Theme: W(in)! - W is inserted into the start of the first word of each common phrase.
17A. Stonemason's goal?: (W)ALL IN A DAY'S WORK. All in a Day's Work.
27A. Flirt's mascara stains?: (W)INK BLOTS. Ink Blots. Fun clue. Vivid image.
48A. Dermatology class videos?: (W)ART FILMS. Art Films. I sure don't want to see those videos.
62A. Inherited wealth?: (W)ILL- GOTTEN GAINS. Ill-gotten Gains.
One of the easiest letter (or letter string) addition/deletion/substitution Friday puzzles I've done. But it's packed with fun. Jerome's playfulness is in full display.
Seeing GELDINGS (4D. Kelso and Funny Cide) made me smile. Thought of Dan Naddor's suggested clue for Jerome: "Gone nuts, horsewise?". Probably too much for Rich.
Across:
1. Lively Cuban dance: CONGA. Obtained the answer from Downs.
6. They can be loose or tight: ENDS. Loose/tight ends. Awesome clue.
10. Shade of red: BEET
14. Sharon of Israel: ARIEL. Still in coma.
15. Bobby's informant: NARK. New to me. Looks like a variant of NARC, doesn't it? Bobby = Cop in Britain.
16. Moisturizer brand: OLAY. My favorite brand.
20. Word before or after dog: SLED. Nice clue too.
21. Islamic spiritual guide: IMAM
22. Contemptible people: SWINE.
25. Biography opener?: AUTO. Autobiography.
30. Fanciful idea: WHIM. I've got a lot.
34. "It's what's hot in pain relief" brand: BENGAY
35. Feudal estate: FIEF. Can you think of any other 4-letter word starting and ending in letter F?
37. Caesar's morning meal?: OVA. Eggs in Latin.
38. "Man is __ himself when he talks in his own person": Wilde: LEAST. Not familiar with this line.
39. Chain with pieces, briefly: KFC. Chicken pieces. Got me.
40. Rose petal pest: APHID
42. PC program: APP (Application)
43. French 101 infinitive: ETRE. To be.
45. Bustle (with): ABOUND
46. High-tech unit: BYTE
50. With wild abandon: AMOK
52. Chiwere speaker: OTOE. Easy guess. Chiwere is a new word to me also.
53. End of a series: OMEGA. Greek alphabet series.
58. Curdle: CLOT
65. Celtic language: ERSE
66. Whitecap formation: FOAM
67. Befuddled: AT SEA
68. Feat: DEED
69. Minnesota __: FATS. Pool player. He's in Paul Newman's "The Hustler".
70. Antares or Betelgeuse: M STAR. No idea. Star classification often stumps me. M is the tiny orange dot.
Down:
1. Crow cacophony: CAWS. CC alliteration.
2. Like much lore: ORAL. Like some of the Minnesota Fats stories.
3. River from Lake Victoria: NILE
5. Frazier foe: ALI. Joe Frazier. Boxing.
6. Glossy paint: ENAMEL
7. Zip, to Zapata: NADA. Alliteration again.
8. Like many a rescue: DRAMATIC. Great clue & Answer.
9. Something to look up to: SKY. Fooled me last time. Again today.
10. Certain pet, in totspeak: BOWWOW. Dog.
11. Childlike Wells race: ELOI. From "The Time Machine".
13. Kid: TYKE. I liked the consecutive kid clues in this corner.
18. "Build it somewhere else" acronym: NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)
19. Flier with a bent nose: SST
24. Shark or Penguin footwear: SKATE. San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL teams.
27. Obviously sad: WEEPY
28. Unsuitable: INAPT
29. Buyer's proposal: OFFER
31. Boring: HO-HUM
32. Political columnist Molly: IVINS. She had a sharp tongue, esp when she lashed out against W.
33. Anti-DUI org.: MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
34. Betray a confidence, perhaps: BLAB
36. One-named male model: FABIO. Not my type.
39. Volcano in the Sunda Strait: KRAKATOA. Also the name of the island, between Java and Sumatra. Violent eruption in 1883.
41. Skunk relatives: POLECATS. I like the four long Downs.
44. Company quorum?: TWO. Two's a company. Three's a crowd.
45. "Sweet" river in a Burns poem: AFTON. "Flow gently, sweet Afton".
47. Made 3 on a par-5: EAGLED. Two under par (on a par-3 hole, that would be hole-in-one). One under par = Birdie. One over par = Bogey. Loved Al's Eagle, Albatross, Condor, Ostrich & Turkey list last time.
49. Clan emblems: TOTEMS
51. Mad, e.g., briefly: MAG. The Mad Magazine.
53. Due: OWED
54. Bog down: MIRE
55. Word suggesting options: ELSE. Or Else.
57. Doc's "Now!": STAT
59. Tilt: LIST
60. Pre-military rank?: ONE A. Top draft status.
61. Royal Russian of yore: TSAR.
63. Amiss: OFF
64. Pinup's leg: GAM. Jennifer Aniston has the perfect gams.
Answer grid.
Here are a few beautiful pictures from Jazzbumpa's last Florida trip. Click on each one, it will enlarge. My favorite is the one titled Picnic. Lovely colors. Lovely clan. Is that you in "A Message in a Bottle", Jazz?
C.C.
17A. Stonemason's goal?: (W)ALL IN A DAY'S WORK. All in a Day's Work.
27A. Flirt's mascara stains?: (W)INK BLOTS. Ink Blots. Fun clue. Vivid image.
48A. Dermatology class videos?: (W)ART FILMS. Art Films. I sure don't want to see those videos.
62A. Inherited wealth?: (W)ILL- GOTTEN GAINS. Ill-gotten Gains.
One of the easiest letter (or letter string) addition/deletion/substitution Friday puzzles I've done. But it's packed with fun. Jerome's playfulness is in full display.
Seeing GELDINGS (4D. Kelso and Funny Cide) made me smile. Thought of Dan Naddor's suggested clue for Jerome: "Gone nuts, horsewise?". Probably too much for Rich.
Across:
1. Lively Cuban dance: CONGA. Obtained the answer from Downs.
6. They can be loose or tight: ENDS. Loose/tight ends. Awesome clue.
10. Shade of red: BEET
14. Sharon of Israel: ARIEL. Still in coma.
15. Bobby's informant: NARK. New to me. Looks like a variant of NARC, doesn't it? Bobby = Cop in Britain.
16. Moisturizer brand: OLAY. My favorite brand.
20. Word before or after dog: SLED. Nice clue too.
21. Islamic spiritual guide: IMAM
22. Contemptible people: SWINE.
25. Biography opener?: AUTO. Autobiography.
30. Fanciful idea: WHIM. I've got a lot.
34. "It's what's hot in pain relief" brand: BENGAY
35. Feudal estate: FIEF. Can you think of any other 4-letter word starting and ending in letter F?
37. Caesar's morning meal?: OVA. Eggs in Latin.
38. "Man is __ himself when he talks in his own person": Wilde: LEAST. Not familiar with this line.
39. Chain with pieces, briefly: KFC. Chicken pieces. Got me.
40. Rose petal pest: APHID
42. PC program: APP (Application)
43. French 101 infinitive: ETRE. To be.
45. Bustle (with): ABOUND
46. High-tech unit: BYTE
50. With wild abandon: AMOK
52. Chiwere speaker: OTOE. Easy guess. Chiwere is a new word to me also.
53. End of a series: OMEGA. Greek alphabet series.
58. Curdle: CLOT
65. Celtic language: ERSE
66. Whitecap formation: FOAM
67. Befuddled: AT SEA
68. Feat: DEED
69. Minnesota __: FATS. Pool player. He's in Paul Newman's "The Hustler".
70. Antares or Betelgeuse: M STAR. No idea. Star classification often stumps me. M is the tiny orange dot.
Down:
1. Crow cacophony: CAWS. CC alliteration.
2. Like much lore: ORAL. Like some of the Minnesota Fats stories.
3. River from Lake Victoria: NILE
5. Frazier foe: ALI. Joe Frazier. Boxing.
6. Glossy paint: ENAMEL
7. Zip, to Zapata: NADA. Alliteration again.
8. Like many a rescue: DRAMATIC. Great clue & Answer.
9. Something to look up to: SKY. Fooled me last time. Again today.
10. Certain pet, in totspeak: BOWWOW. Dog.
11. Childlike Wells race: ELOI. From "The Time Machine".
13. Kid: TYKE. I liked the consecutive kid clues in this corner.
18. "Build it somewhere else" acronym: NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)
19. Flier with a bent nose: SST
24. Shark or Penguin footwear: SKATE. San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL teams.
27. Obviously sad: WEEPY
28. Unsuitable: INAPT
29. Buyer's proposal: OFFER
31. Boring: HO-HUM
32. Political columnist Molly: IVINS. She had a sharp tongue, esp when she lashed out against W.
33. Anti-DUI org.: MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
34. Betray a confidence, perhaps: BLAB
36. One-named male model: FABIO. Not my type.
39. Volcano in the Sunda Strait: KRAKATOA. Also the name of the island, between Java and Sumatra. Violent eruption in 1883.
41. Skunk relatives: POLECATS. I like the four long Downs.
44. Company quorum?: TWO. Two's a company. Three's a crowd.
45. "Sweet" river in a Burns poem: AFTON. "Flow gently, sweet Afton".
47. Made 3 on a par-5: EAGLED. Two under par (on a par-3 hole, that would be hole-in-one). One under par = Birdie. One over par = Bogey. Loved Al's Eagle, Albatross, Condor, Ostrich & Turkey list last time.
49. Clan emblems: TOTEMS
51. Mad, e.g., briefly: MAG. The Mad Magazine.
53. Due: OWED
54. Bog down: MIRE
55. Word suggesting options: ELSE. Or Else.
57. Doc's "Now!": STAT
59. Tilt: LIST
60. Pre-military rank?: ONE A. Top draft status.
61. Royal Russian of yore: TSAR.
63. Amiss: OFF
64. Pinup's leg: GAM. Jennifer Aniston has the perfect gams.
Answer grid.
Here are a few beautiful pictures from Jazzbumpa's last Florida trip. Click on each one, it will enlarge. My favorite is the one titled Picnic. Lovely colors. Lovely clan. Is that you in "A Message in a Bottle", Jazz?
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - wow, Jerome, you got me good today. I managed to get through the puzzle, but certainly not without perp help. Loved the puzzle, with fresh clues and a clever theme (particularly liked 'wart films').
ReplyDeleteUnknowns for me were 'Chiwere speaker', 'Political columnist Molly' and 'Volcano in the Sunda Strait'. Favorite clues were 'Pre-military rank', 'Shark or Penguin footwear' and 'Chains with pieces'. One note, regarding 6D - I sell both enamel and acrylic paints for modeling, and each come in either gloss or flat finishes. Other than that, great work, Jerome; your puzzles are always fun and challenging.
C.C., I agree, Dan Naddor's suggestion of 'Gone nuts' for a geldings clue is one of the best ever.
Today is National Zucchini Bread Day (jeez, not again), and Take a Chance Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." -- Will Rogers
And some facts on our blood:
- In the time it takes to read this, you'll lose 3 million blood cells and make 3 million more.
- A pumping human heart can squirt blood as far as 30 feet. I can attest to that.
- The human body has about 60,000 miles of blood vessels.
Jerome,
ReplyDeleteFabulous puzzle, I cannot imagine what inspired the theme, but each one was wonderful. WINK BLOTS is so picturesque, and WILL GOTTEN GAINS is so great; in my job, I deal with so many who receive bequests who do not deserve them; and who does not like a good WART FILM. This is what a Friday is supposed to be, stretching the mind, and snapping it back with wit.
We also had to bring back from obscurity for the ladies our fine Fabio . You made us work for NIMBY and Molly IVINS who I have never heard a word about, but seems interesting. Then we have a little Horse racing with KELSO and FUNNY CIDE two of the best ever, both never able to cash in at stud, as they were GELDINGS (shiver). The MAD MAGazine reference was quite tricky, and I knew nothing of Sweet AFTON but now I do. The “T” in OTOE was my last letter and I got the ta dah, though I was not positive when I put it in. Finally, I have to thank all of my fellow posters for reminding me of CLOTTED Cream, which let me fill another fill. In looking over the puzzle, the entire process and result are just beyond me, thank you.
Another week going , my my
Good Morning, CC and all. Great way to end the work week. Like you, CC, I got CONGA through the perps. That dance completely left my mind. Keyed into the theme quite quickly, but WART FILMS was the last one to fall in place. Probably because those films don't sound too exciting!
ReplyDeleteWe must have been on the same wave length, because, I, too smiled at GELDING (despite trying to get a racehorse in there). I also liked SKY as something to look up to.
My favorite clue was Shark or Penguin footware = SHARK.
Chain with pieces (KFC) escaped me until the perps fell into place.
The oil rig explosion was just a few miles off the Louisiana coast. That industry has a major impact on the southern part of the state. Unfortunately, 11 men are missing, presumed dead. Please keep the families of those men in your prayers.
QOD: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. ~ Mark Twain
Guten tag CC etal:
ReplyDeleteGerman number 5 is "funf" (with an umlat over the "u", but I don't know how to type that).
Hope all have a great weekend!
Good Morning C.C. and all. Nice challenging but playful puzzle, Jerome. Did it on line this am. No lookups needed; the perps helped a lot. Getting the theme early also helped. KRAKATOA was a gimme. Knew Antares and Betelgeuse were red STARs but got the M from GAM. Much clever clueing including TWO, ONEA, KFC, and ENDS. I couldn't think of CONGA either without perp help. AFTON will probably generate another poem rendition from CA which may make us WEEPY.
ReplyDeleteCHRIS IN LA - For ΓΌ ; on a Mac, type option + u, it grays out and then type u or any other letter you wish to umlaut into the grayed area. On a PC, use the character set or type alt +0252 on the number pad. Hope this helps.
Haze gray and underway
Hello Puzzlers - Maybe you can 'splain something to me. Why do I rarely/never see a puzzle's title? Neither the LAT online version nor my local paper's version shows the title.
ReplyDeleteC.C. - You certainly have an eye for legs. Well done!
Morning, folks!
ReplyDeleteAnother smooth puzzle for me today. I sussed out the theme early on, which helped immensely with the rest of the puzzle (it's always nice when you know ahead of time what letter each theme answer will being with).
I got a bit hung up in the NW corner when I tried putting Samba and Mambo instead of CONGA, but the perps eventually took care of the problem. I had no idea who Kelso or Funny Cide were, but once I go the G from CONGA I was able to guess it easily enough. And yes, Dan's suggested clue would have been a hoot! Oh -- and AFTON was a complete mystery to me as well. That could have been problematic, since I also had know idea who spoke Chiwere, but fortunately I am familiar enough with OTOE to guess it even though I didn't know their language.
Dudley -- no titles are ever printed (except on Sundays). C. C. (or whoever is blogging) comes up with the title for us.
ReplyDeleteGood morning CC and All, a great puzzle this morning. I really liked the new and fresh clues used today. I would pick Chain with pieces/ KFC and Shark or Penguin footwear/Skate as my favorite clues/answers.
ReplyDeleteI got the theme very early on and that helped with the crossword solve. However, the west central was a total crash and burn for me. I never got any good traction there and I looked at b-n-g-y for a very long time before Bengay emerged. Wow, a bit slow this morning.
We will be leaving this morning to visit with my eight year old granddaughter. She will be riding in a horse show again so, once again, I can hold my breath every time she goes over the jumps.
Hope you all have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.
samba
ReplyDeleterumba
mambo
conga
Morning all -
ReplyDeleteA stumper of a puzzle for me today, but once I peeked at a few of CC's answers, I was able to finish it up. Started off difficult with cuban dance - I knew 1D was caws, so knew I was looking for a dance beginning with C, but I went through the whole repetoire of Dancing with the Stars dances, and couldn't come up with anything...
Nicely done, Jerome.
Dennis, it seems too early in the season for National Zucchini Bread Day. Should be in August when we're all swimming in the stuff, shouldn't it?
Have a great weekend everyone.
Good morning everyone!
ReplyDeleteJerome, Thank You for the nice puzzle. Lots of fun with those sparkling clues. OTOE was a guess, but I thought of that very quickly.
Chris in LA, so nice to see you again! My bride and I are looking in to visiting your fair state at some future date, since it's the only one that I haven't visited. When's the best time of year to visit?
Have a great Friday, all!
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteJerome - Brilliant! Love the theme answers. Very challenging, too. Just right for a Friday.
Molly Ivins passed away about 3 years ago. She was terrific. I think about her often while blogging. "Rattle the pots and pans," she said. Wish she were here to comment on the current famous WINK BLOTTER.
One thing really puzzled me though. Why would sharks and penguins want these on their feet?
And I keep confusing Sharon with a mermaid.
"Gone nuts" is LOL funny (though probably not for the horse), but way over the top for a X-word.
C. C. That, indeed IS ME, over Sammie's right shoulder, in that DRAMATIC bottle rescue scene. There was nothing HOHUM about that trip.
Long gig tonight, with a 6:30 call time. I'm a bit at loose ends today.
Cheers!
JzB the WHIM-prone trombonist
Crockett: come to Louisiana now. It's beautiful and warm, but the humidity has not yet set in. Also, it's a great time to see birds. It's my favorite time of year. I was at a dinner party last night and it was wonderful to be able to eat outside.
ReplyDeleteHi c.c. and all:
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle. Only unknowns were Krakatoa and KFC. I had the FC, but could not figure out what the clue meant until I looked up Krakatoa and had the aha moment!
Lots of fresh clues today...loved it.
Fuff: to puff
JazzB: Great pics, looks like everyone had a wonderful time. Looks like you had a beautiful place to stay and gorgeous view of the ocean.
Have a great day everyone!
Barry - Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't know those titles were the work of one smart Chief Cruciverbalist.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I expect a fellow New Englander to know his stuff...
FOAF
ReplyDeleteFriend Of A Friend.
This puzzle reminded me of some of my favorite Dan Naddor puzzles where I start out thinking that these clues are really obscure. But once I worked my way around things started to fall into place and it all made perfect sense in the end! Thanks, Jerome: challenging but clever, quite a few smiles, and I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all,
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle Jerome! Like others, I was stuck on 1A briefly, until I got caws, and then the rest of that corner fell into place. Lots of great clues, and your theme answers were terrific.
I was forced to sing "Flow gently sweet Afton" as a kid, so that was a gimme. As for Molly Ivins, may she rest in peace. My local rag carried every column she ever wrote, much to my chagrin.
Off to the gym. Have a great weekend.
Great pictures, Jazz. Hahtool, you forgot to say, "no mosquitoes (yet)."
Hi all -
ReplyDeleteNot an easy ride puzzle-wise but with some help, I did finish it. I had trouble where all of you did so won't elaborate. I really enjoyed being able to do a Friday puzzle so thanks Jerome:)
I put LIPS in for 6A so that stalled me until I saw 6D and knew it was enamel, I've used enough of it around my house!
Never have heard NARK before.
I stared at Kelso (never heard the name) and Funny Cide (that name was familiar, sort of...I thought it was a comedian!) Oh well, poor geldings. Probably not a 'funny side' to that procedure.
I laughed when I saw 24D - thought of our JD, the Sharks are her team and she and her hubby are big fans. I hope the Sharks did better than our Portland Trailblazers last night...we stunk up the place.
Fabio - in a word: YUK
Jazz - really great pictures, those little kids will remember that forever. What a nice family and a lovely place for a stay.
Good Morning All, I understood the theme with WALL IN A DAY'S WORK and filled in W at the beginning of the remaining theme answers. That may not sound like much, but it did help with the other theme phrases.
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't much I didn't like with this one. OK, there was the dreaded ELOI. Was that the Navajo blanket flaw, Jerome?
I did know "Flow Gently Sweet AFTON", but after Lemonade's video link, I thought perhaps I was mistaken. That is an "unusual" version. Here's a more traditional Afton by Jo Stafford.
Molly IVINS was a good ole Texas gal who spoke her mind...always!
I thought the longer Downs shined. GELDINGS, DRAMATIC, KRAKATOA and POLE CATS were all fabulous.
Thanks Jerome, for a terrific Friday solving experience.
Happy National Zucchini Bread Day to Tarrajo. I hope she is still looking in once in a while.
wart films-ewwwww!
ReplyDeletetfrank couldn't resist a political comment about a dead woman.
ReplyDeleteI can think of at least two four letter words that end in f. beef deaf.
ReplyDeleteStart and end in 'f'.
ReplyDeleteGood morning C.C. and fellow solvers.
ReplyDeleteFabulous and fresh Friday puzzle. Thank you, Jerome. When I saw your name, I knew it would be fun.
I started with salsa but quickly realized that wasn't going anywhere; "caws" morphed into "wall" and it was a treat after that as the theme revealed itself.
Caesar's morning meal: OVA
Chain with pieces: KFC
company quorum: TWO
and all the theme answers were sharp and funny.
Krakatoa was a given because of the length and how can I not love quotations from Wilde and Robbie Burns. Nada to complain about or make one weepy. It's all good.
JZB:
Charming pics of your family. Those tykes look like they're having fun. what great memories they'll have.
Have a fantastic Friday everyone!
If you guys are having fun then I'm having fun! I really liked doing this puzzle. It's my only attempt at an add a letter theme. The seed was WINK BLOTS. I have no idea why that popped into my head. My second idea was WHIP BOOTS, clued as, "Dominatrix's footwear?"
ReplyDeleteIt didn't pass Rich's breakfast test... and he's the boss.
Clear Ayes- I'm giving the Navajo Blanket Award to ERSE.
C.C.- What a memory you have! I suppose many of us will always remember "Gone nuts, horse-wise" for GELDINGS.
Dennis- So, you like WART FILMS, huh. I'm behind in taking care of some business so I have to fly. Later I'll tell you a story about Dan and WART FILMS.
For what it's worth, my favorite entry was KRAKATOA.
Indy @ 10:56 -
ReplyDeleteLighten up man. It's as political as you make it. Ivins was a writer, not a politician.
Cheers!
Crockett:
ReplyDeleteI agree w/Hahtool that now is good - this weekend is 1st weekend of JazzFest (continues next weekend as well).
Presuming your not wanting to be quite THAT nimble, I'd suggest October/early November for best weather (about the same as March/April). Stay away from late July/early September as it's very hot & humid, not to mention the height of hurricane season.
Other than avoiding rough weather, IMHO there's really no such thing as a bad time to visit Louisiana. Hope you have a great time!
Pretty easy puzzle. Took 22 minutes (no errors or help). Sneakiest clue for me was 39A (Chain with pieces, briefly). Stars are divided into classes as follows: O, B, A, F, G, K, M. The usual mnemonic for remembering them is "Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss, Me." The sun is a G class star. O class is the hottest (blue). M class is the least hot and reddest (red giants). The original classification system ran from A to O, but new discoveries caused it to be reordered, producing the present sequence of letters. Our sun, because of its mass, will become an M class red giant as it runs out of hydrogen to burn. That will be in a few billion years, when it will expand to absorb all the planets through Mars. The lifecycle of stars is determined by mass, temperature, and luminosity. Google HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM to see the stellar plot which reveals how stars evolve. After leaving the Main Sequence, our sun will pass through the red giant stage and then end its days as a white dwarf.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jerome for a fun but challenging Friday puzzle that I actually didn’t give up on. I’m not saying I didn’t get a lot of perp help with eter, otoe, mstar, ela and Ivins. There were many clever clues but my favorites were “chain with pieces” – KFC and “loose or tight” – ends.
ReplyDeleteI agree it’s a little early for zucchini bread day, but it’s one of the few things I bake, probably due to the abundance of the stuff I get from my garden. Dennis, if I baked you a loaf I guarantee you would enjoy it.
Jazz what fun you all must have had. I bet those light skinned grandkids of yours went through a lot of sunscreen.
Thanks again for all your well wishes. I just spoke with my mom and she seems to be coming along very nicely. Everyone enjoy your weekend!
Sorry to disappoint eveyone. This was not a Friday puzzle and rather ho-hum.
ReplyDeletePirates lost 20-0 trying to out do
big Ben.
eddyB
JzB @ 12:34,
ReplyDeleteYou and I both know that Molly would agree wholeheartedly with your advice to Indy. She was not only a talented polemicist, she was one hell of a woman. I miss reading her.
I would ask this question, to the blog in general, and especially to those of you who are readers:
Do you only read people and things that you know in advance you're going to agree with? Why bother?
WH, I haven't read anything I totally agreed with since the now-defunct National Lampoon magazine.
ReplyDeleteDennis:
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. The last time I read anything I completely agreed with was in the Playboy Forum in the 1970's, when the writer argued that a particular technique would enhance breast development. I knew it was too good to be true, but I wanted to believe. I will say I have enjoyed spending the last thirty years disproving it.
A hint, you ask? Well, it's related to that airplane joke you told a while back. Time to try out the new search function, bloggers?
Jerome,
I got my latest packet of puzzles in the mail today (from
the puzzle angel/fairy (which - depends on your belief system), so needless to say yours wasn't included. I have scrupulously avoid reading puzzle related comments today so I can fully enjoy it next week. The exception, Molly Ivins, I would have gotten (Kazie - past perfect?) anyway.
Jerome, if all Friday puzzles were like this one, I would be in clover! I loved it; Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCA, what a great link. I'd almost forgotten that sweet voice of Jo Stafford's. Lovely, lovely.Thank you.
I guess Krakatoa was my favorite, but they were all great. Such clever clues. I started out with SAMBA but quickly picked up CONGA
when I went for the downs. I usually go across the top line and then head back with the first set of downs. Then I'm all over the place. This one worked out perfectly. Thanks again, Jerome!
Jeannie -
ReplyDeleteYup. SPF 50, is a requirement in our pasty-faced gene pool, and we put it on with a trowel.
Thanks for all the nice comments folks. They are a terrific bunch of kids. We are truly blessed.
WH - I read people I disagree with all the time. Only seldom do I find anything of value, alas. Though I do have great fun snarking at them on my blog.
OTOH, I do agree with EddyB about the Pirates.
Cheers!
JzB the occasionally agreeable trombonist
Eddy B
ReplyDeleteI agree the level was more earlier in the week ish.
That said, Jerome I liked the puzzle, WILL GOTTEN GAINS got a grin. Liked NIMBY and SKATE. Thought KRAKATOA (East of Java) was timely.
If they ever put that Iceland volcano in a puzzle, I'm toast!
WH @ 1:31,
ReplyDeleteWhy read something that you know you are going to disagree with? I used to read her column, and after seeing that we were on opposite sides of the spectrum, and that all her column did was give me indigestion, my life was happier without her.
Will you permit me to read what I want to read, or do I have to ask your permission?
Jazzbumpa, I meant to tell you how much I enjoyed your vacation pix. What a great bunch of kids! Was it just Bumpa and wife or did their parents come, too? You must be the world's greatest grandparents!
ReplyDelete@Jerome, are the black squares on the left of WINKBLOTS and right of WARFILMS helper squares?
ReplyDeleteI sometimes read writers I disagree with, but it always ends up making me mad, sad, or disgusted. I loved Molly and her sense of humor. Deliver me from Krauthammer! However, he does have an imagination!
ReplyDeleteDennis- When Rich nixed WHIP BOOTS my replacement was WART FILMS. I thought it was just goofy ugly enough to be fun. I ran the idea by Dan. He despised it! I mean He honestly loathed and detested it, and did his best to talk me out of it.
ReplyDeleteFast forward a couple of months. Dan sent me a completed grid of his that had a quote theme by Groucho Marx- "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
At this time Dan was getting very tired and asked if I'd write the clues. Never before had he requested any help from me, so I was glad to lend a hand. And honored.
The grid had the fill word UDON, a Japanese noodle. It was my opinion he should rework the grid a little and find a better entry. Or, if he wanted, I'd see what I could do. Within minutes I got back an email that said,"Do you really think I'm going to take advice from a guy that puts WART FILMS in a puzzle!"
Good afternoon CC and all,
ReplyDeletebusy morning, but so enjoyed your puzzle, Jerome. I laughed at so many of your clues/answers.I started like everyone else, but caws was a great perp. Hardest for me was finishing the SE corner onea/atsea, and list didn't come to mind.
Shark or Penguin footwear took a few seconds to click in.Clever! Finally, the Sharks won big last night and, like the Penguins, are 3-2 in 1st round.
JzB, loved the pictures;such joy!
tfrank,ouch! not playing nice.
TFrank @2:23, that's a bit unnecessary; I'm surprised at you.
ReplyDeleteJerome, great story! I, for one, loved wart films. It really made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteJazzbumpa, you are a riot! Nice pictures of your Florida trip. Looks like the granddaughters picked up a bit of sun!
ReplyDeleteHahtool, probably have to wait for next early Spring to do that. Thanks for the response. tfrank, good to know that important bit of trivia as well. Chris, will probably opt for the spring versus the fall because it will fit our schedule better.
Carol, you're so right about remembering a great vacation about that. I still have memories of our first family vacation to Clearwater in 1955!
Isn't it a bit early in the season for Zucchini bread?
Jerome, gotta please the boss as well as the audience. Tough gig! Thanks for sharing the Dan story. What a guy he was!!
Bob, thank you for the star information. Learn all sorts of things here.
tFrank:
ReplyDeleteI have carefully avoided addressing you directly since you referred to my recent post as "disgusting". I emphatically was not addressing my question earlier to you. I can honestly say I don't give a rat's ass what you think, read, say or do. If you mind is closed so that you can't entertain both sides of an argument before deciding what to believe, then more power to you. I have never confined my study to one point of view, and as a result my beliefs have changed in significant ways over the years. If you are secure in your intellectual cocoon, by all means stay there.
But surely you will allow that there are viable, sensible and honest points of view held by others that do not coincide with your own, and they are held by people who may possibly know things you don't, or have had experiences you have not.
As has been said many times before, and will no doubt be said again within the next few minutes, this blog is not the place for public disagreement such as you and I obviously have, nor is it a place for ad hominem attacks. I will not address you directly or indirectly in the future, and if at some point you think I have, you will be mistaken. (Kazie - future perfect?). You may now have the last word, and hereafter, leave me the f--- alone.
Settle down, boys!
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, am I the only one who for 1A immediately thought of Gloria Estefan and her catchy hit song? I guess I've been to too many wedding receptions lately.
For 48A, I wanted SKIN FLICKS but I needed one more square to fit it in.
I've been trying hard to foster a friendly & relaxing atmosphere at this blog. Enough personal attack. Stop!
ReplyDeleteAnon- I don't consider a black square at the front or end of a THEME entry to ever be a helper. And remember, a classic helper exists to make filling the grid easier. This is not the case here.
ReplyDeleteeddyB- It's my theory that 90% of solvers will find some enjoyment in a puzzle on any given day. 9% will think it's ho-hum. So, since today's puzzle will appear in about 200 papers your feelings about it will be shared by a lot of others. And I'm fine with that.
The remaining 1% are so miserable with themseves and life that they'll trash anything because they find no joy in living. They're the kind of people that if their glass were half full, they'd swear it was half full of monkey piss.
Re: Krakatoa. There has been much in the media in the past week about volcanism, and then we have today's fill.
ReplyDeleteIt should come as no big surprise that most of our ammunition ships in WWII and since have been named after (usually extinct or dormant) volcanos. These include Shasta, Kilauea, Mount Baker, Vesuvius, and Mauna Loa.
Hello All--A great puzzle today Jerome,with fresh fills. I had a hard time with the top half of the puzzle so i went to the bottom and filled in all of SW area first. This is not something I usually do, but I got Will Gotten Gains that way and the rest of the grid began to fill in bit by bit.
ReplyDeleteI loved the KFC fill and it was a head slapping moment when it finally hit me. This was a great clue. There were several clues that caught me off guard. Something to look up to for Sky, and End of a series for Omega. Both of these we've had before, but they got me for a while today.
So my forehead is a bit black and blue today.
Bob, thanks for the star class explanation. I learn something new everyday when I log on to the blog.
Jazz, Such happy faces. Not only the children will have happy memories of your time together.
Zucchini bread day! Give me a break. I just finished up the last of the bread from the freezer and I don't have a single loaf with which to celebrate.
Have a great weekend everyone. The sun is shining here and we will take advantage of that to garden some more. It is supposed to rain at the beginning of next week.
People seem a little testy today. Is there something in the air? Volcanic Ash, maybe?
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is interested in volcanos and history, I highly recommend Simon Winchester's book, Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded.
Hi C.C. & gang, my wife and I had fun doing Jerome's puzzle today and the theme helped a lot once we got the first ?.
ReplyDeleteJeannie: I tried searching this blog for your zucchini bread recipe but it didn't appear so you may want to post it?
I'm disappointing seeing personal attacks on this blog, remember that we do puzzles for fun and to stay up on things. Cool it is my best thought e.g. give yourself an hour to cool down before posting a flame message.
Just my 2 cents.
I agree...the Simon Winchester book on Krakatoa is a great read. I can also recommend No Apparent Danger by Victoria Bruce and Surviving Galeras by Stanley Williams. Stanley Williams is a geologist at Arizona State University who came close to being one of the victims of a sudden eruption of Galeras, a volcano in Colombia, in 1993. Several of his colleagues weren't so lucky. No Apparent Danger concerns both Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz in Colombia, the latter of which caused an historic mudslide that killed 23,000 people in 1985. You may remember seeing scenes on the news at the time of people caught in a flowing river of mud. It was created when the eruption melted the volcano's snowy cap. All three are fascinating reads.
ReplyDeleteJerome. Just saying that it was a nice Monday puzzle. Once I got the As and Ds working together, the grid filled in itself. We have seen most of these answeres before.
ReplyDeleteI know you put a alot of work and effort into it. Thank you.
eddyB
Wow, if this was 'Monday puzzle' level, I'm even dumber than I look. I certainly didn't find this a cakewalk. Might be time to hang up my Funk & Wagnall...
ReplyDeleteMy favorite today was (W)INK BLOTS. I got the theme pretty quickly, but had to do a lot of googling (for me) throughout – and a lot of groaning. It’s been a mind-numbing week and I guess I was just on the wrong wavelength today… I know APHID, I just can’t spell it! I knew the last clue contained stars, but not the class until I saw GAM. I’d gotten a bad start putting SALSA instead of CONGA, and NUTS instead of ENDS. Once I gave up on Salsa, things finally started filling in.
ReplyDeleteJimmy B: Once I did geet CONGA, I thought of her song. I like the song, but I never liked CONGA lines.
eddyB: I don’t know which was the bigger disappointment to the fans…
Jazz: It looks like it was a wonderful trip!
Dennis- At least you probably know how to spell Demagogue.
ReplyDeleteBob, can you explain about the sun 'absorbing all the planets'?
ReplyDeleteSounds pretty scarey!!
Jerome, great job on this one. I don't think I have much to add except that I found it easier than yesterdays. There were a few unknowns that stumped me, but somehow I was able to fill most of it in with perps. I had no idea about AFTON, but put F in anyway as we have a local ski area called AFTON ALPS (as if there really are ALPS in Minnesota - HA that is the best laugh of all).
ReplyDeleteJazz such beautiful pics. Were you at the Disney hotel? Our friends own a home in Vero that we have gone to several times. The first time we waited to play mini-golf until we arrived there, and then found there was none to be had in that area. We were disappointed. I think we went to Disney and asked if we could pay to play there and they turned us down. It is a lovely place though.
Happy Friday all. Prom tomorrow. More worrying for mom. The kids all want to do that all nighter co-ed stuff:-(
Afternoon, All,
ReplyDeleteJerome, I loved it. So many groans when the light went on. That being said, since you left out all those darned names (almost) I found it to be quite easy for a Friday. The T in OTOE/AFTON and the V in IVINS were the last. The fact that OVA was last caused a dent in this science teachers head.
Dodo, in about 5 billion years, when the sun's fuel is running out, it will begin to grow. It will eventually swell until it exceeds the size of Mars' orbit. It will then collapse cataclysmically into a very hot but fuelless white dwarf. As that cools, if the universe lasts long enough, it will turn into a brown dwarf and then black dwarf. It's not felt that our sun is quite large enough to go nova.
On a lighter note, one time while I was explaining that our solar system would end in about 5 billion years, a young lady got quite alarmed and asked, "How long?" When I responded, "5 billion with a B," she said, "Thank God, I thought you said 5 million!!"
Hi, folkseses. Jerome, your puzzle stank or stunk or.... Not really. It was really great and I thoroughly enjoyed it but I didn't want you to get the "big head". Loved the "w" theme and agree with my sister Clearayes; enough of "eloi".
ReplyDeleteChris in La. Welcome. I missed you. How's your "search" going? Hope you found someone. However, I have been in Louisiana in August and unless you're aquatic, La. is brutal at that time of year.
Clearayes: Jo Stafford? I remember when you, mom, dad and I would sit on the front porch and listen to Jo sing "Shenandoah". Then dad would go to the bar, mom would go to Aunt Aggie's and you and I would catch lighting bugs. Alas!
Speaking of words that start and end with "f", there's "fluff" and, of course "furkenstuff", a sausage made from the intestine of the Furken in Maragodishab. (See Fred) But y'all knew that.
Loved Ivins.
Knew Kelso and Funny Cide, but didn't know where Jerome was going until I got the "g". Next Sat. I will be at my local track for the Kentucky Derby, Love the ponies.
Here in S.W. Ohio it's morel time. Hope to find some in the next week or so. After my "treatment" for my pump, I tire more easily than before, so I don't want to hunt them alone.
All this is too much information. I'm gone.
I must be off!
Forgot to mention that Betelguese doesn't fit with the tiny dot in CC's link. It would exceed Jupiter's orbit, making it about 1 billion miles in diameter.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't seen too much of the NIMBY philosophy since the collapse of the housing bubble in 2006-07. Most towns would appreciate the construction of just about anything in their area if it would mean local employment.
ReplyDeleteAs time permits, I read all the columns our local Modesto Bee publishes. Michelle Malkin alternates with Ralph Nader, Cal Thomas, Ellen Goodman, George Will and Nat Hentoff, among others. The Bee's even handed policy of publishing on both sides of the issues has tended to back-fire. The Letters to the Editor column is always filled with comments accusing the Bee of "liberal bias" on one hand and "conservative bias" on the other.
Not that any of it matters in the long run. It sounds like my grandchildren to the 1,000,000th degree might have a problem. As far as I am concerned, they are on their own!
Buckeye, Yup, them was the days. Let's get together in the next 4 billion years or so and have a fambly git-together. Don't want to wait until the last minute. Take good care of that pump!
Bob, Gunghy- I'm glad you guys know what the hell an MSTAR is. All I know is that I threw an M in front of STAR, crossed my fingers and hoped to the heavens that there was such a thing. Googled it and lo and behold there is! Constructors aren't smart. We're damn lucky!
ReplyDeleteI went over to visit Bonnie and grandson Jordan. I asked Bonnie and she found a copy of one of my favorite books when I was a kid, "Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel." Jordan and I took turns reading pages. I don't know what reading level that book is considered but Jordan did very well for a kindergartener.
ReplyDeleteGunghy, I don't know if that story about our solar system ending really happened to you or not, but my father told me that as a joke about 55 years ago.
Dodo, just finished watching the local news and a big plug for Stockton's Asparagus Festival. Looks like fun.
ReplyDeleteBTW, from earlier...great photos Jazzbumpa.
KQ, good luck with the Prom
Nice to hear Jeannie's Mom is on the mend.
Bill, I wondered if the girl had heard the joke as well, But she was a stereotype blonde in everything but hair color. Too dumb to remember what day it was. She showed up to school on a holiday and complained the next day we did it to trick her.
ReplyDeleteI first saw the joke on a bubble gum comic.
To all.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am too dumb to know any better or I got very lucky with some WAGs. I count four or five words that we haven't seen before.
Many had the same clues as before.
BTW. I never said that this puzzle
wasn't fun.
The only problem I had was with
51D. I still don't know what it means. It just got filled in with the As.
eddyB
PS. If people are turned off by Wart Films, they should have seen
the one we had to watch before we could leave the ship.
I did learn how to add an umlaut.
Jerome! Thank you for a great Friday and Yentz to Rex! He"s tired.
ReplyDeleteEddyB, you never read Mad Magazine? Magazine = MAG
ReplyDeleteAw Gunghy.... I'm blonde and I don't think I'm too stupid (only on those days I need my V-8 can for some pesky clue).. I am also part Swedish but I sort of like that. I can find my way out of a dark room too, if I want to that is.
ReplyDeleteBill G. Nup. Never did. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteeddyB
Dodo: Gunghy addressed your question already. I'll just add that the conversion of hydrogen to helium in the sun's core tends to make the sun's diameter expand, while gravity acting on the sun's mass tends to make the diameter contract. The two interact to establish the solar diameter at any given time. Once hydrogen in the core is exhausted, gravity takes over and the core contracts, but hydrogen remaining in the outer solar layers heats up for a time, and the outer layers of the sun (less hot, less dense) expand. The sun turns from yellow to red, reflecting the lower temperature. It is believed the sun's outer layers will consume all the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) before a final collapse of the core into a superdense core perhaps as large as the earth. As Gunghy noted, the sun doesn't have enough mass to go nova or supernova (explode). Superhot Class O stars burn out much more quickly than class G stars like our sun and often explode at the end of their life cycle. These titanic explosions synthesize all the elements of the periodic table through uranium. All the elements originate in solar cores.
ReplyDeleteC.C.- You continue to remain awesome in my book! I loved seeing your photos, especially the ones from your youth. The new blog search is terrific!
ReplyDeleteJerome-This is my favorite of your puzzles since I became aware of looking at the constructor's name (something I learned to do through this blog about nine months ago.) Thank you for this fun Friday ride, and your post at 2:59pm with the "Dan connection" warmed my heart.
Jerome
ReplyDeleteBecause you are a frequent commenter here, when I saw that you were the constructor I was expecting a little less of the trite fill like the ELOI (that's an ugh always) IS ME, AS TO, SST.
Probably held you to a higher standard.
Then again, today, for what ever reason, both here and at the NYT, the clues just fell into my baseball swing wheelhouse. (an example, I knew Betelgeuse was an MSTAR instantly, go figure!)
Seemed like a Wednesday or I just had good fortune.
Reading the comments I think it was the latter.
Good Job! I look forward to your next offering.
Bob, I always thought it was interesting after Carl Sagan (and now you) have explained that almost all of the elements on earth have come from the after-effects of distant star explosions. Originally, we were mostly hydrogen and helium. Then after all of the explosions, we have stuff like oxygen, iron, nitrogen, etc. Very interesting I think.
ReplyDeleteTimbeni, I don't like ELOI either but I will put up with it to get a puzzle with a fun theme and good fill. Four letters, three vowels; I'm sure it's a big help to constructors including words like OBOE and OLEO.
Dodo -
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Not only are we the world's greatest grandparents, we're also the most modest.
Actually, we might be the luckiest.
My daughter and her husband are Disney vacation club members. We stayed at the Disney Vero beach resort on their time-share points. Our accommodations were so-so by Disney standards. They have better stuff there, but it was booked. The miniature golf is right next to the pool.
Our suite at Disney World was amazing. I'll post pix of that, too, some day.
The grandkids' parents (the in-between generation) were most definitely along. In fact we all took separate routes. The kids visited other relatives on the way down, we visited my other step-son and his family on the way back.
Strange day today, but this post is already over-long.
Wings just went up 3-1, about 7:30 left in the 3rd.
Cheers!
JzB who actually rather likes ELOI. Go figure.
Thank you both very much, Gunghy and Bob. I think I know a little more about what I don't know! I'll keep trying!
ReplyDeleteFor you Dennis..oops Warren
ReplyDeleteZucchini bread
3 Eggs
1 cup Oil
2 cups Shredded raw zucchini
1 3/4 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
2 teaspoons Baking soda
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 cup Chopped nuts (optional) Here's what I do...1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate morsels) shhh...
Mix all your wet ingredients, eggs, vanilla, oil, including the zucchini, in a seperate bowl.
Mix all the dried ingredients flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in another bigger bowl. Combine the two and pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for an hour. Enjoy.
One comment I must make. You know that I have been targeted by an anon once or twice in my time here on the blog. It took some coaxing from powers at be to stop me from commenting as I always think, hey, who's gonna stick up for me but me?
What it all comes down to is everyone is going to have their own opinion. It might be right for you or wrong. If it's wrong for you just let it go. I think Warren said it best today. If you are angry or upset, give it an hour and then respond.
Jeannie, just being Minnesota nice.
Carole, please note I described the young lady as a stereotypical blonde. She wasn't blond, just a total didtz. What isn't Swedish in me is Irish and Scottish, and the only reason I'm not blond is that it's gone grey. Doesn't stop me from loving a good blond joke. I always figured that the reason I could call my wife and kids by the wrong name was due more to Prosopagnosia than hair color.
ReplyDeleteOoh, you hit nerve I didn't even realize being a blonde myself. I was too focused I guess on the dischord. Geez, I hope I spelled everything correctly.
ReplyDeleteLo-li-ta
After a thogut I am taking this back. You are trying. Anyone on this blog being blonde, brown haired, no hair, white haired....we all have one common thread. We do crossword puzzles. Why? Because we want to expand our minds. It's so simple when you put it that way.
After re-reading...I should have proofed...yes I had a typo with THOUGHT. Darn it all....
ReplyDeleteGunghy, I am Scotch, Irish, English on one side and Chek, Polish on the other. It seems we may share the same international genes. I am curious about your name you chose. I am also very curious about your sailing vessel. I am chomping at the bit to get Lo-li-ta in the water and under sail.
ReplyDeleteBILL G
ReplyDeleteELOI is trite, but I don't mind it or any other crosswordese per se.
Nor the Roman Numerals.
But I do see others here mention them quite a lot.
But today was our friend Jerome and not one other made the comment.
So I did. No biggie.
I liked the puzzle. But only finished half-a-cup of coffee before I went to the NYT.
Hatool, you mentioned the Book, Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded before I had a chance to do so. I just wanted to add that it reads like a novel, but is filled with scientific information that I found fascinating. I would also recommend this book as a great read.
ReplyDeleteJeannie, Frat nickname. We were having a kegger in the back, but the beer was delivered to the front walk. I couldn't drink until the kegs were delivered to the back, so I carried them. As I marched one through the house, the president exclaimed, "Look, here comes Gungha Din, the water boy!" Gungha Din, Gungha, Gunghy. It's stuck for a lot of years.
ReplyDeleteGunghy's Den is a San Juan 21, a light weight swing keel designed in the 70's. She holds 6, races best with 3. Later ones had a small usable cabin area, but they made us add weight to ours, because they were so much heavier.
Gunghy: Best wishes for your son on his deployment, and to you in his absence.
ReplyDeleteGoodnight, all.