Theme: "Hit the..." Idioms - Spelled out in the clues for 22D HIT and 42D THE which reference each other: Words that can precede the answers to starred clues. Please see the note from constructor Don Gagliardo at the end of my write-up for his theme inspiration.
1A. *Bag: SACK. Hit the sack: Go to bed.
5A. *Pump output: GAS. Hit the gas: Step on it.
8A. *Follow: TRAIL. Hit the trail: Take a hike.
16A. *Road surface: PAVEMENT. Hit the pavement: Get moving.
18A. *Holdup causes?: BRAKES. Hit the brakes: Cut it out.
28A. *Rain protection: ROOF. Hit the roof: To the moon, Alice!
44A. *Grilling site: DECK. Hit the deck: Duck!
59A. *Cola holder: BOTTLE. Hit the bottle: Get drunk.
60A. *Range target: BULL'S -EYE. Hit the bull's-eye: Right on.
64A. *Warehouse aids: SKIDS. Hit the skids: Bottom out.
65A. *Guinea pig food: HAY. Hit the hay: Get some sleep.
66A. *Location: SPOT. Hit the spot: I'm stuffed.
22D. With 42-Down, words that can precede the answers to the starred clues: HIT
42D. See 22-Down: THE. Unusual unifier placement, with a black square placed in between.
Al here today.
Wow, 14 theme entries (total 66 theme squares) in a weekday puzzle, including the two tip off down clues. Pretty impressive effort to squeeze that many in symmetrically. None of the theme answers is longer than 8-letter due to the unique theme.
There are probably a few more answers that might work: books, bricks, road, lights, floor, wall...how many more can you come up with? I found solving this one pretty easy, more like a Tuesday perhaps. I didn't officially time myself, but I know it was well under 10 minutes, and I didn't even see several of the clues until I added them here.
Across:
13. Longtime portrait studio __ Mills: OLAN. I wonder if they use 36A. Like many cameras: DIGITAL.
14. Strasbourg street: RUE. French city, french word for street.
15. For this reason: HENCE. Sounds like a word you would hear in ye olde shoppe.
19. More than frown on: SNEER AT. Billy Idol.
20. Morrie Turner comic strip about ethnically diverse kids: WEE PALS.
21. D-Day carrier: LST. Landing Ship, Tank.
22. "__ Tonic": 1945 Bugs Bunny title: HARE. I see the pun you made there...
23. Green source, briefly: ATM. Green = money from an automated teller machine. And 2D. Greenspan concerned with green: ALAN. once again, green = money. The chairman of the Federal Reserve until 2006.
26. Give as a task: ASSIGN. From Latin ad signare/signum (to make a mark or a sign).
32. Southern stretch?: DRAWL. To draw out (lengthen) or protract.
34. Yours, in Tours: ATOI. French city, french word.
35. On Vine St., say: IN LA. Los Angeles. Hollywood and Vine is the center of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
38. Retailer offering video streaming: NETFLIX. I have an internet-ready blue-ray player. I may use it for downloading movies some day if I ever catch up on the backlog on my DVR...
40. Legendary work, often: EPIC.
41. Miller __: LITE. Or Park, or Time.
43. Emit, as a sigh: HEAVE. That's a heavy sigh.
45. Musical satirist Tom: LEHRER. You don't hear much about National Brotherhood Week any more.
47. "Indubitably!": YES. Yogi Bear said this all the time. Comic books and cartoons were a big source of vocabulary when I was young.
48. D-Day month: JUNE.
49. Pep: VIM.
51. To some degree: OF A SORT.
55. Bridge supports: PILINGS.
61. __ ease: ILL AT.
62. Braves, on scoreboards: ATL. Atlanta
63. 1998 skating gold medalist Lipinski: TARA. Won at the age of 15, remains the youngest ever to win gold.
Down:
1. Cleans (up) using Bounty: SOPS. The quicker picker-upper.
3. Batman's hideout: CAVE.
4. Get down to earth?: KNEEL. Literally.
5. Immortals: GREATS.
6. Patty or Selma, to Lisa Simpson: AUNT.
7. Combo's group of numbers: SET. Musical numbers. And 8D. Number in a combo, maybe: THREE.
9. Collect: REAP. As in harvest.
10. "My Way" lyricist: ANKA. Paul.
11. Eyjafjallajökull's country: Abbr.: ICEL. Iceland, with the unpronounceable volcano name.
12. More, some say: LESS. Less is more. Minimalism.
17. Shaker on the kids' show "Blue's Clues": MR SALT. A talking salt shaker, married to Mrs Pepper, with a child named Paprika.
18. Convicted Ponzi schemer Madoff: BERNIE.
20. Western driver: WAGONER.
23. Said further: ADDED.
24. Rubbish: TRIPE. Tripe is "entrails used as food". Considered worthless to some, the meaning spread to anything deemed unworthy of having, and even what others may have said.
25. Orlando cagers: MAGIC. Basketball.
27. Conspicuous: SALIENT. Something that jumps out at you. "Leaping," a heraldic term, from Latin salientem/salire "to leap".
28. All over: RIFE. Old English for "abundant".
29. Dental restoration: ONLAY. Both inlays and onlays are fillings, but an onlay replaces part of a cusp. A crown covers the entire surfaces.
30. Martini garnish: OLIVE. Or onion.
31. Many business letters: FAXES.
33. Oil lamp feature: WICK. Keep your lamp trimmed and burning.
37. Siren quality: ALLURE. Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
39. It might be cheap: THRILL. Old English þyrlian, from þyrel "hole", originally meant to pierce, penetrate. To give a shivering, exciting feeling was a metaphoric notion of being pierced with emotion.
46. How villains laugh: EVILLY.
48. Throws for a loop: JOLTS.
50. Waters gently: MISTS.
51. Asian sashes: OBIS.
52. Acoustic guitar genre: FOLK.
53. Hun king, in Scandinavian legend: ATLI. Attila. He appears under the name Etzel in the Nibelungenlied and under the name Atli in Icelandic sagas.
54. Dutch town: STAD. German stadt. The name for a place or a standing. Related words: steadfast, and once again our crosswordese friend STET (let it stand).
55. "__ lid on it!": PUT A.
56. Minimum-range tide: NEAP. A tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least; the lowest level of high tide.
57. Lamb sandwich: GYRO. Modern Greek "gyros" (the word is singular) for a circle, the way the meat is cut from a rotating spit.
58. Usher's find: SEAT. From Latin ostiarius "door-keeper," from ostium "door, entrance," related to os "mouth." You can pick your friends, and your seat, but you can't pick your friend's seat.
60. Part of a legendary Christmas complaint: BAH. Humbug. Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol by Dickens.
Answer Grid.
Notes from Don:
"This is one of those puzzles where you are going along in conversation, you hear something that sounds interesting, and you go, “What was that that sounded so interesting?” You need to carry a notebook to catch these. I thought HIT THE ____ was an interesting idiom that should be explored. I was pleased to cram in as many theme words as I did, as usual giving myself fits trying to fill around them. One lucky insight that I had was to put HIT THE down the middle, divided by a black square. I don’t think that is something solvers see very often, and I thought it would be fun. I hope you all enjoyed it."
Al
1A. *Bag: SACK. Hit the sack: Go to bed.
5A. *Pump output: GAS. Hit the gas: Step on it.
8A. *Follow: TRAIL. Hit the trail: Take a hike.
16A. *Road surface: PAVEMENT. Hit the pavement: Get moving.
18A. *Holdup causes?: BRAKES. Hit the brakes: Cut it out.
28A. *Rain protection: ROOF. Hit the roof: To the moon, Alice!
44A. *Grilling site: DECK. Hit the deck: Duck!
59A. *Cola holder: BOTTLE. Hit the bottle: Get drunk.
60A. *Range target: BULL'S -EYE. Hit the bull's-eye: Right on.
64A. *Warehouse aids: SKIDS. Hit the skids: Bottom out.
65A. *Guinea pig food: HAY. Hit the hay: Get some sleep.
66A. *Location: SPOT. Hit the spot: I'm stuffed.
22D. With 42-Down, words that can precede the answers to the starred clues: HIT
42D. See 22-Down: THE. Unusual unifier placement, with a black square placed in between.
Al here today.
Wow, 14 theme entries (total 66 theme squares) in a weekday puzzle, including the two tip off down clues. Pretty impressive effort to squeeze that many in symmetrically. None of the theme answers is longer than 8-letter due to the unique theme.
There are probably a few more answers that might work: books, bricks, road, lights, floor, wall...how many more can you come up with? I found solving this one pretty easy, more like a Tuesday perhaps. I didn't officially time myself, but I know it was well under 10 minutes, and I didn't even see several of the clues until I added them here.
Across:
13. Longtime portrait studio __ Mills: OLAN. I wonder if they use 36A. Like many cameras: DIGITAL.
14. Strasbourg street: RUE. French city, french word for street.
15. For this reason: HENCE. Sounds like a word you would hear in ye olde shoppe.
19. More than frown on: SNEER AT. Billy Idol.
20. Morrie Turner comic strip about ethnically diverse kids: WEE PALS.
21. D-Day carrier: LST. Landing Ship, Tank.
22. "__ Tonic": 1945 Bugs Bunny title: HARE. I see the pun you made there...
23. Green source, briefly: ATM. Green = money from an automated teller machine. And 2D. Greenspan concerned with green: ALAN. once again, green = money. The chairman of the Federal Reserve until 2006.
26. Give as a task: ASSIGN. From Latin ad signare/signum (to make a mark or a sign).
32. Southern stretch?: DRAWL. To draw out (lengthen) or protract.
34. Yours, in Tours: ATOI. French city, french word.
35. On Vine St., say: IN LA. Los Angeles. Hollywood and Vine is the center of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
38. Retailer offering video streaming: NETFLIX. I have an internet-ready blue-ray player. I may use it for downloading movies some day if I ever catch up on the backlog on my DVR...
40. Legendary work, often: EPIC.
41. Miller __: LITE. Or Park, or Time.
43. Emit, as a sigh: HEAVE. That's a heavy sigh.
45. Musical satirist Tom: LEHRER. You don't hear much about National Brotherhood Week any more.
47. "Indubitably!": YES. Yogi Bear said this all the time. Comic books and cartoons were a big source of vocabulary when I was young.
48. D-Day month: JUNE.
49. Pep: VIM.
51. To some degree: OF A SORT.
55. Bridge supports: PILINGS.
61. __ ease: ILL AT.
62. Braves, on scoreboards: ATL. Atlanta
63. 1998 skating gold medalist Lipinski: TARA. Won at the age of 15, remains the youngest ever to win gold.
Down:
1. Cleans (up) using Bounty: SOPS. The quicker picker-upper.
3. Batman's hideout: CAVE.
4. Get down to earth?: KNEEL. Literally.
5. Immortals: GREATS.
6. Patty or Selma, to Lisa Simpson: AUNT.
7. Combo's group of numbers: SET. Musical numbers. And 8D. Number in a combo, maybe: THREE.
9. Collect: REAP. As in harvest.
10. "My Way" lyricist: ANKA. Paul.
11. Eyjafjallajökull's country: Abbr.: ICEL. Iceland, with the unpronounceable volcano name.
12. More, some say: LESS. Less is more. Minimalism.
17. Shaker on the kids' show "Blue's Clues": MR SALT. A talking salt shaker, married to Mrs Pepper, with a child named Paprika.
18. Convicted Ponzi schemer Madoff: BERNIE.
20. Western driver: WAGONER.
23. Said further: ADDED.
24. Rubbish: TRIPE. Tripe is "entrails used as food". Considered worthless to some, the meaning spread to anything deemed unworthy of having, and even what others may have said.
25. Orlando cagers: MAGIC. Basketball.
27. Conspicuous: SALIENT. Something that jumps out at you. "Leaping," a heraldic term, from Latin salientem/salire "to leap".
28. All over: RIFE. Old English for "abundant".
29. Dental restoration: ONLAY. Both inlays and onlays are fillings, but an onlay replaces part of a cusp. A crown covers the entire surfaces.
30. Martini garnish: OLIVE. Or onion.
31. Many business letters: FAXES.
33. Oil lamp feature: WICK. Keep your lamp trimmed and burning.
37. Siren quality: ALLURE. Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
39. It might be cheap: THRILL. Old English þyrlian, from þyrel "hole", originally meant to pierce, penetrate. To give a shivering, exciting feeling was a metaphoric notion of being pierced with emotion.
46. How villains laugh: EVILLY.
48. Throws for a loop: JOLTS.
50. Waters gently: MISTS.
51. Asian sashes: OBIS.
52. Acoustic guitar genre: FOLK.
53. Hun king, in Scandinavian legend: ATLI. Attila. He appears under the name Etzel in the Nibelungenlied and under the name Atli in Icelandic sagas.
54. Dutch town: STAD. German stadt. The name for a place or a standing. Related words: steadfast, and once again our crosswordese friend STET (let it stand).
55. "__ lid on it!": PUT A.
56. Minimum-range tide: NEAP. A tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least; the lowest level of high tide.
57. Lamb sandwich: GYRO. Modern Greek "gyros" (the word is singular) for a circle, the way the meat is cut from a rotating spit.
58. Usher's find: SEAT. From Latin ostiarius "door-keeper," from ostium "door, entrance," related to os "mouth." You can pick your friends, and your seat, but you can't pick your friend's seat.
60. Part of a legendary Christmas complaint: BAH. Humbug. Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol by Dickens.
Answer Grid.
Notes from Don:
"This is one of those puzzles where you are going along in conversation, you hear something that sounds interesting, and you go, “What was that that sounded so interesting?” You need to carry a notebook to catch these. I thought HIT THE ____ was an interesting idiom that should be explored. I was pleased to cram in as many theme words as I did, as usual giving myself fits trying to fill around them. One lucky insight that I had was to put HIT THE down the middle, divided by a black square. I don’t think that is something solvers see very often, and I thought it would be fun. I hope you all enjoyed it."
Al
66 comments:
Good morning, Al, C.C. and gang - I always look forward to Don G.'s puzzles, and enjoyed the hell outta this one. I particularly liked the positioning of the 'reveals', and certainly without them I wouldn't have even come close to guessing the theme.
Had several unknowns, including 'Olan Studios', 'Wee Pals', 'Mr. Salt' and 11D, which I'm not even gonna attempt to type. 'On Vine St., say' threw me, because Vine Street is one of the main thoroughfares through Philly. Had 'trash' initially for 24D 'Rubbish', but the perps fixed it. Also, I've never heard of an 'onlay', only an 'inlay'. All in all, the clever theme, the theme arrangement and the great number of fresh clues made this a most enjoyable solve for me.
Al, how do you like Blu-Ray? Is there much of an upgrade in quality? Also, nice job with the blog; I liked the links.
Today is both National Dog Day and Women's Equality Day. My first thought upon seeing these two involved positions, but I'll let it go at that.
And a law-related edition of Did You Know?:
- In Sweden, although prostitution is legal, it is illegal for anyone to use the services of a prostitute.
- Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
- In Arizona, it's illegal to hunt camels.
- In Oklahoma, it's against the law to hunt whales.
- And in Virginia, the law requires that all bathtubs be kept out in the yard, not inside the house. Lois, let me know if you need help complying -- I certainly wouldn't want to see you get BUSTed.
WOW! It's Thursday and I actually finished. As most of you know, Thur is not my strong day. OK, OK.....33 minutes is quite a while but IT'S DONE!! Never heard of the comic strip; and I guess I never saw Iceland abbreviated. And shouldn't a western driver be a WAGONEER instead of WAGONER? Well, no, I guess not 'cause the spell checker says that WAGONEER isn't a word.
How did I ever get this far in life without Bill Gates watching my every move??
CY'All Later
Morning, all!
Decent enough theme today, but wholly incidental to my solving experience. I will say I got nervous seeing all the starred clues until I discovered the theme was simply words that could be added to those answers.
As with Dennis, I went for TRASH instead of TRIPE. I was also less than fond about ONLAY and ICEL. I knew OLAN Mills, but WEEPALS was a complete mystery to me.
Heh. I was going to make the same comment about WAGONEER, but then -- just like Bill -- my spell check convinced me otherwise... ^_^
Good morning CC and all, a very nice puzzle this morning. I got off to a flying start on the top half and was really feeling good. The center section slowed me down, but it was very doable with perp help. Then the SW corner with "of a sort", Atli and worst of all, for me, was trying to remember the name of a four letter Dutch town. Yikes! My good feelings of accomplishment vanished in that section.
The big AHA moment came with the appearance of allure for “Siren Quality” as I had the wrong siren in mind and was thinking along the lines of tone.
I had most of the theme answers in before the appearance of the connectors Hit The so I did not get much help there. The “W” in wee pals and the “H” in hare were pretty much of a guess, but a fairly safe one with all of the other letters in place.
Hope you all have a great Thursday.
Good morning all. Al another special write up of a tremendously creative puzzle, 14 theme words, WOW!. The fill was not elusive, and certainly the puzzle went quickly for a Thursday, but the tapestry woven in these words was awesome. And, who else would manage TWO references to Iceland in one puzzle? Is that a record?
Speaking of words, I just finished reading another Blackie Ryan mystery, which I mention because of his use of the word “"Indubitably!" Very well written and interesting books. There are 17 in the series.
BTW, Al, how did you happen to find such a wonderful SNEER?
Speaking of wonderful, if you have not seen it, watch SIRENS a thoughtful and sensual movie, with eye candy for boys and girls.
Ciao
Sorry Al, I missed giving you credit for a nice write up. I always enjoy your links and comments.
Like most of you today, I fell into the same arena of unknowns. I read the editorial pages (AKA COMICS) everyday and never heard of Wee Pals. Onlay was knew to me too. I kept thinking cowboy or drover for western driver. Netflix simply reinforced my lack of understanding today's techie terms. Get down to earth was a pretty clever clue for kneel.
To those of you who expressed interest in my pursuit of the '53 Stahl-Meyer Mick, the meeting was put off until today. It is a lesser grade, as most are, but at the right price it will fit nicely into my inventory. Been some time since I've owned one.
Good Morning, everyone. This was probably the easiest Thursday in memory. I was able to complete it with no outside help. It was a good puzzle, though. I liked all the starred/theme clues. I had figured out the "HIT THE ..." before actually filling in those clues.
We've seen Green Source often enough that I wasn't fooled by
ATM.
I initially wanted Trash for TRITE, but soon realized the error of my ways.
My favorite clue was Holdup Causes? = BRAKES,
Today's QOD is author 12-D: Less Is More ~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Southern Stretch = DRAWL. Hmm...
Hello Puzzlers -
Thanks for a good writeup, Al, cleared up a few mysteries. Had some trouble in the East again. Really wanted CROWN for dental thingy, but had to let it go. ONLAY is new to me, along with MR SALT, WEE PALS, and the particular spelling of ATLI.
I also got off the track with wagoneer.
We recently added a Blu-Ray player so we can stream NetFlix, but it hasn't been hooked up to the router yet. I'm having trouble fishing the Cat. 5 cable in the walls. I may have to WiFi it instead - any drawbacks?
I thoroughly enjoyed both the puzzle and Al's write-up today. But I did have a few missteps, despite getting the theme right away, and that did help me a few times.
I went from TRASH to TRIPE, and didn't know any of the names except ANKA, though they all fell in. I had INLAY, and never gave a thought to what a RIOF was. That sort of error comes of finding most of a puzzle easy, and then never going back to check the perps to see if they make sense. I did the same thing with SLATS for SKIDS, which of course fouled up those perps (FOLL, ATLA, STAT).
I've changed my avatar to show the darning egg I mentioned last night.
Good morning all. Al, nice blogging; kudos on the etymology.
About right for a Thursday. Had a lot of white left on the right after the first pass, but gradually ratcheted in the perps. The east central was last to fall. Loved RIFE, one of my favorite words. Also liked SALIENT and WICK. Thought LESS and KNEEL were clever. Got the 'HIT THE' theme halfway through. It would have been more apt to clue LST as a D-DAY 'transport'.
"siren' - The animal order Sirenia was supposedly named because of their similarity in appearance, at least from a distance, to mermaids. Here is a well known member cavorting.
Thanks Don for an entertaining puzzle.
Have a good day.
Loved this puzzle. Went quickly and was quite fun. Thanks to Spitzboov for the lovely manatee musical. They are so funny and loved the classical accompaniament. Wow, Lemonade! Great trailer for Sirens--will go directly to Netflix and order it. I love Hugh Grant-naughtly boy that he is. Happy Thursday to everyone.
Good Morning All, Hi Al, very nice blogging, with some really nice links. I particularly enjoyed Tom LEHRER and the SIRENs.
I knew (13A) OLAN Mills only because I recently received a funny email showing a series of ridiculous 1970/80's portraits (lots of mullets and big hair going on).
WEE PALS was brand new to me. Does anyone here see it in their local newspaper?
TRIPE is OK to eat once you get past the idea that it is TRIPE. Here is California you see spicy menudo on a lot of Mexican restaurant menus. It is supposed to be a sure hangover cure. OTOH, the 1970/80's boy band Menudo would probably give you a hangover.
"Hit the (23A) ATM" could also have been part of the theme today. We hit the ATM at the bank once or twice a month.
Kazie, love the darning egg. Mine (my Grandma's) is plain wood with a handle. I guess all of us over 50's learned to darn, even if we don't do it anymore.
Another gem by Gags.
Al - Great write-up and top notch links. As usual.
One of Dennis' "Did You Know?'s" brought to mind an alternative clue possibility:
Clue: A senorita who will hit the 1A with you and 43A, for pesos
Answer: 55D
JimmyB, that's really good!
Good Morning Al et al.
What a great Thursday puzzle. I really don't mind answers like "ONLAY" or "WAGONER", if they help to fill in blanks on such an elegantly themed puzzle. No gg help today, and filled everything with perps in under 12 min.
@Dudley,
We have Net-Flix streaming videos through our Blu-Ray using a router - no need to fish wires through the walls. My husband (who is from Tennessee and has a beautiful Southern DRAWL) is one of those techie types who loves to play with the stuff. So I'm not sure how it is all hooked up, but the quality is great. All I have to know is that I have to click "Watch Apple TV" on the remote, in order to see the movies. Other than that, I really don't bother to know all the details!
@Spitzboov,
If the sailors thought those manatees resembled mermaids, I'd like to know what was in that daily ration of grog they were drinking ;-D
@Kazie,
Just read last night's blogs - thank you for correcting my hideous German! Obviously, pronunciation is not the only thing I struggle with...I'll take French any day. And loved the DARNin egg on your avatar. What a lovely heirloom to have in the family!
@Dennis, it is worth getting a blue-ray player, one that does up-conversion, to play your existing DVDs if you have a HD TV. You can hardly tell the difference in the picture even when they are side-by side. I think the actual Blue-Ray disks aren't worth it unless you are a special feature fanatic, though. I only buy the BD version of a movie if there is highly discounted sale pricing, that is, mostly not new releases. Some of the latest BD players have more internet features than others, so you need to watch for that or you may be unhappy later. The set-up can be a bit frustrating if you're not technical, though.
@Dudley, I have wireless built-in to my various laptops, but didn't want to pay extra for the add-on box for the player, so I fished a wire through a hole in the floor near the wall, just like I do with my coax cable. AT&T supplied me with a wireless adapter for my old desktop computer when I switched to their cable service, but subjectively, it seemed slower than when I was connected directly, so I went back to using an actual cable for that, too...
@Lemonade714, in my misspent youth, when MTV still played actual music videos, Billy Idol was a prominent fixture. We used to laugh at his facial expressions, (especially at approx. 50 seconds in).
When I lived in Gainesville, I would go and watch the manatee play all the time. They always look sad to me, like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.
Chapstick, glad to point you in the movie direction; the movie to me was textually and visually appealing. Why the name? The reason I ask is it was/is a nickname. My family even has a website, but that is another story.
Hi, Another clue/answer could have been Mark Rusell. I loved his PBS show. Talk about LOL.
Dilbert
Off topic, but today is the 90th anniversary on the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
WEE PALS is not a comic I am familiar with. I got it through the perps, but mis-read it as Weep Als.
Sacre Bleu, more French! Rue was pretty easy from The Murders in the Rue Morgue but I had AMOI instead of ATOI and that held up the theme for awhile. I need an FSL (French as a Second Language) class!
The puzzle was fun and frustrating and that is how it should be.
My high/low lights (even though I finished unsullied without outside help!)
Miller TIME and not LITE
I have never heard of Tom Lahrer and I was going for the guy who does the voice over for Motel 6 "We'll leave the light on for ys!" NPR and I aren't on political speaking terms sometimes but I love Garrison Keillor to death despite his politcal ideas. I can listen to anyone who is witty/engaging and pass them through my own ideological sieve without hating them!!
Guinea Pigs eat alfalfa pellets at our school but I guess that is HAY when it is cut
I knew MRSALT from endless, pleasant hours watching Blue's Clues with the short people who come up here from Lincoln. BTW, I like Steve better than Joe.
I thought ADVICE was cheap when I only had the I from VIM
Hun King? ATIL? Oh well!
Two clues I should have had easily but fought:
FOLK - I played that on my six string all through college and after
GYRO - I am married to a Greek woman (although she hates Feta cheese) and shoulda knowed it
I too had INLAY/RIOF but enjoyed the journey!
Thanks, Al, for the write up.
This was a fairly easy puzzle for a Thursday, but the SW corner was a stopper. OBIS appears regularly in xwds, so that was a given, but the three other four letter down clues were complete unknowns. Had to have help there. BOTTLE didn't occur to me because I was trying to think of a name for those drink holders in a vehicle console. After I finally got ILLATEASE, I guessed at FOLK. I did not think "To some degree" for OFASORT was a good clue.
Hand up for "wagoneer" and "trash." Didn't know WEEPALS and had WEEkids for a while. I thought the abbreviation for Iceland would end in "d."
Dennis, camels in Arizona wouldn't be too much of a stretch, but whales in Oklahoma? Methinks the lawmakers didn't have enough to do the day they passed that law!
I've eaten menudo. A co-worker made it. I've eaten so many strange things, the TRIPE was not a "ewwww" for me. Most of the places here that have it on the menu offer it only on weekends. We seldom go out on weekends - too crowded.
Al, thanks for the info; very helpful. And weren't they great days,when MTV was in its infancy and had music videos all day?
I forget who originally asked the question, but I thought it was a great one for the group and it got little response:
What's really on your bucket list? And is it attainable?
Good day, C.C.,Al,Don and All,
The puzzle was easy and fun; the theme and placement were delightful. I finished with perps,no look-ups, however, Wee Pals, Mr Salt,11d and onlay were new news to me.'rife' is my fav for the day, followed by 'tripe', use each often enough to claim in my speaking vocabulary.
Al,your comments were fun and informative, with lots of style.
I'm short on time today,so will
'hit the links' later.
Hope we hear from Lois today. I really missed her yesterday. Even though I'm a 'newbie', she has definitely grabbed me.
Al: Very nice Blog ... loved the linkups and the explanations. Thank you. Now that I have seen your pic, I can imagine your fingers running through your beard as you think up ways of making the clues meaningful.
The Peter, Paul and Mary clip was REALLy nice ...the Lehrer clip was great ... I had never heard of him before.
Spitz: Very nice manatee documentary ... Its a miracle that such gentle mammals can still survive in the world today. 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit ...'
Lemon- The 'Sirens' were alluring and 'quirky' ? ... must see the movie ... and also O Brother where art thou ... I generally dont see movies ... except after a decent period, say 4 or 5 years.
Your 'Greeley' website, got me interested ... I dont normally read fiction, unless it has some sort of compelling quality.
Actually I did read Greeley's 'The making of the Pope 1978' ...( same Greeley ? ) ... though it is of only academic interest ( to me ... ) ... He has written as though he was totally on the 'inside' ... and has reproduced the voting records of ALL the previous cardinal conclaves, of all the prior elections !!@@##!! After all, these individual voting records are supposed to be torn and BURNT, ( Black smoke ?)before the conclave opens it doors, to the outsiders... now how did he get in on that ??! Thats like reading grand jury testimony !!!
I think, at some time, in his career, he also was a consultant, or an employee of a polling organisation , the Pew Report or the Gallup poll companies...
One of his comments is ...' Although the political discussion, among cardinals, as to the choice of a future pope, during the living reign of the present one, is an anathema, and grounds for excommunication ... it takes place in coded verse all the time...'
Al, Exceptional write-up of a great puzzle.
FUN Thursday!
Liked 11 of the phrases ... but I would never,
HIT THE BOTTLE. Caress maybe but NEVER hit.
Can't say I've ever seen the Iceland abbr. ICEL before.
Not familiar with "Blue's Clues" but shaker for MR.SALT gave that away.
LEHRER and WEE PALS, both all perps. Ahhh, learning moments I'll soon forget unLESS they become grid buddies like Tesla.
Spitzboov, Thanks for the wonderful Manatee clip.
I see them swimming in the intercoastal waters quite often. Occasionally, even catch them "making little manatees."
Good Afternoon All,
This was a very fun puzzle. Similar unknowns as most which caused some erasing. Wipe instead of Sops caused the most head scratching for a bit. It's been awhile since I had to watch Blue's Clues so Mr. Salt didn't pop into my head to quick.
Thanks for the write-up Al.
From yesterday......
Jeannie, You are a jewel of a friend. My thoughts are with you and yours.
Spitzboov, USS Salamaua (CVE 96) A Baby Flattop. We had a great time going over his memorabilia while staying with him for transport needs from Annapolis to Bethesda for treatments in my early twenties. Great memories.
I new there was a reason I was drawn to Sweet Virginia!!
Have a great day.
Damn, this guy's good! A kick-butt, innovative, flat-out talented puzzle writer.
"You into DIGITAL, Dennis?"
"I can DIG IT, AL."
Hello puzzlers. Al, your blog is always informative and thorough. I'll check the links later.
Very nice puzzle from Don Gagliardo. It all filled on first pass although a few sections took more thought, namely, the SW where I had OBIS, BOTTLE and ILLATEASE but OFASORT took a while to sort out. The theme helped with SKIDS.
Even though LEHRER, WEEPALS and ATLI were unkowns, they emerged quickly.
Great job, Don, with so many theme phrases!
Back in the "dark ages" some people thought camels in Arizona would be a great idea and so they brought them here. They didn't do well and were set free and eventually died.
I love the southern drawl. My sister has lived in Charlotte for over 30 years and speaks with one; it's charming. I'd love to hear you speak, Hahtool.
Have a special Thursday everyone!
Kazie:
What a beautiful darning egg! That is a special heirloom.
I once had one but it has vanished and I don't darn socks or anything else.
Jeannie:
You are such a good friend to those near to you; stay strong!
First off, Al, your taste in music is incredible. And it only cost me $8.99 to download one of Red Molly's albums off of Amazon. I like your Etiology lessons, too.
Hare Tonic was the first cartoon to feature Bugs and Elmer Fudd together.
The puzzle was easy, mostly. WEE PALS and MR. SALT were total unknowns, but I 'knew' BARNIE Madoff. 1D MOPS, 55A PILLARS and 59A FRIDGE slowed me a bit as well. Onlay is my new word, all my work has been inlays. Loved the theme and reveals placement.
Hi gang -
Great puzzle, Don, and great blogging, Al. For both, the ALLURE is SALIENT.
ON/INLAY was a dilemma for me. I have both.
Never heard of WEE PALS.
JimmyB - I saw 55D and thought, "Oh my," but it never occurred to me to put it all together. BULLSEYE!
LEHRER's National brotherhood week is especially topical with the mosque flap this week.
If Alice had stayed in wonderland longer, she might have met the JUNE HARE.
Our vacation cabin had two DECKs, so the Upper DECK was the ROOF of the lower, I suppose.
LEHRER is German for teacher. What did he ASSIGN?
Younger grandchildren are WEE PALS OF A SORT.
Victims only fell for the Madoff Ponzi scheme because of BERNIE's ALLURE.
I'll just add that the OLIVE is not a garnish. It is an essential ingredient. (Well - in my opinion, anyway.) And, please - no Gibson* (aka ONION soup.)
My recipe: 3 oz Gordon's Gin, 1 oz. New Amsterdam Gin, 1 oz M&R Dry Vermouth, 3 huge pimento olives, skewered on a toothpick.
Pour liquid ingredients over ice in a stainless steel cocktail shaker. Swirl until you are about to get frostbite. Strain into a martini glass over olives.
Leaving soon to pick up my brother-in-law from the airport. Might be out of touch for a few days.
* Well - maybe THAT one.
Cheers!
JzB not one of the trombone GREATS
Kazie: Great darning egg. My mother and grandmother used a lightbulb for darning. I recently acquired a light-weight t-shirt material pair of summer pajamas which I dearly love. When they got a small hole in the leg, I used a lightbulb to fix it. Thought I had forgotten how to darn, but I guess not. Some things one never forgets.
Fun puzzle today for a Thursday.
Doreen
I knew 11D was looking for Iceland, but wasn’t sure how to abbreviate it. So I just started typing the name and surprisingly, no red letters!
“Wee Pals” was a favorite comic strip of mine, I think in the 70’s and/or 80's. Sadly, it hasn’t been carried in my paper for years. I know they’re still online and in SOME papers, but I don’t know if they’re new or recycled strips. Not only was it funny and thought-provoking, it was racially diverse, but not forced. I’d assume it was a front-runner on that, but haven’t tried to confirm it. If I have time tonight, I’ll publish a link to it, but you should be able to google it.
I didn’t know of MR SALT though.
My biggest frustration was breaking down to Google “Hun King”, seeing an answer spelled ATLE, which appeared to fit, although I couldn’t see the logic behind SKEDS. Then, I came here and saw it should have been ATLI…
WOW, JimmyB! That was a REALLY good catch, logically linking those three fill! I’m VERY impressed!
And Dennis: Today is… ;-)
.
Dennis:
Was that a serious bucket list question?
Mine is to visit all 50 states of the U.S.; I've been to 36 so far. Ones I don't know are the northern swath from Washington and Oregon to New Hampshire. I have been to Vermont and only stepped on Maine soil for a customs check in Bangor. That doesn't count so I hope to visit in the future.
From a short glimpse I could tell it's a beautiful state, Mainiac.
I would also like to visit every continent and lack Australia and Antartica. That one is iffy although some friends have been there and loved it. I know I would enjoy Australia.
Bill, hand up on 'Western Driver.' Who says wagoneer ain't a word?
Etiology, etymology; you say tomatoes...
Wow, according to Wiki, Wee Pals first appeared in 1965, is a Tribune syndicated strip, and now appears in over 100 daily papers! But somehow, NONE of ours... I linked the strip above so you can check it out. One of the impressive things about it is seeing these young kids, speaking plainly and wisely about very current events!
lemonade--many years ago, I knew even less than I know now about the internet. When I first decided to go online I had my daughters give me my "handle" and they chose Chapstick because I was/am/and always will be addicted to it. Took it up back in 1968, have been through rehab for it and continue to use. I have one in each room of the house and carry it in my pocket at work. I once drove 2 hours away from home and realized I left my purse at home. I was not concerned that I didn't have my driver's license, money, credit cards, cell-phone. But panicked that I had no Chapstick! (The 52 is my year of birth.)
Kazie: that darning egg is a beauty.
Glad so many liked the clip of the Manatee. We were drawn to them during our visits to the Tampa Zoo and Homosassa Springs, FL last Feb.
Mainiac: Thanks for the info on the USS Salamaua which I see is named after a STAD in New Guinea, in the 'tail of the dinosaur'. Here is a narrative on its history which includes a paragraph about the kamikaze incident.
Al,
Just took the time to check on the links. Great fun!
Thanks for the comments on the darning egg. I'll have to take better care of it. It's one of those things I've used a few times, but lately it just lies in the closet most of the time.
JimmyB,
I had the same thought too, but you PUT it so well!
Darn (ing egg), I've been blitched. This is a repeat, in case the first shows up again.
Here's to everyone that thinks wagoneer ain't a word.
Spitzboov, Etymology, Etiology; you say tomatoes...
Hello All--A Thursday puzzle which was easier than most, but with excellent theme fill--and so many of them at that. I got Hit and The early on and it really did help with some of the fills.
Onlays is a new word for me as well. I had hood for Rain protection so the Central East section was the last to be corrected. Roof-Duh. It was so easy as to be hard!
I didn't know Atli, Mr. Salt or Wee Pals. However, all were obtained with the perps. All in all an enjoyable puzzle. Thanks Don.
Kazie, such a beautiful darning egg. Most I have seen are wood or stone. I used a light bulb for darning for many years, but now have the darning egg my father made for me.
Wee Pals is not a comic strip that we have had in our newspaper. Some of the strips we used to read have been taken out of our paper. I miss the ones we grew up with--Prince Valiant, Dick Tracy, Superman, 'Lil Abner, etc.
A bucket list for me would include a trip to Australia and New Zealand. We've traveled much and far, but never to these two places.
Hmmm, I really liked this puzzle, and it seemed like a walk in the park until I hit the BRAKES!!! Never heard of WEEPALS and WAGONER wasn't coming to me. I am so terrible with the French stuff that ATOI should be a gimme but never is. LEHRER is a complete unknown as was STAD so I had a few problems. The theme did not help me at all, but I still feel like I had a good time doing what I could. Finally went online to red letter help to finish with a few AHA moments.
I feel quite the same as everyone else about ONLAY and ICEL. Wasn't terribly fond of ATLI either, but they cannot all be great clues.
I can attest that OLAN Mills has entered the age of digital. We just had a family photo taken there a few weeks ago for a church directory. They give you a free photo and church directory and then try to sell you everything in between. The quality is very subpar, but it works well for the churches as they pay nothing to get the directory done for their members. This will be the third or fourth time our parish has done it and it is so fun to see all the families change over time. Yes, they do show you the digital images immediately.
Good news as our son has been calling us almost daily from school and is having a good time. Whew, so good to hear from him.
KQ,
So glad you son is happy and managing well. I hope he has had enough experience now with the blackouts to anticipate and deal with them if they do occur.
I always think the first separation from a child is worse for the parents. So when I had to convince parents of my high school students who wanted to go to our German sister school for a semester that it would be a fantastic experience for them (i.e. their kid), I used to tell them to think of it as a dry run for when they left home for college or for good! The kids always wanted to stay longer and the parents always wanted them home as soon as the semester finished.
I forgot to mention how much I like menudo, but with beef, not tripe, which is posole. Muy delicioso! And yes, it will cure a hangover.
I don't care for tripe since I watched my grandmother clean it. Not a pretty sight.
29D (ONLAY) was a new one for me. Puzzle took 25 minutes to complete. Had to think about a number of clues. A fun exercise.
It seems like LST is only kind of WWII landing craft that ever makes it into puzzles, but there were lots of other types, like LCT, LCVP, and LCI.
Bernie Madoff with lots of peoples nest (not darning)eggs!
"Heave" shows up in many a bodice-ripper romance.
WeePals is in the Tampa Tribune ( or was the last time I checked.)
My drawl is part of my charm...so people tell me, honey chile!
Once I was driving with a preteen and was passed by a speeder. The preteen said, "Hey! they can`t do that! Hit the gas! (they actually said, "Punch it Rose!" but that wouldn`t fit the puzzle.)
Better watch out when you make photo prints...if the "Olan Mills" signature is on it...it`s a BIG fine to copy it! You`ll rue the day!
Favorite clue: "Rain Protection."
Jeannie: On a serious note, many people believe there is healing power in our soothing touch. Glad you are using yours in such a compassionate way.
A Tom Lehrer Cold War song for those of you who don't remember him:
Who's Next
Lehrer is still alive at 82--an amazingly multi-talented individual--mathematician, lecturer at MIT, Harvard, and Wellesley, Phi Beta Kappa, etc. His black satire made him a liberal icon of the 1960's.
Great puzzle today. Thank you, Don Gagliardo. Amazing number of theme clues/fill!
Gunghy-Thank you for the Wagoneer link. I knew I'd seen that word somewhere. And please pass on "Thank You" to your son for his service to our country and the world. Nice avatar.
Kazie-Beautiful darning egg. I enjoyed all of the stories from yesterday about such implements. I have a very simple one (plain wood) from my grandmother somewhere in the house. Hmm...
KQ-Sounds like good news on your son's acclimation to college life.
Al-Great blogging!
Enjoy the night!
I looked up the abbreviation for Iceland and found"ICLD". Is "ICEL" even correct?
Since I am new to crosswords, I sometimes struggle with the abstract clues but am plugging along with them! Thanks for the great site and blog.
Hi everybody. I enjoy the puzzle and the write-up as usual.
Beautiful darning egg. If I remember correctly, my mother's was wood and had a handle or stem.
I've had menudo exactly once on a Sunday at a little Mexican cafe. It was made out of tripe and I liked it. There is a Campbell's soup that is a little like menudo and has tripe in it. My supermarket doesn't carry it anymore.
I just caught an old episode of NUMB3RS, the one in which Larry left his friends to fulfill a lifetime dream of going to the International Space Station. It's interesting to think about a TV show with a basis in mathematics and crime and to realize it had so much heart. I miss it. Have you ever seen a flyover of the ISS? Even better if it's paired with the space shuttle. I have a pair of image-stabilized binoculars, 12 x 40, and I could resolve the two main parts of the ISS. Very exciting.
Hi everybody. Late to the party tonight 'cause been workin' at the office most of the day. Read all of your comments and agree with all of you; had most of the same experiences with this puzzle today.
When we were kids my mom served us lots of Campbells canned soups, and one of my favorites was one called Scotch Broth. I loved that stuff! Not until years later did I learn that one of main ingredients in it was tripe. So, ergo, hence, and therefore, I must assume I have no problem at all with tripe. Never had menudo but I bet I'd like it. Heck, I'll eat almost anything once, as my Chinese friends who tried to gross me out with sea slugs know.
No time to write more. Best wishes to you all.
I don't have a bucket list, but I do have an ambition: to be, if not a burden, then at least an annoyance to my GREAT grandchildren.
Cheers!
JzB
Memphisbelle, welcome.
Seems like I've heard about you before. Any connection?
Jayce, that's it! Scotch Broth. I really liked it and it is similar to menudo. When we go out to eat, I'm torn between soup or salad. I like them both. Sometimes, Barbara and I will order one of each and split them.
Speaking of salads, haven't they gotten huge? California Pizza Kitchen and LA Food Show have a fantasic chicken Waldorf salad. Barbara and I split a half portion and it's still plenty.
Chapstick52, you sound exactly like my sister! She's always applying Chapstick, and has little containers of vaseline hidden around the house for quick touch-ups too. Just a few weeks ago, she mentioned going somewhere for an hour or two and being miserable because her Chapstick wasn't in her purse. Has the rest of your family followed your example? I think her daughter uses it, but I don't think to the same extent.
Bob - shhhhhh - don't let the constructors "hear" you! Most of us are fine remembering LST, but if we have to figure out if a clue's pointing to that, or one of the others you listed...! ;-)
Chapstick52; I found this out by trial and error...chapstick( or any off brand) smooths and softens places on your feet and toes that not even petroleum jelly will touch.
The one I drive for swears by it!
Chapstick52: I can identify with your addiction. I, too, use a lip balm all the time. I have even purchased lipstick when I leave my lip balm behind. I am particular about the type of lip balm I use.
Welcome, Memphisbelle. Turn blue and join the fun.
Here's a website that features some of those bad OLAN Mills photos. The captions are hilarious.
Too bad Lois is probably still recovering. I know she is a Tom LEHRER fan and would enjoy the links.
Other than doing some more traveling, which we already have planned, my bucket list would include learning to tango (unfortunately, I don't think tango is on GAH's list) and learning to play the piano (it could happen).
Clear Ayes,
Those photo captions were hilarious!
I just got back from the truck pull at the fair. What did I miss?
Not much, I see.
Clear Ayes:
Funny photos and even funnier captions.
Good night, all!
Argyle:
After you've watched a few hours of rednecks destroying expensive toys, anything else would be a letdown.
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