Theme: Quite the Ts - Theme answers all end with homophonic Ts.
17A: Burlesque act: STRIP TEASE.
35A: University governing body: BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
59A: Baseball's Big Papi: DAVID ORTIZ.
24D: Summer coolers: ICE TEAS. (crosses 35A in the center)
Argyle here again. While the theme is mundane, it is suited to a Tuesday, unlike the somewhat esoteric Monday theme. The fit is rather scrabbly, as typical of Parrish's puzzle, only one letter Q away from a pangram.
Today's has some undertones and twists that make it fun. Besides Big Papi, there is 6D: Top pitchers: ACES., 8D: Pitcher's pinpoint control, say: ASSET., 56D: Washington team, familiarly: NATS., and 60D: Sportscaster Scully: VIN., for a taste of baseball. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report in a month.
Low block count resulting in a very open grid today; ergo, long fills.
Across:
1A: Rating for many HBO shows: TV-MA. (MA: mature)
5A: Capital of Morocco: RABAT. Just up the coast from Casablanca.
10A: Vise parts: JAWS.
14A: Twice the radius: Abbr.: DIAM.. Diameter, a straight line passing through the center of a circle.
15A: Funds for online buys: E-CASH.
16A: Make spelling corrections to, e.g.: EDIT.
19A: Camper driver, for short: RVer. Ever hear the story about an RVer who set his motor home on cruise control then went in the back to get a cup of coffee?
20A: Baghdad's river: TIGRIS.
21A: "Tobacco Road" novelist __ Caldwell: ERSKINE. He looks like he should be a statesman.
23A: Pioneer in pistol-grip hair dryers: CONAIR.
24A: Lang. of Lombardy: ITAL.. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy, at the top of the boot.
26A: "... boy __ girl?": OR A.
27A: Anti-discrimination agcy.: EEOC. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
29A: Forensic evidence threads: FIBERS.
31A: Surrealist Joan: MIRO. No Comment.
33A: Allegiance: FEALTY. Akin to fidelity; Synonyms: loyalty, devotion.
41A: Tummy-tightening garment: CORSET.
42A: Sailor's patron saint: ELMO.
43A: Pour into a carafe: DECANT.
46A: __ prof.: ASST.. Don't call them TAs; they get very mad.
49A: Newbie reporter: CUB.
50A: Rose of Guns N' Roses: AXL.
51A: Resistance units: OHMS.
53A: Bathroom hangers: TOWELS. Cute clue.
55A: "You cannot be serious!" tennis great: McENROE. Clip
57A: Dolts: MORONS. And JERK (10D: Dolt).
58A: Pre-migraine headache phenomenon: AURA. Have any of us experienced this?
62A: Certain NCO: SSGT.
63A: Hoop-shaped gasket: O-RING.
64A: Picard's counselor: TROI. I saw this and said, "Oh, boy! I get to link a picture of my favorite Betazoid." Counselor Deanna Troi
65A: South Florida vacation destination: KEYS. I s'pose they didn't get that last blast of cold.
66A: Simultaneous equation variables: X AND Y.
67A: __ Kong: HONG.
Down:
1D: 100-plus-yd. kickoff returns, e.g.: TDs. (unless there is a flag on the play.)
2D: Director De Sica: VITTORIO. A leading figure in the neorealist movement.(means nothing to me) He won many awards.
3D: Tomato-based sauce: MARINARA.
4D: Pedro's girlfriend: AMIGA. Then he would be her AMIGO?
5D: Call it a night: RETIRE.
9D: Cold relief brand: THERAFLU.
11D: Recommend: ADVISE.
12D: Hot dog: WIENER.
13D: Spreads, as seed: STREWS.
18D: __-dieu: kneeler: PRIE. So you don't have to kneel on the floor to pray. A very plain one
22D: Narrow apertures: SLITS.
23D: Search high and low: COMB.
28D: Slays, mob-style: OFFS
30D: Computer memory unit: BYTE. Followed by 32D: Marine predator: ORCA., whose bite you wouldn't want.
34D: Martial __: ARTS.
36D: Blood drive participant: DONOR.
37D: Greek __ Church: ORTHODOX.
38D: City east of San Diego: EL CENTRO. Naval Air Facility El Centro historically kicks off the Blue Angels' season with their first air show, traditionally held in March. It is on the Mexican border.
39D: Liquid-in-liquid suspension: EMULSION.
43D: Table linen material: DAMASK. 'Damaske' "cloth from Damascus," the Syrian city, famous in medieval times for steel and silk.
44D: Forgive: EXCUSE. And 45D: Pastors and priests: CLERGY. (another neat pairing)
47D: Unduly formal: STODGY.
48D: Corrida competitor: TORO. Can't have a bull fight without a bull.
52D: Stiller's partner: MEARA. Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara's son is Ben Stiller.
57D: It can be changed or made up: MIND.
61D: Turn sharply: ZIG. Like a politician's mind, than zag again.
Answer grid.
A warm welcome to all newcomers!
17A: Burlesque act: STRIP TEASE.
35A: University governing body: BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
59A: Baseball's Big Papi: DAVID ORTIZ.
24D: Summer coolers: ICE TEAS. (crosses 35A in the center)
Argyle here again. While the theme is mundane, it is suited to a Tuesday, unlike the somewhat esoteric Monday theme. The fit is rather scrabbly, as typical of Parrish's puzzle, only one letter Q away from a pangram.
Today's has some undertones and twists that make it fun. Besides Big Papi, there is 6D: Top pitchers: ACES., 8D: Pitcher's pinpoint control, say: ASSET., 56D: Washington team, familiarly: NATS., and 60D: Sportscaster Scully: VIN., for a taste of baseball. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report in a month.
Low block count resulting in a very open grid today; ergo, long fills.
Across:
1A: Rating for many HBO shows: TV-MA. (MA: mature)
5A: Capital of Morocco: RABAT. Just up the coast from Casablanca.
10A: Vise parts: JAWS.
14A: Twice the radius: Abbr.: DIAM.. Diameter, a straight line passing through the center of a circle.
15A: Funds for online buys: E-CASH.
16A: Make spelling corrections to, e.g.: EDIT.
19A: Camper driver, for short: RVer. Ever hear the story about an RVer who set his motor home on cruise control then went in the back to get a cup of coffee?
20A: Baghdad's river: TIGRIS.
21A: "Tobacco Road" novelist __ Caldwell: ERSKINE. He looks like he should be a statesman.
23A: Pioneer in pistol-grip hair dryers: CONAIR.
24A: Lang. of Lombardy: ITAL.. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy, at the top of the boot.
26A: "... boy __ girl?": OR A.
27A: Anti-discrimination agcy.: EEOC. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
29A: Forensic evidence threads: FIBERS.
31A: Surrealist Joan: MIRO. No Comment.
33A: Allegiance: FEALTY. Akin to fidelity; Synonyms: loyalty, devotion.
41A: Tummy-tightening garment: CORSET.
42A: Sailor's patron saint: ELMO.
43A: Pour into a carafe: DECANT.
46A: __ prof.: ASST.. Don't call them TAs; they get very mad.
49A: Newbie reporter: CUB.
50A: Rose of Guns N' Roses: AXL.
51A: Resistance units: OHMS.
53A: Bathroom hangers: TOWELS. Cute clue.
55A: "You cannot be serious!" tennis great: McENROE. Clip
57A: Dolts: MORONS. And JERK (10D: Dolt).
58A: Pre-migraine headache phenomenon: AURA. Have any of us experienced this?
62A: Certain NCO: SSGT.
63A: Hoop-shaped gasket: O-RING.
64A: Picard's counselor: TROI. I saw this and said, "Oh, boy! I get to link a picture of my favorite Betazoid." Counselor Deanna Troi
65A: South Florida vacation destination: KEYS. I s'pose they didn't get that last blast of cold.
66A: Simultaneous equation variables: X AND Y.
67A: __ Kong: HONG.
Down:
1D: 100-plus-yd. kickoff returns, e.g.: TDs. (unless there is a flag on the play.)
2D: Director De Sica: VITTORIO. A leading figure in the neorealist movement.(means nothing to me) He won many awards.
3D: Tomato-based sauce: MARINARA.
4D: Pedro's girlfriend: AMIGA. Then he would be her AMIGO?
5D: Call it a night: RETIRE.
9D: Cold relief brand: THERAFLU.
11D: Recommend: ADVISE.
12D: Hot dog: WIENER.
13D: Spreads, as seed: STREWS.
18D: __-dieu: kneeler: PRIE. So you don't have to kneel on the floor to pray. A very plain one
22D: Narrow apertures: SLITS.
23D: Search high and low: COMB.
28D: Slays, mob-style: OFFS
30D: Computer memory unit: BYTE. Followed by 32D: Marine predator: ORCA., whose bite you wouldn't want.
34D: Martial __: ARTS.
36D: Blood drive participant: DONOR.
37D: Greek __ Church: ORTHODOX.
38D: City east of San Diego: EL CENTRO. Naval Air Facility El Centro historically kicks off the Blue Angels' season with their first air show, traditionally held in March. It is on the Mexican border.
39D: Liquid-in-liquid suspension: EMULSION.
43D: Table linen material: DAMASK. 'Damaske' "cloth from Damascus," the Syrian city, famous in medieval times for steel and silk.
44D: Forgive: EXCUSE. And 45D: Pastors and priests: CLERGY. (another neat pairing)
47D: Unduly formal: STODGY.
48D: Corrida competitor: TORO. Can't have a bull fight without a bull.
52D: Stiller's partner: MEARA. Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara's son is Ben Stiller.
57D: It can be changed or made up: MIND.
61D: Turn sharply: ZIG. Like a politician's mind, than zag again.
Answer grid.
A warm welcome to all newcomers!
Argyle
58 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - wow, a puzzle named after our DFettes! Quite the Ts, indeed.
Today's went very quickly as well with just a couple unknowns picked up by the perps: 'Vittorio' De Sica and 'Troi'.
Whenever I see 'cub reporter', I always think of Jimmy Olsen. Kept looking for the 'Q' to make it a pangram, but wasn't to be. And do women still wear 'corsets'?
My first marriage was in a Greek Orthodox Church. Very un-PC - I was crowned (literally) the 'King' of our kingdom, and its ruler.
As always, I enjoyed the long fills.
Today is Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day. No idea, but I have a feeling our distaff members should enjoy it.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." -- P.J. O'Rourke
And a couple more words on dieting:
- "The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day, you're off it." -- Jackie Gleason
- "No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office." -- George Bernard Shaw
Good Morning, CC, Argyle and Friends. Not much to say about this puzzle, but I did find more of a challenge than the usual Tuesday.
I made an error in the SW corner, which gave me EXECUTE as the response for Forgive (44D). Wow, I though, that is a pretty extreme form of forgiveness!
There is a beautiful Joan Miro museum in Barcelona. I highly recommend a visit there, if for not other reason than the panoramic view of the city.
The hard freeze may finally be over here. It was actually above 32F this morning.
QOD: If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends? ~ Author Unknown
No problems with this one. No errors, no help, 11 minutes.
Good morning Argyle, C.C. and All, a very nice puzzle today. A fairly easy puzzle today, but I could not get the crossing of 31A and 2D “Vittorio” and “Mino” so a trip to Mr. G was required. The remainder of the puzzle was straight forward and doable with just the perps.
I assume Lois will have some comments on this puzzle and the earlier comments from Dennis. At least I hope so!
More snow last night so I guess the snow plow will get another work out this morning.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday.
Good morning.
Had a bit of a rough start at the top but once I got going it became much easier.
I also think of Jimmy Olsen.
I believe corsets are still worn. The one I think of was in the Lethal Weapon series that Sgt. Murtaugh (Danny Glover) had to wear when he was busted down to a patrolman. He called it a man's girdle.
Maybe the feast has to do with satyrs, centaurs, etc. The satyrs were associated with Pan and Dionysius. Oh, Bacchanalia!!!
It's also National Pharmacist Day and Work Harder Day. To Hell with working harder. I want to be one of the wild men at the feast.
Have a great Tuesday!!!
Morning all, I thought there a few clues which were more difficult than an average Tuesday, like Capital of Morocco: RABAT, Caldwell: ERSKINE
Allegiance: FEALTY, but all in all a straightforward effort. The theme answers were easy, so the theme did not help.
When I was young VITTORIO DI SICA was a very well respected director, and was an academy award winner for Il giardino dei Finzi-Contini , and I enjoyed Ieri, oggi e domani and the very interesting Women Times Seven . We rebellious kids loved these films.
Hahtool:
To answer your question from yesterday, no, the Lexington Herald-Leader has not restored the puzzle. They did once before after dropping it, but once again the outcry from those who evidently solve xwords as a means of acquiring self-esteem won out, and they have gone back to the turn-your-brain-to-mush Commuter puzzle.
I have never canceled a subscription to anything, but am on the verge of doing so. I've been reading a newspaper daily since I was 14, about 50 years (damn, that looks and feels strange to write), so that would break a lifelong habit, but of late the paper has shrunk almost to irrelevancy. Lexington is a very UK sports oriented town, so at least two days a week we get sports on the front page, usually above the fold. Maddening.
And thanks for the compliment. It seems that, like that mid-fifties show (or movie) tune, we have a mutual admiration society.
Fairly quick for what I knew but there were several I had to guess, and of course didn't know any of the sports clues. I came here with no T in TDS/TVMA, have never noticed that rating, A instead of I in ZIG, not being a trekkie, and no AV in DAVID. I'd misspelled MEERA, since it was a guess, and just didn't see the name before "DORTIZ".
Good morning Argyle, CC, et al., Well Holy double-talkin' Hotwick! From one extreme to the other. From NE corner'jerk' the 'weiner' to SW corner being 'excuse'd by the 'clergy'. Works for me. I'd rather ask forgiveness than permission any day. NW striptease to SW towels, el centro and emulsion. Zig can be thrown in there too if have that's a preferance. I went King 'Kong' for 67A at first - figured it was just a carry over from either last night's blogging about the T-men or the mind set established by the NE already. Either way, I need a drink. Fun puzzle!
Only problem...fealty? C'mon-ty... real-ty? 'I pledge 'fealty' to the flag...umm, not a chance!
Gotta go 'lay' the table..you know for the Feast of fabulous wild Men Day...Gotta love this day! You guys have an open invitation. C'mon down! I won't 'byte', promise.
Seemed a little hard for a Tuesday--especially when I was sure 41A was girdle (glad those days are pretty much gone)! Loved "bathroom hangers" and was proud that I could spell Axl.My parents were Russian Orthodox and those weddings had the same "crowning" of the groom (and maybe the bride?). My sons' christenings were very interesting with the priest walking around the church and at one point opening the big doors and expelling the devil! Very interesting especially to my Protestant in laws...
We are waiting here in Sanibel for the temperature to break into the 60's. Riley (the dog) wants his walk on the beach. Lots of crop losses here--tomatoes and strawberries almost all gone.
Totally missed ICE TEAS. Thanks, Argyle.
Drew a real blank starting at the top but once I got going in the SE corner, the words started to fall in place.
Some of them really required my memory to work; Erskine and Vittorio. I did like his movies in the 60's!
Although I'm not a baseball fanatic, those clues eventually filled in enough to get them.
Whenever I see 'Elmo', I have to think of my favorite red Muppet that my kids loved so much. Imagining a little red shaggy St. Elmo watching over ships just made me smile.
@Dennis - As far as women in VT are concerned, corsets are dead except in the dress up, 'Madonna' type of outfit.
@Diane - So sorry to hear about the the loss of tomatoes and strawberries.
Good Morning (here) all -
Lois, Lois, Lois - LOL!!! You never fail to make me glad I read your comments. Terrific!
I had many snags in this one...so many I did not know, so needed a bit of help to finish.
When you wear a corset don't the fat parts of you just get squeezed somewhere else making you look even worse??? Ouch!
Dennis and DrDad - I'll make the 3rd one who always thinks of Jimmy Olsen when I read 'cub reporter'.
I did read about the 'moron' that put his camper in cruise control and left the drivers seat....the whole rig went over a guard rail and into a river. Don't know if he survived or not...think Darwin Award on that one!
good morning c.c., argyle and all,
maybe it's me and my cold, but i struggled more than the usual tuesday today. agree with lois ... fealty? others made up for it though, what's not to love about striptease, mcenroe and corset?
have to mention the death of my hero, miep gies, yesterday. she lived to 100, and was the protector of anne frank and family. if it weren't for her, anne's diary never would have seen the light of day. RIP miep, i am forever grateful.
Nice job, Argyle. Somehow your link to MIRO brought to mind our new friend ENTROPY.
Dennis - Apparently corsets and girdles are out. Today it's SPANX. Quite popular, but men are not supposed to know this.
A fun puzzle to do over breakfast. I penned in "BANGER" in place of "WIENER", which threw me off momentarily but quickly recovered and finished the puzzle in about 10 minutes. Somehow I never pick up on these more subtle themes until I read about them in this write up - "Ts" - very clever.
For those of you who hate people as clues, today's New York Times puzzle has 41 of them. Every across clue is a person. Surprisingly, I knew about half. It will be easy enough to Google the rest.
Argyle: When I was in my 20's I had migraines preceeded by an aura. That's how I knew a migraine was on its way. Through my 30s and 40s I had no more headaches; however, in my mid 50s I started getting auras but no headache. I still get an aura occasionally, usually when I'm stressed about something, but thankfully that's all. The aura lasts about 15 minutes. The only thing I can't do during that time is read or drive.
Doreen
Good morning! Just want to say:
I love reading your blog almost as much as I love doing the crossword every morning, which is saying something. And the comments, of course.
I have experienced an aura before a migraine! It was while I was pregnant, so I was way out of whack in the first place. It looked like my own personal light show, or like the world was screwed up like a broken computer monitor... Went to the eye doctor straight away because I thought I was losing my vision or something horrible was happening to me. Really freaked me out. It went away after an hour or two, when the migraine was in full swing. Horrible, not to be able to take anything for it because of a blueberry shaped ball of cells.
All that to say, I didn't get aura in the crossword until I had all the downs figured out in the grid. Pregnancy also tends to erase words right out of your brain! And the experiences related to those words.
Again, thanks for the blog. I am trying to regrow all my lost brain cells with all this knowledge.
Good Morning All, Not a problem until the SE corner. I ZAGged, when I should have ZIGged. I haven't watched any Star Trek shows since Scotty was beaming the crew up from the weekly planet, so I though TROI could have just as easily been TROA.
"Table linen material"? Why, LINEN, of course. I know, it didn't fit and the answer wouldn't have been in the clue, and I did come up with DAMASK, but why is the term "linen" when it includes so many other fabrics?
I really liked VITTORIO, THERAFLU and EMULSION.
My mother suffered from migraines and would talk about the "spots" she saw. Thankfully, I've never had a migraine.
BTW, De Sica directed Sophia Loren in her Academy Award winning "Two Women".
Oh look, Sophia in a corset. CORSETS have not gone out of fashion at all. Many modern bridal gowns require a bridal corset to fit properly. Then there are all those movie stars like Nicole Kidman who wear gowns with corset bodices. Happy now, Dennis and other Fabulous Wild Men?
I did not know Miro, Vittorio, or David Ortiz, but the only one I had to "g" was Vittorio. Perps took care of the rest. Erskine Caldwell is one of my favorite authors, so that was a given. He also wrote "God's Little Acre." Some raunchy books back in the day! I knew the capital of Morocco, but had it spelled with an "...et" for a long time.
Corsets is one of the things that made a quasi-feminist of me. In the offices in which I worked, the men were allowed to wear sport shirts and slacks. The women had to be in the full "Sunday-go-to-meetin'" regalia with heels and hose. That was pre-pantyhose, so the only way to wear hose was either with garter belt or girdle. You guys might have enjoyed it, but imagine having to work a full day, not to mention smile and be pleasant, while your bottom half is encased in elastic and your feet are being tortured! I rejoiced the day they announced that we would be allowed to wear pantsuits.
Yes, I do get the auras associated with migraines. I don't get the headaches, just the auras. It is annoying, but not painful.
@Dennis, your WoW is right on target!
We should get into the 60s today, a relief after so many cold days. I might even get out this afternoon. Hubby has to go for therapy for carpal tunnel, so I might go with him and then go eat somewhere. Not the feast of the wild men, however; I'm not up to that!
CA - I am sure all the men on the blog will send you a cheer for posting those corset pictures! The ladies shown are lovely and have figures that really do not require corsets to slim them. Pity the larger women in the days when fashion dictated a very slim waist. They were sometimes referred to as being 'upholstered' in blue velvet. LOL. I am sure it was very uncomfortable. Corsets were also worn by men at formal situations such as balls.
Welcome AmieeAya: cute picture! Hope you stay and play with us.
Diane: I am sorry about the loss of your strawberries and tomatoes...I know what that means.
Melissa: thanks for the info on Miep Gies. I am so glad she was there to help the Frank family. "The Diary of Anne Frank" has always been a favorite. The cruelty of war never ceases to amaze me.
That guy in the camper sued Winnebago because the manual didn't say he couldn't leave the seat when the vehicle was under cruise control. Guess what?! He won. Of course, it's all crap because Snopes.com says it is an urban legend and completely false.
What's the name of the MIRO painting?
Hello all and welcome to the newcomers.
Not much else to comment on. Quite easy puzzle today. Did not know TVMA and TROI, but the perps were unambiguous so no problem. Clue for ASSET seemed annoyingly vague.
MARINARA sauce is hugely popular in our area as is tomato pie.
O-RING is a wonderful invention but was a factor in the loss of the space shuttle Challenger.
Hardly any translations today; just TORO.
Tschüß everyone!
I always think of the wedding scene in "The Deerhunter" when I think of an ORTHODOX wedding.
Vtquiltmom, beautiful quilt avatar. Show us more.
Thanks WH, now I can't get that "We belong to a mu-chew-al ad-mir-a-shun so-sigh-ity....my baby and me" lyric out of my head. You and I may be the only people around here who remember that little gem.
Welcome to AmieeAya. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your gorgeous little boy.
Dr.Dad, I love the outrageous emails I get that say, "I've checked this out on Snopes.com (with a link)and it is true". Of course, if you actually click on the link Snopes tell you that it is really just a lot of nonsense. We got a lot of those kinds of emails before the last election. I always wrote back to the sender to let them know they had been bamboozled.
Henry & Entropy: LMAO! My first thought was 'bangers' and the 2nd thought was 'toads'. Just 2 wks ago I was having 'bangers and mash' and 'toads in a hole'. I would love to tell you how mouthwatering and tastey those bangers were, but I refuse to kiss and tell. The toadies on the other hand were quite delicious but they're weird lookin' suckers. Quite provocative and yummy.
Dennis: Forgot to mention corsets. I think they're still used pretty often. I hear the female students at school talk about them. I won't say anything about the leopard one I have.
Good afternoon, everyone:
Sports clues are my weakness, so didn't know Ortiz or Vin, but perps took care of that. Had King Kong instead of Hong Kong which screwed up that corner for a bit.
Clear Ayes: table linen is a generic term for tablecloths and napkins, regardless of the fabric used. My grandmother made sure each of her 3 granddaughters had a cedar "hope" chest full of table linens, towels, etc., when they married.
Liz
Anonymous@12:50 the title of the painting shown in Argyle's link is "Obra de Joan Miró"
This one was a bit tougher for this “tease”. Not being a baseball fan I had to hit the g-spot for David Ortiz. I also had to use wild Mr. G for Vittorio De Sica and Erskine Caldwell. Got some perp help with Miro and Troi, otherwise it was pretty straight forward for me. Weather has finally warmed up here. Gonna head out and see if I can find any fabulous wild men to go feast upon. Wish me luck!!
Hello All-- I didn't have to Google any answers today, but did have a couple of missteps along the way. I also put in Zag for Zig, but Troa looked like it could be a legitimate answer so I left it. Thanks to Arglye, I had to erase and fix that section. I didn't know how to spell Meara, but the perps took care of that problem.
I usually have trouble with sport's names but for some reason I knew all of those today. New word for me today was Fealty but I'm not sure that I would use it in everyday language.
Lois another good take on the puzzle answers. You have SUCH a way with words!
VTQUILTMOM, Your avatar quilt is just beautiful. Let us see more of your handiwork.
Welcome AimeeAya. I'm just trying to KEEP what grey cells I have left by doing the crossword each day. They say it really helps us "old folk".
Hi gang -
Visited the dentist this morning, and didn't get to the puzzle until afternoon. Feeling mentally sluggish. It was an 18 minute slog that I didn't enjoy very much. Had KING Kong, don't know TROI from Troy, and couldn't wrap the TOWELS, around my head. Hope you'll EXCUSE me, for what it's WORTH.
Yep, I remember Jimmy Olsen: "Don't call me Chief!" What was that editor's name? Ahhh - got it! Perry White.
Surprised to see STRIPTEASE in the puzzle, and disappointed by the lack of a Link
Actually had some difficulty finding a picture worth linking that I wouldn't be ashamed of.
Gotta run. Things to do, and all that.
Cheers!
JzB
For those of you who would think about wearing a corset to enhance your figure think about all the medical problems caused by long term constriction of the internal organs. Dimished lung capacity was one common disorder. Therefore the smelling salts used so often, because women tended to faint more easily. Many also had persistent coughs as a result of corset wearing. UGH! There was a price to pay for those "hour glass" figures.
I'm sure women who wear corsets today do not do it on a daily basis as it would certainly be restrictive.
The picture that comes into my head about corsets is one of the opening scenes of "Gone With the Wind" where Scarlet O'Hara is getting ready for a summer fete. Mammy is lacing up her corset while Scarlet holds onto the bed post. Both women are complaining. Scarlett because she is being laced so tightly, and Mammy because Scarlet is grousing about what she considers her job, to make Scarlett beautiful.
It took a while for things to start clicking. Harder than the usual Tuesday. My only mistake today was ZAG for ZIG, not knowing TROI at all, but when I didn't get the Ta-Da I was sure that it was FEALTY that was wrong, even though I was certain all the down fills were correct.
Dennis, I think corsets are not used for what we might call "practical" reasons any longer - just as a "T-ser" as evidenced by the links that were provided today. Loved your WoW and Shaw's quote.
As usual Lois you outdid yourself. This puzzle was made for that.
Doreen, interesting to hear you had a resurgence of aura's in your mid 50's. Apparently I had hormonal migraines, but never classified them as such (neurologist said that is quite common). I was stunned when I had such a bad one last month as I thought it was my first. Despite my OBGyn saying it is unlikely, women often get spikes in migraines during menopause, then they diminish. I don't get aura's though, just wake up with a full blown migraine. None today though, so it is a good day.
Re: Strip tease. A recent study out of a British university showed that women who reveal only 40% of their skin are the most attractive to men. Showing more skin signal general avaliability and infidelity. What's your take on this study, guys?
Afternoon Argyle and All,
I haven't gotten to the all of the write up yet and forgot to post earlier this AM. I never got the theme (duh) but did get the answers. The Aura and Damask cross sent me for red letter help. I've never had a migrane and Damask? My favorite table linen is newspaper, especially when your eating lobster! I can't add much to what's already been said other than I knew Big Papi being a Bosox fan.
Gotta go play kid taxi.
Have a great evening!
Which 40% and are there tan lines involved?
Good afternoon Argyle, CC and all,
a tad harder than yesterday, but easy enough to complete. Mr. Parrish must have dug real deep for FEALTY and DECANT.Loved the clue" You can't be serious!" and the link. It brought back sweet memories when I was addicted to tennis.
Lois, your last 2 days of posting have been memorable; always makes us smile.
MelissaB, good tribute to Miep Gries.Can you imagine the courage it took to hide those families? Because of Anne's diary so many children have learned about intolerance, racism, and discrimination. It certainly has inspired many to help build a world based on mutual respect.
Geez, I'm glad girdles went out of style when control top panty hose was introduced.Am even "gladder" that wearing panty hose is almost obsolete.
Have been humming Oscar Meyer jingle, but I just realizes that it was the bologna that had a first name, not the weiner...LOL!
Love your quilt,VtQuiltMom!
Love your penguin Hahtool!
@Entropy: What is the significance of your avatar and name?
NEW KID
Thank you for the compliments on my quilt avatar! That was a 'buck a block' quilt I did a few years ago. Silly me thinking that I'd have a $12 quilt! That got me the 12 blocks that I then needed to put together, attach a back to, and have quilted.
Miep is quite the hero in my book. My Mom was Dutch and lived through WWII in Rotterdam. There were many heroes and many friends lost. I cherish my Mom's stories and love Anne's diary.
Fun puzzle and blog today.
Unknowns filled by perps: Prie-dieu, Miro, David Ortiz, Vittorio and Erskine. No idea HOW I was able to guess Erskine though, other than the perps gave me all but the S, and that’s all that looked plausible.
I remember VIN SCULLY as being a frequent crossword fill years ago. I didn’t know he was a sportscaster, but I sure knew the name.
Argyle: The Keys did get that last blast of cold – just as a friend of mine was taking a long weekend at a nice resort down there. He was disappointed to be spending all that money and vacation time, and not get to be able to enjoy all the outdoor cafes, tiki bars and water sports he’d planned. (Probably same experence as Dennis!)
Lois: “I pledge FEALTY” does have a nice DF ring to it though, doesn’t it?
Jeannie: Good luck with your search! Send any leftovers from your feast down south. I think I could find something to do with them!
Chickie, Annette and others, you're right that the torturous corsets of the past are pretty much in the past (except for those fetish sites...oh yes, they are out there!) Most of the photos I saw were snug and bosom lifting, but not painful. Back laced corset-style tops are very popular for today's strapless wedding gowns. There were a lot of sexy lingerie corsets on some websites, but I think most fell within the 40% range Hahtool mentioned. (I won't bother with a link, guys. Just google "photos of corsets", and you'll be busy for the rest of the day.)
liz, even though real linen is seldom used anymore, I guess it is a tradition. "Table polyester" just wouldn't have the same cachet.
Hatool -
My take is the ones that dress like tarts are usually tarts.
Today, I guess Lada Gaga is the queen, and Madonna the Queen Mother.
Anyway, I prefer strudel.
Please pass the whipped cream.
Cheers!
JzB
Hahtool et al,
My first impulse was to say that study was totally bogus, but on reflection, most of us don't want gifts to be pre-unwrapped, do we? I'm very conflicted on this issue. Maybe some of the other guys (or gals) can give me some guidance.
Hahtool
A study by a British University that women whose skin was 40% revealed are the most attractive to men?
Even it the summer time they would be very cold.
Cold women don't seem to be that desireable.
CA, Maniac and interested others. Table linens were a big thing in the 50's when I was married. Every bride had to have at least one Damask Table cloth. I received mine from my Mother-in-law.
Damask is the term for a fabic with woven in design. The design and the fabric are often the same color but of a different type of thread.
Maniac, I like your tablecloth idea much better than the one I used on my table for the holidays. I had to iron mine and you could just toss yours after the meal was done!
Though I do like a table fully set on a damask cloth with china, crystal and silver. I just don't like the fact that everything has to be put away, after being washed, dried,and or ironed.
I'm not looking any further!
Mrs. Emma Peel in a corset.
Men, according to snopes think about sex every 7 seconds....oh, wait a minute....that's false...
Anyway, it has been my observation that most men think about sex a heck of a lot more than most women. (Participants on this blog have not been surveyed. ;o)) So, even though Anon@6:09 might think that women would be interested in appearing 100% desirable, 100% of the time, with permanent 40% coverage, I think that's a male fantasy. The 40% rule only applies in specific situations, not 24/7. Besides which, as far as chilliness desirability goes, a cold man's assets are minimized, but a cold woman's assets are emphasized.
Chickie, I sold my two damask tablecloths at a garage sale a few years ago. It was the ironing that switched me to permanent press tablecloths and napkins.
I'm also a fan of permanent press cloths and napkins. I rarely, if ever, use paper napkins. I just love being able to rely on a strong cloth napkin that doesn't disintegrate in my hand.
My only experience with anything corsetlike was panty-girdles, which I thought were more comfortable that garter belts, but they only involved elastic and no bones. These days I prefer going braless around the house and only wear bras when going out. The beauty of retirement--comfort!
Welcome to all the newbies. Seems we have quite a few more each day lately.
VTQUILTMOM,
Your quilt looks beautiful. I'd never have the patience to work on something like that.
CA: Right on!!! (to use an old expression) as to female attributes compared to male in cold weather. We DO however, have the ability to warm their cockles! (if we want to). I say it's 'up' to them to lead us into temptation sometimes. We, on the other hand, (no pun intended) can lead them into oblivion!
Kazie: I agree, we are sooooo much better without all the nagging 'under-pinnings'. However, that said, there are still those moments that my sweetie deserves some 'dress-up' and a red light in the lamp in the bedroom never hurt a 'girls' looks. You'd be amazed how that red light flatters!!!
Long day for me. It sounds like everyone is doing OK.
Love Aimees blog very cute and what an adorable little boy!
Hahtool the Barbie quote is priceless!
I wear spankz or the bustier and garter for the hubb.
I have a Riley dog too Diane!
Carol and Lois LMAO you girls are the BEST!
Miep Gies RIP Thank you MelissaBee for the reminder. What a woman.
Jazz a well done striptease can be considered a serious art form don't you think? Maybe Gypsy Rose Lee or others? Even I enjoy these things! They say pole dancing may become an olympic event :)
I appreciate the nice comments.
Annette: I can pledge 'fealty' to a fig leaf no problem-ty or I should say not-ty problem, which would be more my style!
Entropy: the longer the zig the better. I'll see you and raise you 7 and then meet you 'el centro'.
Argyle: funny! LOL
Robin - thanks :)
Lois - feel-ty, feel-teehee...ooops.
feel it any-which-way, feel it up, down and side-ways. Well, I certainly don't have to tell you that, do I??? LOL
Argyle -
You da man.
C.A. -
You da woman.
Robin -
I like the way you think.
Time for beddy-bye. 'Night, all.
Cheers!
JzB
Annette, alas, no luck for Jeannie today. I guess my sweater wasn't tight enough.
Clearayes, how exactly do you know about those fetishes? Still looking for the perfect male that will appeciate me without make-up and "dressed down". That can mean many things in MN. "Down" being the key word.
Robin, how warm is it now? We hit 30 today and am heading towards that mark tomorrow through the weekend. Don't be surprised if I am actually sunnying myself in a swim suit on Saturday. Lemonade, and Windhover...if only I had a camera.
Windhover, do you really like them gift wrapped so to speak? I was under the impression that you liked your gal 'el natural' so to speak.
Working on the spring foodshow which might take me away during the day. Coming up March 30th. Lot's of work putting it together.
Hey Jazz, back at ya.
Jeannie, I was hoping you had found one of those fabulous Minnesota wild men and would be too busy to check in until tomorrow.
Fetishes? Just by googling "corsets", some really "unusual" stuff popped up. I guess there is something for everybody under the sun.
Have a good evening, everyone.
Jeannie:
I do prefer to do the unwrapping myself. As for au naturale, let's just say that atra is more than a xword puzzle clue here at WH Farm; it's a way of life.
As for the term "fetish", that's what you call other peoples'
quirks. Your own are just "preferences".
Windhover, got your point. As the temperature rises here, so do my spirits. I might be enticed to put on the 'kini and do the 'polar plunge' this weekend in honor of the "Viking's" play-off hopes. I should make the local paper if nothing else...
Windhover,
I finished the NY Times today and even it was incredibly easy! It was mostly about noted people from literature, sports, music, movies, etc. I also watched Jeopardy tonight and did well I think I only missed 3 questions I even got the final right also! Today was a day that my brain was working.
I canceled my subscription years ago. When I go to my local neighborhood bar I can always find a discarded copy on the bar. Minus the sports section. But who cares as long as I can spend happy hour with the NY Times puzzle & the jumble.
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