Theme: Schwalterations - Common phrases with a schwa sound are altered into OF connecting phrases, which are humorously interpreted and clued. The schwa sound remains.
23A. Passion for Ferris wheels and funnel cakes?: TORRID LOVE OF FAIRS. Torrid Love Affairs. The A in "Affairs" is a schwa sound, so is the O in OF. Have never had funnel cakes. Not aware of its fair connection.
40A. Bozeman native named after a "Star Wars" character?: HAN OF MONTANA. Hannah Montana. The Miley Cyrus character. Ah is a schwa sound. Han Solo.
66A. Mom's bearing?: AIR OF PARENT. Heir Apparent. Letter A.
74A. Mary Poppins outburst?: HOOT OF NANNY. Hootenanny. Thingamajig. New slang to me. Letter e is schwa.
98A. Math class curse?: HEX OF DECIMAL. Hexadecimal. A numeral system with a base of 16. New to me. Letter a again.
117A. Occasion to hang up the fangs?: RETIREMENT OF COUNT. Retirement Account. Letter A also. Count here refers to Count Dracula, right?
3D. Country's military organization?: CORPS OF NATIONS. Coronation. Letter O. Thought of corporation first.
61D. Describe a trip to work?: TELL OF COMMUTE. Telecommute. The E in my dictionary is not shown as schwa. It has a short i sound.
Schwa is the most common vowel sound in English. Besides the A, O, E in the above theme answers, u in "circus", i in "pencil", y in "syringe" all have schwa sounds.
I got all the theme answers without much struggle. But as a non-native English speaker who is constantly struggling with English pronunciation, the base phrases took me some time to nail down. I hope my understanding of the theme is correct.
Liked the three "Ignited" echo clues:
36A. Ignited: SPARKED
116A. Ignited: LIT
60D. Ignited: AFLAME
Across:
1. Start of a kids' learning song: ABCDE
6. It may be spiked: PUNCH. The spiced beverage.
11. Prof's pointer: LASER
16. Disposed: APT
19. Mid-ninth century pope: LEO IV. Who knows?
20. Italian town NW of Venice: ASOLO. No idea. I bet the constructor was pleased to find this is an actual place when he needed this fill.
21. Get used (to): INURE
22. Former CNN anchor Dobbs: LOU. He was great when he focused his attention on the Enron guys.
26. Is for all of us?: ARE. Plural of "Is".
27. iPhone add-on: APP
29. Least scarce: AMPLEST
30. Runs: COSTS
32. Strikes a chord: RESONATES
35. One may be yellow or chocolate: LAB. Labrador.
38. Affected type: SNOB
39. Spot playmate: REX
42. Mattress spec: FIRM
44. Schrödinger equation symbols: PSIS. The pitchfork-shaped letters. I did not know what Schrödinger equation is. Still don't. All Greek to me.
46. Ray, Jay or A: ALER (American Leaguer). Rhyme.
47. Super Bowl XLIV runner-up, briefly: INDY. Indianapolis Colts.
48. Grass bristle: AWN. Like this.
50. Built from: MADE OF
52. Amt.: QTY
53. AM frequency meas.: KHZ (Kilohertz)
59. Diggs of "Rent": TAYE. Great body.
64. Grub: EATS
65. One-named Nigerian singer: SADE. I am in the mood for her "Someone Already Broke My Heart".
69. Isolde's lover: TRISTAN
71. Carmen, e.g.: MEZZO. Wanted OPERA.
73. Silent film star who played Carmen in "Blood and Sand" (1922): LILA LEE. No. Nope. She looks glamorous. Nice consecutive "Carmen".
76. Start of a run: SNAG. Stockings.
78. Like molasses in January: SLOW
79. "King Kong" heroine: ANN. Easy guess.
80. "Wow!": GEEZ
81. Affirmative reply: YES I AM
83. Was brilliant: SHONE
84. Coldcocks, briefly: KOS (Knockouts). Coldcock is a new word to me. It means "to knock (someone) unconscious, as with the fist". I was picturing a frozen banana.
85. __ Maria: liqueur: TIA
87. Resulting from this: HEREBY
89. G-man: FED
90. It stops at la estación: TREN. Spanish for train. La estación is the station I suppose.
93. "__ Three Lives": '50s TV drama: I LED. Another guess.
96. "South Park" kid: ERIC. No idea.
101. Book end?: ISH. Bookish. Great clue.
103. Tip respectfully: DOFF
106. Red Sea nation: ERITREA. One less letter than Ethiopia.
107. "Whether __ nobler ...": Hamlet: 'TIS. "To be, or not to be..."
108. Cookie nut: MACADAMIA. The only nut I don't like.
110. Social order: CASTE
111. Sugar pill, say: PLACEBO
114. Land in l'océan: ILE. Island in French.
115. Half a cocktail: MAI. Mai tai.
122. Muse of poetry: ERATO
123. Be hospitable to: ASK IN
124. Haitian capital?: AITCH. Spelled out H. The capitalized letter in Haitian.
125. Place to turn in: BED
126. Full at the table: SATED
127. Wine characteristics: NOSES
128. Turns tail: FLEES
Down:
1. Wedding settings: ALTARS
2. Show willingness to listen: BE OPEN
4. Compass pt.: DIR
5. Dasani competitor: EVIAN. Ours is Aquafina.
6. Taste: PALATE
7. GI support gp.: USO
8. Celestial phenomena: NOVAS. It's often NOVAE.
9. Pitcher Labine of the '50s Dodgers: CLEM. Not familiar with this guy.
10. To-dos: HOOPLAS
11. One of 20 on the Titanic: LIFEBOAT. Ha ha, I knew the trivia.
12. Literary collections: ANAS
13. "I'm down with that": SUITS ME
14. Get knocked out of the spelling bee: ERR
15. Checkout correction, perhaps: RESCAN
16. Sarah Palin, e.g.: ALASKAN. And IDITAROD (86. Mushers' race). Great fill, the latter.
17. Forebode: PORTEND
18. Third in a sequence: TUESDAY. Didn't come to me immediately.
24. Greg's TV partner: DHARMA. I peeked at the cheat sheet.
25. Spanish dessert: FLAN
31. David __, baseball's "Big Papi": ORTIZ. Was with the Twins for several years. Hurt all the time.
33. Geisha's band: OBI
34. Consume: EXPEND. And USE (121. Consume).
37. Last speaker in many an old cartoon: PORKY PIG. "That's all, folks!".
40. LP player: HI-FI
41. Reach via jet: FLY TO
45. Grave: SOLEMN
48. Big name in soul: ARETHA
49. Become annoying to: WEAR ON
51. Senator Feinstein: DIANNE
52. Surprise in class: QUIZ. Pop Quiz.
54. Make good as new: HEAL
56. Sibilant "Ahem!": PSST
58. Rapper who feuded with Dr. Dre: EAZY-E. Another stranger to me.
62. Common soccer score: ONE-ONE. And TIE (119. 62-Down game, e.g.).
63. Worried: STEWED
65. Good place to err: SAFE SIDE. Err is an answer to 14D. Duplication.
67. More promising: ROSIER
68. Foolhardy: RASH
70. Like some orders: TO GO
72. New Age superstar: ENYA
75. San Diego State athlete: AZTEC. I forgot.
77. Aslan's land: NARNIA. We often see ASLAN clued as "Chronicles of Narnia" lion.
83. Six-Day War country: Abbr.: SYR (Syria)
84. California berry farm founder: KNOTT (Walter). Another alien name to me. Is he very famous?
88. Interest: BEHALF
90. Auto security device hawked in infomercials: THE CLUB
91. Poker ploy: RE-RAISE
92. Was once there: EXISTED
94. Grabbed, as an opportunity: LEAPT AT
95. One playing near a bag?: BASEMAN. One more baseball reference.
97. Mrs. McKinley: IDA
99. Bordeaux brothers: FRERE. French for "brothers". Alliteration.
100. They rest on pads: MICE. Oh, now I get it. Computer mouse. The plural is mice too? How strange!
102. Progeny: SCIONS
104. Groom-to-be: FIANCE
105. Belief systems: FAITHS
108. Frock wearers: MONKS
109. Regular alternative: DECAF
112. Dieter's word: LITE. Boring! Drink real drink. Eat real food.
118. Important period: ERA
120. Manet, maybe: OIL. Here is his Olympia again.
Answer grid.
C.C.
23A. Passion for Ferris wheels and funnel cakes?: TORRID LOVE OF FAIRS. Torrid Love Affairs. The A in "Affairs" is a schwa sound, so is the O in OF. Have never had funnel cakes. Not aware of its fair connection.
40A. Bozeman native named after a "Star Wars" character?: HAN OF MONTANA. Hannah Montana. The Miley Cyrus character. Ah is a schwa sound. Han Solo.
66A. Mom's bearing?: AIR OF PARENT. Heir Apparent. Letter A.
74A. Mary Poppins outburst?: HOOT OF NANNY. Hootenanny. Thingamajig. New slang to me. Letter e is schwa.
98A. Math class curse?: HEX OF DECIMAL. Hexadecimal. A numeral system with a base of 16. New to me. Letter a again.
117A. Occasion to hang up the fangs?: RETIREMENT OF COUNT. Retirement Account. Letter A also. Count here refers to Count Dracula, right?
3D. Country's military organization?: CORPS OF NATIONS. Coronation. Letter O. Thought of corporation first.
61D. Describe a trip to work?: TELL OF COMMUTE. Telecommute. The E in my dictionary is not shown as schwa. It has a short i sound.
Schwa is the most common vowel sound in English. Besides the A, O, E in the above theme answers, u in "circus", i in "pencil", y in "syringe" all have schwa sounds.
I got all the theme answers without much struggle. But as a non-native English speaker who is constantly struggling with English pronunciation, the base phrases took me some time to nail down. I hope my understanding of the theme is correct.
Liked the three "Ignited" echo clues:
36A. Ignited: SPARKED
116A. Ignited: LIT
60D. Ignited: AFLAME
Across:
1. Start of a kids' learning song: ABCDE
6. It may be spiked: PUNCH. The spiced beverage.
11. Prof's pointer: LASER
16. Disposed: APT
19. Mid-ninth century pope: LEO IV. Who knows?
20. Italian town NW of Venice: ASOLO. No idea. I bet the constructor was pleased to find this is an actual place when he needed this fill.
21. Get used (to): INURE
22. Former CNN anchor Dobbs: LOU. He was great when he focused his attention on the Enron guys.
26. Is for all of us?: ARE. Plural of "Is".
27. iPhone add-on: APP
29. Least scarce: AMPLEST
30. Runs: COSTS
32. Strikes a chord: RESONATES
35. One may be yellow or chocolate: LAB. Labrador.
38. Affected type: SNOB
39. Spot playmate: REX
42. Mattress spec: FIRM
44. Schrödinger equation symbols: PSIS. The pitchfork-shaped letters. I did not know what Schrödinger equation is. Still don't. All Greek to me.
46. Ray, Jay or A: ALER (American Leaguer). Rhyme.
47. Super Bowl XLIV runner-up, briefly: INDY. Indianapolis Colts.
48. Grass bristle: AWN. Like this.
50. Built from: MADE OF
52. Amt.: QTY
53. AM frequency meas.: KHZ (Kilohertz)
59. Diggs of "Rent": TAYE. Great body.
64. Grub: EATS
65. One-named Nigerian singer: SADE. I am in the mood for her "Someone Already Broke My Heart".
69. Isolde's lover: TRISTAN
71. Carmen, e.g.: MEZZO. Wanted OPERA.
73. Silent film star who played Carmen in "Blood and Sand" (1922): LILA LEE. No. Nope. She looks glamorous. Nice consecutive "Carmen".
76. Start of a run: SNAG. Stockings.
78. Like molasses in January: SLOW
79. "King Kong" heroine: ANN. Easy guess.
80. "Wow!": GEEZ
81. Affirmative reply: YES I AM
83. Was brilliant: SHONE
84. Coldcocks, briefly: KOS (Knockouts). Coldcock is a new word to me. It means "to knock (someone) unconscious, as with the fist". I was picturing a frozen banana.
85. __ Maria: liqueur: TIA
87. Resulting from this: HEREBY
89. G-man: FED
90. It stops at la estación: TREN. Spanish for train. La estación is the station I suppose.
93. "__ Three Lives": '50s TV drama: I LED. Another guess.
96. "South Park" kid: ERIC. No idea.
101. Book end?: ISH. Bookish. Great clue.
103. Tip respectfully: DOFF
106. Red Sea nation: ERITREA. One less letter than Ethiopia.
107. "Whether __ nobler ...": Hamlet: 'TIS. "To be, or not to be..."
108. Cookie nut: MACADAMIA. The only nut I don't like.
110. Social order: CASTE
111. Sugar pill, say: PLACEBO
114. Land in l'océan: ILE. Island in French.
115. Half a cocktail: MAI. Mai tai.
122. Muse of poetry: ERATO
123. Be hospitable to: ASK IN
124. Haitian capital?: AITCH. Spelled out H. The capitalized letter in Haitian.
125. Place to turn in: BED
126. Full at the table: SATED
127. Wine characteristics: NOSES
128. Turns tail: FLEES
Down:
1. Wedding settings: ALTARS
2. Show willingness to listen: BE OPEN
4. Compass pt.: DIR
5. Dasani competitor: EVIAN. Ours is Aquafina.
6. Taste: PALATE
7. GI support gp.: USO
8. Celestial phenomena: NOVAS. It's often NOVAE.
9. Pitcher Labine of the '50s Dodgers: CLEM. Not familiar with this guy.
10. To-dos: HOOPLAS
11. One of 20 on the Titanic: LIFEBOAT. Ha ha, I knew the trivia.
12. Literary collections: ANAS
13. "I'm down with that": SUITS ME
14. Get knocked out of the spelling bee: ERR
15. Checkout correction, perhaps: RESCAN
16. Sarah Palin, e.g.: ALASKAN. And IDITAROD (86. Mushers' race). Great fill, the latter.
17. Forebode: PORTEND
18. Third in a sequence: TUESDAY. Didn't come to me immediately.
24. Greg's TV partner: DHARMA. I peeked at the cheat sheet.
25. Spanish dessert: FLAN
31. David __, baseball's "Big Papi": ORTIZ. Was with the Twins for several years. Hurt all the time.
33. Geisha's band: OBI
34. Consume: EXPEND. And USE (121. Consume).
37. Last speaker in many an old cartoon: PORKY PIG. "That's all, folks!".
40. LP player: HI-FI
41. Reach via jet: FLY TO
45. Grave: SOLEMN
48. Big name in soul: ARETHA
49. Become annoying to: WEAR ON
51. Senator Feinstein: DIANNE
52. Surprise in class: QUIZ. Pop Quiz.
54. Make good as new: HEAL
56. Sibilant "Ahem!": PSST
58. Rapper who feuded with Dr. Dre: EAZY-E. Another stranger to me.
62. Common soccer score: ONE-ONE. And TIE (119. 62-Down game, e.g.).
63. Worried: STEWED
65. Good place to err: SAFE SIDE. Err is an answer to 14D. Duplication.
67. More promising: ROSIER
68. Foolhardy: RASH
70. Like some orders: TO GO
72. New Age superstar: ENYA
75. San Diego State athlete: AZTEC. I forgot.
77. Aslan's land: NARNIA. We often see ASLAN clued as "Chronicles of Narnia" lion.
83. Six-Day War country: Abbr.: SYR (Syria)
84. California berry farm founder: KNOTT (Walter). Another alien name to me. Is he very famous?
88. Interest: BEHALF
90. Auto security device hawked in infomercials: THE CLUB
91. Poker ploy: RE-RAISE
92. Was once there: EXISTED
94. Grabbed, as an opportunity: LEAPT AT
95. One playing near a bag?: BASEMAN. One more baseball reference.
97. Mrs. McKinley: IDA
99. Bordeaux brothers: FRERE. French for "brothers". Alliteration.
100. They rest on pads: MICE. Oh, now I get it. Computer mouse. The plural is mice too? How strange!
102. Progeny: SCIONS
104. Groom-to-be: FIANCE
105. Belief systems: FAITHS
108. Frock wearers: MONKS
109. Regular alternative: DECAF
112. Dieter's word: LITE. Boring! Drink real drink. Eat real food.
118. Important period: ERA
120. Manet, maybe: OIL. Here is his Olympia again.
Answer grid.
C.C.
47 comments:
Good Morning CC and all. Not sure what I think of this puzzle. I didn't much care for how it started off ~ ABCDE, but after realizing we were looking for a sequence, it was okay. TUESDAY didn't bother me as a sequence, though.
Hand up for Carmen being an Opera instead of MEZZO.
I also wanted TALL order instead of TO GO order.
Can you see the PSIs in Schrodinger's Equation? I think he also had a cat.
While we are on that subject, here is today's QOD:
An animal that embarks on forming states without greatly restricting egoism will perish. ~ Erwin Schrodinger
Good Morning CC,
There is some argument, usually doctrinal, over whether Sunday is the first day of the week or the seventh. In this case it doesn't matter, because I'm preemptorily awarding you the Windhover blog comment of the week award in two separate categories for your comments on 84A and 16D. Congratulations!
In other news, I won $62 in the Derby pool at the party we attended yesterday. When my horse was laying close to the pack on the rail coming out of the last turn, with a quarter of a mile to go, I turned to the Irish and told her, "We've won this one."
First cup of coffee finished, it's time to start on last Sunday's Mark Bickham puzzle.
Stormy in the Outer Bluegrass this morning, with rain and a tornado watch. Have a great day, all.
Hello CC - I did it! A pure fill of a Sunday puzzle, at last. Got all the way to Ta-Dah without red letters, Google, or any of that. It took an hour and a half, and there were some guesses - AWN? Never heard of it.
Don't feel bad if you find Schrodinger incomprehensible. I have a BS in
Physics and I still can't make heads or tails of most of Quantum Mechanics.
Good morning, C.C. and all,
I thought the theme was a bit of a stretch today, particularly the way 3D was clued. Coranation? Military organization? Gimme a break! What is a funnel cake? Other than that, it had some good clues, with some of the three letter ones giving me problems, such as disposed - apt and iphone add-on - app. My time was about an hour and a half; not good.
Great Derby yesterday. How about that guy winning $900,000? Winning three out of four consecutive derbies will be a record hard to beat. Calvin must have a great ability to sense what a horse is capable of doing. My hat is off to him.
Have a great Sunday!
CLEM LABINE played for both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the LA Dodgers.
Also, I think that 3D, Country's Military Organization = CORPS OF NATION / Corporation not Coronation, because a corporation is a type of organization.
Funnel Cakes are staples at state fairs.
It's coronation. Corporation has sound change.
Hahtool,
The "organization" is 3D clue results in CORPS in the answer. The base word is coronation. As Anonymous 8:52am suggested, corporation has a sound change. It adds an extra p.
Good morning CC and All, a fairly easy puzzle for a Sunday. I got all of the theme answers quickly which helped to get most of the perps. I wanted opera for 71 A, but finally got mezzo after I got 45D solemn and 52D quiz.
The solve today was certainly not a speed run, but it was very doable without any help
Raining here this morning and my wife is doing the Pittsburgh marathon. She is probably not real happy at the moment.
Hope you all have a great Sunday.
I've been having cable and internet problems since Friday afternoon and have a lot to catch up! The saddest part was missing this blog and having to do the Saturday puzzle on paper. My first pass was pretty bad. Having no choice and a lot of time on my hands waiting for repairs, I just kept re-working it until everything filled in except the NE. Coming here this morning finally cleaned that up, along with a couple little blips, like NASp, SALESDRiVES and ARk.
Tarrajo: Good to see you back, and to hear that you and Brady Jo are doing okay. I don't think male influences are that important. Caring mothers are fully capable of teaching their sons the important values they need in life. I know some very GOOD men that were raised by single mothers.
Barry G: I'm sorry to hear about your job! Be flexible, keep trying, and most importantly - keep your spirits and self-esteem high! Your job is no reflection on you as a person. Your life's accomplishments, your family and the type of person you've become are! We're all pulling for you. Many years ago, I had a wonderful summer with my niece while I was out of work! It was a similar relocate offer, but with a small severance if you stayed the extra 6 months during transition. I stayed for that, but chose not to relocate to the "wilderness".
KQ: Wishing for a seizure-free summer for your son! I'm sure it won't be easy for either one of you. But maybe all the extra ride-time together will be a bonding experience.
Good Morning All, I must have been absent the day my teacher discussed schwas. I got all the theme phrases (eventually), but I was looking for a common letter substitution.
I had a problem getting four syllable HOO-TE-NAN-NY. I always thought it was just three syllable HOOT-NAN-NY. There was an 1960's folk rock TV show that was, I found out after G-ing, spelled correctly. But on the show it was pronounced with three syllables. At that time the word meant a folk style music fest and sing-a-long.
I loved that C.C.'s link for 44A PSIS started with "For a more general introduction to the topic, please see Introduction to quantum mechanics.". Easy for me to stop right there and run screaming in the opposite direction.
Had to laugh along with WH at C.C. comment for 84A "Coldcocks, briefly". It's always had an unexpected sucker punch connotation for me. Where I came from it was considered to be on the vulgar side. Guys might use the expression, but a nice girl never would...maybe that's because a nice girl would never get sucker punched.
Best fill for me was 108A MACADAMIA, the worst was 73A LILA LEE. I have never heard of her and was surprised with a post puzzle Google that she had made so many movies.
My D'OH! moment was with 124A "Haitian capital". Porte-Au-Prince? Gourde? Centime? Nothing fit. It was a real head slapper (can I borrow the V-8 can, Carol?) when I finally filled in AITCH. I don't think I've even seen the letter H spelled out.
Checked last night's posts and see Tarrajo made a visit. Welcome back! I'm glad to hear that you and Brady Joe are doing well. Keep us posted on how the zucchini does this year ;o)
Barry G: BTW, I did get unemployment benefits here in FL when my company relocated.
Referencing a late Friday topic: Imagine a lonely little anon sitting there all night long, making tick marks on a sheet of paper each time anyone ELSE comments on the blog. I have a hard time policing myself on that, let alone monitoring everyone's frequency!
Finally caught up to today's puzzle. Saving it to relish tonight. I'm so happy to have my access restored!
@CC and Windover: Quit slamming Sarah Palin.
Hello all.
Hand up for Sunday as the seventh day of the week. It's those Romans again. Work week started on Monday
and went camping on the week-end (Sat & Sun).
Great IRL race on Sat. Now, for Indy. I'll wave if on camera.
eddyB
liked the 84a comment, thought it was very funny. did not think 16d was a slam on palin. maybe there is history there, but i did not see it. i think wh was just reading his personal bias into it. in my short time here i have never read a political comment from c.c.(as it should be). love the blog, even when certain regulars start their political rants.
Anonymous @ 11:55:
Or...........?
Not a political rant at all. Ignorance is a bipartisan issue, and quality. There's a lot of it on both sides. She just has more of it than the average moose hunter.
Hi CC and all,
Fun puzzle for a Sunday. Thought torrid-love-of-fairs, hex-of-decimal, and air-of-parent were clever. AWN and LILA LEE were new to me.
Re PSIS of Schrodinger Equations: I highly recommend "The Great Equations" by Robert Crease. It tells the fascinating back stories of ten equations and shows how modern life is built upon them. Even non-scientists should enjoy these stories.
Have a wonderful day.
Perhaps our blog visitor @ 11:55 has never been told that it is impolite to make imperious demands when visiting someone's home. At least a "Please", or "If you don't mind" would seem to be in order. Of course there is the possibility that he has been in the same situation as the hapless Philip in the following poem and felt that rudeness was the better alternative.
Apparently Being Polite Gets you Thrown in Jail These Days
Philip was only trying to be a gentleman
When he opened the door for the old lady carrying groceries
And gave her a stern pat
On the rump (as was her due)
When she struggled through the entrance.
He was only trying to make light of the whole situation,
When,
As she threw down her groceries and flew at his throat,
He gave her a playful squeeze to the breast
Saying “Honk, honk! Someone’s overreacting!”
But as the unsmiling officer
With the unforgiving hands explained
To his face with the edge of the interrogation room desk,
Such things are just not done,
At least not anymore.
- Neal Drew
C.C.- You explained the theme perfectly. And yes, IDITAROD is a neat entry. I have to say though, my favorite fill was PORKY PIG. And you gotta love a name like Jared Banta. I wonder if he ever did JAB A RED ANT.
Hi everybody.
Great write-up today, C.C. Thanks. I really enjoyed this puzzle today, in spite of enties such as ASOLO and AWN. And yes, I plunked in OPERA for Carmen. Shroedinger was another genius, of which we had many in the early 2th century. I think the Chinese consider Monday to be the first day of the week, too, in light of the fact they explicitly call it so. We always said hoot-uh-nanny when I was a kid, but I've heard it pronounced hoot-nanny too. Like Brittany and Britney. LOL macadamia nuts are among my favorites. Clear Ayes, you so sensible and diplomatic!
Okay, enough sentences all strung together in a paragraph.
Best wishes to you all.
Good afternoon all.
I surely did not get most of this one! Thanks to C.C. for filling me in.
As for the schwa, I heard a teacher in Maine explaining it. I don't have the exact words after all this time (35 years) but it was something like this: "The schwa is the unaccented vowel sound as in the a in about, the e in taken, the i in pencil, the o in not, and the er in spider.
If you don't know the Maine accent, this won't make sense to you, but I thought it was pretty funny.
Have a great Sunday evening.
Cheers
My newspaper still had the title from last Sunday (Missing) but it was just as well since I probably would have been thrown off by Schwalterations. I don't remember ever having heard of "schwa" before.
As it was, I got TELL OF COMMUTE early on and then RETIREMENT OF COUNT and was able to figure it out from there.
C.C. Outstanding write-up!!!
OK, Sunday is usually a fun romp, I like the clever clues and themes, few (if ever) learning moments, but enjoyable.
Not today. I thought the theme was a stretch, at best.
When the 1A, ABCDE got a groan, I should have stopped.
I did like the PORK PIG clue/answer.
@Anon 11:55
I think I'll write a note on my hand to remember that ...
CA, See, I told you so! (re: Jayce)
Hi, all. With all the interruptions I've had today, it took almost all day for me to get this one done. I thought there were some big stretches in it, too.
Not particularly fun, either.
Are there any words in American English that use a schwa? I can't think of one. Sallie, that teacher in Maine must say 'nut' instead of 'not'! Seems to me 'not' has definitely a short 'o' sound. Maybe I need to know the Maine accent!
Valerie, "schwa" is (are?) the two little dots over a vowel that you sometimes see in a foreign word, usually German, IMHO.
I do wish that anon. that makes the nasty remarks would get lost! He's 'wearing on' me.
dodo:
Sometimes I wish there was a little bit of censorship, but then I remember a Pat Paulsen bit on the old Smothers Brothers show where he said this:
"Censorship does not interfere with the constitutional rights of every American to sit alone in a dark room in the nude and cuss.
There are realistic taboos, especially regarding political comments. Our leaders were not elected to be tittered at.
For example, we're allowed to say Ronald Reagan is a lousy actor, but we're not allowed to say he's a lousy governor—which is ridiculous. We know he's a good actor."
(it was the 60's, long before he was President.)
C.C., Fairs are usually accompanied by rides, like carousels, ferris wheels, etc. Or were you refering to the funnel cake/fair connection?
Hahtool, that funnel cake looks yummy. Can you give us a recipe?
I assumed a funnel cake would be one with a hole in the middle, like angel food, or bundt cakes.
KoufaxMaravich, thanks for the suggestion, but I'm afraid my eyes glaze over at the idea of reading something called "The Great Equations". Next thing we know, there'll be some clue about string theory!
I've heard of Shwas but never really understood them. Still don't.
I think the guy who won the contest to make $100,000 bet on the Derby only won $700,000 because the odds went from 9 to 1 down to 7 to 1, partly due to his last minute large bet.
We just got home from seeing "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." It's a play with a weak story, not very memorable songs and too much repetition. Still it was very enjoyable because of the great singing and dancing and the spectacular production numbers.
Tenbeni, I remember when Ronnie was governor of California. Nancy wouldn't move into the governor's mansion so they built her a new one, which they never used, as I understand it.
BTW, whatever happened to that other actor/politician George Murphy? I thought he might just dance his way to the White House!
Wasn't he a Senator?
Bill G
Super Saver paid $ 18.00 to win.
He won the "Dream Bet" $100K on CNBC "Guess the Close" (it is free to play, in March the winner got a $135K Mareratti).
Put it on the nose, and now has (pre-tax) $1,000,000, the $100K plus the $900K won on the race.
The odds that are talked about are estimates. The above was the actual payout.
This puzzle was quite clever...the un-accented syllable phrases turned into humorous, new phrases were good for a chuckle. My favorite: "Torrid love of fairs", only Mr. Banta left out the bloomin` onion!
This part will be political...so hit the off button now if you want. Since most jokes/humor start with a grain of truth, we should not be surprised at things that come up with the health-(s)care(y) bill (most of which will not take effect until the main instigator is long gone.) The President said last evening (supposedly in jest), "There are hundreds of secret things in the bill." So don`t say we weren`t warned.
About Palin: I`ve never met her personally..I only know what the media tells me about her. I would hope I`m smart enough to know that
the media can and does demonize and canonize, depending upon whom they favor or dis-favor. Let`s face it...all politicians are really "pigs in a poke" (lipstick not withstanding.)
ARBAON
Do you write "crib notes" on your hand?
Palin did and it was caught on tape.
80A, GEEZ ...
I`ve written grocery notes on my palm and got a register tape. Does that count?
Windhover-
Your constant use of the term 'ignorance' concerning philosophical conviction makes you come off as an intellectual snob. While you fairly attribute this to the entire political spectrum, it's apparent that you dismiss those that disagree out of hand.
This is what happens when politics are discussed. Why don't you all stop with the cheap shots and stick to the crossword, as C.C. had asked for? Your lack of respect for her wishes is surprising.
Chacun a son gout. I thought Reagan was a so-so actor who starred in some B movies and supported in a few good ones. I feel the same about his governing skills!
Dodo, It is Wikipedia, so the reader should take it with a grain of salt, but here is George Murphy's bio.
I had almost forgotten the incident, but it is true. During a televised debate with opponent Pierre Salinger, "Mr.Murphy had stated that Mexicans were genetically suited to farm labor; because they were "built lower to the ground," it was supposedly "easier for them to stoop."
While I did not have a million to bet, the bet was placed at 9-1, I received $18.00 for my $2.00 on the nose.
Dodo: You are absolutely correct. Not is not pronounced with a schwa. I was just making up words to get to the end. How about monk?
Interesting. I've got almost no experience placing bets on the ponies. If you bet at the track or at OTB parlors, I assume you get the odds at post time. But what about with a bookie? Do you get the odds at the time you placed your bet or at post time?
Barbara and I went to Santa Anita once. I bet on the favorites in five different races and didn't win a penny. When we left, we couldn't find our car in the parking lot. I finally figured out we'd come out the wrong side of the track. I asked but they wouldn't let us back in to walk across without paying again. So we walked around. Big mistake. It was about a mile or two around and I still had trouble finding the car.
Speaking of Santa Anita, does anybody remember Silky Sullivan in the Santa Anita derby many years ago?
Anonymous:
You are correct. I am an intellectual snob, in the sense that I have little respect and no patience for ignorance. I'm not talking about lack of intelligence, I'm talking about willful ignorance. It is not Sarah Palin's liberal critics who have exposed her as ignorant of many topics a competent elected official needs to be well-versed in, it is her own public statements. I guess it is also necessary to point out to you and her many defenders that her primary and most vicious critics have not come from the left but from the intelligentsia of the neoconservative movement. They were
almost universally appalled at her selection as McCain's
running mate, and have not missed a chance to undermine
her prospects as a candidate in 2012.
And as far as things that are "apparent", it is apparent to
me that you know nothing of me except what you have
gleaned from reading a few paragraphs on this blog. I
suggest that you mind your own damned business and stay
out of mine. if you knew me you would in fact know that
there are many people of the conservative persuasion, both
public figures and private friends, whose beliefs I respect
and do not "reject out of hand". Here are some things I
reject out of hand: that Sarah Palin is qualified to be
anything other than what she is now, a celebrity; that Rush
Limbaugh is a great American; that Fox News is Fair and
Balanced; and that a person who will not give creedence to
public statements and insults by identifying themselves
deserves respect. I'm not certain which of the regular
bloggers you really are, but if you're going to address me or anyone else here directly, you should stop
hiding behind the "Anonymous" designation.
As for respecting CC, I have made clear, both in my
public posts here and in private communication, that my
respect is paramount. That also is a matter that is between me, a guest here, and her, the blog mistress. You have no role to play other than busybody, I suggest you give it up.
BillG:
Yes I do. Silky Sullivan came from far off the pace to win several of the Derby prep races, and was expected to do so in the Derby. He failed to fire, and I believe finished 12th. I'll look that up later unless someone else has already done so.
If there is a more humble and deserving winner on the planet than Calvin Borel, I don't know who it could be. He's won 3 of the last four, and both last year and yesterday got everything his horse had with two nearly perfect, textbook rides, and he still called the interviewer "Ma'am".
A big little man if there ever was one, and the reason his horse won. I didn't bet on the horse last night, I bet on Calvin.
Brady Joe came home somewhat spoiled as Tashajo tends to do that. She has girls. It was a little chilly here this weekend so all I did was take my cast iron rake over the garden to "mellow it out". Brady would never forgive me if I planted it by myself. Next weekend we will. He made sure we didn't replicate the zucchini mistake this year as we won't be planting a whole row of the stuff.
Jeannie, you out there? I hope your Mom is doing fine.
WH-
Your own prejudicial slant has read me wrong. I agree that she is unworthy to hold any office beyond mayor.
Yet again, though, you refer to 'willful ignorance' as if those that disagree don't have the ability to rationally deduce. It's insulting.
Sharks 4 - Det 3. !!!
Wow, we have the innoscence of Tarrajo and her little guy planting a garden and then going out sometime soon to fish if I remember right in their canoe. Next thing you know we are right back into the political crap. Let's look at their lives. She is a single parent trying her best to put values in a young man. They have fun fishing, camping and growing their own food. Yeah for you Tarrajo. I only hope people didn't scare you off on the day or two you decided to post with all the other BS. You are the hero in my book. Now...go find a man that is worthy!!for both you and your son. I know he's out there. Lo-li-ta.
When ARBAON uses terms like "health-(s)care(y) bill" and "main instigator", her bias shows. That's OK. I have no problem with that and apparently neither does Anon @ 8:44 and 9:56.
Yet when Windhover states his opinion it is a "prejudicial slant".
Not fair and not balanced.
And please, editors, get rid of the garbage @ 10:16
Hello C.C. and fellow solvers.
Even though it's very late, I decided to post this. I finished most of this puzzle, but not with my usual enthusiasm for a xwd, not due to it but that this weekend is the funeral for a dear cousin.
My sister and her daughter are here for that sad occasion and so there hasn't been much time for puzzle solving.
On any other day, i would really have enjoyed a xwd with a "schwa" theme, something that is deeply intgrained into those of us who have taught phonics.
I did have fun with the theme answers and C.C. you made my laugh with your asides.
This was a clever puzzle and I wish I could have given it its full due.
Wh, please stay away from those tornadoes and floods; all the rest, be safe.
Good night.
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