Theme: The Kool-Aid Man's catchphrase, Oh, Yeah! All three answers end with THAT. Each is punctuated differently to have a different meaning.
20A. "Oh, yeah?": SURE ABOUT THAT?
36A. "Oh, yeah!": I LIKE IT LIKE THAT.
53A. "Oh, yeah ...": I REMEMBER THAT.
Al here.
Lots of tricky cluing today, only four proper names and a couple of geography clues. A fun puzzle, but nothing really stood out structurally to me, so on with the answers.
ACROSS:
1. A teaspoon, maybe: DOSE. It seems so obvious after you see it. Not so much before.
5. It may involve splashing: BATH.
9. Old hat: PASSE. Out of fashion, trite. The allusion is to nothing more than the appearance of worn-out headgear, but there is an older, more vulgar meaning...
14. Quechua speaker: INCA. Estimates are that 6-8 million people in the Andes region speak it today. You can take lessons...
15. Return from the Alps?: ECHO. Hike, anyone?
16. Sticky resin used in paint: ALKYD. Oil-based as opposed to Latex water-based. The term alkyd is a modification of the original name "alcid", reflecting the fact that they are derived from alcohol and organic acids.
17. Hot quaff: GROG. Supposedly an allusion to Old Grog, nickname of Edward Vernon (1684-1757), British admiral who wore a grogram cloak and who in August 1740 ordered his sailors' rum to be diluted.
18. Love god: EROS. Greek. Cupid was the corresponding Roman God.
19. "Thelma and Louise" car: T-BIRD. Movie Spoiler picture.
23. __ manual: USERS. The one for my blue ray player came in 8 different languages. What a waste of paper.
24. Canadian sentence enders?: EHS. How do you spell the country to our north? C, eh? N, eh? D, eh?
25. Start using: TAP. Like a beer keg.
28. High degree: PHD. Needed perps to eliminate NTH.
29. Prone: LIABLE. Apt is actually the older meaning from Latin: bent forward, inclined. To lie face-down wasn't recorded until the 1570s.
33. "Carnival of Harlequin" surrealist: MIRO. Joan. We just had him for "Sill Life With Shoes" last Thursday.
34. Angler's accessory: SEINE. A net.
35. Silas Marner, e.g.: MISER. Subtitled The Weaver of Raveloe, by George Eliot (the pseudonym of Mary Ann(e) Evans).
41. Garden bulb: TULIP. Do you think of flowers or vegetables first when you see or hear the word garden? I wanted ONION at first. Gardenias are named for naturalist Dr. Alexander Garden, Vice President of the Royal Society.
42. Sharp ridge: ARETE. There are several in this picture.
43. Repose: CALM. A related word to repose is "pause". Calm is from from Old Italian calma, which is from Late Latin cauma "heat of the mid-day sun" (in Italy, a time when everything rests and is still).
44. Journey: VOYAGE. A journey was originally one day's travel. Or a group once again made popular by a bunch of Gleeks.
46. Merit badge org.: BSA. Boy Scouts of America.
49. Quarterback's cry: HUT. Why? I also found this, which claims that back when Roman Centurions gave orders, they then said HUT to execute it immediately. It could be true, the military today still uses HUT in marching cadence.
50. Time in a pool: DIP. To dip was originally to baptize, and is possibly related to "deep".
51. Willow tree twig: OSIER. Used in basket weaving. And they're coming to take me away, ha ha.
58. Virile one: HE-MAN. Dolph Lundgren in the live movie adaptation of the earlier cartoon.
60. Cranny's partner: NOOK. I think we just had INGLE recently, too.
61. First name in Indian music: RAVI. Shankar. Father of Norah Jones.
62. Church chorus: AMENS. Choir first anyone?
63. Tackle box item: LURE.
64. Mars counterpart: ARES. Mars/Roman, Ares/Greek Gods of war. Ares and "ire" are related. He was an angry god.
65. Opinion giver: JUDGE.
66. Cravings: YENS. Earlier yin "intense craving for opium", from Chinese yan "craving," or from a Beijing dialect word for "smoke." Reinforced in Eng. by influence of "yearn".
67. Word with cheap or bike: DIRT.
DOWN:
1. Unearths: DIGS UP.
2. Assault: ONRUSH. Assault from Latin prefix ad- (toward) + saltus (a leap or jump).
3. Homered, say: SCORED. Baseball home run. Nothing to do with the Simpsons.
4. Thirsty: EAGER.
5. Overseas network, with "the": BEEB. BBC is the British Broadcasting corporation. Also called "Auntie" Beeb.
6. Polis leader?: ACRO. Acropolis, acro for "high", and polis for "city". Usually translated as "citadel". The famous one at Athens, Greece. A picture that shows it high on a hill.
7. Commandment pronoun: THOU.
8. Hiker's stopover: HOSTEL. Not sure why a hiker, specifically. More budget-oriented than a hotel, I suppose.
9. Rustic ways: PATHS.
10. Jessica of "Sin City": ALBA. Another "comic book" movie. "Visually groundbreaking", rated moderately high.
11. People-wary, as a horse: SKITTISH.
12. Turk. neighbor: SYR. Turkey, Syria.
13. Byrnes of "77 Sunset Strip": EDD. TV detective show, ended in 1964.
21. Dreaming, perhaps: ASLEEP.
22. Not just a: THE. Definite article "the" vs. indefinite "a".
26. Space: AREA.
27. Sea side: PORT. The left side of a ship, that faces the harbor when docked. Opposite of starboard (the side where early boats were steered)
30. 1969 Super Bowl: III. The first two were retroactively renamed Super Bowls. They weren't called that at the time.
31. Colony dweller: ANT. From a compound of bases *ai- "off, away" + *mait- "cut." Thus the insect's name is "the biter off." Emmet survived into the 20th c. as an alternative form.
32. Secure, as a ship's line: BELAY. To coil a running rope around a cleat or pin.
33. Tick cousin: MITE. Little suckers. Another recent word.
34. Whole alternative: SKIM. Wanted semi. Didn't think of milk at first.
35. Falling star: METEOR. Meteor formerly meant any atmospheric phenomenon (thus meteorology for weather study). Atmospheric phenomena were formerly classified as aerial meteors (wind), aqueous meteors (rain, snow, hail), luminous meteors (aurora, rainbows), and igneous meteors (lightning, shooting stars).
36. Allergic reaction: ITCH.
37. Place to see grass skirts: LUAU. Had HULA in there at first.
38. Poorly planned: ILL-TIMED.
39. Bank offering, for short: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
40. Powder container: KEG.
44. Animation: VIM.
45. For all to see: OPENLY.
46. Native of NE India: BIHARI. Bihar.
47. Pitcher known as "Tom Terrific": SEAVER. Awards galore.
48. Escape __: ARTIST. Hatch was too short.
50. Crowded: DENSE. Also Thick.
52. Valuable violin: STRAD. Also AMATI.
54. "You __?": RANG. Lurch, from the Addams Family.
55. Pout: MOUE.
56. Conceived, as an idea: BORN.
57. Barely manages, with "out": EKES.
58. Muslim's duty: HAJ. Hajj, Hadj
59. Source of lean meat: EMU.
Answer Grid.
Al
20A. "Oh, yeah?": SURE ABOUT THAT?
36A. "Oh, yeah!": I LIKE IT LIKE THAT.
53A. "Oh, yeah ...": I REMEMBER THAT.
Al here.
Lots of tricky cluing today, only four proper names and a couple of geography clues. A fun puzzle, but nothing really stood out structurally to me, so on with the answers.
ACROSS:
1. A teaspoon, maybe: DOSE. It seems so obvious after you see it. Not so much before.
5. It may involve splashing: BATH.
9. Old hat: PASSE. Out of fashion, trite. The allusion is to nothing more than the appearance of worn-out headgear, but there is an older, more vulgar meaning...
14. Quechua speaker: INCA. Estimates are that 6-8 million people in the Andes region speak it today. You can take lessons...
15. Return from the Alps?: ECHO. Hike, anyone?
16. Sticky resin used in paint: ALKYD. Oil-based as opposed to Latex water-based. The term alkyd is a modification of the original name "alcid", reflecting the fact that they are derived from alcohol and organic acids.
17. Hot quaff: GROG. Supposedly an allusion to Old Grog, nickname of Edward Vernon (1684-1757), British admiral who wore a grogram cloak and who in August 1740 ordered his sailors' rum to be diluted.
18. Love god: EROS. Greek. Cupid was the corresponding Roman God.
19. "Thelma and Louise" car: T-BIRD. Movie Spoiler picture.
23. __ manual: USERS. The one for my blue ray player came in 8 different languages. What a waste of paper.
24. Canadian sentence enders?: EHS. How do you spell the country to our north? C, eh? N, eh? D, eh?
25. Start using: TAP. Like a beer keg.
28. High degree: PHD. Needed perps to eliminate NTH.
29. Prone: LIABLE. Apt is actually the older meaning from Latin: bent forward, inclined. To lie face-down wasn't recorded until the 1570s.
33. "Carnival of Harlequin" surrealist: MIRO. Joan. We just had him for "Sill Life With Shoes" last Thursday.
34. Angler's accessory: SEINE. A net.
35. Silas Marner, e.g.: MISER. Subtitled The Weaver of Raveloe, by George Eliot (the pseudonym of Mary Ann(e) Evans).
41. Garden bulb: TULIP. Do you think of flowers or vegetables first when you see or hear the word garden? I wanted ONION at first. Gardenias are named for naturalist Dr. Alexander Garden, Vice President of the Royal Society.
42. Sharp ridge: ARETE. There are several in this picture.
43. Repose: CALM. A related word to repose is "pause". Calm is from from Old Italian calma, which is from Late Latin cauma "heat of the mid-day sun" (in Italy, a time when everything rests and is still).
44. Journey: VOYAGE. A journey was originally one day's travel. Or a group once again made popular by a bunch of Gleeks.
46. Merit badge org.: BSA. Boy Scouts of America.
49. Quarterback's cry: HUT. Why? I also found this, which claims that back when Roman Centurions gave orders, they then said HUT to execute it immediately. It could be true, the military today still uses HUT in marching cadence.
50. Time in a pool: DIP. To dip was originally to baptize, and is possibly related to "deep".
51. Willow tree twig: OSIER. Used in basket weaving. And they're coming to take me away, ha ha.
58. Virile one: HE-MAN. Dolph Lundgren in the live movie adaptation of the earlier cartoon.
60. Cranny's partner: NOOK. I think we just had INGLE recently, too.
61. First name in Indian music: RAVI. Shankar. Father of Norah Jones.
62. Church chorus: AMENS. Choir first anyone?
63. Tackle box item: LURE.
64. Mars counterpart: ARES. Mars/Roman, Ares/Greek Gods of war. Ares and "ire" are related. He was an angry god.
65. Opinion giver: JUDGE.
66. Cravings: YENS. Earlier yin "intense craving for opium", from Chinese yan "craving," or from a Beijing dialect word for "smoke." Reinforced in Eng. by influence of "yearn".
67. Word with cheap or bike: DIRT.
DOWN:
1. Unearths: DIGS UP.
2. Assault: ONRUSH. Assault from Latin prefix ad- (toward) + saltus (a leap or jump).
3. Homered, say: SCORED. Baseball home run. Nothing to do with the Simpsons.
4. Thirsty: EAGER.
5. Overseas network, with "the": BEEB. BBC is the British Broadcasting corporation. Also called "Auntie" Beeb.
6. Polis leader?: ACRO. Acropolis, acro for "high", and polis for "city". Usually translated as "citadel". The famous one at Athens, Greece. A picture that shows it high on a hill.
7. Commandment pronoun: THOU.
8. Hiker's stopover: HOSTEL. Not sure why a hiker, specifically. More budget-oriented than a hotel, I suppose.
9. Rustic ways: PATHS.
10. Jessica of "Sin City": ALBA. Another "comic book" movie. "Visually groundbreaking", rated moderately high.
11. People-wary, as a horse: SKITTISH.
12. Turk. neighbor: SYR. Turkey, Syria.
13. Byrnes of "77 Sunset Strip": EDD. TV detective show, ended in 1964.
21. Dreaming, perhaps: ASLEEP.
22. Not just a: THE. Definite article "the" vs. indefinite "a".
26. Space: AREA.
27. Sea side: PORT. The left side of a ship, that faces the harbor when docked. Opposite of starboard (the side where early boats were steered)
30. 1969 Super Bowl: III. The first two were retroactively renamed Super Bowls. They weren't called that at the time.
31. Colony dweller: ANT. From a compound of bases *ai- "off, away" + *mait- "cut." Thus the insect's name is "the biter off." Emmet survived into the 20th c. as an alternative form.
32. Secure, as a ship's line: BELAY. To coil a running rope around a cleat or pin.
33. Tick cousin: MITE. Little suckers. Another recent word.
34. Whole alternative: SKIM. Wanted semi. Didn't think of milk at first.
35. Falling star: METEOR. Meteor formerly meant any atmospheric phenomenon (thus meteorology for weather study). Atmospheric phenomena were formerly classified as aerial meteors (wind), aqueous meteors (rain, snow, hail), luminous meteors (aurora, rainbows), and igneous meteors (lightning, shooting stars).
36. Allergic reaction: ITCH.
37. Place to see grass skirts: LUAU. Had HULA in there at first.
38. Poorly planned: ILL-TIMED.
39. Bank offering, for short: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
40. Powder container: KEG.
44. Animation: VIM.
45. For all to see: OPENLY.
46. Native of NE India: BIHARI. Bihar.
47. Pitcher known as "Tom Terrific": SEAVER. Awards galore.
48. Escape __: ARTIST. Hatch was too short.
50. Crowded: DENSE. Also Thick.
52. Valuable violin: STRAD. Also AMATI.
54. "You __?": RANG. Lurch, from the Addams Family.
55. Pout: MOUE.
56. Conceived, as an idea: BORN.
57. Barely manages, with "out": EKES.
58. Muslim's duty: HAJ. Hajj, Hadj
59. Source of lean meat: EMU.
Answer Grid.
Al
70 comments:
Good morning, Al, C.C. and gang - well, this one started very well, right up until I hit the mideast and put 'try' for 25A, 'Start using', and followed that up with 'room' for 26D, 'Space'. Got that fixed, then screwed up and put 'some' for 34D, 'Whole alternative', which 'tulip' quickly fixed. The rest was problem-free except for one unknown, 'Bihari'. Clever theme, fun puzzle; seemed a bit easy for a Thursday, though. Have we seen John Pounders' work before?
Al, great job with the blog; as always, very informative. Thanks for all the word origin explanations; I especially liked the 'old hat/frequently felt' meaning.
Today is Checkers Day, commemorating the 58th anniversary of Richard Nixon's famous 'Checkers speech'.
Did You Know?:
- The average human heart beats 100,800 times per day.
- The first speed-limit law (BOO!) in the United State was established in Connecticut in 1901. The limit for cars in cities was 10 m.p.h.
- In Indiana, it is illegal to be in a state of sexual arousal in public. Lois, you should visit and get a bunch of people arrested.
Morning, all!
Mostly a speed run for me today. Except for the parts that weren't...
The first glitch was when I put in LIKELY for LIABLE at 29A. That got me THY for 22D, which seemed odd but I was having trouble parsing the clue for 22D in the first place and couldn't tell if it was right or wrong. It also hid 31D and 32D from my sight. I was sure it was right, though, since the first, second and fifth letters worked...
The second glitch was in the SE corner where I had ARREST instead of ARTIST. Since I had no idea about SEAVER or BIHARI, my mistake wasn't immediately obvious. Plus, just to nitpick, shouldn't the clue for STRAD indicate that the answer is an abbreviation?
Anyway, those two spots added a couple of minutes to my solving time on their own. Everything else was smooth sailing, though!
Good morning fellow cruciverbalists!
Al: Nice work.
I am still among the living, it seems. Every once awhile I get a long sleep. The rest of the time is agonizing insomnia. I even followed Dr. Oz's advice (CBS show) for a while. Things got worse!
Dennis: I suppose that you are notified on M–F when the puzzle solution is up (?) I try many times to get on so that I can begin futile attempt to get to sleep. You are always there!
Bill G: Even though "nobody cares" about our TV shows (referring to yesterday's blog), I wonder what you and anyone else thought of the opening episode of NCIS. I was riveted! (Gibbs's "guilt" concerning horrible drug lord was covered up, I gather.)
Today's puzzle was doable without google, red letters etc. but was rather time consuming for me. Perhaps I should try to do these things during the daylight (which, sob, is diminishing rapidly).
Anyone: I still cannot understand EHS.
A good Thursday to all!
fermatprime, I don't understand your question about 'being notified'.
I also thought NCIS was outstanding - one of the best episodes.
And 'eh' (pronounced 'ay') is Canadian for, basically, 'huh'.
Good Morning. Unlike the rest of you, this was a toughie for me. I just wasn't keyed into John Pounders. Is he a new constructor? I don't remember seeing his name.
Thelma and Louise seems to be the theme of the week. We saw reference to them earlier. It is the movie that put Brad Pitt on the map.
RAVI was also clued earlier this week, but he more frequently appears that T&W.
Return from the Alps = ECHO was my favorite clue today.
QOD: A satirist is a man who discovers unpleasant things about himself and then says them about other people. ~ Peter McArthur.
AL, you outdid yourself with the information and links. I thought this was an odd puzzle, which was both easy and hard, by which I mean it had many clues that did come easy, but they all were filled in reasonable quickly. LIABLE for example was a slow fill. I did not know BIHARI, did not remember ARETE, and can not forget JESSICA ALBA. Like H., I did not feel in sink with Mr. Pounders, but after pounding away, it finished.
I was interested in the reference to Quechua, as my business partner is in the Amazon as we speak, deep in the jungle, complaining about the mosquitoes out side of Quito. He is in the Ecuadorian part, and yes there is cell phone coverage even there now. Or like the moon landing, maybe he is really in Arizona.
have a great day all; how you doing CA?
Good morning Al, C.C. et al.
I really enjoyed your write-up, Al. The clip on "hut" was great. Who knew? More to the point, who would think to ask the question?
I skidded on this one and had a lot of blanks before I finally connected in the south. I'm not SURE That I LIKEd the theme LIKE THAT, but once I REMEMBERed the phrases, it worked out OK..
We had Jessica of Sin City at 10A today - yesterday "ALBA" was clued as Goya's duchess. Neat!
Good Morning All,
I went to bed early last night but seemed to have trouble shaking out the cob webs this morning. Hence, struggled through this one. I finally got the theme by getting the Kool Aid Song in my head. Now I can't get it out. I did some similar fixes as Dennis then bailed to red letters.
Great write up Al!
Have a great Day.
Good morning all. Al, thanks for the commentary and links.
Had to crisscross my way through this. Got the theme words well enough but, as written, they are not phrases I would typically use for 'oh yeah'. Hands up for 'choir' before getting AMENS. MIRO was a WAG. Liked the clue for SKIM. Got BIHARI after OSIER and --THAT filled in. No searches needed.
Fermatprime and Dennis - I was rivited to the NCIS opening episode, too.
Re: 24a; EHS are frequently used for statement enders, and phrase enders; not just questions. There is though quite a variance among speakers.
Have a good day.
Good Morning C.C.,Al and all,
For me, this puzzle was the best in a while. I feel about it, as Tinbeni did yesterday's.
Fresh clues,fills and theme yet got all w/o Dogpile- only perps, including 'Bihari'.
"and the name of the game is'I like it like that'"...
Al,thank you. I'm going to have to devote a good hour to your write-up; so much to learn.
HeartRx- good catch on 'Alba'.
Ca How did your 'chat' with ins. co. go? I've never had any luck.
They just pay less and less and the meds costs skyrocket.
Fermatprime- 24a Ehs is my only complaint about this puzzle. The clue is nutty! Hope your sleeping problems subside quickly.
Al,
Very informative blog. Thanks.
Hand up for TRY for TAP, HATCH for ARTIST, RASH for ITCH, REST for CALM, INT for IRA, CHOIR for AMENS. Had to g'spot SEAVER, and tried it to no avail for BIHARI and eventually relied on the them perp for THAT. PRONE had me thinking face down and SKIM was a slow realization.
The 'Oh yeah' clues don't connect with their answers for me except maybe the first one. And I would never eat EMU meat. I don't know why, but I imagine it to be stringy and dry, so that was a DUH moment when I finally got JUDGE to complete it.
Another "re EH": We make fun of Canadians for adding 'eh?' to everything they say, but New Zealanders are rather PRONE to do it too, I've noticed.
Nice challenging Thursday.
The puzzle was very difficult for me ... I gave up early ... Al, thanks to your great blog, I could at least understand the arcane clues.
I even had trouble with NE Indian (!) ... NE India is Assam, Manipur and Nagaland .... I have never even seen these people, much less heard of them. 'Bihari' is a very uncommon word, especially, out in the US... it probably was a forced, 'tough' fill.
Ravi Shankar is now a 'golden, oldie' in India, nearly forgotten. Unfortunately, he still lives on in Xwords, having learnt his lessons well at the feet of P. T. Barnum. He had a lousy personal and married life, and treated his wives (one at a time .... ) and his paramours, with equal contempt, like disposable paper towels. He did not even acknowledge his daughter, Sarah Jones, until she had independently reached fame and fortune.
Hahtool, to paraphrase your QOD
A sitarist, like shankar, is a man, who discovers unpleasant things about himself, and then proceeds to prove them consistent.
Hi all -
Wow, this sure was a Thursday puzzle! I knew I was 'in for it' when I went halfway through without an answer. Some of the clues/answers did not go together IMO.
I did like 34D (whole alternative/skim)...very clever.
Kazie, I agree, I would not consider EMU for a source of meat (lean or otherwise), it isn't something one looks for in the meat case at the market. (Nor do I look for ostrich, rhea, camel or llama) EWWWWE!
How come 'time in a pool' is 'lap??
Isn't a lap something you DO in a pool?
Al, great job and explanations.
Carol said How come 'time in a pool' is 'lap??
The answer grid and Al's blog give 'DIP'.
Oops - Spitzboov, you are right...I HAD 'lap' in as the answer at first and changed it to 'dip'. I was still thinking of the wrong word.
Vidwan827- But,then, wouldn't your paraphrase make you a satirist?
Just asking.
To Creature - Touche'
BTW, IMHO you should have a 'nicer' name to match your pretty avatar.
@fermatprime, have you tried melatonin and/or magnesium supplements? In general, a chronic problem such as insomnia will sometimes indicate that something is missing in the diet.
Also, I could have linked a Bob and Doug clip, eh?
And as C.C. pointed out to me, Joan Miro is a man. That goes right along with George Eliot being a woman...
Hi everybody! I enjoyed the writeup as always. My only red letters today were RASH instead of ITCH. I too thought STRAD should be clued as being an abbreviation.
Fermatprime, I recorded NCIS as is my habit but I haven't watched it yet. I am looking forward to it.
I never was a fan of Ravi Shankar's music but I enjoy Nora Jones a lot.
The only esoteric meat I've had would be escargot, frog legs and sweetbreads. Ostrich meat and buffalo are supposed to be good and leaner so I don't see why I wouldn't try EMU.
Good Morning All, Loved seeing (15A) ECHO along with the "Oh Yeah" theme clechos. Just a little variation on the emphasis and inflection and you've got totally different meanings. Very nice.
I also liked the nautical/fishing connections with PORT, BELAY, VOYAGE, SEINE and LURE
I had my problem in the SE corner with the unknown BIHARI and misspelling SEEVER.
Al, thanks for the McKenzie brothers clip with lots of "EHS". Having lived in The Great White North for five years, all I can say about it is that its uses are many and varied. It can pop up any time and for just about any reason.
Thanks too, to Kazie for the heads up about New Zealand's "EH". I'll let you all know. Four weeks from today and we are on our way.
Thanks for asking Lemonade. I'm doing fine, except for and occasional bout with insomnia. I don't suffer from it the way fermatprime does, but even just a couple of nights a week is frustrating. Luckily, I have the luxury of nap time when I need it.
creature, I think I'm OK with the insurance payment for the Neupogen. I received the bill and it only listed $100 for my share. I think the pharmacy was quoting the total amount. Now I'll wait to see what shows up on the credit card bill before I make any more phone calls.
We had a three hour power outage last night, so I had to catch up with the posts this morning. Nice to see you back Jeannie and a recipe is always welcome.
Hi puzzle people,
Darn. I came to the blog today with a completed puzzle, but found four incorrect sqares. I've set myself a new record - this makes ten days in a row without an correctly completed puzzle with no assistance. Darn names.
I didn't notice the different punctuation after the OH YEAHs for quite some time. I could see "I remember" emerging, and thought, "No way, that's nothing to do with 'OH YEAH?'. Eventually, I decided to have a second look. Oops. Other oops not mentioned above include TRITE for PASSE, JAWER for JUDGE, PEP for VIM, BENARI for BIHARI, and CLAUSE for ARTIST.
Vidwan, is a person from Benares called a Benari? Varanasian? That is probably the most fascinating place I've ever been. If anyone ever needs to blow the cobwebs out of the ol' head, spend some time wandering around Benares/Varanasi.
Hand up for hiking. Better clue for hostal might have been "Backpacker's stopover", but I have stayed in numerous hostels while hiking, although not here because they are usually in urban areas.
Otis
Fermatprime,
I've suffered from lifelong insomnia (OK, my first memory is from 5 years old, so maybe not 'lifelong'). I haven't really found anything that works very well, but I know others who swear by valerian root (very commonly prescribed by doctors in Europe) and/or melatonin. I've tried the former a variety of times, and I think for it to be effective, you need to take a lot more than one tablet (4-7 tabs usually equal the prescribed doses, which I'm reluctant to try). I've only tried melatonin twice, as I've read taking it can surpress your body's melatonin production - NOT something I need. Yogi bedtime tea is relaxing if you drink two or three cups (skullcap is another sleep herb). Until a few years ago, I just lived with having 4-6 hours of sleep a night. (Can't take naps either - maybe one a year average over adult life?) Worst way to get to sleep? Start a mystery an hour or two before desired sleep time.
Otis
Hi all.
This one was more like it. A good, solid Thursday puzzle.
Just got back from the airport. Jill is off to PA for two weeks.
My trip back is next October for the college reunion.
Can't find my set of keys again.
Trouble is that I haven't used them
for five days. They could be any where.
Take care. 80s today.
How about a poem by George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans of (35A) MISER, Silas Marner fame, eh? Ms. Evans did not lead a typical Victorian life. She lived openly with a married man for over twenty years and rejected the Anglican faith in which she had been brought up. However, this poem is rather typical of Victorian sentimentaity of the time.
Count That Day Lost
If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went —
Then you may count that day well spent.
But if, through all the livelong day,
You've cheered no heart, by yea or nay —
If, through it all
You've nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face—
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost —
Then count that day as worse than lost.
- George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
Good day, puzzlers. Al, excellent blog with so much information.
John Pounders did pound me for a bit; I scrabbled a bit here and there until finding a toehold. INCA was the first fill but then NTH set me in the wrong direction.
Slowly and agonizingly it filled until I could see a pattern but it was like the proverbial pulling of teeth. Not quick nor pretty.
Hand up for return from the Alps, ECHO as a fav as well as start using, TAP.
By the way, Joan Miro's name is pronounced HO-AHN not like the woman's name. It is the Galician variant of John.
The Canadians poke fun at themselves for their use of EH as I discovered when visitng there.
Baby calls, so must go. Have a terrific Thursday, all.
CA,
Thanks for clarifying the "oh, yeah" clues. I hadn't even noticed the changing punctuation, so wasn't thinking about different inflections either. Shows how carefully I (didn't) read Al's introductory statement!
Congrats on the upcoming trip. I know you'll be impressed with the scenery everywhere. Probably the most varied in the world for such a tiny country. And they seem to be genuinely proud of their native Maori population, something unknown in Oz.
Also, I'm glad the glitch with the insurance seems to have worked itself out. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your interpretation of the $300 is correct. Our pharmacy always says "Your insurance paid $...", so we know. That helps.
Otis - Is a native of Benares - Banari or Varanasian ? ... in local lingo, it would be Banarasi (as in Holy See .... ). I dont know what the anglicized version would be.
I have never been out there - but the city is known for its food ( mind the hygiene ...) ,the 'brocade' fabric and 'Paan' - a pepper-genus leaf, stuffed/coated with various stimulants and 'sweet', ... in a sense.
If you have not already seen ... 'Water',( 2005 ), UK financed, with Eng sub titles, a film by Deepa Mehta - the film is 'set' in Benares. Caution: It is an 'art' film, about a 12 yr. old widow (!#!) and there are no 'happy troopers' in the ending. Sad and thought provoking...
Al: great link for 34d. probably not enjoyable for the non-sports person, but very informative for me. I always heard Jeff Fischer was an intellectual coach but geesh! also the ladies might like the video @ 3:20...
liked the refreshing sub-theme of GROG, TAP, KEG, PORT and the one Clear Ayes mentioned. Two of my favorite pastimes!
speaking of kegs: Windhover mentioned Hudy yesterday...another great beer is Great Lakes Brewery's Octoberfest beer. it is a limited release this time of year and probably the only good thing to ever come out of Cleveland! (lol) if it's available in your area grab it quick since it will only be around another week.
btw, homered has another meaning for my group of friends. Even though there are no "home" referees in major sports we still blame them for bad calls. it just makes us feel better!
Hola Everyone, I had the puzzle almost filled in until I hit the SW section. I had slipshod for Poorly planned and that led to all sorts of problems.
Tulip fit, and since I had always thought the Quarterback called "HUP" that fit, too. I had to come here to straighten out all my mistakes.
Hands up for Choir and try on the first go-round. Choir was in that SW section also. I just knew it was correct and couldn't get myself to change it.
There were several very clever clues today, but my favorites were Seaside/Port, and Return from the Alps?/Echo.
I agree with Barry G. that Strad is an abbreviation, but Amati wouldn't fit. My dictionary says that Strad is a colloquial expression.
Thanks Al for a great blog today. I didn't know the BEEB meaning for the BBC.
Seen:
Just stopped in for a sec and saw your post. There are very few things in my life that justify snobbery in any form, but beer (ale) is one of them. I do love beer and feel sorry for anyone who drinks the same beer every day, especially if it's one of the major brands (MillCoorBudLite).
At any given time I'll have a dozen or more different beers in the house. I'm mostly a one a day drinker, but I like variety.
Said all that to say this:
Great Lakes in Cleveland is one of the best microbreweries anywhere. I love their Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, the Burning River Pale Ale weaned me off Bass Ale, and the Dortmunder Lager is one of best "ordinary" beers I've ever tasted. If you haven't already, try 'em all. You won't be sorry. I bought the Hudepohl yesterday in an ongoing effort to find a good, cheap "barn beer", when you just want to throw one down after a 90+ degree hour or two in the hay loft. So far I've tried Heilemann's Old Style, PBR, Carling Black Label, Old Milwaukee, Falls City, and a few others. So many beers, so few days.
One last thing: do you remember the Schoenling Little Kings Cream Ale? They've brought it back, but it's contract brewed somewhere in PA, maybe Latrobe. I would say don't get me started on beer, but it's too late.
BTW, are you old enough to remember the '56 Reds?
Also, where the H--- is Buckeye?
Widwan:
I have seen and own the DVD, Water. What a poignant documentary; it squeezes one's heart to the limits. And I believe the widow was 7 years of age.
I show it to my family and friends to make them aware of the plight of that group of women. When the film opened I saw the director on an interview and that, I believe was her intention: to spread awarenes.
I recommend it to all for its artistic achievement as well as the social message.
Arabon, From yesterday. I loved the poem about the Blog. You hit the nail on the head and did it in such a nice manner.
I didn't get back to yesterday's Blog, as the day slipped into night and I still had too much to do before bedtime.
My Grand daughter is back in Mexico for another year (teaching), and she always begins her letters, Facebook and e-mails with Hola. So I thought I would adopt that greeting for the Blog.
CA, I'm counting down the days for you for your trip.
Windhover: '56 reds? no way, I barely remember Tom "Terrific" Seaver's days as a RED! just kidding, my youth coincided with the Big Red Machine. I grew up thinking my team always won the pennant and often won the world series!
In the 80's I bought many a King Case for the price of $6.99. I loved those little green bottles.
Last week the reps from Great Lakes were at my favorite watering hole and I suggested they keep Octoberfest year-round. Just rename it. They laughed and said they think about it. Btw, I have tried them all. Did you try the Conway Irish Ale in March? Very good and I'm looking forward to their annual Christmas brew. Try them "on TAP" if you get the chance.
re Barn Beer: As a kid it was my responsibility to deliver Blatz to my grandparents as they worked in the garden.
I also can go on and on about beer...
The best 'regular' beer I ever enjoyed was at Busch Gardens. You could take a tour of the brewery and then enjoy the attractions. They served Busch, Budweiser and Michelob.You could have one free draft at each pavilion. The reason it was so good there is that it was next to the brewery and therefore, really fresh.
On the other hand, a deli in West LA served me a can of beer that was over a year after the date on the can. Terrible!
There used to be a Mexican beer made only at Christmas that was very dark. Really good. I also like Guinness although I've been told it's even better in Ireland.
"Oh, Yeah? " = Skeptical statement
"Oh, Yeah!" = Enthusiastic statement
"Oh, Yeah." = Contemplative statement
THOU is a pronoun from the King James version of the Bible.
The first time was in Canada, I was a child. The gas station attendant said, "It's a nice day, eh?" For some reason the "eh" struck me as being terribly funny.
Belated greetings. When I'm this late it means I have been subbing again. I worked on the puzzle off and on during the day because I remembered my Omaha World Herald and did not have to go online.
Nothing to add about the missteps except BEEB had to come from perps and I still wrestled with the top middle because it made no sense but the others seemed right.
I got my toehold in the middle east and worked out from there and it was fun to do! I was so pleased to apply new learning - MIRO and MOUE.
I loved the tongue-in-cheek Moon landing hoax reference. It has amazed me for years that people think that a small group of people could have fooled the smartest people in the world and kept an incredible secret for 40 years! I am teaching 250 kids about the Apollo Moon Shot tomorrow in preparation for our January trip to Central Florida.
Anyone remember the name of Tom Terrific's dog?
Husker Gary- Where is there a reference to a moon landing hoax?
I have no idea what you are talking about; please clue me in.
Creature, the moon landing hoax reference was in Lemonade714's post at 7:15a.
I need some help on two themes please. The first is from CrosSynergy today. The title is Odds-On Favorites. The three theme answers are STRANGEGOINGSON, OUTOFTHEWAYSPOT and WEIRDALYANKOVIC. Then, today's Jonsin' was titled, "It's the Pits"--Prove to me that you don't stink at crosswords. The theme answers were, CLEARASCRYSTAL, SOLIDGOLDDANCER and ROLLONCOLUMBIA. Why have I gone dense suddenly?
Creature, the moon landing hoax was alluded to by Lemonade at 7:15 am. BTY why did you choose creature for a screen name? Not very becoming for such a nice person but I'm guessing there must be some clever reason. (Oh, I just saw Anon. beat me to it.)
Tom Terrific's dog was Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog and a feature on Captain Kangaroo.
The Moon Landing Hoax has been a staple of the idiots with a keyboard who claimed that the USA never landed on the Moon and simply staged the whole thing on a sound stage in Arizona. All the thousands of astronomers, engineers and physicists who worked at NASA in the 60's were either kept in the dark while a cadre of colleagues perpetrated this hoax or have all kept this incredible secret for nearly 50 years. This is fodder for the National Enquirer!
All their asinine claims have been refuted many times in articles like this National Geographic debunks Moon Landing Hoax claims
Another interesting, fun puzzle. Took 24 minutes to finish successfully. No time right now for any further comments. Best to everyone on the blog.
HuskerGary: What about Capricorn One? Anything involving O.J. Simpson just has to be true.
Hi gang -
Great puzzle today. Looked like a lot of fresh fill. Tough, too. Felt SKITTISH for a while, but I was able to finish without outside help.
Al - Best ever. I'm awestruck.
gang - great comments.
Bill -
I'd say STRANGE, OUT, and WEIRD, are all ODDS of a sort.
For PITS, I'll suggest the theme clues refer to underarm deodorants. SOLID and ROLL ON are clear enough, but CLEAR AS CRYSTAL is eluding me.
Anyone?
Filled some possible mouse portals in the exterior walls today. Really do not like uninvited guests.
Cheers!
JzB
At the end of every episode, Manfred would look up at Tom, and utter in hie Eeyore-like drawl, "Gee, Tom . . . --- . . . You're terrific!"
Anybody remember Crusader Rabbit?
Cheers!
JzB
Clear is a type of anti-perspirant, too.
ARM-PITS
Ah, I see you got there already.
OMG, OJ involved in a lie? Say it ain't so Joe (seen). To quote H.L. Menken, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." These books will be written and theories postulated as long as someone will pony up $20 for an "out there" book. They probably keep their money under their aluminum foil hats!
Uh oh, have I neglected to run this through the PC filter? Too bad! Arbaon's lovely poem last night covered me!
Ooh, I think you sussed out the deodorant ones. Two other theme answers (I couldn't tell if they were part of the theme or not) were STICKSHIFT and GELCAPLETS. The clues were just literal representations of the answers. For the other puzzle, the clues in order were Unexplained phenomenon, Little known area and Singer known for song parodies. You can find both of these puzzles today on Cruciverb.
JzB said, "I'd say STRANGE, OUT, and WEIRD, are all ODDS of a sort."
That's a stretch for me but I'll bet you are right.
Just a sort comment... #54 down "You _?" , originally was Maynard G. Cribbs' question usually asked of Dobie Gillis. A little bit before "The Adams Family"! Now, there, I've shown my age!
Just a sort comment... #54 down "You _?" , originally was Maynard G. Cribbs' question usually asked of Dobie Gillis. A little bit before "The Adams Family"! Now, there, I've shown my age!
@Creature and Dodo
I promised Creature and Dodo that I would comment on whether "totalisator"/"totalizator" should go into the GAVEUP Hall-of-Infamy.
I do agree that at face value it is an ugly word, implying as it does that there is an infinitive form "to totalizate", when we already have the verbs "to total" and "to totalize". It should be noted that Scientific American used the word "totalization" in an 1888 article, and "totalisateur" was used in French scientific literature as early as 1869.
However, totalizator (now commonly abbreviated to "Tote") has a wonderful history, being the name of the first machine that could provide "real-time" updating of betting odds (in the "parimutuel" system). It was a truly remarkable machine, invented by an Oz (born in England), Sir George Julius. The world's first automatic totalisator was installed at Ellerslie Racecourse in New Zealand in 1913.
His original totalizator was intended for counting votes in general elections, but the Oz parliament rejected the 1879 “Totalisator Bill”.
I suspect that the word is a portmanteau of "totalizer" and "calculator", and used as a trade-name for his new device, to distinguish it from manual systems generically called "totalisers".
In short, given its history and extensive usage, I vote to save it.
NC
Al: my thanks @ 121p was for the link to 49a not 34d. maybe i was just thinking of 34d's or maybe I shouldn't drink Blatz at noon!!
Along the lines of Seen's comment, I suppose, plus the recent yummy ALBAs, the EAGER ONRUSH, LURE and YENS of EROS, along with yesterday's discourse on infidelity/commitment, the LW told me this morning she had a dream last night, in which I went away for the weekend with another woman. Strange things can happen while you're ASLEEP.
When she told me about it this morning, my response was, "I don't even know anybody in Argentina."
She can stay CALM. I'm not LIABLE to make that VOYAGE. But, when you love someone, you're always insecure.
Cheers!
JzB the I LIKE IT LIKE THAT trombonist
What does it mean when it says "Not found. Error 404"?
Am I the only one to notice that our constructor's name (John Pounders) is an anagram of "Neon Jodhpurs?"
WikWak, I think you're channeling Jerome.
Bill, it means the page couldn't be found on the web site's server. And please watch the post limit; you're at 6 now. Thanks.
Error 404 is a browser's message to you, telling you that the web page you sent it looking for (maybe by clicking a link, maybe by typing an address in the address bar) does not exist.
If you clicked a link, it's probably out of date and the page doesn't exist any more; if you typed an address it might not exist any longer or might just be a typo on your part.
First the puzzle...toughie for me today. Al, I learned more from your blog than I did from the puzzle. Who knew? I had to hit Mr. G man for Bihari and the baseball great Seaver. I have no knowledge about baseball except to know that the Twins "clinched" some sort of play-off spot. I got some red letter and perp help for alkyd, seine, and osier. When I think bulbs in a garden it definitely makes me think of my vegetable garden, wanted onion istead of tulips. Loved seeing "vim" for animation as I am usually full of "vim and vigar". My favorite clue was "whole alternative"-skim. I am not a skim milk drinker nor a whole milk drinker. I usually go 2 %. Skim milk tastes like water to me. Don't bother to cook/bake with it either.
Fermantine, I am so sorry to hear you can't get sleep.
Vettedoe, I hope you and your little peep in the womb are doing well.
Clearayes, thanks for the "hey". Recipe tomorrow perhaps. It seems like a soup day.
Dennis, thank God there isn't such a law here in MN as in IN when it's cold out. I could be arrested many times. Wrongfully of course...
And conversely, guys would be safe when it's cold...
Dennis, you have "limp" argument there.
WikWak: I thought the anagram was J. Spoon Unherd.
I know Jeannie doesn't care, but I have waited years for a magic number!
Confused? Look here.
I thought Jeannie's magic number was this one--#69.
Seen, It's not like I don't care...I follow football and pretty much nothing else. I appreciate that you are such a sports fan. I gleen a lot of knowledge from you for the lunchroom to "talk" to the guys that do all the warehouse work. Those guys are the heros in my book. They think I'm pretty informed thanks to you.
Kazie, I tried...thanks for thinking about me. I have a sales rep friend leaving tomorrow for a trip to Germany, France, and Italy. She is from France, and it seems she only has 10 days to complete this trip. On my bucket list is to eat my way through Italy when it isn't so awful hot. I am saving my money. When is the best time to go?
your welcome #6
I'd aim for early spring or late fall, not hot and not when everyone is going south from other parts of Europe in Winter. August is a must avoid month, since all of France is on vacation then, and many may go to Italy. Maria might have a more definitive answer but she hasn't been here for a while now. In 1970, I was there in April, and it was pretty warm then, I remember. Food is one of the best things there! Enjoy!
Jeannie, go in "Enchanted April"!
Hi, everybody, too late to post!Still struggling with the picture problem!
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