Theme: DUPES (38A. 1- and 64-Across, and the first words of the four longest puzzle answers) - The green-highlighted words are all synonyms for "sucker".
1A. Court jester : FOOL. & 64A. Hammer or sickle : TOOL. Bookended the grid. It's important that both are clued in non-dupe sense.
17A. Country singer with the 1961 hit "Crazy" : PATSY CLINE. Please read Jerome's note at the end of my write-up for his theme inspiration.
56A. Shameful emblem in Genesis : MARK OF CAIN. And another Biblical reference PRODIGAL (30A. Like the son in a parable of Jesus). The Prodigal Son.
10D. Hockshop receipt : PAWN TICKET. Sad.
29D. Remora : SUCKER FISH. Attached to sharks/whales, etc.
C.C. here, filling in for a blogging schedule gap and feeling very happy to blog a Jerome puzzle. I learned the "sucker" meaning of TOOL last time it appeared in our puzzle. TOOL is certainly a dynamic word, isn't it?
Sometimes we see the first & last Across entries together serving as one theme entry, for example, TOOL in 1A and SHED in 64D, TOOL SHED as one unit, with TOOL the only "Sucker" element. So, my questions for Jerome:
1) Did you already have in mind where you wanted FOOL & TOOL to be before you started the gridding? Or did the placement of the rhyming pair occur to you during the gridding?
2) Was your original unifier DUPES?
Across:
5. Zoo barriers : MOATS. Those who have been to Xi'An will remember the city wall and the deep moats.
10. Sourdough's ground breaker : PICK. I don't get this clue. (Added late: The question has been addressed in the Comments section. Thanks, everyone.)
14. Quint's boat in "Jaws" : ORCA. Have never seen "Jaws".
15. Polite : CIVIL
16. Yemen seaport : ADEN. Hot spot right now.
19. Trickery : WILE
20. __-mo replay : SLO
21. Vicinity : AREA
22. Submerge while sitting poolside, as one's feet : DANGLE. Vivid imagery.
24. Australian folk hero Kelly : NED. Just for Kazie.
25. Mine entrance : ADIT. Learned from doing Xword.
26. 49th state : ALASKA. So, what does Alaska mean?
34. Bills of fare : MENUS
35. Sudden ache : PANG
36. Heal : CURE. I like this consecutive ache & CURE.
37. Old Norse mariner : ERIC. Eric the Red. Jerome's grandpa is named Olaf.
39. Retain : KEEP
40. Cranny relative : NOOK
41. Russia's __ Mountains : URAL
42. "Beau __ " : GESTE
43. Kitchen areas, perhaps : DINETTES
45. Fastening pin : COTTER. Cotter pin.
46. Cereal grain : RICE. Gluten free, thank God!
47. Also : TOO
48. Sponge for grunge : LOOFAH. Oh no, I use loofah just to exfoliate.
51. Play a round : GOLF. Better to start with 9 holes when spring comes.
52. Timing lead-in : TWO. Two-timing.
55. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI
59. Puppy bites : NIPS
60. Mindy, to Mork? : ALIEN. Mork lives in Ork.
61. Teen bane : ACNE
62. Reggae musician Peter : TOSH. Of The Wailers.
63. Doofus : NINNY. Fun fill for today's theme.
Down:
1. Dandies : FOPS
2. Shouted, say : ORAL
3. Septi- plus one : OCTO. Prefix for "eight", as in Octomom.
4. Vegas opener : LAS
5. Joel who was the first actor to portray Dr. Kildare : McCREA. Unknown trivia to me.
6. No longer squeaky : OILED
7. Adidas rival : AVIA. Latin for "fly" (Bob is not here)!
8. Badge material : TIN
9. Snow pack? : SLED DOGS. Great clue/answer.
11. Beatnik's "Got it" : I DIG
12. Calaboose compartment : CELL. Jail cell.
13. Pants part : KNEE
18. 2009 Series winners : YANKS. Boo! Money gets them everything!
23. Lend a hand : AID
25. Synthetic fiber : ARNEL. Trademark.
26. Congressionally change : AMEND. Hence amendment then.
27. The king of France? : LE ROI. Literally. "Vive le Roi!"
28. Atom with a negative charge : ANION
30. Mamas' mates : PAPAs
31. Hotel client : GUEST
32. Sharp ridge : ARETE. Clear Ayes should nail this one.
33. With 45-Down, Middle Ages quarantine area : LEPER. And COLONY (45. See 33-Down). Nice cross-reference.
35. Put through a sieve : PUREE
38. "The Flying __": Wagner opera : DUTCHMAN. To us baseball fans, the name is only for the great Honus Wagner. That card (T206, near mint) was sold over $2 million a few years ago.
42. Explode : GO OFF
44. Padre's hermana : TIA. Father's sister.
47. Memento : TOKEN
48. Pre-Easter period : LENT
49. Hodgepodge : OLIO
50. "Uh-oh, I dropped it!" : OOPS
51. Big smile : GRIN
52. Crisp, filled tortilla : TACO
53. Sot : WINO
54. First-year law student : ONE-L. Scott Turow's book is a good read.
57. Ring icon : ALI. Boxing ring.
58. Sylvester, e.g. : CAT. Sylvester the Cat.
C.C.:
Notes from Jerome:
My mother, Amber, was a Gospel singer and an accomplished pianist. She never made it big-time, but she was often a featured soloist in Baptist churches and on local radio in Oakland, California where I grew up. However, she enjoyed singing all kinds of music, and beyond Gospel, her favorite was Country. Especially Patsy Cline. So, much of the music of my youth came from Mahalia Jackson, Ethel Waters, The Blackwood Brothers and a lot of Patsy Cline. Though I'm pretty much a Rock and Roller I still enjoy the music Amber loved so much.
A few months back I was listening to a Patsy Cline album, having a beer, relaxing, just simply enjoying a little music... and... well, there you go, the theme for today's puzzle. Simple idea, but it was fifty plus years in the making.
Not being a shy guy, I'll gladly take a pat on the back from anyone who likes this puzzle. I must request, however, a smile for Amber too. :)
96 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - I thought this was a great Wednesday puzzle, neither too easy nor too hard.And coming from Jerome, I just knew it was was gonna have a clever theme, which I didn't get until the third theme answer (SUCKERfish).
As with C.C., I don't get 10A. Is 'sourdough' a slang term for some type of laborer? The rest went fairly smoothly, with perp help needed for Ned Kelly and Peter Tosh, who I should remember by now. Favorite clues were 'Snow pack' and 'Sponge for grunge'. Overall, a fun solve.
For some reason, I liked the juxtaposition of 'taco' and 'tool'.
C.C., good job with the blog, as always. And 'Alaska' means 'great land', or 'that which the sea breaks against'.
Jerome, thanks for the back story on the theme - it really does add to the overall enjoyment of the puzzle. Thanks to both you and Amber.
Today is National Tennis Day. Does anyone else here play racquetball or handball?
Did You Know?:
- The first coins issued by authority of the United States government were minted in 1787. These pennies were inscribed with the plainspoken motto, "Mind your own business."
- A baby beaver stays with its parents for a period of two years.
- Forty thousand Americans are injured by toilets every year. Ok, 'fess up - has this happened to anyone?
Good Morning, CC and friends. So nice to see you and read your commentary, CC.
And a big smile for Amber, Jerome's Mom.
I didn't get the theme until after I had completed the puzzle. I had to go back over and re-read all the terms for "DUPES."
As to the Sourdough clue. I think it refers to the California Goldrush of 1849. San Francisco is known for sourdough, and the PICK is the TOOL used to stake the gold claims.
LEPER COLONIES were not restricted to the Middle Ages. There were still patients at the facility in Carville, Louisiana as recently as the mid-1990s. Hawaii, too had leper colonies.
QOD: Anything you are good at contributes to happiness. ~ Bertrand Russell
I enjoyed today's puzzle. It was easy for a Wednesday. I saw the theme midway through the puzzle but it did not help me get the answers. Sometimes I am not the brightest "tool" in the shed for crossword puzzles.
Didn't we see "I dig" earlier this week?
I liked the two cross-referenced entries: Fool/Tool, Leper/Colony.
Good write-up C.C.
Jacel, who are your avatar friends?
Morning, all!
Overall, this was a fine Wednesday puzzle. I do think that some of the clues were trying too hard to be cute, however. As with others, I could make no sense of "Sourdough's ground breaker." I also didn't know what a "calaboose" was, so I had to guess at the crossing letter.
Similarly, I've never see a MOAT at a zoo and had no idea who Mr. MCCREA was, so that was another tough-ish crossing.
I'll be charitable, however, and blame Rich for the iffy clues and give full credit to Jerome for the rest of the puzzle... ^_^
Gold miners in Alaska and California were know as "sourdough miners" because sourdough bread was a staple of their diets. Pickaxes were a main tool of their trade. Thus, the clue and answer.
Ron
C.C. Nice pitch-hitting.
Jerome; FUN Wednesday level puzzle.
Enjoyed the theme, got it off the FOOL/TOOL/PATSY CLINE entries.
My first 3 fills.
OK, I would refer to them as:
"The Bad-Ass, Bronx Bombers. aka: Murder's Row!" but YANKS for 2009 Series winners will do just fine.
We're in a dense FOG but Gal-Pal & I are heading over to Tampa by 9:30am for New York Yankee's Spring Training today.
Fave was the clever clue/ans. 'Snow pack?' SLED DOGS.
Hmmm, NIPS & WINO both in the grid.
Guess I'll have to "Toast" Amber and everyone later at Sunset.
Cheer's !!!
Jerome, this was such a pleasure, a nice old fashioned word like FOP; the term sourdough meaning a prospector (which reminds me of the story of the mining days of Mark Twain ) and ADIT which is where the prospector entered his mine; a JOEL MCCREA sighting; Opera with the Flying DUTCHMAN, reggae and Peter TOSH, country PATSY CLINE; loved sponge for grunge rhyming our way to LOOFAH, and the theme both across and down. We also have both the PRODIGAL son and the MARK OF CAIN two rather conflicted stories, and the wonderful word calaboose, meaning prison, from the Louisiana French calabouse. Finally, a shout out to the dark side, and 2009 Yankees and a seasonal reminder of LENT.
Thanks you Jerome and Amber. I had fun
Ron, thanks for the explanation - I'll bet most everybody got thrown by that one.
Good morning all. Great write-up, C.C. Thanks to Jerome for the great puzzle, and to Amber who made Jerome possible.
Great theme once I sussed it out how it 'worked'. It actually helped me get MARK OF CAIN. Favorite clues were for SLED DOGS and LOOFAH. Couldn't quickly remember the context of calaboose, but the perps filled in CELL. Sourdough was a term given to the 49er gold miners who used PICKS. No searches needed. Lots of fresh fill made this a fun solve.
Condolences to Tinbeni and GP on their recent loss. My deep sympathy to you both.
Have a great day
Jerome:
Although I won't see the puzzle until this evening, I wanted to give an early shout out to Amber and Patsy Cline. The all-time best Patsy Cline reference is in the Jimmy Buffet song "Miss You So Badly". I'm a rocker, too, but if you don't love Patsy, your DNA is faulty.
A few years ago, during a motorcycle trip to D.C., I made a side trip to Winchester, Virginia, to drive by the childhood home of PC, née Hensley. Unimpressive, but it felt good anyway. And as hokey as it may seem to you sophisticates, we (the Irish and I) like to include in our live music mix a little karaoke. There is invariably someone covering Patsy, and while some are very good, it's still true, as Buffet said, "there's no one who can touch her; hell I hang on every line".
I would have loved to hear Amber do Patsy.
Good Morning C.C. et al.
Great to see you during the week, C.C., and thanks for pinch hitting today! And thank you Amber, for giving Jerome the inspiration to construct this clever gem! I never knew what Alaska meant until I looked it up today – “mainland” or “great land” from the Aleut words.
I did know the term “Sourdough” as referring to the old 49’ers, for some reason. Maybe Robert W. Service used it in one of his poems, but the term was familiar. ClearAyes?
This puzzle hit home on several levels. I sing PATSY CLINE’s “Crazy” to my DH all the time , LOL.
I loved SLED DOGS for “Snow pack?”, very clever clue. “Sponge for grunge” for LOOFAH was also good.
We are doing “The Red Tent” for book club on Friday so 56A MARK OF CAIN was really a no-brainer today. Does everyone know the story of Dinah, who was abducted by Hamor’s son? He ended up paying a very dear “bride price”. I’ll let you guess what it was.
Have a Happy Hump Day, everyone!
Good Morning, folks. To Jerome Gunderson, great puzzle today. Some parts easy, some parts tough. I especially enjoyed 9D/SLEDDOGS. It took me a little thinking to get that. Great job with the symmetry and having the unifier dead center. I, also, enjoyed the biblical references.
My first answer was ELOI. That seems to be a consistent crossword word, and got me started.
Thank you, C.C., for the review and the posting! See you all tomorrow.
Abejo
My now hazy memory tells me I remember the term sourdough from watching old westerns in the 50s and 60s, maybe Have Gun Will Travel or Bonanza . The unknown for me was Remora: SUCKER FISH, which filled from the theme.
There is a very well done historical novel, "Moloka'i" witten by Alan Brennert, that tells the story of this leper colony and the work of Father Damien, and the people who lived and died there.
Jerome, did you have "Timing lead in" and then "Time Machine race" follow as a reminder for us to have a good time?
It was a really a diverse 'Baby Bear' puzzle, not too hard, not too easy, just right. And thank you C.C. for your midweek appearance.
Good day, C.C., Jerome, and all cyber friends.
What a fun puzzle today and knowing the inspiration clinched it. Thank you, Jerome and Amber.
Sourdough meaning prospector is familiar to us westerners and one with a PICK is the logo for the AZ state Lotto.
I really liked:
snow pack?, SLEDDOGS
ring icon, ALI
sponge for grunge, LOOFAH
timing lead-in, TWO
I stumbled on MENUS, filled MEMOS at first and SOCKERFISH did seem odd.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! My bed is calling me again.
Do I detect a mini-theme; sled dogs, sourdoughs, Alaska.
North to Alaska.
@cc from Wikipdia-The name "Alaska" (Аляска) was already introduced in the Russian colonial period, when it was used only for the peninsula and is derived from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland" or more literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". It is also known as Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same root.
Only doing these LA Times puzzles sporadically. Really enjoyed the clever theme in this one. Nicely done Jerome!
Good day folks,
This is a day from Hell. The puzzle beat me up (and I helped too) and when I tried to post my thoughts, they disappeared into cyberspace.
Therefore an abridged edition. The SW corner was my main undoing. Had sucker disc instead of fish, Tosc instead of Tosh and doofah instead of loofah.
In the North I began with cages, but quickly arrived at moats. Spelled Aden aned initially and as usual, had Aral instead of Ural. Other than that, it was a smooth ride!
Off to the dentist shortly for a cleaning. The way the day has started, I'll feel good if i get out of there without hearing I need root canal!
CC, thank you for an enlightening write up and please, don't beat the Yankees up too badly. Your Twins are not too far away from the winners circle.
Happy Wednesday to all.
Good Morning All, Jerome and Amber too, what fun! There wasn't anything about this puzzle I didn't like.
PATSY CLINE, SLED DOGS, PRODIGAL and DINETTES were fantastic fill. (See I've learned from you that "fill" is both singular and plural.)
The theme was so clever. I loved it when SUCKERFISH finally filled in and I hooked it up to unifier DUPES.
I think I've mentioned that my sister Joell was named in honor of Mom's crush of the handsome Joel MC CREA. Mom would have been thrilled to see him in such a prominent place.
37A Old Norse mariner, no ERICs in my family, but lots of Olaf, Olav, Magnus and Gunnar. My Swedish morfar (mother's father) was Nils-Petter.
HeartRX, PICK, ALASKA and SLED DOGS do seem to call for a Robert Service poem, although we are right down the road from Mark Twain's Angels Camp in Calaveras County.
NYT Anonimo: well how nice to hear from an olde regular; hope all is good, glad to know you stop by now and then. Ciao
Good Morning C.C. and fellow hump (noun or verb) dayers, this was easy enough to do left to right top to bottom but a nice few minutes!
Musings
-Richard Dreyfuss has said he thought Jaws was a disaster during production because of the new director and the damned mechanical shark that wouldn’t work. Did that director Spielberg ever have another movie?
-MOATS are much friendlier than CAGES and Disney’s Animal Kingdom makes great use of them
-ALASKA? What you do when she has info you need.
-Gary Cooper throwing down tin badge in High Noon? Way cool!
-Agree on Yanks, but MLB does better when they are there to hate (like Miami Heat).
-LEPER COLONY in Ben Hur was pretty graphic for late 50’s
-Oh, that grunge, not Nirvana
-Patsy Cline stage show Always is fabulous for showcasing her music but duplicating that voice, not gonna happen!
What a fun puzzle today. Most of it filled in really well, but then I always end up learning something. I wouldn't have realized that SOURDOUGH related to the miners, and, like Barry, I had no idea what calaboose was. I did like the mini themes also. Great job Jerome.
My husband thanks you all for your congrats on his marathon. I thought he was crazy when he came up with the idea, but after seeing the smile on his face I am glad he did it. I was always game because Ft. Lauderdale in February cannot be a bad thing. We had lots of fun, and he was impressed that a x-word blogger saw the article and took the time to comment on it. The only bummer was the flight home, which was delayed 4 hours for mechanical issues - not the snow mind you. But there were lots of frustrated travelers who had been waiting to get out of town since Sunday because of the recent storm. I am now dragging a little today.
Good morning and Happy Hump Day, all.
Thanks for the write up, CC, and the commentary from Jerome. I thought this was fairly easy for a Wednesday, but only because I met Joel McCrea years ago and the name popped into mind immediately. If Jerome had picked any other Joel with a six letter last name, I would still have entered 'McCrea' though.
I caught onto the Sourdough clue, as I have heard the term 'sourdough miner' in the past. Those that make sourdough bread know that you have to keep a bit of dough as 'starter' for the next batch. If not sealed it can be rather pungent. It was said that you could smell the miners that were carrying the starter and they became known as sourdough miners. True or not, that's the way I heard it and it helped put me on Jerome's wavelength.
Thanks for a delightful puzzle Jerome and Amber.
Wow! Two days running and two puzzles from our regulars, John and Jerome. Quite a treat for us cornerites. Interesting story on your theme choice, Jerome, and yes, a definite pat on the back from me for this CW.
I also don't get the PICK/sourdough connection and didn't know TOSH.
Ned Kelly was born the son of an Irish convict in Victoria, who headed his family members as "the Kelly Gang". They were bushrangers, who reputedly robbed the rich travelers in the area and distributed the wealth to their poor neighbors. Consequently nobody wanted to rat on them and they went free for a long time. Also known because of the tin armor they used to protect and disguise themselves. These days he's a legend, and if you feel you are being ripped off, people often remark "Ned Kelly is alive and well today".
Addendum
-The last four years I have had kids in Florida in January and we have been in EPCOT where the 35,000 people running the Disney Marathon finish under Spaceship Earth (the giant golf ball). Some were well conditioned athletes who finished strong and some had looks of misery that made me wonder if their bodies aren’t writing checks that they will have to cash later in life. We saw one woman after the race with giant ice bags strapped to her knees and walking very gingerly. No pain, no gain ain’t my credo but I respect anyone who can push through physical and mental barriers to achieve a goal. I’ll hold your coat and meet you at the finish line stopping to get gas like Dennis. Race on my friends, a sore back on the 18th green and benching 200 lbs are about the upper limits of pain I can endure.
Kazie: thanks for the back story on Ned Kelly. That's what so great about this blog. For those clues that make one person scratch his head, another person can explain the answer.
Well, I can’t believe no one has linked this yet. If it has been posted in the past, I apologize. But well worth a little re-run, in honor of today’s puzzle. Patsy Cline’s
”Crazy”.
C.C,
Just a quick note to you about 18Down, "2009 Series winners" (Yanks). At least my Texas Rangers eliminated the Evil Empire in 2010!
Too bad we didn't do the same with SF.
Anyway,it's great that baseball season is back!
:-)
Dennis, re: stopping for gas.
Why stop? When I was a runner, one of my times was disallowed as "wind-aided".
Good Morning C.C. and all,
Thanks, C.C., for a super write-up,
especially on 'tool'. I haven't thought about that usage in many a moon.
This puzzle called for my overall perusal for a while after finishing- studying the theme,the various layers, clever clues and fresh fill- it was a treat. I, of course, loved seeing Patsy Cline; so you had me from then on.
Your story of Amber was so coloful;
it really grabbed me. She 'done good' and I'm proud for her. Thanks for sharing, Jerome.
I'm writing this prior to reading any other posts[other than Dennis],
to avoid any influence.
Have a nice day everyone.
Running, gas, wind-aided... is that where the phrase "kick in the after-burner comes from?
Hahtool,
On thoroughly reading the link I posted earlier, I think my "knowledge" is tainted by the urban legends I grew up with. But anyway, Robin Hood character or not, he did burn a bank's supply of local mortgages, and seems to have suffered throughout his life from the British attitudes towards the Irish, who had been deported to Australia as convicts in much larger numbers than their population would have warranted.
You have probably already heard from many people about this clue
but here is the answer.
Gold miners in the mid 1800s (49ers) were sometimes called sourdoughs
(maybe because of one of the foods they ate, sourdough bread?) and miners
dig with a hand tool call a pick or pickax.
Have a great day.
Mike
Good morning all. I'm certainly pleased as punch that you've had fun with the puzzle. That's what it's all about. Writing a crossword is a real kick, but people enjoying it is the biggest thrill. Thanks!
Sourdough as a stumper... I'll be darned.
C.C.- What the heck! Are you some kind of a seer? What could have possibly made you think that FOOL and TOOL were added after construction had already began. Which they were. You're scaring me gal.
Robert Service wrote lots of ALASKA poems, including The Cremation of Sam McGee" and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", which have been linked previously. It isn't so easy to find a Robert Service poem that is less than a 50+ line saga. Here's The Heart of the Sourdough.
Kazie, Quite a few years ago, I saw a movie about NED Kelly, starring Mick Jagger. It wasn't a big success. It's a good thing Mick has had a music career to fall back on.
Dennis...fessing up. My ex always left the seat up. More than once, late at night and light off, I sat down on a cold hard rim....ouch! (Grounds for divorce, Lemonade or Hahtool?) GAH was well trained. Not only does the seat go down, the lid is lowered before flushing. The Straight Dope on "flush aerosol" might gross you out. Fair warning, kitchen germiness is worse.
C.C.- Forgot to answer your other question: Yes, DUPES was always the Theme clue.
Sourdough as a stumper... I'll be darned.
Maybe it depends on where you're from, Jerome. Here on the East Coast, the only thing I know about "sourdough" is that it's a rather nasty tasting bread that relatives occasionally bring back as a souvenir after visiting San Francisco (along with the much tastier Ghiradelli chocolate)...
Oh, Clearayes, I knew I could count on you. Thank you! I read "The Heart of the Sourdough", but I liked "The Three Voices underneath it even more. Such visual images he conjures up!
And thanks for the interesting link on "The Straight Dope". There's just one thing I would say to anyone who plans to douse their homes with Chlorox. Exposure to germs or viruses of any kind (in small quantities) will usually allow your body to build up immunity to them. Normal cleanliness, and the words of advice in the article about using separate cutting boards and putting sponges in the dishwasher are regular practices in this house.
Good morning C.C.,
What a treat to have you mid-week!
Jerome,"behind every great man...so thanks to your mom. When I saw it was your xwd, I worried about my lack of punnyness, ..a most enjoyable puzzle.
Favorite clues: ring icon and snow pack.Favorite answer: suckerfish
Don't hear the word wile too often.
Cotter and calaboose were new for me (thx Lemonade).Didn't fill in the C for piCk/Cell.Hahtool and Ron, great explanation.
My other "hole" was where two crossed onel.
HeartRx,
I agree about building a healthy immunity to germs. It's my excuse for avoiding the spring cleaning each year!
CA,
I didn't see that film, because I couldn't imagine him in that role. I guess that was good decision. The link I posted lists quite a few others towards the end.
Barry G,
I used to love the German sourdough loaves we got, but they gave me migraines. Now I don't get those headaches any more, but the bakery we used to buy the loaves from has gotten too expensive, so now I just make my own whole grain bread because sourdough takes too much TLC to bother with. I kind of miss my sourdough coffee cake recipe that is to die for though.
Kazie:
Thank you for explaining NED Kelly. I had not heard of him nor of the legend. Of course, I have been trying off and on to read The Fatal Shore for years. Perhaps it's in there!
Happy Wednesday everybody!
I knew sourdough as a gold rush prospector, I'm a big fan of Patsy Cline and would loved to have heard Amber's version, (Barry) moats are very common in modern zoos and more friendly than fences or cages.
Barbara grew up on Long Island, was a big fan of Mickey Mantle and is still a Yankee fan so I have to feign interest though I only care about the Dodgers.
Tacos don't have to be crispy though that's the way I like them. Locally, you can order them soft also. And I think sourdough bread tastes great. You can get some good versions of it in supermarkets here. When I stop by the local eatery for a quick lunch, a BLT on sourdough toast often does the trick.
Funny Wile E. cartoon. Thanks.
I'm not usually on Jerome's wavelength, but I roared through this one. 2 minor holdups: After driving down Monday afternoon and seeing all the cars by the side of the road, I put in SLEDDERS for snow pack and I read CALABOOSE as CABOOSE so tried COAL as the answer. All I know about the bible comes from the crosswords, so I had to fill 56A by perp.
On the other hand, 10A came easily. Sourdough is more of an Alaskan gold rush term, but it's nice to see a clue with a western bias.
C.C., good to see you mid-week.
Dennis, I was painting a bathroom and needed a place to stand. Turns out that toilet-seat lids are not designed to hold 235 lbs. I sprained my wrist going down. Does that count?
Barry, Sourdough is great fresh, but requires a damp cool climate like S.F.'s. Come west and try it, you may like it. Oh, toast the stale stuff.
Jerome, I'll close with GREAT PUZZLE. Oh, I'm not a rocker, and Patsy is always on my play list. Amber, :)
I forgot, C.C., my two favorite teams are the Giants (Sorry, Burrito) and whoever is beating the Yanks. (Even more than the Dodgers.)
My brother got his SCUBA license in Indonesia while I was visiting. I went along for the dive. The guide saw the remora coming, but didn't warn me. My first clue was when it attached itself to my thigh. I don't know who came closer to drowning, me from the WTF reaction or the guide from laughing. Both of us sucked salt water.
Good afternoon everybody.
Great write up C.C. And thanks for a very entertaining puzzle, Jerome and Amber.
I blush to admit to this group that I didn't get Patsy Cline, even though I had several of the letters.
I don't listen to modern music. But I did get flying DUTCHMAN.
I don't understand the ? after King of France. LE ROI means the king.
And will someone explain DNF? (My 3rd attempt to find out.) If it's too naughty or personal, write me an email, please.
Cheers
Hi all -
Jerome, thanks for a fun puzzle. I really enjoyed all the clues/answers.
I agree with the rest of you westerners, we all seem to know about sourdough. I absolutely love the crushed wheat sourdough bread we get at Trader Joe's! It's really great toasted too. If we are eating lunch in a restaurant, I'll always order a turkey (if it's real turkey and not that pressed stuff) sandwich on sourdough. Yum. (I knew the answer to 10A too :))
Kazie, thanks for the inside scoop on Ned Kelly, very interesting.
Unknowns: Padre's hermana...but it was solved by the perps. I did know that 'tia' was aunt in Spanish but didn't catch on because I didn't know hermana. Now I do :)
I see ELOI is back.
CA: I can relate to your incident in the dark bathroom. Nothing like sitting down on a cold rim! Arghhh! Makes you want to hide and wait til the man in your life has to do his 'thing' and slam the lid on 'it'. Not that I would actually do it, but it's satisfying to picture the dirty deed.
Fortunately for me, Joe is very considerate. I also have a tiny night light in the bathroom.
Sallie, DNF = Did Not Finish
Greetings happy sourdoughs and solvers!
Congrats to Jerome on a job well done. The FOOL - TOOL bookends add a fun touch that elevates this a notch from just another "group of synonyms" theme.
I also enjoy the misleading play on DUPES, meaning duplicates.
Now Jerome, for your next assignment, turn this into a Sunday puzzle by adding CHUMP CHANGE, PIGEONTOED, and GULL NEST. No one will notice the recycling, and if we do, we won't tell. ;-)
Thanks, Jerome! That was a fun, fast puzzle for me. Yes, reading your last line brought a smile to my face for your mother, Amber.
I do remember learning about the sourdough miners as a child, and thought the timing of all the Iditarod-related entries was nice considering the festivities start this weekend with the Jr. Iditarod.
However, I wasn’t familiar with COTTER, and Calaboose sounded very, very faintly familiar – after the perps filled it in! I can visual some early comedian saying it with a very big WHOOSH, ala Jackie Gleason.
I think Leann Rimes has done some pretty respectable renditions of Patsy Cline's songs.
Sallie:
I believe the ? is there because it's a French word not English.
Off to the gym.
Hi.
Jerome. Pat, Pat.
Love some Patsy. Also some Willie who wrote the song.
No problems with the ans again.
Sharks still chasing Phx. Both won again. Setoguchi, five goals in the last two games.
take care
Mr. Lampkin- I'm leaving the construction of Sunday puzzles to you. You would weep if you knew how long it takes me to whip up a weekday 15x.
Thanks so much for all the well wishes for our daughter-in-law. The ceremony was emotional as well as patriotic, so I got a tad weepy several times. She wore her American gear proudly and we waved those flags like nuts! I even had a red, white and blue sequined tiara for her because we are originally from Memphis where tiaras are practically mandatory for all ceremonies! I plan to add a post to my blog about the whole experience.
I've not completed the puzzle yet but will later.
Again, many thanks.
Annette, funny story last night.Oh, and another BOB= Belt over Belly.
Kazie, enjoyed the Ned Kelly write up.
CA, loved all of those poems; he sure paints a picture.
Anyone watch Will Shortz, wearing a snazzy xwd shirt on Martha yesterday? Learned about Ken-Ken, a math puzzle invented by a Japanese math teacher.
Just wanted to thank Jerome for such an entertaining puzzle. Lots of fun fill, fitting in LEPER COLONY, SUCKERFISH...whoo hoo! I totally got the sourdough clue and worked steadily from top to bottom.
Loved SNOW PACK and MCCREA just came out of nowhere.
Thank you to Amber for sharing her love of music with you Jerome. Great job!
Working on last of 10 new paintings for the March show. Very rewarding to meet my goal.
Great day to you all.
Great write up CC...and thanks for a great puzzle Jerome. Carol, if you ever have to remember a Spanish aunt (Tia) try drinking an after dinner drink called a Tia Maria (Aunt Marie), delish!
Can someone help with "Beau Geste"? I only know Spanish :)
Thanks Jerome (and Amber) for a very enjoyable puzzle. I did have to look up what a remora was to get suckerfish. Gunghy, that remora would have scared the crap out of me too! I also didn’t know McCrea or arnel, but the perps took care of those. I learned about the term “sourdough” on a visit to San Francisco. That was also the place that I discovered sourdough bread. Yum! There were many fresh clues today but my favorite was “cranny relative” – nook.
WM, great to see you today. It sounds like you have been busy. Is there an on-line site that we can view any of those new paintings? I still think of you whenever I gaze upon Jeannie’s Daisies.
Dennis, I played tennis in high school and picked up racquetball when the health club craze came on. It’s a much faster paced game, but not as much running in my opinion.
Windhover, is your barn getting full of little critters yet?
Jeannie, glad to see your pretty avatar back.
Thank you Mr. Jerome Gunderson, for a very nice and delightful puzzle. Thank you C.C. for a very nice blog and all the pertinent questions, you asked, during your semi-interview - you really know how to bring out the talent of the constructor ... as they say, it takes an expert to know another expert. Best wishes all.
Perhaps somebody can linkup what a cotter (pin) looks like.
Zoo MOATS are often deep ditches surrounded by a high wall or fence. In 2007 a tiger jumped its moat at the San Francisco Zoo and killed a zoo visitor.
Hahtool, interesting to know that most people are immune to Hansen's Disease/leprosy.
HeartRx, I read "The Red Tent" recently. Those brothers were not the forgiving kind.
I prefer soft flour TACOs, GAH likes soft corn TACO's. Modesto has a Mexican grocery where you can buy fresh tortillas made while you watch...so good!
We're having a slight variation of Jeannie's Meatloaf for dinner tonight. The bread crumbs are made from leftover Costco artisan garlic sourdough bread.
Hi WM, always nice to see you.
KarenRN, "Beau Geste" is the name of a character in a 1924 novel and then movies. In French it means a "fine gesture".
A cotter pin sampling.
Thank you, Hahtool for the linkup to the 'leper colony' ( circa 1940's). It was fascinating, but it also made me very upset... My God, why would somebody lockup these poor hapless souls ?!@#! ... in this day and age ?
Consider these facts -
1. FIRST OF ALL, Leprosy should properly be referred to as 'Hansen's Disease' ( HD )!!! ... because of its age old prejudice, horrific images and social stigma.
2. HD is contagious (and chronic)BUT NOT infectious ... the average incubation period is 3 to 5 Years (!) of Close, Personal contact to develop the disease. It is a disease of extreme poverty, poor nutrition, inadequate bedding and unsanitary living conditions.
3. It is now medically well recognized that over 95 percent of the population is INCAPABLE of contracting the disease. Forced and segregated quarantine is totally unnecessary.
4. In the US, most cases ( under 200 per yr) per year ... over 95 % of these are non- US aliens.
5. Do we lock up people with TB, VD, AIDS or whooping cough ? and these diseases are far more contagious and prevalent in the US.
6. The disease is easily treatable with a 'cocktail' of drugs, starting with sulpha drugs in the 1920's.
7. Finally, it exists nowadays primarily in SE Asia, especially India, Nepal, Central Africa and So. America. In addition to humans, only the armadillos and a couple of chimpanzees are capable of being infected by HD. End of rant. My apologies to CC.
Anon@1:57;
We used to lock up TB patients. My own dad was in a sanatorium for almost three years with TB. Quarantine was mandatory. I'm not sure when that hospital closed; he was there in the early 40s.
It's done so put a fork in it! Pretty easy for a Wednesday.
Sourdough is a living form. It grows by being "fed". My mother's sourdough starter even had a name, Herman. She would feed it sugar, flour and water and let it ferment on the kitchen counter. The most lovely pancakes, bread and biscuits were then made with it. Although I love to cook and bake, I don't keep a Herman or any other growing man in my kitchen!
Off to Arkansas tomorrow to help our daughter and family move back to Memphis. Hopefully we'll get a breather and take in some real BBQ while there. The North Carolina version is not so good!
Good Day to all!
Mom speaks out, I thought Herman sounded familiar...I have used this same recipe.
MSO: Congratulations to your DIL on her new citizenship. I get all teary-eyed when reading about such a ceremony, so thanks for sharing.
Safe journey to Arkansas.
Anon @ 1:57:
As Lucina rightly pointed out, we did in fact quarantine TB patients, and as you pointed out, mostly as a result of ignorance.
When I was young and for some years after, there was a TB Sanatarium near Paris, Kentucky (we also have London and Versailles nearby) where TB sufferers were quarantined. It was back a long driveway and open only to close family members for visits.
We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go.
Jeannie:
The barns are filling, and the cries of babies fill the air. The count so far: 35 kids and 10 lambs and just getting started.
All this new life makes an old man want to...,.....
Nah, let's not go there.
These puzzles never cease to amaze me. I never saw a moat around anything but a palace. and...
to me, a dinette is an informal looking dining room set of a table and chairs with chrome legs, not an area. Oh well, as long as Dennis & CC accept it, i guess it's correct, at least here it is.
WM, your website displays what looks to me to be some new paintings. Unusual and beautiful as always. Jeannie is very fortunate to own one of your paintings.
WM's website is linked at her profile. Just click on her name or avatar and you'll see it.
Dennis, For some reason, I just reread your first post. You are a bad, bad boy!...and don't try that wide-eyed "I don't know what you're talking about" routine. Lois, Carol, Jeannie, Lemonade and especially WH, are you napping today? (Nope, I will not elaborate.)
I have had two posts lost .Also, not showing my garbage can on the posts from earlier.
Mr. Ed, I've found that to do crosswords I have to get out of my Literalville way of thinking and expand my horizons to include the offbeat and obscure meanings of words and phrases. To me, that's the fun part of solving.
With regard to MOATS, here's what Merriam-Webster has to say: Definition of MOAT
1: a deep and wide trench around the rampart of a fortified place (as a castle) that is usually filled with water
2: a channel resembling a moat (as about a seamount or for confinement of animals in a zoo)
Yes, Ive seen many a moat in the better zoos that provide a more natural environment for their animals.
When you look at Apartments for Rent ads, you will often see Kitchen/Dinette. They aren't referring to that chrome legged set. They're referring to the place it will go, as opposed to a formal dining room and dining room set.
CA, my compliments.
Good afternoon, CC, et al., Great job, CC. It's good to see you during the week. And Jerome What a fun, outstanding fabulous puzzle- a fitting tribute to Patsy (my ATF) and to Amber. Well done.
WH: visiting PC's roots in the western part of VA (Winchester) is on my summer list of things to do. I'll toast to you having been there when I go to the local tavern called Rainbow Road in WV where PC would go. Cheers!
Kazie: thanks for the explanation on Ned Kelly.
Annette: LMAO at your BOB explanation last night.
Gunghy: funny story about the remora. Did it cause you to bleed? I've never heard of them.
Argyle: I love how you always link things. Johnny Horton was great! Thank you, Santa baby. (smooch!)
Dennis: ahem, uhhhh, yeah, baby, I do play handball...southern style...that would be w/some true grit or real grits (take your pick). And thank you for the sweet comments lately. You know where flattery will get ya, right?
Enjoy your night. Gotta go get my game on.
CA, HeartRx, I read The Red Tent , less than 2 mos. ago. It grabbed me from page 1. I've been on a reading frenzy, since our bad ice, snow weather and continuing for the duration of the longest head cold known to mankind. Just starting Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. My new all time fav is The Art of Racing in the Rain.
CA ,Straight Dope surprised me with the spray from flushing thingy. Gonna put off rereading that til AM.
Lucina, I absolutely love your new avatar. Makes me want to crawl in and chat.
I'll try this one more time.
Hi gang -
Big pats on the back for Jerome today and John yesterday. I'm up to my eyeballs in my own stuff at the moment, but did have an opportunity to enjoy these wonderful puzzles, though I haven't read the write-ups, not the comments.
I'm not any kind of country fan, but I do love me some Patsy Kline.
Did catch Jerome's note, and I'm sure Amber is smiling.
IMBO,
Cheers!
JzB one of the PAPAS
CA: Thanks.
Dennis: Very nice.
As Brother Dave Gardner (any old Southerners out there?) used to say, "Kind of like a little coin purse".
Thanks, CA and Dennis I just went back to reread that first post.
I see . . .
Creature:
Thank you. You come on in and chat anytime. The coffee pot/tea pot will be on.
Actually that is my original Avatar which I decided to reinstate since my granddaughter is now over one year old.
Jeannie...the new paintings will photographed at the show and then we will be able to load them to the website but I will send you a few of them...fun food things. The show is called Almost Edible.
CA Thanks.
Will try to check in more often after March 4th but this year I am gallery hunting...so work progresses.
Lois, This is the Remora. The funny thing on top of its head is the "sucker." They use it to attach to a shark or whale, then ride along until the animal feeds when they detach and grab the scraps. The fish that tried to catch a ride on me was about 2 feet long, and it felt like my leg was getting squeezed.
Jeanie, to answer last nights question, I ride a Yamaha raider. I had to go with a stock photo, because I don't have a good one of mine. I've added a wind shield, saddle bags and an engine guard, but that is what it looked like when I brought it home.
So Gunghy, which one did you look like to that remora?
HeartRx:
That's just mean. ;-}
Gunghy:
That's a very extreme rake angle on the forks; looks comfortable for the superslab, but how does it handle in the twisties?
Thank you, WH...Phew, all is right with the world. I was worried for a while that my worst nightmare Invasion of the Body Snatchers had come true. You know the one where Dennis makes a DF comment and all the regular DFer's just let it pass by...a sure sign that their minds and bodies have been taken over by pods from outer space.
That's #5 for me and now I can sleep soundly (you know it's when you sleep that "They" get you).
Have a good evening all.
CA:
"Sleeping" is just a euphemism.
Good night all.
Dennis, thanks for the answer to DNF.
The Naples Corner meets at 11:30 AM tomorrow. Whoopee.
And Lucina, thanks for a possible answer about the question mark.
anon, we've come a long way with TB; streptomycin therapy helped.Those sanitariums closed in the mid 60's People with AIDS were certainly stigmatized and rejected from society...almost as bad as locking them up.
GrumpyI, I agree with you.That's why these are puzzles; sometimes we're gifted new meanings of words we thought we knew.
Dennis..a ha! I think I have seen a cotter before.......just ran out to the garage.Our furniture dolly has 2 of them! a-ha again!
HeartRx, I also just finished The Red Tent on our cruise..a great read. Then I consumed The Poisonwood Bible,also excellent.
Lucina, I also need to change my avatar."Baby" Grady is 18 mo now and Truman is 3!!Poor Cameron at 8 mo. has not even made his debut!!I love your picture.
WM, I loved revisiting your landscapes;can't wait to see the food.
Eddy B..how did you like that??? With 4 seconds to go, Sharks scored!!Woo Hoo!
YEA!!
Remember the nursery rhyme
"Tom, Tom the piper's son
Stole a pig and away he run
The pig got loose and killed a goose
And Tom got thrown in the calaboose."
My husband's uncle,a Sourdough in Alaska in the 1920's, wrote his memoirs for the family, so that was an easy fill for us.
No one else has questioned dangle,22A, as a synonym for submerge but I don't think they are the same. You can dangle your feet in the water but you could also dangle them without ever touching the water. According to the dictionary, dangle means to hang loosely so as to swing back & forth.
We enjoyed this puzzle a lot. Thanks, C.C. & Jerome.
Dot
@ Dot, the qualifier phrase "as one's feet" indicates that it isn't necessarily a synonym but describes what your feet would do if you were sitting on the side of the pool. The "submerge" part is a bit of misdirection, although your feet would likely be submerged unless the water was very low. I always look at clues like that very carefully, as they tend to be misleading.
JD:
I loved The Poisonwood Bible, too! And I can't wait to see your picture.
Jerome, I hope you'll have another puzzle soon.
Goodnight, everyone! This is no.
5.
HeartRx, I'm a lean mean fish-eating machine.
WH, it's amazingly good on the curves. It won't keep up with my sister on her street machine, but then, she was multi-time Canadian Women's off-road champ (In her 40's, to boot) so I can't keep up with her at much of anything.
Whoa, When I pressed preview, everything disappeared! I'll try again.
Kudos to Jerome, and Amber for the inspiriation and construction of today's puzzle. A very enjoyable exercise.
I especially liked Snow pack?/Sled Dogs. It fit so well with Sourdough/Pick and Alaska. As others have mentioned we here on the West Coast have the very best bread ever made.
My only problem today was reading Calaboose as Caboose, so that answer had to be skipped until the perps and re-reading made me use a V-8 can extra hard. The bumg is still there.
As soon as I filled in Dupes I understood the theme, and Fool and Tool as the first and last answers were very clever.
Oh, the problems I'm having tonight. My comment was published when I wanted to correct a word to say the bump is still there, (on my forehead) instead of bumg.
It will be better tomorrow.
I forgot to mention a wonderful book called "Island of the Damned" by Victor Zorba. It is about a leper colony which was used until the mid-1950's. It is part fiction, but based on fact. An excellent read.
Chickie at least your last post came through. Mine went away.
Synopsis...WH good to hear about your livestock keeping alive and multiplying.
WM, checking out the website asap and if anything catches my fancy...are they for sale?
Gunghy, do you have a side car or a comfortable "bit#$" seat? The last long ride I took was on a K1000 BMW touring bike that wasn't so comfortable OR made for two. Yeah, WH it was a beautiful bike. You really don't want to hear about the demise of it though. No deaths involved except the bike. He loved that more thing more than me....HENCE.
Hello everyone,
@Jerome,
This puzzle is fantastic! I guess sitting back day after day, reading in detail, our likes and dislikes of a puzzle put you in a place to create just what we are looking for! An incredible puzzle! Who says bitching doesn't pay off???
Thanks, I can't wait for the next!
Frenchie
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