google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday December 22, 2010 Dan Naddor

Advertisements

Dec 22, 2010

Wednesday December 22, 2010 Dan Naddor

Theme: Secret Panel - The end of each theme entry can precede PANEL.

17A. Escapes dramatically from prison : GOES OVER THE WALL. Wall panel, a lightweight decorative or protective panel which can be fixed directly to internal walls.

28A. Narrow defeat, e.g. : HEART BREAKER. Breaker panel, the main distribution point for electrical circuits in your home.

38A. Warning about wind chill, say : WEATHER ADVISORY. Advisory Panel, a group of persons selected to .. well .. advise.

46A. Steinbeck novel set in Monterey : TORTILLA FLAT. Flat panel, as in TV or computer.

61A. The lead pipe, the wrench or the candlestick, but not the rope: BLUNT INSTRUMENT. Instrument panel, on aircraft and automobiles, etc.

54D. Discussion group, and a word that can follow the ends of this puzzle's five longest answers : PANEL. Arguably, the most famous secret panel in the world.

Melissa here.

Another one from Dan Naddor. Clever as always, just a few unknowns for me. Had deja vu in several spots, and maybe i'm just in a musical state of mind, but i saw lots of musical references.

Across

1. Is down with : HAS. Fooled me, I was thinking the slang usage ...

4. Walk through puddles : SLOSH

9. Energize, as a crowd : AMP UP. As in amplify.

14. Mean Amin : IDI. Ha, rhymes. (♫ You're a mean one ...)

15. Nomo with two no-hitters : HIDEO. Born in Osaka, retired in 2008.

16. Europe's longest river : VOLGA. Nasa image.

20. Laurie of "House" : HUGH. TV drama on FOX.

21. Vitamin __: PABA : B-TEN. Vitamin B10, better known as PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), is a water-soluble vitamin that is in the B family; often referred to as part of the B-complex.

22. Peke squeak : YIP. Pekingese. Great clue. Little yappy dog.

23. Torrid : STEAMY. Member this?

26. Impulses : URGES

33. Blubber : SOB

36. Potentially slanderous remark : SLUR

37. Boxer's wear : ROBE

43. Concerning, in memos : IN RE

44. 13 popes : LEOS. I'm one too. A leo, not a pope.

45. Part of UCLA : LOS. University of California, Los Angeles. Largest UC campus in terms of enrollment.

51. Computer data acronym : ASCII. Pronounced ASK-ee, it is an acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, and is a code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127. For example, the ASCII code for uppercase M is 77. Most computers use ASCII codes to represent text, which makes it possible to transfer data from one computer to another.

52. Sandal parts : STRAPS

56. Gumshoe : TEC. Detective.

58. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI

60. "Dies __" : IRAE. Deja vu.

66. Dogpatch's Hawkins : SADIE

67. "Silas Marner" author : ELIOT. T.S. Eliot.

68. Opposite of alt, in Augsburg : NEU. German for old and new.

69. Preferred option : PLAN A. Rarely executed ... always have a plan b.

70. "__ at 'em!" : LEMME. Put 'em up.

71. European peak : ALP (The hills are alive)

Down

1. Euphoric feelings : HIGHS. (Ain't no mountain ...)

2. One point from a service break : AD OUT. Tennis. Ad = advantage. “Ad-in” is if the server is ahead, while “ad-out” is if the non-server won the point after deuce (40-40). If the player with the advantage wins the point, he wins the game. If not, the score reverts to deuce – the only time a score ever goes backwards in tennis. The game keeps going until the player with the “ad” wins the point. In this way, a tennis match can last a very long time, much like baseball.

3. Prolonged attack : SIEGE.

4. HBO alternative : SHO. Home Box Office and Showtime.

5. Actress Tyler : LIV (♬ Steven Tyler's daughter)

6. Tribute that usually rhymes : ODE. Deja vu.

7. Belgrade native : SERB

8. Back porch luxury : HOT TUB

9. Right, as a wrong : AVENGE

10. Do some yard work : MOW

11. Mr. Potato Head maker : PLAYSKOOL

12. Wrinkly fruit : UGLI. Just sounds funny.

13. Insect feeler : PALP. New to me. Palp, labial palp, and maxillary palp.

18. Bygone Mideast despot : SHAH

19. Frau's partner : HERR. See this pretty regularly.

24. Dovetail : MESH

25. Where Bill met Hillary : YALE. Didn't know.

27. Canal zones? : EARS. Nice.

29. 1921 sci-fi play : RUR. Karel Capek's play. Finally got this one down.

30. Refrain syllables : TRA LA. Deja vu.

31. Longest river in Spain : EBRO

32. Husband-and-wife creators of Curious George : REYS. (♪ Jack Johnson did a great Curious George soundtrack.)

33. Houlihan portrayer on "M*A*S*H" : SWIT. Hot Lips Houlihan.

34. Vintner's prefix : OENO. Deja vu.

35. Sporty 1960s-'70s Plymouth : BARRACUDA (or Ann and Nancy Wilson's version)

39. Hanoi holidays : TETS.

40. Rock's __ Leppard : DEF. ♫♪♬ Gunter glieben glauchen globen ♫♪♬. My favorite Def Leppard tune is Photograph.

41. Encyc. units : VOLS. Volumes of Encyclopedias. So archaic now, everything's on CD or online.

42. "Time __ a premium" : IS AT

47. Summer cooler : ICE TEA

48. "Hi-__, Hi-Lo" : LILI Jimmy Durante's version.

49. Big name in small trains : LIONEL (♬ also Lionel Richie)

50. Svelte : TRIM

53. Gladiator's milieu : ARENA. (Musician's milieu, too.)

55. Frame : SET UP. Like Dr. Richard Kimball, in The Fugitive.

56. Recipe abbr. : TBSP. Tablespoon.

57. Airline to Ben Gurion : EL AL

59. Man, for one : ISLE. Isle of Man. Located in the Irish Sea, between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.

62. Palindromic diarist : NIN

63. Tiny guy: TIM. Herbert Buckingham Khaury (April 12, 1932 – November 30, 1996), better known by the stage name Tiny Tim, was an American singer, ukulele player, and musical archivist. He was most famous for his rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." He died in 1996, after suffering his second heart attack - on stage.

64. Bulg. neighbor : ROM. Bulgaria and Romania.

65. Versatile vehicle, for short : UTE. Short for Utility Vehicle.

Answer grid.

Melissa

70 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, Melissa Bee, C.C. and gang - always a treat getting a Dan Naddor puzzle, but this one went too quickly. I must be on a real roll this week, because this was yet another sub-five-minute puzzle. Very surprising, because I'm really beat, but there were a lot of familiar clues/answers.

'Let me' point out the highlight of this one for me: As I was going across the bottom, my answer for 70A was 'Let me'; guess what that gave me for 63D, 'Tiny guy'? I personally loved the answer, but alas, it wasn't right. 'Mr. Potato Head maker' was a gimme, since we sell pro team versions of them. My one unknown, which the perps quickly took care of, was 'Husband-and-wife creators of Curious George'.

I always like seeing references to 60s-era muscle cars, and the Barracuda certainly fits that category, especially the AAR version with the 426/425 hemi engine. Someday I will again own one of the cars of my youth.

Melissa Bee, great job with the blog/links. I'll bite - where's that secret panel you linked? And yes, I remember the 'steamy' reference. I liked the Loretta Swit clip, but my favorite is still the broadcasting of her, uh, tryst with Frank Burns over the camp's loudspeakers and the resulting conversations.
Lemonade, I just saw that you guys are getting another cold front the day I get there; what's up with that?

Today is National Date Nut Bread Day. For the life of me, I don't know why would anyone would date nut bread.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Very smooth puzzle today. The only hitch came at the very end due to a hidden typo that kept me from getting the "tada!" Took me two minutes to find it...

And, Dennis -- I've dated a few fruitcakes in my time, so I don't see what's so odd about dating nut bread... ^_^

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Melissa Bee and Friends. Great to see another Dan Naddor puzzle. This one didn't disappoint. You are lucky MB to be able to give such a creative twist to this puzzle. I loved your links.

Margret and H.A. REY were an interesting couple. They lived for years in Cambridge, MA.

Minor correction: Silas Marner was written by George Eliot, not T.S. Eliot. But you knew that, you were just pulling our legs.

Stay dry, my California friends. I hope you are all safe from the rains.

QOD: You can become a winner only if you are willing to walk over the edge. ~ Damon Runyon

Anonymous said...

Just guessing..but the secret panel looks like it may be the entrance to where Anne Frank hid.

fermatprime said...

Good morning cruciverbalists!

Great write up MB! Fun puzzle. Hands up for LET ME! Darn. Took longer than usual finding the error. Liked the reference to Clue. We seem to have a lot of MARNER lately.

Just a quick note to inform you of nothing very important! To everybody's displeasure, I finally visited the beauty parlor. Long haul (2 hours), many problems with panicky hairdresser. Was really difficult changing chairs. Long story.

After awhile insomnia throws in the towel. I ended up sleeping with the TV and lights on, propped up at the MacBook Pro, in all my uncomfortable clothes. Woke up after an hour, ignored situation and slept another hour. That was two hours ago. Time to have another go at sleeping, as soon as I read a little in the current mystery book, by JOSEPHINE TEY. It is excellent reading. What a shame that she did not live very long.

Weather has been AWFUL. Big storm due today. Everything is quite drenched and branches are down everywhere.

Happy hump day!

John Lampkin said...

Hi all,
I just now got to Sunday's puzzle and saw that Don Gagliardo gave me a very generous shout. It must have seemed rude that I didn't acknowledge at the time, but I was out chasing owls and eagles for the annual Christmas Bird Count and then there was that amazing eclipse thing.

So, a belated thank you to Don for his tip of the hat. Whatever input I had was dwarfed by his own inspired craftsmanship. Congratulations Don, for an entertaining idea, well executed!

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Melissa, enjoyed the blog and especially the clip from Mash. I'd like to see TNT start showing Mash reruns. I've seen all the Law & Order episodes at least twice.

This was a fun puzzle with a minor slow down in the Northeast. Initially entered pep up instead of amp up. Took a few minutes to unscramble my error. Whenever I see Dies ...., I think of hard, but after doing puzzles for so long now, Irae wins out.... usually.

Favorite clue was canal zone/ears. PABA BTen was an unknown, but perps took care of it.

Until I started participating on this blog, I never paid attention to the constructors, but I must admit Naddor puzzles are a cut above the rest. I'm sorry his offerings will soon end.

Okay, the UConn ladies did it. Now it's time to move on, get ready for the conference schedule and the March tournament.

I wish you West coast folks the best. Stay dry, stay warm, and stay safe.

Tinbeni said...

Melissa Bee, Your write-up was as much FUN as this WONDERFUL Dan Naddor, Christmas week puzzle.

First off, I was solving while wearing my Grinch
T-Shirt. Thanks for the link.

Then we get Durante singing Hi LILI, Hi Lo.
Thank you again!

Any puzzle that starts off, going down, with HIGHS, my favorite past-time, gets a WOW from me.

Realy liked the PANEL theme. Anne Franks secret one IS probably the most famous one.

Only write-over, I put in "UP AND" at'em! (Mom's refrain to get us out of bed) before the perps LEMME at'em.

Can't remember if we ever had "PLAN A" as an answer before.
Seems to me it always is that inferior Plan B.

Dennis, don't knock dating a Nut Bread until you've tried it.
BTW, I forgot to tell you to have a great trip South on the Auto-Train on Christmas.
It is my preferred way to "drive" North/South visiting NY.

Also, we are getting another front on Christmas ... but it should be perfect by Monday. (that's if you think Sunny in the 60's is perfect).

A very special Christmas Toast to all at Sunset.

Dick said...

Good morning Melissa and all, a swift moving puzzle this morning. Only a couple of places slowed me down and the snags were resolved with the perps. I liked the theme and the unifier. I got the unifier first so it made filling the theme answers easy.

I entered fat for 33A, but Loretta Swit took care of that error very quickly. I also had prim for 50D in lieu of trim and never realized that until I got here. To me tortilla flap looked ok and I really did not know the answer to the clue. I also had male for 59D, but eloi took care of that one.

I quickly recognized the secret panel as that of Anne Frank’s house. I took that tour once and it was a very moving experience.

Longest river in Spain Ebro, remembered from yesterday.

It might get over freezing here today for the first time in over a week.

Hope you all have a great Wednesday.

Dennis said...

thehondohurricane, I agree -- I'm always up for MASH reruns. I always see something I hadn't noticed before.

Tinbeni, thanks for the good wishes for the trip; as you're well aware, the AutoTrain actually becomes part of the vacation, and I swear by it. They just sent us a certificate acknowledging our 25th round trip. And as to your weather update, unfortunately the front hits the Boca area Sunday and it's not supposed to get out of the 50s for several days. Yes, it's better than the 20s wind-chill temps here, but damn, it is south Florida. At least we're getting out of here a day before the snowstorm.

Mainiac said...

Good Morning Melissa Bee, CC and All,

What a great puzzle. Worked through it having to erase here and there, some I shouldn't have. Erased Mesh once and Tets twice because I was trying to fit Wind something or other in for 38A. I also had Fat instead of Sob and ATV instead of Ute. Just had my ATV serviced. Ready for ice fishing season!

Great write up Melissa! Very musical, especially liked Gary Hoey. I'm playing it again!

Now they've changed the forecast.....again. 2-5 inches this afternoon and tonight. Hopefully I'll get to see my oldest wrestle.

Happy Hump Day!

MH said...

Good Wed puzzle. Right level of difficulty. Didn't notice it was a Naddor until I came here. Didn't seem quite as clever as many of his puzzles. Didn't know RUR, REYS, PALP, LILI, but I got them from perps. Lots of nostalgia in here: BARRACUDA, PLAYSKOOL, SWIT, TORTILLA FLAT, etc.

Nice job on the blog MB. I liked your links.

Today I'm going to San Francisco for the day to interview for a new job. If I get the job I'll tell everyone about it.

Husker Gary said...

Good Morning Melissa and fellow humpers! Cold and gray on the plains but a fun puzzle to start the day! Wonderful links today, MB.

Musings
-Spelling TORTILLA was as hard for me as PYRRHIC was yesterday – more caffeine please
-A semi-literate like me took a while to see DIES as a Latin noun and not an English Verb. What a beautiful choral link, Melissa
-Palp new to me too
-I’m afraid encyclopedias have gone the way of the buggy whip. I could always spell It because of Encyclopedia
-TOT for Tiny Guy was a hindrance
-Anne Frank immediately leapt to my feeble mind for secret panel
-The memory of Kate Winslett in the car and sans clothing posing for the drawing in Titanic made me a little STEAMY today. Winter get thee behind me!
-SLAM for SLUR
-ERIE canal? Nope, auditory.
-I don’t think of a SIEGE as an attack but rather like Vicksburg where the North starved the city by allowing nothing in or out for months
-ICED/ICE tea?

Abejo said...

I enjoyed today's puzzle. I enjoy most every day's puzzle. Nice comments, Melissa. I worked this one on the bus going to work. I did not quite finish it on the bus but got it at work early. I had no idea what ADOUT was, but the crosswords took care of that. I did not know the HIDEO pitcher but SHO gave it to me. For eternity I had LETME at the bottom, but then I wised up and entered LEMME. I had a hangup with 18D as far as the clue. "Bygone Mideast Despot" The term "Despot" gives a negative impression as in "Tyrant", at least it does to me. The SHAH of Iran was the absolute ruler of his country but he was head and shoulders over the gang that is there now. His goals were for the betterment of his country and bringing the population into the twentieth century. Perhaps "Bygone Mideast Ruler" would have worked as well. Anyhow, my two cents. Fun puzzle with some head-scratching.

Answers to some comments. To "Anonymous": Yes, farengi means foreign in Farsi. Goja is fruit. Therefore Gojafarengi means foreign fruit, which is what they call the tomato. The tomato is not indigenous to Iran. Therefore Abegojafarengi means tomato juice. It is interesting that arabic and farsi use many of the same names. Thanks for your comments.

To "Jeannie": The Suds of my choice are "Yuengling Traditional Lager" from Pennsylvania, of which I being back several cases when I travel to Pennsylvania, "Samuel Adams Boston Lager" and "Samuel Adams Black Lager." "Leinenkugel Red" from Wisconsin, which we can get in Chicago. As far as my profession, I worked in telephony for 36 years, retiring nine years ago. Now I work for a charity, which will end next summer.

To "Lemonade714": Regarding Craft Beer, I used to be a home-brewer when I lived in California. I got in on the ground floor of that, about 1982. It was fun. I just ran out of time. I would like to start that again, however.

To "Creature": Thank You!

So, thank you Dan Naddor for a great puzzle. I am looking forward to Thursday. Abejo

kazie said...

What a great Naddor--just right for Wednesday, and so few names!

Melissa,
You know a lot more music than I do--I never would have seen all those musical references. Loved the MASH nostalgia.

I didn't know ASCII, REYS or HIDEO, but perps helped and the rest flowed like the VOLGA.

I think it's Ann Frank's hideout too. I went through there as well, but by that time I was so hardened by having seen Dachau and other reminders of the Holocaust, that what moved me most was wondering what it must have been like to survive all that time under each other's feet and with no chance to get out and experience what normal teenagers do. Also wondered about the window and why no neighbors thought about the extra space up there for so long. Many must have been complicit in keeping them hidden.

Splynter said...

Hi All ~~!

My guess would have been for the Anne Frank house, too.

The puzzle was OK - not a terribly "gripping" theme from Dan, but I did like the Canals? clue.

Had REV UP for AMP UP: also UP AND for "at 'em", as well, Tinbeni.

Ugh, ICE TEA again.

Didn't have a BARRACUDA, I had a '69 Cougar - still want one today.

Splynter

Grumpy 1 said...

Good morning MB, CC and fellow Naddor fans. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Dan at the Wednesday level, knowing his penchant for misdirection and puns. But then, misdirection can sometimes be doing the obvious when something obscure is expected. I nailed GOES OVER THE WALL, but really wanted some sort of link to the game 'Clue' instead of the obvious BLUNT INSTRUMENT.

Like Tinbeni, I had UP AND instead of LEMME. I can still hear my dad's voice yelling from the bottom of the stairs "OK, kids, up and at 'em!"

A year ago, when I first started doing crosswords, this one would have been pretty tough. Today there were several entries (UGLI, IRAE, EBRO, OENO, e.g.) that have been seen often or so recent that they were easy fills.

Thanks, Dan, for a fun hump day puzzle and to MB for your write up.

HeartRx said...

Good Morning Melissa Bee, C.C. et al.

What a fun treat for Hump Day. MB, your write-up was outstanding, and I loved all the musical tie-ins.

New to me today - PALP and AD OUT. Thanks for the detailed explanation of the tennis reference. I never could understand how they scored that game, but maybe I'll retain this one. The only other score I know is "love" -- and that one, only from x-word puzzles!

I didn't fall into the "let me" trap on 70A, because the clue had ['em] in it, so it had to be a slang-y phrase. A quick check of the downs gave me the LEMME.

Today we have to go to the big box store to get supplies for the holidays. UGH - I would prefer to hunker down on the couch until after New Year's. But one does need to eat.

Maybe I'll try to "Pick Up" some Nut Bread, Dennis. Does that constitute "dating"?.

Husker Gary said...

My how our little cadre is growing! We have now added a lovely voice from Persia to join those of us from all parts of the U.S. and Australia! That is compounded by all the travels by our educated troop!

What a great take on the Shah and past and present efforts to take that part of world into modern times.One question, Abejo, where are you going on that bus everyday?

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. MB nice intro blogging. Hands up for Mash reruns, especially the earlier ones including the Frank Burns years.

Dan, we hardly knew ye. Thanks for one more interaction with your talent, and as always, it was fun to do. Perhaps the last one, Rich?

Pretty much a straightforward solve. Got most of the bottom half before the top began to shake out. NEU u. HERR were gimmes. I liked the clue for AD OUT. Europe's longest river, 5 ltrs, had to be either Rhine or VOLGA; not Danube, (although in German Donau is 5 ltrs. Danau is also found in English dictionaries as an alternate to Danube.)

California bloggers, keep your powder dry. Hope you don't have significant problems from all the rain and stormy weather.

Enjoy the day.

Argyle said...

Signature Dan: Three grid spanners with two fills going through three entries each. Wow!

Thank you, Abejoe. My favorite farengi/Ferengi is Quark.

Then I'll add a picture of a modified Hemi-cuda, mostly for the number. Racer.

carol said...

Hi everyone...it's a good Wednesday when we have a Naddor puzzle and blogging by Melissa Bee :)

Loved this puzzle, and even if I goofed in places, all turned out well.

I know next to nothing about tennis so AD OUT was difficult to solve, especially since I didn't know 20A either. The perps came to my rescue and I no V-8 cans were dented either.

Melissa - I opened the picture you posted by 23A but it was not clear to me what it was....since the clue/answer were 'TORRID/STEAMY', my curiosity is piqued. Help!

Loved CANAL ZONES :)

Date Nut Bread Day...hey, gotta love the name. Could meet up with a 'blondie'. That date could end up doing a 'cinnamon roll' from which they would be 'pineapple upside-down', wallow in whipped cream and get their 'cookies'.

Spitzboov said...

Forgot to mention.

Kazie: BH baked 9 loaves of Stollen yesterday using a recipe from James Beard's cookbook; délicieuse!. A little more yeasty than but not as rich or spicy as found in the grocery stores like Aldi's.

Abejo said...

To "Husker Gary": I ride to Schaumburg, IL each day for work. Abejo

melissa bee said...

good morning all ...

thanks hahtool - right you are. maybe i should read it, then i wouldn't forget.

yes, the secret panel pic is the entrance to the secret annex at 263 prinsengracht. i'm a bit of an anne frank freak - have every book ever written by, or about her and the hiding place. even have miep gies's autograph. someday i'll see the annex. until then, there's this.

kazie, you're right - in fact in the documentary 'anne frank remembered,' (highly recommended), it was explained that often if people noticed anything suspect, it was just not spoken of. but of course, eventually someone did.

mainiac, gary hoey has at least 3 xmas albums, all highly recommended. also any of the 'merry axemas' series are fantastic.

here's another famous secret panel.

melissa bee said...

carol, the hand on the steamy car window is kate winslet's, from the scene in titanic.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Thanks for the excellent blogging Melissa. I really enjoy your links.

I'm with HeartrRx, the only fill I didn't know was AD OUT (I've never been a tennis player) and PALP.

I probably never would have gotten the theme without 54D PANEL. Thanks to Dan N.for the little extra kick start (or finish).

GAH and I made it to COSTCO and back by noon yesterday. We have the Executive (Ha, that's a laugh) membership, so we get in at 10AM rather than 11 AM. That's all we needed and with the help of our list,we were out of there is a little more than a half hour.

Today we are heading to Sonora to see True Grit". There isn't much to do with the steady drizzle, so a movie is entertainment of choice. We saw "The Fighter" last week. I really recommend that one. Both Mark Walberg and Christian Bale were terrific. I'll let you know if Jeff Bridges'"True Grit" measures up to the John Wayne version.

Carol, I know you're not a movie goer, but if you had seen "Titanic" you would have remembered an automobile with steamed up windows. There was some very streamy stuff going on inside, activated by Kate Winslett and Leo DiCaprio. (Ooops, I just saw Melissa covered that one.)

No date nut bread chez Clear Ayes. I don't care for dates, figs, raisins, candied fruit, citron or any of the fruitcakey ingredients (except for nuts)

Nice Cuppa said...

@Spitzboov

Thanks for your concern, but I always keep a good supply of 100° proof at hand to keep my powder dry on these damp Californian days.

@Husker Gary

I echo a warm welcome to Abejo. HG, you mentioned US and OZ, but there are several other nationalities in our community, including mine. I realize that your set was specifically those of "lovely voices" from around the world, so I fully understand my omission.

Perhaps a census/roll call of us "bloody foreigners", fair of voice, or not, and US citizens (by State of origin) would be interesting?

I will begin with some foreigners. Please speak up.

NC. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Kazie. Oz (the Ashes are warming up I see - next test starts Boxing Day)
Vidwan. India (haven't heard from you since our Punkawalla discourse)
Abejo. Iran (not Persia - better take a RealPolitik approach)
.......




NC

Nice Cuppa said...

....and CC, China, of course.


NC

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers - Not enough sleep, I suppose, 'cause Dan fooled me completely with ISLE of Man. Another hand up for LET ME at 'em, that was a traffic jam for a bit, along with tiny TOT.

Enjoyed your comments and links, M.B.! I hope you do get to visit the Annex in Amsterdam. Like so many European WWII memorials, it's moving.


Earlier this year I was surprised to read that Audrey Hepburn had similar WWII experiences, having lived in the Netherlands and suffered near-starvation. Malnutrition as a youngster reportedly contributed to lifelong health trouble and an early death.

Happy Hump Day, all.

Anonymous said...

Wrong Eliot

Mary Anne (Mary Ann, Marian) Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880), better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She is the author of seven novels, including The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871–72), and Daniel Deronda (1876), most of them set in provincial England and well known for their realism and psychological insight.

carol said...

Melissa: thanks for the explanation - the picture was just not clear enough for me to make out (snort) what I was looking at.

CA: believe it or not I DID see Titanic...and loved it! If I had been able to tell what the above picture was, I would have known. We did not see it in the theater, but we have a big screen TV so watch it on that. We now have subscribed to NetFlix, and can get some movies instantly through our Wii. We were given a 30 day free trial and we really like it. We are great candidates for it too since we have not seen most of the films out there.
(we are also easily amused) ;)

Anonymous said...

I was thinking of this Tiny Tim - Tiny Tim whose real name "Timothy Cratchit" is a fictional character in the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He is a son of Bob Cratchit.

Lucina said...

Good day, Mellisa, C.C. and cyber friends.

Yowza! I may get muscle strain patting myself on the back for doing this as a speed run. A Naddor!

It was fast and clever. PALP gave me a pause, but it seemed right and the blog confirmed it.

I entered HUGH as HUGO at first then saw that SHAW had to fit so that was quickly changed. Other than that, it was smooth sailing right through it and the theme brought a smile. At first I thought it might have something to do with the game, Clue.

I knew someone would point out the author of Silas Marner and you did, Hahtool.

Now I must be off to the gym. My dear Californians, do stay warm, dry and safe.

Have a wonderful Wednesday all.

Anonymous said...

Dudley: regarding Audrey Hepburn - a beautiful, and talented actress.

But ( vis-a-vis Anne Frank -- ) since Audrey was not jewish, but British/Irish and Belgian ( nobility - ), her 'sad' story of the sufferings during the WWII, were of a slightly lower level. (respectfully meant.)

Jews, gypsies (Sinti, Rom ) and certain other 'peoples', including slavs, poles and mentally retarded - were in a different category altogether - their persecution was horrendously worse.

BTW, No reflection on Miss Hepburn,

(AND not to detract from her humanitarian efforts for UNICEF etc . -- )

--- but there are credible accounts that her father, an Irish banker, was a Nazi sympthzer. and both her parents were members of the British fascist party. See her biography, on Wiki for more details.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Abejo, that describing the Shah of Iran as a 'despot' is too much of a strech. He was 'very mild' compared to the regime that followed ... !

He was King, and pretty much a dictator - but he should not be clubbed with Idi Amin et al.

kazie said...

NC,
Well said, but unfortunately, I've always found cricket to be more boring than watching paint dry.

An interesting question to add to yours would be how many ex-patriots are now US citizens and how long they waited to do it. For me it took 30 years, because the Oz government did not permit dual citizenship until then (2003-04).

On the question of sport, the only one that I ever got any instruction in was tennis, so I did get AD OUT easily. The other sport that I ever got serious about was squash, which is totally unknown where I am now. Racquetball seems to be preferred here. if I tried either of the latter at this stage of life, I would probably have a heart attack!

Robin said...

Mmmmm I loved those cake sprinkles yesterday and Dan Naddors puzzle today.

Thank you Melissa for all the fun links and steamy references...... and how can I make the musical symbol on a mac keyboard?

ummmmm I don't date nuts.....

Have a happy

Jerome said...

Great clue- Canal zones for EARS.

Most accurate clue- Bygone Mideast tyrant for SHAH.

Nice Puzzle, Duck!

Husker Gary said...

NC et al, Dang! C.C. was on my mind when I made my initial post of our growing international flavor but my short term memory gave out! We have benefited from her Asian perspective many times!

I did not know you were from the UK and I hope you are not trying to return there with the weather they are having.

I know full well that Persia is no longer on the map and is part of Iran but Persia rolls off the tongue so much more agreeably. I think there are those in that country that think of themselves with non-Iranian labels just like my Tuscan friend in Italy! Florentine first, Tuscan second, Italian third. Fremonter, Nebraskan, Mid-Western, American?

Ali Hakim in the musical Oklahoma (to continue one of yesterday's theme) was famous for his Persian Hello.

Thanks for the gentle reminder, NC!

Dudley said...

Ummm...Duck?

Abejo said...

To "Nice Cuppa": Just to clarify, I am a bonefide, born and bred, US citizen. I just happen to have lived in Iran for three years. As mentioned earlier, I use the name Abejo, which is Farsi for "Beer" (Ab=water Jo=barley Abejo=water of barley or beer). I enjoy a few glasses of beer now and then, more now than then. Thanks for your interest in all of our nationalities. Abejo

Jeannie said...

True to form, I had to hit the g-spot while solving a Dan Nador puzzle…sigh...I had no clue about the Steinbeck novel “Tortilla Flat”. I skipped ahead to find the unifier clue and once I got “panel” it helped me immensely to figure out the other theme clues. Hideo and palp were gotten via the perps. (A labial palp sounds painful ). I don’t understand “Is down with” – has. If it’s not slang what does it mean? I once owned a 1969 Barracuda that had a “three on the tree”. I knew how to drive a stick shift but had never shifted on the “tree” before, so that was a learning experience. Not much more to comment on the puzzle. Great write up Melissabee. I can’t wait to go home so I can open some of your links.

Carol, you are in rare form today.

Abejo, thanks for sharing some more of your personal information.

Nicecuppa, this gal is from the good old U.S.A.

Fermatprime, good to see you back. I am glad you got to go “beautify” yourself!

Dennis, have a great trip. You deserve to spend some of that hard earned money!

kazie said...

Spitzboov,
We get Stollen from Germany, brought by our son and d-i-l. I bake and send back with them my boiled fruit cake (Oz recipe). The Stollen comes in two varieties from the bakery they go to: Mandeln or Obst. I like both, but find the fruit one a bit more moist. That is also why I like the fruit cake I make. Here's the recipe:
BOILED FRUITCAKE (CHRISTMAS CAKE) (Not what Americans think of as “fruit cake”)

5 OZ. BUTTER
1 CUP WATER
1 CUP SUGAR
1 TSP. CINNAMON
½ TSP GROUND GINGER
½ TSP GROUND NUTMEG
1 LB MIXED FRUIT (RAISINS, SULTANAS (= golden raisins), CHOPPED APRICOTS, CITRON, or DATES)
4 OZ. PRUNES (STONED & CHOPPED)
2 EGGS
2 TSP. BAKING SODA
2 OZ GLACÉ CHERRIES, CHOPPED
2 OZ CHOPPED WALNUTS (optional)
2 ¼ CUPS FLOUR

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or wait until pouring it in the pan).
2. Put in a large saucepan the butter, water, sugar, spices, fruit and prunes, bring to a boil, simmer 3 minutes, then allow to cool.
3. Beat eggs well, stir in baking soda, and add to fruit. Add cherries, walnuts and sifted flour (I never bother sifting, just fluff it a bit). Mix thoroughly.
4. Turn it all into a generously greased spring form pan (9” diameter). Decorate the top with blanched almonds, additional cherries, walnuts etc.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for ½ an hour, then reduce to 300 and continue baking about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours more or until a skewer comes out clean and the center has risen.
6. Remove from oven and immediately pour at least 2 Tbsp. each of rum and/or brandy all over it, (while inhaling deeply!)
7. Allow to cool thoroughly; then it may be stored several weeks if sealed carefully. The flavors definitely improve with time. I make it for Christmas if possible during November.

Unknown said...

Sorry to be a spoilsport, but according to Wikipedia, the Tagus/Tajo, not the Ebro, is the longest river in Spain. The Ebro carries more water, and its drainage is wholly within Spain, whereas the Tagus also flows through Portugal, so I guess the Ebro wins the "longest" designation on a technicality.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. I loved the puzzle today, and would categorize it right up there at the top of quality and solving satisfaction.

Melissa bee, thank you again for your interesting blogging and links.

Thanks to those of you who wished us Californians dryness. So far, we have not had any power outages or trees falling on us. Dang, I just jinxed us! Now we're surely going to have a power outa

Spitzboov said...

Kazie, thanks for the info on stollen and the Boiled Fruitcake recipe.

This upcoming Christmas Day will be the 60th anniversary of the daunting human rescue of 14000 people by the SS Meredith Victory during the Korean War in 1950. If you have the time you might like to read about it at this link. Since I first learned about it a few years back, I am overcome by a feeling of awe and wonderment every time I think of it.

carol said...

Jeannie: 'Is down with/Has' means someone has 'come down with a cold'..or he is down with the flu. Substiture down for has: he has the flu.

Bill G. said...

Hi everybody. It looks as if we're starting to dry out from the rain. I won't have to turn the lawn sprinklers back on for a week or more.

For the Steinbeck novel set in Monterey, was I the only one who wanted "Cannery Row"?

Jeannie, I think "down with" means "has" when it's used like, "Are you coming down with the flu?"

Milwaukee certainly embarrassed the lackluster Lakers last night. Some of the Laker players made a little holiday video by singing lines of Jingle Bells. It's amazing how few of them can carry a tune or are anywhere near on pitch with the accompanying music. Has teaching kids a little bit about how to sing been abandoned?

kazie said...

I'm sorry, but I just realized I may have posted the fruit cake recipe before, when I noticed the "stoned and chopped prunes." Aussie lingo for "pitted" is "stoned" as in removing the stones. I think I got ribbed for saying "stoned" last time, but I think of pits as something smaller, like cherry pits.

carol said...

Kazie: maybe we could hook up the stoned prunes with the nut bread...stoned nuts sort of sound painful though :)

Seldom Seen said...

Dennis: Your answer for 63d crossed well with BLUNTINSTRUMENT as I have been "floored" by them on occasion.

Lemonade714 said...

Melissa Bee and Dan Naddor, what a great midweek combo; as can be deduced by the itme of this post, still trying to get things done before the holiday, and still in 1st gear as the healing is slooow.

AB, thanks for all the detail, I had close friends who lived in McHenry and Schaumberg.

Robin, your new avatar is even more creative than than your cooking; too bad about the nutist comments (race-racist etc.) as it excludes some fine people. I still check my mail daily for my cookies.

Bill G., yes, public school limited funding has slowly eroded all of the exposure to arts, singing, drawing etc., and now they are eliminating libraries.

JL, we all know that you live three or four lives, so when you dispappear, we do not wonder. It makes the whole process seem even more personal to know you and the hard G are close.

The Anne Frank stuff still saddens me.

DESPOT has at least two meanings,a : a ruler with absolute power and authority b : a person exercising power tyrannically. The negative implication may not have been intended, but his power was absolute.

Dennis, it will fine, I promise to have it warm up, or at least have plenty of liquor on hand so it will seem warm.

Speaking of warm, my thought of steamy was this MOVIE . I was just watching Titanic the other night, and was impressed how well it was done.

Jeannie, you out from under the snow? I hear you got 8 feet coming your way. Maybe two cows?

Rob said...

Great puzzle and a great write up.
Liked the "Clue" clue as that is still a favorite board game. I really liked the Peke squeak clue.
Volga is also a Russian car and a UTE in Australia is like an El Camino or Ranchero and is still made.
I am stuffed today after going to lunch at Salt Grass Steak House with a vendor.
Good day to everyone!

Anonymous said...

@Jeannie...LMAO at your comment about a "labial palp" being painful. Too funny.

Jerome said...

Dudley- Dan's pals called him Duck. Whenever he had a puzzle published I'd call him and say, "Nice/Great puzzle, Duck!" Just carryin' on the tradition.

eddyB said...

Hi all.

I had trouble with breaker as a stand alone theme ans. Always call it the circuit breaker panel.

Broke down and bought a two pound loaf of Stollen from the store instead of doing one from scratch.

Last rain today untill Sat when the next big one comes.

Take care.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Sweet puzzle from Dan today. Never would have gotten the theme without the unifier.

Mellisa - you always do a fine job, Today was especially delightful.

A despot is simply an absolute ruler. The Shah qualifies.

The MASH link is no longer active at YouTube. Snooze and you lose, I guess.

I didn't get "down with," either, until it was explained here. I was down with a headache, so I'll go with that excuse.

If a labial palp is painful, it's not being done right.

Jerome - thanks for the info on Dan. Would one of his easy puzzles be Duck soup?

Would a Peke squeak on the radio be a YIP from an A.M PUP? Only the morning, I suppose.

After yesterday's LOVER'S LANE DEEP FREEZE, today we have a STEAMY HOT TUB HEARTBREAKER.

Since he retired, there'll be No mo' Nomo no hitters. Sorry. That was HIDEO'S.

IMBO. Cheers and TRA LA!
JzB who plays a BLUNT INSTRUMENT

Grumpy 1 said...

@ eddyB, from my years as a licensed electrician and in building maintenance, I can say that the term 'breaker panel' is almost universally used without preceding it with 'circuit'. It's one of those terms where the missing word is understood by almost everyone that needs to use the term.

Before the breaker panel, there was the 'fuse box'. I never heard those referred to as the 'circuit fuse box' although that would be the correct term.

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, Such a super Wednesday with a Dan Naddor puzzle and Melissa Bee Blogging. I'm still listening to Mozart as there were other links besides the one Melissa gave. Thanks, It's lovely.

I especially enjoyed the theme today. But unknowns, Ascii, Reys, and Playskool kept me erasing for a while before I finally filled everything in.

My favorites today were Canal Zones?/Ears, and Peke Squeak/Yip.

Tortilla Flat and Canery Row both took place in Monterey. I had Swit in so knew it couldn't be Cannery Row.

Our University library has a Steinbeck room. Docents are available for tours of our Public/University combination library and is well worth the time. If you are lucky, a librarian will be present in the different collections areas and you get a special insight into Steinbeck, or Beethoven for example.

We actually saw the sun for a time this morning, but it is cold and grey again. However, it isn't supposed to rain again until Christmas day. Bah humbug!

Clear Ayes said...

Carol, good idea to subscribe to Netflix. That way you can see the movies you'd really like to see.

GAH and I saw the new "True Grit" today. It was good, and follows the book more faithfully, but I couldn't help but compare it to the 1969 John Wayne movie version. This iconic scene is virtually the same in both movies, but Jeff Bridges pales in comparison to John Wayne, who will,in my opinion, always own the movie.

Chickie...LOL, it wasn't supposed to rain today either, but we're a few miles east of you and it's been going on since early this morning. We don't expect a break until after Christmas.

If any of you get the opportunity to visit the Steinbeck Center in Salinas, you won't be sorry. I know some of you have already been there and you know it is a wonderful museum.

We have had references to Silas Marner two days in a row. Surprise folks, George Eliot was a poet too. She wrote the following

Mid My Gold-Brown Curls

'Mid my gold-brown curls
There twined a silver hair:
I plucked it idly out
And scarcely knew 'twas there.
Coiled in my velvet sleeve it lay
And like a serpent hissed:
"Me thou canst pluck & fling away,
One hair is lightly missed;
But how on that near day
When all the wintry army muster in array?"

- George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

dodo said...

Hi, MB and co.,

Great blogging, MB, and I do love your links!

This was an enjoyable offering and not too much of a "hump" to climb over! It went very smoothly for me. 'Palp'was an unknown and I didn't much like the pix: a bug is a bug! It filled nicely though and with 'ugli' next to it, who would not catch that the 'ga' ending had to be Volga! Lots of friendly perps today, too.

No holiday baking for me this year! I still have some red, green, and yellow cookie dough frozen from last years cookie baking, but my heart just isn't in
it. I'm just about finishing off my annual allotment of Panettone! Ymmmmm. I was never a candied fruit eater until I discovered this fabulous cake!

But I'm not yelling "Bah humbug!"
I still have Merry Christmas greetings for all of you! I know there will be lots of joy everywhere!

creature said...

Good Evening C.C.,MB and all,

Left home at 8 and finally ended my day. Worked the puzzle before I left. It was fun and you all covered a lot. I was on the same wave lenghth today.


Loved the theme and MB's write-up was spectacular. I keep going back.
Really love the way your mind works,MB.

The posts are pretty varied and interesting; as much so as the super group we have here. I love the expansion of the posters. Thank you for removing the jinx of no puzzles for a while, CA. Its great to have you back.

I'll try nto catch up more in the a.m.- I'm beat.

Have a nice day everyone.

Bill G. said...

CA, I enjoyed the poem. Thanks. I haven't seen the new "True Grit" yet but I agree I will be missing John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn. I found "The Magnificent Seven" on cable and am about halfway through rewatching it.

I was driving my 93 Camry in the rain to the gym to work out this afternoon. I was impressed at how well-behaved it is in the rain. Since I've had old cars like the '65 VW, an '82 vanagon camper and the '55 MG, I have often had to deal with a car with none of the modern conveniences most of you are used to. I still marvel at the Camry's very effective windshield wipers and heater/defroster (including the rear window defogger). Now, I can't imagine a car without remotely adjustable side mirrors. What a convenience!

creature said...

CA, I meant Jinx of no poems, not puzzles

JD said...

Good evening C.C., Melissa et al,

Not a lot to say. So many "knowns" that took awhile; needed perps to jog memory. Loved it. Loved your write up and links, Melissa, esp the Anne Frank house. We were able to visit there a few yrs ago and I found it very hard to be there. Couldn't help but think of how they were feeling during those days of seclusion.

neu/alt,palp and Rur (maybe not) were new for me.

Carol, I agree; a hard case of stoned nuts could lead to soft wrinkled prunes.Beware.....
and I can't even imagine having a labian palp!

Jeannie said...

Labial palps just jumped into my head meaning "labia pallops (sp). So ouch.

Rob, I see you too are being treated by your vendors this time of year. What kind of construction materials do you procure?

My favorite counselor, believe it or not it got to 32 degrees here today so I think we might have lost a "hoof".

SCORE! I think on my favorite number.

eddyB said...

Hi.
Just finished tomorrow's.

@Grumpy 1. Won't argue too loud and hard. My BSEE is almost 45 yo.
It just looked strange to me.
Remember the fuse box (panel) and putting a penny behind the fuse.
Wonder that the house didn't burn down.

Take care.

Jeannie said...

Husker Gary, it appears you left 3 posts for me to "banter" with you tonight.

Problem...I must be up bright and early to go walk the Burger King aisles in our warehouse assisting in year-end inventory. Tomorrow night I am heading to Michigan to spend time with "Nick and Thelma" (see pic in blog archives) and my siblings and their offspring. I have a hankerin' to spread some Jeannie hugs and kisses, BS, cook with Mom and maybe play a game or two/three of cribbage with her in between. I am also thinking of playing a game or two of Clue with the sibs. It used to be the game we played while waiting to wake the folks up Christmas morning. Good memories!!

If I don't "talk" with any of you before then...make the most of your time with your loved ones during this holiday season!

Here's a special one for you C.C., I have "met" some of the nicest people here since almost the start of your blog and consider a lot of them my friends. You have a special gift. May you and Boomer enjoy a very happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!!

WikWak said...

Loved EAR CANAL.
Hated ICE TEA. Drives me nuts every time I see it written this way!