Theme: Rhyme Time - Four IE/IE rhyming idioms, where the first part differs from the second part only by the initial letter.
20A. Feeling of uneasiness : HEEBIE-JEEBIES. From Wikipedia: The sound of this term seems to hark back to earlier rhyming phrases, like hocus-pocus and mumbo-jumbo, with a touch of the jitters thrown in. The meaning is more like the British term - the screaming habdabs.
27A. Hand-held two-way communications device : WALKIE-TALKIE A hand-held, portable, two-way radio. You can send and receive within a limited range.
47A. Up-tempo jazz piano style : BOOGIE WOOGIE. Piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but originated much earlier. The real Boogie Man.(3:00)
56A. Symbolic nosegays : TUSSIE-MUSSIES. I am not sure of the use of symbolic here. The word "tuzzy" refers to the Old English word which means a "knot of flowers". Muzzy refers to the damp moss wrapped around the stems to keep them moist. The definition in current times also extends to the cone-shaped holder for the bouquet. Nosegays are small, round bouquets composed of densely packed round flowers, greenery, and occasionally herbs.
Argyle here. John starts of our week very nicely.
Across:
Across:
1. Cotton swabs originally called Baby Gays : Q-TIPS. It is unknown why, in 1923, its inventor, Leo Gersenzang, used the name, Baby Gay, but perhaps it is a reference to nosegay.
6. Actor Guinness : ALEC
10. More than stumbled : FELL
14. Basic belief : TENET
15. Capital surrounding Vatican City : ROME
16. Falco of "The Sopranos" : EDIE
17. Shabby : RATTY
18. $3 million, 30-sec. Super Bowl feature : TV AD
19. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay : EDNA
23. Jungle swinger : APE
25. Fla. hours : EST
26. Cummerbund fold : PLEAT. The cummerbund is a broad waist sash, usually pleated, often worn with black tie. With 39. Dress (up) : TOG
32. Cheering noisily : AROAR
33. Mashed luau staple : POI
34. "M*A*S*H" staff : RNs
37. Reprimander's "reading" : RIOT ACT
40. Leave for a bit : STEP OUT
43. Mind reader's skill, briefly : ESP. Extrasensory perception.
44. "How beautiful!" : "OOH!"
46. Oil refinery input : CRUDE
51. Ami's good-bye : ADIEU
54. Tiny bit : TAD
55. His-and-__ towels : HER. Should be Hers, yes?
61. Isaac's eldest : ESAU. Exchanged for his birthright for a bowl of stew. Must have been really hungry.
62. Knucklehead : DOPE
63. Close, as a parka : ZIP UP
66. Hollywood success : STAR
67. Hollywood favorite : IDOL
68. College town near Bangor : ORONO
69. Nanny's charge : TYKE
70. Bills with Hamilton on them : TENS
71. Rehab step : DETOX
Down:
1. Super Bowl div. : QTR. Quarter. Not just the Super Bowl; any game split into four time periods.
2. Green or black brew : TEA
3. Fully informed : IN THE LOOP
4. Sampras of tennis : PETE
5. Eyelid problem : STYE
6. Manet or Monet : ARTIST. And 49. Props for Monet and Manet : EASELS
7. Affectionate bop : LOVE TAP
8. Key with four sharps: Abbr. : E MAJ.
9. Give up formally : CEDE
10. Weak : FEEBLE
11. Murphy of "48 HRS." : EDDIE
12. Top of a form, perhaps : LINE A
13. "It's the __ I can do" : LEAST
21. Honey maker : BEE
22. Prefix with center or cycle : EPI. From Greek, "upon, at, close upon (in space or time), on the occasion of, in addition" (cognate with Skt. api "also, besides;" Avestan aipi "also, to, toward;" Arm. ev "also, and;" L. ob "toward, against, in the way of"). Before unaspirated vowels, reduced to ep- ; before aspirated vowels, eph- . Used in modern scientific compounds, cf. epicenter; epicycle (late 14c.).
23. Informed (of) : AWARE
24. Capital on the Seine : PARIS
28. See 31-Down : KAT 31. With 28-Down, layered chocolate bar : KIT
29. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA
30. __ Angeles : LOS
34. Glitch in need of smoothing out : ROUGH SPOT
35. Film with nakedness : NUDIE
36. Cattle drive critter : STEER
38. Pigeon's sound : COO
41. Green prefix : ECO
42. Athlete who isn't green? : PRO
45. Stumble across, as an idea : HIT UPON
47. Have no doubt : BE SURE
48. "Yes, mon ami" : "OUI"
50. Part of wpm: Abbr. : WDS.
51. "This is only __" : A TEST
52. Like the trail on a cattle drive : DUSTY
53. Singer Chris : ISAAK
57. Change text : EDIT
58. Pie à la __ : MODE
59. Former Lacoste partner : IZOD. Clothing lines.
60. Dublin's isle : EIRE
64. Half of dos : UNO. Spanish numbers.
65. Chicken __ : POX
Argyle
71 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - how nice to have one of John's puzzles to start the week.
What started as a speed run ended up bogging down in the south, in particular because I've never heard of 'tussie mussies'. I know what a nosegay is, but that's a new term for me. And of all the clues for me to blank on, I couldn't come up with the answer for 'Film with nakedness' without perp help. Favorite clue was 'Athlete who isn't green?'. I also liked 'affectionate bop', although I had a different answer...
Argyle, nice job with the blog. Regarding your comment about 'his and her' towels, I thought it was ok. The towels would be monogrammed with 'his' and 'hers', but you'd typically refer to them as John suggested.
Today is Tell a Lie Day. Use it to your advantage.
Morning, all!
The LA Times website is still showing yesterday's puzzle and I don't have time to look elsewhere for it right now... :(
And, no -- I'm not telling a lie!
Good Morning, Argyle and friends. All of the four rhyming theme clues are fun phrases to say, although I never heard of TUSSIE MUSSIE before and can BE SURE it is not a phrase I will use.
Lots of fun intersecting clues: EDDIE with EDIE, and EASU with ISAAK (a variation on Isaac). Also I liked seeing the clue for MASHED Laua Staple next to M*A*S*H.
KIT KATs are one of my favorite candy bars.
A nice shout-out to Mainaic and me with ORONO. We haven't seen ORONO in puzzles for quite a while. (Mainaic, did you see my e-mail to you?)
Now I will bid you ADIEU.
QOD: When they asked George Washington for his ID, he just took out a quarter. ~ Stephen Wright.
Glad it's not just me, Barry. I also could only find Sunday's edition at the Times and Trib Web sites.
Good Morning, folks. Thank you John for a swell puzzle. Thank you, also, Argyle and C.C. for the write-up and posting.
I, also, could not get the puzzle off the internet like I do every morning. It still had Sunday's. So, I waited for the newspaper and did it on the bus on the way to work.
Got through the puzzle quite easily. I have never heard of TUSSIEMUSSIES, but got it with perps.
I found Argyle's write-up of 22D, EPI, quite interesting. So much so, that I read it three times and still am puzzled. Oh well, this is, after all, a puzzle.
Haven't seen Orono for while. That has been used for a long time in crosswords. I was actually in that vicinity when I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail. A retired professor from there help my mother and I get to the trailhead. I was helping her finish the Trail. She did it and in only 14 years, at age 80.
I had a tough weekend, timewise, and did not do the weekend puzzles (yet). I still hope to. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Barry & Jim,
I converted the puz file into Java format. Try to solve it here.
Top of the morning, puzzling peeps.
Thanks, John, for a fun start to the week, and Argyle for your dissection and dissertation.
I've never heard of TUSSIE MUSSIES but by the time I got there, the other theme entries were done and the perps took care of the 'T' and 'M'. The rest dropped in easily.
I couldn't make 'Crumb Catcher' fit for 26a so settled on PLEAT.
In case anyone is wondering, from yesterday, my other favorite toy was the A C Gilbert chemistry set. I'm not sure my parents knew what all was in that set when they got it for me at 10 years of age. I sure managed to stink up the house with some of those experiments. At least I didn't blow up anything.
Good Morning Argyle, C.C. et al.
I can only get the Sunday puzzle on the LAT web site. But on my iPad, I can access today’s at Cruciverb.
Thanks for the write-up Argyle. I didn’t see a lot of clues until coming here. So when I read your write-up and saw NUDIE, I had to chuckle.
This was a fun puzzle to do, with all the rhyming answers. Clever clues, and interesting fill made it a thoroughly enjoyable Monday.
Have a great day, all!
Hello Puzzlers - It's a good thing there were strong perps, because I sure have never heard of a TUSSIE MUSSIE. A regional thing perhaps?
Thanks to my manifestly clever neighbor HeartRx, I can now do LAT and a pile of other puzzles on my new iPad! Woohoo! The interface may take getting used to, but it's going to be awesome. Thanks, State-mate!
Dudley, HeartRx: what is the secret for getting the puzzle on the iPad?
Good morning all. Great write-up, Argyle, and thanks for the précis on nosegays.
Easy Monday but not a romp. Was slowed down in the SE but finally got the DETOX/POX cross. John, thanks for the many elfin clues which added to the fun. Clever theme concept.
ADIEU
TUSSIE MUSSIES?
Barry & Jim,
I converted the puz file into Java format.
Thank you, that worked nicely.
As for the puzzle, it was mostly a delight except for, as others have pointed out, the complete WTF-ness of TUSSIE MUSSIES. Boo! Hiss!
Here is a picture of a tussie-mussie without any flowers in it. Image.
But the original meaning is the flowers that would be in the holder. Image.
Good Morning All, no problem with an "ease into it" Monday puzzle. I should say, "not much of a problem". If it hadn't been for TUSSIE MUSSIES, I would have been in the clear. I've been to lots of weddings, but I've never heard of a bouquet referred to as a TUSSIE MUSSIE. Live and learn.
With the "stumbles", "greens", "Hollywoods", "Manet/Monets" and "cattle drives", it was a veritable clecho festival today. I'm not forgetting "mashed"and "M*A*S*H" either. John Lampkin even threw in a couple of "capitals". I loved them all.
Hi There ~!
Same out here, no Monday puzzle on the website, so I did it from Cruciverb.
Hand up for WTF with Tussie-Mussies, so today was about double my normal time.
I had DRs for RNs, kept wondering what a "DOUGH SPOT" was, and RUDIES sounded like a regional name for an X-rated movie - ah, Monday....
I did like the convergence of the four answers on the center square -
in sequence, sounds like an affair gone wrong ->
LOVE TAP,
STEP OUT,
HIT UPON,
RIOT ACT.
Or is it just me?
Splynter
Argyle, et al, a very nice start for us puzzling hoi polloi. I am subbing for a man who is taking some of his kids on a field trip. This period I have one student and next I have 5, then 0, then 4 and then he will be back. I’ve worked harder for $135 in my life!
Musings-
-History Channel had a show on called “Secrets of the Vatican” last week and it was incredible! My wife really liked the Swiss Guard’s uniforms!
-TOGUP?
-Playing 36 holes on Saturday resulted in my being read the RIOTACT. Another GAH? All is better now.
-I love KITKAT’s and TWIXT’s. Also loved M*A*S*H before it went PC.
-Dennis, my wife is the worst liar in the world. Can’t do it!
-the iPad looks great but it seems to be an odd size. I am looking at the iPhone.
19A EDNA St. Vincent...who? Poem coming right up. I hope all of you are enoying some beautiful spring weather.
Afternoon On A Hill
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.
And when lights begin to show
Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
And then start down!
- Edna St. Vincent Millay
I know; it's too bad TIGHTY-WHITIES didn't fit the theme but I think you gals would appreciate this image.
Good Morning C.C.,Argyle and all,
Good to have you walk us through, this AM, Argyle. I'm on the Argyle team with 'his and hers'. Whose is it?- His or Hers; ala bath towels.
I think John knows that-just a little puzzle license.
The puzzle was delightful. I knew TUSSIE MUSSIES; I think that began in England during the plague to mask the stench of death.
I never knew the definition of how beautiful was OOH; but okay.
CA, Super poem1 Love her. Liked Yeats, too.
Have a nice day everyone.
Hahtool - first, send us 1,255 boxtops from Ovaltine cases, then we'll send you a secret decoder ring.
His and her towel set
Seriously, now, it's a matter of - what else - going to the App Store and buying an app that handles Across Lite (.puz) formats, among others. Heart took the bold first step and bought Crosswords, a $10 third-party package that seems to work well. The trick is in figuring out how to navigate beyond the plentiful built-in CW offerings and onto the web to get to Cruciverb. That's where Heart's Smarts came in.
More details later, if you like.
Good day folks,
Exhausting weekend. Got the heebie jeebies and my tussie wussie is dragging.
Never knew Qtips were called Baby Gays. No further comment forthcoming on that subject.Had the same problem as many others with the Times website, but the local newspaper saved the day.
Finished the North and Central rather easily, but like others, the South was a slow go. A nice Lampkin offering to start the week.
Back to recharging the batteries..... have a nice day.
Thanks C.C. for giving us a link so we could do the puzzle....fun one
Argyle, thanks for info on tussie mussies..a new one for me
Paris..I will be there EARLY tomorrow after a 10 hr flight...then another 10 to "Joberg".I'm ready!
Good morning everyone.
Great write up Argyle. Thanks for the tighty whities.
I missed deTOX. Therefore chicken poX. Seems awfully stupid now; it's so obvious in retrospect. But I also tussled with TUSSIE MUSSIES. Never heard or read the term. I do wonder what the RIOT ACT is. Knew the term, but it's an interesting idiom.
Hope you all have a great sunny afternoon. And I'm not lying.
Cheers
Glad I am not the only one who had never heard of "tussiemussies."
I also thought it should be "hers" for the towels, so thought it might be "his and his". But no.
We have a set of walkie talkies in our toy box here. Grandsons' favorite toy.
Have a great day, all.
JD, have a great, safe trip - stay in touch when you can.
Hi gang -
Interesting Monday offering from John. Some easy stuff - some hard. Many of today's answers have appeared in puzzles I've blogged. EDNA was a very interesting character. You wouldn't know it from the innocent poem C.A. selected, but EDNA was both bisexual and wildly promiscuous.
Never heard of {TUSS-MUSS}IES, but it's fun to say, and rounds the theme out nicely.
For our May concert we're playing the orchetral suit from the ballet SYLVIA by Leo Delibes. Here is the CORTEGE DE BACCHUS (EDNA would surely aprove.) It starts in E MAJ, falls a fifth to A, then a half step to A Flat(!?!), before working it's way back up.
Four sharks, tenor clef, lots of accidentals, amd me in bifocal hell. I've become pretty comfortable with Sharp keys, but this is not the greatest combination.
Cheers!
JzB UNO trombonista
Thanks, Dudley. I will check that app out later today.
Can't get the Monday puzzle either..maybe later.
The RIOT ACT of 1714 forbade assemblies of 12 persons of more.
I suspect the founding fathers had it in mind when writing the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Cheers!
JzB the mostly lawfull trombonist
Just my luck. All of the people who have never heard of TUSSIE MUSSIES happen to be crossword solvers.
Four sharks, tenor clef, lots of accidentals, and me in bifocal hell.
I'm sure you meant four sharps, but I can't help thinking how much more interesting concerts would be if the musicians were on a platform floating in a giant shark tank...
Good day, Argyle and all. Thank you Argyle, for your detailed explanations.
So, you don't like TUSSIEMUSSIES which are often mentioned in women's magazines! Now you know how I feel about sports clues.
OUI, This was a fun romp, thank you, John L. I seemed to have ESP because the fill came easily.
I really liked the rhyming theme and none gave me the HEEBIEJEEBIES.
Time for gym and Hahtool, I hope you do see Of Gods and Men. It is touching and provocative.
ADIEU everyone. Have a lovely Monday. JD, safe trip.
A fun puzzle John, and an interesting write up Argyle. Heebie, Jeebies, walkie talkie, boogie woogie, okay. But tussie mussie? Like many of you I had never heard of it. I guess I need to read more women’s magazines! This one was a nice Monday offering. I did get some perp help with Emaj, Alec and Edna but otherwise I just kept typing away.
Dennis, I am more than a little shocked that you got hung up on “film with nakedness” – nudie.
JD, I hope you have a very enjoyable trip.
WH, I hope you survived your special day.
I find it hard to believe that no one mentioned this is a panagram yet.
Afternoon Argyle, CC and All,
My experience was similar to Jazz's. Some hard and some easy made for a fun Monday run.
Great write up Argyle.
CC, thanks for the Java link.
Rain and snow today. Yehaa.
JD. have a great trip and thanks for the "horrible" puns. I am still laughing!
TUSSIE MUSSIES must be a crossword first. Loved it. A lot of superb fill too. 6 down and its symmetrical partner, 49 down, gives us ARTIST and EASEL. Pretty cool.
By the way, if TUSSIE MUSSIES cause allergies, don't MISUSE TISSUES.
Barry -
Yes, I was talking about sharps, but it wasn't a typo. That's how we think of them in the jazz world. They will bite you if you're not careful.
Cheers!
JzB the mostly OK trombonist
I enjoyed the puzzle but never heard of TUSSIE MUSSIES either. Then there's AROAR... But as usual, a fun puzzle from John L.
As you may remember, Barbara and I got new cars recently. I was worrying about door dings from other cars in parking lots. They sell a plastic molding that attaches to the car about one-third of the way up from the ground. I was thinking about buying it and having it installed. It seems as if it might prevent dings from other cars front doors but not back doors because of the shape. The top of the door would hit my car before the molding stopped the lower part of the door. So I've temporarily put it on hold. What's your experience?
Yes Jerome, TUSSIE MUSSIES made its debut today, and so did HEEBIE JEEBIES, which is more surprising, is it not?
Great anagram!
No one's commenting on the the fact that it's a pangram? Monday pangrams are unusual.
Thanks to all for the comments, and thank you Annette for beta testing this puppy.
Pangram! Son of a gun! I missed it.
Some time during the night my sump pump decided to stop running so I woke up to about 1-2 inches of water in my basement. It wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to begin the week. My basement isn’t finished and I have most of my stuff in totes so I guess it could have been worse. I’m not sure how much the plumber is going to nick me though. On an up note, at least it’s melting here!
Jerome, those little cogs in your head must continuously go round and round!
Gunghy, I wish I could say I like your new avatar!
Hi All ~~
This was a fun, and for the most part easy puzzle. Just a couple of missteps ... IN THE KNOW before IN THE LOOP and ROUGH EDGE before ROUGH SPOT. The His-Her/Hers spot puzzled me but I finally gave in to HER.
I liked the sound of the theme answers and after getting the first three with no problem, I filled in TUSSIE MUSSIES without thinking much about it. I often run into 'unknowns' and figured this was just another.
Thanks for an informative write-up, Argyle ... I really enjoyed the BOOGIE WOOGIE man!
Enjoy the evening ~~
I should probably mention that I am a huge fan of Victoriana and used to subscribe to magazines which focused on that era. That's when TUSSIEMUSSIES were really in vogue.
Jerome:
Yes, a great anagram. You must speak in anagram!
Does A RAG MAN like solving for an ANAGRAM?
John, you sneaky guy! I usually don't think about pangrams so early in the week. At least Gunghy was on the ball and caught it. Between that and Tussie Wussies, I'll call today a learning experience. I learned not to trust John on ANY day of the week! He'll throw a curve ball somewhere. :)
Good afternoon Argyle, CC, et al., What a fun puzzle! And then I noticed that it was a John L's. Ohh sooo sweeeet!!! Thank you, John. And thank you Argyle, for the great job. And BTW Santa, Baby, can I have one of those whitey-tighties of my own for Christmas this year? I'm being awfully good. Want some testamonials?
Had to really laugh at the His and Her towel deal...Her, Hers either way is better then His'n and Her'n or Miyun and "Yurin".
Jeannie said "Dennis, I am more than a little shocked that you got hung up on “film with nakedness” – nudie."
Ohhh, Jeannie, LMAO at least Dennis is well hung.
Splynter: Well done! It's not just you. LMAO! Funny guy!
Jerome: cute! You are amazing!
Gone all morning, no time to read comments yet. Tussie mussie was a complete unknown to me, but nothing here was unperpable, and it all fell together with only minor pauses along the way.
John L,
Lots of nice fun cluing here, even for several that have been clued boringly in the past, as well as some neat answers: NUDIE and ROUGH which crossed with CRUDE.
Now I have to read the 50 plus comments that will be here when I post this.
Back again after reading.
Friday night, since I will be in Green Bay for a convention, Al and I are hoping to meet for a fish fry. Anyone else in that area who is interested should contact one of us to find out where and when. Any takers?
I'm afraid I never notice things such as pangrams, but this was definitely a handsome effort on many levels. Also, the very informative blogging put the crowning glory on the experience. Thanks Argyle!
Hello everybody. No time to write much today. Good puzzle. Enjoyed working it. Surprised and pleased to see a John Lampkin on Monday. Thanks for the informative writeup, Argyle, and your always helpful links. Best wishes to you all.
Hola Everyone, A great Monday puzzle from John Lampkin. I had it filled in before I had to leave early this morning. I loved the Tussie Mussie fill. That was one that I knew for sure.
My instructor in my Antique's collectable class brought in a Tussie Mussie at Valentine's day as the mystery object for the day. During Victorian times if you received a Tussie Mussie with a nosegay therein, you were truly "loved".
Some questioned the word Symbolic with nosegays. Think of the word symboic in the sense that it would mean typical nosegay.
all of the entries were fun, and weren't typical Monday fare. I don't believe I've seen Heebie Jeebies or Tussie Mussies in a CW before.
Thanks Argyle for a great writeup as well.
JD, I will be winging along with you in my thoughts. Enjoy your day in Paris. 'Tis April, you know.
CA, A perfect poem for today.
And Tell a Lie Day? Shouldn't that have been on April 1st? Or maybe we get two such days in April. Even better.
Boy, I don't care where you live, I doubt anybody had a prettier Spring day than it's been here today. Temperature in the low 70s, low humidity, lapiz-blue skies and a gentle sea breeze. I'm off for a short bike ride to soak it all in.
A nice Monday puzzle; thank you, John, for a puzzle with minimal references to sports and TV shows, two of my demises.
I made my way with only modest difficulty, and just two peeks into my reference books. But I got stuck in the southeast corner.
1A - Cotton swabs originally called Baby Gays
Perhaps the term implies that baby will be happier (gay) when ears, etc., are cleaned using the product.
20A - Feeling of uneasiness
Heebie-jeebies quickly emerged from the perps.
I had not heard of screaming habdabs. But it brought to mind "screaming mimis". Or are they "meemees"?
50D - Part of wpm
Brought back memories of Mrs.Roller's typing class in high school. Tigerton, Wisconsin, 1951. But she used the term CWPM: Corrected WPM. I was decently accurate but slow, and my grade was a C (not c).
56A - Symbolic nosegays
I had noticed the nearly-doubled words in 20, 27, and 47 across. When the perps gave me a start on 56A, I considered whether this was also a near-double. It led me to copy letters between the halves, and that gave me enough to guess at the answer.
But: what is symbolic about them?
Kazie -- you mention Green Bay and a fish fry. You are in Wisconsin, I presume? I was born in Little Chute, not 30 miles from there. I escaped the snow when IBM offered me a career in California.
Howdy, friends,
John, I loved this puzzle! In fact, I love all your puzzles....oh
wait....I think there was one that was really tough. I'll forgive you for that one. I slid right through this one with only one little hitch: 'in the know'; that just shows I'm really 'out of the loop'! Even 'tussies mussies' didn't stop me 'cuz I work the puzzles across and down so it pretty much filled itself. Thanks for an enjoyable morning. Argyle, your blogging never fails to help, also! Thanks.
CHERRYPTTS, if you read this will you please email me your email address? We want you at our gatheing!
The JVN,
Yes, I am in Wisconsin, but 4 hours from Green Bay. I knew Al lived there, so when I knew I'd be there for a state convention, asked if he was interested in meeting up. So he suggested the fish fry. I guess you are now too far away to join in--that's what you get for escaping to a saner climate!
Interesting that the cw from the paper on the other coast was built around 'Braindrain' 'backpack' 'handstand' 'heartsmart' and 'haircare'.
Dennis- I knew about Tell a Lie Day.
But it was really Make Up a Day day.
Q: How do the Amish hunt?
A: They sneak up on a deer and build a barn around it.
Dennis: Let me see if I am getting this straight. It was REALLY Make up a Day Day and you picked tell a lie day? or was it really Tell a lie day and you did by saying it was really Make up a Day day. Ok, so, if it's Make up a Day day, I'll pick Play a Board Game And Cheat Day, but that's a lie b/c I can never play a board game and cheat, so it's still Tell a Lie Day. I get it. You make perfect sense to me. You are so Mensa!!!
Grumpy 1, I wish we'd had the chemistry set instead of the microscope. Of course, there wouldn't have been any chemicals left anyway by the time it was handed down through 4 older sisters!
10A I had a slight misstep with TRIP, but the perps corrected it.
Anyone else thinking of the Andrew Sisters & Manhattan Transfer on "BOOGIE WOOGIE Bugle Boy"?
John, how can we not enjoy a puzzle with such fun, rhyming fill? Even if we didn't know TUSSIE MUSSIE, I think we all liked saying it! I admit to rolling my eyes and thinking WTF when I first saw it, but after seeing the beautiful silver holders Argyle displayed, I want one! I just can't believe I wasn't AWARE of it, even though I've read hundreds of regency romances over the years.
Only you can find a way to fit COO, LOVETAP, OOH, CRUDE, NUDIES, & ROUGH SPOT into a puzzle!
I forgot to say "Thanks" for the shout-out, John.
Clear Ayes, nice poem today.
Husker Gary, I'd bought the DVD "Secrets of the Vatican" for someone as a present last year and got to watch it. I really enjoyed it too!
I liked the way "M*A*S*H staff" rhymed...
Dudley, I never drank Ovaltine, but will Green Stamps or Mallow Cup points do? I'm interested in the iPad information too. My sister has one and it's piqued my interest - being able to do the LAT may be the deciding factor for me!
Annette, though I didn't think of them at the time, The Manhattan Transfer is my all-time favorite singing group, especially their old stuff like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Operator, Java Jive, etc.
What kind of help or advice did you provide for John L. on this puzzle? Thanks for whatever it was.
I'm listening to a rerun of Prairie Home Companion's Joke Show on my computer as I type.
Annette - Now that you mention it, I've never had Ovaltine in my whole life! I was channeling "A Christmas Story" when I wrote that. How about if you send me a new Transmogrifier insead?
Seriously, the iPad is a nice, logical platform for crosswords. The touch screen interface is a natural. I like the fact that you can use it in an otherwise dark room, as I am doing right now. Last year, I couldn't find a compatible crossword program, but now there are several to choose from; such is the pace of development around iPads.
I decided to get the same app that HeartRx got because she had already proven that it works. I've done a few puzzles already, including Tuesday's LAT. It works just fine!
Bill G - I have to nominate Mahattan Transfer's "Meet Benny Bailey" as one of their finest works in the Vocalese category. They did just a few a capella numbers, and of those, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is probably the blue ribbon winner. That piece was arranged for them by the gifted Gene Puerling of Singers Unlimited, among other close harmony ensembles. Good material!
FYI - I just went to the Chronicles of Higher Education puzzle for this week and it's another John Lampkin! Congratulations on the Double Play, John! Any chance it'll be a triple?
Dudley: Sure, I can send you a nice empty box - some assembly and imagination required though!
Bill G., I think my contributions are usually a matter of exposing my lack of knowledge in music, baseball, geography, politics, flora, anything with wings, etc.! I wish I could take credit for some of John's clueing, but usually I point out where I had difficulties, and he finds a clever way to make improvements!
Once in a while, John gets really excited about some off-hand, rambling remark I make about a clue, and runs with it! And I'm sitting there wondering "What'd I say, What'd I say...?"
P.S. - I like "Java Jive"!
A D'oh moment!
Awake again, passing the time by doing random puzzles. In a Gail Grabowski CW, an easy one, there was a clue "egg shaped". Of course the answer is OVAL.
I never noticed that the root word in oval is ova! All these years! Am I the only one?
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