google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday January 31, 2010 Matt Skoczen

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Jan 31, 2010

Sunday January 31, 2010 Matt Skoczen

Theme: Running on Empty (M.T.) - Letters M & T start each two-word familiar phrases.

23A. Crisp named for an opera singer: MELBA TOAST. Named after the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba.

25A. Illusion: MAGIC TRICK

36A. Popular date destination: MOVIE THEATER

51A. 1936 Chaplin classic: MODERN TIMES. Also EXILE (19A. Charlie Chaplin, from 1952 to 1972).

72A. Frankie Laine chart-topper: MULE TRAIN. Doesn't ring a bell. Here is a clip.

89A. Painter's aid: MASKING TAPE

105A. 1979 Nobel Peace Prize recipient: MOTHER TERESA. She was from ALBANIA (4D. NATO member since 4/1/2009).

120A. Singer's voice, e.g.: MEAL TICKET

123A. Money-making knack: MIDAS TOUCH. Esp in stock market.

Very straightforward clues and natural, easy to get & "in the language" theme answers. Sometimes those question marked theme clues and resulting wordplay answers can be a bit strained. Or hilarious if the pun works for you.

When did you cotton onto the theme? I did not grok it until I completed the whole grid and studied each theme answer. Read M & T together, they do sound like "empty".

I am guessing today's constructor Matt Skoczen loves music. Look at the below clues:

44A. __ canto: BEL. Italian for "beautiful singing". New opera term to me.

98A. Con __: briskly, in music: MOTO. Italian for "with motion". Also new to me.

29D. Calliope power: STEAM. I've never heard of musical instrument steam calliope.

70D. Musical note feature: STEM. The vertical line forming part of a note.

Most of the other non-theme clues today are straightforward and "honest". The puzzle itself feels very smooth. I really enjoyed the solving. I bet JD too.

Across:

1. Amy Winehouse Grammy-winning song: REHAB. The only Winehouse song I know of.

6. Annapolis inst.: USNA. And PLEBE (110D Annapolis newbie).

10. At least as: NO LESS

16. Apr. advisor: CPA. Apr. = IRS month.

21. Hardens: INURES

22. Leia's love: HAN (Solo). From "Star Wars".

27. Pump measure: OCTANE

30. H+ and Cl -: IONS. Charged particles.

31. Ex-Dodger Hershiser: OREL

32. Squelch: NIX

33. Narcs, e.g.: BUSTERS

35. Disconcerting look: STARE. So is GLARE.

40. They're slanted: ITALICS. Indeed.

43. Starting point, perhaps: IDEA. "Perhaps"!

45. It can span centuries: SAGA

49. Union: NORTH. Was thinking of "merger" union, not the Civil War side.

56. Bankrupt Korean automaker: DAEWOO. Dae = Great. Woo = Universe. Literally "great universe". I recognize the meaning of Korean only if they are in written in Hanja.

58. Make out: SEE

60. International show: EXPO

61. State that's home to Nike H.Q.: ORE (Oregon)

62. Powwows: TALKS. Only know the Native American ceremony meaning of "Powwow". Conference

67. Completely fall apart: GO TO RUIN

70. New Orleans player: SAINT. Hey, Haltool! Who Dat?

75. Under siege: BESET

76. Uses as partial payment: TRADES IN

78. Dark genre: NOIR. Film noir.

79. Revlon offering: SCENT. Have never tried any of Revlon's perfume.

81. Dark time for poets: E'EN. And MORNS (108A. Blake's daybreaks). British poet William Blake.

82. Cut out, e.g.: EDIT

84. French pronoun: CES. French for "these".

86. Regular crowd: USUALS

94. Fashion: STYLE

97. Choice word: ELSE. Or else.

100. Hiring term initiated under LBJ: EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity)

101. Chips follower?: AHOY. Chips Ahoy!

102. Sways while moving: CAREENS

109. Source of flowing water: OPEN TAP

111. Teeny bit: TAD. And SMIDGEN (63D Teeny bit). I totally adore clue echos.

112. Words of woe: AH ME

113. Cyan relative: TEAL. Both blue.

116. Flares up: ERUPTS

125. E-bay action: BID

126. Place for a drip, briefly: IV TUBE

127. Attacking the job: AT IT. Ah, it's back.

128. __ Bubba: gum brand: HUBBA. Have never heard of this Wrigley brand. Don't chew gum.

130. Blotto: LOOPED. Both slang for "drunk". Both new to me.

131. Endangered island flier: NENE. Hawaii's state bird.

132. Nineveh's land: Abbr.: ASSYR (Assyria). Nineveh is the ancient capital of Assyria. Its ruins are opposite Mosul, on the Tigris River, in N Iraq. Stumped me.

Down:

1. Riviera resort San __: REMO

2. Business VIP: EXEC

3. Weapon handle: HILT

5. Retro headgear: BEANIE

6. Area 51 sighting, briefly: UFO

7. "Click it or ticket" subject: SEAT BELTS

8. New Hampshire city: NASHUA. What's it famous for?

9. Experts: ARTISTS

10. Strategic math game: NIM. Surprised to learn it originated in China.

11. Broadcasting: ON AIR

12. Count player: LUGOSI (Bela). He played Count Dracula in "Dracula".

13. Hibernia: ERIN. Hibernia is Latin for Ireland. A Hibernophile is a person who loves all things Irish. I mentioned this on the blog a few times before.

14. Brief moments: SECS. Nice clue.

15. Its last flight was Nov. 26, 2003: SST. Trivia is always appreciated.

16. Former French president: CHIRAC (Jacques). Retired life is not so sweet for him, obviously.

17. Harness horses: PACERS. Dictionary defines it as "a standard-bred horse that is used for pacing in harness racing".

18. It's commonly turned: ANKLE. "It's commonly twisted" too.

24. Typical, as a case: TEXTBOOK

26. Corkscrew pasta: ROTINI. Italian for "twist".

34. Therefore: ERGO

35. Thin cut: SLIT

36. Even-tempered: MILD. Not a word to describe Dennis or Windhover.

37. Greek music halls: ODEA. Plural of odeum.

38. Shakespearean merchant Antonio et al.: VENETIANS

39. "__ Alibi": Selleck film: HER. Nope. Who's the girl?

41. Silvery game fish: TARPONS. The name escaped me. Had this clue before. Huge.

42. "Are too!" response: AM NOT

49. Nick of "Affliction": NOLTE

50. Loaf's end: HEEL

52. Vet: EX-GI

53. Ringo and George each wore one: MOUSTACHE. Came to me slowly.

54. Lake-effect snow city: ERIE

55. In the mail: SENT

57. Fairy godmother's prop: WAND

59. Garden locale: EDEN. The first garden ever.

65. Pontiac muscle car: GTO

66. __ the Red: ERIC. Or Erik.

68. Quite heavy: OBESE

69. Bausch & Lomb brand: RENU

71. High pressure __: AREA

73. Curriculum part: UNIT

74. Mars counterpart: ARES. Greek god of war.

77. Suspect: SENSE

80. Skirtlike trousers: CULOTTES. Does this girl look sexy to you?

83. Inverness topper: TAM

85. Saturated with: STEEPED IN

87. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author: LOOS (Anita)

88. Tofu source: SOYA

90. Wheat seed: KERNEL

91. The Philippines, to Philippe: ILES. The Philippines (Islands), to a French man.

92. Pear or apple: POME

93. Broad collars: ETONS

95. "__ durn tootin'!": YER. The redneck's equivalent of "yes, of course". I've never heard of it before.

99. Armchair partner: OTTOMAN

101. Herculean: ARDUOUS

102. One sharing the wealth?: CO-HEIR. Was thinking of DONOR.

103. Noted 1588 loser: ARMADA. The Spanish fleet. Defeated by the English navy.

106. Descendant of Noah's second son: HAMITE. No idea. Ham is the second son of Noah.

107. Singer Kitt: EARTHA. Ah, "Santa Baby" for Argyle.

108. Deadly African snake: MAMBA. Terrifying head.

113. Show saver: TIVO

114. Prefix with plasm: ECTO. Meaning "outer"/"external". Opposite "endo".

117. Taverns: PUBS

118. Frozen dessert franchise: TCBY

119. __-Pei: strong dog: SHAR. The wrinkly dog. Shar = Sand, Pei = Skin. "Sand skin" refers to its rough sandy coat.

122. "Dilbert" Generic Guy: TED. Not familiar with Ted the Generic Guy.

Answer grid.

Awesome memory tag Gessica Alba for GALBA, Lemonade, thank you! Now how about ERNANI?

C.C.

66 comments:

  1. Good morning, C.C. and gang - Sunday puzzles are always fun, if for no other reason than that they're longer, right? And as C.C. said, this one was quite straightforward and not too devious. A good solve.

    C.C.'s pretty much got all my comments covered already. Took me a while too to decode 'Running on Empty'.

    Blotto, looped.....ah, the good old days of youth.

    C.C., the girl in the 'Her Alibi' poster is the beautiful Paulina Porizkova. And "terrifying head"?? Never saw those two words together before...

    .yaD drawkcaB lanoitaN si yadoT

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  2. CC:
    I can be even-tempered. I just can't do
    it for more than a few minutes at a time, and even those are rarely consecutive.
    But Dennis seems like a model of decorum......

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  3. I knew the puzzle would flow when the perps gave me REHAB immediately, as I know nothing of Amy Winehouse’e music, only her tattoos and her scandal sheet attention.

    The song Mule Train and Frankie Laine is credited with being the singer who paved the way for Elvis, because of his edgy interpretation of the song, rather than the smooth approach then popular. He also sang the theme for my favorite, Rawhide the early Clint Eastwood TV show.

    You really need a reminder of Paulina Porizkova who was one of the first SI cover girls to use that appearance as a springboard to acting. She also I believe is the long time wife of CARS , lead singer Ric Ocasek.

    Work day here and still the sun teases me.

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  4. Good Morning, CC. This was a good, challenging puzzle. It took me quite a while to do, although I never felt that it would be impossible. Some answers just popped into my head immediately. Couldn't figure out the theme, however, until you spelled it out for me, CC. I noticed that theme responses all began with M, but all stopped there.

    Here's everything you wanted to know about Nashua, New Hampshire, the second largest city in the state, and more. Ossipee was my first choice for this fill.

    Thanks for the SAINTS shout out. Who Dat wouldn't fit in that space. Is the Who Dat NFL copyright infringement controversy making news around the country, or is that just local for now?

    Have a great Sunday, All.

    QOD: A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. ~ Elbert Hubbard.

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  5. Lla Gninrom Doog, There shouldn't be any complaints today about obscure references, especially if you are over age 50. Charlie Chaplin twice with EXILE and MODERN TIMES, BEANIE, LUGOSI, NOLTE, MULE TRAIN, BUBBA and EARTHA.

    "Cogito ERGO sum" is René Descartes' big claim to fame. "I think, therefore I am." As long as we don't extend the explanation beyond the individual, it works for me. There is no "I think, therefore you are." It can be a lonely philosophic premise, but as long as I have such nice imaginary friends on the blog, I'm fine.

    Gee, are CULOTTES "in" again? Can bell-bottoms be far behind?

    Are "Experts" and ARTISTS synonymous? I would never use them interchangeably.

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  6. CC: "cotton to the theme... " you are thoroughly Amercanized and it appears, Southernized. :)

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  7. Windhover,
    What is the "Greek" version of a popular drink you referred to yesterday? Tell me also the other interesting drink names you googled yesterday.

    Otis,
    Welcome! All those Perps, DF, and G-spot terms are coined by Dennis. He should be able to explain to you later. If you solve LA Times puzzle on line, your letters will appear red if they are wrong. Hence, red-letter help.

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  8. It's unbeleivable about "Who Dat".
    Saw it on the news this morning.

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  9. Anonymous 9:16am,
    As a child, I often had to go to the fields and helped my grandma pick up dried cotton branch sticks to cook meal. We also used them to heat up our brick bed (very cold in winter). Where are you from? Did/do you grow cotton?

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  10. Annette,
    The Great Morel, just for you.

    Lois,
    Thanks for making us laugh every day. Lots of vodka (and caviar) to you!

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  11. I think 108A calls for a William Blake poem. We've seen "the tyger" poem here a couple of times, so I'll go elsewhere, even though this one doesn't have MORNS in it. Blake had been jilted in his youth, and although he was later happily married, he wrote many poems about unhappy love. Bummer!

    Love's Secret

    Never seek to tell thy love,
    Love that never told can be;
    For the gentle wind does move
    Silently, invisibly.

    I told my love, I told my love,
    I told her all my heart;
    Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears,
    Ah! she did depart!

    Soon as she was gone from me,
    A traveler came by,
    Silently, invisibly
    He took her with a sigh.

    - William Blake

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  12. CC:
    I'm sure our house attorney, Lemonade 714, would advise never asking a question of a witness that you don't already know the answer to, but this isn't court, so here are the answers to your question.

    Among the drink recipes Google offered up was one for A Piece of Ass, as follows:
    1 shot amaretto almond liqueur
    1 shot Southern Comfort® peach liqueur
    fill with sweet and sour mix

    the other was Greek Sex on the Beach, for which the recipe is:
    2 parts vodka
    1 1/2 parts Bacardi® Limon rum
    2 parts grenadine syrup
    2 1/2 parts orange juice
    1 part gold tequila
    1 part Southern Comfort® peach liqueur

    As I said last night, a couple of these and the possibilities open up.
    You may choose to delete after reading. OK by me, or not.

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  13. In Latin, sum is I am.

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  14. Windhover, my friends would be hysterical reading that comment.

    Clear Ayes, I hope culottes don't come back. I'm sure they're comfortable, but there's nothing alluring about them whatsoever.

    C.C., a brick bed?? What went on top of it?

    Otis, yes, the resources for solving these puzzles have grown geometrically, but for me anyway, it's all still about learning.
    As to your questions, you're right, 'g-spot' refers to Google. My comment about other 'spots' was a lame attempt at humor, meaning that I was searching everywhere for answers. 'Perps' are the answers perpendicular to the particular one you're trying to solve, whether it be vertical or horizontal. 'DF' is 'DysFunctional', something many of our number tend to become later in the day once the puzzle's been hashed and rehashed.

    And yes, in this group, you are relatively young. But as one who is older than fluids, I can tell you that all ages are welcome and appreciated.

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  15. Good morning C.C. and All, a rather challenging puzzle for some reason. I had a lot of trouble getting started, but once the brain cells awoke I did much better and was able to finish with a small bit of help. I had no idea who Noah’s second son descendant might be, but in the end the perps saved that area.

    The NW corner was the last to fall even though I got Melba Toast immediately I had no clue on Winehouse’s Grammy award. Like Lemonade I only know of her tattoos and her scandal sheet attention. Not one of my favorites.

    I liked the clue/answer place for a drip/iv tube. Great clue/answer IMHO.

    It looks like another cold day here in the Burg so I better look for some indoor chores.

    Hope you all have a great Sunday.

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  16. I got REHAB straight away, so thought the puzzle might be a breeze ~ NOT. Watching Amy Winehouse is like watching a train wreck. You know you shouldn't watch, but you can't turn away.

    This is a perfect Sunday puzzle. I had time to spend on it and had fun with the clues

    BEL CANTO is also the novel by Ann Pratchett that involves an opera singer. It came easily to me because I had just read the book.

    Do you tend bar as well, Windhover? What other potent potables can you offer us?

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  17. Good morning everyone! A nice puzzle today; solved more than usual for a Sunday. Also spent more time on it as my husband is out of town and the usual routine has been abandoned. A nice change of pace. Had no idea of a few, probably because of what Clear Ayes already mentioned! I'm an old soul with a young mind I suppose. Never heard of a few, BLOTTO=LOOPED? My husband would know that one. My husband is a HIBERNOPHILE and drives an ARMADA, two things I endure about him. We have an unusual relationship...

    Hope you all are enjoying the weekend! We have had some sunshine so it's been nice.

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  18. Ahoy chips!

    Yes CC, this was a smooth c/w today, and I should have been able to finish it, but I have no magic tricks for my lack of memory or insufficient knowledge(inures, Daewoo,nim,Chirac,odea). Enough known to piece it almost together. Never got the MT theme, but loved the clues.

    Did anyone else think Count Basie for 12D? Ah, "April in Paris"..my kind of jazz.

    Fav clues: place for a drip, and span centuries.
    D'oh moments: masking tape...I went thru lists of items great artists might use, like WM. And "this", sooo very simple. I kept looking at my hand and thought ,"A bird in the hand..."

    I think my DH is celebrating the loss of my voice.He is getting a charge out of asking me questions, knowing that I can't answer him.Maybe I'll put some mirror writing on his dirty windshield to celebrate the day.

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  19. Happy Sunday, C. C. and puzzlefriends!
    No "Ernani" today!
    Very smooth solve -- I was going to complain that the theme was sorta weak, but realized I liked the theme answers and they helped speed up the process of filling in the grid.

    Only a few unknowns: MULE TRAIN, Nike being in ORE, Revlon making SCENTs, and then there was ASSYR. A few answers came to me slowly: LOOS, HAMITE and ODEA. I had "Erik" in before ERIC. [I once drew a cartoon featuring twins named Eric and Erik---my drawing skills were the funniest thing about it].

    The word SMIDGEN always makes me smile. I usually forget that Mr. Solo's first name isn't Hans.

    Windhover: when I hear the words "Greek Drink" I always think of Ouzo, which I tried once and thought it was awful. Any bevvy with So Co in it is yummy. I can't drink anymore, but I do sniff cocktails when friends are having them.

    C. C.: Your write ups are always so clear.That's a true gift! Thanks for the DAE WOO and SHAR PEI explanations. I love learning that stuff.

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  20. Good morning CC and good lord, what IS THAT????

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  21. #84 across: "ces" is an adjective, not a pronoun

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  22. Found in dictionary: French > English.

    CES

    pronoun

    1. these
    2. this

    adjective

    1. that

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  23. JD, I did not think Count Basie because I misread the clue as court player and got lost thinking tennis. By the time I got back to that clue the perps had solved the issue.

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  24. Hello all.

    Did the LAT last night while followig the hockey game on-line.
    Amazing that 6 of 7 goals were scored on power plays.

    Did Merl's Part 2 this morning. Nice link to Merl on the other blog
    for those who like to read how constructors think.

    Day started out sunny and is now over cast.

    Have to run to the store for bananas.

    Annette. "It's a small world after
    all." Which college?

    eddyB

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  25. Hi everyone,
    I was going to make the same comment as Jim: CES is definitely a demonstrative adjective according to my dictionary. It translates as THESE, but only when used before nouns. The pronoun form would have to be CEUX or CELLES. Singular adj.= CE, singular pronoun = CELUI or CELLE

    Perhaps anon's dictionary was thinking in English, since THIS and THESE are used interchangeably as adjectives and pronouns in English.

    My solving experience wasn't too bad today, but as it's weekend, I don't have as much time as I'd like, so I use the red letter online version rather than the master level. I always wonder how well I'd do without that, but since I don't get it in our paper, I always chicken out of the greater challenge.

    The only complete unknowns were NIM, LOOS and TIL(?) along with some of the song and movie titles, but all were perpable. I only got the theme like C.C., on looking them over after I was done. The title helped with that too.

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  26. Another thought occurs to me: HIBERNUS is Latin for wintry. Did the Romans called Ireland that because of its weather or the season they arrived there?

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  27. Pitui! Headline from the Post-Star:

    "Police probing spat of burglaries..."

    SPAT means a lot of things (look it up) but I don't think anybody is stealing them(except maybe the oysters).

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  28. As an avid reader of this blog and daily solver, I found it time to say hello to all. Fresh blood (perhaps) given my mere 25 years of age. I find the discourse here, as well as the insight, outstanding.

    Overall, a great solve and straightforward theme. After yesterday's slog, quite refreshing. Typical Sunday puzzle overall. Needed some red-letter help on HUBBA Bubba and HAMITE.

    Favorite clues: "They're slanted" ITALICS and "Place for a drip, briefly" IV TUBE.

    Thought of the day: Why are products transported upon a sea vessel termed "cargo" while those that arrive on land "shipments"?

    As a die hard Vikings fan from Fargo ND, 70A "SAINT" hurts a little. Too soon.

    I give it a 7.5/10 on my "enjoyability, worthwhile, and solvability" scale.

    Good day everyone.

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  29. Nothing to add to what has already been said. I must form the habit of looking at the title, which I never think to do. I didn't get the theme until I read your run-down, CC. Then I had to go back and look at the MTs. Didn't even notice them as I solved away. Go figure!

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  30. Today's puzzle was definitely doable, hard enough to make you think a TAD, but not frustrate or send me searching elsewhere for answers. I never even thought about looking for a theme...but it's always fun to come here and get that extra level of delight!

    Brandon: Welcome to the blog!

    67A Completely fall apart: GO TO RUIN - I simply couldn't parse that out! Read as GOT O RUIN...

    My favorite: 126A Place for a drip, briefly: IV TUBE My sister was an IV nurse before retiring, who did that exclusively throughout the hospital all day long.

    Kazie: 'TIL is used casually for "until".

    C.C.: Wow, I think I'm caught up now! I was afraid I'd need further explanation, but I can plainly see how that morel would have instigated much conversation on the blog! It sure puts my frozen bananas to shame...even plantains!

    Windhover: Who are the good-looking friends in your avatar? I've seen them there a few days, but this was my first chance to ask. Also, your drink recipes answered my unasked question of Dennis: What's SoCo? - Southern Comfort.

    Clear Ayes: I agree, "Experts" and ARTISTS didn't seem to work for me either. My previous manager wore culotte suits and felt quite stylish. I never really cared for the look, but was compelled to compliment her anyway.

    Dennis: "Older than fluids" is a interesting new term to me...

    EddyB: I knew that friend from both Forbes Trail Vo-tech school, and CCAC, Boyce Campus for my AS. Then, I transferred to IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) for the next 2 years for my BS, but she didn't go on. Another link close to you is that my sister went to nursing school in New Kensington.

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  31. I finished the puzzle quite easily, but couldn't for the life of me figure out the "theme." Thank goodness for x-word blogs.
    Frankie Laine -- whoa -- takes me back. In the 50's, my brother played "Cool Water" over and over and over and over.

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  32. Dennis, Windover and any others who left drink recipes:

    They look interesting, but too much to remember.

    3oz of Scotch, Pinch 15yo, in a Glass, neat.
    Drink then repeat.
    I know it is difficult to make, but it does the job.

    This puzzle was a blessing after yesterdays slog.

    PUBS, OPEN TAP (for beer) and LOOPED (result of the above, after 4) were my mini-theme (M.T.).

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  33. Tinbeni: Great catch on the important mini-theme!

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  34. Annette, do you ever come back to the Burg?

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  35. Dick: Emotionally - constantly. Physically, maybe once a year as many as possible of our family (out of about 20 now) will meet up there, usually centered around a trip to Kennywood! We never made it this past summer, so I'm pretty sure we'll go this year.

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  36. Puzzle was doable today. Took some time, but I was not defeated. This was a blast from the past with culottes, mule train and hubba bubble gum. Loved that stuff. Usuals for all of you that have been visiting this site for a long time....
    You may soon tire of Hawaiiana trivia, but living on Molokai for 4 years gives me a sense of responsibility to inform others of the flora fauna and cultural sensitivities of the islanders. Molokai is one of the most Hawaiian of all the Islands except for Niihau. Here is the NeNe .

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  37. Ipo - Thank you for the Nene link!

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  38. Annette,
    Thanks for 'til--I just wasn't seeing it that way.

    Welcome to all the newest newbies! It's delightful that we now have so many more of you.

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  39. hanna o ke' le le peanut buttah jeleh, or King kamemame, lost his undah weah..........

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  40. Good evening CC, et al., Such a fun puzzle and so doable. I struggled a bit but it wasn't a slog by any means. I busted out laughing w/the very first fill...
    'rehab' after last night. Then it was 'no less' like a review when later I 'see' 'open tap, 'looped',
    'hilt', 'unit'(as in fluids that I wished for thru an 'IV tube' to reduce the inevitable hangover, but it was 'mild'). 'Ah me' so glad we don't get much snow here. Celebrating sunshine and longer days is a lot less intense.

    Here's another take on 'mule train' that cracked me up. Let's see if this works. My first attempt at this.
    Mule Train

    Looking forward to no school tomorrow and the Mon. puzzle.
    Enjoy your night.

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  41. Hello.

    Anette. I always make it to D' Imperio's when I'm back there.
    Especially if Harold Betters is playing.

    Jill was class of 1964, IUP.
    I was class of 1966, GCC.

    Planning on coming back Oct 2011.

    eddyB

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  42. CC: We grew tobacco...not cotton.
    Having read many Pearl Buck novels, I knew about heating brick beds. An electric blanket is much better now, don`t you think?
    Did your grandmother have bound feet? I have read that it was a sign of good breeding and the higher social echelons.

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  43. Fishy, never saw a mushroom before?

    Wow a 25 year old Brandon, and a couple(?) babslesley...welcome; c'mon in the water is fine!

    Okay, which Burg are we talking about? Janet Evanovich has one in all her Stephanie PLum books, but are you talking Harrisburg? My nephew is graduating this year from Dickinson

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  44. BTW, Bela Lugosi means "beautiful legs."

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  45. wowza, anyone watching the grammys? Beyonce, unbelievably sexy!

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  46. Lois, my mellifluous mistress of mayhem, I'll see your guest starring spot, and raise you one original JERRY VAN DYKE .

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  47. Lemon not one that resembled a horse! Is that a mushroom?

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  48. Lemonade714: Right state, wrong Burg. We were talking Pittsburgh.

    EddyB: I remember D'Imperio's! I've only been there once or twice, and it's been a while. We drove by it the last time we were there.

    But I LOVE Janet Evanovich books! It seems like forever since she's had one out, but I think it's just because I snatch them up so fast and devour them immediately! They're so hard to put down.

    My other favorite that I buy as soon as it comes out, and can't put down is Fern Michaels Vigilante series.

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  49. (Copy from Saturday's Comments)

    Lois,

    I'm in Santa Fe, NM. We had horses and helped out on friends ranches in the region, but the cattle business has taken a dive, and we weren't riding the horses, so we sold them. I still shoot that cowboy stuff (photos) whenever I get the chance, and am working on my cowboy photo book, as we speak. More info at: chuckwestphotography.com

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  50. @Robin @ 7:56 are you sober????

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  51. Anonymous @8:27,
    Yes. My grandma had bound feet. In fact, the smaller the feet, the more attractive the girl became. Just brutal. My poor grandma could hardly walk in her 70s. We used dried corn branches to heat brick bed (kang) as well.

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  52. Well my dear non-Beyonce trilobites, just a few thoughts to begin the new week...


    IF YOU SPIN AN ASIAN PERSON IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES, DO THEY BECOME DISORIENTED?


    WHAT DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR? AN ALGAEBRA


    ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION


    I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE


    IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

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  53. For your edification my fine featherless friend MORE MOREL .

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  54. Yes Dick completely, just Hawaiian silly sayings.....

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  55. I`m so glad YOU were not subjected to that! The thinking, if I understand it correctly was that a high-born women would always have servants to do everything including taking them where they needed and wanted go.
    We have just as barbaric "customs." The super rich have a saying, "You can never be too thin or too rich."
    And, once it was considered low class to be tanned...it showed that you had to work outside. Then, for a while, being tanned was a sign of vacations in Canes or on the Riviera, rich people stuff. Now, untanned skin is back as the desired look for the rich. Strange, but being "Reubenesque"
    was once a sign of wealth because it showed you could afford to eat well.

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  56. OK, Lemon I am so totally confused. The 'Morels' are obviously mushrooms with enormous "HEADS" NOT anywhere as beautiful as the male anatomical equivalent,which I find, is smooth and silky, firm and pliable. I guess I find the morels a 'bit on the rough' side. Are we on the same page, now? For your edification as well, my friend......

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  57. Robin, as you live in the desert I will give you a break on not recogonizing the ever tasty morel mushroom. It is coveted in Jeannie land and I search the woods over in an attempt to find them. There is a saying here, "when the lilacs are in bloom, it's time to 'shroom". This one pictured is "the motha'load" and it wouldn't be too tasty as it would be too "woody"?

    Mainiac, I spent the better part of the day out catching walleyes through a hole in the ice. I also took peoples dough playing dice. It wasn't half bad outside with the sun shining and no wind, so I fried the fish on a portable grill in a frying pan.

    WH, you missed the Slippery Nipple and this one
    Sex On Ice recipe
    Scale ingredients to servings
    1/2 oz vodka
    1/2 oz light rum
    1/2 oz DeKuyper® Razzmatazz liqueur
    1/2 oz melon liqueur
    1/4 oz strawberry schnapps
    2 strawberries
    1/4 oz DeKuyper® Cheri-Beri Pucker schnapps

    Combine all ingredients in a blender with crushed ice and blend until the drink has reached the desired consistency. Pour unstrained into a cocktail glass and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.

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  58. Wow CC amazing, but I must say, such lovely children.

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  59. Actually, foot binding for women was practiced throughout China before 1949. My grandma grew up in a very poor household. She was proud her feet were tiny, painful as she often was.

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  60. Foot Binding . Wow, Robin, why is it if a girl is silly people think she is drunk, and a guy is just witty?

    Jeannie, sounds interesting, you like it?

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  61. Ipo, like what? Time in a shanty when it's really cold outside, and it's warm inside? having commaraderie with friends or the fresh fried walleye freshly caught?
    I guess I have to say yes to "all of the above." Us Minnesotan's do find a way to "socialize" in different venues than most. My highlight was 1. finally catching the biggest fish 2. taking the money off the dice players 3. cooking and eating the fish.

    Got a tough week ahead as all contracts for the foodshow are due by Friday and many of my big broker groups are still out. You may not hear from me until later at night, if you care WTH I have to add.

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  62. IPO, thanks for the link on foot binding but I found it painful to read.

    Jeannie, I'd love to have a fish caught and cooked by you. I like fish in general but that would be special.

    Growing up back east, my mother used to bake shad. I loved the roe and loved the fish. It's hard to get in southern California.

    ~ Bill G.

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  63. Great day in Northern California today. Clear skies and about 65 degrees. GAH and I headed up toward Yosemite for the afternoon.

    Jeannie, LOL, maybe ipo was asking if you like the Sex On Ice recipe. One sounds delicious and two or more would be a colossal hangover in the making. BLOTTO!

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  64. Jeannie, I was tempted to say Sex on Ice of course, but I got shivers from just the thought, and I did not want to be too DF on a Sunday. You made ice fishing sound like fun, which for someone who has lived in Hawaii, Arizona and Florida, is amazing.

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  65. Lemonade; Thank you for that title! Love it! Divine Miss M has nothin' on me as far as titles go now. As for the challenge and Jerry Van Dyke, you win. He tried to produce a slasher movie but from this clip, you can see how that didn't go anywhere. I thought this was funny tho'.
    Jerry Van Dyke
    So, what do you drink? I owe you one. Want Sex on the Beach or a Slippery Nipple? Losing could be a lot more fun than winning this round.

    Chuck OTW: Really like your photography! You certainly deserve all those awards! Excellent! Do you know if Brush Ranch is still open outside of Santa Fe? I would go there in the summers.

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  66. Hello. Good puzzle today. I have much to learn.

    Thank you to the people that offered a warm welcome.

    Funny thing that a young(er than I) person found the Hubba Bubba thing difficult. It was my favorite clue because it was the fastest solved and the funniest association to me personally.

    At some point between the ages of 8 and 11, I procured a large box with the Hubba Bubba logo on it - possibly from one of my mom's retail jobs? An alley somewhere? I don't know, but I do know I made a Halloween costume out of it - cutting leg and head holes in each end and arm holes out of the sides, and I constructed a mass of pink stuff to cover the bits of me sticking out of the holes. My memories of the costume primarily consist of its rigidity - having to walk to the event at the grade school, to stand all night, and the obvious lavatory issues encountered. It was disturbing enough that I have stayed away from chewing gum since.

    As to the puzzle, I got the theme before starting, but had to find all related solutions on-line. Hence, "I have much to learn".

    Weather report: Haven't we had enough snow already??? Puleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaase????

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