Theme: NEWBIE, or New B-ginnings - Familiar phrases are prefixed with the letter "B" to give a whole new, rather humorous meaning.
17A. Daring track official? BOLD TIMER. "Old timer." No comment.
63A. Online journalist's retreat?: BLOG CABIN. "Log Cabin." But as a blogger, I love this one.
17A. Daring track official? BOLD TIMER. "Old timer." No comment.
63A. Online journalist's retreat?: BLOG CABIN. "Log Cabin." But as a blogger, I love this one.
10D. Clinton enjoying some R and R?: BILL AT EASE. "Ill at ease" - uncomfortable. I seem to recall Bill having some uncomfortable moments. Might have been that Tiger in his tank.
31D. Immortal comedian's donkey imitation?: BRAY OF HOPE. "Ray of Hope." The light at the end of the tunnel. Also, the second play on Bob Hope's name this week.
49D. Tyro, and a hint to this puzzle's theme: NEWBIE, or a new "B," if you will.
Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa, reporting from the quiet security of my BLOG CABIN. This is a top-notch puzzle with a clever theme, and lots of wit. Let's explore it together.
Across:
1. Four-time Olympic gold-medal runner Zatopek: EMIL. Czek runner of many distances. Three of his medals came in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.
5. Park way: PATH. A parkway is road, a thoroughfare; a scenic freeway; a surface road with a landscaped median. A path can be made by meandering cows. Not a great correspondence.
9. Shame: ABASH. But I would not go so far as to abash Gareth Bain.
14. Hacking knife: BOLO. Looks nasty. I'd guess, even better than a baritone saxophone in a brawl.
15. Rebel: RISE. Here it is the verb reBEL, not the noun REBel. I'll mention that the South has always had thoughts about rising again. But let's just let it go at that. History - OK. Politics - don't go there.
16. Petulant mood: PIQUE. Often discernible by the presence of a moue. Hmmmm . . . reminds me of a certain granddaughter.
19. Zaftig: PLUMP. Some writer called Maragret Cho ZAFTIG a while back, and she played it into one of her very funny routines. She who laughs at herself laughs best.
20. Trouser measurement: INSEAM. The length of the seam down the inside of a pant leg. Here is one way to go AT IT There might be others.
21. "Twilight" heroine: BELLA. Here she is. I was expecting fangs, I guess.
23. Introduction to a former self?: NEE. Nee means "born," and is used to refer to the maiden name of a married woman. Clear enough, I guess, but for all it's cleverness, clue and answer don't seem to mesh. Maybe I'm just disoriented by the time travel.
24. "The Mikado" baritone: KOKO. From Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado." I'm not a G and S fan in any context. Here is KOKO, with some friends, but be warned, it's a seven minute clip.
27. Give a hand to: DEAL IN. OK. He got me. Deal me into the card game. Usually poker. Here, Gareth is being literal. Just when you think you know a guy . . .
30. Dabchick, for one: GREBE I think we had DABHAND the last time I blogged a puzzle. I doubt that there's any connection to this bird, though. I was expecting something ZAFTIG, not the smallest member of the GREBE family.
32. Cost an arm and __: A LEG. Well, that's a lot. Origin of the expression is obscure. But, to keep my customers happy, here are an ARM and a LEG.
34. Do a garage job: TUNE. Get that engine running PRIMO. Unless you're intrigued with vintage cars, it's probably a job best left to the pros.
35. Cannes's region: RIVIERA. The vacation region along southern coast of France. You Canne go there, if you chose. No oil slicks that I know of, unlike the Redneck Riviera, which is having a bit of unpleasantness. Alternatively, you could TUNE a RIVIERA.
37. __'acte: ENTR. French for Intermezzo, meaning between the acts, introductory music to signal the end of intermission in the theater. Take your seats please. (But beware of one offering his, as we shall see.)
38. They're usually in the 80s and 90s: OCTANES. Not quite. This should be OCTANE RATINGS. The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of petrol and other fuels to autoignition in spark-ignition internal combustion engines.
41. Toon who played Scrooge: MR MAGOO. The cartoon character with the voice of Jim Backus. I didn't know he was Scrooge, as well.
43. Maker of Definity skin care products: OLAY. I only know Oil of Olay, which can slick up your skin. Take some when you visit the Riviera.
44. Works on, as a novel: REVISES. To revise is to rework and improve your prose. Writing is rewriting. It's true.
46. Sport with riders: POLO. Guys ride on horses and try to hit a ball into a goal with a stick. This is some version of equestrian soccer (futbol with hooves.) Polo also has other meanings.
47. Matriarchal nickname: GRAN. One of many possible more-or-less affections nicknames for grandmother. This is not used in our clan. The LW is called Gramma, MeeMaw, or Grand-mom.
48. Core belief: TENET. My core belief has nine tenets. I believe Johnny Appleseed and William Tell had core beiefs.
52. Put the kibosh on: STIFLE Remember when Archie always told Edith to STIFLE herself? Those were the days.
54. Suggestive look: LEER. Ladies, I suggest you look at this.
56. Two-legged meat source: EMU. My daughter went to Eastern Michigan University. This is not their mascot. Nor is the Dromaius novaehollandiae, a large, flightless bird.
57. First name in puppetry: SHARI. Of course, this is Shari Lewis, shown here with her most famous creation. I don't know if she was ever on the lam, but the lamb was often on her.
59. Battles with bombers: AIR WAR. There was a lot of this in WW II, with the Germans trying to bomb the British, and the British trying to shoot down their bombers. A bad time was had by all.
61. Stars travel in them: LIMOS. Short for Limousine, a fancy car with a bar in the back, and a driver in the front. He'll take you anywhere you want to go.
66. Get used (to): ADAPT. Often we see INURE. This is a bit simpler.
67. __ Grey tea: EARL. Earl Grey Tea, flavored with bergamot extract, is my favorite. No lemon, no sugar, no milk (shudder.) Twinings is the best.
68. Dam buildup: SILT. Silt is loose sedimentary material that gets deposited by moving water. It forms deltas, and is dam clogging.
69. X-ray targets: BONES. Flesh is transparent to X-rays, which were discovered by William Reontgen, who refrained from naming them Roentgen waves. But bones are opaque to X-rays, and they can be X-ray photographed while they are still inside the body. This is convenient for both the DR. and the patient.
70. Whitehall whitewall: TYRE. I guess Whitehall must be in England somewhere. TYRE is the British spelling of tire, four of which could be found on the typical Riviera. Nice echo clue.
71. Tijuana tender: PESO. The PESO in Los Estados Unitos de Mexico is legal tender for all debts public and private, even if they are illegal.
Down:
1. Four-time Olympic gold-medal runner Zatopek: EMIL. Czek runner of many distances. Three of his medals came in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.
5. Park way: PATH. A parkway is road, a thoroughfare; a scenic freeway; a surface road with a landscaped median. A path can be made by meandering cows. Not a great correspondence.
9. Shame: ABASH. But I would not go so far as to abash Gareth Bain.
14. Hacking knife: BOLO. Looks nasty. I'd guess, even better than a baritone saxophone in a brawl.
15. Rebel: RISE. Here it is the verb reBEL, not the noun REBel. I'll mention that the South has always had thoughts about rising again. But let's just let it go at that. History - OK. Politics - don't go there.
16. Petulant mood: PIQUE. Often discernible by the presence of a moue. Hmmmm . . . reminds me of a certain granddaughter.
19. Zaftig: PLUMP. Some writer called Maragret Cho ZAFTIG a while back, and she played it into one of her very funny routines. She who laughs at herself laughs best.
20. Trouser measurement: INSEAM. The length of the seam down the inside of a pant leg. Here is one way to go AT IT There might be others.
21. "Twilight" heroine: BELLA. Here she is. I was expecting fangs, I guess.
23. Introduction to a former self?: NEE. Nee means "born," and is used to refer to the maiden name of a married woman. Clear enough, I guess, but for all it's cleverness, clue and answer don't seem to mesh. Maybe I'm just disoriented by the time travel.
24. "The Mikado" baritone: KOKO. From Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado." I'm not a G and S fan in any context. Here is KOKO, with some friends, but be warned, it's a seven minute clip.
27. Give a hand to: DEAL IN. OK. He got me. Deal me into the card game. Usually poker. Here, Gareth is being literal. Just when you think you know a guy . . .
30. Dabchick, for one: GREBE I think we had DABHAND the last time I blogged a puzzle. I doubt that there's any connection to this bird, though. I was expecting something ZAFTIG, not the smallest member of the GREBE family.
32. Cost an arm and __: A LEG. Well, that's a lot. Origin of the expression is obscure. But, to keep my customers happy, here are an ARM and a LEG.
34. Do a garage job: TUNE. Get that engine running PRIMO. Unless you're intrigued with vintage cars, it's probably a job best left to the pros.
35. Cannes's region: RIVIERA. The vacation region along southern coast of France. You Canne go there, if you chose. No oil slicks that I know of, unlike the Redneck Riviera, which is having a bit of unpleasantness. Alternatively, you could TUNE a RIVIERA.
37. __'acte: ENTR. French for Intermezzo, meaning between the acts, introductory music to signal the end of intermission in the theater. Take your seats please. (But beware of one offering his, as we shall see.)
38. They're usually in the 80s and 90s: OCTANES. Not quite. This should be OCTANE RATINGS. The octane rating is a measure of the resistance of petrol and other fuels to autoignition in spark-ignition internal combustion engines.
41. Toon who played Scrooge: MR MAGOO. The cartoon character with the voice of Jim Backus. I didn't know he was Scrooge, as well.
43. Maker of Definity skin care products: OLAY. I only know Oil of Olay, which can slick up your skin. Take some when you visit the Riviera.
44. Works on, as a novel: REVISES. To revise is to rework and improve your prose. Writing is rewriting. It's true.
46. Sport with riders: POLO. Guys ride on horses and try to hit a ball into a goal with a stick. This is some version of equestrian soccer (futbol with hooves.) Polo also has other meanings.
47. Matriarchal nickname: GRAN. One of many possible more-or-less affections nicknames for grandmother. This is not used in our clan. The LW is called Gramma, MeeMaw, or Grand-mom.
48. Core belief: TENET. My core belief has nine tenets. I believe Johnny Appleseed and William Tell had core beiefs.
52. Put the kibosh on: STIFLE Remember when Archie always told Edith to STIFLE herself? Those were the days.
54. Suggestive look: LEER. Ladies, I suggest you look at this.
56. Two-legged meat source: EMU. My daughter went to Eastern Michigan University. This is not their mascot. Nor is the Dromaius novaehollandiae, a large, flightless bird.
57. First name in puppetry: SHARI. Of course, this is Shari Lewis, shown here with her most famous creation. I don't know if she was ever on the lam, but the lamb was often on her.
59. Battles with bombers: AIR WAR. There was a lot of this in WW II, with the Germans trying to bomb the British, and the British trying to shoot down their bombers. A bad time was had by all.
61. Stars travel in them: LIMOS. Short for Limousine, a fancy car with a bar in the back, and a driver in the front. He'll take you anywhere you want to go.
66. Get used (to): ADAPT. Often we see INURE. This is a bit simpler.
67. __ Grey tea: EARL. Earl Grey Tea, flavored with bergamot extract, is my favorite. No lemon, no sugar, no milk (shudder.) Twinings is the best.
68. Dam buildup: SILT. Silt is loose sedimentary material that gets deposited by moving water. It forms deltas, and is dam clogging.
69. X-ray targets: BONES. Flesh is transparent to X-rays, which were discovered by William Reontgen, who refrained from naming them Roentgen waves. But bones are opaque to X-rays, and they can be X-ray photographed while they are still inside the body. This is convenient for both the DR. and the patient.
70. Whitehall whitewall: TYRE. I guess Whitehall must be in England somewhere. TYRE is the British spelling of tire, four of which could be found on the typical Riviera. Nice echo clue.
71. Tijuana tender: PESO. The PESO in Los Estados Unitos de Mexico is legal tender for all debts public and private, even if they are illegal.
Down:
1. Flowing back: EBBING. Tide flows in and flows out. Ebbing, the outflow, is used generally to indicate something receding, like my hair line.
2. One offering his seat?: MOONER. Back in the day, young people would stick their bare buttocks out of a car window. This can resemble the moon under certain lighting conditions that I was never able to duplicate. Why they did this is anybody's guess.
3. "Let me check": I'LL SEE. Pretty straight forward.
4. Bonanza: LODE. The rich vein of ore that can make a prospector rich.
5. A-one: PRIMO. Superlative. The best. Top notch. First class. Like this puzzle.
6. End: AIM. Not the most common meaning of "end" (or moon) but here "end" and "aim" refer to a goal - something to strive toward.
7. Jennyanydots's creator, initially: TSE. I am assuming that this is a character from CATS, the musical based on some of the writings of T. S. Eliot. We're seeing CATS next month, then I'll know for sure.
8. Mint, say: HERB. Herbs are edible plant parts using in flavoring other edible stuff. Traditionally, herbs were somewhat delicately flavored leafy plant parts, while spices were more aromatic and pungent, and often came from bark or seeds. The old distinctions are being blurred.
9. User of the prefix "i-": APPLE. Apple computer makes i-Mac, i-Pod, i-Pad, i-yiyi!
11. Inspiring apparatus: AQUALUNG. "Inspire" here refers to the intake of air, aided by the tank you can take diving, trade named AQUALUNG. Another fine GB misdirection.
12. Result of considering the pluses?: SUM. "Plus" here is the addition of a collection of numbers, resulting in a SUM. SUM more GB cleverness.
13. With it: HEP. "Hep" is very old school terminology for "up to date." Decades ago it morphed into "hip." Jazz fans back in the bebop days were hep cats.
18. Consume: TAKE IN. Ingest. Pretty straight forward.
22. Awards named for a writer: EDGARS. The Mystery Writers of America present EDGARS for excellence in mystery stories and movies. If you don't know who it is named after, I'm giving you a homework assignment.
25. Kind of roll: KAISER. This little doughy delight was invented in Vienna in honor of the Emperor, or KAISER, Fanz Joseph.
26. Futbol game cheer: OLE. Bullfighting too. I'll cheer for the OLAY - OLE echo.
28. Intrigued with: IN TO. Slang term for being interested in something. But when I TAKE IN a KAISER roll, it gets IN TO me.
29. Ruler from LIV to LXVIII: NERO. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He is best known for allegedly fiddling around while Rome burned. This is a misconception. He was actually harping at a Lyre.
33. Fur that's a symbol of royalty: ERMINE. Those royals were always putting on airs. They could afford ERMINE. You and I - not so much.
36. Church caretaker, in Chelsea: VERGER. Again we have alliteration to indicate a foreign language, when the foreign language is English. I am 100% certain this is of French, not Anglo-Saxon derivation. Having learned this new word, I shall now promptly forget it.
38. "__!...I Did It Again": Britney Spears album and hit song: OOPS! I guessed, "THERE." which doesn't even have the right number of letters. That's how much I know about her "music." One Britney link is all you get.
39. Blood __: CLOT. A clot is coagulated blood. Clotting is useful to help close off wounds. Internal clotting, or thrombosis, can lead to hear attacks and strokes.
40. Juju or grigri: TALISMAN. A magic charm - a device to channel occult powers and get that Mojo Risin'.
42. Like a tonne of bricks?: METRIC. Now this is clever. That foreign language English again. In England, they use the Metric System of weights and measures. Here, we use the English System, because the Metric System went over like . . . well - you know.
45. Kilmer of "Top Gun": VAL. Actor Val Kilmer. Hey - didn't he play Mr. Mojo Risin'?
50. Computer letters: EMAIL. Not the alphabet, silly. Letters you receive on your computer, instead of by snail delivery.
51. Ask for help from: TURN TO. Interesting expression. You turn to someone you trust when you're in a tough spot.
53. Keeps going: LASTS. Straight forward again. So, let's have this.
55. Golfer's coup: EAGLE. In golf, an eagle means finishing the hole two under par: 3 on a par 5, for example. Like a birdie, but better.
58. Cynical response: I BET. A snarky challenge indicating skepticism. Or words heard after a hand is given.
60. Hoarse sound: RASP. The way your voice might sound with a sore throat, cough, and/or sniffles. Why did the mare make her colt wear a scarf when he went outside? He was a little horse.
61. Testing site: LAB. Short for laboratory, where science is done, and having nothing to do with golden retrievers.
62. Phrase said before taking the stand: I DO. A witness's answer to this question: "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth . . ." I've never been on the stand, but I used to watch Perry Mason on TV.
64. Not ordained: LAY. This word refers to ordinary folk who perform formal or informal functions around the congregation, such as the VERGER. Which I had to scroll back up to find. I really did forget it that fast. I guess LAY might have other meanings as well. Can anyone think of any?
65. Two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner: ORR. Bobby Orr, star defenseman of the Boston Bruins, Hockey stalwart, and now cross-word puzzle stalwart.
2. One offering his seat?: MOONER. Back in the day, young people would stick their bare buttocks out of a car window. This can resemble the moon under certain lighting conditions that I was never able to duplicate. Why they did this is anybody's guess.
3. "Let me check": I'LL SEE. Pretty straight forward.
4. Bonanza: LODE. The rich vein of ore that can make a prospector rich.
5. A-one: PRIMO. Superlative. The best. Top notch. First class. Like this puzzle.
6. End: AIM. Not the most common meaning of "end" (or moon) but here "end" and "aim" refer to a goal - something to strive toward.
7. Jennyanydots's creator, initially: TSE. I am assuming that this is a character from CATS, the musical based on some of the writings of T. S. Eliot. We're seeing CATS next month, then I'll know for sure.
8. Mint, say: HERB. Herbs are edible plant parts using in flavoring other edible stuff. Traditionally, herbs were somewhat delicately flavored leafy plant parts, while spices were more aromatic and pungent, and often came from bark or seeds. The old distinctions are being blurred.
9. User of the prefix "i-": APPLE. Apple computer makes i-Mac, i-Pod, i-Pad, i-yiyi!
11. Inspiring apparatus: AQUALUNG. "Inspire" here refers to the intake of air, aided by the tank you can take diving, trade named AQUALUNG. Another fine GB misdirection.
12. Result of considering the pluses?: SUM. "Plus" here is the addition of a collection of numbers, resulting in a SUM. SUM more GB cleverness.
13. With it: HEP. "Hep" is very old school terminology for "up to date." Decades ago it morphed into "hip." Jazz fans back in the bebop days were hep cats.
18. Consume: TAKE IN. Ingest. Pretty straight forward.
22. Awards named for a writer: EDGARS. The Mystery Writers of America present EDGARS for excellence in mystery stories and movies. If you don't know who it is named after, I'm giving you a homework assignment.
25. Kind of roll: KAISER. This little doughy delight was invented in Vienna in honor of the Emperor, or KAISER, Fanz Joseph.
26. Futbol game cheer: OLE. Bullfighting too. I'll cheer for the OLAY - OLE echo.
28. Intrigued with: IN TO. Slang term for being interested in something. But when I TAKE IN a KAISER roll, it gets IN TO me.
29. Ruler from LIV to LXVIII: NERO. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He is best known for allegedly fiddling around while Rome burned. This is a misconception. He was actually harping at a Lyre.
33. Fur that's a symbol of royalty: ERMINE. Those royals were always putting on airs. They could afford ERMINE. You and I - not so much.
36. Church caretaker, in Chelsea: VERGER. Again we have alliteration to indicate a foreign language, when the foreign language is English. I am 100% certain this is of French, not Anglo-Saxon derivation. Having learned this new word, I shall now promptly forget it.
38. "__!...I Did It Again": Britney Spears album and hit song: OOPS! I guessed, "THERE." which doesn't even have the right number of letters. That's how much I know about her "music." One Britney link is all you get.
39. Blood __: CLOT. A clot is coagulated blood. Clotting is useful to help close off wounds. Internal clotting, or thrombosis, can lead to hear attacks and strokes.
40. Juju or grigri: TALISMAN. A magic charm - a device to channel occult powers and get that Mojo Risin'.
42. Like a tonne of bricks?: METRIC. Now this is clever. That foreign language English again. In England, they use the Metric System of weights and measures. Here, we use the English System, because the Metric System went over like . . . well - you know.
45. Kilmer of "Top Gun": VAL. Actor Val Kilmer. Hey - didn't he play Mr. Mojo Risin'?
50. Computer letters: EMAIL. Not the alphabet, silly. Letters you receive on your computer, instead of by snail delivery.
51. Ask for help from: TURN TO. Interesting expression. You turn to someone you trust when you're in a tough spot.
53. Keeps going: LASTS. Straight forward again. So, let's have this.
55. Golfer's coup: EAGLE. In golf, an eagle means finishing the hole two under par: 3 on a par 5, for example. Like a birdie, but better.
58. Cynical response: I BET. A snarky challenge indicating skepticism. Or words heard after a hand is given.
60. Hoarse sound: RASP. The way your voice might sound with a sore throat, cough, and/or sniffles. Why did the mare make her colt wear a scarf when he went outside? He was a little horse.
61. Testing site: LAB. Short for laboratory, where science is done, and having nothing to do with golden retrievers.
62. Phrase said before taking the stand: I DO. A witness's answer to this question: "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth . . ." I've never been on the stand, but I used to watch Perry Mason on TV.
64. Not ordained: LAY. This word refers to ordinary folk who perform formal or informal functions around the congregation, such as the VERGER. Which I had to scroll back up to find. I really did forget it that fast. I guess LAY might have other meanings as well. Can anyone think of any?
65. Two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner: ORR. Bobby Orr, star defenseman of the Boston Bruins, Hockey stalwart, and now cross-word puzzle stalwart.
Answer grid.
Cheers!
JzB
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI'm up extra early today due to a complete inability to sleep. Suddenly losing one's job will do that, I guess. Ah well, at least I have a wonderful new car to drive to interviews...
The puzzle was tough, fun and (mostly) fair. I did get stuck at the end when I had DEVISE / VEDGER instead of REVISE / VERGER. I don't know about you, but VEDGER looks just as likely a word as VERGER, and neither one means anything whatsoever to me.
TYRE also threw me for a bit, since I had trouble parsing the clue at first. Blame my bleary eyes caused by the aforementioned lack of sleep.
Anyway, I'm still officially on vacation today, so I'm going to take my 5-year-old son on his very first whale watch cruise. Hopefully, he'll enjoy it and I won't fall asleep on the boat...
The clue is Park way, not Parkway.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all,
ReplyDeleteTough sled today, but fun. I finally got the theme with bray of hope, but that took a while.
I am looking forward to your write-up, Jazz, but have to run to my early Friday meeting with a couple od old pals. Be back later
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteJzB:
Wow, you have set the bar too high for us mere mortals. I will need to come back after work because I could never fully appreciate all of the effort you have expended to bring this write up without more time. The puzzle was fun, with lots of new stuff, but not too hard. Your stuff was awesome.
Awards named for a writer: EDGARS, named for the writer of the first true mystery, Edgar Allen Poe, Murder on the Rue Morgue
Loved Inspiring apparatus: AQUALUNG, Like a tonne of bricks?: METRIC and more, but it took so long, I must run
Enjoy all, and heal all who are ailing
OOPS, I do think PARK WAY really is just the way you get around in a PARK, on the PATH PLEASE >
ReplyDeleteAn interesting picture, Lemonade714, for a puzzle that has PRIMO HERB in it.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, CC and all. Jazz, you and I must have been on the same wave length on this puzzle. Annette's insomnia is catching and I was awake at 3 a.m., doing this puzzle on line. I thought of all sorts of links I could make, but you beat me to them.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great Friday puzzle very doable, but with lots of funny puns. I realized early on that I needed to add a "B" in front of a common phrase. I especially liked BILL AT EASE.
Other favorite clues included Computer Letters = EMAILS; and
One Showing His Seat = MOONER (but unlike Jazz, I never tried this myself).
Whitehall, if my memory is correct, is one of the main roadways in London.
VERGER is a new word for me.
Jeannie: Thanks for your kind words. I do hope your mother is doing better and you will be able to see her soon.
Frenchie: The controlled burn on the oil spill was not successful ~ the slick has reached the Louisiana Coast. Eleven men also died in this explosion, one from my city.
QOD: Great is the victory, but the friendship of all is greater. ~ Emil Zatopek
Hi all. Sorry I have barely had time to do the puzzles lately much less pop on here. Today I am waiting for an electrician to fix his screw up from installing our air conditioner a few years back, so decided to hop on.
ReplyDeleteFun fun puzzle. Caught me on quite a few of the clues, but managed to fix my mistakes and get her done.
Jazz you outdo yourself with all those links. What fun to look at them. Unfortunately I don't have time to explore as of late.
I remember being a kid and watching Mr. Magoo in the TOON version of Scrooge. I loved it.
Update on son. Part of my lack of time is the extra it takes to drive my 17 year old around too along with absentee husband (in CA much of the time). They are soooooo busy at that age.
We have seen two neurologists, one pediatrician and talked with a friend who is a neurosurgeon. Indication is that it is 50/50 that he will have another seizure. If we medicate him it should be for six months, than wean him and see what happens. The last neuro is adamant that you don't medicate until it is proven that he is prone to having more seizures, hence not until #2 hits. We had already established with him that we will not allow him to drive despite it being legal.
In the end, we feel that putting him on meds for six months is only prolonging our finding out if he is prone to seizures. We are not fans of using meds if we don't have to. So we are going to keep him from going behind the wheel (we found out we have to hide the keys) and keep him safe until next summer (he will be away at college next year with no car anyway) no meds as yet. If he is a year free, we should be good to go. If he has a seizure, there is an 85% chance that #3 happens, so it will be time to start the meds.
Wish us luck. It is going to be one looooooong summer. He is struggling emotionally, as are we some days. He is a good kid and really doesn't deserve this, but who does? The blessing is his work is great and he loves it there.
Hope to be back soon again, but don't count on it. With graduation on the way as well as all these extra doctors appointments and spring cleaning, I am so far behind.
Sorry for the long post. Have a great weekend everyone.
Barry: I am so sorry to read that you lost your job. I hope you will have some good prospects and can find something soon.
ReplyDeleteMorning all,
ReplyDeleteGreat job JzB; thanks for all the links. I enjoyed the clue for nee (introduction to former self)--same old word, but new clue. Did not know grebe- but eventually it filled in. Verger is definitely a new word to me also didn’t know juju or grigri but talisman filled in with the perps. Wished they sold woman’s slacks with a measured inseam. I’m 5’7” and really have trouble with the length of slacks.
KQ, I’m so sorry your son has to go through this. Hopefully, a year from now, he will be a much happier camper. @Barry, sorry to hear about your job. My husband and I have both been through this. Stay strong and positive and enjoy your time with your son. One summer my husband was out of work and had the best time with our youngest son--swimming, fishing, going to a park. Our son still remembers that special time with his Dad. Take care.
Have a great day everyone. I’m going off to help the economy--shopping at the King of Prussia Mall outside of Philly.
Hello Puzzlers - JzB, that was some first-rate blogging. Loved this puzzle! Tried for another no-peeky but got silted up in that NE corner and had to turn on the red letters. AQUALUNG had me stumped.
ReplyDeleteVERGER would have been a mystery had I not so enjoyed the BBC's "Vicar of Dibley", in which the adorable Emma Chambers portrayed the verger in a lovely village church. The very funny Dawn French was the vicar. Each episode ended with a funny exchange between these two characters - and here is one of the funniest!
Yes, T.S. Eliot did create Jennyanydots along with a bunch of other cats in "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats". It's a fun little book to read, and recognizably the foundation of "Cats".
Wouldn't have known HEP if it weren't for Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive, an album which revisited Cab Calloway and others. "Hep cats" was in a lyric someplace there.
I find Britney Spears very hard to give a rat's a$$ about. Anyone else?
Great catch Argyle, sometimes I do stuff and only other people understand.
ReplyDeleteDudley, I have now watched the British sitcom imports for 40 years, from Good Neighbors Are You Being Served? and many more and love most of them.
BG, sorry about the job, but each closed chapter, leds to new doors to open, and I continue to wish the best for all the wounded, of ours and everywhere.
As for Britney Spears, do not know her, but she is still part of the world and her life certainly was controlled by more than herself, so yes I care about her.
Great catch Argyle, sometimes I do stuff and only other people understand.
ReplyDeleteDudley, I have now watched the British sitcom imports for 40 years, from Good Neighbors Are You Being Served? and many more and love most of them.
BG, sorry about the job, but each closed chapter, leds to new doors to open, and I continue to wish the best for all the wounded, of ours and everywhere.
As for Britney Spears, do not know her, but she is still part of the world and her life certainly was controlled by more than herself, so yes I care about her.
Jazzbumpa excellent write-up.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun Friday level puzzle.
Searched for the theme reveal clue, knew Tyro was a novice. So when the NEWBIE, then BLOG CABIN fell early on I got some traction.
MOONER is something we don't see in a puzzle everyday. It did get a LOL moment.
As an Acolyte, from a small age until about 18, in my Episcopal Church VERGER was my slam dunk.
I'm thinking many thought sexton.
PRIMO HERB and Lemonade714 "Keep off the Grass" sign, well at those times ... I don't like to read.
Dudley: Hand up!
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteJust a quickie to say that the eaglets are up and moving around their nest right now.
What, no Vicar of Dibley fans? Alice Tinker is the verger. I think the sexton takes care of the church and the verger is the lay person who assist or takes care of the vicar.
ReplyDeleteGreat blogging Jazz! Hi to all, it was another tough puzzle for Friday and my wife and I did manage to get the New B theme before she left for work. This helped me a lot to finish but I still had several unknowns I had to G-spot including 38D: OOPS & 24A KOKO. For 57A I had forgotten the name but I knew that it was a female with a lamb puppet and from that my wife came up with SHARI.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to Whitehall street in England.
For Barry G., I'm sorry to hear about your job situation, I hope that your finances are OK. The same thing happened to me shortly after 911 and I was forced to start my own home handyman business. The only thing that saves us is my wife's full time job. I have a pension coming at retirement age but it doesn't pay to take it early as it reduces the payout.
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle and write-up. Enjoyed the links alot.
Wound up following the game on line
while listening to WXYT-FM from Detroit on the radio. One down and three to go.
Jill has left for her week-end trip
to Fresno and the DKG meeting.
Hope the weather holds in KC for the IRL race tomorrow.
Have a good day. eddyB
Good Morning Jazz, CC and All,
ReplyDeleteA tough slog this AM but I managed with red letter help. I got all the theme answers but not the theme until I got here. Very clever clues. My favorite was Jennydot's Creator.
Barry, so sorry to hear about the job. Best thoughts in the the search for a new one. Hope you have fun whale watching.
KQ, What a rigmarole! I hope you find some definitive answers soon for you and your son.
Jeannie, Hope your Mom is back home and well.
I've emptied all of the moving boxes finally and am feeling a little less frantic. The only positive at this point is the phone company screwed up so our lines are still dead. We'll just pay for it on Monday.
Jazz, Wicked good write-up!!
TGIF
Good afternoon, everyone.
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up, Jazz. Lots of fun.
Barry G, so sorry to hear you lost your job. And just when you were celebrating too! Would they have done it while you were in Italy if that had happened?
Crockett, I meant to say a few days ago how much I and DH enjoyed the "Flight of the Bumblebee" done on an ipad.
Cheers
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to all. Blogging a puzzle is great fun, and you all make it worth the effort.
Barry - Sorry about the job. Best of luck to you.
Anon and Lemonade - OOOPS! - I did it again. Yep. Park . . . way, not Parkway. Good catch guys, and my (most obvious) Navajo Rug humility mark for the day.
Still, I was able to get in a cow reference, and that ought to be worth something.
Woke up at 8:30 this morning. Why - I dunno. Did some yard work with the LW this A.M. Plenty of that in the near future, since we're buying some more shrubs.
I'm pretty much used up. Guess I'll just kick back for a while . . .
Cheers!
JzB who actually never was a MOONER.
Good afternoon Jazzb, CC, et al., Interesting puzzle and I struggled off and on, then just off and out of time. I enjoyed the writeup more than the puzzle. Outstanding job, Jazz. Simply Outstanding!
ReplyDeleteBarry G: so sorry about your news. What a rip! You're in my thoughts and prayers. I hope a new door opens up for you and it's even better than what you had.
Lemonade: I have a sign in my classroom saying the same thing:
"Please Keep Off Grass"
KQ: I'm so in agreement w/the decision you've made about treatment. I'm sure your son is miserable. What a rotten thing to have happen at his time of life but he's so lucky to have you available to help him out. Keep us posted.
Jeannie: hope your mom is doing well...and you too.
Busy wkend. Hot date w/Ovary shaker tonight and tomorrow night a Bachelorette party for a young teacher friend. I made the name tags...condums in pkgs w/glittery name Initials centered on front with fancy beads stuck all around it & a clasp on the back. We have a limo that will take us anywhere in the whole Hampton Roads area. She won't forget this party.
Enjoy your weekend. Merry Month of May starts tomorrow.
Ugh, I wish the puzzle was as enjoyable as Jazz's write-up. Lots of errors, and I just couldn't get some things. Ova not emu led to novice, which allowed scum instead of silt. Blogcabin changed novice to noobie; keeping ova and allowing airops, but fixing silt and what the hell is an evpils?? But that is an area I finally fixed.
ReplyDeletePrime never became primo, the Kaiser roll never clicked in, and my best guess was vorger. I' embarrassed.
Barry, I'm sorry. I was fortunate enough to have an alternate source of income when the buyout hit last year. I hope you can resolve this quickly.
KQ, my daughter's second episode hit on the way to see the doctor. It resolved the decision about the Meds, but you are wise to try to avoid them. The purple spiders crawling on her walls after one tablet scared me a lot more than the seizures. Fortunately, we found an effective product and she quickly went clear for a year and we were able to wean her after that.
EddyB, weather in Fresno should be beautiful this weekend. It's climbing toward the low 80's. This after a wind that tried to take my garage doors off last night. Next time consider coming down with Jill and I'll take you sailing.
Good day, JZB, C.C. and all.
ReplyDeleteLate for the part-ay again! But for a good cause: babysitting my adorable grandbaby; can't get enough of her.
What a great puzzle and great blogging, Jazz! Nice beefcake, too.
My first foothold was "Nero", how many other four letter "Roman" emperors are there? From there traction built slowly until the east end filled.
I've seen my older granddaughter's posters of "Bella" so that helped. Guesses paid off for most fills with many chuckles: testing site: LAB, computer letters, E-MAIL, not ordained, LAY, and then we have VERGER and TENET for a slight religious bent.
They all revealed themselves so nicely and amusingly. Great job, Gareth!
So sorry about job losses, son's seizures and other health issues. I shall pray for all. My S-I-L went for an interview, that was the reason for babysitting. DTR and GRDTR are in Anaheim with Show Choir for special event.
Later; more comments after eating.
I hope you are having a Friday fabuloso!
A 300C? Yum! Drool slobber. I came within an inch of buying one a couple of years ago. I love that car! My wife put the kibosh on it, though, and we bought a Camry hybrid. Nice enough car, and it has all the amenities I want, so I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you lost your job, Barry G. I know how rough that can be, having had it happen to me three times in 10 years. I am blessed (knock on wood) to currently be gainfully employed in, fortunataly, a job I truly enjoy. So I'm doubly happy.
Fabulous exploration together of the puzzle today, JazzB! Thank you SO much for writing it!
I only had to look up two things in today's puzzle. I feel pretty good at being able to solve it all with only those 2 lookups (Zatopek's and Twilight heroine's names).
Best regards to you all!
Gunghy. Thank you for the invite.
ReplyDeleteWill take you up on it. Haven't been out since we took a 32ft Morgan out of Santa Cruz harbor into 10ft swells.
Into the 80s here for the weekend.
eddyB
Thanks, all. My company was bought out by a competitor. We were told that our products were going to be kept and that our jobs would likely be secure. Yesterday, however, they told us that they were closing our office completely and that we could either relocate to an office in another state (or country) or else "tender our resignations." The way they phrased it didn't leave any option for being fired and receiving benefits such as unemployment and severance. I'm going to fight the loss of benefits, but it's frustrating.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was thinking it might be a nice chance to take some time off and spend quality time with my son this Summer. But that's when I thought I'd be getting some unemployment benefits. Now, I feel like I've got to find another job ASAP. Fortunately, my wife is still fully employed and we've got enough savings (despite just buying a new car) that I'm not worried about making ends meet. We'll be OK. I'm just a little depressed about it all.
Oh -- we had a wonderful time whale watching! It was the little guy's first time on a boat and we saw plenty of humpback whales and dolphins.
Hi, everyone. Jazzbumpa, that blog is just great; you did a bangup job. My favorite part was the link to the adorable pouter! What a cutie; is she one of your clan? Oh, is she a she? Whatever, she made me laugh long and hard!
ReplyDeleteFound it a bit hard getting started with this one, but once on track it worked out well. Terrific clues all over the place. I really did get the theme fairly early for once, though I thought it was going to be Bill at first, but quickly quit that when BOLO fell. I can't pick a favorite clue there were so many good ones.
Barry, good luck in your job search. We're all rooting for you.
My s-i-l had good luck with Executive Temps when he faced the same problem. It worked out well and ended up in a permanent position better than the one he'd lost.
Jeanne, Alfred Dunner and Koret both indicate the inseams in their slacks. Give them a try. I have the opposite problem, short and stumpy! Don't know which is worse. At least mine can be shortened, sleeves, too.
Clearayes, where are you?
Oops! YOu're one jump ahead of me, CA!
ReplyDeleteFun stuff- NEWBIE, MOONER, PIQUE, PLUMP, OOPS, and TALISMAN (is that a male member of the TALIBAN?)
ReplyDeleteRidiculous stuff- BIG BEN is a towering example of an EBBING anagram.
Define METRIC, MR. ICE T.
LESLIE, I'LL SEE you later.
I used to, but I'll be a MOONER NO MORE.
In Mandarin, MR. MAGOO translates as GO MR. MAO!
Hats off to JazzBumpa – OUTSTANDING blog this morning. Funny, witty, great links. For my money, I preferred leg to arm and chuckled at core-beliefs. As dodo said, MOUE was special!
ReplyDeleteQuite an enjoyable puzzle today. Theme was fun and relatively easy to figure out: BLOG-CABIN and BILL-AT-EASE were my favorites. Tyre and tonne – cute. Grebe, dabchick, and verger were new to me. Dudley, thx for the great clip from Vicar of Dibley. (Does anyone remember the Un-cola commercials?) And after your great Oscar Peterson story (I’m so jealous), your lack of interest in Britney is very understandable.
Loved inspiring device = aqualung and result considering pluses = sum. Another clue for 47A might have been Clint Eastwood’s Torino. Haven’t seen zaftig too often in a x-word, and Bobby Orr will remain revered.
Mainiac, hope your youngest’s ear problems are over. Carol and JVN, hope your eyes heal, vision improves, and you feel great. Lois, wishing Brooke all the best. Dennis, hope your friend’s operation next week goes well. Fermatprime, hope you are on the mend after the thyroid test. Jeannie, hope your Mom came home today and begins recuperating.
KQ, sounds like you’re making wise decisions – teenagers can be tough patients. As Mark Twain said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” He’ll appreciate your care years from now.
Have a great Friday.
The oil spill has reached the mouth of the Mississippi. It will have a major impact on the shipping industry as both New Orleans and Baton Rouge are significant ports. The stench from the spill has already reached across Lake Pontchartrain. Chris in La are you okay?
ReplyDeleteHahtool, this is for you. I posted my apologies for leaving you out of my thanks yesterday, but reading over the Thursday comments, I didn't find it. Please accept them now. I'm always impressed with what you have to say and your range of knowledge. Jeannie is correct, caviar, not chopped liver!
ReplyDeleteHello All--This was a puzzle with a B eautiful theme and I did catch it early on. The names,Zatopek, Twilight heroine, Jennyanydots, and a few more had me using Google more than I like.
ReplyDeleteI did manage to finish everything with the lookups, and like CA I'm wondering why I had such a hard time, as the perps should have helped me out more.
KQ-I hope that your son's problem will not get him down too much. I'm hoping for a good outcome. Resorting to meds is not always the best if they can be avoided. Hang in there and we'll all understand if you are not able to be here with us every day.
Great write up Jzb. I'll have to go back and look at all the links. I've run out of time this afternoon.
Verger is my new word for the day. Vicar wouldn't fit. Even after watching many British sitcoms, I hadn't put that word into my memory banks.
Jeanne, I'm 5'11" and I've had to wear "floods" all my life. Usually there isn't enough material to let down the hems of slacks. I feel really lucky when I can find a pair that is 31" or more. Not many of those around. The talls are cut too long in the crotch seam so don't work either.
I commiserate with your dilemma.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Cute moue photo.
ReplyDelete@ Hahtool - we're OK here on the Northshore. Could smell it last night, but so far today it hasn't been bad. Been watching news reports this afternoon - looks like the Air Force will be getting involved dumping chemicals to break up the oil. Law suits already being filed. Overall another disaster for an area of the country that has seen more than it's share.
ReplyDeletePS - shrimp prices will probably go way up (LA provides 1/3 of nations shrimp) - if you have freezer space I'd stock up.
Full disclosure. Since it's been mentioned a few times, C.C. found the moue link. For some reason mine was broken. Similar shot of an equally cute kid. Nobody from my clan, though.
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to tell my sister to be careful not to step on her lip when she was pouting. Girls in my gene pool have a real knack for the Moue.
Tomorrow is the one day per year in my community when we can dump hazard waste and the sorts of things that shouldn't go in the trash, like CFL bulbs.
After that is Em's 4th birthday party. Not sure if I'll check in at all.
Cheers!
JzB who does not foresee the future.
This one took a little effort and 37 minutes. Made one stupid error by putting PRIME instead of PRIMO. Don't know why I didn't check 24A one last time (KOKO)and catch the error, other than that I haven't been hitting on all cylinders all day. Got to work this morning and immediately realized I'd left a pile of vital papers at home and had to turn around and go get them. Then tried to leave the house without my glasses. It's been one of those days. TGIF.
ReplyDeleteT.S. Eliot's "The Old Gumbie Cat" is rather long to post all of it here. For those of you who have seen "Cats" it will be familiar. For Jazz and any other "Cats" NEWBIE, you have a preview here with just the first twelve lines. Eliot was obviously a cat fancier. His poems about cats are sometimes bemused, but always affectionate.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Gumbie Cat
I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots;
Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots.
All day she sits upon the stair or on the steps or on the mat;
She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!
But when the day's hustle and bustle is done,
Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun.
And when all the family's in bed and asleep,
She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep.
She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice
Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice;
So when she has got them lined up on the matting,
She teachs them music, crocheting and tatting.
Brava, CA
ReplyDeleteBarry G. said: Yesterday, however, they told us that they were closing our office completely and that we could either relocate to an office in another state (or country) or else "tender our resignations." The way they phrased it didn't leave any option for being fired and receiving benefits such as unemployment and severance.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do fight that and win. It seems like a very shady thing for them to do as well as being inconsiderate. I've been laid off three times; once as an engineer and twice as a teacher. It was very stressful. I wish the best of luck for you.
Jazzbumpa-Cheerio, and kudos to you for your blogging! I'm so grateful I had a late start today for work, and I could enjoy all the links after completing the puzzle. Had some difficult time with some clues/fill that seemed to resonate from the other side of "the pond," but enjoyed every minute of the ride.
ReplyDeleteMOONER reminded me of an event here in SoCal, the annual "Mooning the Amtrak." This July will be the 31st anniversary of this "showing."
Barry G.-Such a dilemma. With your wife gainfully, (and I'm guessing happily) employed, moving to a new community would obviously not be a pleasant option. Not to mention that your son is at an age where he already has roots in his school and your home town.
KQ-Choosing or denying medication for a child or loved one is a difficult decision. I'll just say, "been there, done that", and I think you are acting wisely in your decision at this time.
Jeanne and Chickie-I, too, am tall, and have worn "high water" pants so much of my adult life. L.L. Bean does have tall styles to order through their catalog or online.
Lucina-Hear, hear! about enjoying grandchildren. I am so in love, and in awe of our darling little guy.
Enjoy the weekend!
Love is a quite complicated notion;
ReplyDeleteSought by us, and those across the ocean.
Many try to devise a lasting potion,
While others rely on energy and lotion.
The secret for some is their motion,
But true love is really just devotion.
Barry- Go down swinging, brother! Don't assume you won't get bennies because of corporate wording that forces you to resign. Most case workers at your unemployment office are hip to bosses trying to give a worker the shaft. There has to be legit reasons they would accept for you not being able to move to another state or country. My best advice. Be forceful, but very polite.
ReplyDeleteBarry G - It may be too late for you to catch this, but FWIW I mentioned your situation to my wife who is Director of Human Resources for a largish local company. While it's hard to anticipate every case, she thinks that you are entitled to State unemployment benefits (as long as you don't voluntarily resign). Severance is, of course, subject to the employer's discretion and generosity, and the latter sounds a bit lacking. We wish you well in finding a BETTER position to which to drive the new Chrysler.
ReplyDeleteLemonade714:
ReplyDeleteIs that an original poem? It's beautiful and wise!
Barry, hand up for your continued effort to reclaim your benefits.
BG
ReplyDeleteI do not have an email, but preliminary research suggests you should go speak to a lawyer, I have never practiced in Massachusets (except Federal criminal cases) but I think the situation is not as simle as the company would like you to believe.
For example
b. Constructive discharge. 1. Evidence supporting constructive
discharge. "A `constructive discharge occurs when the employer's conduct
effectively forces an employee to resign.'"
Page 607
GTE Prod. Corp. v. Stewart, 421 Mass. 22, 33-34 (1995), quoting from
Turner v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 7 Cal. 4th 1238, 1244-1245 (1994). See
Rubin v. Household Commercial Financial Servs., Inc.,
51 Mass. App. Ct. 432, 439 (2001). This requires "an objective
assessment" of the conditions at work, and a determination that "they
were so difficult as to be intolerable." GTE Prods. Corp. v. Stewart,
supra at 34.
-Warren,
ReplyDeleteWill your wife do tomorrow's puzzle with you? Will your wife know the answers that you don't?
Lucina
ReplyDeleteThank you
If I am quoting someone else's poems, I will always try and give credit, even if the poet is out serial troublemaker, Anon. If it is mine, it will just appear
L714, respect the post limit this time.
ReplyDeleteJust chiming in as I didn't have a chance to work the puzzle today but of course read the blog. Jazz, you have a gift Mister! You manage to post something for both the boys and girls on the blog. Personally I liked your moue photo. Okay maybe not...the arm one was good too.
ReplyDeleteBarryG, if you don't get unemployment benefits I will be totally surprised. Your branch of your company as you know it "closed". Fight with all your might. I don't know about MA, but here in MN they will give it to you. I really don't think a lawyer is necessary right now. If refused, yes.
All that have been thinking about my Mom, Thelma; thanks. She is home now and is doing fine. My passage is booked and am looking forward to seeing both of my sisters and my brother at the same time. I will be staying at my Mom and Dad's house so will have extra "alone" time with them and look forward to "taking over the kitchen".
I am looking forward to digging in the dirt tomorrow as my city plot has been assigned. I am going to grow zucchini, green beans, wax beans, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, and some peppers.
Here is a thought shout out to all those blogger friends of mine in need of those. KQ, Carol, Lois, Dennis, Dodo, BarryG, Annette (any luck on the aphrodisiac?) If I missed someone forgive me. Okay, one for you too Anon whoever you are and are too afraid to belly up to the bar so to speak. I was really careful and didn't say s&*t.
C.C. thanks again for all that you do. I have been posting here well over a year and have met very interesting folks because of it. You are a gem in the rough.
I'm sure he (and I) would be happy to accept your criticism if you had sufficient cojones to include your name. What a wuss!
ReplyDeleteJazz, you rock!
ReplyDeleteBillG, stop trying to act like a man. It's too late.
ReplyDeleteBillG, Hear, Hear. I have been a target one too many of times of an anon that can't or won't show his name, much less even put up a profile so I could e-mail them directly. I think at one time or another we have all gone over our 5 post limit. It's hard to take any crap from an anon for that as he can be an anon for 35 times and not be sited. What a weak tit.
ReplyDeleteJeannie said: "You probably can't keep 'it' up and that is your frustration as being a mean and spiteful person."
ReplyDeleteInteresting. You assume Anon is a male. I wonder why? (I'm sure you are correct though.)
Jeannie, I used to say to my students, "Consider the source." That pissant little bitch is worth getting upset about.
ReplyDeleteOops, isn't worth
ReplyDeleteBillG "Stop trying to act like a man it's too late." He insinuated that you were gay. I don't care if you are or what your sexual preferences are, but why even mention it here on this blog. My personal thought is you are a very attractive and well-read man. I really dislike anons that are so mean. We have a nice bunch of people here on the blog and these people that have no balls just bring us down at times. I try not to let them. I even deleted my own post admonishing them.
ReplyDeleteGunghy, remember that I am MN nice and also part Irish and part Chek and that get's my gall up sometimes. Next weekend Lo-li-ta sails. I am SO looking forward to wetting her keel(fixed).
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle was terrific. Took time, but repeated head-shaking looks eventually panned out. Brilliant. Got frustrated at first by a few names, but just such an all-around great puzzle that they sorted themselves out.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Ditto another commenter, prime, unfortunately, didn't correct itself before coming here.
Best...wishes?...for the people down south by the oil...
otis tpb