Theme: It's an Honor Just to be Nominated - Tribute puzzle to Peter O'Toole. The starred answers, which are symmetrically placed (together with his names & the category he's nominated), are 8 films for which he's nominated for Oscar Best Actor but never won.
1A. *1964 : BECKET
7A. *2006 : VENUS
28A. *1968 : THE LION IN WINTER
43A. *1972, with "The" : RULING CLASS
65A. *1982 : MY FAVORITE YEAR
67A. *With 71-Across, 1962 : LAWRENCE. And OF ARABIA (71A. See 67-Across). Broken down for symmetry.
72A. *1969 : GOODBYE, MR CHIPS
96A. *1980 : THE STUNT MAN
112A. See 127-Across : BEST ACTOR OSCARS
127A. With 128-Across, performer nominated for 112-Across (he didn't win any) in all of the answers to starred clues : PETER. And O'TOOLE (128A. See 127-Across).
What a great symmetry! The constructors must be excited to discover the numbers of letters in various films. But luck alone wouldn't work. Takes skills to split certain entry & place each one in its perfect spot.
Very challenging puzzle for me. Not a movie person like Clear Ayes. Definitely needed Downs for most of the films.
Quite a few cross-references in the puzzle. The clues are tougher than our normal Sunday also. Take JAI (62D. "__ Ho": 2008 Best Original Song) for example. I am used to the "__ alai" clue. I do appreciate the fresh clue & Oscar tie-in.
Across:
12. Award since WWI : DSC (Distinguished Service Cross)
15. Try for a contract : BID
18. Dressed like Cinderella : IN RAGS
19. "Pardon my __" : FRENCH
21. Letter after pi : RHO. Before Sigma.
22. With 39-Across, soapbox racer, e.g. : ONE. And 39. See 22-Across : SEATER.
23. Concerned with pupils? : OCULAR. Eyes. Not students.
24. Shoemaker on a horse : WILLIE. Jockey. Bill Shoemaker. Faintly rang a bell.
25. 2009-'10 "At the Movies" co-host : A. O. SCOTT. Film critic for the New York Times. Stumped me.
27. Sprayed in defense : MACED
30. Prefix with gram : EPI. Epigram.
31. Venetian evening : SERA. Oh, always thought it means "will be". Que Sera, Sera.
33. Yule VIP : ST. NICK. VIP suggests an abbreviated answer.
34. "I Put a Spell on You" singer Simone : NINA
35. Bygone ruler : TSAR
37. Sadie Hawkins Day suitors : GALs
42. PC backup key : ESC
47. Item, such as interest, recorded only when earned : NON-ASSET. The clue gave me headache.
49. "Man alive!" : I'LL BE. Well, I'll be.
50. Prizes : ESTEEMS
53. J.D. holder : ATT. For our JD, that'll be Bob.
54. 1981 World Series co-MVP Ron : CEY. Spent a long time with the Dodgers.
55. Rental ad abbr. : RMs
57. Made misty : BLEARED. Spell check doesn't like this word.
60. Muslim pilgrim : HAJJI. The ending I must mean "person" then, since the pilgrimage itself is called HAJJ.
64. Fertility clinic cells : OVA
78. Baseball's "Master Melvin" : OTT. Mel Ott. And RBIs (102. 78-Across's 1,860, briefly).
79. Record of the year? : ANNAL
80. Take on, as tenants : LEASE TO
81. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. Well, maybe Borat knows. Not me.
82. Op. __ : CIT
85. Cyclotron bit : ION
87. Make sense : STACK UP. Your excuse doesn't stake up.
89. Peerless : ALONE
91. Eye of round, etc. : LEAN CUTS
98. Part of ETO: Abbr. : EUR
99. Tennis shoe that debuted at Wimbledon in 1966 : K-SWISS. Founded by two Swiss brothers. So what does the K stand for?
103. Told, as a tale : SPUN
104. Some PX patrons : SGTs. And LTs (90D. Superiors of 104-Across).
106. Creeps : INCHES
109. "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" singer : OCHS (Phil)
111. It always increases : AGE. True.
116. Egyptian sky god : HORUS. Son of Isis & Osiris. Falcon-headed.
118. Needing serious help : IN A SPOT
119. Make it to : ATTEND
120. Schleppers : TOTERS
121. Have the flu, say : AIL
122. Valuable deposit : ORE. Mine deposit.
123. Mambo bandleader Tito : PUENTE. "The King of Latin Music". We often see TITO in the grid.
124. Vital supply lines : AORTAE
125. Once known as : NEE
126. According to : PER
Down:
1. Like the most secure passports nowadays : BIOMETRIC. Homeland Security charged me quite a bit for my biometrics data during the naturalization process.
2. Summarize : ENCAPSULE
3. Vitally : CRUCIALLY
4. Leafy green : KALE. Tough for my taste.
5. "Gadzooks!" : EGADS
6. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Wikipedia says it stands for Tactical Studies Rules.
7. Facilities for many ex-GIs : VFW HALLS. Our local baseball card shows are often held there.
8. Buffalo's lake : ERIE
9. "Gimme a Break" star Carter et al. : NELLS. First encounter with this lady.
10. Turned off : UNLIT
11. Descendants : SCIONS
12. Toasted : DRANK TO
13. Tell partner : SHOW. Show and tell.
14. Squeeze album "__ Fan Tutti Frutti" : COSI. Have never heard of the British band Squeeze.
15. Soft shoes : BOOTIES
16. Like nail-biters : INTENSE
17. Take away : DETRACT
20. '20s-'30s skating gold medalist : HENIE (Sonja)
26. King's station : CNN. Larry King. Do you like Piers Morgan?
28. Hints : TRACES
29. Empowering motto : I CAN
32. Hunt subject : EGG. D'oh, Easter!
36. Kid : RIB
38. Didn't act : SAT BY
40. Grandmother of Spain's Juan Carlos : ENA
41. Instead of : RATHER THAN. Nice 10-letter entry.
44. Remedy for a pain in the neck : NERVE BLOCK. Don't know this term.
45. Note to __ : SELF
46. "I __ Darkness": 1999 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album : SEE A. Was ignorant of the singer and his album.
48. Patronize, as an inn : STAY AT
51. Dallas cager : MAV (Maverick)
52. Sign of a big hit : SRO (Standing Room Only)
56. Loads of : MANY
58. Psyche's lover : EROS
59. Variance, in the vernacular : DIF (Difference)
61. Gettysburg general Stuart : J.E.B.
63. Glass on the radio : IRA. Ira Glass. Host of NPR's "This American Life".
64. Decree : ORDAIN
65. "Who wants candy?" response : ME, ME
66. Kit Carson House site : TAOS
67. Queens, N.Y., airport : LGA
68. Chicago Loop's __ Center : AON
69. Broke the tape : WON. Finish line tape.
70. "Ice Age" unit, e.g. : CEL. Have never seen "Ice Age", animated film. Do they still use cels now everything is digital?
73. Dorm VIPs : RAs (Resident Advisers)
74. Winnipeg winter hrs. : CST
75. Spiciness : HEAT
76. Rash reaction : ITCH
77. It may involve drawing : POKER. Tricky clue.
81. Light-minded pursuit? : OPTICS. Another tricky one.
82. Rate against : COMPARE TO
83. Quadrennial national rite : INAUGURAL
84. Titans' home : TENNESSEE
86. Letters before xis : NUs.
88. It runs through four Great Lakes : US BORDER. Nice answer.
91. Either parent in "Heather Has Two Mommies" : LESBIAN
92. Prince Andrew's younger daughter : EUGENIE. Quite pretty. I only know her mother Fergie, who now has a show with Oprah's OWN.
93. Place to buy prints : ART SALE
94. Site with tweets : TWITTER
95. __-Japanese War : SINO. I always wonder why China is called SINO.
97. Find a seat for, in slang : USH. Lots of groan last time.
100. Throw out : SCRAP
101. Grew quickly : SHOT UP. And SHOOT (110D. Fire). Same root, isn't it?
105. Peter, Paul and Mary: Abbr. : STS. Not the singers.
107. Rival of Helena : ESTEE. Is Helena a cosmetic brand?
108. Obsession, for one : SCENT. This I know. Calvin Klein's Obsession.
113. Individually : A POP
114. Center : CORE
115. Date opening? : ANTE. Antedate.
117. Óscar's other : OTRO. Is Óscar Spanish for Oscar? I don't get this clue.
120. Way of the East : TAO. Indeed, it's literally "way".
Answer grid.
C.C.
1A. *1964 : BECKET
7A. *2006 : VENUS
28A. *1968 : THE LION IN WINTER
43A. *1972, with "The" : RULING CLASS
65A. *1982 : MY FAVORITE YEAR
67A. *With 71-Across, 1962 : LAWRENCE. And OF ARABIA (71A. See 67-Across). Broken down for symmetry.
72A. *1969 : GOODBYE, MR CHIPS
96A. *1980 : THE STUNT MAN
112A. See 127-Across : BEST ACTOR OSCARS
127A. With 128-Across, performer nominated for 112-Across (he didn't win any) in all of the answers to starred clues : PETER. And O'TOOLE (128A. See 127-Across).
What a great symmetry! The constructors must be excited to discover the numbers of letters in various films. But luck alone wouldn't work. Takes skills to split certain entry & place each one in its perfect spot.
Very challenging puzzle for me. Not a movie person like Clear Ayes. Definitely needed Downs for most of the films.
Quite a few cross-references in the puzzle. The clues are tougher than our normal Sunday also. Take JAI (62D. "__ Ho": 2008 Best Original Song) for example. I am used to the "__ alai" clue. I do appreciate the fresh clue & Oscar tie-in.
Across:
12. Award since WWI : DSC (Distinguished Service Cross)
15. Try for a contract : BID
18. Dressed like Cinderella : IN RAGS
19. "Pardon my __" : FRENCH
21. Letter after pi : RHO. Before Sigma.
22. With 39-Across, soapbox racer, e.g. : ONE. And 39. See 22-Across : SEATER.
23. Concerned with pupils? : OCULAR. Eyes. Not students.
24. Shoemaker on a horse : WILLIE. Jockey. Bill Shoemaker. Faintly rang a bell.
25. 2009-'10 "At the Movies" co-host : A. O. SCOTT. Film critic for the New York Times. Stumped me.
27. Sprayed in defense : MACED
30. Prefix with gram : EPI. Epigram.
31. Venetian evening : SERA. Oh, always thought it means "will be". Que Sera, Sera.
33. Yule VIP : ST. NICK. VIP suggests an abbreviated answer.
34. "I Put a Spell on You" singer Simone : NINA
35. Bygone ruler : TSAR
37. Sadie Hawkins Day suitors : GALs
42. PC backup key : ESC
47. Item, such as interest, recorded only when earned : NON-ASSET. The clue gave me headache.
49. "Man alive!" : I'LL BE. Well, I'll be.
50. Prizes : ESTEEMS
53. J.D. holder : ATT. For our JD, that'll be Bob.
54. 1981 World Series co-MVP Ron : CEY. Spent a long time with the Dodgers.
55. Rental ad abbr. : RMs
57. Made misty : BLEARED. Spell check doesn't like this word.
60. Muslim pilgrim : HAJJI. The ending I must mean "person" then, since the pilgrimage itself is called HAJJ.
64. Fertility clinic cells : OVA
78. Baseball's "Master Melvin" : OTT. Mel Ott. And RBIs (102. 78-Across's 1,860, briefly).
79. Record of the year? : ANNAL
80. Take on, as tenants : LEASE TO
81. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. Well, maybe Borat knows. Not me.
82. Op. __ : CIT
85. Cyclotron bit : ION
87. Make sense : STACK UP. Your excuse doesn't stake up.
89. Peerless : ALONE
91. Eye of round, etc. : LEAN CUTS
98. Part of ETO: Abbr. : EUR
99. Tennis shoe that debuted at Wimbledon in 1966 : K-SWISS. Founded by two Swiss brothers. So what does the K stand for?
103. Told, as a tale : SPUN
104. Some PX patrons : SGTs. And LTs (90D. Superiors of 104-Across).
106. Creeps : INCHES
109. "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" singer : OCHS (Phil)
111. It always increases : AGE. True.
116. Egyptian sky god : HORUS. Son of Isis & Osiris. Falcon-headed.
118. Needing serious help : IN A SPOT
119. Make it to : ATTEND
120. Schleppers : TOTERS
121. Have the flu, say : AIL
122. Valuable deposit : ORE. Mine deposit.
123. Mambo bandleader Tito : PUENTE. "The King of Latin Music". We often see TITO in the grid.
124. Vital supply lines : AORTAE
125. Once known as : NEE
126. According to : PER
Down:
1. Like the most secure passports nowadays : BIOMETRIC. Homeland Security charged me quite a bit for my biometrics data during the naturalization process.
2. Summarize : ENCAPSULE
3. Vitally : CRUCIALLY
4. Leafy green : KALE. Tough for my taste.
5. "Gadzooks!" : EGADS
6. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Wikipedia says it stands for Tactical Studies Rules.
7. Facilities for many ex-GIs : VFW HALLS. Our local baseball card shows are often held there.
8. Buffalo's lake : ERIE
9. "Gimme a Break" star Carter et al. : NELLS. First encounter with this lady.
10. Turned off : UNLIT
11. Descendants : SCIONS
12. Toasted : DRANK TO
13. Tell partner : SHOW. Show and tell.
14. Squeeze album "__ Fan Tutti Frutti" : COSI. Have never heard of the British band Squeeze.
15. Soft shoes : BOOTIES
16. Like nail-biters : INTENSE
17. Take away : DETRACT
20. '20s-'30s skating gold medalist : HENIE (Sonja)
26. King's station : CNN. Larry King. Do you like Piers Morgan?
28. Hints : TRACES
29. Empowering motto : I CAN
32. Hunt subject : EGG. D'oh, Easter!
36. Kid : RIB
38. Didn't act : SAT BY
40. Grandmother of Spain's Juan Carlos : ENA
41. Instead of : RATHER THAN. Nice 10-letter entry.
44. Remedy for a pain in the neck : NERVE BLOCK. Don't know this term.
45. Note to __ : SELF
46. "I __ Darkness": 1999 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album : SEE A. Was ignorant of the singer and his album.
48. Patronize, as an inn : STAY AT
51. Dallas cager : MAV (Maverick)
52. Sign of a big hit : SRO (Standing Room Only)
56. Loads of : MANY
58. Psyche's lover : EROS
59. Variance, in the vernacular : DIF (Difference)
61. Gettysburg general Stuart : J.E.B.
63. Glass on the radio : IRA. Ira Glass. Host of NPR's "This American Life".
64. Decree : ORDAIN
65. "Who wants candy?" response : ME, ME
66. Kit Carson House site : TAOS
67. Queens, N.Y., airport : LGA
68. Chicago Loop's __ Center : AON
69. Broke the tape : WON. Finish line tape.
70. "Ice Age" unit, e.g. : CEL. Have never seen "Ice Age", animated film. Do they still use cels now everything is digital?
73. Dorm VIPs : RAs (Resident Advisers)
74. Winnipeg winter hrs. : CST
75. Spiciness : HEAT
76. Rash reaction : ITCH
77. It may involve drawing : POKER. Tricky clue.
81. Light-minded pursuit? : OPTICS. Another tricky one.
82. Rate against : COMPARE TO
83. Quadrennial national rite : INAUGURAL
84. Titans' home : TENNESSEE
86. Letters before xis : NUs.
88. It runs through four Great Lakes : US BORDER. Nice answer.
91. Either parent in "Heather Has Two Mommies" : LESBIAN
92. Prince Andrew's younger daughter : EUGENIE. Quite pretty. I only know her mother Fergie, who now has a show with Oprah's OWN.
93. Place to buy prints : ART SALE
94. Site with tweets : TWITTER
95. __-Japanese War : SINO. I always wonder why China is called SINO.
97. Find a seat for, in slang : USH. Lots of groan last time.
100. Throw out : SCRAP
101. Grew quickly : SHOT UP. And SHOOT (110D. Fire). Same root, isn't it?
105. Peter, Paul and Mary: Abbr. : STS. Not the singers.
107. Rival of Helena : ESTEE. Is Helena a cosmetic brand?
108. Obsession, for one : SCENT. This I know. Calvin Klein's Obsession.
113. Individually : A POP
114. Center : CORE
115. Date opening? : ANTE. Antedate.
117. Óscar's other : OTRO. Is Óscar Spanish for Oscar? I don't get this clue.
120. Way of the East : TAO. Indeed, it's literally "way".
Answer grid.
C.C.
Thanks for the write up, C.C., and to these two close friends and math professors from Santa Clara, who have presented a wonderful tribute to one of my favorite actors, and perhaps the most nominated actor to never win the Oscar.
ReplyDeleteThe amazing Peter O’Toole has been in our minds since he followed up his wonderful performance as T.E. Lawrence, in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA ( I played Auda Abu Tayi in our high school version of the play) with his portrayal of Henry II, in BECKET with Richard Burton, a role he reprised in LION IN WINTER with Katherine Hepburn. He appeared in comedies like the wickedly funny THE RULING CLASS where he plays a Lord who thinks he is divine, and utters the great line when asked how he knows, “When I pray to Him, I find I am talking to myself.” He also did MY FAVORITE YEAR , in which he parodies himself. (My oldest son performed in this play during his high school years). Probably the least successful, yet most poignant of his roles, being the fairly recent VENUS where he plays an aging actor, beset with lost interest in life who is revitalized by his coarse, irreverent niece. As you can see I like Peter O’Toole who continues to work, appearing in the series THE TUDORS .
A fun puzzle filled with new fill.
Hello fellow solvers!
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up, C. C.
Lemonade--your comment very informative.
Thanks to Horwitz and Walden for interesting, though rather tough, puzzle.
No cheating this time!
Didn't like BLEARED and thought that ENCAPSULE should be encapsulate. Helena Rubenstein makes rather pricey makeup, C. C.
INSOMNIACS-- take note!
Received wonderful lavender sleep mask and sleep CD from Dr. Mercola. Feel very rested. Can't remember any nightmares.
Am going to record OSCAR show as usual. How many of you will watch???
Have a Great Day, all!!!
Hello again!
ReplyDeleteKazie--do you work the sudoku in the LAT newspaper?
It can be a bear. Even "swordfish" do not work sometimes! I save puzzle on line and then resort to a 2-way guess.
Anyone else? Strategies?
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteOverall a really nice, fun and challenging puzzle. I really had to did deep for many of the film names, but surprisingly they were all in my brain somewhere.
I wasn't crazy about some of the non-theme fill, of course. The crossing of HAJJI [what an odd spelling!] with JAI [never heard of this song -- what movie is it from?] was the last thing I filled in, and that was after trying a few other letters. I've also never heard of A.O.SCOTT and wasn't sure whether 12D should be DRANK or DRUNK.
LGA and AON were complete mysteries to me, and I could have done without USH and OSH, but other than that it was a fine puzzle.
Hello Puzzlers - Well, that's better! This one took some work but could be solved. Thanks for your writeup C.C. - I had many of the same questions as you. Had forgotten about Helena Rubenstein until reading Fermat's post.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle must have been a tough construction project. I salute its makers!
Somehow it happens that I have not seen even one of the Peter O'Toole films mentioned. So, late last night and after finishing to puzzle, I went straight to Netflix and lined 'em up.
I didn't know EUGENIE existed - yowza, that's a pretty girl.
Hang on a sec - just checked Google images for Eugenie. Without all that glam treatment, she's rather less striking.
ReplyDeleteHi There ~!
ReplyDeleteYes, this one was a great construction, getting all those films in, the award, and the actor appearing in all - well done.
The puzzle itself, not too bad, did it just over 30mins, and I have no qualms about the answers, save the names (yeah, A.O. SCOTT, IRA, JAI, COSI), and the long down fill was impressive -
BIOMETRIC, ENCAPSULE, CRUCIALLY,
COMPARE TO, INAUGURAL, TENNESSEE
Huge movie fan, but not a PETER fan, and so 'Note to SELF', I think I should line up these movies, as I have seen NONE of them - yes, I have not seen "LAWRENCE", nor "THE LION..." (but I know the subjects), and never even heard of the others (OK, "MR CHIPS" I've heard of).
EGG was very good - cute, even...
Splynter
Good Morning, CC and Friends. Boy, was this a toughie today. It was almost a DNF for me, but I soldier on. I had to work backwards on this one. I got PETER O'TOOLE after the first pass, then tried to get his movies.
ReplyDeleteI see you have been informed about Helena Rubinstein. That was a tricky clue. I initially thought the clue related to some Greek mythology.
Nice shout-out to our friend, JD. There are also a couple of us on this blog who hold a JD.
My favorite clue of this puzzle was Light-Minded Pursuit = OPTICS.
I also liked It Always Increases = AGE. That was one of the first answers I was sure of in my first pass of this puzzle!
QOD: The sound of laughter is like the vaulted dome of a temple of happiness. ~ Milan Kundera
Brutal. DNF.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Sunday Solvers all. Thank you CC for your write up (and all of your efforts here) and thank you Lemonade for your expansion on the theme.
ReplyDeleteI thought this would be really tough as I seldom watch movies and pay zero attention to the Oscar awards. Fortunately, the fill along both sides were pretty easy and I just worked my way in from there until perps would give me enough letters to see the name of a movie I had heard of.
In the end Iwas left looking at the the NU_/K_WISS and HAJ_I/_AI crossings. I finally figured out the 'S' in the first pair, but settled on a 'G' for the second. I've seen the term for the pilgrimage before, but just didn't remember it having a double 'J' and the song was a total unknown. Maybe it's like so many other words/names that are translated from Arabic. No one is quite sure of the best English spelling. Look how many spellings of Daffy Qaddafi there have been over the years.
I thought there were some really good clues and it was not nearly as tough as I thought it would be.
@ Fermatprime, Our local paper has a Sudoku on Saturdays that goes beyond the normal levels of difficulty and needs advanced strategies to solve. I seldom find a solution beyond X-wing that I understand. I cheat and use the 'pick a pair' technique. I sometimes put the puzzle into Andrew Young's solver and step through to see what strategy was needed.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning C.C. et al, what a satisfying solve and write-up after coming up a dozen cells short yesterday. The titles came quickly as did the memories. We are off to Omaha to watch 14 year old granddaughter play some mediocre volleyball. It’s what ‘ya do!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Did you go to the bottom and get PETER O’TOOLE first like I did?
-Earlier posters caught the sense of the puzzle and so I won’t be redundant (wait a minute, maybe I just was)
-AOSCOTT crossed with COSI gave me no chance for a 100%. Dang!
-Had JFK for LGA and then LAG for LGA
-VFWHALLS were a big part of my dad’s and his peers’ lives. Not so much now.
-NASHVILLE? Nope. TENNESSEE. HELIO? Nope. HORUS. FOX? Nope. Egg
-My 89 year old Mother-in-Law is a lion in winter. She is somewhat dependant on us but has to roar occasionally.
-Doesn’t everyone know TITOPUENTE from “Stripes”?
-That Muslim trip has a lot of variation of J’s and I’s
-I haven’t watched the Oscars in years as the tedium beyond the “titillation” of the female gowns is unbearable. I only remember Brando sending up someone to accept his who delivered some tortured speech and Goldie Hawn’s gasping presentation for George C. Scott who said he had no interest in the whole thing saying, “The whole God Damned thing is a meat parade and I want no part of it.”
C.C., I'm on the way out the door but want to apologize for violating the 20 line limit. I'll try not to do that again!
ReplyDelete很抱歉
Good Morning C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the write-up, C.C. I agree with you that “Ice Age unit” for CEL was a stretch, as that movie was computer-animated. But the three letter answer must have been too much of a temptation to try to fool the puzzler into putting “eon”. So “Mickey unit” was out!
And “Que SERA SERA” is supposed to be Spanish (but is not grammatically correct). The Italian word for “evening” is, indeed, SERA. I spent many of them having a glass of prosecco in front of the DUOMO (from yesterday, LOL).
My only true WAG was the second “J” in HAJJI. I did like seeing JAI HO at 62D. It was written for the film “Slumdog Millionaire”, which won the lion’s share of Oscars a couple years ago.
I really like Peter O’Toole, and it is so sad that he has never won an Oscar. But this puzzle was a fitting tribute to his many wonderful works. Thanks, Jeremy & Byron, for putting it together for us.
Have a wonderful Sunday everyone – I’m off to shovel the driveway (again!).
Good Morning All, YES! I loved the theme. Over the years, I have seen all the referenced movies. I had totally forgotten that PETER O'TOOLE had never won a BEST ACTOR OSCAR. Post puzzle I "G'd" who he was up against and there were some great performances by other actors. But he did lose out in 1968 to Cliff Robertson/"Charley". That was THE LION IN WINTER year. O'Toole was amazing and should have won.
ReplyDeleteAbout being a movie fan; some aren't, but I am. Most historical movies are romanticized and facts are often manipulated, but I wouldn't have known anything about T.E. Lawrence, Henry II or Thomas Becket if I hadn't seen those movies. They in turn peaked my interest enough to go to the library and learn some more about the real stories.
Then again, a movie like MY FAVORITE YEAR just made me laugh...a lot!
Question: What does an elephant have for breakfast ?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Anything he wants...
Q: How does a Sat xword constr., clue ?
A: Any which way he wants ...
I realize I'm not afforded this space to knock them, but ... some clues are just plain wrong ( and silly) IMHO.
e.g. - 47 Across - Item, such as interest, recorded only when earned - (Ans.) NON-ASSET. C.C. - that gave you a headache ?? No wonder, it would have given an accountant apoplexy ! Interest (income - not int. expense - that is ) is NEVER an asset, even AFTER it has been earned - it is INCOME, and after taxes, the net cash ( or whatever, notes or IOU) becomes an ASSET. Interest does not even have to be earned - for 6 mo. US T-bills, it is paid in advance, immediately after, when you buy the note - in some cases it is accrued, whether you receive it or not, - and in some cases it is imputed ( calculated) just by passage of time as in case of Zero Coupon Bond scrip or Original Issue Discount (O.I.D's) bonds or many other derivatives... In muslim countries, it is never paid at all (??) ( there is a prohibition against it in the Koran/Quran ...).I'm way past my 20 line limit - hence abrupt end.
C.C., with all due respect, how long do you let the same people continually violate the 20-line request, apologize, and then do it again and again?
ReplyDeleteHello, Everyone!
ReplyDeleteThanks C.C. for the write up.
Tough one for me today since I'm not such a movie buff so I DNF without help.
Back in the day, we had a Sadie Hawkins Day dance each year in HS. Always a buzz among the girls since it was not the norm to invite boys out back then.
All that I would say about the various favorite and not so favorite clues has been said so I'll with everyone a relaxing Sunday.
Good morning C.C. and all,
ReplyDelete♩♬♫•*¨*•.❤.•*¨*•♫♪•.¸¸.•´♫♪♩♬
I'm a waaagger..big time,and not the scientific kind.Never heard of Venus, but knew or saw all the other movies.Had to
leave a few holes after an hour+, and give DH a hair cut.
Encapsule was awesome, but I couldn't get the P in epi (could have gotten epicenter). I was triangulated with AO Scott/DSC/ Cosi.
Favorites? in rags and US border
bleared-humph
K-Swiss was my shoe of choice when I was a tennis junkie.
CC, thanks for explaining all the answers I filled in without knowing why.We probably should have known Ena from past puzzles.Even adding the N for non was a WAG.
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteIt's a rare Sunday when I get to do the Sunday puzzle, but no sport card show today.
The O'Toole movie titles came rather easily, but I had trouble with a lot of the 3 and 4 letter fills. The only empty space was the second J for 60A. Just didn't see the blank space when I was reviewing the finished puzzle.
Most of my other thoughts have already been addressed so I'll close with a complaint. I printed the puzzle off the computer and there were no clues for 77D and 81D. Anyone else have that problem? It slowed me down, but I eventually worked around the omissions.
Nice spring like day in Ct, but the snow covered ground makes it impossible for spring activity.
I was so tickled about the theme I almost forgot to mention how interesting the rest of the puzzle was. Usually it is the Downs that help to get me through, but with fill like BIOMETRIC and ENCAPSULE I had a rough start. I skipped around and filled what I could. THE LION IN WINTER was my first theme and I backed my way up to VENUS. Those lit the light bulb and I knew we were dealing with PETER O'TOOLE. That was a big help in getting the rest of the theme answers.
ReplyDeleteLots of other toughies like ONE (coupled with) SEATER, NON-ASSET, BLEARED, LEAN CUTS, VFW HALLS and NERVE BLOCK.
"No ideas" were, A.O. SCOTT (I haven't watched "At The Movies" since Siskel and Ebert.), OSH, K-SWISS, SEE A, LGA and AON.
I thought I didn't know 62D/JAI Ho, but I loved the "Bollywood" dancing in the closing scene of Slumdog Millionaire.
thehondohurricane, I had the same problem when I printed it out. I had to go back online to see what they were
ReplyDeleteSlumdog Millionare - Jai Ho Music Video(2:45) So much music, so little time. I'll be back.
ReplyDeleteLGA = Laguardia
ReplyDeleteJKF = Kennedy
EWR = Newark
ISP = Islip
are the New York Airports by there aiport code; evey airport has a three digit code supervised by IATA (International Air Transport Association). Some look like what they are e.g. LAX, SFO, while others need a history or memorization, MCO = Orlando (comes from old McCoy AFB); MSY = New Orleans (originally Moisant Field) and ORD = Chicago O'Hare (originally Orchard Depot Field).
Hi C.C. & gang, today's puzzle was a great way to remember all of the old movies that were forgotten...
ReplyDeleteI think I finally understand Óscar's other : OTRO
Spanish 'otro' means 'another' or 'other' in English.
;-)
Hi.
ReplyDeleteThis and that:
Have seen a few of the O'Toole movies. Hard to believe he has
never won the Oscar. Also put some on Netflix queue.
Another great hockey game last night. (OT and SO) This from Fox Sports Det. Winning goal off the cross bar, off the goalie's back
and into the net. Just like he planned?
Had chow fun last night. A MSG headache forced me to lie down.
Next thing it was today.
Re: 20 lines, easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
take care. 17?
Happy Sunday! Nothing new to say about the puzzle. I didn't like it as much as some of you did. Dunno why. Enjoyment of puzzles or of certain clues seems to be a personal thing related to a person's DNA and life experiences. Still, a nice way to start OSCAR Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the Academy Awards. "Sunday Morning" had a segment on old 'tear jerker' movies and pointed out that they're not being made so much anymore. Movies with lots of explosions and chases cater to the younger audience. Maybe that's also related to their choice of emcees this year.
Beautiful views of the local snow-covered mountains from our windows. It was 62 in the house this morning when I got up.
Whoopie Goldberg used an expression last week that sounded humorous. In getting angry at a child for misbehaving in public, she said "Quit that right now chile or I'll snatch you bald-headed."
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the puzzle with its theme of Peter O'Toole, but overall, it was a difficult challenge, but with a little red letter help, doable.
US BORDER - It is true that the US border runs through 4 Great Lakes as well as the Soo, St Clair, Detroit, Niagara, and the upper St. Lawrence rivers. The same line is also the Canadian border. Much of my professional career was spent working with counterparts from Canada on joint committees that dealt with boundary waters. So we were used to calling it simply the International Border or Boundary, so as not to offend national sensitivities; and everyone knew what was meant. My introduction to diplomacy at the working level.
This note may remind one of 'paint drying' but the clue struck a chord with me.
Cheers
Hello everybody. I enjoyed this puzzle a lot. Well made!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to, but wifey likes to watch the Oscar ceremony so I will watch it too. Fermatprime, what is "swordfish"? I don't haved any sudoku strategies except to cease in disgust when it boils down to taking a guess that has only a 50-50 chance of being right. To me, guessing isn't "solving," and if you guess wrong then you have to somehow back up to the point where you took the guess and follow the other fork in the path. Nope, I get no pleasure from running into a deadend and then having to backtrack.
I still don't get 86 down: Letters before xis : NUs. Greek letters?
I suspect you are right, C.C., in concluding the ending "i" in hajji means person. I do not know any Arabic, but terms such as Yemeni, Iraqi, and Omani lead me to reach the same conclusion.
ReplyDeleteHajj, Hadj, Haj, Gadaffi, Ghadaffi, Kadaffi, Qadaffi ...
Buena sera!
I used to solve sudoku puzzles. Or, I'd try to. I could solve all the easy and medium ones once I learned a few strategies. The LAT hardest ones were usually not doable for me without guessing. The constructor who made them famous (London Times?) said that guessing should never be necessary on a properly constructed puzzle. So I quit trying the ones in the LAT. Then I quit sudoku altogether because I realized I couldn't easily see the differences among all the ones I had done. You could give me the same puzzle to solve in a week and I probably wouldn't notice that I'd already solved it. So I switched to Ken Ken. I finally lost interest in them too. But crosswords have held my interest longer, almost certainly because of this blog. Thanks C.C.
ReplyDeleteNina Simone - I Put a Spell on You(2:35)
ReplyDeleteNow see if CA beats me to this one.
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks C.C. for an interesting write up. I got about 8 answers. Some I might have, but I gave up. DNF, now that I know that term.
Lemonade, I ditto Fermatprime: I have Netflixed all your Peter O'Toole movies. Thank you.
Great Sunday afternoon. After church, a good lunch, a stab at the puzzle, and now a good book (I'll probably fall asleep).
Cheers
Oh, sorry. It was Dudley who went to Netflix, not Fermatprime.
ReplyDeleteHajji Baba is the name of a movie I saw in the 1950's starring John Derek, Nat King Cole made the song of the same name popular.
ReplyDeleteBTW CC, explain 86D to me please
C.C.- Sino comes from Sinae, Latin for "The Chinese"
ReplyDeleteBuona SERA, Sunday Solvers! Yes, C.C., SERA is evening in Italian and also "will be" in Spanish. I'm not sure why HeartRX thinks "que sera, sera" is incorrect. I would just add "lo que sera, sera."
ReplyDeleteAs noted, Oscar is also Spanish, hence OTRO for other.
Thanks C.C. for your lovely explanations which helped me. I did not become a movie fan until after retirement so Netflix helps me with those early ones.
I scrabbled through the top of this, filled THELIONINWINTER then slid downward to find PETEROTOOLE and shamelessly went to his filmography to find titles.
After that I sashayed through it but unknowns, CEY, KSWISS, and modern singers like Bonnie Prince Billy NINA Simone usually stump me.
I hope you have all enjoyed Sunday!
Jeannie:
ReplyDeleteYour cream of carrot soup was absolutely delicious! We scraped every drop from the bowl. Thank you. That is a keeper. And it's easy to make.
I forgot to say I do love Peter O'Toole and have seen at least three of the movies mentioned including VENUS and BECKETT.
Now my tax records beckon.
Love Me, I'm a Liberal - Phil Ochs(4:40) I'll make no comment and ask you do the same, but take a listen if you care to.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the hail cover the greens in Tuscun, I highlighted all the words that I was not familiar with, like biometric, cey,TSR, Ott, scions,sino and so on. What made this so hard for me was that many of them crossed each other, like this one:
ReplyDeleteS
E S
BLEARED
A O
CA, enjoyed that closing dance scene Jai Ho;never paid attention to song title.
Lemonade, thx for airport list. Our airport,SJO, is constantly changing names..I think it is officially the Norman Y Mineta International Airport, but somehow they want to add Silicon Valley into the mix.It has become laughable, just like the Shark Tank which was named after the highest bidder-H.P. Pavilion; used to be Compaq Center, and before that,San Jose Arena.
NU is the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. XI is the fourteenth letter. Ergo, NU before XI, or, if you make plurals of them, NUs before XIs.
ReplyDeleteDo I know that stuff? No way. But it's in the Olio section on the Crossword Corner front page.
Argyle, LOL...I laughed when I saw our "JAI Ho"'s were linked at the exact same time. There is no way Preview can help with that.
ReplyDeleteGAH and I will be watching the A.A.s tonight. In California they come on at 5PM, so it won't be a late night. We do have our favorites and I don't think there will be many surprises. "The King's Speech" is on a roll. It is my favorite of the nominees that have a chance of winning. GAH is rooting for "The Fighter".
MrEd, what a memory! "The Adventures of Hajji Baba" was way back in 1954. I may have seen it, but I sure don't remember. I don't think I ever did hear the Nat King Cole song Hadjji Baba. Why is the YouTube photo of what looks like a meteor? Your guess is as good as mine.
Grumpy 1, thank you.
ReplyDeleteSo, is "Jai Ho" pronounced the same way as the Seven Dwarfs song, "Heigh-Ho"? ;-)
ReplyDeleteGrumpy1, thanks for explaining NU and XI. Thanks also to those of you who remembered to ask the question!
I've never been much of a Peter O'Toole fan. Something about him always kind of creeped me out.
Once again, I haven't seen any of the movies up for awards, so won't bother watching the show tonight. I can't remember the last movie I went to a theater to see...
Hi Everyone ~~
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this puzzle even though I don't often go to movies. I was familiar with most of the Peter O'Toole title names ... not so much with VENUS and THE STUNT MAN. I did have to give in to Google for some of the names others have already mentioned.
I guess these would qualify as 'Musings' but I would never use Husker Gary's word. ;-) So ... some random thoughts:
It was nice to see somewhat of a different clue for OTT...
We have two of the blog's recent not-so-favorite answers: DIF and USH...
I learned TAO from C.C. in a puzzle we had not too long ago. Thank you C.C. for the lesson and another enlightening write-up!
OBSESSION is my SCENT of choice...
I'm familiar with 'bleary' but not with BLEARED...
C.C.-- As for 26D CNN... and your question about Piers Morgan... I've seen him as a judge on a TV talent show and I didn't like him there either...
The Hondo Hurricane and HeartRx ... I've had the problem of missing clues when I printed out the puzzle from the LA Times site. Today I printed it from Cruciverb and it was complete!
Enjoy the evening ~~
CA. The AAs are live @8:30 on the East coast and taped delayed @8:30
ReplyDeleteon the West coast. Long night ahead.
JD. Code for San Jose airport is SJC.
Will be rereading Gai-Jin tonight
instead of watching tv.
take care.
eddyB,
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see the Whalers before Karmanos spirited them to Carolina?
Hondo
Lemonade:
ReplyDeleteI forgot to thank you for all the good info about Peter O'Toole.
I had to stop looking for tax records as I can't find some and feeling frustrated I'm going to my daughter's for dinner; we'll order takout tonight as they have been fighting allergies and flu.
Grumpy 1: thanks for NU XIS!
I'll record the Oscar's. I normally like to watch them but not too excited about this year's choices except The King's Speech.
Needed quite a bit of red letter help on this one, but in the end it was pretty doable. Don't know most of Peter O'Toole's movies, but will say that GOODBYE MR. CHIPS is among my all time favorite movies. And a tearjerker at that too - which, as was mentioned before, there are few of these days. I would highly recommend that one.
ReplyDeleteSome of my son's teachers used to comment that he had eyes like Peter O'Toole (which he does), so he had to look him up to see how blue they were.
I too didn't know Jai Ho was the song from SLUMDOG, but it is a great one. One of those tunes that make you want to get up and dance.
I'll be watching the Oscars - usually while I multitask because it cannot keep my attention that well. For once, I have seen almost all of the nominees. I am rooting for THE KING'S SPEECH, but you cannot beat TOY STORY 3 either
La La Linda, muse away! I make no claims to anything and I always like reading your random thoughts or musings but was pleased by your consideration. My thought processes run to stream of consciousness and so that is why I post the way I do. Hmm... do you think 42 years of hanging out with adolescents will do that to you?
ReplyDeleteI agree about Piers and from what I read, his ratings are even lower than Larry King's subterranean numbers.
hondo. Sorry. There is a nice link
ReplyDeleteat NHL Whalers (G) about how Baldwin wants to generate interest to bring a team back Hartford.
Guess - build an out rink and they will come.
I guess we are lucky with our satellite service. Not at 5 PM, but A.A.'s are live at 5:30 from Sacramento's ABC affiliate KXTV. They've already started the pre-awards hoopla at 3 PM. (I'm not watching all of that.)
ReplyDeleteIn the past some friends of ours have had Oscar night costume parties, where everyone would come as their favorite movie character. GAH and I were hobbits (complete with hairy toes) a few years ago. The host hasn't been too well for a year or two, so that fun hasn't transpired. Too bad...I usually won the "Who Will Win" pools.
Yes KQ, multi-tasking is the key for the draggier parts.
Hi, C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteHelena Rubenstein has a line of cosmetics which could rival Estee Lauder, I guess. Helena R. has been around a very long time. I would have thought there are many more popular cosmetics than hers.
I do the Sunday puzzle on the net now and it takes me lots longer than when I use paper and pencil. I still keep hitting wrong letters so I come up with oodles of black triangles! Anyway I managed to get this one without any lookups, which makes me feel good. It looked pretty daunting at first and though it wasn't an easy one, it was doable. Somehow, it has left me kind of cold.The theme movies were fun to unfold but much of the fill was not very interesting, I thought.chacun a son gout, I guess.
I hope we're past that blitch that lost so many posts yesterday.
oops, thanks EddyB..I knew that
ReplyDeleteAnnette, glad you said that about Peter O'Toole...I feel the same way.
CC, and for Piers, he needs to get rid of that sneer.
Off to AA shindig at daughter's....I also think the King's Speech will run away with many awards.
For the curious - re: Jai Ho
ReplyDelete'Jai' - Victory (to)/ ( All Hail ) ...
'Ho' - (may it happen / occur / exist ).
... may we have victory ?, may we be victorious ?, Victory to all ?, may there be victory ?, We are victorious ?, lets celebrate (our) victory ? ... your guess is as good as mine.
( I can understand the Hindi Bollywood lyrics about as well as I can comprehend bad rap music ...)
Re: Jai Ho
ReplyDeletePlease ignore my earlier post, apparently it means something totally different - ... apparently 'Jai Ho' - means 'It rocks ' !!!
( what is this world coming to ??)
Just Google - "Jai Ho translation" - and you get the 'real McCoy'.
(I wish I was not alive to see all this nonsense .... )
oops, sorry CA. My satellite guide is wrong again. Said it was tape delayed
ReplyDeleteVenus is the only movie in the puzzle that I haven't seen, or even heard of. I'm putting it on my Netflix queue.
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite of all those movies so far is Beckett. And that reminds me of another one I really liked, not a Peter O'Toole though, but a historical one: A Man for All Seasons. Marvelous movie, wasn't it, Clearayes? What's happened to all the good movies?
Producers don't seem to have much imagination any more; just special effects and lots of noise!
Lucina, as you so correctly said , the exact expression would be "lo que sea será", not just "Que sera sera". The Italian would be "Che sarà sarà" or the "Quel che sarà sarà". But "Que Sera Sera" is just incorrect, I think?
ReplyDeleteConcerning Piers Morgan: I'd never heard of him until I watched Celebrity Apprentice one year. There was a certain something that was likeable in him. However, he was very... aggressive and argumentative. His opinions were often valid, but it was the way he went about things that bothered me about him. Sadly, some of the people he clashed with on the show were even less impressive...
ReplyDeleteSJC is the airport code for SAN JOSE, CA. SJO is the code for SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA. There are also airports in SAN JOSE, Bolivia, Philippines, and Columbia. We are now getting too picky.
ReplyDeleteFor those who find Mr. O'Toole creepy, watch all the films, and then tell me he is not a very versatile and impressive actor, who unlike so many actors actually plays characters, not just variations of himself (e.g. OWEN WILSON, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY and so many more).
Lemonade, I don't believe anybody questioned his acting ability.
ReplyDeletePlease respect our right to voice a differing opinion about the man himself.
HeartRX:
ReplyDeleteIf asking a question, Que sera? What will it be? is the correct translation. Que sera, sera is simply abreviating the expression but not intrinsically wrong.
I'm really pleased for Colin Firth and the people responsible for The King's Speech. My daughter saw and liked The Black Swan; she thought Natalie Portman deserved her Oscar.
Dodo:
I agree about A Man For All Seasons. It's a truly great movie.
Good Evening, folks! This has been a long weekend. A thank you to Jeremy and Byron for a "Challenging" puzzle. I got it done, without help. It took me all day, off and on. Thanks to C.C. for the write-up and posting.
ReplyDeleteToday I had a busy day and could not focus continually on the puzzle. I was especially intent to get it because I could not solve Saturday's, yet. That one kicked my butt. Our Assistant Minister was Ordained today. Our brass group from church played at the Ordination. That was fun.
I remember Peter O'Toole from Lawrence of Arabia, a long time ago. Great actor. I had no idea that he was in all those other films. I am not really a movie buff.
The puzzle was certainly challenging, but got it with a lot of perps. 86D stumped me. 99A also stumped me. I guessed and got it wrong. Thanks to Grumpy1 for explaining it earlier in the blog. I tried MICHIGAN for USBORDER. That screwed me up for a while. MICHIGAN is an accurate answer by the way.
I still hope to finish Saturday's puzzle. Looking forward to an easy Monday.
Abejo
I almost forgot. My copy of the puzzle had no 77D or 81D clues entered. I print my puzzle from the Chicago Tribune site. It is the L.A. Times puzzle. I do this daily. So, I had to check my Trib newspaper to find the two missing clues. I am not using that as an excuse for taking all day, but it did cost me a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteAbejo
Fun for us watching the A.A.'s this evening. No surprises and most of the winners were charming, amusing and modest.
ReplyDeleteDodo & Lucina, "A Man For All Seasons" was a wonderful movie. As I mentioned earlier, movies like that have spurred my curiosity to read more about the history of the characters. It deserved an A.A. for Best Picture in 1966 and got it, as did Paul Scofield for Best Actor as Sir Thomas More.
Forgot to say I am still working on Saturday's puzzle as it was a very busy day for me. Most of it is filled so maybe tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteCA:
Thanks for the info. I couldn't recall the year but that Paul Scofield, he was something!
Good night everyone!
Lemonade, EddyB caught my mistake at 4:46.My point was more so about the continual changing of names.Another example: Cape Canaveral>Cape Kennedy> Cape Canaveral.Is this about money or politics or both?
ReplyDeleteI agree that Mr. O'Toole is extremely talented, but not a favorite of mine. I also think Johnny Depp is creepy, and he is also extremely talented.
I loved the intro at the AA's, and I was blown away by Anne Hathaway's voice.
Excellent puzzle! Not a big fan of BLEARED or TOTERS, but picking those two nits takes nothing away. How in the world they managed to get all those films into one grid and pull the whole thing off elegantly is amazing. The difficulty level was just perfect for me: though I completed the grid with no help and no errors, it was very tough. It gave up its secrets grudgingly, word by word.
ReplyDeleteAs to the subject of the theme, I too wondered how O'Toole dodged the Oscar bullet all these years. I even liked him in Creator--or was that just because I got an eyeful of the luscious Virginia Madsen? Oh well...
Annette: If my comment appeared to be confrontational or a demand everyone appreciate Peter O'Toole, I apologize. I do not disagree very good actors are also often bizarre people. My comment was intended to inspire some who had not really watched the body of work to go and watch the movies. I also had watched an Owen Wilson movie and enjoyed the script, but was disappointed in the acting.
ReplyDeletePeace out.