Theme: DRIVE (68A: Hit from a tee, and word that can follow the first words of 20-, 28-, 49- and 59-Across)
20A. One-hit wonder: FLASH IN THE PAN
28A. Controversial school subject: SEX EDUCATION.
49A. President's selective rejection: LINE ITEM VETO.
59A. Pact addressing nuclear proliferation: TEST BAN TREATY.
FLASH DRIVE: A small electronic device used to store digital data, more portable and robust than a hard drive, ranging in capacities from 64MB to 256GB. I'm not savvy enough to need one.
LINE DRIVE: Baseball term for a batted ball that travels low, fast, and straight. The bane of pitchers.
TEST DRIVE: Taking a car out for a ride prior to purchase.
I left out SEX DRIVE because who here doesn't know about that!
Argyle again. This puzzle is not as scrabbly as Barry's yesterday, but smooth as well. Several nice Bob Klahn style clue echos (either sequential or crossing).
Some might have some trouble but the perps will probably rescue them.
Across:
1. Labor union foe: SCAB. SCABS was just clued as "Picket line crossers" yesterday.
5. 1999 Ron Howard film: ED TV. Starring Matthew McConaughey.
9. Clunker of a car: LEMON.
14. Building passage: HALL. Crossing SHAFT (1D. Mine passage). Nice "passage" echo.
15. Retired Cunard flagship, for short: QE II. Trouble for anyone?
16. Atlanta campus: EMORY. The university is recognized internationally for its outstanding liberal arts college, superb professional schools and one of the Southeast's leading health care systems. Emory's main campus is located in the suburban Atlanta neighborhood of Druid Hills.
17. Diva's number: ARIA.
18. Samovars: URNS. Samovar is a Russian term for a metal urn with a spigot, used to boil water for tea and traditionally having a chimney and heated by coals. Picture
19. Love, to Luigi: AMORE. Italian. OK, here is Dean Martin's "That's AMORE".
23. Stylistic judgment: TASTE.
24. Fishing aid: NET.
25. Hitter's stat: RBI.
36. It may be copped in court: PLEA. Cop a plea.
37. VCR successors: TIVOS. C.C. won't like 13D: TV's "Science Guy": NYE. because of TV in the clue.
38. Oodles: A LOT.
40. Mlles., in Spain: SRTAS. Mademoiselle is French for Miss, señorita in Spanish.
43. Soccer immortal: PELE.
44. Like thick carpets: PLUSH.
46. Beehive State college team: UTES.
48. No-goodnik: RAT.
54. European toy dog, briefly: POM. Pomeranian.
55. Enter, as data: INPUT. Data is the plural of DATUM (31D. Bit of information)
64. Gemologist's weight: CARAT. What's the difference between CARAT and KARAT again? (From Crockett: CARAT a unit of weight and KARAT a unit of pureness.)
66. Perjurer: LIAR.
67. "__ and Away": 1960s hit: UP, UP
71. Hood's scheme: CAPER.
72. Halloween cover-up: MASK.
73. IRS IDs: SSNS. Typical bottom edge word.
Down:
2. "Cheers" waitress: CARLA. Rhea Perlman (CARLA) is married to Danny DeVito. And 6. Actor Bruce: DERN. Bruce is the father of actress Laura Dern, whom he had with his ex-wife, actress Diane Ladd.
3. Fictitious name: ALIAS. Oh, C.C. gets quite a few annoying porn comments from this Nora Pearlstone (Rich Norris alias name) blog entry. Can someone have a look and see which link might cause such problem? Be careful with what you link at the Comments section too.
4. Explosions: BLASTS.
5. Prefix with lateral: EQUI. Meaning "same".
7. Windshield option: TINT.
8. Four-armed Hindu deity: VISHNU (VISH-noo). “The Preserver". Brahma is the Creator and Shiva is the Destroyer.
9. Eagerly took advantage of, as an opportunity: LEAPT AT.
10. Jane Austen novel: EMMA.
11. Song with the lyric "I'm crossing you in style": MOON RIVER. "Moon River", was composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's.
12. NHL legend Bobby: ORR.
21. Dickens schemer Uriah: HEEP. From "David Copperfield".
22. Common Mkt.: EEC. European Economic Community.
26. When repeated, Yalie's cheer: BOOLA. "Boola Boola" is Yale's fight song.
27. Map in a map: INSET.
29. T-shirt sizes: XLS.
30. Eternally, in poems: E'ER. V is normally omitted (as in ne'er too).
31. Bit of informatition: DATUM
32. Bit of advice: TIP. Sequential "Bit of..." echo.
33. Canada's national tree: MAPLE. Hi, Geri!
34. Do-or-die poker bet: ALL-IN.
35. There and back: ROUND TRIP.
39. Mao __-tung: TSE. Wayne R Williams is probably still using his "Half a fly?" every day now. Tung simply means "east" in Chinese.
41. Off-road ride, briefly: ATV. Repeated offender.
45. Cool cat: HIPSTER.
47. Mix: STIR.
51. The Democrats' donkey, for one: EMBLEM.
52. Outdoes: ONE-UPS.
56. Half of the "California Dreamin'" singers: PAPAS.
57. One-eighty: U-TURN. 180 degrees is half-way round a circle (360 degrees)
58. Works on a keyboard: TYPES.
60. Icicle site: EAVE.
61. Verdi's slave girl: AIDA. The princess from Nubia (thanks, JD, and welcome back).
63. Difficult journey: TREK.
64. Swine flu watchdog agcy.: CDC. Center for Disease Control. Quite a topical fill.
65. Coach Parseghian: ARA. Of Notre Dame. Literally "Altar" in Latin.
Answer grid.
Argyle
20A. One-hit wonder: FLASH IN THE PAN
28A. Controversial school subject: SEX EDUCATION.
49A. President's selective rejection: LINE ITEM VETO.
59A. Pact addressing nuclear proliferation: TEST BAN TREATY.
FLASH DRIVE: A small electronic device used to store digital data, more portable and robust than a hard drive, ranging in capacities from 64MB to 256GB. I'm not savvy enough to need one.
LINE DRIVE: Baseball term for a batted ball that travels low, fast, and straight. The bane of pitchers.
TEST DRIVE: Taking a car out for a ride prior to purchase.
I left out SEX DRIVE because who here doesn't know about that!
Argyle again. This puzzle is not as scrabbly as Barry's yesterday, but smooth as well. Several nice Bob Klahn style clue echos (either sequential or crossing).
Some might have some trouble but the perps will probably rescue them.
Across:
1. Labor union foe: SCAB. SCABS was just clued as "Picket line crossers" yesterday.
5. 1999 Ron Howard film: ED TV. Starring Matthew McConaughey.
9. Clunker of a car: LEMON.
14. Building passage: HALL. Crossing SHAFT (1D. Mine passage). Nice "passage" echo.
15. Retired Cunard flagship, for short: QE II. Trouble for anyone?
16. Atlanta campus: EMORY. The university is recognized internationally for its outstanding liberal arts college, superb professional schools and one of the Southeast's leading health care systems. Emory's main campus is located in the suburban Atlanta neighborhood of Druid Hills.
17. Diva's number: ARIA.
18. Samovars: URNS. Samovar is a Russian term for a metal urn with a spigot, used to boil water for tea and traditionally having a chimney and heated by coals. Picture
19. Love, to Luigi: AMORE. Italian. OK, here is Dean Martin's "That's AMORE".
23. Stylistic judgment: TASTE.
24. Fishing aid: NET.
25. Hitter's stat: RBI.
36. It may be copped in court: PLEA. Cop a plea.
37. VCR successors: TIVOS. C.C. won't like 13D: TV's "Science Guy": NYE. because of TV in the clue.
38. Oodles: A LOT.
40. Mlles., in Spain: SRTAS. Mademoiselle is French for Miss, señorita in Spanish.
43. Soccer immortal: PELE.
44. Like thick carpets: PLUSH.
46. Beehive State college team: UTES.
48. No-goodnik: RAT.
54. European toy dog, briefly: POM. Pomeranian.
55. Enter, as data: INPUT. Data is the plural of DATUM (31D. Bit of information)
64. Gemologist's weight: CARAT. What's the difference between CARAT and KARAT again? (From Crockett: CARAT a unit of weight and KARAT a unit of pureness.)
66. Perjurer: LIAR.
67. "__ and Away": 1960s hit: UP, UP
71. Hood's scheme: CAPER.
72. Halloween cover-up: MASK.
73. IRS IDs: SSNS. Typical bottom edge word.
Down:
2. "Cheers" waitress: CARLA. Rhea Perlman (CARLA) is married to Danny DeVito. And 6. Actor Bruce: DERN. Bruce is the father of actress Laura Dern, whom he had with his ex-wife, actress Diane Ladd.
3. Fictitious name: ALIAS. Oh, C.C. gets quite a few annoying porn comments from this Nora Pearlstone (Rich Norris alias name) blog entry. Can someone have a look and see which link might cause such problem? Be careful with what you link at the Comments section too.
4. Explosions: BLASTS.
5. Prefix with lateral: EQUI. Meaning "same".
7. Windshield option: TINT.
8. Four-armed Hindu deity: VISHNU (VISH-noo). “The Preserver". Brahma is the Creator and Shiva is the Destroyer.
9. Eagerly took advantage of, as an opportunity: LEAPT AT.
10. Jane Austen novel: EMMA.
11. Song with the lyric "I'm crossing you in style": MOON RIVER. "Moon River", was composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's.
12. NHL legend Bobby: ORR.
21. Dickens schemer Uriah: HEEP. From "David Copperfield".
22. Common Mkt.: EEC. European Economic Community.
26. When repeated, Yalie's cheer: BOOLA. "Boola Boola" is Yale's fight song.
27. Map in a map: INSET.
29. T-shirt sizes: XLS.
30. Eternally, in poems: E'ER. V is normally omitted (as in ne'er too).
31. Bit of informatition: DATUM
32. Bit of advice: TIP. Sequential "Bit of..." echo.
33. Canada's national tree: MAPLE. Hi, Geri!
34. Do-or-die poker bet: ALL-IN.
35. There and back: ROUND TRIP.
39. Mao __-tung: TSE. Wayne R Williams is probably still using his "Half a fly?" every day now. Tung simply means "east" in Chinese.
41. Off-road ride, briefly: ATV. Repeated offender.
45. Cool cat: HIPSTER.
47. Mix: STIR.
51. The Democrats' donkey, for one: EMBLEM.
52. Outdoes: ONE-UPS.
56. Half of the "California Dreamin'" singers: PAPAS.
57. One-eighty: U-TURN. 180 degrees is half-way round a circle (360 degrees)
58. Works on a keyboard: TYPES.
60. Icicle site: EAVE.
61. Verdi's slave girl: AIDA. The princess from Nubia (thanks, JD, and welcome back).
63. Difficult journey: TREK.
64. Swine flu watchdog agcy.: CDC. Center for Disease Control. Quite a topical fill.
65. Coach Parseghian: ARA. Of Notre Dame. Literally "Altar" in Latin.
Answer grid.
Argyle
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - very enjoyable puzzle, as is usually the case with a Donna Levin effort. The theme answers were pretty easy, but as usual, I didn't catch the tie-in until the very end. Barely broke 5 minutes today.
ReplyDeleteI always like seeing Emory University in a puzzle; when I lived in Atlanta, I was within walking distance of the campus. Seemed to be a lot of crosswordese today, interspersed with some new cluing. My only screwup was putting 'leapt on' instead of 'leapt at', which gave me a 'Nivo' as the VCR replacement. Outside of that, few pauses.
Argyle, nice job as usual.
Today is the Marine Corps Birthday, 234 years young. I'll be spending the afternoon and evening with some 10,000 of my closest friends at the annual celebration in Philly. May or may not be keyboard-capable Wednesday.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they might have been." -- William Hazlitt
And a couple more from the Mensa International:
-- Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
-- Glibido: All talk and no action.
Semper Fi, Dennis.
ReplyDeleteAnd to you. Drink somethiing special today, and toast our brothers.
ReplyDeleteAh, I see. So Samovar is not the Russian word for a website address (ie URL). That's too bad because TILTed windshields are more aerodynamic. :)
ReplyDeleteMartin
Morning, CC, Argyle and Friends.
ReplyDeleteA good Tuesday puzzle. Anyone else see the connection between ARIA and Aida? I saw the Elton John / Tim Rice version in New York and the Verdi version in Egypt. Legend has it that Aida was originally commissioned to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal. This may or may not be true, but the opera is played every year in Cairo.
Chill, everyone. I'll try to behave myself today. Maybe if SEX EDUCATION had been clued yesterday people would have caught on to my little joke sooner. I really don't worry about how quickly or how slowly it takes anyone to do the puzzle. The point is just to have fun.
QOD: Most men know what they hate, few what they love. ~ Charles Caleb Colton.
As Dot noted last evening, today is Snowplow Driver Appreciation Day for those living in Wisconsin. Enjoy the day everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can possibly imagine that would cause comment on the Nora Pearlstone puzzle page might be the Yeats poem, but only by a (very) misguided p-filter or maybe a book-burner type mentality... That's crazy. I don't really see anything there that should cause such a ruckus.
ReplyDeleteMorning all -
ReplyDeleteFortunately the snowplow drivers will be able to enjoy their special day, at least in Madison - it's supposed to be sunny and 60 here today.
Fun puzzle today, but definitely tougher than Tuesday's past. Got stumped on the EDTV/TINT/URNS crossings. Complete doh when I came here for the answers.
Love Breakfast at Tiffany's and Moon River.
Enjoy the day!
Good puzzle overall, but the clue for 49-Across is just plain wrong. The President does not have a LINE ITEM VETO.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle today, and no real problems except I may need new glasses. I was misreading 40A as Miles for the longest time, then finally noticed the period at the end and realized it was Mlles, which solved my dilemma. I couldn't figure why the Spaniards would even need a word for miles since they use kilometers.
ReplyDeleteArgyle,
Thanks for the info on Emory--I didn't know anything about it before.
Dennis,
Good mensarisms today too. Stay out of trouble tonight!
Fun but quite easy puzzle today.
ReplyDeleteRe: POM. Also a term used by Australians and others for Brits; pom or pommy. Different etymology, though.
Agree with Kazie about Mlles. My eyes played tricks, too.
Happy Veteran's day tomorrow to all you Vets.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteThat nice recording of Moon River, despite showing the album cover, is not the Mancinci version recorded on that album. Don't know who it is. Kind of sounds like Mantovani. We played a wonderful swing arrangement by Frank Mantooth a couple of years ago.
B at T was a pretty typical 60's movie - award winner at the time, almost painfully awful to watch now. But that album is still one of my favorites, more than 40 years later. Best song on the disc, HOLLY, for Audry Hepburn's character, a sweet trombone ballad played by Dick Nash, is never heard in the movie.
Not much to specifically complain about in this puzzle - but it didn't do it for me. Seems to lack that intangible "sparkle" quality. YMMV.
The President (any of them) only wishes he had a LINE ITEM VETO. It has been found to be unconstitutional.
I do like the theme.
Windshields were a big part of my life. I can tell you more about TINT and TILT (aka "rake angle") than you'll ever want to know.
In honor of EQUI-lateral EDGES, some of yesterdays conversation, and 28A, I offer this haiku.
Platonic solids
Having no concavities
Can only be friends.
Well, gotta run. I'll be DRIVE-ing a carpet cleaner today.
Cheers!
Jzb = the ALIAS of this trombonist
Good Morning all,
ReplyDeleteStraightforward puzzle today with a clever theme which I actually figured out on my own for a change. Yeah!
I enjoyed the snappy clues "no-goodnik" and "oodles" even if they referred to regular ol' fill. Both words would be welcome inside the actual puzzle. Hood's scheme for "CAPER" took me a moment. I was thinking about the top half of a car.
I always forget you can have just one EAVE. It is a great place to make an icicle, though isn't it?! All winter long in Chicago near the tall buildings in the loop, they put out helpful signs along the sidewalk that read "FALLING ICE!" as if you have any other choice where to walk that's less dangerous, like the middle of the street. Some tourists and locals like me see the sign, stop in their tracks and look up to see where the danger might come from. We need loudspeakers like at the airport on the moving sidewalk that subtly urge us to "keep walking, keep walking"
Along with Dennis I wasn't sure whether I "LEAPT" at, on or even to but the dilemma resolved itself with the crosses.
Last, Mlles sure looked like "miles" to me, as well. It's similar to the first draft of the Robert Frost poem:
"...I have mlles and mlles to go before I sleep."
His editors made him change it to something less objectionable.
Enjoy the day.
This was a doable puzzle with just one hiccup. I had to hit the g-spot for samovar. I had no clue what it was. I really didn’t grok “ no goodnik” rat. Why not just no good? I had to trust my answer of Vishnu. Where did Donna dig that one up? Do hoods call each other on the phone and say, “hey let’s get together to plan our next caper?” QEII was a gimmee as I once named a car that.
ReplyDeleteDennis, enjoy your day with your closest 10,000 fellow Marines. I am sure some libations will be had and the stories will be good. I’d love to be a fly on the wall, or just that close to 10,000 hunky Marines.
Good Morning All, Nice puzzle today and a very good blogging job, Argyle.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have any hangups that weren't quickly solved by the perps. The three letter fill didn't cause any problems either. There were even a couple of areas where I had to go back to see what the perp answers were, after the crosses had been filled in.
I noticed that EMORY neighbor CDC (Centers for Disease Control) was also featured in the puzzle. Johnny Mercer, the composer of MOON RIVER was born in Georgia. I wonder where constructor Donna S. Levin is from?
I'm off to see the dentist this morning. Had a crown crack off at the base...no pain, but it sure looks dopey. I'm one of those quivery people when it comes to the dentist, but it has to be taken care of.
JD, so glad to see one of the Coven back on the blog.
Have a fine reunion, Dennis.
Oops, about Moon River... I should have said lyricist Johnny Mercer. The music for Moon River was, of course, by Henry Mancini.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, everyone!
ReplyDeleteArgyle, the usual superb job. You've honed your natural skills. Thanks for being the Monday/Tuesday man.
So, isn't CARAT a unit of weight and KARAT a unit of pureness? Don't know the technical explanation, but we'll probably get one from Al, Dick, or Dr. Dad (if he's available). There is such expertise lurking in the shadows. {Cute poem, Al.}
@dennis Semper Fi! Have an enjoyable reunion and be safe. Thank you and all of your close friends for your service to our conutry.
Yesterday's clue for TSE in the WRW puzzle was "Either part of a fly?"
@jd Nice to see you back. We just had a group of listeners from the radio station return from a South Africa trip. They have said it was a life-changing experience for them, but the long travel hours were brutal. Some are still suffering jet lag problems after being home for more than a week.
Have a fantastic Tuesday! (Wednesday for you, Martin!)
Hi all -
ReplyDeleteEasy one again and very enjoyable!
I love "Moon River", I think of summer and a time long gone. I wish the beautiful instrumentals would make a comeback. Theme from "A Summer Place" is another beauty, as well as "Sail Along Silvery Moon" (I hope that is the title, I do know it's part of the lyrics). sigh.
Where is Moon, Tarajo, WM, Elissa et al???
Dennis, is it proper for me to say Semper Fi to you and Argyle since I am not a Marine? I seem to remember last year's party and your 10,000 closest friends....took you a while to get back to form but I know it was worth every drink - LOL.
Good Afternoon All,
ReplyDeleteDid the grid this morning and very much enjoyed it. The theme came early on which helped. I felt the cluing was unique. Windshield Option, No goodnik and Dickens Schemer were among the good ones. Couple of erasures but didn't need any help.
Happy Birthday Marine Corps!! Have a great time and add my thanks to your buddies.
I've been humming Moon River all day.
Have a good one.
Good Afternoon, Argyle, CC and all.
ReplyDeleteFun, easy puzzle. Are there many female constructors out there? I am only familiar with Donna Levin.
Can some one help me with alot? My spell check always tries to correct me when I spell allot, alot. Is it ME? Could be.
;) @Jeannie, Me too! Dennis would that be considered 'Foreploy' or 'Glibido'?
Happy Tuesday!
Robin,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your allot dilemma:
Allot is to distribute by lot, apportion.
A lot (2 words) is lots of stuff!
Hope that helps.
Welcome back; oh that is right, it is me who has been gone. Moved, still have not hooked up the computer; kinda quiet. Anyone, what I's miss, other than the wittiest, and most DF crew in the land?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Dennis and the ladies The Marines . Well times change..
Fast and easy puzzle today. I liked the theme and the long fills came with nary a glitch. Had a bit of trouble in the SW corner because I was thinking of the cover over a car's engine for 71A. Left it blank until I got the downs penciled in.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I read it as "miles" instead of "Mlle.," too. It didn't help that at first I had "XLG" for t-shirt size. I had "grtas" for the longest time instead of "srtas."
No googles today at all! Yea!
From Vern:
ReplyDeleteStill coming through as "anonymous" as google obviously hates me.
We love Wisconsin and have spent many vacations in Hayward, Eagle River & Manitowash (last summer--at the outstanding Chippewa Retreat.)
I do wonder about their school system though. Last summer as I was getting a fishing license, the girl taking my information re my birthdate asked "What number is May?" I also was reluctant to buy the homemade pie in one of the small stores advertised on a handmade sign: "Special Today--Homemade Custurd Pie."
Robin- There are a lot of female constructors and many of them are true legends among puzzle makers. To name a few- Sylvia Bursztyn, Emily Cox, Nancy Salomon, Gayle Dean, Bernice Gordon, Elizabeth Gorski, Frances Hanson, Nancy Joline, Nancy Schuster, and Cathy Allis (Millhauser).
ReplyDeleteThe person most responsible for creating the modern crossword puzzle is Margaret Farrar. Her innovations are standard crossword conventions of today. They include-
Symmetrical grids.
Harder puzzles as the week goes by.
The use of phrases.
Black square restrictions.
Themed crosswords.
She edited the New York Times puzzles from 1942 to 1969. She retired in 1984 as the Los Angeles Times puzzle editor.
8:18 today. Tougher than a normal Tuesday for me, and perhaps not quite as much fun as yesterday's Barry Silk endeavor.
ReplyDeleteGood: VISHNU, DATUM, PAPAS (as clued). Not so good: XLS. Just OK: the theme.
@jeannie: the clue of "no goodnik" for rat (instead of just "no good") I think is meant to indicate a slang usage.
For crossword lovers there is a must read, must have book. It's one of my most treasured books.
ReplyDelete"The Crossword Obsession. The History and Lore of the World's Most Popular Pastime", by Coral Amende. Published by Berkley Books in 2001. Available at Amazon.
Besides the history of puzzles the book is loaded with interviews and the thoughts of many top-notch constructors and editors. A lot of biographies as well and examples of their work.
I've read my copy probably 15 times!
Thank you anon@ 1:59 Vern, that means a lot to me!
ReplyDeleteAlso Jerome for the information on women constructors. You really have a passion for this, thank you!
Lemonade: Your Marine ChaCha is a riot!
ReplyDeleteI have good reason to be quivery when I go to the dentist. Our savings account is much lighter than it was. He can't fix the post, (he had a much longer explanation) so it will be a removal of the whole thing and replacement with an implant. If you've ever had one of those things, you know how expensive they are, and if you haven't, you don't want to know. Big financial ouch!
ReplyDeleteThe Dentist and the Crocodile
The crocodile, with cunning smile, sat in the dentist's chair.
He said, "Right here and everywhere my teeth require repair."
The dentist's face was turning white. He quivered, quaked and shook.
He muttered, "I suppose I'm going to have to take a look."
"I want you," Crocodile declared, "to do the back ones first.
The molars at the very back are easily the worst."
He opened wide his massive jaws. It was a fearsome sight.
At least three hundred pointed teeth, all sharp and shining white.
The dentist kept himself well clear. He stood two yards away.
He chose the longest probe he had to search out the decay.
"I said to do the back ones first!" the Crocodile called out.
"You're much too far away, dear sir, to see what you're about.
To do the back ones properly you've got to put your head
Deep down inside my great big mouth," the grinning Crocky said.
The poor old dentist wrung his hands and, weeping in despair,
He cried, "No no! I see them all extremely well from here!"
Just then, in burst a lady, in her hands a golden chain.
She cried, "Oh Croc, you naughty boy, you're playing tricks again!"
"Watch out!" the dentist shrieked and started climbing up the wall.
"He's after me! He's after you! He's going to eat us all!"
"Don't be a twit," the lady said, and flashed a gorgeous smile.
"He's harmless. He's my little pet, my lovely crocodile."
- Roald Dahl
There, now I feel better.
Jerome; thanks for the recommendation on the book. The library branch I frequent is tracking down a copy for me. Also, thanks for the history of famous women in puzzles. Since one of my three contract jobs was eliminated due to budget cuts (frankly, this was expected three months ago; so the agency kept us around as long as possible) I have more time for reading! Please convey to Dan Naddor best wishes from this Naddor fan when you communicate with him.
ReplyDeleteRobin and other newcomers: Jerome is a very modest man, but you should know that our "hometown guy" (hometown meaning this blog) is a wonderful constructor and often shares his insights here on the process of constructing puzzles. He notices things that many of us--well, at least me!--would otherwise not catch on to. You can search his blog posts and puzzles via Google.
Lemonade I just passed on the Marine Corp Cha Cha to all my Marine buddies. H-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s. Thank you PJB for the info on Jerome! Wow Jerome, what a great accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteCA......ouch, are you still comfortably numb? :)
CA - thanks for the poem...I just loved it and how appropriate for you! I went to the dentist's office yesterday but just for a cleaning. I have had extensive dental work done and want to keep those bridges in very good repair, to say nothing of all my crowns and the rest of my uncrowned teeth. I nearly had to have an implant last summer so I know how spendy they are.
ReplyDeleteLoved the Marine cha-cha...what a bunch of movers...lots of rhythm ;)
Vern - 2:26p - funny about the pie, I don't think I'd be tempted either LOL.
I agree, if you cannot spell, do NOT make signs to be seen in public. I saw one recently that said "Garage Sail"...you just have to shake you head sometimes.
It’s been one of those days…
ReplyDeleteI almost said I’d like to see AMORE clued as ‘Love to Dino’, but as soon as I typed it, I realized it sounded like a Flintstones episode.
I also read ‘VCR successors’ and for some strange reason thought ‘predecessor’. The perps filled it for me, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how Tivo had come out before VCRs!
And, work in IT, but when I saw ‘Enter as data’ starting with an I, I couldn’t get past INSERT, which didn’t fit. I also misread 58A as ‘Words on a keyboard’, not ‘Works…’, and didn’t see anything that fit until I got a few perps.
Duh!
Favorites:
‘Icicle site’ brings back very fond memories, although if I saw a sign saying ‘Falling ice’, I’d probably think it meant that the ground was slippery.
‘Off-road ride, briefly’ appears often, but always brings Lemonade714’s avatar to mind (welcome back!).
The musical references, especially MOON RIVER, which is my all-time favorite song! I probably sing it daily, even though I don’t have much of a singing voice...
In honor of the 230th birthday of the Marines, I must share this with you.
ReplyDeleteMy step son in Afghanistan is within days of the end of his deployment. One of my brothers-in-law is an Army chaplain. My son-in-law is an ex-marine who spent time in the Army reserves (no, I can't explain it.)
I admire their courage and commitment, along with all our service people. I wish we would put it to good use.
Contempatively,
JzB whose trombone is at the moment not relevant
Ahhh. S/b Contemplatively
ReplyDeleteCheers!
JzB the bad proof reading trombonist
Hatool: Your QOD is so true!
ReplyDeleteMartin: Enjoyed the URL/TILTED reference.
Clear Ayes: Thanks for the fun poem! Dental work is a ‘sore’ topic with me too!
Jeannie: (from last night) No problem. I brought up feeling inhibited to be DF first.
Jerome: Thanks for the info on constructors. I’ll definitely look for the book.
Lemonade714: I loved the Marine Cha Cha, and already forwarded it off to my family! LOL, I’d just bought my sister a birthday card yesterday that plays that song.
As far as TSE being clued as ‘Part of a fly’, it just makes me think of a zipper, slowly being pulled open... ;-)
The Democrats' donkey, for one: EMBLEM.
ReplyDeleteI wanted symbol. Other than that I was done is 12 minutes w/o the g spot or help from the blog.
VCR replacement I tried DVR and DVD first
Happy Birthday to Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
CHESTY
1st Bat. Bravo company MCRD Parris Island. I earned my Eagle Globe & anchor in 1986
Dennis,
Have you heard of Sgt. Grit? It is a MARINE products company from Oklahoma. They say if we don't have it Chesty wouldn't want it.
Sgt Grit
SEMPER FI MARINE Carry on! Happy Birthday
BISCUITS & GRAVY
Jazzbumpa
ReplyDeleteThanks for the birthday wishes but our organization is 234 years old.
We were created in 1775.
Happy Birthday to all Leatherneck jarheads!
Jeannie,
I would like to be near you. You are easier on the eyes than those I've served with. :-)
RSD
It must be the print in the paper today! We misread a couple of the clues, also. After we got that straightened out, there was no problem except I had to look up the Ron Howard film.
ReplyDeleteVern, I asked in MacDonald's once if they had chicken nuggets in a half dozen size and was told, "No, they only came as 6 piece or 9 piece."
One other point, Vern, it is Manitowish, not ManitowAsh. "To err is human...."
Dot
Clear Ayes: Your Dentist and Crocodile poem is apropos. I have a dental appointment tomorrow morning to get a crown put on my back molar. Ouch in both my mouth and wallet!
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, good job blogging Argyle. We had a good time visiting the NV state capitol but didn't have very much luck in finding fall color since most of the leaves had dropped already and most of the trees are evergreen. I finished today's puzzle online, the Mercury news hard copy was missing 3 or 4 columns on the right side!
ReplyDeleteFor Clear Ayes, good luck with the implant. My wife had to get one of those this year and it took several months for it to heal before the could finally put a finish cap on it. It pays to shop around for the best price also, but it's very expensive no matter what.
Here's a blast from the past. The 5th Dimension hit up up and away
Kazie, Thanks for last night's French language lesson. Votre was all my dictionary gave.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations & happy Birthday to all the Marines. And many thanks to all who served our country - Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Reserves, and - my favorite - the Air Force. We had a special Veterans' Day Service at church last Sunday, entitled Letters From War. It was based on real letters written by and to the men in service. One doesn't really understand the sacrifice unless you've actually been involved. I honor you.
Dot
Hey All,
ReplyDeleteLemonade, I've bookmarked the Marine Cha Cha and plan to teach it to my kids. Wicked Cool!!
Jerome, Thanks for the insight on female constructors and the read recommendation. I'm certain it will be in my stocking at xmas or wrapped under the tree.
I can't believe there is a snow plow driver appreciation day! I've been doing this for 13 years and never heard of it. I'm passing it along to the crew!
Tomorrow is going to be nuts. Unfortunately I have to work and will have little time for the blog.
To all those who have served, Thank you very much. Our country would not be what it is without your commitments.
Happy Veteran's Day in advance!!
Hello All--An easy puzzle today, but with some interesting cluing.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even read all the perp clues until I came here to read Argyle's blogging. I then went back and checked for answers I hadn't even seen.
Our CA govenor has Line Item Veto power and he exercised it this year, much to the complaining of many people.
CA, Ouch and Ouch. Once for your tooth and once for your pocketbook. I'm so sorry to hear that you will have to have an implant. Not fun.
Argyle, Karat and Carat are both used as variations of same thing in my dictionary. However, Caret is an inverted V symbol used by proofreaders to denote an insertion. I didn't know that caret was spelled differently and have always used Karat for the gem weight and Carat for insertion. I'm learning something every day!!
Welcome home JD. It was great to see your blog entry yesterday.
Like Warren, I had to do the puzzle on line as the last four squares were left off of our puzzle today. I hope this isn't going to be a common occurrence.
Barely broke 5 minutes today...
ReplyDeleteAgain, what is your point?
Hahtool and Dot, it is much too soon, but never to late to appreciate your snowplow driver!
ReplyDeleteEmbien, I understand where you are coming from with the "slang" thing. I still don't Grok the clue.
Clearayes...I am the biggest "dentistphobe" there ever was. I need to be "gassed" up just to sit in the chair. I don't care if it's a cleaning, I have to be as Robin put it, "comfortably numb."
Mainiac, any luck at deer camp? I linked that huge deer posting from Camp Ripley in MN thinking about you. Can you believe that big deer was brought down by a single arrow? Wow.
Vern, I had to laugh at your references to Hayward, WI. Did you by any chance go into the bar that has all the stuffed animals put in different everyday situations? It was really cool. It was also neat to see that great big Muskie on the wall.
Lemonade, thank you for the Marine Cha-Cha and the alternate links it provided. I think that is what Robin, Carol and I pictured Dennis and his buddies doing tonight. Where the hell is Lois? Fess up Dennis, is she in Philly? Also, Lemonade, I think your cha-cha and subsequent links took Annette out of her uninhibited state. Annette...now there's a new clue to part of a fly...
Long post...just catching up.
Your declaration: "Barely broke 5 minutes" is either misplaced machismo or irrelevant braggadocio.
ReplyDeleteEither way, it's meaningless fluff.
You've got good stuff to say but it's blended with too much ego centrism.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteArgyle,thanks for another super write-up.
Dennis, enjoy the birthday ball, and a heartfelt thanks to all of you who served, and/or are serving.
Crockett, we are still having trouble getting a good night's sleep.It was a 12 hr difference when we returned from Kauai, but it was all worth it.Some of the money we paid for the trip is going to be used to dig a well in a rural village where they have to walk miles for water.We sat in on the town meeting and met the chief.Some of the older children(9&10 yr olds) I could communicate with as they had learned some English.
Loved the poem, CA. Bob says to make sure a specialist puts in your implant;it's so important to have it done right. His top front tooth fell out while we were in Sedona last year; I think I was more embarrassed by his new look than he was. LOL! And like Warren's wife, it took 3 months before they could cap it. He had a "flipper" but he didn't put it in very often.
I also read mlles as miles, and tried on XXL. Thank goodness it was too big!
Favorite clue was icicle site.The first time I ever saw real icicles was in Montreal where they were hanging like daggers.Never had realized how dangerous they could be.
Leaving you with Shosholoza. I have to admit I like Moon River better, but these chants are lovely.
Jeannie, I agree with you; I don't get that clue either.I missed your recipes.
ReplyDeleteLOWWWWWWIISSSSSSS, where R U ??
My opinion of the "no goodnik" clue is that the slang indicates you're looking for a person. If the clue were just "no good", you wouldn't know if it were a person, place or thing.
ReplyDeleteJeannie, the DFness has always been there, but I'm still testing the waters for what's acceptable in this forum!
Thanks all for the karat/ carat/caret explanations.
Maniac mentioned getting the Constructor's book as a Christmas gift. It reminded me that I wanted to mention a page-a-day calendar for 2010 I came across at Big Lots. Each page was a LAT puzzle! I just noticed that it rotates between crossword, soduku and jumble.
I'd like to add my thanks to all the veterans and those currently serving!
"When the moon hits your eye, that's Amore" .... crosses "Moon river"
ReplyDeleteAnyone else notice that?
anon, and anyone else bothered by solvers reporting times: online crosswords have a built-in timer. crossword tournaments are timed. (the clock can be hidden for those who don't wish to time themselves.) when solvers refer to their time, it's neither bragging, nor irrelevant.
ReplyDeletegolfers keep track of and compare their scores for the same reason. to challenge themselves, and improve their game.
JD, WOWZA how wonderful is shoshaloza!! Good nite all xoxo
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 9:46,
ReplyDeleteyour name means "lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability". Under those circumstances one can see
clearly why you have no sympathy for machismo.
What one (me) can not see is why, under those same circumstances, you feel the need to share your inane opinions of the character and personality of people you don't know. Maybe you got a little surge of machismo when you typed those words?
I have six dogs. Each one has a name. You should get
one, too. A name, not a dog. On the other hand, none of my dogs has balls. It appears that you don't
either.
Wow anon at 9:46pm. Show your name or somehow show your face. Dennis is a stand up, proud guy that has served this country when most would not, got wounded in the process and still loves HIS country. From that awful BS he became a member of Mensa, worked in Corp USA for awhile and became a successful business owner. He has the balls to give us his name and profile. If you think his ego is too big, and he is full of centrism, you can bite me right in the ass. You might like it. Jeannie.
ReplyDeleteNot going to even apologize this time C.C.
Some examples to illustrate Crockett's definitions: the weight of diamonds and other gems is expressed in carats (a ring might have a 1 carat stone, a pair of earrings might have a total of 1/2 carat weight in diamonds). 24 karat weight gold is pure. 14k and 10k are often used for jewelry.
ReplyDeleteNot a hard puzzle except I couldn't remember ED TV and couldn't see EQUI. By working across and down at the same time in each section, I was able to finish the rest of it.
In no particular order.
ReplyDeleteJD and Lemonade: thanks for the links. A little music, some dancing. Great stuff. Warren too, for Up Up and Away....
I don't know all the words to Moon River, but I can fake "Blue Moon, you saw me staaaanding alooone" real well if you listen with just one ear.
CA: sorry to hear about the tooth issue. You know that they give you the gas to make the BILL less painful, and the numbing of the mouth is just a side effect, right?!
Lots of articles being written about how dentists (and auto mechanics) are struggling these days because so many people are putting off "major" work until the economy picks up steam. I read that they are negotiating rates, setting up more flexible payment plans, etc. Second opinions really matter in dentistry because so much of it is subjective. Break an arm and there aren't a whole lot of treatment options. But cracked this and falling out that often can be fixed multiple ways and be broken down into several different steps. None of that may apply to you, but it's good to know for people with no or crappy dental insurance.
Ca part 2: Loved the Dahl poem. He really paints a powerful image of those teeth, doesn't he?
Spelling/"pronounciating": My old boss was from Boston and people had a hard time decciphering his accent. One of my contract employees, who was very earnest in all she did was not use to his complete lack of tact. When she ran into him in the hallway once, she got up the courage to speak to him and he rushed away mumbling. She walked away in tears and immediately sent me an email saying "____ told me not to spend my time worrying about GOBBAGE. He said this over and over. He sounded so mad. What is GOBBAGE? I'm sick to my stomach and it's not in the dictionary." .
Mr Congeniality from Boston, of course was actually dissuading her from obsessing about GARBAGE. which is pretty good advice.
I miss that guy!
Jeannie: I admire your gusto. Windhover, I wish I had your tact, and your ability to filet a beast (e.g. troll) with two quick cuts of the verbal razor. Takes me a guidebook and about ninety five stabs and the thing's still moving around!
Snowplows: A next-door neighbor lady's youngish husband died on her many years ago, leaving her with 2 teen daughters and a mortgage. She had skills in book-keeping, took a job with a lawn-care company. Years later, she ended up buying it. Wanting to make money 12 months a year, she later bought a snow-removal company. Her "guys" made sure her driveway was plowed first, early, and often. Guess who ended up being one of the wealthiest people in town? Smart, nice, quiet lady and a heckofa cribbage player to boot. She was the first adult who ever treated me as an adult--long before I became a grown-up. She's no longer with us, but I raise a glass in her honor and memory. Make it a double ginger ale, Barkeep!
JazzB: thanks for passing on the web link.
To all those who have served, are serving, and will serve our country, thank you. Thanks to your families as well.
G'night.