Theme: THE FOUR TOPS - The first word of each two-word common phrase can precede "top".
17A. *Hooch from the hinterlands: MOUNTAIN DEW. Yum . Mountain Top = TOP 1.
29A. *Spears or Twain: POP SINGERS . Britney and Shania . Pop Top = TOP 2.
39A. *Steve Forbes proposed a 17% one: FLAT TOP. Flat Tax = TOP 3.
48A. *Place to get tickets: BOX OFFICE . Box Top = TOP 4. Count them, four just like the group!
62A. "I Can't Help Myself" singers (1965), and hint to puzzle theme found in beginnings of answers to starred clues: THE FOUR TOPS. The first band I got a record deal for, covered this song on their second album.
Hello all, there is no way you can enjoy this puzzle as much as I did. It is I, Across 66. Lemon ending: ADE 714 here, providing you information and entertainment.
If any of you had any doubt about how powerful C.C.’s influence is, a look at this fun puzzle which includes not only my sobriquet, but also Across 34. It covers the pupil: CORNEA knowing I have had three CORNEA transplant operations, and 30. About the eye: OPTIC. The nerve of this guy; then all kinds of legalese, Across 26. Like a case before the court: AT BAR , 52. Parcel (out): METE. A favorite legal word, 53. Sale warning: AS IS . Real estate primarily is sold this way, 58. Certifies under oath: ATTESTS , 70. Property to divide, perhaps: ESTATE; it is eerie!
Anyway, it is Wednesday, so let’s get to it:
Across:
1. Country bumpkin: HICK . Tricky way to begin, as RUBE also fits, so you have to look at down: 1. Run smoothly: HUM , to get going, or at least that is how I approach solving.
5. In itself: AS SUCH.
11. When doubled, a dance: CAN. Another toughie, with CHA as an alternative.
14. Tangelo relative: UGLI. One of our common fruit responses.
15. Baum's good witch: GLINDA. If you have not seen the play wicked it is a fabulous prequel to L. Frank Baum’s WIZARD OF OZ.
16. Livy's "I love:" AMO. More Latin and history of old Romans .
19. Gun: REV we can all picture Barry G. gunning the engine in his new Chrysler, or Dennis doing so in any car.
20. Sends again, as a package: RESHIPS.
21. WellPoint competitor: AETNA, insurance companies.
23. Computer list: MENU.
24. Stated: SAID. This was so easy, it was hard, he indicated.
36. __-Man: PAC. Yes, I was a fanatic!
37. Youngest Bronte sister: ANNE. She died young of TB.
38. Brian who produced some U2 albums: ENO. A musician in his own right.
42. Lyric poem: ODE.
43. Fruit covering: RIND.
45. "Madama Butterfly" tie: OBI.
46. Hid, cardsharp-style: PALMED. Yes, be careful of dealers with big hands.
51. Deviates: VEERS.
55. Marina locale: INLET.
61. Daisy __: MAE . Al Capp’s creation.
67. Exalt: LIFT UP.
68. "Toreador Song," e.g.: ARIA. Do we ever go a week without this word?
69. Cougar or Impala: CAR. I wanted something more complicated, involving wild cats…silly me.
71. Monthly payment: RENT.
Down:
2. Borodin prince: IGOR. More opera knowledge, my weak suit in all puzzles.
3. Detective's need: CLUE. Did anyone know, the game originated in England? Well, with Colonel Mustard….
4. Brother or father: KINSMAN.
5. "Encore!": AGAIN .
6. Err: SLIP UP, and the quick echo, 7. Errs, morally: SINS .
8. Leipzig link: UND. How to say “and” in German.
9. B followers: CDE. Easy?
10. Game show winner's destination, maybe: HAWAII. I guess they have all left us to sit on the beach.
11. Market offering: CART. It is the first thing you get when you go to the grocery store.
12. Service finale: AMEN. Any French Open Tennis fans out there?
13. Bright star: NOVA. Help me scientists, I thought this meant an explosion on a star?
18. 1994 Denis Leary comedy: THE REF , odd movie.
22. Flamboyant Dame: EDNA, another export from the Commonwealth of Nations, funny?.
24. Tiff: SPAT.
25. Songwriters' org.: ASCAP.
26. Harsh: ACERB. IC? ICKY?
27. "Pagliacci" baritone role: TONIO. No clue.
28. Where the 2009 World Series was won: BRONX. No comment.
31. Garden statue: GNOME.
32. Word after East or West: ENDER. I used to watch the BBC TV Show .
33. Oboes and clarinets: REEDS. Are your instruments custom made, JzB?
35. Up in the air: ALOFT.
40. Irish Rose's lover: ABIE.
41. Missionary St. Francis __: XAVIER. Cute juxtaposition.
44. Stadium topper: DOME. They are building a new baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins with a retractable roof, but will anyone come?
47. Light cigarette ad claim: LESS TAR. Wow, a real blast from the past.
49. In fine __: fit: FETTLE. Nice word, and alliteration!
50. Enjoy a bistro: EAT OUT.
54. Knucklehead: STUPE . Really?
55. Apple with an electronic core: IMAC.
56. Zilch: NADA. Finally, some Spanish.
57. Lewd look: LEER. Okay, maybe this one applies to me also.
58. Aqua Velva alternative: AFTA. But neither of these two, ever!
59. Ripped off: TORE.
60. Turn in a kissing game: SPIN. The bottle; where are you Lo-li-ta?
63. Towel word: HIS.
64. Newt, at one time: EFT. Yes, again; try and work this word into a conversation.
65. Made a lap: SAT. Love them babies .
Thanks for letting me in your homes, have a great June and be careful.
Answer grid.
Lemonade714
17A. *Hooch from the hinterlands: MOUNTAIN DEW. Yum . Mountain Top = TOP 1.
29A. *Spears or Twain: POP SINGERS . Britney and Shania . Pop Top = TOP 2.
39A. *Steve Forbes proposed a 17% one: FLAT TOP. Flat Tax = TOP 3.
48A. *Place to get tickets: BOX OFFICE . Box Top = TOP 4. Count them, four just like the group!
62A. "I Can't Help Myself" singers (1965), and hint to puzzle theme found in beginnings of answers to starred clues: THE FOUR TOPS. The first band I got a record deal for, covered this song on their second album.
Hello all, there is no way you can enjoy this puzzle as much as I did. It is I, Across 66. Lemon ending: ADE 714 here, providing you information and entertainment.
If any of you had any doubt about how powerful C.C.’s influence is, a look at this fun puzzle which includes not only my sobriquet, but also Across 34. It covers the pupil: CORNEA knowing I have had three CORNEA transplant operations, and 30. About the eye: OPTIC. The nerve of this guy; then all kinds of legalese, Across 26. Like a case before the court: AT BAR , 52. Parcel (out): METE. A favorite legal word, 53. Sale warning: AS IS . Real estate primarily is sold this way, 58. Certifies under oath: ATTESTS , 70. Property to divide, perhaps: ESTATE; it is eerie!
Anyway, it is Wednesday, so let’s get to it:
Across:
1. Country bumpkin: HICK . Tricky way to begin, as RUBE also fits, so you have to look at down: 1. Run smoothly: HUM , to get going, or at least that is how I approach solving.
5. In itself: AS SUCH.
11. When doubled, a dance: CAN. Another toughie, with CHA as an alternative.
14. Tangelo relative: UGLI. One of our common fruit responses.
15. Baum's good witch: GLINDA. If you have not seen the play wicked it is a fabulous prequel to L. Frank Baum’s WIZARD OF OZ.
16. Livy's "I love:" AMO. More Latin and history of old Romans .
19. Gun: REV we can all picture Barry G. gunning the engine in his new Chrysler, or Dennis doing so in any car.
20. Sends again, as a package: RESHIPS.
21. WellPoint competitor: AETNA, insurance companies.
23. Computer list: MENU.
24. Stated: SAID. This was so easy, it was hard, he indicated.
36. __-Man: PAC. Yes, I was a fanatic!
37. Youngest Bronte sister: ANNE. She died young of TB.
38. Brian who produced some U2 albums: ENO. A musician in his own right.
42. Lyric poem: ODE.
43. Fruit covering: RIND.
45. "Madama Butterfly" tie: OBI.
46. Hid, cardsharp-style: PALMED. Yes, be careful of dealers with big hands.
51. Deviates: VEERS.
55. Marina locale: INLET.
61. Daisy __: MAE . Al Capp’s creation.
67. Exalt: LIFT UP.
68. "Toreador Song," e.g.: ARIA. Do we ever go a week without this word?
69. Cougar or Impala: CAR. I wanted something more complicated, involving wild cats…silly me.
71. Monthly payment: RENT.
Down:
2. Borodin prince: IGOR. More opera knowledge, my weak suit in all puzzles.
3. Detective's need: CLUE. Did anyone know, the game originated in England? Well, with Colonel Mustard….
4. Brother or father: KINSMAN.
5. "Encore!": AGAIN .
6. Err: SLIP UP, and the quick echo, 7. Errs, morally: SINS .
8. Leipzig link: UND. How to say “and” in German.
9. B followers: CDE. Easy?
10. Game show winner's destination, maybe: HAWAII. I guess they have all left us to sit on the beach.
11. Market offering: CART. It is the first thing you get when you go to the grocery store.
12. Service finale: AMEN. Any French Open Tennis fans out there?
13. Bright star: NOVA. Help me scientists, I thought this meant an explosion on a star?
18. 1994 Denis Leary comedy: THE REF , odd movie.
22. Flamboyant Dame: EDNA, another export from the Commonwealth of Nations, funny?.
24. Tiff: SPAT.
25. Songwriters' org.: ASCAP.
26. Harsh: ACERB. IC? ICKY?
27. "Pagliacci" baritone role: TONIO. No clue.
28. Where the 2009 World Series was won: BRONX. No comment.
31. Garden statue: GNOME.
32. Word after East or West: ENDER. I used to watch the BBC TV Show .
33. Oboes and clarinets: REEDS. Are your instruments custom made, JzB?
35. Up in the air: ALOFT.
40. Irish Rose's lover: ABIE.
41. Missionary St. Francis __: XAVIER. Cute juxtaposition.
44. Stadium topper: DOME. They are building a new baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins with a retractable roof, but will anyone come?
47. Light cigarette ad claim: LESS TAR. Wow, a real blast from the past.
49. In fine __: fit: FETTLE. Nice word, and alliteration!
50. Enjoy a bistro: EAT OUT.
54. Knucklehead: STUPE . Really?
55. Apple with an electronic core: IMAC.
56. Zilch: NADA. Finally, some Spanish.
57. Lewd look: LEER. Okay, maybe this one applies to me also.
58. Aqua Velva alternative: AFTA. But neither of these two, ever!
59. Ripped off: TORE.
60. Turn in a kissing game: SPIN. The bottle; where are you Lo-li-ta?
63. Towel word: HIS.
64. Newt, at one time: EFT. Yes, again; try and work this word into a conversation.
65. Made a lap: SAT. Love them babies .
Thanks for letting me in your homes, have a great June and be careful.
Answer grid.
Lemonade714
54 comments:
Good morning, Lemonade, C.C. and gang - how can I not like a puzzle that's a tribute to one of my favorite oldies groups, a group that provided background music to many, many youthful escapades and forays? And one of my very favorite memories is of a group of filthy, dirty, exhausted Marines coming back in through the wire in the early morning after a two-day 'search and destroy' patrol, singing "I Can't Help Myself" at the top of our lungs. The stuff that stays in your mind...
Didn't we just see Jack McInturff recently? That usually means a good puzzle, and this one didn't disappoint. The only discordant note for me was 'acerb', which I associate with bitter tasting; I was expecting 'stern'. And I hated seeing 28D, since the Phillies lost that one. Only unknown was 'The Ref'.
Lemonade, great job, and yes, this one seemed to be aimed at you. Fun puzzle, and a typical Wednesday one.
Today is National Bubba Day and National Rocky Road Day.
Good morning Lemonade, CC and All, a fun puzzle this morning and a quick solve except for the west central. I inserted stern for 26D and refused to take it out for a long time. I completed the remainder of the puzzle and then came back to this area and finally saw “atbar” and then that area fell.
I did not know Tonio and “TheRef”, but they fell with the perps.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday.
Good Morning, CC and all. Thought of you, Lemonade, when I filled in the ADE.
I thought I was off to a rocky start when I really wanted RUBE for a country bumpkin. I knew Borodin's prince was Igor, so HICK fell into place. Still, even after getting the H and U, it took a while for the light to dawn on HUM. (I learned about UGLI fruit from doing crosswords.)
I saw Denis Leary do standup back in the day when we were both living in Boston. Didn't know him, just liked to go to the comedy club where he would perform.
QOD: The love of truth lies at the root of much humor. ~ Robertson Davies
I'm glad that others found this one so fun and easy, but it really pummeled me. Maybe I just wasn't on the creator's wavelength, but many of the clues and answers just made me go "huh?"
I drink about a gallon of MOUNTAIN DEW a day (diet, ever since being diagnosed with diabetes years ago), and I still had no clue what "Hooch from the hinterlands" was referring to. I wanted KINDRED instead of KINSMAN for 4D. I misread the clue for 46A as "Hip, cardsharp-style," and even now I'm wondering what "cardsharp" means. Is it related to cardshark?
And the litany of pain continues... I had no idea who St. Francis XAVIER was. I initially had RUBE for HICK, CHA for CAN, and STERN for ACERB (I thought ACERB meant sour and/or bitter instead of harsh). Neither East nor West ENDERS is in my vocabulary. And STUPE? Don't get me started.
The fact that I actually remembered such arcana as THE REF and TONIO was the only reason I was able to eventually solve this one unassisted, but it sure was a slog. Again, I'm not saying the puzzle was bad, but my inability to get on the creator's wavelength certainly made it unenjoyable.
In other news, my son is supposed to finally get his cast off his arm today, and I am moving slowly yet inexorably toward the day when I start working from home full-time.
Good morning Lemonade, CC, et al., A good Weds puzzle and a wonderful tribute to the Four Tops. It's perfect for you Lemonade. I thought about you immediately. Great job too! I totally agree w/you about "Wicked".
One of the best musicals ever.
Wonder about 26D Ascerb and 54D stupe. Not a fan. And I also question Nova as a star.
17A Hooch? from anywhere sure didn't bring me to Mtn Dew. I was sooo 'aloft' on that one. Loved the irony with 'Glinda' amid 'slip up', 'again' & 'sins' plus the Gnome close to the reeds. That's always where I find 'em.
Then here comes St. Francis who did not 'lift up' my spirits. I wanted Assisi and couldn't get past it but all was forgiven when perps bailed me out. Loved 60D kissing game 'spin'. Great memories...along w/Box Office. Good puzzle. I enjoyed it.
BarryG: glad to hear your son has healed and that you have something job-wise to look forward to. Sounds perfect!
12wk days til the end of the worst administration year ever.
Enjoy your day.
Hello Puzzlers - Breezed right through this one, a few minor missteps here and there that were quickly fixed, except - the tiny NE block. I was convinced it was CHA crossing with HYMN and just couldn't break loose. Once CAN came to light, it smoothed out.
I couldn't see the gun/REV connection for about an hour until I had that V8 moment.
Dennis: Tell me, how does one celebrate National Bubba Day?
Oh, I was kind of all over the place this morning. I really had trouble with the NE corner, as I wouldn't let go of CHA at all, so wanted HYMN and never did get it all figured out until coming here. Had REV right away, but that didn't help me. Misread WellPoint for West Point so that really did me in also.
Otherwise the rest of the puzzle came out just fine. Started with PUR vs HUM but got that one figured out okay. I caught on to the theme right away, so that helped me figure everything out in the end. Did anyone else put down CAT immediately for Cougar and Impala? That was a quick fix though.
LemonAde - glad you had such a fun time with this one. It was a keeper for sure.
Off to do the last day of scrapbooking b4 the big grad party this weekend. Worked on a video of my son yesterday. Getting a little teary eyed over here. Not much time to post after the first one these days (might not even get there the next few) but I will be back next week I hope. Pray for no rain this weekend. With about 250 coming for the open house, I am hoping we can keep it outdoors.
Card sharp vs Card shark seems to have evolved in parallel. Sharp appears first in print, but it's not clear that means it was the original.
Mountain Dew is "Tennesee mountain moonshine", illicit distilled liquor. Here is the history of the soft drink of the same name.
Good Morning everyone.
Fast and easy with nice theme and unifier.
Couldn't get Tenn Flat Top Box by Rosanne Cash out of my
mind.
Are the Four Aces next?
Guess Shania could be called a pop singer. So many have crossed over to the "dark side".
Putting the canoe on the truck
and looking for the tide charts.
Amy said she did it in 3:31. She is one of those nine Jerome was talking about.
eddyB
C.C. is having a baby?
anon@9:46, no, but everybody should be sure to read tomorrow morning's write-up.
19. Gun: I was thinking of a type of firearm.
1 Country bumpkin I wanted rube
17 hooch from the hinterlands. I thought of moonshine.
29 Spears or Twain. This I had a problem with because Shania Twain is a country western performer. I could not figure out what she and Britney had in common.
Britney
Good Morning All, I enjoyed today's puzzle and it HUMmed very nicely for me. As soon as I saw the *asterisked clues I zipped to the bottom, got THE FOUR TOPS and worked my way up. It seemed to fill in more easily that way.
It reminded me of how many words/names I've learned, or would never have seen if it hadn't been for crossword puzzles. UGLI, ENO, ABIE, EFT and even STUPE, which we discussed a while back are only seen in crosswords (at least in my world). AMO, ODE, OBI, LEER and ARIA are a little more common, but I seldom use them in conversation.
Names I didn't know I knew, but somehow did, were TONIO and XAVIER.
Then there were names and words that I like. "Wicked", or "OZ straight", GLINDA is an old buddy. Dame EDNA makes me laugh whenever I see him. No reason for it, I like the word FETTLE and have been known to tell people I'm in "fine fettle". But I wouldn't have actually looked it up in the dictionary without crosswords.
Hi Lemonade, C.C. & gang, an enjoyable Wednesday puzzle with an easy theme for a change? I'm sorry but I didn't get the reference to Lemon ADE until I got here.
For your question about why a Nova is a bright star, From:
"... the envelope of the dying star is expelled with such speed that, when it plows into the interstellar gas, it is heated to millions of degrees and remain bright in X-rays for tens of thousands of years.
In the visual light, how long you can track supernovae depends on their distance. Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud (which is relatively nearby as these things go) is still being followed from the ground and from the Hubble Space Telescope:
"
Good morning Lemonade, CC and all,
This was a "Rocky Road" for me. I'm with the "huh?" group. I had trouble with much of the cluing, like hooch- which we all know as booze, unless you live in Korea. Then it would be your house or room.In Vietnam it would be a hut or Quonset-style barracks.Mountain Dew? cute, not so much.
I suppose rev is for revolver? Why not make it REVerend since it crossed amen?
For acerb, I put acrid and it took awhile for me to change that one.
"in itself" did not click for me either.Abie? Tonio? Did know XAVIER. :-)
Lemonade, I so enjoyed your write up sooo much more than this c/w. Thanks!
BTW, last night's poems were so clever and fun. If you haven't done it, go back and read them.
uh oh..wrong again. REV is for rev 'er up boys!lol
LemonADE, Excellent write-up.
Seeing all the legal references it must be kismet that you did blog today.
When I googled STUPE after I finished and found the first source listed is the Urban Dictionary, well ...
Wanted Rube before HICK.
So I went to the SE and solved in the opposite direction. Seems to me I do this a lot.
Got THE FOUR TOPS theme, UND was HUMming the song throughout.
UGLI is delicious, especially when right off the tree in Jamaica.
Didn't know TONIO or that "Toreador song" was an ARIA. Easy gets via the perps.
My New York Yankees 27th World Series Title. The BRONX was a pleasure to fill in.
Lois along with the paired SLIP UP & SINS, I also liked the AMEN / ENDER stack.
Good day, Lemonade714, C.C. and puzzle people.
Nice write up, Lemon, and yes, I thought of you and smiled on 66A.
What a sweet Wednesday xwd.
Although I started with "rube", looking down made me change to "hick" since I could see "Igor" and "clue" would fit. Also wanted "cha" but changed it quickly and who can forget Glinda, the good witch. I even have two small gnomes in my garden.
Everything else hummed right along, only tripping on the west center but "cornea" and Brian "Eno" saved it since I didn't know "at bar" and "Bronx." It's amazing how much I've learned, just like you all, from cosswords.
I was surprised to see "mountain dew" as hooch from the hinterlands (good alliteration) but really, isn't that the original nickname?
Nice to see "Tonio" and "aria" in the same xwd.
Guess I should go back to yesterday's comments. Thanks, JD.
Have a lovely Wednesday all!
Dudly, Dennis is from Jersy...what would he know about "Bubba`s".
Having relatives from states which are overly populated them, here`s what I think qualifies you:
Loose at least three front teeth, wear mostly camo (even to formal occasions), fly a Confederate flag somewhere on your pickup, put gumboots upsidedown between the truck bed and the cab,fill your jaw with Red Man, drink "cocola", eat weird meat like alligator or rattlesnake, marry first, second or third cousins (several of them), shoot any animal, legally or not, take exceptional care of Mama, but "cuss' Daddy out regularly and never miss Mike Rowe, John Cenna or Toby Keith. Now that I`ve off-ended most of the Southern states, I think I`ll go "do" the puzzle.
Hi all -
Got on Jack McInturff's wave after pulling out half a dozen hairs over the NW corner. Finally got some traction with 12 and 13D. After that, it was semi-smooth sailing.
I didn't get the theme and could not think of The Four Tops but they emerged through perp help. In fact, I got LOTS of help through the perps.
Lemonade: great job!!
Dennis: now you have my curiosity up for C.C.'s write-up tomorrow.
Last night's limerick-fest was fun!
Lemonade- Not fair! You can't leave us hangin' without the rest of the Four Tops story.
UGLI-
For sure, an ESTATE has a TEA SET.
You can FLOAT ALOFT.
Crummy choice- Bad CORNEA OR ACNE.
The eye is an OPTIC TOPIC.
A Catholic POP SINGER makes POPE'S
GRIN.
In my judgment, terrific write-up, counselor.
Lemon, great writeup, enjoyed it one h___ of a lot more than the puzzle. Jack and I never seem to be even close to the same wavelength. About the only clue I was sure of was Hooch , but even there I wanted White Lightning. George saved me with the line, "why he called it white lightning 'stead of mountain dew."
Shania is definitely pop, but she started on country stations. She probably did more to corrupt Country music than anyone. As a result, I've blocked her from my mind and could not see the connection between Brittney and Mark.
Never heard of the EMIR Igor, or the ugli or Tonio. 35D ABOVE. 43A PEEL. 6D MESS UP (Yes, I did, a lot!!)
All that said, I finished it with no errors IN THE FINAL PRODUCT. But the newspaper is one of the biggest messes I've ever made, and I finished Sunday's in faster time.
Tinbeni: good catch on amen and ender. They're stacked the perfect way too- end to end.
Thought that it was a stroke of serendipity that today is Nat'l Bubba Day and the first word in today's c/w is 'hick'. Are they synonymous? Pretty much are to me.
To celebrate Nat'l Bubba Day I'm going to go home and get my 'bubba teeth', straw hat, drank some hooch at my favorite waterin' hole and kick butt at the pool table. I thank Bubba would be rightly proud of bang remembered in this fashion since I thank most o'da folk 'round here have most o' their teeth and I cain't count no higher than 5 anhyhow since that's all my fangers on one hand. I know I have two hands, but I have to use the other hand to point to each fanger that I'm countin'. So, I never got past 5. Yee haw! the bell just rung!
Another easy one. 12 minutes. A couple of false starts like CHA for CAN at 11A and REMAILS for RESHIPS at 20A, but I quickly figured out those solutions weren't going to work. As I discovered after finishing, this puzzle was TOPS.
Greetings everybody.
This was an, um, interesting puzzle. I always like it when I don't have to look anything up, of course, so I liked this puzzle. But like many of you I also kept thinking of moonshine instead of mountain dew, but once I finally did latch onto MOUNTAINDEW I had no trouble in accepting it as a kind of hootch.
Lemonade714, thanks ever so much for an interesting writeup. As always, it's fun to see how you all think, what appeals to you, and what sorts of things you especially notice. By the way, I've never been at any of the Sturgis motorcycle gatherings, although I did used to ride one way back when before my new bride made me give them up. I suspect the many empty restaurants are due to the seasonal population overloads during those biker get-togethers, which probably made the town grow too fast too much.
Relexively, without thinking, put in CHA for 11A, and only dragged my mind away from it when the perps led to it being CAN. Then I realized that the official name of the dance is cha cha cha. One of many V-8 moments.
Also tried for the longest time to squeeze in ASSISI instead if XAVIER. By the way, there is a San Xavier mission south of Tucson that is quite a beautiful place.
Easy entries: MENU, CORNEA, ANNE, OBI, METE, MAE, GNOME, OPTIC, IMAC, and ARIA. the hardest for me to get were: ASSUCH, RESHIPS, ACERB (hate it!), BRONX (I know nothing about sports), and THEREF (which I have never heard of.) Spelling GLINDA as GLENDA didn't help, either.
I also don't Shania Twain a pop singer, certainly not in the same ilk as Britney. Therefore my brain kept thinking of Mark Twain, which messed me up even more. Funny how we can go to such great lengths and create such far-fetched alternatives to avoid what we refuse to accept.
Maybe a flat tax is really a good idea ...
My wife is at the supermarket at the moment, pushing her cart, and she is specifically going to look for an ugli fruit, which she also has never heard of or seen the likes of. (Of which she has never heard nor seen the likes. LOL)
I loved Daisy Mae's cut-off shorts, say I apropros of nothing. She was in such fine fettle.
Which side of his body was Igor's hump on? Did he dance any of the Polovtsian Dances or Steppe anywhere on Central Asia? (Sorry, I HAD to do it!)
Best wishes to you all.
G'mornin' CC and all. Enjoyed your write-up L'ade. I did the puzzle on line today, so red letters helped me get through it fairly easily. When I was in college, we had a juke box in the dorm lounge. Song # G5 was I Can't Help Myself. Whenever someone wanted to hear it you'd yell for GEE FIVE!
Lois, Thank you so much for your comment yesterday on my work. I'm sending you a big hug for that, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch!!
C del O AKA: Chuck of the West
CC: Did the puzzle...Even after reading the comments, I still had to consult the grid for two fills in the wsw section...
L714; Legally valid write up :)
Enjoyable links. Thanks!
Dennis: It made my heart glad to picture you tough Marines doing the electric slide to "Can`t Help Myself."
Humor is the best morale booster. Having said that, you might want to look up and listen to Dave Roever, another Viet Nam vet.
Maybe it’s because I haven’t solved a puzzle in five days, or just waded through about 350+ emails but I am on BarryG’s wavelength today it seems. I didn’t fall into the “cha-cha” trap as others as the only dance I thought of was the can-can so I didn’t get caught up in the “hick” “rube” mess. I also managed to figure out the theme early on which usually makes for smooth sailing through a puzzle. I had to hit the g-spot for Tonio, and Pacliacci and got lots of red letter help for amo, rev, Eno, and und. Ugh, I know no German.
Counselor, you always give us an entertaining blog, and I agree that this puzzle was somehow custom made for you. As far as “leer”? Mayble ogle, not leer. Want to play a game I know?
I must attest, this puzzle as such a reference to pop culture had me guessing it was a reference to double letters: boxoFFice, flaTTax, aNNe, vEErs, that was tricking myself. Ha! I'm glad i figured out what a tangelo is, and i even asked a woman does she use aqua velva in lure of detemining what product it was.
Eidyn, that has to be the most information anybody here has listed for a profile. BUT what happened wnen you asked the lady if she used Aqua Velva?
Hello All--A great writeup Lemonad 714. It was made just for you, wasn't it?
At first glance I thought I wasn't going to get anywhere with this puzzle. After filling in some of the shorter answers here and there things began to fall into place. I finished everything without any help, but I did a lot of erasing before I had things in place.
Rube, or Clod were my first choices for Hick, and I fell into the Cha trap. I went from the NE corner around and back to the NW corner. Mountain Dew was the last to fall.
I didn't know Tonio or The Ref, but the fills around those gave me the answers. This was an enjoyable puzzle all in all. I really feel good when I finish a CW that starts out so rocky.
LOL, Lois. I loved the writeup today.
I'm baking today for a shower I'm giving in a couple of weeks. The bread makes the kitchen smell sooo good.
Have a great day, everyone.
Jayce: What hump?
Hi all,
I agree, Shania and Brittney are in two TOTALLY different categories as far as I'm concerned. And this city boy MUCH prefers Shania.
Jayce, your questions re Igor's hump reminded me of Marty Feldman in Blazing Saddles.
And I'm certain you don't really want to start a discussion on a flat tax here on CC's blog.
Lemonade, good write-up. And I'm especially looking forward to CC's write-up tomorrow. (Nothing like suspense ...)
Have a good evening.
Carlos del O:
Welcome back! you have been missed, amigo, but I'm glad it was a profitable venture. You do have talent and great skills.
Eidyn:
Welcome to the blog! you do have an interestring profile and it appears you'll fit right in with this crowd.
Quite some time ago someone asked about what type of yoga I practice and at the time I could not recall the name of the guidebook nor spell the author's name.
If you are still interested, today in class we discussed him and I took note. He is Iyengar and his books are used to design various yoga classes on campus.
JD:
The puzzle book is great fun; so far I have seen only one repetition and many clever clues.
Good poetry from last night Lois and Carol. LOL Dennis is such a good sport.
Interesting to see 1A HICK on National Bubba Day. Dudley, I think you celebrate by popping open a Mountain Dew!
54D Knucklehead: STUPE. I remember some group of kids on TV that used to use that – maybe the Bowery Boys? Or the biker gang in the Beach movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello?
Hi!
Yesterday was my first day on the blog. I enjoy it very much.
This was a harder puzzle for me-I have a crossword puzzle dictionary I use. My grandson says it's cheating but I use it anyway.
Speaking of Bubba day- my kids in Ga. introduced us to Bubba Burgers. They are 1/4 pound frozen hamburgers. They are in grocery stores. My kids like them but too much fat for me, I prefer lower fat hamburger.
When we were in Jamaica on a mission project a few years ago we came across a tree that had ugli fruit. I asked them if they ate them and they said NO, they didn't taste good. I knew we had them in the stores here. I know they do eat them there, though.
Have a good evening all!
hello marge
i am new here to the blog also. several months as a lurker, several weeks as a commentor.
anyway, i had to respond to you because you brought back some great memories for me.
i began my crossword solving career as my grandmother's "dictionary boy". her eyesight was beginning to fade(before cataract surgery days) and she would have me look up the words for her. i remember asking her "what is so hard about looking up words in the dictionary?!!"
she would ask my grandpa for help on the sporting clues.
now forty years later i blame/thank her for this crossword sickness/hobby i have!
your grandson will never forget the days he helped grandma solve the puzzle. and he probably realize you are not cheating, you are learning!
Marge, according to Will Shortz, the guru of crosswords, you may use any means you wish to solve 'your' puzzle so don't feel guilty!
Welcome Eidyn...Argyle is correct, wow, I don't think I have ever seen so much info in a profile! Aren't you afraid of so much exposure?
p.s.
i still have her dictionaries and the pages are filled with her handwriting that added words here and there.
on the last few blank pages she had notes like QED: erat and L:50 D:500.
i know roman numerals bring out many different opinions here on the blog. but, for me i hear "i can never remember which one is 500 L or D" !!!
thanks marge...it is amazing how a simple comment like "my grandson says i am cheating" can evoke such great memories
all right, now onto more current stuff........GO REDS, beat the cardinals!!
Marge:
It's not cheating unless you say it is. The only rule is "there ain't no rules".
Please help me out. In the last couple pof weeks there was a Down clue with just the number 13 in it. I would like to know the story behind that clue. It wasn't mentioned in the daily blog and now I can't find that puzzle to check. Thanks.
Carol 7:14: Exposure? Girlfriend, I call that eye candy! Welcome, Eidyn. Love the profile! And thanks for the dessert!
Chuck of the West: You are so welcome! And I meant it too. Thanks for the hug. Love that SPHB moniker.
Welcome, Marge. We have Bubba Burgers too and they're great grilled. My favorites.
Warren: thank you for the nova explanation. Now it makes sense.
Lois, on the money re Bubba burgers; outside of my secret recipe burgers, they're my favorites as well.
Marge, Windhover's right - there's no cheating in crosswordland. You have to look something up, you're still learning, right?
Welcome, Marge. I think you will find this quite an interesting group. We all love doing crosswords and then go off on tangents as the day's puzzle may inspire.
As Seen, Not Heard said, (see, he is heard!), your grandson will cherish his memories with you. I have wonderful memories of special times with my grandmother. I lost her only a few years ago.
Jerome:
Sorry, I am so long in responding, but another long work day.
Not much of a story; the band was called ALIEN, until two weeks before we did the art for their first album, and the movie came out. They became AXE . The link is their version of the song, anyway, they did 4 albums, had a top 50 hit, but one member got killed in a car accident, and they never recovered (no pun intended.
Thank you for the all the kind words; this was fun to blog, Now if we could get the constructors thoughts....greedy me.
Lo-li-ta, does the game have to do with hiding something? Good to see you.
Is CC going to be tomorrow's constructor?
No, this will be even better. Much better.
Hahtool:
I, like everyone else, I bet, have my own hypothesis. Tomorrow, we'll see.
Oh, and while I'm here, ARBAON, you managed earlier to describe many of my friends and neighbors and on several counts, moi. No smoking or dipping or chewing for me, though. I grew the stuff for 20 years, and and put 2 1/2 children through college with the proceeds, but I never bought any of it back.
Also, while I'm here, I'll echo one of the first comments I read on the blog about 15 months ago: "Where the hell is Buckeye?"
Look what happens when ya go away for the day....Eidyn and Marge show up!
Eidyn, I loved your profile. About the only thing we don't know is your birthday.
Marge, you figured out how to update your profile. Congratulations. Another Wisconsinite (or is it Wisconsinian?) heard from.
I'm glad I came back to say "Hi" this evening. Isn't it fantastic that a 28 year old and a 78 year old can show up on this blog and fit right in?
Now...what will happen tomorrow? Windhover, you may be right. AND...where is Buckeye? I've been missing you, Bro.
Eidyn and Marge, Welcome. You'll enjoy the banter.
Eidyn, I've never seen a profile quite like yours. I'm afraid that I wouldn't want so much info out there in cyberspace.
Dennis, the suspense over C.C.'s blog for tomorrow is almost more than I can bear. I'm going to leave the house very early tomorrow and I'm hoping I'll have time to log on before I leave!
The warm weather has finally helped our berries to begin ripening. I've picked almost two cups of raspberries and blueberries. They will be so good with ice cream for dessert.
Lois, I agree about the eye candy...very nice indeed. I was concerned about all the personal info that he offered, there are so many grasping, crooked people out there just waiting to take advantage. As I think about it though, all our info is 'out there'.
CA: great observation about a 28 yr old and a 78 year old being able to fit right in...is this a great blog or what????
I think I'll set my alarm for 4:00am so I can find out the CC surprise tomorrow :)
Chickie, sorry for the suspense; I just wanted to make sure there were maximum eyes on the blog in the morning.
Marge- When I create a crossword much of my time is spent with my face buried in a dictionary. Why? I want to make damn sure I know what I'm talking about- No spelling mistakes. No words not clued precisely. No phrase written wrong. If a constructor has to resort to the help of a dictionary there's no reason why you shouldn't if it helps you solve the puzzle. Keep using your dictionary when you feel you need it. Believe me, the time will come, as a solver, when the extra help is not needed.
@CA, around these parts they just call us Cheese-heads. And they're more than simply good-looking, sophisticated head-wear, they're lifesaving devices, too.
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