Theme: Hybrids - Each two-word theme phrase is a hybrid of two car models from two different manufacturers.
23A. Chutzpah? (Chevy/Saturn): CAVALIER OUTLOOK. Chevy Cavalier. Saturn Outlook.
29A. Duffer's trip through Scotland? (Volkswagen/Honda): GOLF ODYSSEY. Volkswagen Golf. Honda Odyssey. Duffer is a bad golfer. Scotland is a mecca for hardcore golf nuts.
36A. Memorable forest caretaker? (Ford/Acura): RANGER LEGEND. Ford Ranger. Acura Legend.
50A. Speeding, e.g.? (Chevy/Ford): CITATION FOCUS. Chevy Citation. Ford Focus.
69A. The feel of Manhattan? (Honda/Saturn): CIVIC AURA. Honda Civic. Saturn Aura. I am not familiar with the Civic Center in Manhattan.
87A. Columbus gone wild? (Nissan/Ford): ROGUE EXPLORER. Nissan Rogue. Ford Explorer. This answer made me laugh.
100A. Beethoven's 32 for piano, say? (Hyundai/Subaru): SONATA LEGACY. Hyundai Sonata. Subaru Legacy. Wikipedia says Piano Sonata No. 32 is the last of Beethoven's piano sonatas.
108A. Feature of the queen's English? (Buick/Hyundai): REGAL ACCENT. Buick Regal. Hyundai Accent.
117A. Nice plot? (Buick/Oldsmobile): RIVIERA INTRIGUE. Buick Riviera. Oldsmobile Intrigue. "Nice" here is the French resort city (along the French Riviera).
And ACR (113A. Like any theme ans. in this puzzle). All of the 9 theme answers are placed in Acr(oss).
None of the 18 cars are real hybrids, are they? I am not a car person. Definitely could not name all the makers without the bracket hints in the clues.
Quite a unique concept, as it's the case with every Don "Hard G" Gagliardo's puzzle I've blogged. His themes are all rather bold, exploratory, distinctive and unforgettable. Think of his "Hard G", "Alfred Hitchcock" and "Money Talks" (symmetry "error" tied to the theme).
I just can't imagine the amount of work he did to give us such a NONESUCH puzzle. esp since he told me he made two different filled grids sans software, and ended up discarding those and even changing some theme answers during the process. He eventually completed the grid with the help of Crossword Compiler last fall.
How did you fare today? Did the bracket information help you ferret out certain theme answers? I did surprising well. Was bothered a bit by the unusual number of fill-in-partials, but they sure gave me toeholds in several places.
Across:
1. Bet: WAGER. A rather easy start.
6. Ancient sorcerer: MAGE. The ancient magician. Gave me trouble last time.
10. Concentration amt.: PPM (Parts Per Million). Not familiar with this chemical abbr.
13. 130-minute H.S. tests: PSATS
18. Notwithstanding: ASIDE. All kidding aside ...
19. Model: IDEAL. Nice to have "model" in the clue, given the amazing numbers of car models in the grid.
21. Altar constellation: ARA. Literally "altar" in Latin.
22. Find a new home for, as a plant: REPOT
26. Singer Bryant: ANITA. Not aware of this singer. What's her most famous song?
27. Cockney aspiration?: 'OPE (Hope). H is dropped in Cockney accent.
31. Pilot lead-in: AUTO. Autopilot.
33. Capa waver: TORERO. Capa is Spanish for "cape".
35. Donny and Marie, by birth: UTAHNS. I wanted OSMONDS. We also have UTE (49D. Salt Lake City college athlete).
39. Deck used for readings: TAROT
41. Continue until: END AT
42. Vast spice trade region of yore: ASIA. Esp India.
43. Miniseries, often: SAGA. True.
44. Hebrides isle: IONA. Off Scotland's west coast.
48. Formally exit: SIGN OUT
54. Proceed tediously: PLOD. What I do with LAT Saturday puzzles.
55. Kickoff aid: TEE. Alas, no tricky wordplay for a very playable word.
57. 2000s sitcom single mom: REBA
58. Hues: TINCTS. Tinct is a verb too.
59. Ancient Egyptian deity: AMEN-RA. The hybrid god. Maybe JD can tell us the differences between Amen-Ra and Aten.
62. Bit of exercise room equipment: AB TONER. I need one.
66. Microwave brand: AMANA
71. Awards since 1949: EMMYS. Easy guess.
73. Confine, with "in": HEM
74. Choose paper over plastic?: PAY CASH. Clever clue.
76. First step toward nirvana: SATORI. Literally "sudden understanding" in Japanese/Chinese.
78. Off the beaten path: AFIELD
80. Residents: Suff.: ITES. Or ESES.
82. Singing syllables: LAS
83. Local movie venue, in Variety slang: NABE. Short for "neighborhood". New to me.
91. "No prob!": SUITS ME
93. Let slide: DROP
94. Minus: LESS. Preposition.
95. Enjoy Doritos, say: NOSH
97. Tender cockerel: CAPON. Castrated chicken.
98. Like Itt: HAIRY. The hairy cousin Itt from "The Addams Family".
103. Styx ferryman: CHARON. Styx is the river in Hades.
106. Movie set structure: FACADE
107. Mensch lead-in: UBER. Übermensch. Literally "superman" in German.
111. Dill pickler: BRINE
116. Typewriter type size: ELITE
120. Hall of Fame Vikings lineman Carl: ELLER. Gimme. Detailed coverage in our local paper every time he's found to have a substance abuse.
121. With 125-Across, words before customer: ONE. And PER (125. See 121-Across). Neat answer tie-in.
122. Radio pioneer: TESLA (Nikola)
123. Peasant's meal: GRUEL. I have rice/millet gruel for breakfast occasionally.
124. Silt deposit: LOESS
126. Metrical units: FEET. Did not fall into the trap of putting S at the end first.
127. Fresh: SASSY. Just learned this new meaning of "fresh" a few weeks ago.
Down:
1. Chisholm Trail city: WACO. Was ignorant of the Chisholm Trail.
2. "I need it fast!": ASAP
3. Basketball maneuver: GIVE AND GO. One offensive player passes the ball to another, then runs toward the basket to take a return pass. New term to me.
4. "Grandparenting in a Changing World" author LeShan: EDA. Always want her name to be Ada.
5. Empathize with: RELATE TO
6. Look: MIEN. Same root as "demeanor".
7. Fees charged to sponsors: AD RATES
8. Like some historical time scales: GEOLOGIC. Adjective of geology.
9. Mer contents: EAU
10. Italian soccer great Rossi: PAOLO. Was oblivious to this guy. Equivalent of Paul in English.
11. TA's boss: PROF
12. Speedy shark: MAKO
13. Seek divine intervention from: PRAY TO
14. Hit: SENSATION. Fresh fill.
15. Imitative: APISH
16. Count from one __: TO TEN
17. Visits: STAYS
20. Three-star rank: Abbr.: LT. GEN. (Lieutenant General). Tricky abbr.
30. "Inka Dinka Doo" composer: DURANTE (Jimmy). Here is a clip.
32. Amin subject: UGANDAN. Idi Amin.
36. Survey taker: Abbr.: RESP. Respondent I suppose.
37. Shrub yielding a blue dye: ANIL. Learned from doing Xword.
38. Dormant state: LATENCY
43. Single or separated, e.g.: STATUS. Lovely clue.
45. William of __, for whom a logical "razor" was named: OCCAM. Occam's razor, law of succinctness. The simpler, the better.
46. Screwy: NUTTY
47. Carrying team: ASSES. Was thinking of the sports team.
51. Sub, perhaps: TEACHER. Not sandwich.
52. Palindromic pop group: ABBA
53. Pottery worker: FIRER. Better than the one who axes others.
56. Red explorer?: ERIC. Eric the Red.
60. Syrup source: MAPLE
61. Is of use: AVAILS
64. Pop singer Bedingfield: NATASHA. No idea. British singer.
66. "__ Day's Night": A HARD. "A Hard Day's Night". Beatles' film.
67. "What do you take __?!": ME FOR
68. Barcelona buddy: AMIGO. Alliteration in the clue again.
70. Comparison words: IS TO
72. Coin-making: MINTAGE
75. 19th century soprano __ Patti: ADELINA. Verdi called her the greatest vocalist that he ever heard. Stranger to me also.
77. Columbus sch.: OSU. The Buckeyes.
79. River to the Tigris: EUPHRATES. First time I see this river in a puzzle. Neato!
81. Medicinal plant: SENNA
84. Shoots for dinner: ASPARAGUS. Was confounded by "shoots".
85. Ivied halls swaggerer, briefly: BMOC (Big Man On Campus). This abbr. often gives me fits, regardless of how it's clued.
86. "__ ... moe": EENY. " Eeny, meeny, miney, moe"
88. Gen-__: XER. I am one.
89. Study of Freud, etc., in a coll. catalog: PSY (Psychology)
90. Asphalt layer, perhaps: ROAD BASE
92. Mostly submerged hazards: ICEBERGS
96. Germ-free: STERILE
99. Many CBS Radio listeners: AOLERS. I don't get the clue. Why CBS Radio?
100. __-Flush: SANI. Have never heard of this toilet cleaner brand.
101. Original Crayola pack, e.g.: OCTET
102. Fontanne's theater partner: LUNT. Lunt-Fontanne Theater in Broadway.
103. Fishing trap: CREEL
105. Physically flexible: AGILE. Sam Snead could kick a 8-foot ceiling even in his 70s.
106. Abnormal temperature: FEVER
109. Field yield: CROP. Nice rhyme.
110. Theater: CINE
112. __ the finish: IN AT. What does it mean?
114. Sticks with leather tips: CUES. Pool sticks.
118. Two-minute warning giver: REF. Football.
119. George's songwriting partner: IRA. The Gershwin brothers.
Answer grid.
In LA Times #19 Crosswords my husband got for me for Christmas, there are 72 daily puzzles that appeared in LA Times from July to December 2007. The leadoff puzzle is from Don Gagliardo. Actually, he has 5. There are also a few puzzles each from our regulars Dan Naddor, Stella Daily/Bruce Venzke, Donna Levin, Jack McInturff, Doug Peterson, etc. Don suggests us to try this LA Times series (probably starting from #17) for any Dan Naddor puzzles we might have missed.
C.C.
PS: Don Gagliardo has by now had at least one puzzle published by LA Times for each day of the week. This "Hybrids" completed his "Hitting for the Cycle". Congratulations, Don!
23A. Chutzpah? (Chevy/Saturn): CAVALIER OUTLOOK. Chevy Cavalier. Saturn Outlook.
29A. Duffer's trip through Scotland? (Volkswagen/Honda): GOLF ODYSSEY. Volkswagen Golf. Honda Odyssey. Duffer is a bad golfer. Scotland is a mecca for hardcore golf nuts.
36A. Memorable forest caretaker? (Ford/Acura): RANGER LEGEND. Ford Ranger. Acura Legend.
50A. Speeding, e.g.? (Chevy/Ford): CITATION FOCUS. Chevy Citation. Ford Focus.
69A. The feel of Manhattan? (Honda/Saturn): CIVIC AURA. Honda Civic. Saturn Aura. I am not familiar with the Civic Center in Manhattan.
87A. Columbus gone wild? (Nissan/Ford): ROGUE EXPLORER. Nissan Rogue. Ford Explorer. This answer made me laugh.
100A. Beethoven's 32 for piano, say? (Hyundai/Subaru): SONATA LEGACY. Hyundai Sonata. Subaru Legacy. Wikipedia says Piano Sonata No. 32 is the last of Beethoven's piano sonatas.
108A. Feature of the queen's English? (Buick/Hyundai): REGAL ACCENT. Buick Regal. Hyundai Accent.
117A. Nice plot? (Buick/Oldsmobile): RIVIERA INTRIGUE. Buick Riviera. Oldsmobile Intrigue. "Nice" here is the French resort city (along the French Riviera).
And ACR (113A. Like any theme ans. in this puzzle). All of the 9 theme answers are placed in Acr(oss).
None of the 18 cars are real hybrids, are they? I am not a car person. Definitely could not name all the makers without the bracket hints in the clues.
Quite a unique concept, as it's the case with every Don "Hard G" Gagliardo's puzzle I've blogged. His themes are all rather bold, exploratory, distinctive and unforgettable. Think of his "Hard G", "Alfred Hitchcock" and "Money Talks" (symmetry "error" tied to the theme).
I just can't imagine the amount of work he did to give us such a NONESUCH puzzle. esp since he told me he made two different filled grids sans software, and ended up discarding those and even changing some theme answers during the process. He eventually completed the grid with the help of Crossword Compiler last fall.
How did you fare today? Did the bracket information help you ferret out certain theme answers? I did surprising well. Was bothered a bit by the unusual number of fill-in-partials, but they sure gave me toeholds in several places.
Across:
1. Bet: WAGER. A rather easy start.
6. Ancient sorcerer: MAGE. The ancient magician. Gave me trouble last time.
10. Concentration amt.: PPM (Parts Per Million). Not familiar with this chemical abbr.
13. 130-minute H.S. tests: PSATS
18. Notwithstanding: ASIDE. All kidding aside ...
19. Model: IDEAL. Nice to have "model" in the clue, given the amazing numbers of car models in the grid.
21. Altar constellation: ARA. Literally "altar" in Latin.
22. Find a new home for, as a plant: REPOT
26. Singer Bryant: ANITA. Not aware of this singer. What's her most famous song?
27. Cockney aspiration?: 'OPE (Hope). H is dropped in Cockney accent.
31. Pilot lead-in: AUTO. Autopilot.
33. Capa waver: TORERO. Capa is Spanish for "cape".
35. Donny and Marie, by birth: UTAHNS. I wanted OSMONDS. We also have UTE (49D. Salt Lake City college athlete).
39. Deck used for readings: TAROT
41. Continue until: END AT
42. Vast spice trade region of yore: ASIA. Esp India.
43. Miniseries, often: SAGA. True.
44. Hebrides isle: IONA. Off Scotland's west coast.
48. Formally exit: SIGN OUT
54. Proceed tediously: PLOD. What I do with LAT Saturday puzzles.
55. Kickoff aid: TEE. Alas, no tricky wordplay for a very playable word.
57. 2000s sitcom single mom: REBA
58. Hues: TINCTS. Tinct is a verb too.
59. Ancient Egyptian deity: AMEN-RA. The hybrid god. Maybe JD can tell us the differences between Amen-Ra and Aten.
62. Bit of exercise room equipment: AB TONER. I need one.
66. Microwave brand: AMANA
71. Awards since 1949: EMMYS. Easy guess.
73. Confine, with "in": HEM
74. Choose paper over plastic?: PAY CASH. Clever clue.
76. First step toward nirvana: SATORI. Literally "sudden understanding" in Japanese/Chinese.
78. Off the beaten path: AFIELD
80. Residents: Suff.: ITES. Or ESES.
82. Singing syllables: LAS
83. Local movie venue, in Variety slang: NABE. Short for "neighborhood". New to me.
91. "No prob!": SUITS ME
93. Let slide: DROP
94. Minus: LESS. Preposition.
95. Enjoy Doritos, say: NOSH
97. Tender cockerel: CAPON. Castrated chicken.
98. Like Itt: HAIRY. The hairy cousin Itt from "The Addams Family".
103. Styx ferryman: CHARON. Styx is the river in Hades.
106. Movie set structure: FACADE
107. Mensch lead-in: UBER. Übermensch. Literally "superman" in German.
111. Dill pickler: BRINE
116. Typewriter type size: ELITE
120. Hall of Fame Vikings lineman Carl: ELLER. Gimme. Detailed coverage in our local paper every time he's found to have a substance abuse.
121. With 125-Across, words before customer: ONE. And PER (125. See 121-Across). Neat answer tie-in.
122. Radio pioneer: TESLA (Nikola)
123. Peasant's meal: GRUEL. I have rice/millet gruel for breakfast occasionally.
124. Silt deposit: LOESS
126. Metrical units: FEET. Did not fall into the trap of putting S at the end first.
127. Fresh: SASSY. Just learned this new meaning of "fresh" a few weeks ago.
Down:
1. Chisholm Trail city: WACO. Was ignorant of the Chisholm Trail.
2. "I need it fast!": ASAP
3. Basketball maneuver: GIVE AND GO. One offensive player passes the ball to another, then runs toward the basket to take a return pass. New term to me.
4. "Grandparenting in a Changing World" author LeShan: EDA. Always want her name to be Ada.
5. Empathize with: RELATE TO
6. Look: MIEN. Same root as "demeanor".
7. Fees charged to sponsors: AD RATES
8. Like some historical time scales: GEOLOGIC. Adjective of geology.
9. Mer contents: EAU
10. Italian soccer great Rossi: PAOLO. Was oblivious to this guy. Equivalent of Paul in English.
11. TA's boss: PROF
12. Speedy shark: MAKO
13. Seek divine intervention from: PRAY TO
14. Hit: SENSATION. Fresh fill.
15. Imitative: APISH
16. Count from one __: TO TEN
17. Visits: STAYS
20. Three-star rank: Abbr.: LT. GEN. (Lieutenant General). Tricky abbr.
30. "Inka Dinka Doo" composer: DURANTE (Jimmy). Here is a clip.
32. Amin subject: UGANDAN. Idi Amin.
36. Survey taker: Abbr.: RESP. Respondent I suppose.
37. Shrub yielding a blue dye: ANIL. Learned from doing Xword.
38. Dormant state: LATENCY
43. Single or separated, e.g.: STATUS. Lovely clue.
45. William of __, for whom a logical "razor" was named: OCCAM. Occam's razor, law of succinctness. The simpler, the better.
46. Screwy: NUTTY
47. Carrying team: ASSES. Was thinking of the sports team.
51. Sub, perhaps: TEACHER. Not sandwich.
52. Palindromic pop group: ABBA
53. Pottery worker: FIRER. Better than the one who axes others.
56. Red explorer?: ERIC. Eric the Red.
60. Syrup source: MAPLE
61. Is of use: AVAILS
64. Pop singer Bedingfield: NATASHA. No idea. British singer.
66. "__ Day's Night": A HARD. "A Hard Day's Night". Beatles' film.
67. "What do you take __?!": ME FOR
68. Barcelona buddy: AMIGO. Alliteration in the clue again.
70. Comparison words: IS TO
72. Coin-making: MINTAGE
75. 19th century soprano __ Patti: ADELINA. Verdi called her the greatest vocalist that he ever heard. Stranger to me also.
77. Columbus sch.: OSU. The Buckeyes.
79. River to the Tigris: EUPHRATES. First time I see this river in a puzzle. Neato!
81. Medicinal plant: SENNA
84. Shoots for dinner: ASPARAGUS. Was confounded by "shoots".
85. Ivied halls swaggerer, briefly: BMOC (Big Man On Campus). This abbr. often gives me fits, regardless of how it's clued.
86. "__ ... moe": EENY. " Eeny, meeny, miney, moe"
88. Gen-__: XER. I am one.
89. Study of Freud, etc., in a coll. catalog: PSY (Psychology)
90. Asphalt layer, perhaps: ROAD BASE
92. Mostly submerged hazards: ICEBERGS
96. Germ-free: STERILE
99. Many CBS Radio listeners: AOLERS. I don't get the clue. Why CBS Radio?
100. __-Flush: SANI. Have never heard of this toilet cleaner brand.
101. Original Crayola pack, e.g.: OCTET
102. Fontanne's theater partner: LUNT. Lunt-Fontanne Theater in Broadway.
103. Fishing trap: CREEL
105. Physically flexible: AGILE. Sam Snead could kick a 8-foot ceiling even in his 70s.
106. Abnormal temperature: FEVER
109. Field yield: CROP. Nice rhyme.
110. Theater: CINE
112. __ the finish: IN AT. What does it mean?
114. Sticks with leather tips: CUES. Pool sticks.
118. Two-minute warning giver: REF. Football.
119. George's songwriting partner: IRA. The Gershwin brothers.
Answer grid.
In LA Times #19 Crosswords my husband got for me for Christmas, there are 72 daily puzzles that appeared in LA Times from July to December 2007. The leadoff puzzle is from Don Gagliardo. Actually, he has 5. There are also a few puzzles each from our regulars Dan Naddor, Stella Daily/Bruce Venzke, Donna Levin, Jack McInturff, Doug Peterson, etc. Don suggests us to try this LA Times series (probably starting from #17) for any Dan Naddor puzzles we might have missed.
C.C.
PS: Don Gagliardo has by now had at least one puzzle published by LA Times for each day of the week. This "Hybrids" completed his "Hitting for the Cycle". Congratulations, Don!
Good Sunday Morning, Everybody.
ReplyDeleteI was vexed in several places in this puzzle. I would have a few words that could work in a section and then get one that had to be and wiped out the ones I already had. But with the 'had to be' in place, it wasn't hard to replace the earlier words.
112D. __ the finish: IN AT. What does it mean?
To me, this is like when people who don't add much to a project but they are in at the finish trying to get some of the credit.
Good Morning, CC and Friends. This was not one of my favorite Sunday puzzles. I don't pay attention to cars, so really had to stretch my brain to true up the right makes and models for these fantasy hybrids. It was a clever idea, though.
ReplyDeleteFavorite clue: Paper or Plastic (PAY CASH).
QOD: Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile way and you have their shoes. ~ Author Unknown
This is a superior article as they all are. I from been wondering about this for some culture now. Its great to receive this info. You are fete and balanced.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, Hahtool et al,
ReplyDeleteI just added to the main post that this Sunday puzzle completed Don Gagliardo's "Hitting for the Cycle". Now has had at least one puzzle published by LA Times for each day of the week.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - I loved, loved, loved this puzzle; being a car nut, the (extremely clever) theme answers came relatively easily, and I thought most of the rest of the clues were outstanding. Favorites among them: 'Like Itt', 'Shoots for dinner' and 'Choose paper over plastic' (although technically it's linen and cotton).
ReplyDeleteC.C., Argyle, an alternate take on 'in at the finish' would be 'competitive to the end'.
Hahtool, we must be running out of Words of Wisdom; I just posted that same one a couple weeks ago.
anon@7:32, my feelings exactly.
Argyle & Jill,
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I misread LYRIST as lyricist yesterday. Thanks for the explanation.
Bob et al,
Always great to hear fresh voices. Thanks for the daily contribution.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteNow you highlighted "Like Itt", I realized it's play on "Like it", isn't it? Our grocery store baggers always me "Paper or Plastic"?
C.C., yes, both cleverly deceptive. Don's obviously excellent at that.
ReplyDeleteLots of redletter help needed for me today, with many of the same problems as C.C. I'll be back after breakfast.
ReplyDelete124-Across: Loess. German loose.
ReplyDeleteGood morning C.C. and All, a bit of a slog today, but like Dennis I am a car nut and got most of the theme answers easily and early. I had a few false starts, most notably I had “minting” for 72D and I misspelled Euphrates, otherwise the problems were a few unknowns.
ReplyDeleteThe unknowns were spaced throughout the puzzle which allowed me to get most of the fills without help. I did need help with Fontanne’s theater and Italian soccer great Rossi, they were complete unknowns to me.
Overall I thought this was a great puzzle and must have taken a lot of time and effort to construct such a creative puzzle.
I think Anita Bryant’s most famous song would be “Paper Roses” IMHO.
Hope you all have a great Sunday.
I think Anita Bryant's singing career was doomed following her vitrollic anti-gay rantings a decade or so ago. She had also been on the game show circuit before that.
ReplyDeleteWe have a different Sunday puzzle "Moving Vehicles". One Across is Of bees.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Dennis, I am no longer a car nut, and so the hybrid names did not come easily. When I was a teenager, I knew the names of every car on the raod (in Sydney, anyway). But since then I have not kept up.
ReplyDeleteOf course the GIVE AND GO means nothing to me, not did NABE, heck, I'm only just getting used to seeing 'hood used that way. Many, many total unknowns today, which is why I played red letter alphabet soup to get them.
Argyle,
Your take on IN AT THE FINISH was mine as well.
Have a great Sunday everyone!
Anita Bryant is a horrible bigot, to quote the Dead Kennnedys, "God must be dead if you're alive."
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed today's puzzle, struggled though with the crossings of "nabe" and "bmoc" with "capon", all unknown to me. Had to google. Loved the "tender cockerel" clue once I grokked it.
Good mornung CC and all,
ReplyDeleteOuch! My c/w looked like Swiss cheese from the middle to the S.E.:
Reba>ab toner>satori>Nabe>suits me>capon>uber>acr (grrrr)> gruel.
Favorite clue:shoots for dinner.
51D..for sub, my friend in Canada asks if I am doing any "supply teaching". I think that is a UK term, and in Aus. they say "relief teacher.' LOL! I like that.Lois, need some relief right about now?
I had a hard time filling in the clever hybrids as I don't know cars; knew Dennis and Dick were filling as fast as they could write.Took me time to G each one. Not fun.
Aten was the sun god that Amenhotep believed was their only god.He changed his name to Akhenaten, and suppressed the cult of Ra.All creation was said to have come from the sun, and Ra was not depicted in human/animal form like all of the others, only a disc with rays.On the other hand, Ra was an earlier sun god depicted as a falcon with a solar disc on his head, because he represented the mid-day sun.At one time he merged with Horus, but later merged with Amun(Amon/Amen) making him(them) the most powerful god during the New Kingdom, much later than the Age of Pyramids (Old Kingdom).
Good Morning All, There were so many "stoppers" for me today. I'd never heard of GIVE AND GO, PPM, ARA, PAOLI Rossi, TINCTS, NABE, the abbreviation RESP., or NATASHA Bedingfield.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely had to use Cruciverb's "indicate incorrect letter immediately" option, after my first couple of passes both Across and Down. I'd still be plugging up those gaps if I hadn't.
What a toughie this was....and what a delight, particularly when those theme answers were completed. I'm not much of an automobile model person, but I was surprised at how many of them popped into my mind with just a few letters in place.
GAH and I do have a GOLF ODYSSEY of sorts. Our Honda Odyssey just about always has his golf bag loaded up, and ready to tee off whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Although it didn't show up here as part of a theme answer, we are still loving our Honda Insight hybrid and its 43 MPG.
JD, thanks for the AMEN-RA information. I had the fill, but I had forgotten the why and when of it.
Anon@11:57 last night and Anon@7:32, are you the same person? I think perhaps English is your second language. You are writing very well. Let us know where you are writing from.
Hello all.
ReplyDeleteI woke up last night to take meds, down-load todays' answeres and read the late posts. (Fell asleep
in front of the fire place.)
@Robin. The convention is held the week-end before MLK day to give the people time to get back to their home districts. JD described
Asilomar very well. It is a beautiful and serene place.
Most people leave on Sunday after
lunch but some stay an extra day
to shop in Carmel or visit the Aquarium in Monterey.
Playing one or more of the golf courses in the area is probably on every duffers bucket list.
Looking at the answere sheet, I can
see that I would have had a lot of problems with this puzzle.
Have a nice day. It is trying to rain here.
eddyB
Oops.
ReplyDeleteeddyB
Ugh! I actually loved this puzzle even while I was being frustrated by it. I finished it but just barely. As much as I enjoyed it when the car models fell into place, there were so many spots to strain my brain over.
ReplyDeleteI finally had to come here to find out what kind of 'Aspa' 'Ragus' one would 'Shoot for dinner'... LOL!! My brain was so fried from this puzzle, I never saw the whole word, asparagus. Probably just gave you all too much info about how I think!
Did this one in the paper with only some help from Google for a couple like Egyptian deity and soccer player Rossi.
I had several of the already mentioned unknowns also but the perps helped and I filled in with the letters that made the most sense.
Favorite clues were Beethoven's 32 for piano, Like Itt, and now that I understand it, Shoots for dinner.
Off to run errands finally. Have a wonderful Sunday!
@vtquiltmom, "I finally had to come here to find out what kind of 'Aspa' 'Ragus' one would 'Shoot for dinner'." Very funny comment as I sort of had the same problem for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI printed out the puzzle, only to find a couple of clues missing (81D, 84D) although they were available if doing it online. So I started out in a grumpy mood.
ReplyDeleteHad to visit Miss Google for MAGE, IONA, LUNT, OCCAM and more. Which made me even grumpier.
I must say the hybrid theme was inspired. I used to pay more attention to car names, but not anymore so that was quite challenging but satisfying, and brightened my spirits on this dreary rain-threatening day.
On the whole, I'd say it was a bit tougher than the usual Sunday puzzle. I'm ready for Monday.
I love the pet/animal avatars. I thought I would post one myself. A cat? Yes. But also a photo of me, taking a bath. ;o) (It was "Wayback Week" over at Facebook and this photo got some smiles from my friends.)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, when I saw the clue "Off the beaten path" (78A)and the answer AFIELD, I thought of this poem. I hope those of you in the snow country are having some peaceful and reflective evenings (just not outside in the cold!).
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
- Robert Frost
I agree that it was a tougher than usual Sunday puzzle. It took me all morning. Thank goodness for red letters. I'm not as familiar with car models as I was when I was a teenager.
ReplyDeleteBTW, did anyone try the Merl Reagle puzzle a week or so ago where he misspelled words with Q sounds with just the letter Q? I finally just gave up on that one.
CA, I have always really enjoyed that poem. Thanks. (Waiting for the rain...)
ReplyDelete~ Bill
Clear Ayes, methinks you are getting 'senile'.
ReplyDeleteRe: the avatar bit.
ReplyDeleteLove your bath n' cat picture, Clear Ayes. Ever give a cat a bath? I have and have the scars to prove it. I'd show you if you were ever in my NABE.
ReplyDeleteDennis, don't take this the wrong way, but how could you possibly find this puzzle so easy and lovable when just about all others found it hard and an undesireable puzzle?
ReplyDeleteHow indeed?
anon, if you're gonna continue to ask questions of people, get a name, ok?
ReplyDeleteWhat I said was, I loved the puzzle (I love tough puzzles) and found the theme answers easy because I'm a car nut. Made no comment whatsoever on the rest of the clues/answers other than to say they were outstanding, and yes, I had several difficulties with them, if that makes you feel better.
If you're going to quote someone, do try to get it right.
@anon, cuz Dennis is smart I bet!!
ReplyDeleteok Dennis.
ReplyDeleteHahtool, no way!
ReplyDelete"Clear Ayes, methinks you are getting 'senile'." and "Re: the avatar bit."
And you're just figuring that out now? At least I still remember my name.
(Personally, I might think that "methinks" is a rather pretentious, as well as archaic term, but unless it doth be said in jest, it would be rude to say so. ;o)
I mentioned to my FB friends that when this photo was taken, we lived in the back of my parents' business and the washroom didn't have a tub. My parents showered at the neighboring YMCA. I think it is interesting how small children can accept what might be considered to be unusual to others. I remember that period in my life very fondly. We lived only one block from the library and two blocks from the movie theater.
If, by any chance, someone thinks that a gap-toothed six year old taking a bath in an alley washtub is inappropriate blog fare.....I am shaking my head in disbelief AND I'm leaving the photo, until I choose to change it.
It's LUXOR!
ReplyDeleteWay to CA, stand tall and the hell with the negative commenters.
ReplyDeleteHey, I remember the little
ReplyDelete"brownie" camera from Kodak. It
cost a $1.00 when introduced.
I also remember taking a bath on the kitchen table, in a big wash tub, every Saturday night whether
I needed one or not.
Saw that Favre and company had no trouble with DAL.
Jill said that the trip back from Asilomar was "miserable". She only
12 or so copies of different Cinderellas.
First of nine days of rain. No grass cutting for two weeks.
eddyB
@Dick - Thank you for letting me know I was not alone! LOL!!
ReplyDelete@CA - Changed my avatar pic to show the woods in my backyard after our recent 33 inch snow fall. Thank you for the Frost poem. I love many of his.
Also, I love your new avatar! When we would visit my Mom's family in the 50's, I would stay with her aunt and uncle who lived a little way outside of Rotterdam, in Vlaardingen, in a 2nd floor cold water flat with no refrigeration, no tub/shower; only a WC. I too loved taking my bath in her oval washtub either on the kitchen floor or her back porch overlooking the garden.
Hi C.C. & gang, I printed out a hard copy puzzle from online but it was missing the clues for 82 & 84D so I went back online in Red and we finished it that way with me checking to see if our guesses were correct.
ReplyDeleteI think that before I did that we had completed the top 1/2.
FYI, I heard today that the holding company for our local paper the San Jose Mercury News is declaring chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The paper has been getting smaller and smaller in content before this so I don't know yet how this will impact our availability to the paper copy of Mon thru Sat and if it also means the end of the paper version of the newspaper.
Our local paper has been getting smaller too. The crossword puzzle isn't square anymore but rectangular.
ReplyDeleteFor you who do the LAT puzzle online as I do, has it gotten smaller too because of the ad on the right? Especially the Sunday puzzle seems annoyingly small. Or is it just me?
~ Bill
For @Bill G:
ReplyDeleteWhat browser do you use? I use Firefox and if you think the puzzle is too small to see on your CRT you can zoom in by using the 'Ctrl +='keys to increase the viewable size.
I think that in IE you can increase the zoom at the bottom of the window...
;-)
--Warren.
Happy Sunday all,
ReplyDeleteCA, I love your avatar and story to go with it. And VTQuiltMom, your avatar goes well with Frost.
I loved the puzzle and got all the theme answers, with perp help as needed. Where I finally gave up was in the north central. Even Google didn't help with mage, ideal, annal, torero, adrates and geologic. None of them seem obscure in retrospect, but somehow I wasn't getting there. When Google points me to the blog I have to agree that it's time to let go and have some fun.
Favorite clue was shoots for dinner, wondering which direction to go in, hunting or veggies.
Here's more on the Mercury News status... sounds like it won't affect the paper but we'll have to wait and see...
ReplyDelete"Denver-based MediaNews Group's parent company, Affiliated Media Inc., owner of the San Jose Mercury News, the Oakland Tribune and the Contra Costa Times, among numerous Bay Area and national holdings, will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The "prepackaged" plan has already been approved by lenders which, says the company, will allow it to emerge from bankruptcy more quickly.
"Unlike other media company reorganizations," said the company in a release, "this one does not involve the newspaper operations or have any effect on employees or vendors of the newspapers. Only the holding company will restructure."
Under the plan, reported the Los Angeles Times, company debt would fall to $165 million from about $930 million. Senior lenders would swap debt for stock."
Thanks Warren. I use Firefox and Safari. That tip works great!
ReplyDelete~ Bill
It was in jest for sure CA.
ReplyDeleteCA, that was from me.
ReplyDeleteTo those of you who are noticing significantly thinner print newspapers: Our local monthly magazine, (which by the way, does very well), published this bit of satire:
ReplyDelete"Desperate to shore up dwindling revenue ... [the official state newspaper] will launch a new section to include what it calls 'important information of interest to readers.'
"Tentatively titled the 'News' section, it will appear alongside Sports, People , Food, Wheels and Classified. ...
"[Executive editor stated] 'This is a bold and unusual move, but we think both advertisers and readers will find this new section makes our paper worth buying.'"
A favorite joke: Two children were playing church in the back yard with the cat. The Mom heard the cat yowling and when she got out there, she said, "What are you boys doing to the cat?" "We`re baptizing him, Mom." "It doesn`t sound as if he wants to be baptized boys." "Well he should a thought about that before he joined our church, Mom!"
ReplyDeleteI hope we will all remember Haiti. Their situation is dire, according to my friends who have made it there, with Doctors without Borders.
ReplyDeleteAnon @8:35, are you some kind of sick, old, perv?
We all are sick pervs to one degree or another. Lighten up. It was a joke.
ReplyDeleteUsually jokes are somewhat humorous.
ReplyDeleteWe have contributed to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. I hope it was a small help for some very unfortunate people.
ReplyDeleteAnon., get a name and maybe I'll enjoy your jokes more.
sorry not a perv now, never will be. Find it even sicker that you find it normal. Why don't you lighten up so much that you drift into I dunno, Oblivion??
ReplyDeleteBTW Me too Bill G, and I know It will go to good, not to waste.
ReplyDeleteGeeze! This is one vicious room! Some one told me to check you out, that you were fun, witty and intelligent!
ReplyDeleteTo oblivion I go! Gladly!
hahahahahahah
ReplyDeleteBoy! This is by far the hardest puzzle in this paper I have ever encountered . A lot of way out clues and answers.
ReplyDelete10A is pct not ppm. And who ever heard of pottery worker being a 'firer'.
Geezus anyhow!
Hi, my vicious room mates.
ReplyDeletePpm is parts per million. One miligram of whatever, dissolved in a liter of water or some solvent - or air, if it's a vapor. Exposure limits for toxic substances are usually in ppm, or even parts per billion for the really nasty stuff.
Great clever theme today. I started the puzzle this morning, took it as far as I could this evening. Wound up with about a dozen red letters. Was never going to get the LEGACY-CAPON stack and UBER was over me, for some reason .
Slept badly last night, so I'm claiming that as an excuse.
Had fun with Nate and Em today. This really is the best part of life.
I have a rather long-distance picture of Josh up on my blog today, taken back in Nov. He'll be 2 on Wednesday.
I think it might be bed time.
Cheers!
JzB
Okey dokey, Rick. Do sign your name in the future.
ReplyDeleteActually, I found the baptized cat joke to be amusing, but most of us are very suspicious of posts by Anons. So many have not been kind. If it can be understood in a negative light, be assured it will be.
So easy to get a Google Account and post a profile. Hey, it doesn't even have to be accurate, but it will be appreciated that some effort has been taken. Any post from a "blue name" will be taken in a much more friendly wise than the dreaded Anonymous.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI understand you have a hobby shop, what item sells the most in your shop?
vioperdosas is big time spammers
ReplyDeleteamusing CLear Ayes? are you kidding me ? I adore you but gosh??
ReplyDelete112D: IN AT. Agree with Dennis. Competitive to the end.
ReplyDeleteRobin,
ReplyDeleteI guess you'd have to have raised sons to appreciate the humor in it. Or you could take it to mean that some people are also coerced into church membership and aren't always totally happy with the result. Depends how deeply you want to go.
We habitually laugh at a lot of things that aren't funny in real life, but are fair game in jokes and cartoons. I mean you don't seriously think it was about real boys and a real cat, do you? I found it mildly amusing.
Anonymous@ 9:04 and 9:21,
ReplyDeleteYou can see the confusion--are you one person or two? It's much easier to have a back and forth if we know whom we are addressing.
CA is right, we tend to be far more tolerant when we know there's an identifiable personality behind the comment. After we get to know you, it's also easier to anticipate the mood a comment is to be received in as well.
Get an identity, then make a judgement call on whether we are friendly and intelligent or not.
Robin, It's an old joke, nothing sexual or perverted about it, if that is what you thought. The idea of the boys, being boys, explaining that the cat joined their church (stretching the limits of Mom's credulity), but acted like a cat and didn't like being doused in water was amusing to me. Not a knee slapper by any means, but I didn't think it was weird. (P.S. No animals were harmed in the making of this joke :o)
ReplyDeleteKazie could very well be right about a deeper interpretation. In that case, it would be more of a parable than a simple joke and more thought provoking than funny.
That's five for me, so time to check out. Have a good one everybody.
Don Gagliardo: If you're lurking, Congratulations on your accomplishment! And thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDeleteI didn't need as many red letters as I expected, but it was still a bit of a chore getting through today. All the car names were familiar once I had a few perps, but not many that I could think of right off the bat.
1A "Bet" WAGER - So simple, but I couldn't get past ANTE, which of course, didn't fit! Which threw off the NW for a while. I had to back my way into it later.
I think 54A must have been the seed for this puzzle! "Proceed tediously" PLOD
I took "IN AT the finish" as someone who managed to complete the race. I can see where it fits the other way too though.
Today's fill REBA McIntyre performed a couple songs/videos with Vince Gill from the other day.
Anita Bryant was also famous for her Florida orange juice commercials before her disgrace.
83A NABE for Neighborhood - I'd never heard of this either...
90D "Asphalt layer, perhaps" ROADBASE - I was thinking of the person laying the asphalt.
Hmmm, I wonder if the "Like Itt" HAIRY clue is referring to our recent discussions concerning hairy chested men...?