google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday March 15, 2010 Lila Cherry

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Mar 15, 2010

Monday March 15, 2010 Lila Cherry

Theme: Beware the IDES OF MARCH (56A Today, to Caesar - and a hint to the hidden word appearing in this puzzle 15 times (including the one in this answer) - IDE is hidden and marching around in 15 different places.

16A Kids' game with an "it": HIDE AND SEEK

20A Curving pitch: SLIDER

36A Author André: GIDE. Nobel Literature winner 1947.

37A Fall apple drink: CIDER

41A Group of lions: PRIDE

44A 9-Down footballer: RAIDER. 9D. San Francisco Bay city: OAKLAND.

3D Bike outing: RIDE

10D Wedding party member: BRIDESMAID

14D As above, in footnotes: IDEM

26D Like most modern TVs, picturewise: WIDE SCREEN

28D Square's four: SIDE

31D Drop in pronunciation: ELIDE

40D Oceanic reflux: EBB TIDE

49D What's on your mind: IDEA

Another puzzle from our editor Rich Norris himself. Lila Cherry, one of his alias names, is an anagram of "Really Rich".

Very creative interpretation of "Ides of March" (the day Caesar was killed) and deliberate use of 15 as the number of IDE words/phrases.
Perfect puzzle for March 15. Great crossing with DOOM (46. Dire fate) as well.

Among the IDE entries, four longest ones are symmetrically placed, and SIDES and CIDER are placed in the very middle of the grid crossing each other.

Brain dead Argyle here. I hope C.C. is up early enough to fix my mistakes today. For the longest tine, I could only find 14 Ides! Thank goodness most of the clue/answers are straightforward.

Across:

1. Month with showers: APRIL

6. Auctioned auto, briefly: REPO. (repossessed)

10. Journalist Nellie: BLY

13. Egypt's capital: CAIRO

14. Ancient Greek district: IONIA

15. Corned beef bread: RYE

18. Nest egg item, for short: IRA

19. Bridge supports: TRESTLES

22. Garment bottom: HEM

23. Suffix with meth- or prop-: ANE

24. Alley competitor: BOWLER. Bowling alley.

28. Backyard play apparatus: SWING SET

33. Like some college walls: IVIED

34. Employed: HIRED

35. Caesar's 1,051: MLI. One more Caesar reference.

38. Pass's opposite: FAIL

39. Single: ONE

40. City on the Ruhr: ESSEN

42. Nuclear treaty subjects: TEST BANS

45. Corn discard: COB

46. The Atty. General is head of it: DOJ. Department of Justice.

47. Low-level clouds: STRATI

50. Icy formation at either extremity of the Earth's axis: POLAR CAP

55. Peeper: EYE

58. Classic Jaguar model: XKE

59. Jeans material: DENIM

60. "What's in __?": Juliet: A NAME

61. Japanese money: YEN

62. Has a sandwich: EATS

63. Brawn: SINEW

Down

1. Eight, in Berlin: ACHT

2. Twosome: PAIR

4. Enrages: IRES. Verb, Groan!

5. Despised: LOATHED

6. Perot of politics: ROSS. Or H. ROSS Perot.

7. Denver-to-Chicago dir.: ENE

8. Crusty desserts: PIES

11. Old Greek stringed instrument: LYRE

12. 365 days: YEAR

17. Met, Nat or Card: NLer

21. Beethoven's "Minuet __": IN G

24. Archie Bunker type: BIGOT

25. Like lambs and rams: OVINE

27. Reb general: LEE. And 37. 27-Down's org.: CSA.

29. Birdhouse songbird: WREN

30. Suffix with bombard: IER

32. Flooring specialist: TILER

34. Yokel's possessive: HIS'N

38. End of most work wks.: FRI.

41. Dr. Denton's, e.g.: PAJAMAS

43. Ode title starter: TO A

44. Massage deeply: ROLF. Named after Ida Rolf, a U.S. physiotherapist who invented the techniques.

47. Like a sheer negligee: SEXY

48. Small child: TYKE

50. Trident-shaped letters: PSIS PSI

51. Hindu princess: RANI

52. Prefix with apple: CRAN

53. Summit: ACME

54. Relieved cry: "PHEW!"

57. Tolkien tree creature: ENT

Answer grid.

Argyle

82 comments:

  1. What a challenge to create; while not hard, I am amazed at 15 theme answers.
    My thoughts: I enjoyed:

    Oceanic reflux: EBBTIDE . A really nice clue.

    Author Andre: GIDE . “La tasse est vide. La femme attende.” GIDE was a protégé of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

    Wedding party member: BRIDESMAID . but never a bride. I recently watched Bride Wars with Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. It was okay, but Kate will never replace her mother.

    Journalist Nellie: BLY , I heard the song growing up.

    Bridge supports: TRESTLES not to be confused with JIM TRESSEL.

    Peeper: EYE. Another song I grew up hearing. JEEPERS CREEPERS .

    Okay, back to waking up…damn DST!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Morning, CC and all. I thought this was a challenge for a Monday puzzle. After getting HIDE AND SEEK and SWING SET, I thought we were headed for child's play.

    Interestingly, we had a big discussion about the meaning of IDES just last week.

    I initially thought of Bride's Groom instead of Bride's Maid.

    Nellie BLY (1864 ~ 1919) was a pioneer in investigative journalism. Her given name was Elizabeth Jane Cochran. She actually entered an insane asylum to write about conditions there.

    I love DST. Yesterday was beautiful here and I could actually sit outside in my garden and read until about 7:00 p.m. If only the humidity would stay away for a while so I can still do this in a month.

    In honor of Nellie BLY, today's QOD is from her time spent in an insane asylum:

    How can a doctor judge a woman's sanity by merely bidding her good morning and refusing to hear her pleas for release? Even the sick ones know it is useless to say anything, for the answer will be that it is their imagination. ~ Nellie Bly

    Accept praise for its worth ~ politeness. Be brutally frank with yourself. It's safer. ~ Nellie Bly

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  3. Good morning, C.C., Argyle and all,

    Clever puzzle this morning, and about right for a Monday. Rich must have had fun constructing this once in a year theme! I falsely thought the hidden word was id instead of ide, thus missing the whole point.

    I was hoping for a link to 47D, Argyle, but you did a great job, nevertheless.

    Have a great Monday.

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  4. Easy as usual for Monday. 10 minutes.

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  5. Hello again Argyle, C.C. and fellow puzzleteers, first for TFrank and the BRIDESMAIDS; HAHTOOL, good morning; I know you posted previously the derivation of your name, but the question came up again yesterday.
    I was so into the IDE theme I had IDEntifIED three other words containing the letters but not in order..33. Like some college walls: IVIED . 34. Employed: HIRED .
    59. Jeans material: DENIM . Plus I thought for Backyard play apparatus: SWING SET he could have slid in SLIDE.

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  6. Good Morning Argyle, CC and All,

    Very enjoyable puzzle this morning. Not to hard and it became a bit mechanical for me when I started counting up Ide entries. Feeling a bit dungy due to the time change which I'm blaming my probs on the west side. I wrote Tomcat for 24A and Missiles instead of Testbans. Ovine and Bigot fixed all of it. Very fun solve Rich.

    Where getting a bit of the rain the mid Atlantic folks got nailed with. We need it, they've stopped issuing burn permits. Dick, How're you making it?

    Nice write-up Argyle, as usual.

    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ovine made me think of Windhover and all his kidding.

    Hahtool is the transliteration of the Hebrew word for "cat." The first "H" is a gutteral "H"sound; the emphasis is on the first syllable.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good morning Argyle C.C. and all. Happy Ides!

    Pretty much a walk in the park, today. Only unknowns ROLF and GIDE but easily gotten from the perps.

    ESSEN - also means 'to eat'. 2nd 'EAT' clue:-). Vergessen das essen. Also had ACHT today.

    SEXY - tried 'see thru' but it was too long.

    Nice to see a reappearance of OVINE.

    Tschüß

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good morning Argyl and All, a typical Monday puzzle, easy and doable. I needed this one after my fatal crash and burn yesterday. For a change I got the theme and did realize that there were 15 entries. This must have taken a tremendous amount of work to construct. Congratulations Rich Norris, I'm impressed.

    Argyle, another nice blog as usual. When I first started to read your write up I thought maybe C.C. had done the work today. You do good blogs.

    Today I nailed Dr. Denton's!

    Well we dodged a major bullet with the flooding this week end. Most of the rain stayed south so the major flooding expected did not occur. Great news for those inn the low areas. Even the fountain at Point State Park in the Berg had only minor flooding.

    Hope you all have a great Monday.

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  10. I recognized CC's writing in teh beginning also.

    @ Argle: You located all 15.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Like you Argyle, I had the hardest time finding the 15th. I was slightly disappointed that there were no IDES in the SE corner, but I got over that one pretty fast. The theme did help me with some unknowns like IDEM. There were quite a few unknowns for me today including STROTI and GIDE, but the perps answered all of them quite easily. What a fun Monday puzzle, and great theme for the day. Yes, we did just have quite the discussion about this didn't we? If Rich sees the blog, he must have been chuckling under his breath knowing that this was coming up.

    We had quite an interesting weekend. My husband cleaned out his briefcase on Saturday and found the Itouch he though he left on the plane several months ago. Imagine that. Think he carries a few too many things around in that bag?

    Even better, as I know I just told this story last week, we had such significant snow melt that his cellphone appeared on the top of a snow pile yesterday. When I pulled it out, the leather case was relatively wet, but the phone itself was mostly dry. Per the online instructions, the battery is out and it is sitting in a container of rice to soak up all the water that might be in it. The instructions are to not even try to turn it on for 48 hours, so we are anxiously waiting here.

    Anyone want to play a game today? Remember, the phone has been sitting outside, in often subzero temperatures, buried in a snowbank since I believe November or early December. Give me your predictions - yes or no - as to whether it will work when we recharge it after 48 hours.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Argyle,
    Nice job, as usual.

    L714,
    La femme attend. (-re verb, no -e ending)

    As already observed, a walk in the park. Unknowns were ROLF and IONIA, and initially I misspelled the suffix bombardEER, but perps took care of them all.

    Tomorrow afternoon we take off to visit our younger son in Little Rock. Haven't seen him since Thanksgiving, so we're looking forward to it. The older one leaves for a two week stint in Germany today--another "fire" to put out and a possible decision about going for good.

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  13. Argyle: Great write-up, as always.
    I must have counted them 15 times before the 15th IDE revealed itself. Stuck on 14 for the longest time, too.

    A much better than average Monday. Loads of fresh clues.
    Personally, I thought the 15 IDEs on March 15th was inspired.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous said...
    I recognized CC's writing in teh beginning also.@ Argle: You located all 15.March 15, 2010 7:05 AM


    Yes, C.C. did most of the comments. My typos were much like yours, so I dumped the whole thing in C.C.'s lap.

    My missing Ide was 40D EBB TIDE. What were yours?

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  15. In Argyle we trust!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Argyle:
    I had to wait for the EBBTIDE to come back in to get that 15th also.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you all for your name derivations...I forgot to include "Tenbeni."

    Hahtool, are you a cat lover?

    "Sexy" also appears in NYT puzzle. Coh- inky- dink?
    Happens quite often.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Argyle, C.C. & gang, I knew it was a Rich puzzle when I saw the author too. I never picked up on the hidden 'ides' words until I came here. My wife and I had no problem to finish the puzzle before she left for work...

    For Jeannie: Update on last night's dinner, we used our convection oven on convection roast with probe and set the probe temp at 160. In hindsight I should have inserted the probe into the fattest section of the roast because even though we took it out of the oven at 160 degrees and tented it for 10 minutes the biggest end cut was slightly underdone and pink.

    Anyway, the meat itself was very tender and flavorful and the potatoes cooked in the same sauce turned out very good also.

    ReplyDelete
  19. KQ:
    I also vote yes. Extreme heat is much more damaging to electronic devices that is cold, and it probably didn't get wet inside.

    BillG and Annette, from last night:
    I have aquired a few modest skills over the years, including sheepshearing, but the OVINES are more acquiescent than the flockmistress. She takes care of those tasks herself.

    Lemonade:
    Manscaping? Evidently I don't get out enough.

    Lucina:
    I did get the movie reference, and appreciate your mock sense of outrage at least as much as your sense of humor. And may I say, while Lucy is a nice name, Lucina is a lovely name, and you bear it well. (The Iphone auto-correct is being Freudian, it wanted to change that word to bare).

    Another set of ovine twins this morning. Only seven to go in this round. I may sleep through the night next week.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Good Morning All, Terrific job as always, Argyle.

    I was with Hahtool at first and thought we were going to have a kids' play ground theme.

    About 50 years ago an aunt and uncle of mine undertook a series of ROLF massages. They said it was very painful. I understand that ROLFing is much more gentle than it was back then.

    The IDE theme was lots of fun and made Easy Monday much more interesting than usual.

    If you haven't heard the famous lines from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene II:

    "CAESAR: Who is it in the press that calls on me?
    I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
    Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.

    SOOTHSAYER: Beware the ides of March.

    CAESAR: What man is that?

    BRUTUS: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

    CAESAR: Set him before me; let me see his face.

    CASSIUS: Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

    CAESAR: What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.

    SOOTHSAYER: Beware the ides of March.

    CAESAR: He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass!"

    Caesar might have been a big shot, but he wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around him. Let that be a warning to all of us. If a soothsayer calls you out twice, you'd better pay attention!

    KQ, of course I am voting "Aye".

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  21. KQ, Optimist that I am, I say 'yes'

    ReplyDelete
  22. Good morning Argyle, C.C. and fellow solvers.

    What a fun puzzle this was and I guessed it might be Rich's. By now I realize he takes on many aliases and anagramed names. Thanks, Rich. It's a work of art.

    The puzzle itself took 12 minutes and I couldn't hide my pride. I chuckled thinking about the recent discussion of ides.

    Interesting mix of pajamas and sheer negligee in the same puzzle.

    KQ:
    I vote aye.

    WH;
    Thank you. I worried abot you taking my comments literally. I could barely contain myself.

    Have fun everyone. I hope the ides bring you good fortune.

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  23. KQ,

    I'm with the rest so far saying a cryogenic yes.

    If it was mine, not a chance.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Good morning Argyle, CC and all,

    Fun and easy this morning, but I actually left a hole, the S which connected essen/CSA. sigh Everything I did not know filled in on its own. After the fact, I looked up ELIDE as I did not even grok the clue.So smart Mr. Rich Cherry :)

    KQ, aye too sayeth aye.Just for you.Loved your story.

    Hahtool, I put in Bly only because I remembered Lemonade's song, so I enjoyed reading your added info. Didn't know she was a real person.

    Did Eddy give any background info on the falcon cam? We have had the same female peregrin falcon for 3 yrs laying her eggs atop of City Hall. A nesting box was constructed for her and University of Santa Cruz continues to research.I used to leave it on my computer full time for my students to observe. It was a hoot when they were learning to fly.

    Argyle, good job, as always.

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  25. Good morning Argyle, CC and all,

    Fun and easy this morning, but I actually left a hole, the S which connected essen/CSA. sigh Everything I did not know filled in on its own. After the fact, I looked up ELIDE as I did not even grok the clue.So smart Mr. Rich Cherry :)

    KQ, aye too sayeth aye.Just for you.Loved your story.

    Hahtool, I put in Bly only because I remembered Lemonade's song, so I enjoyed reading your added info. Didn't know she was a real person.

    Did Eddy give any background info on the falcon cam? We have had the same female peregrin falcon for 3 yrs laying her eggs atop of City Hall. A nesting box was constructed for her and University of Santa Cruz continues to research.I used to leave it on my computer full time for my students to observe. It was a hoot when they were learning to fly.

    Argyle, good job, as always.

    ReplyDelete
  26. JD - thanks for the link.

    Argyle - mine was EBBTIDE too. Wonder why we all had the same missing IDE?

    ReplyDelete
  27. sorry guys, tried to erase the 2nd one with my trash can but the message made me think I'd lose both of them.Trash can gone..sigh again.

    CA, it was refreshing to read just that small part of J.C. I loved Shakespeare, but didn't like stopping every few lines for all of the explanations of what each word meant.My sister was an actress and went on tour doing S. plays.

    ReplyDelete
  28. KQ,
    I join the ayes.

    Poor Dennis, first he goes to floodbound Florida, and now New Jersey is declared a disaster area. He could probably do with a bit of what we've been getting here in the Midwest--sun and high 60's today.

    ReplyDelete
  29. C.C. to answer your question about the vinegar. Most of the time I use Apple Cider vinegar to drizzle over the greens. I do like Rice vinegar, as well. I haven't done the puzzle yet today, so will come back later to comment.

    I did the Sunday puzzle with red letter help. Sunday puzzles aren't my favorite but enjoyed getting most of it without too many red letters. I do read all the comments on the blog, however.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I figured we might have an “ides” puzzle today being what day it actually is. I had no idea just how the constructor would put it together though. Good job Rich…er…Lila. I too was missing ebb tide, go figure.

    KQ, I am guessing that the phone will work just fine seeing that it was ensconced in the case.

    Warren, I am glad you liked the pork. I have never used that particular recipe on a pork roast though, just a pork loin.

    WH, glad to hear that you are on the brink of getting a good night’s sleep, and yes you probably do some manscaping you just didn’t know it.

    55 and sunny here in MN, and the majority of the snow is gone. Spring is on the horizon!

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  31. The only thing different about EBB TIDE is it doesn't cross at the D like the rest; it starts at the I.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Argyle,C.C. and all -

    Great theme, although I didn't really go back and count all the 'ides'. Only a few I didn't know...DR. DENTON'S - is that regional? I don't understand it at all. Another one was ROLF... I kept thinking of someone throwing up. Just my warped view of stuff. I couldn't ever get a massage, waaaay too ticklish!!

    KQ...I vote yes on the cell phone coming back to life. We found ours in the gutter under about 2 inches of water one year, dried it out, put in fresh batteries and POOF...it worked!
    I sort of thought you would discover it after the snow melted :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I enjoyed the puzzle and the write up. There's a nice variation on the same theme on the CrosSynergy puzzle today called "The March of Ides."

    ReplyDelete
  34. All.

    Guess Dick found his scroll key.
    People are being told not to put
    away their sandbags just yet.

    Use apple cider vinager when making
    pork and serve with baked apples.
    Also coat them with mustard and flour before browning in cast iron
    skillet and lard.

    Will use a red wine vinager for chicken.

    Have been doing this for 55 yrs or so.

    The city hall falcon cam is showing
    that Esteban is staying around this
    year. Some nasty person placed a picture of another falcon in their window.

    Off to buy Guinness and green cabbage for Wednesday. The corn beef round is marinating.

    Another storm should hit the East in a few days.

    See you. eddyB

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi gang -

    I never did find the IDE in
    EBBTIDE.
    It's hidden pretty well, lurking in with IDES and IDEA. Either I ELIDED it or it ELUDED me. A HIDE AND SEEK GAME? Hmmmm.

    PIES shows up a day late. OTOH, it's always a good time for PIE. Right, Dennis?

    Meanwhile, back at the POLAR CAP.

    All the "IDE"s are in crosses or 3-clusters, save one. Good shot at symmetry too, though perfection there is probably unattainable.

    Sometimes I appreciate a puzzle more after than while working it. Today's is an example.

    Nice touch, starting if off with APRIL.

    Here is Beethoven' Minuette in G. Sure sounds like Mozart.

    Re 61A, I thought about going to Japan, but didn't really have the YEN to travel.

    WH mentioned new twins. Reading down, one over from the left hand border we get: PAIR OVINE TYKE. I found that with my WIDE SCREEN EYE.

    ARABON -
    What's in A NAME? I should mention my grandmother's name was Rose.

    I'm done. PHEW!

    Cheers!
    JzB your humble SLIDER

    ReplyDelete
  36. The fun theme made the puzzle even more enjoyable. My only problem was the cross between IDEM and IONIA. After finishing, I used a blue highlighter to mark off the IDEs, and all the blue crosses did look nice, and as symmetrical as humanly possible! Very impressive, Rich!

    KQ: I vote ‘yes’. If he’d actually paid lots more money for a replacement, then there would have been no doubt.

    Windhover: I had my cat “sheared” on Saturday and wish it could’ve been you doing it, as the groomer nicked him – not too far from that Y zone…

    Between that sore spot, getting used to shorter nails to latch on when he jumps up on the bed, and looking very uncomfortably naked, he was not a happy camper this weekend… But he did jump up on his own this morning, and the fur grows back quickly, so he’ll be fine. Despite being miserable, he’s also been very snuggly!

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  37. It's time for me to start thinking about corned beef too. We usually get a brisket instead of a round though.

    Did any of you catch the segment on 60 Minutes last night about the piano-playing savant? Quite amazing I thought.

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  38. Windhover,
    "I notice that very few ventured to answer the question (Dennis: me,
    too), and for my own answer I will yield to the randiest of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin."
    Please explain to me the randy Franklin connection.

    Jazzbumpa,
    "All the "IDE"s are in crosses or 3-clusters, save one". Which one?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Bob & Tinbeni & Doreen,
    Thanks for the exploration and education on IDES last time.

    Anonymous @9:09am,
    I do! In Argyle I trust!

    EddyB,
    Food talk from you? Hmmm...

    ReplyDelete
  40. KQ Alas, I vote no ...

    ReplyDelete
  41. Sorry, it will not work; iput my phone on a wet seat and it stopped working.

    Where did you see flooding in South Florida Kazie?

    ReplyDelete
  42. C.C.: The one lone IDE is in 14D, IDEM. It would have been really cool if they could all have been crosses, and include the SW and SE corners, but I think it's amazing as it is!

    The two clusters remind me of a very clever turn in Scrabble!

    ReplyDelete
  43. C.C.: One thing I really enjoy about Crossword Puzzles is they present new learning experiences or wake-up an old dormant neuron, like Ides did last week.

    A lot of times after I complete one I end up on Google researching all kinds of stuff.
    Then I read the comments the others present and more learning experiences ensue.

    Jazz: I think that Polar Bear in the clip stole my bottle of Pinch!

    OK, a recipe for St.Pats Day:
    Ingregient: Bottle of Scotch (your preferrence)
    Into a snifter glass, pour.
    Repeat ...

    ReplyDelete
  44. All.

    OK back from the store.

    I case that I didn't make my point,
    I will say that there are as many recipes as there are cooks.

    CC. As I said, I have been cooking for over 50 yrs.

    Theme wise, I would have loved to
    have seen IDES. Merl's last also
    had an IDE theme. Enjoyed it anyway

    Feel sorry for you under 65ers. You may have to choose between SSA
    and Health Care.

    Coming soon to a profile page near you will be another ooh-aah photo
    of a copy of a copy.

    Round is a bit more exxpensive but
    more tender.

    Got a big chuckle reading Farcus this morning.

    eddyB

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  45. Happy "Ides of March" to all,

    Hand raised for only finding fourteen "IDE"s at first, but in my case due to spelling error caused by not reading all of the down clues in the SE after filling in 56A. Had STRATa for 47A which gave me "aDEA" for 49D which I didn't realize until coming here. D'oh moment!

    Celebrated "The Ides" with a family brunch as this is my mother's 89th birthday. She and I spent some time earlier this morning looking over the crossword and reading some of the comments on the blog. She does the daily (Universal) crossword in her local paper, and the NYT on Sunday.

    @KQ- My optimistic vote is "Yea."

    @Kazie-Enjoy your time in Little Rock! Hoping for an outcome/decision for your older son that is comfortably acceptable in all respects.

    Delightfully warm day here today. Hope everyone is staying high and dry!

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  46. I'm still a blockhead as far as themes go! Sailed right through today's puzzle and never noticed any until here! Many, many sublties to watch for. Well, I'll keep trying. At least it doesn't keep me from enjoying the puzzles.

    Hooray! I finally got an avatar to add to my profile. I hope I can do it again! Now I need to learn to add clips; then I'm in business!

    Lucina, I'm glad you found the creme fraiche. Next time I'm in T.J.'s I'll ask if they get clotted cream. I can't imagine where I got it if not there.

    I'm glad everybody seems to be back to normal and spring is on its way. It's certainly bustin' out here in the California central valley!Still nice cold nights, though. Good for sleeping.


    Now all we need to know is how Buckeye's doing. I miss his whimsies.

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  47. Lemonade,
    I'm not sure where in Florida it was, but I saw water in the streets on one news broadcast at the end of last week.

    MJ,
    Thanks. I'm sure our trip will be fun. I think the older one is slowly making his decision. Most of the pain and hesitation has been guilt over leaving us here, but I know he and his wife would really have a better time over there. We've been telling them all along that they needed to think of themselves, and that we'd welcome the excuse to visit them there.

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  48. dodo, good to see you.

    Can anyone explain this clue/answer for me?

    Founder of the GOP: BLAIR

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  49. CC:
    Franklin is reputed to have said, in reference to his relations with the fair sex and in favor of older women,
    "All cats are grey in the dark".

    ReplyDelete
  50. Dodo, so nice to see you...great picture!!

    St. Patrick's Day is nearly hear and I will fix a corned beef brisket complete with cabbage, rutabagas, potatoes, carrots and onions. Actually I do this dinner several times a year, Joe is in love with corned beef. Being of Irish decent, he always jokes that he enjoys a 7 course Irish dinner: 1 potato and a 6 pack.

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  51. KQ, beware the 'ayes' of March!

    Seriously, I think your phone might be OK. Thank goodness, I don't have one!

    My favorite Gide quote (Paraphrase, I think.): "If one wishes to discover new lands, one must consent to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." Someone gave me a card with that on it when I went back to college at the age of 58. It helped get me through a long two years.

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  52. Dodo:
    Very nice picture! I am surprised you would have found clotted cream here; I understood that it couldn't be imported into the country because it isn't pasteurized. Let me know if you recall where you bought it.

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  53. Thank you, Spitzboov. The Wikipedia entry for GOP contradicts it but that is not unusual for them. There is definitely a conection to Blair.

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  54. Jazz: I am your grandmother! Sit up straight!

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  55. Carol said: "St. Patrick's Day is nearly here and I will fix a corned beef brisket complete with cabbage, rutabagas, potatoes, carrots and onions."

    That's what we have (minus the rutabagas). I'm sure I would like the rutabagas too. We've never done much experimenting with rutabagas and parsnips. Maybe that's something new to try in my dotage. EddyB says that round is tenderer but we've found just the opposite. I like it cooked until it almost falls apart.

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  56. EddyB, I am glad to see you back as I thought your "SEE BYE" this time meant you had left us ONCE again. I personally don't cook or marinade anything in vinegar of any kind so I guess I am open to trying your recipes. I do like your suggestion however of dredging your pork in flour and browing it in lard and adding a coat of mustard. I am guessing it is a brown dijon mustard, correct? Chicken and red wine vinegar? Hmmm as C.C. said. I have used the classic coq au vin recipe from the master that calls for real wine. This recipe is to die for all you foodies, and I claim it is not my own. If only....

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  57. Oh my goodness! Poor Mr. Blair was not very attractive, was he.

    KQ: my vote is that the phone will work.

    MJ: Nice photo of you and the young family.

    ARBAON: Yesterday you were a 7 foot tall bald man. Today you are a grandmother? Did you have a sex change between now and then?

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  58. Bill G. Like it firmer so I can slice it thin and make Rubens and drink Guinness for a week.

    What ever.

    eddyB

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  59. I'm trying my hand at a Vegetable Soup -- Irish style that has carrots, potatoes, parsnip, turnip, leek, and onion. I might have gotten too much pepper in this first test batch, but the potluck isn't until Wednesday, so I may make another batch or just warm this one up. Time will tell.

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  60. DCannon:
    when I was considering returning (or in my case starting over) to college at the age of 46, I complained, "I'll be 50 years old when I get this degree!" The woman who is now my wife but was then just a friend (still is) asked me, "How old will you be in four years if you don't go to school?"
    I went.

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  61. WH:

    You married a wise woman; you healing? Dennis back in th eland of NOD?

    Buckeye, we miss you.

    We had a quiet day, and no assassinations I guess.

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  62. Guinness and Reubens. Sounds great! And corned beef hash with poached eggs is great too.

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  63. WH:(9:07) I know what you mean...Joe was laid off a job after 12 years (and didn't like) but there was the opportunity to go back to college and get a degree in something he loved...so at 56 he did. The Irish is right, you'll still be x number of years older no matter what your decision is. He has never been happier and is his own boss, doing very well.

    I am concerned about Buckeye too. I hope he is ok, miss satiric wit and story telling.

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  64. ARABON -

    I do sit up straight, kinda, sorta, some of the time.

    My grandmother has been gone a long time. My mom will be 89 in a couple of months.

    Yep, Annette found that one lonesome IDE.

    Tinbeni -
    I don't recall ever having Pinch.
    Here it says that it contains a high percentage of malt whiskeys, including Glenkinchie, which is good stuff. Outside the U.S it's known as Dimple, so that's what the polar bears tipple, I guess. Remember that for when it shows up an an X-Word.

    Cheers!
    JzB the Scotch appreciating trombonist

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  65. Crockett, did you add any fresh garlic or bay leafs to the mix? It sounds like your veggie soup is fabulous.

    Carol, because I promised:
    Chicken(or beef) wet burritos:

    Pre-cook rice of your choice;
    3-4 boneless chickn breasts cut up in chunks. 1/2 onion chopped fine, 1/2 red pepper chopped fine, 1/2 green pepper chopped fine, 1 jalapeno seeded, chopped fine, 1 small can of green chilies, 1 small can of tomato sauce. Seasonings: 1 Tbsl cumin, 1 Tbsl anchillo pepper seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste, oil to saute. Mix in the rice and get ready to roll some burritos.

    Saute all those ingredients together and add some sharp cheddar when you "wrap". They should be the bigger wraps. Lay them out in a 9x13 glass baking pan that has been greased, with about a "spooned" layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan to keep them from sticking, and top with enchilada sauce. Cooked covered about 20 min. Uncover and add additional cheese and bake for about 20 min more. Serve with sour cream and any other sides you would like. I suggest lettuce and diced tomatoes or additional salsa.

    Enjoy.

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  66. Jeannie, so true about The Master. I've made her Coq au Vin too. It is sooo good.

    Neither GAH or I are Irish, so we don't put a lot of emphasis on Irish food.....except for Irish bacon with cabbage, champ (mashed potatoes with scallions) and parsley sauce.

    Unless you are willing to pay the price for the imported real thing, you can substitute brined pork loin for the Irish bacon. We had the real thing at a neighborhood pub in Dún Laoghaire, south of Dublin. Another "so good" experience.

    Guinness comes in a different category for me than plain beer. It is always my first choice.

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  67. Hahtool-Thanks for the kind words about the photo. It is actually four generations, taken today at my mother's birthday celebration. Mom is center, holding Drake, my son to her left, I'm on her right.

    All the discussion about food, esp. Irish specialties, sent me to the market this evening. Came home with corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. I don't even remember the last time I cooked beef, so this will be a real treat. Yum!

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  68. Kazie: Ionia was, roughly speaking, the Aegean coastline of Turkey, largely settled by Greeks sometime between 800 and 500 BC. It was where Greek philosophy was probably born--Thales of Miletus is generally recognized as the first Greek philosopher. Homer, if he really existed, probably lived in or near Ionia, as the Homeric Greek dialect is closest to Ionian. Ancient Greeks lived in a wide range of locations beyond the Greek mainland as a result of their active colonization efforts. This spread of Greek culture is what continues to make it relevant to us today.

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  69. I'm always looking for good Mexican recipes. I copied/saved the Wet Burrito recipe.

    Bill G., yes we saw 60 Minutes. Derek Paravicini is an amazing talent. Rex Lewis-Clack is another musical savant whom Leslie Stahl has interviewed on 60 Minutes. It is really astounding how the human brain can compensate for some deficiencies by substitute musical, mathematical or artistic communication.

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  70. Jeannie: That recipe looks good, but all those ingredients, measures, steps etc. would wear me out.

    My St.Pat. recipe is very easy and only takes 3 seconds (I just timed it).

    Funny thing; An Irish friend of mine once told me that Guinness has enough nutrients in it that it is classified as Food in Ireland.
    "Aw honey I wasn't at the Pub, I was with the guys having a three course meal ..."
    Gotta love the Irish.

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  71. Bob,
    Thanks for Ionia. I think I had heard the word before but was not sure of the location, and had to wait for perp inpiration this morning to get it.

    Since we were all going to be in different places Wednesday, we had our St Paddy's meal Sunday with our son and d-i-l. I had the meat in the slow cooker all morning and by noon when they arrived it was pretty much done. We had it with boiled whole buttered potatoes, carrots and cooked cabbage. My German d-i-l works wonders with cabbage and I let her do it: finely chopped bacon in a pan with the cabbage on high heat until it started to sear a little, added caraway seeds and other spices...yummy!

    See you all tomorrow morning before we leave.

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  72. With the finally nice weather here I can't quite get into DST. I keep looking at the clock knowing I should be in bed with the foodshow looming over my head, (lots of loose ends) and not a pot of soup simmering. Just me?

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  73. Tinbeni,
    Apparently the Irish have that in common with the Germans who say a town with a brewery doesn't need a bakery.

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  74. Jeannie- Which part of the ingredients make up the enchilada sauce, or is that separate? Sounds like a recipe my family would like.

    Thank you.

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  75. MJ, I am hoping I am not over posting, but the enchilada sauce comes in a can (make sure to buhy the red sauce version) as does the green chilies. I am sure you can find it in any grocery store. Look in the Mexican aisle (not being racist here) You can make your own geen chilies from tomatilloes, which we have seen lately in the puzzle. I find it is easier to buy them though. I have tried it and there really isn't that much of a difference. I hope you enjoy the recipe. I left out one key ingredient as Carol is a picky eater. (Sorry Carol) I steam broccoli or broccoli rabe to add to the mix before rolling.

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  76. Kazie:
    What's a bakery?

    It's like I always said:
    "A man has to believe in something, I believe I'll have another drink!"

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  77. Jeannie said:"With the finally nice weather here I can't quite get into DST. I keep looking at the clock knowing I should be in bed"

    No, it's not just you. I like either time OK but I don't like the change from one to the other. I like it less as I get older. I guess I'm getting less adaptable.

    There used to be a local chef who had meals available to be delivered twice a week. We enjoyed that because they were good and reasonably priced. I enjoyed some new things because of him, one being Tilapia fillets. Alas, he couldn't make enough of a profit with the requirements to meet local codes. All of these great recipes make me hungry but I don't always feel like putting in the effort. My loss.

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  78. @jeanie No garlic or bay leaf. I should have done the former and don't have the latter (I think). My wife thought it was a but spicy as well. The original recipe calls for pureeing the concoction, but I chose to leave it in the chunk state. Even so, the potatoes are almost overdone. The burritos recipe will go into the file!

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  79. Hahtool: Today I`m an androgynous, afro-sporting "little person". Stay tuned.
    (With back of hand to forehead) "Tomorrow is another day."

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