Theme: FILLING IN (65A. Subbing, and taxpayer's responsibility vis-à-vis the ends of 17-, 29- and 49-Across) - The end of each common phrase can be filled in.
17A. Doing what's just not done: IN BAD FORM. Fill in the form.
29A. You can't go back from it: POINT OF NO RETURN. Fill in the return. Excellent entry. Great clue too.
49A. Early: AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. Fill in the schedule. Another nice grid-spanner.
Rich saves this particular puzzle for the Tax Day. Perfect!
Jerome understands Nancy's style better than I do. But I feel that Nancy is not into heavy themage. She likes to use three or four phrases for a very focused and pointed theme.
Lots of entertaining clues in this puzzle. My favorite is DENT (18D Unwelcome impression). But after Annette's "Accidentally on Purpose" crossword & sex revelation last night, this FILLING IN suddenly takes a different meaning.
Across:
1. NYPD alerts: APBS. APB = All-Points Bulletin.
5. Disdainful upperclassman?: SNOB. Got me. Great clue.
9. Greeting often requiring lip-reading: HI MOM
14. Jacob's first wife: LEAH. Sister of Rachel, Jacob's second wife. Here is Chickie again. Our Leah.
15. Numerical prefix: OCTA. Prefix for "eight".
16. Hersey's bell town: ADANO. Hersey's "A Bell for Adano".
19. Sank in a cup: HOLED. Golf hole is also called cup. Another golf reference is TEE (43D. Links launching point).
20. Citi Field NLer: NY MET
21. Crunch targets: ABS
23. 26-Across supply: ICE. And OPEN BAR (26. Place where liquor flows freely?)
24. Cupid's master?: SANTA. Was thinking of the love Cupid rather than Santa's reindeer. I am a dummy, Argyle!
32. Museum pieces: ART
33. Paid player: PRO. Alliteration.
34. Elastic wood: YEW
35. Not for neatniks: MESSY. Sometimes I just can't tell what part of speech the clue is asking for.
38. Sphere: ORB
40. March honoree, briefly: ST PAT
44. Many a lap dog: TOY
46. Stereo jack letters: MIC
48. Fish story: LIE
55. Way back when: LONG AGO
56. Vincent's successor as baseball commissioner: SELIG. Bud Selig is the only commissioner I know of.
57. Dickens pen name: BOZ. I forgot.
58. Tattoo site: ARM
60. Part of MO: MODUS. MO = Modus Operandi.
62. Tennyson work: IDYLL
68. Where Hercules slew a lion: NEMEA. No idea. Ancient Greek city.
69. Former VOA overseer: USIA (United States Information Agency).
70. Spicy Spanish stew: OLLA. Triple alliteration.
71. "Awake and Sing!" playwright: ODETS (Clifford). Also the playwright for "Waiting for Lefty".
72. Crash site investigator: Abbr.: NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)
Down:
1. Three-time '60s-'70s heavyweight champ: ALI
2. Quakers of the Ivy League: PENN. Did not know Penn's sports team is called Quakers. Is there a SHAKERS also?
3. Watches for money: BABYSITS. Did not come to me immediately. We also have TYKE (73A. Little shaver).
4. Medicine man: SHAMAN
5. Convertible type: SOFT TOP
6. Cpl. or sgt.: NCO
7. __ vez: again, to Alonso: OTRA. I am used to the "other" clue.
8. Shoots in a forest?: BAMBOO. Nailed it.
9. "Gotcha!": HAH
10. Marriage agreement: I DO
11. Pricey Southern California beachfront city: MALIBU
12. Like some garages: ONE CAR
13. Contemporary: MODERN
22. Agile: SPRY
25. High style: AFRO. Can't keep HAUTE out of my mind.
27. Wide shoe markings: EEES
28. Cereal box abbr.: NT WT
29. Dawber who played Mindy: PAM
30. Miner's matter: ORE. Alliteration.
31. Benchmarks: NORMS
36. Unaccompanied: STAG. Wanted LONE.
37. "Ready are you? What know you of ready?" speaker: YODA. He lives to be 900 years old, right?
39. Popular pens: BICS. I am using Paper Mate. You?
41. Thug: PLUG-UGLY. New word to me.
42. Affect adversely: AIL. Alliteration.
45. Tranquil discipline: YOGA. Made me think of Lucina.
47. Site of many a student experiment: CHEM LAB
49. Lacking pigment: ALBINO
50. Like some sweatshirts: HOODED
51. Digestion aid: ENZYME. Al is an expert on this stuff. I just know that if you eat plenty of raw veggies/fruits, you won't need any enzyme supplement.
52. On a lark: FOR FUN
53. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI
54. Terse childish denial: DID NOT. We also have NAE (67. Scottish refusal).
59. Niagara Falls feature: MIST
61. Epitome of smoothness: SILK. Oh, Barry!
63. Certain do-over: LET. Tennis.
64. Scale syllables: LAS
66. Fleur-de-__: LIS. Literally "lily flower".
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Doing what's just not done: IN BAD FORM. Fill in the form.
29A. You can't go back from it: POINT OF NO RETURN. Fill in the return. Excellent entry. Great clue too.
49A. Early: AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. Fill in the schedule. Another nice grid-spanner.
Rich saves this particular puzzle for the Tax Day. Perfect!
Jerome understands Nancy's style better than I do. But I feel that Nancy is not into heavy themage. She likes to use three or four phrases for a very focused and pointed theme.
Lots of entertaining clues in this puzzle. My favorite is DENT (18D Unwelcome impression). But after Annette's "Accidentally on Purpose" crossword & sex revelation last night, this FILLING IN suddenly takes a different meaning.
Across:
1. NYPD alerts: APBS. APB = All-Points Bulletin.
5. Disdainful upperclassman?: SNOB. Got me. Great clue.
9. Greeting often requiring lip-reading: HI MOM
14. Jacob's first wife: LEAH. Sister of Rachel, Jacob's second wife. Here is Chickie again. Our Leah.
15. Numerical prefix: OCTA. Prefix for "eight".
16. Hersey's bell town: ADANO. Hersey's "A Bell for Adano".
19. Sank in a cup: HOLED. Golf hole is also called cup. Another golf reference is TEE (43D. Links launching point).
20. Citi Field NLer: NY MET
21. Crunch targets: ABS
23. 26-Across supply: ICE. And OPEN BAR (26. Place where liquor flows freely?)
24. Cupid's master?: SANTA. Was thinking of the love Cupid rather than Santa's reindeer. I am a dummy, Argyle!
32. Museum pieces: ART
33. Paid player: PRO. Alliteration.
34. Elastic wood: YEW
35. Not for neatniks: MESSY. Sometimes I just can't tell what part of speech the clue is asking for.
38. Sphere: ORB
40. March honoree, briefly: ST PAT
44. Many a lap dog: TOY
46. Stereo jack letters: MIC
48. Fish story: LIE
55. Way back when: LONG AGO
56. Vincent's successor as baseball commissioner: SELIG. Bud Selig is the only commissioner I know of.
57. Dickens pen name: BOZ. I forgot.
58. Tattoo site: ARM
60. Part of MO: MODUS. MO = Modus Operandi.
62. Tennyson work: IDYLL
68. Where Hercules slew a lion: NEMEA. No idea. Ancient Greek city.
69. Former VOA overseer: USIA (United States Information Agency).
70. Spicy Spanish stew: OLLA. Triple alliteration.
71. "Awake and Sing!" playwright: ODETS (Clifford). Also the playwright for "Waiting for Lefty".
72. Crash site investigator: Abbr.: NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)
Down:
1. Three-time '60s-'70s heavyweight champ: ALI
2. Quakers of the Ivy League: PENN. Did not know Penn's sports team is called Quakers. Is there a SHAKERS also?
3. Watches for money: BABYSITS. Did not come to me immediately. We also have TYKE (73A. Little shaver).
4. Medicine man: SHAMAN
5. Convertible type: SOFT TOP
6. Cpl. or sgt.: NCO
7. __ vez: again, to Alonso: OTRA. I am used to the "other" clue.
8. Shoots in a forest?: BAMBOO. Nailed it.
9. "Gotcha!": HAH
10. Marriage agreement: I DO
11. Pricey Southern California beachfront city: MALIBU
12. Like some garages: ONE CAR
13. Contemporary: MODERN
22. Agile: SPRY
25. High style: AFRO. Can't keep HAUTE out of my mind.
27. Wide shoe markings: EEES
28. Cereal box abbr.: NT WT
29. Dawber who played Mindy: PAM
30. Miner's matter: ORE. Alliteration.
31. Benchmarks: NORMS
36. Unaccompanied: STAG. Wanted LONE.
37. "Ready are you? What know you of ready?" speaker: YODA. He lives to be 900 years old, right?
39. Popular pens: BICS. I am using Paper Mate. You?
41. Thug: PLUG-UGLY. New word to me.
42. Affect adversely: AIL. Alliteration.
45. Tranquil discipline: YOGA. Made me think of Lucina.
47. Site of many a student experiment: CHEM LAB
49. Lacking pigment: ALBINO
50. Like some sweatshirts: HOODED
51. Digestion aid: ENZYME. Al is an expert on this stuff. I just know that if you eat plenty of raw veggies/fruits, you won't need any enzyme supplement.
52. On a lark: FOR FUN
53. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI
54. Terse childish denial: DID NOT. We also have NAE (67. Scottish refusal).
59. Niagara Falls feature: MIST
61. Epitome of smoothness: SILK. Oh, Barry!
63. Certain do-over: LET. Tennis.
64. Scale syllables: LAS
66. Fleur-de-__: LIS. Literally "lily flower".
Answer grid.
C.C.
Gooooood morning, C.C. and gang. Nice to be back; thanks for all the emails and good wishes, which I passed on. Surgery's scheduled now for 5/7, and the doctors are optimistic.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was awfully easy for a Thursday puzzle, although i did screw up 36D with 'solo'. And I always thought 'plug ugly' referred to a person's looks, but the dictionary says otherwise. The theme was ok, but just ok. Favorite clues were 'Unwelcome impression' and 'High style'.
Annette, I think I better stop posting my crossword times, huh?
Lucina, Chickie, great pictures in C.C.'s write-up. Lucina, you look like you're getting warmed up to do a crossword.
Today is Titanic Remembrance Day and Rubber Eraser Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does all the work." -- Mark Twain
And here's some unusual laws from around the world:
- In Athens, Greece, you can lose your driver's license for being "poorly dressed" or "unbathed".
- In Israel, it's illegal to pick your nose on the Sabbath.
- Swedish law prohibits trained seals from balancing balls on their noses. (Good that it's only seals....)
Good Morning, CC and all. I was expecting a TAXING theme today, and wasn't disappointed. It wasn't TAXING to do, however. I breezed through the top half, but slowed down a bit on the lower portion. Still, it was a good puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI smiled as seeing YODA next to YOGA.
My favorite clue was Cupid's Master = SANTA. Not what I was expecting there!
My choice in pens? I use a Waterman. If I get to work and find I've left my pen at work, it ruins my whole day.
I presume Clear Ayes will find us an IDYLL today????
In honor of our Star Wars clue, here are some YODA QODs:
Always in motion is the future. ~ Yoda
Size matters not. ~ Yoda
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try. ~ Yoda
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteIt's comforting to see you back on top again. A big part of the blog Comments section was empty while you were away. Need you to FILL IN. It!
Haltool,
Ah, size matters not...
Lucina,
You can get the oatmeal soap at Whole Foods. Maybe Traders Joe's too.
Dodo,
Buckeye plays when he wants to play.
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteWelcome back. All is now right with the world, or at least the Corner known as Crossword.
It would appear that, using the Urban Dictionary definition, teabaggers are prohibited in Sweden. They will be out in force today (tax day) though, protesting what they don't understand.
And like a good book, a good crossword should be done several times, especially if one is a speed solver.
CC:
Buckeye may play whenever he likes, but I'll bet he does a crossword any time he can. That's pretty much true of all us old guys.
Finally, as "Silent Cal" Coolidge is reputed to have said, doing several crosswords a day is easier if you have a fresh puzzle every time.
I think I'm done.
Windhover, You are so BAD!!! I got a big chuckle out of your comments this morning! Don't be a stranger.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Dennis. We have missed you. Best wishes for your friends surgery.
This was a testing puzzle today, but I was able to finish with lots of perp help. Unknowns were Pam, Boz, Nemea, otra, Yoda (I am not a Trekkie). Best clue was "certain do-over".
WH, IMO, your teabagger comment is over the line and offensive, as I suspect you intended it to be. I recommend you find a political blog where such comments are welcome.
Good morning CC and All, a really fun and easy puzzle for a Thursday. I guess Nancy and I were on the same wavelength this morning. I really liked cupid’s master/Santa and like Argyle I could not get the love cupid out of my mind and then the aha moment. My other fav clue was watches for money which caused a large Carol V8 moment.
ReplyDeleteThere were many creative clues in this puzzle which made it fun to solve.
Welcome back Dennis.
I will be gone the remainder of the week as my trees have come in and I have 300 red oak trees to plant between now and
Sunday evening. I hope you all have a fun week and a great weekend.
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteGood to see you where you belong, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
A truly fun puzzle from a master, with so many fair but misleading clues, such as: Watches for money: BABYSITS; Cupid's master?: SANTA; master should have been the giveaway, but is was hard to forget the image with the bow and arrow; Greeting often requiring lip-reading: HI MOM, really great imagery; Disdainful upperclassman?: SNOB, a ha not a senior; Marriage agreement: I DO.
I too like the use of both YOGA and YODA, and I assume by now all think of The Time Machine" race: ELOI as a gimme.
TFrank, relax, while we are not a political forum, I personally thought he was being funny, (perhaps you do not know the definition of teabaggers to which he refers, naughty WH) but then I do not take either side of the fence seriously.
So 1040 and out
Good Morning Everyone. Welcome back Dennis. Hoping for success for your friend.
ReplyDeleteC.C. Thanks for posting the interview with GS and for the follow-up feedback relating more of his family history. Hopefully some of that will allow us to get on his 'wave length' more easily.
Not a bad Thursday puzzle today. Only had trouble in the SE corner and had to look up NEMEA and IDYLL. Liked the clues for BAMBOO, DENT, and AFRO. Got halfway through before realizing there probably was a theme, but it didn't matter; most of it filled in easily enough. A challenging cw with mostly ordinary or common words, and very few arcane or foreign words.
Dick, good luck with the trees.
L714,
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to relax when your ox is being gored.
I am well aware of the sexual aspect of the term, and do not find it amusing. I understand this is a non-political blog. To denigrate tea party people in this way is highly political and disgusting.
To those of you who are not familiar with the term, check it out on Wikipedia.
Happy Thursday (can't be a good tax day).
ReplyDeleteRelatively easy puzzle today, yet had clever words and clues which brought smiles.
My favorite was cupid's master (expecting some unknown Greek or Roman god).
YODA and YOGA were fun -- all we need now is YOGI (Bear or Berra).
SPITZBOOV, I had the same difficulty in the SW corner - when albino and enzyme popped in, all was forgiven.
PLUG UGLY was new to me too, Dennis, though I admired the double UGUG placement in the middle.
Windhover, quite to the contrary, as a "teabagger" I believe I'm cursed with both insight and intelligence, and understand all too clearly what is going on.
As one of only a handful of conservatives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I have come to realize that most people, Lemonade excluded, are passionate about their position, and have ceased listening to other points of view.
tfrank, I will happily refrain from any more political commentary in the future.
Great day everyone.
I had not planned to respond to these comments, but since I am now being discussed in the third person, I have a couple of things to say, after which I will return to my labors with the sheep, the animal kingdom's equivalent of the teabagger (non-sexual variety).
ReplyDeleteKoufaxMaravich:
As an intelligent and insightful (your words) resident of the island known as Manhattan, you must understand that your life on the island is supported and subsidized in very material ways by those of us who live and labor on the mainland West of the Hudson.
No politics, just economics:
The main problem the moneyed and ruling classes have with any form of redistribution of wealth, including the Social Security benefits that many teabaggers subsist on, is that once the lower and laboring classes have their subsistence provided, it is much more difficult to get your coal dug, your tea picked, and your garbage hauled. People in Manhattan, conservative and liberal, should not fail to understand that the death of coal miners is directly related to Massey Coals ability to avoid safety regulation, which itself is a characteristic of the "limited government" the TB movement embraces.
So when you flip on your lights or bite into that ribeye, think about where each came from, and that you are paying the full cost of neither.
TFrank:
As Lemonade suggested, I was merely trying (lamely) to be funny. As for my suggestion that there is a lack of understanding, parse this message on a sign at a teabagger rally in Lexington, Kentucky: "Get the government out of health care, and keep your hands off my Medicare." Another ox being gored? Depends solely on whose ox, doesn't it?
As for your suggestion I find another blog, I would suggest to you that there are also blogs and websites that deal with various fetishes, including feet, and that possibly you could find one on Wiki and move your comments there. But you were just trying to be funny (lamely), right?
Now I'm done.
Where do I sign up to denigrate the tea party?
ReplyDeleteI believe that line forms on the LEFT.
ReplyDeleteOk, seriously, let's cut the political crap once and for all; it's really against C.C.'s wishes, and since she's going to be unavailable most of the day, I'll attempt to speak on her behalf.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we push her tolerance already with the thinly-veiled sexual innuendos and double-entendres (I'm probably the most guilty of this), but political/religious comments, even mildly joking ones, just aren't appropriate here. Windhover, you know I love you like a brother, but that really was a bit gratuitous. And TFrank, might've been a bit of an overreaction on your part.
How 'bout we just forget this exchange and stick to what we all do best, which is the light-hearted verbal intercourse that's made this blog so popular?
Jeez, and I just got back....
windhover: you've ignored "the rules" and now we are ignoring the puzzle and discussing politics. btw, there is no god!! just kidding...off to the planned parenthood clinic.
ReplyDeleteCupid says no one is his master, he's just hanging with Comet. "Working one night a year is a good gig."
ReplyDeleteDennis:
ReplyDeleteGot it. I'm there. I'm just happy you didn't say
"oral". ;-}
Hi, Dennis, C.C.,and all - i do not usually comment lately, because i feel i don't have much to contribute , not like all you literati , but this morning, reading the blog i find myself completely amused and somewhat educated.
ReplyDeleteSo I thank you Wh, for starting the ball rolling, and of course Dennis for finishing .
LoL , I love this blog
Have a good day all !
Windhover, you know I wanted to.
ReplyDeleteMaria, you have as much to contribute as any of us; your posts are always enjoyable. Hey, you see how we all babble, so join the fray.
Not too difficult for a Thursday. Took 26 minutes to complete. No errors, help, etc. Only one I didn't know was "otra vez," but I could work it out anyway.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All, Fun and games on a Thursday morning. Dennis, a big welcome back! and WH, just the !
ReplyDeleteUnder the "Didn't get it until I came here" category was "Cupid's boss" SANTA. A big D'OH! for me.
Pricey MALIBU is the next coastal city to the south of "retagged" Oxnard, the city we used to live in. The scenery is pretty much the same, but movie stars live in Malibu and Hispanic field workers live in Oxnard.
Some problem with the lower midsection. USIA and NTSB had to rely on the perps to get their fill.
The Tax Day theme was fun, especially since we submitted ours in early February.
Jeannie, best wishes to both your mother and your uncle. Your parents seems to have both a good attitude and sense of humor about her upcoming surgery. I did have to smile though. Anytime you use the words "Mom", "uterus" and "bladder" in the same paragraph, you probably are going too far. :o)
I didn't known IDYLL was going to be in today's puzzle and I had already decided to post another "Nature's diadem" poem. This one fills the bill on both counts. It is an 1849 poem by J. R. Barstow, of Philadelphia. The poem appeared in “A History of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania”. Those Pennsylvanians sure did love their state.
ReplyDeletePennsylvania
"A song of home, a song of modern days,
A tribute to my glorious native land!
Oh ! would the muse but aid my feeble praise,
And nerve with honest pride my faltering hand!
The Keystone of this mighty arch, which holds
A continent within its vast embrace;
Which to the waiting eye of Hope unfolds
Of Freedom and of Peace the resting place.
Far in her quiet valleys many a gem
Of rarest beauty greets the asking eye,
As emeralds of Nature's diadem
Lie shining green beneath the bending sky.
I finished the puzzle but had no clue what the theme was until I came here. My favorite clues were “high style” – afro and “Cupid’s master” – Santa (made me think of you, Argyle). I too thought of Lucina when yoga appeared. I am still amazed at your flexibility Lucina! I thought fish story – lie was cute too and reminded me of Tarrajo and Brady Joe. I hope they are doing fine. Perp help included Adano, Selig, moddus, and usia.
ReplyDeleteFrenchie: 37lbs! That’s fantastic. I think those tankini’s are cute.
Dennis, good to see you back and in true form.
Word riddle today: (no cheating Warren)
There is a seven letter word that contains ten words without rearranging any of the letters. What is it?
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteA big thank you to CC for going back and asking Gary the question.
AoP is on CBS at 8:30 on Wed.
Chickie. My grand father did the same thing. Still remember the smell and the flies on a hot summer day. Jean Auel had the Earth
Children using heated limestone for the same reason.
There are now four little falcons.
It is taking both momma and poppa
to feed the eyasses.
Don't forget to take a reusable cup
to Starbucks today for your free coffee.
eddyB
Happy Tax Day!
ReplyDeleteI always say that since tomorrow IS "National Tax Accountants Holiday" and I like to celebrate all the Eve's also.
OK, if your RETURN and SCHEDULEs aren't complete, get a FORM 4868, and file for a 6 month extension.
Of course I took a while "doing my crossword" and this puzzle too.
Lots of fresh cluing and answers, though USIA is a bit obscure.
Esp. enjoyed PLUG UGLY and the shout out HI MOM brought a grin.
Believe it or not, right now I'm watching the ELOI on TCM.
Dennis, glad you're back and everything is moving in a positive direction. I guess the BABYSITS was for you.
All the above notwithstanding, I'm a coffee and Scotch drinker / thinker. Tea is not my 'bag.'
And yes, OPEN BAR was my fave today.
Hold the ICE, I like it neat (not MESSY).
Been playing catch-up with the past blogs, and one post caught my eye as being terribly coincidental:
ReplyDeleteFrom Melissa Bee: A few years ago i attended a pro-am tournament and was surprised at how exciting it was. can actually feel the crack on tee-off, very powerful.
Melissa, I've experienced that very thing myself.
(Please send all your nasty comments to Windhover)
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteWow, am I out of touch.
Dennis - I didn't know you had a medical issue. Good luck with your surgery.
One of my friends had his mitral valve repaired last week. He's close to 80, and came through it very well and with a great positive attitude.
Attitude might not quite be everything, but it sure is a lot!
Good puzzle today. I struggled more than most of you, it seems, but I did make it through. Didn't know most of the same stuff as C.C.
Anyone who wants to go off course is free to do so at my blog. I just put an open thread up for that purpose.
My plan to cut grass yesterday was thwarted. Doing it today, in small bites. It is now over-long, and quite a challenge for an old man with a push mower.
Back at it. IMBO.
JzB the mowing trombonist
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you.
Melissa:
Please, please, please.
C.C.- I don't think most constructors are into "heavy themage". That style is tough to pull off without compromising the quality of the fill, and good fill is critical to the overall quality of a puzzle. Clueing as well.
ReplyDeleteYear after year and puzzle after puzzle what I see in Nancy's work is a consistent top-notch, professional creation. Today's puzzle has 48 theme letters. That's plenty. And what that does is set up this-
HIMOM
OPENBAR
LONGAGO
FORFUN
BABYSITS
SOFTTOP
BAMBOO
CHEMLAB
DIDNOT
and the ultra-fabulous PLUGUGLY.
Heavy themage would probably not have allowed half this amount of great fill.
Well, it looks like we just needed a DF nudge to draw a few of our missing contributors back to the blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat clues and a fun puzzle, but I did have to google 3 literature references (Hersey, Dickens, Tennyson) and the Spanish clue. Hmmm, I thought I was better read than that. My fav. Fill: HI MOM and ONE CAR. My biggest DUH was thinking N_MET was a player’s name…! And didn’t understand SANTA until coming here. Others were guesses or perp filled.
C.C.: Thanks for the shout out. I went to bed last night hoping I hadn’t crossed any lines, but with a big smile on my face, which is how any great crossword session should end. It was difficult to stop, once I started along that train of thought! Thank goodness there weren't more people around to encourage me that late. I'll post a link to the show a little later - heading to Starbuck's for my free coffee! And I used a Paper Mate on the puzzle too.
Koufaxmaravich: I’d guessed at YOGI Berra for the quote before realizing it was YODA.
I wear a 14EEEE shoe, so I still don't know who or what ETPAT is. After all, a 3E shoe is so narrow it hurts.
ReplyDeleteNo clue in the SW, so I finally put LIP for certain redo and came here to find out the truth.
Strange reaction for me. I spent about 30 minutes with maybe 5 filled in, then I guess the coffee (never tea) finally hit. The rest was done in about 10 minutes with a lot of 'How'd I miss that?'
Thought it was pug-ugly, myself.
By the way, I'm fiscally conservative and socially liberal; which I say because I'm still introducing myself. I strongly second the requests to keep politics elsewhere, so you've just heard the last of politics from me.
Good day, C.C. and all.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw Nancy Solomon's name I anticipated a great tax day puzzle and wasn't disappointed! You pull me out of my comfort zone, Nancy, thank you.
It started out rather well with APBS and Leah, and Adano, but then had to mill around for a bit to find traction. I really liked "watches for money" babysit, "unwelcome impressin" dent, and "cupid's master" also thinking of the bow and arrow one.
No searches reaquired as they all fell in very niccely, even "Boz" which I'd forgotten, NTSB and USIA. I loved "plugugly" and amazingly knew Selig as he's often in the news. Great fun today!
Welcome back Dennis and I wish the best for your friend's surgery. As for getting warmed up, you have no idea...
Lively debate today; I say we hang loose.
Thanks, C.C. I'll try Trader Joe's as I don't know where there is a Whole Foods here.
Thank you, Jeannie; I will tell you I am spry for my age; when my sisters nd I are together, guess who carries the luggage in and out while they are still exiting the car?
Jerome, as always, you put things in perspective.
I love this blog!
Have a terrific tax day! I, too, filed in February, CA.
Should have said that AoP WAS on
ReplyDeleteCBS on Wed. Next week will be the last show of the season.
eddyB
First of all, welcome back Dennis, you have been greatly missed. I am glad your friend is doing a bit better and that surgery is possible and hopeful. I feared the worst.
ReplyDeletePLUG UGLY is a new one to me. I could only think of BUTT UGLY.
The SW corner defeated me (57,62,68 &71A,
63,64D) - double sigh. But now I know the answers and am better for it..so there!
47D threw me off a bit since the clue was not abbreviated. I always said 'chemistry lab' (and even lab is an abbr of laboratory but I've never heard of someone saying they are going to their chemistry laboratory, unless they are Frankenstein - LOL.)
WH: good to hear from you again and I like you no matter what 'they' say.
Dick: I sure hope you are going to have lots of help with those 300 trees! That is a lot to plant in 3 days.
Wow, lots of fun fills today and many that I was clueless on, but was able to get via the perps anyway. I too loved the Unwelcome impression clue and also High Style. Was totally unaware of NEMEA, ODETS, NTSV, USIA and SHAMON. Had to come here to get the SANTA reference.
ReplyDeleteWe filed out taxes this weekend as DH is out of town and needed to get them done before he left. I had done a draft earlier, and when I reviewed found some more rather sizable deductions. In the end, we got a $3 refund. Imagine that, absolutely no planning on that one. I know I am a CPA, but we don't even know what our income will be untilwe get our last check in January - yes we actually get taxed on amounts we get paid in January. I cannot even fathom being that close. I was flabbergasted.
Got my free Starbucks this am, and am planning on Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner. Lots of great deals out there today. I don't know why they do this on tax day (I think the Starbucks was actually for Earth day) but I am going to take advantage.
Out to do a bike ride in this amazing weather. We have had the nicest spring EVER.
Carol,
ReplyDeleteI like windhover too. It is possible for adults to disagree about politics and such and still be friends
I just went back to read last night's comments. And I thought I was up late! My last read was 80.
ReplyDeleteFrenchie, congratulations on your weight loss. That is not an easy task, at least not for me. Also appreciated the tip on Origins as my skin is really looking frightful.
Windhover:
You are funny and insightful; please do grace us with your humor.
Jeannie...the answer to your riddle is THEREIN.
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon, CC, et al., Not a walk thru the park but a fun puzzle just the same. Loved the Cupid/Santa connection best of all. Made me think of Argyle. And plug ugly? Haven't heard that in a long time and never heard it linked to a 'thug'. Learned something new...as always.
ReplyDeleteLucina and Chickie: Great pix.
Hahtool: I disagree - size does matter. Yoda is flat out wrong.
WH: Funny...I'm just glad not to be a seal, esp in Sweden.
Dennis: welcome back. Thoughts and prayers for your friend.
Dick: 300 trees? by Sun? How much help do you have? You're my new hero.
It's good to be back, altho' snorkeling in the Caribbean was hard to leave. It was like swimming in a huge aquarium. A peak experience for sure.
Got back only to learn the next day that a close family friend at age 31 is in need of a new heart. So send more thoughts and prayers this way too please. I'll keep you posted.
Enjoy your day.
great puzzle and apt theme today, love that. a few temporary snags in the south, didn't know NEMEA or USIA. cupid's master/SANTA is genius.
ReplyDeletedennis, yeah, i felt it all over. good to have you back.
windhover, i'd love to .. but i'd probably get kicked off the blog.
lois, welcome back, prayers on this end for your friend.
I'm finally here. Wow, a little DF, a little political fracas, what a recipe to get almost as many comments by mid afternoon as we had all day each of the last couple of days.
ReplyDeleteTruth be known, if it weren't for the puzzles, many of us would never consider being friends in real life, so it's only logical that our opinions differ. But I can never understand why religion and politics cause so much more heat than mention of music, literature or movie preferences. Maybe because those don't involve an implication that our opinion is RIGHT and the others WRONG?
I went first to the clinic for annual blood tests this morning, then to a brunch meeting for the local reetired teachers organization. Since I was dressed and out (i.e. with bra on) I decided to make the most of it and do the weekly shopping as well, hence my late arrival here, having stopped to have lunch first too.
My puzzle experiences were similar to others today, in that the bottom gave me trouble. I misspelled IDYLE, so never got LAS, didn't know OdeTs or pluG ugly--SELIM looked as good as anything to me. I actually did it all FILLING in time between the clinic and brunch, so no internet help, but I did get the theme once those clues fell.
Dennis, Good to see you back again. Too bad you had to adjudicate on the first day back!
Lois, welcome back to you too, and I'll keep your friend in my thoughts as well. I do have to ask -- are you the reason he needs a new heart?
ReplyDeleteWhere in the Caribbean? I agree about the snorkeling there - it's an incredible experience. Did you have any trouble with, uh, overcoming natural floatation?
Carol, made me laugh with the mention of 'butt ugly' - hadn't heard that term in many years.
Gunghy, 14EEEE?? Hell, you don't even need a boat with those puppies. Do you have trouble finding decent shoes?
Melissa Bee, good point about the blog. Maybe you should practice on me first...
The crossword segment is at the 18 minute mark into the show: ”Accidentally on Purpose”.
ReplyDeleteJeannie: Yes, it’s tough watching your parents age, and even worse doing it from afar! My thoughts are with you, and your mother during her surgery. Remember to let us know how she fares.
Carol: Keep us posted on your eye surgery too. I’m sure it’ll be as successful as Dot’s!
Dennis: Great news about your friend. Keep us posted. LOL at your times – we knew better anyway! ;-)
Lois: I hope they find a compatible heart for your friend quickly. Keep us updated.
Lucina: I’m sure I just bought the oatmeal & almond soap at the grocery or drug store. I think it was this same Yardley brand that I use now in Lavender.
Frenchie: Thanks for the ideas. I wish we had Trader Joe’s down here. I’ve heard a lot about it.
KQ: Wow, that’s amazing to be so close on your taxes!
Kazie: so is it easier to do the crossword puzzle with or without wearing your bra? Since I do the puzzle with my my morning coffee before getting ready for work, I am braless. I hope all your medical tests show you are in good health.
ReplyDeleteWow, Gunghy, no wonder you love water sports. You probably save a lot on swim fins. This is coming from a 10EE, which is quite a flipper for a dainty (yeah right) lady.
ReplyDeleteMystic, LOL, those of us who have been on this blog for a while already know about Kazie's bra wearing habits.
Lois, I'm glad to hear you had a sensational vacation. I will keep your friend in my thoughts. Heart transplantation is one of those wonders of modern medicine.
It is somewhat uncomfortable to think about organ donation, but if anyone here wants to leave an invaluable legacy, be sure your family members know about your wishes. Just about all the adults in my family carry a donor card in their wallets. Can't hurt and absolutely could help.
Chickie:
ReplyDeleteYes, very nice pic and it looks like an interesting location, care to share?
Lois:
Welcome back! Your friend is in my prayers.
Mystic,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes. I will know tomorrow, but mainly it was to verify the levels of my meds. CA's right--I never wear one if I can help it, and the puzzle, or anything else (except maybe aerobics ;))is a lot more comfortable without it.
Lois,
It's heart rending to see a person that young needing a transplant, but like CA said, it's also wonderful that modern medicine gives that option. Let's hope one becomes available soon.
Dennis,
Your friend's news is good. Let's hope the surgery is the answer needed.
I hate to cash out so early in the day, but tFrank ain't the only one with a little fetish, and like the line in Radar Love "there's a sound in my head that's drivin' my heel", I can not resist this one.
ReplyDeleteSo, Mystic @ 3:46,
While I totally endorse doing the crossword before work, (and after work, and occasionally at noon, hence the expression...... Well, you know), isn't it a little messy, not to mention distracting and possibly dangerous, to try and drink coffee at the same time? I mentioned a fetish. I can assure you all that I NEVER wear my bra while I'm doing the crossword.
Five and done. Promise. Oh, wait, one more thing:
Mustang Mel,
Not that nasty, just a little. Mom's keeping an eye on us. Hi, Barb!
Gunghy: I think you added too many EEEEs to the shoe width. It should be EEES, so that the S gives you ST. PAT, as St.Patrick is the March honoree.
ReplyDeleteTFrank - glad to hear you and WH are friends and I know you can have a difference of opinion with a friend, hence the name 'friend', but for a moment there I wasn't sure. Thanks for clearing it up for me (and others too).
ReplyDeleteKazie: hang loose Mother Goose - way to go! I think all of us ladies relish that freedom :)
Lois: I'll send many good thoughts to your young friend. As CA mentioned it is a miracle what they can do today. I have a donor indication on my drivers license. Everyone should give that some thought.
WH: I am soooo glad you leave your bra off while doing crosswords but when you put it on isn't it called cross dressing? Somehow it's hard to picture you like that. Ewe.....
No time to go through the 51 comments, but wanted to say "Welcome Home!" to Dennis. Glad to hear that there is relative good news for your friend.
ReplyDeleteC.C., I didn't get the Cupid reference until I read your write-up! V-8!!
Size matters not. ~ Yoda
ReplyDeleteHaltool,
Ah, size matters not... ~ C.C.
That's right ladies and gentlemen,
as a wise person once said, "...it's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean." Having plenty of experience on boats, I know this to be true.
@ WINDHOVER,'teabaggers are prohibited in Sweden.' They will be out in force today (tax day) though, protesting what they don't understand.'
BTY, teabagging is just gross!
PDQMOT, but, as I understand it, teabaggers' typically solicit and ply their trade privately. They are not to be compared to the 'Boston Tea Party'...anyone, am I right?
Dennis: LOL, funny guy! Guess it's not too far fetched anymore to think that I could have a 31 yr old lover. Afterall, Hugh Jackman's wife is 50. But what really makes me gut level laugh is the implication that I wore him slam out at 31. That's rich! Ride 'em hard and put 'em away wet. That's how I roll. But our friend is a girl and the one friend that I always called my 4th daughter. It's really tragic. Fine one day and not the next. Life!
ReplyDeleteI went to Antigua. Didnt have any floatation problems, and no black eyes either, just a little interference tho'. Some of those corals are huge and altho' I thought I was away from them, the current would slide me a little close to them in the front. I learned to turn and dodge pretty well. Never touched one but came close. Got stung by a couple of black spikey rock-boring urchins while climbing out with flippers on and trying to keep my pants up...always a chronic problem. Those waves were pretty strong. But it was so fun. Can't wait to do it again. Am thinking about Martinique in Aug. We'll see.
Thank you all for the kind thoughts and prayers. Life sure isn't fair. The donor mark on drivers' licenses is a great help. And like several have said, modern medicine does work miracles. It'll certainly take one this time. I will keep you updated.
Hello All--Thank you C.C. for our picture today. I loved seeing my name in the crossword!
ReplyDeleteLucina, The picture was taken in Germany on a trip three summers ago. We visited relatives, and did a lot of genealogy.
Lucina, I'm amazed at your flexibility. I have NEVER been able to do what you do, even when I was a teenager.
As for the puzzle today, I did part of it this morning, then finished up this afternoon with only three lookups. Nemea, Odets, and Boz were unknowns, but some others were obtained with the perps. Santa, didn't make one bit of sense, even when I got the answer!! I, too, had some Greek or Roman God in mind.Duh.
I thought High style and Lip-reading greeting were great clues. But, I had never heard Plug ugly used with thug before.
All and all a little taxing on the brain today, but the Return was well worth it.
Dennis, It was so good to see your name up first today. We've missed your banter. I'm hoping your friend's surgery is successful and that things are looking up for him.
ReplyDeleteJeannie, good wishes for your mom, too. It is hard to be so far away, when you want to be there for her.
Hahtool: I got the St. Pat from C.C.'s writeup. It just made no sense until then because I just can't picture 3E's as wide.
ReplyDeleteClear Ayes: The trouble comes from loving to Snow ski. You can imagine every joke and I can assure you I hear them all the time. None of them are funny anymore. Oh, and it was actually hard to find good fitting SCUBA fins.
Dennis: you gotta love the internet. B. A. Mason specializes in large shoes and boots (CA, Women's too.) Dale Boots makes custom ski boots and are a joy to work with.
Night all.
Jeannie, I also want to wish your Mom well. Surgery is always a daunting thing to face. Had to laugh when you asked if you were giving out TMI...what with all you mentioned, my answer would be the same as CA's..yes, but we understand.
ReplyDeleteChickie, I know what you mean about flexibility - I don't have much of it either and never did. When other little girls were doing backbends and cartwheels and (hold back boys) SPLITS, I could never join in. In later years I made up for it in other ways and I do have lots of flexibility when on my back..(breathe boys :0)
Hi all, I just talked to my Mom and she was holding her last living brother's hand. They are close and he was the guy that walked her down the aisle as her Dad killed himself when she was 13. I guess he is in the hospital in Richmond, KY and is comfortable. He recognized her and told her he loves her. I wish I had pics as they look so much alike.
ReplyDeleteBra talk....my mother is an A cup at best and I am much bigger than that. Humor on my Mom's part, one day I came home from school and she had two decals on her chest that said "push to inflate".
Kazie, I went for about two years in my early twenties not wearing a bra at all. Corporate business at that time frowned on that and I was actually brought into the HR office and talked to. I don't think any guys actually complained, but I complied.
Lois, good to see you back, and your friend's needs are in my thoughts up here in MN. It seems like we all need a group hug?
C.C. thanks for all you do to keep this blog alive. We really wouldn't know one another and their triumphs and strifes without you. What you created is TOP-NOTCH in my book.
C.C.,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeannie on the joy your blog brings us all. Thank you sincerely!
Jeannie,
Maybe the way you stated your mom's upcoming surgery was a bit blunt, but I'm sure many of us can relate. I had a full hysterectomy in 1997, and have had no regrets. Now I don't have to worry about cancer of the uterus, cervix or ovaries. You didn't say why she was losing her uterus, mine was because of fibroids, but they advised having the whole lot out to reduce the cancer risk. Maybe overkill, but at my age I worry about cancer a lot, having lost my mother to it, so it's good to have a few less possible cancers to worry about. I'm sure your mom will do fine.
Kazie, I always appreciate your honesty and candor. That's enough said. Thanks for giving a thought about my Mom. She'll be just fine. I am sure her thoughts are about her brother and not herself. To be honest, mine are with her both for her bro, and me just wanting to hold her hand.
ReplyDeleteBTW, once I get home from work, the bra comes off and I put on high heels.
That was for you tFrank, and I am not giving you crap. To each their own. Jeannie aims to please whether it be recipes or shoes.
It's quite late, so this may not get read, but: I could not get the lip reading/HIMOM or the shaver/TYKE connections. Any explanations?
ReplyDeleteD'Oh, I was right next to Starbucks and forgot about the free coffee! Shoulda logged on sooner, but those taxes...
Hi Everyone, I want to acknowledge each of you and wrote a quite inclusive list of comments, then poof...they disappeared into cyberspace! So frustrating...Dennis, Lois and Jeannie, I have prayers for your loved ones. My respect to Lemonade 714 on the death of your colleague. I understand he had a good life practicing law until 80 years of life.
ReplyDeleteGood Night and will join you once again tomorrow.
Dudley, many pro football players mouth "Hi Mom" into the camera when the cameras are focused on them when they're on the bench after a good play. Tyke and Shaver are nicknames for little kids, mostly boys I'd say.
ReplyDeleteToo late for the free coffee. It'll keep you up all night, or at least it would keep me up all night.
Dudley, for lip reading/HI MOM, think of the scene after some football player's just run back an interception for a touchdown and is on the bench. There's a camera shoved into his face and he waves and says "HI MOM." You can't hear him, but can readily see that that's what he's saying.
ReplyDeleteFor little shaver/TYKE, think of the youngster trying to be like Dad in the bathroom when Dad's shaving to start the day -- he's just a TYKE.
OK?
Don't worry about late comments not being read. There's a regular group of us who read the comments from the night before before starting in on the new puzzle for the day.
Tschuß
Frenchie, this is such a large and diverse group, trying to acknowledge the positives that everyone puts in to this wonderful blog would be nigh onto impossible. I think that the sharing of life's ups and downs, concerns and triumphs, recipes, QOD, poems, fun facts and all of the diverse aspects that everyone brings to this community is what makes it so great!
ReplyDeleteVodka to you all.
Have a good night, everyone. I shall include your loved ones who are in need of medical attention in my night prayers.
ReplyDeleteLate night reading, where have they all gone?
ReplyDeleteHayrake, dugglesmack, All Gravy, No Grief,Gladys, RedState Democrat, Barb B, SandbridgeKaren, OrAngie, Leazwell, A.R.E., Verna LaBounty
Jim in Norfolk, Crossedlover,THE MONKEY'S DEAD THE SHOWS OVER SUE YA!, Terry, Rob the Ranter, SaminMiam, Judi, DJ Girl, weather321, Razzberry, papajim, KK, JIMBO, KittyB, Southern Belle, Jeannette, tobylee,
Lola, Thomas, PromiseMeThis, Chris in LA, OnlyNightOwl, mariposa
and more
go get em L.
Lemonade,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a caring and attentive person. Amazing memories too. I only know that Jimbo (Hi there!) reads our comments every day.
Thanks to Crockett and BillG. I truly didn't know about the football connection to Hi Mom, having never watched a game. As for Tyke, I was looking too deeply, I guess.
ReplyDelete