google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday July 22, 2011 David Poole

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Jul 22, 2011

Friday July 22, 2011 David Poole

Theme: "Oh, S**T !" The S and T in common phrases are swapped, to make whacky phrases with funny new meanings.

18A. Scene in "The Hustler"? : FATS BREAKS. I wonder if this was the seed entry, as the movie is about "FaST Eddie" wanting to beat Minnesota "FaTS". The "break" is the first shot at the rack of balls in billiards. A "fast break" is an offensive strategy in basketball, where the offensive team rushes up the court, leaving the defense no time to arrange their positions.

23A. Adam's apples? : EATS OF EDEN. Ok, this one made me chuckle, too. I hope Adam knew what he was getting into! The movie "East of Eden", starring James Dean, was one of his most brilliant performances, IMO.

38A. Tubby tabbies? : BROAD CATS. And LOL at this one, as my two tubby tabbies are sitting at my feet. Of course, many of us listen to a daily "broadcast" of news, weather, etc. This entry was my one "meh", as "broadcast" is one word, while the theme entry breaks it into two. (O.K. Lemonade, I KNOW I am nit-picking, but that's what a critic does...)

52A. Visitors to the Winter Palace? : TSAR GAZERS. The first paparazzi? "Star gazers" would be our own Spitzboov and Bill G., if I am not mistaken?

58A. Tusk warmers? : IVORY COATS. So, why would an elephant in Africa need a coat? With the temps in the 90s and above, I would think they'd need air conditioning! (Like most of us, this week.) The "Ivory Coast"(or, Côte d'Ivoire, for all you Francophiles) is our one geography lesson for today...

Marti here, with a really fun Friday puzzle, with some great stuff. So, let's get to it!

Across:

1. Penicillin source : MOLD. Eeewww...Alexander Fleming, get that old bread out to the trash, this instant!

5. Wee bit : ATOM

9. "The Maltese Falcon" actress : ASTOR. Mary Astor was Humphrey Bogart's femme fatale in the 1941 version. But does anyone remember the 1931 version with Bebe Daniels in that role? (Didn't think so...)

14. Say it's so : AVER. Does anyone else pause and think "Is it aver...or avow?"

15. 1970 N.L. batting champ Carty : RICO. O.K., C.C., take it awaaaay...

16. Gather : GLEAN. I gather you all got this one, right?

17. Debussy's dream : REVE. Wonderful clue, as Debussy was French, and "Reve" (which means "dream", in French) was one of his important piano solo compositions. Beautiful, but I prefer La Mer...(and, since I am blogging, that is what you are going to get!)

20. Not wilted : CRISP. My gardens are not looking very "crisp" right now, with all the heat. (Then again, neither am I...)

22. In the future : AHEAD

26. Duchamp genre : DADA. OK, if Marcel Duchamp can take a urinal and make it into art, then LA DA DA for him!!

30. Orlon, for one : ACRYLIC. "Orlon, rayon, nylon...wait for the perps..." Ooops! this one clues the synthetic polymer fiber! Why didn't he just go with "Fake nails"???

31. Hot and humid : TROPIC. So, do they need COATS there?

33. "A Challenge for the Actor" author Hagen : UTA. Does anyone remember her role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf"?

34. Grover's veep : ADLAI. Stevenson.

37. Correspond : AGREE.

40. Faith symbolized by a nine-pointed star : BAHÁ' Í . Did not know this - relied on perps.

43. Blemish : TAINT. ("T'aint necessarily so...")

44. Off-rd. transport : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

47. "The Tempest" king : ALONSO. Shakespeare 101...

49. Canal problem : EARACHE. Ear canal, not the Suez...

51. Even : TIED

55. Gives off : EMITS

57. Provide with lodging : PUT UP. (Or shut up!)

63. Sommelier's selection : RO . I was the sommeliere at a local restaurant for years, and never once suggested a rose!

64. Plum tomatoes : ROMAS. Yummm...

65. Lima's home : OHIO.

66. Start of an intermission? : ENTR' acte. French for "between the acts".

67. Apprehension : ANGST. I have a lot of angst when I blog...something about that debacle when the site went down as I was doing my first blog...

68. Mr. Potato Head piece : LIPS. Oh yeeessss!!! I've waited to use this video...

69. Mtg. : SESS. (Session)

DOWN:

1. His clown alter ego was Bip : MARCEAU. Marcel, the great mime.

2. Be heavy-handed, in a way : OVERACT. Hmmm, heavy handed?

3. Viagra competitor : LEVITRA. OK, I know nothing about these two pharmaceuticals. Anyone have experience? Anyone?...

4. Stylish : DRESSY.

5. Response from 24-Down : ARF. Or 38A, "Meow!!"

6. Familia member : TIA. Italian. "Aunt" (as in, "Tia Maria")

7. The planets, e.g. : OCTAD. OK, we have had "Holst" with his "septad" movement suite, and the old "nonad", (which included Pluto)...so now we are at octad???

8. Arens of Israel : MOSHE

9. Pearl Mosque setting : AGRA. a.k.a the "Taj Mahal"

10. Northerners with a lot of pull? : SLED DOGS. Fun clue. But, the problem with riding in the sled, is that you always have the same view...

11. Mad Hatter's offering : TEA

12. Iowa's state tree : OAK. Duh, three letters - oak, or elm??

13. Hosp. workers : RNS.

19. Proclivity : BENT. Is this common? "I have a bent for sarcasm..."

21. Part of the Little Dipper's handle : POLARIS. Spitzboov, Bill G. ? Help me out here?

24. Rover's pal : FIDO.

25. Fanfare : ÉCLAT.

27. Abbr. in car ads : APR. Annual Percentage Rate.

28. Gaming cube : DIE. Singular of "dice".

29. Roy Halladay or the Red Baron : ACE. Roy Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history. The Red Baron was a different, "flying" ace.

32. Fleabag : RAT TRAP. Ever stay at a rat-trap hotel?

35. Nabokov novel : ADA

36. More unfriendly : ICIER. I could do with someone icier tonight - IT's HOT!!!

38. Voice of Puss in Boots in "Shrek" sequels : BANDERAS. Antonio.

39. Cheaters, to teachers: Abbr. : ANAG. "Cheaters" is an anagram of "Teachers".

40. It may be held by one on deck : BAT

41. Thrilla in Manila winner : ALI. Muhammed Ali...who could forget that fight with Joe Frazier?

42. Gardening aid : HOE

44. Nail polish remover ingredient : ACETONE. For those fake acrylic nails...

45. Fencing moves : THRUSTS. Ooooh, I could get DF with this one...

46. Evening service : VESPERS. ...but this one brought me back to my Catholic upbringing.

48. Suffix with psych : OTIC. Narc-, acid-, er-....

50. Common blues : AZURES

53. Bar goer's option : STOOL. I don't even want to mention what I thought when I filled this in...

54. Popular Japanese beer : ASAHI

56. Games magazine's 1994 Game of the Year : MYST. I spent many hours with that game. Anyone else?

58. Author Levin : IRA

59. Word in many German names : VON

60. Online "Yikes!" : OMG. Has anyone seen the billboard with the cracked glass and blood stains, with the title "OMG - Get the message. Texting while driving is a deadly distraction"?

61. Thing that comes to those who wait : TIP. I really chuckled at this one - waiters and waitresses just WAIT for those tips!

62. "Mamma Mia!" song : SOS. Sorry, I have to leave you with Abba singing this one...
Hugs to all from Marti!

Note from C.C.:

1) Yesterday's mystery boy is Bill G. Email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you have any "Hard to Believe" pictures to share.

2) Lemonade will be back blogging next Friday.

78 comments:

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

More hazy, hot and humid weather for us here on the East Coast. I hope everybody is staying nice and air conditioned today!

Today's puzzle, despite a few speed bumps, was actually quite smooth for a Friday. I zipped along for large chunks of it (figuring out the theme early on certainly helped), but a few mistakes did trip me up here and there.

I figured out the gist of the clue for 10D, but put in REINDEER instead of SLEDDOGS at first. As for 53D, I was thinking beverages instead of furniture and therefore put in STOUT with a fair amount of certainty. Finally, I thought that the "Familia" in 6D was referring to the Mafia, so confidently put in DON, which seemed to go well with ADAB at 5A (it didn't help that RICO was a complete unknown to me at 15A).

Other than that though, things were smooth. I did pause briefly to wonder, though, whether TROPIC needed an AL at the end...

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Marti and friends. Funny write-up. This was a fun Friday puzzle. I didn't fill in any of the theme answers until I got to the IVORY COATS. Once I got that, I knew what was going on and it helped me with the rest of the puzzle.

Adam's Apples? = EATS OF EDEN was my favorite theme clue. East of Eden is one of my favorite novels.

We've had BAHA'I before. The Baha'i World Center is in Haifa, Israel.

I found the Northerns with a Lot of Pull = SLED DOGS to be a fun clue.

UTA Hagen? Who knew. That goodness for the perps on that one!

It is so Hot and Humid ~ the TROPICS must have moved north!

Stay cool.

QOD: A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject. ~ Winston Churchill

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

Marti,
Bubbly write-up. Thanks for the information and entertainment. Great Fast (Eddie) and (Minnesota) Fats anagram connection. Rico Carty had a few good years with the Braves. His baseball cards are not worthy anything.

Jeannie,
Honey roasted cashews. They're not really junk food but pack a lot of calories.

windhover said...

Marti, re: pharma
Given our relic status in terms of age, most of us probably have 'inside' info. Just what do you want to know? ;-}

Dr. Dad said...

Good morning!

Nice B'day wishes yesterday. Thanks.

Too much Mike's hard lemonade last night as I struggled for awhile with this one. Finally got Fats Breaks and started moving on the theme answers.

Jeannie - nice rebuttal yesterday. BTW - Nachos with lots of salsa, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, etc. Load 'em up!

Aspirin went on sale as the first pharmaceutical drug in 1899, after Felix Hoffman, a German chemist at the drug company Bayer, successfully modified Salicylic Acid, a compound found in willow bark to produce Aspirin.

Cocaine was the first local anesthetic; being used as such from about 1884 onwards.

The average cup of coffee contains more than 1000 different chemical components, none of which is tasted in isolation but only as part of the overall flavor.

The first known heart medicine was discovered in an English garden. In 1799, physician John Ferriar noted the effect of dried leaves of the common foxglove plant, digitalis purpurea, on heart action. Still used in heart medications, digitalis slows the pulse and increases the force of heart contractions and the amount of blood pumped per heartbeat.

And this last one is for me since I overindulged last night:

The chemical n-acetyl-cysteine found in raw eggs is proven to help hangovers.

TGIF and have a great one!

Yellowrocks said...

Funny, funny write-up, Marti. I laughed out loud at the Mr. Potato Head clip with the LIPS bouncing down the road. It was a fun puzzle, faster to solve than yesterday's.
All the mentions of loaded nachos have set my mouth watering. I gotta have some today.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers - Definitely a Friday effort for me, lots of trial and error. I am generally amazed at the creative ways constructors implement themes like this one, and today is no exception.

Lively blogging, Hearti! I never heard of MYST, and haven't needed LEVITRA (yet).

Jeannie from yesterday - really good chocolate chip cookies are hard to resist and are, for better or for worse, quite available around here!

Man what a swelter-fest. I took a bike ride yesterday, partly to see how I'd hold up in the heat. It was not as stressful as I expected, but it was definitely hot.

kazie said...

Marti,
Fun write up , much more so than the CW for me today.

I was essentially a DNF, coming here with some blanks because I was getting nowhere googling. Add games, old movies, art other than impressionists, *astronomy, musicals and US VPs to my weak areas. (*I misread orlon as Orion). I did sort of get the theme, but I didn't have enough perps to get them all.

Well, that's enough griping. I know it's Friday. Have a great weekend!

HeartRx said...

Good Morning C.C. et al.

I hope everyone is surviving in this heat. It's gonna be another hot one out there today.

Hahtool, thanks for that link - beautiful!

WH, just wondering how they ran the clinical trials on those two brands?

Dr Dad, nice to see you pop in today - belated HBD!! That Mike's Hard Lemonade will get you every time, though.

Jeannie, from yesterday, salt and vinegar potato chips!

Grumpy 1 said...

Good morning, TGIF'ers all. Thanks for the great blog, Marti. I'll have to go back to the links in a bit.

Hand up, Barry, for stout sled dogs. I stayed with Spanish, though, and got TIO easily.

POLARIS was gimme, I've done many a POLARIS sighting to establish a true north line for broadcast (or is it BROAD CATS) antenna alignment.

Caught the theme early and thought it was cleverly done.

Ahh, yes, 3d was pretty obvious. We're currently deluged with radio commercials for U.S. Male Clinic in which one of the guys complains about the blue pill giving him a raging, throbbing... headache!

Anonymous said...

"The Maltese Falcon" actress : ASTOR.


Mary Astor


Maltese Falcon 1931 version.

Bebe Daniels

Marti I saw the 1931 version. my local library has the DVD with Bogart and in the extra features is the 1931 version. I like Bebe Daniels (Bridget O'Shaughnessy) better.

Thanks for the write up.

Fun Facts by Dave Letterman

The refrigerator, the microwave and the Slurpee machine were all invented by fat guys.

Apple has spent nearly $200 million dollars trying to develop a wooden IPOD for the Amish.

creature said...

Good Morning CC, Marti and all,

Woke up way too early, so I played with the puzzle. Found it tedious, but loved it. 2:45 AM.

The theme was super. I GLEANed it in FATS BREAKS, which helped me relax on some of the others. Very funny. It must have been quite difficult to execute- to come up with flipped STs AND be consistent .
When I started checking my answers I came across a super Wordsmith website, prompted by 39D ANAG.


I had Perseus instead of POLARIS for the longest; BROADCATS told me it was wrong. Then it opened up

I had to look up 40A,BAHAI, so DNF, but much learning and good game playing.

Hey Marti, great clown act! Add ‘ash’ to your 12D formula.

Kazie, I, too, read ‘Orlon’ as Orion for the longest time.

Jeannie, my current fav is White Cheddar Cheezits- fast and easier than the yummy Loaded Nachos- now mentioned until I’m ravenous!

BillG, I thought there was a possibility that the cowlick and beautiful eyes were yours; couldn’t decide on the mouth, which we would all love to have, by the way. I was glad Jeannie spoke up.

Windhover, you’re a cool dude.

Have a nice day everyone.

JSF said...

Who said anything about elephants in Africa? Walruses have tusks, too.

Vidwan827 said...

Marti, Thank you for a wonderful blog commentary.

Its true, your bubbly nature does show through the lines in your writings !

1. I hope you didn't mean ( to imply - ) that the 'Pearl Mosque' IS the Taj Mahal ....

I have never heard of the Pearl Mosque... Wiki says there are 3 Pearl Mosques - One in Lahore Fort, Pak. second in Red Fort, Delhi - built by Aurangzeb, son of Shah Jehan ( who built the Taj - ), and finally one in Agra Fort, Agra by Shah Jehan, 1647-53, about 5 miles from the Taj Mahal . It is a relatively unknown destination. The Taj cannot be a mosque because of its orientation, (- doesn't face the West, towards Mecca - ) and its name, among other things.( Mahal = palace, Masjid = Mosque, Pearl Mosque = Moti Masjid )

I had tentatively put down 'Iran' or 'Iraq', as my answer, and I think I am fairly knowledgeable about most things, Indian.

2. The Bahai faith is so universally tolerant, gender neutral and of good fellowship - IMHO - if God had to choose a religion, He/She/It would have preferred this one above all. There are some beautiful Bahai temples,( also ) in Chicago (North, in Wilamette) and in New Delhi (LOtus temple).

Vidwan827 said...

To those who may be interested in the development of the modern Drug & Pharmaceutical industry, may I recommend -

'The Demon under the microscope , ....' by Thomas Hager ( 2006), Three Rivers Press, NY.

The first scientific investigation of drugs ( and development), by Bayer, I.G. Farben and others - discovery and manuf. of sulpha drugs, systematic use of organic and dye chemistry and large scale Pharma chem manufacture.

Very exciting, engrossing and enthralling book. ( non-fiction - ).

HeartRx said...

Creature, oops! I feel like an ash...

Vidwan, at 1:00 am, things were getting pretty blurry. Thanks for clarifying the distinction between the Pearl Mosque and the Taj Mahal. They are, indeed, two very different structures, both of which happen to be in the same city. But whenever I see AGRA in an xword, it's just a Pavlovian reaction to blurt out "Taj Mahal"!

Anonymous said...

Google has an interactive 'mobile', as its logo, in honor of Alexander Calder's 113 birthday.

Abejo said...

Good Morning, folks. Really enjoyed this puzzle, D. Poole. much better than yesterday. Thank you, HeartRx for a great write-up.

As usual, I jumped around on this puzzle. Got the South first.

The theme was very clever. "The Hustler" is one of my favorite movies of all time. However, I do not watch many movies.

I gather there must have been three Adlai Stevensons in Illinois. I only knew of two. One ran against Eisenhower twice. His son has been an Illinois politician. The VEEP would have been the grandfather. Interesting.

Thank you Dr. Dad, for the great scientific explanations. i really enjoy them.

See you tomorrow. Going to Dallas early for Scottish Rite degrees.

Abejo

Anonymous said...

Kick back and relax – it’s National Hammock Day!

Bill G. said...

I enjoyed the puzzle. Some clever stuff in there. And yes,I always have trouble with AVER/AVOW. Very enjoyable writeup. Thanks.

It was fun to be the Hard to Believe poster boy yesterday. Thanks, C.C. and everybody who expressed an interest.

Polaris is the North Star. Accidentally, it happens to be the star closest to being directly over the earth's north pole. It is the last star in the handle of the constellation, the Little Dipper. Not a very obvious or bright constellation BTW. Polaris doesn't appear to move as the earth rotates under it and so can always be found looking due north about halfway up in the night sky. There isn't a corresponding South star, at least not a very bright one.

Lemonade714 said...

Thank you Ms. Hearti for pinch hitting, I just hope I do not end up as another Wally Pipp.

Since yesterday, my desktop quit working, my laptop will not turn on, even when plugged in and I am off to Orlando to watch Devin and his band Winston, perform as the headline act.

I borrowed a computer because I did not have one yesterday to wish Dr. D. a Happy B., and also to express my appreciation for Mr. Poole’s effort and the reference for the original Adlai E. Stevenson, grandfather of DDE’s rival.

I also enjoyed the reference to vespers which reminded me of my FAVORITE .

windhover said...

Marti:
The answer about the (original) clinical trials will surprise you. The drug sildenifil (sp) was developed as a heart related drug and tested on prison populations (irony?). When the participants started reporting some unusual side effects, the company took a new look at the drug and a star was born, so to speak.

Creature, you're pretty neat yourself, neighbor.

Lucina said...

Hello Friday puzzlers. Thank you, Marti, for subbing and for your delightful blogging. LOL many times.

Very amusing puzzle, this one. I got the theme at IVORYCOATS and went up to fill the others.

Love TSARGAZERS!

Did not know MARCEAU as Bip the clown but it worked out and yes, I always pause at AVER or AVOW?

Familia and TIA are also Spanish and so that was familiar, VESPERS, too. I spent many hours chanting that and the other canonical hours.

My ACRYLIC nails are replaced every two weeks.

No ANGST for this one, thank you, David Poole. Nice job!

From yesterday, Jeannie, how could I forget chocolate and licorice?

Have a fanciful Friday, everyone!

Tinbeni said...

Marti: Excellent write-up.

kazie covered my solving experience.
In my paper it looked like Orion (not Orlon) also.

I was never on David Poole's wavelength.
If I was asked: "name the 2010 Game of the Year?"
I would have no idea.
So 1994's MYST got my "if you say-so."

Too much other ANGST to mention.
OMG it is another 'Ink Blot' test.
DNF ... and proud of it!

Time to find a bar STOOL.
It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Cheers !!!

Grumpy 1 said...

Re: aver/avow, I can usually tell from the clue which one to use. Today's clue, 'say it's so' doesn't imply conviction or a forceful statement, so AVER would be more appropriate. Had the clue been 'I swear that's so' I would think 'avow'. I haven't dug into the exact differences between the words but, based on the many times I've seen the them in puzzles, it almost always comes down to 'avow' being a more forceful word.

eddyB said...

Hello there.

They may have to rethink Pluto's
status. Latest APOD photo suggests
that Hydra, Nix and Charon are in orbit around it.

Letterman.

Sour Cream and Onion chips.

Going to add 31 version to collection.

93 in back yard shade yesterday.

take care. eddy

john28man said...

Here is another Baha'i Temple which is in Evanston, IL:
http://www.richard-seaman.com/USA/Cities/Chicago/Landmarks/BahaiTemple1.jpg

Spitzboov said...

Good afternoon, all. Nice breezy, bubbly write-up, Marti.

A little late to the party. After getting the SE, NW, and SW, I became pretty much DIW. (dead in the water). Took a 3 hour break and by then my mind had become more flexible and I finally finished. Loved the theme. Got TSAR GAZERS and IVORY COATS right away, but only got the top 2 near the end. 40d was obscure, but very good!. Loved the clue for TIP.

POLARIS - As Grumpy and Bill G imply, it is easy to find and use. It is a 2nd magnitude star within 1º of the celestial North Pole. It will remain the "north" star for a few more centuries before moving off due to the precession of the earth's rotation. Early navigators found it useful to provide a latitude line of position (LOP) before accurate clocks were invented. Very accurate chronometers allowed invoking well known stars, generally, to provide LOPS for much improved fixes.

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, A few bumps in the road had me using my eraser more than once today. I put in Peru for Lima and should have known it wasn't that easy! I also had house for Put up as in Provide with lodging.

I had the suffix for Psych osis rather than otic, so I had Ivory soats for Ivory Coats. Never could use those soats to keep warm!

I didn't figure out the letter reversal, so the theme answers came with hard filling and a little guessing. Thanks Marti for a great writeup and for fixing some of my errors.

This was a DNF for me today, but I tried really hard and had almost everything done.

My favorite misleading clue today was It may be held on deck/BAT. Not a boat deck.

Chickie said...

The one really bad Rat Trap hotel we stayed in was in Guatemala. Because of a plane delay we arrived VERY late at night, and our Taxi driver took us to the wrong hotel. How bad could it be, right? With three little girls in tow we just stayed put. Iffy beds, A shared bathroom, A room open to a small hallway where others had to go through to get to their rooms. We got up at 5 a.m. and went directly to the best Intercontinental hotel in the City. A worst nightmare come to life.

Bill G. said...

MYST was a superb interactive computer game with great graphics. It wasn't a shoot-em-up kind of game but it had logical and graphic puzzles and problems you had to solve to progress in the game. I would play it all over again if I could.

I stumbled onto an enjoyable little movie on cable called Alex and Emma. It's a romantic comedy probably categorized as a chick flick. It won't win any awards but I liked it a lot with Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson, Sophie Marceau and directed by Rob Reiner.

Avg Joe said...

Enjoyable puzzle, but I scored another DNF. It's been a tough week.

First theme answer to fall was Eats Of Eden, but that's only because I had eats in place from crosses. Never did get Tsar Gazers, even after several alpha runs.

Re Polaris, since it's a 2nd magnitude star and it's also the brightest star in Ursa Minor, it can be tough to spot with any significant light pollution. The easiest way is to locate Ursa Major (the big dipper), then extend an imaginary line upwards (evening summer sky, northern hemisphere) from the two stars that form the outer edge of the "cup" of said dipper.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Marti, thanks for filling in. It was fun.

I'm not good at switched letters, so I had a tough time getting the theme Ss and Ts properly arranged.

Problem areas were unknowns 8D)MOSHE, 54D)ASAHI and 56D)MYST. I also wanted 47A) to be ALONZO and 31A to be STEAMY.

I knew 1D)MARCEAU right away, but I've never been a fan of mimes. I think the traditional white makeup is kind of creepy and watching a mime trapped in a box, or pulling on a rope gets old fast.

On the opposite side of the puzzle 46D)VESPERS immediately reminded me of Christopher Robin's poem put to music. I have an old casette recording of my three year old daughter singing this. Wish I could post that one...Aww.

Thanks to Dr. Dad for the chemistry lesson, Vidwan827's comments about the Pearl Mosque/AGRA and both Bill G and Spitzboov for POLARIS. Today is definitely a learning day

Husker Gary said...

36 holes this morning under blessed cloud cover! Humidity was TROPICal! Theme was fun and helpful and yes, C.C., Marti’s write-up was bubbly.

Musings
-Aver, Avow and Amen
-Crisp not Fresh
-Okay that urinal is art if you say so, Marti!
-Penicillin was one of the many serendipitous discoveries of science
-Never knew about Adlai’s grandfather
-Rico came instantly
-Polaris is the most important star in the evening sky. The two end stars of the Big Dipper’s bucket point to it and the slaves followed The Drinking Gourd (big dipper pointing to the North Star) to escape slavery
-STOUT? STOLI? Nope, butt rest STOOL
-Wife is sometimes a bad back seat driver and seeing those lips bounce down the hill was fun!
-Pluto’s very inclined orbit make it the red headed cousin who came to the planet’s picnic.
-Gotta love ABBA!

Yellowrocks said...

Well, I've ordered in and noshed on my loaded nachos. Muy delicioso! For all you nacho lovers, here is something new to try, a crowd pleasing party recipe that always goes over big around here.
Layer the following into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate:
1. 14oz can of refried beans straight from the can.
2. Sprinkle on Taco seasoning to tatse
3. Add flesh of two lightly mashed avocados.
4. Cover COMPLETELY with 6 to 8 oz. of freshly grated cheese(We like extra sharp cheddar.)
5. Top with one diced raw tomato and 5 or 6 green onions sliced, including much of the green tops.
7. Serve with corn chips. We like Scoops. You can spoon the dip into the hollow chips

Lucina said...

Yes, this is definitely a learning day; I've gone back to reread the erudite explanations about POLARIS, the pearl Mosque and the Baha'i faith.

All very interesting, thank you Bill G., Hahtool, Widwan and Sptizboov.

Oh, yes, the discovery of Levitra and all those other ones. Thank you, WH.

Yellowrocks said...

In my Mexican dip recipe I inadvertently switched T and S in TASTE just as in today's puzzle. That trick must be sunk deep in my psyche.

AVER and AVOW are often used interchangeably. Some dictionaries list them as synonyms. Both seem very strong to me, more assertive than just SAY. It is like the difference between BIG and LARGE, either would fit in most cases.

VirginiaSycamore said...

I agree that it was a fun puzzle once I got TSAR GAZERS and enough perps to guess the many unknown, entirely unhelpful 3 letter clues.

I did guess MYST right, but only because my teenage son had it. I think I tried it and couldn't even figure out how to start it.

This is the second time I have seen the Pearl Mosque in Agra clue. I visited the Taj Mahal, a tomb for the wife of someone and remembered that it was:
--Smaller than I had expected to be.
--Had all sorts of gems inlaid in it so I assume the same person made the Pearl Mosque.

I thought it was Orion too. I wish they'd print larger.

Isn't the quote "All things come to those who wait" or something. I didn't get LIPS either. I guesed LIMB (other choices were legs and lobe. I just went blank on lips. So it didn't help with TIP.

Thanks a lot to Marti for the solve and all the blog for their cheery comments on this hot day.

Jeannie said...

Marti, I enjoyed your humorous write up, you stepped up to the plate nicely for MFCounselor today. This was a nice puzzle with a fun and clever theme that I caught onto with Fats Break and then Eats of Eden. I didn’t know Reve, Rico, or Uta but managed to git ‘er done with a little red letter help. No G-spot help today. I have never heard of the game Myst but it sounds like it would be right up my alley.

Today is National Ratcatchers Day, so to all of you ratcatchers out there, you have my gratitude.

Yellowrocks, thanks for your recipe, but I’ll have to make one modification as I can’t stand refried beans.

Still hot here but supposed to cool down here this weekend after rain tomorrow. I guess I’ll have to put off sailing until Sunday. Everyone enjoy your weekend.

HeartRx said...

Bill G. I was looking back through all of C.C.'s pics and thought the grin was vaguely familiar to the one of you in the "le coq" t-shirt. But the ears? Couldn't tell!! Anyway, fun stuff.

And thanks to you and Spitzboov for the Polaris details. I need to spend more time looking up at the night sky...

Lemonade, no worries there, as I am certainly no "Babe".

WH - boy, was that ever the wrong group to do clinical trials on!!!

Grumpy 1, I think you made a fine distinction. I just looked them up in my Thesaurus and still can't see a real difference. But I guess I think of avow as being something you would do in a court of law. While aver is something you would do when sitting on a bar stool ?

Unknown said...

Today I am early for me but late for most of y'all. Thanks, Marti, for the funny blog.
Nachos! Yummo. We love Bar-B-Que nachos. There is nothing quite like Memphis pulled pork BBQ over crispy totillas with lots of gooey cheese and jalopenos! North Carolina BBQ doesn't cut it for me.
My favorite one today was Tsar Gazers! Romas was a close second, because I love, love all tomatoes. I don't care for fired green ones, however. My mother and grandmothers used to fix fried green tomatoes often when I was young, but I never developed a taste for them. Ditto grits, unless they are covered with garlic, cheese and of course, shrimp fried in bacon fat!
On that note, I will end this food talk and decide what dinner will be tonight. Shrimp and grits anyone?

Hahtoolah said...

Chickie: I, too, initially tried Peru for the Lima location. And right below that I had Nose instead of LIPS. Fortunately, the perps straightened me out. If I wasn't a fan of the TV show, though, I would have wondered about Lima being in Ohio. The High School in Glee is in Lima, Ohio.

Yellowrocks said...

Jeannie
Fritos makes a bean dip you can use as a base, ot maybe you don't like beans at all.
Mom Speaks Out,
i don't like fried green tomatoes either, but I love fried red tomatoes withoug gravy. Try it sometime.

Clear Ayes said...

GAH and I are poor astronomers, but we know how to find POLARIS. We have often been STAR GAZERS on clear nights. It is always surprising that the Milky Way seem so dense it looks like a streak of cloud across the sky.

The Galaxy

Torrent of light and river of the air,
Along whose bed the glimmering stars are seen
Like gold and silver sands in some ravine
Where mountain streams have left their channels bare!
The Spaniard sees in thee the pathway, where
His patron saint descended in the sheen
Of his celestial armor, on serene
And quiet nights, when all the heavens were fair.
Not this I see, nor yet the ancient fable
Of Phaeton's wild course, that scorched the skies
Wherever the hoofs of his hot coursers trod;
But the white drift of worlds o'er chasms of sable,
The star-dust, that is whirled aloft and flies
From the invisible chariot-wheels of God.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

HeartRx said...

Mom Speaks Out, The first time DH "forced" me to try Shrimp and Grits was at a restaurant called Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill. I was floored by how tasty they really were. But I didn't realize that everything was fried in bacon grease! Here is their recipe, if you are interested…

HeartRx said...

Oops - I hit "publish" too soon. I wanted to add my thanks to you Clear Ayes, for that beautiful Longfellow poem!!!

Bill G. said...

CA, pretty poem. Whereabouts in the Sierra foothills are you? That's one thing I envy about where you live and that's a really dark night sky where the stars and the Milky Way show up so well. You should get a little astronomical telescope or even a good pair of binoculars. Barbara and I were up in Sequoia National Park years ago and the night sky was so pretty. Even the local mountains are a big improvement.

I never had tried fried green tomatoes until I read the book and saw the very enjoyable movie. How do you keep fried red tomatoes from getting goopy and falling apart?

Jeannie said...

How about reading a little bit about this day in history?
1796 - Cleveland was founded by Gen. Moses Cleaveland.

1926 - Babe Ruth caught a baseball at Mitchell Field in New York. The ball had been dropped from an airplane flying at 250 feet.

1933 - Wiley Post ended his around-the-world flight. He had traveled 15,596 miles in 7 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes.

1934 - John Dillinger was mortally wounded by FBI agents at the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, IL.

1975 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee had his U.S. citizenship restored by the U.S. Congress.

1991 - Police arrested Jeffrey Dahmer after finding the remains of 11 victims in his apartment in Milwaukee. Dahmer confessed to 17 murders and was sentenced to life in prison.

2000 - Astronomers at the University of Arizona announced that they had found a 17th moon orbiting Jupiter.

2009 - The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting up to 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds, occurred over parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

Grizabella said...

I seem to remember doing a puzzle very similar to this one...with a lot of the same clues (even the non-themed ones). I think it was possibly an LAT or NYT Sunday puzzle? It had TS Eliot as the unifier, going along with the ST/TS switch. Anyone recall this in their MEMORY, or capable of pulling up the old puzzle?

Yellowrocks said...

AVER is actually the legal term, meaning to allege as fact. Lawyers interpret their terms very narrowly, but the same word in common usuage is much broader.

This is true in many disciplines. For example:In physics, mechanical WORK is "the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance in the direction of the force." This is quite different than our common usuage of work.

The common usage of AVER is too affirm with confidence.
The common usuage of avow is to own or acknowledge, a slight nuance. A cannot find AVOW as a legal term.

We had a fabulous book in our school library that explained the slight nuances of meaning in synonyms, so interesting. I wish I could rmember the title and order it.

Anonymous said...

2011 - Anon's head exploded from anxiety while waiting for DF comments about taint, lips, thrusts, thrusts bent tip ahead and hoe!

Lucina said...

Interesting facts, Jeannie, thanks.

How does one cook green fried tomatoes? I have never tasted them.

Today I saw my grandniece win in a figure skating competition. She is 12 and won the "gold" medal, first place.

It's inspiring to see so many young people dedicated and working hard for their sport.

Thought of you, CA, when you skated as a child.

eddyB said...

Hello again.

Sunday's race is at Edmonton. Will try to watch if I can stay awake.
The layout has been changed and will be run counter-clockwise.
Hope they don't play bumper cars again.

Whose turn is it to take Power
out this time?

75 days and counting untill Hockey.

Glad I'm not a mad Englishman.

take care.

Chickie said...

CA, thank you for the Longfellow poem and the "Vespers" song. I thought both were so lovely.

Hatool, Our grandchildren live in Ohio and they pronounce Lima like the bean. That sounded so funny to our "Spanish" ears.

This was, indeed, a really fact filled learning blog today. Thanks everyone for taking the time to give us views on pharmeceuticals, astronomy, word meaning, religion, and literature. Quite a day.

windhover said...

Lucina:
You may get a lot of answers, but in fact there is only one true way: breaded in corn meal and fried. Right, Jeannie?

windhover said...

In a cast iron skillet with bacon grease.

Lucina said...

Thank you, Windhover! Does the corn meal need a binder, i.e., egg, before breading.

I'd like to try them but first I have to find the green tomatoes.

windhover said...

I've already told you more than I actually knew.
;-}

Spitzboov said...

Those of you who may have an interest in the rare Eskimo disease "polaris extremis" may want to check this site starting @ time 5:25.

CA - Glad you got a new printer. Cartridge replacement costs ~ $55, and you can replace the whole shooting match for $80. Go figure.

Avg Joe said...

Hogwash WH. You cook fried green tomatoes exactly the way you would cook eggplant. Sure it varies by locale, but most would use rolled cracker crumbs.

They are pretty good, but the only real reason to eat them is to rush the season. When you just can't wait another day to have a tomato and they haven't turned red yet.

creature said...

Lucina,

With disclaimers a mile long, here is how I fry{used to} green tomatoes.

Put a little bit of {1/4 cup or so} flour in a bowl. This is to put the salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar in. Mix it up and add corn meal.More flour, if you prefer



I never used a binder, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Dredge 1/2 inch slices in flour-corn meal mixture.

In the meantime, have a cast iron skillet with plenty of HOT bacon grease in it.

Put in, fry, flip and fry and remove to brown paper to drain.

You can tell I'm not a cook, but there never were enough, no matter how many I fixed.

Great with pork chops done in another skillet or with breakfast or with wine and bourbon.

Can't eat like that any more.

tomato man said...

avg joe must not have ever grown tomatoes.

- they don't turn overnight.

- when they finally turn you are forever looking for new and clever ways to enjoy them.

- you can't fry ripe tomatoes, they will turn to mush.

- ripe tomatoes go into tomato pie, yes pie, google it.

- there are always green tomatoes left at the end of the season. throw them away? never.

- best way to eat ripe tomatoes is on a blt.

- secone best way is sliced with cottage cheese and tabasco sauce.

creature said...

Tomato Man,

Or on tomato sandwiches with or without thinly sliced vidalia onions and too much mayo, salt and pepper.

Or with chicken salad piled on;

Then before the first frost bring all the green ones in and start frying or put some up, sliced, for later.

All the others [red] go into sauce; a continuing process. I put up and enjoy all winter.

Small ones get eaten with the salt and pepper shakers handy, while thinking great thoughts looking out the kitchen window.

If you break out into a rash, stop eating for a day or two.

tomato man said...

right on creature!

- or my salsa with fresh cilantro and 6 varieties of peppers.

- or with mozzarela(sp.), olive oil and balsalmic vineager.

- or......

Bill G. said...

Of course, the trick is to be eating vine-ripe tomatoes you grow yourself. Since I don't have that option anymore, the local Farmer's Market is the second best option.

The ones I get from the supermarket look like ripe tomatoes but they don't taste or even smell the same.

Some supermarket produce is perfectly OK including stuff like lettuce, avocados, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, etc. But I've never had a really good supermarket tomato or strawberry. Supermarket corn is a lot better with the new hybrid varieties than it used to be.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

I lost control of my day before it even started. Amanda needed a ride to the Opera House, 'cuz here mom had a car issue. We took her down, then went back in the p.m. for the two ABT finale performances. Great job in both shows -- my hat is off to all those kids.

Good puzzle today, lol funny theme, but a big DNF for me. Too many distractions.

I'll be off line for about a week. Till then, stay cool everyone.

Cheers!
JzB

HeartRx said...

Yellowrocks, thanks for the additional nuances of aver/avow. That was really clear, for now. But I am sure that the next time it comes up in an xword, I will still think to myself "Hmmm...'aver'? or 'avow'???" Just my thick headedness coming through!

As for fried green tomatoes, I'll take them any way you guys care to make them. It's all yummy!! For now, I am enjoying the ripe red ones from our garden, with plenty of fresh basil and mozzarella to go with, sprinkled with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and EVOO, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper...

Grizabella, I looked in "The" database, and cannot find any puzzles with TS Eliot as the unifier, or even as a theme entry. Sorry!

Avg Joe said...

Tomato man:

I'm in the second half of my 6th decade. My parents had a huge garden growing up, not counting the sweet corn that we grew out in the field. Personally, I've had a garden for all but 4 years since gaining my independence at the age of 18. My current gardens (4 different beds) comprise about 2,700 square feet, but who's counting. There has never been a year I didn't plant tomatoes. Some years have been great, others not so much. But I've grown enough tomatoes in my lifetime to feed a few armies. Take it or leave it....or just leave. But don't ever question my experience with tomatoes, Dick.

tomato man said...

hog wash

Avg Joe said...

Well, go ahead if you want. But I think you should pet them first.

Let it go said...

weak try at an old joke

Unknown said...

Tomatoes!!! My mother always used corn meal and fried them in bacon grease. Yes, in an iron skillet.
Ripe tomaotes are a taste of heaven. Compari tomatoes are the next best thing. I was not convinced to try these little gems until a friend gave me one. It was love at first bite! Compari tomatoes can be found in most markets. They are uausally in a clear plastic box in the produce section. By the way, never put tomatoes in the fridge. store them at room temp. White bread, a slahering of mayo, salt and pepper and thick tomatoes make a white trash sandwich. It is best eaten over the kitchen sink! Tomato pie is another yummy treat.
I make mine with tomatoes, Parm cheese, Swiss cheese, freash basil and mayo. If I am feeling frisky I add a sliced Vidalia to the mix. Bake at 350 until bubbly. I love shrimp and grits, but don't like adding mushrooms and peppers to the dish. A purist I am but will try the Corner's recipe next time. Thanks for it!
I have planted tomatoes this year as I did last year. The grape ones have re-seeded for the second time. Amazing! Even my yard man is amazed. I have a "pizza" herb garden with basil and oregano growing like crazy.
Ok, now to bed!

Anonymous said...

Avg. Joe, lighten up man, we're talking tomatoes here!

Seldom Seen said...

Ahhh tomatoes. Tis the season.

My relocated uncle tells me the tomatoes out west are not near as good.

I know as a tomato grower that its all about the dirt. So it makes sense since the dirt is different.

Bill G. said...

I'd say the dirt around here is just fine. Good dirty dirt. I used to add some mulch and fertilizer but it drains well and my tomatoes were excellent.

Also, some of the best tomatoes I've had recently were grown hydroponically.

Seldom Seen said...

Well then it must be the heat and the humidity.

Seldom Seen said...

Clime and dirt are important.

Champagne, Asti, Napa, Piedmont, Sonoma and even Vidalia are unique soils.

Chickie said...

As for eating tomatoes my choice is sitting on the garden box next to the tomato bed and eating them warm right off the vine. Nothing better.

We have planted heirloom tomatoes for several years, now, and the German Strawberry has a wonderful sweet tomato flavor. Bright yellow with red streaks on the inside. Yum!