Theme: C.C. - Both words in each theme phrase (and clues) start with letter C, including the unifier itself.
17A. Cough cause: COMMON COLD
27A. Courtside coverage: COLOR COMMENTARY
41A. Captain's concern: COLLISION COURSE. Two 15-letter grid spanning theme entries.
55A. Contract clone (whose abbreviation hints at this puzzle's theme): CARBON COPY
Argyle here.
Another clear and concise offering from Jeff Chen, whose note on this puzzle is attached at the end of my write-up.
Across:
1A. Pinochle plays: MELDS. A combination of cards for score or the act of laying down those cards, depending if you read the alliterated clue as a noun or a verb.
6A. Lure: BAIT.
10A. Arced line connecting two musical notes: SLUR. Image.
14A. Construction girder: I-BEAM.
15A. Rod in a hot rod: AXLE.
16A. Sniffer: NOSE.
19A. School reunion attendee: ALUM. Shortened version can mean male or female. Convenient.
20A. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO. Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality. From Wikipedia. Timbral - the adjective form of timbre: the quality given to a sound by its overtones. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (TMI, I know.)
21A. Madeline of "Blazing Saddles": KAHN. She portrayed Lilly Von Schtupp.
22A. Cathedral top: SPIRE. Top of the steeple.
23A. Not at any time, in verse: NE'ER.
25A. Flew a plane: AVIATED.
31A. Sources of fiber: BRANS.
32A. Blackens, as tuna: SEARS.
33A. Puts in stitches: SEWS.
34A. Like a birdbrain: DITZY.
35A. Rip: TEAR.
39A. Grand Canyon pack animal: BURRO.
40A. Flashy: GAUDY.
46A. Consecrates with oil: ANOINTS.
47A. Germany's von Bismarck: OTTO.
48A. Police operation: STING. Plus, 18D. 55-Down in a bust: NARC. 55D. One with a beat: COP. I was expecting 55D to be DEA.
49A. Central points: FOCI.
51A. Microwave: ZAP.
54A. Insect wound: BITE.
58A. Agreement from the flock: "AMEN!".
59A. Two-tone cookie: OREO.
60A. Office machine powder: TONER.
61A. One of a matching pair: HERS. (HIS & HERS)
62A. Red Rose: PETE. Pete Rose played baseball for the Cincinnati Reds; aka "Charlie Hustle".
63A. More than chunky: OBESE.
Down:
1D. Scampering squeakers: MICE.
2D. Black, in verse: EBON.
3D. Statute that protects car buyers: LEMON LAW.
4D. Public works project: DAM.
5D. Camel users?: SMOKERS. 34D. Pledge target: DUST. Hiding the fact that we are looking at proper names: Camel cigarettes and Pledge furniture polish.
6D. "Goldberg Variations" composer: BACH. A set of an aria and 30 variations for harpsichord published in 1741.
7D. Neural transmitter: AXON.
8D. Not well: ILL.
9D. Bill's "excellent adventure" partner: TED. Movie. Stupid fun.
10D. Be short with: SNAP AT.
11D. Nabokov nymphet: LOLITA. Lo-li-ta.
12D. Loan shark: USURER.
13D. Cure: REMEDY.
22D. Breaks a commandment: SINS.
24D. Ages and ages: EONS.
25D. Legendary female warrior: AMAZON. Was Xena an Amazon?
26D. Quite: VERY.
27D. Its eye is on TV: CBS. TV network.
28D. Refinable rock: ORE.
29D. Egyptian god of the dead: OSIRIS. Wikipedia entry.
30D. Part of MGM: METRO. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
35D. Lacking slack: TAUT.
36D. Multicountry union using the same currency: EUROZONE.
37D. Promos: ADS.
38D. Deli loaf: RYE.
39D. Soft-voiced Crosby: BING. Known as a crooner, sang "White Christmas".
40D. Started liking, as a hobby: GOT INTO.
41D. Section of Algiers: CASBAH. Specifically the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. More generally, spelled kasbah.
42D. Prompt: ON TIME.
43D. Hang around: LOITER.
44D. Tablecloths and more: LINENS.
45D. Designer Chanel: COCO. A CC echo.
49D. Guitar ridge: FRET.
50D. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.
52D. Big galoots: APES.
53D. Combustible pile: PYRE.
56D. "We __ the World": ARE.
57D. Corn unit: COB.
Answer grid.
Notes from Jeff Chen:
I heard a friend use the phrase COLLISION COURSE a few months ago, and I thought it was catchy. I looked it up in the cruciverb database, and luckily it's only been used once in crosswords (in a themeless puzzle) since the database's inception, but I wasn't quite sure how to make a puzzle out of it. After some brainstorming, I thought that other two-word phrases using the initials CC might make a good easy-ish puzzle, so I came up with a list of about ten that I thought were interesting. However, it still didn't feel like a very good puzzle, since it didn't have anything that tied the phrases together. Luckily I was reading your blog one day and it hit me that CC is an abbreviation for CARBON COPY, so that would serve to link up the phrases nicely. Luckily Rich agreed! Thanks for the inspiration CC! Jeff
Argyle
PS: Blogger software is having some glitches showing Comments.
17A. Cough cause: COMMON COLD
27A. Courtside coverage: COLOR COMMENTARY
41A. Captain's concern: COLLISION COURSE. Two 15-letter grid spanning theme entries.
55A. Contract clone (whose abbreviation hints at this puzzle's theme): CARBON COPY
Argyle here.
Another clear and concise offering from Jeff Chen, whose note on this puzzle is attached at the end of my write-up.
Across:
1A. Pinochle plays: MELDS. A combination of cards for score or the act of laying down those cards, depending if you read the alliterated clue as a noun or a verb.
6A. Lure: BAIT.
10A. Arced line connecting two musical notes: SLUR. Image.
14A. Construction girder: I-BEAM.
15A. Rod in a hot rod: AXLE.
16A. Sniffer: NOSE.
19A. School reunion attendee: ALUM. Shortened version can mean male or female. Convenient.
20A. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO. Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality. From Wikipedia. Timbral - the adjective form of timbre: the quality given to a sound by its overtones. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (TMI, I know.)
21A. Madeline of "Blazing Saddles": KAHN. She portrayed Lilly Von Schtupp.
22A. Cathedral top: SPIRE. Top of the steeple.
23A. Not at any time, in verse: NE'ER.
25A. Flew a plane: AVIATED.
31A. Sources of fiber: BRANS.
32A. Blackens, as tuna: SEARS.
33A. Puts in stitches: SEWS.
34A. Like a birdbrain: DITZY.
35A. Rip: TEAR.
39A. Grand Canyon pack animal: BURRO.
40A. Flashy: GAUDY.
46A. Consecrates with oil: ANOINTS.
47A. Germany's von Bismarck: OTTO.
48A. Police operation: STING. Plus, 18D. 55-Down in a bust: NARC. 55D. One with a beat: COP. I was expecting 55D to be DEA.
49A. Central points: FOCI.
51A. Microwave: ZAP.
54A. Insect wound: BITE.
58A. Agreement from the flock: "AMEN!".
59A. Two-tone cookie: OREO.
60A. Office machine powder: TONER.
61A. One of a matching pair: HERS. (HIS & HERS)
62A. Red Rose: PETE. Pete Rose played baseball for the Cincinnati Reds; aka "Charlie Hustle".
63A. More than chunky: OBESE.
Down:
1D. Scampering squeakers: MICE.
2D. Black, in verse: EBON.
3D. Statute that protects car buyers: LEMON LAW.
4D. Public works project: DAM.
5D. Camel users?: SMOKERS. 34D. Pledge target: DUST. Hiding the fact that we are looking at proper names: Camel cigarettes and Pledge furniture polish.
6D. "Goldberg Variations" composer: BACH. A set of an aria and 30 variations for harpsichord published in 1741.
7D. Neural transmitter: AXON.
8D. Not well: ILL.
9D. Bill's "excellent adventure" partner: TED. Movie. Stupid fun.
10D. Be short with: SNAP AT.
11D. Nabokov nymphet: LOLITA. Lo-li-ta.
12D. Loan shark: USURER.
13D. Cure: REMEDY.
22D. Breaks a commandment: SINS.
24D. Ages and ages: EONS.
25D. Legendary female warrior: AMAZON. Was Xena an Amazon?
26D. Quite: VERY.
27D. Its eye is on TV: CBS. TV network.
28D. Refinable rock: ORE.
29D. Egyptian god of the dead: OSIRIS. Wikipedia entry.
30D. Part of MGM: METRO. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
35D. Lacking slack: TAUT.
36D. Multicountry union using the same currency: EUROZONE.
37D. Promos: ADS.
38D. Deli loaf: RYE.
39D. Soft-voiced Crosby: BING. Known as a crooner, sang "White Christmas".
40D. Started liking, as a hobby: GOT INTO.
41D. Section of Algiers: CASBAH. Specifically the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. More generally, spelled kasbah.
42D. Prompt: ON TIME.
43D. Hang around: LOITER.
44D. Tablecloths and more: LINENS.
45D. Designer Chanel: COCO. A CC echo.
49D. Guitar ridge: FRET.
50D. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.
52D. Big galoots: APES.
53D. Combustible pile: PYRE.
56D. "We __ the World": ARE.
57D. Corn unit: COB.
Answer grid.
Notes from Jeff Chen:
I heard a friend use the phrase COLLISION COURSE a few months ago, and I thought it was catchy. I looked it up in the cruciverb database, and luckily it's only been used once in crosswords (in a themeless puzzle) since the database's inception, but I wasn't quite sure how to make a puzzle out of it. After some brainstorming, I thought that other two-word phrases using the initials CC might make a good easy-ish puzzle, so I came up with a list of about ten that I thought were interesting. However, it still didn't feel like a very good puzzle, since it didn't have anything that tied the phrases together. Luckily I was reading your blog one day and it hit me that CC is an abbreviation for CARBON COPY, so that would serve to link up the phrases nicely. Luckily Rich agreed! Thanks for the inspiration CC! Jeff
Argyle
PS: Blogger software is having some glitches showing Comments.
66 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - a fun, easy puzzle today, and then to read that C.C. provided the inspiration -- outstanding! On top of that, the juxtaposition of 'Lemon Law' and 'Lolita' made me think of L714 and Jeannie.
Argyle, excellent job.
Favorite clue: 'Red Rose'. Lilly Von Schtupp was one of my favorite Madeline Kahn characters, along with 'Elizabeth' in Young Frankenstein. Her reaction to "Great knockers!" still cracks me up. Unknowns were 'slur' and 'Eurozone' (is that a common term?).
Today is Twilight Zone Day, and....Eat What You Want Day!! Ah, so little time...
Good morning C.C. Argyle and Mr. Chen:
My first thought when I read this puzzle, my impression was it was created as an homage to our blog, and our fearless leader. The explanation is close enough, so I am very pleased to see CC has helped create a puzzle.
I always like a puzzle with Zs and such varied knowledge. In the first corner we have card playing, construction and music, with topics mixed throughout the grid; and such perfectly fair Tuesday clues. If I were trying to interest someone in puzzles I would use this and yesterdays as examples of what fun it is.
Who does not love a reference to LILLY VON SCHTUPP . which I guess leads to our Yiddish lesson of the day SCHTUP .
And speaking of names, the cluing of major league baseball’s all time hits leader, PETE ROSE, as RED ROSE was to me diabolical. The perps were easy, but all I could think of was ROSE RED .
Are you like me, not musical and I guess not curious enough for I never knew SLUR thought I have seen the notation on my son’s guitar tabs. A good day to learn something (please do not laugh JzB).
THanks for the thought Dennis, and people have been putting me and Lo-li-ta together for a long time.
Have a geat day all.
Good Morning, CC and all. This was a good Tuesday puzzle. I flew through some of the clues, but there was still enough of a challenge to make it interesting. I did have to go back and read some of the clues after I finished the puzzle, though, because the answers had already been filled in.
I never heard of MELDS before, but got it through the perps. Thanks for the explanation, Argyle. I always worry when I can't get the 1A on the first pass.
My favorite clue was Its Eye Is On TV = CBS.
We saw many depictions of ORISIS when we visited Egypt a couple of years ago.
Which CASBAH do you prefer?
prefer?
Otis from last night ~ your link worked. Thanks for sharing the State Park Series of quarters. I knew there was another series out, but haven't seen any yet.
QOD: Polite conversation is rarely either. ~ Fran Lebowits
BTW, Dennis,
that was TERI GARR in the YF scene, though Madeline's scenes with Peter Boyle were pretty funny as well.
Thanks, Lemonade, you're right of course - I must not have been looking at faces.
My post disappeared!
Good Morning, CC and all. This was a good Tuesday puzzle. I flew through some of the clues, but there was still enough of a challenge to make it interesting. I did have to go back and read some of the clues after I finished the puzzle, though, because the answers had already been filled in.
This theme was custom made for our hostess, CC!
My favorite clue was Its Eye Is On TV = CBS.
We saw many depictions of ORISIS when we visited Egypt a couple of years ago.
Which CASBAH do you prefer, the castle or the CLASH?
Otis from late last night ~ Your link worked. Thanks for sharing the State Park quarter series. I knew there was another series out there, but hadn't seen it yet.
QOD: Polite conversation is rarely either. ~ Fran Lebowitz
Good morning Argyle, CC and All, a nice easy stroll again today. It sure was nice to see CC referenced in the puzzle today. Also, I can not see Lolita and not think of Jeannie.
My only problem was reading prompt and thinking a clue or an aside neither of which fit. I did not know 10A slur, but the perps took care of that little glitch. My favorite clue/answer was Red Rose/Pete.
Not much else to say about today’s puzzle.
Overcast with rain and cold here today.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday.
Blogger software glitches. Several posts arrived in my box and did not appear in the Comments section.
Good morning. Nice write-up, Argyle.
Easy Tuesday puzzle. Felt like a rehearsal. Agree with Dennis' comments about C.C., LOLITA, and the red rose connection to KAHN and the clueing to PETE. Unknowns were BACH and ENO, but the perps readily assisted.
Jeff, thanks for sharing this puzzle's origins.
Enjoy the day.
Yes, posts are disappearing and reappearing, you are now a double header H.
Very easy. 11 minutes.
Dennis et al,
I just added to Argyle's write-up that even the theme clues are two-word C.C. phrase. Holy hotwick, Jeff!
Morning, all!
Smooth puzzle for me today. Very enjoyable and I loved the reference to our fearless leader (whether intentional or not). On a personal note, I was also glad to finally see IBEAM in a puzzle instead of one of the more obscure variations that usually get thrown in out of desperation (ZBEAM? HBEAM?)
Now, let's see if this post appears. If not, will somebody please let me know? ^_^
Haven't commented in quite a while (haven't even done many of the puzzles) but when I saw Lolita I had to give a shout out to Jeannie. Thinking about you all.
This was an outstanding puzzle, and even more fun because of the inspiration. CC's abound. I also loved the PETE clue, as well as HERS and many others. Very clever stuff. Haven't played Pinochle in years, but figured MELDS must be the answer there. Just a great puzzle in many ways.
For some reason it seems to be taking me longer than usual to complete the puzzles. I don't know if it is just that I am so busy or so distracted or just having trouble. I can get them done, but I feel like I have slowed down a bit.
After a really rough week, I went back yesterday and read a few posts. CA - wow, what a year for you. I have had 6 friends diagnosed with breast cancer this past year, and now you are #7. Such bad numbers in my mind. What a trouper you are to not even mention it. I wear everything on my sleeve and can hardly contain any emotion, so I find that very amazing. Good to know that you are done and on the mend!!
Short update on my son - which is why I have NO TIME as of late. He did have another seizure - at work again no less. I happened to be picking him up as it happened, so saw him shortly after he went down. Frightening stuff. This formally qualifies him as an epileptic and it is necessary for him to be medicated. We are all having a little of a rough time of it, but feel blessed that we found out before he heads off to college. Stabilizing on the meds can be tricky, so we are hoping to conquer this over the summer.
The other good news is that we have top notch world class epilepsy clinics right here in the Twin Cities. We have taken him to two neurologists, neither of which we like much at all. So we plan on transferring him to one of these clinics that are highly regarded. Hope they work out better. It is a life changing event, but hopefully a manageable one.
Rainy and chilly here. We had an early spring, now seems like the winter returned:-(
What a great way to start the day--a shout out to C.C. and Lolita--all in the same puzzle! Wonderful for C.C. to be its inspiration, though I'm not sure I understand the linkage to Lemonade.
My main pauses were for PETE and SLUR, but perps helped enough and they did themselves. I did have to change LOCI to FOCI and PILOTED to AVIATED too, but they were minor glitches.
I really enjoy Jeff's puzzles, and now I know he was inspired by our C.C. it's even better!
Good morning all.
Wow! Great shout-out to you, C.C., and your wonderful blog. And LOLITA spliced in, to boot.
Has Rich ratcheted the puzzles up a notch this week? Jeff's puzzle today and Dan's yesterday have been so much fun! USURER, DITZY, GAUDY, etc.--great fill.
KQ-My mother's heart broke, and I actually shed tears reading your post this morning. Wishing, hoping, and praying for your son and your whole family as you face this phase in your lives.
Enjoy the day!
Good Morning All, The C.C. connection had me wondering if it was purposeful. Looks like it was. Congratulations to C.C. for making such a favorable impression on Jeff Chen. I'm thinking of all the thousands upon thousands of people who solve the LAT puzzle and have no idea of the fun that goes on at the Crossword Corner. LOL, Isn't it fun to be in with The In Crowd?
I also caught our LEMONaid LAWyer and LOLITA making an appearance today.
Shame on me for not understanding 62A "Red Rose" PETE. I know I've mentioned that Cincy has been GAH's team for EONS and PETE Rose is his all-time favorite player.
We've talked about Madeline KAHN before. What an amazing talent she was. Mel Brooks sure had an eye for a leading lady.
Lemonade, LOL, not grammatically correct, but one of my father's favorite comments when calling somebody a jerk was, "What a schtup!". (He wouldn't use schmuck or putz in front of the kids.)
KQ, bad news, but workable. At least there are excellent meds available. It is always tough to see our children go through a challenge like that.
KQ, hang in there as the current meds available can work wonders and will most likely help in the case of your son. god Bless.
KQ,
I was going to say too, and forgot earlier, at least knowing for sure what it is, makes the challenge more manageable. As you said, you can now start dealing with trying the different options over the summer, and not have to send him to college still an unknown quantity. A terrible thing to be dealing with, but far better knowing what to deal with than not, and it is treatable these days. I wish your family well.
I'm trying not to read the blog today since it looks like the San Jose Mercury gave us tomorrow's puzzle (David Cromer) instead of the Jeff Chen puzzle. Now I know why it seemed a bit tough for a Tuesday. Hopefully we'll get The Chen puzzle tomorrow.
Jeff, FUN Tuesday offering.
CC, Lolita and Lemon Law, this ones for you!
Dennis, I watch a lot of CNBC, EUROZONE is quite common in the biz news.
Learning moment was that musical SLUR.
Chen is a Chinese surname, isn't it?
C.C. you know you’ve always been an inspiration for your blog family, how fun to see you were an inspiration for Jeff’s puzzle! What a fun, fun puzzle it was too. The theme was brilliant and must have been a challenge to construct with both the clues and the answers have words that start with the letter C.
Favorites for me today were “one of a matching pair”-hers and “Red Rose”-Pete, who in my opinion should be in the hall of fame. I didn’t know Brian Eno or Osiris but got them from the perps. Oh, and Lolita made an appearance and good catch Dennis on my favorite LEMONade LAWyer.
KQ, at least you know now your son’s condition, and you are right, MN has some very good specialized clinics. I will be thinking of you.
Everyone enjoy the day!
Lo-li-ta.
"On my way" to doing the puzzle, I checked last evening`s posts.
Jerome: Bet it`s hard for you to read any text, what with anagram-ing each word! Quite clever! I chuckled and chortled. (see what you can do with those!
Good morning Argyle, CC and all,
Terrific c/w today!So nice to see CC, Lolita, and our Lemon Lawyer in the mix.After filling in the 1st 3 cc's, I actually GOT the theme and it actually helped me fill in carbon copy. What a concept. LOL!
Fav clues were red rose and pledge target- both were filled in with perps.Filling in fret filled in foci.
Is usurer a common word?
Otis, thanks for last night's link.
KQ, thanks for keeping in touch. You are such a good mom. This may be your greatest challenge yet, but we've all seen the power of medicine and love. It works;hang in there.
Hi, Jeff, CC , Argyle and all,
What a nice Tuesday puzzle and special toast to CC, Lemonade, Jeannie (Lo-li-ta) and this blog. CA, I do indeed feel like part of The In Crowd. Check out this lesser known
Mamas & Papas version .
Jeff, your clue RED ROSE was absolutely inspired, but for my money, I'd love to see a clue of
LSU's PISTOL.
Tragically, both Mama Cass and Pistol Pete died too young.
CA, was LOL that your father "restrained" himself by only using shtupp. Modesty comes in many forms.
Hahtool, the Clash's rocking the casbah is the obvious choice!
Barry, now that we've had references to Madeline Kahn's/Terri Garr's knockers, I expect to see some HI-BEAMS.
KQ, best wishes to you and your son. My daughter had an emergency appendectomy at 1AM the night before she was to leave for her college freshman year this past September, and had some serious health issues over the past 6 months.
Be thankful you are in the US and the Minneapolis area where there are excellent facilities, doctors and medicines available, and you are with your son. He will get excellent care, and together you two will learn how to cope and deal with this situation as many others have.
Have a wonderful happy and healthy Tuesday everyone.
Koufaxmaravich: do you have an LSU connection? The basketball arena at LSU is named for Pete Maravich. Mike the Tiger, the school's mascot, is housed just outside the Arena.
Hello All--When I logged on today, the puzzle wasn't the one in our newspaper. The paper published the puzzle answers for today's puzzle and I did the puzzle for tomorrow, as it is dated 5/12/10. How weird is that? I hope this doesn't happen all the time. Oh well, I'm a day ahead, right?
However, I would rather have done today's as it was inspired by C.C.'s initials. Now I'm doubly disappointed.
I'll read the blog and see what others from our area have to say about the mixup. Then I read Dennis' "Today is" and found out it was Twilight Zone Day. I think that explains everything!
O C.C., wonderous puzzle muse,
now there is no excuse,
you've inspired Mr. Chen,
please sprinkle magic on my pen!
KQ, I'm sorry to hear about your son's latest seizure, but now you at least have a name for his problem. I sincerely hope that you will find just the right match in a doctor at the clinics you mentioned. I'll be thinking about both of you this summer as you work through this together.
Now, I'm really confused. Jimmy B. had the same puzzle problem that I did, and JD apparently had the correct puzzle and we all get the SAME newspaper.
So Chickie, do you, JimmyB and JD decide who gets the paper first and then you pass it around? Just having a bit of a laugh envisioning that, LOL!
Good afternoon Argyle, CC, et al., What a wonderful tribute to our phenomenal and so deserving CC - a true inspiration to us all.
Jeff: thank you so much for sharing this puzzle's creation story. It's always interesting to see where the ideas are born but this one was especially meaningful. Great job!
Had to LOL when 'Lemon Law' and Lolita showed up in the same puzzle. 'Very' cute! Fav. clues were also 61A 'hers' and 62A
'Pete'..a rose by any other name. Also, seeing 'CBS' here is 'on time' too as Brooke is being interviewed by the 2nd TV station as we speak and will be on the 5 o'clock news on another station today.
KQ: I'm sorry for both you and your son but sooo glad that you have the specialized clinics close by. It's a blessing too that this happened now while you're with him and he's home. And now you know and it is treatable. You stay in my thoughts.
Jerome: cute!
Argyle: excellent job as always.
Enjoy your day.
Good afternoon, C.C. and all, especially you, Jeff Chen.
This was overwhelming today, first to see all the CCs, who didn't think of our C.C.? And then Lolita and LemonLaw!
Jeff's explanation clarified it all; what great inspiration you are, C.C. And with a tribute from Jerome. This blog is so great.
My fave clue was also "Red Rose" and a big "aha" when it came. All was such fun.
KQ:
Please know that I share all the good thoughts for your son which already been stated and prayers, too.
Had computer problems all morning so it is now very late.
I hope all are having a really good Tuesday; it's mild and lovely here in the SW.
Koufaxmaravich, I'll join in the LOL. I suppose for some strange reason, my father thought referring to a sexual act in front of the kids was OK, but not to use words for male genitalia. I didn't hear him use the English equivalent of schtup (we all know what that is) until I was totally grown up. My mother told me that she only heard him use it a dozen times in the 40+ years they were married. I guess he saved that one for real shock value.
It sounds like Twilight Zone Day is alive and well at the San Jose Mercury.
GAH and I are headed to Sonora for lunch and a movie. We'll be sure to eat what we want.
Chickie, I always do my puzzle on line because it is in the Sports section which shall not be touched.I agreed to do it on line because it had gotten so tiny. Many times I print it off and take it to school with me.
Hi.
Also, Today's answeres and tomorrow's crossword in our copy
of the Merc. Didn't notice since I seldom read the Merc any more. But talk about getting a head start on
tomorrow's puzzle.
Bad weather has moved out and we are to be in the 80s by the week end.
eddyB
filled in red rose and kept going without pause. when i got here i realized it must have been a real v8 moment for most. i grew up in the cincy area and have met him a couple of times. funny how perspective works.
enjoyed how close dam and bait were. i know its not "citizen kane" but the scene from national lampoons vegas vacation came to mind(wish i knew how to link).
Dam Tour
dam, i thought it worked. i tried to go blue the other day, the today i tried a link. failed at both!
sorry everyone for the bad link. i think i know what i did wrong. i will try one(and only one) more time...dam tour
Morning?? all. I forgot to set an alarm and my schedule caught up with me. It was almost 10 PDT when I opened my eyes and my next-door neighbor is having his house reroofed. I guess my daughter will have to wait until tomorrow to get her laundry room finished.
I am really embarrassed to confess that I got distracted by the double MM in 17A and 27A, distracted by the LL in 41A and totally lost by 55A. I never figured out the theme until Argyle handed it to me. I did catch LOLITA, but that's like noticing the hammer I dropped on my foot yesterday: very obvious. I'm prouder that I thought of L714 at 3D.
I loved the puzzle, really elegant. It has none of the obvious words listed yesterday. And so few names!! My major mistake was EUROPEAN for 36D, and I snarled at EUROZONE until I googled it. Guess I better find some time for CNBC.
JD, Usurer isn't common, because loan shark evokes such a beautiful image. But usury is the term for over charging interest.
KQ, It will get better. Give him my best.
CA, Thanks for 'The In Crowd', I haven't heard that one in years.
seen, not heard said...
dam, i thought it worked. i tried to go blue the other day
I don't know what you tried, but it took me several days to notice the "dashboard" in the top left above the main page and even longer to realize its significance. Once I clicked on it, going blue was easy.
For Dan who is no longer here, for CA who is an inspiration and for all who fight and love:
Lucky Dog.....
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself towhatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something wouldcome up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease.....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap..
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky - He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember....live every day to the fullest.
Hi gang -
Fun puzzle today, with lots of music, and quite the inspiration. I feel privileged to be able to mingle in such exalted company.
KQ - This isn't good news, but knowing is better than not knowing. Good luck.
JD - Usury might not be a common word, but usury is a common practice.
Lemonade - I would never laugh at you. Every activity has its jargon, which can be rather arcane. Anyway, SLUR sure is an ugly sounding word.
I'm a big Teri Garr fan. Time has not been kind to her. She has MS, and in Dec. 2006 had a brain aneurysm that put her in a coma for two weeks. A year and a half later, after extensive therapy, she was able to appear on Letterman's TV show. Never give up!
Rainy and gloomy here today.
Cheers!
JzB
When I saw "CoCo" in all the theme answers, I was hoping for a Conan O'Brien theme. :)
In Remembrance: Lena Horne, Stormy Weather
Hello, aagain. You all just have too much fun!
I wanted to mention that Casbah seems to be a quarter in some mideastern cities. We visited an area in Tangier, Morocco which the guide referred to as "the casbah"; it was apartments stacked upon one another, something like the Pueblos of the Hopis but more extensive and very crowded, no windows or doors. Some had curtains on the doors but no indoor plumbing or electricity, yet seething with inhabitants.
Hahtool, I much prefer yours.
I love Young Frankenstein! It is so witty. And now that I know the meaning of Schtupp, i shall have to watch "Blazing Saddles" which I've never seen. Madeline Kahn also died too young.
It is so sad about Teri Garr. She is a talented actress. She was great in "Tootsie" and other movies.
Later.
Crocket, Obviously JD got to the paper first today. Jimmy and I had to wait in line. By the time we got it tomorrow's puzzle was already out!
CA,I loved "The In Group". We do have our "Own way of talking" and we do know "what the In Crowd Knows"! Sounds just like our Blog.
KQ, I join the others in saying your news is not good news but it always helps to know what one is up against. Since both seizures occurred at work, it might be well to question if there is something in the work environment to trigger a seizure. For instance, the Christmas lights that flash on and off can cause a seizure in some people. The light pattern on a TV after a station goes off the air also cause problems. I don't know where he works, but if there is anything with electrical impulses, check it out.
C.C. deserves a puzzle in her honor. And this was a fun one.
Dot
Just remembered, I am familiar with the word usurp. At 1st I did not see that connection. Thanks Gunghy and JzB!
off to yoga...
Gunghy, thanks for reminding me about the double L's and M's. They were rather red herring-ish when IDing the theme.
Very nice story Jamal. We all need to remember to live every day to the fullest. Jazzbumpa's update on Teri Garr sure proves that.
BTW, Lucina, I think Teri Garr was amazing in "Tootsie" too.
Argyle, a special tip of the hat for Lena Horne's "Stormy Weather". What an elegant and talented lady she was.
Hi C.C., Argyle and everyone:
Great puzzle and nice to honor C.C. - she certainly deserves all of it.
Fun to see Lemon and Lolita together, guess it 'was meant to be'.
Love the PLEDGE TARGET clue and answer. I was not thinking of 'dust' - more like what would someone be pledging to do. I added another dent to the V-8 can :)
10D - did not know that either but the perps fixed it.
KQ - I'll add my 2 cents...I am so glad that you found out what the problem was before college started. As everyone else has said, there are such good treatments available for epilepsy that your son should be just fine. It's so good to have a diagnosis and not be wondering.
Jalmar, that story about Lucky and Mary made me cry, but they were 'good' tears. Thanks for the tenderhearted comment :)
Congratulations, C,C, for being a muse for today's puzzle and as always for hosting such a great blog! Many thanks,
KQ. all of us who have worried through some serious and mysterious illness with our children know what you're going though, and sympathize. You're doing just what should be done. I'm sure that by the time your son matriculates things will be under control. Meantime, I'm behind you as well as the others.
To Lena Horne, R.I.P. A lovely lady.
C.C. being the inspiration of this puzzle is just "awesome". Then to see LOLITA and LEMONadeLAWyer just frosted the cake. I just got home from a Cub Scout meeting where I am one of the few "Den Mothers".
They are starting to clean up the highway's this weekend. I am not so keen on it, as it's fishing opener and there will be a lot of traffic on the road, and neither is Brady Joe as we will miss the fishing opener on Saturday. I told him first things first and we can fish on Sunday.
Good sailing to you Ghungy and Jeannie this weekend while we paddle our canoe.
Argyle: Not TMI for 20A. I appreciated the explanation!
25A: Had to change PILOTED to AVIATED.
Jeff, it was so nice of you to stop by and provide us with your inspiration for this puzzle!
KQ: I'm sorry to hear that your son had another seizure, and that it confirms the diagnosis. It sounds like he's got a great support system who'll make sure he gets the care he needs.
Jalmar: I loved the story! It brought tears to my eyes too.
Sorry, Gunghy. I spelled your name wrong. Sorry you dropped a hammer on your foot yesterday. OWIE AND YOWIE.
My goodness, I'm surprised no one caught this error: "seething with inhabitants" should have been "teeming with inhabitants". A few years ago there is no way that would have slipped by me (sigh).
My hand is up, too, Jaimar, for your touching story. Made me teary.
Contract clone – cc
Beautiful.
Like
Athletic supporter – t
Can’t wait for b.c.c.
John
Jalmar, wonderful story!
A fun puzzle and a good writeup. I echo almost everybody's comments.
Pete Rose was a great ball player. However, I just didn't like him, maybe because of his (perceived) arrogance.
Tarrajo, nice to see you back. I enjoy reading your posts. Non Illigitimi Carborundum (fake Latin).
Hahtool - no special connection to LSU beyond Pistol Pete.
Jalmar - great story (you must know this blog is composed of a bunch of softies).
Dodo:
I just read the late posts from last night and saw your recipe for sloe gin fizz. I think after the first line of instruction I would just pass out and forget about it! LOL
Just a quick note to let you all know that yes, I know where Jen is staying and although it's a women's shelter it's not conducive for what she is going through. I have managed to secure her a room at the "Ronald McDonald" house for terminal patients for a "time" as she goes through more treatments at the U of M. She is a tough cookie though and looks at this as charity. I basically talked tough to her on the phone and insisted she make the move. I have lined up transportation as well. I sure hope she listened to me. It wasn't easy to secure a room at the adjacent dorm. Oh well, I did what I could. My company, Reye's Holdings (Reinhart is owned by them) helped me through the process.
Lemonade, do they know something we should? 1700 miles isn't that far you know. Lo-li-ta to you my Comely Counselor. Like how I did that? Somehow, I think Jerome would be proud.
Lo-li-ta
Jalmar,
I had seen that story before, but it didn't stop my getting choked up over it again. Thanks for sharing it.
Tarrajo,
Glad to see you back on a more regular basis, and it's good knowing that all is well in Brady Joe's world too.
G'night all!
Forgotten note, Jalmar your story made me cry once again. Jeannie has been crying alot lately as I am a big softie. I mostly do it in private though. I had a dog Rusty in my teens, and when I was bummed out and at tears he would sit behind me (bigger dog) and lay his head on my shoulder and let out big sighs and moans. I miss him to this day.
Signing off now, Jeannie, the big hearted softie sap. Thanks JD for calling me out and ruining my reputation for the ANONS.
Jeannie, you are NOT sappy; you have a BIG heart!
I agree, Jeannie. You have a big, kind heart and I admire you for it.
Good night all!
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