Theme: Sweet P - The second letter M in MM containing familiar phrases is changed into P (MP).
18A. Cool body shop specialist?: BUMPER DUDE. Bummer, Dude!
23A. Apple shipping vehicles?: COMPUTER TRAINS. Commuter Trains. Apple computer.
36A. Like overcrowded medical clinics?: CRAMPED FOR EXAMS. Crammed for Exams. The only theme entry with an extra M.
47A. Short, fat pen filler?: DUMPY CARTRIDGE. Dummy Cartridge. Firearm term? I have never heard of it. Also did not know that "dumpy" can mean "short & fat".
54A. Laundry security device?: HAMPER LOCK. Hammerlock. A wrestling hold in which the opponent's arm is pulled behind the back and twisted upward. Not a familiar term to me.
In memory of Dan Naddor, I am going to call the total number indicator of non-theme entries with 6 or more letters as "Dan Naddor Index" from now on. Today's number is 14. Lower than our recent Dan grids.
So sweet for me to see the clues for DOB (1D. Baseball card stat) and IMMIGRATE (34D. Come to a new land). Felt like they were targeted at me, given my immigrant status and love for baseball cards.
Tough slog though. Lots of tricky clues and I simply could not mind meld with Dan. We definitely spoke different languages today.
Across:
1. Mil. awards: DSCS. Sometimes it's DSMS. Medal instead of Cross. And TFR (31D. Mil. request). Transfer I presume.
5. Pro's employee: AGENT. Pro athlete. The answer could be CADDIE (for golf pros).
10. Keyboardist Hess: MYRA. The British pianist. Her name escaped me.
14. Colorful deepwater fish: OPAH. Also called moonfish.
15. Sylvester's "Rocky" co-star: TALIA (Shire). She also played the annoying Connie in the "Godfather" series.
16. Like The Citadel, today: CO-ED. It was all-male until August 1996. Unknown fact to me.
17. High-tech unit: BYTE
20. Destructive spree: RAMPAGE
22. Perrier rival: EVIAN. Have yet to see PERRIER appears as an answer.
26. Ottoman officer: AGA. Sometimes the answer is BEY/PASHA.
27. E-mail endings, at times: PSS
28. Staff: ROD. Was picturing music staff.
29. Inexperienced one: TYRO. I was once a crossword tyro.
31. Coffee-flavored liqueur: TIA MARIA. Does it taste very differently from Kahlúa, Argyle?
40. Toot consequence: HANGOVER. "Toot" here refers to "drinking spree". I was thinking of the horn sound.
41. Car with a bar: LIMO. Rhyming clue.
42. __-80: old RadioShack computer: TRS. No idea. Does TRS stand for Tandy's Radio Shack?
43. Lee side: Abbr.: CSA. Oh, R. E Lee.
46. Palindromic diarist: NIN (Anaïs)
52. Important peninsula in the Six-Day War, 1967: SINAI
53. Pursue: GO AFTER
57. Much more than tickle: SLAY
59. "The __ lama, he's a priest ...": Nash: ONE - L. Lovely new clue.
60. Arigato : Japan :: __ : Germany: DANKE. Both "Arigato" and "Danke" means "Thanks". Chinese equivalent is "Xie Xie".
61. Pal: MATE
62. Evening spread?: PATE. Oh, evening meal.
63. Hardly a miniature gulf: ABYSS. The clue is playing on "Hardly a miniature golf".
64. Regards: EYES.
Down:
2. Pop-jazz band named for an algae genus: SPYRO GYRA. An American jazz fusion band. A misspelling of the green algae spirogyra. Both meant nothing to me.
3. Twin-hulled boat: CATAMARAN. Tamil for "tied wood". New word to me also.
4. Curly's predecessor and successor: SHEMP (Howard). From "The Three Stooges".
5. Turns to swing: AT-BATS. Baseball. "Turns" here is a misleading noun.
6. Measuring instruments: GAUGES
7. Cartoon hunter: ELMER (Fudd). He hunts Bugs Bunny.
8. Snort: NIP. Did not know "snort" can mean "a quick drink of liquor".
10. Early 15th century year: MCDVI. 1406. Roman numeral, I fear not!
11. Dealer's query: YOU IN?
13. City SSE of Sana'a: ADEN. Sana'a is the capital of Yemen. Aden is the only other Yemen seaport/city that I know of.
19. Text file with program instructions: READ ME. Did not come to me readily.
21. __ tent: PUP. Military term, Dennis?
23. Call during a toss: CATCH. You'd think it's HEADS/TAILS.
24. The Supremes, e.g.: TRIO
25. Engine sound: ROAR. Purr too.
30. Texter's "Yikes!": OMG
32. Rose of rock: AXL. Of Guns N' Roses.
33. Result of an ump's decision, maybe: RAIN DELAY. OK, maybe.
35. Together: AS ONE
37. Crusty entrée: POT PIE. Crusty indeed.
38. "Climb __ Mountain": "The Sound of Music" song: EV'RY
39. Invoice column hdg.: DESC. What the heck is this? Description?
43. Stew holders: CROCKS
44. They may be raised during a game: STAKES. Got the answer with Across help.
45. Pound sound: ARF. Nice rhyme.
47. Grammy winner Krall: DIANA
48. Not yet fulfilled: UNMET. Like what? Desire?
49. Sugar source: MAPLE
50. Torment: AGONY. Noun "torment".
51. Bell ringer's reply: IT'S ME
52. Artisan's work area: SHOP. And LAB (56. Chemist's work area). I am very into clue echos.
55. Food no. usually shown in milligrams: RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)
A very special "Thank you" to our Santa Argyle for helping me through the blogging every day when my computer was sick. Also to Al who always provides me with prompt tech advices. And to Jazzbumpa and Melissa for their entertaining write-ups and awesome links. And to all of you, thank you so much for the understanding, support & comments every day. You guys make this blogging a very rewarding experience to me.
Answer grid.
C.C.
86 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - very poignant seeing Dan's name at the top of this one. I can picture him smiling when he put this bear together.
I had stumbles all over the place, with little bits of traction here and there. Right of the bat, there's several possible military award abbreviations, and I was expecting a baseball-related stat such as RBI or ERA for 1D, not Date of Birth.
The only answer I truly never heard of was Diana Krall, but there were so many misleading and multiple-possibility clues that I ended up jumping all over the puzzle trying to make everything come together. Loved the puzzle, loved the challenge, and loved the fact that we're still getting pieces of Dan's handiwork. Nice way to start a Friday.
C.C., to answer a couple questions, I'm not sure if 'pup tents' originated in the military, but it's what we used when I was in. Each man carried a 'shelter half', two of which combined made a two-man pup tent. As to 39D, 'descr', yes, 'description' is often used on invoices; it's nothing more than a description of the product or service sold.
Today is a great day for women. It's both National Bubble Bath Day, and Male Watchers Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. The other eight are unimportant." -- Henry Miller
Here's a few predictions that probably seemed pretty good at the time:
- "God himself could not sink this ship." -- Deckhand on the Titanic
- "Before man reaches the moon, your mail will be delivered within hours from New York to Australia by guided missiles. We stand on the threshold of rocket mail." -- Arthur Summerfield, US Postmaster General, 1959
By the way, my first thought for a theme was 'lose the MPs', something that we attempted to do on several occasions, but unless you had a military background, it probably wouldn't mean much. I like 'Sweet P'; I'm always amazed at how you come up with such good theme titles.
Off to the gym.
Dennis,
Funny, the first information I seek in a baseball card is always DOB, not ERA or RBI. Thanks for PUP and DESC. Why did Henry Miller divorce Marlyn Monroe then? "Lose the MPs" would be a great title today if Dan's theme is reversed, ie, MP to MM transformation.
Anonymous @ 4:43pm yesterday,
No, no advance puzzles from constructors. I get my puzzles from Cruciverb or LA Times website, as many of the solvers here do.
Bill G,
Further to what KQ, Dennis, WH and a few others said in the past few days regarding the post limit, I am not a quick reader as you are. It takes me time to study each post. Sometimes an inadvertent spelling mistake from a poster, or an unfamiliar word or slang in a comment can cause me confusion and wild Google search. Also, unlimited posts from a limited few posters discourage more solver involvement. That's not what we want here. I don't mind occasional over-posting, but I won't allow persistent disregard of my rules.
Good Morning, CC and Friends. This was a real toughie for me. I feel like a real TYRO, even though I've been doing puzzles for 30 years. I didn't see the theme until CC pointed it out.
Favorite clues: Car with a bar (LIMO) and Hardly a miniature gulf (ABYSS).
I'll blame my inability do concentrate on this puzzle on the cold today. I know some of you don't consider 27F that cold, but it is for southern Louisiana. Today's high is only expected to be 36F. Schools and businesses have closed due to the cold weather.
QOD: She was what we used to call a suicide blond - dyed by her own hand. ~Saul Bellow
Diana Krall is wife to Elvis Costello.
Good Morning, C.C.,
I wouldn't mind some Tia Maria or Kahlúa right now. They are the same alcohol content but Kahlúa is sweeter and more of a syrup than Tia Maria. Tia Maria has a stronger coffee taste and is made with coffee beans from the Jamacian Blue Mountains which, if I remember correctly, came up in a Wayne William's puzzle some time ago. Kahlúa is made with Mexican coffee beans.
Of course, Friday and Dan Naddor go together in my mind, so this was great. It was one of those rare mornings, where the theme came to me immediately, though I really struggled to put EVRY in as an answer, as I thought I had lost an E somewhere.
Marilyn Monroe was married to ARTHUR MILLER was a famous playwright who created two amazing efforts Death of a Salesman and The Crucible .
On the other hand HENRY MILLER was a novelist who pushed the envelope for sexual content with his books Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn .
Warming up again down here, and the professional golf world is back at work without its star. Happy week end all.
Hahtool,
Nope. Not cold. Just a hard puzzle.
Argyle,
Maybe Andrea can share with us her homemade Kahlúa recipe.
Lemonade,
D'Oh! I messed up those two guys again.
JimmyB,
Good point on CAPA yesterday. As for the cross-references of TARO and POI, I think "food" in POI clue & "source" in TARO are sufficient hints.
Diana Krall is one of my favorite jazz/torch singers (piano, too).
Spyro Gyra is a prolific jazz/fusion group that hit the charts back in, oh, 1979 or so with Morning Dance. They're still around, but I much prefer their earlier, softer work.
And for no other reason than nostalgic memories of that time in my life, here's Chuck Mangione with Feels so Good
Morning all,
I always had a difficult time with Dan Naddor’s puzzles that appeared later in the week and today was no exception. Did it online which helped, but never did get the theme. When it was all done, I could appreciate the cleverness of it but wish I could have done better. The TRS 80 was our first computer for business use--amazing the changes that have been made in the last 20+ years in computers. Little did we know back then what was ahead of us.
We actually made our own Kalua years ago with brandy, vanilla beans, sugar, instant coffee and some other things I can’t think of right now. Remember we had to invert bottles once a day for 30 days, not sure why. I was on a Kalua and Tia Maria kick for several years back then. Sounds good right about now, too.
Have a good one.
Good morning C.C. and All, a really tough puzzle for me today. I just kept jumping all over the place trying to get any fill I could. I thought maybe my problems were from getting a late start due to snow plowing this morning, but I see others had problems as well.
I tried to make Kahlua fit for Tia Maria, but was two letters short.
I never did get the theme, but seemed to understand the clues and answers which helped a lot.
Al, great link on Diana Krall, I could listen to her all day.
Today’s high in the high teens and tomorrow the high will be 16 degrees. Also, calling for another six inches of snow today so I guess I will be busy all day with that mess.
Hope you all have a great Friday.
Good Morning CC and All:
A great Dan Naddor puzzle for a Friday. I took the day off so I started with master level and it didn't take long to reach for red letter help. Right off the bat (NPI) baseball card stat got me and the cross for Military Awards took forever to pop into my head. I also kept wanting Shep instead of Shemp. It took me 37 minutes and three cups of coffee. Loved it!
Diana Krall makes some great music. One of the wife's and my favorites while making and eating dinner.
Chores are waiting.
Have a great Friday!
Loved the LIMO clue.
Not knowing anything that would have helped me today, I consider myself lucky to have filled a few more than half the spaces. Didn't have a clue as to the theme, had TRUCKS for TRAINS, was trying to get some sort of pig in the pen, have never had a baseball card in the house (yes, despite having raised two [soccer-playing] boys in this country!) and I don't know any musicians who didn't appear before 1970.
Also I don't buy brand-name products, bottled water or much liquor and what exactly is TAE BO? Thinking of "tickle" literally, my answer would have been "torture" which of course didn't fit, and SLAY is not a term I'd ever use relating to amusement. Have never called anything a HAMPER. I wanted WASHER there. I have always had a laundry chute and baskets.
As usual, culture and names were the killer for me. And feeling defeated, I'm suffering from a bad attitude.
Hang in there Kazie, we all had problems today.
This one definitely made you think. Hardest one of the week so far. No help. No errors. 32 minutes.
Kaz, what Dick said. This was a tough one; you've certainly got nothing to feel bad about.
Agree with the previous commenters on the difficulty.
Needed lots of G help today. Thought some clues were very clever ie; Lee side. README threw me for a while because I was thinking source program (duh).
Didn't know TYRO, so couldn't get the cross, CATCH,
A few clues which seemed vague, although fair in hindsight, were still a good challenge, and good training for future tough puzzles. Dan is still with us.
Kazie, I don't think it's a cultural issue on the difficult level today. This was a real toughie. I had lots of blank spaces today even after several passes through the clues.
Dennis, Dick and Hahtool,
Thank you all for the encouragement and empathy. Sometimes I think I just clam up on Dan's offerings because I expect to have trouble with the names and sport references. His clues always represent such a broad knowledge base, and I'm afraid my background is rather narrow in those areas.
From Rex Parker on LA Confidential blog:
"There is now a comment limit. Three per reader. Go over and your comments will be deleted.
Thank you for understanding our desire to keep this comments section manageable — and welcoming to all readers."
Hi, gang -
Kazie -
"Slay" here is to highly amuse, as to slay the audience; or as we say in my clan, when someone cracks a quip and gets a room full of blank stares, "I slay me!"
Tough, tough puzzle today. Pure Dan from start to finish. I got SPYROGYRA and CATAMARAN right off and thought it would be easy. But there was a CATCH or two. Worked it in pencil, on the actual newspaper. Eventually, I got EV"RY fill but the 1A - 1D cross. DSCS means nothing to me, and DOB was a big D"OH.
Poignant indeed. Danny, we hardly knew ye.
Now, I always ask myself what to call a theme, and this one was a stumper. C.C. you amaze me!
So, the question becomes, why did Arthur Miller divorce MM. I'm guessing she might have been a bit difficult to live with. Even for herself.
We got 3 or 4 inches of snow, and about one fresh inch after the plow guy came in the middle of the night. I'm going to go clear the driveway, and ponder the other eight reasons.
Cheers!
JzB the permanent TYRO trombonist
Kazie, I feel your pain. It was a tough puzzle for anyone without the same cultural references as Dan. I happen to be about his age, and even though I knew the cultural stuff, it still took me quite a while to finally finish it.
Tae Bo is a marketing gimmick exercise program that uses Martial Arts-like movements. It's not a real Martial Art like Tae Kwon Do, though, which you're better off taking. You get as much, or even more of a workout, and you learn to defend yourself at the same time. Tai Chi is a good MA if you want something that is non-impact, more comparable to something like yoga.
The idiom is "you slay me" instead of "that tickles me". I've only heard that in old B&W movies, I don't think anyone uses it for real anymore. I never actually realized it was idiom use until you questioned it, and then I had the "aha", about it not literally meaning to kill. At first I had simply thought "Yes, that's certainly more harsh than tickling".
I see Jazz just beat me to it after I had all that typed in...
Jazzb re: DSCS means nothing to me
DSC means Distinguished Service Cross. It is the 2nd highest decoration awarded for gallantry in the Army.
The Navy and Marine Corps equivalent is the Navy Cross.
Sort of a tough one to guess; there are so many mil. awards a constructor could use. Even foreign.
Hi C.C. & gang, an extra tough puzzle from Dan today, we only finished 1/4 or less before my wife left for work.
I remembered the TRS80 because we called it 'trash' 80 e.g. a pile of junk.
Here's one view on pup tent
"Pup in this sense is the same as puppy "young dog". The notion was that such tents were so small and primitive that they were only fit for dogs (the term dog tent dates from the same period) or pups. The OED suggests that the tents were so named because they resembled dog kennels."
And usually smelled like one.
Well this one was a real stumper for me. I felt like a big tyro and it kicked my prat to the curb. I knew I was in trouble when I can’t get either one across or one down filled in correctly. I couldn’t catch onto the theme so that wasn’t any help to me at all. There were some really clever Dan Naddor clues though with car with a bar, Lee side (wanted a sailing term) and pound sound. It seems I am in the same boat with several of you. I finally gave it up and decided to go watch some males and later it’s time for a bubble bath.
The TRS-80 was my first computer, and I can still remember that my heart almost stopped when I checked it out at in the the Radio Shack store in the mall.
The first game I saw was a bowling game with little stick figures running & knocking down the pins. Some of the games were words only: "Walk three paces to the left and pick up the lantern."
It's a love affair that's lasted 30 years, although the object quickly changed to the Apple 2e a few years later. And so forth.
Can someone tell me if "tfr" is an acronym for "temporary flight restriction", which seems to be associated with the military (USAF), or "transfer, as C.C. wrote, which also seems valid?
Good Morning All, Well, I got Dan's theme quickly, but I had a rough time with abbreviations DSCS, PSS, TRS, TFR and DESC.
I did know DIANA Krall, but not MYRA Hess.
I loved seeing SPYRO GYRA. What a great fill. CATAMARAN wasn't a problem. My Sis and BIL lived on one for several years.
Speaking of Sis and BIL, they are arriving for a visit this afternoon, so I'd better get the sheets on the guest bed.
MPK, I remember those text games. My favorite was just called 'Adventure', I think, and I was seriously addicted. Had stuff like, "You're standing at a stream. Next to you is a shed. There's a strange humming noise coming from behind you." You had to figure out what to do strictly by visualizing. Great fun. Thanks for the memory.
By the way, there were actually people who drew up, and then sold, maps of the entire 'Adventure' world.
in the SOUTH, most of us still use "tickled" to mean "pleased" as in "I`m plumb tickled them revenuers walked right past the still."
"You slay me" probably went the way of "You send me."
Shoot! (another Southernism used in genteel company. )Now I have to go find a Sam Cook link!
Not good today! About 3/4ths and then total stumppage!
Kinda figured out the theme but wasn't sure. Still getting me, aren't you Dan??
Got a brand new puzzle dictionary for Christmas and might as well have gotten an Edsel for all the good it does me. In the intro the authors make reference to multi- word answers. Their idea is that constructors very rarely look for that so none are included. I wonder when was the last time anyone of them tried an LA times????
Oh, well, I can use it to pile more relevant junk on!
CY'all Later
Here's the whole One L-Lama poem by Ogden Nash:
The one-L lama, he's a priest
The two-L llama, he's a beast
And I would bet a silk pyjama
There isn't any three-L lllama
(Wikipedia says Nash appended a footnote to this poem: "The author's attention has been called to a type of conflagration known as a three-alarmer. Pooh."
I wonder if there are many folks now who would know what a three-alarmer is/was.
(It's mpk here. All of a sudden the comment folks will not accept my blogspot url. I've tried a dozen times. Has anyone else ever encountered this problem?)
Hi CC and friends,
Chuck and Gap Mangione used to play at a home in Rochester NY located on my paper route in the 70s. I still enjoy listening to them.
The trash 80 was my first experience with a personal computer...move upward to a commodore 120 (I believe).
As for TFR I believe it stands for transfer vice temporary flight restriction - (Mil. Request). I do not think the flyboys would request flying restrictions. Just a thought.
My favorite Nash poem:
The Hunter
The hunter crouches in his blind
'Neath camouflage of every kind
And conjures up a quacking noise
To lend allure to his decoys
This grown-up man, with pluck and luck
is hoping to outwit a duck
Taking a break in the middle is the only thing that saved me. It took some fresh air to reset the brain on the Dan Naddor wavelength. Then the theme came to me and the rest peeled away like an onion, one thin layer (or word) at a time.
Like Jazzbumpa and Jeannie, I was stuck in the NW. I kept thinking 1D was LOB. Only later did it occur to me that LOB is a team stat, not something to find on an individual baseball card. Spitzboov - thanks for spelling out DSCS for me.
@Mark from VA
found this....
"Pilots who plan to fly to Oshkosh via the Lake Michigan shoreline past the Milwaukee area the weekend before AirVenture are being urged by the FAA to pay particular attention to temporary flight restrictions (TFR) that have been issued for next week, July 23-26. The United States Air Force Thunderbirds are performing at the Milwaukee Air & Water Show, scheduled to take place July 24-26, at the Lakefront. The Thunderbirds' air show box extends out over the lake and officials are cautioning Oshkosh-bound pilots to be aware of the TFRs."
Spitzboov -
Thanks for the distinguished serice cross info.
The father of one of my trombone buddies lived in the home in Rochester that Mark mentioned, and he told me about the Mangione Bros. playing there. I think they might have had a relative as one of the residents.
I'm not a fan of their music, but that was good charitable work.
Cheers!
JzB
Good morning everyone - I'm new to this blog, having happened upon it the other day in search for an answer to the LAT puzzle. But I enjoy the posts and witty reparte in the comments.
I was married to BOB for 1D which threw me off a bit in the upper left quadrant. But I really shouldn't have been deceived, as I think Base on Balls is usually abreviated as BB in baseball stats.
I was also going nuts with "Climb EV-apostrophe-RY mountain", thinking I had forgotten how to spell "Every".
I thought "Lee side" was a great clue, given "ALEE" as an answer earlier this week, which led me down the path of island geography and nautical terms. I didn't realize there was a theme to this puzzle - and as a consequence I penned in "HANGER LOCK" and was stuck on "DUMMY CARTRIDGE." I played the puzzle for about half an hour before packing it in with about 5 of the questions UNMET.
A fun puzzle today and I look forward to spending more time on your fine blog.
I ditto Jeannie on the bubble bath--I've been cleaning files out and now am ready for one.
More thanks: Al and Jazz for sympathy and explanations. I did know the meaning of SLAY as an idiom, it's just not in my idiom and so I wouldn't have thought of it.
Thanks also to MPK for the Nash poem. I guess I'm totally unfamiliar with his work, and thus had no idea what the ONE L thing was.
Henry,
Welcome! You sound like you belong here already.
Welcome Henry, you will like this bunch of people and their DF friends.
Hi C.C. and all -
This puzzle made my V-8 can rust!!
I was beat up in the NW,NE,SE,SW and middle....can you guess what I did then?
The bubble bath was very nice!!
I admire Dan's talent enormously and I understand what Kazie feels but I also think it's an opportunity to expand my horizons, so I am not letting it get to me.
The only alcoholic beverage we ever made was Irish cream. Yum...but so many calories!!! It tastes sooo good, you don't realize how much you have guzzled until it's too late. That was many years ago.
Bill (11:16) the best c/w dictionary I ever found is "The New Comprehensive A-Z" by Edy Garcia Schaffer.
Welcome Henry - hope you stay around.
Good morning, everyone.
Ah Dan, you devil you! What a workout. Had to sleep on this one and then work my way laboriously through the SE. I was able to use the theme to correct my one error after having a full grid -- a first for me.
L.A. Confidential hit their first century mark yesterday, thus the new posting limit. Should be an interesting read over there today since there are a number of regulars who regularly post way more than that!
@henry Welcome, friend!
@melissab Was so good to see you yesterday. Been wondering where the B family had gotten to. BarbB? Where be you?
Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday. I KNOW I will!!
OK, ready for company. Time for a break.
Here is one of my favorite Odgen Nash poems. Even if we aren't familiar with llamas, lamas, or duck hunting, we all can relate to this.
More About People
When people aren't asking questions
They're making suggestions
And when they're not doing one of those
They're either looking over your shoulder or stepping on your toes
And then as if that weren't enough to annoy you
They employ you.
Anybody at leisure
Incurs everybody's displeasure.
It seems to be very irking
To people at work to see other people not working,
So they tell you that work is wonderful medicine,
Just look at Firestone and Ford and Edison,
And they lecture you till they're out of breath or something
And then if you don't succumb they starve you to death or something.
All of which results in a nasty quirk:
That if you don't want to work you have to work to earn enough money so that you won't have to work.
Wow CA your Nash poem is very prophetic.
Good afternoon, C.C. and all,
Welcome to the blog, Henry. FYI, DF stands for disfunctional. Dennis can explain it better than I. Suffice it to say, many of us fall into that category, usually late in the day.
Another Dan Naddor gem today. I worked it jointly with Jean on pencil and paper, and missed the red letter help. Like others, we missed the theme, because we were too exhausted to figure it out.
Best clue for me was Lee side. As a former Naval person, I was led completely astray, and as a Southerner, ashamed to admit it.
We had the most trouble with the NW and SW quadrants. Shemp and Spyrogyra were total unknowns. We were also fooled again by Nash's lama, even though Dan had used it before. We had to Gspot Krall. Evening spread seemed to be a strange clue for pate, which is often served at lunches and brunches.
I own no baseball cards and was stumped for a while, wanting dps, thinking score card.
It is sad to think the Naddor pipe line has shrunk by one; I hope they don't get used up too fast.
We have a hard freeze forecast for tonight. I have a tangerine tree in my backyard, which is too large to cover. I will have to try the water spray technique.
The BCS game was a real downer. My heart goes out to Colt McCoy. What a way to have to end the season! The wisdom of using the QB as a runner from the two yard line is questionable.
Stay warm, everybody. Thanks, again, C.C., for your excellent blog.
The other annoying actress in The Godfather series was Diane Keaton.
I always try to spell 'measuring instruments'= guages. It just seems more logical. au = awww' as in taut and ua = aaa as in pursuade.
Hey C.C., xie, xie from all of us.
one more reason to love Kazie: brutally honest.
I was making all kinds of excuses - didn't sleep well, cold weather is making me hurt a lot today, pain meds are making me groggy, etc. Now I know it wasn't just me! Glad I'm not the only one.
I had DSCs early on, but I could not wrap my mind around a baseball card stat of DOB. I finally left it until I came here. The bell ringer I was thinking of was the SA kettle ringers. It wasn't until much later that I realized it meant the doorbell. To be cross about it, I would never reply simply "It's me." I would give my name.
Lot's of didn't knows - Diana Krall, Spyro Gyra, et al. I saw Mr. G early and often on this one. I think it was harder than even most Friday puzzles. Whew!
Our low this am was 19º but no wind, so no wind chill. Had a light dusting of snow and some ice.
Our usual habit on Friday is to go to our favorite steakhouse and have a side of beef on a bun with fries. I think we'll stay in today.
Amusing story about Ogden Nash (I think.) One time I was driving home from work and I got behind one of those old (about 1950-51) hump-backed Nash cars. The personalized license plate was: OGDEN.
To Anonymous: A three alarmer refers to a buliding on fire that has gone to the third alarm, growing in size or difficulty to contain requiring more man power.
Wow, this was a toughie for me! It wasn’t until the 10th clue before I could fill anything in... And there weren’t many more after it on the acrosses. I finally broke down and googled at least half a dozen items, then worked the perps for a while, which got me through everything but the very NW and SW. After setting it aside 2 or 3 times, and admitting that some of my “sure things” could actually be wrong – I finally finished. I had the gist of the theme, but not quite all of it!
I googled military awards and saw an abundance listed, but none whose abbreviation would fit the wrong perp I had filled in!
Okay, can everybody visualize Dan Naddor up there now, rubbing his palms together, with a glint of humor in his eyes?! He “got” us all!
DC Cannon - Cute story about the Nash license plate! Hope you feel better very soon.
Crockett - we'll have to quit meeting like that. ;) (ran into him at the library again)
CA - great Nash poem..his always make me smile.
Slow down with the obscurity, please. Guess you must be bucking to create the next generation crossword dictionaries. Cut some of your fancy dancy theming and give us the old-fashioned puzzles, please!
Obscurity? No, just think outside the box.
Gulf - a deep hollow; chasm or abyss.
Abyss - a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
Nothing to do with the ocean necessarily.
Here is a shot of the Granville Gulf in Vermont.
Hello All--A very difficult puzzle for me today. My wave length didn't meet up with Dan's at all. Needless to say I had the same problems as almost everyone else. Kazie, I was born here and I had a heap of trouble today.
I put in Bam for pound sound, wanted Vroom for engine sound: wouldn't fit. I couldn't get Kahlua to fill all the boxes where Tia Maria finally fell. Oh well, tomorrow is another day!
T-Frank, I think you are spot on about how Dan is rubbing his palms together and saying "Gotcha".
Welcome, Henry. We truly enjoy new voices.
My granddaughter, who teaches in Mexico had her winter vacation extended. The Governor of her State in Mexico had all schools closed because of the cold. It got down to 60 degrees. LOL.
all I can say at this point is - sigh. Kazie, I was on your wave length, not Dan's. I admired every clever clue and really wanted to know the answers...so thanks to all of you.CC, an extra xie xie.
With Ogden Nash in mind, maybe I should be eating eels instead of worms
I don't mind eels
Except at meals
And the way they feels.
O.N.
Henry and Entropy; welcome aboard to this crafty crossword cabal.
By the 2nd law of thermodynamics, the entropy of the Universe is constantly increasing:-)
An ABYSS is a deep cleft in the ground or a "bottomless' zone. 'Gulf' can be used in the sense of 'gap'. In our area, there are many well incised creeks which are termed 'gulf'.
I think DOB of a player can be called a stat when considering performance potential. If they're too 'old' they don't play or hit as well. If they 'too young' they 'have' a lot to learn' or 'need to mature more'. QED
Have I been watching too much Buffy lately, or is it amusing that "stakes" (44D) and "slay" (57A) are clued and placed so very close together in this puzzle? At any rate, I enjoyed it.
First-time commenter, long-time reader,
Jessica
Henry, Entropy, Jessica, good of you to 'come out' and join us. It's always great to get new voices/opinions, and as you probably already know, C.C. has created a wonderful blog for us here.
Well, consider this blog one large anemone.
Wow...this is very weird as I had almost no trouble with this Dan Naddor puzzle and I never even finished last Sunday's. First fill CATAMARAN second fill SPYROGYRO and I have no clue where that came from! I did actually leave one square empty and that was the cross of TR- and DE-C...duh! I should have known better. I usually always struggle with Friday Naddor puzzles but always eventually solve them...even the theme on this one popped out at me and enabled faster solving...I am certainly not expecting this to ever happen again...loved it and will miss these extraordinary puzzles...I certainly hope that Rich Norris uses them sparingly to make them last.
Entropy...love Fish World avatar! lol
The last few days have been rockin' and rollin' here in the Bay Area with a 3.0 at 11:09pm Wed night, a 4.1 Yesterday morning around 10:10 am, and another shortly before noon today, registering at 3.7. Not terribly large, but as we live about 4 miles from the epicenter of these quakes, it has gotten a bit unnerving by the 3rd one today...more usual for one then nothing noticeable for ages...I have never truly seen cats grab and hold onto a carpet before, the kittens have not been happy campers the last few days.
Here's hoping for a much quieter day tomorrow.
[Sigh of relief!]
Good evening all and welcome to all our newcomers!
I sighed because I was glad not to be the only one struggling mightily with today's puzzle. I was saved by the 4 9-letter downs, especially CATAMARAN and IMMIGRANT. The theme came to me slowly, but was clever, esp. BUMPER DUDE.
As others noted, LOTS of abbrev.s here.
I'd forgotten the drinking words NIP, TOOT, and snort. A little TIA MARIA, Kahlua or Bailey's is dynamite when drizzled on really good vanilla icecream.
It's a good thing to know there are still 19 Naddor puzzles in the pipeline!
If you like DIANA Krall, check out Jane Monheit, who sings standards. Her version of Over The Rainbow is first rate.
She's also very photogenic!
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Jane Monheit.
The vid gets cut off before the end of the song but it gives you a taste, a very nice taste. Thanks, PJB.
I have heard from a good source that the Chicago Tribune has been getting complaint letters concerning the level of difficulty in the crosswords. I suspect if the CTrib is getting such missives that other Trib affiliates are receiving them, too.
I half feel it's a cheap ploy on my part, but I'd humbly ask each of you to send an email or letter to your paper or the LAT, even if you've sent one in the past, stating your appreciation for the puzzles' quality, enjoyability, or whatever you think of. We know that people tend to send hatemail more readily than letters on a more positive note.
Here's the semi-cheesy part: Do it so that we can keep enjoying puzzles like Dan Naddor's and those by our other constructors. I'd hate to go back to where we were several months ago.
Thanks!
pjb
p.s. Argyle, thanks for the link to Jane M.'s song. Glad you liked it!
My Cali Friends: I am so worried. I was raised in Woodside. Now the sea Lions are bailing out since Thanksgiving. Food, Pollution problems? The sharks are feeding wildly due to every thing dying in the Bay. Over 30 tremors over the last 24 hours. I think the sea lions left because they know something is about to happen. Do you not feel this? I want someone to reassure me that California will not drop into the ocean in the next ten days.......
WM I am afraid for ALL of you!!!!!
RE: 48D Not yet fulfilled: UNMET Think of it as not FULFILLING your goals/expectations. You haven’t MET them. ie. they remained UNMET.
Anon. @ 11:16: I saw a notice last night that PBS will be airing a Sam Cooke documentary soon! I love his Greatest Hits CD! (Okay, Dan’s puzzle really turned my brain to mush today! Spellcheck kept showing “Greatist” was wrong. I looked at it twice, and still thought it looked odd, but not missing anything… Finally, I pulled up the CD, and saw my error. D’uh!!!!!!!)
Mpk: It usually only takes me 1-3 tries to log into the blog, but I’ve seen others mention the same experience as you. They seem to get in fine later or the next day though…
Thanks for the Nash poems – I loved them! I’d heard the llama one years ago, but it didn’t come to me until after the perps had filled it in.
I hope Rich Norris doles Dan's puzzles out to us
s-l-o-w-l-y so we can savor Dan's genius for a long time to come. Today's puzzle was a challenge, yet what an ingenious theme, and a lot of fun to solve! Loved the clues for 63A: "Hardly a miniature gulf" and 23D: "Call during a toss" (thought heads or tails).
C.C.-Congratulations on having your blog and interview with Dan Naddor cited in his obit. He was obviously a wonderful person, and I'm glad he spent time with you, and us, during his lifetime!
Robin, the sea lions are still in CA, but they have changed location which is not unusual..not too far away.
According to the USGS Puerto Rico has had 8 earthquakes in the last 24 hrs and the Solomon Islands have had 3 which actually could be felt: 5.2,5.1, and 4.9. Our 4 were pretty small; most of us did not feel them. I think we are OK, but WM is right, our dogs/cats do get these vibes and act strange when they are about to happen.
Annette - Thank you for your help. If this show up on the blog page, you'll know it worked!.
I have always loved Ogden Nash.
"Candy is dandy,
But liquor is quicker"
has always been one of my favorites.
@Robin
Think of it this way.
Soon you will have water front property.
(I do hope with all the comments, that this is not going to lead to "the Big One."
I prefer your previous Avatar.
Dennis, Your quote from Arthur Summerfield couldn't have been more wrong. When I mailed packages from Wisc. to Tx & Wash. in mid- Dec., I was told if I sent them surface mail it could take up to 30 days for them to be delivered. I had to send them 2 - 3 day delivery to get them there before Christmas. I questioned the 30 days and she assured me that was the predicted delivery time. I suggested they go back to Pony Express.
Kazie, I thought maybe it was our single digit temp. following the 8 in. of snow we got, that froze my brain. I knew nothing and what I did know turned out to be wrong. However, I guess it was just a really tough puzzle.
I intended to start cleaning out files & set up the 2010 files today, but I never got started on it. We're about ready to go into hibernation!
Dot
Tinbeni, re: Robin's Avatar,
As do we all.
Robin:
Bring it back soon, please. It's so cold here in Kentucky the brass monkeys refuse to go outside.
any of Your recent avatars would generate some much needed heat.
Jeannie:
What's the mercy index up to?
Robin, I wouldn't worry too much about us...although beach front property would be nice...lol. I am 3rd generation Bay Area and like I mentioned before, my grandmother and her family made it through the 1906 SF earthquake. We have dozens of tiny quakes everyday that go virtually unnoticed. The USGS scientists are actually more worried about southern Calif for the next BIG one...The sea lions showed up after the Loma Prieta quake in 89 and some of them are returning, albeit slowly, and they really don't know what is is causing their movement.
We just happen to live on the younger side of the the US where mountains are still building, unlike the East coast which is, essentially, in the eroding stage, hence our higher mountains and volcanos. I would be hugely surprised if we had anything like the 06 quake in my lifetime...but beachfront property would be seriously nice. :o)
Be safe you Californian's. We are just trying to make friction here and stay warm. Robin, how's that hot tub?
Windhover about 8 below...and this is for you. Taken in my younger years don't ya knowwww.
Thanks. I like today's swimsuit picture better than the previous days picture.
Grammy Winner Krall. Diana Did you know that she is married to Elvis Costello?
Diana Krall
Thanks Jeannie! Marisa Miller is easier on the eyes than the other swimsuit picture you posted on a previous blog.
The foothills of Northern California seem to be fine for the time being. GAH and I are on top of a hill of solid rock and we haven't felt a single quiver in the past eight years we have lived here. When we lived on the coast between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, that was a different matter. The 6.7 Northridge/1994 was the one that really caught my attention. Nothing like getting seriously shaken awake at 4:30 AM. On the other hand, we took our older grandson to Disneyland a couple of days later and it was the only time that we didn't have to wait for a single ride. The place was just about deserted.
Like Kansans live with tornadoes, Floridians live with hurricanes, Minnesotans live with blizzards and so many live with floods and other natural disasters, we Californians dust ourselves off and try not to worry about things we can't control. Optimistic human nature is a wonderful, if foolhardy, thing.
Welcome to Henry, Entropy and Jessica. It's always nice to see new posters.
Dot, I just KNEW the Postal Service would fall apart after I retired!
Well, thank you.
Is that 4 twice?
Windhover no, and there is a reason for mercy when it's 8 below.
That wind can go right to your core and the blowing is a challenge.
Bookmarked this. Thanksgiving owing to you against sharing. Unequivocally benefit my time.
Amen to that, my friend. And more power to you.
Red State Democrat...I have been remiss. Here is my chili recipe, it seems we can all use something hot. I am making it tomorrow.
Chuck round steak about 3-4 lbs. Trim off excess fat and cut into about 1 inch cubes. I large yellow onion chopped, 1 green pepper chopped, 1 red pepper chopped, 2-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped very fine, 2 stalks celery chopped, 2 cloves of garlic minced.
One large can of tomato sauce, one large can of diced stewed tomatoes, one small can of tomato paste. One can of chili beans. I am not a big bean fan, if you are you should add one can of kidney beans (drained) as well.
Seasonings:
1 tbsp of cumin
1 tbsp of chili powder (or to your heat factor)
Pepper, and salt to taste
This is a crockpot recipe or stove top if you have all day. Put all the ingredients in raw...yes, raw in the crockpot (on high 4hrs) or large stewpot and let simmer on low for several hours. Stir occasionally. Just keep checking the meat and you will know when it's ready. Adjust seasoning as needed. I usually make cornbread to go along with it; and sour cream and sharp shredded cheddar cheese are my garnishes. You know the sides you like...
It was Dorothy Parker who said,
"Men seldom make passes,
At girls who wear glasses."
Where are the wits of this century
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