Theme: THE WALLS HAVE EARS (38A. "Be careful what you say," and a hint to a feature shared by this puzzle's perimeter answers) - The string of letters EAR can be found along the outer edges (walls) of the grid. I've circled them for illustration.
1A. Poet Edward and a king: LEARS. King Lear. My first encounter with the British poet Edward Lear.
6A. "Like Mike" actress: MEARA (Anne). Ben Stiller's mother.
11A. Make on the job: EARN
69A. Wine industry reference point: YEAR. Wine vintage.
70A. Tough test metaphor: A BEAR
71A. Promise: SWEAR
1D. Shoe co. founded in Venice Beach: LA GEAR. Stymied me.
14D. Close one: NEAR MISS
38D. Like some football jerseys: TEARAWAY. Some people go nuts bidding on those game worn smelly jerseys.
52D. Show up: APPEAR
Ten EARS on the walls, perfect! A special 16*15 grid to accommodate the 16-letter unifying theme entry THE WALLS HAVE EARS. Neat that you can't find any non-theme entry containing **EAR** in the grid.
Across:
15. When Polonius says "brevity is the soul of wit": ACT II. From "Hamlet". Stumper for me.
16. Outdoor seating area: ARBOR
17. Old knife: SNEE. This has become a gimme.
18. Equatorial African country: GABON. I had ??BON sitting there forever.
19. Lindsay's "Bionic Woman" role: JAIME (Sommers). I just remember it as French "I love" J'aime.
20. Thompson in the Theater Hall of Fame: SADA. Sorry, have never heard of you. (Sorry for the wrong person. Here is the correct one. Thanks, Sam.)
22. Scrooge's visitors: GHOSTS
24. "Ta-ta!": LATER
25. "L.A. Law" extras: ATTS (Attorneys). And ABA (30D. Org. for 25-Across)
27. City near Provo: OREM
28. Chaos: MAYHEM
29. Swipe again?: RE-SCAN. Swipe a credit card.
31. Found, as tabloid fodder: DUG UP. Dug up the dirt.
33. Rec. label across the pond: EMI. One of the "big four" record labels.
34. The duck, in "Peter and the Wolf": OBOE. Can never remember which animal represents which instrument.
36. Liver oil source: COD
37. Home of the Big 12's Cyclones: AMES. Iowa State University.
43. Thought patterns, briefly?: EEGS. The brain tests.
44. Guitar cousin: UKE. Surprised to learn that it's pronounced like "ook", not "yook" in Hawaii. Thanks, KeaauRich! We also have HONOLULU (23D. Frequent Pro Bowl site).
45. Shade: TINT
46. Latin I word: AMO. Amo (I love), Amas (You love), Amat (He/She loves).
47. It's not on the level: SLOPE
49. Oceanic phenomenon that affects weather: LA NINA. Penned in EL NINO.
53. Baroque composer Jean-Philippe: RAMEAU. No idea. Is his hair real?
55. Jump in a rink: AXEL. Bet it's a gimme for Clear Ayes/Robin.
57. Unbalanced: A-LOP. Yep, it's a real word. Santa double-checked! Haysacks, all A-LOP.
58. Ever: AT ALL
59. Lens holders: FRAMES
61. Back talk: LIP
62. Erosive force: WIND. Erosive indeed.
63. Like candied fruits: GLACE. SWEET, anyone?
64. Revolutionary Chopin piece?: ETUDE. An intuitive fill. Not familiar with Chopin's "The Revolutionary Étude".
66. Play to __: A TIE
67. Dull: MATTE. Like some photos.
68. Where gobs go: TO SEA. Gob is slang for "sailor". Gimme for our Navy guys Frank and Spitzoov, I hope. if so, splice the main brace!
Down:
2. French card game similar to whist: ECARTE. Got me. Écarté (ey-kahr-TEY) is literally "discarded". Card game for two players.
3. Casey's turns: AT-BATS. And MUDVILLE (28D. Casey's team). Love the poem "Casey at the Bat". "... But there is no joy in Mudville— mighty Casey has struck out."
4. Ipanema's city: RIO. Maybe Argyle can find a good clip of "The Girl From Ipanema".
5. Do a number: SING. Musical "number".
6. College choice: MAJOR
7. Undid: ERASED
8. Adequate, and then some: A BIT MUCH
11. Blue book entry: ESSAY
12. Object of loathing: ANATHEMA. Know the meaning, not the exact spelling.
13. Mahdi, in Islam: REDEEMER. Mahdi (MAH-dee) is the Muslim messiah, like Jesus. New to me.
24. Sitter's offer to a tot: LAP
26. Garbage haulers: SCOWS
32. Bearded butter: GOAT. Butt-er, the one who butts. Goat butts.
35. Nevada city on I-80: ELKO. What's so famous about this city?
37. Health Net rival: AETNA. Named after the Sicilian volcano ETNA.
39. Iron ore: HEMATITE. Literally "bloodstone". Hemat(o) is prefix for "blood".
40. Dorian Gray's flaw: EGOMANIA. Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I cheated on this one.
41. Like exes: SEPARATE. Like the Edwards. Was amazed by the thick hair of John Edwards when I met him.
42. Bambi relative: ENA. Bambi's aunt.
47. __ Paradise, "On the Road" narrator: SAL. Nope. Have never heard of this novel.
48. Parimutuel bet: EXACTA. Picking the top two finishers in order.
50. Mishandling: ILL-USE. Same meaning as "misuse", right?
51. Shrugger's comment: NO IDEA. Well, I don't shrug my shoulders when I say so.
54. Respected one: ELDER. Esp in China/Japan, you don't argue with the elders.
56. Arab potentate: EMEER. See EMIR more often.
59. Tightening target: FLAB.
60. Jazz sessions: SETS
63. "Today" rival, briefly: GMA (Good Morning America)
65. Haul: TOW
Note from today's constructor:
“The Walls have Ears” was inspired by an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle. I am very fond of many old cartoons, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is so fun because of all of the wordplay. The particular episode that I was watching featured an office of a spy headquarters, and wallpaper that featured images of ears. A wonderful subtle touch was that although it was never said, the image hearkened to the phrase from spy movies, etc., “the walls have ears.” Naturally, I decided right there that I had to do something with that. The phrase is 16 letters long, which adds a constraint to making the puzzle. I tried for putting as many different letters before EAR as I could around the ‘walls’ of the puzzle.
An interesting sidelight is that this puzzle was submitted a long time ago, last spring I think. It had to be shelved until a reasonable time elapsed after a similar theme was published. That theme was INNER EAR, which had EAR straddling words in a phrase. So it was a surprise when Rich e-mailed me in December that I had to change the puzzle. I had an entry, HERE HERE, which is inaccurate. It should be , HEAR HEAR. An ironic fate, being that HEAR HEAR has two ears in it. It was unfortunate, because I had a really good fill going in that corner. I had to do major revisions affecting half of the puzzle. Anyway, I was able to get the present version accepted before the deadline, and I just squeaked it by for January."
Answer grid.
C.C.
1A. Poet Edward and a king: LEARS. King Lear. My first encounter with the British poet Edward Lear.
6A. "Like Mike" actress: MEARA (Anne). Ben Stiller's mother.
11A. Make on the job: EARN
69A. Wine industry reference point: YEAR. Wine vintage.
70A. Tough test metaphor: A BEAR
71A. Promise: SWEAR
1D. Shoe co. founded in Venice Beach: LA GEAR. Stymied me.
14D. Close one: NEAR MISS
38D. Like some football jerseys: TEARAWAY. Some people go nuts bidding on those game worn smelly jerseys.
52D. Show up: APPEAR
Ten EARS on the walls, perfect! A special 16*15 grid to accommodate the 16-letter unifying theme entry THE WALLS HAVE EARS. Neat that you can't find any non-theme entry containing **EAR** in the grid.
This puzzle reminds me of Don "Hard G" Gagliado's "Shoe Store" puzzle, in which each four-square corner has a box of S H O E (arranged in counterclockwise pattern and the rotation is changed one space at a time). He has a creative & exploratory mind.
Like almost every one of his puzzle that I've blogged, today's theme concept is original and fun. Absolutely no predictability when you see his byline. Always an adventure. Don has kindly provided us the inspiration for this puzzle. Scroll down to the end of this post to read.
Like almost every one of his puzzle that I've blogged, today's theme concept is original and fun. Absolutely no predictability when you see his byline. Always an adventure. Don has kindly provided us the inspiration for this puzzle. Scroll down to the end of this post to read.
Across:
15. When Polonius says "brevity is the soul of wit": ACT II. From "Hamlet". Stumper for me.
16. Outdoor seating area: ARBOR
17. Old knife: SNEE. This has become a gimme.
18. Equatorial African country: GABON. I had ??BON sitting there forever.
19. Lindsay's "Bionic Woman" role: JAIME (Sommers). I just remember it as French "I love" J'aime.
20. Thompson in the Theater Hall of Fame: SADA. Sorry, have never heard of you. (Sorry for the wrong person. Here is the correct one. Thanks, Sam.)
22. Scrooge's visitors: GHOSTS
24. "Ta-ta!": LATER
25. "L.A. Law" extras: ATTS (Attorneys). And ABA (30D. Org. for 25-Across)
27. City near Provo: OREM
28. Chaos: MAYHEM
29. Swipe again?: RE-SCAN. Swipe a credit card.
31. Found, as tabloid fodder: DUG UP. Dug up the dirt.
33. Rec. label across the pond: EMI. One of the "big four" record labels.
34. The duck, in "Peter and the Wolf": OBOE. Can never remember which animal represents which instrument.
36. Liver oil source: COD
37. Home of the Big 12's Cyclones: AMES. Iowa State University.
43. Thought patterns, briefly?: EEGS. The brain tests.
44. Guitar cousin: UKE. Surprised to learn that it's pronounced like "ook", not "yook" in Hawaii. Thanks, KeaauRich! We also have HONOLULU (23D. Frequent Pro Bowl site).
45. Shade: TINT
46. Latin I word: AMO. Amo (I love), Amas (You love), Amat (He/She loves).
47. It's not on the level: SLOPE
49. Oceanic phenomenon that affects weather: LA NINA. Penned in EL NINO.
53. Baroque composer Jean-Philippe: RAMEAU. No idea. Is his hair real?
55. Jump in a rink: AXEL. Bet it's a gimme for Clear Ayes/Robin.
57. Unbalanced: A-LOP. Yep, it's a real word. Santa double-checked! Haysacks, all A-LOP.
58. Ever: AT ALL
59. Lens holders: FRAMES
61. Back talk: LIP
62. Erosive force: WIND. Erosive indeed.
63. Like candied fruits: GLACE. SWEET, anyone?
64. Revolutionary Chopin piece?: ETUDE. An intuitive fill. Not familiar with Chopin's "The Revolutionary Étude".
66. Play to __: A TIE
67. Dull: MATTE. Like some photos.
68. Where gobs go: TO SEA. Gob is slang for "sailor". Gimme for our Navy guys Frank and Spitzoov, I hope. if so, splice the main brace!
Down:
2. French card game similar to whist: ECARTE. Got me. Écarté (ey-kahr-TEY) is literally "discarded". Card game for two players.
3. Casey's turns: AT-BATS. And MUDVILLE (28D. Casey's team). Love the poem "Casey at the Bat". "... But there is no joy in Mudville— mighty Casey has struck out."
4. Ipanema's city: RIO. Maybe Argyle can find a good clip of "The Girl From Ipanema".
5. Do a number: SING. Musical "number".
6. College choice: MAJOR
7. Undid: ERASED
8. Adequate, and then some: A BIT MUCH
11. Blue book entry: ESSAY
12. Object of loathing: ANATHEMA. Know the meaning, not the exact spelling.
13. Mahdi, in Islam: REDEEMER. Mahdi (MAH-dee) is the Muslim messiah, like Jesus. New to me.
24. Sitter's offer to a tot: LAP
26. Garbage haulers: SCOWS
32. Bearded butter: GOAT. Butt-er, the one who butts. Goat butts.
35. Nevada city on I-80: ELKO. What's so famous about this city?
37. Health Net rival: AETNA. Named after the Sicilian volcano ETNA.
39. Iron ore: HEMATITE. Literally "bloodstone". Hemat(o) is prefix for "blood".
40. Dorian Gray's flaw: EGOMANIA. Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I cheated on this one.
41. Like exes: SEPARATE. Like the Edwards. Was amazed by the thick hair of John Edwards when I met him.
42. Bambi relative: ENA. Bambi's aunt.
47. __ Paradise, "On the Road" narrator: SAL. Nope. Have never heard of this novel.
48. Parimutuel bet: EXACTA. Picking the top two finishers in order.
50. Mishandling: ILL-USE. Same meaning as "misuse", right?
51. Shrugger's comment: NO IDEA. Well, I don't shrug my shoulders when I say so.
54. Respected one: ELDER. Esp in China/Japan, you don't argue with the elders.
56. Arab potentate: EMEER. See EMIR more often.
59. Tightening target: FLAB.
60. Jazz sessions: SETS
63. "Today" rival, briefly: GMA (Good Morning America)
65. Haul: TOW
Note from today's constructor:
“The Walls have Ears” was inspired by an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle. I am very fond of many old cartoons, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is so fun because of all of the wordplay. The particular episode that I was watching featured an office of a spy headquarters, and wallpaper that featured images of ears. A wonderful subtle touch was that although it was never said, the image hearkened to the phrase from spy movies, etc., “the walls have ears.” Naturally, I decided right there that I had to do something with that. The phrase is 16 letters long, which adds a constraint to making the puzzle. I tried for putting as many different letters before EAR as I could around the ‘walls’ of the puzzle.
An interesting sidelight is that this puzzle was submitted a long time ago, last spring I think. It had to be shelved until a reasonable time elapsed after a similar theme was published. That theme was INNER EAR, which had EAR straddling words in a phrase. So it was a surprise when Rich e-mailed me in December that I had to change the puzzle. I had an entry, HERE HERE, which is inaccurate. It should be , HEAR HEAR. An ironic fate, being that HEAR HEAR has two ears in it. It was unfortunate, because I had a really good fill going in that corner. I had to do major revisions affecting half of the puzzle. Anyway, I was able to get the present version accepted before the deadline, and I just squeaked it by for January."
Answer grid.
C.C.
92 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - this is clearly one of the best, most clever themes I've seen. Just outstanding.
The puzzle itself was by no means easy. Enough misleading clues and unknowns ('Mahdi'/'redeemer', 'oboe' the duck, Jean-Phillippe Rameau) to keep me circling. When I got to 38A, the theme title, I was able to finish the perimeter fairly easily, but still took a while to fill in the rest. Favorite clue: Bearded butter. But 'respected one': 'elder'?? When does that start?
Great puzzle by DonG, whose puzzles are always among the most clever; I really enjoyed reading about how this puzzle came to be.
Today is National Cornchip Day and......National Puzzle Day! How shall we celebrate?
Today's Words of Wisdom, and one of my favorites: "To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step towards knowledge." -- Benjamin Disraeli
A few words on success:
- "I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it." -- Jonathan Winters
- "The worst part about success is trying to find someone who is happy for you." -- Bette Midler
Dennis,
I've no problem with "Respected one" for ELDER. Cultural thing, I guess. "Respect of elders" is the essence of Confucius teaching. Mahdi is new to me. It sounds very Muslim, reminds me of jihad or Mujahadeen.
Buckeye,
Re: National Puzzle Day. You are an amazing seer! Yeah, how shall we celebrate?
Annette,
Frozen banana for Charley horse? Naughty naughty!
C.C., I was just doing a 'Dangerfield' about getting no respect. Yes, I have great respect for my elders, few as they may be.
Frozen banana for a charley horse? I must've missed that one. Um....what does one do with the banana?
Good morning C.C. and All, a bit of a slog today as there was a couple of complete unknowns. I never heard of Mahdi (13D) and I did not know Sada (20A) so that gave me some problems in that section. I was finally able to get the other perps which filled that area after a wild guess at Sada. For some reason the solution to 38A just jumped out at me as soon as I saw the clue. This was a giant help in solving the remainder of the c/w.
I quickly penciled in elnino for 49A and this caused some further delays. Once I erased that and entered lanina that corner fell. I really liked the creativity of this puzzle and I do admire the constructors that come up with this type of c/w.
Didn’t we have bearded butter recently?
Hope you all have a great Friday.
Dennis,
Oh, OK, I missed your "Dangerfield" point. Sometimes your humor or sarcasm lose me. You've got to pay attention to every little thing Annette says.
Crockett & Kazie,
Yeah, both "tuck into" and "tucker" are new to me. Spitzboov's "Best bib and tucker" link is an interesting read. Did not know that tuxedos are named from Tuxedo Park, New York, where they were first worn in 1886.
Dodo,
You and Dot are an inspiration. Welcome on board!
Good morning, CC, I read your interview with Peter Gordon last night. Thanks for taking my suggestion. No offense, but it's unPC to link Mahdi with jihad. You have the tendency to paint all Muslims with a broad brush.
Anon (Terms of Endearment)- NYC
Good Morning, CC and Friends. This was a real toughie for me today. Although was able to pull a few correct answers from the recesses of my brain, there were a lot that escaped me. I finally had to come here to figure out the theme. Reading your explanation, CC, gave me a new appreciation for the puzzle (one I wasn't experiencing as I did the puzzle.)
For Jazz Sessions, I tried and tried to fit either JAMS, or GIGS into those four squares.
My favorite clue was Bearded Butter/GOAT. Boy, did that clue try to lead me astray.
Kazie: If your family reads this blog, some of your family "secrets" are now out in the open!
QOD: Optimism can keep a fool from accepting failure. ~ Ernest Hemingway.
anon@6:38, we don't hew to the lock-step of political correctness here. This is an open forum with a free expression of thought.
The Girl From Ipanema: cover by Daniel Bonaire
This isn't the famous version but it is worth a look. It is sung in Portuguese with the lyrics scrolling underneath (and Victoria Secret models in the background.) The original lyrics are different from the popular ones. They were written for musical comedy.
The singer then uses the English words to finish the clip.
Good morning CC, et al,
I hate to admit it, but I am studiously ignoring the puzzle clues and comments, because I am looking forward to enjoying this puzzle when I see it next week. Of course I couldn't help seeing the theme, which will be an undue advantage. But given my current schedule, it is possible I
might forget by then. This being Friday, maybe tonight's beer selection will target those particular brain cells, a la Cliff of Cheers.
Annette:
If bananas or other low-hanging fruit does not remedy your leg cramps, you might try using potassium rather than sodium based table salt. I am prone to those during the summer when working outside on hot humid days, and it seems to help. And then there is the "bar of soap in the
bed" remedy, which was discussed at some length here several months ago, and which has worked for me even though I am doubtful of its efficacy.
Hahtool:
I left a note to you in yesterday's posts, late afternoon.
Entropy:
Ditto to you, except after midnight. I looked for an Email address and found none. In any case, a public offense calls for a public apology, and you will find one, such as it is, at post #108 or thereabout, in yesterday's comments.
Significant snow forecast here later today, I have some preparation livestock-wise to do today. See you around the cocktail hour, if not before.
Seriously, all C.C. meant I am sure is the term was a new one associated with the Islam world, and in no way was suggesting a relationship between the two words. Relax.
SADA THOMPSON was a wonderful, matronly actress who looked nothing like the plastic surgeons handiwork you posted C.C., she was the mother in a show called Family that also starred Meredith Baxter and Kristy McNichol. More on that later.
The puzzle was lots of fun, lots of new stuff and two Casey at the Bat references, cool!
I am late, damn.
Windhover: I was teaching a biology lab in January 1986 at a university in the northeast. A disportionate number of students at the university would ultimately go into engineering and/or space science. The Challenger explosion occurred shortly before the lab was to begin. We cancelled class, and found a TV, which was hauled into the room, and watched in stunned horror. Everyone was absolutely numbed by the event. Christa McAuliffe was a teacher in the neighboring state, which made the tragedy touch us even more, as one of the students were from her home town.
Good Morning CC and All,
Very, very fun puzzle this morning. I actually got the theme which enabled me to finish. I got stuck in the SE corner with the cross of Shrugger's Comment and Where Gobs Go. Finally filled in No Idea but still don't understand (and probably will feel really numb) what a Gob is. Lots of erasing and perp help. Very fun!
Speaking of numb, Wicked cold today!
Have a good one!
I may have linked this before, but even so, with over 4.5 million hits on Youtube, this guy's UKE playing is really Jake...
Hahtool,
I was working as a carpenter when we heard of the accident on the radio. We all dropped our tool belts and found a TV in a laundromat near the job site. Sat there is disbelief for awhile.
BTW, I must have just missed you. I graduated in '92. Spent most of my time in Boardman Hall.
How old are you?? Under 35 I'll bet!
A nice mental workout for a Friday morning. No help or errors. 30 minutes. My favorite clue was 32D--"Bearded Butter."
Cruciverb is still DOWN.
Probably the most famous Muslim to assume the title of "Mahdi" (more often translated as "Messiah" or "Savior") was Muhammad Ahmad, a Sudanese fanatic who attempted in the 1880's to drive the British from the Sudan and Egypt. He and his Dervishes defeated and massacred an Anglo-English force in Khartoum in the mid-1880's, killing in the process British General Charles George Gordon. Although the Mahdi died soon afterward, his Dervishes continued to cause the British serious problems until another British force under Herbert Kitchener sailed up the Nile to the Sudan in the late 1890's and decisively defeated them at the Battle of Omdurman outside Khartoum in 1899. Rudyard Kipling wrote about the Mahdi's Dervishes in his poem "Fuzzy Wuzzy", which is based on the severe drubbing that the British got from them at Abu Klea just north of Khartoum. The film entitled "Khartoum" with Charlton Heston (Gordon) and Laurence Olivier (the Mahdi) details some of this history, with the usual cautions about getting your history from Hollywood. Still, an entertaining film to see.
Al, thanks for a great clip on Jake.
Good morning all. Great puzzle. Only had to go to Mr.G for RAMEAU. Loved cluies for DUGUP, GOAT, ESSAY, and LA NIÑA. GABON was a complete wag.
Here is an Oscar Brand rendition about a GOB .
I'll be taking leave for a few weeks to visit the land of the Floridians (not the panhandle :-)). Hope I don't have withdrawal or postpartum symptoms from not visiting. It's become a habit. You are a good group - the salt of the earth.
-1º here this am
Tschüß
I didn't post this yesterday out of respect for the dead.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was a political act. President Ronald Reagan was to give his annual State of the Union Address. He wanted to speak to Christa McAuliffe during the speech. They launched even though the engineers said not to, due to the cold, colder than it had ever been for a launch.
Argyle, good to see you back; everything ok with you? And thanks for the info on Challenger. I never knew that.
anon@8:25, Cruciverb evidently got hacked pretty badly.
Bob, thanks for the summary regarding Ahmad and the Dervishes. I never knew the story behind them, only that they were incredibly fierce fighters. I've read Kipling's poem, but never saw Khartoum, something I'll do in the near future.
Al, to echo Dick, thanks for the Jake clip -- truly amazing what one can do with such a simple instrument.
Spitzboov, have a great time; you picked a perfect time to go. Jeez, I thought 19 degrees here was cold. Maniac, how cold is it there?
entropy, in fairness to DonG, the Pro Bowl switch wasn't done with much fanfare. I'm a football junkie and I didn't know about it until a few months ago. It appears his submission was a few months after the announcement, so I can understand how he might not have known. I don't know why they play that game anyway; it's become a joke, in addition to creating another opportunity for serious injury.
What a cleaver theme. Of course I didn’t see it till I finished the puzzle, so it didn’t help, but a nice Aha moment, nevertheless. I always enjoy Don Gagliardo’s puzzles.
I Liked “thought patterns” – EEG, and “The duck, in Peter and the Wolf. I still love to listen to that. I’m thinking that AMO and RAMEAU rhyme, and that’s fun.
C.C., you met John Edwards? That must have been interesting.
Dennis, I think we got cheated. When I was a girl, kids were expected to be seen and not heard, and to respect their elders. Now that I’m one of the elders, things are reversed. As you (and Rodney) said, we get no respect.
anon@ 6:38,
I think C.C. was merely remarking on the linguistic similarity of the spellings with "h".
Anon@ 8:25,
Which "you" are you addressing?
Most of us are closer to 70 than 35. Read C.C.'S bio if you meant her. her cultural background is non-american, as is mine and a few others. That makes a difference to what we find unfamiliar.
Hahtool,
I'm sure they don't, as they're all in Oz except the one who provided the funeral info.
Crockett,
No, I'm no lover of typing--I copied and pasted. You can find the lyrics of just about anything ever recorded online. I used a lot of French and German ones for students when I was teaching too.
As to the puzzle today, I loved the bearded butter clue, but other than that (Mrs. Lincoln...), I crashed and burnedd in a lot of places, either having the wrong guess or drawing a complete blank.
Some of my unknowns and missteps: LAGEAR, MEARA, ACTII, SADA,OREM, OBOE, LANINA (I thought of something lunar but couldn't make it fit), RAMEAU, ECARTE, AT BATS, ESSAY (what blue book does this mean? WI has one about the state, and the one for car values I know, but essay?).
I started with NAP for LAP, AETNA didn't occur to me forever since I though Health net must be a TV station. And why would anyone want a TEARAWAY football jersey? SAL, I wanted BELT for FLAB, and JAMS for SETS. In short, a complete disaster!
Good Morning All, Lovely, lovely! Now that I have learned to look for the constructor's name, Don Gagliado always makes me smile with anticipation.
I didn't get the theme connection until 38A THE WALLS HAVE EARS. I already had five EAR's and it was a wonderful "Aha!" moment.
My favorite clue was 34A "The duck in "Peter and the Wolf". I think it is a new one for OBOE. So long, "hautboy". Here's a little segment for Sonia the duck and others.
I bet Robin loved seeing 55A AXEL. (Go, Johnny Weir!)
C.C. about 47D, SAL Paradise. We've seen Jack Kerouac before, clued as the author of "On The Road". Of course, that's no help if you haven't read the book :o)
I've been spoiled by being able to go to cruciverb.com after 7PM to get the following day's puzzle. I had to wait until this morning's Tribune site to get the online version. If Embien is out there, he is probably furious. The Tribune site is ANATHEMA to him.
Kazie, from last night, a recollection of a nude cartwheeler at a funeral is certainly something to pass down to future generations.
Kazie said (what blue book does this mean...?). I took the clue to mean the blue booklets handed out at colleges for exams to write one's essays or other answers. What color do they use in Oz?
@Kazie: Blue Books in this context are small booklets of ruled paper distributed to college and college prep students during exams for writing exam essays. We use them at my private high school twice a year.
good morning c.c. and all,
great friday puzzle. i am constantly impressed by how much thought it must take to come up with new theme ideas, and don gagliado is one of the absolute best when it comes to that.
i loved the peter and the wolf reference. have very fond memories of my mother playing that on our home stereo, and it was great to see OBOE clued a new way. lots of A-words today, ATIE, ATALL, ABEAR ABITMUCH. i'm getting better at those. a few unknowns, and a few regulars .. all in all a great puzzle.
thanks for the background info from donG, always fun to know those things.
For Northern Californians, the Fourth Annual Silicon Valley Puzzle Day will be held at Morgan Hill Library on January 30th and 31st. All details are given on the website link.
Anonymous @6:38am,
What Kazie said. I was merely remarking on the pronunciation similarities. As for the Peter Gordon interview, it had already been conducted when you mentioned him on "Terms of Endearments" Comments. Most of my interviews are arranged weeks in advance. Your un-PC comment itself is very un-PC. In this blog, people should be free to say what's going on in their mind, PC to you or not!
Good Morning C.C. and all -
This one had me stumped for a long time, but slowly I was able to fill in everything except the SW corner. I did not know 53A (RAMEAU) - C.C. I think that is a wig in the picture of him.
39D was a mystery too.
11D had me going for a bit, I thought of used cars. I put EMMA in for 20A (Never heard of Sada) and did not know 13D at all. It all got sorted out so I was pleased, especially since this is Friday!
Very clever theme and like Dick, the answer for 38A just popped into my little tiny mind...made a huge difference :)
I am waiting for the explanation of what the frozen banana is used for...should be a good one.
Dennis and Kazie...agree on elder respect, don't see it much anymore. People are more apt to curse at the elderly than help them. The only payback is that some of them will be old someday...hah, maybe it will be worse for them in the future and they'll just be 'put down' when they annoy the young people.
Spitzboov,
Have a good trip! Will be missing your navy-oriented comments.
Bob,
Thanks for the detailed Mahdi information.
Barb B,
Yes. I was then a fervent John Edwards fan. I also liked Eliot Spitzer very much. Tiger too. I seem to like man who cheats on his wife. So happy to see you back.
A nice Friday challenge from Mr. Gagliardo. I got stuck in the NE corner. Like Carol, I could only think of EMMA Thompson, and didn't know about Mahdi. I also never heard of Rameau, but got close on that one with the perps.
I wonder if today's constructor goes by "Gags"? Every Italian I know with a similar last name seems to get stuck with that moniker, whether they like it or not.
Thanks, Argyle, for the Ipanema link. Finally, a reason to learn Portuguese!
CC! I must tell you that the photo you posted as Sada Thompson is really Jayne Meadows!
Here's the more complete link:
http://growingbolder.com/articles/uncategorized/picture-of-the-day-and-bdays-for-204032.html
And here is the real Sada Thompson:
http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrities/people/dating/sada-thompson.htm
SaminMiam -- who hopes the links work.
CC, Edwards uses HairTec Thick & Strong Shampoo.
Hello all.
Nice little puzzle and theme.
Loved seeing GOAT as an answer. I was half kidding yesterday when I said that I needed a goat for the back yard. Then I googled "Rent-
A-Goat", had some Macallen and it sounded like a goog idea. KY is NOT
one of the 14 states that allow the renting of goats. Four more days of rain are scheduled starting Wednesday means that the grass will be another foot taller.
At least Punxatawney will be cloudy
on Tuesday and the rodent might not
see his shadow.
@annette. My home town is Natrona Hts. Which is about 8 miles up river from Oakmont/Verona.
All told 27 yrs in W PA, 7 yrs in Tempe, AZ and 37 yrs in San Jose.
Time to play cards.
eddyB
My first take on "Blue book entry" was PRICE, as in Kelley Blue Book for automobile resale information.
Although I did know SADA Thompson, my first thought was, like others, EMMA.
REDEEMER had to (eventually) come with the perps.
The NE has not been my friend this week.
Lemonade714 & Anon@11:59, I couldn't square C.C.'s "SADA Thompson" photo with my image of her. I also recognized her as Jayne Meadows, the wife of comedian/musician Steve Allen.
Barb B, so glad to see you again.
C.C., ABC's "20/20" will have a TELL-ALL about John Edwards this evening. What a shame that someone with so much promise could go so wrong. Very disappointing.
Anon@8:12,
I was NTS (Non Traditional Student). Figured after more than a few winters of working outdoors, there's got to be another way.
Spitzboov, Great link! LOL! Have a great trip.
Al, I'll add my thanks also. That guy is really amazing.
Argyle, That just blows me away about the Challenger. I had never read or heard anything about that.
Dennis, We started of at -6 degrees at 5:AM and we're up to 18 now. Wind steady out of NNW at 15-20 MPH, gusts up to 35 MPH. Wind chill at 1 degree expected to drop to the -12 degrees tonight. It will be a two dog, two cat night!
About Hamlet's Polonius - He has no real power at court and manages to get himself killed by hiding in the Queen’s bedroom. Yet, other than the memorable 15A in today's puzzle, Polonius is responsible for one of the most famous of Shakespeare's speeches. Is it poetry? I think so, and so do many poetry anthology editors. It is also just about the best advice any father could give to his child.
Polonius' Advice to Laertes
Act 1, Scene 3
Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar;
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in,
Bear 't that th'opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
-William Shakespeare
C.C. said: "Yes. I was then a fervent John Edwards fan. I also liked Eliot Spitzer very much. Tiger too. I seem to like man who cheats on his wife."
You like men who are handsome, outgoing and charming and therefore with tremendous opportunity to cheat on their wives. Sadly, morality and monogamy are difficult issues, and temptaion is real.
"Thanks, Argyle, for the Ipanema link. Finally, a reason to learn Portuguese!" Hmm, all I saw was mutlilingual pictures....
For those who are spoiled by hyperling Sada, the real one .
Robin, I am here for you.
Jeannie: I was not dissing your avatar, merely noticing how many I have used over my time; I do think we all would like new lics, and everyone send them to CC for the Blogphoto section.
The Challenger story...wow!
Aloha C.C. and all... I used Big Island driving strategy on this puzzle: if you're lost, keep going around and around and eventually you end up where you want to be!
Everything finally fell into place, although unlike Hahtool, I had to pull answers from other body locations on occasion. I too got hung up on El Nino (which is causing drought conditions here presently - send us all the H2O you can spare, please!). Tough test metaphor looked promising when I had a-b, but then I needed 4 more spaces for my answer, so that didn't work either. I got "Sada" and "goat" right away, however, so I'm not beating myself up too much.
As for "ook" and "uke", I'll need to do more research on that one. On Island, it's always "ook-alale" but I'm not sure I've ever heard a local use the abbreviation "ook" or "uke" -- that may be a mainland thing, in which case "uke" is probably appropriate. And is it just me, or does almost every crossword have a Hawaii reference in it (aloha, lei, mauna loa, uke, Honolulu, etc.). Clearly you all need to come visit in order to improve your solving abilities! A hui hou...
Every event has multiple causes, so it is overly simplistic to suggest that Reagan's desires had more than an incidental influence (at best) on the decision to launch STS-51-L (Challenger) on the morning of January 28, 1986. Launch protocols require multiple polls of managers at Houston, the Cape, and in this case at Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the SRB boosters. There had been problems with the SRBs since 1977, there was unprecedented icing at the Cape that morning, there was an urgency not to delay the launch yet again in order to show that NASA could keep to a reasonable launch schedule and not to hold up future scheduled launches, etc. Managers faced multiple pressures of a formidable nature and ultimately made the wrong decision. In this case it was literally "rocket science," our modern metaphor for complexity.The early history of the development of Germany's V-2 and NASA's own dismal early launch history (some of the same engineers were involved in both) show the enormous problems involved. There's always a tendency to simplify what can't be simplified. We live in a world of bewildering complexity and have a continual human need to reduce that complexity to the lowest common denominator--to make it comprehensible. It is a human but unfortunate tendency. I teach a class on World War II. Time and again, I will hear someone say, "World War II occurred because....."--at which point I quit listening, confident that I'm about to hear something simplistic and more or less idiotic. To repeat, complex events have complex causes. You can't responsibly reduce them to single causative factors and retain credibility. Much as we'd like to believe the simple causative explanation, that's not the way things generally happen.
Thanks to those who explained the blue books/essay connection. I'd more or less guessed that might be it, when the answer revealed itself, but wanted confirmation. In Oz I think they were tan/beige covered if memory serves me (back to 1966).
And just to annoy Bob,
I think WWII was a direct result of WWI and the French insistence on keeping the Ruhr closed down along with those crippling reparations, which caused the German economy to get so weak that an idiot like Hitler could become popular enough to get elected by promising them prosperity and handing them a ready made scapegoat.
Well, there'll be no bearded butter in my kitchen!
This was a fun one. I got the theme early on, and again was lucky in some of my hunches: Sada, never thought of Emma and I don't know why because I do think she's(Emma's) great; Meara, and that was before I figured out the theme, maybe I'm just so glad she's still getting some work. She deserves it. I also went for gigs, even though it didn't feel right.
I can never time myself because there always seem to be interruptions and it's a bit like checking mileage between places. I get the starting number and then forget to look at the destination number until I'm half way home! Yes, I'm still driving! I remember being aghast at learning that a friend's father-in-law was still driving at 80. That was when I was about 40. Imagine what the traffic was then, compared to these days! How do I dare to get out there? Well, so far so good.
Dennis, thanks for the compliment; it must have something to do with my longevity. I haven't seen Dot's profile. Is she a fossil, too?
Enjoyed the discussion about Mahdi. Also thanks, Argyle, for that interesting bit about Reagan and Challenger. I didn't like him too much in the movies, either, and particularly when we had him in Sacramento. Whatever happened to George Murphy's political aspirations?
Don't get me started.!
Good afternoon, C,C, and all,
I agree with Dennis's and others' plaudits about this puzzle. I thought it was outstanding.
I have a meeting every Friday morning at 7:00, so I was unable to work on it right away online as is my usual practice. I printed out two copies, one for me and one for Jean, and began to work it after returning home. Without red letter help, it was a real bear, but I kept at it and finally had it solved with no help.
The theme was great; I had most of the perimeter clues solved by the time I tackled 38A so the answer was pretty obvious.
Being one, I liked the clue for elder. About the only time I am not respected is on the road, even though I think I am a pretty good driver. Most of the younger ones seem addicted to jack rabbit starts and exceeding the speed limit, usually with cell phones at their ears.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Kazie: I'm not annoyed.By my count you've listed at least six causes. With more space and time you could continue, I'm sure. My previous remarks were not directed against anyone, just against our all too human tendency to jump at the overly simple explanation.
Dodo, you sounds like anything but a 'fossil' LOL. I only hope I can still drive when I am 84, but only if I can keep up..as most on the blog know, I REALLY dislike people who poke along at 45 when the speed limit is 55 or 60. They also drive me nuts (pun intended, and it's a short drive!) when they creep down neighborhood streets at 15mph. Arghhhh! (only excuse is if they are looking for an address).
Bob - Whew!
Clear Ayes: My first thought was the same as yours=Kelly Blue Book.
Bob: Back in the day, we had to purchase our blue books in the college book store before the test and bring them to class or we couldn't take the test. They were not handed out in class.
Doreen
Thank you, Bob. I think your post confirms the decision to launch was due to political expediency, needlessly putting the mission at risk.
I doubt Pres. Reagan said the mission had to launch that day but was probably a factor in deciding to launch on a day that I wouldn't have trusted my car to start. (And my car wasn't built by the lowist bidder either.)
My favorite "Ipanema" was Astrid Guilberto's. Is she still around?
Carol, I promise never to drive under 25 on an Interstate.
I'm with you about the creeper. I always assume it's somebody looking for an address and try to be empathetic, but I tend not to be too patient when driving.
Oh, and I was only once stopped for speeding; my speedometer wasn't working, tho I don't think I'd looked at it.
Hi gang -
Truly outstanding, fresh and original puzzle. I started looking for long theme entry slots and only found the one. After that filled in it started to make sense. Really hard, too. NO IDEA was my fav fill. I wanted to put it everywhere. Finally got through it, though, to my surprise.
Here's yet another take on Challenger. The root cause of the failure was that the O-rings in the booster lost their elasticity in the cold, and could not flex to keep the sealing gaps filled, which allowed a leak path, and then the explosion. IIRC, MT engineers were trying frantically to get the launch delayed, but either their language choice was so obscure, or they were attempting to be politically correct in some way, or afraid to state things bluntly for some other reason.
As a materials guy, I'm puzzled by the O-ring elastomer choice, but don't know what the whole set of performance parameters was, so I won't criticize.
I had been at my new job for only a few months in Jan, '86. I was having lunch with a sales rep from my previous company at Lelli's, a downtown Detroit landmark. There was a 10" B&W TV at the coat check, and we stood there watching coverage for a while. Stunning event. Second only to 9/11 in its impact.
I went to a funeral today, so I'm in a bit of a somber mood. No naked cartwheels, alas.
Cheers!
JzB the somber trombonist
Good evening CC et al., Outstanding puzzle and very creative. I love that it was inspired by Rocky and Bulwinkle. That made me LOL. Really enjoyed the note by Mr. Gagliardo. Struggled in places but the perps rescued me. favs were same as others and only disagreement would be 43A EEG's for 'thought patterns' which is clever but erroneous, in my book, as a 'thought' has a concept which an EEG would not measure, only the brain waves which are purely physiological. So brain wave patterns would be a better clue but maybe too elementary for a Fri. I just read too much into it but it threw that corner into oblivion for a while. I want to go listen to Peter and the Wolf again now. Love that! And of course loved seeing my all time fav Chopin here. Had to laugh at seeing 'goat' and 'wind'(hover) here today after the recent conversations. And lastly,
'hematite' took me to geology class at Tex Tech. It was one of the two rocks that I could always identify...that and obsidian. Considered that field as a 'college choice' for about 2 minutes but decided there were enough rocks in my head already.
Have to leave room for the space...it worked. Plenty of space available.
Gotta run before the snow starts. We're getting what WH has now. Should be a fun wkend....there
'snow' party like a snow party!
Enjoy your wkend.
I needed a lot of help with this puzzle and did A LOT of erasing and g-ing before coming here, but for some reason still enjoyed it! I especially liked the theme concept, and caught onto it very quickly! I thought “Ta-ta!” was a either a typo for Ta-Da, or a DF meaning of “ta-ta’s” (breasts).
We seem to have so many coincidences with clues in the puzzle. I have a bizarre one today! I had one of those odd dreams last night that had people from different areas of your life (dead and alive), and different locations, real and newly imagined. One of the people in my dream was Anne Meara, whom I’ve always loved. She was sitting behind me in an auditorium type setting (Country singer Randy Travis was in front of me.) I chatted with both of them and told Anne Meara how we were just discussing her recently on this blog!
Dick: We had bearded something else recently. I think it was a flower…
KeaauRich: Yesterday, my sister was saying she’d entered a drawing for a trip to Hawaii. I said she should take me if she wins! I already know that Ipo=sweetheart, and a few other words from the puzzles, so I was ready! BTW, many people log in late at night too, or check the previous day’s blog for posts that came in after they left, so go ahead and post then. People will read it.
Clear Ayes: You've doffed your hat!
Mainiac: It was by more that a few years that we missed each other. I graduated in the late 70s, when the university was still called UMO. In '86, I was teaching at a university adjacent to one of NHs other borders.
The holiday of Tu B'Shevat begins at sundown tonight. It is a minor holiday that celebrates trees and is likened to a Jewish arbor day. It was always something I looked forward to as a kid, because it meant spring could not be far behind.
like many of you, i remember exactly where i was when i learned about the challenger disaster. very sad anniversary.
bob, nice to see your input.
al, thanks for the UKE link, beautiful. my favorite blind guitarist, jeff healey, who died last year, also does a great version. interesting how he learned to play his guitar flat, like a lap steel.
dodo, welcome, i enjoy your comments.
barb b, welcome back :).
lemonade: "I do think we all would like new lics" .. freudian slip?
lois, hope you're recovering. stay warm this weekend, i know you have ways.
Dennis: I’m not sure if what I’d do with the frozen banana is the same as what someone else, like Monica Lewinsky, might do with it…but the idea does open up very interesting possibilities! If you haven’t figured it out by now, the other day I’d mentioned waking up with a Charlie horse, so I did the puzzle at 2 am. Jazzbumpa suggested eating a banana to help with the potassium shortage that causes them. It’s hard for me to keep fresh bananas around all the time, so I speculated whether frozen ones would be just as effective.
And Thank You, C.C. – “You've got to pay attention to every little thing Annette says.” I guess I am your elder in years, though certainly not wisdom! And neither in regards to Dennis! But it’s still nice to be respected. Dennis, I guess you just missed my invite to get together when you were down here last month (like missing the banana story), and weren’t purposely ignoring me… ;-)
Windhover: I may try the bar of soap too, as a preventative! I wish there were an easy way to monitor potassium levels between doctor visits because I already do take it in pill form, yet it’s still not enough at times.
eddyB: Yes! I know Natrona Heights. I was real close friends with a girl from there when I was in college. My co-worker is from Brackenridge, next door to your home town.
I guess I am not ready for prime time yet, as this was very difficult and I have not finished.
@ Spitzboov, thanks for helping out with the hyperlinking...
For those of you who enjoy either the pro bowl or Hawaii, we have Hawaii Pro Bowl History which many of you mainlanders likely do not know.
@ Keaau, have you always been on the Big Island? Funny, but I do not believe it was you who first posted the ook sound for UKE.
@ Lemonade you stick in my mind as the poster of ook, because I was impressed that you were aware of the 'local' pronunciation. Traveled or spent much time in Hawaii?
Have a fun week end!
Annette, we are all waiting for the frozen banana remedy and where to put it.
Lois, you sound back to normal (!)
Glad this is your year for snow...we lucked out, except for 1 day. Stay well and take Melissa B's advise.
CA: where did you hat go??? Cute picture!
You're joking about never having heard of "On The Road", right?
BTW, Laertes didn't respect his ELDERS all that much either. I guess times haven't changed much in the past 400 years or so. He didn't really pay much attention to the fabulous fatherly advice from Papa Polonius. However, he was a get-even kind of guy and killed Hamlet after Hamlet killed his dad.
Hahtool & Carol, The hat is gone temporarily. I have to keep up with WH and his changing avatars! The next time we have a fedora, Stetson, or even a beret fill, I'll recycle it back in.
tshot@5:18, See 10:08 comment. A person can't read every book ever written. Neither can they remember everything, all the time. Sounds pretty normal to me. I bet there is a famous book or two that you and I haven't read or heard of. :o)
The cocktail hour has arrived, and the weather radar says that snow will arrive shortly. The forecast is for 4"
to 10" by tomorrow Noon. Tonight's beer selection is a nice American Pale Ale from the Flying Dog brewery in Denver, although I believe our local supply is actually brewed in Frederick, Maryland.
Bob:
A great deal has already been said in response to your post about the Challenger disaster. I read it early today and have not had time to stop and write. I've been thinking about this all day and would like to add a few comments.
Your argument about complexity is certainly true, as is the human tendency toward reductiveness in problem solving (or avoidance). I do believe (and I read extensively on the subject in the months after the event) that the decision to launch relied much more heavily on the political ramifications of the planned Reagan/McAuliffe chat than on technical considerations. In defense of Reagan (an enterprise I have no interest in furthering), I doubt he was very directly involved in that decision. By that stage of his Presidency, he was already under the influence of the disease that ultimately killed him, and somewhat famously detached from the day to day focus on the job. His advisors and handlers were doing their best to insulate (if not isolate) him from critical affairs of state. But I have little doubt that those same parties in the inner circle were very much aware of the political expediency of a very public (SOTU speech) bit of theater.
You bring up a related bit of history, the origins of the core of our cadre of missile scientists, many of whom were committed Nazis with experience in the German V1 and V2 program. Werhner Von Braun was the most prominent, but there were several others. They were spirited out of Germany after the war and exempted from the war crimes trials many others faced. I remember as a teenager in the late '50s reading a very hagiographic article about Von Braun in the Reader's Digest, which I now consider a near-fascist publication.
None of the above is an attempt to refute anything you said, just my take on the event(s).
May I ask where in the Volunteer State you live and teach? I "rescued" my LW from Kingsport.
Hello All--A very clever puzzle and I did get the theme early on. Lots of erasing and Googling today, though, before I finished the whole puzzle.
Didn't know Rameau, Sada, Mudville, and Ecarte. I think I wasn't alone on some of those fills as others also had them listed as BEARS today.
I enjoyed Don Gagliardo's explanation about the puzzle. LOL that a Bulwinkle cartoon was part of the inspiration for the theme.
Annette, your thought patterns were on an ESP length today. Such a coincidence.
Doreen, we all had to buy our Blue Books at the book store before our tests. I can't imagine having them passed out to the class. We also had to buy special pencils to take the bubble in tests that some profs gave.
CA, thank you for the Polonius' advice to Laertes passage. I think we all could use some of that wisdom today.
It's going to rain again today. But we don't have the cold weather that other parts of the country have right now. To those of you who must bear the cold--stay warm and stay dry.
Me Ke Aloha Pumehana, for being such a fun group!
Good evening C.C. and friends!
Don Gagliardo's last name can be translated as "robust" or "hEARty" and both words came to mind while inching my way through this excellent puzzle!
As usual, several semi-obscure words came pretty quickly: RAMEAU, MAHDI and ECARTE. Otherwise, I hopped ALOP through the grid plopping down bad guesses with abandon, getting LA NINA re-gendered to her brother El Nino, not knowing a sitter offers a LAP, and failing to parse LAG EAR and ACT II correctly. Among others!
SADA Thompson's name and face came pretty easily because on the show "Family," she always looked like she'd just read A SAD letter. Good show though -- they tackled some pretty tough topics and lived in a great two-story house!
Carol: The frozen banana is definitely for internal use! However, standing on a cold tile floor helps the charlie horse so much, trying to apply the banana topically to the foot sounds worth a try too!
Chocolate coating on the banana really wouldn't hurt either, right...? Maybe a few sprinkles to give it a nubbier surface, or a couple nuts...?
Funny that the topic of respecting one's elders came up today because I just a couple days back had lunch with a former colleague, a woman shall we say, "of a certain age." We were doing a little gossip, and she commented in somewhat careful language how poorly many of the people in that office treated each other.
I grew up in a home with very few rules: never had a curfew, restrictions on TV or dating, nobody ever worried that homework wouldn't be done. The rules were: *No swearing in front of Mom; *No riding on motorcycles of any kind; *Express thanks liberally *Say Ma'am and Sir to anyone about 15 years older than you. That was it.
Anytime I'm dealing with a bureaucracy or am in a situation where someone in a shop or office is helping me, I've learned that a modicum or respect and politeness
go a long way: people will fall all over themselves to be helpful, better than 85% of the time.
Seems like common sense to me, really, but too many of my peers -- and especially people in their 20s and 30s -- have some sense of entitlement, and fail to realize that Please and Thank You are magic words.
I hate to sound preachy or "better than thou" because I'm far from perfect. I do know that the guy at the grocery store makes sure to "pre-open" jars for me when my hands aren't cooperating, and he does so with a smile. The simple acts of thanking him (and making sure his supervisor gets reminded periodically that he provides such kindness and service) make a difference. Rant over....
P.S. Thanks C. C. for the info on Don G.'s inspiration for the theme. I love stories about the creation of our puzzles. The walls have ears, and imagine if those walls could talk!
@Annette oh yeah ;)
Wow, I think we set a record for long posts today.
Annette, your last post could easily be construed as the most DF post here in some time. My compliments. And yes, I did miss the invite; sorry. There's times when I'm only able to skim the posts.
For those of you who like to have the puzzle the night before, and since Cruciverb still isn't working right, here's the link for it.
Dennis: Thank you. I'm not as good at the rapid repartee as many of the DF-ettes here, and it would take me HOURS to compose a post that wouldn't be half as good as Lois'! But I do get lucky and am inspired once in a while. ;-)
I tend to be so wordy (despite usually being very quiet in person), that I wouldn't blame anyone for missing something! I really do try to edit my posts down...
Hopefully, you can catch up with the local bloggers during next year's trip. We should all know each other much better by then and have even more to talk about.
Mea culpa, dear Melissa Bee, "lemonade: "I do think we all would like new lics" .. freudian slip?"
ET TU fishy> what is with the outbreak of Hawaiian on this blog? I have a very dear friend who lived and worked in Hawaii who has taught me a little about the language, but I have never been.
Lemon you are so wise. I worked at Queens Medical Center on Oahu for 3 years. Some previous paramedic used that line on me "Me Ke Aloha Pumehana" so I send that line to you as well..........with heart felt admiration!!
Fun puzzle today. Must have been "a bear" to put together, so much more than a regular theme.
When I saw mahdi as a clue I thought of Frank Herbert's "Dune," full of Arab/Moslem references. The hero, Paul Atreides, came to be known as Muad'Dib, which I confused with mahdi, but both refer to redeemer.
A late thanks to Jeanne for her chocolate cake recipe. Chocolate and coffee are wonderful together. Thanks too for the idea of interviewing parents in some form. Mine are 83 and in pretty good health, so it should be done now.
Dodo, may I ask where in NoDak you were born?
Waiting for Saturday's non-theme puzzle.
=with warm affection.....
Wow, Annette ! I never would have thunk it about the frozen banana...couldn't believe your post - LMAO! I hurt just reading it! Do you really think sprinkles would even be felt under the circumstances? Note I said circumSTANCES.
Of course, the right conditions could warm the cockles, so to speak. ;)
Good night, all. I need to comment on slow drivers. I have always driven as far above the speed limit as I dared. But then we bought a Ford Fusion hybrid, and it will get up to 47 miles an hour on the battery. I try very hard to do that, driving the people behind me nuts no doubt. But the experience has made me slow down even when I drive the Honda Civic. In other words, a better driver.
Haven't had time to do today's puzzle, but enjoy the comments anyway. Thank you all.
Cheers
Good night, all. I need to comment on slow drivers. I have always driven as far above the speed limit as I dared. But then we bought a Ford Fusion hybrid, and it will get up to 47 miles an hour on the battery. I try very hard to do that, driving the people behind me nuts no doubt. But the experience has made me slow down even when I drive the Honda Civic. In other words, a better driver.
Haven't had time to do today's puzzle, but enjoy the comments anyway. Thank you all.
Cheers
Carol: You inspired me to RISE to the occasion! I had no choice but to come up with something. I thought I was off the hook about the bananas, until your post. It took me a while to figure out a suitable response!
Actually, the sprinkles just "go" with the hot fudge, whipped cream and cherry on top...
Sallie, I strongly disagree that a slower driver is necessarily a better driver.
Annette, don't even think about editing your posts; they're great as is, as Carol pointed out.
And actually, I'll be back down there in 36 & a w/u. Maybe, time permitting, we can all get together for a drink.
Carol@10:08 "Do you really think sprinkles would even be felt under the circumstances? Whatevah could you be thinking of? When Annette said The frozen banana is definitely for internal use!, I'm sure (??) she meant that it was to be eaten (how internal can you get?) and that the sprinkles and nuts would just be a tasty addition. What else could she possibly have meant?
LOL, even at this later time of night, maybe you'd better not go into details.
Night, all.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww; Mahalo nui loa, or as my native ancestors would say, Welálin.
Sleep well all, Night .
Oddly enough, it actually was a banana in my pocket
BTW my mother was an OB-gyn Nurse, and then administrative nurse for 45 years
Liz: Grand Forks, and lived there for the next 20 years.
PJB: I agree that your 'modicum of respect and politeness in an office or any situation go a long way', but that 'long way' is taken to a different level by guys (esp) who tend to misread that kindness or politeness as a 'come on'. If I thank them kindly or compliment them on a good job well done, I have to be careful how I say it and when I say it. I usually say it and leave...usually. Who knew those could be good pick up lines? But seriously, people (men in my experience) must get treated more than we know like Rodney Dangerfield (and Dennis...LOL
...which I doubt seriously) and never hear a kind word or get treated w/much respect. It's esp scary when the men are making a house call. Our cable company is called 'Cox'...man, if that's not a red flag! and I know just where it's hanging too!
Annette: LMAO about the frozen banana and the sprinkles. Even sounds good enough to eat...and ya don't even have to be polite to those suckers!
No snow yet but I'm waiting. I'm on snow watch. They're calling for a record amt...we're going to make a snow family complete with snow dogs and cats. Who can sleep at a time like this?
Saw Sherlock Holmes tonight finally. Loved it and highly reccommend it. Robt Downey Jr was wonderful! I'd be very polite to that guy!
I read the late night posts and loved them. Who would have thought that a banana could bring on all that DFness? Here I thought that they were for eating only!
Better stop while I'm ahead.
'Nite all'
PJB, I'm glad that your slip was not as bad as it sounded at first. Making a new friend didn't hurt, though, did it? Do watch where you put your feet.
I can't sign in to Blogger for reasons only the, er, g-spot knows.
Lois, always remember that the male ego is always more fragile and prickly than we ever admit to! A woman, paid a compliment considers the source and proceeds accordingly. A man flattered is a man flattened, and we lose 25 IQ points, most of our inhibitions, and all sense of propriety. On our better days, we behave in a civil manner; on most days we drool like lucky dogs, and have no sense of what to do next. But we try something, anything to get the next treat. Our instincts stink more often than not, but we mean mostly well, and figure out we've been outsmarted only the next day or years later!
ClearAyes, ever the wise counselor and friend.
WH, CC does not like long posts.
I hope you don't get the dreaded email from her as I once did.
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