Theme: Pat, I would like to buy an 'E' - Now here is a theme that is not very evident until you get the unifier and a unifier that doesn't help much in getting the answers. All the theme answers have at least 4 Es and only an 'E' for a vowel.
20A. Was disappointed, as with a performance: EXPECTED BETTER. Five Es.
25A. Out-of-the-ordinary brews: EXTREME BEERS. Five Es.
37A. Attorney general under Ronald Reagan: ED MEESE. Four Es.
44A. Calm by nature: EVEN TEMPERED. 5 Es.
52A. She replaced Paula Abdul as an "American Idol" judge: ELLEN DEGENERES. 6 Es.
56D. "Buy It Now" online site (and where vowels were bought for 20-, 25-, 37-, 44-and 52-Across?): EBAY
And an extra EEE (29. Third shoe width beyond D), connecting 2 theme answers.
Argyle (18A) here after a long night. Cruciverb was down again. No new puzzle until earlier this morning.
A rather difficult construct for a Monday puzzle (only 74 words). See the constructor's note at the end.
Solving was a notch or two harder for a Monday but probably no problem for this group. There are 25 'E's in the theme, 42 'E's all together. Record is 78 (NY Times).
Across:
1. White whale chaser : AHAB. "Moby Dick".
5. Cannes clergymen : ABBÉs. On the French Riviera.
10. Foam ball maker : NERF
14. Island nation near Tonga : FIJI. They are all island nations in the South Seas. Map.
15. Wild animal : BEAST
16. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL. Like this.
17. Difficult youngster : BRAT
18. Jolly holiday visitor : SANTA. Jolly all the time, right, elves?
19. Underground missile launch site : SILO
23. Shrinking Asian sea : ARAL
24. GPA booster : EASY 'A'. Grade Point Average (GPA)
31. Lewd material : SMUT
32. Compassion from the judge : LENIENCY
36. DDE opponent : AES. Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai E. Stevenson II.
40. Big Band __ : ERA
41. Smudges in a psychological test : INK BLOTS. Whoopsie, I put down Ink Spots.
43. Lascivious look : LEER
48. __ Arabia : SAUDI
51. Not worth debating : MOOT
58. 1999 Ron Howard film : "EDtv". A strange movie.
59. __ Mountains: south-central U.S. range : OZARK
60. Term referring to a prev. citation : IBID. Latin, short for ibidem, meaning the same place.
62. Actress Hatcher : TERI. Image. (43A)
63. Mournful music : DIRGE
64. Stun : DAZE
65. Spoken : ORAL
66. Seven Dwarfs' only beardless member : DOPEY
67. Spud's buds : EYES. Cute rhyme.
Down:
1. Ohio's Wright-Patterson, e.g.: Abbr. : AFB. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB). Southwestern Ohio. Location of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
2. Give the job to : HIRE
3. Sink-cleaning brand : AJAX
4. Very small role : BIT PART
5. 1970s-'80s FBI bribery sting : ABSCAM. The operation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property but was converted to a public corruption investigation. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of a United States Senator, five members of the House of Representatives, one member of the New Jersey State Senate, members of the Philadelphia City Council, and an inspector for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
6. Fab Four member : BEATLE
7. Ruination : BANE
8. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTD.
9. Attack, á la Brutus : STAB
10. '70s tennis star Ilie : NASTASE
11. They're marked with lit signs : EXITS
12. Lead the life of __ : RILEY. Who Riley (or Reilly, or Reiley) was isn't clear. If he had been a known individual then it surely would have been recorded. The lack of any such records points to the name being chosen as that of a generic Irishman, much as Paddy is used now. More here. Also, it was an early TV comedy. 2 minute clip.
13. Plant life : FLORA
21. Bard's "before" : ERE
22. Spooky : EERIE
25. Actor Morales : ESAI
26. Mutant superheroes co-created by Stan Le : X-MEN
27. Mammoth feature : TUSK
28. Hallowed : BLEST
30. Naval Acad. grad : ENS.
33. __-do-well : NE'ER
34. Canadian tribe : CREE
35. Lawn party site : YARD
37. NBA Hall of Famer Hayes : ELVIN. Elvin Ernest Hayes (The Big E). Position: Forward-Center Height: 6'-9".
38. John or Jane : DOE
39. Map feature with an elev. : MTN.
42. Torment diabolically : BEDEVIL
43. Left on the table, as a bet : LET RIDE
45. Come out : EMERGE
46. Organ grinder's pet : MONKEY
47. "Annabel Lee" poet : POE. Edgar Allan Poe.
48. Tend : SEE TO
49. Birch family tree : ALDER
50. Prefix with violet : ULTRA
53. Connecticut senator Chris : DODD. This man.
54. Basso Pinza : EZIO. He made it on to the cover of Life magazine.
55. "The World According to __" : GARP. A Robin Williams movie.
57. Magnitude : SIZE
61. __ Moines : DES
Answer grid.
Constructor Notes:
"This theme started out as something else. ELLEN DEGENERES got the ball rolling. I noticed all those E’s in her name. I had the thought of making an all E vowel puzzle. I know that it was done before in the New York Times, but I couldn’t remember how it was done. I didn’t realize that having long theme entries and all E vowels would be really tough. But I tried anyway. The fill suffered terribly. It was no fun. I looked for another hook, or unifier as C.C. would call it, that would give me a reason for having all E vowels in the theme answers. EBAY popped into my head immediately, and Rich agreed that it could serve as the unifier. I looked for theme answers with a lot of E’s, and still struggled with the fill. Being a Monday puzzle, it is always a challenge to make the fill fresh and familiar. I really enjoy solving LA Times Monday puzzles, and though they may be easy to solve, there is an element of fun there that all solvers can appreciate."
Argyle
20A. Was disappointed, as with a performance: EXPECTED BETTER. Five Es.
25A. Out-of-the-ordinary brews: EXTREME BEERS. Five Es.
37A. Attorney general under Ronald Reagan: ED MEESE. Four Es.
44A. Calm by nature: EVEN TEMPERED. 5 Es.
52A. She replaced Paula Abdul as an "American Idol" judge: ELLEN DEGENERES. 6 Es.
56D. "Buy It Now" online site (and where vowels were bought for 20-, 25-, 37-, 44-and 52-Across?): EBAY
And an extra EEE (29. Third shoe width beyond D), connecting 2 theme answers.
Argyle (18A) here after a long night. Cruciverb was down again. No new puzzle until earlier this morning.
A rather difficult construct for a Monday puzzle (only 74 words). See the constructor's note at the end.
Solving was a notch or two harder for a Monday but probably no problem for this group. There are 25 'E's in the theme, 42 'E's all together. Record is 78 (NY Times).
Across:
1. White whale chaser : AHAB. "Moby Dick".
5. Cannes clergymen : ABBÉs. On the French Riviera.
10. Foam ball maker : NERF
14. Island nation near Tonga : FIJI. They are all island nations in the South Seas. Map.
15. Wild animal : BEAST
16. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL. Like this.
17. Difficult youngster : BRAT
18. Jolly holiday visitor : SANTA. Jolly all the time, right, elves?
19. Underground missile launch site : SILO
23. Shrinking Asian sea : ARAL
24. GPA booster : EASY 'A'. Grade Point Average (GPA)
31. Lewd material : SMUT
32. Compassion from the judge : LENIENCY
36. DDE opponent : AES. Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai E. Stevenson II.
40. Big Band __ : ERA
41. Smudges in a psychological test : INK BLOTS. Whoopsie, I put down Ink Spots.
43. Lascivious look : LEER
48. __ Arabia : SAUDI
51. Not worth debating : MOOT
58. 1999 Ron Howard film : "EDtv". A strange movie.
59. __ Mountains: south-central U.S. range : OZARK
60. Term referring to a prev. citation : IBID. Latin, short for ibidem, meaning the same place.
62. Actress Hatcher : TERI. Image. (43A)
63. Mournful music : DIRGE
64. Stun : DAZE
65. Spoken : ORAL
66. Seven Dwarfs' only beardless member : DOPEY
67. Spud's buds : EYES. Cute rhyme.
Down:
1. Ohio's Wright-Patterson, e.g.: Abbr. : AFB. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB). Southwestern Ohio. Location of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
2. Give the job to : HIRE
3. Sink-cleaning brand : AJAX
4. Very small role : BIT PART
5. 1970s-'80s FBI bribery sting : ABSCAM. The operation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property but was converted to a public corruption investigation. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of a United States Senator, five members of the House of Representatives, one member of the New Jersey State Senate, members of the Philadelphia City Council, and an inspector for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
6. Fab Four member : BEATLE
7. Ruination : BANE
8. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTD.
9. Attack, á la Brutus : STAB
10. '70s tennis star Ilie : NASTASE
11. They're marked with lit signs : EXITS
12. Lead the life of __ : RILEY. Who Riley (or Reilly, or Reiley) was isn't clear. If he had been a known individual then it surely would have been recorded. The lack of any such records points to the name being chosen as that of a generic Irishman, much as Paddy is used now. More here. Also, it was an early TV comedy. 2 minute clip.
13. Plant life : FLORA
21. Bard's "before" : ERE
22. Spooky : EERIE
25. Actor Morales : ESAI
26. Mutant superheroes co-created by Stan Le : X-MEN
27. Mammoth feature : TUSK
28. Hallowed : BLEST
30. Naval Acad. grad : ENS.
33. __-do-well : NE'ER
34. Canadian tribe : CREE
35. Lawn party site : YARD
37. NBA Hall of Famer Hayes : ELVIN. Elvin Ernest Hayes (The Big E). Position: Forward-Center Height: 6'-9".
38. John or Jane : DOE
39. Map feature with an elev. : MTN.
42. Torment diabolically : BEDEVIL
43. Left on the table, as a bet : LET RIDE
45. Come out : EMERGE
46. Organ grinder's pet : MONKEY
47. "Annabel Lee" poet : POE. Edgar Allan Poe.
48. Tend : SEE TO
49. Birch family tree : ALDER
50. Prefix with violet : ULTRA
53. Connecticut senator Chris : DODD. This man.
54. Basso Pinza : EZIO. He made it on to the cover of Life magazine.
55. "The World According to __" : GARP. A Robin Williams movie.
57. Magnitude : SIZE
61. __ Moines : DES
Answer grid.
Constructor Notes:
"This theme started out as something else. ELLEN DEGENERES got the ball rolling. I noticed all those E’s in her name. I had the thought of making an all E vowel puzzle. I know that it was done before in the New York Times, but I couldn’t remember how it was done. I didn’t realize that having long theme entries and all E vowels would be really tough. But I tried anyway. The fill suffered terribly. It was no fun. I looked for another hook, or unifier as C.C. would call it, that would give me a reason for having all E vowels in the theme answers. EBAY popped into my head immediately, and Rich agreed that it could serve as the unifier. I looked for theme answers with a lot of E’s, and still struggled with the fill. Being a Monday puzzle, it is always a challenge to make the fill fresh and familiar. I really enjoy solving LA Times Monday puzzles, and though they may be easy to solve, there is an element of fun there that all solvers can appreciate."
Argyle
61 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - it's always nice to start the week with a Don G. puzzle, isn't it?
I caught on to the fact that there were a lot of 'e's in the first two theme answers, but needed 'Ebay' to be sure I was on the right track.
As with Argyle, I just got the puzzle a little bit ago, so I'll have to keep this short and check back later, as I've gotta get to the gym. The puzzle itself turned into a bit of a speed run, just under 5 minutes with no unknowns.
Today is No Beard Day. Something familiar about that...
Did You Know?:
- Before World War I, Aspirin was a registered trademark of the German company Bayer. When Germany lost the war, Bayer gave the trademark to the Allies as a reparation in the Treaty of Versailles.
- Queen Victoria's first act as queen was moving out of her mother's room.
- Sonny and Cher originally called themselves Cleo and Caesar.
Morning, all!
Not a particularly hard puzzle today, but certainly more challenging than our typical Monday efforts. ELVIN, AXIL and EZIO are not exactly common vocabulary words, and I've never heard the term EXTREME BEERS before. Ah well, got 'er done via the perps.
I did like, btw, the crossing of EBAY with IBID (especially if you read it as "I BID").
Argyle, Excellent write-up.
I always like seeing SANTA in the grid but I gotta tell ya, by the time he gets to Villa Incognito he really isn't very jolly.
That nip of scotch and "special" brownie get him back in the Holiday Spirit.
Liked seeing 'Moi' in the grid, that NE'ER-do-well. Don't believe me? Just ask my brother or sister. Then again, they never understood how their youngest sib. ("The Hippie") became an Int'l Tax Accountant, lol.
Hardest part today was sussing out how to spell Ilie's last name NASTASE.
FUN Monday puzzle.
Dennis, congrats on your team getting back on track.
Looking forward to watching the "Evil Empire" tonight.
Not too bad a start for the new week, but as is my wont, a lack of attention/thought slowed me down a bit. Started out with abbet instead of abbes. I always think of abbes as female clerics. Initial input for island nation was Fuji. I soon figured out you can't hure someone, but you can hire them.
Like Barry, never heard of Extreme Beer, but I knew the perps were OK. Leaf-to-branch angle is an often used clue, but I never remember axil.
Attacking leaves today. Weather is perfect; cool, low wind, and clear ayes....oops...skies!
Riley is the Life of Riley TV show starring William Bendix in the 1950's. It is supposed to mean an easy life.
Good Morning Argyle, CC and All,
A notch or two above a normal Monday but very doable. Expected Better and Extreme Beers had me thinking X was the key letter. Once I hit 56D I got Ellen Degeneres and slapped my head for all the Es. My biggest goofs were EMS for 30D and spelling Nastase with an i. Leniency started out with _EMII___. Huh?!
Have a great Monday.
Good morning Argyle, wonderful late night job; we are spoiled by cruciverb. I am late, so I must rush. I thought the Big E was another hint at the theme, and the rest of the Es like EERIE and EMERGE made it an interesting construction.
Has poor TERI Hatcher really gotten that thin? In the law we have reduced IBID to ID in our citation system.
ARGYLE, it is great to see SANTA in your puzzles
Good Morning, SANTA and friends! Acutally, I am puzzleless in Birmingham this morning (following a 6 hour flight delay in Memphis). Hopefully, I will be back in puzzle-land tomorrow. I did read you interesting commentary, Argyle, though. Informative as always.
Clear Ayes: enjoy your up-coming trip. You are always so optimistic. We will miss you cheerful voice while you are away. I am looking forward to hearing about your adventure.
Hello Puzzlers - Here was a nice, clever puzzle to patch me up after yesterday's drubbing!
I guess we're all in a rush today, me too. Seeya later!
Good Morning Argyle and Sputniks, The theme escaped me but was fun to discover in this romp.
Random comments (my usual fare)
I had ABBOT too
I remember taking courses for EASYA's but the tests were buggers and only the jocks got the A's.
I liked the crossing of Ellen and Coming out. She is funny and I don't care if she wants to live with a "one-eyed Episcopalean Kangaroo" (Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl!). There but for the grace of God goes my daughter!
ESAI made me correct SUPER to EXTREME beer (never had either).
I love old movies on TCM and seeing William Bendix, Spring Byington, Walter Brennan, et al in them made me wonder what they thought of playing in some of the dreck that was situation comedies in the 50's. A paycheck is a paycheck is a paycheck.
I have been fishing only once in my life and it was on Lac LaRonge in central Saskatchewan at, you guessed it, Cornhusker Fishing Camp . If it's not the end of the world, it's damned close! We had a CREE Indian who baited our hooks, took the fish off the hook and cleaned them. He was a sphinx for 3 days and then one day in the boat out of the blue he told us the filthiest joke I have ever heard and never spoke to us again. I always wondered about that.
Fore! I bought a new hybrid club and can't wait to try it out. A year ago we had had snow on the ground for 10 days by now and so this perfect 70 degree weather is too good to pass up.
Fun puzzle, blog and comments today. I only had spelling problems with Nastase (Nestasi) at first and having to rely on perps here and there. ABBES was a given with the French signaling Cannes. I also don't know what an extreme beer is. The theme was fun, but I only caught on after the third one.
CA,
Are you packed yet? Take a mixture of clothes, depending on where you'll be. In the north it can be sub-tropical, and in the south you'll encounter snow on the glaciers and mountain tops. I hope you get to see Milford Sound without fog--a rare delight if you're in luck.
Have a great day everyone!
Easy puzzle, as usual for Monday (11 minutes). Not much to comment on.
Dennis - just a minor correction - Bayer did NOT 'give' the Aspirin trademark to the allies - the trademark was 'confiscated' by american authorities, as 'enemy property', when the US entered the war, as an WW I ally, long before the end of the war.
The German chemical companies lost a whole slew of patents, because of the war, and with it went their overwhelming monopoly and dominance of the chemical industry.
Argyle, may I say - your blog was wonderful and very interesting . The puzzle was quite easy and a fun romp and a fun way to start out the week.
Have a great week, everyone.
Good Morning Argyle et al.
Great write-up, Argyle. The link to the Ink Spots didn't ring a bell with me. Considering the date of this song (1939), I guess it was a little before my time. It sure was pretty, though!
I had "Peres" for 5A, which didn't help with "ABSCAM" or "BEATLE". But I finally got to the downs and discovered my mistake. The unknowns NASTASE, ELVIN, DODD, EZIO were all easily sussed by the perps, so no real problems for a Monday.
This must have been a bear to construct, with every theme answer having only"E" as the vowel. How many other phrases could have been used?
Bee Keeper
Pee Wee Reese
Ten Percenter
Anyone else?
Good morning all. Thanks for the write-up, Argyle, and the inclusion of Don's constructor notes. It always adds to the solve experience to know how the puzzle evolved.
Easy but fun puzzle today. Perhaps just a couple small notches harder than the usual Monday offering. Lots of easy fill like ARAL and CREE. Don't know any other Native Peoples of Canada with only 4 letters. Did not know EDTV or XMEN, but the perps took care of that. The fill included interesting words like AXIL, and MOOT. Here is an organ grinder with his 'pet'.
Enjoy the day.
Wow, Pee Wee Reese would have been a great one. I wonder if Don had thought of it.
Extreme beers are those ones with odd ingredients in them or extra strong. I'm hoping someone with personal experience will enlighten us.
I 'Red heart" Argyle.
I 'Red heart" Argyle.
Can you cite any English words containing the same letters three times in a row ?
Here's saying that you can't because the usual rules of English spelling outlaw triple letters, says Oxford University Press. When three letters do happen to come together, hyphens are used to break them up; for example , bee-eater, bell-like, cross-section, shell-less. A person who flees is a fleer, not a fleeer, and someone who sees is a seer, not a seeer. Chaffinches used to be called Chaff finches , but when the two words were merged, one of the f's was dropped. Written representation of noises often contain triple letters, such a brrr, shhh, and zzz, but these dont count as proper words.
Attributed to Stangetrue@cs.com
Good Morning All, Thanks as always, Argyle. Not easy to blog under any circumstances and made even tougher with Cruciverb playing hide and seek.
Overthinking Dept: (6d)"Fab Four Member". I tried all the first and last names, LENNON being the only one that fit the grid. Still wrong and finally went with Occam's Razor theory. BEATLE....about time, DOPEY!
SEE TO, ALDER and ULTRA in the SW corner just appeared magically after completing the Acrosses. I had to go back to see what they were at the finish.
I really enjoy ELLEN DEGENERES, but her show is mid-afternoon inconvenient for me, so I seldom see it.
I've never heard of EXTREME BEERS, but it wasn't difficult to get with the perps. Once, while visiting a few of Portland's many microbreweries, I had some peach beer. I guess that would be extreme. Although I'm not a beer fancier, it tasted pretty good too.
(12D) Life of RILEY brought a smile. I clearly remember William Bendix as Riley and his friends Gillis and "Digger O'Dell" (the friendly undertaker).
Lots of fun after the past couple of more difficult and frustrating days. I really like Rich Norris's day by day formula. We all can participate most days and even give it a try on a tough Saturday (ouch...don't remind me!)
Good Morning C.C.,Argyle and all,
This was a neat Monday run.Thanks, Argyle, and I want to throw in a clap for 'e-rodent'
- I was too blinded at the time. You're a genious!
In addition, all the theme entries began with an 'E', along with 12 fill entries. Small challenges here and there, to make it interesting. Thanks, Don!
I put the Sunday puzzle on hold. The day was too beautiful to let a cw ruin it. I finished 3/4 of it and broke to look up names, games and 'lames'. C.C., your write up was excellent- the best part. Thanks!
Barry G.- good catch on Ebay-ibid cross. Fun! Keep your spirits up, I know its hard.
Teri Hatcher is not as thin as her dress.
Fermatprime- I really never think about it. I've had a top doc, who's kept me going for over 28 yrs
and the research keeps adding more alternatives.
CA- I just decided I'm dreading your wonderful, 'long' trip. Seriously, I'll miss you so much. Up to now, I've been excited for you and now, I feel selfish. Do hurry home.[Enjoy it!]
Have a nice day everyone.
Argyle
Nice job on a cute crossword.
However, your "they are all island nations" South Seas Islands map conveniently cuts off AMERICAN SAMOA, which is just east of Samoa.
NC
I've been checking the New Zealand 10 day weather forecast and it looks pretty good so far. Mid-60's (F) with a mixture of sun and clouds. That goes for Auckland all the way to Queenstown. Sounds perfect. We'll see if it sticks. That's warmer than it is here right now!
Thanks to everyone for the nice bon voyage wishes and kind comments. I have repacked three times, taking out unneeded items each time, so we should manage to travel light. GAH nailed his packing the first time around,
We will be leaving on Thursday around noon. We have to drop Charley off at our daughter's house. I guilted her into "volunteering" to take care of him. Of course GAH doesn't think anyone else can take as good care of him, but I think Charley will be just fine and very busy whipping three dogs, two cats and three kids of various ages into suitable Schipperke shape.
Oh yeah, Nice Cuppa, I cut that off because it is a territory. ;~)
'Morning, all,
A fine Monday puzzle. New names include NASTASE, ELVIN, and EZIO, and also ABSCAM (interesting - thx for info, Argyle) and EDTV. Solvable via perps, so no problems here. I also had INKSPOTS, and BEDEVIL was the last to fall (stuck on SE*DEVIL as one word). I liked the crossing of NEER, LEER, and CREE, all half Es.
A microbrewery here does a very interesting seasonal coffee beer, the espresso porter. Quite tasty.
The AXIL link looked awfully familiar to me this morning, as I harvested all the tomatoes and the (few) peppers yesterday evening. And a good thing it was, as a thick frost covered the ground today.
Hope you have a spectacular trip to Oz, CA.
Re yesterday (didn't get back to blog): I stand corrected. Fajita originates with a cut of meat - the strap muscle, originally fed to dogs, that contained a lot of tendon. The name came from the method of cooking in thin strips to minimize the tendon. Hence the name: faja (strip/band) + ta (diminutive). I thought it was just the frying up part, as I see fajita choices often as beef, chicken, and vegetable (I eat the veg). Oops. Lo siento.
Otis
Hi all.
Went to the Fredericksburg site
after the 9PM showing of Rubicon.
It is nice to get the puzzle at 7PM
when Cruciverb is up and running.
Anyway, nice fast puzzle and easy
theme. Enjoyed it.
Today is just like yesterday. Solid
grey cloud cover.
Take care.
Sorry, guys. None of the examples I gave at 9:07 would work, because they don't start with "E". But how about:
EEG Tech
Effervescence
Elderberry tree (Does "y" count in this case?)
Elsewhere
Embezzlement (wow - 4 e's and two z's!)
Epee Fencer (too crosswordese?)
Evergreen tree
Hi gang -
Argyle - extra kudos for a fine blog under extreme conditions.
C.A. Bon voyage, and come home safe.
I thought this was going to be an "EX" theme. It is EXTREME and exceptional. Who could have EXPECTED BETTER? A bit harder than the usual Monday, perhaps, but we were BLEST, and did it with E's.
We had a FUJI apple at lunch. Very tasty.
That's all folks.
Cheers!
JzB
ABSCAM originally started as a FBI sting, which 'presented' a bunch of wealthy Arabs trying to get legal immigration, by bribing Senators and Congressmen to initiate 'private' bills on their behalf in their respective houses at Capitol Hill...
The original name of the sting was Arab-scam.
However, after the sting was finally completed, the name was changed to 'Abscam', so as not to (unnecessarily ) offend the Arabs. To be honest, there were no actual Arabs involved in that scheme, anyway, anyhow.
Argyle- You're a genius not a 'genious', unless we can find it in the 'alternative endings and spellings' section of some remote
listing.
Talking about our dear Santa Argyle - a 'genious' is a genius, who is 'ingenious', - together with a 'lil love and TLC thrown in ...
Greetings, Argyle, C.C. and all cyberfriends.
No time for puzzles this weekend as family from California was here. One sister stayed with me and the rest spread out among various homes. It was a great time with all of them.
Breezed through Don's xwd today; a fun solve. Loved the theme and really awed by all those "e's"!
Spuds buds was my fav.
Gym time. Later.
I hope you are having a beautiful Monday!
With all the travel well wishes, I couldn't help but think of this poem. There is more to it (Tennyson did like to ramble on), but this section has been a favorite since high school.
Ulysses
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honoured of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers;
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch where through
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breath were life. Life piled on life
Were all to little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
- Alfred Lord Tennyson
CA - A tribute:
Beyond the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea,
And East and West the wanderlust that will not let me be;
It works in me like madness, dear, to bid me say good-by!
For the seas call and the stars call, and oh, the call of the sky!
I know not where the white road runs, nor what the blue hills are,
But man can have the sun for friend, and for his guide a star;
And there's no end of voyaging when once the voice is heard,
For the river calls and the road calls, and oh, the call of a bird!
Yonder the long horizon lies, and there by night and day
The old ships draw to home again, the young ships sail away;
And come I may, but go I must, and if men ask you why,
You may put the blame on the stars and the sun and the white road
and the sky!
Authorship
by Gerald Gould (1885-1936) , "Wander-thirst", from Lyrics, published 1906
CA and Gunghy- Oh! how poetic I dost, feel.
I can see Gunghy on his bike throughout his lines; and I hear CA,making a case for her wanderlust.
Sing on,Oh Bards!
Just remember whence ye came!
Back before I decided a case or two a day made my life unnecessarily difficult, I used to enjoy these:
Arrogant Bastard Ale
Bigfoot Ale
CA, fruit beers are "foo-foo" beers, not extreme. They are brewed to attract people that don't normally drink, just like Mike's Hard Lemonade and Boone's Farm and those sweet cocktails that taste like soda-pop.
I was in a brew-pub once that offered a 7 shot sampler and 26 different beers. Once we declared we would not drink foo-foo beers and explained what one was, the pourer couldn't provide 7 "real" beers. Might explain why we didn't find anything to like.
Good afternoon Argyle, C.C. et al,
Another wonderful write up, Santa.
Today's xwd was one of the smoothest I've done for awhile, but then, it is Monday. The only word I did not recognize was abscam, but all perps supported it.
CA & Gunghy,lovely poems,both.
Dennis, I am celebrating that I do not have a beard.
According to the movie Young Victoria that fact is true. Her mother would not allow her to walk down/up the stairs without someone holding her hand.At that time royalty married for power or to gather more land. Even though Albert was some sort of cousin, it seems that she really loved him and when he died, she went into seclusion.
Hi all,
I loved this puzzle,was also surprised some thought it was hard for a Monday. The past 2 Mondays WERE hard. I got this done much sooner than any for a long time.
Ezio, Life of Riley, Abbes, even the long fills for the theme were fun. I did put aspen for alder tree. I always remember the beautiful sight of the golden aspens and the green pine trees in the southwest part of our country.
Spitzboov, thanks for the organ grinder. The monkey was cute, even though he wasn't real.
I have a question-When an E-mail here is listed on someones Biography can we contact them, or do we have to have their permission? I just wondered.
Have a good evenibg all!
Marge
Hola Everyone, This was a smooth CW today. I managed to dredge up ABSCAM from the deep areas of my mind, but didn't know Elvin (Hayes), or Ed TV. Both of those fills were easily gotten with the perps.
I actually had to go back to check some of the perps to make sure that I had filled in everything correctly.
Seems we have Extreme Beers, Extreme Sports, Extreme Pizza and Extreme Networks these days. I think we have gone to extremes more than we should have.
Good catch, Lemonade on E-Bay and I Bid.
I'm sorry Argyle about your long night. You did an outstanding job none the less.
Bon Voyage, CA. We'll miss the poems. I thought both you and Gunghy outdid yourself with poetic choices today. I enjoyed both tremendously.
Can someone please explain the unifier EBAY? It makes no sense to me. I understood the "E" theme while doing the puzzle today, but I failed to understand how eBay had anything to do with it.
I'm puzzled by the parenthetical to the clue. "Where vowels were bought for 20-, 25-, 37-, 44-and 52-Across?)" How does one go about buying a vowel on eBay?!?!?!
To the Anon, just above - its easy to buy a vowel 'E' on Ebay - just bid on it .... currently we have the letter 'E' going for - about a dime a dozen, but all bids end by 9.00 tonight EST - so hurry.
By the way, a couple of Brooklyn bridges also available, without any reserve -.
Also please remember Meg Whitman, our hallowed CEO is standing for election for Gov. of California - please remember her. ( Note I did NOT say, vote for her - just remember her ...)
Hello cruciverbalists!
I submitted an entry last night that I would hope some of you might respond to. (Thanks Creature!)
Thanks to CC, Argyle and Don! Fun puzzle. Hands up for INK SPOTS.
Those of you that rely on cruciverb.com could spend a whole 15 bucks/year on www.upuzzles.com and get the puzzles after 10 pm Pacific time. (Plus a slew of other puzzles and and a 9 by 9 Sudoku which is not as difficult as the LA Times offering.)
All for now!
Good morning Santa Baby, CC, et al., Another great job, Santa. Loved the links, as usual. Loved this Don 'Hard' G puzzle. Flew thru it but initially thought the theme had to do with 'ex' and also a lot of 'e's' but it didn't matter. It all fell one clue at a time anyway.
I started getting excited when 'Ozark' 'mtn' range showed up. I remember playing in them thar parts -'daze'd and confused mostly, a little 'dopey' taking the limits to the 'extreme, beers' with a head, and the evil
'monkey' with a grain of salt. That 'monkey' was a trip! He just could 'ne'er' allow anything to 'let ride' and was the 'bane' of my existance at that time. I 'size'd him up w/an 'oral' exam tho'. He was 'bedevil'ed, but he met his match. The 'Ink blots' showed him to be a real 'beast'. But between the 'abbes' and me we took that 'brat' down to 'size' finally. The 'abbes' 'blest' him while I looked him square in the 'eyes' and said to that 'poe' thang that if he wanted the life of 'riley' he was goin' to have to be less 'teri'ble, more 'even tempered' and to get off my back. If not, there'd be no 'leniency' and I'd personally 'see to' it that he wouldn't be just in the 'yard' - he'd be under it.'Ed Meese' couldn't 've done any better. It worked. The 'beast' became known as M'elvin' and no longer the 'cree'py evil 'monkey' that 'teri'zed' the 'Ozark' area. Now if only school administrators were that easily dealt with. I gotta get that evil monkey back.
CA: happy trails to you. See you on the return. Take lots of pictures. You will be missed.
Gunghy & CA: loved the poems
Enjoy your night.
Marge,
It's OK to just go ahead and email. Those who don't want to be contacted haven't made their emails available. I'm wondering where exactly you are in WI, so go ahead and email me if you wish.
anon@4:47
I believe you are being too literal in your interpretation of "buying a vowel"; since the theme was "e", E-bay, which coincidentally starts with "e" and is a place to buy, is the metaphorical place for those "e's".
CA and Gunghy:
I really enjoyed both poems and since I often have wanderlust, I loved them.
CA:
I do wish you the best on your journey! It sounds fabulous and I know you shall have much to tell us on your return, as well as great photos to share.
Santa, great blogging. In my haste this morning I failed to mention that.
I, too, fondly recall The Life of Riley! Please remember, those were more innocent times with no explicit sex, not much violence and little cynicism.
Gunghy, man knocking HARD LEMONADE, I work out as much as I can to keep that going!
You went to the wrong place if they had less than 8 extreme brews, where my son works at ORLANDO BREWING . They always have 12 or more extreme brews on tap, with no foufs in the house.
Thanks for the poetry, good way to end the day. That same son did his first radio concert and interview this morning at 11:00, and it was streamed so I got to listen. Made his old man proud.
Hola, amigos,
Kazie, did I 'misremember' about the '-age' ending? Did you say that 'voyage' is an exception to the gender rule? If so....
CA, sorry! After all the 'bon voyages' in today's blog, I have to change mine to the correct gender. BON VOYAGE!
Creature, perhaps the 'geni-ous'
description of Argyle was correct; he really did perform some 'magic' creating his writeup today under such difficult circumstances! Geni-like? A fabulous blog, at that!
Lucina, every day I mean to tell you how adorable your little princess is. Finally, I did. What a sweetie. Have you ever told us her name?
Don, I really loved this puzzle! You're a marvel!
Good poem, Gunghy.
Learning something new....you're undoubtedly right about the fruit beers. I admit I am a beer wuss. I've never been able to develop a taste for the bitterness, or for fizzy induced burping. But (except for a from-scratch margarita, which shouldn't be sweet anyway) I don't like many sweet alcohol drinks. I prefer the "sours".
One of the nicest parts of the upcoming vacation just might be the fact the GAH and I will miss a week and a half of annoying political ads, phone calls and announcements. We have already voted, so we will have to wait and see if our guys and gals made it.
Chickie, I have a temporary poll worker lined up to take my place...but it is just for this time around.
Congrats to your son, Lemonade. What a thrill.
Thanks all for the comments about the poem. I found it in an anthology that my father owned. I memorized it back in high school, but really had to dredge to come up with enough to google it.
Lemonade - I would never knock you or your ilk. I just pointed out that you were meant for softies. There is obviously a big market for Mikes, I just couldn't drink it myself. The pub I mentioned was in a tourist area in Monterey, and the last time I went by, they were no longer in business.
Marge,
I see that Kazie has already answered your query, but I will add my concurrence:
Having the email address listed in the profile at least implies that the person is open to being contacted. At least it does in my case.
And all you paranoiacs, remember:
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they're NOT out to get you."
Dodo,
You were right at 6:49--Voyage is masculine.
CA,
In case you don't call in tomorrow, but I'm hoping you do, I'll add my 'Bon voyage' now too. Also 'Gute Reise!' I know you'll love it. NZ has everything one could want and not much of what one wouldn't want. We'll be looking forward to all the wonderful scenic pix on your return!
I am planning on puzzling and checking in right up until Thursday. We are both packed and ready to go. Even Charley has his suitcase (OK it is a paper shopping bag) packed with his bowl, dog food and blanket.
Finished my first watercolor painting today at art class. The teacher wanted us to "do" old barns. Plenty of those around here.
That's five and out for me. Have a good evening, everybody.
Dodo:
Thank you! Her name is Sloane and she is a princess.
Hand up for Mike's hard lemonade. I love the stuff and drink it at parties. Have never liked beer's bitter taste.
Did anyone else notice that in Jeopardy today one of the answers was the info Dennis gave about Bayer relinquishing the trademark to aspirin? Are you secretly working for them as a source, Dennis?
Don, loved your puzzle, as always! You can tell how much time and effort went into making it so smooth. Thank you!
Clear Ayes, the barn painting (your avatar) looks great! I don't see Windhover in it though... I thought you might have used him for inspiration!
My niece and her parents were in your area this weekend. She ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco - it was her first 26.2! She finished - cold, wet, tired, but GLOWING! She said the firemen in their tux's and red bow ties were nice, but it was the little blue Tiffany's boxes that got her over that finish line!
Hey to all you folk!!
Quickly, a few thoughts...
@Spitzboov the Albino Chickadee is gorgeous!
1a. White Whale Chaser - AHAB AHAB THE ARAB THE SONG Another blast from the past!
Life of Riley: serial comedy/Riley. I remember watching this with my father when I was really young. It may have been reruns as I was born in '54 I think it was about '58 when it was finished. Oh, I thought it was so funny! William Bendix was a scream! At 4 years of age, maybe I was laughing with my father who was laughing at the show...who knows? It's a damn good memory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_Riley
14a. Island Nation near Tonga: FIJI scuba diving in the beautiful barrier reefs, so many colors, water, fish, purple starfish, red ones, blue ones...miles of visibility. And meeting a village of people and being accepted into their private living area. This trip allowed me to check at least 3 items off my bucket list!
I'm Out.
Poem in today's "Metropolitan Diary"
A MONDAY KIND OF LOVE
I do Monday's puzzle as quick as a wink.
I'm such a shrewd solver, I do it in ink.
Would you believe that, by midweek, my skill is diminished?
But it's fun to be challenged and see the grid finished.
Come Friday - Oy vey! I could pull out my hair.
I sit and stare blankly at every (blankety-blank) blank square.
The clues seem arcane and the answers too tricky.
Hello Mr. Webster and Roget and Wiki!
I'm still a dunce Saturday, doing no better.
Does Will Shortz himself fill in every last letter?
But Sunday's my last Herculean endeavor.
Then T.G.I.M.! It's so nice to feel clever.
Norma Fenster
CA, I love your new avatar. Your "first" attempt was very professional. And yes, I'm working on the election again. My only gripe is that I have to get up at 5:00 a.m. and be at the school by 6:00. I'm not a very early, early bird.
I was surprised to hear from my grandson that he had sent his absentee ballot by diplomatic pouch from Senegal, West Africa. He said that the Peace Corps Volunteers all enjoyed voting from such a distance.
Hahtool, I just went back to yesterday's late postings and found the answer to my question. Thanks for telling us about the log cabin in your avatar. It looks like it has been carefully restored.
@Barry G...loved your ebay/ibid observation! very cool!
@Argyle, The puzzle and Santa may be a little (Saint) nick name, but you are looking pretty zen to me...Dalai Lama, maybe!!!
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.
Dalai Lama
@husker, we called easy a's gut courses. How that name came about, I have no idea, anyone???
@Tinbeni, had to struggle w/ NATASE spelling, too.
@gungy and lemon, gag me with a spoon! Mike's and any other frou frou beers just don't cut it.
@CA, enjoy your trip and poor CHARLY! Steinbeck took his dog with him...'Travels with Charly'. (grin)
With the last word once again,
I'm out.
Post a Comment