google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, February 7, 2011 Thomas Takaro

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Feb 7, 2011

Monday, February 7, 2011 Thomas Takaro

Theme: About Face - The four grid-spanning entries end with a word for a part of your face.

17A. New perspective: FRESH PAIR OF EYES

25A. "Doesn't bother me a bit": "NO SKIN OFF MY NOSE"

43A. Listen very carefully: PRICK UP YOUR EARS. Not easy for us to do but open a snack around a dog and you will see ears pricking up.


57A. How the poor live: FROM HAND TO MOUTH

Argyle here. It's all or nothing day. We go from fifteen letter entries down to six letter entries. The majority are five(26) and four(32) and only lacking a Q from being a pangram. Makes an interesting start for the week.

Across:

1A. Steve of Apple: JOBS and 1D. Bezos of Amazon: JEFF. Steve Jobs is the co-founder of Apple. Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon.

5. Snug, as jeans : TIGHT

10. Agile : DEFT

14. Old-fashioned exclamation : "EGAD!"

15. One-way street sign symbol : ARROW

16. Draft classification : ONE A

20. Turkish topper : FEZ.
Cheese fez. Congratulations, Green Bay.

21. U.S., French and Australian tournaments : OPENS. Wimbledon isn't usually called an Open but a Championship instead.

22. Hurdles for future attys. : LSATS

23. Emissions watchdog org. : EPA

24. "Dites-__": "South Pacific" song : MOI.
Song.(1:31)

34. Deathly white : ASHEN

35. Did electrical work : WIRED

36. Roman peace : PAX. Pax is the Roman goddess of peace. Irene is the Greek Goddess of Peace

37. Inst. of learning : ACAD.. Academy.

38. "__ the loneliest number": '60s song lyric : ONE IS.
Song(3:07) by Three Dog Night.

39. First name in jeans : LEVI

40. Word after box or cable : CAR

41. Burst of growth : SPURT

42. '90s candidate Ross : PEROT

46. Section of L.A.? : LOS

47. Commercial suffix with Water : PIK. For dental care.

48. __ Dei: lamb of God : AGNUS

51. Prophets : SEERS

54. Barfly : SOT

60. Rivers, to Rosita : RIOs. Spanish.

61. __ cum laude : MAGNA. With great praise; an honor added to a diploma or degree for work considered greatly above average.

62. Hummus holder : PITA, Anybody have
this at their Super Bowl party?

63. Grand Ole __ : OPRY

64. Thrown weapon : SPEAR

65. Put in the overhead bin : STOW

Down:

2. Grimm baddie : OGRE

3. Folksinger Joan : BAEZ

4. '60s militant gp. : SDS. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

5. New York's __ Zee Bridge : TAPPAN. Over the Hudson, north of the city.
Image.

6. "Dies __": hymn : IRAE. (Day of Wrath).

7. Boyish smile : GRIN. So what's a girlish smile?

8. __ d'oeuvre : HORS. M,m,m,m More snacks.

9. Seesaw complement : TWO

10. Knocks off : DOES IN

11. "Only Time" New Age singer : ENYA.
Clip.(3:31)

12. Pedal pushers : FEET. Alliterated misdirection.

13. Soviet news source : TASS

18. "Come on, let's go for a ride!" : "HOP IN!"

19. Bank robber "Pretty Boy" __ : FLOYD

23. Barely made, with "out" : EKED

24. Lyon ladies: Abbr. : MMEs. French.

25. Civil rights org. : NAACP. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

26. Acting award : OSCAR

27. Lamb Chop creator Lewis : SHARI. Lamb Chop was a glorified sock puppet.

28. Admit it : OWN UP

29. Flaming : FIERY

30. Corn chip : FRITO. Are we out of dip?

31. Verdi work : OPERA

32. Really enjoy, as food : SAVOR

33. Some turnpike ramps : EXITS

38. Magnum __: great work : OPUS

39. Onion relative : LEEK. Probably could make dip with it.

41. Smidgen : SKOSH. I wonder if this is a regional word.

42. Bender of rays : PRISM

44. Bumbling : CLUMSY

45. Hubbub : UPROAR

48. Jackson 5 hairdo : AFRO

49. Golf club part : GRIP. "Grip it and rip it!"

50. American-born Jordanian queen : NOOR.
Image.

51. Piece of cake : SNAP

52. Outskirts : EDGE

53. Sicilian smoker : ETNA. Volcano.

54. One of a deck's foursome : SUIT. Deck of cards.

55. Maestro Klemperer : OTTO. German conductor and composer widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century.

56. Melting period : THAW

58. Early hrs. : AMs

59. Covert __: spy missions : OPs. Operations.

Answer grid.

Argyle


Note from C.C.:

Here are a few great photos Sallie took last Friday when she and her husband Gerry met with fellow Naples resident Grumpy & wife Wilda and the visiting Spitzboov & wife Betty.

81 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - a flat-out speed run this morning - slightly over four minutes, even with one goof. I'd only heard 'no skin off my back, which took a few seconds to correct.

Other than that one, I just needed the perps for one answer, 'Dites-moi'. I was surprised to see 'skosh' in a puzzle; I never realized it was a legitimate word. I first learned 'sukoshi' in Japan, which was abbreviated to 'skosh', but I thought that it was basically just a made-up word. And I do believe this is the first time we've seen a 'prick' in one of these puzzles. Lois can probably provide the definitive answer. There's also an interesting juxtaposition in that area that I could really expound upon, but I'll leave it for others. Matter of fact, this puzzle was fairly erotic in spots. Well done, Thomas.

Argye, as always, great job with the blog. I could answer your question about 7D, but I'd be banned for life...

Great pictures from the Naples get-together - looks like it was a fun time.

Today is Send a Card to a Friend Day (guess who's behind that one) and believe it or not, it's also Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day.

Did You Know?:

- Velcro, barbed wire, and chain saws are all products designed to mimic natural structures: cockleburs, Osage orange thorns, and beetle grub teeth, respectively.

- The fly of your jeans is the fold of cloth over the zipper, not the zipper itself.

- Shakespeare coined thousands of new words, or neologisms, in his plays and sonnets. Among these are: amaze, bedroom, excellent, fitful, majestic, radiance, and summit.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. Great write-up, Argyle.

Pretty much a SNAP cw today. A one-pass speed run. The perps helped with the few unknowns.

OTTO Klemperer is the father of Werner Klemperer, the Col. Klink of Hogan's Heroes.

C.C.: Thanks for posting and sharing our dinner photos.

HeartRx said...

Good Morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

Thanks for the great write-up, Argyle. Were you hungry this morning? You had me chuckling about all your food comments.

And thanks for posting the Naples summit meeting photos, C.C. What a handsome bunch!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I felt like I was back in Latin 101 this am:
36A PAX
48A AGNUS dei
61A MAGNA cum laude
6D Dies IRAE
38D Magnum OPUS

Then, on top of OPUS, we had:
63A OPRY
31D OPERA

For those reasons, and the fact that the themes were connected by simply being a laundry list of face parts, made this a somewhat disappointing puzzle (especially after last week's run of beauties).

The good thing was, it was absolutely a speed run, so I could quickly put it aside and move on to other things!

Have a great day, everyone.

creature said...

Good Morning C.C.,Argyle and all,

Argyle, thanks for the write-up; although, I couldn't get the 20A link to open.

Fast, easy puzzle- one question- a SKOSH? Thanks, Thomas.

Argyle, your approach to 'skosh' ranks you as ambassador-at-large;
'regional'?!

Certainly, Lois can answer my question and then some.

Loved the photos from Naples Corner. I can see how much fun this was for everyone.{small amt. of envy}

Woked SAT and SUN puzzles, but didn't have time to participate. Enjoyed all the posts and 'word play'.

Have a nice day everyone.

Lemonade714 said...

Monday morning and another football season in the record books, back where we started with Green Bay as champs, but an interesting game. Have to note the Dolphins, who were not very good, beat the Packers this year. They also beat Pittsburgh except for an absurd ruling by a Pittsburgh referee.

The puzzle was nice, 4 long theme answers is great, and the rest was fun. I do not believe we have had Mr. Takaro before, though I have seen his work in the NYT.

SKOSH, which is said with the long O, was a very common word where I grew up in Connecticut; people were forever adding a skosh more to recipes or drinks. I had no clue it came from Japanese, but perhaps that is logical as Takaro does not sound French.

He did give us lots of Latin, but nothing too new for a Monday. have a nice week all.

Lemonade714 said...

BTW, loved the pictures; next time let Annette and I know in advance, Naples is only a drive away.

Mainiac said...

Good Morning Argyle, CC and All,

This was a quicker pace than usual for me this morning. I did need some perp help to get the theme answers going. Skin off My Back gave me trouble with that section. I wrote Summa Cum Laude which needed the eraser also.

Nice pic of the group in Naples. Great you could all hook up.

Thanks for the write up Argyle.

Have a great day.

fermatprime said...

Hi all!

Great work, Argyle. Nice puzzle, Tom!

CC and Dennis--I have no urge to post first for week days! Would rather try to go to sleep! (not working out as of this moment). Seems like you think I am a villain! Argyle, help me out here!!!

More on HYPATIA, of whom I taught for several decades. She became curator of the Museum at Alexandria, after the death of her father. (Hardly an allowable job for a woman, not even in the 1960s!) She was a pagan and evidently had several lovers. Boy, did she get a lot of people upset! Her works were destroyed after her death but it is somehow known that she critiqued some works of Diophantus of Alexandria (for the sake of brevity, involving equations with all integer values). She was also drawn and quartered before the flesh was scooped off her bones.

Some revisionists have rubbed the whole business out of books. Not PC.

My Russian friend and former colleague, Alex, has been staying here for the Spring semester. He plies me with lots of food. Must learn to say no!

Horrible construction people (5 painful years dealing with their pushiness and screwups; long story) goofed up again. Alex had occasion to look into (currently unused) poolhouse. There is a long sprig of ivy coming through the wall at the base.

Any engineers reading this? Any suggestions?

fermat

Abejo said...

Good Morning, Folks! Enjoyed this fast start to the week. Nice Monday puzzle, Thomas. Nice write-up Argyle. Thank you for posting, C.C. Really enjoyed the photos of our Crossword Friends.

Nice theme of body parts on the head. All the answers ended with the part. Clever.

We used the word or term "Skosh" as youths. There was another part that went with it that I will not elaborate on.

I, too, enjoyed the Latin words. I always do. HeartRx listed six. I believe ETNA should be included, as well. Not sure about PRISM. It may be Latin. Maybe a linguist can help.

Abejo

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Running a bit late today. Good news is that we had a bit of a thaw yesterday. Bad news is that all the snow melt refroze overnight and I had to deal with ice coated everything this morning...

Puzzle was mostly a walk in the park today. TAPPAN was a gimme, but I'm not sure why. Maybe I've heard it on Law & Order or something.

I think the only misstep was putting SUMMA instead of MAGNA at 61A my first pass through. Once I started tacking the perps, however, it became clear. Oh -- and it did take me awhile to figure out what was wanted for "knocks off," since I was thinking quitting instead of killing. Even after having DOES__ I was still unsure. I thought maybe DOES IT could mean "gets it done" which could mean "finishes" which could mean "knocks off." Fortunately, the perps came to my rescue at that point...

I was also surprised to see FRITO clues generically as a "corn ship" (as oppose to a specific brand of corn chips), but whatever. No harm, no foul.

Congrats to all you Packers fans out there! The folks in our Wisconsin office are overjoyed, I'm sure. And hungover, no doubt.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Having lived most of my life in Ct, the only time I can remember hearing skosh is when the speaker who already had too many J & B's was asking for another.

This wasn't exactly a speed run thanks to my own goofs. I initially wanted "Great pair of ..." but Jegf convinced me I had a problem. Also wanted "No skin off my back", but perps got me back on track. No comment on "Prick up your ears."

I didn't necessarily agree with the "barfly"/ "sot" connection. To me a sot is a drunk and a barfly is a female looking for more then a drink. Guess I watched to many B movies over the years.

Argyle, another nice write up and CC, thanks for the photo's. It's nice to see people in short sleeved shirts and shorts.

No bid storms this week and the forecast has me "tappan moi feet." Enjoy your Monday.

Anonymous said...

Hi all,

Yes a walk in the park today, and fun at that. SKOSH and MOI were complete unknowns today, but came with the perps quite easily.

What a fun game last night. I usually don't pay much attention to the Super Bowl, but being a Packer fan had to watch this year. I liked that it was a good game, although a little more tense in the last half. Hate those runaway games that often occur.

Did a little evening cross country skiing at the Loppet in Minneapolis this weekend. Lots of ice sculptures. Really fun. My first time, but I think I will return.

We have the return of the "really" cold again this week. Looking forward to heading to Ft. Lauderdale next week.

Grumpy 1 said...

Good Monday, all.

Thanks for the write up and links, Argyle, and thanks C.C. for posting the pix from our Naples funfest. Lemonade, we'll let you know when we plan another one. It will probably be after the 20th of the month as we have family descending on us from the frozen north later this week.

Argyle, I really thought there should have been a link to a pic for 5a...

Ummm, yes, there were a few things to SAVOR in this puzzle. There are so many comments that could, but probably shouldn't, be made. I'd better hit the send button before my impish side gets the better of me.

kazie said...

Wonderful photos, you Floridians! Great to see you all together! And thank you C.C. for posting them.

My speed run was nowhere near Dennis' of course, but good for a Monday with no problems perps couldn't fix. I didn't know TAPPAN, or SHARI and have never heard SKOSH, but it didn't hurt.

In the perverse way of Oz humor, we used to say "no skin off my teeth", which wouldn't have fit anyway, but NOSE was eased in as soon as I saw OPERA.

No luck with my small school Latin dictionary looking up PRISM, which I expected would turn out to be "prismus", but I did see PRIUS, which in Latin means "formerly, before, previously". Do you suppose the car was named so it could be ahead of or before the rest of the hybrids?

I was thinking of pants for pedal pushers--like the ones we used to call that in the 60's, which, somewhat looser, are now called capris.

MH said...

Good morning everyone. Interesting puzzle today. I had some trouble in the NE with a mental block on DEFT, FEET, and LSATS, all of which should have come easy.

Back in CA after a few days skiing in Vail. It snowed 25" while we were there. Great skiing with fresh powder every day but the visibility was a bit restricted. We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, a great resort hotel. Since our daughter works for the Ritz-Carlton we were able to get a special rate otherwise it would be too expensive.

I like to see the photos of our contributors - thanks for posting them!

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers - Nice and easy! Never knew how SKOSH originated, learned something today. I had wondered whether OTTO and Werner Klemperer might be related, but Spitzboov fixed that.

Happy Monday, all.

Splynter said...

Hi There~!

Well, I got stumped by the crossing of NOOR and AGNUS, and that bummed me out (I cheated and went through the alphabet here on the keyboard).

Otherwise, I hardly looked at the theme answers - didn't even see "PRICK" until I came to the blog....

I have heard all three - skin off my BACK, NOSE, and TEETH....the last one is a pretty good song from Megadeth - won't see them at the Superbowl Half-time show...

I gotta say, the best part of the B.E.P.'s was SLASH popping up to do some guitar work - and I can tell he didn't want to be there - otherwise, meh.

I "came across" $36 last night, and usually I lose interest in the game after half -time.

SKOSH? Nah, we use "Titch" for a small amount here in NY...thanks for the TAPPAN link, Argyle - I usually take the Taconic Pkwy and never cross that bridge - but I do see the signs.

Splynter

Husker Gary said...

Musings (greetings might suffer with only 20 lines, but that’s cool!)
-Do span fillers have a web site or do these constructors just stumble across them and go WOW?
-Argyle great write-up only disappointed with no link to tight jeans! The girls at my wealthy school wear $190 jeans!
-Levis made in China, sad!
-I always PERKED up my ears and shied away from PRICKING. You can prick your finger, but …
-RIO/RIA? RIA seems to be “from the river’s mouth”. I have seen both be correct for river. Linguists, what say you?
-Dies Irae is old hat to me now!
-Liza’s “done her in” appears again!
-Fritos are one of those foods where I won’t eat one or I might eat a bagful.
-Just a skosh on the easy side today!
-Dana Carvey reprised a little of his Ross Perot on SNL last weekend.
-End of football leaves a hole here in Nebraska. Just 70 some days until 80,000 faithful show up for spring game in Lincoln.

carol said...

Hi all -
Not really a speed run, but no major stumbling blocks.

I actually knew SKOSH. If someone asked if you wanted cream in your coffee you could say "just a skosh".

Lots of Latin terms in this, and I don't know squat about Latin except what I have memorized over the years doing crosswords.

What with words like: PRICK, SPRUT, SKIN, MOUTH and GRIP Lois should have a field (feeled) day!!!

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Thanks for the photos,Sallie. Everyone looks like they had a wonderful time!

I like the early cross of JEFF and JOBS. Nothing like being young and having a million (billion) dollar idea that works.

The only word I had trouble with was TAPPAN Zee Bridge. Definitely not something I am familiar with.

My grandma used to make recipes with a SKOSH of this and a SKOSH of that.

fermatprime, hopefully Hypatia was deceased long before the flesh scooping began.

More about the National Anthem. I don't like the "ululation" that has been popular for so long. GAH and I call it the yodeling trend. When a singer forgets the words in front of a world-wide audience, it is just dumb. Let's have the Marine, Air Force, Army or Navy band and chorus....just the respectful and straightforward way it should be played.

Jerome said...

Dennis- I caught it too. But you'd have to have a pretty big nose.

Husker Gary said...

Dennis, Seeing Bedroom linked with Amazing, Majestic, Summit and Radiance? Way cool Billy Shakespeare. Velcro is a huge component of living in weightlessness of space!

Kazie, Cyclones and floods in the east and now wild fires in the west? What goes on in the "Merry old land of Oz"? Are hordes of locust next?

Temps of 50F or above are set to start in a few days and run for 10 days. Where's my putter?

Just like Otto's boy, "I know NOTHING!"

Anonymous said...

Good morning everyone.

It was fun to see our photos on the blog. We did have a great time. Only two couples live in Naples; Spitzboov and LW live in snow country, i.e. upstate NY. They're here for the month. Good move! Lemonade wants to join us next time, and we surely shall include him. Thanks for posting C.C.

I too wanted summa rather than magna, but it just wouldn't work. Also spent some time figuring out prick for ears. And have never heard of skosh.

Cheers

Anonymous said...

Hello again.
Clear Ayes, about the national anthem:
I think the audience should stand and sing it. That way we wouldn't be reading letters to the editor about the people not standing, not removing hats, not putting hand over heart, etc. There appears to be a general loss of manners, respect, etc. And not just at football games.
End of rant.

Clear Ayes said...

I hear you Sallie, even at our party, (OK we were all over 45) everyone was standing up and hats or hands were over hearts....even if there was a groan when Ms Aguilera messed up the lyrics. It is a difficult song to sing, so I don't mind having somebody who can do it right, do it for us. It is just the do it right that is often in question and seems like scratching on the blackboard to many of us.

Time for craft class and then to art class. Gosh I'm so "Artsy" on Mondays. See you all later.

melissa bee said...

good morning c.c., argyle and all,

made quick work of this one, aside from not knowing dites-moi. theme answers fell quickly except i've never heard PRICK up your ears, only perk up - but for some reason it's my new favorite phrase.

from the free online dictionary:

v. perked, perk·ing, perks
v.intr.
1. To stick up or jut out: dogs' ears that perk.
2. To carry oneself in a lively and jaunty manner.
v.tr.
To cause to stick up quickly: The dog perked its ears at the noise.

i guess that means prick and perk are interchangeable - although somehow prick up your ears just sounds ... uncomfortable.

great pics from naples, thanks for sharing.

windhover said...

Splynter:
Yes to Dave Mustaine and MD. Their Countdown to Extinction album is still occasionally in my rotation.

And yes to all the comments about the National Anthem. Irish and I were a little late to the Super Bowl party (we did see the kickoff) so we mercifully missed the anthem.
One constant at Kentucky Wildcats football games over the 48 years I have been attending: the fans stand (and sing) the Star Spangled Banner and the traditional (with a slight change to some un-PC lyrics by Stephen Foster) "My Old Kentucky Home).

Lucina said...

Good day, puzzle people! Thanks Argyle for your witty writing and all the links which I'll see later.

Whee, nice Monday puzzle from TT, mostly smooth with a couple of bumps: SPRY before DEFT and SKIN not NOSE.

FRITO in fact means fried but of course it's better known as a brand.

Thomas appears to be an ACADamician
who knows Latin and much else as well.

I researched PRISM and found it is Greek meaning "to saw."

My imagination went wild as well with TIGHT, FIERY, SPURT, and PRICK.

SKOSH is completely unfamiliar to me, thanks for the explanations.

Wonderful photo of the Florida vacationers. Good to connect a face to the name.

Have a wonderful Monday everyone!

Bill G. said...

Hi day after SB day! The puzzle was easy but fun. For Bumbling, I first tried KLUTZY but found it didn't work for long. I enjoyed the photos. Looks like a fun get together.

Fermatprime, a systemic herbicide should take care of the invading ivy.

Yeah, I've noticed the new PC lyrics to My Old Kentucky Home at the Kentucky Derby too. When were they changed?

One more thing about Christina Aguilera's version of the National Anthem. I could have forgiven her for making a miscue on the words. But turning it into an American Idol version was egotistic. Here's a much more emotional, enjoyable and joyful version by Whitney Houston. It's sung with respect for the original. It makes my eyes tear up.

Dudley said...

Sallie and Clear Ayes - I'm with you! Whether sung by a sole performer or 100,000 souls, our national anthem should be done respectfully and correctly. The yodeling trend is just wrong.

Related story: at the big aviation expo at Oshkosh, the anthem is played every day at 2:00 for the opening ceremonies. There is a HUGE, quite visible flag descending with a parachutist (Army, usually) in front of the flightline crowd. If you look up and down the crowd, nearly 100% will be standing, hats off, a human sea of respect. Makes you weep.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Fermatprime,
Why did you suddenly make comment like "Please don't kill me"? It's not the first, or second, or third time you posted first on weekends.

Just strange. Someone else made a similar comment attacking Dennis several months ago. Annoyed the hell out of me and I had a similar explosion. He's been taking lots of heat on and off the blog because of his role and he's been very gracious handling all the insinuations.

But there's just so much I can take. Dennis has been working very hard to brighten our mornings with a positive, informative and entertaining first comment for the past 3 years. Don't take what he does for granted, and don't develop a hostile attitude toward him.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Lots of Latin

OPUS/OPERA/OPRY - three version of the same word in a puzzle? Never saw anything like that before.

I did not love this one.

Did love the great pix of the Naples get-together.

Did ETNA ever earn a MAGMA CUM LAUDE?

We've stood and sung the anthem at every sporting event I've ever attended - Including the Lions smack down of the Pack, back in December.

I missed Christina Aguilera messing it up. Bad moment, from what I've read. I feel sorry for her.

Cheers!
JzB who had a skosh o' Scotch during the game

carol said...

CA and Sallie: I am in your corner on this 'yodeling' of our National Anthem. This 'style'(if you can call it that) as you so aptly said, does have the effect of nails on the blackboard. It detracts from the song (any song) when the singer tries to hit every note in the scale and somehow invent a few new ones. That is NOT the reason one sings our Anthem.

To the Florida group: such a nice picture of all of you, looks like you are having a very nice time. It's fun to meet each other isn't it?

windhover said...

BillG,
I think it was Mark Twain who said he wanted to die in Kentucky because everything happens 20 years later here. The lyrics were officially (it is the State song) changed in 1986, although in my experience the de facto change (the way it was actually sung at public events) happened sooner.
The original lyrics, written by Stephen Foster in the 1850's, included the line "the darkies are gay" referring to slaves, in the first verse and similar references in succeeding verses. A reading of the complete lyrics suggests a sympathy for the plight of slaves on the part of Foster, and it was adopted by abolitionists at the time. To be fair, though, the average Kentuckian who stands and sings it (and most of them know only the words to the first verse) doesn't have a clue to it's meaning, past or present. It's just a pleasant tradition.
The lyrical change substitutes the word people, and given the modern meaning of "gay", gets a few giggles.
The iPhone text box doesn't let me count lines, but I must be approaching 20. Hope this helps.

Spitzboov said...

Carol re: It's fun to meet each other isn't it?

Yes it was, as I expected it would be. And the nice part was the spouses were also interesting and just as much fun.

Splynter said...

Hi Again ~!

@windhover - C to E was probably their best "album" work, but there are so many other songs that really kick some A_ _.

Mustaine's political opinions, frequently appearing in the songs, would be well suited to the blog here, in terms of how there seems to be a 'flagging' of respect for the anthem, the pledge, and each other in general, I've noticed - present company excluded, of course.

You can count me in on the "audience" doing the singing - covers a multitude of goofed words, out-of-key vocals, and 'yodeling' - not to mention that annoying "auto-tune" effect.

Splynter

Dennis said...

Uh....wow.

C.C., lol, not sure what prompted that, and thanks, but it's not a big deal; it kinda comes with the role and my occasionally(?) confrontational nature. And I'm always wearing my 'big-boy pants', so it's all good, as Lois would say.

Hahtoolah said...

C.C. What is the significance of the third day of the Chinese year? My calendar, which lists many holidays world-wide, lists last Saturday as the Third Day of the Chinese New Year.

Hypatia said...

Wow! That was a little harsh!

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Hahtool,
It's of no significance. But the holiday celebrations last 15 days, from New Year to Lantern Festival (15th of January in Chinese calendar).

carol said...

Spitzboov: I know what you mean about the spouses being just as nice. When Joe and I met JD and Dick and their respective spouses, we all just 'clicked'. We have also me CA and her hubby, Chickie and Wolfmom. It was a lot of fun! Wish all of our group here could somehow meet but I know that being spread across the country like we all are, that won't be happening. I am glad you all enjoyed your visit.

Dennis said...

Husker Gary, for some reason that link didn't work, but here's what I think you were going for.

Husker Gary said...

Sorry about that Dennis! Thanks for the Heads Up. How 'bout this:

I don't mind slight variations of the National Anthem and I suspect there are some groups who prefer an embellished rendering. Whitney Houston and Jimi Hendrix? Here is what Time Magazine called The 10 Worst Renditions of Star Spangled Banner



I prefer a straight up version that is done very well and with apparent musical skill (a capella and by memory is a risk!).

At Nebraska football games, the anthem is played in a key that I can really handle but at our hometown athletic games the band plays it in a key so high you would need to pull your pants up to your chest and get helium injections to hit "Glare" and "Free". No normal person can sing there! Right Jazz and Splynter?

ARBAON said...

Being "bi-state-ual", Ive neard both "skin off my back" and "skin off my nose."
Our word for "skosh" IS "smidgeon."
As I`ve said, google just about any combination of letters and you`ll find a definition...good to know for budding (and veteran) constructors because, once in while, you have to use one, or two, or even three!

CC: I`ve always heard you are in deep caca if you threaten or even seem to mistreat one of mama bear`s cubs! As they used to say, "You go! Girl!"

thehondohurricane said...

CC, well said. I'm not sure about the other folks on the blog, but I always look forward to Dennis' posts, especially the "Did you know?" Since I've been on the blog, I only questioned one of his facts, but I felt I was to new to take issue.

As far as who's first, second, or third, it doesn't matter one iota to me. We all get to offer our thoughts. That's what is important.

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, I filled in as fast as I could write today, with one problem. I always have trouble with Spanish and French abbreviations, so had to wait for the perps to help me out there. Other unknowns were "Dites-Moi" and Jeff Bezos. Perps were life savers here, too.

My favorite today was Pedal pushers/feet.

Thank you Argyle for a great writeup and all the music links today. I especially liked the "Only time" clip by Enya.

Spitzboov, Grumpy, and Sallie, what great pictures of you and your spouses. It looks like you all had a great time with the Crossword Corner get together last week.

Chickie said...

I looked up Prick in my pocket dictionary. The last entry for the word was, "erect, as the ears of an animal".

CA, Skosh is a common word in our household, also.

Carol, when the California Coven got together, JD and Moon were also part of that group. There were six of us that day, and it WAS fun.

Also, there is nothing more moving than a group of first graders singing the National Anthem for an assembly at school. We always taught all the words and music to them so they would know what to do when they went to other events where the Anthem was played/sung.

carol said...

Chickie, I somehow miss-typed that last comment about the Calif group, that was the first time we 6 had met. I also typed in CA's hubby, who was not there. I should have had more coffee! :) Anyway, we did have a wonderful time that day.

Grumpy 1 said...

Chickie said:

I looked up Prick in my pocket dictionary. The last entry for the word was, "erect, as the ears of an animal".

And therein lies the "root" of the more common usage.

lois said...

Good evening Argyle, CC, et al.,
Excellent write up, Argyle. Thank you for all the fahhhbulous links..loved them all...and for all the explanations. Always an enjoyable and informative experience.

Like Chickie my favorite was Pedal Pushers 12D Feet.

Come on, let's go for a ride!, WIRED, LEVI, PRICK, SPURT, SKIN, MOUTH, GRIP, FROM HAND TO MOUTH, and finally TWO HORS. Now THAT's living on the EDGE!!! right where I love to be! It's all good!!!

Amen, CC. Thank you Dennis for all you do. I appreciate all of your efforts and applaud your dedication, humor, tactful approach, and unassuming manner. You rock!

Enjoy your night.

Marge said...

Hi all,
I liked this puzzle and it came fairly easy but had to do some look-ups.

Argyle- thanks for your write up and especially liked the cheese fez. It was a great Super Bowl and really glad our Packers won!

About Mr. Jobs, did you read he is taking an extended leave for health reasons? It too bad, he's still young.

Dites-moi was one of the songs from South Pacific I played quite often so that was easy.

My crossword dictionary has sot listed under the word barfly so I guess that is official.

I enjoyed the pictures of the Florida get togethers. We see your names all the time, I't nice to see some faces.

Dito on Aguilara's singing. I don't know why they changed the whole procedure-no background music,etc. I always like to sing with them at baseball games. I don't go to many football games, except the one we went to last Nov. in Atlanta when the Packers played there.

Have a good afternoon and evening!
Marge

Dennis said...

Thank you, but let's please restrain from any future compliments -- I do have a certain image to maintain.

windhover said...

Dennis:
Nah, you're good for now, unless that "pompass ass" guy shows up again.
And everyone else:
CC has had her say, but do we really need to pile on?
It's clear that no matter who posts first, Dennis is on top, unchallenged, even on days he doesn't post at all. And as I've said before, when I am the voice of reason, we're pretty much screwed.

Liz said...

Good afternoon,
C.C., thanks for posting the Naples pictures. As others have said, nice to put faces to names.
If you want to see the cutest pricked ears ever, go to dailypuppy.com for today's puppy, a corgi named Cooper.

Hahtoolah said...

Thank you, C.C., for responding to my question.

In 1925, Ataturk banned the wearing of 20-Across in Turkey.

Jayce said...

As the doctor yelled to the nurse who was chasing a screaming patient down the corridor, "No no, nurse! I said prick his boil!"

Abejo said...

Hello again, folks. Well, I am packing for a trip to Alexandria, VA, tomorrow night. Leaving after work. Hope to do the crosswords while I am there.

Abejo

Dot said...

This seemed like a typical Monday puzzle. Skosh is not a midwestern term, I'm sure. I never heard it before.

Did you know "skin of my teeth" is a Bible phrase? In Job 19:20, Job says, "and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth." The exact meaning is uncertain. The icky explanation I heard years ago was that people never brushed their teeth in those days, therefore.....
Another commentator thinks that Job's teeth may have fallen out and all he had left was the skin or gums. This is quite possible since the previous statement indicates that he was skin and bones.

More sub-zero weather moving in to Wisconsin. Sigh.

Dot

dodo said...

Hello, friends,

This was a nice puzzle today.
Barry, I had that same experience with 'does in' as you. Of course it worked itself out .

About 'skosh': I first heard the word in the early 50s (probably before most of you were born!) when a family who had been stationed for a while in Korea, moved in next door to our apartment. He was just discharged from the Navy. They used 'skosh' a lot and I had assumed it was Korean, but it could have been Japanese. They also introduced us to 'zoris,' now known as flipflops, and 'hibachi'.

Duffy, our Sheltie, had pricked ears, which is a no-no in Sheltie world! He was a beauty, anyway!

Chickie said...

My daughter's dog had three healthy puppies yesterday, and being labs, ears that are pricked up or perked up, or whatever, will never happen. Dodo, didn't realize that Shelties should have floppy ears, as well.

Clear Ayes said...

I learned a new word today...it isn't "Yodel Sing" it is Melisma. I say, let's save it for "Angels We Have Heard On High (the Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oria part).

"Prick Up Your Ears" was also the title of a biographical play and movie about British playwright Joe Orton. Apparently Orton wasn't paying the proper attention when he was murdered by his long-time partner.

Husker Gary@2:09, very funny link for the National Anthem.

Hi to all the California Coven group. We will definitely have to have a do-over.

ARBAON said...

A favorite response in one of our dwelling places (when asked, "How are you?") is to say either "If I felt any better, I`d have to be twins!" or "Fine as frog hair split three ways." Since frogs have no hair, "split three ways" would be pretty darn thin. I suspect "skin of my teeth." means roughly the same thing.
I can`t believe people "in that time" didn`t clean their teeth in some way since dietary and cleanliness laws were so stringent in the Old Testament.(although Job is considered the oldest book of the Bible.) It also says a wind "smote the four corners of the house" where his children were. Sounds like tornadic winds to me!

Bill G. said...

Abejo, I grew up about four miles from Alexandria, Virginia in Falls Church. It was a great area to grow up, especially back in the 40s and 50s when it was much less developed.

Abejo said...

To Bill G: I will pretty much be secluded in a hotel for five days and nights. May go out for dinner a time or two. Just hope we do not get snowed in. That has happened in the past out there. I am looking forward to having a few Yuengling beers.

Abejo

Abejo said...

To Bill G: I used to work in Dahlgren, VA, just down the Potomac. Lived in King George. That was about 1971 or 72.

Abejo

Abejo said...

To Bill G: That is where I got introduced to hard shell crabs. Boy, was that fun. A bucket of crabs and a pitcher of beer.

Abejo

Jeannie said...

Hi all, I just thought I would check in with you fine folks. Work has been very hectic with the foodshow deadline last Friday. Yes I know it's Monday, but when people wait to the last minute, it takes time to process it all. Reinhart Rogers, MN was established in 1999 and a lot of folks from our corporate office (Lacrosse) transferred to our fine state. Needless to say they are mostly Packer fans, and I had to cover three today. Two planned, the other not so much...

I haven't read the comments, but hope everyone is doing well. Okay, I just scanned Dennis' post and wish I had the gumption to do the puzzle and comment. Not so tonight as I am off to a school commodity expo in St. Cloud tomorrow morning (sigh)....Am I getting old?

Low-li-ta.

Gunghy said...

Very late, but that's what happens when you ski all day. By the way, Canadian Superbowl ads suck.

The puzzle took me 11 minutes, but someday I'll learn to navigate the trials of doing it online. I kept starting answers in the wrong square or going the wrong direction. And I had to turn on red letters to find my typo so I could get the tada.

At Cal, Berkeley games the audience is invited to sing along with the band. Everyone stands and people are reminded to remove their hats. We do sing the "rockets BLUE glare", but that sort of thing happens when your rival wears red.

Great pictures, by the way. And if the California coven gets together, I'd appreciate an invite.

MH, I hate you. For the second year in a row, my big ski trip will probably have no freshies. We were supposed to arrive on the tails of a huge storm, and they got 2 days of torrential rain and 10 cm (4in.) of snow.

OK, it's 7:40 and this night-owl is crawling into bed.

Gunghy said...

Jeannie,
If you are getting old, I'd be happy to grow old beside you.

fermatprime said...

Hello again all!

CC--you completely misunderstand me. The "don't kill me" referred to other weekenders who like to post earliest on Dennis' early mornings off!!!

I would not in any way denigrate DENNIS or his wonderful posts, or his important role on this blog!!!

I get the feeling that you think I am EVIL and MEAN and want me off??? If that is the case, then I will leave.

fermat

PS CA, being drawn and quartered (pulled by horses in four directions) will usually do that to you!!

Clear Ayes said...

Hi Jeannie, glad to have you back. One of our "Unknowns" was having hissy fits because you hadn't checked in. I hope the foodshow work has been going well. Rest when you can.

You too, fermatprime. Rest easy. No misunderstanding here.

Special "Hi" to Chickie, just because you are a terrific lady.

Have a good evening everyone.

Annette said...

I liked seeing the word SKOSH in the puzzle. So fun!

"NO SKIN OFF MY NOSE" was a very familiar phrase to me, especially being very light skinned, living in a tropical location. I sure experienced my share of sunburns my first few years down here.

I'm in! A nice drive over to Naples for some fun, lively, witty conversation sounds like a great idea! The photos show such a nice, congenial group.

KQ, it was really warm down here on Sunday (of course, I was way over-dressed for the weather), but it's supposed to cool down into the low 70's over the weekend.

Seldom Seen said...

I have an Ohio State football that reads "To Seen, Michigan Sucks!, A.J. Hawk". No kidding.

There are many women in southwestern Ohio that are happy that Karma happens. Right Ben?

How about this song as a complement to this puzzle? Wait for it...around 2:30...

Hi Marge...

And...Oh... SKOSH! My friends use it all the time! But, always in jest. "move it your way just a skosh" or "do these TIGHT jeans make me look fat? Um, yeah, just a SKOSH."

"Word of the Year Award" -- SKOSH!

Annette said...

Bill G., no I didn't take advantage of the Costco service. I'm not a member and I really didn't have the luxury of time to look into that right now. I was driving a rental car whose expense was quickly adding up. I did do my pricing research online though. Also, my b-i-l is an awesome salesman (okay, he sells rebar, but same concept) and he'd bought the same model car for his mother a couple years ago. I knew what kind of deal he got from them too, so I had a good idea of how much they'd negotiate. I do GREATLY appreciate your input though! I don't remember if I told you, I wound up with a 2011 "celestial (light) blue metallic" Honda Fit.

Abejo, I celebrated getting my new car by going out for garlic crabs. They're so good!

Bill G. said...

Annette, that's a great car. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

The reason Barbara wanted either the Fit or the Yaris was the small size and the convenient area between the rear seats and the hatchback. She has an expensive sewing machine (plus various materials) she has to carry with her when she goes to quilting classes. The storage area is very convenient. Those little cars are fun to drive too.

dodo said...

Sallie, I loved the pix! Isn't it fun to meet the bloggers? Thanks for sending them to us.You, too, C.C.

And I'm with you about the National Anthem and some of the other old favorites that have undergone 'improvement' from some of the pop singers! Even Whitney messed up the tempo to show off her long notes!

Lucina said...

Good night everyone! You, too, fermatprime, and I hope to "see" you tomorrow.

Seldom Seen said...

I've linked this before.

They got it right this time.(2005)

dodo said...

Fermat, no one could possibly call you 'evil' or 'mean'! That's simply ridiculous!

JVJ24601 said...

Well, we've heard how not to do it. Prick up your ears for an impressive version that I've been listening to for about 20 years now: Sandi Patty sings "The Star Spangled Banner"

windhover said...

Welcome, Jean Valjean.