Theme: Saintly Cities of Cee A - Add SAN (61A) to the first names of 16A, 20A, 33A, and 59A to get cities in 56A.
16A: *Big name in tequila: JOSE CUERVO. Tracy Byrd might buy you a round. San Jose.
20A: *Mexican muralist: DIEGO RIVERA. Self-portrait. San Diego.
33A: *Spanish painter (1746-1828): FRANCISCO GOYA. Self-portrait. (No Nude Maja today). San Francisco.
50A: *Roger Federer rival: RAFAEL NADAL. Tennis Poster Boy. San Rafael.
56A: Home to this puzzle's theme: CALIFORNIA.
61A: Word that forms a city when combined with the first names in answers to starred clues: SAN.
Argyle here.
I thought for sure this was at least a Thursday puzzle, what with all the open squares I had but when I got to the South-West corner (how appropriate), 61A turned on the light bulb and filled in the picket fences. Still, it is a hard Tuesday but it is Dan's and it is doable.
Here is a list of more "San" cities in California.
Across:
1A: "I did it!": "TA-DA!".
5A: Outplays: BESTS.
10A: Jack's inferior: TEN. (playing cards)
13A: Holly genus: ILEX.
14A: Draw a better bead on: RE-AIM. I didn't find it in the Dictionary.com.
15A: Pitcher Hideo: NOMO. Nomo was the second Japanese native to pitch in the major leagues, and was famous for his "tornado" delivery.
18A: Gossip tidbit: ITEM.
19A: Abu Dhabi's federation: Abbr.: UAE. United Arab Emirates
22A: Actor Brody of "The Pianist": ADRIEN. (his abs)
24A: Pep: ENERGY.
25A: __ one mind: disagreeing: NOT OF.
26A: Fri. preceder: THU..
29A: Short film role: CAMEO. Hitchcock was famous for his brief appearances in his films.
30A: Some: A FEW.
31A: On the double: PRONTO.
38A: For all to see: OPENLY.
39A: Submissive: MEEK.
41A: Gas brand with a landmark sign outside Fenway Park: CITGO.
45A: Vegas cube: DIE. (plural is dice)
46A: Iraqi seaport: BASRA.
47A: Opposed (to): AVERSE.
49A: "The Picture of __ Gray": DORIAN. The only published novel (1891) by Oscar Wilde, it was made into a film and released in 1945, featuring Hurd Hatfield as Dorian.
54A: Gold units: Abbr.: KTS.. In U.S., karat is used for "proportion of fine gold in an alloy". CA, the Gold Coast.
55A: Big pictures: Abbr.: ENLS.. (enlargements)
58A: Fight-ending calls, briefly: TKOS.
59A: Insect stage: IMAGO.
60A: Animal whose fur was used for Crockett's cap: COON. What boy wouldn't want one.
62A: Slow to catch on: DENSE. Like me and today's offering.
63A: Barley beards: AWNS. Is it a "gimme" yet?
Down:
1D: Baja border city: TIJUANA. And not far from San Diego.
2D: What you "take" when you sit down: A LOAD OFF. (off your feet)
3D: Military no-show: DESERTER. They're locked-up in TIJUANA!
4D: Lumberjack's tool: AXE.
5D: UCLA player: BRUIN. No Boston Bruin today, wrong coast.
6D: Extra wide, on a shoebox: EEEE.
7D: Puppeteer Tony: SARG.
8D: VCR successor: TIVO.
9D: Campfire treat: S'MORE. Who can have just one S'MORE?
10D: For the full length of a pregnancy: TO TERM.
11D: Come to light: EMERGE.
12D: "Skip the sandwich dressing": "NO MAYO". Words I've never said.
15D: Skin care brand: NIVEA.
17D: B-G link: CDEF. (alphabetically)
21D: Working undercover, for short: INCOG. (incognito)
23D: Corn Belt state: IOWA. I'll bet it hurt to have put a Midwestern state in this CA puzzle.
26D: Gave it a shot: TRIED.
27D: Mubarak of Egypt: HOSNI.
28D: "I give up!": "UNCLE!".
31D: Angel dust, briefly: PCP.
32D: Happy Meal extra: TOY.
34D: Lariat loop: NOOSE.
35D: Poet Khayyám: OMAR.
36D: "That's not news to me": "YES, I KNOW".
37D: Soda-making process: AERATION. Puts the bubbles in it.
40D: Topeka natives: KANSANS.
41D: Insertion marks: CARETS. This.
42D: The Donald's daughter: IVANKA. Her mother is Ivana.She born October 30, 1981.
43D: Nonstick coating: TEFLON.
44D: Lawn makeup: GRASS.
46D: Western tie: BOLO. What the good old boys are wearing.
48D: Spanish hero played by Heston: EL CID.
49D: Willem of "Spider-Man": DAFOE. No abs shot for him.
51D: Appoint: NAME.
53D: Uses a spade: DIGS.
57D: Color TV pioneer: RCA.
Answer grid.
Starting in February we'll only see Dan Naddor's puzzles every other week.
Argyle
16A: *Big name in tequila: JOSE CUERVO. Tracy Byrd might buy you a round. San Jose.
20A: *Mexican muralist: DIEGO RIVERA. Self-portrait. San Diego.
33A: *Spanish painter (1746-1828): FRANCISCO GOYA. Self-portrait. (No Nude Maja today). San Francisco.
50A: *Roger Federer rival: RAFAEL NADAL. Tennis Poster Boy. San Rafael.
56A: Home to this puzzle's theme: CALIFORNIA.
61A: Word that forms a city when combined with the first names in answers to starred clues: SAN.
Argyle here.
I thought for sure this was at least a Thursday puzzle, what with all the open squares I had but when I got to the South-West corner (how appropriate), 61A turned on the light bulb and filled in the picket fences. Still, it is a hard Tuesday but it is Dan's and it is doable.
Here is a list of more "San" cities in California.
Across:
1A: "I did it!": "TA-DA!".
5A: Outplays: BESTS.
10A: Jack's inferior: TEN. (playing cards)
13A: Holly genus: ILEX.
14A: Draw a better bead on: RE-AIM. I didn't find it in the Dictionary.com.
15A: Pitcher Hideo: NOMO. Nomo was the second Japanese native to pitch in the major leagues, and was famous for his "tornado" delivery.
18A: Gossip tidbit: ITEM.
19A: Abu Dhabi's federation: Abbr.: UAE. United Arab Emirates
22A: Actor Brody of "The Pianist": ADRIEN. (his abs)
24A: Pep: ENERGY.
25A: __ one mind: disagreeing: NOT OF.
26A: Fri. preceder: THU..
29A: Short film role: CAMEO. Hitchcock was famous for his brief appearances in his films.
30A: Some: A FEW.
31A: On the double: PRONTO.
38A: For all to see: OPENLY.
39A: Submissive: MEEK.
41A: Gas brand with a landmark sign outside Fenway Park: CITGO.
45A: Vegas cube: DIE. (plural is dice)
46A: Iraqi seaport: BASRA.
47A: Opposed (to): AVERSE.
49A: "The Picture of __ Gray": DORIAN. The only published novel (1891) by Oscar Wilde, it was made into a film and released in 1945, featuring Hurd Hatfield as Dorian.
54A: Gold units: Abbr.: KTS.. In U.S., karat is used for "proportion of fine gold in an alloy". CA, the Gold Coast.
55A: Big pictures: Abbr.: ENLS.. (enlargements)
58A: Fight-ending calls, briefly: TKOS.
59A: Insect stage: IMAGO.
60A: Animal whose fur was used for Crockett's cap: COON. What boy wouldn't want one.
62A: Slow to catch on: DENSE. Like me and today's offering.
63A: Barley beards: AWNS. Is it a "gimme" yet?
Down:
1D: Baja border city: TIJUANA. And not far from San Diego.
2D: What you "take" when you sit down: A LOAD OFF. (off your feet)
3D: Military no-show: DESERTER. They're locked-up in TIJUANA!
4D: Lumberjack's tool: AXE.
5D: UCLA player: BRUIN. No Boston Bruin today, wrong coast.
6D: Extra wide, on a shoebox: EEEE.
7D: Puppeteer Tony: SARG.
8D: VCR successor: TIVO.
9D: Campfire treat: S'MORE. Who can have just one S'MORE?
10D: For the full length of a pregnancy: TO TERM.
11D: Come to light: EMERGE.
12D: "Skip the sandwich dressing": "NO MAYO". Words I've never said.
15D: Skin care brand: NIVEA.
17D: B-G link: CDEF. (alphabetically)
21D: Working undercover, for short: INCOG. (incognito)
23D: Corn Belt state: IOWA. I'll bet it hurt to have put a Midwestern state in this CA puzzle.
26D: Gave it a shot: TRIED.
27D: Mubarak of Egypt: HOSNI.
28D: "I give up!": "UNCLE!".
31D: Angel dust, briefly: PCP.
32D: Happy Meal extra: TOY.
34D: Lariat loop: NOOSE.
35D: Poet Khayyám: OMAR.
36D: "That's not news to me": "YES, I KNOW".
37D: Soda-making process: AERATION. Puts the bubbles in it.
40D: Topeka natives: KANSANS.
41D: Insertion marks: CARETS. This.
42D: The Donald's daughter: IVANKA. Her mother is Ivana.She born October 30, 1981.
43D: Nonstick coating: TEFLON.
44D: Lawn makeup: GRASS.
46D: Western tie: BOLO. What the good old boys are wearing.
48D: Spanish hero played by Heston: EL CID.
49D: Willem of "Spider-Man": DAFOE. No abs shot for him.
51D: Appoint: NAME.
53D: Uses a spade: DIGS.
57D: Color TV pioneer: RCA.
Answer grid.
Starting in February we'll only see Dan Naddor's puzzles every other week.
Argyle
91 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - I was looking forward to the next Naddor puzzle, and for the most part, this one didn't disappoint. I did think there were some weak clues, i.e., 'Jack's inferior', 'Fri. preceder' and 'B-G link'. I'm not even sure how legit 'preceder' is.
Outside of those 'nits', this was an enjoyable, albeit fairly easy, puzzle. Thought I had the theme after the first two theme answers, and 'Francisco' confirmed it. Didn't especially like seeing 'Tijuana', especially crossing with 'a few'. I think I mentioned here before, the last time I was in Tijuana I had 'a few', and woke up in a dirt-floored jail cell.
Argyle, I'm with you - the only word I put in front of 'mayo' is 'extra'.
Today is Spouses Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Nothing is really work unless you'd rather be doing something else." -- J. M. Barrie
Seeing as how he's been in the news just a bit lately, here's a couple good quotes from Conan O'Brien:
- "The price of Prozac went up 50 percent last year. When they asked Prozac users how they felt about this they said, 'Whatever.'"
- "American and British troops handed out food to hundreds of Iraqis. Not surprisingly, Iraqis handed the British food back."
Good Morning, CC, Argyle and Friends. This was a TADA puzzle for me right from the start. I loved the Mexican-flavored theme, from TIJUANA to JOSE CUERO to DIEGO RIVERA. I expected to see Frieda Kalho hidden in the puzzle, too.
Goya was one of the first artists whose paintings I was exposed to.
My first job out of school was in Boston. I had an apartment a few blocks from Fenway Park and Kemore Square where the CITGO sign is located. Periodically there is talk about removing the sign.
QOD: Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
A couple of careless errors this morning that I should have caught. BEATS instead of BESTS at 5A (I should have caught the obvious error in 7D) and DEFOE instead of DAFOE at 49D. I knew better but still missed it. 12 minutes.
aloha all-- I am discovering that some constructors are easier for me than others. JOSE CUERVO, TIJUANA, DIEGO RIVERA, CALIFORNIA, maybe it was my lucky day.... am getting better at solving.
I have never been to the "g spot". though I have used my husband and others for tips.
I was happy to see a 'fellow Hawaiian', on which island is your hale?
Good morning Argyle and All, as Argyle said a difficult, but doable puzzle. I had one open fill where 5A crosses 7D. I kept trying to force “beAts” in lieu of “bests”, but was pretty sure Aarg was not correct. I liked the theme and it appeared very early as I had trouble getting started and worked form the bottom up.
Hello to all the newbie’s that showed up yesterday. Jump on in and enjoy the fun.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday.
Good morning
I never heard of TONY SARG ;
thought this was an interesting Naddor, as the theme and the extra clues really helped what I thought was tricky in places, and as Dennis mentioned was loose in places also.
Good morning everyone! I fully enjoyed this puzzle.
We have the Diego Rivera mural "Detroit Industry" at the Detroit Institute of Arts, so that one was a gimme for me. I liked the Mexican theme, and for once the theme clue was immediately apparent. I won't hold my breath for that to happen again.
This puzzle was great fun and about what I'd expect on a Tuesday. No googling, but red letters helped. I think it took about 20 minutes to complete.
Adrien Brody abs - wow, how does that happen? I confess that the washboard look just tells me that the possessor spends way too much time on himself. But, what do I know?
Loved the quote re British food, great laugh to start the day.
Enjoy the day!
Gracie
Had the exact same problem as Dick. I knew that AARG couldn't possibly be right, but all the perps (BEATS, REAIM, JOSECUERVO and DIEGORIVERA) seemed absolutely unassailable. I finally tried BESTS instead of BEATS, but without much hope of a "TADA!" since SARG looked just as improbable as AARG...
[Man, I really wish this blog had an "edit post" feature!]
Good morning. Fairly easy puzzle. Agree with IPO about constructors. Sense this was another cw created earlier in Dan's career - his characteristic polish and nuance to come later.
No erasures or lookups so it was sort of a TADA. Had trouble in the N like others did. Had aarg before SARG was clear from the perps. Left me with SMORE until I came here and saw S'MORE. My 'aha'. Theme was neat and for once I got it.
A few more days and we leave for the land of the Floridians - a break from Brrrrrrrr.
Good Morning Argyle, CC and All,
I had the same experience as Dick and Barry. I had the city portion of the theme answers but needed perp help to fill the last names with the exception of Cuervo, whom I've had many friendly chats. Never had heard of the artists. Didn't know 22A either and I definitely had an AARG moment when Deserter fell. Couldn't get my mind off of AWOL and then wanted to fit Desert Rat.
Hahtool and Jeannie, Fishing was decent and definitely a couple of pops were taken. No injuries! I made everyone's day when I pulled out a large batch of scallops wrapped in bacon and heated them up on the wood stove for hor d'oeuvres. "Maine" entree was venison loin.
Nice to see all the new folks.
Rain last night causing a busy day!
Have a good one!
Good Morning All, "California Here I Come!" Loved this puzzle, in spite of a couple of sticking places.
I also confidently plopped BEATS at 5A. That made (7D) puppeteer AARG. What do I know? It coulda happened.
My second error, (and I am ashamed of myself on this one) how could I not know (50A) RAFAEL _ADAL...particularly after I saw Argyle's photo? What a cutie! The problem was compounded because I've never hear of (59A)IMAGO. So I was stuck with _A_E for 51D. The V8 can finally smacked my forehead and
I "D'ohed" in NAME. I still had to "G" IMAGO post puzzle to see what the heck that is.
Odd how two of the most famous Spanish artists GOYA and El GRECO showed up on one right after the other. Before anybody corrects me, I know El Greco wasn't born in Spain, but that was where he painted most of his major work.
I thought the cross of TIJUANA and JOSE CUERVO was terrific. My south of the border experiences have been more enjoyable than Dennis'.
Thanks for ADRIEN Brody's abs, Argyle. That photo and his Halle Berry Academy Award kiss a few years ago just go to show that you don't have to be classically handsome to be VERY sexy!.
Thanks again to Dan Naddor. His gifts just keep on giving!
JOSE CUERVO was hard to spell due to the silent "R".
NO MAYO! I say that every time I go to WENDYS. That is the nastiest smelling condiment yuck!
Ketchup and mustard are better on a hot sandwich. I haven't found a use for mayonnaise.
"There are alot of people that I've never heard of. On the other hand alot of people have probably never heard of me either."-Unknown
For those keeping score at home, snow has made triumphant return to my town and I'm glad to welcome it here and I hope it stays around for a little while. Roads and grass look so nice all covered in white.
Hey Dick send some of that Pittsburgh snow down here please?
Woke up at 2 am with a charley horse, so I worked the puzzle while sipping my tonic water (quinine) and waiting for it to abate.
I tried it in expert mode, but had to turn red letters on for one last fill in the central south region. The red also revealed 3 squares with mistakes, such as an 'a' in Tijuana instead of the 'u' (just sloppy that I didn't catch that...), and BEATS instead of BESTS. Otherwise, it was pretty quick, and I had no problem catching on to the theme this time. Perps sure did help with some of those last names though! Thanks for the fun and good distraction, Dan.
Spitzboov: Still bring a jacket/sweater with you. Florida may still be a little cool, though nothing compared to what I'm sure you're experiencing. When I logged on last night about 9 pm, the temp was 67 F. Five hours later, it was 54...and is still at that temp at 9 am this morning. And this is towards the southern end of the state.
Like Dick and Entropy, I worked from bottom up. Theme revealed quickly. Fewer 3 letter shorties than yesterday.
I hope any English blog readers are looking the other way for this one. I can always blame it on Dennis and Conan for starting it with British food. (I do love the scones and clotted cream, though!)
Spike Milligan was British and was the principal writer for the BBC's radio "The Goon Show", which was one of the main inspirations for "Monty Python's Flying Circus".
Teeth
English Teeth, English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British heritage
Aye, each and every one.
English Teeth, Happy Teeth!
Always having fun
Clamping down on bits of fish
And sausages half done.
English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!
Hear them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown Grey and Black.
- Spike Milligan
(As a last word, braces,veneers and whiteners crossed the ocean quite a few years ago.)
I feel like I am in the minority here. I liked the puzzle, but it sounds like it was much more difficult for me than most of you. Didn't know NADAL or GOYA or ILEX or SARG or NOMO or HONSI. You can catch my drift. Surprisingly, I got the theme and was able to complete most of this without help.
My older son always says hold the mayo, he doesn't like the stuff at all. He and the younger one are almost direct opposites in what they like, which makes cooking at our home very difficult.
My mother-in-law still talks about seeing Dorian Gray at the theater, and she was so frightened at the end that she never went to see a scary movie again.
Here is a cute pic of my son getting a medal at Saturday's swim meet. He isn't quit as ripped as Adrien Brody, but then again he is only 15. His idea of a snack is an entire frozen pizza or a sub sandwich. Then he will eat dinner. Oh to be young again.
Good morning, C.C., Argyle and all,
The perps were very kind this morning, making this one of Dan's easiest puzzle.
While living in Chicago, I was attached to a USMC reserve unit which took its summer training in Coronado, CA, starting out with small arms practice at Camp Matthews, north of San Diego. After firing practice, a few of us usually headed for Tijuana in our rental car, which we also used to go back and forth to the rifle range.
One night, after enjoying the Tijuana night life, we were approaching the U.S. border, when someone asked, "Did anybody take the M-1s out of the trunk?" With horror, we realized they were still there. With very tight sphincters, we were waved through. Had we been asked to open our trunk, we would probably still be in the brig.
Good job, as usual, Argyle.
Have to run this morning and get a quote on my smashed car door--someone backed into me as I was leaving a parking spot in a lot at a store yesterday and it was too late to get the quote after I got back to the autobody shop. There are a lot of jobs waiting in this snowbound area so I have to get in line asap.
Anyway, I did pretty well for a Dan puzzle--a few missteps, like not remembering what BOLOs were called, having NADER for NADAL, misspelling DAFOE as dEfoe, and OPENLY was my last fill because I had PCB for PCP.
As I said last night, new avatar is inspired by all the hat talk last evening. My fedora picture.
Good morning, everyone.
Nice solve today, As soon as I saw an asterisk, I headed down south and hit on SAN right away, That gave me the theme, and it was off to the races. Still needed to back track through the puzzle once it was all filled it -- had to revise/edit something to get my successful solution screen.
@barryg So nice to see you back on a regular basis.
Welcome to all of the newcomers! Quite a group we have here.
We Crocketts object to Disney's conceit of "Davy" in a coon skin cap. Historically, there is scant evidence that he ever wore one, let alone enough to make it a trademark! But, in popular culture, he will always be associated with the ring-tailed chapeau.
Have a fantastic Tuesday!
Good morning everyone.
Barry G. This post does have an edit feature. Copy your post, then use the garbage can to delete it. Then put the post up here and fix whatever you wanted to fix. Then publish. Tada.
tfrank: Really enjoyed your Tijuana story. You were surely luckier than Dennis!
Cheers
Good morning guys! Loved the puzzle. Love these names, and love Spanish because of all the vowels, don't they just sound nice when you say them?? Also laughed at all the comments-- good stories, good quotes, good song about teeth!! A really nice way to start the day. Also, concerning washboard abs, I think you can airbrush these right on yourself, although I prefer to think that Adrien Brody's abs are strictly the result of hard work and good genetics...
@ Annette. Thanks for the advice. Thought I'd leave the long johns home, tho. We'll be N of Tampa, so hoping Feb will be OK.
Welcome aboard to the plethora of newcomers. Always good to improve the gene pool.
More fake abs, here is Tracy Ullman as Matthew McConaughey
Spitzboov, I hope you have better weather in Florida than I had. Last week was very cold in the Port Charlotte area. I understand the east coast is warmer right now.
Hi Argyle, C.C. & gang, an enjoyable puzzle from the late Mr. Naddor again.
We finished 99% of it before my wife left. Only missed the unknown or forgotten 'Goya', 'Nadal' and misspelled Carets as 'Carats' which messed up 55A ENLS makes more sense than ANLS.
For Argyle: here's another song about Jose Cuervo from Shelly West
Sallie
I think the Delete a post feature still counts as a post. I think BarryG and others would like to Edit entries without copying,going to the garbage can, correcting and then reposting.
A good rereading via the Preview button before publishing helps a lot. You can Edit from there.
Martie
Here's a condensed version of an earlier attempt at posting that evidently ended up in cyberpurgatory.
The Lexington Herald-Leader and I are divorcing after 50 years. Got a call from the latest new carrier (8th in the last two years) saying he was losing money delivering in this part of the county and will no longer do so after Feb. 1, so I am now puzzleless and paperless. Maybe some of you could drop a little news item in your post from time to time so I know what's going on in the world.
Annette:
think it's possible your Charley horse was a subliminal effect of the talk last night of horsemen?
Kazie:
That's a great hat. One of my favorites is one that belonged to my late 88 year old neighbor. For reasons known only to them, it was included in the estate sale. I found it on a farm wagon, in its original box, with a sales slip from a local men's store dated June, 1957. It's a Stetson fedora, size 7 1/8, my size exactly. I rescued it for six dollars, paid $25 to have it steamed and blocked, and wear it often. It gets a lot of compliments in bars, especially dark ones (see last night's discussion).
Love the pearl necklace, too. Do the Aussies have a word for that?
Gooood Morning, Heart of Dixie.
KQ, your son surely has the sleek body of a swimmer. Hard to believe my body used to look like that. Wonder what happened?
Dick, one of the advantages of getting old is that as our vision goes, we can look like whatever we want to look like. I figure another 10 years or so, I'll have an incredible six-pack.
This was a good puzzle. It took me about 15 minutes to "finish", though I too fell into the Tony AARG trap that caught several others.
I have to disagree with Dennis as to "Jack's inferior". I thought that was an inspired clue. It had me thinking of various famouns Jacks and who their inferiors might be. I thought about "JIL" for a moment but concluded that she was on an equal footing with Jack, and I was pretty sure her name is spelled with two Ls in any case. I chuckled when the down clues revealed "TEN" as the answer.
Good puzzle & thanks for the insightful comments.
WH,
Not that I know of. They're Mikimoto pearls my parents gave me as a graduation gift. I don't wear them much though, because I don't feel the choker length is flattering to my Taurean neck. I prefer the opera length ones I got for a song at an antique dealer's store in Madison. Reminds me of your hat--you paid more for the cleaning of it than the item, I've probably paid out more in insurance for jewelry over the years than I bought them for.
I'm really glad you like the hat though. I've had it for years too--of course, who wears hats any more? When I was in my early twenties, my friends and I used to love to get all togged out like that and "do lunch" in a posh restaurant in Sydney every so often.
These days, I go out with a group of friends for dinner every few weeks. We call ourselves OBs (short for Old Broads) because we're all too old to need the product of that name any more and are proud to be game to say we're "old Broads" too. We don't dress up at all, strictly come as you are. The restaurant staff always giggle when I call in the booking and say who it's for.
For Windhover:
I'm sorry to hear about your loss of paper news. I think that we'll all be in the same boat eventually.
Below are two links to online news.
Yahoo
Google
Good Morning, all!
Finally, a little time to do other things besides keeping up with stuff!
Had to do this by fits and starts. Things kept getting in the way of my concentration. Finally after a few hours of an answer every now and then, I was able to sit and finish.
Oh, did I say "finish"? Well not in the truest sense. The blanks were filled, but, like some BEATS and AARG seemed OK. DAFOE needed to be shown to me 'cause I had DEFOE. No, I've never seen IMAGO, but it fits, so, what the hey. AWNS; I'm getting that in my memory so now, we won't see it for a while. It was a pretty good x word. A little more than Tues (at least for me). Ah, such is life!!!
CY'all Later
Windhover: so sorry to hear you will no longer be getting a newspaper. I much prefer doing the xword on newsprint than on any other media. You might a actually be better off not knowing what craziness that is going on in the world. The supreme court is now a misnomer. If I go on, I would be stepping into the forbidden realm.
Love your hat. I am a hat person, too, despite being nearly the only person to regularly wear one places.
Kazie: I think WH was being DF when he asked about your pearl necklace.
Hey ya'll - newbie Dixie here!
AARG! Who knew! Apparently not me! So I missed that but the rest of the puzzle went well. I enjoyed the theme and like Henry liked the 'inferior to Jack' clue. Of course, I didn't get it - but enjoyed it when it fell into place. Tada!
I just completed the first of Peter Gordon's 'Fireball' puzzles. How can I put this nicely......I guess I can't: The puzzle made me its bitch. I got through it, but I think I've worn out my computer's g-spot, not to mention several million smoked brain cells.
Bottom line - loved the puzzle. If you want a damn good challenge, you might consider signing up.
Hahtool and WH,
Well then I answered honestly by saying I didn't know, didn't I? I'll have to ask when I visit again later this year. I did get a twinge from the recesses of my memory that made me think of that DF possibility but it didn't ring any bells.
The following quote from IPO did, however, raise my DF antenna somewhat:
I have never been to the "g spot". though I have used my husband and others for tips.
I too regret WH's isolation from news sources. Is it possible to access those Warren suggested from a phone? I only use a Tracfone, and that rarely, so I'm not up on all those other media things.
CA,
Thanks for the Goons reminder. As a teen in Sydney, we used to listen religiously to their show every week.
Kazie said, I'll have to ask when I visit again later this year.
Kaz, lol, I strongly urge you not to.
Hi gang -
Welcome newcomers!
I agree with Dennis on today's nits - except for "jack's inferior." As a frustrated bridge player, I got that right off. Agree with Argyl on difficulty - this was about a "Fri preceder" for me.
WH - The Freep only delivers Thu, Fri, and Sun. Everything is in contraction mode.
Anette - have you tried eating bananas?
I never work from the bottom, unless it's themeless, and I'm force to go there. To me, that feels like reading the last chapter of a mystery first. I want the theme to reveal itself - like one of those Goya paintings.
I went searching for Goya's Toledo painting - bound to be my favorite, fer sure. Turns out it was by Domenikos Theotokopoulos, aka "El Greco" (Sp. for the Greek.)
Here it is. I made a good mistake, though, tripping over
this on the way.
Cheers!
JzB the doesn't know his Spanish painters trombonist
Dennis maybe I put too many six packs on the inside.
JazzB: I posted the Toledo painting yesterday when El Greco popped up. I posted two Goyas today but no one has commented on their exposure.
Good morning everyone,
Same comments as already shared. Never like the extra wide shoe size clues, but see where they're necessary. The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorite old movies. The young Donna Reed was stunning, and Angela Lansbury was excellent as always. And thanks for Adrien's abs.
We're buried in snow and high wind chills. Good day to watch more movies!
About hats...I've mentioned before that I belong to a really mellow Red Hat gang of over age 55 women. I don't wear a lot of froufrou, so my fedora is about as fancy as I get. I come from a family of large-headed people and this one is an X-Large for a 23" head circumference. That's not necessarily brains, folks, just a thick skull.
Hahtool, I saw your Goya "exposures", both before and after. Some of my favorites.
Windhover, I thought we were in the sticks. At least we still get a newspaper, even if it is usually not until 10 or 11AM. I know you are Luddite-ish, but could a small battery-powered laptop be in your future?
Hello all.
If I still lived in the Pittsburgh area, I would be headed for Fla or maybe AZ. Wind chill of 9 tonight.
Have been to San Diego many times but, never to Tijuana. Did go to
Nogales once.
Yesterday's USA Today cw did have
eddy and lurk.
eddyB
You guys, I have a six pack still, but out of concern I keep it warm under a nice cozy layer of me.
I was talking to my froend about how many long married couples are on this site and he recounted this story.
After being married for 44 years, he took a careful look at his wife one day and said, "darling, 44 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white tv, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old girl. I worked realy hard, and now we have a $500,000..00 home, a $45,000.00 car, nice big bed and plasma screen tv, but I'm sleeping with a 65-year-old woman. It seems to me that you're not holding up your side of things."
His wife he told me, is a very reasonable woman. She told him to go out and find a hot 25-year-old gal, and she would make sure that he would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white tv.
Love the hat pics, and DF on this site, Dennis what are you doing?
Good morning Argyle, CC and all,
Fun puzzle today. Had no trouble with the theme, but remembering first names, prior to perps, makes my Mon to Wed times about 20 minutes.Didn't know Sarg (thx Lemonade), ilex, and Hosni. Remembered imago since I wrote it down last time, but forgot awns even though I wrote it down??!!
Hey AimeeAya, those are my Calvin Kleins, but unfortunately not my abs.
KQ, I feel the pride you have for your family which is heartwarming. Thanks for sharing those great moments with us.
One of the great things about Amsterdam was that they introduced me to mayonnaise with fries! Yum!
ClearAyes:
Damn, that looks good, and I like the hat, too.
As for the battery powered laptop, I've considered it, but we have no broadband available here, and the chip to get 3G Internet costs $60 a month plus applicable taxes; probably $800-900 a year all told. To afford that I'd have to drop Internet from the Iphone, which I don't want to do (Weather radar in the hayfield, etc.) Hahtool may be right; a little respite from constant info might be good. She mentioned craziness, I come here for that, or talk to myself. To be honest, I've been thinking about dropping it (the paper) for a while anyway, but reading a daily paper has been a practice since I was 14 and needed an excuse to
get out of study hall and go to the library. My high school librarian (I swear this is true) once kicked me out and sent me back to study hall. When I asked why, she said, "You read too much".
Lemonade714:
I did a little math. Who is the sixty-five year old your friend is seeing? His wife is 69.
windhover, any chance getting the paper through the mail? That is all we had for years.
Dennis - Thanks for the feedback on the Peter Gordon "Fireball" puzzles. Now I don't feel quite so bad, if "Mr 3 1/2 Minutes" had trouble with it. I tried one of the sample puzzles offered and got slapped around pretty badly. I guess I'm just not there yet. I had to Google for so many answers I couldn't really feel good about the ones I got on my own.
yeah, he was never good at math, and I did not pick up on his mistake. IPO are you being bad already?
JimmyB, you're welcome. And let's not get carried away with that "Mr. 3 1/2 minutes" stuff, lol.
Who's your friend?
Well, true to form I had to hit the g-spot for one of Mr. Naddor’s clues. I figured out it was cities that start with San but I have never heard of San Rafael or Rafael Nadal. I had the same trouble as some of you with Aarg and Sarg and best and beat. I got Hosni with the perps. Another director that usually has a cameo in his movies is Quentin Tarantino.
KQ, what a handsome son you have.
The low tonight is supposed to be a balmy 1 degree with wind chills well below zero. You can bet I won’t be venturing out tonight. The drive this morning was better than I had anticipated though.
Argyle, you learned your lesson the other time I called you on it…thanks for Adrien Brody’s “abs”.
Favorite fills were:
1A “I did it!”: TA-DA!
10A Jack’s inferior: TEN
2D What you “take” when you sit down: A LOAD OFF
'Barley beards’ AWNS ISN't a gimme for me yet…
No DF comments on 1A or 2D...?
It’s so great to see that most everybody ran into exactly the same traps on this one: BEATS, AARG, IMAGO, AWNS – give or take a few. I'm not sure if it proves Dan Naddor’s brilliance, or reveals what level he’d progressed from!
Windover: No, the horsemen discussion had definitely effected different sensations elsewhere! And how aggravating about the paper. Maybe a different carrier will pick up that region…
Dennis: I didn’t think you EVER had to google! So glad you're enjoying your new "mistress"…
Jazzbumpa: I only knew of bananas
for potassium. Do you eat them to prevent the cramps, or later to make them stop? I wonder if frozen ones would work as well… Although the tonic water works pretty well.
Windhover,
I don't know what I'd do without the newspaper. I'd have nothing to start the wood stove with in the evening, or wrap fish guts in. My librarian accused me of just chasing the girls around during study hall.
My Mom is "The Hat Lady". She would be happy to see she's not the only one left, by the elegant sights here, which is her common complaint.
Off to a budget hearing. Oh Joy!
Good evening Argyle, CC, et al., Have only a minute but as a tribute to the WoW on British food, I wanted to show you "Frogs in a hole" from one of our London dinners. I thought they might also serve antibiotic ointment for dessert...or at least some whip cream. Never got that far to find out though.
Be back later.
Dennis - If you mean who's my buddy in the avatar, that would be the Spartan mascot of San Jose State. I didn't go there myself, but my MIL did, so we attend a lot of events. It turned out to be my wife's favorite picture of me from last year.
Chickie's an alumna, so she caught that a while ago.
SJS is my alma mater too. When elem teachers majored in education( way back when Chickie and I were students), it was considered one of the best.Bob likes to tell me that HE graduated from a UNIVERSITY. The U. status was added a year or two after I graduated.
And, I went to high school in San Rafael, a beautiful town in Marin County, about a 1/2 north of SF.My school, Dominican, has since been moved to San Anselmo.
Clear Ayes, what WH said.
Annette, believe me, I'm no stranger to googling. And while I got your 2D reference, 1A lost me.
Lois, I think I understand why that might be a favorite dish of yours...
Jimmy B, yeah, I figured it might be a mascot, just didn't know which college. Good picture.
Lois, Seeing your avatar of the "Frogs in a hole" reminded me our first trip to England. We were at a nice little inn in the country and were chatting with a very prim and proper elderly couple. The man recommended that we eat at a particular restaurant because, as he put it, "They have a lovely Spotted Dick there." We tried very hard to keep a straight face and never did dare try to order this dessert.
Dennis: Sorry, it wasn't the best line... Just that people sometimes use "it" to refer to sex. I was thinking of teenagers in particular, and bragging about their first time.
Gotta run! I'll be back online later tonight...
Hello All-- I loved this Dan Naddor puzzle. I've visited all those "San" Cities and live in one, so I enjoyed the CW today a lot.
My only hangup today was in the NE corner when I was thinking fairy tale Jacks and couldn't think of any person inferior to a Jack in a fairy tale. Doh. At least I didn't have to Google and finally got the entire puzzle on my own.
I loved all the hat pictures today. They reminded me of my first airplane trip from San Francisco to Chicago. I wore a suit, gloves, high heels and a hat! How times have changed.
KQ--Handsome son!
I especially liked the Diego Rivera answer today. Our good friends commissioned a Diego Rivera painting in the early
1940's to go over the bar at their Dude Ranch in Pleasanton, CA. This painting also contained a self portrait--only smiling--of Diego Rivera. There are also some public murals in our area by Rivera.
As a result of our exposure to this painting we have done a lot of reading about this artist. He has a very interesting history. "MY ART, MY LIFE" an autobiography with Gladys March is a very interesting read.
Lemonade, I loved your story. My husband is younger than I, so frequently claims he is going to trade me in for two 25 year olds. Good luck finding them is usually my response.
Thanks for all the compliments on my son. JD, I don't think it is pride as much as envy. Oh to have a body like that and be able to eat all you want too!!!
KQ, Lemonade, et al,
There is a tired old joke about the guy who trades his 40 year old wife in for two twenty year olds. Unfortunately, during their first encounter (I'm cleaning this up a bit) he passes away. It turns out he wasn't wired for 220.
64
All the commentary about 10" tv's and wiring reminded me of an old TV commercial. "My wife - I think I'll keep her."
I was going to anyway, if anyone was wondering.
Hatool - I never got here yesterday, so missed the Toledo link. Dang! Can't turn you back for a minute.
Annette - Yes, low potassium is the trigger for leg cramps. Here's a Link.
Cheers!
JzB
Good evening Argyle, CC and all. This was a great puzzle in my mind and I agree it may have been one of Dans earlier ones.
I think I saw a plaque dedicated to Dennis in that previously mentioned Tijuana cell. I was there with the UN of course.
IPO, I too, use my husband for tips on the g-spot, fortunately he is a quick study!!
Kazie I love my string of pearls too.....but I think that hat is the bomb....you too Clear Ayes, very pretty ladies.
Maniac, Love your new avatar and what a delish meal!!
Have heart, RSD, Burger King is supposed to start serving BEER!
KQ, your son, very handsome!
Hi Liz!!
Lmao Lemonade!
It sounds like everyone is in fine shape today, BULLY!!!!
I just did a quick scan of the comments and couldn't help notice that spotted dick showed up and someone was questioning why no one picked up on unloaded and tada...
Seemed appropriate for #69 post.
British food? We visited England and Wales ~2 years back and we saw some weird food names like 'spotted dick' & 'bangers & mash'
I liked the latter and had it at least twice for dinner. Never tried 'spotted dick' though...
Sign me up for the BEATS/AARG club -- looks like I'm in good company! Enroll me in the IMAGO-less group too. It's used very differently in pysch. AWNS don't trip me NO MO'.
This felt like a Thu. puzzle to me, but an enjoyable one. I almost penned in Andy Roddick instead of NADAL. Would've fit, too.
Love seeing the hats! I have a seriously huge Irish head, so even the "Big and Tall" shop had to special order a hat for me. Those "one size fits all" hats and caps just LIE about the "all" part. The lady who measured my for grad school commencement told me that she "won" a prize because I had the biggest cap of the 1,800 people to walk across the stage. She never even asked about my GPA! [sniff]
Abs? Had'em for about a month and never even took a darn photo to prove it. Then I realized I needed to get a real life and promptly went back to putting garlicky MAYO on my french fries. Best decision ever!
Robin, as a "know it all" BK expert...yeah, I buy most of it for our company, there are a lot of things being tested out there. One thing I can guarantee you is you won't find any Budweiser on the old tap. We are owned by Reye's holdings which is a huge beer distributor of Miller, Heineken, Molson and Corona to name a few. We also have the most Distribution centers that handle Burger Kings in over 2/3 of the US.
BK is going to start offering it in mostly tourist destinations...I don't think MN is going to rank high on the list.
Also, down the pike look for ribs, salmon, and scewered shrimp. The franchisees are pissed as they all had to invest in a new broiler to the tune of....let's just say a lot of money. It should be an interesting journey the next couple of years.
Oh, and being so excited to get my favorite number I mis-typed "unloaded" for "a load off" but in my mind they pretty much mean the same thing.
Robin, Love your latest avatar. I'll have to look around for a very old photo of me in a candy apple costume (stop laughing) and skates that was taken when I was about 11 years old. Now I'm just a fan. My backside sure can't plop on the ice as easily as it once did.
KQ, Envious or proud, he's still a very good looking young man.
Chickie, do your friends still own the bar? The Rivera painting must be very valuable by now.
Jeannie, BK is GAH's favorite fast hamburger. The new possibilites sound good. Thanks for the update.
Lois, that photo of Frogs in a Hole defies description.....I just can't think of a thing to say!
Hahtool, Here's a photo of the (should be) infamous Spotted Dick. Actually doesn't look to bad, if you like raisins and currants.
Jeannie, have you seen-- Bon Qui Qui King Burger on You tube? i wish I could link it for you. very funny.
They are so lucky to have YOU, besides I am a veggie, but I love them....
Please do Clear Ayes.....I tested through Senior Ladies and I skated for the Broadmoor skating club. My coaches were Carlo and Krista Fassi until they returned to Italy. We moved from California to Colorado. I loved it so much, but did not have the talent needed to go to the Olympics. Did you? I managed a couple of triple jumps but not much more obviously!!! It is all good, I loved it.......
Me too, just a fan and I too love Johnny Weir. Cannot wait for the Olympics!!
Whether it's Frogs or Toads in a hole, it was a lot better than this breakfast called "The Full Monty" after their Field Marshall Montgomery who would order that for his breakfast. That black sausage looking thing is called "Blood pudding" and is made w/real blood and tastes awful IMHO. That pale yellowish glob is scrambled eggs. I had to ask what it was b/c it looked like grits. Made me wonder what kind of chickens they grow over there. Not enough sunshine? Can't call somebody a 'yellow chicken' over there. And those are really beans...the Full Monty! I tried everything twice - once to see if I liked it and again just to make sure...my philosophy of life.
CA: thanks for putting up that spotted dick link. It was one of the first things I tried...
couldn't resist! What I got looked like that except it had some sort of 'cream dribbled' over the top of it... no lie. I figured it was a lubricant. It was IMHO delicious! But that could've been the power of suggestion. Go figure!
Jeannie: I'm thrilld at the prospect of BK serving beer. Surely in my area w/all the major attractions around here, there will be at least one that sells beer. Instead of the 'Pub crawl' it'll be the 'BK crawl'.
KQ: your son is adorable! Congratulations to both of you.
Dennis: 4:28 You are absolutely right!
Lemonade, WH: Loved those stories/jokes. LOL! Cute!
Lois, I agree about blood sausage/pudding stuff, but I gave it a try too....yuck! I kind of liked the pork and beans for breakfast though.
Robin, Carlo Fassi AND The Broadmoor...I'm impressed. When I started skating at nine years old, compulsory figures still counted for 60% of competition score and Dick Button was the only person who had ever completed a triple in competition. Ladies were strictly double jumps, but no double axels. I loved it, but stopped competing (all junior level) when I was 14. What happened? My parents just couldn't afford to cover the cost of a hugely expensive sport and I was discovering boys at that time too. Double whammy, and then skating was just for fun!
That's 5 for me. Very enjoyable comments today, everyone! Have a good evening.
Clear Ayes, I hope we can share the winter olympics with our friends here. I cannot wait and I'm sure you feel the same!
Thank you CC for this blog!
OK, today is Spouses Day and we're talking Spotted Dick...and PJB, I'm truly sorry about your oversized head....LOL
Okay, I apparently am easily led, from pets to hats; me with Aaron's Indiana Jones hat having slipped on my head by accident,
Robin, you are a trip. IPO now you know how dangerous this crowd can be.
I am glad some laughter was shared today, it seesm the best way to honor our departed Dan; great job peanuts.
I'm reminded of a short incidental song that W.C. Fields sings in one of his films from the late 30's or early '40's: "I'd rather have two girls at 21 each than one girl at 42."
Robin and all, not only am I a fan of MAD TV, I had seen the link you are talking about and I agree...FUNNY. The only thing they should have done was add the creepy BIG KING into the skit. Here is another subservient chicken apparently you can make him do damn near anything. If you make him do something DF, he shakes his finger at you (I've tried it yes of course). Not sure about his garters though.
Tequila, PCP and GRASS in the same puzzle? Hmmm. Never could drink the former without it being in a Margarita, and never tried the latter two!
When I moved to Chicago and had to find a new PCP [primary care provider --- not the horse tranq], I was subjected to a 9 page intake form: lots of the usual questions,like family illnesses, history of immunizations, prior hospitalizations, but they also had a whole page to check off which "street drugs" you'd taken, another about STDS and lots of questions on sexual history.
The topic of the "number" scored by certain bigtime athletes was well-covered on the comments board a few nights back, so I hope I'm not out of line here.
The doctors' form asked age of first "activity," types of activity, and # of partners. Problem was that the line used to fill in that # was the exact same length as the space used to include your 10 digit phone number! _________________.
I found that screamingly funny.
So, TRYING to be honest, had to think for awhile to arrive at the actual #. It was hardly time to place phone calls to verify whether so and so and I did or didn't.
Feeling awkward I wrote my paltry two digit reply sort of big, so that it didn't look so pathetic in that expansive line of space.
When my new doc ushered me in after reading my answers, the first words out of her mouth were "Well, I can see that you've led a very sheltered life!"
I knew at that moment that she was a keeper. I also knew that if I ever had to fill out a similar form I'd be tempted to lie so as to appear more adventurous and medically interesting!
PJB Chicago. You crack me up. You mentioned your big head but it's not ego. You sound like a well grounded fellow.
Thanks, CA for more info on the spotted dick. I still don't think I could order it with a straight face.
It's way past my bed time and this is #5 for me, but what a day. I do think Dan would appreciate all the comment his puzzle inspired.
Jazzbumpa: Thanks for the link. It's good to know that foot cramps can be an indicator for either low potassium levels or dehydration, among other things.
Warren: Thanks for the Shelly West link. That's the version that was coming to my mind when I saw the Jose Cuervo clue.
Lemonade 714: Your story about the couple who'd been married for 44 years is a real hoot. Thank you.
A few of the comments today reminded me of this cute Garfield comic a friend had just shared with me:
"We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. So I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent and my head couldn't hold any more so it started filling up the rest of me!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!"
Good night, everybody!
Lois,
That plate of sausage slices doesn't look nearly as interesting as the name sounds. I associate The Full Monty with its meaning in the movie of that name.
Spotted Dick looks somewhat like a bread pudding with raisins or some other fruit in it. Sounds like it would be good warm with a custard sauce over it.
Jeannie,
If BK adopts the serving of beer, they will be more similar to their European cousins. Over there even MacDonalds all serve beer.
Good night all!
I am not claiming fame to this one even though I have had a sighting...spotted dick mine didn't look the same but was mighty tasty.
CA-No, the dude ranch was sold in the 50's, but the Rivera painting always had a prominent place in our friend's living room after they sold the ranch. The painting was sold in the late 90's or early 2000 and yes, it was worth quite a bit by then.
It was auctioned through Christies and went to a buyer in Europe.
Good evening/morning, Argyle, C. C. and folk,
I wrote a fastidious and inclucive blog entry and then promptly lost it. It was a real masterpiece! I feel silly like El Greco insurance lizard!
Since lariat, lasso, reata are words that keep coming up, I wanted to show the common root
It is my desire to show a relationship between reata (which continues to pop up)and ristras (which does not come up)
I want to establish the relationship or kinship of the 2 words.
I wish I had found the root words, but time ran out.
reata-rope,lariot
ristras-string, wreath
(as in a red chili wreath which hands swag stile or is fashioned into a wreath. Garlic is also used in this manner. In Mexico and these southwest environs, this was done to dry the chili peppers or garlic for use during the year.
Who votes yay; who votes nay?
a bien tot,
Frenchie
Good morning, CC,
What time do you rise each morning? I'm up
to tend to goat who had the misfortune to reach full
term in the middle of a cold, windy night. Also to drive 1/2 mile to put wood in my neighbors outdoor wood furnace. He has not been well recently, and goes for a biopsy later today. When the doctors attempted the procedure several weeks ago, he had a mini-stroke and they had to stop. I fear his problems may be just beginning.
A pretty good day on the blog, but a lot of reading for you. I hope at least some of it brought a smile to your face. What a pleasant group of misfits you have assembled here.
We share our "moments" with you and with each other. Quite mythological, when you think about it.
Thank you.
KQ your son is great! We have one son who will be 25 March 1st. Time goes by so quickly. One of these days I will post a pic of him as well Mom's just love their sons.....
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