Theme: How Would You Like That Cooked? - The first word of each phrase is a term describing the doneness of meat. Rib-eye medium rare, please. You?
20A. Iron ore, to a steel mill : RAW MATERIAL
34A. Seller of an Inverted Jenny, perhaps : RARE STAMP DEALER. Interesting trivia.
43A. Guns with a caliber between 105 and 155 millimeters : MEDIUM ARTILLERY
58A. Buxom, facetiously : WELL ENDOWED. Wow.
Melissa Bee here. Bruce Venzke seems to be fond of grid-spanning theme answers. He delivered five in his last "P-T Vowel Progression".
20A. Iron ore, to a steel mill : RAW MATERIAL
34A. Seller of an Inverted Jenny, perhaps : RARE STAMP DEALER. Interesting trivia.
43A. Guns with a caliber between 105 and 155 millimeters : MEDIUM ARTILLERY
58A. Buxom, facetiously : WELL ENDOWED. Wow.
Melissa Bee here. Bruce Venzke seems to be fond of grid-spanning theme answers. He delivered five in his last "P-T Vowel Progression".
The 4/4/5 black square dividers in four edges provided us with plenty of 4-letter words, 38 to be exact.
Let's get to the meat of the matter.
Across:
1. Fitzgerald forte : SCAT. Ella. Vocal improvisation jazz.
Let's get to the meat of the matter.
Across:
1. Fitzgerald forte : SCAT. Ella. Vocal improvisation jazz.
5. Karate award : BELT. Here are the levels.
9. Sail supports : MASTS
14. Word after dial or earth : TONE
15. 7-Down user : EYER. And 7D. Rake's look : LEER. Rake is a historic term applied to a man who is habituated to immoral conduct, frequently a heartless womanizer. And 40A. Don Juan's mother : INEZ. Don Juan is a fictional rogue and a libertine (rake) who takes great pleasure in seducing women.
16. Just kept yakking : RAN ON
17. One executing a takeoff? : APER. Takeoff here means 'a humorous or satirical mimicry.'
18. Nevada's __ 51 : AREA. Part of an off-limits military base near Groom Lake. There is much speculation about what occurs in this restricted area.
19. Go Dutch : SHARE
23. 66, famously: Abbr. : RTE. According to Wikipedia, Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985 after it was decided the route was no longer relevant and had been replaced by the Interstate Highway System.
24. Lisa, to Bart : SIS. The Simpsons TV Show.
27. Pollutant banned in the U.S. in 1979 : PCB. Polychlorinated biphenyls. Man made chemicals used in the production of flame retardants, sealants, paints, and 'carbonless' copy paper, among other things. Now being found in supplements with omega-3 fatty acids, from fish living in contaminated rivers and streams.
30. Cold War craft : MIGS. MiGs were the best-known Soviet fighters during the Cold War. Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG was founded by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich.
33. Available without an Rx : OTC. Over the counter.
41. Little white thing : LIE
42. Co-star of Joel in the film "Cabaret" : LIZA Minelli
48. Jackson-to-Tupelo dir. : NNE
49. Corn syrup brand : KARO
50. Glasgow negative : NAE
51. '70s Robert Blake cop show : BARETTA
55. Odd man's place? : OUT. From the term 'odd man out,' describing someone who differs markedly from the others in a group. Also a 1947 movie starring James Mason.
57. Schooner contents : ALE. A schooner is a glass used for serving beer.
64. Six-Day War site : SINAI. June 5–10, 1967 (also known as the June War), a war between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
66. Like many deli orders : TO GO
67. Suffix for the well-to-do : AIRE. Millionaire.
68. Is after : SEEKS
69. Israel's first UN ambassador : EBAN. Abba Eban, died in 2002.
70. Concrete piece : SLAB
71. __ a time : ONE AT
72. Dowsing tools : RODS. Dowsing, or 'divining' is an ancient method for detecting ground water.
73. Tracy's Trueheart : TESS. Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart, comic book characters.
Down:
1. Dallas Cowboys emblem : STAR
2. Lola's club : COPA. Barry Manilow's song Copacabana. "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl .."
3. From square one : ANEW
4. What adversaries may come to : TERMS. Come to terms = reach an agreement.
5. Scrams : BEATS IT
6. Rochester's love : EYRE. Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre. One of my favorite books.
8. Pattern baldness, e.g. : TRAIT
9. Flintstone's boss : MR. SLATE. Fred Flintstone, cartoon. The modern stone age family.
10. Hot tub sound : AAH
11. Dog's warning : SNARL
12. Rich cake : TORTE
13. Villain's look : SNEER. Anyone else remember these?
21. Gets in one's sights, with "at" : AIMS.
22. Youngest to reach 500 HRs : A-ROD. Alex Rodriguez.
26. Stud declaration : I CALL. Poker.
27. Like Miss Manners : PRIM. And proper.
28. Prop for Astaire : CANE. Love watching old Astaire movies.
29. Raised : BRED
31. Inaugural ball, e.g. : GALA. Here is Jackie Kennedy on her husband's inauguration day.
32. Self-satisfied smile : SMIRK. Again with the facial expressions.
35. Salon or Slate : E-ZINE
37. A house may have one on it : LIEN
38. Cornell who founded Cornell : EZRA
39. "Hellzapoppin'" (1941) actress Martha : RAYE
44. Loosen, as a cap : UNTWIST
45. __ out: dispense : METE
46. T-shirt transfers : IRON-ONS
47. Like many rock bands : LOUD. You'll need these.
51. __ profundo: low voice : BASSO. A deep heavy bass voice with an exceptionally low range.
52. Xenophobe's fear : ALIEN
53. Zellweger of "Chicago" : RENEE
54. Let out, perhaps : ALTER
56. It gets burnt a lot : TOAST. Hate that smell.
59. New Mexico athlete : LOBO. Spanish for wolf. University of New Mexico mascot.
60. Word of mock horror : EGAD. Don't think i've ever actually heard anyone use this word.
61. Sneaky trick : WILE. Noun: Devious or cunning stratagem employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants. Which explains his name.
62. Paleozoic et al. : ERAS
63. Belles at balls : DEBS. Debutantes.
65. Wanted poster abbr. : AKA. Also Known As.
Answer grid.
Here are Part V of Kazie's Oz series. From the first day of the Kakadu Tour which she took out of Darwin. On the first day they visited Nourlangie Rock and cruised the East Alligator River's "Yellow Water". A special label for Kazie is made here. You can find all the pictures from her Oz trip.
Here is the updated Blog Map. The markers are sorted alphabetically with the current commenters first and the inactive ones next. Thanks, Crockett!
Melissa
Good morning, Melissa Bee, C.C. and gang - a solid Wednesday-level puzzle, and probably easier for me than for some others, as 'MIGs' and 'medium artillery' were gimmes from my service days and I knew what an 'Inverted Jenny' was from stamp collecting as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the Flintstones, so I had to check the write-up to see if 9D was 'Mr. Slate' or 'Mrs. Late'. I had a hint about the theme after the first two theme answers but really needed the third one to be sure. Very 'well done'.
The only answer that didn't sit well with me was 'eyer'; don't like the word, didn't like the clue. Favorite clue/answer? A no brainer -- 'Buxom, facetiously'/'well endowed', although Melissa's example gave me pause. Melissa, great blogging; loved the examples. Believe it or not, we still sell Wacky Packs.
Today is Bastille Day, Pandemonium Day, and.....NATIONAL NUDE DAY!!!! In, ahem, researching this day, I discovered that there's a t-shirt celebrating National Nude Day, but....doesn't that defeat the purpose if one wears it? Any of our distaff members, feel free to post pictures of your celebrations. Melissa, seeing as how you happened to blog today, might be appropriate for you to set the example...
Did you know:
- It's an assumption that Tonto was an Apache, fortunately for the Lone Ranger; kemosabe in Navajo means 'soggy shrub'.
- Maine is the toothpick capital of the world. (Mainiac, did you know that?)
- Buzz Aldrin was the first man to pee his pants on the moon. Also, his mother's maiden name was 'Moon'.
Hello all:
ReplyDeleteThanks for another informative and entertaining day, MB.
Well it is July 14, which means it is BASTILLE DAY which is celebrated in France as Le Quatorze Juillet, which is similar to the USA where we celebrate the 4th of July, rather than Independence Day.
A very enjoyable puzzle, when I began I thought my goose was cooked, only to learn it was simmering. The progression of the METE (his pun, not mine) as the puzzle went on was great I liked having LEER, SNEER, SMIRK along with SNARL, and of course the anagrammatic cross of EYER and EYRE, we also had BRED in the puzzle, so I was looking for BUDDER (spring flower?). It also is interesting to see how confusing our language is, when you have LIE, add an “N” and the sound is LIEN (which is how I like my METE).
Liberté, égalité fraternité
Good Morning, All. I thought this was an easier Wednesday puzzle than the usual Wed. fare, but I really had fun with it. I am not usually on Mr. Venzke's wavelength, but apparently I was today.
ReplyDeleteI loved how EYRE crossed with EYER.
My favorite clue was Odd Man's Place = OUT.
EBAN is a common crossword fill. Did you know that his first name, Abba, is the Hebrew equivalent of Daddy?
I was living in France during its Bastille Bicentennial in 1989. It was quite an experience! Very festive and lots and lots of fireworks.
QOD: No good story is quite true. ~ Leslie Stephen
I had the pleasure of sitting and talking with Abba Eban (who was born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban, in South Africa) during the 80s and 90s, as I did some work for a local man who produced a Jewish themed television show. He was a very atriculate and thoughtful man. His work as ambasssador to the UN helped raise the world conscience on the plight of a tiny country in the middle of a desert of enemies.
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on a week's puzzles.
Thanks to dear CC and other excellent posters.
(I work the LA Times Calendar puzzle too.)
It is very late. Puzzle easy except for small rectangle including Astaire clue. Got that but was stuck around it.
TCM showed great old musicals on the holiday weekend. Fred Astaire is a joy to watch.
NCIS fans--How do you like Sasha Alexander's new incarnation on Rizzoli and Isles?
Can anyone tell me why I am not included in the blog map?
Good morning all. Thanks Melissa for a nice informative write-up.
ReplyDeleteA good middle of the week puzzle with nice long theme fill. I did not notice or get the theme until the last theme fill, RARESTAMPDEALER. But at least I got it before coming here. Thought APER and I CALL were quite clever. Unknowns like EYRE and INEZ came from the fills.
I still remember the high amount of TV coverage Abba EBAN was accorded during the 6 Day War. He was a very articulate diplomat.
Nice pictures, Kazie!
Good Morning Melissa Bee, CC and All,
ReplyDeleteA slightly easier Wednesday even though I didn't get the theme until getting here. I worked the top third, then the bottom third and picked and pecked at the middle until everything filled with no help. Well Endowed was my favorite as well but Mels pic was disturbing.
Great write up Melissa. We have less belt levels in our organization than the link you showed. The variety is not uncommon considering all the different styles etc. Where did that one come from?
An abundance of Birch trees is one of the attributes that makes Maine the toothpick capital. As with many things, China is rapidly closing the gap but we continue to whittle away!!
We're preparing for a visit from the First Family! The Town is abuzz.
Have a great Hump Day!
Today's theme did have an interesting twist since the first two theme responses began with "ra". I was initially expecting all the theme clues to begin with those letters.
ReplyDeleteMainaic, I will be up in your neck of the woods in about a month. I expect the same sort of reception that is being planned for the First Family.
Presidential trivia. Did you know that Dolley Madison was the first presidential wife to be known as the First Lady?
fermatprime, send me where you want your marker and I'll put you on the map. I only put people on the map if they e-mail me directly. I don't want to presume that someone wants to be included.
ReplyDeleteMedium difficulty puzzle today. My only error was 42A (misspelled LIZA, purely out of carelessness). Didn't know 38D (EZRA), which didn't help. 19 minutes.
ReplyDeleteAllons enfants!
ReplyDeleteHappy Bastille Day to all!
First an apology, just in case someone watching knows more than I do! The East Alligator is the river we'll cross tomorrow. Yellow Water is on the South Alligator. I needed to check the map and didn't do so late last night. It's south, I presume, because it enters the sea further south (and West) of the East one.
Nice Wednesday puzzle. Like L714, I thought it was going to be harder than it was when starting. One tricky clue/answer was ALTER, as I was thinking more EMIT at first. But then there were several clever ones and quite a few of them needed WAGS on my part, but no look-ups.
Fermatprime,
Have you emailed Crockett with your location? Or maybe he just missed you accidentally. There are a lot of names there--some I remember from last year and earlier, some I don't. I chose the camera for my icon without much thought when I was entered on the map. Turns out to be pretty apt!
Good morning. Nicely done, Melissa Bee, but don't dowsers look for underground water?
ReplyDelete44D UNTWIST bothers me. If one can untwist, can you also unwalk or unthrow?
Did anyone else notice that 9D clue, Flintstone, and 51A answer, Baretta, are related? Mr. Flintstone and Baretta's cockatoo share the same name, Fred.
Fermatprime: I watched Rizzoli & Isles. I thought the plot a little weak. Would you walk 50 yards or so from your car in the woods to tinkle if there were a killer on the loose? Also, Sasha Alexander's nose looks different. Surgery?
Yesterday's grammar gripes - Sportscasters/announcers, from ESPN to my local stations, all say, for example, "Kobe Bryant he hits the three". Aargh.
Lrc: By Melissa's definition, groundwater means underground water. It is the water in the interstitial spaces between the soil or rock particles. Her usage is correct.
ReplyDeleteMy most annoying grammar gripe is fewer vs. less.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I forgot the SMIRK!
ReplyDeleteMelissa B,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to say before I really enjoyed your write up and the links today. Re groundwater, in the NT, many dry riverbeds are actually said to be rivers that run upside-down: the sand is on top, and underneath is the water, several feet down.
Tinbeni says:
ReplyDelete"Read the clue for 50A incorrectly as Glasgow native. WTF it's negative, ergo NAE!"
so did I, and I had no scotch.
good catch on the EYRE AIRE
mainiac, i just googled for images of karate belts.
ReplyDeletedennis, i agree, the eyer clue was my least favorite. i had no idea wacky packs were still on the market. i'll get right on that picture thing ...
Good morning Melissabee and all. I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and it seemed a tad easier Wednesday puzzle than past weeks. The only problem I really had was e-zine, but got that via perps as well as Eban and Arod. I wanted a different answer for “stud declaration” as my mind wandered down a different path than poker. I also liked seeing a new clue for “aper”. Melissabee, I remember those “wacky packages” too. I am surprised that they are still being made. Tinbeni, I too noticed all the facial expressions today. As for the burnt toast smell, I hate it when someone in the office burns their popcorn in the microwave. That nasty smell lingers all day.
ReplyDeleteKazie, your pictures are just breath taking. Thank you for sharing them.
It’s very hot and humid here today, it seems like a good day for it being National Nude Day. Maybe later on….
Melissa Bee, Jeannie, yeah, the Wacky Packs have been revised and issued in different series for about 4 years now; they're up to series 6. Kids still love them, and the parents buy them because they had them when they were kids.
ReplyDeleteJeannie, don't forget the picture part later. Melissa, yes, by all means, get right on it.
Hello All--I,too, felt this was a tad easier than usual for a Wednesday. My only lookup was for EZRA Cornell. I'll remember that from now on as my father's name was Ezra.
ReplyDeleteI had put in unscrew instead of untwist, so that area was a problem until more of the perps were filled in. I never say to my Hubby, "Will you untwist this cap for me?" It is always, "Will you unscrew this cap, please?"
However, I didn't get the theme until coming here. I really didn't look for one. Thanks Melissa B for the great writeup.
My favorites today were Little White Thing/Lie, and Tracy's Trueheart/Tess. I haven't thought about Dick Tracy for eons.
Our Santa Clara Valley sits on a vast underground reservoir.We percolate water as it comes down our streams into ponds. These perc ponds gradually let the water percolate underground so we restore what is pumped out for use during the year. It is a continuous process and gets a big iffy during drought years as we pump more out than we put back in.
We have dams which catch the rain runoff and let that water out gradually all year long.
Well done, Melissa. However, never having seen a picture of you, if you resemble the picture you provided, I'd like to veto Dennis' suggestion.
ReplyDeleteI went searching for a Nude day t-shirt. Found lots of references, but no actual sale offer. I did discover that this started out as a New Zealand holiday and that they hold a nude rugby match, once interrupted by a fully clothed streaker!
A wrestling opponent once tried to psych me out by ordering a bloody RARE steak. I ordered mine after him, so I went with RAW. I've since evolved to MEDIUM rare. Anything is good except WELL done.
After that last paragraph, I'll put in my plug for P. E. T. A. Actually, the true group protests the Ag department at UC Davis every year during their annual family day. When my daughter was there, they released the horse herd to protest the horses' "imprisonment." Over a dozen horses ended up on interstate 80. Great way to show you care for animals.
http://www.google.com/products?q=people+eating+tasty+animals&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=UPM9TMC5OY-gsQOf8b3aCg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CDkQzAMwAg
I was sure it was the COCA Cabana, so I was all set to complain about an ACER taking off in his plane. I also had ALOU instead of A-ROD which made the top rather problematic.
I never caught the theme, but once I got here I became rather impressed that he was able to work up the scale of 'doneness.'
Off to tune a boat. See you all next week, sometime.
Lrc, if you close a bag of bread with a twist tie, you must untwist it to get the bag open. Seems OK to me. (spell check didn't object either) Doubt that you can unwalk and unthrow, though. The "un" prefix is a favorite of my wife when playing Scrabble. I let her get away with some of them, but not all, LOL!
ReplyDeleteMelissa bee, enjoyed the write-up.
Good day, Melissa Bee and fellow puzzlers.
ReplyDeleteExcellent blogging MB. Thank you.
At first this seemed like a stumper but soon enough with plenty of perp help the bottom was filled. And though I know nothing about artillery of any kind, most of it was filled with "picket fence" assistance.
Schooner contents, however, tripped me because I was thinking of ship and so filled in ORE and never went back to revise it. So there was ARIEN for zenophone. Thank goodness for this blog!
Nice use of Zs with Eliza and Ezra, EZINE and INEZ. I love the movie Don Juan de Marco with Johnny Depp.
I agree, well done xwd, but I prefer filet mignon medium rare.
Kazie:
The Australian tourism department should hire you! Your photos are so sharp and well framed. I'm sure they do justice to the subjects.
Late to the party today because I was conscripted to take my granddaughter to an appointment while her mother went on job interviews. She is now planning to return to the workforce after seven months. Then I'll have charge of the baby and her sister.
Much as I would love to participate in the celebration of this day, please remember the old joke about wearing a birthday suit and its need for ironing! Not a pretty sight.
Have a wondrous Wednesday, all.
Hi, gang. Great writeup, MBee, and super clips!
ReplyDeleteI, too, thought this was going to be a hard one, but it worked out pretty well without lookups. Thought I would have to ferret out "Inverted Jenny" but after I got 'stam' I caught on more or less. I did verify it after the fact. My worst hangup was 'ezine', because I had no idea where Tupelo is. 'Stud declaration' caused a bit of pondering, as I was expecting something stated by an avatar of you, Dennis.
Maybe parents remember Wacky Packs but not grandparents; I never heard of them. Not surprising, of course.
Chickie, I put in 'unscrew' first, too. That whole operation is going to do me in. It's getting so I can't open anything any more! I thought I was going to have to return a bottle of juice that I wanted for breakfast yesterday. I guess there's a tool I can get to help me, but I don't know where to look! The best I have is a round rubber mat, which works if I can first cut all the little plastic gizmos that hold the cap on.
Also. Chickie, I never knew all that about the water under the Santa Clara valley. I thought that whole area got Hetch Hetchy water. But whadooIno? Now they're considering running a tunnel under the Delta to send the water somewhere, maybe LA. There are always big todos about the water here.
Don't remember who commented on fewer/less. That's a pain to me, too.
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, MS.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon all. Maybe I am being dense today, but fail to see what is facetious about describing buxom as "well-endowed". It sounds better than wow what a rack! So I will concede it as a euphemism.
ReplyDeleteBoy,life is good, if this is a problem
My diction gripe is the replacement of the word "whether" with "if". They are not interchangeable grammatically.
ReplyDeleteDoreen
Hahtool,
ReplyDeleteWe'll need some important information:
* Number of vehicles in the motorcade. If more than twenty you will not be allowed in the downtown area as you cause a huge traffic jam.
* Housing requirements for you and your staff. Top two floors of one of our major hotels has been sufficient.
* Your security staff will need to begin meeting with the local PD at least two weeks in advance of your visit. One has proven rather hectic.
* Will we be required to close the major route into and from town? If so, you'll be receiving a bill for more jersey barriers.
Minor details I'm sure we can work out. Seriously, if you are down this way look me up. I'm easy to find.
Grammar gripes- Yeah, wouldn't it be fun to sing along to "Bobby McGee and I"
ReplyDeleteHand up for noticing fewer/less confusion too. But doesn't it seem odd that there isn't a similar pairing for more? If fewer is for a smaller countable amount of something, why isn't there an equivalent word for countably more of something?
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Melissa Bee, CC, et al., What a fun puzzle and great write up, Melissa! Both were so entertaining. While that PETA link tore my heart out, the buxom broad gave me heart burn. Assuming those are implants, she would bruise any man who tried to hug her. Made me appreciate my natural full soft DD's even tho' they get in the way in some sports...enhancing others however. Speaking of sports, how can she swing a club, bat, or racket, or ride a horse? She would have black eyes or be beat unconscious after a good trot. And to think of the back problems - just getting up - then again she may seldom get off her back - why oh why? Oral fixation in reverse?
ReplyDeletePast that, my favorite clue was 26 D stud declaration...I call? Holy Hotwick, my mind flipped to raw material crossing beats it...
'A rod' below the 'belt' associated with 'masts', 'share' and 'bred'. So many possibilities in this great puzzle. Mr. Venzke outdid himself and I'm out of conscious time....meds are kickin' in.
Crockett: great mapping of the group. Enjoyed seeing the old names as well.
Lemonade: LMAO w/your bred/budder comment. Very cute. Took me a second to catch 'mete' - 'well done'.
Enjoy your day.
Dodo, thanks....I think.
ReplyDeleteDoreen said:
My diction gripe is the replacement of the word "whether" with "if". They are not interchangeable grammatically.
They certainly aren't. Everybody knows "whether" has to do with climate.
Dennis, The whether here is nice today. Not too hot and not too cold, but just right!
ReplyDeleteHi gang -
ReplyDeleteGood puzzle, seems about right for a Wed. Sadly, I did not suss the theme.
Nice job, MB.
Hand up for "Glasgow native."
Damned bifocals.
I think the countable counterpart to "fewer" might be "greater." There are greater opportunities to use it, but fewer people choose to.
More or less.
I seriously see nothing facetious about the phrase "WELL ENDOWED."
From the free dictionary:
en·dow (n-dou)
tr.v. en·dowed, en·dow·ing, en·dows
1. To provide with property, income, or a source of income.
2.
a. To equip or supply with a talent or quality: Nature endowed you with a beautiful singing voice.
The endowment level of the gal in that pic is indeterminate. She has helium balloons in her shirt. A too-tight hug would cause a ka-boom or two.
Then she would have less, but not fewer, one hopes.
Barry Manilow is a very talented guy, and by all accounts a truly splendid fellow. But, *&^#^, I loathe his music.
Can't let the modestly endowed Renee go by unnoticed.
There is a personal ad contained in today's puzzle. RARE STAMP COLLECTOR SEEKS WELL ENDOWED TESS or INEZ. Will SHARE MEDIUM ARTILLERY in TRAILOR.
Cheers!
JzB an EYER who LEERS more but SNEERS less
doug,
ReplyDeleteThey're all euphemisms: well endowed, pleasantly plump, a good milk bar, CBH (childbearing hips). They just add color to the language, don't they?
Let's see, what do we have for men? Six packs, and what else?
Hi MB, C.C. & gang, a good puzzle today, slightly harder but doable...
ReplyDeleteMy wife remembered Mr. Slate and that made me remember Barnie Rubble, Fred's neighbor?
Does anyone else remember the Route 66 TV series with a classic old Corvette?
Re: Loud for rock bands? I recently had to get a hearing aid for my left ear (it was pricey too)due to loss of being able to hear high frequencies but I think my loss was caused more by working around noisy equipment than attending loud rock concerts...
;-)
Hello Puzzlers - Good work, MB! Your SMIRK link particularly resonated with me. Bush 43 seemed a poor specimen for office, irrespective of politics, party, wealth, or what have you.
ReplyDeleteFilled this puzzle like a bathtub - bottom up. I have no idea what brain cell had EZRA imprinted on it, but there it was!
I'm shocked at today's TRAILERs. Not the little folding campers, but the massive semi-trailer "camping" beasts pulled by full-size Peterbilts or similar. I saw some of the biggest at Oshkosh last year, ridiculous rolling mansions that reek of conspicuous consumption. What have we become?
I bet Kazie knows a lot of names for beer mugs in addition to SCHOONER. England still has a few quaint words, but Oz really leads the pack - I learned a few here & there, some of which aren't understood outside their respective territories.
Perhaps this might help in remembering EZRA Cornell. He and I sat in the back row of freshman math; he stayed, I didn't.
ReplyDeleteThe year-long celebration of Ezra Cornell’s 200th birthday kicked off on Jan. 11, 2007, with a small ceremony in Olin Library, complete with a cake-cutting by Trustee Ezra Cornell IV ’70.
GO, BIG RED!
Hey Argyle, I don't have any trouble remembering old Ezra or Andrew Dickson White either. I am class of 1963. GO BIG RED indeed! Barbara graduated in 1965.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty campus!
Mainiac, surely you remember that You are not 'down' from where Hahtool lives? Yes. I know all about 'down East'.
ReplyDeleteLove it, Jerome!
I've really, truly been LMAO at the repartee today! Dennis, I was thinking more in the realm of activities, not appearance or build, since I've never seen you.
It's your hobbies I had in mind.
As far as euphemisms go, I kinda like "Get a load a them hooters!"
Lois, the mental image you offered of the well-endowed chick in an embrace and riding horseback has me still guffawing! Also, Jazzbumpa's of the helium balloons, which were my first thought. The Balloons, I mean, not the explosion.
Chickie, great comeback.
Dudley, I think drivers of those immense motor homes should be required to have a truck driver license after taking a course for it!And what's really appalling
is the age of many of the drivers!
Of course it takes a lifetime to accumulate enough to buy one of those monsters, I suppose.
Oh, it's been great fun today! I'm wiping the tears off my face!
BTW, where's ClearAyes today, shes missing all the fun!
And Crockett, did I miss something. Should I have seen names somewhere in connection with the blog map?
Hi Dodo and all, I'm sorry to have been away today and have some more stuff coming up tomorrow too. Sometimes we are just overloaded. I'll be back as soon as I get things taken care of.
ReplyDeleteHello, hello -
ReplyDeletelate to the party today. Long story.
Melissa Bee, great job, I loved all your clever remarks and clips. Buxom indeed, as was said, if a good hard hug was given to her, she would have popped her funny, facetious 'floppers'. Had to laugh at that picture. :)
Puzzle was easy once I left the NW corner - I could NOT figure out what any of those answers were!! I just started out again in the lower half and finally worked my way up and around until it was done.
Karo syrup was a staple at our house when I was growing up...Mom kept a bottle for lots of mysterious (to me) reasons, I just knew I liked it on pancakes and waffles. Hey, I was a little kid, what did I know. A few years later, I was talked into trying my Dad's favorite: Log Cabin Syrup. I was hooked.
Mainiac: thanks for the info on toothpicks from your beautiful state. I wish I could buy them direct, the ones we buy now are horrible, you have to through 20 or so to find one that is of a size that will work with teeth. Most of them are very thick and stubby. Yuk.
Lois, once again you are the champ at making me glad I don't have a mouthful of anything while reading your comments...kudos to you kid :)
Kazie, I'm a fairly recent arrival but I've pretty much gathered that the euphemism you're looking for is 'morel'.
ReplyDeleteThanks dodo,
ReplyDeleteActually my mind was going more in the direction of describing body parts, as with the hooter descriptions for women.
Dudley, Not being a beer drinker, I can't come up with too many words for beer mugs other than schooner and middy in Oz, Maß (Mass), Halbes or Stein in Germany. In Oz you can buy beer in stubbies or tinnies (see T-shirt photo). In the old days we used to get it in 20 ounce bottles, but now everything is metric, so I'm at a loss.
Dodo: Actually, Mainaic's usage of "down east" is correct. One can't get much more "down east" than Mt. Desert Island. I'm a former Mainaic, myself. I tease my parents because when they retired, they moved south. They now live in New Hampshire.
ReplyDeleteBill G and others; re 'fewer' discussion. I see it as:
ReplyDeleteHe has fewer marbles; I have more marbles.
He has less cheese; I have more cheese.
Simple as that.
Re. euphemisms: From Young Frankenstein, "What knockers!" (Looking at the door.)
ReplyDelete"Oh thank you doctor."
dodo, when you go to the blog map there is a listing of the markers on the left side of the page. Current bloggers alphabetically first, then those who are "inactive."
ReplyDeleteThanks Hahtool,
ReplyDeleteThe idea of being "Downeast" as the coast move northward is difficult at best.
Good evening Melissa,C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the write up, the heart warming Beagle story, and the "conversation."Many laughs.
Mixed feelings about puzzle ..didn't love it/didn't hate it.Ah-ha's were oh's.Usually Wed. is my favorite day.Finished all except OTC.Lots of very macho stuff :migs, artillery, snarl,and bassoooooo.
I had sash for belt.Not macho enough for this theme: Baretta Seeks Slab of Raw "Mete"
Wowzer! Those were awkward/strange boobies...had to be balloons.. that poor gal is doomed to lose her balance.
Carol , do they still make Log Cabin? Hand up for Mrs. Butterworth.
JD - I haven't seen Log Cabin syrup in quite a while, and I loved Mrs. Butterworth but I bought the less sugar one, and it was great, bought the second bottle and phew, something had changed! It was really BAD. I found Eggo less sugar and really love it. I don't indulge that often but want to have things taste GOOD when I do. :)
ReplyDeleteLog Cabin and Vermont Maid used to be mostly sugar syrup with some real maple syrup added for flavor. Now all of them including Mrs. Butterworth are artificially flavored. I think I remember that the artificial flavor comes from the sap of a certain pine tree.
ReplyDeleteI much prefer real maple syrup. The last time my wife and I went out for breakfast, she carried a small bottle of real maple syrup in a baggie for me in her purse.
I found myself chuckling and smirking a lot while doing this puzzle. My funniest moment was realizing that 65D 'Wanted poster abbr.' wasn't DOA. You mean it doesn't stand for Dead or Alive? D'oh...!
ReplyDeleteIs 26D Stud declaration: I CALL anything like a "booty call"...? :-)
DoDo: If you have a Bed Bath and Beyond near you, look for the Jar Opener by OXO in the kitchen gadget section. I absolutely LOVE mine, and bought one for each of my sisters last year. It's shaped like the letter "Y", with rows of teeth on the inside of the top vee to grip the jar/bottle lids. OXO kitchenware is great for people with arthritis, or lacking in strength or grip. Besides that item, I also use their kitchen scissors, potato peeler, and can opener. I also have a couple of their plastic mixing bowls, which are nice, but I've seen other brands just as good but less expensive.
Annette: you are right about the OXO products, they are great! They last a long, long time and are comfortable to use. BUT...there is a trick I learned from my husbands cousin on how to open most any jar with a metal lid. You just take an ordinary old-fashioned can/bottle opener, the one with the pointed end and insert that point under the lid and push upward. You will hear a 'pop' and the seal is broken...easy opening from there. Works very well unless the lids are plastic. Cost: dang near zero.
ReplyDeleteBill G: I remember Vermont Maid too, I saw some just the other day. That was another syrup my Dad loved.
I did try the pure maple syrup but really don't like it as well as the 'imitations', isn't that awful? I usually love the REAL thing, but in this case, not so much.
Speaking of great kitchen gadgets: OXO Smooth Edge Can Opener Review.
ReplyDeleteI got one for under $10.00 but it wasn't OXO but it still works great. Besides not leaving a sharp edge, there is no lip so you can clean the contents out much better.
And I found this neat video on how to use it. (The lid lifts off with any effort, usually.)
ReplyDeleteSince imitation maple products are being discussed: even though I grew up in and still live in an area with lots of maple syrup production (take that, Vermont!), my family often resorted to fake syrup as a cost saving measure. The real stuff was too expensive for our impoverished lot. We used Crescent Mapleine, stirred into a saucepan of hot water in which gobs of cane sugar had been dissolved. Mapleine was thought of as being the most realistic tasting fake stuff. We bought small qunatities of real syrup for Christmas and the like.
ReplyDeleteAs I grew into a teenager, I worked at a local farm where syrup was, and still is, made the old-fashioned way with a wood-fired evaporator. I was paid in syrup, a worthy tender! The old farmer is still living, but frail. His son is taking over the enterprise, to which I will lend all the support I can.
Oh, we never had Log Cabin or Butterworth's. These were blasphemous.
Dudley, I would expect you and Maniac to be real maple syrup fanciers. If I ran a restaurant that served breakfasts, I would make pancakes with real buttermilk (and optional cornmeal) and offer real maple syrup for $0.50 extra for those who cared. I would advertise it also!
ReplyDeleteI don't like real maple syrup either. We used to sprinkle powdered sugar on our French toast and smother it with Molasses.OMG! Or how about buttered toast covered with sugar and cinnamon(pre mixed in an old herb jar)Oh, it was on white bread! Does anyone even eat white bread anymore??
ReplyDeleteI just saw a PBS special on Breakfasts. They featured breakfast places from all over the US. One was in China Town in San Francisco and Carol two were in Portland. One called the Tin Shed and the other was Hestler's.
ReplyDeleteTalk about huge meals that were full of fat, cholesterol, and calories! It all looked delicious, though. Some places specialized in Pancakes, others in egg and potato concoctions and still others in Omelets with everything from spinach to spam in them.
I don't think there was an imitation item to be seen. Interesting that I should happen upon the last few comments right after viewing the program this evening.
Thank you, Crockett, I'll take another look.
ReplyDeleteKazie, I'm talking body parts here, too. Or maybe I took the whole 'morel' subject wrong. Maybe Lois or Dennis can explain it.
Annette and Carol, yes, I love OXO gadgets. I have several including the potato peeler, which is the best in the world, I'm sure. I'll get to a housewares store. We have a B,B,&B near by. I just never happen to be there. Cans are no problem since I have an electric opener that cuts the same way the OXO does. It's the bleeping bottles that give me trouble. That and that awful poured on thick plastic that nothing will cut.
Another hand up for having no taste for real maple syrup, When someone gives us some (we never buy it) we give it away. Something about it gets in my throat. Too sweet, I think. I use Crescent Mapleine and it's just the right maple flavor. I used to make sour dough pancakes but when I moved and 'unloaded' 5 years ago I gave my starter away. I'm really sorry; it came from a culture my daughter was given at a bridal shower in 1976.
Mainiac, can you translate that comment please? And Hahtool, I need some extrapolation here....to me 'down' is 'south'.... or something from ducks.
This must be my 5th. Nighty-night.
Well, it's really late but maybe some of you insomniacs are still around.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone watch Castle tonight? There was a mini grammar theme going at the beginning. The poor grammar usage really upset Castle and I thought of our blog discussions on the subject.
Good night. We'll start again in the morning.