Theme: E-Literature - Long E sound (in various spellings) is attached to the end of each well-known book.
23A. Specific item in a sleepwear collection? : TWELFTH NIGHT(IE). "Twelfth Night". Shakespeare.
47A. How a rock band's equipment damage was blamed? : ON THE ROAD(IE). "On the Road". Jack Kerouac.
68A. Amazonian oddsmaker? : THE JUNGLE BOOK(IE). "The Jungle Book". Kipling.
95A. Dressing room sprite? : VANITY FAIR(Y). "Vanity Fair". Thackeray.
120A. Fabric softener delivered overseas? : WATERSHIP DOWN(Y). "Watership Down", by Richard Adam. Neither the book nor the author is familiar to me.
17D. Goat's friend? : BILLY BUDD(Y). "Billy Budd". Herman Melville.
74D. Aboriginal Walkman? : NATIVE SON(Y). "Native Son". Richard Wright. Also an unknown book to me.
Very consistent theme. No Long E sound is added to the end of first/middle word.
Not a pangram, as Q is missing. Otherwise a typical John Lampkin puzzle: no cheater/helper squares; lots of fun clues & clechos (clue echos), which are highlighted in green color, as usual.
Also noticeable in this grid are the non-theme long answers. The two Down (STEAL A KISS & SINK OR SWIM) are particularly sparkling. They match in length to the other two 10 theme answers, which could cause theme confusion in certain grids. But not today, as John's theme is self-evident with all those question marked clues.
Across:
1. Risked : AT STAKE
8. Orderly type? : SISTER. Religious order. Nuns.
14. Take a __: attempt : STAB AT
20. Like the movie "Airplane!" : SATIRIC
21. Hardly religious : UNHOLY
22. Vacation choice : CRUISE
25. Bridal trails : AISLES. Nice clue.
26. Rat tail? : A TAT. Rat-a-tat.
27. Robert who played Roderigo in Welles's "Othello" : COOTE. First encounter with this actor. British actor.
28. Royal pain : HASSLE
30. Back muscle, for short : LAT
31. Jacob's first wife : LEAH. His second wife is Rachel, Leah's sister. Shout out to Chickie, Leah in real life.
33. City west of Mesa : TEMPE
35. Complicated : MESSY
37. Indy car's lack : REAR SEAT. Wow, I didn't know this.
40. Plated, in a way : ARMORED. New meaning of "plated" to me.
43. Kyoto ties : OBIs
46. Question : ASK. 19D. Set of questions : TEST. 96D. Uncomplicated type of question : YES OR NO
49. Logging channel : FLUME. And 51. Coal channel : CHUTE.
50. Retriever's retrieval : STICK
52. Store charge, often : TAX
53. Mil. base stores : PXes. PX = Post Exchange. Army posts.
54. More than just nodded : SAID HI
55. Pianist John : TESH. New Ager.
56. Jazz trumpeter's nickname : SATCH. Louis Armstrong? Thought it's Satchmo. And 60. Jazz trumpeter's nickname : DIZ. Dizzy Gillespie.
58. Fixed up : REDID
61. Per se : AS SUCH
63. Bite response : OUCH
66. Fax forerunner : TELETYPE
72. Niblick, nowadays : NINE IRON. Gimme. Watched so many old golf videos.
75. Stuttgart title : HERR. Was ignorant of the city Stuttgart.
76A. Writes John a letter? : ENDS IT. 107A. Intro for John? : DEAR. Nice to work one's name in clues.
80. Thurman of film : UMA
81. Ejects, as lava : SPEWS
83. Hairy herd : BISON. Alliteration.
86. Feast : DINE
87. Kathy of country : MATTEA. Not a fan of country music. Don't know her.
89. Pro __ : RATA
92. N.T. book attributed to Paul : EPH (Ephesians)
93. Second lady after Tipper : LYNNE (Cheney)
94. Certain hip-hop dancer : B GIRL. B stands for breakdance, correct?
98. Author Kesey : KEN
99. __ Trophy: biennial European golf event : SEVE. Might be tough for non-golf fans. Kind of like Ryder Cup, except it's between UK/Ireland & Europe. Named after Seve Ballesteros, genius at short game.
100. From head to foot : CAP-A-PIE. New word to me.
101. The "0" in "4 5 0," on a scoreboard : NO ERRORS. 4 is Runs, 5 is Hits. Also 64D. Indians, on scoreboards : CLE
103. Ruhr valley city : ESSEN
105. See 69-Down : PESCI. And JOE (69D With 105-Across, "GoodFellas" Oscar winner). Good movie.
108. Malaprop or Miniver : MRS
110. Turnover, e.g. : PASTRY
113. Hops-drying kilns : OASTS
115. Advanced teaching deg. : M.S.Ed. Stumper. Master of Science in Education.
118. Part of ASAP : SOON AS
123. Adopt the naturist philosophy : GO NUDE. Can't imagine doing so in public.
124. Consecrate, in a way : ANOINT
125. Architectural molding : CORNICE
126. Fashioned : STYLED
127. Dictators' underlings : STENOS
128. Paddle-wheel craft : STEAMER
Down:
1. Hammett canine : ASTA. "The Thin Man" dog. And 104D. Hammett hero : SPADE. Sam Spade. "The Maltese Falcon".
2. Believed, to Tweety : TAWT. "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!"
3. Smooch in the shadows : STEAL A KISS. Sweet clue/answer.
4. Aggressive pinballer : TILTER.
5. It might mean "I'm hungry!" : ARF
6. Hero's birthplace? : KITCHEN. Hero sandwich.
7. Narcissus snubbed her : ECHO
8. "The Nutcracker __" : SUITE
9. 1959-'60 heavyweight champ Johansson : INGEMAR. Swedish boxer. Alien to me. Looks who's on top!
10. Recital rebuke : SHH. And 36D. Recital highlights : SOLI. Solo plural.
11. Totally : TO THE MAX
12. "Grace Before Meat" essayist : ELIA (Charles Lamb)
13. Some bar shots : RYES. And 15. Shots : TRIES.
14. Climbed : SCALED
16. Mozart's birthplace, now: Abbr. : AUS
18. Boating on the briny : ASEA
24. "It couldn't be worse!" : NOT THAT
29. Barrie baddie : SMEE. In "Peter Pan".
32. "Dilbert" intern : ASOK. No idea. What a weird name, eddyB!
34. Phone on stage, e.g. : PROP
37. Dreads sporter : RASTA. Dreadlocks.
38. Richard's counterpart in the 1956 election : ESTES
39. Girl leader? : ATTA. Atta girl.
41. German border river : ODER. German/Polish border river.
42. Meet, as a challenge : RISE TO
44. Beatnik's "Got it" : I'M HIP
45. Wrest : SEIZE
48. Record holder? : EX-CON. Awesome clue.
49. Slide show effect : FADE IN
54. Smooth and soft : SILKEN
56. Hillary helper : SHERPA. Mountain guide. Edmund Hillary. The first guy to reach Mount Everest. His sherpa Tenzing Norgay is probably the most famous in the world.
57. Actor Grant : HUGH. I like him.
59. __ volente: God willing : DEO
62. Sculptor's tool : CHISEL
65. Ginseng, for one : HERB. And 109. Ginseng, for one : ROOT. Used to put a tiny bit in my soup.
67. Sexy sleepwear : TEDDY. This is tough to unbutton.
70. Open for Christmas : UNWRAP. And 111. Christmas classic opening : 'TWAS
71. Short : BRIEF
72. Ices, maybe : NUMBS
73. A scandal often ruins one : IMAGE
77. Success/failure metaphor : SINK OR SWIM. Just a great answer.
78. Central : INNER
79. Jeremy and friends, in "Zits" comics : TEENS
82. Yemen's capital : SANA
84. It's heard a lot in Los Angeles : SPANISH. And 88. Three, in 84-Down : TRES.
85. Buckeye State : OHIO
90. How a youngster might watch a parade, with "on" : TIPPY TOE. Vivid clue.
91. End in __ : A TIE
93. Apollo's instrument : LYRE
95. Movers with motors : VANS
97. "Great" feature of Jupiter : RED SPOT. Tell me about it, Husker Gary/Spitzboov/Bill G. Is it hot?
100. Quit : CEASED
102. Quimby in Beverly Cleary books : RAMONA. No idea.
106. Play groups : CASTS
108. Texter's output: Abbr. : MSGs
112. Wild harangue : RANT
114. Muscle twitches : TICS
116. Suffix with confer : ENCE. Conference.
117. Colorful worker? : DYER. Good clue for a common word.
119. Of no value, in Normandy : NUL. Like our "null"?
121. Hamburg article : EIN
122. Dr. of hip-hop : DRE. Dr. Dre.
Answer grid.
Inspired by a note from John Lampkin, Lemonade is compiling a list of his favorite LAT puzzles/clues for 2010. Hopefully we'll get it published next week.
C.C.
23A. Specific item in a sleepwear collection? : TWELFTH NIGHT(IE). "Twelfth Night". Shakespeare.
47A. How a rock band's equipment damage was blamed? : ON THE ROAD(IE). "On the Road". Jack Kerouac.
68A. Amazonian oddsmaker? : THE JUNGLE BOOK(IE). "The Jungle Book". Kipling.
95A. Dressing room sprite? : VANITY FAIR(Y). "Vanity Fair". Thackeray.
120A. Fabric softener delivered overseas? : WATERSHIP DOWN(Y). "Watership Down", by Richard Adam. Neither the book nor the author is familiar to me.
17D. Goat's friend? : BILLY BUDD(Y). "Billy Budd". Herman Melville.
74D. Aboriginal Walkman? : NATIVE SON(Y). "Native Son". Richard Wright. Also an unknown book to me.
Very consistent theme. No Long E sound is added to the end of first/middle word.
Not a pangram, as Q is missing. Otherwise a typical John Lampkin puzzle: no cheater/helper squares; lots of fun clues & clechos (clue echos), which are highlighted in green color, as usual.
Also noticeable in this grid are the non-theme long answers. The two Down (STEAL A KISS & SINK OR SWIM) are particularly sparkling. They match in length to the other two 10 theme answers, which could cause theme confusion in certain grids. But not today, as John's theme is self-evident with all those question marked clues.
Across:
1. Risked : AT STAKE
8. Orderly type? : SISTER. Religious order. Nuns.
14. Take a __: attempt : STAB AT
20. Like the movie "Airplane!" : SATIRIC
21. Hardly religious : UNHOLY
22. Vacation choice : CRUISE
25. Bridal trails : AISLES. Nice clue.
26. Rat tail? : A TAT. Rat-a-tat.
27. Robert who played Roderigo in Welles's "Othello" : COOTE. First encounter with this actor. British actor.
28. Royal pain : HASSLE
30. Back muscle, for short : LAT
31. Jacob's first wife : LEAH. His second wife is Rachel, Leah's sister. Shout out to Chickie, Leah in real life.
33. City west of Mesa : TEMPE
35. Complicated : MESSY
37. Indy car's lack : REAR SEAT. Wow, I didn't know this.
40. Plated, in a way : ARMORED. New meaning of "plated" to me.
43. Kyoto ties : OBIs
46. Question : ASK. 19D. Set of questions : TEST. 96D. Uncomplicated type of question : YES OR NO
49. Logging channel : FLUME. And 51. Coal channel : CHUTE.
50. Retriever's retrieval : STICK
52. Store charge, often : TAX
53. Mil. base stores : PXes. PX = Post Exchange. Army posts.
54. More than just nodded : SAID HI
55. Pianist John : TESH. New Ager.
56. Jazz trumpeter's nickname : SATCH. Louis Armstrong? Thought it's Satchmo. And 60. Jazz trumpeter's nickname : DIZ. Dizzy Gillespie.
58. Fixed up : REDID
61. Per se : AS SUCH
63. Bite response : OUCH
66. Fax forerunner : TELETYPE
72. Niblick, nowadays : NINE IRON. Gimme. Watched so many old golf videos.
75. Stuttgart title : HERR. Was ignorant of the city Stuttgart.
76A. Writes John a letter? : ENDS IT. 107A. Intro for John? : DEAR. Nice to work one's name in clues.
80. Thurman of film : UMA
81. Ejects, as lava : SPEWS
83. Hairy herd : BISON. Alliteration.
86. Feast : DINE
87. Kathy of country : MATTEA. Not a fan of country music. Don't know her.
89. Pro __ : RATA
92. N.T. book attributed to Paul : EPH (Ephesians)
93. Second lady after Tipper : LYNNE (Cheney)
94. Certain hip-hop dancer : B GIRL. B stands for breakdance, correct?
98. Author Kesey : KEN
99. __ Trophy: biennial European golf event : SEVE. Might be tough for non-golf fans. Kind of like Ryder Cup, except it's between UK/Ireland & Europe. Named after Seve Ballesteros, genius at short game.
100. From head to foot : CAP-A-PIE. New word to me.
101. The "0" in "4 5 0," on a scoreboard : NO ERRORS. 4 is Runs, 5 is Hits. Also 64D. Indians, on scoreboards : CLE
103. Ruhr valley city : ESSEN
105. See 69-Down : PESCI. And JOE (69D With 105-Across, "GoodFellas" Oscar winner). Good movie.
108. Malaprop or Miniver : MRS
110. Turnover, e.g. : PASTRY
113. Hops-drying kilns : OASTS
115. Advanced teaching deg. : M.S.Ed. Stumper. Master of Science in Education.
118. Part of ASAP : SOON AS
123. Adopt the naturist philosophy : GO NUDE. Can't imagine doing so in public.
124. Consecrate, in a way : ANOINT
125. Architectural molding : CORNICE
126. Fashioned : STYLED
127. Dictators' underlings : STENOS
128. Paddle-wheel craft : STEAMER
Down:
1. Hammett canine : ASTA. "The Thin Man" dog. And 104D. Hammett hero : SPADE. Sam Spade. "The Maltese Falcon".
2. Believed, to Tweety : TAWT. "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!"
3. Smooch in the shadows : STEAL A KISS. Sweet clue/answer.
4. Aggressive pinballer : TILTER.
5. It might mean "I'm hungry!" : ARF
6. Hero's birthplace? : KITCHEN. Hero sandwich.
7. Narcissus snubbed her : ECHO
8. "The Nutcracker __" : SUITE
9. 1959-'60 heavyweight champ Johansson : INGEMAR. Swedish boxer. Alien to me. Looks who's on top!
10. Recital rebuke : SHH. And 36D. Recital highlights : SOLI. Solo plural.
11. Totally : TO THE MAX
12. "Grace Before Meat" essayist : ELIA (Charles Lamb)
13. Some bar shots : RYES. And 15. Shots : TRIES.
14. Climbed : SCALED
16. Mozart's birthplace, now: Abbr. : AUS
18. Boating on the briny : ASEA
24. "It couldn't be worse!" : NOT THAT
29. Barrie baddie : SMEE. In "Peter Pan".
32. "Dilbert" intern : ASOK. No idea. What a weird name, eddyB!
34. Phone on stage, e.g. : PROP
37. Dreads sporter : RASTA. Dreadlocks.
38. Richard's counterpart in the 1956 election : ESTES
39. Girl leader? : ATTA. Atta girl.
41. German border river : ODER. German/Polish border river.
42. Meet, as a challenge : RISE TO
44. Beatnik's "Got it" : I'M HIP
45. Wrest : SEIZE
48. Record holder? : EX-CON. Awesome clue.
49. Slide show effect : FADE IN
54. Smooth and soft : SILKEN
56. Hillary helper : SHERPA. Mountain guide. Edmund Hillary. The first guy to reach Mount Everest. His sherpa Tenzing Norgay is probably the most famous in the world.
57. Actor Grant : HUGH. I like him.
59. __ volente: God willing : DEO
62. Sculptor's tool : CHISEL
65. Ginseng, for one : HERB. And 109. Ginseng, for one : ROOT. Used to put a tiny bit in my soup.
67. Sexy sleepwear : TEDDY. This is tough to unbutton.
70. Open for Christmas : UNWRAP. And 111. Christmas classic opening : 'TWAS
71. Short : BRIEF
72. Ices, maybe : NUMBS
73. A scandal often ruins one : IMAGE
77. Success/failure metaphor : SINK OR SWIM. Just a great answer.
78. Central : INNER
79. Jeremy and friends, in "Zits" comics : TEENS
82. Yemen's capital : SANA
84. It's heard a lot in Los Angeles : SPANISH. And 88. Three, in 84-Down : TRES.
85. Buckeye State : OHIO
90. How a youngster might watch a parade, with "on" : TIPPY TOE. Vivid clue.
91. End in __ : A TIE
93. Apollo's instrument : LYRE
95. Movers with motors : VANS
97. "Great" feature of Jupiter : RED SPOT. Tell me about it, Husker Gary/Spitzboov/Bill G. Is it hot?
100. Quit : CEASED
102. Quimby in Beverly Cleary books : RAMONA. No idea.
106. Play groups : CASTS
108. Texter's output: Abbr. : MSGs
112. Wild harangue : RANT
114. Muscle twitches : TICS
116. Suffix with confer : ENCE. Conference.
117. Colorful worker? : DYER. Good clue for a common word.
119. Of no value, in Normandy : NUL. Like our "null"?
121. Hamburg article : EIN
122. Dr. of hip-hop : DRE. Dr. Dre.
Answer grid.
Inspired by a note from John Lampkin, Lemonade is compiling a list of his favorite LAT puzzles/clues for 2010. Hopefully we'll get it published next week.
C.C.
Good Morning All,
ReplyDeleteIt took a couple of naps to finish but finish I did, filled in my last two WAG's and got Mister Happy Pencil(Ta-Da).
Now I take back all the bad things I was saying about John whilst I was laboring over his E-pic puzzle.
Good Morning, CC and Friends.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle, John. I loved the theme. With the given title, I was afraid that the "E" would be at the beginning of the answer. ON THE ROAD(IE) set me straight so I knew what I was looking for. NATIVE SON(Y) is the only theme answer in which the last word has a different vowel sound from the original book title. Since JUNGLE BOOK(IE) was set in India, I might not have clued it as being Amazonian.
I have only read The Jungle Book and Native Son and only because I had to read them in school. I have seen Twelfth Night performed several times. I had heard of the other books, but never had any desire to read them.
I liked how SISTERS was immediately above UNHOLY.
My first thought for Aggressive Pinballer was TOMMY, the Who's rock opera.
My grandmother had a coal CHUTE. Her house was heated with coal before she had central heat installed. As a small child, I remember the coalman coming and filling up the coal cellar.
I initially wrote in AS SOON instead of SOON AS.
I also thought of Itch instead of OUCH for a Bite Response.
I wasn't fooled by SHERPA for Hillary's Helper.
Happy New Year's to all my crossword friends.
QOD: Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers. – George Carlin
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteThe crossing of INGEMAR with COOTE was a bit unfair, but I managed to guess my way out of it. I actually really wanted it to be INGAMAR, but COOTA just looked too improbable....
The rest of the puzzle went pretty smoothly. Plenty of other unknowns (MATTEA, BGIRL, SEVE, etc.), but the perps took care of them. And yes, plenty of tricky clues as to be expected with a John Lampkin puzzle!
Favorite clue today was definitely "record holder" for EXCON.
Hi All ~!
ReplyDeleteSince John gave us a hint earlier in the week, I might have subconsciously been preparing for this puzzle, as I guessed TWELFTH NIGHTIE with very few letters - got stuck with VANITY FAIRY tho, since I was looking for i E endings...
CAP-A-PIE?? Really? I had it, and I still didn't like it....the only other sticking point was MATTEA/SHERPA - with LYNNE Cheney in there, I was stuck on Hillary Clinton, I guess...
I also thought the cross of COOTE and INGEMAR was a bit cruel, but I figured it wasn't 'A', either, BarryG~!
Here's a Cornice,
and here's my version of
SATCH - smokin'~!~!~!
Moving day !!!
Splynter
Lots of nice and easy ones and quite a few I needed to red letter to even get started on. Loved the consistency of the theme, and enjoyed doing this despite the many unknowns, too numerous to list. However, CAP-A-PIE is still unparsible for me, despite its apparent French origin.
ReplyDeleteSTUTTGART is a beautiful city in SW Germany. It's the capital of Baden-Württemburg, and houses two major car museums: Porsche and Mercedes. Has a festival that rivals Munich's Oktoberfest, and beautiful Christmas markets in the town squares, as well as numerous parks and gardens. Scroll down about 2/3 of the page on this month's German Life Magazine article for "Swinging Stuttgart" to get a more complete picture.
Good morning to everyone. Especially to John Lampkin for a great puzzle and C.C. for the write-up. I really enjoyed this puzzle. Much more than Saturday's. I had some trouble in the NW corner but the rest worked out well. I also do not know what CAPAPIE means. I got it with the crosswords but have no idea what it refers to. Any suggestions? I also did not know what a Niblick was. I got the NINEIRON with crosswords. Now I know. I have golfed all my life but have never heard that word. Maybe watching old movies would have helped, but I seldom do that. No time.
ReplyDeleteWell, I got this done fairly early in the day. We have to take down our Christmas tree today and pack every thing away. That will eat up most of Sunday. We do have some pork and sauerkraut left over from yesterday, so lunch will be delicious. Abejo
C.C., John and fellow solvers! I’m back baby, 100% on a great puzzle. I pulled SANA out of somewhere which gave me the ungettable CAPAPIE, but some projects have untidy pieces to make a lovely whole (ever been backstage?). Thanks so much John! With the weather here, I thought of Frigid Liza – COLDCOCKNEY but the added N blows it and you would not adopt the naturist philosophy here today!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-if Airplane isn’t the funniest movie you ever sat through beginning to end, please tell me what was
-wanted TRAINS for Bridal Trails, didn’t you?
-flume rides at amusement parks are a hoot and my kids have done them in 30 degree Fla. weather and gotten soaking wet! Popeye’s Bilge Rats at Islands of Adventure is the worst!
-thought jazz trumpeter’s nickname might be LIP for his embouchure (you’d better belief I looked up how to spell that bad boy!)
-tawt? Fabulous!
-Mozart’s home in Salzburg is very close to the home of scientist Christian Doppler. It must be in the wasser! Do you know what the Doppler Effect is? I’ll bet this learned group does!
-I pulled Estes out of some dark recesses as well (next to Sana?)
-wanted SILKIE for SILKEN. Nice juxtaposition to TEDDY!
-an actor named Grant is HUGH? Really?? He couldn’t shine CARY Grant’s shoes!
-I fixated on Hillary Clinton instead of Sir Edmund. I was trying to figure out who helped her through all her trials of living with a serial adulterer. Like our former friend, she asked and answered the Ann Lander’s question, “Am I better off without him?” I have grown to admire her.
-Men are programmed for YESORNO questions and women sometimes, not so much. I don’t like seemingly simple questions that are really “Can you guess what I am thinking?” questions. We simple beasts have little capacity for nuance sometimes.
-in school, we got a lot of “attaboys” and “attagirls” from administrators which translated meant, “Thanks for your incredible effort, but in the famous line from Caddyshack, ‘There’ll be no money in this’”.
Good morning and Happy New Year, C.C. and all the gang.
ReplyDeleteC.C., your blogging was sparkling but for one tiny omission: 33a TEMPE, home of my alma mater, ASU, and neighboring city to Scottsdale.
A wonderful, teasing puzzle from "JOHN, JOHN" Lampkin who worked his way into it.
I managed it all even wagging the NOERRORS clue and meeting some old crossword friends such as OASTS and STENOS cleverly clued as dictator's underlings!
Isn't CAP-A-PIE Italian? It sounds vaguely familiar.
Thank you, John for a good start to 2011 Sunday solving.
I shall now be able to resume my normal schedule; my youngest sister has been visiting from Charlotte, NC since the 23rd and life has been one activity after another. She is leaving today so things will quiet down.
I have been working the puzzles very late at night so haven't posted much. Yesterday's was a real bear which I finished with many errors. Ay, ya, yai!
Have a beautiful Sunday, my friends!
C.C.:
ReplyDeleteMy apologies. I just went back to make sure and yes, I missed it the first time. I swear I didn't see 33A, TEMPE. But then haven't put on my glasses.
Gary:
I have never seen Airplane, the movie. Should I?
I looked it up: cap-a-pie is derived from old (middle) French: de cap à pé, literally from head to foot, but Webster says it also means at all points.
ReplyDeleteGood morning C.C. and everyone.
ReplyDeleteA real meat-grinder today, but ultimately, fair. After some strategic footings were SEIZEd, it began to come together. Finally remembered ESTES Kefauver, and LYNNE Cheney. ESSEN was a gimme. It also is the infinitive for 'to eat'. I did not know COOTE. I liked the clueing for SISTER, SAID HI, and PASTRY. Perps helped enough so that no lookups were needed.
RED SPOT - Did not know the name for this until I saw that it had to be 'red spot'. It is described as a great anticyclonic storm, but is not a 'hot spot'. For those interested you might want to read the discussion on this link under the heading of Great Red Spot.
Have a good day.
Good morning CC, John and all ye Sunday Solvers. Well, it certainly wasn't E-z, but it was doable. Thanks, CC, for the great write-up and links.
ReplyDeleteI liked the three 'John' clues, and the entries DEAR TESH ENDS IT. I hope it wasn't painful.
The top just wasn't going anywhere, especially after putting in SHAKER for that aggressive guy on the pinbal machine, so I went down to the bottom and started back up. As soon as I saw DOWNY on the end of a theme answer I was pretty sure what to look for. I had just enough perps to see WATERSHIP. From there I spotted all of the theme entries except TWELFTH NIGHTIE. The Nightie part was easy, but Twelfth just wouldn't come until I finally realized that the result of the shake (TILT!) was what I needed.
I stared at CAPAPIE for the longest time, was absolutely sure it was right, and just as sure that I had no idea what it was.
I wasn't fooled by SHERPA and but I did start out with TRAINS instead of AISLES.
Time to take down the tree and stuff it back in its box for another year. Have a great day, all.
Hi all.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this xwrd. So many
ans to like.
Tempe/Mesa. Lived in Tempe and worked in Mesa.
Knew nine iron.
Thought the shout-out would come with rear seat. There are two seater Indy cars. They are used for ceremonial purposes and give people the thrill of going around
a 1.5 mile track in 30 sec.
Asok is a little strange. Current story arc has him be a robot.
Off to San Mateo and lunch.
Take care.
eb
Impressive fill-
ReplyDeleteSTEAL A KISS
SINK OR SWIM
TIPPY TOE
TO THE MAX
EX CON
I'M HIP
And good to see ASOK get a shout out!
Wonderful theme and a ton of fun. This Lampkin fella is somethin' else, ain't he.
'Asok' the 'permanent' intern in Dilbert, is modeled after a stereotypical Indian (engineer - ). Those who have followed the cartoon, would know that, he is a grad of the ( prestigious ) I.I.T. - the Indian Institute of Technology (there are 5 major ones - ), and has some sort of supernatural telepathic 'mind crushing' powers - but otherwise is gentle, polite and very obsequious. He is also(properly)shown as brown colored.
ReplyDeleteThe name is an unusual variation of the popular common name 'Ashok' - the first namesake being the 'Emperor Ashoka' - whose Ashoka Chakra (circle; symbol of Ashok - )- four lions on a circular spire- graces the official seal of the Indian government, all Indian banknotes, and the central spired circle in the white center of the Indian flag.
Ashoka - the Emperor of Emperors, Maurya Dynasty, had the largest kingdom in Indian history, (269 - 232 BC),including parts of modern day Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Later on in life, horrified at the death and destruction (caused by - ) warfare, he abdicated his kingship, and dedicated himself to nonviolence, truth, love, tolerance and vegetarianism. He also dedicated his life to the propagation of Buddhism. See Wiki for details.
Good morning C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteAnother gray, sprinkly day in CA.It took awhile for the coffee to kick in.
Spitzboov's description, "a real meat grinder" fit my efforts perfectly.Never groked the theme, so after an hour I was left with lots of halves: nightie, fairy,downy, roadie.Tilter was a no go which left atat without a T.Had slap for ouch until Hugh, a lovely man Husker,filled the spot. Ironically,stolen kiss was corrected with the addition of the rear seat.
Favorites:"to the max", "tawt", and the clue "hero's birthplace."
I don't know what I'd do without you on Sundays, C.C.! Didn't know why I had sherpa for Hillary helper until you explained.
Saw Dear John last night... a little sappy, but then, so was the book.
Fun puzzle as usual with John Lampkin at the helm. I didn't know CAPAPIE either but I didn't even notice it because it got filled in with the crossing words.
ReplyDeleteJupiter's Great Red Spot isn't so red anymore. It's been fading in intensity for a few years. The storm is abating I guess.
Husker Gary, yes I do know about the doppler shift. It's very useful in astronomy and now useful in observing rainfall intensity. (I am watching a Doppler map right now as more rain is approaching.) I used to hear audio examples while riding with my parents on a two-lane road out in the countryside when an approaching driver would be using his horn. Now I notice it when planes are flying over.
Yes Lucina, Airplane is very funny. I've seen it at least twice. Of course, funny is in the mind of the beholder.
JD, where in CA are you located? I'm in Manhattan Beach.
C.C., I agree with you about country music these days but I do enjoy the classic country music like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and up to Merle Haggard and Emmylou Harris's early stuff.
I've been watching "The Time Travelers Wife" recorded from cable. I like it, especially because of radiant Rachel McAdams. She lights up the screen. I think she was one of the actors in "The Notebook."
There are often cartoon /comic characters in our puzzles, like the unknown Asok, but today, after 70 years, Brenda Starr is no more. Poof!
ReplyDeleteBill, I'm in Los Gatos which is next to Erieruth's Monte Sereno.The other side of my fence is San Jose, home to Chickie, MelissaBee, EddyB, Jayce?, and Warren--where is he? And MH is close by in Mt.View.Garlic Girl is close by too.Did I miss anyone?
ReplyDeleteI found this puzzle quite difficult, with a lot of misdirection (HUGH instead of CARY, wrong Hillary, etc). I went through an entire eraser and I was only halfway done!
ReplyDeleteHad never heard of ASOK, SOLI, and COOTE.
And CAPAPIE? Seriously?
Other than that is was a great challenge, like one of those annoying friends who shares his M&M's one at a time: if you hang in there long enough, you eventually get your fill!
Lucina, I first watched Airplane in a Mustang convertible at a drive-in while drinking margaritas. The laughs came so fast that I did several spit takes! Even with some contemporary references, it still is hilarious today! It made Leslie Nielsen another career as his doctor character (Don’t call me Shirley!) was tailor made for his comedic skills after he no longer was a romantic lead. I would watch it again in a heartbeat. BTW, Airplane was a straight up parody of a 1957 movie called Zero Hour which contained most of the characters satirized in the 1980 movie. I stumbled on Zero Hour on TCM one afternoon and thought, “Where have I heard these names before?”
ReplyDeleteJD, No squabble on Hugh Grant being very nice in the role he usually plays and I have seen most of his movies. But for depth and breadth of ability, I would choose Cary every time and I have never heard of Cary soliciting prostitution in Hollywood either as Hugh did. Maybe you remember Jay Leno’s interview with Hugh after that event when he asked him, “What the hell were you thinking?” Cary’s name was the only four letter name that came to my mind but hey, I’m 64.
It might help to remember that it is a hyphenated in the word.
ReplyDeletecap-à-pie: 1523, from Middle French, literally, "head to foot."
JD, yes I am in San Jose.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year. Hope you are all feeling great, capapie!
ReplyDeleteThanks, CC for the great write up and for green highlighting my clechos. As Hahtool surmised, the stack of SISTER and UNHOLY was an intentional other type of echo. That type of stacking needs a name also. Dennis?
Geez, I've never seen so much whining and grumbling about a $20 word in my life! C'mon slackers, toughen up! CAPAPIE is a wonderful word, one that my HS English teacher Vern Wolthoff made us learn in 1963 for the SAT exam. Here is the pronunciation guide-- it's cap-uh-PEE.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cap-a-pie
Practice saying it over and over so that you can amaze your loved one over dinner tonight by cooing, "Gee honey, you look great, capapie. And that reminds me, I have to go to the bathroom."
Hey Jerome, thanks for the cheer. You ain't so bad yourself.
And this is late, but Barry Silk's puzzle yesterday was mega-cool, blending grid art with the center down as a definer. I especially like it because I have it's "sister" puzzle in the queue here. Hmm...
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I've ever checked this site for Sunday's puzzle as I am a new comer as some of you know. But my LA Times Crossword for today is different from the one solved here. Can or will someone explain why? Are there different versions for different parts of the country? I live in the Los Angeles area and the Sunday puzzle here is one by Merl Reagle titled "A Separate Piece". It was a fun one and I finished it in a little over 2 hrs.
Does anybody else do crosswords with a pen? I do, and I also like to stay connected with my solutions and not solve another unconnected part of the puzzle if I can possibly help it. Does anyone else do that? I feel it is a good challenge.
If anyone read my longer post at the end of 12/30 you'll know that I am not trying to pick fights but that this was my first ever attempt to take part in a blog and I was misunderstood from the start due in part to an unclear choice of words on my part.
Anyway, I don't want to be anybody's "troll" and I still think that was rude, but I want to have a better start this year, or maybe I'll just give up blogging. I still like crosswords, though.
Sincerely,
P.N. (anon)
(but hopefully just PN hereafter)
Husker, I don't think there is a Cary Grant movie that I don't like. But he had many skeletons in his closet.The 24/7 news was not as intrusive back then, so Hugh Grant's little escapade is not a big stand out when compared to others in the past.So much was hushed up and leading actors were protected.
ReplyDeleteP.N. Lately, because the paper is later, I've been doing most cw's on line. But when I solve in the newspaper, I use a pen because it is easier for me to read.(better contrast). But I keep a small bottle of white-out nearby :-)
ReplyDeleteWould we have liked capapie better if it had been clued 'knock off a thanksgiving dessert'?
ReplyDeleteGood morning CC, et al., Lampkin is outstanding today as are you, CC with your blogging skills. Such a great job on both accounts. And I believed Lampkin's new year resolution comment. LOL Funny guy!
ReplyDeleteLoved this puzzle!
Never heard of 'Cap-a-pie' either, head to foot? If 'cap' is head,
'a' is 'to', then 'pie' must be
'foot'...how is that? toe jam? Eww, that 'spews'!
Fav was 8A 'sister' orderly type. And like Hahtool noted already, I had to laugh at the irony & humor of putting sister on top of unholy - so she can beat the unholy hell out of 'im and probably w/a ruler too. Been there, seen that.
GO NUDE made me think of Dennis down in FL w/the 1/2 nude beach. Actually, if he missed it, there is one here at VaBeach if you know where to go. I know - so I've been told.
John Lampkin: how about contra/context=contrext?; contranym?; oppanses? And was capapie on the SAT? Have you EVER seen it anywhere else other than from Mr. Wolthoff? Just wonderin'.
PN: let it (12/30) go. It's in the past - like last year.
Yeah, JD, where is Warren?
Gee...the things you "learn" here...and all this time I thought "ASOK" was just a polite word for what the whole office really wants to call him!
ReplyDeleteP.N.: Welcome! This is a very eclectic and diverse group, but we all share a love of doing crossword puzzles. You will find some conversations of interest here.
ReplyDeleteI always do the crossword in pen, but in the first (ie, across) pass, I write very lightly.
I'm beginning to wonder how many really read the posts before theirs. My 10:30 gave an explanation of cap-à-pie with the original French pé (earlier version of pied, the modern word for foot).
ReplyDeleteP.N.
Welcome! I think it's sometimes difficult to convey the mood of a comment here without facial expression, intonation or body language. So one has to be careful about how one expresses oneself. Hang in there!
Asok (also sometimes spelled Ashok, the same way the god Shiva is also sometimes spelled Siva) is a pretty common name. Ashok Kumar is a well-known actor in India, for example. Around this neck of the woods Ashok Kumar is known as a senior research analyst at Collins Stewart.
ReplyDeleteI always do the puzzle in pencil. Maybe because I'm not armor-plated.
Never heard of Louis Armstrong being called Satch, always Satchmo.
I confess I did get fooled, for a while, by Hillary.
Speaking of Hugh Grant, I wish I could find a clip of him trying to learn from James Caan how to pronounce "here" with a New York accent. "Heeeeah." Hilarious!
Latah!
Thanks kazie, Hatool, and Spitzboov for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteP.N.
kazie, I know what you mean. I usually read all the posts before I post, but sometimes I'm so enthused that I post first and read later.
ReplyDeleteJayce,
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding my frustration. I sometimes see things I want to comment on from other posts as I'm reading, so I make notes in the comment spot here to remind me whose it was, so I don't forget or be unable to find it again later when I make my comment. Then I just edit my notes into a comment when I'm done reading. To get back to my place as I hop back and forth I note where the scroll bar is in relation to my desktop picture at the edge of the screen before I come to the top each time, then it's easy to get back again.
I do Sunday puzzles online because our paper runs the NYT on Sundays, but normally on paper I use pencil.
Thanks, Husker Gary and Bill G. I shall order Airplane from Netflicks. For some reason it never appealed to me enough to see it.
ReplyDeletePIE (pyeh) is also Spanish for foot so I could suss it. But thanks for the explanations, Kazie and Argyle.
kazie, that's exactly what I do! I scroll up and down, reading the comments and making remarks of my own as I go along. That's why my comments are so disjointed and look like "stream of consciousness." Sorta like Husker Gary's "musings."
ReplyDeleteWelcome, P.N. Hi there, John Lampkin, and thanks for your iComments and e-opinions. Nothing like a good cap-a-pie, pied-a-terre, or menage-a-trois to spice things up. And maybe even a faerie, haha.
Greetings, solvers, C.C., JohnL.
ReplyDeleteAs JD said, it's another gloomy day in sunny California! I don't mind a bit; love a rainy Sunday!
PN, welcome to the group. Hahtool has described us very well and you have already found out about our loyalty. One thing, though, I'm afraid you won't be able to change the term for anons: troll. It's not an insult or anything personal, just a name. Some things you have to accept, like it or not!
Anyway, now that you're one of us, it won't apply to you. Go blue as soon as possible and that will seal the deal. And one more thing, several newspapers, including the local one I get, don't carry the Sunday LAT xword. I get the Sunday S.F. Chronicle, which does have it but it's so small (and in pink) that I have trouble with it. The solution is to go to Cruciverb.com and get a copy from their archives. I print it out because I'm used to doing the puzzle on paper, but many of the bloggers do the internet version. You'll hear them mentioning 'red letters' which I believe is a help that comes on the net. I do not use a pen because I know that I'll need to change some letters as I work. Sometimes it gets pretty messy but I like the security being able to erase gives me. As a matter of fact I have, deep down, entertained the idea that (this is a secret I've never mentioned to the bloggers!) solving in pen is an affectation! Even though some of my best friends do it!
THERE! Now you all know my worst character trait! Am I evicted?
John, I loved this puzzle. Even though you had said the other day that this one was about literature and the title, which never appears during the week, was exhibited, I still didn't give a thought to the fact that what I was putting in were the theme answere and names of books! Duh, infact BIG duh!
But once I recalled that, I liked it even better! I guess I'm not good at seeing the whole picture!
I've heard cap-a-pie before, must have been in a French class. But it was only after entering it did I recall it.
Who's Mr. Wolthoff?
ReplyDeleteJayce et al, I do not write in the comment box at all in the morning. I open a Word document where I have my html links saved and enter my musings as they occur to me from my original reading of our wonderful blog masters/mistresses and then the comment of our erudite panel of bloggers. When I think I have enough, I copy and paste into this box and Voila!
ReplyDeleteMy experience is such that this comment box is not as stable I would like and so with Word, I always have a backup.
BTW, I hope my musings are not so voluminous that you avoid them. Like Jayce, I can be a stream of consciousness person and keep going until the needle hits empty or C.C. says, STOP!
Hi all, and best wishes for a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteReferring to the QOD 12/31, I stayed up to make sure the old year left. Not because I'm a pessimist, but to make sure the second worst year I can recall went out the door. Half a foot of snow and a two degree high - a fitting way to see out a cruddy year.
Today, a joy of puzzle by John Lampkin and a balmy twenty-three degrees - a fitting way to usher in a new (and hopefully much better) year! Cap a pie, in hindsight, rings a faint bell, but I guessed cap O pie. Oops. Fair enough fill, in my opinion. (Now if an obscure actor was a perp, I might complain, but an international capital is perfectly acceptable.) My only reads from the theme are "On the Road" (good) and half of Vanity Fair (very boring), although I've heard of the rest. I'd like to read Twelfth Night and Native Son.
Favorite clues were Record holder, Hillary helper, Open for Christmas, Play groups, and the John clues.
Thanks, John, for a great first Sunday puzzle of the new year!
P.N., I, too, solve in pen, although like Hahtool, I write lightly at first. (I tell myself I prefer the feel of ink over lead, especially on newsprint, but I might be kidding myself...)
O
Tough start for me until I got my first fill at 100A then the rest just fell in place from top to bottom.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, dodo, on the puzzle archive site. About my use of a pen, I don't mean to put on airs or anything, it's just sort of a quest to be the perfect puzzle solver I guess. Maybe it is a character flaw, or I'm too much of a perfectionist when it comes to some things. When I first did crosswords there was no way I'd use a pen because I was hopelessly poor at it. As I got better, I could do them with far less erasures much of the time. Eventually, I could solve most of them with little or no help and with few, if any, erasures. So I got bold and started to do them in ink. I still make mistakes, of course, but I usually have few write-overs. I suppose my crazy goal is to be able to solve every crossword in ink starting at 1A and proceeding numerically from least to greatest in a connected fashion with no mistakes! I don't know if I'll ever achieve that, but it's the pursuit wherein lies the fun!
ReplyDeleteI always do crossword puzzles in ink ... BUT I use Papermate "Erasermate" pens. For me, ink is much easier to see than lead, and it's easy to erase, which I do often!
ReplyDeleteHey P. N. ,
ReplyDeleteI solve with a pen, and I am very much a mid-range solver. Solving nearly every day for about 2 years has improved my skills, and this blog has helped me greatly. Monday-Tuesday puzzles used to take 15-20 minutes, I now fill in as fast as I can write. Wednesday-Thursday can take 30 minutes or more, Friday is a struggle I usually can manage to complete. Sunday always takes an hour or more, and I have completed without help less than a dozen Saturday puzzles over that two years. Sometimes I wonder why I even try them, but they do improve my skills if not my ego.
So why do I use a pen? I have not used a lead pencil as a writing instrument since the 4th grade, and that was in 1954. I pretty certain there is not a pencil in my house.
My other handicap is that I have not owned a TV since 1973, and the last three movies I saw were the LOTR trilogy, one year apart, as they were released. I do read a lot, and widely, but I learn more about pop culture in this blog than I do by experiencing it.
Finally, now that you have a name, you are no longer anonymous. Doesn't that feel better already? Almost no one here uses their name as their handle, including myself, although in my case it's very easy to find my name. Possibly that's because the only thing in the world I fear is single women with children. Just kidding. As long as Cheney lives, I'm not safe. (Just can't help myself sometimes).
Anyway, I'll add my welcome to the others, and encourage you to tell us about you as and when you see fit.
Larry
Jayce: - if you're still awake - and still reading here - regarding your 4.34 pm comment -
ReplyDelete'Ashok Kumar is a well known actor in India.'
He was one of India's most famous actors - he passed away on Dec. 10, 2001 (age 90).
(I'm sure he appreciates the "shout out" though -).Take care.
;-) lol.
Please.....I'm not making judgements here. It's just that when I'm on a plane or somewhere public and some suit flourishes pen and starts a Xword, I raise an eyebrow and wonder.
ReplyDeleteI do the same as LaLaLINDA; I use an erasermate pen for increased visibility and with the variations of word choices, erasing is almost always inevitable. In case the pen runs out of ink, I always have pencils on hand until I can replenish my supply of erasermate pens.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Christmas decorations are now stocked in their respective boxes and tomorrow is cleaning day. I love the holidays but they do create work, don't they?
Hi.
ReplyDeleteI always make a copy from the archives the night before and some times the answer sheet on week-ends. Use a pencil.
Asok may or may not be named for someone. Never checked. Knew interns like him tho. Week day comics on-line are in color and never noticed that he was brown.
See the Dec 29th strip when marketing girl with big hair pulls off his head.
Too tired to do tomorrow's and Merl's tonight. Long drive back from Brian's in the rain.
Take care.
Good Evening All, I didn't finish today's puzzle. I ploughed through about half of it and then had to leave. It wasn't for any lack of enthusiasm that I DNF. I always love John Lampkin's puzzles.
ReplyDeleteI spent most of the day negotiating the rainy roads from our place to Tracy and back again. Hwy 132 is the ONLY (not kidding) way to get to and from home without a 50 mile or more detour. Their were several landslides and flooding with the road down to one lane. Well, that's not as bad as it sounds. The road is only two lanes at best.
I have to go back via the same route tomorrow and Tuesday mornings for doctor's appointments in Modesto, so I'm not holding much hope to check out the blog until later in the day.
Not to worry. I'm extremely careful about not tailgating and minding the speed limits (and going slow when needed) when the weather is bad....or anytime for that matter.
Have a good night. I'll be checking in tomorrow sometime.
In response to all regarding using a pen or pencil, I always use a pen for a crossword. Yes, I have write-overs, but it forces me to be a little more certain before I write it down. I almost never write a word unless I can get a crossword that matches one of the letters. Kind of a cross check. Also, ink is much easier to read. I never use white-out. i just write over the letter. It probably takes me longer but old habits are hard to break. Abejo
ReplyDeleteI joke at times about the piles of eraser dust, but truth be told, I doubt I could find a pencil in the house. I like the Bic Round stic fine pens. They're cheap.. like me. I can put in an answer very lightly if I'm unsure and darken it later. Most of the time the grid is readable after I finish.
ReplyDeleteI also do Sudoku puzzles in ink, but the numbers don't go in until I'm sure it belongs there.
Being a teacher has inured (great puzle word) me to always have a stock of pencils, pens, paper, glue, rulers, markers and scissors in the house. My granddaughter always finds a use for all of them.
ReplyDeleteGood night, everyone!
As long as Cheney lives, I'm not safe. (Just can't help myself sometimes).
ReplyDeleteKeep your thoughts to yourself, WH.
Wouldn't ordinarily feed the troll, but no one will likely read...
ReplyDeleteWhy don't YOU keep your opinion to yourself?
I found WHs comment hilarious. The dude shot one of his own hunting party when hunting. Good enough reason to fear the man. I found nothing political in the comment. Coming from Montana, anyone would find that funny, and someone who did it would never live it down.
Why don't you spend your time going blue instead of looking for boogie men that aren't always there?
Sorry to the regulars...
Otis
Otis:
ReplyDeleteThanks darlin', and I hope you have a better year.