Theme: Just Do It - "Do" is inserted to familiar phrases.
23A. Unlikely bar snack?: BEER (DO)NUTS. Beer Nuts. Peanuts/oil/salt. Go well with beer.
25A. Hair stylist's blunder?: GOOFED UP(DO). Goofed Up.
48A. Place marker in "The Compleat Angler"?: FISHING (DO)G-EAR. Fishing Gear.
95A. Paid athletes with upscale apartments?: PROS AND CON(DO)S. Pros and Cons. The clue does not correspond well with the answer, does it?
120A. Tennis great's swimwear?: GRAF SPEE(DO). Graf Spee, the German warship. Steffi Graf is Agassi's wife.
124A. Typical dog's motto?: SEMPER FI(DO). Semper Fi, Marines' motto. "Always faithful".
36D. "What a jerk!": HE'S ONE (DO)OFUS. He's One of Us. Funny entry.
41D. Bringin' up a crime boss portrayer?: RAISIN' BRAN(DO). Raisin Bran. The omission of g in the clue hints an omission of g in the answer. Marlon Brando played the mafia boss Don Corleone in "The Godfather".
And NIKE (117D. Apt company for this puzzle?). How convenient that Tiger is nowhere to be found in the grid! Nike Golf would never have taken off without Tiger and his "Just do it" attitude. Whatever Tiger then did!
We tend to praise constructors for certain awe-inspiring clever clues. Sometimes those clues are from the quiet editor Rich Norris himself. Today's puzzle gives us a good opportunity to see Rich's mind at work, unfiltered. Nora Pearlstone is one of Rich's alias names. Anagram of "Not a Real Person".
And it's a good puzzle. A full range of DO insertion positions: In the beginning, in the middle and in the end of a word respectively. As the norm with Sunday puzzles, quite a few tricky & entertaining clues. My favorite is BURP (39D. Newborn's achievement?). The clue for ACT (31A. Don't just sit there) fits today's theme pretty well.
Across:
1. Apply crudely: DAUB. And SPLAT (56A. Paint spill sound).
5. Practice exercise: DRILL
10. Man __: 1920 Horse of the Year: O'WAR. The greatest racing horse ever, right?
14. Interface developed for the Intel x86 family of microprocessors: MS-DOS. Windows forerunner,
19. Juanita's "this": ESTA. The masculine "this" is ESTO.
20. Arabian peninsula capital: SANA'A. And ADEN (118D. Port of Yemen). We also have SHEBA (108D. Biblical queendom), the present day Yemen.
21. Part: ROLE. And OSCAR (71D. Actor's dream).
22. Southern New Mexico county: OTERO. Unknown to me. Literally "isolated hill" in Spanish.
27. Try: TASTE. Oh, try the food.
28. South side?: GRITS. Side dish.
30. Quarrel: DUST-UP
35. Hilo exchanges: ALOHAS. Greeting exchanges.
39. Santa __: BARBARA. Named after Saint Barbara.
43. A single bounce, in baseball: ONE- HOP. Another baseball reference is ALOU (12D. Baseball's Matty). Brother of Felipe.
46. Glacial ridge: ARETE (uh-REYT). Often just clued as "Mountain ridge".
47. Sch. founded by Jefferson: UVA. In 1819.
52. Beaver, to Ward: SON
53. Churn: ROIL
57. Soprano Lily: PONS. Vaguely remember that Buckeye likes her.
58. Ligurian Sea city: PISA. On the Arno River.
59. Kitchen tools: DICERS
62. Class: ELEGANCE. Grace Kelly had aplenty.
64. Beatles girl with a "little white book": RITA. The Beatles’ “Lovely Rita". The meter MAID (74A. Household servant).
66. Snack brand sold in twists and puffs: CHEETOS
69. Pan-fried: SAUTEED. Forgot the difference between saute and stir-fry.
70. Singer with The Velvet Underground in the '60s: NICO. Not a familiar name to me. She has an otherworldly look.
72. Nice piece of change: TIDY SUM. Was worried that "Nice" here might be the French city.
75. Talky get-together: GABFEST
78. Like eagles: TALONED
80. 82-Across cry: MEOW. And STRAY CAT (82A. Alley wanderer).
84. Equiangular geometric figure: ISOGON. Iso is a prefix for "equal".
86. Lower Manhattan neighborhood: NOHO. Stands for North of Houston Street. Soho is South of Houston.
88. Jazz home: UTAH. Utah Jazz.
89. Legend creator: ACURA. Honda's luxury car division.
92. Sugar source: CANE
93. Maker of nonstick cookware: T-FAL
94. British golfer Poulter: IAN. Gimme. Met him in person. Look at the pants he wore. Very colorful character.
99. Kin of -kin: ULE. I did not know -kin is a diminutive suffix too. Dictionary gives lambkin as an example.
100. Like some waves: TIDAL
102. Eye shadow?: SHINER. Did not know "shiner" is slang for "black eye".
103. Cuts into: INCISES. Root word for incisive.
105. Kept a partner up, maybe: SNORED. Oh, bedding partner.
107. Rather modern: NEWISH
110. Scale's fifth: SOL. Musical scale.
111. Primarily: MAINLY
114. Jewish community orgs.: YMHAS. YMHA = Young Men's Hebrew Association.
116. Arm bones: ULNAS. Or ulnae.
126. Vaudeville show: REVUE
127. Race: TEAR. Why?
128. They're usually made of African Blackwood: OBOES. New trivia to me.
130. Explorer Amundsen: ROALD. No idea. Norwegian explorer. The first person to reach both the North and South Pole. Roald is just like English Ronald, isn't it?
131. Vodka in a blue bottle: SKYY. Very blue.
132. '30s veep John __ Garner: NANCE. Roosevelt’s first veep. I forgot. We had this clue before.
133. Mothers' groups?: DENS. Den mother is a woman who supervises a den of Cub Scouts. New to me also.
Down:
1. Charging result: DEBT
2. On the Aegean: ASEA
3. Old Navajo enemies: UTES. The answer emerged itself.
4. It may be picked up at a pub: BAR TAB
5. British mil. award: DSO (Distinguished Service Order)
6. Made a jingle: RANG
7. Accustom: INURE
8. "Aeneid" language: LATIN. "Aeneid" is a Latin epic poem by Virgil, recounting the adventures of Aeneas after the fall of Troy.
9. Puzo novel, with "The": LAST DON. Pretty good.
10. Dot follower, perhaps: ORG. Internet address "dot".
11. Vocational course: WOOD SHOP. Again, got the answer from crosses.
13. Calls the game: REFS
14. Sectional home: MODULAR. Sectional sofa.
15. Daze of wine and rosés?: STUPOR. I like the clue, playing on "Days of Wine and Roses".
16. Security pmt.: DEP (Deposit). Placed side by side with another abbreviated answer ORD (17D: Diner req.). I had a mess in this corner.
18. Great Lakes' __ Canals: SOO
24. Java choice: DECAF
26. LAX info: ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
29. Album track: SONG
32. Three-tone chord: TRIAD
37. Medical stat?: AT ONCE. "Stat" is ASAP for doctors. Not the sports stats.
38. Detected: SENSED
40. To have, to Henri: AVOIR
42. Gelatin garnish: ASPIC. Delicious!
44. Eye blatantly: OGLE
45. Bell sounds: PEALS
49. Horizontal bar dismount: HECHT (Hekt). Did not know this horizontal bar has a special name. Sounds German, isn't it, Kazie/Spitzboov?
50. Op art viewer's cry, maybe: I SEE IT
51. Elite unit: A-TEAM
54. Queen with a Grammy: LATIFAH. Queen Lafifah.
57. Like a good waiter: PATIENT
60. Prynne's stigma: RED A. From "The Scarlet Letter".
61. Pens and needles: STYLI. Playing on "pins and needles".
63. Micronesia's largest island: GUAM. "Where America's Day Begins".
65. __-deucy: ACEY
67. Baja bears: OSOS. Spanish for "bears". Alliteration.
68. Shell alternative: SUNOCO. And TACOS (77D. Food in shells). Different Shell/shell.
73. Mullally of "Will & Grace": MEGAN. Is this actress very famous?
75. Astronauts' wear: G-SUITS
76. Accomplish: ATTAIN
79. Orphan boy of old comics: DONDI. His name appeared several times in our old puzzles.
81. Jonah's problem: WHALE. He was swallowed by a whale. Bible story.
83. Keister: TUSH
85. Bright signs: NEONS. Bright indeed.
87. Pamplona chorus: OLES
90. Future time of need, metaphorically: RAINY DAY. Nice clue.
91. Writer Tyler: ANNE. Recognized her face when I googled.
95. Smiling, probably: PLEASED
96. Damp at daybreak: DEWY. Hmmm, dewy!
97. Ivy League color: CRIMSON. Harvard color.
98. Search all over: SCOUR
101. As much as you can carry: ARMFUL. The grammar of the clue confused me.
104. Undernourished: ILL-FED. Like some of those models.
106. Onion __: DIP. With a bit of chives.
109. Rye lead-in: HAM ON. Ham on rye sandwich.
112. Bottom lines: NETS
113. Vichyssoise veggie: LEEK. Potato too. Vichyssoise is a thick soup of potatoes and leeks.
115. Design detail, briefly: SPEC
119. Lays down the lawn: SODS. Punning on "Lays down the law".
120. Boxer's warning: GRR. Or ARF.
121. Classic wheels: REO
123. Transit end?: ORY. The end of the word "transitory".
125. L.A.-to-Tucson dir.: ESE
Answer grid.
See you next Wednesday!
C.C.
23A. Unlikely bar snack?: BEER (DO)NUTS. Beer Nuts. Peanuts/oil/salt. Go well with beer.
25A. Hair stylist's blunder?: GOOFED UP(DO). Goofed Up.
48A. Place marker in "The Compleat Angler"?: FISHING (DO)G-EAR. Fishing Gear.
95A. Paid athletes with upscale apartments?: PROS AND CON(DO)S. Pros and Cons. The clue does not correspond well with the answer, does it?
120A. Tennis great's swimwear?: GRAF SPEE(DO). Graf Spee, the German warship. Steffi Graf is Agassi's wife.
124A. Typical dog's motto?: SEMPER FI(DO). Semper Fi, Marines' motto. "Always faithful".
36D. "What a jerk!": HE'S ONE (DO)OFUS. He's One of Us. Funny entry.
41D. Bringin' up a crime boss portrayer?: RAISIN' BRAN(DO). Raisin Bran. The omission of g in the clue hints an omission of g in the answer. Marlon Brando played the mafia boss Don Corleone in "The Godfather".
And NIKE (117D. Apt company for this puzzle?). How convenient that Tiger is nowhere to be found in the grid! Nike Golf would never have taken off without Tiger and his "Just do it" attitude. Whatever Tiger then did!
We tend to praise constructors for certain awe-inspiring clever clues. Sometimes those clues are from the quiet editor Rich Norris himself. Today's puzzle gives us a good opportunity to see Rich's mind at work, unfiltered. Nora Pearlstone is one of Rich's alias names. Anagram of "Not a Real Person".
And it's a good puzzle. A full range of DO insertion positions: In the beginning, in the middle and in the end of a word respectively. As the norm with Sunday puzzles, quite a few tricky & entertaining clues. My favorite is BURP (39D. Newborn's achievement?). The clue for ACT (31A. Don't just sit there) fits today's theme pretty well.
Across:
1. Apply crudely: DAUB. And SPLAT (56A. Paint spill sound).
5. Practice exercise: DRILL
10. Man __: 1920 Horse of the Year: O'WAR. The greatest racing horse ever, right?
14. Interface developed for the Intel x86 family of microprocessors: MS-DOS. Windows forerunner,
19. Juanita's "this": ESTA. The masculine "this" is ESTO.
20. Arabian peninsula capital: SANA'A. And ADEN (118D. Port of Yemen). We also have SHEBA (108D. Biblical queendom), the present day Yemen.
21. Part: ROLE. And OSCAR (71D. Actor's dream).
22. Southern New Mexico county: OTERO. Unknown to me. Literally "isolated hill" in Spanish.
27. Try: TASTE. Oh, try the food.
28. South side?: GRITS. Side dish.
30. Quarrel: DUST-UP
35. Hilo exchanges: ALOHAS. Greeting exchanges.
39. Santa __: BARBARA. Named after Saint Barbara.
43. A single bounce, in baseball: ONE- HOP. Another baseball reference is ALOU (12D. Baseball's Matty). Brother of Felipe.
46. Glacial ridge: ARETE (uh-REYT). Often just clued as "Mountain ridge".
47. Sch. founded by Jefferson: UVA. In 1819.
52. Beaver, to Ward: SON
53. Churn: ROIL
57. Soprano Lily: PONS. Vaguely remember that Buckeye likes her.
58. Ligurian Sea city: PISA. On the Arno River.
59. Kitchen tools: DICERS
62. Class: ELEGANCE. Grace Kelly had aplenty.
64. Beatles girl with a "little white book": RITA. The Beatles’ “Lovely Rita". The meter MAID (74A. Household servant).
66. Snack brand sold in twists and puffs: CHEETOS
69. Pan-fried: SAUTEED. Forgot the difference between saute and stir-fry.
70. Singer with The Velvet Underground in the '60s: NICO. Not a familiar name to me. She has an otherworldly look.
72. Nice piece of change: TIDY SUM. Was worried that "Nice" here might be the French city.
75. Talky get-together: GABFEST
78. Like eagles: TALONED
80. 82-Across cry: MEOW. And STRAY CAT (82A. Alley wanderer).
84. Equiangular geometric figure: ISOGON. Iso is a prefix for "equal".
86. Lower Manhattan neighborhood: NOHO. Stands for North of Houston Street. Soho is South of Houston.
88. Jazz home: UTAH. Utah Jazz.
89. Legend creator: ACURA. Honda's luxury car division.
92. Sugar source: CANE
93. Maker of nonstick cookware: T-FAL
94. British golfer Poulter: IAN. Gimme. Met him in person. Look at the pants he wore. Very colorful character.
99. Kin of -kin: ULE. I did not know -kin is a diminutive suffix too. Dictionary gives lambkin as an example.
100. Like some waves: TIDAL
102. Eye shadow?: SHINER. Did not know "shiner" is slang for "black eye".
103. Cuts into: INCISES. Root word for incisive.
105. Kept a partner up, maybe: SNORED. Oh, bedding partner.
107. Rather modern: NEWISH
110. Scale's fifth: SOL. Musical scale.
111. Primarily: MAINLY
114. Jewish community orgs.: YMHAS. YMHA = Young Men's Hebrew Association.
116. Arm bones: ULNAS. Or ulnae.
126. Vaudeville show: REVUE
127. Race: TEAR. Why?
128. They're usually made of African Blackwood: OBOES. New trivia to me.
130. Explorer Amundsen: ROALD. No idea. Norwegian explorer. The first person to reach both the North and South Pole. Roald is just like English Ronald, isn't it?
131. Vodka in a blue bottle: SKYY. Very blue.
132. '30s veep John __ Garner: NANCE. Roosevelt’s first veep. I forgot. We had this clue before.
133. Mothers' groups?: DENS. Den mother is a woman who supervises a den of Cub Scouts. New to me also.
Down:
1. Charging result: DEBT
2. On the Aegean: ASEA
3. Old Navajo enemies: UTES. The answer emerged itself.
4. It may be picked up at a pub: BAR TAB
5. British mil. award: DSO (Distinguished Service Order)
6. Made a jingle: RANG
7. Accustom: INURE
8. "Aeneid" language: LATIN. "Aeneid" is a Latin epic poem by Virgil, recounting the adventures of Aeneas after the fall of Troy.
9. Puzo novel, with "The": LAST DON. Pretty good.
10. Dot follower, perhaps: ORG. Internet address "dot".
11. Vocational course: WOOD SHOP. Again, got the answer from crosses.
13. Calls the game: REFS
14. Sectional home: MODULAR. Sectional sofa.
15. Daze of wine and rosés?: STUPOR. I like the clue, playing on "Days of Wine and Roses".
16. Security pmt.: DEP (Deposit). Placed side by side with another abbreviated answer ORD (17D: Diner req.). I had a mess in this corner.
18. Great Lakes' __ Canals: SOO
24. Java choice: DECAF
26. LAX info: ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
29. Album track: SONG
32. Three-tone chord: TRIAD
37. Medical stat?: AT ONCE. "Stat" is ASAP for doctors. Not the sports stats.
38. Detected: SENSED
40. To have, to Henri: AVOIR
42. Gelatin garnish: ASPIC. Delicious!
44. Eye blatantly: OGLE
45. Bell sounds: PEALS
49. Horizontal bar dismount: HECHT (Hekt). Did not know this horizontal bar has a special name. Sounds German, isn't it, Kazie/Spitzboov?
50. Op art viewer's cry, maybe: I SEE IT
51. Elite unit: A-TEAM
54. Queen with a Grammy: LATIFAH. Queen Lafifah.
57. Like a good waiter: PATIENT
60. Prynne's stigma: RED A. From "The Scarlet Letter".
61. Pens and needles: STYLI. Playing on "pins and needles".
63. Micronesia's largest island: GUAM. "Where America's Day Begins".
65. __-deucy: ACEY
67. Baja bears: OSOS. Spanish for "bears". Alliteration.
68. Shell alternative: SUNOCO. And TACOS (77D. Food in shells). Different Shell/shell.
73. Mullally of "Will & Grace": MEGAN. Is this actress very famous?
75. Astronauts' wear: G-SUITS
76. Accomplish: ATTAIN
79. Orphan boy of old comics: DONDI. His name appeared several times in our old puzzles.
81. Jonah's problem: WHALE. He was swallowed by a whale. Bible story.
83. Keister: TUSH
85. Bright signs: NEONS. Bright indeed.
87. Pamplona chorus: OLES
90. Future time of need, metaphorically: RAINY DAY. Nice clue.
91. Writer Tyler: ANNE. Recognized her face when I googled.
95. Smiling, probably: PLEASED
96. Damp at daybreak: DEWY. Hmmm, dewy!
97. Ivy League color: CRIMSON. Harvard color.
98. Search all over: SCOUR
101. As much as you can carry: ARMFUL. The grammar of the clue confused me.
104. Undernourished: ILL-FED. Like some of those models.
106. Onion __: DIP. With a bit of chives.
109. Rye lead-in: HAM ON. Ham on rye sandwich.
112. Bottom lines: NETS
113. Vichyssoise veggie: LEEK. Potato too. Vichyssoise is a thick soup of potatoes and leeks.
115. Design detail, briefly: SPEC
119. Lays down the lawn: SODS. Punning on "Lays down the law".
120. Boxer's warning: GRR. Or ARF.
121. Classic wheels: REO
123. Transit end?: ORY. The end of the word "transitory".
125. L.A.-to-Tucson dir.: ESE
Answer grid.
See you next Wednesday!
C.C.
Nice, solid puzzle today. Took me awhile to grok the theme, since the first answer I filled in completely was HESONEDOOFUS and I had a devil of a time parsing it.
ReplyDeleteMost of the puzzle went smoothly, except for the far West where UVA met AVOIR. Don't know the school, don't know French. Also didn't know that PISA was on the Ligurian Sea (actually, I've never even heard of the Ligurian Sea). And BURP didn't spring immediately to mind, either. I finally guessed PISA and UVA, and AVOIR looked like it could be a French word, and that gave me BURP.
When I didn't get the beloved "tada!" at the end, I figured something had gone wrong in that section. I finally reset the mode to "easy" and discovered my actual mistake was down at the bottom where I had SKYE instead of SKYY for the blue-bottled Vodka. I know I've seen the name in puzzles before, but it's just not something I care to remember, I guess...
Good Morning, C.C.,
ReplyDeleteI gave up on that little NE corner, dislike ORD.
Hahtool, what's that critter your next to, in your avatar?
127. Race: TEAR. Why?
TEAR(when pronounced tare) can mean to race.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - a fun, fun puzzle today; needed some perps, but no outside help. A good challenge. I always look forward to the puzzle when I see Rich's alias at the top.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I loved Semper Fido. 'Ord' for 'diner request' seemed weak to me. I initially had 'workshop' for 'Vocational Course', which wreaked havoc in the north central for a while. Same favorites as Hahtool.
Today is Peculiar People Day.
The middle section slayed me today. Sunoco, osos, Megan (never seen that show), Dondi, hecht and isogon were all too obscure for me.
ReplyDeleteFavorite: Like a good waiter.
Overall though, a fun challenging puzzle, the highlight of my day.
Good Morning All, Unlike Barry G, HE'S ONE DOOFUS was my last theme entry. I guess that is because I didn't know NOHO or ULE to complete the fill and even though I should have known T-FAL, I entered T-CAL. It still looks weird, not a term I'd use. I've said, "What a doofus", but meant it affectionately, not meaning "a jerk". I "G'd", post-puzzle and found out it really is much more severe than I thought. What a DOOFUS I am!
ReplyDeleteRAISIN' BRANDO was my first theme entry, although the only "Velvet Underground" singer I knew was Lou REED and that stopped me for a while.
Favorite? GRAF SPEEDO. It conjures up some interesting images. (LOL. Anybody want to change their mind about wearing a thong?)
There were some other "DO" non-theme fill. MS-DOS, ENDOWS, LAST DON, DONDI and maybe some I missed...nice little red herrings.
I'm still recovering from a busy family evening on Friday...four cousins and husbands, some of whom haven't seen each other in over 20 years. So much fun and lots of reminiscing.
Last night was our friends' annual post New Year's party. That's always a great time. Ever had a pomegranate martini? Luscious!
Peculiar People Day? Let's see who drops by the blog. :o)
Well, I hesitated to post directly after the last line of CA's post, but finally decided peculiar wasn't necessarily a negative. Some days, I strive for peculiar!
ReplyDeleteC.C. - When I'm running late for work, I RACE around the house, or TEAR around the house.
I use DOOFUS as a term for "jerk", as recently as the past week or two. Uusually, it's under my breath. I guess if I say it directly to the person, then I'm using it as a term of endearment.
Megan Mullavy gained notoriety as an off-beat character on the comedy "Will and Grace".
I used to love the DONDI comic in the newspaper! It was one of my favorites.
Good morning all, a grand puzzle today, but it took me several times to walk away and then return before completing. The theme answers were not too long in showing themselves. I also had work shop for 11D which gave “groused updo” which made no sense at all. It took me awhile to sort this out.
ReplyDeleteFavorite clue was 37D Medical stat.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle and pretty difficult, but doable with perps and a few outside trips to the reference books.
Hope you all have a great Sunday
Stray Cats Strut - Stray Cats
ReplyDeletegood morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeletefun, challenging puzzle today, perfect for a sunday.
entertaining theme answers. favorites were semper fido and raisin' brando. beer pancakes are good .. but beer donuts .. blech.
fairly musical, too .. rita, nico, pons, latifah, oboes, and song. hahtool, thx for the link, love stray cats. 'i ain't goin' to school noooo mo! meeeee neetha!'
c.c., den mother can also refer to an animal that lives in a den, like a bear, fox, lion or coyote.
ham on rye always makes me think of bukowski .. my favorite of his semi-autobiographical books. goes a long way in explaining him. brilliant poet also: bluebird.
Fairly musical, too .. rita, nico, pons, latifah, oboes, and TUSH. There are some classic tushes on that clip. A hoot!
ReplyDeleteMelissa Bee, how delightful that you are a Charles Bukowski fan. We are finding out about our "peculiarities" (in the sense of "distinctive or special") today. That's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAs The Poems Go
as the poems go into the thousands you
realize that you've created very
little.
it comes down to the rain, the sunlight,
the traffic, the nights and the days of the
years, the faces.
leaving this will be easier than living
it, typing one more line now as
a man plays a piano through the radio,
the best writers have said very
little
and the worst,
far too much.
- Charles Bukowski
Enjoyable Sunday puzzle. Fun theme.
ReplyDeleteThere are two Dondi comic strip collections currently in print. Amazon sez:
"Dondi debuted on September 25, 1955 and appeared in newspapers across America for more than 30 years. It won the National Cartoonists Societ Award for Best Short Story Strip in 1961 and 1962."
I used to read Dondi regularly back then.
Hi C.C. & gang, every Sunday I print out the LAT blank puzzle and answers on the back when we get stuck. Today was a real stumper in several spots. We had Skye instead of Skyy vodka also and I didn't even notice the mistake until I came here.
ReplyDeleteMy wife picked up the theme which helped on the long clues...
Here's a banned commercial about: Skyy vodka
This puzzle was a rare occasion for me. I figured out the theme.
ReplyDeleteI forgot that Nora Pearlstone was an alias for Rich Norris, so now I don't feel so bad that it took me so long (about 65 minutes). I didn't know DSO and forgot about SANAA (even though we had it recently) so I really got stuck there. I had figured out the theme, it just didn't help that much.
ReplyDeleteI kind of look at Sunday puzzles as a chapter test after a week of progressively harder coursework. Some easy answers, some hard answers. I grade myself on how long it takes me to slog through it. Today I got a C (about average).
C.C. - You mention Dondi as a common answer used in our old puzzles. You know what I haven't seen since we switched to LAT, and my most hated clue since I could never remember the answer? "Composer Khachaturian". It seemed like it showed up at least once a week. My hat's off to Rich Norris for keeping things fresh.
Good afternoon CC and all,
ReplyDeleteSunday puzzles are a little long for me, so I always peter out somewhere, but enjoy it all. Today I left the NE corner bare, and the oboe section, plus the no part of the ho, and TFal. I got the theme,but it didn't give me any speed.
MelissaB, thanks for the link to Bluebird...very sad.What a gift to be able to say how you feel so beautifully on paper. CA, I enjoyed As the Poems Go also. I'm off to find more of his poetry before family arrives for dinner.
My fav. clue: dot follower :)
ca and jd, bukowski is not for everyone, but i think he was brilliant. my actress girlfriend, who met him once at a diner, is such a fan that she buried her ring next to his headstone for a year. the movie 'barfly' (mickey rourke) is a cult classic, but the more recent 'factotum,' based on his book of the same name, is at least as good, imho. matt dillon really captured him.
ReplyDelete@jimmyb, Half a fly?
ReplyDeleteBetter late than never, I hope!
ReplyDeleteGood (late) evening to all. This puzzle took a long time and I resorted to the Googles more than once. SEMPER FIDO and PROS AND CONDOS were my favorite theme fills. BURP and STUPOR were brilliantly clued.
I had some difficulty with the "ladies": RITA, NICO, and Ms PONS, but Queen LATIFAH bailed me out. ORD could have been clued in reference to Chicago's airport, methinks; we've seen that a few times. ONE HOP and GRAF SPEE(DO) were head scratchers. DONDI and HECHT made me feel like a DOOFUS.
C. C.: I love your expression about seeing Rich Norris "unfiltered." Beautiful! I didn't know the Queen of Sheba hailed from what is now Yemen--a place now fixed on our radars.
Thanks also to ClearAyes and Melissa B. for the Bukowskis. His words about the difference between great and not so great writers should be posted on every writer's wall.
Last, never least: Hahtool---sorry to hear about your pipes. I bet you're using your colorful Patagonia coat when you step outside. That penguin in your new avatar is adorable--can't blame him/her for burrowing, can we?
Good late evening, PJB-Chicago, what is the Bukowskis quote on great writers?
ReplyDeleteThe two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.
ReplyDeleteSamuel Johnson
Today is my birthday. I told L714 that I was (do)ing the puzzle today and he said something like, "eh, Sunday puzzles, just longer." I soon started to have problems. I was clueless even with clues! The bottom half came much more easily for me. Later, as my sister, who lives in Jacksonville, FL, called me and told me what she was doing the puzzle for the first time, she read some of the ones she didn't get and I was impressing my younger sibling!
ReplyDeleteSemperFi(do) was, I'd say,my fav.
My husband and daughter really rose to the occasion this year and brought me to a vegan, gluten free restaurant! They liked it better than the time I requested Ethiopian! Anxiety provoking puzzle, wonderful birthday.Good Night C. C. and all.
@melissa eeb @Clear Ayes:
ReplyDeleteI have been a Charles Bukowski fan for many years. He is profound. He is crude. He is human. Just over this past holiday, my son, Calder, had one of Bukowski's books and was reading quotes from it which were amusing. I want to read that particular book. He borrowed the copy he had from the LA Public Library...I'll go to a used book store!
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ReplyDeleteEasily I to but I about the list inform should have more info then it has.
ReplyDelete