Theme: Seconds - All the theme answers are clued as definitions of "Seconds".
17A. Seconds: AIDES FOR DUELERS. The attendants of duelers.
24A. Seconds: EXTRA HELPINGS. Who doesn't go for seconds?
41A. Seconds: INFERIOR GOODS. I liked this entry and 24A, as we often use the seconds in plural form.
55A. Seconds: TICKS OF THE CLOCK. A bit contrived.
Like David Cromer's ACE puzzle last Wednesday, normally all letters of the clue for this kind of definition puzzle are capitalized. I wonder why this one is an exception.
A nice 74-worder debut from Dave Eckert. You can see he put lots of time and effort on each clue, and I think Rich kept most of his originals. Very refreshing. My favorites are:
50A. They may be felt on the range: STETSONS. Felt hat.
9D. Its home is on the range: SAUCEPAN. Tricky clue. Range echo.
40D. Cinematic opening, but not ending?: SOFT C. Refers to letter C in the word Cinematic. Brilliant clue.
Across:
1. Thick piece: SLAB
5. Kelly's cohort: REGIS (Philbin).
10. __ bath: SITZ. From German verb "sitzen," meaning "to sit.". I've never heard of it before.
14. Corduroy feature: WALE. New word to me.
15. "West Side Story" role: ANITA. I just mentioned this role in my Rita Moreno comment yesterday.
16. Flowering succulent: ALOE
20. Appreciative: GRATEFUL
21. Privacy metaphor: CLOSET. Oh, in the closet.
22. Troubled insurance giant: AIG. Tragic.
23. Dry, like some Spanish wine: SECO. Our sec.
30. They have caps: KNEES. Kneecaps. I also like PEWS (60. Seats with kneelers).
31. Enjoy New York, say?: READ. New York magazine. I was stumped.
32. Hit hard: RAM
34. Isle where Saint Columba died: IONA. No idea. Don't know Saint Columba. Must be an Irish.
35. Received, as a salary: DRAWN
37. "See ya": TATA
38. Ring decision: TKO (Technical Knockout).
39. Part owner of Chrysler since 2009: FIAT. Was ignorant of this fact.
40. Nasal spray brand: SINEX. Vicks Sinex. P&G brand. New to me.
45. Env. directive: ATTN
46. Sound from Sandy: ARF. Alliteration. Sandy refers to Little Orphan Annie's dog, correct?
47. "Jeopardy!" clue, e.g. : ANSWER
57. Tribe related to the Iowa: OTOE. Always connect them with Lois' Oklahoma, not Iowa.
58. "One for My Baby" composer: ARLEN (Harold). Here is Frank Sinatra's version.
59. Samoan seaport: APIA. Alliteration.
61. Some designer dresses: DIORS. Partly alliteration.
62. Discreet attention-getter: PSST
Down:
1. Ill-gotten gains: SWAG. Slang for booty.
2. Place to hibernate: LAIR
3. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" actor: ALDA. Have never seen the movie.
4. Sugar source: BEET. Alliteration.
5. Weaver's fiber: RAFFIA. See this raffia palm. I wanted RATTAN. It's used in weaving too.
6. Once, perhaps: ENOUGH. Once is enough.
7. Madonna's "Material __": GIRL. She is too much for my taste.
8. "__ be my pleasure!": IT'D
10. Oater setting: SALOON
11. Places in la mer: ILES
12. Went like the dickens: TORE. Nice clue.
13. Citrus peel: ZEST
18. Chicago tower builder: SEARS
19. 1961 Heston role: EL CID
23. Did in: SLEW
24. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI. With thin & long stems. I use them for soup occasionally. Enoki is short for enokitake, the ending "take" means "mushroom", as in shiitake.
25. It's a gas: XENON. Noble gas.
26. Some like it hot: TEA. Saw this clue before. Still like it. I am in love with "it"/"they" type clues.
27. Troubadour's Muse: ERATO. Muse of poetry.
28. Piano type: GRAND
29. Stuffs: SATES
30. Frontiersman Carson: KIT. Was unaware of this guy. Kit is a girl's name to me.
33. "Mad __": 1979 Gibson film: MAX. No idea. What's it about?
35. Rural route: DIRT ROAD. Alliteration.
36. Showers, e.g.: RAIN
37. Uncle, in Uruguay: TIO. Alliteration.
39. Regales: FETES
42. United Kingdom's Guy __ Night: FAWKES. Bonfire Night. My lethologica moment.
43. To a certain extent: RATHER. It's like yesterday's "To the third degree", Bill G, I had difficulty understanding the exact part of speech of the clue again.
44. Salad makings: GREENS
47. Straddling: ATOP. Wait for Lois to comment.
48. Evening, informally: NITE
49. Harbor vessel: SCOW
50. WWII battle site: STLO
51. Reaction to freshness?: SLAP. I keep forgetting the slang meaning of "fresh".
52. "My bad!": OOPS
53. Mark Harmon TV series: NCIS ( Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Stymied me.
54. Game using only cards higher than six: SKAT. I only know it's a card game for three.
56. Part of T.G.I.F.: Abbr.: FRI. Called to mind Gunghy's funny WTF observation last time when we had MTWTF.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Seconds: AIDES FOR DUELERS. The attendants of duelers.
24A. Seconds: EXTRA HELPINGS. Who doesn't go for seconds?
41A. Seconds: INFERIOR GOODS. I liked this entry and 24A, as we often use the seconds in plural form.
55A. Seconds: TICKS OF THE CLOCK. A bit contrived.
Like David Cromer's ACE puzzle last Wednesday, normally all letters of the clue for this kind of definition puzzle are capitalized. I wonder why this one is an exception.
A nice 74-worder debut from Dave Eckert. You can see he put lots of time and effort on each clue, and I think Rich kept most of his originals. Very refreshing. My favorites are:
50A. They may be felt on the range: STETSONS. Felt hat.
9D. Its home is on the range: SAUCEPAN. Tricky clue. Range echo.
40D. Cinematic opening, but not ending?: SOFT C. Refers to letter C in the word Cinematic. Brilliant clue.
Across:
1. Thick piece: SLAB
5. Kelly's cohort: REGIS (Philbin).
10. __ bath: SITZ. From German verb "sitzen," meaning "to sit.". I've never heard of it before.
14. Corduroy feature: WALE. New word to me.
15. "West Side Story" role: ANITA. I just mentioned this role in my Rita Moreno comment yesterday.
16. Flowering succulent: ALOE
20. Appreciative: GRATEFUL
21. Privacy metaphor: CLOSET. Oh, in the closet.
22. Troubled insurance giant: AIG. Tragic.
23. Dry, like some Spanish wine: SECO. Our sec.
30. They have caps: KNEES. Kneecaps. I also like PEWS (60. Seats with kneelers).
31. Enjoy New York, say?: READ. New York magazine. I was stumped.
32. Hit hard: RAM
34. Isle where Saint Columba died: IONA. No idea. Don't know Saint Columba. Must be an Irish.
35. Received, as a salary: DRAWN
37. "See ya": TATA
38. Ring decision: TKO (Technical Knockout).
39. Part owner of Chrysler since 2009: FIAT. Was ignorant of this fact.
40. Nasal spray brand: SINEX. Vicks Sinex. P&G brand. New to me.
45. Env. directive: ATTN
46. Sound from Sandy: ARF. Alliteration. Sandy refers to Little Orphan Annie's dog, correct?
47. "Jeopardy!" clue, e.g. : ANSWER
57. Tribe related to the Iowa: OTOE. Always connect them with Lois' Oklahoma, not Iowa.
58. "One for My Baby" composer: ARLEN (Harold). Here is Frank Sinatra's version.
59. Samoan seaport: APIA. Alliteration.
61. Some designer dresses: DIORS. Partly alliteration.
62. Discreet attention-getter: PSST
Down:
1. Ill-gotten gains: SWAG. Slang for booty.
2. Place to hibernate: LAIR
3. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" actor: ALDA. Have never seen the movie.
4. Sugar source: BEET. Alliteration.
5. Weaver's fiber: RAFFIA. See this raffia palm. I wanted RATTAN. It's used in weaving too.
6. Once, perhaps: ENOUGH. Once is enough.
7. Madonna's "Material __": GIRL. She is too much for my taste.
8. "__ be my pleasure!": IT'D
10. Oater setting: SALOON
11. Places in la mer: ILES
12. Went like the dickens: TORE. Nice clue.
13. Citrus peel: ZEST
18. Chicago tower builder: SEARS
19. 1961 Heston role: EL CID
23. Did in: SLEW
24. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI. With thin & long stems. I use them for soup occasionally. Enoki is short for enokitake, the ending "take" means "mushroom", as in shiitake.
25. It's a gas: XENON. Noble gas.
26. Some like it hot: TEA. Saw this clue before. Still like it. I am in love with "it"/"they" type clues.
27. Troubadour's Muse: ERATO. Muse of poetry.
28. Piano type: GRAND
29. Stuffs: SATES
30. Frontiersman Carson: KIT. Was unaware of this guy. Kit is a girl's name to me.
33. "Mad __": 1979 Gibson film: MAX. No idea. What's it about?
35. Rural route: DIRT ROAD. Alliteration.
36. Showers, e.g.: RAIN
37. Uncle, in Uruguay: TIO. Alliteration.
39. Regales: FETES
42. United Kingdom's Guy __ Night: FAWKES. Bonfire Night. My lethologica moment.
43. To a certain extent: RATHER. It's like yesterday's "To the third degree", Bill G, I had difficulty understanding the exact part of speech of the clue again.
44. Salad makings: GREENS
47. Straddling: ATOP. Wait for Lois to comment.
48. Evening, informally: NITE
49. Harbor vessel: SCOW
50. WWII battle site: STLO
51. Reaction to freshness?: SLAP. I keep forgetting the slang meaning of "fresh".
52. "My bad!": OOPS
53. Mark Harmon TV series: NCIS ( Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Stymied me.
54. Game using only cards higher than six: SKAT. I only know it's a card game for three.
56. Part of T.G.I.F.: Abbr.: FRI. Called to mind Gunghy's funny WTF observation last time when we had MTWTF.
Answer grid.
C.C.
73 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - first off, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mainiac; hope it's your best year ever! And a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MJ, with best wishes for a great year as well.
MJ (and anyone else who hasn't done so), if you'll email me your birth date, I'll put it on our master list.
I had a good time with this puzzle, and was frankly surprised I made it through without outside help, given the unknowns I had. Power of the perps, and all that. Needed them for 'Iona', 'Raffia', 'Enoki'; 'Fawkes' just popped out of the deep recesses.
In addition to a nice theme (and a western sub-theme), there were any number of very clever clues, including 'It's home is on the range', 'Once, perhaps', 'Enjoy New York, perhaps', and the superb 'Cinematic opening, but not ending'. 'Kit Carson' brought back memories, since I had a Kit Carson dual six-gun/holster rig as a kid. 'NCIS' is probably my favorite show on TV. And as with C.C., I'm looking forward to Lois' take on 'straddling'.
This was truly a well-done, fun puzzle, although 37A threw me off; I'm not used to seeing it in the singular. Nice debut, Dave.
Today is Be a Millionare Day. Not sure how we're supposed to go about that, but if you figure it out, feel free to share your technique. Here's a question for everyone: If you suddenly became a millionaire, what's the first thing you'd do?
CHANGE MY PHONE NUMBER!
Thanks CC and Dave. Puzzle went very fast for me (a surprise Thursday).
Dennis: I love NCIS regular and LA! What is going to happen to poor Gibbs?
Happy Bday Mainiac, and many more!
Theoretically, all succulents can flower. I have a (large) garden full at the moment. (Sometimes flowers do not look like same.) Aloe flowers in general are pretty boring. All aloe specie's flowers are much the same. Most beautiful multicolored flowers come from hybrid epiphyllums. Forgive me for running on...
Good morning CC and All, a real slog for me today. I got slab and Regis easily and then thinking this was going to be easy I hit the ice slick and started spinning all over the place. Working in the NE corner I immediately wrote in sped and rind for 12 and 13 down. Those errors were fatal so that corned remained unfilled for a very long time. In that area I also tried itl and its and never did see the itd until I had all the letters for 17A except for the d and even then I had to run through the alphabet. Doh!!
I think drawn for received as salary was a stretch, but it is correct and I had no clue as to the Japanese mushroom. The perps filled in the mushroom name except for the (I) which I guessed.
I managed to slip and slide my way through the puzzle even after putting on studded tires and snow chains. The puzzle took far too long and ceased to be enjoyable after awhile. But, not to criticize as the clues were clever and correct.
The clue/answers I liked were 47A “Jeopardy” clue/answer, 30A They have caps/knees and 50A felt on the range/stetson.
Hopefully I will do better tomorrow
Lois you should have a ball with today’s puzzle, I can’t wait.
Happy Birthday Maniac and may you have many, many more.
Dennis, I would hid and get into a protective custody program.
Hope you all have a great Thursday.
Sell every animal on the farm, find someone to live here and take care of the dogs, buy a new BMW K1300LT (my old bike is a K100LT), put the Irish on the back with one extra pair of jeans and a couple of T-shirts, and take off on a wanderjahr. At the end of of the year, come back, replace the animals and resume the madness that is my life.
There are a few Crossword Corner residents I'd like to drop in on.
And, I don't want any of the million to be left when I ride back in.
AS a Brit living in Thailand trying to do the L A Times crossword from one the Engglish-language newspapers here, is a daunting task. Especially as I have no idea about your American sports of baseball, bsketball or football. Can you composers use less American-oriented clues/answers to allow we non-Americans to complete without having to resort to Wikepedia!
Anyhow just trying is good fun and a bit of an education
Good Morning, CC and all. I am not generally keen on puzzles where the theme is all off of one clue. I struggled with this one. TICKS OF THE CLOCK was my first theme fill.
I bet the Birthday Boy got BEET for Sugar Source, since Maine is one of the major producers of Sugar Beets. Happy Birthday, Mainaic. Have a great day and don't work too hard!
I was thinking that Env. Directive was referring to an Environmental, in stead of Envelope, directive. The oil spill is clearly on my mind.
The Chicago Tower's Name is no longer the SEARS Tower. It is now officially the Willis Tower and has an observation deck.
My favorite clues were: They have Caps = KNEES (I shattered mine in a car accident a few years ago); and
They may be felt on the range = STETSONS
I hope the disappearing glitch has been resolved.
QOD: Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense. ~ Gertrude Stein.
Good morning everyone. Happy Birthdays to Maniac and MJ.
Nice puzzle today. Had to skip the theme words until I got established, but when TICKS OF THE CLOCK fell, I began to get the cadence of the theme words, and they came easily. Thought STETSON was very clever and also liked SAUCEPAN, SOFTC and SLAP. DIRT ROAD reminded me of my youth. Thought READ was weak.
IONA - 3rd time in as many days? Clued variously as Inner Hebrides Island, college, and Isle where St. Columba died.
Re: millionaire; I suppose I would hire an accountant because of tax issues.
TA TA
Good Morning, but I digress.
OK, it's the "tag line" of a FedExOnline commercial I see every morning on CNBC.
A slog, but a FUN one. Enjoyed the 'Seconds' theme.
How that 42D, Guy FAWKES Night popped back into my brain is a mystery. Probably strong coffee.
Not a clue about the 24D, Japanese mushroom, ENOKI, all via the perps. Thought of Jeannie who will tell us it was a gimmie. She is the chef, not I.
Struggled getting the gas, argon, out of my head before 25D, XENON appeared due to that Extra Helpings. Guess the coffee boost wore off.
I love it when a plan comes together.
My favorite answer was at 47A "Jeopardy!" clue,e.g., ANSWER. duh!
Happy Birthday MJ and Maniac, and many more. I really enjoyed this puzzle, and found it clever, and it was done and over reasonably quickly for a Thursday. As you all have mentioned, some very nice new clues. I really enjoyed the range clues, and who does not like seeing FELT in a puzzle.
I imagine our Oregon contingent are very familiar with KIT CARSON as he blazed the Oregon trail, but to me he was star of a television show, played by an actor named William "Bill" Williams who was just a western hero, not a trapper, explorer. When I was little, we did not have a television in our home, and it was a treat to see tv while visiting, and this was a show they let me watch. I was also fascinated by parents who would name their child like that.
It also is one of the many obscure parts of history that make puzzle solving such a challenge for C.C. and others.
I do not understand why you think TICKS OF A CLOCK is contrived; if you have ever sat in a classroom and listened to the sound as each second passes, waiting to get out the door, it is a perfect image in my mind.
I am always surprised at how varied we experience each puzzle, one I find tricky are speed runs, and vice versa; I guess it is what keeps us all involved. Have a great day all.
Good Morning CC and All,
I with Dick on this one. What a slog. More wrong fills with pencil sent me to red letters. Thankful instead of Grateful, Sped for Tore, Back Road for Dirt Road were among the many. Wore out the dam eraser. Ticks of the Clock was the first theme fill then I struggled from the South to the North. Raffia, Enoki and Fawkes were newbies to me also. My favorite was Reaction to Freshness.
Hahtool, One row Sugar Beets will go in the garden as soon as we're over threats of frost. I'm the only one who likes them in my house.
Happy Belated Birthday MJ and thanks to all for the Birthday Wishes!!
Have a great Day!
BTW, GUY FAWKES is a gimme for me, as I met the first, in a series of great loves of my life on November 5, 1968, which was also election day back in that troubled year. For the large number of us who contribute here who read lots of mysteries, it is also a common setting for mayhem in jolly old England. Which of course reminds me of the well done graphic novel, V is for Vendetta which starred, among others a shaved head Natalie Portman . Watch them, you might enjoy.
Happy Birthday Mainiac, and a belated one to MJ.
I'm in the slog category today. I was picket fencing until I came here intent on cheating. I only had parts of each theme answer, so filled those in and continued on my own before checking the rest.
Lots of WAGs, had forgotten IONA and couldn't for the life of me think of KNEES. Before coming here, I was thinking TICKS OFF something--as in seconding (agreeing with) a choice on a survey. I've never watched game shows, so Kelly means nothing and I only got 47A ANSWER because only two letters were missing and what else could it be?
Argyle,
Good thought! It all depends on the definition of "millionaire" though. These days, I think you have to have multi-millions to really count. Inflation has destroyed the old concept.
My thoughts on SWAG are a bit different from all of yours too. I always associate the word with what a hobo carries, as in "Once a jolly swagman, camped by a billabong..."
WH,
See you when you win the lottery!
Good morning everyone.
This was a slog for me, but not unexpected since it is Thursday. Had partial answers for all the seconds, but couldn't make my brain kick in for the rest. Had Goods, Aides (and thought of dueling, but never duelers. I misspelled Fawkes (Falkes), so didn't get answers even tho I watch Jeopardy every night! Also am troubled by straddle being atop. I don't think that truly matches.
Guess I needed V8 rather than a banana on my cereal.
Happy birthday, Maniac. And a belated happy birthday MJ. Hope the celebrations are memorable.
Cheers
C.C. - Although rare nowadays, Kit is a nickname for Christopher.
My "slog" was the upper half. I wanted CANE instead of BEET, was trying to think of a GENE KELLY cohort, and had ANTELOPE fitting nicely in his home on the range (where he played with the deer). So needless to say I left a disgusting pile of eraser debris all around me.
I'm not sure how you go from CHRISTOPHER to KIT, but I did have a grammar school buddy with that setup.
Could I get an elaboration on the term "picket fence" in relation to crosswords? Kazie used it this morning, and Clear Ayes uses it often. I'm guessing it's when you have a lot of downs filled in without any acrosses? I usually do the across clues first, so I don't seem to see this pattern. Or does it mean something totally different?
I am on Lemonade’s mind(set) today as I had minimal trouble with this puzzle. I only had to hit the g-spot for Arlen. Perp help included AIG, and Iona. I thought “read” was a stretch as I have never even heard of the New York magazine. I too, didn’t know Fiat was partners with Chrystler. Do they even make Fiats anymore? It was one of the first cars I ever owned and was a piece of junk. I liked the “range” clues and “they have caps” – knees. Lot’s of DF fodder in their with ta ta, atop, and knees. I am looking forward to Lois’ write up.
If I were suddenly a millionare, the only whoppers and fries I would buy would be because I wanted to eat them.
Happy belated birthday MJ! It sounds like you had a wonderful day.
Mainiac, happy birthday to you today!! I hope you take a long lunch and skip out of work early.
Windhover, I’ll leave the light on.
Dennis: With the million (hopefully tax-free)I would have everything lifted to the point that my belly button would be my chin dimple! (and my face would look like a sock monkey!) Seriously...I would have some of the "tracks of my tears" removed. "So take a good look at my face...You`ll see my smile looks out of place." (done best by Smokey the Robinson!)
Hi gang -
From now on, if there is a 4-letter opening starting with I, I'm going to fill in IONA, and not even bother with the clue. And ST LO for WWII battle site, even if it the wrong number of letters.
Interesting write-up on St. Columba at Wikipedia.
I also think TICKS OF THE CLOCK is a fine theme answer.
Fermatprime - don't worry about running on. Sometimes I get all wrapped up in COBWEBS . . .
I had ARGON, fell on KNEES, was cold on TEA, got burned by SAUTE PAN, couldn't find IONA, don't READ Ney York, but also READ "env" as environmental.
ENOKI?!? sure. Whatever.
Good puzzle, anyway.
FIAT seems to be doing some good things at Chrysler. A once great company was nearly destroyed by 12 years of mismanagement and stupidity. Daimler bled it white for a decade, and the idiots (seriously, F-ing idiots) at Cerberus damn near nailed to coffin shut.
With my million, I'd set up a college fund for each of the grandkiddies, then, with what was left over, I'd take the LW to breakfast.
And maybe fit in a distillery tour in Scotland.
Cheers!
JzB that's my million $ ANSWER
Morning all.
Thought that this was fairly easy
for a Thur. A few nits like A Top
for Stradding.
After yesterday, Enoki could have been A Bomb. (Sorry.) Referenced
the second B-29 because it began with a B. BTW, The primary target
was Osaka. Due to heavy cloud cover, pilot stuck his hand out the window and made a left turn.
Enoki and Osaka are crossword gold
with vcvcv.
Window people coming back to finish the five upper ones. (Triangles and pentagons)
eddyB
Good Morning All, It was nice to see a new constructor this morning. Interesting that the husband of one of my best high school friends is named Dave Eckert. They are not one in the same. I'm sure I would have heard about an interest in crosswords long before this.
Loved the red herring clues here. I messed up on 9D with ANTELOPE and had never heard of 31A NEW YORK magazine. I thought of NEW YORKER, but it took a while to cut off the ER.
By the time I got to 50A, I was pretty sure something sneaky was going on and had a nice "aha" when I got STETSONS. Ditto with 40D SOFT C.
I hope we see a lot more from Dave E.
Jimmy B. about "picket fence". That is exactly how I use it. When I have lots of gaps, Across or Down, it is a picket fence to me. It was either that or call it "a six-year old's smile".
About that millionaire day. I'd probably just do a lot more traveling in First Class.
Happy Birthday, Mainiac.
ARBAON, thanks for a great laugh; that sock-monkey image will be with me for a while. Good stuff.
Jeannie, I thought of you when I ate yesterday; had my first taste of funnel cake sticks w/icing. Let's just say it's a damn good thing they don't deliver...
Hello Puzzlers - Looks like I hit all the speed bumps with ARGON, SPED, RIND for ZEST, later BIRD bath. The NE was subborn. Went around the block quite few times before it filled in - what clever clues! Favorite was "felt on the range".
Had to turn on red letters for 3 squares, 'cause I didn't know ERATO and couldn't believe READ. In fact I'd give a GRRR to "enjoyed New York?"
As I understand it FIAT's arm was twisted heavily to step in and buy a big piece of Chrysler. Don't know who had the leverage to do that...this was just after the Big 3 all flew to DC in their private jets to ask for money. Remember that?
I've been planning how to use that $million for years! I'd build a cute, modest house on my ancestral property and go retire in it. Wife, friends, and self would spend much time on the front porch absorbing high-quality beer.
ARBAON:
After you get the lift, wanna go for a ride on a motorcycle? I promise I won't make only "left" turns.
JazzB:
I worked for Chrysler briefly in '66-'67, right before they stole Lee Iacocca from Ford and a few billion from the taxpayers. You haven't seen bad management like that. Quality was about priority # 9.
Good day, C.C. and puzzle people.
Happy Birthday, Mainiac!
Belated happy birthday, MJ!
What a fine Thursday puzzle. Slab, wale, and swag filled in very quickly so grateful enabled me to finish the top as one after another fell.
C.C., if you've never needed a sitz bath, be grateful. It usually means trouble on the bottom.
Very clever clue answers resulting in fills starting with x and z; loved seeing "sitz" and "xenon."
I also liked the western subtheme, had no idea about "enoki" but took a stab at it. First I filled "Hawkes" for Guy but "inferior goods" solved that.
One of my first memories from childhood, age two or three, was sitting with my dad atop his horse, holding onto the pommel for dear life, frightened I'm sure.
Favs:
its home is on the range: saucepan
reaction to freshness: slap
cinematic opening, but not ending: soft c, agreed, a great clue
If I won a million dollars, I would hire a private tutor to walk me through all new and current technology until I uderstood it.
Yesterday's workshop was about blackboard which I assume many of you know and use. Since I am a holdout when it comes to technology I have been forced into it because our campus no longer stocks replacement bulbs for the overheard projectors.
Bb equipment is now in place in every classroom. I can see the advantages for the students and hope to become proficient in its use. I learned to use a computer, didn't I? That took some handholding.
You all have a superb Thursday, especially the birthday bloggers!
Jeannie, I thought of you when I ate yesterday;
Wow Dennnis, I'm touched. It "felt" good.
WH -
Chrysler cars in the 70's were - I'm struggling to keep it clean here - awful. That was the era when American made auto junk earned it's lousy reputation.
I had a '73 Chevy station wagon the rusted through on the roof!
In 1997, though, Chrysler had great, exciting product, was making great strides in quality, and was close to being the low cost producer.
Daimler destroyed every bit of that.
I see my comments from yesterday have disappeared from the blog. Probably got swept out with the COB WEBS.
Cheers!
JzB the mystified trombonist
WH: If you only want to go for a ride after the lift...you`re too shallow for me, Hal.
New York is a weekly magazine concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City, hence READ to enjoy NYC.
Good Morning, puzzlers. And Happy Birthday, Mainiac and MJ.
This puzzle was fun! It seemed easier than some Thursday puzzles, but enjoyable, nevertheless. I was lucky with quite a few answers that popped up out of the recesses in my brain: enoki, Fawkes, sitz and then zest. I had put in rind, but when I finally got zest it cleared up the whole NE corner! SE snagged me at first, because I kept thinking Apia was Guam and not Samoa, but finally NCIS replaced CSI in my so-called mind and healed that corner.
Wonderful clues, Dave. I loved 'felt on the range'and really all the range clues. Very nice!
Lucina, I envy you you're opportunity to get further into tachnology. I'm pretty proud to know as much as I do, particularly at my age, but there's soooo much more I'd like to learn! Lots of it has to do with fixing little problems that keep popping up! I still haven't been able to embed a link. (Is embed the word?)
Have a great Thursday, all. dd
Forgive me! I meant 'your' and 'tEchnology'. I hit the wrong button and published, instead of proofread!
Kit Carson reminds me of a visit when we first came to California to Kit Carson Lodge on Silver Lake in the Sierras! What a lovely place and last I heard it was still in business. I wonder if the food is still as great as all those years ago?
Fun puzzle today (18 minutes). Favorite clues were "They may be FELT on the range," "It's a GAS," "Cinematic opening," "It's home on the range," etc.
Spent quite a bit of time reading the Kit Carson article on Wikipedia. If you have a chance, give it a whirl. Sounds like he was a very complex person.
Good morning CC, et al., I ran the gamut on reactions to this puzzle. Almost had a visceral reaction to the long and gladly forgotten 10D 'sitz' bath remembering child birth and episiotomies - a total and complete waste of time.Refused them w/the other babies.
On the other hand, Yeeeehaww! Holy Stetson (50A) wearing Hotwick! -one way of being 'felt on the range'. Love that! Other ways come to mind too that could get anyone else 'slap'ped but I'd'rather' get spanked. In a couple of weeks I'll be seeing signs of OK crude/Texas'tea', climbing 'atop' some thoroughbred studs...'oops' steeds... that hopefully aren't 'green'(s),and having a 'grand' time keeping some buckaroos out of the 'saloon's and off?? their 'knees' with such 'zest' that a twister would 'rather' turn down a 'dirt road'. The sheep will not be nervous and the 'ram's will be 'grateful' for a little while anyway. Can't wait. Fun times!
Happy birthday, Mainiac and belated happy birthday MJ. I wish you both many many more.
Enjoy your day.
THIS WAS NOT A SLOG!!! Having said that, I had Sautepan, Argon, Audi for Fiat, Hawkes, RSVP for Attn, Erata, Vowels for Answer (I don't watch game shows, just games), the ubiquitous Aline for Diors, Ahem for Psst. However, I didn't lock in on any of them, so changes came easy. Maybe the final appearance will teach me not to use ink.
I also didn't like DRAWN or READ, especially right next to each other, but thought the cluing was some of the best I've seen.
I'm invested in AIG, but the easiest for me, a non-drinker, was
SECO.
My AHA! moment was SOFT C. The F was my final fill which I finished as the insurance agent was setting up his computer. Half way through his pitch came, "Oh, I get it!!" From his reaction, I could tell he didn't know what a x-word is.
Dennis, Hide it 'till the divorce became final.
L714: Re naming the child: Kit or William Williams??
Jeannie, Fiat is on it's way back. Should show up in the US market this or next year. Currently highly rated for reliability, too. Quite a change from when they had to quit selling here. Right now, several of the small Chryslers are really Fiats in disguise. Didn't stop me from trying AUDI first.
Happy B-day you two, and to all a good night.
40 down "Cinematic opening..." is a dumb clue for answer softc
Sorry, Jack but I beg to differ. An 'S' sounding C such as the one in Cine is called a soft C. A 'K' sounding C like tiC is called a hard C. So cinematic opens with a SOFT C, but ends with a hard one. Throw in the '?' and you know it's a play on words. My problem was looking at the answer as SOFTC or SO FTC, not SOFT C.
For all you musical lovers out there, did you remember that today, May 20, is Eliza Doolittle Day?
Hello All--An exceptionally quick time today, despite it being Thursday. For some reason I was on the same wavelength as Dave Eckert and the only real unknowns were Sinex and Arlen. I got both of those with the perps, so I didn't have to Google anything again today.
My favorites today were, They may be felt on the range/Stetsons, and They have caps/knees.
If you've ever had a clock with a second hand and watched it tick off the seconds, then you know that Ticks of the Clock was perfect for one of the answers to seconds. Also, I have sat in a class and watched the second hand go round and round, just wishing for the hour to be over. We had a Westminister chime bell tower on our campus and the chimes would go off every 15 minutes. Too many times I've counted the intervals!!
At the store today, Enoki mushrooms were on sale. They looked really lovely, but I didn't have a recipe in which to use them
so I passed them up. Maybe Jeannie has one she can pass along?
Happy Happy birthday to Maniac and a belated birthday to MJ and many more to come.
JimmyB,
I imagine my picket fence with a few in each direction. Those pickets need cross beam to hold them firmly together, don't they? In other words, as many spaces as fills.
As a would-be millionaire, I'm with CA on the travel--I do quite a bit now, but it sure would be nice to go first class and never have to worry about cost of anything, especially accommodations. When I've been bumped up to 1st or business class it's night and day compared to economy.
Dodo:
Yes, it is fortunate that our campus provides first class tech trainers for any and all needed skills. Besides that, they are funny and amusing to work with. I should avail myself more, but really, I resist.
One sister and I are tech challenged; everyone wlse in the family including siblings, daughter, SIL, granddaughter can look at a machine of any kind and instantly know which knobs, dials, etc. to turn and how they function.
I'd rather select the colors and read a poem about it! (sigh)
Jack:
Cinematic is an awesome clue as Gunghy explained. It's all about the play on words. You have to enjoy that to do xwds.
Hahtool:
I tried your link but it failed to open.
Lucina: Just You Wait and see if this one opens!
Hahtool, thank you. That one opened. I love Audrey Hepburn.
Dodo:
I meant to comment that "embed" is actually a word and no, I can't do that either.
On Jeopardy tonight, in the Tournament of Champions.
The ANSWER to the question;
"The last alphabetically of the Noble gases?"
XENON !!!
Thanks Hahtool, I had almost forgotten that it was the "Twenty-if of My". This is one of my favorite Fair Lady songs and I admit (does this make me a nerd?) that I know it by heart....OK, I am a nerdy for Broadway musicals and I know all of Fair Lady songs by heart.
Oh oh, Tinbeni, don't say any more. I'm a Jeopardy nerd too.
Forgot: If I had $mil, I'd invest it and pretend I didn't have it.
Argle 5:46 - LMAO very funny. Good plan too.
Gunghy: from yesterday: Good luck on your ride to San Antonio. 1600 miles one way is humongous. You'll give a whole dimension to hot cross buns. I went to school there for a while and left my heart in La Villita. Learned to love Fallflat (Falstaff) beer. Great times! Take pictures.
WH: I hope I'm on that list.
Hahtool: I went to Covent Gardens where Eliza sold flowers and couldn't find one flower. I was so disappointed. Love that story & movie. Thanks for the reminder.
Good evening, C.C. and all.
Mainiac, I hope your wife and boys are celebrating you well tonight. Happy Birthday!
Thank you for all the HB shout-outs. This is a great group!
Hahtool, I'm curious how you figured out it was my birthday this week. I thought perhaps I had mentioned it when Dot mentioned "Syttende Mai" (May 17th) a couple of weeks ago, but in searching C.C.'s "Search this Blog", I don't see that I referenced it. My mother has always been proud that I was born on a day that is very special to her and her heritage (Norway's Constitution Day, kind of like our 4th of July.)
Clear Ayes, your avatar shows me a question mark when I read the blog. I clicked on it and found your photo, but don't understand why it doesn't show up on the blog.
If I became a millionaire...hmmm...I would give some away (yes, Jeannie, I too am a softie), and probably not change too much else. I love working, and have all I need already.
Okay, the puzzle. I loved it! It's all been said already, but I hope Dave Eckert sends us some more of his creations in the near future.
Enjoy your evening!
CA I won't give anything away.
It is just almost freaky that we had 2 clues that showed up today.
My OOPS moment came when I remembered I'm in the East and those in CA are 3 hours behind.
ARBAON:
Touché, and a thousand apologies. But the prelift ride would have to be on the old bike, while the postlift would be on the hot new one. It all depends on which of us wins the million, and how we split it. So who's buying the ticket?
tinbeni: was watching jeopardy also. if i'm home at 7et, it's on!
today it was: race home from work, cut the grass, grab a beer and watch ol' alex. alot of times i do the crossword during commercials. so today was fun to have the the cowinky-dinky.
agree w/dennis on ncis. my favorite prime time drama.
also watch diners, drive-ins and dives on food channel
which brings me to my million dollar dreams....i would like to buy a classic muscle car convertible and drive around the country visiting all those great dives from the show. also on the agenda would be to watch a game in every major league ballpark!!
Tinbeni:
I noticed that too! I try to never miss Jeopardy!
CA:
What time do you view Jeopardy!? Here it airs at 4:30 P.M.
Seen, not heard:
I would probably do the same.
'67 GTO Convertible (luggage space) and hit all the "Man-v-Food" places ... where I would have a normal portion.
I was once in Amarillo, Tx and went to "The Big Texan Steakhouse" (fasted for a day) for the 72 oz. Top Sirloin challenge. Well, I finished the meat but the baked potato did me in. Damn, it was hugh.
Seen, not heard, I'm with you on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives; one of my favorites. And I also would get a '60s-era muscle car, either a '65 GTO convertible or a '67 Corvette convertible, and spend six or more months visiting every state.
Lois:
You know you are.
Seen, not heard:
My first ever new car, as I've said here before you joined up, was a '66 GTO convertible, black with black top and interior. 389 Tri-Power, 4-speed, with 3.90 rear gears. I foolishly traded that car away. In the early nineties I searched for it but never was able to locate it.
Your baseball tour sounds great. Here's a poor boy's version. In 1995 I rode a 650 Honda Nighthawk to Florida during spring training. For six days I went to a different minor league park and eTched a major league game. As our Florida friends will tell you, the 6000 seat ML parks are very intimate and the players are big as life and close, not the ants you see from the nose bleed section of a major league stadium.
I like your Redlegs avatar. As a kid I rode the train from
Maysville, Ky. to Union Station and walked across the street to Crosley Field to see Johnny Temple and Roy McMillan turn double plays. I doubt you're that old, but I was a Reds fan from 1955 until I lost interest in sports a few years ago.
wh: i agree with your comment on minor league parks. dayton has the low singleA reds minor league team and the whole experience is just awesome. i'll never forget seeing a young albert pujuols (played for quad cites, i think, a st louis affiliate). in my recollections i turned to my buddy and said "this guy might be good someday" i really did!
We're talking Baseball now!!!
I live about 200 yards from the Toronto Blue Jays spring training site. Yet I spent more time at Little Yankee Stadium in Tampa this year.
Oh yeah, visit every ball park. That's Americana!
Hell, if your team loses 60 games (or everyday for two months) you have a great season.
Throw in the Diner's, Drive-In's and Dive's and maybe a few (OK, more than a few) bottles of Pinch and it would be pure bliss.
Damn, my Yankee's lost to my 'kids' the Ray's ... oh well, I can live with that!
CC: Lest you think I hijacked your blog today...I really did do the puzzle...favorite clue..."to a certain extent." (Rather) Veddy British!
Love the baseball and Drive ins and dives tour concept. Cont me in If I win.
And allow me to be among the very last to wish HBDs to Mainiac and MJ.
Montreal flattened the Flyers tonight. Could that become a real series?
Cheers!
Jzb who would maybe throw in an original 6 tour, as well
I hope both MJ and Maniac enjoyed their birthdays!
Jeannie, I tried the funnel cake sticks last week too! Very good - BK should compensate you for the extra sales to blog members!
Awesome puzzle! So many twists and turns. I should know better than to try a Thursday puzzle on paper, without help. My first attempt wasn't even worthy of being called a picket fence. I set it aside a couple hours, googled a couple items, and worked thru all the problems except the darn NE! My biggest d'oh was having SAUTEPAN.
My favorites were Reaction to freshness? and ...felt on the range.
Raising my hand for wanting a ride on Windhover's motorcycle!
If I won a million dollars, first thing I'd do is quit my job and find one doing something I really enjoy doing, with people who care and respond to emails and voicemail. Better yet, a job that doesn't use either one!
Lucina, we get Jeopardy here at 6:30 via satellite from Sacramento. It goes perfectly with a post dinner glass of wine.
Dennis, Tinbeni, SNH, who would have thought that you watch "Triple D" for the car? It is fun to find out where the greasiest, drippiest, gooiest "money" places to eat are. You can gain five pounds just by watching that show.
ClearAyes, i really do watch for the food, although I'd like to have that car. There's several places I've made note of that I plan on visiting one day.
Hey, when we win , count me in for the baseball/dive tour as well!! But I want to tag along on my cycle.
WH, I can definitely recommend the Yamaha Raider. I didn't plan on something that big, but it fits me. Amazing response for its size.
My hand is up to for NCIS. It's the characters and their interactions that make the show fun. There is a cable station showing reruns going back to the beginning. I really enjoyed Agent Todd played by Sasha Alexander. I was sorry to see her killed off. Do you suppose it was Gibbs mentor (Mike Franks) who killed the Mexican drug dealer with Gibbs' rifle?
Yep.
Sorry to break into the he-man baseball talk. Here Chickie is how I enoy Enoki mushrooms. First, find a really nice steak, I prefer a srtip steak, ribeye or tenderloin.
Mushrooms prep:
4 Tbls parsley chopped fine
2 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls butter
2 lg cloves of garlic chopped
One shallot chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste and
1/2 lb of Enoki's.
1/4 cup of dry vermouth
I always chop the end off the shrooms and saute this concoction together (not the steak) in a non-stick frying pan and serve along side the steak. If you really want to get decadent, I add some heavy whipping cream to the mushroom mixture and thicken it.
Dennis, I am disappointed in you. You too, WH, Lemonade...have I lost my alure?
Annette, you are right they should! I am still puzzled why I am not attending the BK convention in FL when they are sending an admin that knows no one or has no clue what is going on in the BK world. Truly, I am baffled.
Don't you dare...C.C. do you ever just sit there and marvel at your accomplishment on starting this blog and how far you've come? I do. I have gone into the archives and as far as I can tell I've been hanging around here a couple of years or so. Thank you.
Okay, that was 69 and I am out. I just had to make my mark so to speak. If this is my (6th) please forgive me.
Jeannie, Thanks for the recipe. It sounds great. The mushrooms I saw today looked so fresh. They were on sale, too. That doesn't always happen.
If I had a million dollars, I would travel to all those places that I have put on the back burner for a number of years. Oh, yes, CA definitly first class.
I'm too old for that cross country motorcycle ride, but I would be glad to have those adventurers come and visit for a while.
I enjoyed the TV favorites and all the what if's today. NCIS is a no-miss at our house, and Jeopardy comes on right after the news, so it is watched every night as we finish up dinner dishes.
Windhover, my best Reds memory is listening to Waite Hoyt call the game. Rain delays were really fun. The stories that man could tell. Remember Big Klu? Gus Bell? Sigh....
Please explain 62D.
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