Theme: T Party; the letter "T" is inserted into the the first word of a common two-word phrase to create a new and humorous phrase. Each of the first words begin with "S." There is no unifier and no other relationship among the theme answers, but some of the images are creative and amusing.
17A. "Oklahoma!" prop?: STAGE BRUSH. Oklahoma is one of the earliest and most successful American musicals, and I guess there may be a BRUSH used on stage at some point; and SAGEBRUSH (also sage brush) is a shrub which grows freely in the Western US, including Oklahoma, and Canada, but should not be confused with tumbleweed.
21A. Time off spent with Rover?: STICK DAY. A SICK DAY is a day off, and playing STICK (also known as Fetch) with your dog can pass the time.
34A. Undercover operations where agents can bring guests?: STING ALONGS. We all known SING ALONGS, but if you turn them into a trap for someone where you invite a guest...Did anyone else think of Mitch Miller?
42A. Dance for louses?: STINKER BALL. A SINKER BALL is a type of pitch used in baseball to induce a ground ball, and a BALL for STINKERS sounds pretty silly.
52A. Taser switch?: STUN DIAL. My favorite of the theme, SUN DIAL becomes the control to a taser. Don't tase me bro!
61A. Fancy shoes for the campaign trail?: STUMP PUMPS. A SUMP PUMP is a common electric pump used to drain basements or other low lying areas. I think it comes from the German SUMPF, which means swamp. The picture of a politician in nice pumps is an appealing image.
Happy Friday, all. Lemonade here and lets go on with the rest of the story, a fun puzzle from our erudite classical constructor, who intertwines Latin and wit, to test ours.
Across:
1. In development, as software: BETA. BETA testing comes after ALPHA testing; seriously, the testing of SOFTWARE is very important in our computer driven world.
5. Ancient meeting place: AGORA. The Greek open assembly areas which became the marketplace, and it is the root word for AGORAPHOBIA, the fear of leaving your home.
10. Bloke: CHAP. The first four letters of last name are CHAP, so in the puzzle I work on and never finish, 1 across is always CHAP, with the last 4 letters the answer to 65 across.
14. School since 1440: ETON. I seem to get this school almost every week; Harrowing.
15. Really enjoy: LAP UP. Which is what Rover does with the attention he gets on Stick Day.
16. Symbolic ring: HALO. This comes from the Latin word for the ring that appears around the sun, which became symbolic of the aura of majesty or glory surrounding a person or thing that is regarded with reverence. Or a very popular video game. Which leads perfectly to 19. Heavenly bodies: ORBS, which is also is from the Latin used to describe the sun and other celestial bodies.
20. Subject of a 2009 national tournament cheating scandal: SUDOKU. I missed this SCANDAL but it dates back to a cheater at a chess tournament.
23. Star car: LIMO. Is anyone else watching the new Showtime series Episodes? I think it is really cute.
25. Downsizing event?: DIET. I am getting used to Mr. Sessa's cluing; he uses many visual misdirections like this where he makes you think about work cuts, and 28A. Fingers: IDS, where you need to relate to the word as verb not a noun. .
26. Extend across: SPAN. Reminds me of the old ABC Wild World of Sports, "Spanning the Globe..."
31. Fumble (for): GROPE. Two images, young man encountering a bra, and old man looking for his glasses in the night. The cycle of life.
37. Tampa NFLer: BUC. A mini-shout out for our left-coast Floridians.
38. Jobs, idiomatically: HATS. This one was tricky, as the phrase "Wearing Many Hats" has gone the way of people actually wearing hats. IMAGE .
39. Tesla, by birth: CROAT. Our friend is back; he was born an ethnic Serb in the village of Smiljan (now part of Gospić), of the Austrian Empire (modern-day Croatia). Tesla was a subject of the Austrian Empire by birth, so this answer while correct is also misleading.
40. Sol lead-in: AERO. Spray cans, and bad for the ozone layer.
41. Creative output: ART.
44. "Beau __": Gary Cooper film: GESTE. The phrase "beau geste" is from the French, meaning "a gracious (or fine) gesture, and the protagonist's name is a foreshadowing of his fate. This movie has been remade many times, first with Ronald Colman, then Gary cooper, with the last one a parody by Mel Brooks starring the incomparable Marty Feldman, who played IGOR in Young Frankenstein, which segues to 63. "Young Frankenstein" lab assistant: INGA, who was played by TERRI GARR who should not be confused with
6D. Needle-nosed fish: GAR.
46. Head of government?: GEE. Another, sleight of hand, Government begins with the letter "G."
47. Body shop figs.: ESTS. Estimates, and abbr like figs.
48. Close connection: BOND. Not to be confused with James Bond.
50. Water carrier: DUCT. Another Latin concept, DUCTS are the anatomical descriptions of the channels of the body through which much passes, like tear ducts, lactiferous ducts with the Roman creation of the AQUEDUCT to transport water to allow the irrigation of dry lands, one their greatest achievements.
56. Mickey's "The Wrestler" co-star: MARISA. This was a wonderful MOVIE in which the 40+ Ms. Tomei plays a stripper.
60. "Young" reformer: TURK. There was an actual early 20th century reformer in the Ottoman Empire known as Young Turk.
64. Small thicket: COPSE. If you threw some crackers in the bushes, would you say "Cheese It, the Copse!"
65. Lollipop, for one: SHIP. Some images are FOREVER .
66. Cheers: RAHS. Very literal.
67. Exhaust: SPEND. Not the first word that came to mind, but when you have exhausted your resources, they are spent.
68. A long, long time: EONS. Crosswordese, with or without the A.
Okay, relax , we are getting down now.
Down:
1. "Summertime" singer: BESS. From the Gershwin opera PORGY & BESS .
2. Caeserian rebuke: ET TU. Brute. I love the miniseries Rome on HBO.
3. Warty hopper: TOAD.
4. Luanda natives: ANGOLANS. Luanda is the capital city of Angola, and has been since the Portuguese settled the area in the 1500's, and was the center of the slave trade to Brazil, the largest Portuguese colony.
5. Rock collection?: ALBUM. Fooled me again, as I collected rocks as child, polished them and made jewelry.
7. Numbered piece: OPUS. Well, last Friday I linked to the cartoon, so I am not sure why this word is here again, but it is.
8. Sign of age: RUST. Interesting visual, though why people are said to be rusty, which comes from oxidation not age, I do not know.
9. Garden pest: APHID. If I had a nickel for every aphid I plucked from my father's flowers as a child, I would be a nickelonaire.
10. Round jewelry item: CHOKER. How about a nice Heart NECKLACE for V-Day.
11. Not easily topped: HARD TO BEAT.
12. Jessica of "Sin City": ALBA. We seem to have a mini-theme of STRIPPERS ; no nudity, I promise.
13. Bridal accessory: POSY. A different word for bouquet.
18. Scratching (out): EKING. We cannot go two days without some version of this crossword staple, I am ready to scream EEEEEKKKK.
22. Butts: CIGS. With smoking on the decline this will become a difficult clue one day.
24. Deepwater Horizon, for one: OIL RIG. This was the name of the ill fated rig which was the BP Oil spill. It was built in in South Korea by Hyundai.
26. Disconcerting look: STARE. Well sometimes, stares are nice.
27. Penguins' home: PITTSBURGH. The hockey team lead now by Sidney Crosby.
29. Blackmore heiress: DOONE. Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor was an early historical romance.
30. Took a sinuous path: SNAKED. And, 59D. Slithery threats: ASPS.
32. Knitting stitches: PURLS. When I was little I heard a joke where the punch line was Knit 1, Purl 2 and there was an old song, but no one ever explained either, but I think it has to do with reversing the knitting action.
33. Sci. concerned with biodiversity: ECOL. Ecology,
34. Thick carpet: SHAG. Does anyone have any left in their homes? I wonder if this pair was an homage to Austin Powers who loved to SHAG , and to tell people to 35D. Behave: ACT.
36. Co. that merged into Verizon: GTE. General Telephone and Electric, one of the baby bells.
40. Clear as mud: ABSTRUSE. Oh what a wonderful word, also from Latin.
42. Texting button: SEND.
43. Newscast segment: RECAP.
45. Mighty Dump Trucks, e.g.: TONKAS. Hasbro's biggest seller still, trucks and trains.
49. Saucers and such: DISCS. Yes, especially the flying kind of UFOs.
51. Made lots of calls, in a way: UMPED. Tricky, an umpire calls balls and strikes, safe or out; I told you Ed uses visual deception.
52. Mix: STIR.
53. Hip Charlie, in ads: TUNA. Who does not love a wise guy talking FISH .
54. At the peak of: ATOP. On top of old smokie...
55. "Kick, Push" rapper __ Fiasco: LUPE. No clue, don't listen if you are offended by these LYRICS .
57. "As I see it," online: IMHO. In My Humble Opinion, really why humble? Not likely.
58. Go a few rounds?: SPIN. The wheels on the bus go round and round...
62. Co. with a butterfly logo: MSN. Microsoft Network; they want to take over the world.
Lemonade
Note from C.C.:
The overall length of recent posts is getting too long. I'd like to limit each post to about 20 lines on blog Comments section. Try to shorten your posts, sweet & succinct. Thanks.
Good morning, Lemonade, C.C. and gang - boy, this was a fun puzzle; Ed Sessa's puzzles, as Lemonade points out, are always clever and full of misdirection.
ReplyDeleteThe North fell quickly, which also gave away the theme, and it was pretty much smooth sailing until I got to the SE and confidently put 'spar' for 'Go a few rounds'. When I was left with 'shap' and 'eors' for 65A and 68A, I refused to believe 'spar' was wrong and was questioning my spelling of 'abtruse' (which is just a great word). Finally realized the answer was spin; got me, Ed. Nice Friday puzzle.
Lemonade, great write-up - very enjoyable read.
Today is Create a Vacuum Day. So many ways to celebrate.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteFun, fairly straightforward puzzle today. For a change, figuring out the theme early on actually helped me finish the puzzle, since I knew to start all the theme answers with ST and I also knew to think of common phrases without the T.
ABSTRUSE was definitely the learning moment of the day, but at least it looked like a real word. And, like Dennis, I had SPAR instead of SPIN for a long time.
Husker Gary,
ReplyDeleteIt always pleases me when others respect the blog rules. Thanks for the decision yesterday.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up lemonade. Very humorous!
Favorite word: ABSTRUSE!
The theme clues were lost of fun.
Well, spring gave up the ghost here. Turtles back to hibernating, bushes that bloomed confused.
I sympathize with those of you who have caught my insomnia! Eating crackers and cheese one hour before bedtime is "legal", according to some web gurus and Dr. Oz (whose show I find difficult to stomach anymore).
Anybody there like "Blue Bloods?" I have always been a big Selleck fan!
Good Morning.
ReplyDeleteI'm passing on an email I just received. I figured I'll reach more this way than forwarding it.
Friday, February 4th is world cancer day.
I'd appreciate it if you will forward this request, 93% won't forward.
A small request.. Just one line.
Dear God, I pray for a cure for cancer, Amen.
In memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is still living with it.
A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteThe overall length of recent posts is getting too long. I'd like to limit each post to about 20 lines on blog Comments section. Try to shorten your posts, sweet & succinct. Thanks.
Hi again all!
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading Thursday's blog. Really was out of it yesterday as fibromyalgia was horrible. Would love to be able to use my indoor hot tub, but it is sunk in the ground and has no place to put rails. (This is response to someone's comments yesterday.) I wish I had seen the future 20-some years ago!
I really enjoyed the comments yesterday! The puzzle was pretty cool, too.
Lemonade, Wonderful write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteAny puzzle with a "shout-out" to my favorite Crossword buddy Tesla is a winner.
Didn't fall for serb since I've been to his birthplace in CROATia on a drive from Split back to Zagreb.
Also liked the BUC reference.
FUN Friday with great themes.
I say Old CHAP, this was a fun Friday puzzle and great write-up. Your write-ups always bring a chuckle.
ReplyDeleteSICK DAY joke: I used up all my sick days, so I called in Dead.
Does anyone remember the the short-lived TV show, The HAT Squad? It's the first thing I thought of when I read 38-Across.
ABTRUSE is definitely a Friday word.
Freezing rain here has virtually closed the entire state. Another day at home.
QOD: The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings. ~ William Hazlitt.
Good morning Lemonade, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the amusing and informative write-up, Lemonade. I laughed out loud at your two images for GROPE.
56A MARISA was my only look-up.
65A “Lollipop, for one” was a great clue for SHIP – it had me scratching my noggin for a while.
Loved your link to 53D for “Hip Charlie..” TUNA, doing his “ lecture on ART. But is it 41A “Creative output”??
STUMP PUMPS had me “stumped” for a while, but when it finally filled in, I really liked that one best.
TGIF! Have a great day, everyone.
Good day Folks,
ReplyDeleteLemonade, informative write up with great links.
Hand up for spar. Perps finally corrected my thinking. Abstruse new to me. Favorite clues were "Lots of calls"/umped and "Fingers"/ids.
Like Dennis, the north went easily, but the middle and southern sections were a slog. But it was a fun puzzle and a fair Friday challenge.
Good morning Lemonade and all, a really fun puzzle today even though it required a second attempt. My first attempt hit a wall as I started in the SE corner and immediately inserted spar which screwed up that section. I walked away for a while and then started in the NW and things went well from there.
ReplyDeleteFavorite word was “abstruse”. Funny write up Lemon.
Nice shout out for the Burgh. Sure wish Crosby would get over his concussion. No idea when he will be back.
I will be gone for a while as I am heading for the southern Caribbean to get out of this lousy weather.
Hope you all have a great Friday
Brilliant puzzle today. At first I was put off by the unknowns and inscrutables, but then the top fell and I managed eventually to get it all with only a couple of erasures: GLARE/STARE, USEUP/SPEND and SPAR/SPIN.Great feeling of accomplishment to get a Friday with no lookups. Favorite was STUMPPUMPS, which having figured the theme early on was the only one filled in with practically no thought at all and no perps there ahead of it. Many WAGs needed though.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog too, Lemonade.
Why be appologetic about BETA testing? Originally, alpha testing AND beta were to be in-house test phases before release to the public but they found an early release caught lots more errors. It's a shame so much software is released replete with bugs. I worked on the space program where our software was ERROR-FREE - a concept foreign to today's programmers.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Lemon and Ed, what a great effort by both of you. STUMPPUMP fell last and was my favorite
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Sick days are a sore subject in my profession as there are many people who treat them as vacation days and that seems very unprofessional to me who retired with over 100 unused days.
-Never thought of electrifying TESLA as a CROAT. Great explanation Lemon. Here is the list of Famous Croats
-Garr, Tomei and Jessica Alba? My God Lemon, your links have warmed up my day!!
-It breaks my heart to not see Made In America on Tonka Trucks and Levis!
-Hate speech from TV and radio? Horrible! Hate speech from Rappers? Protected, rewarded and admired! Ya gotta work me through that one.
Good Morning C.C.,Lemonade and all,
ReplyDeleteGood write-up,Lemonade. Loved the Ed Sessa interview;thanks, C.C.
Great puzzle! Lots of humor in the clever theme and the misdirections.
ABSTRUSE is definitely the word of the day! even saw usage for the mis
spelled 'abstruse'[how does that work?] on Google.
Dick, Crosby-Concussion,anyone? I missed this. Have a super trip- brilliant idea!
Hope there can be an exception for CA's poetry. I really need it sometimes.
Have a nice day everyone.
Did you know there is a comic strip with Abstruse in the title?
ReplyDeleteThanks Lemonade and Mr. Sessa
ReplyDeleteI SO wanted to put "IRS" in as the answer to "FINGERS", that time of year approaching 'n' all. Too bad.
STUNDIAL was the STANDOUT (of my eyes...?). TASERS ON STUN, Mr. SPOCK.
NC
Typo- should read:
ReplyDelete"misspelled: abtruse"-sorry
For the record, GTE was not part of AT&T. It was a competitor.
ReplyDeleteJay:
ReplyDeleteYou are correct that GTE was an independent phone company. What I was trying to say was Verizon, which still exists, was the result of the marriage of Bell Atlantic, one of the baby Bells and GTE. Bell Atlantic was the first of the babies to begin acquiirng and consolidating.
Hi There~!
ReplyDeleteI cruised through this one, as well, and the only corner I got stuck in was the middle of the right - had "ME FA" for SOL lead-in, as in the musical notes - and the E worked for HARD TO BEAT, so I was on a roll - I thought.
I liked the theme - working on a similar one, myself, hopefully I will get around to sending it in for approval.
Went to Geico today to drop off the van, and 20mins later they called to say it was "too expensive" to fix, and so instead of fixing ol' Bert, they cut me a check for $2828, and let me drive home with it - uh, OK by me!
Splynter
Thanks, Ed! This puzzle was a lot of fun, with thoughtful clues and fill that evoked memories! I learned a few interesting things along the way too.
ReplyDeleteLemonade, there's a scene in Oklahoma where Laurey sings: “I'll scrub my neck and I'll brush my hair, and start all over again." while demonstrating.
I liked how HARD TO BEAT mirrored PITTSBURGH… What a great lead-in to Super Bowl weekend! Let’s hope they have no 31A Fumble (for): GROPEs. There was another vague Pgh sports reference at 37A, with the Pirates also being called the Bucs at times.
47A Body shop figs.: ESTS Reminded me that I get to go car shopping this weekend! I’m torn between the Honda Fit and Kia Soul. Any input to help me decide? Honda has a more established history, but the Soul is more pleasing to the eye. On paper, both are very similar. I've talked to owners of each, and they're very happy.
Good day, Everyone!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant puzzle! Brilliant blogging!
I love Ed Sessa's work; his imagery really livens the fill and is such fun. Thank you, Ed.
Fav clues:
downsizing event: DIET
rock collection: ALBUM
go a few round?: SPIN
and ditto: ABSTRUSE Yea!
Here in Scottsdale we have a Stagebrush Theater. Brush can be a COPSE or hedge.
Have a terrific Friday! Maybe less snow and cold.
As a long time lover of wordplay and puns I thought I had seen just about every horrible, crappy, ridiculous, inane, and god-awful attempts at cleverness that exist. Until this morning.
ReplyDelete"Cheese It, the Copse!" will never be equalled in the Pantheon of the truly grotesque.
The puzzle was quite clever...IMHO, the T-party has some nuts but they also have some valid points. Favorite clue;down-sizing event.
ReplyDelete"Cheese it, the copse!" Was quite clever, Lemonade. Have you ever told how you chose this nom de plume?
Speaking of the "pendulum" (we were, weren`t we)...Long ago, the gubmnt broke up the huge corporations (as they did with the large phone companies))...now, they are reforming. ...(let`s hope some of the following pendulums swing back)clothes were ironed and in good repair, kids walked miles to school and made excellent grades, mothers took care of their own children, people stayed married and deemed each child a blessing, people ate pure, homegrown and cooked food and worked off the calories,small towns still had thriving main streets and America was respected if not revered. Come on pendulum!
Lemonade, another wonderful avatar of Amelia for us. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnnette, is yours from the celebrations the other day ? Looks like they are rivaling Macy's for inventive balloons!
HeartRx, actually it is a Macy's balloon from their Thanksgiving parade. It's one of the few decent shots I caught. I put it as my avatar the other day when Tinbeni was talking about the Gasparilla pirate festival, but it's usually so late when I post that I never bothered to "introduce" it.
ReplyDeleteHi all.
ReplyDeleteLove Ed's puzzles. Lots of fun.
Cigs finally got here from Odessa.
Yesterday was 52nd anniver of the Day That Music Died.
Arnie flew his Citation for the last time as PIC. The next time
will be as a passenger.
Today is National Wear Red Day.
Bring atten to woman's heart disease.
Will be in the mid 70s tomorrow.
take care
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteJerome - was that a complement?
Short on time again today. Sussed the clver, tricky theme, and it helped, eventually. I'd say Ed hit the sweet spot today for not making the rest of theme entries no-brainers.
Great write-up, Lemonade.
C.C. - terrific interview.
I'm mused by "Heavenly bodies" crossing ALBA. Able was I ere I saw her. Loves me some Teri Garr, too. She's been battling MS for almost 30 years. With MARISA, BESS and Lorna, quite a collection of lovely ladies.
Filled in LORNA for 29D which made the midriff ABSTRUSE, indeed. CROAT forced LORNA into LOONA. Quite a mess. GEE? No - GTE!
Well, my HAT'S off to Ed.
IMBO. Cheers!
JzB
C.C. Thanks for the *reminder*. I love reading the Crossword comments, but sometimes there is too much other *stuff* to slog through. Perhaps those who would like to tell stories and/or rant could just point us to another blog that we could read if we wished.
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed at C.C.'s savvy, intelligence, and *cool*! Bravo to you....and to all...have a great weekend!
Gary -
ReplyDelete-Hate speech from TV and radio? Horrible! Hate speech from Rappers? Protected, rewarded and admired! Ya gotta work me through that one.
Sometimes it's best to just not think about it.
Cheers!
JzB
10D ANKLET, 58D SPAR, 46A GOV and 52A STUNDOWN, none of which I wanted to let go, really slowed me down. The theme was cute, especially STICKDAY, since I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I've ever heard the word ABSTRUSE before. As much as most of us read, it's amazing that Ed could find a word that so many call a learning moment. But the abstruse goose is a bit too abstruse for me.
Have a great day, all.
Are we playing along with Ed Sessa today? If so then...
ReplyDeleteOil terminal emergency in Norway?
Sture fire.
False alarm at said terminal?
Stay it isn't so.
also:
ReplyDeleteRight guard e.g.
Stink stopper
and
Demand from foul smelling pirates?
Stink or swim
Good Morning All, ABSTRUSE...Hmmm, I loved it, but will I ever use it? I sure will try to baffle somebody with it eventually.
ReplyDeleteHow could I not think of DISHES, even though it was too longwhen I already had DIS for (49D) Saucers and such.
(55D) LUPE Fiasco was new to me. I listened to both Kick Push, a song about skateboarding, and to Lemonade's link for "The Show Goes On". Except for some language I wouldn't use in "The Show Goes On", I found the lyrics pretty positive, hopeful and yeah, raw too. Not being a ghetto kid (Ya think?) I respond a little differently, but lines that praise "in home" fathers and teachers who care, as well as "I hope your son don't have a gun." are OK with me.
I certainly enjoyed the puzzle. Thanks to Ed and Rich; Lemonade and C.C. too.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, I'm glad for your experience with Geico. We've had a similar experience with the AAA, the Auto Club. So far as I can tell, they have the best prices of anybody and, like Splynter's experience with Geico, AAA provides excellent service.
Annette, I haven't had any experience with KIA but we did test drive the Honda Fit. We liked it though Barbara wasn't crazy about the comfort of the seats. We decided on a Toyota Yaris instead. We liked the salespeople, and the dealer is very close by. So far, we like the Yaris very much. Whatever you decide on, try the Costco referral service. Great no-haggle prices.
I've got to disagree about the remark about this blog's content. If it weren't for the additional off-topic comments, I probably wouldn't have hung around so long.
Variations on the theme:
ReplyDeleteLatex Barn Layer
STABLECOAT
Hunt an Inoculation
STALKVACCINE
Rob With Affection
STEALWITHAKISS
Worrying Apparatus
STEWINGMACHINE
Damp Wasp Activity
STINGINGINTHERAIN
Emotion About Malodor
STINKINGFEELING
Please Awaken the Prime Minister
STIRWINSTONCHURCHILL
Kennel the Dog
STORESPORT
Put Away Volunteer Grain
STOWWILDOATS
Hung a Picture Somewhere
STUCKITUP
Sorry Creature, the clue/answer for 27D was "Penguins/Pittsburgh" and Sid Crosby plays for the Penguins and has a concussion.
ReplyDeleteHusker Gary,
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! You should definitely consider constructing crosswords.
Nice Cuppa,
You too.
Splynter,
Send it out quickly! And good luck!
Seen,
ReplyDeleteSorry I forgot about you earlier.
Very clever, Husker Gary@12:53.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bill G. Sure, I love the puzzle comments, but it is the personal input that sets this blog above and beyond.
Watch out, here comes a "just me" comment...
Argyle@6:34, I'm not much of a prayer (or is it prayist?) myself, but as our Lois says, "It's all good!". So many people I have come to know (and me too!) appreciate the positive thoughts and caring acts that have come our way. It can be a rough road, but I have met amazing people, a lot of them here on this blog, and learned so many things I would never want to trade off. Thanks Argyle.
:0) Yeah, I'm one of those sappy "glass half full" kind of people.
Hi Lemonade, C.C. & gang,
ReplyDeleteI had to punt on this one. My wife and I only got ~45% done before she left for work. I finished it online.
I learned a new word today 'abstruse'
Here's all I could find on Glen Miller's knit one purl two...
;-)
Hello everybody.
ReplyDeleteTerrific puzzle; I enjoyed every letter of it. Thank you Mr. Sessa.
Best wishes to you all.
Don't worry creature, there are lots of shorter poems. (LOL, I hope you like sonnets.) The creator of comic strip Pogo, Walt Kelly, inserted a pithy poem now and then. Here's an anti-snow non-sonnet for the toasters and cigar aficionados (you know who you are) who hang out around here.
ReplyDeleteHave You Ever?
Have you ever, while pondering
The ways of the morn
Thought to stop just a bit, just a drop in the horn?
To pour in the evening, or late afternoon,
Or during the night when we're shining the moon?
Have you ever cried out, while counting the snow,
Or watching the tomtit warble hello:
"Break out the cigars, this life is for squir'ls;
We're off to the drugstore, to whistle at girls!"
-Walt Kelly
My maternal grandfather reportedly used to try to put Granny off her count when she was knitting, by chanting "knit one, purl one, drop one" repeatedly until she would give up and pay more attention to him. Another pastime they had was to try to stump each other with words from the dictionary. Unfortunately I never knew them as they were both gone long before I came along.
ReplyDeleteNicely done, Clear Ayes! I liked that.
ReplyDeleteAnd ditto on the personal charm of this blog. Adding your own woes, pathos, elations, etc. certainly makes this worth returning to throughout the day. I feel close to all of you in a "cyber" way.
Great post Jayce. But you had sixteen more lines to burn!
ReplyDeleteJerome:
ReplyDeleteI am honored by your sincere vilification. To think I crossed over the maginot line of good taste and humor, makes me proud to be a part of this wonderful world of puzzles.
I do not believe CC was saying the ramblings are no longer acceptable commentary; she was simply trying to get people to be more concise. 100 lines a day should allow sufficient free speech, and for those who do not like our personal stuff, skip over the comments.
Hi C.C., Argyle and folk,
ReplyDeleteBon jour, lemonade714. Good job as usual! C.C., I enjoyed the interview. It helps my solving mind set when I know a little about the constructor. Interesting guy.
OK, lemonade, true confessions...I used to sing along with Mitch when I was young! Sing Along With Mitch
28A. Fingers: IDS. Excellent! Lemonade, if what you've shared in 10a.is to be believed, one might say you are fingering yourself!
Have a great weekend one and all. As Billy says,'I love you just the way you are!'
I'm out.
Exactly, Lemonade, thanks.
ReplyDeleteLemonade, you're exactly right - C.C. was merely trying to rein in the overly-long posts only because we have so many more members of our group now than we've ever had. Nothing new was said about what is or what isn't acceptable.
ReplyDeleteThis is our little meeting house, where people drop in throughout the day to talk about their triumphs, tribulations, trivia, etc. It's certainly been a fun place in the three years I've been here, and I don't think putting a modest limit on post size should change that.
C.C. et al,
ReplyDeleteMusings 2 (this time it's personal!)
-Thanks for the kind comments. I also had a backwards variation where the T has to be added instead of subtracted -
Close Beach
SANDBYME!
-It killed me to cut back on my first post but brevity is the soul of wit
-Jazz and I had a nice, pleasant exchange off-blog that got into areas not really germane to puzzling and can be accomplished with Blue people!
-Who said I ain't trainable?
HeartRx Thanks for the Amelia comment, she is amazing at only 10 days old.
ReplyDeleteHG, you really should be using those skills to make a puzzle, some of those were quite good. In fact the diversity and talent of our membership is awesome.
Still no Jeannie...hmmmm
ReplyDeleteC.C., Lemonade, Dennis, et al, I never thought otherwise. I was just putting in my 2 cents worth....as we all do...nothing shy about this group of bloggers! We'll just do it a little more abbreviatedly.
ReplyDeleteLemonade, I love those pink feathers...what a cutie!
Rose, as to my soubriquet, Lemonade 714, it grew out of my love of puns and my growing up in the 60's when a pill known as Quaalude was introduced. They were legal then, and my uncle was a doctor who had a room full of samples; anyway to make a long story short, the pill had LEMMON 714 printed on each tablet. Since they relaxed and made people happy, the thought of Lemmon Aid came to mind, and when I joined here, I wanted a nice descriptive name, so Lemonade 714 was born.
ReplyDeleteFebruary is the time of year of Italian Festivals and food shows, so I imagine our miss lo li ta is busy. Frenchie, Lucina and other desert denizens (fishie?) i was sorry to see and hear about your trip to the 20's. It will warm up, I am sure.
I do not believe only Frenchie has sung along, and I will not tooch her comment.
Ludes, huh. That certainly answers a lot of my questions.
ReplyDeleteCA, I like that poem. Not so much because it's a great poem but because I remember it from Pogo!
ReplyDeleteToday is cleaning lady day. Barbara and I are heading out for lunch and then, about the time the cleaning lady invades my space with the noisy vacuum cleaner, I'll call my buddy and head out for a bike ride.
OK, back from lunch and the bike ride. Ooh, that was a really good lunch at Il Fornaio. It's a upscale Italian restaurant chain that may be in your area too. We split a really good salad, minestrone, a delicious thin-crust pizza, tiramisu and finished off with two cappuccinos. That was the best lunch we've had in a good while.
Hola Everyone, I figured out the ST beginning of the theme words after filling in Stage Brush. This certainly helped with the rest of the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad to see that Abstruse was a new word to others, too.
My favorite clues today were downsizing event, and Made lots of calls, in a way.
I had to look up Lupe Fiasco, and Mickey's co-star, Marisa. After putting in Veil for bridal accessory, Posy was filled in with the perps. I certainly hate to give up a word that I just know is correct! LOL
CA, I loved the poem today and Lemon714, thanks for a great writeup.
ReplyDeleteHusker Gary, Clever!
Fermatprime, our garden is very confused, also. Our blueberries are in full bloom. It is too early. We usually still get a frost in Feb.
So, Jerome,
ReplyDeleteWhat is/was your drug?
Jerome I am sure is a pure Lutefisk man. What questions needed answering?
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for another fun friday fete. I guess I should have used Pogo instead of Opus as my cartoon reference.
Have a great Super Bowl Week end. 45, amazing
ClearAyes, "abbreviatedly", it is! I know it takes me way longer to read all the posts (which I do, religiously!) than should be "normal". But I enjoy every word.
ReplyDeleteJerome, is Lemonade's comment true that you are a lutefisk man?? My Father was from Finland, and we "had" to have lutefisk every Xmas Eve. Whew, what an aroma filled the house ! Years later, I found out how it was made. I think my mother was trying to poison us all!!
ReplyDeleteAsphalt: What you could possibly be (and have)if you can`t appreciate counselor`s puny wit!
ReplyDeleteO.K. HuskerG here's my backwards contributions:
ReplyDeleteWhat is the meaning of life...wait don't tell me!
Sage fright
Mommy, can I play with the ziploc bags? Why, yes honey...
Seal away
Gathering of retired porn stars.
Sag party
See ya all in a week. Go Steelers! Good luck on on your "stairway to seven."
ReplyDeleteGreat writeup, Lemonade!
ReplyDeleteCA I loved the poem.
Jerome, you are too much,LOL. Lucina, ditto what you said!
I recently discovered that I can go into the archives and read replies to some of my comments. They are always late so I often never see them! And here I thought nobody cared! Thank you, all who do!
C.C. @ 1:08
ReplyDeletelmao, that is the story of my life.
I remember one of my earliest interactions with the blog. It was about middle children and CA really got me.
Btw, I think Jeannie said she was busy this week.
Pain from shopping: Grocery sore.
ReplyDeleteAn ill, old fogie: Sick in the mud.
A snooty brown-noser: Suck up.
What GIs gave to stockinged legs:
Seam whistle
Upset over the Singer: In a sew.
"Say good night, ARBAON."
"Good night"
Ha! Ha! Good story, CHAP! I look forward to a completed puzzle from you and others of our group, as well! There is such an accumulation of brilliance among us. I stand in awe.
ReplyDeletesincerely,
Frenchie and...
I'm out.
Good Evening, folks. An especial thanks to our constructor, Ed Sessa. Great puzzle! It took me a while to solve it. I was really busy, but got it in bits and pieces throughout the day. Great write-up Lemonade and thanks for posting, C.C. Thank you Rich Norris for all you do.
ReplyDeleteI took a while to pick up on the theme. Once I had that the theme Clues/Answers came easily. STUMPPUMPS was the last. Even after I am an expert on sump pumps, having had my basement flooded several times.
I got the GTE answer quickly, having worked for a subsidiary of GTE for 36 years, Automatic Electric Co. FYI, the founders of Automatic Electric Co. originated the automatic telephone exchange, where you could dial your own telephone call instead of having the operator connect you with the cords at the switchboard. The patent was in 1891. The device was called the Strowger Switch and was named after the inventor, Almon Strowger, an undertaker from Kansas City. It is quite a story.
In deference to C.C., I will try to keep this short. have fun, folks. See you tomorrow.
Abejo.
Dennis, did you go over to the dark side and get an iPhone4, or stay loyal to the Droid? I can't believe how attached I've grown to my smartphone in just over 2 months!
ReplyDeleteBill G., thank you for the input! I just checked out the Yaris online. It's very comparable to the Fit, but nothing stood out to sway me over. I was considering a test drive in the morning, but I found that the nearest dealership would make it very inconvenient for repairs. Location was one of the biggest plusses for the Kia Soul, but that wasn't meant to be either. It looks like I'll be owning a Honda again by tomorrow afternoon.
This is for DODO -
ReplyDelete... whenever you see this - through the archives or whatever...
You may sometimes feel that you are being ignored, but rest assured SOMEBODY is always reading your posts - and though we think of ourselves as one small, irrelevant, inconsequential individual - if you post enough ( and trust me, you do - ) - other people will remember you - and your kind nature, and gentle bearing and the good bonhomie that you exemplify. Your contributions are just as important as anybody else's on this blog - and for me, they come through as a ray of sunshine.
I may choose to remain anon. - but that is my nature - but here is one person who looks out for your posts.
Have a nice weekend and the rest of the week ahead, and I, for one, look forward to reading your posts soon, so keep them coming ! You are important !
Abejo, I enjoyed learning about the Strowger Switch. Very clever and interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, my grandmother in Upperville, Virginia had an old candle stick phone on a party line. Her phone number was 71W.
Annette: Yes, dealer convenience was a significant factor in our choosing the Yaris. The Toyota dealer is only about a mile from us. I hope you're happy with whatever you choose. Were you able to take advantage of a Costco referral (or some other similar no-haggle buying option)?
Wow what fickle friends Jeannie must have here on the blog...no one misses Jeannie than me? does that make me a bone fide loser???
ReplyDeleteI think she is pretty and witty. Anyone else? I also would eat anything she put in front of me as from what I can tell that gal can cook!
I miss Jeannie and I miss our other posters from whom we haven't heard, and I truly hope everything is going well for them; but given the storms swirling about them, I understand they may not be able to post.
ReplyDeleteStay warm. Stay safe everyone and have a good night.
No one has ever commented on the very few times I have contributed to the blog either.
ReplyDeleteIt's still fun to read everyone else though--it just makes me reluctant to say anything.
Susan, I know what you mean. I always enjoy it when something I post results in a few responses. I need to be better about responding to others also. Consider this as one for you.
ReplyDeleteOh goody! I knew there must have been a reason to save a 5th post.
ReplyDeleteAnon@10:42, yes, I'm afraid it does. Insulting other bloggers won't endear you to Jeannie or anyone else. If you'd read her more recent posts you'd know she is very busy at work and as Lucina pointed out, the weather has not been a friend to the mid-west.
Susan, hang in there, you are noticed. Unfortunately your "Blue" profile give the message "the website does not require authentication. This may be an attempt to trick you". That might be a reason, you haven't received any comments. Try getting a Google Account and go Blue with it.
Good Night, Arbaon!
ReplyDelete