Theme: None
Total blocks: 28
Total words: 72
Barry weaved a mini-theme in this grid, with four non-symmetrically placed entries. (Corrections: This is not a mini-theme. From the editor Rich Norris: Cross-referencing alone doesn't qualify. The main mini-theme answers should be either symmetrically placed or crisscrossed in the middle.)
50A. Singer with four recent best-selling albums of pop standards: ROD STEWART. What's your favorite Rod Stewart song? I like his "Have I Told You Lately".
1D. Soul immortal: JAMES BROWN. "The Godfather of Soul".
43A. 1-Down or 50-Across, e.g.: MALE
54A. Where 1-Down or 50-Across may be heard: ON THE RADIO
There are also six very noticeable "it" clues in the puzzle:
34A. It's sometimes deep-fried in the South: OKRA. I've never deep-fried mine.
44A. It heats up your food immediately: TABASCO. Superb clue. Hot!
2D. It may be twisted apart: OREO COOKIE. Sweeter than OREO alone.
7D. Think of it: IDEA. Somehow the grammar of this particular "it" clue bothers me. You?
38D. Washington is on it: QUARTER
52D. Chattering tongues do it: WAG. Just lovely.
Lots of V-8 moments for me during the solving. Tricky clues aplenty. And I was so pleased to see the new clue for TORII (44D. Angels outfielder Hunter who has won nine straight Gold Gloves). Just mentioned a few days ago about Torii Hunter and his Gold Gloves when TORII was clued as "Shinto temple gateway". Eat worm if you missed it. I met Torii a few times at various Twins events. He's super friendly.
Across:
1. Prominent bloodhound feature: JOWL. Scrabbly start.
5. Southwestern site of gypsum dunes: WHITE SANDS. In New Mexico. Unknown to me.
15. Burnoose wearer: ARAB. Dictionary defines burnoose (also spelled as burnous) as "a hooded mantle or cloak, as that worn by Arabs".
16. Accountant's concern: AUDIT TRAIL. Have only heard of money trail.
17. Citi Field team: METS. Started this year. Citi Field is named after the Citigroup. Another baseball reference is ERA (51D. Hurler's stat). Barry is a Phillies fan.
18. Polite invite: PLEASE STAY. Triple-stacks of 10-letter answers in each corner makes this puzzle look very open.
19. Want ad abbr.: EOE (Equal-Opportunity Employer)
20. "Diana" singer: ANKA (Paul)
21. Places for dips: POOLS
22. Fights: SCRAPES. Misread the clue as "Flights".
24. Benefit: BOON
26. One unhappy about a split: BOWLER. D'oh, bowling split.
27. "Coppélia" costume: TUTU
28. Trapper's ware: FUR. Was picturing pottery ware rather than the merchandise.
31. 1976 best-seller that spanned three centuries: ROOTS. By Alex Haley. I watched a few episodes in Chinese.
32. Frightening ordeal: NIGHTMARE. Frightening indeed.
35. Chihuahua chicken: POLLO. Spanish for "chicken" I presume.
36. Hamburg's river: ELBE. It flows to the North Sea.
37. User-edited online compendium of notable snippets: WIKIQUOTE. Refreshing answer.
39. Like ens: NASAL
40. Nintendo's Super __: NES
41. Coffee houses?: URNS. Nice clue.
42. Pop, e.g.: PARENT. Was thinking of the music genre "Pop".
45. Can't stand: ABHOR
48. Pixels: DOTS
49. Work on the road: TAR. And PAVE (53A. Work on the road). I absolutely dig this kind of clue connection.
55. Independent: FREE
56. Swearing-off words: NEVER AGAIN. Nailed it.
57. Key in a corner: CTRL. Lower left corner of your keyboard.
Down:
3. Source of tears, slangily: WATERWORKS
4. Dumbbell abbr.: LBS
5. Original "People's Court" judge: WAPNER (Joseph). Nope. Total stranger to me.
6. Clumsy vessels: HULKS. Rich Norris once clued "ARKS" as "Clumsy vessels".
8. Familia member: TIA. TIO too. Spanish aunt/uncle.
9. Some say they live among us, briefly: ETS. Oh, I've never heard anyone says so.
10. Leave temporarily: STEP OUT
11. Hot pursuit?: ARSON. Awesome clue. I was still in awe of Barry's "Illegal firing?" for ARSON last time.
12. Brussels-based intl. alliance: NATO
13. Watch part: DIAL
14. Stone and Stallone: SLYS
20. Galoots: APES
23. __ Mountains: Central Asian range: ALTAI. Al is Turkic for "gold", Tai is "mount".
24. Army brass?: BUGLE. Another great clue.
25. Emperor Galba's successor: OTHO. The Roman emperor who reigned for a short three-month (January to April 69). His name simply escaped me.
27. Arcade violations: TILTS
Total blocks: 28
Total words: 72
Barry weaved a mini-theme in this grid, with four non-symmetrically placed entries. (Corrections: This is not a mini-theme. From the editor Rich Norris: Cross-referencing alone doesn't qualify. The main mini-theme answers should be either symmetrically placed or crisscrossed in the middle.)
50A. Singer with four recent best-selling albums of pop standards: ROD STEWART. What's your favorite Rod Stewart song? I like his "Have I Told You Lately".
1D. Soul immortal: JAMES BROWN. "The Godfather of Soul".
43A. 1-Down or 50-Across, e.g.: MALE
54A. Where 1-Down or 50-Across may be heard: ON THE RADIO
There are also six very noticeable "it" clues in the puzzle:
34A. It's sometimes deep-fried in the South: OKRA. I've never deep-fried mine.
44A. It heats up your food immediately: TABASCO. Superb clue. Hot!
2D. It may be twisted apart: OREO COOKIE. Sweeter than OREO alone.
7D. Think of it: IDEA. Somehow the grammar of this particular "it" clue bothers me. You?
38D. Washington is on it: QUARTER
52D. Chattering tongues do it: WAG. Just lovely.
Lots of V-8 moments for me during the solving. Tricky clues aplenty. And I was so pleased to see the new clue for TORII (44D. Angels outfielder Hunter who has won nine straight Gold Gloves). Just mentioned a few days ago about Torii Hunter and his Gold Gloves when TORII was clued as "Shinto temple gateway". Eat worm if you missed it. I met Torii a few times at various Twins events. He's super friendly.
Across:
1. Prominent bloodhound feature: JOWL. Scrabbly start.
5. Southwestern site of gypsum dunes: WHITE SANDS. In New Mexico. Unknown to me.
15. Burnoose wearer: ARAB. Dictionary defines burnoose (also spelled as burnous) as "a hooded mantle or cloak, as that worn by Arabs".
16. Accountant's concern: AUDIT TRAIL. Have only heard of money trail.
17. Citi Field team: METS. Started this year. Citi Field is named after the Citigroup. Another baseball reference is ERA (51D. Hurler's stat). Barry is a Phillies fan.
18. Polite invite: PLEASE STAY. Triple-stacks of 10-letter answers in each corner makes this puzzle look very open.
19. Want ad abbr.: EOE (Equal-Opportunity Employer)
20. "Diana" singer: ANKA (Paul)
21. Places for dips: POOLS
22. Fights: SCRAPES. Misread the clue as "Flights".
24. Benefit: BOON
26. One unhappy about a split: BOWLER. D'oh, bowling split.
27. "Coppélia" costume: TUTU
28. Trapper's ware: FUR. Was picturing pottery ware rather than the merchandise.
31. 1976 best-seller that spanned three centuries: ROOTS. By Alex Haley. I watched a few episodes in Chinese.
32. Frightening ordeal: NIGHTMARE. Frightening indeed.
35. Chihuahua chicken: POLLO. Spanish for "chicken" I presume.
36. Hamburg's river: ELBE. It flows to the North Sea.
37. User-edited online compendium of notable snippets: WIKIQUOTE. Refreshing answer.
39. Like ens: NASAL
40. Nintendo's Super __: NES
41. Coffee houses?: URNS. Nice clue.
42. Pop, e.g.: PARENT. Was thinking of the music genre "Pop".
45. Can't stand: ABHOR
48. Pixels: DOTS
49. Work on the road: TAR. And PAVE (53A. Work on the road). I absolutely dig this kind of clue connection.
55. Independent: FREE
56. Swearing-off words: NEVER AGAIN. Nailed it.
57. Key in a corner: CTRL. Lower left corner of your keyboard.
Down:
3. Source of tears, slangily: WATERWORKS
4. Dumbbell abbr.: LBS
5. Original "People's Court" judge: WAPNER (Joseph). Nope. Total stranger to me.
6. Clumsy vessels: HULKS. Rich Norris once clued "ARKS" as "Clumsy vessels".
8. Familia member: TIA. TIO too. Spanish aunt/uncle.
9. Some say they live among us, briefly: ETS. Oh, I've never heard anyone says so.
10. Leave temporarily: STEP OUT
11. Hot pursuit?: ARSON. Awesome clue. I was still in awe of Barry's "Illegal firing?" for ARSON last time.
12. Brussels-based intl. alliance: NATO
13. Watch part: DIAL
14. Stone and Stallone: SLYS
20. Galoots: APES
23. __ Mountains: Central Asian range: ALTAI. Al is Turkic for "gold", Tai is "mount".
24. Army brass?: BUGLE. Another great clue.
25. Emperor Galba's successor: OTHO. The Roman emperor who reigned for a short three-month (January to April 69). His name simply escaped me.
27. Arcade violations: TILTS
28. Race infraction: FALSE START
29. Unauthorized explorer of city tunnels and sewers: URBAN CAVER. Not in my vocabulary.
30. Cassette alternative: REEL TO REEL. Did not come to me readily.
32. "__ Knows": 1958 hit: NO ONE. Here is the clip. By Dion and The Belmonts. I was stymied.
33. "Awakenings" actress: MEARA (Anne). Got me. Have never seen "Awakening".
35. Knitting loop: PURL
39. Busts: NABS. Again, I was in the sculpture bust direction.
42. Battle of the Bulge commander: PATTON. Did you like the movie "Patton"?
43. Arens of Israel: MOSHE. Nope, not in my radar. Somehow Ariel Sharon popped into to my mind.
45. Cal's brother in "East of Eden": ARON. Gimme. I liked the movie.
46. Something to pick?: BONE. Nailed it.
47. Cutting-edge set, briefly: HD TV
48. Arp works: DADA. ARP is often clued as "Dada pioneer". Nice to have a clue/answer swap.
53. Rank below cpl.: PFC (Private First Class)
Answer grid.
29. Unauthorized explorer of city tunnels and sewers: URBAN CAVER. Not in my vocabulary.
30. Cassette alternative: REEL TO REEL. Did not come to me readily.
32. "__ Knows": 1958 hit: NO ONE. Here is the clip. By Dion and The Belmonts. I was stymied.
33. "Awakenings" actress: MEARA (Anne). Got me. Have never seen "Awakening".
35. Knitting loop: PURL
39. Busts: NABS. Again, I was in the sculpture bust direction.
42. Battle of the Bulge commander: PATTON. Did you like the movie "Patton"?
43. Arens of Israel: MOSHE. Nope, not in my radar. Somehow Ariel Sharon popped into to my mind.
45. Cal's brother in "East of Eden": ARON. Gimme. I liked the movie.
46. Something to pick?: BONE. Nailed it.
47. Cutting-edge set, briefly: HD TV
48. Arp works: DADA. ARP is often clued as "Dada pioneer". Nice to have a clue/answer swap.
53. Rank below cpl.: PFC (Private First Class)
Answer grid.
C.C.
49 comments:
Ouch! It hurt. Brava Zulu, Barry.
Good Morning All!
No X or Z...are we sure this is a REAL Barry Silk?
50A. Singer with four recent best-selling albums of pop standards: ROD STEWART. What's your favorite Rod Stewart song?
Mine is "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Rod Stewart
P.S. Happy Birthday to me!!!!!
Fav Rod Stewart Songs
infatuation
Crazy About Her
ALL GRAVY NO GRIEF
Prominent bloodhound feature: JOWL.
Wanted NOSE. If I had JOWL I could have gotten JAMES BROWN but I started writing NAT KING COLE and ran out of squares. I also had A NIT instead of BONE so I immediately thought of his daughter NATALIE COLE.
ANKA, POOLS, DOTS, WAPNER, IDEA, NATO, DIAL, SLYS and TILTS were gimmes but I wanted HELP for BOON, TAILOR for BOWLER and TO HECK WITH for NEVER AGAIN, BATTLES for SCRAPES, EARLY START for FALSE START, EIGHT TRACK for REEL TO REEL and SGT for PFC.
While I was typing this we had a major earthquake here. I don't even know what it was on the Rhictor scale because the Taiwan government website is down.
Martin
Good morning, C.C. and gang - a great Silky today (a redundant statement for me); outstanding clues and four triple-ten stacks.
My only 'huh?' was 7D, 'think of it'/'idea'; I couldn't make that connection. 'Something you thought of', yes, but 'think of it'? Don't get it. Otherwise, lots of fun, with clues like 'hot pursuit?', 'Army brass?' Bravo Zulu indeed, Barry.
Today is Look for an Evergreen Day and Oatmeal Muffin Day. Also, Happy Birthday, RSD - hope it's a great one for you.
Snow's started here already; probably 3 inches so far and it's intensifying. The local news stations are saying this could be a genuine blizzard, and the heaviest pre-Christmas snow storm here in some 40 years. They're also saying we could have 'Thundersnow', a term only the weather people could come up with and one the super markets must love as it's sure to make people buy even more bread, milk and eggs. Should be interesting.
Happy birthday RSD; just a fun but very difficult puzzle. So many interesting clues for different reasons; the misdirection in -One unhappy about a split: BOWLER, the simplicity of - twisted apart: OREO COOKIE, the silliness from- Chihuahua chicken: POLLO (we do love alliteration) and the finishing touch of- Army brass?: BUGLE. And then the musical memories from JAMES BROWN and Rod Stewart . I FEEL GOOD .
Enjoy the week end; Jerome you are amazing.
Good morning C.C. and all, a somewhat difficult, but very interesting solve for me today. I never really got a solid toe hold anywhene, but was able o get a few fills here and there which allowed me to make headway. I needed perp help plus a couple of thrips to see MrG.
My favoriite clues were 11D "Hot Pursuit?" and 2D "It may be twisted apart."
Snowing here in Cincinnati this morning, but it is supposed to warm up later. Dennis I hope you have enough bread, eggs and toilet paper to outlast the storm. LOL Aren't people crazy when a little snow is forcast let alone a major storm.
Happy Birthday RSD
I like doing my crossword when I am out to breakfast and have no references. I thought this puzzle was a bit mean and had too many obscure clues. Thank goodness for CC.
anon, I assume by 'mean' you mean 'challenging'. That's what a Saturday puzzle is supposed to be.
Tough puzzle...misleading clues: 7d-"think of it" indicates a verb, idea is a noun. 6d-"clumsy vessels" left me blank....hulks is a nebulous shot in the dark! 39a-what the *%#@^ are ens? Webster doesn't know either!! Not being a "gameboy" left me blank on Super Nes? What is that?!
@Martin-The USGS is calling the earthquake you experienced a magnitude 6.4, located 110km (70mi) ESE of your location in T'aichung, Taiwan. Hope you and your family are safe.
@RSD-Indeed, Happy Birthday to you!
Good morning CC, et al., Not quite a 'nightmare' but close. Had to flit around to fnd traction and ended up in the SW corner. 'Never again' was a recurring thought with all the 'false starts' but as the great Silk clues came through and the enjoyment rose, the 'idea' of 'arson' subsided. 'No one' could 'abhor' a puzzle that includes 'bone' 'male' and 'please stay' with 'Rod Stewart' and/or 'James Brown' 'on the radio'. Well, not I anyway.
Dennis: your weather sounds scary. We're getting snow/winter mix and may have 1" or so by tomorrow. Good luck to you and to all who are caught in that.
Jerome: your advice to constructors yesterday was classic! Well done!
Happy Birthday, RSD. Wish you many many more.
6 and a wake up for me to London. I'm going to check out the 'bowler's and cockneys. Maybe we should alert the Bobbies.
Everyone stay safe.
Good tough puzzle. Could not get all the NW corner. Lost on WIKIquote, JOWL, and NES. Liked REELTOREEL.
Good way to end the week.
Good morning, C.C. and all,
What a great week of puzzles! It seems to me like the difficulty level increased throughout the week. This was a perfect Saturday puzzle, IMHO. At first look, I thought, "There's no way I'm going to get through this!" Yet little by little, the answers came, and the grid filled up. Especially liked 26A: "One unhappy about a split" and 24D: "Army brass?". My biggest hang-up was putting in WIKIpedia for 37A which gave me "Potomac" for 38D. But TILTS and BUGLE gave me the TE, and I saw the error of my ways.
Have a great weekend, folks!
Good Morning All, Maybe it is just me, but "Think of an IDEA" sounds OK. That was my second Down fill after WAPNER. With some other easy Down fill, I got the NE polished off and then went back to the NW.
Because I couldn't decide between EARS and NOSE for 1A (D'OH!), I had a heck of a time with that corner and finally had to leave it until the end of the solve. I backed into it from the bottom although I've never heard of NES. But WIKI (yes I had WIKIPEDIA to begin with), OKRA and ROOTS gave me enough to get the rest of the entries. "Unhappy about a split" for 26A BOWLER was my favorite red herring.
The twelve 10 letter entries were amazing. I particularly liked WHITE SANDS, but they were all wonderful.
Lois, I'm in a total state of envy. London is my favorite mega-city. It sounds like you are leaving the day after Christmas. How long will you be there?
Happy Birthday RSD. My favorite Rod Stewart song is the ballad Sailing.
Red state DEMOCRAT: Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, God bless you. Happy Birthday to you.
The only fills for me today were Slys, Wapner, and on the radio. Tough puzzle.
Doreen
Hi C.C. and all -
My prat is sore again - I could not finish this one without a lot of help.
I agree with C.C. on 7D (and you too Dennis). The grammar seems wrong.
I started out by putting NOSE in for 1A so that stalled me for a long time. Never heard of Citi Field (don't follow baseball) and what the heck is 40A (NES)?
26A - I put in BANANA but realized that they don't really have feelings so I erased it...but since I didn't get 23D, I was stuck there too.
32D - Never heard of it, was not a 'hit' in this area. Quite a few songs in that era were regional, as were the various dances. In some areas the same dance was done in many different styles, example: the swing. You had Western swing, Texas swing, the Lindy Hop, and in the South it was called The Shag. (there is another meaning associated with that too, but I won't mention it here) :0
Happy Bithday RSD: You enjoy every moment!!
Lois: Cute picture of your girls!!!
I want to hide in your luggage. I would dearly love to see London and surrounding areas.
To all of you on the East Coast: stay safe in that nasty sounding storm. Looks like you are getting what we had last year at this time - only in a more severe way.
Carol, NES stands for Nintendo Entertainment System.
My favorite Rod Stewart Songs:
Maggie May
Tonight's the Night
First-timer from Texas, ya'll! Bloodhound's not being NOSE ruined my day, but otherwise fantastic puzzle. What's wrong with me? I don't even like Rod Stewart! I like singers who can, well, sing.
First-timer from Texas, ya'll! Bloodhound's not being NOSE ruined my day, but otherwise fantastic puzzle. What's wrong with me? I don't even like Rod Stewart! I like singers who can, well, sing.
Here's a quick post. I just turned on Buckeye's recommended Johnny Mercer documentary on TCM (I take my Buckeye recommendations very seriously.)
This Wordsworth poem is for Lois to celebrate her upcoming trip. My feelings exactly!
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
- William Wordsworth
It was an enjoyable puzzle for me today! Most of it went very smoothly. Funny how some days you seem to be in sync with the constructor, and other days, you feel like you're on a different planet! This was much easier for me than the previous 3 days. Maybe I'm just more relaxed on the weekends and can think with my mind more open than during breaks at work. Part of it may also be that I'm able to do it online today with red letters on, so I know immediately if I've entered something wrong. The past few days were on paper, so my mistakes weren't readily obvious... Some may feel that's not a pure solve, but if it helps me enjoy the puzzle more, I'm okay with it!
Despite that, today's clues seemed more fun and made me FEEL clever when I lucked out and chose the correct way to read into them.
Jerome: Loved your post yesterday! The 1st sentence was a shock, then I caught on!
Happy Birthday, RSD!
Martin: Did you receive any damage? I hope you and your family are all okay.
I agree, the clue for 7D was awkward. Luckily, I had enough there from the perps that I could see IDEA easily. If it were completely blank, not sure I'd have caught on.
Lois: Great photo for your avatar! You can really see the strong family resemblance. I'm not very good guessing ages - are you all sisters?
Favorite Rod Stewart songs: "Have I Told You Lately", and "Forever Young".
Be safe, everyone!
Hello All--Oof!, Ouch, and Ach!
I had a very hard time with this puzzle. I had to Google my unknowns because the names of celebs are my downfall. I guessed at Wikiquotes and Wapner was my first fill. I did have a couple of Aha moments with Hot pursuit, and Key in a corner.
The puzzles have been more difficult this week, but as others have said, the challenge gives you a feeling of accomplishment when you are done, even if it is with Google help. This felt like a Saturday puzzle of some time back.
Happy Birthday, RSD.
Martin, I hope that you and your family are safe. It was a strong earthquake according to the news.
Not even close. I had so few filled, the perps couldn't even help each other.
The last time I bowled I was still living in Oz (pre 1974). But is a split the same as what we then called a spare?
Kazie: A split in bowling is what you have after rolling your first ball, and the remaining pins are on opposite sides of the lane.
I think the most famous term is a 7-10 split. If you start with the pin closest to you, and number the pins, row by row, the 7th pin is furthest to the left, and the 10th pin is closest to the right.
If those are the only pins standing, then you've got a big gap in between. If you're VERY GOOD, or very lucky, you may be able to hit one thin pin just right, so that it shoots across the lane and hits the other one, giving you a spare.
I think this would be one of the most difficult plays to make!
High gang -
I really wanted NOSE for 46D, but already had it entered for 1A, so that wasn't going to work. Lots of trouble with this puzzle today. Finally got most of it, with a lot of perp help.
Has BATTLES for "fights," then replaced it with SORTIES, which I thought was clever, until AHA turned into OOPS!
Had to G-spot WHITE SANDS, and WAPNER. Never heard of URBAN CAVER. Many clever clues and "Aha!" moments in this fine puzzle.
But -- IDEA for 7D is a correspondence error: clue and answer do not properly fit. As was pointed out, "Think of it" does not mean "It is thought of."
I see what you're saying, C.A. but the clue was not structured that way. I thought of IDEA right away, but rejected it, because of the non-fit. Very troublesome.
But that is one blemish in an otherwise beautiful construction.
My NIGHTMARES aren't frightening. They're usually abut some situation that is confusing and frustrating. I wake up angry instead of frightened. I think the other kind would be better. At least there's some excitement.
Concert was good last night, but
I was somewhat disappointed, since the Thus. rehearsal went better. But - there were no train wrecks. We survived, but not unscathed. I doubt anyone in the audience noticed. Sibelius 2 is nowhere near as well known as Finlandia - which we played last year.
Canceled our drive to T-town today. The roads were snowy and slippery with patches of black ice, so we POLLO-ed out.
By the way, Chihuahua chicken is GALLINA when it's clucking and pecking, and POLLO on the plate.
Cheers! (It's almost martini time)
JzB the having PESCADO for dinner trombonist
Good afternoon CC and all.
Wore out an eraser with this one. NOSE for 1A was in and out as was METS, ATLAS for 23D etc. etc.
Some great false trails.
Stumped completely by MEARA and NABS. Other than that Mrs Lincoln how was the.......
May you have many more Birthdays RSD.
Favorite Rod Stewart "have I told you lately". You bonnie lad.
Ca, nice Wordsworth to end the week.
Also Hope all East coasters stay safe.
Had to close the stores - absolutely blizzard conditions here with a near-whiteout. And it's supposed to get worse this evening, with up to 3" per hour snowfall expected to start around 8pm. Not exactly the Christmas rush I was looking for today, but just means the next 5 days should be stronger than ever.
My little car is somewhere in the driveway; just not sure where at this point. Lois, Carol, even with the wind blowing like a banshee, it's just a bit too cold for me to go hang out in the front yard again. Shrinkage, and all that.
Do any of you ladies have a recipe for " spiced nuts". I bought some at the kids band concert and love 'em. I would like to make some. Hope there is such a thing as a recipe for them. Thank you.
Democrat,
Happy Birthday! Hope Jeannie can bring you the chili recipe she promised.
Spitzboov,
Thanks for introducing the new phrase "Bravo Zulu" to me.
WM,
Great to hear from you again. I am glad your husband is doing fine. Do leave a note whenever you stop by.
Dennis et al,
I made a mistake earlier this morning regarding the mini-theme in Barry's puzzle. They are not. Rich Norris explained "Cross-referencing alone doesn't qualify. The main mini-theme answers should be either symmetrically placed or crisscrossed in the middle".
He further said "I noticed the comments yesterday about EAT IT and EAT ON. That was a dilemma for me. Ordinarily, I'd have used Dan's stationery clue for EATON, but with VESCO and STRO in the mix, I felt it was a little unfair to throw in another tough name. Since EAT was clued in two entirely different contexts, I thought the duplication was the least of evils."
@MR ED-In early December, Doreen spoke of spicy, candied pecans. If she posted the recipe, I missed it.
@Doreen...? I'll bet there are a number of us who's love to have your recipe!
Mr. Ed, Spiced Nuts,
3/4 C. Sugar 1/4 t. allspice
1t. salt 1t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves 1/4 t. nutmeg
1 egg white 2 1/2 T. water
1 cup each of almonds, pecans, and walnuts
Combine sugar, spices, and salt. Beat egg white lightly and stir into sugar mixture. Stir well. Stir in water, then nuts and coat well. Spread evenly on ciookie sheet which has been greased or sprayed with PAM. Separate nuts, and bake at 275 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and separate.
These are excellent and very easy to make. Enjoy.
Martin,
Where have you been in the past weeks?
Jazzbumpa,
Thanks for the AL/OL correction yesterday. Now I can't wait for Rich to clue another "Half something" so I can read your rants.
MR ED,
Maybe Doreen can help you with the spice nuts.
Astros Diva & Bunny,
Hey! Nice to hear from you.
Oops, Even proof reading doesn't always do it.
Spread evenly on a COOKIE sheet.
C.C. - When I constructed today's puzzle, I did not have a musical 'mini-theme' in mind. However, when I prepared the clues, it seemed like a good idea to cross-reference ON THE RADIO and MALE with JAMES BROWN and ROD STEWART.
There was actually another answer which I had intended to be clued in a musical context -- PLEASE STAY . My original clue was [1961 hit by the Drifters]. My guess is that Rich decided that clue might have been too difficult since that wasn't one of the Drifter's bigger hits.
Thanks everyone for your comments!
Barry Silk
CA: Your Wordsworth poem is absolutely perfect. Thank you. I'm sure I'll check out that bridge and will think of you and this poem. Photo op! I'm also excited about seeing the settings for a lot of Eng Lit classics. I'm going to appreciate the 'Dickens' out of this trip for sure! I'll be there 12/26-1/2...New Year's in London! How exciting!
Carol: Thank you for the compliment on the girls. They are my joy! Now if you were to stow away in my bag, we'd both be in the baggage compartment 'cause that's where the fun would be. I really wish you were coming w/me. Maybe next time. Besides we better break 'em in easy over there, then double team 'em next time.
Annette: Thank you also for the compliment on the girls. Yes, they are all sisters but any 2 of them are mistaken for twins frequently when they're shopping. When that happens, they go into a routine which is a take off of the Irish joke about the drunk McCleary twins just meeting at the bar (at the door for the girls) and end up being long lost sisters who live at the same address. They do make me laugh. Thank God they look like their father!
Dennis: That's understandable. Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode with George having a similar but I'm sure smaller problem.
Chickie: thanks for the recipe. I will use it soon. We're all about nuts here.
Even though I had James Brown, I couldn't bring myself to put in "jowl." Bloodhounds have "jowls" not "a jowl." After "nose" didn't work out, I wanted "jaws." Tried "strifes" for fights. Consequently, I came here with NW unfinished. Not a good corner for me at all. Almost picked out china with Mr. G today.
Wanted to pick "a nit" instead of a "bone" Had "yap" and "nag" and finally "wag" at 52D. After I got "Rod Stewart" that area filled in nicely.
Martin, stay safe. Also those in the snowy aeas.
Happy birthday, RSD.
Astros Diva, I hear ya about "singers who can, well, sing." I haven't heard Stewart that much, but what I have heard, I didn't like. I don't like most modern singers, male or female.
Everyone have a great day.
Buckeye, Thanks so much. The Johnny Mercer documentary was fabulous!
Lois, You can't miss it. If you are strolling past Parliment on New Year's Eve and look up to check your watch by Big Ben, look down and you'll find yourself on Westminster Bridge. The London Eye fireworks should be spectacular from there...now I'm REALLY envious!
Time to get ready for the big pre-Christmas neighborhood party this evening. Area musicians bring their guitars and with a piano to accompany and fools like me willing to sing, it is always lots of fun.
Button up and button down, snow zone people!
@C.C., I simply got bored with the weekday puzzles.
Thanks to everyone who was concerned about the whole lot of shaking going on here!
Martin
Good evening, all!
Such a great puzzle to work through today. Mr. Silk has a gift for combining fresh fill and tricky clues. I sure enjoyed the combo of "old school" (e.g., REEL TO REEL, James Brown) with newer stuff such as WIKIQUOTES and URBAN CAVERs.
"Caving" sounds like a dangerous sport!
TABASCO is always at hand here at Casa de Pjb, and it can bring on the WATERWORKS. OKRA being deep fried brings tears to my eyes. Yuck.
I get a seven minute set tonight around 9:45 so I dusted off and polished up an older piece about "Things people donate to the Homeless shelter." All based on true items that have appeared including cappuccino maker, jar of pearl onions, demitasse cups, a mink hat, one left glove, tin of vegan gluten-free cookies, squeaky dog toy that resembles a hamburger, mother-of-pearl napkin rings and a real Gucci key case, etc. The comedic part is imagining and portaying the homeless person's reactions to such gifts. I really did research this locally. Lots of physical comedy, no props.
Please note that I personally do not own any of those items!
East Coast friends, bundle up and stay off the roads if you can.
Martin, I hope you and your family are safe & that there won't be aftershocks.
RedStDem, happy birthday--Two scoops of icecream for you!
Good evening CC and all,
I'm so glad I was able to do this puzzle in bits and pieces.Every time I came back to it, I had more aha's, and only used MrG 3 or 4 times.Ate a worm for Torii.
Again, I had several partial answers. I guessed sands,followed by a trail of others. Had false, urban and reelto, but never completed those. So the SE corner looked very sad. Never completed nasal either, not groking the clue. Thanks Bunny!!
Carol, I also put in banana. I bet others did too, but they aren't telling us that.
Fav clues: coffee houses, it heats up... , and pop,etc.
Was that really a hit for Dion? Not a good sound, but then I don't care for Rod Stewart either. I remember really liking Dion's "A Teenager in Love". How lame was that ?!
Chickie, thanks for the spiced nuts recipe.
Ca, loved the poem and I also enjoyed the Johnny Mercer special. Thanks Buckeye.
Happeeeeee B'day RSD!
We have been to White Sands National Monument several times. It is a beautiful place, especially on nights when there is a full moon. Nearly broke my neck sand surfing one time!
Dennis: I can understand your reluctance to unveiling the 'flag' under those conditions...don't throw 'caution' to the winds, you'll need it in Fla.
Lois: Go easy on the Brits - they are a special kind of people. I think we'd have a blast, lots of pubs and pubes...ooops. :)
Dennis, I am sorry your weather is so crappy when mine is finely good.
Democrat as promised here is my chili recipe for you on your birthday.
One big can of whole tomatoes (not the commercial #10 can...just bigger than the soup can)
one big can of crushed tomatoes
one small can of tomato sauce
one large onion chopped
one red pepper diced
one green pepper diced
1-2 halapeno peppers seeded and diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 stalks of celery chopped fine
2lbs of stew meat cut into small chunks
1 can of beans of your choice. Kidney, red beans, chili beans, etc...
In a big soup kettle saute your veges (peppers, onions, garlic and celery) and beef in a thin coating of olive oil until your veges start to soften. Add all the other ingredients and simmer on low for about 1-2 hours stirring occasionally. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper to your taste.
Also for you....happy birthday
My thanks for all the birthday wishes, and a special thanks to Jeannie for the gift of the chili recipe and Marilyn Monroe :-)
Democrat, you are more than welcome. I hope you had a good birthday. I publish recipes for people to try...I hope you enjoy yours tomorrow night watching my Vikes kick some Carolina butt.
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