Theme: After our discussion on themes yesterday, and despite other temptations, Eye-yi-yi, I'll just go with the unifier, EYE OPENER. For the asterisked clues, the first word of a common two-word answer can precede the word "EYE," yielding a totally different type of two-word phrase. Lots of times these are RIB TICKLERS, but today they're pretty straight forward.
17A. *Unquestioning devotion : BLIND FAITH. Belief in something, in the absence of evidence, or even disregarding contrary evidence. Don't get me started. BLIND EYE: What the devotee turns to the imperfections of the object of his devotion.
63A. *Knee-slapper : RIB TICKLER. An amusing joke or story that gets your ribs moving with a series of tee-hees. RIB EYE: A boneless, well-marbled steak, cut from the top of a standing rib roast. Cf. 23 D!
10D. *Pitchers and tumblers : GLASS WARE. The clue defines them very well. Vessels made of glass, suitable for transporting libations to and from the table, and thence to the lips. GLASS EYE. A non-functional ocular prosthesis: an artificial EYE made of GLASS, the best material for this application. Sammy Davis Jr. had one. Since I'm an EYE GLASS WEARER, I was tempted to go with the childhood taunt "FOUR EYES" for the theme, but, alas, "EYE" only shows up once - in the unifier.
34D. *Like treatment for visiting dignitaries : RED CARPET. It is literally rolled out for heads of state, and at gala celebrity events. Less formally, it indicates giving someone an unusually high level of hospitality. RED EYE: An overnight flight from point A to point B, implying discomfort and lack of sleep, hence the RED EYES. Probably not the usual means of transportation for someone about to walk the RED CARPET.
And, of course, the unifier, 38 A. A 5- or 40-Down ... or what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be : EYE OPENER. This has a few different meanings. The first is a startling revelation that gets one to see something in a new and unanticipated way. (Those with unquestioning devotion are immune.) The second is an alcoholic drink consumed early in the day, presumable to get one up and at 'em. Third, the stimulants in 5 and 40D. But, here, it also uses a common cross-word trope to cleverly indicate that the beginning of each theme answer can precede "EYE."
The below two entries are symmetrically & related to the theme:
5D. Joe's stimulant : CAFFEINE. A bitter tasting crystalline xanthine alkaloid which occurs in the beans, leaves, and fruits of some plants, notably coffee, aka JOE.
40D. Smoker's stimulant : NICOTINE. Another plant alkaloid, found in the nightshade family, and another clecho! It is what causes tobacco addiction.
Hi gang, It's JazzBumpa, with a tumbler of ginger ale at my elbow. Glenkinchie will come a little later. I don't recognize Gary Cee's byline. This puzzle was a lot of fun, and seemed pretty fresh to me, despite a few common entries. I've been anticipating AGLET for a long time, but don't recall seeing it in a puzzle before. The pinwheel theme answer arrangement is uncommon, as is placing the unifier in the center of the grid intersecting other theme answers.
Across:
1. Sound return : ECHO. I was thinking of investment returns. Now I have my eye open for clechoes!
5. Suspension bridge support : CABLE. Here is an example I get to drive across going to and from visiting my mother.
10. Obtain forcibly : GRAB
14. Miller, for one : BEER. I thought it would be a teller of a Canterbury Tale. But the miller was drunk, so it kind of fits.
15. Shoelace tip : AGLET. For some odd reason, I love this word. "Mom, they're tying the whole world together!"
16. Stubbs of the Four Tops : LEVI. News to me. But he might have just what you need.
19. Scored 100 on : ACED. Perfect!
20. Bozo : GOOF. Or a clown.
21. "When the smog clears in California, UCLA," e.g. : PUN. Sheesh. I read right through this and didn't get it.
22. Hitchcock title : SIR. Good night! I didn't know that. Nice misdirection for the director.
23. Dice-rolling game : YAHTZEE. I haven't played this game in years, and don't recall liking it very much.
26. The King or Prince : POP STAR. A royally clever clue. I think we had Jacko, the King of Pop not too long ago. Prince is the artist formerly known as "The artist Formerly known As Prince," which makes him the once and future Prince, I suppose. Never was a big fan of either. Feel free to provide links in comments.
29. Repugnant reaction : UGH. Not now. I just took a sip of the Glenkinchie!
30. Pound sounds : YIPS. Rhyme time for puppy noises.
32. Treatment plant input : SEWAGE. Now -- UGH!
33. Tie up, in a way : MOOR. I have no idea why this caused me a problem. Maybe our boaters can explain the origin if this word.
35. Home of Duke U. : N CAR. The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region of North Carolina, a beautiful part of the world with a lot of traffic. Note Abrv. n Cl. & Ans.
37. Looks bad, comparatively : PALES. Someone or something can PALE in comparison. But - no politics - moving right along . . .
41. Parisian daily, with "Le" : MONDE. Lucky guess. No idea where in Le Monde it came from.
44. Singer Amos : TORI. Never paid any attention to her. Here is a song for the season.
45. Latin 101 verb : ESSE. Stock fill.
49. Signs into law : ENACTS. Rumor has it that making law is like making sausage. If you won't ask, I won't tell.
51. Pool room supply : RACK. It's that triangle-shaped thingie that you put all the balls into, then take away so you can hit them.
53. Amigo : PAL. That's right friendly!
54. Reaches : ATTAINS. I always like it in those old westerns when the bad guy pulls out his gun and says, "Attain the sky."
56. Chesapeake Bay city : NORFOLK. Just across the James River is Hampton, where my step son Tom used to live. Now, home is in FLA, and he should be back there by Friday.
58. Televise : AIR. Hmmm. Don't they also AIR radio broadcasts? And 36D. Aired again : RERAN. Is it a clecho if the clue echoes an earlier answer, or just an inelegance?
59. Physicians' org. : AMA. The American Medical Association. Note Abrv.
61. Precisely : TO A "T." Sometimes it's just a "T" and sometimes it's a "TEE." Either way, the origin is disputed.
62. Fall : DROP. I always think of the stock market drop in the FALL of '29.
67. Green climber : VINE.
68. Title owner of a sitcom bookstore : ELLEN. Beats me. I haven't watched sit-coms in 30 years.
69. Homeland of the folk-singing Clancy Brothers : EIRE. Always need perp help to decide between EIRE and ERIN.
70. Two out of three, say : MOST. Is the GLASSWARE MOST full or MOST empty?
71. Teacher's directive : SEE ME. It means (s)he wants to talk. Hope it's something you want to hear.
72. Pringles-like Lay's product : STAX. I really cannot understand what justifies the existence of the Pringle, let alone a competitive product from a company that makes real chips.
Down
1. Flow back : EBB. Like the tide.
2. Place to see Bugs? : CEL. Gary got me here. A CEL is a transparent sheet that animation figures are drawn on. CEL is derived from celluloid, a plastic made from cellulose. Today, the CEL is a relic, due to CGI.
3. Dwarfs' song : HEIGH-HO. Spelling this was a guess. Disney stopped using CELS in 1990, but this was long before.
4. Self-contradictory afterthought : OR NOT. I'm never sure if I should say this, OR NOT.
6. Turkish authority : AGA. If you can't do it, the AGA KAHN.
7. Plane, in a control tower : BLIP. On a radar screen.
8. Relax : LET UP. Or ease up, stop applying so much pressure.
9. Cultural group : ETHNOS. Per the Free Dictionary, "people of the same race or nationality who share a distinctive culture."
11. Conservatory event : RECITAL. Typically a solo musical performance by a singer or instrumentalist.
12. Like Joe? : AVERAGE. He just an average Joe - but he's also a clecho!
13. Bridge action : BID. The action is an auction, and the players get to bid for the contract. Suits me!
18. Half asleep : DOZY. Pretty much the same thing as DROWSY.
23. "De-lish!" : YUM. RIB EYE, anyone?
24. Gone by: AGO. Long ago, in a galaxie far, far away . . .
25. Theme park acronym : EPCOT. Disney's "Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow." I can never remember that.
27. Toon Le Pew : PEPE. An amorous pole cat with an accent.
28. Hi-__ graphics : RES. For good pictures of THINGS!
31. Flavor : SAPOR. I think we've been disconcerted in the past by SAPID. This looks like the root of all SAPIDITY. SAPOR is the quality of a substance to produce flavor. A hungry insomniac might want a saporific soporific to get DOZY.
39. Bigfoot cousin : YETI. A very distant cousin, since bigfoot is from North America, and the Yeti lives in the Himalayas. Though sometimes he can be found in a CEL with Bugs.
41. "Give __ holler!" : ME A. Give me an "H" . . . That's not very good. My bad. I mean ME A CULPA.
42. Province bordering four Great Lakes : ONTARIO. One of the lakes has the same name. Which Great Lake does it not touch?
43. League of __ : NATIONS. "Distinguished gentlemen" wouldn't fit.
46. What a "Me and My Shadow" singer might be : SPOTLIT. In the lime light, so to speak. Here we have the star of yesterday's theme and the man with a glass eye.
47. Mineo in movies : SAL. He was a singer, too
48. Mountain lion prey : ELK. Pretty ambitious snack, if you ask me, but probably a lot of YUM!
50. Catches : SNARES. Or some drums.
52. Ray who said, "It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun" : KROC. Ray Kroc founded McDonald's. To him I say, "That's a crock!"
55. The parenthesis in :-) : SMILE. Your basic emoticon.
57. Counterfeits : FAKES. We call them ERSATZ.
60. Competent : ABLE. Having a useful skill. One of Adam's sons was competent. The other was ABEL.
62. Pet physician's deg. : DVM. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Note Abrvs. They do not belong to the AMA.
64. Pro __: for now : TEM. Like a committee, PRO TEM, usually set up for a single purpose and dissolved when the task is complete.
65. Pitcher's stat : ERA. 'Nother Abrv. Earned Run Average.
66. Oscar winner Harrison : REX. He was a fair lady's man.
Answer grid.
That was fun and interesting. Hope you liked it too.
Cheers!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Today we remember Dan Naddor, who passed away last year today. Dan gave us total 30 puzzles in 2010, according to Rich's LAT info, which will be published here this coming Friday.
17A. *Unquestioning devotion : BLIND FAITH. Belief in something, in the absence of evidence, or even disregarding contrary evidence. Don't get me started. BLIND EYE: What the devotee turns to the imperfections of the object of his devotion.
63A. *Knee-slapper : RIB TICKLER. An amusing joke or story that gets your ribs moving with a series of tee-hees. RIB EYE: A boneless, well-marbled steak, cut from the top of a standing rib roast. Cf. 23 D!
10D. *Pitchers and tumblers : GLASS WARE. The clue defines them very well. Vessels made of glass, suitable for transporting libations to and from the table, and thence to the lips. GLASS EYE. A non-functional ocular prosthesis: an artificial EYE made of GLASS, the best material for this application. Sammy Davis Jr. had one. Since I'm an EYE GLASS WEARER, I was tempted to go with the childhood taunt "FOUR EYES" for the theme, but, alas, "EYE" only shows up once - in the unifier.
34D. *Like treatment for visiting dignitaries : RED CARPET. It is literally rolled out for heads of state, and at gala celebrity events. Less formally, it indicates giving someone an unusually high level of hospitality. RED EYE: An overnight flight from point A to point B, implying discomfort and lack of sleep, hence the RED EYES. Probably not the usual means of transportation for someone about to walk the RED CARPET.
And, of course, the unifier, 38 A. A 5- or 40-Down ... or what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be : EYE OPENER. This has a few different meanings. The first is a startling revelation that gets one to see something in a new and unanticipated way. (Those with unquestioning devotion are immune.) The second is an alcoholic drink consumed early in the day, presumable to get one up and at 'em. Third, the stimulants in 5 and 40D. But, here, it also uses a common cross-word trope to cleverly indicate that the beginning of each theme answer can precede "EYE."
The below two entries are symmetrically & related to the theme:
5D. Joe's stimulant : CAFFEINE. A bitter tasting crystalline xanthine alkaloid which occurs in the beans, leaves, and fruits of some plants, notably coffee, aka JOE.
40D. Smoker's stimulant : NICOTINE. Another plant alkaloid, found in the nightshade family, and another clecho! It is what causes tobacco addiction.
Hi gang, It's JazzBumpa, with a tumbler of ginger ale at my elbow. Glenkinchie will come a little later. I don't recognize Gary Cee's byline. This puzzle was a lot of fun, and seemed pretty fresh to me, despite a few common entries. I've been anticipating AGLET for a long time, but don't recall seeing it in a puzzle before. The pinwheel theme answer arrangement is uncommon, as is placing the unifier in the center of the grid intersecting other theme answers.
Across:
1. Sound return : ECHO. I was thinking of investment returns. Now I have my eye open for clechoes!
5. Suspension bridge support : CABLE. Here is an example I get to drive across going to and from visiting my mother.
10. Obtain forcibly : GRAB
14. Miller, for one : BEER. I thought it would be a teller of a Canterbury Tale. But the miller was drunk, so it kind of fits.
15. Shoelace tip : AGLET. For some odd reason, I love this word. "Mom, they're tying the whole world together!"
16. Stubbs of the Four Tops : LEVI. News to me. But he might have just what you need.
19. Scored 100 on : ACED. Perfect!
20. Bozo : GOOF. Or a clown.
21. "When the smog clears in California, UCLA," e.g. : PUN. Sheesh. I read right through this and didn't get it.
22. Hitchcock title : SIR. Good night! I didn't know that. Nice misdirection for the director.
23. Dice-rolling game : YAHTZEE. I haven't played this game in years, and don't recall liking it very much.
26. The King or Prince : POP STAR. A royally clever clue. I think we had Jacko, the King of Pop not too long ago. Prince is the artist formerly known as "The artist Formerly known As Prince," which makes him the once and future Prince, I suppose. Never was a big fan of either. Feel free to provide links in comments.
29. Repugnant reaction : UGH. Not now. I just took a sip of the Glenkinchie!
30. Pound sounds : YIPS. Rhyme time for puppy noises.
32. Treatment plant input : SEWAGE. Now -- UGH!
33. Tie up, in a way : MOOR. I have no idea why this caused me a problem. Maybe our boaters can explain the origin if this word.
35. Home of Duke U. : N CAR. The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region of North Carolina, a beautiful part of the world with a lot of traffic. Note Abrv. n Cl. & Ans.
37. Looks bad, comparatively : PALES. Someone or something can PALE in comparison. But - no politics - moving right along . . .
41. Parisian daily, with "Le" : MONDE. Lucky guess. No idea where in Le Monde it came from.
44. Singer Amos : TORI. Never paid any attention to her. Here is a song for the season.
45. Latin 101 verb : ESSE. Stock fill.
49. Signs into law : ENACTS. Rumor has it that making law is like making sausage. If you won't ask, I won't tell.
51. Pool room supply : RACK. It's that triangle-shaped thingie that you put all the balls into, then take away so you can hit them.
53. Amigo : PAL. That's right friendly!
54. Reaches : ATTAINS. I always like it in those old westerns when the bad guy pulls out his gun and says, "Attain the sky."
56. Chesapeake Bay city : NORFOLK. Just across the James River is Hampton, where my step son Tom used to live. Now, home is in FLA, and he should be back there by Friday.
58. Televise : AIR. Hmmm. Don't they also AIR radio broadcasts? And 36D. Aired again : RERAN. Is it a clecho if the clue echoes an earlier answer, or just an inelegance?
59. Physicians' org. : AMA. The American Medical Association. Note Abrv.
61. Precisely : TO A "T." Sometimes it's just a "T" and sometimes it's a "TEE." Either way, the origin is disputed.
62. Fall : DROP. I always think of the stock market drop in the FALL of '29.
67. Green climber : VINE.
68. Title owner of a sitcom bookstore : ELLEN. Beats me. I haven't watched sit-coms in 30 years.
69. Homeland of the folk-singing Clancy Brothers : EIRE. Always need perp help to decide between EIRE and ERIN.
70. Two out of three, say : MOST. Is the GLASSWARE MOST full or MOST empty?
71. Teacher's directive : SEE ME. It means (s)he wants to talk. Hope it's something you want to hear.
72. Pringles-like Lay's product : STAX. I really cannot understand what justifies the existence of the Pringle, let alone a competitive product from a company that makes real chips.
Down
1. Flow back : EBB. Like the tide.
2. Place to see Bugs? : CEL. Gary got me here. A CEL is a transparent sheet that animation figures are drawn on. CEL is derived from celluloid, a plastic made from cellulose. Today, the CEL is a relic, due to CGI.
3. Dwarfs' song : HEIGH-HO. Spelling this was a guess. Disney stopped using CELS in 1990, but this was long before.
4. Self-contradictory afterthought : OR NOT. I'm never sure if I should say this, OR NOT.
6. Turkish authority : AGA. If you can't do it, the AGA KAHN.
7. Plane, in a control tower : BLIP. On a radar screen.
8. Relax : LET UP. Or ease up, stop applying so much pressure.
9. Cultural group : ETHNOS. Per the Free Dictionary, "people of the same race or nationality who share a distinctive culture."
11. Conservatory event : RECITAL. Typically a solo musical performance by a singer or instrumentalist.
12. Like Joe? : AVERAGE. He just an average Joe - but he's also a clecho!
13. Bridge action : BID. The action is an auction, and the players get to bid for the contract. Suits me!
18. Half asleep : DOZY. Pretty much the same thing as DROWSY.
23. "De-lish!" : YUM. RIB EYE, anyone?
24. Gone by: AGO. Long ago, in a galaxie far, far away . . .
25. Theme park acronym : EPCOT. Disney's "Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow." I can never remember that.
27. Toon Le Pew : PEPE. An amorous pole cat with an accent.
28. Hi-__ graphics : RES. For good pictures of THINGS!
31. Flavor : SAPOR. I think we've been disconcerted in the past by SAPID. This looks like the root of all SAPIDITY. SAPOR is the quality of a substance to produce flavor. A hungry insomniac might want a saporific soporific to get DOZY.
39. Bigfoot cousin : YETI. A very distant cousin, since bigfoot is from North America, and the Yeti lives in the Himalayas. Though sometimes he can be found in a CEL with Bugs.
41. "Give __ holler!" : ME A. Give me an "H" . . . That's not very good. My bad. I mean ME A CULPA.
42. Province bordering four Great Lakes : ONTARIO. One of the lakes has the same name. Which Great Lake does it not touch?
43. League of __ : NATIONS. "Distinguished gentlemen" wouldn't fit.
46. What a "Me and My Shadow" singer might be : SPOTLIT. In the lime light, so to speak. Here we have the star of yesterday's theme and the man with a glass eye.
47. Mineo in movies : SAL. He was a singer, too
48. Mountain lion prey : ELK. Pretty ambitious snack, if you ask me, but probably a lot of YUM!
50. Catches : SNARES. Or some drums.
52. Ray who said, "It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun" : KROC. Ray Kroc founded McDonald's. To him I say, "That's a crock!"
55. The parenthesis in :-) : SMILE. Your basic emoticon.
57. Counterfeits : FAKES. We call them ERSATZ.
60. Competent : ABLE. Having a useful skill. One of Adam's sons was competent. The other was ABEL.
62. Pet physician's deg. : DVM. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Note Abrvs. They do not belong to the AMA.
64. Pro __: for now : TEM. Like a committee, PRO TEM, usually set up for a single purpose and dissolved when the task is complete.
65. Pitcher's stat : ERA. 'Nother Abrv. Earned Run Average.
66. Oscar winner Harrison : REX. He was a fair lady's man.
Answer grid.
That was fun and interesting. Hope you liked it too.
Cheers!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Today we remember Dan Naddor, who passed away last year today. Dan gave us total 30 puzzles in 2010, according to Rich's LAT info, which will be published here this coming Friday.
Jazzbumpa, what a great write-up.
ReplyDeleteAGLET brought back a memory of Johnny Carson discussing words for common thingy's.
Liked these themes very much.
This was a FUN Wednesday.
Thank you Gary Cee.
Fave was that SPOT LIT, clever cluing.
Thought of Husker Gary when EPCOT fell in place.
I know he loves the trips he made there with the students.
That Miller being a BEER today seemed appropriate. Though I think I'll stay with my Avatar.
Just got off the phone and they sent me the itinerary.
Taking a RED EYE to Zagreb later today.
Interviews Thur. afternoon & Friday.
On the 1st we're heading to Marlboro, Slovenia for "Ski-Trip" ... hmmm, We did this last time back in 2004.
They get to ski, it's a casual atmosphere, I'm suppose to not be aware that every conversation is "part of the interview" ... they'll forget that the process is a "two-way street."
Flying back (in more ways than one) on Tuesday Jan.4th.
21 years ago my Dad died on that date.
Somehow I know he is looking down and saying "Good Job, kid!!!"
Cheer's to all from 40,000 feet later.
Good Morning, JazzBumpa and Friends. Great write-up! Not much else to add, you said it all in a much better way than I could have done. We had a Gary Cee puzzle just a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteNothing really jumped out at me in this puzzle, but I liked the clue about the Pitchers and Tumblers. I wasn't fooled by CEL, since it appears frequently in crosswords. I smiled at your pun on Le Monde.
It's a nice, quiet week at work. Many people are out, so I can really get a lot done with minimal interruptions.
QOD: Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it. ~ Langston Hughes
JzB, you entertaining trombonist, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI do not recall a more convoluted theme, in which you had to answer non-theme clues to get the unifier, though most of the puzzle was stright forward, it was different. The planning is amazing.
This puzzle is a reminder of how many ways we can get HEIGH in English; must have been the Malt.
We had Gary on Monday the 20th, as well as back in February.
I was expecting one of Dan's puzzles to day to mark his passing, but maybe Al will get the pleasure tomorrow.
Good morning, gang - just a quick drive-by to say hi and to pay tribute to Dan's memory. Should Tracie look in today, please know that there haven't been many days when a thought of Dan didn't cross my mind; he had that kind of impact on people, even if the conversations were limited. His love for life came through loud and clear, and his always-optimistic attitude was something I admired greatly.
ReplyDeleteAs to vacation, I won't bore everybody with the details, but it's been fun, relaxing, and the weather's getting better by the day. Off to Key West this morning for an overnight visit.
Hope everyone's having a great week.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteI had a bit of confusion involving PRO TEM - was thinking AD HOC. An AD HO
C committee is set up for a specific single purpose, then dissolved. PRO TEM means temporary - just like it looks - and usually refers to a person temporarily filling in for someone, typically of superior rank.
These subtleties sometimes escape me in the wee hours.
Tinbeni - You're really in demand. You must be a very ABLE guy!
Hatool - So there is humor in sleep.
We're off running a bunch of errands this morning. I see an AD HOC afternoon nap in my future.
Cheers!
JzB the RED EYE trombonist
26 across could also have been starred. POP EYE.
ReplyDeleteGood morning follks, especially Gary Cee and Jazzbumpa. Enjoyed the puzzle. Got through it quite easily. Almost semed like a Tuesday puzzle. Great comments Jzb.
ReplyDeleteMy only unknown was SAPOR. I guessed at it and lucked out. I did not know the singer AMOS TORI or TORI AMOS, whichever one it was.
Looking forward to Thursday. Abejo
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteJzB, what a great write up with so many impressive links, most of which took me back in time. But of them all, you have me thinking about getting my cue stick out from "dead storage." Looks like pool players have changed a wee bit and for the better.
As far as today's puzzle goes, I enjoyed it a lot. Favorite was 21a, pun. It certainly fits from what I remember about LA. I got a kick out of Yahtzee too, used to be a favorite family game. Sapor and spotlit left me saying to myself, "Huh." They did nothing for me. Otherwise, I thought the cluing was imaginative and challenging, just right for a Wednesday.
Tinbeni, belated good wishes on your trip. If you need a stand-in for your daily toast, I'm volunteering. It'll be no trouble starting a few minutes earlier!
Good Morning Jazz, CC and All,
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up Jazz. Caught my attention right from the get go.
Raising my hand for being a Goof this morning. Tried fitting in Hi Ho Hi Ho for 3 down and wouldn't let it go even though the perps were telling me differently. Head Slapped myself when it finally filled in. Liked the cross of Pepe and Sewage. Part of my world is overseeing the Plant. Our motto, "We're number one with your number two." Things have been pretty smooth over there lately. I also had to erase Arrives for 54 across. Red Carpet gave that one up. Always love have a Beer in a grid.
Tinbeni, you must be getting excited! Skiing as part of the interview? I don't think my old 208s would impress anyone.
This song got me wound up on the way in this morning. This live one is eight minutes. When live music was actually live!
Snow removal ops today.
Cheers to Dan tonight.
Happy Hump Day!
Good Morning JazzB, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteI flew through this one and was done before I even had time to savor the cleverness. Oh well, at least I had your write-up to extend the pleasure, JazzB ! Great job, and I really enjoyed your link to TORI Amos. What an incredible voice she has, and you gotta love that song about her dad (Snif !!).
Good luck with your "interview" Tinbeni, but it sounds like you really don't need it. Will you also be skiing in Slovenia, or just enjoying the Après-ski festivities?
Dennis, very eloquently put about Mr. Naddor. I think he has touched all our lives here in the corner, even if we didn't know him personally.
Happy Hump Day to all!!
Good morning Jazzbumpa, CC, et al., Excellent job, Jzb. LOL'd w/your Adam's sons joke. Cute! Thank you for all the links. Didn't know Tori Amos. Nice song to her dad.
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing 'rack' here and
'Norfolk' - 2 of my favorite things. In pool league play, one can get a pin for going 'rack'less for the night. I have a couple of 'em but more often than not, I'm told that I have a nice rack.
Norfolk is across the Chesapeake Bay from Hampton and me and is as snowed in as New England and the whole east coast. We are paralyzed with 12-14" and we're just now starting to dig out. That's huge! Jazz, I couldn't open that link for Hampton. Maybe b/c I stopped seeing the self-appointed, unofficial, non-elected mayor of Hampton? Naw, he's not that good.
Tinbeni: wish you safe travels and can you give us some pix when you get back?
Dennis: did the weather impact your escape? Glad you're getting to relax.
Dan Naddor will always be on my mind. I enjoy/ed his clever and unique spin he had with the puzzles. He and his family are kept in my daily thoughts and prayers along with my other departed loved ones.
Enjoy your day.
Happy Wednesday,
ReplyDeleteA few thoughts on today's puzzle:
56A: Chesapeake Bay City: Norfolk - When I think of Chesapeake Bay I'm reminded of Baltimore. I didn't know the bay was so long that it reached southward to Norfolk, VA until I Google mapped it.
42A: Also didn't realize Ontario bordered four Great Lakes.
23D & 29A: Weird how "yum" and "ugh" were so close together.
Finally,72A: "Pringles-like Lay's product, "Stax". Don't get me started on these OR Pringles. Very addictive to me; once I get started on those I can hardly stop. Forget caffeine and nicotine!
Just one other thing. I still don't get 21A, "When the smog clears in California, UCLA, e.g." (pun).
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me, I'll think about this today and maybe I'll get it later on.
Best to all,
Burrito
You see L A , sorry love puns as did Mr. Naddor. Peace out.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Jazz et al, I am sitting with my favorite alkaloid at my elbow as well. It is made by Maxwell House! What an effort on the write-up! I loved the two racks in the pool game (one visible and one implied). Is it okay to “ogle” the one we can see? What a fabulous tie from yesterday’s Sinatra theme to today’s eye theme.
ReplyDeleteOmaha’s paper is full of the story that Lady Gaga
spent 4 days in that fair city including Christmas Eve with her Nebraska boyfriend. Turns out she was gracious and very congenial! Of course that persona does not sell CD’s.
Musings
-The King? Please, it’s Elvis!
-ETHNOS and SAPOR? Easy with perps but new to me.
-I’m off to EPCOT next month for the umpteenth time and never tire of it!
-Green climber reminds us that spring training is only a few months away. Hope springs eternal for the Cubbies!
-Ellen DeGeneres has become a wonderful symbol for being tolerant of alternate lifestyles that, frankly Scarlet, are none of your damn business
Postscript on my Beachboys/Kingston Trio comment yesterday. I love them both and have both of them on my iPod but always thought of Sloop John B as being a folk song and more likely to be performed by the KT. I couldn’t imagine the Trio doing Surfin’ USA. It was just an observation.
I remember when Glen Campbell (BTW, he played with the Beachboys at times) was the hottest pop star in America and got his own TV show. When he started doing sketch comedy and singing “I Could Have Danced All Night”, I knew the end was in sight. He shoulda danced with what brung him.
Burrito, glad to see someone else shares my tater fetish although I like Lay's better. When the smog rise You See L.A. (UCLA).
Bon Voyage Tinman! Don't take any wooden rubles!
@Lemonade714
ReplyDeleteThanks. It hit me about 10 minutes later, and when it did along came the usual mental "pun groan". It was a nice little extra to today's puzzle.
Good morning Jaz and all, a really great puzzle this morning and an even greater write up. Jaz, your comments had me rolling this morning. The puzzle was about right for a Wednesday with some misleading clues and some misdirection.
ReplyDeleteFavorite clue/answer was when the smog clears in California, UCLA/pun. I guess it was so punny that it took me awhile to get the pun.
I knew Duke U was in North Carolina and I had the N, C, and R from the perps, but the A just did not appear as I was reading the N C as North Carolina and could not see the A for a very long time. A real V8 moment!!
A warm shout out to Dan wherever he is and I hope he is watching.
Lois, I am sure you have a nice rack whether on the table or elsewhere.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday.
My fair city is now on the map! Norfolk Naval Base is the largest in the world. Great area for sailboat racing in the Chesapeake Bay and the Elizabeth River. I keep my boat at the beautiful Hampton Yacht Club.
ReplyDeleteI liked today's puzzle, even though I didn't get the theme until I read JzB's terrific narrative.
Pro tem is short for pro tempore. The US Senate President Pro Tem is third in line for presidential succession, following the Vice President and the Speaker of the House. Daniel Inouye is the current President Pro Tem.
Good morning all. Great commentary, JazzB. You brought a lot more life to the puzzle than I originally saw.
ReplyDeleteNothing significant to add to the previous comments. The solve was easy enough to do and no lookups were needed. NORFOLK was not my first choice at 56a, but it fit and it is on Chesapeake Bay. It was the home port of my avatar. I always thought of that location as Hampton Roads, a southern segment of the Bay; and which is one of the world's biggest natural harbors.
Have a good day.
Jazz,
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up. innovative but challenging puzzle, I thought.
Unlike some of you, I did not like the top half of this and had to go south to get a foothold. I had trouble spelling HEIGHO and YAHTZEE, though I had an idea what was needed there. I also had trouble parsing NCAR as North Carolina. Was that ever the abbr. in the past? My life here dates from the two letter designations.
The only name of anything or anyone that I knew here was TORI. For King my thought was Elvis, not Jacko. I've never heard of STAX and normally can't stand chips of any variety. I'd rather pig out on my own whole wheat bread. I had RERUN and CUES for RERAN and RACK--not knowing KROC meant SROC looked just as good to me as a strange name.
At least I didn't succumb to google, which was not my expectation at the beginning.
Tinbeni,
Don't break a leg skiing, though in the theatrical sense one should perhaps say "break a leg" for the other aspects of the trip. Good luck either way!
Hi All~~!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I liked this puzzle, I think because the structure was different, and it was a little challenging for a Wed., since my first pass yielded nothing but AGLET, which I knew -
- for me, the "words for things that don't have words" are Sniglets - Rich Hall from the '80s on HBO.
Had CUES for RACK; to me, the clue implies plurality.
Funny, but ROYALTY fit for King and Prince, but I knew we were looking for something else.
The PUN did not come to me until I read the write-up, Jazz - what bridge is that? I think there is a similar single TOWER (I had that for CABLE) suspension span in Florida - someone help me on this...
I guess the state and local gov'ts here ran out of money - no plowing got done in my neighborhood, so now we have "white ice" - makes my van slide all over the place.
Take care !
Splynter
Mainiac
ReplyDeleteI only ski on "non-frozen water."
If we go to the exact same place as in 2004, I'll ride up the Alp, there is a nice place to mingle, have a few ... make a few "toasts" !!!
HeartRx
Actually, Croatia money is Kuna ...
Slovenia now uses the Euro.
Way back when it was the 'Tolar' ...
I had 2 beers and a cup-of-coffee and the bill was for 800.
Put it on AMEX, then asked the American Ex-Pat I was talking to is I just paid $100USD ... he laughed and said: "No, maybe 8 dollars."
Oh well, the best part is I should be able to get the Dan Naddor.
Good morning and Happy Hump Day to all.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gary for a fun puzzle and the shoutout. I must say, though, I tend to go with the shorter spelling. HEIGH HO? Dang, that entry was taller than me and my six buddies put together.
JzB, thanks for a very entertaining writeup. I always enjoy your wittty and punny commentaries. By the way, you do know the difference between a pun and flatulence don't you?
Hooray! AGLET finally has become implanted in the memory! I've had to fill it from perps on the few occasions that it has appeared before, but today it was a gimmee. Now that I know the word it will probably never be seen again.
I wasn't fooled by Miller BEER. It was my first thought and a quick check of 1d confirmed it. CEL was cleverly clued, but I've learned that any clue for a three letter entry that makes a reference to cartoons, regardless of how obliquely, is probably CEL.
If someone hasn't already answered it, Lake Michigan would be the Great Lake that doesn't border Ontario. Michigan does, but not Lake Michigan.
The first time I found this blog, as I recall, was the day that Dan Naddor's passing was announced. I've enjoyed his puzzles and it will be sad to see them come to an end. Thank you, CC, for reminding us.
@JD from late last night, I'm like most Floridians, transplanted from elsewhere. I wasn't a Golden Eagle. I was first a Hornet (Cory-Rawson) then a Trojan (Findlay High), both in Ohio.
Have a great day, all!
Good Morning All. Jazz's blog and the puzzle went together beautifully.
ReplyDeleteNo more NICOTINE for me, but two cups of morning CAFFEINE is standard.
I think of Michael Jackson as "The King of Pop" and Elvis as "The King of Rock and Roll". Splitting hairs, maybe.
Jazzbumpa, Thanks for the SPOTLIT "Me and My Shadow" clip. The first one I thought of was the Ted Lewis version from the 1920's. Before I was born, but I come from a record playing, sing-long family and learned it long ago. I tried to find Ted Lewis' original on YouTube, but no dice.
Thanks to Arglye for re-posting my phantom post from last night. I didn't realize it had disappeared until this morning.
I is hard to believe that Dan Naddor has been gone for a year. We have so many wonderfully talented constructors, but Dan was a particularly witty guy, who furnished a lot of "ahas", "d'ohs" and at least one laugh-out-loud moment for every puzzle.
Bon Voyage, Tinbeni.
Thanks JB
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that the etymological link you gave for "To a T" could not reach a conclusion, especially given the Scots variant "To a tittle" meaning a small stroke in print.
We have the phrase "to dot ones i's and cross ones t's" - meaning to attend to (and complete) the small/essential details (though the concept may be harder for readers brought up in the post fountain-pen era to appreciate). But for those of us from the old school, the origin of "to a T" seems clear-cut to me - in fact, it's settled to a T.
Moor, I suspect, is related to "mare/mer" - the sea - but I will need to delve a bit further below the surface on that one.
Otherwise, I felt this was a beautifully worked theme that was rather wasted by straightforward fill - "sapor" notwithstanding.
We have the French version of this - savor - but I suppose we don't have a noun through the same route, hence recourse to the older Latin root. Don't like it though.
BEER - when I think of this fine liquid, I do not associate it with Miller, Budweiser or Anheuser Busch. Reminds me of the old joke: "What do making love in a canoe and drinking Bud-lite have in common?" Answers on a post-card please.
P.S. Kazie - as of yesterday, the Ashes will return to England. I am not a cricket fan and only watch it once a year - the England vs. Oz Tests. It's worth it though - war by other means - much like the World Cup.
NC
Good day, Jazzbumpa, C.C. and all cyber AMIGOS.
ReplyDeleteI did not chime in yesterday because my three sisters, a niece and I were eating and happily chatting all morning. Finished the puzzle much, much later at night and read your comments.
Today's was fun, though like others I slid down to the bottom for traction. Hand up for HI HO HI HO on the first pass.
I bought a YAHTZEE game for someone's gift but had to depend on the crosses for the correct spelling.
I thought CAFFEINE and NICOTINE spelled out was superb!
Jazz:
You funny man! I liked your joke with LE MONDE.
Mainiac:
Your slogan made me laugh. Very funny.
Fave today:
when the smog clears UCLA
Grumpy 1:
Ditto for me on CEL.
AGLET pushed through instantly. It's one I learned many years ago from xwds.
I am heading out for lunch with one of my gal groups and shall spend the night so won't get to the puzzle until late in the afternoon tomorrow.
I'll say hi to Al now in anticipation.
Safe travels, Tinbeni.
You all have a delightful Wednesday!
NC,
ReplyDeleteNot sure I'd even know how to find the Ashes on TV. I avoid all sport channels like the plague. The only sports I ever watch are the winter Olympics and the diving and some of the tennis in the Summer ones.
Hi all - this puzzle was just perfect for a Wednesday. I had some trouble but not enough to delay me for long. Perps sure helped in some areas.
ReplyDeleteJazz, great job as usual...I knew Lois would pick up on the rack link.
3D - (HEIGH HO) fooled me for a minute, but I do question the spelling. "I before E except after C, or sounded as 'A', as in neighbor and weigh" Since HEIGH is pronounced as HIGH, the spelling is off, but then I never pretended to be an English teacher. Maybe one of you can explain this oddity.
From last night: Windhover, my hubby's name is Joe...not Bob. Dick just got it confused with JD's hubby.
Which brings me to 12D...Average Joe, mine is not. He's very much above the average!
18D DOZY, I have never said "Gee, I feel DOZY." Seems strange.
Lois, so glad to see you here again, I remember you wanting some of the snow we got in 2008, and now you have more of it that we got. Hope you are ok. Keep that rack warm!
21A - Clever and funny!
I hope there are more puzzles from Dan Naddor awaiting us in the coming months...I know the stack is getting low. His are such 'mind-ticklers', and even though I cannot solve all of them, I very much enjoy trying!
Tinbeni: safe travels!
Dennis, glad you made it to sunny(?) Fla. You earned the rest - take pictures for us.
Hi all.
ReplyDeleteLoved this puzzle and theme as much
as testerday's.
Great having another single malt
drinker joining the "club". Remember, it is always 5PM somewhere.
Here's to Dan!
Also thinking about some of the
crazy interviews that I have had.
Take care.
Sorry Carol, I had a bit of a brain fa$$ there. And, I agree, after meeting him your Joe is not your average Joe
ReplyDeleteCarol,
ReplyDeleteI agree about HEIGH. I had difficulty seeing that as HI too. Actually, I hadn't heard the last part of your spelling rule either, but it certainly would help in most cases, such as 'eight'.
The only trouble with English spelling rules is they run foul with German derivations. In German it is always by pronunciation: EI sounds like EYE, IE sounds like EE. But then the borrowings usually lose that rule in English where seemingly anything goes.
Are there any rules in English without exceptions?
....For the record, the origin of "MOOR" seems rather obscure, but I was wrong in thinking it was related to the sea, despite its exclusive usage for docking ships, and its Old French verb form "MARE". The word seems to have come through Germanic and Old Frisian words meaning "to tie up" - a ship or an animal. It's closest relative in Modern English seems to be "MAR", used in the sense "to hinder, interrupt, or stop something". (Source: OED, 1998)
ReplyDeleteNC
PPS. Kazie, OK I'll stop making UK-OZ sports references...but if you ever are interested, you can get a live video stream of just about any international sporting event via the internet these days - many sites are free and some are even legal.....
NC
Good morning JzB, C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteI love Wed. puzzles and today was no exception! JzB, you always make me smile and add soooo much to the xwd.The aglet and Heigh-ho clips were fun.I am always amazed at the expertise of Disney's early cartoons.
Gotta lotta HUHs, but no need to Google.You all explain everything in the end;n car, sapor (I had savor), spot lit, stax (never heard of them), dozy (really?), and I know Ellen, but don't get it. Did she own a bookstore in her old sitcom???? Must have.
IMBO...sister is coming in on the RED EYE (?) train.Probably don't use that expression for an all nighter.
Dennis, take it easy on the Duvall Crawl!
Rare form, JazzBumpa, rare form.
ReplyDeleteThis is the third Gary Cee puzzle I have records for. I've counted 26 Dan Naddor puzzles this year, but I only count Monday-Saturday. I cherish each one, knowing they are in short supply. I'd certainly buy a book of them, if a compilation was published.
I used to play Yahtzee all the time as a kid.I loved the sound of all the dice bouncing around. Also, when you lived out in the boonies it was great because you didn't have to have a playing partner. It's also great for tutoring kids on the lower "times" tables.
P. S. to Jeannie - I served your "Zucchini AuGratin" as a side dish on Christmas. Got more raves than the dishes from the fancy-schmancy magazine recipes!
Hi, y'all! Thanks, Jazz. Great comments and links.
ReplyDeleteI usually like Wednesday puzzles and this was no exception. I got along fine with the top half but several answers at the bottom came from wags and perps.
When I was young, my AGLETs almost always worked their way off the ends of my strings. The remaining end would then flare out like a brush and be impossible to push through the holes. Tried wetting them with spit and rolling them to a point, which worked in a pinch.
I LOL at the PEPE le Pew clip. I think I knew a few of him back when I was dating! I wanted SAvOR at 31d, but EYE OvENER didn't look quite right. I'm being a bit anal retentive about sapid and SAPOR both. Unfamiliarity breeds contempt in some cases.
Love a good RIB EYE. Every Thursday we go to a locally-owned steakhouse where I get a ribeye. YUM!
We had several days of cold weather - early mornings in low 20s, afternoons in 40s. Still no rain. Fireworks bans and burn bans in most counties until rain comes.
I'm working on two hours sleep, so I thought this was rather hard for a Weds. Of course, I couldn't get MOOR so I suspect I might not of felt that way if I was alert.
ReplyDeleteI'm crabby enough to be nit-picky. Jazz, that beautiful bridge is a Cable-stayed bridge. The suspension bridge has two or more towers with large cables running between them and smaller cables stretched between them and the roadway. The Golden Gate is a true suspension bridge.
Back to bed.
I enjoyed this puzzle but didn't find it easy. I had SAVOR for SAPOR. I never heard of DOZY. The cluing seemed especially clever. JzB, great writeup. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt rained again part of the early morning. It made for good sleeping.
We got Barbara a new car for Christmas so it's only fair that I get one too. I hope to be replacing my 1993 Camry this afternoon if the new car gets delivered.
For those of you who like animals, here's a great Best of Animal Tracks slideshow from MSNBC.
Good Afternoon C.C.,Jazz and all,
ReplyDeleteJazz, a real nice write-up. I'm going back to make sure I didn't
miss anything. Thanks.
Gary, you have really captured me with your highly thought out theme/puzzles. I love all the layers. Nicotine/caffeine;eye opener; the great pun. Thanks for all your effort; so much fun. It beats your games,which was super!
Lynnerb, I thought that, too
Daffy Dill, where do you live?
Lemon, C.C. said Friday will be a Dan Naddor, which seems so appropriate, since it is the last day of the year.
Tinbeni, Wow...
Have a nice day everyone.
There’s not too much more to comment on this puzzle that hasn’t already been said. I always look forward to Wednesday for both the puzzle and the blogging expertise of Melissabee and Jazzbumpa and I wasn’t disappointed. Great job Jazz! I didn’t have to hit the g-spot for anything so that’s always a good way to enjoy the Wednesday puzzle. I had a little trouble with Monde and Aga, but nailed aglet and cel. Cel has gotten me in the past and you fine folks gave me good information on that in the past. I never want to see a piece of paper on my desk with something circled and the words “see me” written down by the boss. It’s usually not a good thing. This is where I moor my sailboat. It’s not cheap, but it sure is convenient.
ReplyDeleteTinbeni, I did a little research on Zagreb and Croatia. It looks like a pretty place. I hope your business venture turns out well.
Dennis, good to hear from you. It sounds like your trip was just what you needed. Catch a little tan for me, as I am back to my winter white.
JimmyB, I am glad that you and your guests enjoyed the Zucchini AuGratin.
Everyone enjoy the rest of your day. It’s sunny and in the low 30’s here. I’ll take it!
Dick, no problem...I'm lucky to remember my own name at times :)
ReplyDeleteKazie, at least I'm not the only one who thinks HEIGH HO is spelled wrong.
I wonder if it came from another language and not English. Swiss??
I think there are more exceptions to the rules than there are rules - LOL.
Jimmy B.
ReplyDeletePlease email at my aol (jchap18181@aol.com) I would like your input on a project I am working on.
Thanks
L
Hi, everyone,
ReplyDeleteJzB, I loved your writeup today; so funny, and very helpful. But when is it not? I didn't cotton to UCLA until you said you didn't get it for a while and it was a pun!
that made the V8 can less humiliating!
NC, it's not only ships that are 'moored'. The Goodyear Blimp, and I suppose any others that are in existence, is 'moored' in Torrance, CA. At least it was when I moved away from SoCal. Maybe it's been moved now.
BTW, I don't know much about soccer but I did recognize "The Ashes" because of one of the best Elizabeth George books, "Playing for the Ashes" Unfortunately I've forgotten the significance. Please refresh my memory. Thanks.
Carol, after changing the spelling of 'Hi Ho, HI, Ho' umpteen times and finally letting the perps decide, I had the same wuestion as you regarding the pronunciation of "Heigh". Somewhere in the deep crannies of my brain the expression "With a heigh nonny nonny and ---" and it was pronounced "hay"! So I looked it up and Random House gives two pro'n's: "hay and hi", in that order. So I guess everybody's right.
In my attempt to remember and respond to comments, I've neglected to thank you, Gary Cee. I really enjoyed this puzzle. Thank you very much and I hope we'll see more of you.
Tinbeni,what a faxcinating life you lead! I hope if you decide on the 5-month sojourn, you'll still keep in touch with us here on the homestead. Surely you'll be able to get the LATXW on the 'net. BTW, several times when you've talked about Zagreb and Croatia in general it's reminded me of a very, very funny book by Lawrence Durrell, called "Antrobus Complete", a compilation of hilarious essays about the author's experiences in the English diplomatic establishment just post WWII. Some of them were published in the New Yorker from time to time. If you can find a copy (I got mine used from Amazon; I think they're out of print)you might enjoy a change from pushing numbers around!
I'm sure there are other comments I wanted to respond to but I'll have to reread. Right now I'm starving, so IMBO! (Where the ---is Buckeye, anyway?)
The Kennedy Center Honors broadcast was last night. All deserving honorees for sure. I thought the audience (and I) really got involved with the pleasing melodies and down-home lyrics of Merle Haggard. He's brought classic country music into the new century. I like it much better than the more current country music.
ReplyDeleteDodo: playing for the Ashes is one of my favorite Elizabeth George books.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of George, The King's Speech is a very good movie. I highly recommend it.
Hola Everyone, For some reason, for me, the puzzle today was easier than yesterday's. Maybe I was just on the right wavelength. Thank you Gary Cee for a pleasant morning break.
ReplyDeleteAlso Thank you Jazz for your always erudite writeup.
I don't have much to add except that my favoritae today was the UCLA pun--even though it was slow in coming! Doh!
Aglet, Cel and Esse, are all firmly entrenched in my head, now, and all were learned from doing Crosswords. My Echo to many of your comments today.
Tinbeni, Safe journey.
Bill's mention of Merle reminded me of something. I recently bought several of his albums as MP3 down-loads and added them to iTunes. The online database that they use has them listed as POP. So I just checked my Elvis and it is equally divided into rock, country and POP. So the bad-boy of my youth is now a POPSTAR? Now, I need to check out the Doors.
ReplyDeleteTInbeni, it was HuskerG who told you not to take any wooden rubles. They had already switched to the Euro when I was these, so the "expense reports" were much easier to do! But you answered my question anyway, about whether you'd be skiing. At least you'll get a great view from the top of the lift, while lifting your toasts! Have a great time.
ReplyDeleteTinbeni, wishing you a safe journey and a great uphill interview!
ReplyDeleteBill, great animal slideshow..thanks!
Lynnerb, good catch @ 7:48
am looking forward to spending quality time with Dan on Friday. Thanks C.C.
BIG BIG winds here today, which is unusual for us.Blue sky is filled with puffy whites moving rapidly to somewhere else
Dodo, thanks for the Heigh Nonny Nonny! I remember hearing that too but didn't know how it was spelled.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, "Hey Ho, Hey Ho it's off to work we go" doesn't sound quite right, unless it's used by 'ladies of the evening' - ;)
Carol, great! lol
ReplyDeleteI loved this puzzle. Thank you, Gary Cee. And thank you, Jazzbumpa, for producing a very worthwhile read.
ReplyDeleteA little more information as a follow-up to my comments about the NYT puzzles I got as a gift and that I have been doing this week. Since posting my comments last night I have worked a few more, and by golly they were slightly more satisfying and fun. Apparently the first dozen I picked at random just happened to be among the less satisfying ones in the collection.
In any case (and I know it is very subjective), whether the LAT puzzles are actually cleverer, fairer, more fun, and more satisfying in and of themselves, or whether the difference is due to this blog, I don't know. I do know I love reading what you all have to say, and as far as I'm concerned this blog does contribute to the pleasure I get from working the LAT puzzles.
Best wishes to you all.
Thanks all. Blogging a puzzle is great fun, and a trombonist is always inspired by an appreciative audience.
ReplyDeletesplynter and gunghy -
Yes, indeed, that impressive photo of the I-280 bridge over the muddy Maumee in Toledo, OH does indeed show a fan-type cable stayed structure. The old Craig Memorial Bridge that it replaced on the highway is still functional and used for local traffic. It can be seen far below in some of the photos. It is a draw bridge that always caused consternation on the Interstate.
The wiki link on cable stayed bridges has more great pix and illustrations.
For the sake of completeness, though, Toledo does has a genuine suspension type structure, the Anthony Wayne bridge, a couple of miles up-river.
When I was a kid, it literally gave me nightmares.
The more prosaic Cherry Street draw bridge, long ago renamed for Dr. Martin Luther King, lies between.
Probably more than you wanted to know about the bridges of Lucas County.
Cheers!
JzB who, alas, hasn't played bridge in a couple of years
Carol, LMAO! Oh I like Mainiac's motto, too. LOL at that one too!
ReplyDeleteI'm a little embarrassed to say we have managed to buy two new cars in two weeks. I guess it's not too bad considering Barbara was driving a '65 VW and I was driving a used '93 Camry. Our last new car was a 1982 VW camper. Buying both cars through Costco referral was almost painless and we got a very good deal, better than I was able to negotiate on my own. Come by and I'll take you for a drive!
ReplyDeleteWell, Wikipedia lists it as "Heigh Ho" and other lyrics printed on the internet have it as "Hi-Ho". So I guess it is up to each of us how we will sing, pronounce, or write it. But like Carol said, we have to be careful where and when we sing it.
ReplyDeleteI had a surprise phone call this afternoon from a Swedish cousin who lives in a Stockholm suburb. She says it is very cold so far this year and that forecasters have predicted the coldest winter in 1000 years. She is skeptical. Did they have accurate thermometers in 1011?
GAH and I will be heading to Tracy again tomorrow morning. This time it is to meet youngest sister, who lives in Sebastopol, (Tracy is close to half way between) to transfer a lovely little female brindle pitbull mix to her keeping. Dollie (dog's name) belonged to one of our neighbors who had been bemoaning the fact that she just doesn't have time for two dogs. We were telling the tale to my sappy sister and she volunteered to take Dollie. Sis has two other dogs, a very nice yard, a six foot fence and night time snuggling privileges, so Dollie will have landed in a perfect place for her. Dollie had been abandoned as a puppy before the neighbor took her in, so it is a nice feeling to know the dog is going to be where she will be well loved and taken care of.
BTW, forgot to compliment Gary Cee on the sharp puzzle today. Thanks, Gary.
A brief summary (who did what) on LAT 2010 will be published on the blog this Friday. We've already had our 2 allotments of Naddor puzzles this month.
ReplyDeleteSorry if I misled.
Good night all.
ReplyDeleteBill G.: I very much enjoyed your link to animal slides. Have saved the link.
I agree with the comments about heigh. My spell check doesn't like it either.
Jazz: great write up. Many links that were enjoyable.
Carol:
ReplyDeleteI knew that your guy is Joe (I get those pics now and then that say "This one's from Joe". That's why I made the 'Bob and Carol' comment.
And NC, re: Bud Lite:
----ing close to water?
Jazz, Splynter and Gunghy,
ReplyDeleteI think the Anzac Bridge in Sydney is a cable stayed bridge too, isn't it?
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maysville.jpg
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this link will work, but this is the suspension bridge over the Ohio River at Maysville , Ky. Completed in 1932.
Carol, your comment at 5:15 was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteAl,
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle was too hard for me but I did get a few answers. Mennonite was one, and my ancestors, from my Grandparents back to the 1700's, were mennonites. When you said "I read where they baptize adults, not babies" so I lost interest, it was like a knife went through my heart. I think if you do some more research you will see why and see that it was that way in the Bible. The New Testament never records any infant being baptized. I believe both infants and adults can be baptized.
Marge
PS Iknow we aren't supposed to write about religion but this is a different situation. I hope you research the subject some more and you will find Mennonites are kind, loving, educated people who do a lot of good in the world.