Theme: Lunchbox Classic - The first parts of the theme entries form that basic lunch for kids.
17A. Sources of rowdy criticism: PEANUT GALLERIES
25A. Turkey brand: BUTTERBALL
38A. &: AND SIGN. Shorter than the two 8s and four 9s non-theme fill. Perfectly fine as it's placed right in the middle of the grid. Easily recognized as the theme entry.
49A. Colorful plastic footwear: JELLY SHOES
59A. Hawaii once comprised most of them: SANDWICH ISLANDS
Argyle here with our favorite editor, Lila Cherry, anagram of "Really Rich".
My comments will be brief due to the trouble with Cruciverb. Too bad, there were some good stuff in there, esp the non-theme long entries. As a well constructed Monday, most problems were solved by the perps.
OH yeah, a ton of alliterations. And clechos, too.
Across:
1. Self-confident to a fault : COCKY
6. Dealt with fallen leaves : RAKED. Timely.
11. Donkey : ASS
14. Sneeze sound : AHCOO
15. Vine-covered, as college walls : IVIED
16. ROTC school WSW of Washington, D.C. : VMI. Virginia Military Institute.
20. He-sheep : RAM
21. The Carpenters and Sonny & Cher : DUOs
22. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA
23. Mother of Don Juan : INEZ. Not exactly a Monday word.
29. Turkey-carving machine : SLICER
31. Mine, in Metz : À MOI. Alliteration.
32. Recline, biblically : LIETH
33. Play your poker hand without drawing : STAND PAT
37. Commotion : ADO
41. Computer program suffix : EXE
42. 1997-2003 game show host who put up his own money for prizes : BEN STEIN. Nice full name. This guy.
44. How stop signs are painted : IN RED
46. ABA members : ATTs. Attorneys.
47. Oration : SPEECH
53. "Huh?" : "WHAT?"
55. Nike rival : AVIA. Latin for "fly".
56. Stumble : TRIP
58. Santa __ winds : ANA
64. Poem of praise : ODE
65. Game show host : EMCEE
66. Remus or Sam : UNCLE
67. Actor Beatty : NED
68. Cowpoke's pokers : SPURS
69. Beef source : STEER
Down:
1. Bay of Naples isle : CAPRI. Capri pants are named after this isle.
2. Aptly named California coastal city : OCEANSIDE. South of Camp Pendleton.
3. Lizard that can change colors : CHAMELEON. Lovely entry.
4. __-Tiki : KON
5. "__ be amazed" : YOU'D
6. Severity, in Soho : RIGOUR. That would be the English Soho, to indicate the English spelling.
7. Seagoing "Cease!" : "AVAST!"
8. About .62 mi. : KIL. Kilometer or, more common, Km.
9. Slithery fish : EEL
10. Pres. before JFK : DDE
11. Walled Spanish city : ÁVILA. Central Spain.
12. Use one's nose : SMELL
13. Rope-making fiber : SISAL
18. Boob __: TV : TUBE
19. Opener's next call, in bridge : REBID
24. Pimple : ZIT
26. Actor Jacques : TATI. ? Image. Not a Monday name.
27. Online zine : E-MAG
28. Country music's Milsap : RONNIE
30. Talkative : CHATTY
32. Experiment site : LAB
33. Nine-digit ID : SSN
34. "To sleep, __ to dream": Hamlet : PERCHANCE. Debut entry.
35. Chopping tool grip : AXE HANDLE. Quite a scrabbly grid.
36. CNN founder Turner : TED
39. Circus safety gear : NETS
40. Dinner plate : DISH. And SALAD (43. Dinner course). Dinner clecho. More food reference.
45. Original : NEW
47. Baseball's World __ : SERIES
48. Omega preceders : PSIs
49. Leader of the Argonauts : JASON. Jason and the Argonauts.
50. Deftly escape from : EVADE
51. Like many winter jackets : LINED
52. None of the above : OTHER
54. Stun gun : TASER
57. + : PLUS
60. All-Pro Patriots receiver Welker : WES
61. Pesky kid : IMP
62. Hosp. heart ward : CCU. Coronary Care Unit.
63. Aardvark's tidbit : ANT. Several relevant mentions in this cartoon, and some good jazz, too.
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A. Sources of rowdy criticism: PEANUT GALLERIES
25A. Turkey brand: BUTTERBALL
38A. &: AND SIGN. Shorter than the two 8s and four 9s non-theme fill. Perfectly fine as it's placed right in the middle of the grid. Easily recognized as the theme entry.
49A. Colorful plastic footwear: JELLY SHOES
59A. Hawaii once comprised most of them: SANDWICH ISLANDS
Argyle here with our favorite editor, Lila Cherry, anagram of "Really Rich".
My comments will be brief due to the trouble with Cruciverb. Too bad, there were some good stuff in there, esp the non-theme long entries. As a well constructed Monday, most problems were solved by the perps.
OH yeah, a ton of alliterations. And clechos, too.
Across:
1. Self-confident to a fault : COCKY
6. Dealt with fallen leaves : RAKED. Timely.
11. Donkey : ASS
14. Sneeze sound : AHCOO
15. Vine-covered, as college walls : IVIED
16. ROTC school WSW of Washington, D.C. : VMI. Virginia Military Institute.
20. He-sheep : RAM
21. The Carpenters and Sonny & Cher : DUOs
22. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA
23. Mother of Don Juan : INEZ. Not exactly a Monday word.
29. Turkey-carving machine : SLICER
31. Mine, in Metz : À MOI. Alliteration.
32. Recline, biblically : LIETH
33. Play your poker hand without drawing : STAND PAT
37. Commotion : ADO
41. Computer program suffix : EXE
42. 1997-2003 game show host who put up his own money for prizes : BEN STEIN. Nice full name. This guy.
44. How stop signs are painted : IN RED
46. ABA members : ATTs. Attorneys.
47. Oration : SPEECH
53. "Huh?" : "WHAT?"
55. Nike rival : AVIA. Latin for "fly".
56. Stumble : TRIP
58. Santa __ winds : ANA
64. Poem of praise : ODE
65. Game show host : EMCEE
66. Remus or Sam : UNCLE
67. Actor Beatty : NED
68. Cowpoke's pokers : SPURS
69. Beef source : STEER
Down:
1. Bay of Naples isle : CAPRI. Capri pants are named after this isle.
2. Aptly named California coastal city : OCEANSIDE. South of Camp Pendleton.
3. Lizard that can change colors : CHAMELEON. Lovely entry.
4. __-Tiki : KON
5. "__ be amazed" : YOU'D
6. Severity, in Soho : RIGOUR. That would be the English Soho, to indicate the English spelling.
7. Seagoing "Cease!" : "AVAST!"
8. About .62 mi. : KIL. Kilometer or, more common, Km.
9. Slithery fish : EEL
10. Pres. before JFK : DDE
11. Walled Spanish city : ÁVILA. Central Spain.
12. Use one's nose : SMELL
13. Rope-making fiber : SISAL
18. Boob __: TV : TUBE
19. Opener's next call, in bridge : REBID
24. Pimple : ZIT
26. Actor Jacques : TATI. ? Image. Not a Monday name.
27. Online zine : E-MAG
28. Country music's Milsap : RONNIE
30. Talkative : CHATTY
32. Experiment site : LAB
33. Nine-digit ID : SSN
34. "To sleep, __ to dream": Hamlet : PERCHANCE. Debut entry.
35. Chopping tool grip : AXE HANDLE. Quite a scrabbly grid.
36. CNN founder Turner : TED
39. Circus safety gear : NETS
40. Dinner plate : DISH. And SALAD (43. Dinner course). Dinner clecho. More food reference.
45. Original : NEW
47. Baseball's World __ : SERIES
48. Omega preceders : PSIs
49. Leader of the Argonauts : JASON. Jason and the Argonauts.
50. Deftly escape from : EVADE
51. Like many winter jackets : LINED
52. None of the above : OTHER
54. Stun gun : TASER
57. + : PLUS
60. All-Pro Patriots receiver Welker : WES
61. Pesky kid : IMP
62. Hosp. heart ward : CCU. Coronary Care Unit.
63. Aardvark's tidbit : ANT. Several relevant mentions in this cartoon, and some good jazz, too.
Answer grid.
Argyle
81 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - as with Argyle, this'll be brief, as I just got the puzzle about 10 minutes ago.
Fortunately, this was a pretty simple puzzle. The theme was apparent after the second theme entry, so that helped quickly fill in some large chunks. Oceanside was a gimme, since I spent time at Camp Pendleton before we shipped out for the Far East. And like Argyle, I noticed quite a few clechos throughout. Other than that, not much on which to comment; decent Monday-level puzzle.
Today is National Golf Day and National Frappe Day.
Did You Know?:
- On an average day, four people call Graceland and ask to speak to Elvis.
- It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.
- On average, men are 40% muscle and 15% fat. Women are 23% muscle and 25% fat. Your experience may vary.
Meh.
No offense to our illustrious editor, but I always wonder who edits the puzzles that he creates himself. Or, to misquote a famous Latin phrase, who edits the editor?
Mostly a very easy Monday effort today, but some spots seemed a bit off. As Argyle pointed out, INEZ and TATI weren't really Monday level answers. I'd argue that VMI, AVIA and AVILA were a bit on the edge of the bubble as well. WES may also be there for non Patriots fans, but I won't complain about that one... ^_^
Morning, Argyle, CC and all. this was a tad more difficult than the usual Monday fare for me. It took me two passes instead of the usual one. I had keyed onto the theme in the first pass, however.
I liked the long theme clues. Lots of CHAMELEONS hang out on the walls of my deck, especially at night. I love seeing theme.
I used to watch Win Ben Stein's Money. He is also well known for his role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
It's finally feeling like Fall here. It is officially 48F here. Finally, it is sweater weather (as in the article of clothing) instead of "sweater" weather (as in so hot one is sweating to death).
Happy Monday, All.
QOD: All that makes earlier times seem simpler is our ignorance of their complexities. ~ Thomas Sowell.
Good morning Argyle and all.
A Monday level, but not as easy as some recent cw's. Essentially a one-pass, but with perp assist pauses. The fun theme showed early. Unknowns like INEZ and TATI were easily gotten from the perps. For '&' I wanted ampersand, but ANDSIGN fit better.
63d. Aardvark means 'earth pig' in Dutch.
My condolences to Dodo on the loss of her dear friend.
Dennis, are you aware of this veteran in Cape May?
Hahtool.... Terrific QOD.
I've never worried about a puzzles theme and today it bit me. My initial fill in for colorful plastic footwear was silly shoes and Windward islands instead of Sandwich Islands for Hawaii. I never heard of Jelly shoes or Silly shoes. Just brain lock on the islands.
Other then the two goofs, everything else went smoothly as one would expect on Monday.
Good Morning All,
My biggest hang up was spelling as usual. Phis instead of Psis had me scratching my head for a sec to get Jelly Shoes. Typical Monday difficulty for me.
Pre-Bid walk through this AM. Gotta run.
That's a lot of Cows!
Delicious blog, Argyle.
Good morning all -
A couple of months ago Rich rejected my own "Peanut Butter and Jelly" explaining that he had one of his own in the pipeline already. Mine was a bit more complicated--his is simple, clean and elegant and a classic Monday.
I just took a nice break to the Florida Keys for a nature festival and have been busy knocking out a photo book about the trip. Got a stunning series of shots of a Laughing Gull riding on the head of a Brown Pelican waiting to steal his fish. I wonder if I could work "KLEPTOPARASITISM" into a puzzle? ... nah.
Thanks Lemondade for asking about me the other day, and thanks Kazie for mentioning my winning "Clever Clue of the Month."
For those of you who don't know about Paul Synsberg's site, it's a great puzzle resource and a fun way to learn in depth about the words we see often in crosswords. Just subscribe to "Word of the Day" and each morning a short and entertaining link lands in your mailbox. Although many of us might disagree about what exactly constitutes crosswordese, Paul's idea is solid, educational, and fun.
Here is the link.
Happy solving!
Good Morning C.C.,Argyle and all,
Argyle, thanks for your write up and reminding me that it was a Rich Norris puzzle.I forget to notice that and it does make it fun.
I think the theme was almost as neat as the 'big bad wolf' from last Monday.
Agreed , perps did save a couple of non -Monday entries. He probably wanted to toughen us up a bit. Sometimes, when i'm scurrying around the puzzle, I'm not relaxed enough to enjoy it. The theme, in
particular, gets lost, and that's the beauty of a Monday or Tuesday,even Wednesday puzzle. Art form over difficulty, I think.
Dennis- Do they answer,"he's not in"?
Also,on the 'muscle-fat' issue, there seems to be 7% of a woman unaccounted for,so far; or is that my bad math, or my fixation on minutia this morning? I wonder if it is allowing for top/bottom variations.
Hahtool- I believe Thomas Sowell hit the nail on the head!Thanks!
Have a nice day everyone.
Good Morning Argyle and Sputniks (Russian word for "fellow travellers" which we all are!), Today is the 53rd anniversary of the launching of the first man made object to orbit the Earth, Sputnik, by the U.S.S.R. That promptly scared the hell out of the U.S.A. and we eventually passed the Ruskies and fulfilled JFK's 1961 pledge to "land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the decade is out". We did that on July 20, 1969 with 5 months to spare. Where were you when Neil Armstrong said, "That's one small step..."?
WARNING TO CHILDREN AND SMALL ANIMALS!
This is a picture of your favorite space cadet Me in my NASA Carrot Suit that I wear when I make my school presentations. The picture was taken in my sunrooom, in front of my recliner where I wrestle daily with the LA Times Cwd and blog my newest, "bestest" buddies on this blog.
Will get to crossword, but still too engrossed in the Ryder Cup. Down to the final match - McDowell-Mahan - to decide it.
NC
Good morning all,
I have to concur with most of what has already been said on today's offering. However, not being a card player, I fouled up with STAND PUT, which screwed up EXE and AXE for a while. I also wanted ampersand but it wouldn't fit.
I actually had to look for the theme after I was done, but it was easy to spot. I don't really understand why PB & J sandwiches are so popular here for kids. There's sugar both in the PB and J, and I don't like PB because it sticks to the roof of my mouth.
Oz kids get Vegemite and cheese, or sliced cold cuts on their sandwiches. I suppose here that would be frowned on because there's no way to refrigerate it until lunch hour. But I always had it and survived without incident!
I always smile when I see Ben Stein in his present role as the oh-too- nonchalant guy in the free credit score ads.
BTW, did you know nonchalant is literal French for "not heating", hence eternally cool!
Bye for now--enjoy the cool fall weather--I love it!
Gang, after my frightening post I can now discuss the Monday puzzle. CAPRI was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! I remember the Peanut Gallery as the group of kids who sat in some bleachers on the old Howdy Doody show.
I have never heard of JELLYSHOES and think LIETH is also a verb for what politicians do a lot of! If they all run on the platform of cleaning up D.C. (and Lincoln, NE), why in the hell do we have to keep electing them?
Argyle, Nice write-up.
Thanks for the pic of TATI Jacques.
He looks semi-familiar. I think he's that guy we see all the time in the movie (never the star) that we refer to as "What's his name!"
Kazie: At 58 I still love my PB & J's.
I'll pass on the vegemite SANDWICH.
Husker Gary: YOU'D think, after all the politicians promising to "clean it up" that Washington DC would be the cleanest city on the planet.
Good morning Argyle, C.C. and the gang. Pretty easy puzzle today. With the perps, and a couple WAGs I made quick work of it. Didn't notice the theme until I got here, though. Thanks Argyle.
Biggest gimme for me today was CCU. Spent countless hours in those with my Daddy.
Creature - I think they just say, "Elvis has left the building." (groan) Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
HuskerG - Jelly shoes were popular back in the '80s. They were plastic and made my feet sweat. Glad they are a thing of the past.
John Lampkin - Glad you stopped in to comment. I certainly hope you don't find a way to use KLEPTOPARASITISM in a puzzle. I'm thinking that would definitely have to be a Saturday kind of clue! Thank you for the link. I shall sign up forthwith.
Today is my post-op visit with my OB. I'm hoping he can give me some answers and the "all clear." Of the former, I am not very optimistic; of the latter, the opposite.
Have a great week, y'all.
Hi everyone:
Sort of an odd Monday puzzle...some of the clues were a bit harder than we usually see for a Monday, as Argyle and Barry pointed out. I sure stumbled on RIGOUR, VMI, AVILA, TATI, AMOI....sigh.
I also question 40D (Dinner plate/dish), it may be regional but I think of a dish as something one would put ice cream or soup in (aka, bowl) but never have called a dish a plate.
Is Ben Stein the same guy that did the Clear Eyes commercials??
Re 46A is that the correct abbr for attorneys? Atts?? I always have seen ATTYS.
@Husker Gary
poligraph technician = politician = poligraph beaters
another word excellent " liarth "
and it takes one to know how to handle the other,
and that's unfortunatley the only options we have.
That's why we elect them.
@carol
so what do you call a dishwasher ??
Hello again. Just checking out the links.
Spitzboov - What an awesome tradition! I hope that he lives to do this for many, many more years.
HuskerG - Very handsome!
Kazie - I'm with Tinbeni. I'll stick to my PB&J or cold cut sandwiches. You can keep the vegamite.
Carol - Yes, Ben Stein also did the Clear Eyes commercials. I also saw him once talking about how the credit card companies hate him. He was holding all his credit cards fanned out like a deck of playing cards. He explained that he pays off his balances every month on every card. Ergo, the hatred from the issuing companies!
Anon, I know what you mean...by dishwasher. But a 'set of dishes' still seems odd to me. The set consists of: dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, cups, saucers, and one can add pieces like platters and serving bowls.
Husker G..nice picture!
Vettedoe: Thanks....I think the credit card companies hate us too as we pay ours off each month. I am just waiting for our bank to start charging a yearly fee to have the card. That is when I'll switch banks :)
Carol , 10:05
let me guess ,, your husband does the DISHes. or
you use paper PLATEs so you don't have to worry about dirty DISHes.
Carol, I agree with you about ATTYS being a better abbreviation for attorneys. However, I disliked KIL for kilometer even more. In all my years of being involved with math and science, I have never ever seen KIL, always KM. If you used it as an abbreviation for kilometer, how would you abbreviate kiloliter?
Vettedoe- I love it! Good luck at your OB.
Kazie- Sorry, but I'm voting with Tinbeni and Vettedoe.
Zcarguy- Thanks for wrapping up the 'non-political' political for the day, I hope.
Off on a brief errand.
Hi Argyle.
Better write up than puzzle. Saw
your post on the forum so I waited untill 9P local and went to Freder-
icksburg for the puzzle. Nice Monday speed run.
All "sports out" after the week-end.
Take care.
OK, all you Vegemite dislikers. I admit, I've never liked it enough to be a habitual eater of sandwiches with it either, but I knew saying that I'd get a few bites. Actually though, a thin smattering is good on buttered crackers or toast.
Adding to the 'dish' discussion, I have another gripe, one that maybe Nice Cuppa will chime in on. It's the American insistence on using 'entrée' for the main course of a meal. The word means entrance, hence the first course or appetizer (think soup or salad, where those are served first), or the entrance to the meal. It has taken me a long time to accept it as the main 'dish'.
I think one needs to be aware of what country one is in.
Do you know where your peanut butter comes from? The Peanut Butter Song.
Anon, sweetheart, we are all in cyberspace.
Good Morning All, I thought this was a very good Monday level puzzle.
The long verticals CHAMELEON and PERCHANCE were impressive. I'm with others and didn't much care for (8D) KIL or (46A) ATTS as abbreviations.
(42A) BEN STEIN is a frequent conservative commentator on CBS's "Sunday Morning". Before he became an actor, he was a speech writer for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
The theme PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANWICH was easily gettable, but it can't have been easy for Lila/Rich to arrange it properly.
I've never eaten Vegemite, although I've been told it is somewhat similar to bouillon paste, but less salty...Hmmmm.
We had periodic rain storms throughout the night, complete with light-up-the-sky lightening and crashing thunder....kept waking me up. There is a nap in my future.
Good morning Argyle,C.C. et al,
a very smooth fun run with today's xwd..one glitch, the A in a moi.I thought it meant "to me", and had never heard of Tati, so I left it blank.
Ben Stein was easily filled by the perps, but when I saw him I thought about the monotoned nerd science teacher in "The Wonder Years".Had no idea he was a game show host.
My daughter had a pr. of jellies, and when she wore them we had to drive her to jr.high as they were so uncomfortable, but so "in."
thx John, I signed up.I'm beginning to remember many of those strange words, like etui, but I still can't grok the theme most days.It's always an a-ha.
Oceanside was a gimme, as I lived in Carlsbad for a few yrs (just across a lagoon from O'side).At 16 I didn't want to be noticed and it was uncomfortable walking downtown because all the Marines would yell or whistle.Dennis, did you know Ollie the cook?
Argyle, loved your write up and enjoyed the cartoon...poor aardvark.
An elegant Monday crossword.
Dennis
Well, the US team has just lost the Ryder Cup to those COCKY Euros on National Golf Day. Great competition and exciting finish though. Both sides kicked some ASS. The US won every category except the Foursomes. Something lost in translation, PERCHANCE? In the UK, "Foursome" is a match between DUOS, a different game than in the US.
I also see that the second half of the theme answers were:
(Spectator) GALLERIES, (Golf) BALL, SIGN (Score Card), (Golf) SHOES, ISLANDS (played in the British Isles this year).
Well OK, bit of stretch, lacking a certain RIGOUR. Just playing the ball as it LIETH.
NC
NC
Do you know what all the 10-12 year olds are listening to these days? Answer
My nephews play this CONSTANTLY. If you are at work it is the classic "turn up and walk away" video.
This photo is for all the golfers out there. The writer tells us to notice the guy on the right with the cigar but also look at the kid on the left peeking between the legs. Or the guy peering around the marshall with his hands raised. Or what about the guy with a periscope blocking the view of everyone behind him? Great picture!
Dennis: Tell your Phillies to take it easy on my Reds. They are just a bunch of young kids having fun. Maybe you could let us win one or two games...
Tinbeni: forgot to mention that if you scroll down on the video link, you will see a video of peanut butter jelly time at the Ray's game.
What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here.....
Good day, Argyle, C.C. and fellow puzzlers.
A very nice Monday puzzle from our "Lila Cherry" and I did recall that was one of Rich's aliases.
In fact, it almost filled itself and I didn't even notice some of the downs, KIL, EEL, DDE until reading the blog, which, dear Santa is just great, thank you.
I did know OCEANSIDE where I taught nearby at San Luis Rey Academy in the sixties.
We have seen INEZ, don Juan's mother, before although it may have been later in the week. I love the movie, Don Juan DeMarco.
Both hands up for PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES! I love them!
Kazie, the reason we use JELLY is to buffer the peanut butter from sticking to the roof of the mouth but I'm sure you know that.
Hamlet is one I like to watch and have seen Kenneth Branaugh's (sp?) version several times. It's two VCR tapes long so it's good for rainy winter afternoons.
I'm so happy for you who already have autumnal temps. We have at least another month to wait, but then they last for six months....
Agreed about JELLYSHOES, they are very uncomfortable.
And have to concur about CAPRI; it's absolutely gorgeous.
Hope you are having a super Monday!
Finally getting back to the blog - had a reporter/photographer here at the hobby shop at lunchtime for a story about baseball cards/collectibles vis-a-vis the Phillies starting their playoff run. Gotta love free press.
creature, the percentages only included muscle and fat, not all the other 'stuff' such as bones, blood, etc.
John, thanks for checking in; I joined as well.
BIll G. and others, I agree about kilometer -- I've only seen it abbreviated as Km.
JD, I don't recall an 'Ollie the cook'; local legend?
NC, most amusing.
seen, I think it'll be an interesting series; both teams have good pitching/hitting. If we have an edge at all, it's because of the Halladay/Oswald/Hamels trio, but I'm sure gonna be holding my breath. Oh, and thanks for the link to the Peanut Butter/Jelly song - I should be able to clear that outta my head in about a month.
I wanted Dennis for the answer to 1A but it wouldn't fit.
Elvis is said to have been a fan of peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Fluff-a-mutters were a staple in my elementary school. That's pb and marshmallow fluff.
I still enjoy a pb and j sandwich on occasion.
anon, you're too kind. It'll fit - you just have to squeeze it in...
Dennis,
you are too kool!
Here's an interesting main courses vs entrées site. There is a pretty good explanation from May 30, 2008 08:51PM. It also covers the ever arguable "knife and fork use: U.S. vs Europe" debate and is it "fill-et" or "fill-ay"?
Lucina, is it Don Juan DeMarco you love, or Johnny Depp AS Don Juan DeMarco? Either one works for me. BTW, I just loved the way you threw "VCR tapes" out there. We still have a VCR player (just in case) but haven't used it for a long time.
Gee, I would think most men would consider "cocky" as a compliment.
Ayes,
it's all relative my dear.
Hello everybody. Good to read all your comments this fine Monday.
Great fills in the puzzle, nice stacked long ones. Then there are the leftovers. Whatcha gonna do with detritus such as KIL and ATTS anyway?
A quibble with the clue for LIETH prevented me from getting it for a while; I am probably wrong, but I thought LIETH is "biblical" for "lies" but the clue says "Recline". I dare say if the clue had been "Reclines, biblically" I would have pencilled LIETH in quickly.
Ben Stein sure is and was a versatile guy! Nobody else can say "Beuhler" like he can.
I too did not know Jacques TATI. Next month I will not know him again.
Off to twiddle the knobs on a new oscilloscope. Best wishes to you all.
Jayce: 32-Across could more properly have been clued as "recline, according to King James." The word LIETH will not appear in the original language. Furthermore, there are some who will argue there are no "lies" in the Bible, hence recline must me the correct translation!
Dennis, good one!
Hahtool, yes.
Good morning Argyle, CC, et al., Good job, Argyle. Sorry for the problems. How frustrating is that! Not a typical Mon puzzle run for me. Perp assist made it doable and fun tho. Afterall, how bad can a puzzle be if it has 'cocky' and 'ass' on top, 'spurs' and 'steer' on the bottom and be all connected in the middle with 'lieth' and 'stand pat' (like stand firm). This is definately my kind of puzzle! And then to see our own VMI mentioned here. Nothin' beats seeing a man in uniform...except having one, I guess. Now that thought puts the 'sisal' in my 'fisal', or the shizzel in my nizzel esp. if he's all 'amoi'.
Dennis, you are so funny. Can I help squeeze it in? I promise not to hurt you.
Husker Gary: excellent and handsome picture. Where'd you get the suit?
Enjoy your day. Have a hot date tonight...a veterinarian. Wonder if I should check my shot record - SoCo, Woodford Reserve, Jack, Can Club, or perhaps his record for rabies. Watch me get heart worms! Ew! Naw, I think I'm too pickled for that to happen.
Speaking of LIETH, I always had the impression that it was a biblical euphemism for sex. There's a lot of being cursed for "he who lieth with"...just about just about anybody (or thing).
I do think the European style of keeping the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right makes sense, but I'm a creature of habit and training. I've tried to switch and it just doesn't seem comfortable to me.
One of the oddest utensil use I've seen was in London at an upscale American style hamburger restaurant. Most of the customers were cutting their hamburgers into bite size pieces with their right hand held knives and eating them with their left hand held forks. GAH and I dug in with our hands.
Lois, have a great time!
I wish you a super good time on your date tonight, lois.
Clear Ayes, I think you have a good point about LIETH. Lots of lying down and lying with going on.
(This is my last post today, I promise.)
CA, laughed at your comment @1:46.
Dennis, don't remember much about Ollie..50 yrs ago my dad told me I could never see that boy again since he took me to a pizza parlor (over the hill in Escondido)in a car that had holes in the floor.Since I was only 17, the police saw me there and called my parents to come fetch me.At that time kids were not allowed where beer was even served.It was humiliating.
Oh, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton.
Who sent us the gray skies and chilly weather??????
Clear Ayes: I think the word "knew" is the biblical euphemism you are looking for.
CA:
You got! It's Johnny Depp and his suave Don Juan that I love; but of course Marlon Brando is good, too with his portly self.
And yes, I have a dual player, both DVD and VCR. I have too many tapes to change them all, but will probably do so eventually as they are obsolete.
Someone, help. I don't remember how to edit my profile and I want to change the picture.
Thank you in advance.
Lucina, assuming you're logged in, just click on your blue name and when you get to your profile, just click on 'edit profile' under your picture at the top.
We here at Crossword Corner frequently have discussions regarding correct language/vocabulary. Here's and educational piece from Mr. Language Person, aka Dave Barry.
Thanks, Dennis!
My pleasure; what's the picture?
I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
Lucina, don't forget to click SAVE at the bottom when you are done making the change.
Lois, thanks for the kind comment about me in my carrot suit! The 50 kids I had at Kennedy Space Center 2 years ago all chipped in and bought me the $130 orange jump suit and presented it to me on the bus as we headed to Cocoa Beach. Of course I had to put it on over my shorts etc on the buse and to compliment the picture they bought me a space helmet also! Now that was a picture!!
That is a very special garment to me and I want to be buried in it! All right, I'm being cremated but I want the suit next to my urn or peanut butter jar or whatever Joann chooses to use.
Thanks for the Dave Barry link. He always makes me smile.
Didn't footballs used to be made of pigskin? When (and why) did they change?
No, footballs were never made of 'pig skin'. As I understand it, at one time they used a pig's bladder as a football, but since the early 1900s or so, it's been leather. Hope this helps.
BTW Dennis, As a sidebar to your trivia questions of last week, I read today that 90% of Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal Mart (my guess for your question of "What do most people live within 50 miles of?")
Hola Everyone, A very doable Monday puzzle, as people have already said. My only unknowns were Stein, and Tati. Both were gotten with the perps. I didn't know that Stein was a game show host. I learn something every day.
Hands up for the abbreviations KIL, and ATTS. Both are not ones that I use.
I had a good chuckle when I filled in Cowpoke pokers!
Thanks John for the link. I've signed up. Also congratulations on your Clue of the Month win.
Husker Gary, Do the kids ever ask you when you were in space? Also, to answer your question about Where you were when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. Glued to the TV watching every step.
Vettedoe, good luck with your Dr.'s Appointment today.
Have a great rest of the day everyone.
Thanks, Argyle. I believe I did remember to do that.
Dennis:
The picture is some lantana growing in a corner of my patio. It doesn't give the full effect, unfortunately, as the blooms are quite brilliant and the leaves very healthy and large.
I've tried many different plants in that spot and either they liked the sun too well and turned into a jungle-like setting or wilted in the full sun. These are just right.
Now I have time to open links.
Husker Gary
I remember well when Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon.
It was July 21, 1969 ... then again, I was in Paris, France with my Dad.
(Please add time differential before you correct me).
Seen: I love quotes from Blazing Saddles.
Also, I thought that ANT crossing UNCLE was a PLUS.
Lois...all the best for your date with the friend of 'mans best friend'. Should be fun. Frisbee's, chew bones - oh wait, it's not the dog - sorry. Well, you'll still have a ball ;)
One Who Knew (3:09) as in "he knew her in the biblical sense".
What a nice Monday puzzle! I could solve it without extensive lookups. Long words that I could solve! What's not to like?
Yes, there were a few crosswordese -- the leftovers after fitting in the easy words. I had on only one letter that was left blank.
I didn't realize that there was a theme until Argyle told us about it.
2D - the answer didn't come to mind until the perps jogged it. I drive from San Jose, past Oceanside, to the Monterey Aquarium, whenever I have out-of-state visitors. So I should have thought of it.
3D - I knew the answer, but needed my dictionary to spell CHAMELEON. I tried to utilize the perps, but I needed 3D to be correct, so as to get the across perps.
Despite not being a card player, I knew STANDPAT as I had a few letters. I solve across and down together, so I had enough perps. Same for PEANUTGALLERY, JELLYSHOES, BUTTERBALL, SANDWICHISLANDS. 25A "turkey brand" would be impossible for me, as I don't see advertisements on television.
creature --
About the matter of "missing mass" when adding up the men vs. women numbers -- there are other differences, such as the percentage of bone weight.
I agree with Thomas Sowell as to why the old days seem so simpler. It reminded me of another comment: inside very simple solution is a difficult problem waiting to pop out.
Some years ago I went to Sweden on a business trip. Some of the Swedes had been in The States a year before, and were amused that us Yanks used the knife and fork the "wrong" way. So they were watching me, and were very surprised to see me switch between styles.
It depended on what I was eating. I'm very right-handed, so I needed the knife in my right hand to cut bits from my steak. But to scoop up peas, I needed to have the fork in my right hand.
One other comment, from a few days ago. A few posts complained that people didn't read the existing posts. I suggest that perhaps they (the non-readers) had not done a "refresh" before posting. During the time it took me to compose, spell-check, and re-read, there were about 10 additional posts. The lesson is: before posting, refresh the blog and look for additional posts.
Hello, PB&J lovers, as well as Kazie and whoever else has other tastes.
If you haven't tried a GRILLED PB&J you haven't lived! Peanut butter is supposed to be pretty healthy unless you're allergic to peanuts, which I understand a lot of people are. When I was young no one ever heard of peanut allergy. In those days allergies were to ragweed, period. The things we didn't know!
Jacques Tati was a French comedian who wrote, directed, and starred in his own movies: M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle are the ones I remember. He pretty much mimes and is a bit Chaplinesque. I thought he was hilarious. I got Mon Oncle from Netflix a few months ago and as often happens, it didn't seem as funny. But sometimes watching comedy alone doesn't have the effect that a laughing audience does. If you like the poor hapless straight-faced comic, who finds himself in ridiculous situations that get out of his control, you'll probably enjoy watching him.
You can find more about him and his films at http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Tati_Jacques.html.
JVN, are you thinking of the town of Seaside? Oceanside is in Southern CA, not anywhere near Monterey.
vettedoe, hope all went well with your appt today.
JVN, maybe you should refresh and scan the comments before you post. Someone had already explained the "missing mass" query.
I asked this late a couple of days ago but I still don't understand it satisfactorily. Suppose a new person posts with a black name. Can't they choose a different name next time? Can't somebody else use that name next time? If so, then it doesn't seem as if there's any difference between a black name and an anon. Or, am I missing something?
Jayce, what are you going to use your oscilloscope for? I haven't seen one in a while.
I know this has already been linked(in a way) but...
Did you watch this?
I thought our DF crowd would find this amusing. At or around 0:33 it seems the banana has a "blowout" and frantically looks for a way out.
I don't know about you, but I've never wilted away and looked for the nearest exit...
Seen: That banana clip is hilarious! I'm still laughing as I type this out!
Dodo: Check you e-mail. I tried to send you a note.
Chickie, yes kids always want to know when I went to space! I had a chance to apply for the ride Christa Macauliffe got but was trying to get two nickels to rub together to raise two daughters. The one thing kids want to know the most is how you "go to the bathroom" in weightlessness. BTW, it involves a vacuum hose and a, ahem, custom fitted device.
About Christa Macauliffe,
huskerGary: I remember watching a live newscast of a local teacher who almost was chosen to be on that mission. He knew something was not right and asked for the cameraman to stop filming. It was a terrible day.
Hello Puzzlers - Another erratic day. Since the CW is well covered, let's get back to Vegemite, OK? Fine.
While in Oz I asked my host family for a sample of Vegemite, served whatever way they they usually have it, which meant spread thinly on toast. They watched with considerable interest for my reaction, knowing deep down that the stuff really does taste terrible.
Imagine my surprise at visiting an Aussie McDonalds and seeing little individual plastic packets of Vegemite in the condiments area!
Kazie - Real peanut butter has just one ingredient: peanuts. As a consequence, it tastes like peanuts. Sugar, hydrogenated oil, and other substances have no place in PB. Jif and others are garbage, foisted upon the world by greedy corporations.
Related note: because of a naming conflict, Burger King is called Hungry Jack's in Australia. They offer a so-called "Aussie Burger" which is TO DIE FOR. It features a fried egg and sliced beet, among other things; sounds odd, tastes magnificent. Trust me.
G'Night, All!
Bill G @ 6:51 "it doesn't seem as if there's any difference between a black name and an anon"
You are correct. Without a "blue" Google Account, anybody can use any name, or names, they want. I'm not the person who posted today as "Zcarguy", "The JVN", or "Hello pot, my name is kettle", but I could use one of those names if I chose to. Watch.
If a poster wants to make sure that nobody uses their name, the only way to make sure is to go "blue".
Clear Ayes,
Thanks for the link on knives, forks and entrées. I thought it very interesting.
Dudley,
I think that is a "burger with the works". We used to get them at any corner greasy joe's type eatery. Smothered with fried onions, large pickled beet slice, fried egg (fried in an "egg ring"), the meat of course, perhaps a slice of cheese, and also a lettuce leaf. The key is the beet must be pickled. Sometimes a slice of canned pineapple pan fried can be added as well. Arguably a healthy meal when you consider all the fruit and vegetable ingredients.
Back in the 60's they could be got for about 49 cents, so when the first American burger chain opened in King's Cross, and we all went there to try a real American burger, we were very disappointed.
JL;
Thanks for the new link and for being a gracious gentleman; now if we could only get Jerome some etiquette classes...
Hi friends,
I been doing the puzzles and either I'm distracted or we truly have had a few tough puzzles over the past few weeks.
DODO,I'm sorry to hear about your friend!
VETTEDOE,I know you'll have a good report from the OB. I've missed the progression of things and hope your health issues have been tolerable!
DENNIS, Happy Birthday! I recall seeing it noted recently.
MY POSITIVE THOUGHTS TO ALL!
WITH THE LAST WORD,
I'M OUT.
WHAT A FUN PUZZLE! We need more of this for a Monday, Lila! Are you anywhere around Nevada?
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