Theme: Hungry Celebrities (And you will be too, if you click on all these food links) - Common dishes that happen to contain the first name of a well-known person is humorously reinterpreted and clued as if the dish is what the person wants for the meal.
18A. Response to comic Anderson's "What's for dinner?"?: CRAB LOUIE. Louie Anderson.
21A. Response to Spanish tenor Kraus's "What's for dinner?"?: CHICKEN ALFREDO. Alfredo Kraus. The first two theme answers overlap each other.
37A. Response to Revolutionary Arnold's "What's for breakfast?"?: EGGS BENEDICT. Benedict Arnold.
58A. Response to actress Bracco's "What's for brunch?"?: QUICHE LORRAINE. Lorraine Bracco.
64. Response to jazzman Peterson's "What's for dinner?"?: VEAL OSCAR. Oscar Peterson. The last pair of theme entries also overlap each other.
A special 16*15 grid. The extra column is to accommodate the central even-lettered theme entry EGGS BENEDICT.
Hi, all, Al guesting today, and I was gifted with another Dan Naddor puzzle, thanks C.C. I had mixed feelings about this puzzle. Like the rest of Dan's efforts, I thought it was tricky going at first, especially for a Wednesday, with a lot of unknown names and quite a few three letter answers. I usually try to make all the answer explanations interesting, even when it is a bit challenging. There are quite a few answers today where I just couldn't come up with anything. Maybe it's just the pollen and the late hour. I did manage one pun today.
Across:
1. Hist. or sci.: SUBJ. School subjects, consistent abbreviation in both clue and answer.
5. Penn. crosser: TNPK. Early meaning was a piked road barrier used for defense, from turn + pike (shaft.) The meaning changed to "a horizontal cross of timber, turning on a vertical pin", which was used to bar horses from foot roads. This led to the sense of "barrier to stop passage until a toll is paid"
9. "This is for real!": NO JOKE.
15. Composer Schifrin: LALO. Famous for writing many movie and TV scores, such as the Mission Impossible theme.
16. Noah of "ER": WYLE. Dr. John Carter.
17. Singer Morissette: ALANIS.
20. Forceful, as an argument: COGENT. Necessary, urgent. Borrowed from French.
23. 1861-'89 territory: DAKOTA. It means friendly in the native language. Sometimes translated as "allies".
25. MFA, for one: DEG. Master of Fine Arts or Master of Financial Analysis.
26. Oater okay: YEP. In old westerns on lonely cattle drives, this response from a taciturn cattle hand was sometimes considered to be loquacious. They didn't call him Gabby for nothing.
27. Get ready: PREPARE.
29. Bighorn sheep, at times: RAMMERS. This is what it feels like at work sometimes...
33. What's up?: SKY.
34. Like machine-stamped mail: METERED.
42. Most proximate: NEAREST.
43. Cold and wet: RAW.
46. Flute relative: PICCOLO.
49. Leather source: OSTRICH. A "big sparrow." The Greeks also knew the bird as strouthokamelos "camel-sparrow," for its long neck. Among its proverbial peculiarities are indiscriminate voracity (especially a habit of swallowing iron and stone to aid digestion), want of regard for its eggs, and a tendency to hide its head in the sand when pursued. "Like the Austridge, who hiding her little head, supposeth her great body obscured." Ostriches do put their heads in the sand, but ostrich farmers say they do this in search of something to eat.
53. Tokyo, once: EDO.
54. Sitter's handful: IMP.
57. Sly: CRAFTY.
63. Dump: UNLOAD. The Goldman-Sachs 'Fraud'
67. "Eventually ...": ONE DAY.
68. Nastase of tennis: ILIE.
69. Maestro Klemperer: OTTO. German first name, four letters? This usually works.
70. They're sometimes worn under helmets: DO-RAGS. A colorful large handkerchief worn on the head, usually tied with a tail.
71. Building extensions: ELLS.
72. 1966 Jerry Herman musical: MAME. "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."
Down:
18A. Response to comic Anderson's "What's for dinner?"?: CRAB LOUIE. Louie Anderson.
21A. Response to Spanish tenor Kraus's "What's for dinner?"?: CHICKEN ALFREDO. Alfredo Kraus. The first two theme answers overlap each other.
37A. Response to Revolutionary Arnold's "What's for breakfast?"?: EGGS BENEDICT. Benedict Arnold.
58A. Response to actress Bracco's "What's for brunch?"?: QUICHE LORRAINE. Lorraine Bracco.
64. Response to jazzman Peterson's "What's for dinner?"?: VEAL OSCAR. Oscar Peterson. The last pair of theme entries also overlap each other.
A special 16*15 grid. The extra column is to accommodate the central even-lettered theme entry EGGS BENEDICT.
Hi, all, Al guesting today, and I was gifted with another Dan Naddor puzzle, thanks C.C. I had mixed feelings about this puzzle. Like the rest of Dan's efforts, I thought it was tricky going at first, especially for a Wednesday, with a lot of unknown names and quite a few three letter answers. I usually try to make all the answer explanations interesting, even when it is a bit challenging. There are quite a few answers today where I just couldn't come up with anything. Maybe it's just the pollen and the late hour. I did manage one pun today.
Across:
1. Hist. or sci.: SUBJ. School subjects, consistent abbreviation in both clue and answer.
5. Penn. crosser: TNPK. Early meaning was a piked road barrier used for defense, from turn + pike (shaft.) The meaning changed to "a horizontal cross of timber, turning on a vertical pin", which was used to bar horses from foot roads. This led to the sense of "barrier to stop passage until a toll is paid"
9. "This is for real!": NO JOKE.
15. Composer Schifrin: LALO. Famous for writing many movie and TV scores, such as the Mission Impossible theme.
16. Noah of "ER": WYLE. Dr. John Carter.
17. Singer Morissette: ALANIS.
20. Forceful, as an argument: COGENT. Necessary, urgent. Borrowed from French.
23. 1861-'89 territory: DAKOTA. It means friendly in the native language. Sometimes translated as "allies".
25. MFA, for one: DEG. Master of Fine Arts or Master of Financial Analysis.
26. Oater okay: YEP. In old westerns on lonely cattle drives, this response from a taciturn cattle hand was sometimes considered to be loquacious. They didn't call him Gabby for nothing.
27. Get ready: PREPARE.
29. Bighorn sheep, at times: RAMMERS. This is what it feels like at work sometimes...
33. What's up?: SKY.
34. Like machine-stamped mail: METERED.
42. Most proximate: NEAREST.
43. Cold and wet: RAW.
46. Flute relative: PICCOLO.
49. Leather source: OSTRICH. A "big sparrow." The Greeks also knew the bird as strouthokamelos "camel-sparrow," for its long neck. Among its proverbial peculiarities are indiscriminate voracity (especially a habit of swallowing iron and stone to aid digestion), want of regard for its eggs, and a tendency to hide its head in the sand when pursued. "Like the Austridge, who hiding her little head, supposeth her great body obscured." Ostriches do put their heads in the sand, but ostrich farmers say they do this in search of something to eat.
53. Tokyo, once: EDO.
54. Sitter's handful: IMP.
57. Sly: CRAFTY.
63. Dump: UNLOAD. The Goldman-Sachs 'Fraud'
67. "Eventually ...": ONE DAY.
68. Nastase of tennis: ILIE.
69. Maestro Klemperer: OTTO. German first name, four letters? This usually works.
70. They're sometimes worn under helmets: DO-RAGS. A colorful large handkerchief worn on the head, usually tied with a tail.
71. Building extensions: ELLS.
72. 1966 Jerry Herman musical: MAME. "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."
Down:
1. Beehive St. capital: SLC. Salt Lake City, Utah.
2. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, formerly Egypt and Syria.
3. Mark of shame: BLACK EYE. But you should'a seen the other guy...
4. Change positions often: JOB HOP. You know you're getting old if you remember this as a bad thing. Corporate attitude now is if you stay in a job more than five years, they think you aren't good enough to get hired elsewhere.
5. Like many garages: TWO CAR.
6. Stooges' laugh: NYUK.
7. Practiced, as a trade: PLIED.
8. New Hampshire college town: KEENE.
9. Table salt, to a chemist: NA CL. Sodium (NA stands for Latin: Natrium) Chloride.
10. Swedish statesman __ Palme: OLOF. First Swedish politician to be assassinated.
11. Five-time NHL scoring leader Jaromir: JAGR.
12. Cyclops feature: ONE EYE. Two "EYE"s as fill (See 3D: BLACK EYE). Tsk-tsk!
13. More considerate: KINDER. Or German for "children".
14. Prevents, legally: ESTOPS.
19. __ fire under: LIT A. You know what really burns my butt? A fire about three feet high.
22. Accept: AGREE TO.
23. Infielders' stats: DPS. Double Plays.
24. Indy's pursuit: ARK. Indiana Jones, The Ark of the Covenant. Said to have held the ten commandments.
28. Involve, as in conflict: EMBROIL.
30. Dull finish?: ARD. Suffix added to make the word: dullard. I wanted to squeeze MATTE in there somehow...
31. "Something tells __ goofed": ME I.
32. CLX x X: MDC. 160 times 10 = 1600
35. Wide shoe spec: EEE.
36. Heavy wts.: TNS. Tons.
38. Health food co.: GNC. General Nutrition Centers
39. Former GM division: GEO. Metro, prizm, storm et.al.
40. Actor Mineo: SAL. More famous for who he played opposite of in movies (James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause").
41. Potentially lucrative track bet: TRIFECTA. a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order.
44. Do something: ACT.
45. "Give me a reason": WHY.
46. Ahab's whaler: PEQUOD. From Moby Dick.
47. "Don't ask me!": I DUNNO.
48. Menacing snake: COILER.
50. Libra symbol: SCALES. Libra is why pounds are abbreviated "lbs".
51. Small band: TRIO.
52. Kidnapper's demand: RANSOM. Money demand. Or Oldsmobile's first name, as in REO Speedwagon.
55. Dinner companion?: MOVIE. Dinner and a movie.
56. Head & Shoulders competitor: PRELL. Do they really still make this shampoo?
59. Musical finale: CODA. From Latin cauda, a tail.
60. Den __, Netherlands: HAAG. The Hague: the site of the royal residence and the western capital in the Netherlands.
61. Nestlé ice cream brand: EDY'S. Cheesecake.
62. Track fence: RAIL. When your trifecta loses you can be a rail-bird, stand at the rail, and rail at the rails.
65. PIN requester: ATM. Automated teller machine. Sometimes called an ATM Machine, which must mean a machine that dispenses machines?
Answer grid.
Al
2. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, formerly Egypt and Syria.
3. Mark of shame: BLACK EYE. But you should'a seen the other guy...
4. Change positions often: JOB HOP. You know you're getting old if you remember this as a bad thing. Corporate attitude now is if you stay in a job more than five years, they think you aren't good enough to get hired elsewhere.
5. Like many garages: TWO CAR.
6. Stooges' laugh: NYUK.
7. Practiced, as a trade: PLIED.
8. New Hampshire college town: KEENE.
9. Table salt, to a chemist: NA CL. Sodium (NA stands for Latin: Natrium) Chloride.
10. Swedish statesman __ Palme: OLOF. First Swedish politician to be assassinated.
11. Five-time NHL scoring leader Jaromir: JAGR.
12. Cyclops feature: ONE EYE. Two "EYE"s as fill (See 3D: BLACK EYE). Tsk-tsk!
13. More considerate: KINDER. Or German for "children".
14. Prevents, legally: ESTOPS.
19. __ fire under: LIT A. You know what really burns my butt? A fire about three feet high.
22. Accept: AGREE TO.
23. Infielders' stats: DPS. Double Plays.
24. Indy's pursuit: ARK. Indiana Jones, The Ark of the Covenant. Said to have held the ten commandments.
28. Involve, as in conflict: EMBROIL.
30. Dull finish?: ARD. Suffix added to make the word: dullard. I wanted to squeeze MATTE in there somehow...
31. "Something tells __ goofed": ME I.
32. CLX x X: MDC. 160 times 10 = 1600
35. Wide shoe spec: EEE.
36. Heavy wts.: TNS. Tons.
38. Health food co.: GNC. General Nutrition Centers
39. Former GM division: GEO. Metro, prizm, storm et.al.
40. Actor Mineo: SAL. More famous for who he played opposite of in movies (James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause").
41. Potentially lucrative track bet: TRIFECTA. a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order.
44. Do something: ACT.
45. "Give me a reason": WHY.
46. Ahab's whaler: PEQUOD. From Moby Dick.
47. "Don't ask me!": I DUNNO.
48. Menacing snake: COILER.
50. Libra symbol: SCALES. Libra is why pounds are abbreviated "lbs".
51. Small band: TRIO.
52. Kidnapper's demand: RANSOM. Money demand. Or Oldsmobile's first name, as in REO Speedwagon.
55. Dinner companion?: MOVIE. Dinner and a movie.
56. Head & Shoulders competitor: PRELL. Do they really still make this shampoo?
59. Musical finale: CODA. From Latin cauda, a tail.
60. Den __, Netherlands: HAAG. The Hague: the site of the royal residence and the western capital in the Netherlands.
61. Nestlé ice cream brand: EDY'S. Cheesecake.
62. Track fence: RAIL. When your trifecta loses you can be a rail-bird, stand at the rail, and rail at the rails.
65. PIN requester: ATM. Automated teller machine. Sometimes called an ATM Machine, which must mean a machine that dispenses machines?
Answer grid.
Al
64 comments:
Good morning, Al, C.C. and gang - a nice hump day treat, getting one of Dan's puzzles.
Got off to a slow start, as I wasn't expecting an abbreviation for 1D, in spite of the fact that 'St.' is an abbreviation. The theme was easy enough to figure out, but I needed the perps to fill in the first names of 'tenor Krause' and 'jazzman Peterson'. Other than those, I got through this one pretty much unscathed, and as always with Dan's puzzles, smiling all the way. Damn, what a great mind he had.
Al, as always, wonderful job. And as always, I learned something new from your efforts; I never knew 'lbs.' came from 'Libra'. You're right about 'ATM machines' - always gives me a smile when someone says that. Thanks for a bit of 'cheesecake' -- nice way to start the day.
Today is Kiss Your Mate Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." -- Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert
Good Morning:
Dan Naddor and Wednesday always seem to go together so well.
I had the hardest time with the SUBJ, JOBHOP cross, and the clue for CRAB LOUIE , since the dish is known to me as Crab Louis, which was probably named for Louis Davenport, a restauranteur from Spokane Washington; there were some other tough clues : I never knew the HAGUE was also known as DEN HAAG Noah WYLE cannot spell his own name, or so it seems. He started out in the classic cult film, LUST IN THE DUST with Tab Hunter who many of my fellow elder statesmen and women must remember, as well as the classic large transvestite DIVINE who died suddenly after getting rave reviews in the John Waters’ film HAIRSPRAY .
But the theme was so cute and revealing, I flew through the rest, slowing down only because I got hungry reading all about the food. If you want to know more about food names, you can go to A LIST .
I did the puzzle late again (the insomnia bug is back), and went to bed with the Neville brothers, Full Moon Rising .
Good Morning, CC and all. I didn't need the food links to feel hungry on this puzzle! It's a good thing I do the puzzle while I eat my breakfast and drink my coffee!
There were a few name, however, that I was unfamiliar with. I did know the names of the dishes, though.
It was quite an international puzzle today ~ Lots of the individuals named are from around the globe. Lalo Schifrin is an Argentine composer.
Jaromir Jagr is a hockey player from the Czech Republic.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme's murder is still unsolved after 24 years.
Keene State College is part of the State University system. It's in the southwestern part of the state.
I owned a Geo Prism once. I loved that little car.
QOD: The rights of democracy are not reserved for a select group within society, they are the rights of all the people. ~ Olof Palme
Good morning, all! I needed to be up early to test some changes made to our website overnight and thought I'd glance at who the constructor was. Once I saw it was Dan, I chose to do the puzzle OVER going back to bed for another 2 hours sleep!
Wow, a lot of unknowns had me sure I wasn't going to be able to finish on my own, but the perps got me thru! The long, familiar food names helped fill in most of the grid pretty easily. A few grins here and there too! I never could remember which was the Beehive State. Hopefully, it'll sink in now.
Well, with both Dennis and Windhover advocating I kiss a mate today (at least, for a start), I'm making that my primary goal.
Have a great day everyone!
Great job blogging, Al!
29A: That's how my job's been the past couple weeks too - lots of butting heads (or is that buttheads?).
Jeannie: Thanks (from last night)! No, I didn't sleep well last night either. Waited up until 1 am for the change to the website to take effect, but couldn't stay awake any longer. So I got up at 6 am to test it before the customers got in, instead. It looks good, except the tech forgot to log in using a specific account, so one minor feature is missing, but he can fix it easily when he gets in. I usually catch it before the customers ever notice it. I'll get that good night's sleep sometime this week! I thought of you when I saw what the perps had filled in for 19D - our very own Lo-LI-TA.
Maybe since I'm up early, I'll go for some eggs benedict!
Good morning Al and All, a great puzzle today, but it nearly kicked my butt. After much thought I was able to fill in the east side of the grid and slowly worked my way back to the west.
Al, a very nice write up.
Not much time this morning as this is my day to work for Habitat for Humanity and it looks like we will be putting a roof on the project house today. I will check in later.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday.
BTW, great job blogging AL. This was a diffcult puzzle to say much about, and I too appreciate the LBS information. I also meant to mention that OTTO Klemperer was the father of WERNER KLEMPERER and I am sure we all loved Hogan's Heroe's a great comedy abuot those funny Nazis. Does anybody actually remember Pat Sajak had a late night talk show?
Good Morning Al, CC and All,
I got very excited to see Dan's name on a Wednesday and the puzzle was no disappointment. My biggest hangup was in the NW where I wouldn't give up PLO for UAR. I also had no idea who LALO was, now I do. I don't the Crab meat much so Louie didn't pop into my head easily either. Fun Puzzle!
My youngest is still battling his ear problem so the wife and I are switch hitting. Feels like we keep hitting into DPS.
Have a great hump day!
I liked the puzzle and the commentary....except for the link to Goldman Sachs. Hoping this site doesn't become political. That was a cheap shot and the link was full of misinformation and baseless allegations.
Steve,
Al is entitled to his opinion. Skip what you don't want to read.
Good morning all. Nice write-up Al.
Agree with the earlier comments. A nice Wednesday puzzle from Dan. Thought the top was a little crankier than the bottom. No searches needed. Did not know LALO or ALANIS. Themes were salivating, robust, fun and came early. Perps helped. ARD was my d'uh moment.
OSTRICH - a ratite; no keel in breastbone.
Den HAAG - The Hague in English. Short for
's-Gravenhage meaning the Count's court. 'Den' is an archaic inflection of the definite article. Only seen in some place names or proper names like Den Helder or Vandenberg. The definite articles 'de' and 'het' are not inflected in modern Dutch.
Carol; glad your operation went well. Hope the recovery continues well.
Dennis; Hope your friend's operation on the 7th is successful.
Be safe.
Prell caused dandruff
Good morning Al and all.
It took me about 5 minutes to think to look and see that this was Dan's. The names were my downfall, as usual.
I didn't know either the dishes or the people except LORRAINE, BENEDICT and WYLE, but I couldn't spell his name, g'ed for NYUK without finding anything useful, and couldn't think how TURNPIKE should be abbreviated. I also g'ed JAGR, OSCAR, LALO and MAME. I was thinking of Herman's Hermits and wondering what musical they were in.
I heard of TRIFECTA for the first time on our recent trip to AR when we went to the races there.
I'm sorry to be the negative one, but g'ing isn't my thing, and the names here were not well known to me. I thought of Lonnie Anderson and couldn't make it fit, was also trying to remember the name of the Night Court guy--is it Harry Anderson? But Louie never would have come to me, even though now I see it, I do know who he is.
2. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, formerly Egypt and Syria.
IT also included Yemen.
Good morning, Al, C.C. and all,
I was pleased to see Dan's name on this puzzle and was not disappointed. It surely required a lot of perp and red letter help with all those name clues and weird abbreviations, and was a lot of fun to solve. 31 minutes with no lookups, although I had to come here to get the explanation for ard. I got most of the theme answers by getting the dish first; the names were then easy.
Favorite clue was Indy's pursuit. I kept trying to relate it to the race, with no luck.
Speaking of races, don't forget to watch the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Good job of blogging, Al, despite the diversions.
Have a good Wednesday.
Good morning CC, Al, and Gang
Al - first rate write-up. I enjoyed learning the derivation of lbs., and your other thoughtful and humorous references.
Dan's puzzles are becoming favorites. Knowing the theme gave me way too many squares too easily, but I'll take them.
Stooges NYUK was delightful.
CC, I apologize for the following, but if Al is entitled to his opinion, so am I.
I too think the link to Goldman Sachs was not right for a few reasons.
First, DUMP is when stock gets sold in a hurry, usually after bad news. For example, when Research in Motion (makers of the Blackberry) were sued for patent infringement and it looked like they might lose their whole business, many people DUMPed their stock. Al's link to the SEC case against Goldman is not really on point.
Second, I agree with Steve in that the Huffington Post write-up about GS (as well as the whole SEC case against them), IMHO, is wrong. They did nothing wrong in assembling this investment vehicle and brokering it between a buyer and seller. These were not widows and orphans - both sides were sophisticated investors who have an obligation to their own backers to perform due diligence and make sure they like the trade. If John Paulson didn't like the components of the investment vehicle, he would not trade. If the buyers didn't like the component parts, no one held a gun to their heads to trade. This issue is the proverbial red herring.
Question: If John Paulson lost his shirt and the housing market kept going up through the roof, would we have heard about any of this? Why are those who buy long betting on prices going up the "heroes" and those selling short betting on prices going down the "villians"? Lots of hypocrisy here. First, a bias against going short. Second, a historical bias based on after-the-fact finger-pointing.
If you want to look for evil, here are two places: (1) Why did Goldman Sachs (and others) get paid 100%, 100 cents on the dollar, when AIG bought out their swaps positions? These were trading at about 25 cents at the time. Government funnels bailout money into AIG which then pays off bad investments at four times the going rate -- VERY fishy. David Viniar (CFO of Goldman) said in yesterday's hearing that "we were paid what we were owed." A most UNSATISFACTORY answer. (2) There were numerous telephone conversations between Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and top execs at his old firm Goldman Sachs (and between Paulson and other firms) while this crisis was unfolding. These CONVERSATIONS should be investigated rigorously. Trading on inside information is still illegal, and this one smells very bad indeed.
Have a happy Wednesday.
The Lone Conservative on the Upper West Side of Manhattan
Koufax,
Well said.
I usually like Dan’s puzzles but this one was tough! There were just too many obscure names in it. It seems Kazie and I have the same problem when it comes to too many names: Lalo, Wyle, Olof, Jagr, Ilie, Otto. The only thing I really did like was the theme and answers. Who wouldn’t want to start their day with Eggs Benedict, follow with Crab Louie for lunch, have Veal Oscar for dinner (one of my favorites) and top it off with a big bowl of Edy’s?
Annette, sorry you had trouble sleeping again. Maybe tonight?
Good morning CC,Al and all.
Usually it takes me 5 mins,unlike Dennis, to fold newspaper, sharpen pencil and then tackle the puzzle. I blew through todays without pause only to discover that it was last Wednesdays puzzle. Just kidding but the good old Sun News had last weeks puzzle in today. When I saw Harpsichord as 1 A it looked familiar.
But really what kind of word is NYUK. I have watched the stooges enough to remember the laugh but to actually come up with a word like NYUK.
Re G S Moodys and S and P have a lot of questions to answer also.
Weeellll,
Speaking of hypocrisy, it seems that today we are talking about economics, not politics. But under David Easton's definition, that politics is "the authoritative allocation of values for society", they're pretty much one and the same in this case. A couple of other definitions I've heard are "the means of determining who's in and who's out" and "decisions about the allocation of scarce resources".
In the present case, it seems the nuance is between what is illegal and what is merely unethical. And it isn't precisely true that no "widows or orphans" were involved. In fact, many people have lost or will lose their homes, and the investment income of a great many people for whom it is their only income (read - widows) has been fractionalized.
It seems to me that if you are the only one of anything (other than possibly the Creator of the Universe), modesty would be in order. But then I live out here in the hinterland, fly-over country, and we just don't understand the ways of the Masters of the Universe who have once again delivered us into a state of fubar, driven by greed, which is of course a virtue. Is there an App for that?
...the problem(s) with politics cum economics is always this: We are above (more intelligent, wealthier, better educated ad nauseam ad infinitum) the golden rule...but by damn everyone else better abide it!
The old adage is/was never more true: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Good morning all.
The puzzle was just ok. Mainly a fill-in-the blank exercise.
Checked the late posts last night about 11:30. Want to thank CA for the link to Jimmy Buffett. That link lead to Poco and the Eagles.
Went to bed about 2AM.
The Eagles being in concert Fri and Sat is messing with round 2 of the hockey play offs.
Are we free to talk about what is going on in AZ?
eddyB
Good morning, Al, C.C., all.
No time to comment much, dental appt.
Loved the puzzle. Great cluing, of course.
Later.
Anonymous:
Well said.
hypocrisy? how ironic it is that the most corrupt organization in the country (read: congress) is acting all high and mighty grilling the executives of goldman sachs. perhaps if they focused their energy on themselves this would have never happened. they are trying to give john q. taxpayer a scapegoat. i am not buying it.
Loved the puzzle! Now it's time for my Oscar Peterson story. Buckle up, jazz fans!
In late 1977 I was able to scrape together enough cash for two tickets to the biggest live jazz show ever to hit the Hartford Civic Center. That big arena was packed to the rafters with 10,500 eager fans. Into this crowd walked guitarist Joe Pass, who did a dazzling solo set, bowed humbly, and left the stage. The dynamic Oscar Peterson came aboard and showed that grand piano just how it's done - leaving us all in awe of his keyboard mastery. Then he and Joe took us to intermission with a complex show of challenge and response. So far so great!
After intermission we were treated to Ella Fitzgerald backed up by the Tommy Flanagan Trio. Need I say more about that? Well, try this: Sarah Vaughan was in the audience, a place where Ella couldn't just leave her, so an unplanned duet followed that left us stunned but not hushed. This outstanding ensemble was succeeded by Count Basie and his Orchestra. That polished outfit really let us have it with all the brilliant brass and swinging sax we've come to expect from the big Big Bands, plus the minimalist Basie keyboard style. The crowd could barely be contained.
All of this was rolled up into one Turbo-Nuclear Grand Finale in which all of the above artists - ALL of them - squeezed onto the stage for a long closing number, the like of which has rarely been seen on Earth. When it was done the crowd simply exploded - ten thousand fans on their feet at once, raising cheers and applause that wouldn't stop, in a show of jubilation such as I have never since experienced.
There. That's my Oscar Peterson story.
Great story, Dudley, I wish I could have been there.
Wow! What a great Wednesday surprise to have a Dan Naddor xwd! I'd like to say I breezed through it, and in some parts did, but those pesky three letter fills did me in, esp. what's up? I'm really mad at myself for not catching that! You got me, Dan
I loved the food cum celebrities cluing; that was clever. My first fill was Eggs Benedict and then it was clear what the rest would be. Lalo Schifrin is often featured on our local classical station. And how clever is it to cross the "Pequod" with "Quiche Lorraine"? I loved that!
I was in high school with a friend whose father was the manager of the local horse racing venue and any time something good happened in threes, Like good grades, etc, she would shout, "that was a trifecta!"
I thought of you, Jeannie, the entire time and what a great feeling you must have filling in all those food names.
I'm out. If you decide to discuss the Arizona problem, just think of what it's like be living here.
I hope you are having a beautiful day!
Good Morning All, I always like Dan Naddor's "Name That Name" puzzles. I wasn't familiar with Alfredo Krause, but that came with perps.
OSTRICH was not the first "Leather source" I would have thought of, but it filled in eventually.
Everything else was smooth as a figure eight on a fresh sheet of ice...where are you Robin, we miss you?
I was never a JOB HOPper. My last job kept me going for over a quarter of a century....YIKES!!
Al, thanks for blogging and for all the links.
Thanks to WH. No need to say more.
For anyone on either side of any fence. Erich Fried was an Austrian poet who died in 1988. His poems are usually pretty short, so I've posted two. Please remember to read his poems with a little wink on the edge of your eyelid. They were meant to be read so.
anxiety & doubt
don't doubt of
someone
who's saying
he's anxious
but be anxious of
someone
who's saying
he's without a doubt
constructive self criticism
my weakness
was
my feeling
of supremacy
i've
vanquished it
now i'm
perfect
Clear Ayes: regarding the second poem you posted - I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.
Good day all! Nice recap Al.
Did not know OLOF (without A), KEENE and JAGR. But other direction fixed things up.
20 minutes. Nice Naddor puzzle.
tFrank--Yes, Pierre de Fermat was a number theorist, part time. See Fermat's Last Theorem for example. Also, the Richard Jury novels are all named for pubs.
Just finished Elizabeth George's This Body of Death. Quite a slog (700 pages). Many sections in small, light font, unfortunately. Evidently she did lots of research in England. After 200 pages I was really hooked. Had no time for xwds for a few days.
Yes, I like P. D. James and Ruth Rendell also. Just not as much as Peters, Grimes and George, in that order!
CA--Thanks for good wishes! Still have not been able to get thyroid test.
Annette-- have you tried melatonin spray from Dr. Mercola? Sometimes it works for insomnia.
Cruciverb.com no longer works for me. Does anyone know why?
Have a lovely day all!
Just wanted to thank Al for a very informative blog. I am always so pleased when we get a Dan Naddor puzzle as they are precious and I want to savor each one. I do think this was a bit tough for a Wednesday but well worth the work. Clever, funny, loved the food theme even though I struggled with a couple, and it took me awhile also to remember Louie instead of Harry Anderson.
Loved I DUNNO...and got hung up on JOB HOP, but typical Naddor.
Thanks to Jeannie's Daisies I am over the painting slump and just finished 1 commision piece and am working on another. Sold the Flag painting and having a Giclee made for later. Been a good year since January for art so I am playing major catch up.
I do read the actual puzzle blog part most days but been a bit busy so would be very late before I would post.
All of you take care and stay well.
Hi gang -
I was up and out the door early today to judge a science fair. I had 1st and 2nd graders. Cute kids, and smart. It was a great time.
Greatest Project was: If I were a beaver, how would I build my dam?
Got flummoxed by the names in the puzzle today.
Not a smooth run. I had ONE CAR to go with ONE EYE and ONE DAY.
When I go to a Dr. I expect top-notch medical advise. When I go to my lawyer, I expect top-notch legal advise. When I go to a financial expert, I expect top-notch financial advise. That's what I'm paying for. Most especially so, when the company has always had pride in customer service as part of its motto.
Constructing a product you know to be defective, marketing and selling that product as if it were top grade stuff, and meanwhile enriching yourself specifically and directly on that product's failure simply cannot be defended. Sure there's lot's of blame to go around. But that is no defense.
Does anybody remember the quaint concept of fiduciary responsibility?
Wings handed the coyotes their heads and hindquarters last night. I was in bed. The LW says I can't watch anymore games, since that seems to be somehow bad for the team.
Rehearsal tonight. Altogether, a long, but very rewarding day.
Cheers!
JzB the NEAREST thing to a trombonist
WH and Jazz,
Hear, hear! Too many people have been taken in by too many others driven by greed, who are too willing to gain from the losses of others.
On the topic of Arizona, I can fully imagine it's no picnic living with all that the immigration problem entails. But then, when two federal border guards tried to do their job last year (was it then? and I forget which state) they were jailed for their efforts. Does anyone know if they are still in jail? It kind of makes you wonder if any guards are game to police it properly any more.
Prell can be purchased anywhere, as recently as today.
Hi everyone, I agree it was a slow starting puzzle today but a very clever one. Before my wife left she got Quiche Lorraine which made it a little easier for me.
Re: AZ new law? I heard one story about one guy who had a new car with temporary stickers. 2 cops accosted him in a parking lot with his family inside and asked for his drivers license in Spanish! Then when he asked why they didn't ask for in in English they said something like, oh this one thinks he's a hard ass.
I'm all for speaking English only as our National language but that's not how it works in CA either, even the Home Depot's have signage in English and Spanish. I think that the AZ attitude is a little extreme at best though.
fermatprime- I'm having no problems with Cruciverb. Its got to be something on your end, but I can't imagine what.
Perfectly put, Jazz.
Not too hard for a Thursday. 24 minutes to complete. I knew most of them and could figure out the rest. I'm a great fan of the music for TV and film by Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible TV theme, etc.)
Bob -
Good point, but this is Wednesday.
KZ and Jerome -
Thank you. A kind word is always appreciated.
A colorful analogy occurred to me after I made my last post.
GS bottled toxic waste, labeled as VSOP Cognac. Due to underlying business relationships, and veiled conflict of interest the Appellation d'origine contrôlée certified the labeling. GS then took out life insurance policies on the buyers, and cashed in when they died.
Lovely scenario.
This is probably it for me today. Off in a while to rehearse Mussorgsky. One can hardly get any closer to heaven while keeping body and soul intact.
Cheers!
JzB ethical trombonist
Warren. Heard? You don't sass a police officer. You didn't say whether or not the man was legal or illegal.
Anyway, the law doesn't go in effect untill July or August. Plenty of time for review.
I guess you agree with Tim James
the GOP candidate for Alabama Gov
about giving the driving licence
test in 13 languages.
I wouldn't travel south of I10 with out a gun.
eddyB
The IRL race from Kansas is also on Sat
EddyB,
As far as I remember the guy in question was an American who didn't speak Spanish, perhaps he looked Foreign to the officers but why would they not use English first and Spanish second? Go figure.
Hello All-- My first theme fill was Eggs Benedict, and the others came with some lookups for the names. I, too, have trouble when there are a lot of names in a puzzle. Today, Lalo, Wyle, Alanis, Kraus,and Louie.
I did enjoy the puzzle, and except for the above lookups, I managed to slog away and got the East side filled in without too much trouble. I then worked my way to the top to finish up. But that pesky What's up? clue got me AGAIN! I should have learned by now.
T-Frank, I also wanted the Indy race and couldn't understand my answer when I got Ark. Thanks Al for the great blogging.
I didn't know that lbs. came from Libra. I learn something every day.
WM it is good to see you on the blog today. I'm sooo glad to hear that you've sold some paintings. The flag painting in particular. I love that one.
It is cold and rainy here again today, so a good day to do indoor things, like cooking. All the food references today got me into cooking for our dinner. Jeannie's meat loaf, I think.
Hi, All,
Not at all good today -- with a crossword dictionary to help, I managed only 19 words before I decided that I didn't want to work that hard to have fun.
I had no idea what was wanted for the theme fills. The only person I recognized was 37A, Benedict Arnold. Along with the clue's "What's for breakfast?", it should have been an AHA! moment.
On the other hand -- when I came here and saw the theme answers, I loved the wordplay!
Al --
Thanks for the link to the cheesecake. My favorite dish!
49A Leather source -- I'd never heard of leather from an ostrich. From snakes and alligators, yes; from cows & horses, definitely.
carol --
Yes, my Eye doctor ordered an Electrocardiogram and blood work, along with the measurement, meds, etc.
Perhaps it has to do with my age; I'm 73. The procedures were done in December 2008 and November 2009.
But I wonder if we had the same work? Mine were cataract removals with replacement lens implants. Perhaps you had Lasik to correct your vision?
Dudley --
Thanks for the Oscar Peterson story. I got goose bumps reading your post! I wish I'd been there.
Hi all - late to the party, vision is lots better so now I don't have to close one eye to do the puzzle and type on here.
Puzzle was hard for me, too many names I didn't know. I love Dan Naddor's work and I always struggle but in the end, I find the answers are V-8 moments. :)
The JVN: I did have cataract surgery with an lens implant. I don't have any heart issues or any real serious health problems so maybe that was why I didn't have the same tests you did. I can't believe how well I am beginning to see and how much lighter in color/hue/tone everything is. Of course the eye is still dilated but at my post-op appt today, the Dr said the beige tone I had been seeing (and still do in my left eye) is from the cataract. Amazing, it was as if someone had washed off the smoke film from my world. Those of you who have smoked and quit and washed your walls down, say prior to re-painting, know the sepia colored crap that came off of them...that is the color everything is out of my 'bad' eye. The other eye sees bright, light and gorgeous!!! I am truly in awe of the whole thing.
If you see leather that looks like it has goose bumps, it is probably ostrich. Wallets
Carol,
Great to hear the good news of your restored vision.
Clear Ayes,
Your second poem reminded me of a dear friend from college years who used to say, "I'm handsome, intelligent, creative, sharp-witted, and modest... above all, modest! :)
Dudley,
I loved your story of a most memorable concert experience. What fun that must have been.
Lois,
Your dear Brooke continues to be in my heart and prayers daily.
Oh yes, the puzzle. Okay, my "achilles heel" for the knowledge of names had me tripping all over the grid today. OTOH, I thought the theme was delightful!
Al,
Loved the links and informative information. Thank you.
Jazz-
Huh?
Please reiterate...
I've had several surgeries and if an ECG had not been performed within the six previous months, I had to get one. That included my cataract/lens replacement surgeries.
Carol, the next time you see your surgeon, you might mention that some friends were curious about it and ask him why he thought it wasn't necessary. I'm really glad to hear that you are seeing so clearly. It is really a wonderful surprise, isn't it?
Jazz@8:56, my sentiments exactly!
Lois, thinking about Brooke often and sending best wishes.
Carol: I'm so glad your surgery was successful! And thanks for explaining what having the cataract was like.
eddyB: I haven't heard mention of Poco in years! Thanks for the reminder.
fermatprime: Thank you for the suggestion, but I think my sleep troubles have been related more to caffiene and too many thoughts going through my head. I've resolved a few of the issues, or at least gotten over the latest hurdles, so I should be able to sleep very well tonight.
Jeannie: Thank you, too.
Awesome crossword puzzle experience today! :-)
Good evening all,
Al, you are a stud; loved your blogging with all the extra information.
JVN, that is how I feel about ALL of Dan's puzzles- so clever, fun wordplay, but alas, I am not at his level. I do as much as I can and just smile at all the answers."What's up?" I put "hey!"
Never thought of ostrich leather..but hey(sky), why not? The Greeks called them strouthokamelos, meaning "camel sparrow" because of their long necks.
Dudley, best story of the week!! I could just feel all your excitement, and I'm not even a jazz lover(except for you, Bumpa)
WM, so good to hear from you. Did anyone else look up giclee? It popped up pretty quickly on G.
Carol, I also had all those pre op procedures done before both of my eye surgeries also. I remember thinking what a drag it was because I knew I was healthy.
anon @11:36, well said!
My mom ended up suffering from a hemmorage that put her back in the hospital. It really sucks to not be there. My sister called and said all is well and Mom can come home tomorrow sometime. She is receiving the biggest hug ever on May 29th. Shit, I don't care about hanging out in the kitchen...she can just watch me prefrom "her" magic.
WM, good to hear from you. I feel special to know "Jeannie's Daisies" inspired you to paint again. You have such talent. I will attempt a pic off my phone this to show you how my/your painting is "hung just right". Now if everything else was....
Awwww, Jeannie! I'm so sorry for your mother's set-back. Thank goodness she's doing so well and will be back home again so soon.
You must be beside yourself with frustration at not being there! It's so nice that your sister keeps you so well informed. Families will often keep information from out-of-town family members, to not worry or stress them. Usually, the consideration is NOT appreciated!
You and your mother remain in my thoughts.
Jeannie,
So sorry to hear about your mother's setback. It sounds as if things are getting better though, so hopefully your visit will be at a time when she's feeling better able to appreciate your culinary gifts, and enjoy the scrumptious productions you serve up.
So, I apparently stirred up a bees nest today, sorry, didn't really mean to.
I may have mentioned that one of my favorite authors is Terry Pratchett. One of his most philosophic recurring characters is "Death", the grim reaper, who has had a lot of time to observe the human condition and thus to come to some interesting conclusions. Below is a scene from Hogfather (a not very veiled reference to Santa Claus).
TP's "Death" character observes that it is necessary to believe in all the childhood fantasies we perpetuate on our children because it prepares us to believe in ... well I'll let him tell it:
Death: Humans need fantasy to *be* human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.
Susan: With tooth fairies? Hogfathers?
Death: Yes. As practice, you have to start out learning to believe the little lies.
Susan: So we can believe the big ones?
Death: Yes. Justice, mercy, duty. That sort of thing.
Susan: They're not the same at all.
Death: You think so? Then take the universe and grind it down to the finest powder, and sieve it through the finest sieve, and then show me one atom of justice, one molecule of mercy. And yet, you try to act as if there is some ideal order in the world. As if there is some, some rightness in the universe, by which it may be judged.
Susan: But people have got to believe that, or what's the point?
Death: You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?
So, we make our own "rightness" in the world, by believing there is such a thing, and mostly we do well enough that we haven't completely snuffed ourselves out, at least not yet. But by not believing in justice, or (as JZB said) fiduciary responsibility, there really is nothing to make it be so. Humans must hold each other accountable or there will be no humanity. Of course, I don't know this for certain, but it seems to me that we all are losing the childhood magic too early these days, or else never really had it in the first place.
Jeannie-
How do you define your use of 'shit'?
Why use a vulgar term for a casual statement?
Ev'n'in, all. Oh, Jeannie, how too bad your mom had difficulties after she was doing so well. Things should be all right from now on, I hope. Sounds like Thelma is a real trouper!
Fermatprime, I'm rereading in order some of the Elizabeth Georges and finding them just as fresh as bafore. She really puts together great stories, doesn't she? I missed some of them along the way, so it's nice to be able to get them all insequence. Haven't read Ruth Rendell for a while but I do like her books, too. Not as fond of P.D. James; somehow I can't be comfortable with Dalgliesh, especially since the t.v. series. He's such a stuffed shirt! But her plots are good and once I'm into them I can't put them down. Martha Grimes is pretty good but I have to take her a little at a time; some of her characters are pretty precious!
Lucina, I don't envy you and have been wondering how you felt about the new 'law'. Apparently the police aren't too happy with it, either and I don't blame them! I saw an interview with the sheriff (I think he was) of Pima county and he's not a happy camper. I think they'll probably find it is unconstitutional.
CA, have you been having all these short, very heavy showers? We had one yesterday that was like a monsoon! Lasted about five minutes, fortunately. BTW, I loved your two little poems.
Jazzbumpa, you do have a way with words! And they're so right!
I liked today's puzzle. Had to look up Louie Peterson and I still don't know who he is. I had put in Louis, because I knew what the food was but because of the wrong spelling I had a bad time with the N.H. college town. Did anybody else google that list of them? It's kind of unbelievable that such a tiny state can have so many colleges!
Anon 10:48 - Because she was upset, that's why.
Now one for you. Why not get an identity rather than hide behind Anon?
Is there any more dramatic show on television than "24"? It gets too violent at times but it sure does hold my attention. Where is "Friday Night Lights" BTW?
Windy here today. Sand gets blown onto the bike path. Makes it tough.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies...like a banana.
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog...it's too dark to read. (Groucho.)
So the use of vulgar terms is now acceptable in any context?
This degradation of morality does not bode well for the civilized culture that used to define us.
Anon asked: So the use of vulgar terms is now acceptable in any context?
No, not in any context. But among friends in relative privacy, OK I think. I do hear young people using much more vulgar language in public very casually these days. It does bother me too.
Is hiding behind Anonymous acceptable for such a judgemental opinion?
You question the degradation of morality, invoke that it does not bode well for "civilized culture" yet you aren't brave enough to show your face.
'nough said.
It's very late but I want to respond to Dodo on how I feel about the law. I haven't yet been able to define my feelings. Of course, I believe people should be here legally only and there should be a program in place to allow them to work here with permits if they so desire.
But our federal government has neglected to set laws and policies regarding illegal immigration. Since 1965 when the "bracero" program ended, nothing has replaced it.
That neglect has led to this extreme law and other similar ones now on our books in Arizona; yes it has 90 days before it takes effect; and yes lawsuits are being filed to challenge it. We don't yet know what the ultimate result will be.
In the meantime the racial rhetoric is spinning out of control, hatred is rampant, prejudice is rearing its ugly head. I hate what this is doing to our state and to our citizens.
I don't like the law and I don't like what has led us down this path. It is time for Congress to stand up to its responsibilities.
Good night All.
Jeannie, I don't believe that one colorful word will destroy our moral character. I'm so sorry your mother has yet another ailment, but it does sound hopeful and you shall soon be in her company
Jeannie, I just had to comment on your Mom having to go back to the hospital. It does sound like she is going to be fine. She, and you are in my thoughts.
I know that you are really looking forward to your visit with her.
"Hey" JD. I put in the same word for sky. I was fooled again.
Dodo, we didn't have quite such heavy rain, but one downpour today lasted a long time and things got so dark that I couldn't believe it was three in the afternoon. I'm ready for it to warm up again. It has been 52 degrees in my backyard all day and very windy.
Good evening C.C., Argyle, Al and kind folk,
A new day, a new puzzle and a new opportunity to pay homage to Dan once again!!! Right kiddies?
It was a good puzzle, I liked the fill, too. I will admit, the only clue name I recognized was Benedict Arnold! The rest were clued in by perps.
One thought and I'm out...AZ is developing a quasi-Nazi regime. Don't leave home without 'em and I'm not talking about Carl Malden and the Mastercard, either...your green cards or other documents showing permission granted to walk on our hallowed grounds. No papees; no stayees. So, if you have brown skin, that's the ticket. Not well dressed, that makes you more interesting...and if you don't speak much English...just put your hands behind your back and let them cuff you, you don't have a leg to stand on. If you are anywhere, if the police are suspicious of you and your brown skin, they can stop you and ask to see your papers. Mexican-American citizens of AZ are subject to the same scrutiny as the Jews were under. It being difficult for the police to tell illegal brown skin from legal brown skin. Everybody is fair game.
Hispanics, in AZ today, illegal or not, are the new Nazi/Jew regime of the world war II era. How long will it be before the Mexican Americans have to wear a patch on themselves in way of classification...blue star has been done before...I think a bright red/orange chili pepper would be good!
If I have offended anyone please be informed of the fact that this is written after taking an Ambien...so PDQMOT...K? (Blame it on the meds...)
I AM OUT!!!
...PROBABLY BLOWING IN THE BREEZE. MY MOST HUMBLE APOLOGIES TO ANYONE I HAVE PISSED OFF, FROM JOHN MCCAIN, SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO ALL THE WAY TO THE LA TIMES CROSSWORD CORNER. (Apologize for offending, not for what I feel and believe.)
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