Theme: PRIME (70A. Steak rating, and word that can precede the first words of the answers to starred clues) - The first word of each ER-ending phrase can follow PRIME.
17A. *Funny story : RIB-TICKLER. Prime rib.
27A. *Financial analyst : NUMBER CRUNCHER. Prime number.
47A. *Influential one : MOVER AND SHAKER. Prime mover.
63A. *Diversion while waiting : TIME-KILLER. Prime time.
Argyle here.
I have two problems with 27A: 1) I always thought it was NUMBERS CRUNCHER (turns out I was wrong) and 2) This may reopen the discussion of what a PRIME number is (I hope I'm wrong).
We just had CARVED ROAST and now we're having PRIME RIB. You vegans hang in there, we will get back to tofu and soy eventually.
PRIME MOVER - I thought this meant the main impetus behind an idea but the Wikipedia disambiguation covers so much more, including a entry for Australian English.
Across:
1. Tug trailer : BARGE. Or tug leader. I think a tug pushes a barge, not tow it.
6. Grand __ : SLAM. Another disambiguation page. Did you know there was a GRAND SLAM in curling? I sure didn't!
10. Tach nos. : RPMs. Tachometer / Revolutions per minute
14. Slobber : DROOL.
15. "Othello" villain : IAGO. (Shakespeare)
16. Strategic Chinese border river : YALU. Between China and North Korea. Map.
19. Stereotypical insomnia cause : DRIP. From a faucet.
20. Stocking style : MESH.
21. Hub once known as Orchard Field : O'HARE. Chicago.
22. Icicle site : EAVE.
23. Where to get PIN money? : ATM.
25. Seniors' D.C. lobby : AARP.
34. Cub Scout group : DEN.
35. Asteroids game company : ATARI.
36. Knickknack shelf item : CURIO.
37. Demolish : RUIN.
39. Grey Goose alternative, familiarly : STOLI. Stolichnaya® vodka. Product of Russia. 80 Proof.
41. Places for notes : PADS.
42. "The King" of golf, to fans : ARNIE. Arnold Palmer.
44. Consider responsible for : OWE TO.
46. Cruise milieu : SEA.
50. Robert of "The Sopranos" : ILER.
51. '50s campaign button name : IKE. President Dwight David Eisenhower.
52. Holders of chips? : POTS. Poker
54. Stone memorial : CAIRN.
58. Art class subject : VASE.
62. Sandusky's lake : ERIE. Sandusky is a city in Ohio and the county seat of Erie County.
65. One of the Ivies : PENN. University of Pennsylvania.
66. Prefix meaning "peculiar" : IDIO.
67. Husband and wife : MATES.
68. Omelet essentials : EGGS.
69. Fires : CANS.
Down:.
1. Classified ad abbr. : BDRM.
2. Two-time Indy champ Luyendyk : ARIE. He won in 1990 and 1997.
3. Takes badly? : ROBS.
4. Bruce Wayne's city : GOTHAM. Batman
5. Quarterback Manning : ELI. Football, New York Giants (2004–present)
6. Punjab sect member : SIKH.
7. Like a land for dreamers? : LA-LA. Sometimes known as Los Angeles.
8. Time, for example : AGER.
9. Wells's island doctor : MOREAU. The Island of Doctor Moreau is a 1896 science fiction novel and has been made into a movie on three occasions.
10. Biennial team golf competition : RYDER CUP. Competition between pro teams from Europe and the United States.
11. Put another way : PARAPHRASE.
12. XII years before the Battle of Hastings : MLIV. The Battle of Hastings, which took place on 14 October 1066. (MLXVI) take away 12 (XII) gives you 1054 (MLIV)
13. Apartment manager, briefly : SUPE. Superintendent.
18. Halley's and Hale-Bopp : COMETS.
24. Timetable abbr. : TBA. "To Be Announced"
26. Anti-apartheid org. : ANC. The African National Congress.
27. Prefix with surgeon : NEURO.
28. Disagreeable : UNINVITING.
29. Betray, stoolie-style : RAT ON.
30. Grandstand filler : CROWD.
31. Agitates : RILES.
32. Down-yielding duck : EIDER.
33. Sub __: confidentially : ROSA.
34. Wee bit o' Dewar's, say : DRAM. There you go, Tinbeni. A dram is the traditional Scotch whisky measure. A pour. The amount is determined only by the generosity of the pourer.
38. Much-followed ratings, with "the" : NIELSENS. TV ratings service.
40. Opinion opener : "I THINK".
43. Before, to Keats : ERE.
45. Symbol of strength : OAK.
48. Frigid : ARCTIC.
49. Bulletproof vest material : KEVLAR.
52. Stinker Le Pew : PEPÉ. Cartoon skunk.
53. State bordering Wash. : OREG. Oregon
55. Verdi's slave girl : AIDA. Opera
56. Statement of commitment : I'M IN. Poker, again.
57. Classic autos : REOs. Early Oldsmobile's.
59. Some choristers : ALTI. Singular, ALTO.
60. Appear : SEEM.
61. Gaelic tongue : ERSE.
64. Brat : IMP.
Answer grid.
As we all know, Gunghy finished 13 miles short of 4000 in 11 days in his Yamaha Raider in early July. Here is part II of his series. The scenic ones. Click here for all the Gunghy photos.
Argyle
17A. *Funny story : RIB-TICKLER. Prime rib.
27A. *Financial analyst : NUMBER CRUNCHER. Prime number.
47A. *Influential one : MOVER AND SHAKER. Prime mover.
63A. *Diversion while waiting : TIME-KILLER. Prime time.
Argyle here.
I have two problems with 27A: 1) I always thought it was NUMBERS CRUNCHER (turns out I was wrong) and 2) This may reopen the discussion of what a PRIME number is (I hope I'm wrong).
We just had CARVED ROAST and now we're having PRIME RIB. You vegans hang in there, we will get back to tofu and soy eventually.
PRIME MOVER - I thought this meant the main impetus behind an idea but the Wikipedia disambiguation covers so much more, including a entry for Australian English.
Across:
1. Tug trailer : BARGE. Or tug leader. I think a tug pushes a barge, not tow it.
6. Grand __ : SLAM. Another disambiguation page. Did you know there was a GRAND SLAM in curling? I sure didn't!
10. Tach nos. : RPMs. Tachometer / Revolutions per minute
14. Slobber : DROOL.
15. "Othello" villain : IAGO. (Shakespeare)
16. Strategic Chinese border river : YALU. Between China and North Korea. Map.
19. Stereotypical insomnia cause : DRIP. From a faucet.
20. Stocking style : MESH.
21. Hub once known as Orchard Field : O'HARE. Chicago.
22. Icicle site : EAVE.
23. Where to get PIN money? : ATM.
25. Seniors' D.C. lobby : AARP.
34. Cub Scout group : DEN.
35. Asteroids game company : ATARI.
36. Knickknack shelf item : CURIO.
37. Demolish : RUIN.
39. Grey Goose alternative, familiarly : STOLI. Stolichnaya® vodka. Product of Russia. 80 Proof.
41. Places for notes : PADS.
42. "The King" of golf, to fans : ARNIE. Arnold Palmer.
44. Consider responsible for : OWE TO.
46. Cruise milieu : SEA.
50. Robert of "The Sopranos" : ILER.
51. '50s campaign button name : IKE. President Dwight David Eisenhower.
52. Holders of chips? : POTS. Poker
54. Stone memorial : CAIRN.
58. Art class subject : VASE.
62. Sandusky's lake : ERIE. Sandusky is a city in Ohio and the county seat of Erie County.
65. One of the Ivies : PENN. University of Pennsylvania.
66. Prefix meaning "peculiar" : IDIO.
67. Husband and wife : MATES.
68. Omelet essentials : EGGS.
69. Fires : CANS.
Down:.
1. Classified ad abbr. : BDRM.
2. Two-time Indy champ Luyendyk : ARIE. He won in 1990 and 1997.
3. Takes badly? : ROBS.
4. Bruce Wayne's city : GOTHAM. Batman
5. Quarterback Manning : ELI. Football, New York Giants (2004–present)
6. Punjab sect member : SIKH.
7. Like a land for dreamers? : LA-LA. Sometimes known as Los Angeles.
8. Time, for example : AGER.
9. Wells's island doctor : MOREAU. The Island of Doctor Moreau is a 1896 science fiction novel and has been made into a movie on three occasions.
10. Biennial team golf competition : RYDER CUP. Competition between pro teams from Europe and the United States.
11. Put another way : PARAPHRASE.
12. XII years before the Battle of Hastings : MLIV. The Battle of Hastings, which took place on 14 October 1066. (MLXVI) take away 12 (XII) gives you 1054 (MLIV)
13. Apartment manager, briefly : SUPE. Superintendent.
18. Halley's and Hale-Bopp : COMETS.
24. Timetable abbr. : TBA. "To Be Announced"
26. Anti-apartheid org. : ANC. The African National Congress.
27. Prefix with surgeon : NEURO.
28. Disagreeable : UNINVITING.
29. Betray, stoolie-style : RAT ON.
30. Grandstand filler : CROWD.
31. Agitates : RILES.
32. Down-yielding duck : EIDER.
33. Sub __: confidentially : ROSA.
34. Wee bit o' Dewar's, say : DRAM. There you go, Tinbeni. A dram is the traditional Scotch whisky measure. A pour. The amount is determined only by the generosity of the pourer.
38. Much-followed ratings, with "the" : NIELSENS. TV ratings service.
40. Opinion opener : "I THINK".
43. Before, to Keats : ERE.
45. Symbol of strength : OAK.
48. Frigid : ARCTIC.
49. Bulletproof vest material : KEVLAR.
52. Stinker Le Pew : PEPÉ. Cartoon skunk.
53. State bordering Wash. : OREG. Oregon
55. Verdi's slave girl : AIDA. Opera
56. Statement of commitment : I'M IN. Poker, again.
57. Classic autos : REOs. Early Oldsmobile's.
59. Some choristers : ALTI. Singular, ALTO.
60. Appear : SEEM.
61. Gaelic tongue : ERSE.
64. Brat : IMP.
Answer grid.
As we all know, Gunghy finished 13 miles short of 4000 in 11 days in his Yamaha Raider in early July. Here is part II of his series. The scenic ones. Click here for all the Gunghy photos.
Argyle
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - a very, very enjoyable puzzle today, and for me it was primarily due to all the fresh clues.
ReplyDeleteI knew it was gonna be a fun solve as soon as I got to 'slobber'/'drool'. I remembered O'Hare used to be called 'Orchard Field', and isn't it weird that so many people remember that the Battle of Hastings was in 1066? I know it was an important, decisive battle, but there were a lot of those where I couldn't even tell you what decade they occurred in.
I misspelled 'Neilsens' as 'Neilsons' which gave me a bit of a pause. Other than that, a pretty smooth Wednesday solve. Favorite clues were 'Where to get PIN money?' and 'Takes badly?'.
Argyle, you're right about tugs and barges. Most times the tug pushes, whether from the back or the side.
MJ, thanks for the late-night comments, and I hope your 'situation' is resolved now. Jeannie, same with you - sounds like you're going through some stuff as well.
Today is National Milk Chocolate Day.
Did You Know:
- In every deck of cards, the King of Hearts is sticking his sword through his head. That's why he's often called the Suicide King.
- Worcestershire sauce is basically anchovy ketchup.
- The U.S. spent $277,000 on 'pickle research' in 1993. I'll resist the easy lines...
Good morning all, a b it of a struggle for me this morning. The south central and the NE gave me problems. In the NE I could not get the crossing of MLIV and Yalu and in the south. I had axes and then cuts before finally getting cans for 69A. Otherwise it was smooth sailing and a fun puzzle to solve.
ReplyDeleteI think that river tugs and some ocean tugs push the barges, bur they do use tow cables for ocean tows.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday.
Good Morning, CC, Argyle and all. Sometimes I do a puzzle and realize that I know things I didn't even know I knew!
ReplyDeleteI immediately filled in O'HARE for the former Orchard Field. How I knew that was the right answer, I have no idea!
I don't generally like Roman numerals, but I really liked the clue for 12 years before the Battle of Hastings = MLIV. As Argyle pointed out, somehow we just "know" the year 1066.
Never seen DROOL in a puzzle before, but it made me smile.
QOD: I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Argyle, Exceptional write-up!
ReplyDeleteOK, I admit it, any puzzle with
"Wee bit o' Dewar's" is going to
start my day off right and make
me smile.
Now the answer, DRAM, commonly known as 1.5 oz, seems a little small. I was thinking ... barrel.
First thought was Grand Prix, accentuated by my Tach's RPM'S.
But Well's Island of Dr. Moreau was a childhood fave (Who am I kidding, I liked all his books). That got me the Grand SLAM I saw Monday night at Tropicana Field. Yeah, the Tampa Bay Ray no-hitter. It was a nice CROWD.
MLIV was a perp gimmie.
Knew it was a thousand something. Just had to work the crosses.
The YALU river, that DRIP causing my insomnia and my EAVE that is icicle free. Hey, this is Florida.
The NIELSENS have a hugh operation here in Dunedin and Oldsmar (yup, the town named after Ransom E. Olds of REO'S fame).
All-in-all a FUN puzzle.
Cheers !!!
Morning Argyle, CC and All,
ReplyDeleteSpelling killed me this morning. My mistakes were Neilsons and Kelvar which had me erasing and re-writing all over the place in those two sections. I was interrupted alot and finally got some perps which filled in my errors.
Good Luck Lois!!
Gotta run.
Happy Hump Day
Dick is right - I grew up on the Mississippi and now live on the Ohio - tugs do push, not pull, even though they are often referred to as "tow boats". Really enjoyed today's as the answers came quite easily except for CAIRN - new to me.
ReplyDeleteGoing to help my daughter move tomorrow - UGH.
Good morning everyone. Nice write-up Argyle.
ReplyDeleteFairly easy puzzle today. No lookups needed. Got the theme near the end. Quite a bit of fresh fill like DROOL and RYDERCUP. WAGS included OHARE and ANC.
BARGE - Open ocean towing would more like be by cable because of the waves and swells. Inland waters towing usually involves the tug marrying up to the barge(s) and pushing from behind; or the side if channel widths are adequate.
Enjoy hump day
Morning, folks!
ReplyDeleteNot a difficult puzzle by any means, but I was definitely my own worst enemy today. I don't recall when I've last had so many missteps in a single puzzle. EEOC instead of BDRM at 1D, RAZE instead of RUIN at 37A, BLAME for OWETO at 44A, STELE for CAIRN at 54A, NUDE for VASE at 58A and YALE for PENN at 65A (shouldn't that have an abbreviation indication?) It wasn't until I started in on the perps that I realized just how many mistakes I had made on my initial pass.
The only semi-tough spot was in the NE corner where YALU crossed MLIV. I didn't know (or, at least, didn't remember) the name of the river, which meant I actually had to do a little math in my head to figure out what date was 12 years before 1066 and then convert it back into Roman numerals. Ah well, at least it was a definitive number and not something like "mid 11th century date," which is what we usually get.
Oh -- and this was also one of the rare puzzles where knowing the theme actually helped me solves the puzzle. Once I got PRIME it was much easier to figure out all the theme clues.
Have a great one! Only two more days until I'm off to London with the family for a week...
BarryG: I am glad you are finally getting to go on your London holiday. I think you will find it a delightful city. We go there often to see theater. There are also some wonderful museums that your son will enjoy. Don't forget to check out the fish and chips. Also, be sure to make a reservation for high tea somewhere. Your wife will enjoy that experience.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Argyle, C.C. and the cast from Leave it to Beaver; you all have hit the high spots and roundly Tugged at the use of TUG BOATS , if you want some fun come to Dodge Island or Port Everglades and watch them with the cruise ships; like other South Floridians, they go both ways.
ReplyDeleteBarry, I have forgotten, have you been to London before? How many of our number hacve been there?
In case you all forget, it is Wednesday, Argyle notwithstanding.
Ciao
G'morning all,
ReplyDeleteI had to go back to check on last night, because we had a power outage here due to an accident somewhere in town--I still don't know details. But anyway, until we were in bed, the internet and TV weren't working because our local provider must have got hit as well and they took longer to get up and running again.
So, Vettedoe,
I certainly hope you come through the pregnancy normally. It's a worry at the best of times, even without complications.
And Jeannie,
I hope things are going better with Jen for the moment.
Gunghy,
More great photos. We were in San Antonio a few years ago for a wedding, and simply loved it there. The Riverwalk is beautiful, and your photos brought back good memories. And of course, what's not to like about Willy?
To the CW: I had trouble with YALU, having misspelled RIDER, and didn't know ROSA, so mucked up CURIO, which didn't occur to me for some reason. I got the theme early, having looked at the unifier, and it really did help a lot. But I took a while to figure out where I had heard Grey Goose, then STOLI finally fell in and I remembered.
We had a discussion a while back on the origin of O'Hare being Orchard Field, so that's why it seemed familiar to all us oldies here.
Good fun puzzle, and a great blogjob as usual, Argyle.
Scotty:
ReplyDeleteWhere on the mighty Ohio do you live? I'm a former river rat myself, from Maysville, Ky., which is 6 blocks wide and 3 1/2 miles long.
Lemonade:
Speaking from personal experience, or observation only?
it IS weird that we remember 1066. Even weirder, I also remember that in 711 Charles Martel drove the Moors out of Tours. go figure
ReplyDeleteScotty: Here is a definition of CAIRN, and here there is a Picture of one on this site.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Argyle, C.C. et al,
ReplyDeletePast puzzles and blog talk gave me an edge on today's c/w.Had to hunt for kevlar and Arie.DH gave me Ryder Cup. Perps were kind.Liked drool.Hand up for nude/vase.I wasn't convinced at first that drip was the right answer, so left it alone for a bit.
I've been to London, but didn't see the Queen.So much history. Most Europeans KNOW their history, unlike Americans who can't find Mississippi on a map, but can spell it! Enjoyed the trip up the Thames to Greenwich.Have a great trip, Barry.
Argyle, nice write up. Enjoyed the several meanings of grand slam.What is the difference between tennis and real tennis?
Gunghy, your pictures are so enjoyable. What a great way to sight see. I hope more of you share your trips.
Hahtool, great QOD!
Erieruth, I'm a little late in telling you how much I enjoyed your limericks. Clever! Carol, you have some competition there.
Good morning C.C., Argyle and puzzlers all.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this puzzle. There were several clues that I had not encountered before and a few that were somewhat ambiguous, so it was a fun solve. No help needed today, except for the use of perps.
BARGE was my first thought and then I started to second guess since, like so many of you, I always think of Tugs pushing barges and towing other craft. I immediately went to the perps and found that there were three solid answers that fit with BARGE and left it there. That gave me RIB TICKLER. A quick scan of the clues got me the theme unifier and the rest of the theme answers were easy with only a few perps needed to steer me in the right direction.
BarryG, our minds must be on the same thing this morning... I really wanted NUDE instead of VASE, too. Oh, well..,.
If there are any mistakes in my typing, blame it on my coffee soaked keyboard, thanks to Lemonade714's comment about South Floridians lifestyles. That was funny!
Stoli as an alternative to Grey Goose? Maybe in a Bloody Mary, but DO NOT mess with my Grey Goose martini!
We will be flying to London in a month, but wil only spend one night there. We did spend a very enjoyable week there in 2006. We will be overnight in Tilbury before boarding our ship for a cruise around the British Isles and may points beyond, returning home from Athens in October. I'm not sure if I'll have access to the L A Times crossword for that period. HAL prints out the NYT crossword every day, but not the LAT. Somehow, we'll survive...
Barry, have a great trip. Watch out for Eyjafjallajökull.
ReplyDelete'Tug' (boat) - The German word for a tug is Schlepper. Yiddish anyone? The word for train is Zug, a cognate?
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteBig step up in difficulty from yesterday; 14:21, a bit long for a Wed. Misspelt RYDER and NEILSON.
Wrong MOREAU. I read that book when I was about twelve, and it scared the hell out of me. It took me over a year to regain my former hell.
Don't like NUMBER CRUNCHER for financial analyst.
I will not go further into the number crunching, since the last time got me that fermatPRIME RIBbing.
The battle of Hastings was really bad luck for King Harold. William's army sat on the shore of Normandy for the entire Summer waiting for the wind to change, (talk about a TIME KILLER) so they could cross the SEA - well, channel - and BARGE in.
Everyone was at the end of their patience and resources. If the weather hadn't finally shifted in Oct. the entire course of English history would be different. William would never be able to raise that army again. See what we OWE TO weather!
Harold and his MATES had just fought a fierce battle two weeks earlier at Stamford Bridge, against his DRIP of a brother and a Danish Viking army, then had to march about 200 miles to take on William's forces.
During the battle of Hastings he took an arrow in the eye (or so the story goes) and the rest is, as they say, history.
The once was a King they called Harry
Whose luck wasn't bad, it was very
Awful we've found, then when Bill crossed the sound*
He wound up in the cemetery
* Well -channel.
Cheers!
JzB
Spitz,
ReplyDeleteZug can also mean a draft--i.e. something drawn, or pulled, either air pulled in through a window, or a breath you draw in. For the train it refers originally to the engine, which pulled the rest of the train. Today trains are usually called Bahn(en = plural), as in Bundesbahn: the Federal Rail System. So the connection to tugs that push is further complicated.
I was in London for a month in 1970, staying with friends who were studying there. Then I had a three day stay in 2006, which felt like just enough then. The month was a bit too long. But the tube service was faster and more extensive in 2006 than the first time.
Kazie:
ReplyDeleteFrom a German travel phrase guide:
Is this the right platform for the Bonn train? Fährt der Zug nach Bonn von diesem Gleis ab?
Good Morning Argyle et al.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really have any problems with today's puzzle, because I started by trying to tease out the theme, and found it right away with "RIB TICKLER". Only had a pause with 13d. "SUPE", as I thought it should be "SUPER", but all the perps fit so I left it at that.
This puzzle made me DROOL at the thought of eating PRIME RIB. But tonight we're just having burgers on the grill ;-P
Spitz,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you know to be skeptical about some of what is in phrase books. OK, Bahn and Zug can still be used interchangeably, but ask a German and they'll say "Man fährt mit der Bahn". All of which makes Autobahn confusing too, since the Bahn part of that refers to the lanes/tracks for cars (Autos) rather than the Gleis (track/rail) for a train. Whoever said German was easy?
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGreat write up, Argyle. I wanted the stocking style to be yours, but it wouldn't fit.
Vettedoe, I truly hope you get some good news today about your pregnancy.
Enjoyed your photos, Gunghy. Thanks.
Barry G., I agree about figuring out the theme (a rarity for me) surely helped with the long answers. And I hope you enjoy your trip to London. It's a good time of year to be there. Look carefully in the opposite direction when you cross streets!
I've been to London three times: once in 1952, last in 1974.
The bad time was in 1970 when my late husband was in the hospital with a fractured skull and broken arm. (He had looked to the left as he stepped off a curb and was hit by a truck.) He was there three weeks, but I couldn't be because we had two teen-aged sons I'd left in Vienna. The English were extremely helpful to me then. And the cost to us for the hospital and docs was zero. And R.T.Zed paid for a private (theirs) plane and a nurse to fly Marc to Vienna.
Cheers
I haven’t done the puzzle in a couple of days but found some time today over lunch and found this one most enjoyable. I do have to admit that unlike everyone else I didn’t know the year the Battle of Hastings occurred so I did have to hit the g-spot, but then was able to “do the math”. That helped me because that gave me Yalu. I also had no idea what a Punjab sect was so Sikh came via the perps as well. We used to go to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, OH so that was a gimme too. My favorite clue today was “where to get pin money” – ATM. I also noticed somewhat of a liquor tone with Dewars (hi Tinbeni), Grey Goose and Stoli.
ReplyDeleteGunghy, great pictures, and Barry I am glad you are finally going to make it to London. If I remember right you cancelled your trip due to the volcano in Iceland?
Kazie, do you make pesto and freeze it? I have basil coming out of my ears.
Dennis, ever have a chocolate covered pickle? I have.
I think when I had the root canal yesterday the dentist drilled through and let some of my brain leak. I didn't make much progress on the puzzle until I got to PRIME. That gave me the clue to the theme answers, but the rest fell slowly.
ReplyDeleteFor "stone memorial" I wanted the name of a specific one - CAIRN was my "aha" today.
I had "raze" instead of RUIN, which led me off into "heart" surgeon instead of NEURO. Bummer! As a non-drinker, I didn't know about "Dewar's" or STOLI.
Gunghy, my parents lived in San Antonio the last 15-20 years of their lives, so I visited there often. Love the city, but I haven't been back since Dad died in 1992. We always had such a good time there and the children loved it, too. So much to do!
Jeannie,
ReplyDeleteIt never lasts long enough to freeze. Would it work if you just froze the excess basil leaves in bags to use later? Mine's not doing too well this year, seems it's crowded by the mint and sage on either side of it, so I wish I had more.
Morning all,,
ReplyDeleteI'd DROOL to see Arnie as a RYDER CUP captain on PRIME TIME ,,I THINK the NIELSENS ratings will soar,and the CROWD will be huge,
It was a fun puzzle today,little tougher than yesterday,
YALU,CURIO,CAIRN,and ROSA were my only KILLERs,,otherwise it was as enjoyable as drinking a DRAM of Chivas,,,or 2.
G'day everybody
Argyle; Great Blog, well done, ... wonderful in all respects. Thank you. ( I wouldn't touch your prime number with a ten foot pole ... err, make it a 7 or 11 foot pole ...)
ReplyDeleteThe Xword: Unusually easy ( for me )... I too had EEOC, DRIP, Moreno (?),but self corrected, ... I tried to fit in TIGER WOODS ... but there was no tree around. I figured out (some sort of - ) 'theme' early on ... a real miracle for me.
Is 'Sub Rosa' similar to 'in Camera' ?
MLIV can be arrived at mathematically, without knowing the actual date ... because, you can assume, it needs four separate letters, starting with M.
Interesting about Cairn sites ... I didn't know they could also reproduce and breed asexually ... Cairn terriers.
I would think Number Crunchers should properly refer to Accountants, CPAs, IRS auditors and the like... Financial Analysts are more as Number Improvisers. ( If you ask a F.A... how much is 2 plus 2 ... he/she will reply ... What do you want to make of it ...?)
Finally, 6 D... Punjab sect member... Sikh.
Sect generally refers to a branch or offshoot of a main religion. Sikhism is a separate religion ... just as Christianity is not a sect of Judaism...
Fortunately, few sikhs ( if any ) solve xword puzzles...
Not bad, but I had some struggles. I'm not a golfer (Rider) or a drinker (St??? and Drop). Names, of course and who are Sandusky and the Ivies anyway? Sorry, but 1066 is not one of my strengths. Having said all that, the only look-up was Hastings and a verification of IALU which caught RYDER. Loved paraphrase, but couldn't add enough letters to get EX-WIFE into its counterpart, 28D.
ReplyDeletetug trailer
tug leader
I remember one tug and a train of barges, but couldn't find a picture of that.
Thanks for the comments on my photography, I still think Kazie does better.
Gunghy: Great pictures and links ... I learnt a lot.
ReplyDeleteOcean going tugs are very powerful ( and expensive ) vessels. An unstated Admiralty law (... Precedent .. Hahtool ? ) of the open seas has it that-
-If a ship on the open seas is in distress, and sends out an SOS, ... the tug that responds and tows the ship to safe harbor, or to port ... is entitled to ... as its fees ... the entire value of the cargo on board and a large percentage of the hull value of the ship.
Nice, towing charges, huh ?
Crew- human value is not counted ...
Ofcourse, the Somali pirates use a somewhat different formula ...
Today's deemed more like a Monday and vice versa. Maybe it's just me.
ReplyDeleteI managed the building of a plant near Liverpool and as a result spent a lot of time in London mostly staying at the Tower Hotel which is in the "City" near the Tower Bridge. Haven't been there in a while and I have to admit it dod't have much character.
Hello All--For some reason I couldn't get a toehold in the upper half of the puzzle today. So I went to the Center Eastern section and filled in clockwise until I had all but the NW section filled in.
ReplyDeleteI had put in Addr. for Classifed Abbreviation so that was the last to fall. I had drool in as my first fist fill but nothing after that.
My favorites today were Where to get Pin money, and Takes Badly.
Argyle,Vernon Davis, a 49er star is hosting a curling dinner and fundraiser at our San Jose Shark's tank tonight. People have paid four figures to man the brooms and drop the rocks. Vernon was honorary captain of the U.S. team at the Olympics. I don't think it is the grand slam of Curling, however. Too many non-pros.
I wanted to tell Gunghy that his pictures were great. I've never been to Texas, other than to drive through to other places. Someday that will be a destination for a vacation.
ReplyDeleteMy hand is up for London. We were there in 1976, and spent several days on foot and did all the regular tourist things. We were checking out a dog training and grooming school in Windsor for our daughter.
After our stay in London, I visited my forever pen-pal in Durham, England. We've been writing to each other since we were 13 years old.
Dealing with a sick kid this afternoon. I guess its a good thing he doesn't have strep but that means we need to wait for the virus to work its way through. I've made him drink so much water he says he's floating.
ReplyDeleteGunghy, Great pics, that was quite a trip.
Talking tugs reminds me of my nephew working in the gulf. They push and pull. As mate his biggest challenge seems to be getting the older deck hands to do their work timely so he doesn't have to re-maneuver the vessel. Sounds like he enjoys the work still.
Have fun in London Barry!
Hi all.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this puzzle. I didn't get a toehold in the top of the puzzle, so I went to the bottom and worked my way up. Won't go there!
I guess I'm one of the few who didn't remember 1066, but got it with the perps.
My best friends lived in Scotland and England for five years, so I spent quite a bit of time there. I loved Scotland. Found my ancestral burial grounds and had a picnic there. Also loved Wales and the people. All were very friendly and helpful. The only problem we encountered was in the pubs in Scotland. The more they {and we} drank the harder it was to figure out they were speaking english! Lots of fun.
Great blogging Dennis and Argyle. I admire all of you who do this.
I always think of 1066 as the beginning of the change or softening of the then germanic language. The new aristocracy (the French) dealt with animals as food which they saw on a plate: porc, mutton, beef. The original inhabitants worked with these animals on the hoof: pigs, sheep, cow. These are just a few examples off the top of my head.
ReplyDeleteDoreen
Vidwan, interesting question. They are somewhat close in meaning, but not quite the same. In camera (chambers), means in private, as taking place in a judge's quarters, so the meeting contents are not discussed publicly, but people know that a meeting took place.
ReplyDeleteSub Rosa, under the rose (a symbol of secrecy), has a more covert meaning, like two spies meeting, where no one else is supposed to know that it happened at all.
Al: Thank you for your help.
ReplyDeleteI also came across another secret ... this time an secret appointment, of a cardinal, by the Pope ... called ... in pectore' ... in the chest/bosom.
An appointment, not to be publicly revealed, until a more appropriate time.
Hi all...
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle and not too much trouble.
I don't know why I knew Orchard Field is now O'Hare, but it 'tickled' my ribs.
I have never watched The Sopranos so that was left blank for awhile.
Had to laugh at LaLa - wonder how that name came to be? Hmmmm.
Scotch was not the first thing to pop into my head when I saw 39A (Grey Goose)...I really thought of the old song with the lyric "the old grey goose is dead"...but soon realized that was not what it meant.
I remembered Dennis talking about Grey Goose but I thought that was a gin. But what do I know, I like beer- LOL!
How many of you looked at the King of Hearts after reading that bit about having his sword stuck through his head? I did, it could be viewed like that, but it also looks like he is holding it behind his head. Geez, the things I look at :)
Ooops, Barry G, I forgot to wish you a fabulous trip. I know you will just love it, and am glad you did finally get the chance to go. Be sure to take pictures to share with us. England is on my 'bucket list', but we will have to go via vessel as neither one of us will get on a plane.
ReplyDeleteCarol
ReplyDelete39a, Grey Goose alternative is about Vodka.
34d, "Wee bit o' Dewar's" is about Scotch.
(Something I've studied my entire adult life, with a minor in "Beer's of the World")
Now you have me doing it.
I went and looked at that King of Hearts. Looks to me like he is just holding it behind his head ready to strike.
As to being the Suicide King?
Sounds to me like something said by someone trying to make an "inside straight" or who just had a "busted flush."
Barry, I, too, forgot to wish you a good, fun trip. I'd love to make suggestions, but it's been 28 years since I've been there. All I remember is that my wife dragged me to every cathedral and art museum she could find. I'm not really a city type, anyway. I much preferred the Welsh and Irish countryside.
ReplyDeleteCarol, look into a relocation cruise. Boats spend the winter in the Gulf, then cross the Atlantic to cruise the Mediterranean in the summer. The crossover can be really cheap.
OK, as an avid poker player, I need to interject my 2 cents about the king of hearts. If you look at THIS KING, it looks like he is raising his sword for a strike. Don’t know how they get “Suicide King” for this card. But, I also don’t know why they call Aces “Bullets”. Cards are a very dangerous game, I guess. The full house containing aces and eights is known as “The Dead Man’s Hand”, supposedly because it was the hand held by Wild Bill Hickock when he was murdered. So, next time you are playing bridge, beware of the “GRAND SLAM” because you may end up…er, “sub terra”…
ReplyDeleteTinbeni, thanks for pointing out my mix-up with 34D and 39A...I don't know why I got so confused, I haven't hit the bottle yet :)
ReplyDeleteHeartRx, Your 'King' is exactly like the one in my deck. My hubby is a huge fan of Texas Hold'em and is very good at it...me, not so much but I do know how to play.
Gunghy, I like the sound of a relocation cruise. I'll look into it, thanks!! :)
Barry, I also wanted to wish you Bon Voyage. Enjoy your trip to London. We were told that they speak English there, but there were times when I wondered.
ReplyDeleteTake lots of pictures and put people into them so you can say you and your family were there.
Barry,
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion would be to take the hop on-hop off bus and get a taste of everything. A ticket is good for 24 hours from the time you start, so you can use it for the better part of two days, if I remember correctly. Or maybe it was just if you started after 7pm it registered as the next day. Anyway, check it out, brochures are in hotel lobbies. Stop at all the known sights, and take the boatride on the Thames which is included in one of the hop on-hop off tickets available--that was like having a whole extra tour included with the bus. And don't forget the galleries and the British Museum for its antiquities--Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles.
Doreen,
It's also true that our language reflect that cultural difference--our words for cooked meat are similar to the French words for the meat and often the animal too, whereas the German words for both are generally similar to ours for the animals on the hoof.
Hahtool,first episode of "Pillars" will be repeated tonight at 10:00 on Starz W.
ReplyDeleteKing of Hearts
ReplyDeleteHe holds his sword back of the head
Not through it, as we've been led.
That ear-to-ear glide would be suicide,
And, pointedly, he would be dead.
Cheers!
JzB
Tinbeni: I'm sure you know your scotch and your spirits, and the technicalities, better than I'll ever know ...
ReplyDeleteSo, this is meant humbly, ... one fluid oz. is 30 cc.s, and a fluid dram is one-eighth, or about 3.5 cc.s ... or about 3 cubes of sugar.
I am mindful however, of your comprehensive knowledge on many other matters...
BTW, one of the books I am reading is 'To cork or not to cork' by George M. Taber,
... who also wrote, the best-seller, 'Judgement of Paris', about the 1976 competition, in which Calif wines won a blind taste test vis-a-vis the French wines in Paris. Was made into a Hollywood movie ...' Bottle shock ' or 'Sideways ' or ----(?)--
Aye, 'tis like I sae in me write-up: A dram is the traditional Scotch whisky measure, a pour, the amount is determined only by the generosity of the pourer.
ReplyDeleteWee Doch an Doris, a little drink at the door(as your leaving), as sung by Sir Harry Lauder. There is a translation below the video.
Hello again, everybody!
ReplyDeleteBusy day, so I'm just getting back to check the responses. Thanks to all for the suggestions and best wishes for our trip. This will be our first time in London (not counting a brief stopover at Heathrow airport for me a number of years ago). We're bringing our 5-year-old, and most of the trip will revolve around him and his interests. We have a hotel right next to Victoria Station, and each day we'll pick one attraction (the zoo, the aquarium, a museum, etc.) and then have a nice dinner in the evening. We definitely want to do the bus tour one of the days.
Hi all, and thanks, Argyle, for the blog.
ReplyDeleteAs I solved today's puzzle NW to SE, the theme had me going for awhile. At first I thought it was the second words of the theme fills that were the definitive phrases--TICKLER, CRUNCHER, SHAKER (I sorta thought, okay,where is this going), then got to KILLER and thought, huh? Finally got to the unifying clue/fill which cleared up my misconception. Fun puzzle!
Lois and Vettedoe-Hope all is well.
Gunghy-Thank you for sharing the photos of your trip. Although the ride across AZ and NM can be boring in one way, the flora is equally spectacular.
Hahtool-Fabulous QOD today. I'm glad I wasn't eating or drinking when I read it. I had to get up and walk around to compose myself, I was laughing so hard.
Barry G.-So glad to hear that the London trip is finally happening for you and your family. Enjoy!
Chickie-Awesome that you have kept up a pen-pal correspondence for all these years with your friend in Durham, England!
Dennis-Thank you for the shout-out. Your caring means a lot to me. Time will tell, but I'm relieved that the ball is not in my court for the time being.
Enjoy the night!
Jazzbumpa - LOVE the Limerick
ReplyDeleteNice limerick, Jazz.
ReplyDelete