Theme: None
Total blocks: 29
Total words: 70
Can you picture the big smile on my face? Just a great puzzle from two of the best crossword constructors. Refreshing long word answers and twisted new clues for some of the regular short entries.
I don't know how Barry and Doug collaborated. I certainly could not not tell who worked on which section. My favorite part is the lower right corner. Simple & interesting to me. Not sure if Doug knows the DF meaning of MORELS (19D. Gourmet mushrooms) on our blog. Barry does, I think. Maybe it's Barry's proposed word? Fantastic!
I had expected a hard struggle when I saw the byline. Was rather surprised that I was able to fill in so many blanks on the first pass. Nailed all the clever wordplay clues except OCHO (22D. Three less than once). Spanish for "eight". I did not know "once" is Spanish for "eleven". I don't like today's mix of English "three" with Spanish "once". How about you?
Across:
1. Hired goons: MUSCLE. Slang for "thugs".
7. Snub: HIGH-HAT. Always thought high-hat is a just noun.
14. Power to attract: APPEAL. Don't understand Johnny Depp's appeal. People's Sexist Man Alive again?
15. Like an unexpectedly large gift: GENEROUS
16. Buys time: STALLS
17. Heed: LISTEN TO
18. "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" setting: KOREA. Set during the Korean War.
19. Sticking points?: MIRES. Write down MOOTS first.
20. Suggested actions: DO'S. And Don'ts.
21. "Fantastic Voyage" setting: BLOODSTREAM. No idea. Don't think I want to see the film now I've learned the setting.
24. Bad check letters: NSF (Not Sufficient Funds). Dennis has probably encountered bad checks at his hobby stores.
27. Land buy: ACRE
28. Refuse to make changes: SIT PAT. Same as "stand pat", isn't it?
30. Heroic: EPIC
32. Cologne title: HERR. Got the last R quickly, so no HERR/FRAU wobbling.
34. Rivera with two Tonys: CHITA. I guess Clear Ayes knows which two musicals brought her the two Tonys.
35. Its contents are under pressure: AEROSOL. I was picturing our cooking spray.
37. Authority level: ECHELON
39. Nottingham's river: TRENT. Thames wouldn't fit. Trent is England's third-longest river. River Severn is the longest.
40. 1973 Toni Morrison novel: SULA. See the book cover. Unknown to me.
42. She played WKRP's Jennifer: LONI (Anderson).
43. Fancy watches: OMEGAS. You can find plenty of counterfeit Rolex and Omega in China. Fake Microsoft Windows products too.
47. Defense agency since Nov. 2001: TSA (Transportation Security Administration). In response to the Sept 11 attack. The abbreviation escaped me.
48. Geneticist's pursuit: DNA RESEARCH. Fairly easy to string together today.
51. Keep entirely to oneself: HOG
53. Rhodes with a scholarship: CECIL. Founder of the diamond company De Beers. I obtained his name from crosses.
57. Some tattoos: INITIALS
59. Equivalence: PARITY
60. "I kid you not!": HONESTLY
61. "8 Simple Rules" star John: RITTER. Son of Tex Ritter.
62. Son of Agamemnon: ORESTES (aw-RES-teez). I've linked Remorse of Orestes several times before. He was being chased by the Furies because he killed his mother Clytemnestra, who murdered his father.
63. Biological catalyst: ENZYME. Exists in fresh veggies/fruit. Cooking kills enzyme.
Down:
1. Diver's need: MASK. Thought of Tank first.
3. Box for training purposes: SPAR
4. Tabloid subject: CELEB
5. "Deck the Halls" ending: LA LA LA. I vaguely remember we had this clue before.
6. Some commuter lines: ELS (Elevated Railways)
7. They're next in line: HEIRS. Nailed it.
8. Detailed windows: INSETS. Oh, the map closeup windows.
9. Rakes it in: GETS RICH. "Rake it in" is a new phrase to me.
10. Realm until the 19th cen.: HRE. Until 1806.
11. SUV that replaced the Passport: HONDA PILOT. Cars are always my blind spots.
12. Cuckoos in clocks, e.g.: AUTOMATONS. Struggled with the answer.
13. Chinese menu possessive: TSO'S. General Tso's chicken.
15. Quiet aircraft: GLIDER. Drone is quiet too, isn't it? CIA uses drones to kill those targeted terrorists, who can't hear the approach of the drones until too late.
23. Waters of music: ETHEL. Unknown figure to me. Pretty picture.
24. "Super-duper!": NEATO. Just like this puzzle.
25. Solution for a fertility problem, perhaps: SPERM DONOR. So simple in retrospect.
26. Vehicle with a deluge gun: FIRE ENGINE.
29. Patty Hearst's nom de guerre: TANIA. I forgot. Her kidnappers were SLA, often clued as " Radical 1970s gp.".
31. Partygoers may get their kicks out of one: CONGA. D'oh, dance.
33. Switch magazines, maybe: RELOAD. Another clever clue. But you can't fool me with "magazines" any more.
36. "Sorry, Charlie" brand: STARKIST. Here is an old commercial. I was ignorant of the catchphrase "Sorry, Charlie".
38. "Locked room" mystery writer John Dickson __: CARR. Uh-uh, nope. Have never heard of this guy.
41. Restless: UNEASY
44. Hill body: SENATE. Capitol Hill.
46. 2002 Campaign Reform Act co-sponsor: MCCAIN. Gimme. The McCain-Feingold Act.
49. Hawks: SELLS
50. Big name at airports: HERTZ. Car rental.
51. Jaunty greeting: HI HO. Hi-Yo Silver!
54. Normal in Illinois, say: CITY. Normal is a city in Illinois. Easy guess.
55. One often follows a bullet: ITEM. The dot bullet •, not ammo bullet.
56. Instrument played with a plectrum: LYRE. Again, the answer emerged itself.
58. Some NFL pass catchers: TES (Tight Ends)
59. Post- opposite: PRE. Both prefixes. Very straightforward clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total blocks: 29
Total words: 70
Can you picture the big smile on my face? Just a great puzzle from two of the best crossword constructors. Refreshing long word answers and twisted new clues for some of the regular short entries.
I don't know how Barry and Doug collaborated. I certainly could not not tell who worked on which section. My favorite part is the lower right corner. Simple & interesting to me. Not sure if Doug knows the DF meaning of MORELS (19D. Gourmet mushrooms) on our blog. Barry does, I think. Maybe it's Barry's proposed word? Fantastic!
I had expected a hard struggle when I saw the byline. Was rather surprised that I was able to fill in so many blanks on the first pass. Nailed all the clever wordplay clues except OCHO (22D. Three less than once). Spanish for "eight". I did not know "once" is Spanish for "eleven". I don't like today's mix of English "three" with Spanish "once". How about you?
Across:
1. Hired goons: MUSCLE. Slang for "thugs".
7. Snub: HIGH-HAT. Always thought high-hat is a just noun.
14. Power to attract: APPEAL. Don't understand Johnny Depp's appeal. People's Sexist Man Alive again?
15. Like an unexpectedly large gift: GENEROUS
16. Buys time: STALLS
17. Heed: LISTEN TO
18. "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" setting: KOREA. Set during the Korean War.
19. Sticking points?: MIRES. Write down MOOTS first.
20. Suggested actions: DO'S. And Don'ts.
21. "Fantastic Voyage" setting: BLOODSTREAM. No idea. Don't think I want to see the film now I've learned the setting.
24. Bad check letters: NSF (Not Sufficient Funds). Dennis has probably encountered bad checks at his hobby stores.
27. Land buy: ACRE
28. Refuse to make changes: SIT PAT. Same as "stand pat", isn't it?
30. Heroic: EPIC
32. Cologne title: HERR. Got the last R quickly, so no HERR/FRAU wobbling.
34. Rivera with two Tonys: CHITA. I guess Clear Ayes knows which two musicals brought her the two Tonys.
35. Its contents are under pressure: AEROSOL. I was picturing our cooking spray.
37. Authority level: ECHELON
39. Nottingham's river: TRENT. Thames wouldn't fit. Trent is England's third-longest river. River Severn is the longest.
40. 1973 Toni Morrison novel: SULA. See the book cover. Unknown to me.
42. She played WKRP's Jennifer: LONI (Anderson).
43. Fancy watches: OMEGAS. You can find plenty of counterfeit Rolex and Omega in China. Fake Microsoft Windows products too.
47. Defense agency since Nov. 2001: TSA (Transportation Security Administration). In response to the Sept 11 attack. The abbreviation escaped me.
48. Geneticist's pursuit: DNA RESEARCH. Fairly easy to string together today.
51. Keep entirely to oneself: HOG
53. Rhodes with a scholarship: CECIL. Founder of the diamond company De Beers. I obtained his name from crosses.
57. Some tattoos: INITIALS
59. Equivalence: PARITY
60. "I kid you not!": HONESTLY
61. "8 Simple Rules" star John: RITTER. Son of Tex Ritter.
62. Son of Agamemnon: ORESTES (aw-RES-teez). I've linked Remorse of Orestes several times before. He was being chased by the Furies because he killed his mother Clytemnestra, who murdered his father.
63. Biological catalyst: ENZYME. Exists in fresh veggies/fruit. Cooking kills enzyme.
Down:
1. Diver's need: MASK. Thought of Tank first.
3. Box for training purposes: SPAR
4. Tabloid subject: CELEB
5. "Deck the Halls" ending: LA LA LA. I vaguely remember we had this clue before.
6. Some commuter lines: ELS (Elevated Railways)
7. They're next in line: HEIRS. Nailed it.
8. Detailed windows: INSETS. Oh, the map closeup windows.
9. Rakes it in: GETS RICH. "Rake it in" is a new phrase to me.
10. Realm until the 19th cen.: HRE. Until 1806.
11. SUV that replaced the Passport: HONDA PILOT. Cars are always my blind spots.
12. Cuckoos in clocks, e.g.: AUTOMATONS. Struggled with the answer.
13. Chinese menu possessive: TSO'S. General Tso's chicken.
15. Quiet aircraft: GLIDER. Drone is quiet too, isn't it? CIA uses drones to kill those targeted terrorists, who can't hear the approach of the drones until too late.
23. Waters of music: ETHEL. Unknown figure to me. Pretty picture.
24. "Super-duper!": NEATO. Just like this puzzle.
25. Solution for a fertility problem, perhaps: SPERM DONOR. So simple in retrospect.
26. Vehicle with a deluge gun: FIRE ENGINE.
29. Patty Hearst's nom de guerre: TANIA. I forgot. Her kidnappers were SLA, often clued as " Radical 1970s gp.".
31. Partygoers may get their kicks out of one: CONGA. D'oh, dance.
33. Switch magazines, maybe: RELOAD. Another clever clue. But you can't fool me with "magazines" any more.
36. "Sorry, Charlie" brand: STARKIST. Here is an old commercial. I was ignorant of the catchphrase "Sorry, Charlie".
38. "Locked room" mystery writer John Dickson __: CARR. Uh-uh, nope. Have never heard of this guy.
41. Restless: UNEASY
44. Hill body: SENATE. Capitol Hill.
46. 2002 Campaign Reform Act co-sponsor: MCCAIN. Gimme. The McCain-Feingold Act.
49. Hawks: SELLS
50. Big name at airports: HERTZ. Car rental.
51. Jaunty greeting: HI HO. Hi-Yo Silver!
54. Normal in Illinois, say: CITY. Normal is a city in Illinois. Easy guess.
55. One often follows a bullet: ITEM. The dot bullet •, not ammo bullet.
56. Instrument played with a plectrum: LYRE. Again, the answer emerged itself.
58. Some NFL pass catchers: TES (Tight Ends)
59. Post- opposite: PRE. Both prefixes. Very straightforward clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
54 comments:
Good morning C.C. and all, another difficult solve for me this morning. I shifted all over the grid inserting one answer here and another there. I finally got a decent toe hold in the SW corner and managed to build from there. The last two sections to fall were the NW and NE.
I disliked “Hiho” clued as jaunty greeting. This was clued awhile back as something the Lone Ranger said. It took a long time for 37A “echelon” to reveal itself. Overall I liked this puzzle, it was difficult and certainly not a speed dash this am.
Hi Everybody,
The Lone Ranger said Hi-Yo(Nobody would believe it!).
Louis Nye greeted Steve Allen, in the Man in the Street segment, with a cheery, "Hi-Ho, Steverino!".
I'll admit this puzzle gave me fits but I was just not on the right wave lenght, even after knowing not to take a clue at face value.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - wow, Barry Silk and Doug Peterson! No wonder I enjoyed this one so much. One of the best I've done since the switch. More of this joint effort, please!
I had mini-problems all over the place, but always got bailed out by the perps. Except for 'ocho', that is. I knew the answer had to be right, but damned if I could figure out the clue until coming here. C.C., I don't have a problem with mixing the languages in the clue, although I might've done something like put 'once' in italics or quotes.
In one of those weird quirks, I was watching the news while solving the NE portion of the puzzle, and they were talking about a Honda Pilot that was the subject of a search. Thank you very much. And of course, 'morel' was a gimme, as I'm sure it will be for our DFettes. I liked 'Normal in Illinois, say' and I thought 'Switch magazines, perhaps' was extremely clever. All in all, a challenging and most enjoyable puzzle.
Today is False Confession Day and National Adoption Day. I was adopted.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." -- Unknown
More from the Washington Post contest:
-- Esplanade: To attempt an explanation while drunk.
-- Abdicate: To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
Good Morning All,
Worked my way into the NW corner and had to switch to red letters. Gets Rich, High Hat, Honda Pilot and Automatons just wouldn't pop into my brain. Quite a constructor combo which was a really fun challenge.
We've got a great weekend ahead weather wise. Hope everyone has a great day!
Hello all,
Finally, got here early! (Can't sleep.) It was 4:30 AM here in Northridge, CA, when I began this missle.
Shoulder operation really was no picnic. Fell again after returning home. Was finally getting better. Then physical therapist exercised my arm yesterday and am now in excruciating pain. Despite percocet, which clouds my mind.
Hospital stay was dreadful. Shortage of nurses incredible. It took up to 5 hours to get help after using he call button. Food inedible! Kept rolling to my right. Those skinny beds are horrible. Kept getting stuck.
Puzzles pretty easy this week, today's being the worst.Typing very difficult. Please forgive typos here. Also whining!
Am I the only one who wrote SNARF first?
(I am 70.)
Didn't like MIRES definition!!
Thanks for those who wished me well. Thanks to CC and other bloggers lately. Love reading the information given and the general
good will! Was surprised how easy Friday's puzzle was.
CC: "Fantasic Voyage" is worth seeing.
HI HO is a given for those who remember "Snow White..." movie.
Argyle: Had a radio as a kid. Could not have screwed up with HI Yo. Liked tv show too when it subsequently was on tv. Did not worry about PC when I was a kid. Loved Jay Silverheels.
Have a great weekend all!
Everyday I also do another puzzle published in the Detroit Free Press (by Wayne Robert Williams) and have noticed there is usually an answer common to both of them on any given day--- today it was "neato". This has happened quite frequently lately--coincidence?
Couple arrested for refusing to pay tip for poor service.
NO TIP FOR YOU
I forgot the word for the clickable link. I won't leave a tip if I have to get my own silver ware. napkins and keep my glass filled with Pepsi.
BISCUITS & GRAVY
@diane, yes, coincidence happens all the time.
What a fun puzzle, and somehow all the answers came to me, especially our special friend C.C.’s Morel . My only gripe was the HONDA part of the answer, since the PASSPORT was replaced by the PILOT.
I am sure our mystery loving group all found John Dickson Carr the ultimate gimme. I am rereading some of his early short stories in a trade paperback Door to Doom.
I grew up listening to Ethel Waters who was one of the many pioneers like Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker who made American music such a big influence on music.
Back to unpacking….
This one was a toughie! w/o the g spot I would not have been able to complete it.
Fancy watches Omegas. Should have been clued as James Bond's watch.
James Bond
OMEGA
Lakeside did a song in 1980 called Fantastic Voyage.
Lakeside
This was when music was real shame no radio station plays this music anymore.
ALL GRAVY NO GRIEF
Sunny nook in the SE corner.
Good morning C.C. and all,
This is an excellent puzzle that required a lot of head scratching, red letter and perp help. My first pass through was not very productive, but the down perps soon gave me the NW corner and a foothold.
I did not like the mires clue, as I consider a mire to be a place, not a point. The NE corner gave me the most trouble, even tho I got listen to right away. Highhat was my last fill.
My favorite clue was "switch magazines"; hardest was "three less than once" as there was no hint that the language was not English. I have little Spanish, even though I live in South Texas. I know ocho, of course, but once was new to me.
Thanks, Barry and Doug for a very enjoyable 47 minutes.
Our drought seems to be over. We had downpours all day yesterday, with Rockport, up the coast, getting 12 inches.
Looking for the Cowboys to redeem themselves after a disastrous performance last week.
Sorry to hear about your difficulties, Lorraine, and wish you a speedy recovery.
good morning c.c. and all,
fantastic puzzle, just loved it. required a little tenacity, as the first pass didn't reveal much. solved the nw corner first, but the rest fell rather eratically. got OCHO, but like others, had no idea why that fit until coming here. always good to see MORELS, it's been a while. also liked ECHELON, SPERM DONOR, PARITY and AEROSOL. great clues for BLOODSTREAM and RELOAD.
today's WOW... i must be really lucky, i don't get what i want ALOT.
lorraine, the right massage therapist can work miracles in your recovery.
fleeting rain yesterday, clear and sunny again today, with a little nip in the air. perfect.
For future reference: (Most of the time, Spanish words have the second syllable emphasized and "r"`s are "trilled.".)
uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, seis, siete, nueve, dies
ooono, dose, trace, kwatro, sinko, say-eees, see-etay, new-wave-ay, dee-ace.
once doce trece catorce quince (then) diez y seis (ten and six...etc.) then viente
on-say, doe-say, tray-say, kee-tore-say, keen-say,
( ten and 6...etc, up to 20 "bvay an tay)
A Rose...
left out "ocho" (oh-choo)...some numbers are the exception to the "emphasize the second syllable" rule: Ocho, uno, quatro, cinco, seis,once, doce, trece, quince, all emphasize the first syllable.
A "Rosaita"
Another difficult but engaging Saturday puzzle. Had to walk away from it 3 times but finally got it w/o help. The NE corner fell last. Some good guesses helped. (SULA)
Thought NOLOAD had a great clue. Don't know much Spanish but finally saw OCHO and figured that 'once' had to be 'eleven'. Agree with Dennis about the mixing of languages.
Tschüß everyone.
Hello all.
Loved this puzzle! Wish for more like it.
"The Bridges at Toko-Ri" was on TMC last Thursday. Watched it again.
There was an episode on ER sometime ago about a Spanish couple who misread "once" on a Rx
lable as 11.
eddyB
G'morning, all.
This was like "Twofer Tuesday" at certain dining/drinking establishments, which I, of course, do not frequent, but whose signs I see on my daily walks (!). Silk and Peterson came up with a winner, here, with "al dente" level of difficulty.
Got OCHO via perps: despite not being able to do the math until later after solving. There was an episode on one of the TV medical dramas (ER) where a kid was re-admitted to the hospital with symptoms of medication overdose. Sure enough, the prescription read "take once a day" and the Spanish-only speaking parents were giving the meds to the kid ELEVEN times a day. I'm sure that scenario plays out all too often.
High HATs off to the constructors for a clean grid, clear clues, and a great way to start Saturday.
New, bad groaning clues from the breakfast table.
BLOODSTREAM (where alcohol travels to). AEROSOL (hair's friend, ozone's enemy)
ECHELON (a place for other, better people than you)
SPERM DONOR (a man who made a quick deposit for 20 bucks).
Stopping right there!
Wow, this was a challenge today, albeit a fun one! I had more trouble in the south than the north though.
I didn't care for the use of once either. Even if you don't speak spanish, I think most people still recognize the numbers 1-10, but beyond that expects too much from the average solver across the country. I took spanish decades ago in high school, but still had to think a few moments after I had OCHO before I realized once was probably 11. And still a minute or two before the synapses clicked and I really remembered learning that!
C.C.: I'm attracted to Johnny Depp, but something about him creeps me out too.
When I saw "Suggested actions" = DO, I thought of it in the context of a "honey-do list".
John Ritter's son is an actor too and looks just like him, mannerisms and all. He was the character on Joan of Arcadia that was in a wheelchair.
Duh! When I saw RELOAD magazines, I was thinking of restocking media shelves at the grocery store. It was a little off the wall, but grudgingly acceptable... Thanks for setting me straight with your explanation C.C.! I never thought of guns. However, I was thinking about bullets from guns for 55D, ITEMS, when I shouldn't have been.
@EDDY B:
You type faster! Am glad my memory wasn't playing tricks on me re: ONCE and E.R. I loved that show and all the Chicago scenery references. As of last week, I live in Dr Carter's hometown, as played by Noah Wylie--who practically grew up on that show.
Lorraine: hang in there. Sorry to hear you're still in pain. Since I fall down a lot, my doctor reminds me constantly "No sudden moves, kiddo" and "Keep your eyes out for hazards!" Am never quite sure if he's kidding or not, but it's still good advice.
Good morning CC and all,
Almost gave up after my 1st run thru, but the house was quiet, the paper was read, and, most of all, a Silkie/Peterson puzzle should not be wasted. It was a struggle, but there were so many a-ha's and "how clever was that!"..reload, item,knead, and Hertz.Nothing came easily except morel! Ocho was a big problem until I went thru the alphabet to get the h and then wondered why it worked?! Thanks CC.
Ah, that Orestes painting reminded me of my recent mammogram(see + inside of circle- the pointer?)
With all fairness to Orestes, he saw his mother and her boyfriend kill his dad when he was 10. Apollo's oracle encouraged him to take revenge but those nasty bat-winged Harpies tore him to pieces, yelling "Matricide!"
Lorraine, hope you have a speedy recovery. Listen to Melissa, therapy is important.
Yesterday's rain gave us a gorgeous clear blue sky today.
"Rosita' needs to check his/her facts. In Espanol, two syllable words usually emphasize the first; in three or more syllable words, THEN it`s the second syllable that`s usually emphasized; operative word; usually.
Error alert: it's not MUSCLES but MUSCLE. The clue should be Hired goon.
My excuse is that I didn't sleep well last night and had to take some Tylenol Arthritis this morning. That's my story...!
Difficulty level of about '9' for me today. I did like it, though. One of my problems is in the way I read the fills, i.e. reading "DNA research" as "dnare search." Didn't make sense until it finally got through the fog. I trusted the perps for "ocho." I didn't know what it was until I came here. I also desperately wanted "automation" instead of "automaton." Rough!
Had to hit the g-spot on several clues. I could not remember what Rhodes' first name was - kept wanting Charles for some reason. After I penciled in "same as" for equivalence at 59A, I was really messed up in SE.
Dennis, who said "Success is not getting what you want, it's wanting what you get."?
Lorraine, best wishes for your recovery. Those things take a lot longer than we expect. Use this time to suck up the extra attention from your family!
Good Morning All, Why am I smiling since this was a real tough puzzle for me? I guess I really appreciate the respect that Silk and Peterson give to their fans.
I gave in to red letters when I had MUDDY for 23D "Waters of music" and LUTE for 56D "Instrument played with a plectrum".
I just had to accept that OCHO was correct for 22D. As Annette mentioned, most of us know one through ten in a couple of foreign languages, but not beyond that.
Sorry C.C. I knew that CHITA Rivera won a Tony for "Kiss of the Spider Woman", but had never heard of her second win in "The Rink". "The Rink" only had 204 performances, but apparently that was enough for Ms. Rivera to wow the critics. Strangely, she didn't win Tonys for her original Broadway roles as Anita in "West Side Story" or as Velma Kelly in "Chicago".
Thank you, A. Tarot.
I changed the answer to MUSCLE for C.C. but I believe the clue is correct, because all the hired thugs can be considered MUSCLE as a collective noun.
Is "collective noun" the right term?
Well, A Tarot, C.C. mistyped in her write up, but MUSCLE is what is hired, no plural is needed, so the clue HIRED GOONS is valid. Constructors like using words that have plural meanings without an "s" at the end, to slow the solvers down. It is one of the marks of pros like Barry and Doug.
Well Argyle, I guess I need to type faster....
A. Tarot.
Nope, the clue is correct as written. To solve a "sticky situation" a hoodlum/gangster can apply FORCE a.k.a MUSCLE to the issue. Whether that takes MUSCLE from one goon or more than one goon is irrelevant.
We say, in American English, "Put some muscle into it!" for less fiendish purposes.
Note the singular, please.
Before crying "gotcha" to two of our finest constructors and one of our finest editors, you may do well to check your assumptions.
Thank you Barry and Doug for a hard but satisfying puzzle. I'm so glad to have some challenge back in the puzzles.
I had the CH from perps by the time I needed OCHO so the trickiness on ONCE pleased rather than irritated me.
It took me the longest time to get RELOAD, I had all but the L before I quit thinking about reading rather than guns.
MUSCLE works for goon or goons.
Lorraine,
I feel for you, having been through shoulder surgery myself in April. Take the pain pills as long as you need to, especially for sleep. It's hard to sleep on my back. Recliners and lots of pillows were key for me. I found a lot of difference in the therapists too. Gotta find a balance between pain and progress. It does take time. Good luck.
Argyle: I don't know if it's correct either, but before seeing your answer, I started replying that Muscle is a collective term too!
Lorraine L.: I'm so sorry to hear what an awful experience your surgery has been. And falling when you got home too! You have been in our thoughts all week. I was getting worried that we hadn't heard from you yet, so I'm really glad to see you're back, and hope your recovery is quick!
Diane: I've been noticing that a lot lately too between this and the Universal puzzles. And it's on clues that seem too obscure to be coincidence...
I loved today's WOW! I have a plaque in my office with the quote "Be careful what you wish for!" that's along the same lines. My sister and I were just talking about that recently, and mentioned a beautiful country song called "Unanswered Prayers" by Garth Brooks that we like with the same concept:
Unanswered Prayers
Dennis: I'm enjoying the definitions from the Washington Post too. Thanks for sharing them!
A. Tarot,
I would like to apolgize for that little bit of overkill that was unleashed. You were right about the answer but we have no control over the clues(unless it is a typo, which this wasn't.)
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
C.C., I'm not surprised that you couldn't tell who worked on which section. I don't exactly remember myself! :) It was a true team effort though, with Barry and I each contributing to various sections of the grid & clues. And of course Rich added his signature touch.
The clue for OCHO was one that Rich came up with, and I loved it. I think it's fair game for a Saturday. ¡Muy bueno!
hello
Hello again.
Just sitting here waiting for the Cal/Stan game to start.
Note to Lorraine. Please be careful.
Eversince I fell and broke my nose, I bought a cane to keep from falling again. Three points on the ground is better than two points.
eddyB
Good afternoon, everyone.
This one was a real problem for me! I just couldn't get any traction on the top at all, so I headed south. Finally worked that out and then het on up north and finished it out, but it was a real slog!
@dick I wanted CIAO for HIHO. You can imagine the problems that caused!
@dennis Congratulations on being an adoptee. I'll bet you had a beautiful upbringing.
@lorrainl That's so sad that your operation and hospital stay were not good for you. I hope you can work through this and come out feeling OK at the other end of the tunnel.
@spitsboov Tschuß back at you!
Hope you all have a beautiful Saturday where the Buckeyes once again slew the evil dragon from the north (Michigan).
Good afternoon C.C. and all.
First puzzle I've done since Tues. Great Barry Silk and Doug Peterson puzzle. Totally a fair game puzzle for Saturday Doug! I don't EVER do Sunday puzzles, so I am good with saying that.
LorraineL, sorry about your hospital misadventure. It really is necessary anymore to have someone there with you 24/7 just to be proactive, in your behalf. Hospitals are necessary but can be dangerous places at times. I think that would be a great new field for a medically oriented person-- Be a patient advocate, while that person is in the hospital. Be the eyes, ears and voice.
C.C. and Annette, I like Johnny Depp too AND the fact that he is a little creepy.
I have thought about adoption a lot lately. I wonder if there are many more little Dennis' out there?
Lemonade, yes, Carr was one of the few I groked. I have always thought his books to be special.
Lorraine, your ordeal sounds dreadful. I hope you begin recovering soon and well.
Biscuits and Gravy, the tipping story is astonishing. Thanks for sending it on.
Cheers, and have a great evening.
I don't think Johnny Depp is creepy, although he has a penchant for creepy characters. He was convincingly icky in "Sweeney Todd", "The Libertine" and probably in the upcoming "Alice In Wonderland", but he has also been sweetly sexy, as in "Benny and Joon", "Don Juan DeMarco" and "Chocolat"....something for everybody!
Lorraine, sorry that had such a poor hospital experience. It sounds like they must have been terribly short staffed, or maybe even non-existent on one shift. There is no excuse for a five hour wait for a call button response. The hospitals around here send out "How did we do?" questionnaires. If you get one, be sure and let them have the bitter truth.
What a delightful Saturday puzzle! Great to have more challenge than recent late week puzzles. Unlike many others who disliked 22D "Three less than once", I starred it as one of my favorite clues, along with the clues for 31D: CONGA and 33D: RELOAD. Doug Peterson often constructs the Newsday "Saturday Stumper" puzzles, which I try, but can rarely finish with dict./g-spot help, but I have learned something about his constructing style from my attempts, and I think that helped me today. Thanks Barry and Doug for this excellent (IMHO) puzzle!
@Lorraine-Best wishes for your comfort and healing!
Oops- WITHOUT dict./g-spot help.
Um....Crockett, Robin, please go back and read part 1 of "Today is.....", then part 2.
And Robin, I ask myself that same question all the time...
Hey Big D, I read Part one and was embracing that......PSYCHE!!!!! But hey the adoption offer still stands.........@ 35 I can claim to be a cougar. That is with reference to part one.
Hello All--A challenging puzzle for me, especially in the NE corner. I put in Slight for snub and surprise for unexpectedly large gift, so NOTHING else would fit. I had heir in for next in line, but after I put in slight erased that and proceeded to flounder from then on. Everything was known and rather straightforward after I came to the blog for C.C.'s answers. High Hat though was the last thing I would have thought of. I really needed that V-eight can today.
The favorite clues today were Senate for Hill body, Three less than once, and Normal in Illinois.
Dennis, thanks for the today is National Adoption Day. I have two adopted grandchildren. So false confession or not if someone is adopted, they are one of the lucky ones!
Lorraine I'm so sorry to hear about your hospital experience, and hope that your recovery will proceed without any more misshaps. Speedy recovery from now on.
Doug P.thanks for stopping by and giving us your take on the construction of today's puzzle. Even though I had a tough time, I enjoyed it tremendously. We need the challenge.
Jeannie has been under the weather and now that I mention it "down in the dumps".
JD, by all means you can substitute that real vanilla bean for about a tspn of "good" vanilla extract.
C.C. I was just mentioning my melanchony mood these last couple of months. All of a sudden I am posting recipes and that is that. Thus the shawl...hence I am losing my DF touch. It happens to the best of us.
Jeannie, The Decision on the Field Stands.......
You are the best DeFette ever!!!
Jeannie, Nothing wrong with moving from one interest to another and then perhaps back again. It is well known that many foods are aphrodisiacs. No reason to be melancholy when you are combining and pursuing various interests.
Got to this only after returning at the end of the day, and had to google answers everywhere except the SW third of it. Too many unknowns which crossed with unknown perps. Clever puns but I was too tired to catch them.
Lorraine,
Sorry to hear of your hospital experience. Quite the opposite for me in Paris where I spent a week in hospital for a broken ankle four years ago.
Anyone who dares to compare our health care to other developed countries and still thinks it's better here than anywhere else is crazy. I hope no permanent damage was done, and that you heal quickly. Others here have given good advice worth taking.
Meant to say earlier, Trans-Siberian Orchestra was outstanding - if you've not seen them, it's well worth the cost. Amazing individual musical skills and a dazzling laser/strobe show in a 2 1/2 hour performance.
magazine
TIME is a magazine, Hustler is a magazine, People is a magazine.
TIM FROM MAINE
I'm just sayin'!
@dennis Got me. Glad you enjoyed TSO.
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