google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, February 8, 2010 Jerome Gunderson

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Feb 8, 2010

Monday, February 8, 2010 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: SHOOTING STARS (55A: Meteors, and what 20-, 28- and 48-Across all are) - Three diversely famous people known for their shooting skill.

20A: Pool legend portrayed by Jackie Gleason in "The Hustler": MINNESOTA FATS. The Hustler is a 1961 American drama film. It stars Paul Newman as Eddie Felson and Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. "Fast Eddie" desires to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats."

28A: NBA center who was a three-time MVP: MOSES MALONE. A three-time NBA MVP and one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, Malone had a twenty-one year career in professional basketball. Although he was a high scorer, he is more famous for his rebounding (getting the ball after a shot misses). He currently resides in Sugarland, TX, a suburb of Houston. Quote: "What am I doing? I’m doing nothing, just relaxing and enjoying life. I did 21 years of hard labor in the NBA, invested my money right, so I’m set. I earned the right to relax and enjoy, you know?"

48A: Wild West show markswoman: ANNIE OAKLEY. She was an American sharpshooter. Oakley's amazing talent and rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Using a .22 caliber rifle at 90 feet, Oakley reputedly could split a playing card edge-on and put five or six more holes in it before it touched the ground. (1860 – 1926).

Argyle here.

Without 55A, I'm not sure I would have made the connection. I felt the construction was uneven for a Monday. Mostly easy-peasey entries but a few tough ones, i.e.: 9A: John who married Pocahontas: ROLFE or 8D: Old music halls: ODEONS.

Give us your opinion; that is what we're here for.

Across:

1A: Grandmotherly nickname: NANA. Certainly better than the recent NANNIE.

5A: Hershey's caramel candy: ROLO

14A: The yoke's on them: OXEN. A spin on "the joke's on them."

15A: In the sack: ABED

16A: Sci-fi staple: ALIEN

17A: Small salamander: NEWT. A young NEWT is an eft.

18A: Therapist's response: "I SEE". And "How do you feel about that?"

23A: 1860s White House nickname: ABE. (Honest ABE Lincoln)

26A: Pecan or cashew: NUT

27A: Mingle at the party: MIX. If we all got together, would it be mixed nuts?

37A: Shoe without laces, e.g.: STEP IN

38A: Emulate Rembrandt: ETCH

39A: Holliday of the Old West: DOC

41A: Lady's man: GENT

42A: It's in the eye of the beholder: BEAUTY. Check out the daisies at the bottom.

45A: Caveman Alley: OOP. Cute clue. Alley OOP was/is a comic strip character known for riding on his dinosaur with his girlfriend, Ooola.

51A: __ Lanka: SRI

52A: Food from a shell: EGG

54A: Immigrant's subj.: ESL. (English as a Second Language)

61A: Dog from Wales: CORGI. Used for herding.

62A: Supermodel Macpherson: ELLE. Another candidate for areoles?

63A: Hops drier: OAST. Easy for me. Difficult for you?

67A: Age, as tires: WEAR

68A: "__, be a pal!": C'MON

69A: Actress Zellweger: RENEE

70A: Stitches: SEWS

71A: Mild-mannered Clark: KENT. Superman's secret identity.

Down:

1D: Oui's opposite: NON

2D: Gave the __: fired: AXE

3D: Arizonan's neighbor: NEW MEXICAN

4D: Naysayer: ANTI

5D: Word with trout or sherbet: RAINBOW

6D: Fixated: OBSESSED. Like some of our anons.

7D: Majors and Trevino: LEES. Lee Majors is an actor; Lee Trevino is a professional golfer. (Senior Circuit now.)

9D: Sound from a woodpecker: RAT-A-TAT

10D: Name of several Norwegian kings: OLAF

11D: Peru's capital: LIMA

12D: Tootsies: FEET. I disagree; tootsies are just the toes to me.

13D: Conclusions: ENDS

21D: War site during LBJ's presidency: NAM. (Vietnam)

22D: Antacid brand: TUMS

23D: One-celled organism: AMOEBA. Finally with the extra "O".

24D: Attacked by Dracula, say: BITTEN

29D: Novel on the Net: E-BOOK

30D: Kid's interlocking block: LEGO

31D: Ali Baba's magical command: "OPEN SESAME"

32D: California NFL team, briefly: NINERS. San Francisco Forty Niners.

33D: Involve: ENTAIL

35D: Feng __: Chinese aesthetic system: SHUI. Literally translates as "water".

40D: Picnic side: COLESLAW

43D: Line on a golf course schedule: TEE TIME

44D: Hindu mystic: YOGI

46D: Tin alloys: PEWTERS

49D: Former V.P. Spiro and family: AGNEWS. (Nixon's V.P.)

50D: Affirmative vote: YEA

55D: Al Capone feature: SCAR

56D: Sock darner's target: HOLE. This is an interesting darner's egg; if you could afford a Sterling silver egg, why not buy new socks?

57D: Algerian port: ORAN

58D: Giant who's not jolly: OGRE

59D: Joy: GLEE

60D: Heavy metal is a subgenre of it: ROCK

64D: Leif, to Eric the Red: SON. Norse explorers.

65D: Blowup letters?: TNT

Here is Jeannie's Daisies painted by WM. Also, Happy Two Year Anniversary with Crossword Corner, Crockett! Here is his first ever comment.

Answer grid.

Argyle

116 comments:

  1. Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - Jerome! Great to see one of your puzzles again; feels like it's been quite a while.

    This one certainly didn't disappoint, with a great theme and a couple clues that took it out of the realm of a normal Monday blow-through. Most notably, I was dead sure of 'slip on' for 37A until the perps made it obvious that was wrong. Couldn't remember John Rolfe. And I couldn't for the life of me think of what the theme was gonna be until I got the unifying answer, 55A, and then I thought it was extremely clever.

    All in all, a much better Monday experience than I've gotten used to. And Argyle, thank you for the outstanding picture of Elle; that's my new screen saver.

    Today is Boy Scout Day, Clean Out Your Computer Day, and Kite Flying Day.

    Today's Words of Wisdom: "The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is unchangeable or certain." - John F. Kennedy

    A few more definitions:

    Sex: the thing that takes the least amount of time and causes the most amount of damage. --John Barrymore

    Sparklers: the gay cousins of the fireworks family. --Dave Attell

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  2. GOOD MORNING, c.c., Argyle and all,

    I agree with Dennis' comments; even though easy, this puzzle had a fresh feel to it. My only unknowns were Rolf and Shui, but the perps solved them quickly.

    Jackie Gleason was terrific as Minnesota Fats. This is one of my all time favorite flics. I re-viewed it recently.

    Good job, as usual Argyle.

    The football season is over; what a great game!

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  3. Good Morning, CC, Argyle and Friends. I pretty easy slide into the work week with today's puzzle. I had to go back and read some of the perp clues, as I had filled them in as I went along.

    I smiled as seeing ABE (23A) and ABS (25A) beside each other. Two 3-letter words with the first 2 letters the same just seemed funny to me.

    I, too, momentarily fell for the Slip on/STEP IN fill.

    I remembered John ROLFE from previous crossword puzzles.

    Louisiana was recently voted the Happiest State in the Union. Now that happiness factor is just off the charts ~ Super Bowl win, Mardi Gras, and a new mayor in New Orleans! ~ all happening this weekend.

    QOD: The older you get, the stronger the wind gets ~ and its always in your face. ~ Pablo Picasso

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  4. Good Morning Argyle, CC and All,

    Slip On along with Siren instead of Alarm needed erasing. I also always write ENG instead of ESL. I got the theme also which was very smart.

    That's quite a dumping of snow Dennis. Unfortunately it sounds like you've got more on the way. Two years ago we had a winter like that.

    Hope everyone has a great day!

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  5. Mainiac, yeah, I've shoveled more in the past two days than I probably have in the past 2 years. Can't believe we've got another major one coming.

    Fortunately, 24 & a w/u.

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  6. Good morning Argyle, C.C. and All, a nice refreshing walk in the park today. My only unknowns were “Rolfe” and “Shui” both of which filled from the perps. The theme did not reveal itselv until I got 55A. Nice puzzle Jerome!

    Nice win for the Saints, they deserved it! Wow, would you believe an onside kick to start the second half.

    Dennis they are forecasting only 2 to 4 inches of snow over the Tuesday Wednesday time period on this end of the state so this one should not be too bad.

    Hope you all have a great Monday.

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  7. Hey Jerome is back and a very fun theme; who else would see something in common for those three individuals! I like the ROLO, ROLFE roll he was on and with two sons who brew their own, Hops drier: OAST, was a real gimme. Also, Devin performed in Annie Get Your Gun in high school. I really liked Word with trout or sherbet: RAINBOW, but have to agree with Argyle about TOOTSIES meaning only TOES. Was that clue yours or Rich’s? Part of a yard? “_____don’t fail me now?”


    Poor Renee Z never gets much love as she ends up in films with other hotter women, but hse now has a home in NE Connecticut where I grew up so, she gets a little shout out. Also, the variety of rolls from Jerry McGuire Chicago and Me, Myself and Irene show her to be an interesting actress.

    Happy week all

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  8. Morning, all!

    Can't say I was actually rooting for the Saints to win, but as a Patriots fan I sure was glad to see the Colts lose... ^_^

    Nice puzzle today -- just hard enough to get the neurons firing but not too hard for a Monday. ROLFE would have been a trouble spot for me, except that I've seen it in other puzzles recently (I still managed to misspell it as ROLPH at first, though). As for ODEONS, I was surprised and delighted to see it pluralized the "normal" way, since I've often seen it spelled ODEA in puzzles.

    I misread the clue for YOGI as "Hindu music" and was awfully confused for a bit...

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  9. Good Monday morning!

    Another fun puzzle. tfrank expressed my thoughts exactly - it was easy but had a fresh feel. A nice way to ease into the week. It took me 10 minutes to finish online.

    I especially liked Alley Oop, sweet entry. I didn't know Rolfe, Odeon, or Rolo (how could I not know a candy???)

    As kids, we used to say Open Says Me. Does anyone know if "sesame" just means the obvious?

    Thanks for showing the daisies painting. It reminds that spring is coming despite all the snow.

    Are there other Olympics fans here? I love them, from the opening ceremony to the end. The only issue for beautiful Vancouver is that there isn't a lot of snow.

    Elle - dare I ask this - are they real? Not that it matters a whit to those who appreciate the picture ....

    Have a great day!
    Gracie

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  10. Dick, they're forecasting at least another foot here. Usually the other way around, huh? Never had back problems, but this is certainly pushing the envelope.

    Gracie, I'm with you - can't wait for the winter Olympics. Hell, I even watch the curling.

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  11. @Gracie, the distinguishing feature of sesame pods is how they burst open when they ripen. Supposedly that's the explanation of why the phrase was used in Arabian Nights. Not sure how authoritative that is, but it makes for a good story...

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  12. Good morning C.C., Argyle, and all,
    An enjoyable Monday solve. Needed the unifying clue at 55A to grasp the theme. Never heard of MOSESMALONE, so needed perps in that area. Flew through the South without seeing many of the down clues before coming to the blog. Great write-up, Argyle.

    WM-Thanks for the daisies. They remind me of a crisp Spring morning where you know it's going to warm to a perfect day.

    Enjoy!

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  13. A little catch-up post as I try to get the taste of crow (my SB prediction) out of my mouth. Major cojones required to start the half with an onside kick, especially
    when you're already down. It changed the tenor of the game.

    Lemonade:
    I'm not a big moviergoer, but did Renee really get rolled in all those roles?

    Dennis:
    We've got about 4" coming overnight, looks like the track is east of us again. Irish' family in Western NC got hammered last week, may again tonight.

    Crockett:
    Happy Anniversary.

    Hahtool:
    Congrats to your Saints. Louisiana Happy?
    I have a couple of Cajun friends in New Iberia, La. They're sugar cane farmers, and it's impossible to be unhappy in their company, especially if there is alcohol on the table, and their speech is music.

    Al, from yesterday:
    The benefits from drinking unpastuerized (but clean and pathogen free) milk can not be exaggerated. It's my belief that its absence in our diet is one of the reasons for many allergies and a general lack of immunity. I used to be a dairy farmer, and the absolute filth in some of the milk (and the farm and the cows) was appalling, and the reason for pasteurization. My family drank milk directly from
    our bulk storage tank for 15 years and never had a major illness and have no allergies. When I finally got health insurance in 2002, on my first visit for a physical, I was asked who my "family" doctor was. When I said I didn't have one and had not seen a doctor since 1974, the receptionist asked who that was and what the visit had been for. I said I didn't remember and showed her the stitches from the chain saw cut.
    Modern society's aversion to "dirt" leads to bad health
    in the long run.

    And finally, Jerome:
    It's always good to see you here, but especially
    when you're the puzzle meister. I look forward to enjoying this one a few days from now.

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  14. Good morning all -

    Finally had time to do the puzzle this morning. Thanks, Jerome, for a fun start to the week. I thought the theme was very clever.

    I had Smith instead of Rolfe. Can't tell you why. Maybe I'll run upstairs and check the Pochahantas book from Zoe's Princess story collection.

    We have a Mimi, not a Nana here. Wonder what everyone else has?

    Can't wait for the Olympics. We always have a big party to watch the opening ceremony. Dennis, there's a curling club here in town. We once had a team building event there for work. It was really lots of fun. And, they always have beer on tap in the lounge. Now that's a fun Olympic sport!

    Painter should be here any minute. It's so exciting to put new color up on the walls! I need to run and get pictures down from said walls.

    Enjoy the day.

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  15. Another nice straightforward write-up from Argyle, and a great puzzle from Jerome.

    Easy but enjoyable run this morning. Like Argyle, I would have had difficulty linking the theme answers without 55A. I didn't fall into the slipon trap because I couldn't think what should go there until I got most of its perps, which also helped with MALONE, unknown to this non sports fan.

    WM,
    Gorgeous daisies. Is Jeannie buying them from you?

    WH,
    Another allergy preventative is breastfeeding your kids. Antibodies the mother has built up pass to the baby through the milk. The aversion of so many to the practice in the '40s and '50s is probably another reason so many of us are afflicted. Too many people have mistaken our boobs as playthings for the men in our lives rather than what they were made for.

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  16. Andrea,
    Do you know the Browns at the curling club in Madison? Craig used to be my son's housemate, and I guess his sister has made the Olympic team again this year.

    Winter Olympics is about the only time I take an interest in sport on TV.

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  17. Too many people have mistaken our boobs as playthings for the men in our lives

    Jumping up and down, raising hand.

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  18. I was sure that I knew the theme after I filled in MINNESOTA FATS and NEW MEXICAN. It had to be something to do with state names, right? Then I got ANNIE OAKLEY and couldn't figure out what she had to do with state names. Pretty clever theme. Couldn't remember ROLFE; had to get it from the crossings.

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  19. Kazie:
    Of course I agree. The ability of the salesmen to
    convince us that something you have to buy is superior to something that is essentially free never ceases to amaze me. But couldn't we agree that they are at least dual purpose?
    Dennis:
    Sit down and behave yourself. Go shovel some damned snow. Neither of us can hold a candle to a real man like Buckeye. Speaking of dual purpose, he uses it for a snow gauge. I must have gotten the economy model. Mine came with the product warning: For Use in Warm Areas Only.

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  20. @Kazie, good point, and that just reinforces my (and especially WH's) opinions about what is wrong about pasteurization. When's the last time that a woman boiled her milk before breastfeeding a child? (Ouch!)

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  21. Ok fellas,
    I concede the secondary use is fun for us women too. But I wonder if bulls and bucks have the same feelings for the cows and does?

    Thanks for giving me a LOL just now. My computer is giving me grief. Has anyone else ever struck a message about "brower defender" which needs to be answered each time you click a link, before you can proceed? It's driving me nuts!

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  22. Easy puzzle. No difficulties. 11 minutes.

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  23. Good morning All: I think we should have a new saying: "Easy as a Monday morning cwordpuzzle" maybe Lionel Ritchie would write the song. Nine minutes for this one and three close to home refs. My grandkids call me "nana", I teach two ESL classes at a local community college and New Mexico is our neighboring state.

    C. C. I feel rude for not answering your previous questions. Yes I was born in AZ but have lived in CA, CO,and OH as well. I mostly taught 4th grade in elementary school. Loved it but now really enjoy the older population of immigrants with interesting and heartbreaking stories.
    I have to agree with the multitasking role of the gibbous anatomical female parts. It brings back such great memories . . . Ta Ta all Have a great Monday!

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  24. Kazie - don't know any curling club members. The club was mostly closed while we had our work outing there, so other than the instructors, didn't meet anyone there. Don't recall the instructors' names.

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  25. Kazzi, thanks I did not know there was another use for those thingies. Feed babies? Wow!

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  26. Good morning, all!

    Wow! Jeannie's daisies and a shout-out all in one day. It's been a fun and adventuresome two years! I still enjoy the banter and the diversity we have her. People come and people go, but that's the way of the world.

    @dennis I don't think I'd get much of anything done if I had Elle's picture as my wallpaper.

    @gracie I LOVE the Olympics, but it looks like most of the TV coverage is on cable stations, so I'll be left out of that loop.

    @kazie There is no problem with multi-tasking, is there?

    Have a great Monday, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Crockett,
    I meant to delete the 10:20am spam, not your post. Sorry for the error.

    Lucina,
    Thanks for getting back to me. I see you now have a full profile now. Welcome on board.

    MR ED,
    Yes. I meant why you picked up MR ED as avatar. Your love for the talking horse Mr. Ed? As for your question, I live in Minnesota.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Good Morning All, Jerome, a really nice Monday puzzle with a terrific theme. I didn't know MOSES MALONE from the clue and had to get it from the perps, but I had no problem with the other theme entries. I didn't get the tie-in until.... I should know by now that, starred or not, I should check for an explanation clue farther down. Once I got to SHOOTING STARS, it was an "Aha" from me.

    I was with Andrea and had SMITH at first instead of ROLFE. John Smith was the guy Pocahontas saved from death, but ROLFE was the guy she married.

    ODEONS and PEWTERS were unusual but solvable Monday fill. I also liked seeing AMOEBA spelled the way I learned it.

    Looking forward to the Olympics. I love the ice sports (Go, Johnny!). That includes curling.

    WM, Big congratulations on Jeannie's Daisies. It is lovely. Maybe the Northern California contingent will be able to see it in person.

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  29. Good morning all you puzzle muggers!

    Ever get a song stuck in your head for a day or two? Well, I had "Shooting stars" stuck in mine for months. I couldn't go anywhere with it in terms of a theme. Hooray, one day it dawns on me that some people are shooting stars. By the way, the particular names I selected are there primarily because I like the sound of their names.
    Sheesh, a Monday puzzle that took months to evolve!

    MH- Your confusion was my fun. Glad you liked it.

    Kazie- It would be impossible to get the theme without the SHOOTING STARS entry. That was the whole purpose of it.

    Gracie and tfrank- One of the biggest compliments you can give a constructor is to say the puzzle is "Fresh". Oh, you both have such impeccable taste!

    Hahtool- Heck, I thought ROLFE would be a gimme. Shows what I know.

    I feel compelled to correct some misinformation. "Tootsies: FEET. I disagree; tootsies are just the toes to me." Sorry, all dictionaries define tootsies as feet. A couple also INCLUDE toes, but even they define them as feet as well. I don't clue an entry until I know what I'm talking about.

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  30. Jerome,
    I loved how diverse & unexpected those shooters on. And to borrow PJB, a big Satori moment for SHOOTING STARS. Also adored the long & full Downs like OPEN SESAME, COLE SLAW and TEE TIME (refreshing clue). Your grandfather is named OLAF, right?

    Windhover & Kazie,
    Thanks for your interpretation on the quote yesterday. Unlike Dennis who loves flying United, I love singularity and asymmetry in any form.

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  31. Yes, Jerome, I checked the dictionaries and I disagree with them. I found only one that even mentioned toes. To me, Tootsie Rolls resemble toes, not feet.

    ReplyDelete
  32. (from the Tootsie Roll web site)

    How did you come up with the name "Tootsie?"

    An Austrian immigrant, Leo Hirshfield, producing the candy in a small store in New York City and ended up naming the candy after his five-year-old daughter, whose nickname was "Tootsie."

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  33. Good Job Saints, not a fan but I was rooting for the underdog yesterday. After all the things New Orleans has been through the last 4.5 years it is good that they finally have something to celebrate.

    Dick how are you doing? I hope you are safe.

    TO those with flat roofs in the DELMARVA area 2 Fire Stations have roofs that gave away under all the snow. 1 station's ceiling collapsed around 3 AM and all the firemen were safely evacuated and when they inspected another roof at the other fire station the roof over the sleeping quarters was starting to buckle under the stress of wet heavy snow. All from that station were safely evacuated and now their HQ is inside of a bingo hall.

    Renee Z.
    Renee Zellwegger

    Windhover here is her filmography.

    Filmography

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  34. No time to do the puzzle until tonight when and if I get home, but a little birdie whispered in my ear that I had a surprise waiting for me here. Wolfmom, that picture is just beautiful and well worth the wait. I am sure that my fried chicken recipe paled in comparison. You just made this Minnesota blondie’s day!

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  35. C.C.- Yes, my grandfather was Magnus Olaf Gunderson. Has a kind of Mandarin ring to it, don't you think.

    Most people don't know that Snoopy the dog had a bunch of brothers. One of them was named Olaf. I clued Olaf in that context, but alas, it ended up on the cutting room floor. Why, I don't know.

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  36. Hi, I am new to leaving comments.
    I enjoyed today's puzzle, and only ran into a couple of things that confused me, but the other words helped.
    I had forgotten Rolfe's name,and also did not know the name of the California NFL team.I also put in eng instead of esl, which threw me for a while, and toes instead of feet because that is what I have always called toes, not feet. by the way, nana is not what all grandmothers are called. My grandson calls me Gram.
    I have nobody here where I live who is really interested in doing crossword puzzles, so it is so nice to be able to read other comments about them.
    Carrie
    P.S. I live in South Florida, so I did not have to deal with the last snowfall the way I used to in Long Island, Thank Goodness!!

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  37. A pleasant, enjoyable puzzle to start off the week, Jerome! I got 55A, and that they were all stars of sorts, but didn’t get the AHA on “shooting” until I came here. I guess I’d just glossed right over the ‘meteor’ part of the clue. ROLFE and ODEONS may have been tough clues for a Monday, but I think the perps were easy enough to help fill them in, even not knowing MOSES MALONE, I was still able to figure it out. The same with OAST.

    Favorites:
    15A In the sack: ABED
    51A Food from a shell: EGG
    9D Sound from a woodpecker: RAT-A-TAT
    58D Giant who’s not jolly: OGRE

    WM: What a beautiful painting! I’m glad to see you back in the swing of painting again.

    Clear Ayes: You were right – the “Argyle” pinot noir I bought the other day was very good!

    Carrie: Welcome to the blog from another South Floridian!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hello All--A Monday puzzle for me is an ego builder. I can usually do them without help. Today's puzzle was just hard enough to give me a pause now and then and I did have some erasures. I didn't know Minnesota Fats or Moses Malone, but had most of the letters filled and an aha came from somewhere for both answers. Somehow from somewhere I remembered both names. It is amazing what one has stored in the back rooms of the mind.

    I've always spelled amoeba with an "o". CA, that's the way I learned to spell it, too.

    Lemonade, in highschool, my grandson also had a part in "Annie Get Your Gun". Such a fun musical and perfect for a high school venue.

    Argyle, I learned Oast from doing crosswords and it was a given.

    WM's daisies are beautiful. Spring in the offing?

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  39. Good afternoon all,
    Fun theme today and one I actually figured out after I got Moses Malone. Did the Sunday puzzle and Merle Reagle's puzzle yesterday and enjoyed both. Finished one book and started another, watched two parts of the HBO "John Adams" DVD, and ate my way through the weekend. Can you tell we were snowed in?

    Another 6-12 inches forecasted for Tuesday/Wednesday. I must get out of this house later today and tomorrow morning before I go crazy. And I thought we were going to get away easy this winter. Must plan a Florida vacation in March. Craving sunshine and warmth. Have a good afternoon all.

    @Dick and Dennis-love the pictures of your snow covered decks. Would love sitting on them in the summer with a gin and tonic.

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  40. Tootsies have always been kissable little baby feet to me. Once boys start getting hair on their toes, there is no way they could be called tootsies.

    Annette, glad you enjoyed the wine too. Smooth and improves with a little age, Argyles are like that. ;o)

    Combining RENEE Zellweger and the boob discussion from a little earlier, What was she thinking? I've seen photos of her in gorgeous gowns, but this wasn't one of them.

    Lots of rain here, but we've really needed it. I don't think our east-coasters are as enthusiastic about their weather. Drive carefully and, as RSD pointed out, keep an eye on those roofs.

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  41. Jeanne, you can have a gin and tonic on my deck any time, but we will need to wait as they just upgraded the snow fall to 8 to 10 inches from 2 to 4 inches from last night. I think I better shovel my deck off now as it might not like another deep snow fall on it.

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  42. I have always wondered about the spelling of Coleslaw and Cold Slaw. My take was always Cold slaw, a cabbage salad served cold with dressing. .

    I finally looked it up today and it said that here in the US Cold Slaw is used quite often, but it you want to be more sophisticated use Coleslaw!

    I always knew that my sophistication was only on the surface. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Carrie,
    Welcome. Go blue!

    Clear Ayes,
    Can you have a look at your Gmail box? I just sent you an email.

    Jerome,
    What? Magnus Olaf Gunderson is miles of dreams away from a Mandarin name. Or are you just being facetious? By the way, I just learned that Magnus means "great", so your grandfather has an awesome Vikings name.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Happy 2 years Crockett, though it is a funny time to go un-blue.
    I made me realize I started in February myself, only 2009. Like most, it was g-ing an answer I put in and which meant nothing to me. It is great to not only finish the puzzles but to understand all the fill. Any idea the day I first dipped my editorial pen into these often turbulent but always fun waters?

    Jerome, I apologize, but perhaps it is a regional thing because the phrase I learned was :wiggling your tootsies." In any case, you were correct in your clue, and we were learning.

    Speaking of which:
    cole-slaw
    1794, partial translation of Dutch koolsla, from kool "cabbage" (see cole) + sla "salad" (see slaw). Commonly cold slaw in Eng. until 1860s, when M.E. cole "cabbage" was revived. You get into all kinds of interesting word derivations, like cauliflower and "mon petit chou."

    Nice daisies WM and Lo-li-ta.

    On the subject of boobs, and double duty; is it me or the need to cleave much higher now than when I was younger? I am not sure I would have finished college

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  45. Good morning Argyle, CC and all,

    Jerome, this fun puzzle was over too quickly..very enjoyable.As a kid, Annie Oakley was my hero.

    “Aim at a high mark and you will hit it. No, not the first time, not the second time and maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally you’ll hit the bull’s-eye of success.” A. O.

    Bob, this will probably be the one and only time I matched your time..working a puzzle, that is :)

    Robin @ 9:51 funny girl

    WH, I so agree with your theory on our society's aversion to dirt.So many germs are useful for our bodies to combat the lethal ones. A 1st year teacher is always sick, but from then on teachers rarely succumb to the ills of their students.

    Crockett, congrats! Bet your knees are thanking you.

    Hahtool, excellent info on B'nai B'rith yesterday. Thanks!

    and WM, you already know that I think your daisies are glorious.

    Am taking care of my "wheezy happy" grandson Grady today. Took him in to the doc this morning and he is fughting those "germs."

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  46. @lemonade714 I think the lack of blue (& avatar) is due to C.C. mistakenly deleting my post and having to restore it when she was out spam hunting. (At least I hope that's the case)

    @jd My knees are ecstatic!

    I actually think the anniversary date is tomorrow, but there's no reason to stop celebrating once we've started.

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  47. Hi C.C. and solvers

    Hope everyone is over their Super Bowl hangovers.. ;)

    Fun, fast puzzle today, very enjoyable!
    52A was my favorite clue/answer: Food from a shell/egg. Also liked 14A (The yolk's on them/oxen. Hmmm, maybe an omelet for lunch would be good.

    So Dennis - You are a 'boob' man, huh? Gee, I never would have thunk it. LOL.

    WH (9:34) LMAO

    Crockett - Happy 2 year anniversary on the blog!

    WM - you know I love those daisies. I am glad Jeannie finally got her wish.

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  48. Late start today but I wanted to check in...first off, Jeannie, thank you for your extreme patience, and I think it was entirely a fair trade...plus I had a lot of fun painting this.

    Second...thank you to Argyle and C.C. for the post and the link...

    Third: Jerome, being a person of semi-impeccable taste, at the least, I absolutely loved your puzzle. The theme was terrifically clever and I didn't see it until the SHOOTING STARS answer. For some reason I really liked the "word with trout or sherbert"...a definite d'oh moment. I still can't remember ROLFE and had to use the perps. All around fun.

    Fourth, I totally agree with WH on the health issues and the reasons for the massive pasteurization of absolutely everything...if we took better care of the animals that provided our food we wouldn't need all these alternative solutions. but that is soap box I will stay off of. If anyone is really interested, there is a very scary book called "The Untold Story of Milk" by Ron Schmid...a worthwhile read.

    And lastly: Wow and congratulations to Crockett...2 years! YAY!

    Cheers to everyone and I have a commision painting that has been waiting eons...

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  49. Lemonade, my friend, I took no offense from you. I always enjoy your comments and value your posts.

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  50. On the coleslaw debate, might I add that cabbage is Kohl in German and Kohlsalat is what they call coleslaw. It never occurred to me to call it "cold slaw". Just out of interest, red cabbage is Rotkohl, cauliflower is Blumenkohl (flower cabbage) and Brussels sprouts are Rosenkohl.

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  51. That was a great theme puzzle today. I too thought it was going to be a state theme with the first fill of
    MINNESOTA FATS but loved that it was not. So much more clever. Hope the song is out of your head now that the puzzle is completed Jerome.

    CA, thanks for the SMITH ROLFE clear up. I was confused by that also. Now I know.

    Kazie, sounds like you got some sort of spyware or malware problem going on. They often mask themselves as a program that is trying to delete a virus when in fact they are nabbing your computer. So annoying. This would be one of the reasons why I no longer own a Windows based computer.

    Crockett - So good to see your first post. Did anyone notice that there were only 4 that day?

    CC - how long before people began posting more and catching on? I think I too started about a year ago. I remember lurking for a while, and one day you invited people to post for the first time and see how many posts you get. I think that opened the door to a lot more people contributing, me included. You might possibly be a little sorry now as you get the flood of email daily. But we all love you for sticking at it and hosting such a good time for all.

    By the way CC, are you snowed in today? You seem to be posting more often than usual.

    Back from sunny Southern CA to a snow storm. Nothing like the east though. I think it is kind of pretty. Luckily I have two strapping teenage boys to do that shoveling.

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  52. Aloha all,
    Today's puzzle was a breeze for me...although I always think that either Miles Standish or John Smith ended up marrying Pocahontas, so Rolfe just made me more confused. Nonetheless, I was done in nine and a half minutes, and would have had an even better score if I had remembered that there's an "a" in sesame. It wasn't until I logged in here that I realized I never saw many of the down clues. If only all of life could be like a Monday morning puzzle! OK, I'm off to the beach in honor of our snowbound friends...I'm sending vicarious tans your way!

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  53. KeanuRich, I prefer my tan without lines please, Mahalo!!

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  54. Hello.

    Probably do too many of these every day that all answeres were familar.
    Still love the lily.

    I'll vote for: rotkohl mit apfel und lauch.

    Blame the stupid rodent. One sil in Johnstown said they have 30 inches. The other sil in Lancaster said they had 24 inches.

    Speaking of Johnstown, John Murtah
    has died. He was to be the oldest serving member of the House.

    eddyB

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  55. Hi gang -

    Jerome - excellent puzzle. Proves that an easy one can be fun.

    I had horrible insomnia last night, so a tough puzzle would have done me in.

    "Word with trout or sherbet" got an LOL.

    Renee Zellweger is by far my favorite actress. She was wonderful in MISS POTTER, a gentle movie about BEATRIX POTTER, of Peter Rabbit fame. Old Bea was quite a gal. Highly recommended.

    Elle is busting out all over. I don't think Renee has that kind of fire power. Still, she was amazingly sexy in CHICAGO.

    There was a lady who decided not to breast feed when she read something about boiling the nipples to sterilize them.

    Tomorrow's storm is supposed to hit us, too. Somewhere between 6 and 10" for all you measuring mavens.

    IIRC, One of the John's sent the other to propose to Pocahontas for him, and her answer was, "Speak for yourself, John."

    Buckeye can fill us in. I think he was the scribe.

    Cheers!
    JzB the had-to-take-a-nap-today trombonist.

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  56. @kazie I am always amazed by your language knowledge and your ability to try to educate us.

    @kq There weren't as many of us around here when C.C. first started. We now have quite an extended family!

    @jerome I was remiss in not thanking you for the nice puzzle. I'll bet it was difficult to have that song bouncing around in your head all that time!

    I concur that kazie's problem might be malware. Get Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and run it.

    @robin Do you not suffer from a red breast when you first start tanning without lines?

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  57. I thought it was terrific. My lunch crossword puzzle partner is no longer with the company and I managed this one all alone! ESL is the only one that I never heard of. Wish Friday was as easy!

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  58. A fairly easy puzzle, although I didn't know 57D, 'Algerian port' or 61A 'dog from Wales' so I had one empty block. All else fell in place either alone or with the 90 degree'ers, but can someone please explain 'immigrant's subj.'= esl to me? I put in 'eng' for english.

    C.C.,
    One of my all time favorite shows is 'Mr. Ed'. Hence my 'avatar'.
    Tell me, where does C.C. come from?

    Oh, by the way, speaking of a womans breasts, I love 'em. They don't have to be big but they do have to be real ones.

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  59. Mr. Ed, esl = english as a second language.

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  60. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a lot of lyric poetry. Paul Revere's Ride and The Song of Hiawatha were two very famous ones. He outdid himself on poem length in The Courtship of Miles Standish, an historical and romantic epic about the Plymouth Colony and its inhabitants. It is a very long poem that is divided into ten parts.

    In The Lover's Errand section, John Alden has gone to propose to the Puritan maiden Priscilla Mullins on behalf of his friend Miles Standish. He praises Standish, but Priscilla has other ideas. Here are a few short and important lines.

    "But as he warmed and glowed, in his simple and eloquent language,
    Quite forgetful of self, and full of the praise of his rival,
    Archly the maiden smiled, and, with eyes overrunning with laughter,
    Said, in a tremulous voice, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?""

    John got smart and he and Priscilla were married. The story may have been romanticized, but the people were real.

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  61. This is how bad my memory is. When I saw tootsie, I started humming , "If you knew Tootsie, like I know Tootsie..oh,oh, oh what a girl" Well, it took a few minutes to say-hey, something is wrong here. Yea, I know, it's Susie, but the tune lingers on in my head.

    Welcome Carrie, AKA Gram.

    Too bad hole and sews didn't overlap. I'm the all time "Darning Queen". In H.S. we had to darn our socks when they came back from the laundry. Most of the boarders were from wealthy families so their families bought new socks. By my senior year. I was darning(it's actually weaving) every week.I have not darned a sock since. My girls used my "darning eggs" as fake microphones.

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  62. Jerome, I have to compliment you on this very clever puzzle. As has been said, this makes easy fun. I,too, especially enjoyed the trout and sherbet connection.

    Kazie, thank you for that explanation of "kohl"; my only association with the word is in Egyptian culture, the women used it to outline their eyes so I connected it to "coal" of today. I learn so much here!

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  63. Mr. Ed, the 2:57 post under C.C.'s name was actually from me; I was under her logon, deleting some spam.

    C.C.'s name is an abbreviation of her Cantonese name, Chow Chin. In Mandarin, it's Zhou Qin.

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  64. C.C. What did you mean when you greeted me and said for me to go blue? All this is new to me.
    Also, thanks to Annette, a fellow Floridian, for welcoming me too.
    I hope we get more puzzles like the one today. I get my daily puzzle in the Sun-Sentinal here in Palm Beach county.
    I will hope for you northerners that you do not get too much more snow. My son, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, has been having a rough time with it too.

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  65. C.C.- Yes, I was being facetious. However, I am very serious about your phrase, "...miles of dreams...", being quite beautiful.

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  66. Lucina,
    That kind of coal is Kohle (with the "e" pronounced) in German. I used to get it and Kohl mixed up.

    Crockett,
    I like the way you said my "ability to try and educate". I do try, but ability would imply success more than a mere attempt. I hope I succeed some of the time.

    I called the guy who worked on my computer two years ago and asked about it, because he was the one who recommended Spyware Doctor, the program I've used since. He said their last update did some strange things and he hasn't been recommending it lately. Just now, I noticed some odd icons on my desktop and removed them. So far so good. I did find that the "browser defender is a part of Spyware Dr. too, but I haven't figured out how to disable it yet. He's working on that too. But I'm hoping the icons were part of the problem.

    Thanks to all for your suggestions. if it continues, I'll try Crockett's suggestion too.

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  67. Dennis,
    Are all of the posts marked C.C. actually you?

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  68. Oh, BTW Dennis, thanx for the dope on 'esl'.

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  69. Kazie...first, on the painting, the deal with Jeannie was just that I paint it, no sale was implied. It was trade-off for her awesome fried chicken recipe.
    Also...I am an idiot with computers, just managed to reinstall a new modem/router the other day and my skills are limited, but if you really did pick up some kind of malware...you can't make it go away by removing icons. It took our son in law about an hour to find a clean up program that would eliminate the one I inadvertantly picked up a while back. We now have the clean-up program(which was free on download) installed in case I do something stoopid again :oP...all the virus and spyware detectors didn't prevent it from entering. A lot of them are a way to get you to buy security software...long story, wasn't fun, had some hysterical side effects after cleaning up the mess...and a real learning experience. Have someone qualified look into your computer and see exactly what you have picked up.

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  70. I enjoyed today's puzzle very much. I'm starting to get the hang of the easier puzzles at the beginning of the week. I'm not very good after Thursday, but I'll keep on trying to improve.

    My husband's daughter helped me with the picture. She thinks it looks like me before I have my first cup of coffee in the morning. She is probably right.

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  71. Carrie: What’s meant by “going blue” is to have your name appear underlined and in blue letters. You do that by creating a Google Blog Account. When you typed your comment in the square at the top of the blog, there were some radio button options below. Click on the “Sign up here” link and create a profile, with your avatar photograph and some information about yourself. Then the next time, you can log in under your Google Account identity, instead of Name/URL or OpenID.

    Also, there are a lot of useful links on the main blog page, such as how to insert links into your comments.

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  72. Dennis,
    Are all of the posts marked C.C. actually you?


    No, certainly not. Just the one I told you about. We (Argyle and I) only use that ID to delete spam, not to post.

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  73. Hi all, back from running errands and a visit to our skinny (now) friend Crockett. I had to stop by the library and take a peek and the 'new him'. WOW, what a difference!!! He looks just great, and is feeling that way too. A huge accomplishment for both him and his lovely wife.

    Carrie - welcome aboard! Hope you will stay for a long ride. We can get wild, but it's all in good 'clean' (sometimes) fun ;)

    Martie - cute picture and a lot of us can relate to the 'morning look'.

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  74. Thank you, Kazie. I had not seen it spelled kohle. Books generally spell it without the "e". I am not sure why. And I recalled that in Spanish, cualiflower is "col" pronounced with a long o.

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  75. Jerome:

    Thank you for your magnanimous words; I am usually more careful with looking before I leap, but wiggling tootsies really was big in Connecticut when I was young.

    Speaking of leaping, Crockett, you gave yourself your own anniversary present with your great and instant comment on my favorite bird, the robin red-breast. When I was 8, we had a baby fall from her nest and my brother and I brought him (?) home and fed him with an eyedropper. It was spring and he lived with us until the first frost came, and then he left. He used to go out and play and then come home, especially liking to land in my mother's hair. He did not much care for worms, despite not having to actch them himself, and was terrified of thunderstorms, which he would spend holding on to a finger, shivering and pooping. The following spring a robin would come and fly by our house, but never came in again, we assumed it was Tweety, but who knows. Nice memories from our discussion of mammaries. I certainly would like to have a Robin Red Breast here now.

    Carrie, where in Palm Beach; I am in the Pompano area now after years in Davie.

    Lo-li-ta, relax and have a gresat week now that you have your daisies.

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  76. Jerome,I really enjoyed your theme in today's puzzle. I had no idea what the theme was until SHOOTING STARS popped up. Very clever, very entertaining.
    Fred

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  77. JD: The more puzzles you do, the faster you get over time. I like to do them early, before I'm really awake, just to see how I do under the circumstances. I only compete against myself and won't go faster than reasonable. I mentally check off every clue as I go and check the crosses for verification. It's always a fun mental exercise. I like to do double-crostics too, with no help of any kind. My average on them is about an hour. Like all skills, puzzles yield in time to patient repetition. Keep at it. It's good for the brain.

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  78. Good Evening, Argyle, C.C. & puzzlefriends.
    The best indicator of how good this puzzle is: me being greeted practically at the door of my office by 2 new "converts" to the LAT puzzle wanting to see if I'd help them with a few clues! They *loved* it. Their hang ups were on ONE A, STEP ON, ROLFE and ESL. Both were proud, and rightly so, to get SHUI, CMON and OAST, words that don't jump to mind in the day to day grind.

    So, Jerome, you have a winner here. Anything that gets newbies excited about puzzles AND keeps us not-so-easily-impressed folks happy to work on is a major PLUS. Thanks.

    Confession: I didn't see the connection between the 3 theme answers until the payoff in 55A. Big AHA (oho?) moment for me. I also wouldn't've got OOP without the crosses. Very happy seeing the first and last names of the "stars."

    One small quibble: Some therapists may say "I SEE" but I'm more likely to say "C'mon" ---or simply "OMG, what's wrong with this picture?" Same idea, no?

    WM: Love the daisies! Those colors pop. May I use it for a new screensaver, por favor? Not that ELLE isn't beautiful but.....

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  79. Dennis- Thanks for putting a smile on my mug first thing this morning.

    Lemonade- "Wiggling Tootsies" used to be the opening band at "Nine Inch Nails" concerts.

    Fred- I'll wear your compliment as a badge of honor.

    To all- you're a super group of wonderful people. I enjoyed my day with you. But now it's time for a few beers and a good smoke. Adios!

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  80. For those who are not into football or the Super Bowl, ignore this post. To those who normally ignore my posts, continue. For the seven people who are still here - ThanX!

    If you read the statistics from yesterday's game, you would assume Indy won the game by 3 or 4 points. They won (slightly) every major statistic. N.O won passing %, Brees 32/39; Manning 31/45. Manning had more passing yardage 333/288. N.O. won time of possession, a rather useless stat., by 22 seconds. So why did Indy lose by 14 points?

    A 74 yard T.D. interception. That made the "return yardage" for the Saints 180 yds., up from 106 compared to Indy's 111 yds., and hence, made them the winner.

    I got a pass from GBRV to attend a "Super Bowl" party. I took my "lady" friend "Cheetah" but had to leave her in the car - "no monkeys allowed -she'll scare the dog".

    "Who ya like, Buckeye?"

    I gave them my line from Saturday's post and they all laughed. (We're only 100 miles from Indy).

    "There's two spots left on the football card. Ya want 'em? Five bucks each",

    "K."

    So for ten bucks I had Indy and the #7 and the Saints with #6 and #0. Both picks were on the bottom line.

    At the end of the third quarter, I was giggling up in the living room -the other gamblers were in the basement, watching the game and playing Texas Held 'em- when my buddy asked' "What's so funny, man?"
    " I just won $125.00. (Indy 17, N.O. 16). I wonder if I'll have to shoot those troglodytes to get my cash."

    Then, "Buckeye, you useless bastard. Ya just won some money".

    "Tanks".

    "But your five points ain't gonna be 'nuff".

    "Not to worry, Snake. (His name is Eddie "The Snake" Bonebuster). I got 'em when the spread was 6 1/2. Me and the other "wiseguys" were just waining until you idiots built up the spread. After we dumped our bundle on the Saints, the spread fell to 5. They're still going to win it outright."

    I won't go into how disappointed I was when the Saints went for two after the first T.D. in the 4th quarter. It killed my hope for winning the 4th quarter pool, but beggars can't be choosers.

    My only downside was this morning when I was counting all of my winnings here at GBRV. Some "sore losers" kept coming by and bumping the card table where I was stacking my winnings. There were nickles EVERYWHERE!!!

    Hope everyone is safe and warm. The new "front" is due to start in about three hours. "The weather outside is frightening...."

    So, if I don't see ya' through the week, I'll see ya' through the window. (I have no idea what that means).

    I must be off!!

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  81. Uh oh -- another typo slipped past. STEP IN, not ON.

    Forgot to say the expression TeeTime was "spot on" too.

    Expecting snow here in Chicagoland overnight -- 7 to 10 inches. Nothing like the MARDELVA storm, but the grocery store was packed tonight, folks stocking up in case it's worse. I bought an extra jar of peanutbutter so I'm prepared!

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  82. Gracie was wondering if Elle McPherson's attributes were real. I think so but if further research needs to be done, I am available. The fee is only $50. Not much but it's all I can afford.

    It's important, as Kazie pointed out, that we keep in mind the important usefulness of boobs for nourishing babies. Still, useful things don't often come in such attractive packages.

    Somebody mentioned wanting a tan without the tan lines. I always thought they were very sexy when my wife had them (in our younger days).

    I enjoyed the Superbowl so much that I cranked up the DVR and watched parts of the second half again.

    Lemonade, I never raised a baby robin but I did raise a baby jay and a mockingbird. Very enjoyable. I fed them cat food and meal worms. My daughter won a writing contest about pets from our local vet. The mockingbird (Chico) and I got a lot of attention when I showed up at the vet's office with him on my shoulder.

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  83. ARBAON (a rose by any other name)February 8, 2010 at 8:25 PM

    Was able to complete the puzzle with no help...even for "step-ins" which were an entirely different thing to me. My great grandmother made my g-grandfather "boxers" out of bleached flower sacks. He called these "step-ins."

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  84. Entropy, no one believes you.

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  85. I thought this was a very enjoyable puzzle tonight Jerome. Very clever clueing and a "hidden" theme in my book as I didn't catch on until I came here. I have always thought of the term "tootsies" as being entire feet and to be totally honest mine are not pretty.

    Lemonade, I once "raked up" a little bunny that I tried to raise. It didn't turn out that well. I have trouble with bunnies for some reason. Another time I was putting in a new lawn and had strown straw all over it and when moving the sprinkler unknowingly uncovered a nest. Same results.
    Bob, I don't think you would welcome me in your house.

    Lots of talk about "the girls" today. Lemonade, there is a gal in the office that is about 25 that would make Dennis drool and has been talked to numerous times about the "cleave". It really hasn't changed much though. I may be just a little bit jealous.

    Long commute today and another expected tomorrow. Just as I was putting on my sorels and snowsuit to go out and attempt to start my snowblower my neighbor came over and blew me out. Nice guy.

    Once again, thank you WM for the daisies as that was seriously the only bright spot in my day. PJB use it for your screensaver, as I might just use it for my new avatar.

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  86. Good evening Argyle, CC, et al., Late to the party but enjoyed the invitation (puzzle)a lot. This went so fast that I missed a lot of perps. Never even saw 'odeons', wouldn't 've known it anyway. Learned that one today. Knew 'Oast' b/c of Argyle a while back. And 'Rolfe' was gimme living so close to Jamestown. Loved seeing Minnesota Fats here. Love to play pool. Where else can you dispose of a blue ball in a side pocket or get openly complimented on your rack. Just a fun game and an 'abs'olutely fun puzzle. Good job, Jerome! Thanks.

    Jeannie: LMAO! Nice guy? Hell, I'd call the neighbor who came over and blew you out a damn godsend! Geeze! Some people have all the luck!

    Gotta go. Enjoy your night.

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  87. Jeannie: Infant bunnies separated from their mothers are almost impossible for anyone to raise. It's very hit or miss. All rabbits are born into a very immature state and require their mothers' care and attention to survive. So, not your fault. By contrast, guinea pigs are born pretty independent and ready to go. They still need their mothers but can be nursed. New-borns are eating solid food by the end of the first day. The contrast is pretty amazing.

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  88. Lois, being blown out unexpectedly in the dead of winter is definitely a "god send". Especially in the get up I had on. "Minnesota nice" at it's best!!

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  89. Good evening all.

    Nice puzzle, Jerome. Thanks. The only one I missed was Corgi, which is terrible because I too had a Schipperke, from which Corgis are made. Sorry ClearAyes.

    Must comment on the ideas of drinking unpasteurized milk. My aunt & uncle had a dairy farm and drank the milk, and both ended up with TB. The doctor said it was from the milk. And they kept a spotless dairy.

    Carrie, where in South Florida? There are many of us here from there. I'm from Naples.

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  90. PJB...always, and as they are Jeannie's Daisies you have her permission...as always, it is flattering. Posted them last night on FB and the response was very good.

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  91. Jeannie:
    Any video on that?

    Lucina:
    it seems like several days (I've had a long one today), but re: your comment this morning,
    If you had been my 4th grade teacher, I'd be a different man today.

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  92. Good evening all.

    Nice puzzle, Jerome. Thanks. The only one I missed was Corgi, which is terrible because I too had a Schipperke, from which Corgis are made. Sorry ClearAyes.

    Must comment on the ideas of drinking unpasteurized milk. My aunt & uncle had a dairy farm and drank the milk, and both ended up with TB. The doctor said it was from the milk. And they kept a spotless dairy.

    Carrie, where in South Florida? There are many of us here from there. I'm from Naples.

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  93. You used to be able to get certified raw milk from Alta-Dena dairy here in the Los Angeles area. I don't know if it's still available. My grandmother used to make hot cakes out of sour milk (clabber). I tried it with pasteurized milk and it was smelly, spoiled and dreadful. (I use buttermilk these days.) When I tried it with raw milk, it turned into something OK to cook with or make sour dough bread starter with. Big difference.

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  94. Windhover, by the time I got home tonight is was getting dark outside and the quality wasn't good as it took place in my driveway. So you will have to just use your vivid imagination once again.

    WM, I hope you don't care that I use this avatar for a couple of days. It makes me happy. I am a little bit curious...did you name the painting "Jeannie's daisies"??

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  95. Hey Jeannie - that neighbor didn't happen to be a harmonica player did he? Lois could use lessons, so she says...LOL. I am not quite sure what a sorel is ?!

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  96. Carol, he DOES know how...how did you know? Sorel's are a MN prerequisite. They are very warm and not so attractive but help you out there on those frozen lakes when pretending to fish...

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  97. Jeannie, love your avatar!

    Argyle, I like "Toot toot tootsie" soooo much better than "If you knew Tootsie"

    Bob, thx so much for the encouragement. I admit I have improved since I started puzzling here over a year ago.It has been my 2nd best retirement gift, the first being my 2 grandsons.


    Carol, I'll bet you'll be spending more time at the library. :)

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  98. Jerome: You had more than 100 comments on Monday, so you must be doing something right.

    I tried but your SHOOTING STAR left me wanting a HOT ORGANIST; anyone other than Lois know how to lay and Organ?

    good night all

    Lolita; love the avatar.

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  99. Erudite, Entropy, Tinbeni, use whatever name you want. It is very obvious.

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  100. You used to be able to get certified raw milk from Alta-Dena dairy here in the Los Angeles area. I don't know if it's still available. My grandmother used to make hot cakes out of sour milk (clabber). I tried it with pasteurized milk and it was smelly, spoiled and dreadful. When I tried it with raw milk, it turned into something OK to cook with or make sour dough bread starter with. Big difference.

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  101. Anon@8:26 and 9:44, as far as I can see the people you are attacking haven't done anything to you. What is the big deal? Why would it matter if they are three people, two, or one? Nobody else seems to care, why do you? Can you explain?

    I've just started to enjoy this blog and it seems to me that there are spoilsports who want to ruin it for everyone else. It doesn't make any sense to me.

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  102. Carol: LMAO! Funny lady!

    Martie: no worries. Just like life, into every blog a little rain must fall. We ignore it and observe the posted sign at the entrance to the Puzzle Theme Park: Don't Feed the Trolls. Some people aren't happy unless they're causing trouble. Negative attention is better than none.
    Very cute Avatar BTW! I've seen something like that in the morning mirror myself.

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  103. lois, is that an avatar of the party you were at before you came here?

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  104. Good evening C. C., Argyle and folk,
    Who were the Johns?
    I confused John Rolfe with John Alden. John Smith was with Pocahontas and John Alden was with Priscilla Mullens.
    @Argyle and Lemonade, Tootsie Rolls with Rollos? Rollo/Rolls?
    How Tootsie Rolls Are Made

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  105. Anonymous
    A coward with "no name" telling someone to leave.

    Gutless fool.

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  106. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it really was "ONCE AND FOR ALL" and never again? The rest of us quiet anons would be so grateful.

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  107. Jeannie has been an intregal part of this blog have you been following it. Give her some slack. IMHO I think you have been jilted by some smart, blonde in the past.

    Jeannie, I think the painting should be named after you...your lurker admirerer.

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  108. All Anonymous comments are crap.
    Click the name, make-up one.

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  109. Sorry C.C., Dennis, Argyle, Windhover. All I have to say is NOTHING to those anons that don't even know me. Just so you know, you didn't ruin my daisy day.

    Thank you once again Wolfmom for my new avatar. All the peeps in blue or with a name Good night.

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  110. quiet anons are gutless too

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  111. Kazie, thank you for the Kohl lesson.

    Welcome Carrie.

    Martie, your avatar looks like how I feel in the morning. Coffee is my salvation.

    JD, My father made me a beautiful darning egg out of birdseye maple. He was a wonderful woodworker and I have darned many a sock using his gift. I think of him as I mend.

    My husband did his Master's thesis on Mockingbird Song. In order to prove the theory that Mockers learned their song, we raised baby Mockers in a soundproof cage. There was a mike inside the cage, hooked up to speakers outside so we would know when they were hungry--which was pretty much all the time. I wouldn't have had too much of a problem with this, but I had a three week old daughter at the same time to feed--which was pretty much all the time.

    Needless to say, my days were one big feeding frenzy. We managed to get through this hectic era--baby babies and baby Mockers without too much trauma, but at the time, I thought I was going to go crazy. Our daughter did well and my husband got his Master's degree, so all's well that ends well.

    I'll tell our 4-H baby rabbit story another time!

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  112. Jeannie..the painting is indeed named Jeannie's Daisies and it was posted as such on FB last night...it is yours to with as you wish as it was painted essentially as a commision piece in trade for the terrific and secret fried chicken recipe...I am flattered that you use it as your avatar.

    I painted it over this past weekend and with you mind...driving to work and seeing the daisies in the field...disregard the trolls who not not of which they speak...:o)

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  113. oops...that was know not of which they speak.

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  114. We are snowed in for the second time in a week. Officially, this is the snowiest winter on record in Phila. but we didn't get the official amount of 28 inches here in the western suburbs. That was on Friday night and Saturday. We got another 7" Tuesday night with a lot more on the way Wed. Reminds me of winter in Michigan--18"in one day on top of 24" already on the ground. It was the first day of winter break at U of M and my roommate drove home to Vermont that day--it took twice as long as usual.

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