Theme: None
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 29
No extra-long stacks this week. More words and fewer blocks than last Saturday. Pretty open-looking grid. These are not details I usually pay much attention to.
Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa taking a big step out of the comfort zone. C.C. wished a Brad Wilbur puzzle on me, and her wish came true. Regular readers will know themeless Saturday Puzzles are not my favorite. This one seems perhaps a bit easier than usual, though I went for technical assistance early and often, in the interest of getting to bed before dawn.
Pretty good puzzle. By my reckoning, only a Q away from a pangram. Three Js.
Across:
1. Google oneself: EGOSURF. First thing tomorrow, I'm googling myself!
8. Produce greenery: FOLIATE. Burst out in leaves.
15. Exceeded, as a time limit: RAN OVER. If I exceed my time limit tonight, tomorrow I'll feel like something RAN OVER me.
16. Scale used in summer weather forecasts: UV INDEX. A warning of sun exposure danger, a bit like a terrror alert.
17. Way back when: AGES AGO. "When I was a young man, never been kissed . . ."
18. Researcher's garb: LAB COAT. Traditional protective garment for all sorts of experimentation. What you wear with it is optional.
19. Mlle. counterpart: SRTA: Abbrv. for Señora. Now how can you possibly know this is looking for a Spanish answer? (Update: from Anon@7:46 AM Señorita, not Señora.)
20. Card game declaration: I CALL. Guessed, and got it. In poker, a call is a decision to match the latest bet. Alternatives are to raise or fold.
22. Start to dominate? PRE. Start of the word predominate. Where would we be without the mandatory affix?
23. Want-ads fairness pledge: Abbr.: EEO. Equal Employment Opportunity, a promise to be fair, according to Federal guidelines.
24. Only non-actor ever chosen as People's Sexiest Man Alive, familiarly: JFK, JR. I didn't know this, but it's not a surprise. His was a very poignant story, on many levels. He and his wife and her sister died when he crashed his plane in bad weather. He had a leg injury and shouldn't have been flying. Here he is as a man, and in a famous sad picture as a boy.
25. Like some kitchens: EAT IN. A kitchen with a place to eat at - either a dinette set or standing at the sink.
27. Apology element: REGRET. No RUER today. I don't regret that.
29. Cockpit reading: AIR SPEED. I know one of our regulars will be able comment on this one better than I can.
31. MGM co-founder: LOEW. I had no idea. MGM is Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Maybe this explains the MGM lion since the name LOEW is not indicated by the initials. LOEWE is "lion" on German.
32. Dagwood's boss: MR. DITHERS, shown here with some of his peers. Not the best boss, ever.
33. "Star Trek" (2009) villain: NERO. This guy. Nope. Never watched any of the later generations.
35. Case for notions: ETUI. A little decorative box for storing doodads. My notion is, I'd almost rather have RUER.
36. Life partners: TRUE LOVES. If you're lucky enough to find each other. I mean, really - what are the chances?
40. Chimes in: ADDS. Makes a comment that advances the conversation. Presumably.
43. Extemporized: WINGED IT. Hemmed, hawed, add libbed (my original answer - I know, it doesn't fit), improvised, made stuff up, read crib notes off your hand . . .
44. Faux: ERSATZ. We've discussed this at length in the past. Poor quality substitute for the real thing.
46. Crawling with creepers: IVIED. I was relieved by this answer. It could have been something creepy crawly, that I don't want to link.
47. In advance: EARLY. They both indicate before some specified time, but they seem non-equivalent to me. What do you think?
49. Dude: BRO. Just some guy. By the way -- Don't tase me, DUDE.
50. Tip for an exam taker?: NIB. The tip of a pen, not a bit of good advice, like study, or write the answers on your hand.
51. Key of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand": E FLAT. Never heard of it. Had to get perp help, then it was easy.
52. "Kisses Sweeter __ Wine": Jimmie Rodgers hit: THAN. I like dry red wine and sweet wet kisses.
53. Italian pistol: BERETTA. An actual firearm. Not this son of a gun.
56. Database with openings: JOB BANK. They have a web site for job seekers
58. Deforestation concern: EROSION. Trees and other green growing things stabilize the soil and prevent runoff. But you knew that.
59. Orchestrate: ARRANGE. Assign the notes to the specific instruments. I've done a bit of that. Ravel was the master.
60. "__ Creek," TV series that launched Katie Holmes's career. DAWSON'S. The show, Dawson's Creek, which I never watched, had my homie girl Katie in one of the starring rolls. What is it about Tom Cruse and gullible Catholic girls?
61. Pack rat: HOARDER: Designation for somebody who can't throw anything out. Know anybody like that? But they, speaking of creepy crawlers, are also real critters.
Down
1. Tip for an exam taker? ERASER. Aha! the tip at the other end of the pencil. Misdirection, in more ways than one. Very clever.
2. Common DVD bonus feature: GAG REEL. This often contains humorous out-takes, mistakes, etc.
3. Pizzeria shout: ONE TO GO. Alright. this is a legit answer, but I don't think much of it. We had Costco pizza tonight. Not bad.
4. Cubs' all-time home run leader. SOSA. A pretty good baseball player, and the other Slammin' Sammie.
5. The Cavaliers of the ACC: U. VA. University of Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
6. Wrap again, with questionable etiquette: REGIFT. Got a gift you're not fond of? Next time around, wrap it up and give it to someone you're not fond of.
7. Monastic attire: FROCK. That about wraps it up for monks, but they can still have a fine time.
8. Enviable scholarships: FULL RIDES. An all expense paid excursion at the University that choses you.
9. Many a racetrack: OVAL. For cars, sure. What about horse races? Are those tracks oval or round? Don't ask me. I'm not a racist.
10. Empowerment word: LIB. As in "Women's LIB," I suppose. Does liberation = empowerment? To me, this looks close, but not quite on target.
11. Entrepreneurial monthly: INC. : The perfect magazine for the kick-ass start-up promoter in you.
12. Anne of Green Gables, for one: ADOPTEE. One who is adopted, generally after being orphaned. Presumably, a better second chance. I don't know anything about Anne.
13. Less stoic: TEARIER. Shedding more tears. I guess big stoics don't cry.
14. Stretches: EXTENDS. For example muscles, before and after exertion, or the mind, by taking on a Saturday puzzle.
21. Slightly cracked: AJAR. Neither quite opened, not quite closed. A slightly cracked jar is something all together different.
24. Like Faberge eggs: JEWELED. Just in time for my family's early Easter celebration. Though they may be slightly too elaborate for our humble tastes.
25. Puget Sound, e.g.: ESTUARY. An estuary is a water passage where the tide meets a river current. Your current events item of the day.
26. Rose garden bane: APHIDS. They will eat your plants. Lady bugs will eat them. I believe it's bugs, all the way down.
28. Back out: RENEGE. Just this morning, I reneged the car from my garage. Otherwise, it means to fail to carry out a promise or commitment. For shame!
30. Slowing, in mus.: RIT. Abbrev. for RITARDANDO, literally, slowing down in Italian.
32. Oscar night devotees: MOVIE FANS. I guess I'm not one, since I just don't care.
34. Poet McKuen: ROD. An American poet. Here is his home page. Clear Ayes, do you have a favorite?
36. Half a sleeping pair: TWIN BED. Another nice misdirection. A pair of matching beds, each suited for a single sleeper. I wanted jammies.
37. Mediterranean hot spot: RIVIERA. The Mediterranean coast of France and Italy with many nice beaches. Those who have been there can tell us about it.
38. Bert has one, but not Ernie: UNIBROW: A single continuous eyebrow extending over both eyes, or a condition with enough hair between the brows to suggest that effect. Here's the boys.
39. "Too many more to mention" abbr.: ET. AL. Latin for, "and others."
41. Expert: DAB HAND. Evidently, this is a British Isles expression.
42. Idiosyncratic: STRANGE. Close enough, I guess. One of my favorite novels was Idiosyncratic in an Idiosyncratic Land.
44. Banderillero's foe: EL TORO. In bullfighting, El Banderillero sticks little flags into the bull's shoulders. Don't ask me why.
45. "Doonesbury" hippie: ZONKER. A cool dude, BRO.
48. Indian royal: RAJAH
51. Hugh Laurie's alma mater: ETON. Is ETON everybody's alma mater? And Who is High Laurie? Anyway, nice EAT IN - ETON echo.
52. Vanishing slope sight: T-BAR. A device to pull you up the ski slope, so you can slide back down again. Why are they vanishing?
54. Three dots, to Morse: ESS. Three dots indicate the letter "S" in Morse code. Hence the famous dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot for SOS.
55. Familia member: TIO. Tio is Spanish for uncle.
57. Top at the shore: BRA. The top part off a lady's two piece swim suit, and a great way to top off this puzzle.
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 29
No extra-long stacks this week. More words and fewer blocks than last Saturday. Pretty open-looking grid. These are not details I usually pay much attention to.
Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa taking a big step out of the comfort zone. C.C. wished a Brad Wilbur puzzle on me, and her wish came true. Regular readers will know themeless Saturday Puzzles are not my favorite. This one seems perhaps a bit easier than usual, though I went for technical assistance early and often, in the interest of getting to bed before dawn.
Pretty good puzzle. By my reckoning, only a Q away from a pangram. Three Js.
Across:
1. Google oneself: EGOSURF. First thing tomorrow, I'm googling myself!
8. Produce greenery: FOLIATE. Burst out in leaves.
15. Exceeded, as a time limit: RAN OVER. If I exceed my time limit tonight, tomorrow I'll feel like something RAN OVER me.
16. Scale used in summer weather forecasts: UV INDEX. A warning of sun exposure danger, a bit like a terrror alert.
17. Way back when: AGES AGO. "When I was a young man, never been kissed . . ."
18. Researcher's garb: LAB COAT. Traditional protective garment for all sorts of experimentation. What you wear with it is optional.
19. Mlle. counterpart: SRTA: Abbrv. for Señora. Now how can you possibly know this is looking for a Spanish answer? (Update: from Anon@7:46 AM Señorita, not Señora.)
20. Card game declaration: I CALL. Guessed, and got it. In poker, a call is a decision to match the latest bet. Alternatives are to raise or fold.
22. Start to dominate? PRE. Start of the word predominate. Where would we be without the mandatory affix?
23. Want-ads fairness pledge: Abbr.: EEO. Equal Employment Opportunity, a promise to be fair, according to Federal guidelines.
24. Only non-actor ever chosen as People's Sexiest Man Alive, familiarly: JFK, JR. I didn't know this, but it's not a surprise. His was a very poignant story, on many levels. He and his wife and her sister died when he crashed his plane in bad weather. He had a leg injury and shouldn't have been flying. Here he is as a man, and in a famous sad picture as a boy.
25. Like some kitchens: EAT IN. A kitchen with a place to eat at - either a dinette set or standing at the sink.
27. Apology element: REGRET. No RUER today. I don't regret that.
29. Cockpit reading: AIR SPEED. I know one of our regulars will be able comment on this one better than I can.
31. MGM co-founder: LOEW. I had no idea. MGM is Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Maybe this explains the MGM lion since the name LOEW is not indicated by the initials. LOEWE is "lion" on German.
32. Dagwood's boss: MR. DITHERS, shown here with some of his peers. Not the best boss, ever.
33. "Star Trek" (2009) villain: NERO. This guy. Nope. Never watched any of the later generations.
35. Case for notions: ETUI. A little decorative box for storing doodads. My notion is, I'd almost rather have RUER.
36. Life partners: TRUE LOVES. If you're lucky enough to find each other. I mean, really - what are the chances?
40. Chimes in: ADDS. Makes a comment that advances the conversation. Presumably.
43. Extemporized: WINGED IT. Hemmed, hawed, add libbed (my original answer - I know, it doesn't fit), improvised, made stuff up, read crib notes off your hand . . .
44. Faux: ERSATZ. We've discussed this at length in the past. Poor quality substitute for the real thing.
46. Crawling with creepers: IVIED. I was relieved by this answer. It could have been something creepy crawly, that I don't want to link.
47. In advance: EARLY. They both indicate before some specified time, but they seem non-equivalent to me. What do you think?
49. Dude: BRO. Just some guy. By the way -- Don't tase me, DUDE.
50. Tip for an exam taker?: NIB. The tip of a pen, not a bit of good advice, like study, or write the answers on your hand.
51. Key of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand": E FLAT. Never heard of it. Had to get perp help, then it was easy.
52. "Kisses Sweeter __ Wine": Jimmie Rodgers hit: THAN. I like dry red wine and sweet wet kisses.
53. Italian pistol: BERETTA. An actual firearm. Not this son of a gun.
56. Database with openings: JOB BANK. They have a web site for job seekers
58. Deforestation concern: EROSION. Trees and other green growing things stabilize the soil and prevent runoff. But you knew that.
59. Orchestrate: ARRANGE. Assign the notes to the specific instruments. I've done a bit of that. Ravel was the master.
60. "__ Creek," TV series that launched Katie Holmes's career. DAWSON'S. The show, Dawson's Creek, which I never watched, had my homie girl Katie in one of the starring rolls. What is it about Tom Cruse and gullible Catholic girls?
61. Pack rat: HOARDER: Designation for somebody who can't throw anything out. Know anybody like that? But they, speaking of creepy crawlers, are also real critters.
Down
1. Tip for an exam taker? ERASER. Aha! the tip at the other end of the pencil. Misdirection, in more ways than one. Very clever.
2. Common DVD bonus feature: GAG REEL. This often contains humorous out-takes, mistakes, etc.
3. Pizzeria shout: ONE TO GO. Alright. this is a legit answer, but I don't think much of it. We had Costco pizza tonight. Not bad.
4. Cubs' all-time home run leader. SOSA. A pretty good baseball player, and the other Slammin' Sammie.
5. The Cavaliers of the ACC: U. VA. University of Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
6. Wrap again, with questionable etiquette: REGIFT. Got a gift you're not fond of? Next time around, wrap it up and give it to someone you're not fond of.
7. Monastic attire: FROCK. That about wraps it up for monks, but they can still have a fine time.
8. Enviable scholarships: FULL RIDES. An all expense paid excursion at the University that choses you.
9. Many a racetrack: OVAL. For cars, sure. What about horse races? Are those tracks oval or round? Don't ask me. I'm not a racist.
10. Empowerment word: LIB. As in "Women's LIB," I suppose. Does liberation = empowerment? To me, this looks close, but not quite on target.
11. Entrepreneurial monthly: INC. : The perfect magazine for the kick-ass start-up promoter in you.
12. Anne of Green Gables, for one: ADOPTEE. One who is adopted, generally after being orphaned. Presumably, a better second chance. I don't know anything about Anne.
13. Less stoic: TEARIER. Shedding more tears. I guess big stoics don't cry.
14. Stretches: EXTENDS. For example muscles, before and after exertion, or the mind, by taking on a Saturday puzzle.
21. Slightly cracked: AJAR. Neither quite opened, not quite closed. A slightly cracked jar is something all together different.
24. Like Faberge eggs: JEWELED. Just in time for my family's early Easter celebration. Though they may be slightly too elaborate for our humble tastes.
25. Puget Sound, e.g.: ESTUARY. An estuary is a water passage where the tide meets a river current. Your current events item of the day.
26. Rose garden bane: APHIDS. They will eat your plants. Lady bugs will eat them. I believe it's bugs, all the way down.
28. Back out: RENEGE. Just this morning, I reneged the car from my garage. Otherwise, it means to fail to carry out a promise or commitment. For shame!
30. Slowing, in mus.: RIT. Abbrev. for RITARDANDO, literally, slowing down in Italian.
32. Oscar night devotees: MOVIE FANS. I guess I'm not one, since I just don't care.
34. Poet McKuen: ROD. An American poet. Here is his home page. Clear Ayes, do you have a favorite?
36. Half a sleeping pair: TWIN BED. Another nice misdirection. A pair of matching beds, each suited for a single sleeper. I wanted jammies.
37. Mediterranean hot spot: RIVIERA. The Mediterranean coast of France and Italy with many nice beaches. Those who have been there can tell us about it.
38. Bert has one, but not Ernie: UNIBROW: A single continuous eyebrow extending over both eyes, or a condition with enough hair between the brows to suggest that effect. Here's the boys.
39. "Too many more to mention" abbr.: ET. AL. Latin for, "and others."
41. Expert: DAB HAND. Evidently, this is a British Isles expression.
42. Idiosyncratic: STRANGE. Close enough, I guess. One of my favorite novels was Idiosyncratic in an Idiosyncratic Land.
44. Banderillero's foe: EL TORO. In bullfighting, El Banderillero sticks little flags into the bull's shoulders. Don't ask me why.
45. "Doonesbury" hippie: ZONKER. A cool dude, BRO.
48. Indian royal: RAJAH
51. Hugh Laurie's alma mater: ETON. Is ETON everybody's alma mater? And Who is High Laurie? Anyway, nice EAT IN - ETON echo.
52. Vanishing slope sight: T-BAR. A device to pull you up the ski slope, so you can slide back down again. Why are they vanishing?
54. Three dots, to Morse: ESS. Three dots indicate the letter "S" in Morse code. Hence the famous dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot for SOS.
55. Familia member: TIO. Tio is Spanish for uncle.
57. Top at the shore: BRA. The top part off a lady's two piece swim suit, and a great way to top off this puzzle.
Well, I might not have EXCEEDED my time tonight, but I certainly EXTENDED it.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a great photo of our fellow LA Times solver Dodo and her late husband. Here is a closer look at Dodo's avatar picture. Dodo is a 84-year-old retired teacher living in Stockton, CA.
Cheers!
JzB
Good morning JzB etal.
ReplyDeleteHugh Laurie plays Gregory House in the TV show "House". He also had a recurring role in the old BBC sitcom serial "Black Adder" - funny stuff worthy of Netflix-ing if you've never seen it and a complete departure from his current role.
Happy weekend to all!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteA good Saturday puzzle, I think it was a little easier than most.
"dabhand" was completely impossible. As for "early" and "in advance" being equal, I can see it, but just barely. There's something a little bit off about it. Maybe it's that "early" seems less planned than "in advance".
Haven't ever been to the Mediterranean Riviera, but there is still time ...
Gracie
19 ACROSS IS ACTUALLY FOR SENORITA, AN UNMARRIED GIRL, EQUIVALENT TO MADEMOISELLE OR MLLE IN FRENCH.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning,
ReplyDeleteI jumped out to a bad start; 8A Produce greenery: FOLIATE., I thought 'grocery produce', not the verb, so I had foliage.
I did fix one of JzB's links but didn't know what he wanted for Standing at the Sink so I'll give this one for the ladies.
Re: MGM, MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures.
Normally, I just listen to these pieces but the videography is so great, I had to watch them all. The video is like an instrument itself. If I have the titles wrong, I'm sure Jazzbumpa can straighten things out. Total time is over ½ an hour but well worth it, IMHO.
ReplyDeletePictures at an Exhibition
"Promenade" and "The Old Castle" 9:59
"Promenade/Tuileries" and "Goldenberg & Schmuyle" 8:46
"Limoges" and "Cum Mortuis" 5:51
"Hut on Fowl's Legs" and "Great Gate of Kiev" 8:33
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteAnon is right about Señorita. I guess 'round midnight, it's hard to tell.
I'll try the eating at the sink link again. Same guy as in Argyle's link, but several years earlier.
Chris - thanks for the Hugh Laurie info. I've never seen those shows.
Cheers!
JzB the imperfect trombonist
The title, "Stuff Single Girls Like" can stay the same.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Jazz and All, a nice write up today Jazz. I share your view on a few of the clues/answers. In advance/early did seem a bit strained to me, but correct, Mlle/Srta and empowerment word/lib are a few that stood out for me. We did have the Mlle/Srta in a puzzle not too long ago and I did not like it then. I tried to put altitude for air speed as I had the A from ajar, but then nothing else would fit so I replaced it with airspeed. Nib for 50A was not even on my radar screen and I stared a long time at the N and the I and then the AHA moment. I did not know dabhand, but the perps solved that one.
ReplyDeleteJazz I was not sure if I wanted to see your link for 14D when you were talking about a muscle before and after exertion, also, a nice take on renege. LOL
Overall a not a difficult puzzle, doable, but with two or three red letter inputs.
Good morning, all,
ReplyDeleteGreat job of blogging, Jazz. Loved all those links, especially the last. This was a hard puzzle for me. I started in the NE, then SE, then SW and finally the NW. My last fill was egosurf. I needed a lot of red letter help with this one. It is one of those puzzles you labor over, and then when you are done, you say "that really was not so hard"
I believe the banderillo's job is to weaken the bull's shoulder muscles so that his hooking ability is impaired. A recent "60 Minutes" piece about bull fighting brought out the brutality of the sport and the courage required of the toreros, especially if one has been gored a few times.
Have a good day.
Argyle - thanks for linking it all. A truly majestic piece of music. And you have to love a Finnish conductor doing Russian music in England! I haven't listened to the middle two clips yet.
ReplyDeleteHere's the story on PICTURES. MUSSORGSKY was passionate about nationalism in art, as was his friend Victor Hartmann, a painter and architect. The music sounds extraordinarily Russian, except for a couple segments which sound extraordinarily French.
Mussorgsky died young, and Hartmann even younger. Art critic Vladimir Stassov was a staunch supporter of both, and he organized a Hartmann Exhibition after the artist's death. Mussorgsky visited the exhibit, and the music started seething within him: "I can hardly scribble it down fast enough," he wrote to Stassov.
Written for piano, it wasn't published until 1886, 5 years after Mussorgsky's death at age 42.
The original Promenade theme, in 11/4 time, weaves its way through the composition, showing up in a variety of guises and contexts.
In Argyl's links (the video is magnificent!) we have:
1. "Promenade," "Gnomus," "Promenade," "The Old Castle."
2. "Promenade," "Tuileries" (children playing in a French garden) "Bydlo" (a peasant's wagon drawn by oxen ((instead of Hartmann?))), "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks" (you should have no trouble picking it out), and "Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle." In my old LP recording, this was called "Two Jews, One Rich, One Poor."
3. "Limoge" - French women arguing and/or gossiping in the market-place, "Catacombae" - the catacombs of Paris, indicated by ponderous brass chords, segue to "With the Dead in a Dead Language." Mussorgsky wrote: "The creative spirit of the departed Hartmann leads me to the skulls and invokes them: the skulls begin to glow faintly."
4. "The Hut on Hen's Legs" - The Hut of Baba Yaga, a witch from Russian legend, and finally, again from my old LP: "The Bogatyr's Gate at the Ancient Capitol of Kiev."
There is a really good write up at
Wikipedia, with images of some of Hartmann's art, and audio clips so you can know what is what.
We're having the family over for an early, in-advance pre-Easter today. This is probably it for me, at least intil much later
Cheers!
JzB the ahead-of-his-time trombonist
No problems with this one. The only one I didn't know was 41D, so I just went with what the other clues dictated. 33 minutes.
ReplyDeleteJazzbumpa,
ReplyDeleteYou are a DAB HAND at wordplay & links. I echoed your like for the two "Tip for an exam taker?" clues. Also liked UV INDEX and WINGED IT. JFK JR was a gimme to me. Read Michael Bergin's "The Other Man" a few weeks ago. He found that particular copy of People's Sexiest Man Alive issue with JFK JR on the cover under Carolyn Bessette's kitchen sink. Thanks for the ESS and SOS explanation. Was aware of it before. Now I should be able to tell DOT and DIT apart.
Chris in LA,
ReplyDeleteGood to see you again. Hope all it's well.
Argyle,
One heck of a Standing at the Sink link, not just for single girls. Thanks for updating Jazzbumpa's post.
Jeannie,
I support your Lolita change. So easy for others to confuse you with Jeanne. Have you tried Linda's cinnamon tea recipe? It's supposed to ease the pain.
Kudos, JB, you put a ton of work into this puppy, you must not have slept until 3 or 4. Thank you. My curciverb was acting weird last night, so I waited until the paper came. Brad Wilber’s themeless are usually very difficult, and when the first clue was EGOSURF, a term I certainly never heard of, with GAGREEL and FROCK as perps, words I was not confident were correct, I expected a very long slog. In fact, I put the paper down and made more coffee. When I got back, the puzzle seemed to fill itself, with little hesitations here and there, but way fast for a Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the ERASER , NIB counter balance, and getting JFKJR two Js in one word!) and ERSATZ in the grid was fun. DABHAND was my only other unknown, but it fit, so….
Mlle. counterpart: SRTA: Abbrv. for Señorita. Now how can you possibly know this is looking for a Spanish answer? I guess once you have some perps you know it cannot be Fräulein, Gospođica, or even Signorina?
So after I completed the puzzle, I wanted to post my comments, as I was up early, but the cable TV guy was here working on my On Demand, and had shut off my cable connection. Turns out my signal was too strong, and had fried the wire from the box? WTH? So now he is rewiring my apartment and I making my notes in my word, so I get them down before I forget. As we all know, it is always something….
The 2009 Star Trek update movie was well done, the casting of the regulars being especially skillful, though for me Troy may have been a better part for ERIC BANA , other than that, I had a hard time not thinking of the new SPOCK, as SYLAR, from his role as a merciless killing monster on Heroes . I have watched many years of the comedy of Hugh Lawrie , who did so much comedy on BBC, with his version of the P. G. Wodehouse character Bertie Wooster being great.
Well the place is rewired and my computer is now smoking, so there is my silver lining
BTW:
ReplyDeleteFor all you sweet anons, and those who know who you are, do not fogrget to EGO SURF .
Bob:
ReplyDeleteIt helps when you reference a clue, if you put the clue in as well, because most did not memorize 41D as EXPERT: DABHAND, which makes your comment hard to follow.
But I agree, this was surprisingly straight forward Saturday
Jayce,
ReplyDeleteWhat? 1941? you are a snake then.
Dot,
You said it's the end of March, so I drew the conclusiton that Irv's birthday is March 31. Sorry for the error.
Lemonade et al,
Dennis mentioned that he loves Marisa Miller. Do her boobs look real to you?
Lemonade -
ReplyDeleteI got to bed around 2, my brain seething like Mussorgsky's. God only knows when I fell asleep.
C.C. -
You are too kind. Thanx!
Yikes! Looks like Marisa is endowed with LOTS of unnatural assets. Though push-up bras can work miracles, I think that's a bit TOO much.
IMBO,
JzB
52 down, "vanishing" because becoming more rare?
ReplyDeleteGood morning all -
ReplyDeleteJust back from a biz trip, so first time to do puzzle all week. Surprisingly straightforward for a Saturday, with the exception of the SE corner for me. Maybe I was just out of steam by the time I got there...
Great write up, JzB! We also had Costco pizza last night - easy to pick up on the way home from Zoe's school, and no cooking after being out of town for several days. And very tasty, too.
I've been to both the French Riveria on a trip to Nice when I lived in Paris, and to the Italian Riveria on my honeymoon. May have linked the photo to Vernazza in Cinque Terre from my honeymoon before, but it's so beautiful, had to link it again! I highly recommend both places!
Time to go get some stuff done for the day. Happy weekend everyone.
4 weeks, seems AGES AGO, my nemesis Brad Wilber
ReplyDeleteRAN OVER me.
No googles, No writeovers, ONE 'Cup of Java' ... today I was the DAB HAND. (OK, I looked that up after, I'm not a Brit. skilled at gardening).
Argyle I almost wrote in foliage, just didn't know what 'gearier' would be in relation to being less stoic, 12D Tearier.
Here today's UV INDEX is 9, 10 minutes before burning.
ERSATZ is one of my all time fave words.
ZONKER my current life mentor.
Really liked the ERASER & NIB, great cluing.
Hmmm, nemesis defeated.
I CALLed to order ONE-TO-GO.
Good Morning Jazz, CC, et al., Great job blogging, Jazz. I LMAO at some of your remarks. funny guy! Thank you for all the links, esp the one of Rod McKuen. He's always been a fav of mine. I have one of his 'early' songbooks...
ReplyDeletefrom 'ages ago'. Well done!
What a breeze of a puzzle and so enjoyable! Loved the UVA ref. My
'UV index' is the number of my kids who get into UVA. It's that time of year. One of my students just got a 'full ride' Thurs to Berkley. The national exams are coming up too and I'm going to give my students 'tips' for taking the tests...big tips for the eraser ends.
29 A 'air speed' made me LOL. Thought of Dennis again with the wind reference & 'air speed', but then realized that the clue was about the 'cockpit' reading. oops, that's my cue and my forte! I'm sure Dennis could have 'winged it'. What an image that presents!!!
Thank you Argyle for the outstanding links - esp the one of the hunk by the sink. Santa, baby, you know how to please!
and the music is gorgeous too.
Enjoy your day 7 & a w/u
Great job Jazz... Nothing much left to comment on by the time I finally managed to connect, except maybe the airspeed of an unladen swallow, and mention the other meaning for renege, that of "accidentally on purpose" playing an incorrect card against the rules. Was anyone else having a problem with blogger.com most of yesterday?
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All, I have never heard the term 1A EGO SURF and how about the noun LETTUCE for 8A "Produce greenery"? Then, there was LONG AGO for 17A. Since I never go outside unless I am slathered with sunscreen, I don't pay attention to the 16A UV INDEX.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, it started out poorly for me. I had to switch to the Downs, but GAG REEL, ONE TO GO and FULL RIDE were unfamiliar phrases to me.
OK, forget that and start at the bottom and work my way up. Phew!! At last I got some traction, although 41D DAB HAND was just plain weird. Jazzbumpa's link was interesting, but it also stated, "The US word dabster for an expert comes from the same source." Has anybody here ever used, or even heard the word dabster? I've heard dabbler, which is pretty much the opposite of an expert.
I knew Sam Goldwin and Louis B. Mayer, but LOEW was a new one for me.
I have a book about those JEWELED Fabergé eggs. I received it from a former boyfriend. I guess he couldn't afford the real thing.
Chris in LA, long time no see. Stop by more often. I enjoyed "Black Adder" too, a very funny series. I see Lemonade already mentioned Jeeves and Wooster. Hugh Laurie's Bertie was a delightful nitwit.
Very nice blogging, Jazzbumpa. You did a great job.
In consideration of my deep and abiding respect for all that you have done with this blog, C.C., and my small role in its existence, I accepted your request and spent the last thirty minutes forcing myself to look at Marisa Miller and her breasts, and I honestly believe them to be real. IMVHO
ReplyDeleteFirst, they are not separated the way doctor created cleavage generally looks; I have a few 'friends' who have undergone enhancement and in each case there is an unnatural spacing, so to speak.
Also, the few prone pics which I examined, suggested her breasts in fact do change shape with the effect of gravity, whereas artificial ones tend to stare at you with the same intensity whether upright or lying down (a most unnerving experience for a young man back in '75, but that is another story).
Finally, two other 'friends' of mine, Shannon and Heather, were both very slim like Marisa, and their breasts looked quite unreal, but...
Of course, if you can arrange the true test, I would sacrifice myself for the cause.
Out of proportion. Fakers.
ReplyDeleteWhile I haven't done enough research to comment on the Mounds of Marisa Miller, I can remark on cockpit readings. Basic ones would be airspeed, altitude, and heading; trickier ones might be bearing, fuel remaining, or power setting - but these seem beyond likely puzzle use.
ReplyDeleteThanks to JzB for elaborating on Mussorgsky. I only knew a bit about his story before.
Good afternoon all. Posting a little late today; paper was real late so I did the puzzle on line. Not as much fun.
ReplyDeleteEasy for a Saturday. SRTA - not clear we were doing Spanish here. Got GAGREEL from the perps. NIB - very clever clue.
ESTUARY - Puget Sound is home to many estuaries. 'Sound' definition: a long broad inlet of the ocean generally parallel to the coast b : a long passage of water connecting two larger bodies (as a sea with the ocean) or separating a mainland and an island.
Thought clue was poor but easy enough to get the fill.
BRA - Here we go, Kazie. Der Büstenhalter or BüHa.
A masculine noun in German.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.
Happy Saturday to all!
ReplyDeleteWhen I started the puzzle last night, I really thought it was going to win. Had very few entries I could fill with confidence. But getting back to it this morning, it practically filled itself in, right up to the SE. I so wanted to put in BRO for "Dude", but DABHAND?? WITW is that? So, once again, I learned a new word. Now to find an opportunity to use it. All in all, an enjoyable puzzle. Favorite clue was "Crawling with creepers." Also liked the twin "tips for exam takers."
Jazzbumpa-Great blog and links. Thank you.
Argyle-Loved the guy at the sink. Such gorgeous long legs! BTW, I did the crossword puzzle you referenced Thursday night. Found seven complete unknown clues/fill, all legitimate, but obscure to me (e.g., "The sound of the surf"=ROTE). Thanks for the link.
Enjoy the day!
C.C.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe I'm typing this.
I agree with Anon 12:20 pm
ERSATZ
Good morning JzB, CC and all,
ReplyDeleteNot a lot of gimmes today, but enough to give me a foot hold..more should've, could've, would'ves than I'd liked. Enjoyed your write up JzB, more than the c/w. Couldn't open your ROD link, but had to listen to a McKuen favorite, Jean. Glenn Yarborough(sp?)recorded many of his songs and I think some of the Jimmy Rogers ones also.
OK, who remembered that Anne of Green Gables was adopted??????
Argyle, won't forget the origin of MGM now. My childhood friend , who was their CEO for years, just retired.Not a job I'd want-no time for family.
Our SF Bay is really an estuary. It is fed by the Sacramento, San Juaquin and Napa Rivers, flowing thru a few bays on its way.The delta is a bit further inland than other deltas you see very close to the mouth.
dodo, loved both photos!
psst...i think my neighbor is a hoarder. She should keep her garage door shut.
Happy Saturday, JZB, C.C. and friends.
ReplyDeleteWow! This was both challenging and easy. I sailed through the bottom but those sports clues get me everytime! Yes, I know of Sosa, but didn't know he's the Cubs all time home run leader. it's a learning moment.
Faberge eggs: I saw them in the Winter Palace Museum in St. Petersberg and they are, truly, fabulous.
I loved ersatz in the puzzle; it's one of the first fills I got, had no clue about dabhand, and had foliage at 8A and failed to change it.
It's very late and duty calls; my fam is coming for dinner and I'm marinating the pork with Jeannie's recipe. I'll report on it later.
You all have a sensational Saturday!
Argyle:
ReplyDeleteLoved the hunk at the sink. it made my 72 year old heart flutter like a teenager's. Thanks.
Hello everybody,
ReplyDeleteLoved your humor-filled writeup, JzB.
C.C., thanks for the info that I am a snake. I'm a *good* snake, though!
Wanted to put FULBRIGHT in as "enviable scholarships" but that would have ruined the name of Dagwood's boss. Took almost all the perps to get FULLRIDES. Didn't like it.
Loved ERSATZ and ZONKER. EFLAT and DAWSONS were gimmes for me.
Best regards.
Ya' know, I didn't think that was the 'at the sink' that JzB was going for, but I knew it would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI knew Anne Shirley was adopted but not when most of the Google references have it. I think it was at the end of the book and it was so Anne could have Green Gables. I don't have the book handy. Can someone confirm this?
Do Do: Nice pictures. You seem like a happy person.
ReplyDeleteE FLAT - Re: Key of some music piece. Unless it is a trick clue, these are mostly a gimme. 5 letters - something +FLAT; 6 letters - something + SHARP. The 'something' would be a letter A thru G. Pretty much get most of the fill by deduction.
JMHO
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteTough for me. Got only a few. But it was fun in that my husband, who does not usually participate, did get a few of them.
Dodo, great pix. Many of us teachers in this blog. I am four years your jr, and taught for most of my working life.
The discussion about Marissa Miller is a hoot.
Great fun, all.
Cheers
I got lulled into a false sense of security when I breezed through the NE corner - came to a screeching halt quickly with the rest. I remembered Anne of Green Gables was adopted - really liked the PBS series. I did have "lettuce" originally for the produce greenery, but erased it shortly after. I had to google the Doonesbury clue. Our lousy paper doesn't carry that comic strip.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the nice fellow at the sink picture - Thanks!
Almost a foot of snow on the ground, but it should melt off soon. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Hello all.
ReplyDeleteGross! Nice from the neck up.
From the what was I thinking dept:
Thought tomorrow was Easter. My mind is gone just like the Terrier
missile.
Have a whole week to make the pine-
apple, brown sugar and raisin glaze and pickle some eggs.
At least Versus is back on direcTV.
Tylenol not working. It is back to bed time.
eddyB
JazzBumpa (great write-up), Argyle, Lemonade 714 and all others who left an embed:
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, the plethora of clips has made this an outstanding day.
BillG:
I hope you didn't throw it out.
This "Themeless Saturday" puzzle, by one of my biggest nemesis, was doable, full of fresh fill, a few great misdirections, all-in-all one of the most enjoyable Saturday solves in a long time.
Windhover:
I apologize, I think I got your name wrong. Along with being a bad SPELTer, I'm also dis-lex-ic.
EddyB:
Hope fun feel better by race time tomorrow.
May go but the Gal-Pal wants to hit the beach with the pups.
Honeymoon Island is one of only 2 beaches here that allows dogs ... and it is close by.
I Almost gave up on this one before getting started. Knew LABCOAT and then there being no language i.d.I putin MISS for A19. I finally went to the downs at the bottom but it was slow going all the way. The NW corner was last. I guess it was fun.....
ReplyDeleteLiked your blogging very much, JZBP, and especially your Moussorgsky clips. However, does anyone else have trouble with a lot of stopping and starting on the musical links? I don't understand why it does that and it is really off-putting.
JD,thanks for your kind remark re; my pix. I'm embarrassed that I don't have any good pix of myself.
I may have a family group one somewhere around but it's pretty old, too. Good grief! None of my family will remember what I looked like! The avatar one is the most recent and it's 5 yrs. old!
Tinbeni, I don't know why but I started on this one online rather than ignore it as I have been doing lately with Saturday puzzles. I began to do OK (with red letters telling me a few times when I went wrong). I agree with you and I enjoyed it more than the usual Saturday puzzle though I still would prefer a theme. The only word I seriously disliked was DABHAND. My desktop dictionary didn't recognize it though it showed up OK on Google.
ReplyDeleteJzB, good write up. Thanks.
I enjoyed Anne of Green Gables. As I remember, she came to live with the couple grudgingly because they really wanted a boy to help with the chores. I thought she was adopted early on but maybe it was made official later. It sure was enjoyable to read and later to watch on PBS.
Re. MM, I thought they look natural on the cover of SI but in the linked photo, not so much. Not that I'm complaining, mind you...
Hi Jazzbumpa, C.C & gang,
ReplyDeleteWe did it our usual way for Saturday again, paired up with me checking our guesses online and my wife does it in hard copy.
JzB, you always find the best links.
We're fan's of the TV show House, and have followed it since it's first show. I think that it's very impressive that the actor Hugh Laurie speaks American English like a native born in his role as House, but he grew up in England and his normal accent is very different.
For Jeannie, I forgot to mention that we're making your Meatloaf recipe (again for probably the 3rd time) tonight and it's starting to smell wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI found "Anne of Green Gables" online and skimmed the adoption part. It did happen right after Anne arrived at Green Gables but it doesn't appear to have been as formal as it is these days.
ReplyDeleteBasically, it appears that if you didn't send the child back to the orphanage then you were considered to have adopted the child.
Hi everyone.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle with good links too. Very nice job Bumpa. You're cool!
Argyle, the links you posted for 'Pictures' were the best. One of my most favorite selections. I played in the symphony and whenever it was on our agenda, I would look forward to it anxiously.
BillG:
ReplyDeleteLike I said earlier, when I saw it was Brad Wilber I almost didn't even consider attempting.
Four weeks ago his 2/27 LAT puzzle took me out for an "ass kicking."
I remember your comment last night about passing on the non-theme Sat.
But the coffee was already sitting brewed (Jamaican Blue Mountain, personally, I can't tell the difference ...) and it was early, what-the-hell, I'm a gamer.
This one, and the NYT (that ass-kicked me but good yesterday) made for a "good things come to good people" kind of day. (I fooled the hell out-of-em!)
Re: MM like you, first I checked the link, later I checked some other photo's ... this does need to be looked into further.
CC,
ReplyDeleteThey look real to me!
Lemonade has already volunteered to do further investigation with regard to Miss Marissa Miller, aka MMM. However, despite his eminent qualifications, this might be a job for a team of experts; Lemonade, Tinbeni and I'll help out as best I can. Since I've got her on speed dial, I'll find out when she can meet with us. Of course, it seems as if we'll have to go to her since, despite her photo shoot, the poor thing doesn't seem to be able to afford to clothe herself adequately. Maybe C.C. has a blog fund set aside for travel expenses for crossword research?
ReplyDeleteBG, I am packed and packing. Ready when you are; Mr. Ed and I agree....I did minor in mammaries in college
ReplyDeletejZB:
ReplyDeleteSince I was as busy as a one-armed paperhanger today, I didn't have time to congratulate you on the great job you did. You were a real dabhand! Great links, too.
Jeannie:
Today the fam had a taste of your pork marinade and I'm surprised you couldn't hear the lip smacking all the way to MN. My s-i-l especially liked it.
Ok, if the blog men are going to research Marissa M.'s assests, I propose that we women also take on the sink hunk as our project. He looks lonely standing there by himself.
Dodo:
What a lovely pic of you.
I'm babysitting my grandbaby so I'll sign off.