google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday June 14, 2010 Bruce Venzke

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Jun 14, 2010

Monday June 14, 2010 Bruce Venzke

Theme: Plunge into Monday - The last word of each two-word noun phrase means to go down (like BP stock) when taken as verbs. All four are nouns too, but with little connection.

17A. Cold sufferer's decongestant: NOSE DROPS

28A. 18-Down washing places: KITCHEN SINKS

47A. Honeymoon mecca: NIAGARA FALLS

64A. Creamy bowlfuls for chips: PARTY DIPS

Argyle here.

This is Monday; I checked. If you aren't versed in crosswordese, this could be tough. I constantly had to check the perps to see if I was on the right track. It is consistent with other offerings from Bruce Venzke.

Do you have a favorite recipe for party dip you would like to share? Me, I'm lazy and buy the pre-made stuff.

Across:

1A. Very attentive: RAPT.

5A. Kibbutz dance: HORA. Kibbutz is a Israel community settlement and hora is a traditional round dance.

9A. Throat ailment: STREP.

14A. Blond race in "The Time Machine": ELOI. The Eloi are one of the two post-human races in H. G. Wells' 1895 novel The Time Machine. They are the main source of food for the other race, the Morlocks.

15A. Hatchets: AXES.

16A. Under-the-bridge folklore villain: TROLL. From the story of the three Billy Goats Gruff..

19A. Reach a cost of: RUN TO.

20A. Prevail over, at an auction: OUTBID.

21A. Paddock pop: SIRE. Alliteration. Paddocks are associated with horses, mostly.

23A. Internet address punctuation: DOT.

24A. Gobi Desert locale: ASIA.

26A. Four __: luxury hotel: SEASONS. A Canadian-based international luxury hotel.

32A. Breakfast area: NOOK.

33A. Canonized woman of Fr.: STE..

34A. Early anesthetic: ETHER.

38A. FGs often end them: OTs. In football, a field goal ends a "sudden death" overtime, where the first team to score, wins. Change is in the works to allow the opposing team a chance to score. (modified sudden death)

39A. Stiffly formal: STILTED. Perhaps from the action of a man walking on stilts; he is unbending.

42A. __ League: IVY. The Ivy League consists of Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale. The "Ivy" part of Ivy League is a reference to the plants that climb all over many of the old campus buildings at each school.

43A. Dressing table vessel, perhaps: BASIN. More likely, it would be on a dry sink, with an ewer. Image, with chamber pot!

45A. It's "the word": MUM.

46A. Ballet bend: PLIÉ.

51A. Nightclub enforcer: BOUNCER.

54. Be in on: KNOW.

55A. Superlative ending: EST.

56A. Fast food tycoon Ray: KROC. Don't mention him around Jeannie. (He is Mickey D. and she works for the King, Burger that is.)

58A. Gemini rockets: AGENAs. The Agena not only served as a docking target for the Gemini spacecraft , but the rocket was also fired on several Gemini missions in order to boost the combination to a higher orbit, and to bring it back again. Agena is also the name of a star in the constellation Centaurus. Wikipedia.

62. "You can't get __ from here": THERE. Ayup, true enuff over in Vermont.

66A. Barbershop quartet voice: TENOR.

67A. New York canal: ERIE.

68A. Words after shake or break: A LEG.

69A. Bosox rivals: YANKS.

70A. Society newcomers: DEBS.

71A. Cell phone message: TEXT.

Down:

1D. Vegas alternative: RENO. Nevada cities.

2D. 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty: ALOU. (without his brothers today.)

3D. Newsgroup message: POST.

4D. Curtain restraint: TIEBACK.

5D. Most robust: HARDIEST.

6D. Losing tic-tac-toe row: OXO.

7D. Weight room count: REPS. Repetitions.

8D. St. Francis of __: ASSISI.

9D. Barely ran?: STREAKED. As in ran bare. The Streak by Ray Stevens.

10D. Show about Capote: "TRU". Truman Capote, American author.

11D. Sonata finale, often: RONDO. Sonata Rondo Form from Wikipedia.

12D. Pop singer John: ELTON. Sir Elton John.

13D. Garden layouts: PLOTS.

18D. Spoon companion of rhyme: DISH.
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon

22D. Cartoon Chihuahua: REN. Ren is partnered with Stimpy, a cat.

25D. Against: ANTI.

27D. Old boom-creating speedster, briefly: SST. SuperSonic Transport, no longer in service.

28D. Gearshift topper: KNOB.

29D. Greek "i": IOTA.

30D. Mix, as a salad: TOSS.

31D. 1965 Freedom March city: SELMA. Alabama

35D. Country singer Faith: HILL.

36D. Pernicious: EVIL. Pernicious, to cause great harm.

37D. Whiskey choices: RYEs. Some would rather choose Scotch, ;-)

39D. Candy bar that makes you chuckle?: SNICKERS.

40D. Ankara native: TURK. Ankara is the capital of Turkey.

41D. Issues (from): EMANATES. The long version of EMITS.

44D. Country stopover: INN.

46D. Examined, cat-style: PAWED AT.

48D. __ Lingus: AER. Ireland's favourite airline.

49D. Felt one's way: GROPED.

50D. Stodgy old-timer: FOGY.

51D. Wilma's pal on "The Flintstones": BETTY. Wilma Flintsone and Betty Rubble, BFF.

52D. Milo of "The Verdict": O'SHEA. He had the part of Judge Hoyle in this 1982 film.

53D. Knoxville sch.: U TENN. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, founded in 1794.

57D. Part of TLC: CARE. Tender Loving CARE

59D. Christie's "Death on the __": NILE. Agatha Christie's murder mystery first published in 1937.

60D. Nadir's opposite: APEX. Nadir - lowest point; APEX - highest point.

61D. High-ranking NCO: SSGT. Staff sergeant, E-6.

63D. Seoul soldier: ROK. Korean.

65D. Poke fun at: RIB.

Well, that was the most work I've done on a Monday in a long time.

Answer grid.

Argyle

77 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - no muss, no fuss today, but still an enjoyable puzzle due to the excellent cluing and theme (nope, not touching it).

Favorite clue by far was 'Barely ran'. Argyle, outstanding blog today.
Late for the gym; more later
Today is Flag Day; fly it proudly.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, CC and all. Hey Diddle, Diddle, that was a fun Monday puzzle!

There were some fun clues with a bit of a challenge to start the week. A didn't know AGENAS, but the Old FOGY helped me fill in the missing letter.

My favorite clues today were: It's the Word = MUM and Barely Ran = STREAKED.

SNICKERS did make me chuckle.

Although southern Louisiana is known for its good seafood, chefs here are being creative. There is still lots of good food!

Where is your Vacation spot?

QOD: A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears. ~ Michel de Montaigne

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Add me to the "no muss, no fuss" list. I guess I know my crosswordese, since I really didn't have any hesitation this morning. Even AGENA was something I was able to dredge up out of the back 40 with little effort.

Am I the only one who prefers to spell it FOGEY instead of FOGY? Hmmmmm... I see my spellchecker disagrees with me. :(

Hahtoolah said...

Today is Flag Day! I bet CC has her flag at the ready. Are you a Vexillologist?

John Lampkin said...

Mondaye morning cheer to all!

Barry, both FOGY and FOGEY appear in the LAT puzzle archives, so you are not delusional.

The implication for puzzle constructors is obvious. If you need a four-letter word meaning "fuddy-duddy," spell it FOGY. If you need five letters, spell it FOGEY. ;-)

A similar situation that always trips me up is JUDGMENT and JUDGEMENT. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_(law)

Oh welle.

Argyle said...

It seems that in the olden days, you were more likely to get a "var. sp." then we do today. It may be that none are sure which spelling is the standard spelling.

Or it might be just an editorial choice. Some puzzles will still tell you how many words are in the entry.

Lemonade714 said...

Good monday all:

I thought this was a tocuh harder than our recent Mondays, but what do I know- not AGENA.

People in my part of the world do not believe adding an "E" to JUDGMENT is ever permissible; law people are often STILTED.

The problem with variant spelling, is deciding what is the real one. I personally only think of variant with words like colour which are correct somewhere, just not in my school.

John, thank you for stopping in again; I just wanted to say how wonderful the PIANO PLAYERS: HANDS was yesterday. I know we seldom get many comments on Sunday puzzles, because we are busy with family, religion, the beach or working (well I was) but that was really inspirational.

FLAG DAY and BUNKER HILL DAY were always very big deals growing up in New England, both for their history and the fact school was ending for the summer.

For all of our teachers and students SCHOOL'S OUT .

Hahtoolah said...

Years ago, when my friends and I did the crossword puzzles in the Boston Globe, whenever we would see "var. sp." following a clue, we would laugh and say, "that means the answer is spelled wrong."

I was a bit stymied by the spelling of FOGY, but the only other logical word for 58A was ARENA. While that is a word, FORY didn't make sense for the stodgy old-timer. Of course, another word that begins with F (also consisting of 4 letters) popped into my mind for the stodgy old-timer, and the R would have worked, but that would have meant changing KNOW and PARTY DIPS.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers - Not meaning to get all Jr. High on you, but a four letter stodgy old timer sure looked like a FART to me...for a while, anyway.:-)

Anonymous said...

Fun puzzle today - I'm still new, so Mondays are good for me as an ego boost. I also enjoy the blog.

Dennis, thanks for the Flag Day mention. I put mine out right after reading your post.

Splynter said...

'Ello all -

My parents were born and raised in England, came 'ere in the 60's. So there are times when I favour the other spellings, and I am sure this behaviour is going to get me some grief - maybe I shouldn't advertiSe my 'eritage.
You're not going to send me up the ERIE (canal) to NIAGARA FALLS for this, are you? Better than ASIA, I guess. Make it the four SEASONS, please. Too many clues and answers to play with; I could go on all day.
The only one that stumped me was the paddock pop - guess it's too early still - I read it as pRop.

Meanwhile, this one was thought provoking for Monday - and I was trying to come up with a theme title, and I gotta admit, Plunge into Monday, "that hit the spot" to quote Pulp Fiction...
I am off to look for "cheater squares"

Anonymous said...

ivy came about when there were only four schools in the league.
They were identified by the Roman numerals IV meaning four.

lois said...

Good morning Argyle, CC, et al., Great job, Argyle. Thank you for that list of Ivy League schools. Learned that UPenn was among 'em. Didn't know that.

I loved this puzzle. For 26A four * hotel, I wanted "starred" so badly. 'seasons' just isn't an
'inn' I use, but the perps were all doable and fixed every hang up easily.

I had to laugh at the memory of the guys who 'streaked' across campus - so bold to do it but so shy to have to hold their Tshirts in front of them. Made us girls 'snicker(s)' and LOL. Such a disappointment and hilarious!

OMG! Loved the theme..to go down...
and in the same puzzle w/..* lingus? Are you kidding me? Bruce is the man and my favorite constructor right now. Holy Hardiest of Hotwicks! That concept sure gives another slant to 'party dips' and fun for all 'seasons'to 'tru' folk but for some !

Fun for all but the 'evil' little 'troll' who lurks down under and lives in de'nile' that he has an 'iota' of credibility anywhere. What a 'kroc'! If his 'nose drops' 90 degress,
'there's no 'knob' to see, or 'yank' or sing about. His voice is probably higher than a 'tenor' anyway b/c his 'ass-is-i'n the basin & his 'rok's are no bigger than a 'dot'. He's probably an old 'fogy', over the 'hill' and in the 'dish' w/whiskey from 'ryes'.
'Betty' 'ether' 'groped' thru or pawed at the old thick thorn covered ivy in order to post his fire from h'el-ton'gued plots. Such a waste of energy. I'd rather
'toss' 'care's aside and be happy than to 'sel-ma' soul to that which 'emanates' 'anti' happiness and 'tru' negativity. 'Run to' 'mum' little man. She's the only one who 'tru'ly 'care's..or does she?

Last week of school! Graduation was yesterday..one week before school is out...go figure...and the seniors are all gone! Gotta love this week!

Enjoy your day.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Love the crossword website and each morning over coffee look forward to getting all the ones I missed. Congratulations on your citizenship and I wish you health and prosperity.

Here's an easy dip:

Carton of sour cream
2 Tablespooons of mayonnaise
Garlic Powder
Seasoned Salt
Dill

Keep adding spices until it suits your taste. Enjoy.

Thanks for making my morning so enjoyable.

Cheryl

Tinbeni said...

Argyle, Great write-up.
Plunge into Monday?
I agree with Lois, the themes were about "going down."
Knew she would have a good story.

Streaked, barely ran, was clever.
Reminded me of my College days.
When we did this no T-Shirts for hiding were allowed. Don't remember any snickers but then again I've always been a free-spirit.
Probably the reason my "vacation spot" is Hedonism II, Negril, Jamaica.

Argyle said...

The IV story is a variant derivation for the IVY League but I prefer the one about a sports writer who complained that covering those old school games was as exciting as watching the IVY grow on the walls.

~philothea said...

Still such a newbie and usually feel confident after a Monday puzzle, but Agenas got me.

Also was baffled by the Fogy spelling- I add an 'e' as well.

Dudley game me a 'snicker' with his FART comment.

Loved 'Barely Ran?' and 'it's "the word".'

Christy is one of my favorite authors, and Death on the Nile is probably my 4th favorite of hers (after Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and And Then There Were None).

Janet said...

Hi everybody, I'm glad there are Monday level puzzles, so I can get it done before I head out for the day.

I liked it all except AGENAS. Maybe I'm just not old enough to know about Gemini rockets, haha.

C.C. I hope I wasn't out of line yesterday with my questions and comments about cheater squares.

Have a nice Monday everybody.

Anonymous said...

I love Argyle. I love this blog.

Jeannie said...

I found this puzzle a little more difficult than the average Monday puzzle. I had to hit the g-spot for Matty Alou. Perp help included Eloi, agenas, and Rok. I also liked “barely ran” – streaked and “it’s the word”- mum. Snickers is my favorite candy bar so I liked seeing that make the puzzle.

Good for you Lois, one more week of school! What kind of fun do you have up your sleeve this summer?

I may have already posted this recipe, but it’s one of my favorites:
BLT dip
2 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
6 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 Roma tomatoes chopped fine
3-4 scallions chopped fine

Combine all together and serve in a “lettuce” bowl.

Enjoy!!

Bill G. said...

Fun puzzle and blog. I did it with no red-letter help except to find a typing error with MUN instead of MUM.

I would say that JUDGEMENT is always correct in England and Canada and never correct in the US. I too get frustrated with variant (incorrect) spellings such as UKELELE instead of UKULELE a few months back.

carol said...

Hi all -
Good job Argyle, loved all the info.

9D Barely ran/streaked...my favorite for today

Easy, fun puzzle and perfect for a Monday.

66A Crockett is that you??

Lois, you are a master at puzzle re-construction! LMAO...knew you would love 'Lingus' and 49D next to it: 'Felt one's way' made me laugh.

16A brought back some memories: I spent about 1/2 of my childhood afraid of bridges of any size because I just knew there would be a troll under it! Wasn't Mother Goose wonderful, not to mention the other authors of our childhood books. Kids today have no notion of fangs, claws, wolfs in their grandma's nightgown, ugly witches in the forest with a cauldron just waiting for them to say nothing of the wolf beating down the little pigs houses.

Bob said...

Easy as usual for Monday. 11 minutes. No real challenges.

Bob said...

FYI
The Gemini astronauts were launched to orbit on Titan boosters, modified ICBMs. The Agena was a target vehicle launched separately on an Atlas booster, another modified ICBM. One of the mission objectives of Gemini was to perfect the orbital docking manuever. The two-man Gemini capsule had part of the docking mechanism, the Agena had the other part. The two had to rendezvous in space and successfully dock and undock. This procedure was ultimately used on Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, and most recently on Shuttle missions to the International Space Station.

Spitzboov said...

Good afternoon Argyle and all. Back after a couple days.

Pretty easy puzzle today - it is Monday. Only one strikethrough - had 'acme' before LEG showed the way to APEX. No lookups needed. Thought MUM, STREAKED and SNICKERS were cleverly clued. Quite a few 'K's' today. Fun to do.

Enjoy the day.

Chickie said...

Hello All--A great Monday puzzle with some clever cluing and few unknowns. I like Monday's!

Agenas was an unknown, but the perps solved that along with the K and C for Kroc. I couldn't remember his name to save me.

Argyle, your theme name was just right. I did plunge into Monday quite easily.

I did have one question,though. I still don't understand Run to for Reach a cost of. Probably when someone explains this, I'll need a v-can from Carol.

Hahtool, I'm not a vexillogist, but I do have a flag out today to celebrate Flag day. Thank you for the new word.

More later. I'm finishing up the sandwich fillings, thawing out the breads, and doing the last minute shopping for a Baby Shower tea I'm having tomorrow. Sooo--a busy day for me.

ARBAON said...

Always enjoy Mondays...can fill with no help...as someone said, a great confidence-booster. My favorite clue was "barely streaking", also.
Since this seems to be recipe day:
Mexican Chicken (All the prep can be done 1 or two days ahead)Cook and debone 1 whole chicken or a med. pkge. of thighs. Chop 1 pound of sharp cheddar ( I "pulse" mine two or three 2 " slices @ a time in my blender. Cheese must be cold.)

To assemble; Pam spray a 9x13 cassarole. Layer corn tortillas on bottom. Mix chicken, cheese, 2 cans Crm of chick. soup, 1 can rotel, 1 can chopped green chilis, 1 to 2 tsps. powdered cumin (can add a few chopped jalapenos if desired) Put a layer of chicken mix over tortillias. Add another layer of tortillias and chicken mix. Repeat with chicken mix on top. Bake on a cookie sheet (it does bubble over @ times) @ 350 for 40 min. Serve with limeade and fruit salad. Excellemente!

ARBAON said...

Some @ my table like to add sour cream to Mexican Chicken...but I`m a "purist!"

Al said...

Rapt: From Latin raptus, past participle of rapere (seize, carry off), related to rapture, rape and rapid. Figuratively "carried up to heaven, as in a saint's vision.

In Michigan, trolls are those lower (peninsula) denizens who dwell below the (Mackinac) Bridge.

Sire comes from Latin "senior", older, elder.

Mum is onomatopoeic, the sound you would make with your lips closed.

Plie is literally to bend, related to ply, to fold or bend, which also gives us pliers.

Lucina said...

Good day, Argyle, and everyone.

Back from CA so have not finished all the weekend puzzles. Friday's was fantastically challenging fun.

I assume the theme was something like "say cheese"; haven't checked it yet. I did it in the car on the drive over.

Today of course was breezy and easy. For one who has never seen "The Time Machine" I knew ELOI instantly, thanks to xwds. The same for ALOU, and OTS just emerged.

I saw a bit of music/dance theme as well with HORA, PLIE, RONDO, TENOR and DIPS.

As for RUN TO, runs into seems more normal, as "the budget runs into the millions."

My hand is up for fogey, not fogy but I understand the need as John explained.

Oceanside was cold which was a lovely change for a few days. We had a grand time reuniting with old friends at the memorial.

I hope you are having a grand Monday. It's good to be back.

Dennis said...

Yes!! I've got a new excuse!

Anonymous said...

EST
HARDIEST
in one puzzle?

CC would not like it.

Spitzboov said...

As Dennis said, today is Flag Day.

lois said...

Dennis: that is hilarious! Leave it to you! LMWildAO! too funny!

Jeannie: The only traveling will be to OK next Sun until early July. Gotta do my altruistic, magnanimous & philanthropic semi-annual contribution/duty to that community by saving a horse and riding a cowboy this summer. I'm seriously going to check out the 'lea's there to see if any Elk or Longhorn Cattle roam or graze there. Herefords and deer maybe but I know Buffalo wouldn't be caught dead there...at least no self respecting one would. I will never forget that clue! That was just plain wrong!

Jerome said...

You won't feel the HARDIEST on a RASH DIET.

If you prepare foul fowl in KITCHEN SINKS you might shout, "ICK, HENS STINK!"

"Son, what's in your PARTY DIPS?"
"DRY SPIT, PA."

When taking NOSE DROPS Ice-T says he uses DRE'S SPOON.

IF LARA NAGS AL he won't take her to NIAGARA FALLS.

john28man said...

I thought this an easy one. I has to be because i do my LAT puzzle on the paper and didn'y have any erasures. Maybe I was just tuned in. The four theme aswers kind of jumped out at me.

Barry G. said...

I did have one question,though. I still don't understand Run to for Reach a cost of.

If the bill "runs to" $100, that's what the total cost is.

carol said...

Dennis, what a hoot!! Wild Asian Ass - might have known. My friend was doing research on Royal Canadian Mounted Police and typed Canadian Mounties into a search engine...this brought up a porn sight too, and here she was sitting at work with lots of 'mounties' on her computer screen. Needless to say, she had to shut it off post haste (she sort of wanted to look some more, LOL)
If we (adults) run into these sites, what happens to our children and grand children when they look up something? Early sex education I guess. Seems wrong to me, but hey, maybe I'm a FOGY (FOGEY)

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Fun puzzle today. Ah, so my memory was sound in recalling that it was you, Lois, who mentioned before about how no self-respecting bison would ever be caught dead in a lea. LOL. Not only will I not forget that funny comment, but also the word lea. That, and Lingus.
Best wishes to you all.

Jayce said...

I finally decided to go blue :)

Crockett1947 said...

BillG, Taj Mahal is a person, not a group. (just getting caught up on yesterday's comments)

Janet said...

Argyle, here's a super easy and tasty chip dip or cracker spread. It has a very nice mild taste at first and then the spice from the Rotel kicks in.

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 10 oz can of Rotel

For cracker spread, drain the can of Rotel well and mix it into the cream cheese. Chill and serve with crackers.

For chip dip, don't drain the Rotel and mix it into the cream cheese. Chill and serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.

If you like black olives, you can add a 4 oz can of minced black olives to the other ingredients. For a spicier flavor, add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce.

Jayce said...

As for today's puzzle, I found it pretty Monday-easy. Favorites were STREAKED and MUM. Least favorites were AGENAS and OTS. These correlate with the ones I found funniest and hardest. Agree on FOGY/FOGEY. SNICKERS made me snicker too. Didn't like "Seoul soldier" for ROK, but maybe I don't realize that ROK stands for the name of its army as well as for the name of the country. To me that's like cluing USA as "Seattle soldier." Quibble quibble, LOL.
Thanks to C.C., Argyle, JazzBumpa, MelissaBee, and others who devote their time and energy to composing the writeups.
Best wishes to you all.

Crockett1947 said...

Argyle, Thanks for The Streak. That was a fun video!

John Lampkin, thanks for the chuckle.

Jeannie, the dip recipe looks new (and delicious) to me!

Carol. I'm not a tenor -- just a barelytone!

Bob, sounds like you're a NASA historian!

Chickie, I see Barry G took care of "runs to."

ARABON, some competition in the recipe department. How do you "cook" the chicken? Roast?

Al, another sterling post. You on the UP?

Spitzboov, nice link!

Jayce, nice to see you on the blue side. What's the difference between a bison and a buffalo?
You can't wash your hands in a buffalo!

Janet now chimes in with a recipe. Gained three pounds just reading the comments today.

Have a great remainder of this fantastic Monday, everyone.

Jayce said...

Crocket1947, aaaaaaaaaargh, good one! And Buffalo is wheer ye can't get ter when the Ear-aye-ee is a-risin' and the gin is a-gettin' low. And yes, no self-respecting one would ... well, you know ... travel by Aer Lingus.

Annette said...

I think most comments I had about the puzzle have been covered, so I'll just post a recipe today.

My favorite dip is a hearty variation of Janet's, and is served hot.

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 10 oz can of Rotel
1 lb. ground sausage

Brown sausage. Stir in cream cheese. Add the Rotel. Stir over heat until blended. Serve hot, but tastes good at room temperature too, and will have thickened up. I've seen it served in a crock pot at parties to keep it warm. Best when served with "Scoops" (chips).

Both Rotel and sausage have varying levels of heat, so you can adjust them to your comfort zone.

Tinbeni said...

Apparently this is recipe day.

So, I'll take a shot.

Snifter glass.

Pour in PINCH.

Toast a sunset.

Hahtoolah said...

What do I make for dinner? Reservations.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Afternoon All, busy day and now all the good puzzle comments are already thought and written. Like a lot of others, AGENAS had to come with the perps. It didn't seem like a Monday word to me, but then I had trouble remembering our old crossword pal, Milo O'SHEA. Either FOGY or FOGEY is fine with me.

"Barely ran" reminded me of the time my youngest sister and two of her friends (they were 18 or 19 years old) STREAKED the local bowling alley in 1973 or 1974. It wasn't just for the fun of it. The bowling alley management paid them $25 each. That was pretty good pay for about 2 minutes "work". I went along (fully clothed) to hold their clothes and make sure nobody managed to grab either the clothes or the girls. (Boomer, was that you? :o) I don't think my sister has ever told her now grown-up sons about that escapade. MUM is definitely "the word" on that adventure.

Another great post, Lois. I do think the video from last night should have been you...and still could be. How are your roping skills?

Thanks for the Taj Mahal bio, Crockett. We have a couple of his CDs, but sometimes we forget how good he was and still is. Cakewalk Into Town

Sounds like Argyle got plenty of dip recipes....when's the party?

Chickie said...

Barry G.,Thanks for the answer for Run to. No V-8 Can, but I do see the light now.

Hatool, Since I've been in the kitchen most of the day, I'm fixing what we call Joe's Special for dinner. A restaurant here in town has had this on the menu for over 50 years. It is quick and easy and tasty.

1 lb. Ground beef,
1 can spinich (large can will be best) drained well.
1 clove of garlic, minced
5-6 eggs beaten as if to scramble(You can use 1 or 2 more eggs if you like).
oregano, dried onion, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook ground beef until crumbly. Drain of extra fat. Add spinich and seasonings. When ready to serve add eggs and cook just until set.

The name of the restaurant is Original Joe's, a great Italian place where the waiters still wear white jackets and bow ties.

Have a great evening everyone.

ARBAON said...

Crockett: Either boil the chicken or if you`re in a hurry...pressure cook it. I could have added that you should cut it into chucks after you de-bone it...I`m a very casual cook. I don`t measure...I just throw it all together but it usually turns out well. Let me know how you like the "hot dish" :)

carol said...

Hey gang, this may sound like a funny question but it has to do with fresh radishes. All of them that I have purchased in the last several months have been bland as white bread. I seem to remember them as being a bit 'hot' to the taste. We have just recently been putting them in salads again. What is going on?

Lucina said...

Hi, again.

I finished Saturday's puzzle and all I can say is, what a gem! Whew! Only the bottom gave me fits. Struggled quite a bit but finally pushed it through except for the very last to fall, May fly. Had to look. I hate that!

I'm sorry I missed the lively discussion about it. Great and amusing commentary as always.

Jerome:
You rock my world with your anagrams!

Great recipes today. I especially like the ones with Rotel tomatoes. Yum. I see a party in the near future.

One peeve or as my mother would say, "no self respecting Mexican food would use cumin;" it has such a sharp, unpleasant taste I don't understand why it's used so much. Ah, well, just me. I omit it. Real chile is so much better.

Hahtool:
Love your reservations quip. LOL

Have a great evening everyone.

lois said...

Carol: 10:52..'felt one's way' made me laugh out loud too. Never heard it called THAT before.

Jayce: nice to 'see' you. Guess I'm guilty as charged.

Hahtool: funny joke! My kind of cooking.

CA: Haven't seen the video yet. Will check that when I get back and will let you know. Love to ride 'bare back' tho and w/a lasso, it's even more fun, depending on who your chasin'.

Avatar: 3 of my favorite seniors I'll miss.

Al said...

@Crockett1947, I useta was a yooper for close to 25 years, then I became a cheesehead because the winters were milder. I look on it as graduating from the second week of deer camp to da turdy point buck. Keep your stick on the ice, and always remember to treat every hunter as if he was loaded.

Argyle said...

I want you all to remember the famous advice of Roger Miller, "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd", especially if they are in a lea.

ARBAON said...

Lucina: I bow to your authentic Mexican tastes...my dish could be called simply, "A chicken hot dish." I tend to think anything made with rotel is Mexican. Lo siento.

MJ said...

Good evening, folks.
I totally enjoyed Bruce Venzke's creation today, A bit more of a challenge than a regular Monday. Learning moment: AGENAS. Favorite fills were MUM and SNICKERS.

Jayce--You look good in blue. Welcome, again!

Dip recipe, one which my family loves:

SPINACH DIP
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted, and well drained ( I put it in a mini colander and squeeze!)
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 2/3 c. sour cream ( I use low fat.)
I pkg. Knorr dry vegetable soup mix
5 green onions, finely chopped, more or less to taste
1 medium green bell pepper, finely minced
1 tsp. garlic powder ( or fresh garlic, if you prefer)
! can (5-oz. drained weight) water chestnuts, finely diced.
Mix all ingredients.

I make this the day before, and serve it with fresh, raw veggies. You could also hollow our a loaf of French bread and serve it that way, or with favorite crackers. YUM!

Enjoy the night!

Paolo said...

Going "blue". Inspired by Janet and Jayce...It's a "going blue" epidemic!

Seldom Seen said...

to all of my fellow shuttle passengers out there: awesome picture

gotta run...

Lucina said...

ARBAON:
I love Rotel, the hotter the better especially with melted velveeta cheese.

I buy them by the dozen when on sale for $1.

It's the cumin I dislike and I haven't checked the ingredients lately, but I don't think Rotel includes it.

Seldom Seen said...

welcome Paolo and Jayce(and Janet again)

now i really gotta go!

Lucina said...

Arbaon:
I like your recipe very much and plan to make it soon.

In fact, I shall have to invite the family this weekend, or whenever they are available to try these lovely recipes from today.

Jerome said...

One of my pleasures in life is cooking. Cumin has a wonderful flavor. I'm guessing that most of us love homemade tacos with a ground chuck base. If so, add just a pinch of cumin to the meat. Just a pinch. No more.

Also be careful when using it on a Patty melt. You don't want cumin thro the rye.

JD said...

Good evening Argyle, CC and all, especially Paola, Jayce and Janet who have turned blue. Ta Da!

Lois, I continue to marvel at your humor. I know your kids must love you; they are lucky that you are not an ol' fogey.

11 minute Bob, thanks for the info on agenas.Sounded foreign, as did hora, ren and rondo!! Thanks to DH who gave me Yanks so I could finish oshea, utenn and rok.I could not "see" the last letter of all 3 of those.

Flag Day is forever special in our house..anniversary day. Went out for a fabulous fish dinner topped off with a shared creme brulee.

Loved the same clues/answers everyone else did, and have enjoyed all the DIPS. MJ, that is one of my favorites too.My girls' favorite is so simple:

1LB of Velveeta cheese
2 cans chile, without beans
1 bunch green onions
1 can chopped green chilis

Melt and stir in microwave; serve with tortilla chips...or short celery sticks.

Chickie, an OJ Special is one of our favorites too.That is the only restaurant I knew while at SJS. It was also the only dish we could afford. We got 1 order and all of us shared it.

Tru is for Truman "Wobert" who is working on his solo, singing Humpty Dumpty.Ya gotta love it.He's nailed Eency Weency Pyder.

Bill G. said...

How is a patty melt different from a cheeseburger? I've not had one. Tuna melt, yes but not a patty melt.

Why do you suppose people are worried about going blue? If somebody wants to do you harm, there are lots easier ways than getting some limited information from a crossword puzzle blog. I just don't worry about people who read a blog choosing to do me harm. I would be more likely to be hassled by an upset ex-student who got a B from me instead of an A. And by the way, nothing like that has ever happened either.

~ Bill G.

lois said...

CA: Loved that Taj Mahal Ain't Nobody's Business link. Really cute and yep, we're on the same wavelength. That's how it's done. Lasso 'em and take 'em down. I've been practicing...since I was 12. It's like riding a horse. Ya never really forget. I'm always ready.

Argyle: I'm sure I won't be rollerskatin' in a buffalo herd, but I will knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it. Get 'er done!

JD said...

E- not an Edda,nor an epic

Eons ago in Eire an elfin eft hatched in the eau of the Erne. Guided by the etoile, Erte edged up the torso of an ent, eating earwigs and escargot for energy. "RT" spent most evenings becoming educated by this extraordinary tree. Curiously he eyed the egregious elands, the errant emus, the egotistical ewes and several ensembles of eaglets, all from his ethereal estate.

One morning he heard an escry emanating from an eddy in the estuary."Eureka! Could this hub bub be the eloi?"Enwrapped in an egret's gett was an elegant emerald eft(ess) who was eager to escape. Ne'er had RT e'er felt this efflux of emotion in his entire eleven years. Quickly he ejected a wee epee into the unfed fowl.And yes, this has a fairy tale ending: Erte and Enis eloped to Edo taking only his ecus encased in his etui.

Clear Ayes said...

Lucina & JD, Melted Velveeta?....you're my kind of gals!

I do like cumin, but Jerome is right, a little bit goes a long way.

Lois, glad you liked the gyrating, cowboy ropin' femme fatale...and to think that movie was made in 1910...pretty steamy!

Congrats to JD for another terrific chapter in her alphabetical odyssey.

Jerome said...

Bill G- A patty melt is a hamburger patty slathered with grilled onions, topped with swiss cheese and served on toasted rye bread.

Bill G. said...

Jerome made a patty melt sound really good, maybe as good as a Reuben.

Crockett1947 said...

MJ, nice to see you join into the recipe fray. Sounds yummy.

Paolo, welcome to the blue side. Looks like you're just a bit off balance there.

Jerome, love the groaner.

JD, that's a favorite dip of mine as well. Put it in a crock pot and it's a hit at potlucks.

Bill G, a patty melt is served on rye bread, a la Reuben -- other than that it's a cheeseburger.

JD, your alphabet epic could maybe be a modern Jabberwocky!

Tschuß!!

Crockett1947 said...

Oops. See Jerome already chimed in on the Patty Melt. Should have refreshed after proofing my post.

JD said...

Crockett, I do believe it is nonsensical, and I'm now wondering what made me do it.I may FAIL on F;I did not record many words on that page.

Bill G. said...

I had a hard time typing straight when the room was rolling around. A very subtle earthquake struck near San Diego. It wasn't scary here, just a rolling around of my room upstairs. I'm guessing it felt much worse to those living south of here.

~ Bill G.

MJ said...

Okay, we just shook a bit. Another earthquake. Bill G. did you feel it? A very short one. Seems to be centered down near Calexico/Mexicali. Hope all's well there. First report is 5.9
Bill G., I see you posted before I did. I'm going to turn on the TV and see what the CalTech folks have to say.

Night, all.

Chickie said...

JD, Another chapter in your alphabet epic has me laughing out loud. I don't know how you do it!

Welcome to all the blue newbies. I see we have another San Jose resident in the group.