problems in algebra are always called Distance/Rate/Time problems.
For crosswordese, what do you think about words like ABOIL?
I had never thought about healthy vs. healthful but now I will.
The Phillies look too strong but I will be pulling for those hapless Dodgers to make a comeback.
A little harder puzzle today. I do not follow hockey at all, but I guess I had heard the terms enough to guess that the theme had something to do with hockey.
I got "gelid" because of its similarity with gelled. OK, I guessed. I wasn't pleased with "eeee." Looked like a fill-in to make everything else fit. Had to Google "Cali" because the only Colombian city I could think of was Medellin. Somehow I knew "snee" so I was able to get the fill for "Neale."
Rainy night and day here. Hard on the arthritis.
Hi all,
My sleep (non) schedule has not allowed me to post anything lately. Last night I did not sleep at all!
CC: I am happy that you are well!
It would seem like the "easy puzzle" curse has lifted somewhat! Had to google up CALI as I had no idea about CNTOWER. Everything else was doable with effort. RADIOCAR seemed a bit weird. Surely every police car has a radio!
I Was wondering how many of you use Macs. I still cannot use Across Lite, despite your kind help.
Have a great day everyone!
Lorraine L. asked, "I was wondering how many of you use Macs. I still cannot use Across Lite, despite your kind help."
I am using an iMac and have Across Lite v.2.0 working just fine.
Whoops, I used the wrong identity in my previous post. Hypatia1 = Lorraine L
Bill G: What OS are you using?
Hypatia, I am using OSX 10.5.8.
To all of us Mac users: I have gone to Snow Leopard,10.6.1, and am most pleased.
A Mac evangelist, even tho my DH is a PC user. But he does get impressed fairly frequently with the Mac's ease.
It has been a long time since I have had time to visit here. What appeared to be a down economy has ended up being a boomer year for me, not only keeping me employed but working lots of overtime.
When the switch to the LA Times first took place, it seemed to me that the puzzles were more difficult. I generally had to struggle with the Saturday puzzles, and the Friday puzzles sometimes gave me fits. Now either the puzzles are getting easier, or I am getting more accustomed to the style and rhythm.
Like Barry G, I was unfamiliar with SUPINATE. Even knowing the defintion, I can not imagine using the word. "He supinated his hand so the fortune teller could see his life line?" I don't think so!
Spitzboov: A standard formula in algebra is d=rt where d=distance, r=rate and t=time. Solved for r, it becomes r=d/t. So RATE seemed logical to me.
I did not see Clear Ayes in today's post. Is she still a regular?
Yes, everyone, EEEE is indeed ugly. Desperate corners sometimes call for desperate measures, I'm afraid. :-)
FWIW, this one started out as a very different puzzle with just three theme answers: BOARDING SCHOOL, CHECKING ACCOUNT and ICING ON THE CAKE (with PUCK in the bottom corner). Rich was okay with a hockey theme, but needed more consistency (i.e., all infractions, not just vague hockey-related terms). While the fill suffered for it, I think he was right about the consistency element.
As always, thanks for the comments, even the less-than-enthusiastic ones. It's always good to get feedback.
Donna: Thanks for stopping by. I had fun with this puzzle. I especially like seeing ICING / I SING and EPEE / SNEE in the same puzzle.
Good Afternoon All, I'm a little late today, even for a left coaster. GAH and I had to go to the memorial service for the acquaintance who died from pneumonia. Always sad, but his family is doing well.
Today's puzzle was a definite step up for me. There were lots of new words and terms. Having never heard of SUPINATE, the cross with SATIATE was tough. I'm not literate in Spanish, so NOVIA was also a new word. NEALE was unknown and GELID was just vaguely familiar.
I'd call "Distance divided by time" SPEED, MILES PER HOUR, or MPH, but never just RATE. I've heard of having a RUN IN with the police, but RAN IN isn't a term that I've ever used for "Arrest".
I agreed with Martin and others about RADIO CAR. According to RSD it is a New York-ish kind of term, even though in NY they are Radio Motor Patrol units, not just RADIO CARS.
I wouldn't have figured out the theme without 47D RINK. It was a nice Aha moment.
Hi Doesitinink, Nice to see you back. Yes, I'm still here, posting poems and recommending (or complaining) about movies. Seen any good CINEs (another word I've never used until now) lately?
Donna Levin, Thanks for stopping by. It is always appreciated when a constructor takes time to offer some clarification on their puzzle.
Hello all.
On cold,foggy mornings like this one, I pull the blankets over my head and stay in bed. But, the sun is shinning now and we are up to 62
degrees.
Hockey fan from way back. Remember the Pittsburgh Hornets.
Anyone notice that "baseball" crossed two penalties? "Hockey" would have been much better.
Cali should be a gimmie now. And, D = RxT.
eddyB
PS.
Wouldn't know what to do with the CNtower. Probably suffocate.
eddyB
7:33 today. Cute theme, which I enjoyed, and all the theme entries were "in the language". The only sore thumb here was GAL Friday, which is a stretch.
GELID was a gimme since that term is included in the spell mages use for "ice bolts" in the online game I play, Asheron's Call.
Al - that is the best picture of the CN TOWER I think I've ever seen. So clear, so impressive in scope. A wonder of man's achievements, as it (they) cannot be natural (I'm guessing).
Speaking of ice hockey (the theme), the seasons are turning. I'm sitting here at the computer looking at a flock of Oregon Juncos. They are very cute, but they presage the coming of winter here. If you happen to follow that link, Pleasant Hill, Oregon is where I went to high school.
Good afternoon all.
Different day, different office, different train, no sobbing interns. Glad to get back to doing things I'm good at.
Open windows today, after the recent cold blast. Yea!
Hockey is such a blast to watch. It's like soccer, on skates! It moves at a faster pace than football or baseball, but not as tiring as basketball. Trying to spot the puck on TV is much easier than at the rink, where it's mostly a blur. Requires better eyes than I'm equipped with, but no matter, I attend a game when possible. Take my advice and avoid the "nachos." That orange stuff has no business pretending to be "cheese."
@Donna Levin: thank you for paying us a visit. It bodes well for the puzzle-day when we see your byline.
C. C., stay well.
Today's hockey theme was apropos. The Louisiana IceGators begin their season tomorrow evening against the Mississippi Surge. Who knew hockey could be played when it is still 80F outside?
Clear Ayes: I have seen a number of excellent films this year, but my favorite by far was the quirky film The Brothers Bloom with Adrian Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz. It is funny, quirky in the same way as In Bruge. Unfortunately it is being released on Blu-Ray only. So now I am considering buying a Blu-Ray player so that I can watch it again and again!
Hello All--The puzzle was a bit more difficult today but I had a real feeling of accomplishment when I finally finished it all. I didn't know Neale or Gelid, but they were obtained with the perps.
Cali was a given, as we lived there for two years, eons ago. It wasn't a cartel city then, but has become much less dangerous in the past four or five years. It is really a beautiful city with many old buildings, and a rich history.
Andrea 123, I had the same problems that you had with wanting pies for Bakery offerings, so Radio caps didn't make ANY sense.
Thanks again to C.C. for clearing it all up for us.
By the way, Stay well, C.C. We all miss you when you are away.
Donna Levin, thank you for visiting today. The ins and outs of puzzle constructing are very interesting and we always appreciate the insight.
Al, LOL at both your Tower post and the explanation on how to find it in the picture!
Everyone should have a cheesecake shop like we have nearby. They sell "poppers". These are small one bite cheesecakes in small cupcake wrappers so you can buy a dozen different kinds and taste until you find the ones you like the best. My problem is that I like them all.
Hello.
I think they are filled with helium
so she doesn't fall down.
It often got above 80 in the fall and spring in Phoenix. Hockey games would be cancelled because a
fog layer would form above the ice surface.
I'll bet a nickel that most educators use MACs - unless of course they have a supe demand that they use PCs because they are more "professional".
I'm thinking about buying a Windows 7 machine and throwing this Vista machine in the garbage can.
eddyB
C.C. You asked about John Wayne movies. My favorite has always been The Quiet Man. With Maureen O'Hara and the gorgeous County Mayo scenery as co-stars, the romantic Irish fantasy is complete.
John Wayne was an actor who always seemed to play versions of himself. He wasn't subtle. You got what you paid for. Mostly what people wanted were all-American westerns and he always delivered. Other favorite Wayne-ers were the classic westerns The Searchers and Red River
Hi C.C. and all -
C.C. So glad you are feeling better. I'm sure we've all had those unpleasant experiences with food. Sometimes we eat it when we know we shouldn't and sometimes we are the innocent victims. Either way, it's not a good thing!
Dennis, re the lovely Thailand city mentioned, I'm sure you enjoyed your visit and weren't hurt too badly. LOL
Nothing like 'SATIATE' and 'SUPINATE'
Al (7:56) LOL - I hope she doesn't have to run to catch a bus! Whew!
Now on to the puzzle - I did enjoy it even though I know nothing about hockey.
I did get all the long answers but failed to get the word 'Rink'.
Lots of words that I have not seen before or that I would have ever guessed: radio car being one of those.
'cine', wkly, gelid and the ever popular eeee ! eeek!
Donna Levin, thank you for the explanation of some of these. It helps us to know your side and I am glad if our grousing helps you :)
ClearAyes:
Interesting you should mention The Quiet Man. In 1999 the Irish and I (me) spent 9 days in Ireland, and we stayed in Cong, the County Mayo village where the movie was filmed, for a day and a half. On our first night there, we ate and drank a great deal of Guinness at the Quiet Man Pub. There is also a Quiet Man Coffee Shop and a Quiet Man Hotel. At the pub we met a great guy named Ray McHugh, who invited us to tour his farm the next morning. The movie was filmed in 1950, I believe, and released in 1952, so at the time it had been nearly 50 years. I asked him if they weren't about "over it". Hell no, he said, but I've about had a bellyfull of it. The irony of meeting him, if your definition of irony includes such situations, is that their is a large extended family of McHugh's in my home town
of Maysville, Kentucky, which has a large Irish Catholic population.
The Quiet Man might be a little un-PC these days, as there is a scene where JW drags Maureen O'Hara by her hair. You guys secretly like that cave man thing though, don't you?
My own favorite JW movie is McClintock, which also co-starred the lovely redhead Miss O'Hara, and featured what has got to be one of the best fight scenes ever (in the lime pit).
Road trip tomorrow. To bed and up early.
Still looking for a LAT app.
@Al 9:39, your instructions helped, but for some reason my hands kept dropping to the south east and I kept losing the tower in the background as it disappeared behind two mountains:).
Dick and Al, you are so naughty! You can't see the CN Tower???!!! Why it virtually jumps out of the photo!
In my office, we are required to submit weekly Time and Attendance sheets, which for some inexplicable reason are called T&A forms. It always makes the men go crazy with laughter. Why ever is that?
Windhover, No dragging by Maureen's lovely red locks, but definitely by the collar of her jacket, a kick in the keister to make a point, and some slinging of the lovely bride to the feet of her brutish brother. I think the hair grabbing had to do with a pristine bedroom scene where JW grabs MO's hair to turn her around for a big smackeroo (kiss, not slap) before he tosses her onto the marital bed, which breaks under her weight.
But it is a fantasy after all, Irish jigs and romantic ballads abound throughout. The brutish brother, who nowise bears a familial resemblance to Maureen, somehow becomes lovable. Another great fight sequence allows more views of the countryside to be seen and more jolly music to be heard. Even the Catholics and Protestants help and admire each other.
As I recall McLintock had a chase and spanking sequence, in which JW tamed the shrewish MO.
Perhaps, next summer's Chicken Bristle Film Society will have a double feature of both McClintock and The Quiet Man, both of them cavemen's dreams...what the heck..why not?
A word to the wise, NEVER watch a John Wayne movie if you are looking for political correctness. I did have to admire Mr. Wayne's shameless insistence on hiring his otherwise unemployable son Patrick as an actor in many of his movies.
RADIO CAR was an often used term for police cars in the 30s and 40s though it isn't really used at all today. Back then having a radio in a police car was hitech stuff and a big deal.
There was even a hit newspaper comic strip called Radio Patrol that was made into a movie serial.
Fred
Hi gang -
Lot's of running around the countryside today. Pretty tired at this point.
Beethoven's 9th in D minor. Who knew? We're playing the 5th on Friday. It's a whole step lower, in C minor.
That CN tower pic has many structures that are monuments to engineering and construction technology. Did anybody notice the little boy in the blue hat?
Insufficient leavening SAGS RYES. October might bring DRAB SKYS. Time travel only works if you have the RIGHT WARPS. Baloon ad thought the time was RIPE for HYPE
Remember to be CIVIL to your NOVIA/o.
Night, All and Cheers!
JzB the used up trombonist
PHILS WIN! PHILS WIN! PHILS WIN!
That is all.
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