Theme: None
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 30
This puzzle is anchored by two intersecting 15s right in the middle of the grid:
37A. Four-time NBA MVP: WILT CHAMBERLAIN. So, how old was he when he claimed that he had had sex with 20,000 many women?
8D. Residential street warning : SPEED BUMPS AHEAD. Brilliant debut entry.
Barry then builds up his grid with two Down 10s, two Across 9s, then triple stacks of 8s in the upper left and lower right corners.
My favorite fill and clue today is FATTY ACID (47A. It may be essential). Essential fatty acid.
Across:
1. Places for pieces : GUN RACKS. I wanted ARMORIES.
9. Support base : PLINTH
15. Worker's advocate : UNION REP. Needs "for short" in the clue, doesn't it?
16. Foe of Mark Antony : CICERO. Was ignorant that these two even lived in the same time.
17. Imagination : MIND'S EYE. Had trouble seeing the answer.
18. Screwed up : BLEW IT
19. NEA supporters : PTAS. Seems like Husker Gary can write a Ph. D thesis on the function of Nebraska NEA.
20. Third of seven: Abbr. : TUES. My week always starts on Monday.
22. Quantum mechanics subjects : ATOMS
23. "Bojangles" Robinson, for one : TAP DANCER. Recognized the guy when I googled.
25. El Cid player, 1961 : HESTON (Charlton). Have only seen his "The Ten Commandments".
29. Life lines? : BIO. Nice clue.
30. Mass garb : ALBS
33. Like an excited World Series crowd : AROAR. I bet Barry is already picturing his Phillies win the World Series. Also in the grid is ERA (36. Baseball stat). Any Roy Halladay fan?
34. Sign of life : PULSE
40. White, in Waikiki : KEA. As in Mauna Kea (White Mountain).
41. Up : HAPPY
42. Cox who played Drew in "Deliverance" : RONNY. Nope. Can't recall his name. "Deliverance" is absolutely terrifying.
43. Old pol. units : SSRS
45. Substitutes for forgotten words : LAs. In songs?
46. Releases : LETS GO
50. Sterno, for one : JELLY. Ha ha, I thought it's gas inside the Sterno.
52. Vengeful Quaker of fiction : AHAB. No idea about the Quaker connection. Have never read "Moby Dick".
53. Gee : THOU (Thousand). Weird to see G spelled out.
57. Profits : AVAILS
59. Party animal? : ELEPHANT. For the GOP. Great clue.
61. Abrasive mineral : GARNET. Lovely deep red color.
62. Compact : ALLIANCE
63. Derisive : SNEERY
64. Can't abide : DESPISES
Down:
1. Winston Groom hero : GUMP. Forrest Gump. Did not know the author.
2. Newton or curie : UNIT. OK, Dictionary says the un-capitalized curie is a unit of radioactivity.
3. La __: ocean phenomenon : NINA
4. Angler's supply : RODS
5. Q&A part: Abbr. : ANS
6. Greek islander : CRETAN. From Crete.
7. Excite : KEY UP
9. Pollutant found in NCR paper : PCB. What is NCR paper?
10. Color similar to pale plum : LILAC
11. Summer cooler : ICE TEA. No D again.
12. Where to get a muffuletta sandwich : NEW ORLEANS. I've certainly heard of muffuletta sandwich.
13. Garnish : TRIM. As a Christmas tree.
14. Red __: candy : HOTS
21. Pass on a ketch : SAIL BY. Ketch is sailing boat.
23. Tribal Council prop : TORCH. Don't get the clue.
24. Narrow margin : NOSE
25. Peddles : HAWKS
26. Native New Yorkers : ERIES. This refers to the Native Americans, correct?
27. Phenomenon that emits X-rays : SOLAR FLARE. I thought X-ray is emitted by the machine.
28. Work with a shuttle : TAT. Use shuttle to make lace.
31. Fetch : BRING
32. Maker of eneloop rechargeable batteries : SANYO. Not familiar with the batteries.
34. Melonlike fruit : PAPAYA. Looks ugly, but delicious. I like all tropical fruit.
35. Didn't get 100, say : ERRED
38. Stop order : HALT
39. Large amount : LOT
44. Hospital solution : SALINE
46. Abuses freedom of the press, perhaps : LIBELS. Had difficulty parsing the clue.
48. Texas city named for a president : TYLER. No idea. Wiki said the city is named for John Tyler in recognition of his support for Texas' admission to the United States
49. Valencia street : CALLE. Spanish for "street".
50. Flings : JAGS. Did not know jag can mean "spree" also.
51. Novelist Hunter : EVAN
53. Golden Triangle native : THAI. Drug in Golden Triangle. Heroin.
54. Former UN weapons inspector Blix : HANS. Man, it's been a long time. I can still hear his accented English about WMD.
55. Formerly : ONCE
56. Versatile wheels : UTES. Well, here it comes again.
58. Dump : STY
60. Spot : PIP. Playing card spot.
Answer grid.
Thanks for the sweet words about my Dennis birthday puzzle, everyone. I had fun doing it.
C.C.
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 30
This puzzle is anchored by two intersecting 15s right in the middle of the grid:
37A. Four-time NBA MVP: WILT CHAMBERLAIN. So, how old was he when he claimed that he had had sex with 20,000 many women?
8D. Residential street warning : SPEED BUMPS AHEAD. Brilliant debut entry.
Barry then builds up his grid with two Down 10s, two Across 9s, then triple stacks of 8s in the upper left and lower right corners.
My favorite fill and clue today is FATTY ACID (47A. It may be essential). Essential fatty acid.
Across:
1. Places for pieces : GUN RACKS. I wanted ARMORIES.
9. Support base : PLINTH
15. Worker's advocate : UNION REP. Needs "for short" in the clue, doesn't it?
16. Foe of Mark Antony : CICERO. Was ignorant that these two even lived in the same time.
17. Imagination : MIND'S EYE. Had trouble seeing the answer.
18. Screwed up : BLEW IT
19. NEA supporters : PTAS. Seems like Husker Gary can write a Ph. D thesis on the function of Nebraska NEA.
20. Third of seven: Abbr. : TUES. My week always starts on Monday.
22. Quantum mechanics subjects : ATOMS
23. "Bojangles" Robinson, for one : TAP DANCER. Recognized the guy when I googled.
25. El Cid player, 1961 : HESTON (Charlton). Have only seen his "The Ten Commandments".
29. Life lines? : BIO. Nice clue.
30. Mass garb : ALBS
33. Like an excited World Series crowd : AROAR. I bet Barry is already picturing his Phillies win the World Series. Also in the grid is ERA (36. Baseball stat). Any Roy Halladay fan?
34. Sign of life : PULSE
40. White, in Waikiki : KEA. As in Mauna Kea (White Mountain).
41. Up : HAPPY
42. Cox who played Drew in "Deliverance" : RONNY. Nope. Can't recall his name. "Deliverance" is absolutely terrifying.
43. Old pol. units : SSRS
45. Substitutes for forgotten words : LAs. In songs?
46. Releases : LETS GO
50. Sterno, for one : JELLY. Ha ha, I thought it's gas inside the Sterno.
52. Vengeful Quaker of fiction : AHAB. No idea about the Quaker connection. Have never read "Moby Dick".
53. Gee : THOU (Thousand). Weird to see G spelled out.
57. Profits : AVAILS
59. Party animal? : ELEPHANT. For the GOP. Great clue.
61. Abrasive mineral : GARNET. Lovely deep red color.
62. Compact : ALLIANCE
63. Derisive : SNEERY
64. Can't abide : DESPISES
Down:
1. Winston Groom hero : GUMP. Forrest Gump. Did not know the author.
2. Newton or curie : UNIT. OK, Dictionary says the un-capitalized curie is a unit of radioactivity.
3. La __: ocean phenomenon : NINA
4. Angler's supply : RODS
5. Q&A part: Abbr. : ANS
6. Greek islander : CRETAN. From Crete.
7. Excite : KEY UP
9. Pollutant found in NCR paper : PCB. What is NCR paper?
10. Color similar to pale plum : LILAC
11. Summer cooler : ICE TEA. No D again.
12. Where to get a muffuletta sandwich : NEW ORLEANS. I've certainly heard of muffuletta sandwich.
13. Garnish : TRIM. As a Christmas tree.
14. Red __: candy : HOTS
21. Pass on a ketch : SAIL BY. Ketch is sailing boat.
23. Tribal Council prop : TORCH. Don't get the clue.
24. Narrow margin : NOSE
25. Peddles : HAWKS
26. Native New Yorkers : ERIES. This refers to the Native Americans, correct?
27. Phenomenon that emits X-rays : SOLAR FLARE. I thought X-ray is emitted by the machine.
28. Work with a shuttle : TAT. Use shuttle to make lace.
31. Fetch : BRING
32. Maker of eneloop rechargeable batteries : SANYO. Not familiar with the batteries.
34. Melonlike fruit : PAPAYA. Looks ugly, but delicious. I like all tropical fruit.
35. Didn't get 100, say : ERRED
38. Stop order : HALT
39. Large amount : LOT
44. Hospital solution : SALINE
46. Abuses freedom of the press, perhaps : LIBELS. Had difficulty parsing the clue.
48. Texas city named for a president : TYLER. No idea. Wiki said the city is named for John Tyler in recognition of his support for Texas' admission to the United States
49. Valencia street : CALLE. Spanish for "street".
50. Flings : JAGS. Did not know jag can mean "spree" also.
51. Novelist Hunter : EVAN
53. Golden Triangle native : THAI. Drug in Golden Triangle. Heroin.
54. Former UN weapons inspector Blix : HANS. Man, it's been a long time. I can still hear his accented English about WMD.
55. Formerly : ONCE
56. Versatile wheels : UTES. Well, here it comes again.
58. Dump : STY
60. Spot : PIP. Playing card spot.
Answer grid.
Thanks for the sweet words about my Dennis birthday puzzle, everyone. I had fun doing it.
C.C.
70 comments:
Insomnia had me up all night so I get a first post. Hellava price to pay.
Solved both the LA Times and CC's.
Now I'll try to get some sleep.
Thank you all for the suggestions!
Today's offering not bad for a Saturday. However, I was stuck in the NW corner and was tired so that I used red letters once. Mistake was BAIT for RODS.
More later.
Thanks to CC and Barry.
Morning, all!
Today was a walk in the park... compared with yesterday, that is. I got off to a slow start with a bunch of wrong guesses in the NE (FANDOM instead of PLINTH, first BRUTUS and then CAESAR for CICERO), but once I finally got going there I made steady progress through the whole puzzle.
I have to day I was a bit disappointed to not see any Zs or Qs, given who the constructor was. I guess every puzzle can't be a pangram...
Overall, a good, solid puzzle. My only gripes were in the SW corner where I wasn't fond of the clue for JAGS and really resisted putting in SNEERY until it was confirmed by every single perp.
On the positive side, I love RONNY Cox and was glad to see him in a puzzle. He seems like such a nice guy (Beverly Hills Cop), yet does such a great job playing villians (Robocop, Stargate: SG1).
Hi All ~!
First pass was nearly blank, yet ironically, I got "WALT CHAMBERLAIN", and I don't like basketball...
Again with the ICE TEA, and I have to agree, SNEERY made me cringe, too, and I couldn't find my bad letter, despite being in New York and knowing ERIES, and so red letter told me WALT needed to be WILT; V-8 moment...
ELEPHANT "party animal" was good, but I think UNION REP needed to be, 'for short' as well.
Ronny Cox was the Bad Guy in "Total Recall", too; he and Alan Rickman have that 'disposition', I think.
Enjoy the weekend !
Splynter
And, in other news...
I just had a chance to do CC's puzzle. What a wonderful effort! Great work with the themes, and the cluing was very enjoyable. I have to admit I've never heard of RENMINBI (now, the YUAN, that one I know), but everything else was smooth sailing.
CC:
"Tribal Council prop : TORCH. Don't get the clue."
This refers to the TV show Survivor.
Good morning all. Good commentary, C.C.
A Saturday Silkie! He did not disappoint. SW was last to fall, but TYLER helped there. WAGS included ATOMS, AHAB, and HANS. Thought ALLIANCE and ELEPHANT were clever. Liked the long span fills. The perps were sufficiently ample to ratchet in the unknowns. No lookups needed.
ERIES were Native Americans in western NY. They were defeated by the Iroquois.
Enjoy the weekend.
Top of the morning folks,
Rarely do I have the opportunity to tackle a Saturday puzzle, so today was a treat and a success, albeit a difficult one. Like Splynter, my first pass left a lot of empty spaces.
However, the second time through it started to come together. The toughest section was the mideast, primarily because I spelled Wilt's name incorrectly ending it with "and" and instead of "ian." Chamberland painted our house last year, Chamberlain entertained me for many years playing roundball.
Some of the clues and answers befuddled me. Thou was a mystery until CC explained it. I didn't even know Sneery was a word. And of course after yesterday, I wondered if I had screwed up Thai vs Chai again. The compact/alliance clue is a mystery too, unless there is a compact car called Alliance.
Enjoy the weekend folks. It's supposed to be lovely in New England with a bit of Fall weather arriving later today.
Good morning C.C. and all my crossword solving friends.
I just wanted to give you all an update on my status, since I have not been doing the CW for the last couple of days. I went for my ultrasound on Thursday and found out that I had miscarried.
I also got a phone call late Thursday night that my cousin Stephanie had lost her battle with depression and took her own life. She was only 6 months older than me and we were very close. I will never forget her laughter and smile.
I had surgery yesterday and spent most of the day sleeping. I am feeling much better this morning, but still have a bit of a headache.
I hope to get back to doing the CW soon and back to the interesting conversations that make this blog so much fun.
Thank you all for the kind words and support that you gave me in the past 6 months. It has meant so much to me.
I managed to work out everything OK except the 53A-56D cross. Just couldn't connect "Gee" with "thousand" or "Versatile wheels" with "Utes." Of course, now that I see it, I get it. 39 minutes.
A happy healthy Saturday to all; looks like I made a bad choice to miss yesterday, with a fun puzzle and C.C.’s tour de force. Congratulations, though you do make some of us feel really lazy.
This was vintage Barry Silk, some very tough clues to parse, but nothing really obscure; MIND’S EYE was my last fill. As always on a themeless Saturday getting the 15 letter answers saved me, as I was floundering in the NW. Also did not think of STERNO as JELLY, and do not much about TATTING . Did not think of GARNET as an abrasive, had not thought about the PCB problem in years, and do not get JAGS as Flings and had no idea why GEE was THOU until now.
COMPACT is one of the many words which make English so hard, as it has at least 5 different meanings depending if it is a noun or adjective or verb. It is also why clues like THAMES FLOWER make puzzles so hard.
VETTDOE, hang in and feel better; I went through 5 miscarriages with my wife but ended up with two magnificent boys.
Vettedoe,
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your baby, as well as the loss of your dear cousin. My thoughts and prayers will remain with you and for you.
Hugs to you, MJ
Will get back for the puzzle.
Good morning CC, et al., Loved this Barry Silk puzzle. It was quite fitting for a Sat. The biggest surprise was 53A Thou? for Gee? I didn't get it until I came here. Very clever. 'Sneery' is a little odd, but it came thru w/the perps. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and esp being a Silky one.
I had to laugh at 12D where do you get a muffuletta sandwich? From someone 'u letta' have it. New Orleans sounds like the perfect spot to me. The new 'one' leans on it, I think. I'm ready. 'Let's go'!!! We can party w/the 'happy'
'elephant's all night long.
Good times!
CC, I LOVED your Dennis puzzle. I was on the floor LMAO w/your comments and consider it an honor to be mentioned in Dennis' special puzzle. You did it perfectly too!
I feel the 'honor', the 'offer' is on the table 29D, with a little 46A (touch of the tongue) and his personal 'magnetism', I'd give him a new slant to 'riser' and 'lei' both. I would in the process give him a new dimension of hammer and 'thor'.... refer to 54A for the retht of the thtory...but no halves...all or none.
Happy early Birthday, Dennis. I'll toast to you as long as I can lift my glass, bottle, can, decanter, vat...Cheers!!! I wish you many many more happy years.
Enjoy your day.
vettedoe: I'm so sorry for your double loss. So tragic! You will stay in my thoughts and prayers. Take heart thru what Lemonade said. Miracles do happen.
So sorry to hear of your losses Vettedoe. You sound reasonably upbeat, considering, so I hope you can maintain that and concentrate on getting your strength back. What a terrible double whammy though.
I only got half the puzzle out before coming here. Names are not my forte. So no point in commenting on it.
C.C. excellent write-up.
Really enjoyed the birthday tribute puzzle.
Dennis, Happy Birthday. You get a toast at sunset.
I like my ICE TEA Long Island style.
Places for pieces, Hmmmm, being more of a lover than a fighter, I was thinking of a certain room here at Villa Incognito before GUNRACKS.
The two 15's were almost gimmies.
Wilt's 20 THOU claim is more sad than funny.
(I guess they were all "very special" to him).
SW corner was the last to fall.
Profits = AVAILS, well that's what the perps indicate.
Liked the GUMP HAWKS JAGS stack.
UTES for Versatile wheels is still ugly. So I guess we'll see it again in the future.
Vettedoe, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Twenty years ago, many years before I wrote my first crossword, I was a frequent contributor to a 1950s/60s rock-and-roll oriented news group that ran a monthly "Golden Oldies Lyrics Quiz" (GOLQ) featuring songs from that time period that hit the Billboard Top-100 charts. Since this month is the 20th anniversary of the quiz, I wrote a crossword to commemorate the occasion. Although this puzzle contains one or two answers that may be more familiar to the regular quiz participants, any solvers who are interested in trying the puzzle can get it here: GOLQ 20th Anniversary Puzzle
Barry Silk
Good morning, all.
Today's puzzle seemed easier to me than Barry's usual Saturday offering. Perhaps it's that there were fewer unknown names, and they readily filled themselves in via the perps.
Some great clues, two favorites were: "Party animal?" (ELEPHANT), and "It may be essential" (FATTY ACID). I, too, cringed at SNEERY, but accepted it as a possible Navajo weave, in an otherwise outstanding creation. Thank you, Barry.
I'm off to hang with Drake. Enjoy the Day!
Good day.
If yesterday was a walk in the park, today was a plough through the slough. I did not spot clear contenders (±) for the GAVEUP Hall-of-fame/infamy. TAT and JAGS came closest for me.
High points:
16 and 19A (literally) CICERO on his PLINTH, which has unfortunately fallen over..
UNIT - Newton (unit of force) and curie (radioactivity, bien sure, madame – good to see a famous woman scientist for a change) – link to 27D.
29A BIO for “life lines”. I think we have had “OBIT” for a similar clue.
62A ALLIANCE=compact (a “nice” mislead)
25D HAWKS=peddles - Fine old word, from HAWKER, related to HUCKSTER. I still remember a sign in an Oxford park saying “NO HAWKING” and wondering whether it referred to hunting with birds, selling stuff, or ogling sunbathers.
46D LIBELS – abuses freedom of the press. In the land of freedom of speech, I still get confused about how you can have libel and slander laws (anyone??)
21D SAIL BY – Pass on a ketch. I have never felt like making an amorous advance while on a small sailing vessel – too much mal de mer - but a fine fleeting thought.
No KVETCH, but such a lot of Americana sports/TC tie-ins/authors in this one. For example, I assume Chamberlain is a gimme for most of you, but unknown to me. Similarly, I had no idea with New Orleans. Without that pair, I was in trouble, as SPEEDBUMPSAHEAD is a fine clue, but not guessable without a lot of perps – I wrote STOPFORCHILDREN first, then SPEEDINGCANKILL. Eventually had to give 12D the g-treatment. After that Chamberlain was guessable, and the rest fell into place. On the plus side, there were several science clues, although they were still difficult enough: SOLAR FLARE was OK; Quantum mechanics is mostly concerned with sub-atomic paricles – I was thinking of quarks, bosons, mesons, etc. I was thinking and writing about FATTY ACIDS most of yesterday, so no problemo.
Dubious/”dodgy”/obscure/crosswordese/unnecessarily misleading clues:
58D STY=DUMP. I always think this is SLANDER against PIGS. They are really smart, clean animals when given a chance.
7D KEY UP – rarely used in active sense. “Keyed up” is usual.
9D PCB. This is a historical clue and should have been indicated thus. PCB (in copying paper) was phased out in 1972, so I don’t expect the NCR company to be happy to see this – cause for a libel case?)
39A LOT = large amount. Should be “A LOT” ??
50A – STERNO – jelly – obscure.
28D TAT /shuttle. Crossworded.
26D ERIES (any clue leading to ERIE)
43A SSRS
50D JAGS (I had JIGS as in HIGHLAND FLINGS)
64A DESPISES = CAN’T ABIDE – to me, it means can’t live with or tolerate. Despises is too strong.
53A THOU=GEE – too gee-whiz for me.
56D UTES – enough said. At least ANAG. of TUES. 3rd day should be WED if your sabbath is on Sunday. But then I don’t believe the Earth was created in 6000 BC, so suit yourself.
31D BRING = fetch. Fetch for me means go there and then bring back. Bring suggests that you are already there.
Supposed to be a hot one here today.
C. C., thank you for clearing up so many mysteries for me.
Wow, Barry - Thank You for the BONUS puzzle! Is sounds like it'll be fun. Just what I needed to take to my hair appointment this afternoon.
We had an application once that displayed Monday thru Sunday, rather than Sunday thru Saturday. It totally messed people up!
PLINTH was a new word for me...
It's funny to see Ronny Cox referred to as a villian. Most of those movies aren't my style, so I haven't seen much of that side of him. In the ones I did see ("BH Cop" & "Murder at 1600"), he played a good guy. I remember him best from his early TV role as the dad on "Apple's Way", which was the family show of the 70's, ala "7th Heaven".
Needed perp assist for Golden Triangle since I'd only heard that used in reference to Downtown Pittsburgh before. G'ing it now, I see a number of places use that term.
Vettedoe, I'm sorry to hear about your very sad news. What's great about this blog is that people are here throughout the day and night, so while you're coming to terms with all this, know that you can always come here for comfort, or at least diversion.
C. C.,
In answer to your question on 37A:
Old enough to know better.
Vettedoe- My heart breaks for you today. I hope Lemonade gives you some solace from his words. Words fail me about your cousin. I will have you in my thoughts.
xtulmkr, you'd think doing the puzzles would make you more alert, but when I can't sleep, it always does the trick for me! It must have to do with redirecting your thoughts. Sometimes a glass of wine is required too...
I have used the puzzle to get "in the zone" at times when I needed to be alert, creative, or "on the ball". Yesterday, I studied for a test during lunch, then used the last 20 minutes to work on the crossword, to help me relax and "prime my brain".
Good afternoon everyone.
Vettedoe, Am so sorry about your double loss. I will keep you in my thouhts and hope that your good nature will help see you through this time.
C.C. The Dennis puzzle was great fun and a terrific tribute to a good friend. You mentioned Don G a few times. Did you consult with him?
There were some very clever clues, and I salute you.
Didn't try today's LAT puzzle; did Dennis's instead.
Cheers
Nice Cuppa
The reason, in the land of free speech we have "Libel and Slander" laws is quite simple:
What you say should have an element of truth.
(Of course, watching the political ads should make you wonder about this as "the truth" is stretched almost to the breaking point).
Maybe Lemonade and Hahtool (our Legal Team) and expound on this.
Good Day C.C. et al, It is gray, cold and rainy in Huskerville today and so I girded my loins and slogged through! It was fun but took me almost 2 hours. Those of you who did it in 15 minutes while standing on one leg in a hurricane, please keep that info to yourself. I take no comfort in hearing completion times!
C.C., you are right about the NEA and the NSEA, they are politically from Plutos as far as I'm concerned but I pay my dues to protect me from saying or doing something stupid that some PC idiot will latch onto. Wonderful write-up as usual. Your facility in two languages is stunning to me!!
I missed four cells as GEE and UTES got me. I put in TRIPOD with a degree of confidence as l had never seen the word PLINTH before. SNEERY, really? Got it, but, come on!
If you have never seen Sammy Davis Jr Singing Bo Jangles, you have really missed something!
Yes, I have used curies and newtons in science classes!
Have a great Saturday. I am going to listen to the Huskers beat up on another cupcake and watch the Hogs and Crimson Tide play a real game.
Good Morning All, I managed to get a start with (23A) TAP DANCER and (25A) HESTON. After that with (25D) HAWKES and (26D) ERIES in place, (37A) WILT CHAMBERLAIN made his appearance.
Had a heck of a time in the SW area. Too much science for me. I just HAD to have AMINO ACID at 47A. I've seen Sterno cans, but I didn't know it is a JELLY (no campers here). Then too, I have a lovely GARNET bead necklace, so I didn't connect it to anything abrasive. I finally gave up on AMINO, got sensible and backtracked my way to FATTY ACID.
The other science fill gave me the "willies" too (2D) UNIT and (22A) ATOMS were strictly perped.
The "Gee"/THOU connection was lost on me until coming here.
Is it just me? When I filled in ALLIANCE for 62A "Compact", I didn't think of an agreement, I thought of a compact automobile and pictured the Renault Alliance. My thought process surprised me since I stopped paying attention to car models after 1965 or so. "D'oh!", but whatever works.
Now I'm looking forward to Barry Silk's GOLQ puzzle.
On a serious note to vettedoe, I am sincerely sorry to read about your losses. We all know how eagerly you looked forward to the birth of your baby. The death of your cousin is a terrible additional blow. I'm glad that you have shared your sadness with us. As always, caring thoughts and positive energy are with you.
23-DOWN...TRIBAL COUNCIL PROP...TORCH...REFERS TO THE TV SHOW SURVIVOR...ALL SURVIVORS HAVE A TORCH, WHEN THEY ARE VOTED OFF THEIR TORCH IS PUT OUT
Husker Gary: Thanks for the Davis/Bo Jangles clip. I had forgotten how good that was. Got goose pumps watching it.
Doreen
Good Day C.C. and all,
This puzzle took almost all of my morning,including breaks and 2 Dogpiles for 1d and 54a.
In SE corner, I kept 'all in one'for 'compact', until Hans dug me out of the hole.
Mostly,I hit all the snares and traps everyone has described.
"Speed-bumps ahead" is Barry Silk's middle name. Love it- Drove me nuts! I figured I had to have gone nutty to see 'thou' for 'gee'.
Only a kook.
MJ- I loved your 'possible Navajo weave'remark!
NC- Lots of work for you. I'll have to revisit this later. GAVEUP is alive and well!
Lois- I thought if yesterday's didn't get you out here, nothing else would. Yeah, C.C. did it!
Please don't wait so long.You are such a treat!
C.C. your write-up was super; even after the big day. Double whammy!
Your photo of a muffuletta sandwich made me want one. Its the first I've ever heard of it.I was wondering if that was a picture of one you made,just like the photo of the eel meal. If that's the case,what are the ingredients, if you have the time.
Either way, thanks.
Correction: "...if that were...."
up jumps the devil..
Hi all.
Smooth as "silk". A great Saturday puzzle. Love Barry's puzzles. I made a copy of the bonus puzzle for later.
I have been up late at night to watch the Jovian moons. The sky has been perfect.
90s today.
CC. you really should run the next one pass Rich. Great job!
Take care.
Barry, thanks for the bonus puzzle! It was a hoot and a great fit for those of us of, uh, a certain age who had to be either in the Beatles, Beachboy or Elvis camp. I finished it in (oops, I said that is annoying!) minutes.
I bought a sedan "alliance" car , and when I tried to "hawk" it,I was told it's gonna "bring" at least a " gee" of an "avail"
maybe it was my " minds eye "..but after 3 of "third of seven" to no avail , I gave up and "blew it" for a gee less,,
Ya sure, I can see that conversation going on during Sunday night Football game...!!!
C.C. re your question of 9d:
NCR paper was a copy paper that did not require carbon paper. It was developed by National Cash Register(NCR) employees. Some people called it No Carbon Required paper.
Some older cc(credit card) machines still use a version of this to print two copies of your receipt, usually one white one and one yellow one.
Hello everybody. Warm Saturday (6th day of the week in my mind) greetings to you all.
Fun puzzle today. I had many of the same difficult parts and easy parts that you all have already mentioned. I am very impressed with the WILT CHAMBERLAIN and SPEED BUMPS AHEAD fills! Frankly, TAP DANCER, NEW ORLEANS, SOLAR FLARE, and FATTY ACID impressed me a lot, too.
Several favorites, FATTY ACIDS and ELEPHANT being right up there at the top of the smile list.
Gimmes included La NINA, HESTON, RONNY Cox, and oddly enough HAWKS. I agree Ronny Cox is/was a terrific actor, who could be totally convincing as a good guy as well as a bad guy. He was awesome in RoboCop. Charlton Heston is, well, Charlton Heston. By the way, C.C., don't bother to see him in El Cid; maybe you and others might think it is a good movie, but I found it to be crashingly boring and far too long.
Yeah, I think NCR stands for National Cash Register, but I didn't see the significance of it's paper as being especially egregious, any more than anybody else's paper.
Clear Ayes, thank you very much for the link to the What is Poetry article. I read it carefully and it helped me a lot. I still know what I like and don't like, though. LOL
My hand is up in agreement that the clue for UNION REP needed something like "for short" in it.
I would never in a million years ever have understood "Gee" and THOU had I not come here. I think maybe Mr. Silk counted on most solvers wanting GOSH there.
Sorry he got stuck with AROAR over in the west side, though. Oh well, whattaya gonna do?
I also didn't realize that Cicero had anything to do with Mark Antony. Come here and learn, folks :)
I won't get started on the topic of libel and slander and untruths promulgated by the media. Instead, I'll head on out and enjoy the warm sunny day today.
Best wishes to you all and special good wishes to you, vettedoe.
Ah, I just missed seen's explanation of the NCR paper. Thanks.
How did Wilt Chamberlain know it wasn't, say, 20001 women?
C.C., since the weather is keeping me in and I can do these puzzles and watch college football, I remembered your puzzle from last night and had a great time doing it! How in the name of Sweet Fanny Mae do you know so much American trivia? You are more impressive every time I read you.
This morning I was helping my wife with her garage sale this morning and a young girl and her Dad came in. He was from El Salvador and his 10 year old daughter spoke flawless Spanish and English! Ya gotta love people who are smart across cultures!
Hello, everyone,
Not much time to comment; I found this Silky a slog, very slow especially when there are SPORTS clues involved! I really hate to Ggle for answers, but once I found WILTCHAMBERLAIN the fills around it fell nicely as I had a skeleton pattern.
Did have to come here for PLINTH as I had PLINTD which made no sense but knew everything else was correct.
More later. Do love the challenge.
Have a lovely Saturday!
Vettedoe, What sad news. I am so sorry. Those two things are almost too much to bear. I'm glad to see you looking ahead, bravely, I should think. Please accept my condolences! dodo
Here is a funny article about Wilt the Stilt.
Btw, the answer to C.C.'s question is 55 years old.
Greetings, gang,
I agree with all those who felt that this puzzle was a slog. Barry, I mean a slog to solve. It was great as far a composition goes! I did a lot of looking up, which I really DESPISE doing. Perps helped but were not as friendly as usual.
Hand up for sneery!
Info needed:
Dogpile?
Are my duplicate copy checks made of that nasty paper?
Jazzbumpa,(if and when you show up) Thursday night I heard our local symphony play Prokofiev's Synphony No.1! Wow, what fun for all the trombonists! In fact I think the whole orchestra was having a ball! They played it very well; we're lucky to have a very fine orchestra with a fantastic conductor, Peter Jaffe. There were a couple of instruments there that I've never seen before~ A great [experience!
FYI
It will take almost 1.1 woman per day for 50 years,,
yes 50 years, to sleep with 20,000 diffrent women.
Get real,
Idi Amin had 212 wives ,,,,, some for dinner !!!!
Dodo- I use Dogpile instead of Google; it is a compilation of Google, Yahoo,Bing and Ask Jeeves. I find much quicker and easier; someone told me about it when I first went on the computer and it is recommended in the "Vista for Dummies" book. So I have always used it. The only thing about it is the name; yet I decided saying "G spot" was equally indelicate.
You have a delightful, direct way of shooting questions out and expressing yourself. It makes me chuckle.
Yes, I hesitated over 'sneery'; I've never heard it nor used it, but as MJ says a'possible Navajo weave', so I'll let it slide-close to a GAVEUP, but I think everyone got it.
Thanks for asking about Dogpile.com
Mr. Silk,
As Ernie Banks always said, let’s play two! Thank you for another treat. What a day, I began with yesterday’s puzzle, then C.C.’s gem, the Saturday Silkie and then the bonus, wow. I did not remember the EARLS but they were around during the 11-14 time in my life where I pretty much hated everyone and everything. Likewise this GROUP which actually beat Alvin and the Chipmunks to TV. Nor did I know this work of EUGENE CHURCH despite where I live. All in all, tremendous fun for an off and on cloudy day here in paradise.
Good afternoon C.C. and all,
What a day to return, a 3 in one: a Silky (difficult, but fun and always educational!!), a super duper Silky (saving it for tonight), and...a drum roll..a sensational xwd from C.C.! GONG XI! So clever and fun! You are on your way; can't wait to see more.Such a nice tribute to the birthday boy. Too bad you couldn't have clumped Miracle Gro, riser and Mr. Big together, but we got the picture.LOL
After looking up Enola Gay I felt like I was just hatched.Did everyone know this except moi?
Truman would feel honored if he knew he was in Gramma's puzzle; he is calling me a "knucklehead" as his vocabulary has increased.
Vettedoe, I am so so sorry for your losses.I'm sending you hugs, and any spare energy I have to get you thru these next few weeks.
CA, such a great poem..as always.
I have no telescope to view the Jovian moons, but the Harvest moon has been awesome the last 2 nights.
Wilt was famous and rich, and claimed 3 or more women per day in his prime. I cannot imagine why he would find that either satisfying or worth boasting about, but I guess I would rather be a gourmet than a gourmand.
However, having represented rock and roll bands and toured with some, I can tell you there are enough women out there who crave whatever attention they get from "stars" that as outlandish as his claim was, it was not impossible.
Libel and slander prohibit the publication (passing on to a third party in any way) of malicious falsehoods about a person with the intent to harm that person. The standard to prove libel/slander is even more difficult if the person is a public figure. Also, truth is a defense to an action for libel/slander.
Free speech, I believe, means this country gives you the right to believe whatever you want and to speak about your beliefs, no matter how unpopular. It does not give you the right to attempt to interfere in anyone else's life by putting out lies.
Can you imagine if you were a politician who opposed gay rights and someone said you had gay lovers, or if you were a candidate who espoused religion and family values and they said you practiced witchcraft. Oops, well anyway, if someone said they saw you making out with family dog, I doubt many of us would just laugh and say, "Oh that free speech, it got me again!
Hola Everyone, The puzzle was a bear for me today. My first long fill was Children Playing for residential street warning. There are two streets in my area that have Children Playing posted. I just knew it had to be right. Eraser crumbs completely covered my puzzle today and I actually rubbed off some of the numbers!
I'm afraid I was in the Gaveup gang this morning.
Thank you C.C. for your excellent explanations. I always learn something when I come to the Blog. Today I learned a LOT!
Vettedoe, I'm so sorry to hear about your losses. My thoughts are with you and I hope that you can feel the concern we all have for you and yours.
Have a great weekend, everyone. We have a Trade show tomorrow--right here in San Jose, so we don't have to travel very far. We set up early this morning.
Another error in today's clues. Number 34 down should have been "melon-like" instead of melonlike. These guys can construct puzzles but who does their editing?
Naw,c'mon, SNEERY is kinda neat. The Navajo Rug Weave Award. ALBS! Now yer talkin'.
C.C.- UNION REP is definetly in the language. No one says "union representative". Almost always it's simply "rep". Ditto "sales rep", etc. Too bad we all don't have a UNION REP. It might put an end to PEON RUIN.
ps- I'll answer your e-mail tomorrow.
@Wilt's Fan Club
That looks more like 2.5 men.. Yikes.!
The moons of Jupiter are worth looking at for sure. You can see them in a decent pair of binoculars. Imagine Galileo's excitement when he first saw them. They got him in big trouble with the Church too. He is one of my science heroes.
Vettedoe, best wishes and good thoughts headed your way.
vettedoe:
I am so very sorry about your double loss. Both, I'm sure, are equally painful; stay strong, dear friend.
Bill B:
From yesterday, I sympathize with you for the weather woes you are experiencing. If you are used to cool temps, it is torturous, but believe me, I am wishing for 91 as the 100s are staying for awhile longer.
A few years ago I read RUBICON by Tom Holland. It provides a bird's eyeview of Roman politics in the waning days of the Republic and cited the antagonism between CICERO and Julius Caesar.
I have to confess defeat on this puzzle because Gee, THOU escaped me completely. I had ATVS not UTES and no idea about the Golden Triangle and THAI. It was messy in the SE corner.
However, I'm looking forward to Barry's bonus puzzle.
It's always about learning and today offered many opportunities for that. I'm grateful for CALLE and la NINA as both gave me a toehold in their respective spots.
My daughters chided me for not having watched the TV show "Survivor". Tribal Council on the island, no electricity, duh, the torch ? Ah, to be young again. All us old timers remember when the new, high tech paper came out that kept us from get our fingers dirty using carbon paper for copies because it was NCR - No Carbon Required. You're right - Deliverance was a very scary movie !!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of solar flares, we've had a series of them this week which have seriously degraded long-range amateur radio communications. I'm ready for the usual noisy, lousy summer conditions to fade and for strong, clear radio signals to reappear, as they usually do in the late fall and winter.
The full harvest moon this week coincided with the arrival of the autumnal equinox (first day of fall). The last time that happened was in 1991. The next time will be in 2029. This one was thus a "super harvest moon," explaining its brilliance and apparent large size near the horizon at sunrise and sunset on September 22-23.
Jupiter is spectacular right now since it is near opposition (the sun is almost directly in line with it and the earth), so it is getting direct solar rays. It was prominent this week near the rising full moon.
Cicero was a lifelong enemy of Caesar. Marc Antony, on the other hand, was one of Caesar's close associates. He had fought for Caesar in the Gallic War (59-53 BC) and in the Civil War (49-46 BC). He had also served as assistant dictator (Magister Equitum)under Caesar. Cicero apparently knew about the impending assassination attempt but had chosen not to participate. In the late 40's BC he delivered a series of scathing speeches against Antony, further estranging the two. When Octavian (future Emperor Augustus) and Antony made an uneasy peace with each other after Caesar's assassination, both drew up lists of enemies to be purged. Cicero ended up on Antony's list. In 43 BC, Antony's agents murdered Cicero and nailed his head and hands onto the speaker's platform in the forum (the rostrum) where his scurrilous speeches had been delivered.
I googled several names before I even started on the puzzle. After that, we were able to work it although I did not understand 'gee-thou' and plinth is a new word for me.
vettedoe, I pray that you will be able to feel peace and comfort in spite of your double loss.
Dennis, I wish you a very happy birthday.
Dot
Well, after my surgery yesterday, my doctor gave orders to my husband to "get her out of the house tomorrow." We attended the grand opening of Camp Salmen in Slidell, an old Boy Scout Camp that they are making into a cultural and learning center. It was so nice to be outside, among people, in the sunshine. It was hot, though, and by the time I got home I was very tired.
I have read through all of your responses and am overwhelmed. Thank you all for the kind words and well-wishes.
Lemonade and others who agreed - Thank you for the encouraging words. I have a 23 year old and a 3 year old, and had two miscarriages between the two of them. This is my third, and I am getting up in age (early 40's). This pregnancy was very difficult both physically and mentally.I don't know if we will want to try again. We have talked about the possibility that our family may be complete, and have not shut the door on adopting a child.
As for the other loss, I know that my cousin will no longer suffer. The hardest part is that she seemed so happy leading up to the night of her death. But I guess that we have not come far enough yet to understand what depression can do to an otherwise healthy person. You never know what the next person is thinking or going through. I always try to be kind to everyone I meet.
In Shakespeare's play - 'Julius Caesar', ... it is Cicero, who urges and finally 'convinces' Brutus, that Caesar must be assassinated, and that Brutus should fully participate in the plan .... I don't know how much Shake's plays had to do with 'reality' ... but those who have read the play, especially as a part of their school syllabi, and for the AP tests, ... would have remembered this.
Cicero is described as ...'He has a mean and hungry look .... such men are dangerous.'
REGARDING SLANDER AND LIBEL ;;;
Lemonade : Not to cross your legal acumen, but .... would you agree that
(1) If you are slandering a 'public' figure, as a politician or a would be political figure ... the standards that judge the libel and slander, supposedly directed at them ... have to meet a much 'higher' bar ...
... in short, the law pre-supposes that politicians should be more 'easier' to criticize ... because they are politicians.
.... because they ARE politicians ... the law would consider them 'fair' game for even misleading statements ... because that is a part of the democracy 'game' ? Otherwise, any critiscism of a politician would be well neigh impossible ...
Secondly, and far more important, (2) the high level of constitutional protection of the 'free press' requires that .... for a politico to bring an action of libel or slander against a reporter, the political plaintiffs ... have to PROVE ... not only that libel and slander occurred ...BUT ALSO , that that action was done in a spirit of 'MALICE" ... which is far more difficult to prove... ?
Would you not agree, that it is that requirement ... of having to prove 'Malice', that has made libel suits against the media ... very, very difficult to pursue ... and relatively very rare ?
Cicero is only mentioned obliquely in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. He is not the one who convinces Brutus to kill Caesar. That's Cassius (Gaius Cassius Longinus), who was the moving spirit of the plot. Also, it's Caesar who voices the line about "the mean and hungry look," and when he does, he is talking about Cassius, not Cicero. Later in the play, the conspirators consider but ultimately reject the idea of bringing Cicero into the plot. Shakespeare followed the account of the assassination found in Plutarch, who lived about 150 years after Caesar, but Plutarch at least had the broad outlines of the plot right, it appears. Cassius and Brutus both committed suicide following their disastrous military encounters with Octavian and Antony at Philippi in Greece in 42 BC. That battle figures at the end of Shakespeare's play.
CICERO has a RICE CO. You can find his products in the CAESAREAN section of the supermarket.
Good night all.
Bob, thanks for the interesting info about astronomy. Love to learn things.
Husker.
The Sammie Davis clip was good,but the real Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Shirley Temple clip further down on that site you had on, was a better illustration of who he was. And no child star of today has ever matched Shirley Temple. I would put it in the blog, but am not smart enough to do it myself.
Vettedoe-my sympathy goes to you for your loss.
The puzzle wore me out.
Good night all!
Marge
has anyone noticed that today's headline says "Saturday November 25, 2010 Barry silk"? What's up with that?
Marge, I just found the Bojangles and Shirley Temple clip you mentioned. Great stuff! Thanks!
I almost posted it this morning, bu there is no question SHIRLEY TEMPLE was an amazing child, and her performance with Mr. Robinson will endure as long as people do.
Good stuff tonight, Bob...all of it.
Jerome, you make me laugh!
has anyone noticed that today's headline now says "Saturday Septmber 25, 2010 Barry Silk. what's up with that?
Seen,
My bad. Made an error yesterday morning. Obviously I was in November mood!
E 'vero! Ottima idea, sono d'accordo con lei.
Condivido pienamente il suo punto di vista. Ottima idea, sono d'accordo con lei.
i thought you might have been testing us to see if we were paying attention! lol
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