Theme: TURN TAIL - the last word of a a common phrase is turned into a homophone to create a new phrase. each change is consistent _ALE > _AIL.
17A. Bills and catalogues? : TYPICAL MAIL (typical male). a solution for the typical mail (phone books and catalogues) is catalogchoice.org. not sure there is a solution for the typical male.
29A. Monk's unusual appendage? : THE FRIAR'S TAIL (friar's tale, from chaucer's canterbury tales.)
48A. Where a kid's shovel may be found? : BEYOND THE PAIL (beyond the pale - meaning, outside the limits of acceptable behavior)
61A. Traditional December spin around the harbor? : YEAR-END SAIL (year-end sale, everything must go!)
i thought this was a tad easier than the typical wednesday. no snags, not much to talk about.
Across
1. Outlook : VISTA. nice view.
6. Previewed, as a joint : CASED
11. Attempt : TRY
14. Part of a squirrel's stash : ACORN
15. Abundant : AMPLE
16. Little hopper : ROO
19. "The Simpsons" character who graduated first in his class of seven million at the Calcutta Institute of Technology : APU. i have to guess this every time.
20. Advanced deg. : Ph.D. doctor of philosophy - the highest degree in the liberal arts field.
21. Quick look : ONCE OVER. not always that quick.
23. Remnant in a tray : ASH. cigarette ash.
26. Bygone : OLD
28. Tentative assent : I GUESS
33. Canaanite deity : BAAL
34. Source of light meat : BREAST
35. Nev. neighbor : IDA. nevada / idaho.
38. Ohio hometown of LeBron James : AKRON. didn't know the trivia but it filled in easily enough.
40. It ended Nov. 11, 1918 : WWI
41. The blahs : ENNUI
43. Vietnamese holiday : TET
44. Sci-fi invaders : ALIENS
47. Iowa State home : AMES
51. Take in : ARREST
53. Yanks' rival : SOX
54. Binghamton-to-Utica dir. : NNE
55. Show-off's shout : LOOK AT ME. okay, enough about me. what do you think about me?
58. Lyon king : ROI
60. "Disgusting!" : ICK
66. Top pitcher : ACE
67. Bert's pal : ERNIE. the two police officers in 'it's a wonderful life,' were also named bert and ernie.
68. Michelob __: light beer brand : ULTRA
69. Anderson Cooper, to Gloria Vanderbilt : SON. i keep forgetting that.
70. "__ Hope": '70s-'80s soap : RYAN'S
71. Dinner course : SALAD
Down
1. Large container : VAT
2. Dangerous, as a winter road : ICY
3. Bribe : SOP
4. You might do it over your own feet : TRIP
5. News show VIP : ANCHOR
6. Oriole great Ripken : CAL
7. BBs, for example : AMMO
8. Cross : SPAN
9. Brings out : ELICITS
10. Convention representative : DELEGATE
11. 1961 Ricky Nelson chart-topper : TRAVELIN' MAN. "... in every port i own the heart, of at least one lovely girl." how romantic.
12. Boxing ring borders : ROPES
13. Letter sign-off : YOURS
18. Go off-script : AD-LIB. if you know what i mean ....
22. French affirmative : OUI
23. Plate appearance : AT BAT
24. Tremble : SHAKE
25. Like one just jilted : HEARTBROKEN
27. "On the Origin of Species" author : DARWIN. charles.
30. Rapper __ Rida : FLO. new to me.
31. Walked down the 37-Down again : RE-WED and 37D. Bridal path : AISLE
32. 2010 Super Bowl champs : SAINTS
36. Scheduled to arrive : DUE IN
39. Pessimist : NAYSAYER. great word.
42. Brief sleep : NAP
45. Fundraising game : LOTTERY
46. Newly wool-less : SHORN. half shorn.
49. Rodent-induced cry : EEK
50. Genesis follower : EXODUS
51. Rap sheet name, maybe : ALIAS
52. Golfer Mediate : ROCCO. he won the fry's open last year, held where i work. tiger just announced he'll be playing this year.
56. "Every __ Tiger": Clancy book about Operation Desert Storm : MAN A. anyone read it?
57. "__ go bragh!" : ERIN
59. One of las Canarias : ISLA
62. Some MIT grads : EE'S. electrical engineer.
63. World's busiest airport: Abbr. : ATL atlanta, georgia.
64. Nest egg letters : IRA. individual retirement account.
65. Youngster : LAD
Answer grid.
Melissa
Note from C.C.:
Here are a few beautiful pictures from Melissa's Girls' Weekend outing. I love the first one, Melissa is on the far right in pretty pink. Look at her toes! Click here for more of her adventure.
Answer grid.
Melissa
Note from C.C.:
Here are a few beautiful pictures from Melissa's Girls' Weekend outing. I love the first one, Melissa is on the far right in pretty pink. Look at her toes! Click here for more of her adventure.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been overly impressed with Michael Sharp (a.k.a. "Rex Parker")'s solo efforts in the past. They usually have way too much clunky fill in them. The last puzzle I saw from him was done as a collaboration with somebody else and was (in my opinion) much smoother.
Well, I guess this is the natural evolution, since this one was a solo effort and was also very smooth (albeit a tad easy for a Wednesday). I really enjoy a punny theme, and this one delivered without being forced. I think the only unknown today was FLO Rida at 30D, but how can you not love a name like that? Oh, wait -- ROCCO Mediate was another unknown, but fortunately the perps were easy.
It was nice to see BAAL clued as a specific deity instead of simply as a generic "false god" for a change. And it was interesting to learn (or be reminded of the fact) that Anderson Cooper is Gloria Vanderbilt's son. Oh -- and I learned that ATLanta is the world's busiest airport. I had no idea...
Favorite non-theme clue was definitely Lyon King for ROI.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI gave this puzzle the "once over" and "I guess" it was okay. I liked the "Lyon king" clue. Not a bad puzzle at all. Needed some perps but not too many.
Be careful of hooking up with a "travelin man" or you could end up "heartbroken."
A "Year End Sail" reminds me that if you don't drop "anchor" you could end up here.
The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts 3 naked men with their hands on each others shoulders.
The inventor of the Waffle Iron did not like waffles.
The average person spends three years of his or her life on a toilet.
One in three male motorists picks their nose while driving.
Each year, there are more than 40,000 toilet related injuries in the United States.
Have a great Tuesday!!!!!!!
Good Morning, MelissaBee and friends. This was an easy puzzle for a Wednesday. I had fun with it though.
ReplyDeleteI have finally learned ENNUI from doing the crosswords. Not ready to use it in a sentence, though.
The 2010 Super Bowl champs = SAINTS was a gimme.
I initially tried Quake instead of SHAKE for tremble, but that left me with Aqh, which made no sense.
A Ph.D is not a terminal degree that is limited to liberal arts. Other studies can also end with that degree.
I fly through Atlanta often, and will be flying though again in a couple of days. I was unaware that it was now considered the busiest world's airport.
QOD: All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings it's own punishment. - Oscar Wilde
Good Morning CC, Melissa B and all,,
ReplyDeleteNice write-up, MB. Laughed at your note on 11D; and I was glad to see your reaction to APU- I’m not alone. The pictures were really fun. That house with the redwood tree (or vice versa) was impressive, yet cozy looking. Of course, the food made me drool. Thanks, for sharing your getaway.
The puzzle was definitely easier than a Wednesday for me. FLO and ROCCO were unknown to me. Of course, the perps took care of that.. 'Monk’s unusual appendage' was funny and tipped the theme.
Thanks to Barry for the tip on Rex Parker. I had forgotten that he has had a hand in constructing. Certainly doesn’t have the talent our team has, but keep trying.
Jayce, Happy Anniversary! Your story indicates you have a book to write. Get to it.
Have a nice day everyone.
Melissa: I forgot to mention your photos. Looks like you all had fun. Who drew the short straw and took the photos and had to be left out! LOL.
ReplyDeleteRex thanks for a nice, very easy Wednesday. I think Rich has his calendar backwards this week as the puzzles have been progressively easier. Like the rest, I do not know FLO but it was a nice change from the Alice reference. ROCCO has gotten a lot of press in the golf world criticizing Tiger's swing coaches. Beyond that, always a pleasure MB.
ReplyDeleteHappy hump day, fellow cruciverbalists!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, Rex. Neat write-up, mb.
Am still struggling with unwanted MacBook Pro with Lion. Have to wait several days for possible fix. In the mean time, evil trackpad is driving me nuts. I need to visit Apple store re the trackpad. However, all of my friends are sick/injured. I haven't been able to swim in ages. I am happy for the opportunity to finish a puzzle in a finite amount of time and blog.
(Sudokus take forever as the puzzle walks all around the page, changes to another page, or shrinks or expands itself at will. This is in Firefox. Can't get them to work at all in Safari.)
(mb: my Ph.D. is in Mathematics.)
Note: WWI was here. I thought someone said that I was not to be used for 1?
ReplyDeleteMB, Great write-up & pictures.
ReplyDeleteSaw it was "a Rex" (the ROI of Crossworld) and knew it would be perfect.
Enjoyed the themes. BEYOND-THE-PAIL got an actual chuckle.
Knew Michael would have a "The Simpsons" clue. OK, APU we've seen (learned) before ... but that clue at 19-A also earned a chuckle!
WOD for me was SHORN, Newly wool-less.
All-in-All, a FUN solve.
Cheers to all at Sunset.
I thought this was just a 'blah' puzzle. With the exception of Lyon king, there was nothing of substance.
ReplyDeleteDr.Dad
ReplyDeleteAn average of 3 YEARS on the toilet???
With an average lifeSPAN of 78 years that would work out to be ... OMG ...
55 minutes, 23 seconds A DAY!!!
geez, I'm glad I'm way below average. LOL
Wayne:
Shouldn't that be "ENNUI" puzzle?
My Ph.D. is in Organic Chemistry.
ReplyDeleteSome of the comments so far remind me of the Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter of TR) quote:
ReplyDelete"If you can't say something nice about someone, come and sit by me."
What we need next is for the constructors to critique the comments of the bloggers. Sort of a downward spiral, don't you think? Just sayin'.
CC and Don: Worked your fun puzzle. Finally got to work one with circles! I, too, fell for armada. Cannot understand the big fuss about the URAL. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat we need next is for the constructors to critique the comments of the bloggers. Sort of a downward spiral, don't you think? Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteWell, if you've ever read Michael's own blog dealing with the NYT puzzle, you'll know that he does, in fact, often critique the comments of the bloggers there... ^_^
Good morning, MB and the corner denizens. Thanks for the fun write up. Pretty much breezed through this one. As soon as TYPI__ emerged I knew what the theme was going to be, but I did put in Holiday SALE before checking perps. That didn't last long though. ROCCO, APU and BAAL were known, but FLO was new to me.
ReplyDeleteFP, the use of the capital I in place of a Roman numeral 1 is fine. Rich won't allow it as a substitute where a roman numeral wouldn't commonly be used.
I'll have to go back and check the links and pictures, now.
Have a great hump day, everyone.
We bloggers do a pretty good job of critiqueing each others comments, we don't need help from the constructors... LOL
ReplyDeleteWe had one constructor that quite often critiqued comments, although not necessarily on his own puzzles. Where's Jerome hiding? I miss his anagrams.
Yes, let's all sing 'kumbaya' and have no more negative comments about the puzzles.
ReplyDeleteYep. Realized that WWI used a Roman numeral. Was in the other room and couldn't get back here to apologize in time!
ReplyDeleteThanks MB, MS et al.
ReplyDeleteI thought the theme answers were very elegant - we don't see a lot of Chaucer these days - but the fill was very Mondayish, as others have noted.
YEAR-END SALE would be YEAR'S END SALE in Brit&C; i.e., adjectival - reminiscent of ICE-TEA/ICED TEA.
FP, Yup, as G1 said, Roman numerals are OK (since they are letters) - in fact we have them all the time in the LAT crosswords - clues like "half of MDCLVI" and such.
My Ph.D. is in Structural Biology. I am also a Sci-Fi invader according to 41A, albeit a resident/tax-paying one.
NC
NC
Good morning everyone. Nice commentary and thanks for sharing your pictures. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteI thought this cw was a little easy for a Wednesday, but still fun to unravel. I got the theme with the 2nd long across. Actually I thought it was quite an eclectic mix of phrases. Favorite clue was for the Lyon king, ROI. Since I live at the NE end of the NNE direction axis at 54a, it was a gimme. No lookups or strikethroughs needed. Guess I agree with Melissa's take on this one.
Enjoy the day.
Adieu
I agree with all comments so far on the puzzle. I enjoyed it. Maybe not regular Wednesday level but that was nice after my first two stumbles this week. Also liked Lyon king clue/answer. Unknowns were easily perped and it all fell together nicely.
ReplyDeleteMB,
Cute photos, and your annual girls' getaways seem like a wonderful way to escape and catch up with your friends. Thanks for sharing.
FP
ReplyDeleteMy advice is to give up on LION for now and reload SNOW LEOPARD. There are still too many bugs in LION; also, you need to upgrade to the latest MS OFFICE, and several other apps have not been made compatible.
NC
Alt QOD: I was born by C-section but it had no effect except that when I leave the house, I always go out the window. ~ Steven Wright.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the puzzle - THANK YOU MICHAEL SHARP. I never thought any of the constructors actually read our comments - but I went back to yesterday's mail and found Mr. Peter Koetters (Sp.?) had checked in - I felt real bad that I did not enthuse enough about how wonderful his puzzle was. ( is that a dangling participle ?)
Well, Mr. Sharp, I think you are great. For some curious reason, your name was repeated twice, in its entirety - as Michael Sharp Michael Sharp - in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Somehow, that seemed to be the biggest puzzle of them all - I wondered if THAT had any special significance.
to be continued
I completed the puzzle - so the rest is all commentary.
ReplyDeleteI was familiar with the term,'Beyond the Pale' in reference to the settlement of the Jews in Russia ( 1500-1600's ?) - but the fine points of the concept still elude me. I got the theme, after the puzzle - and it was real cute. Thank you, Michael Sharp.
Melissa Bee, Thank You for a most enchanting blog.... and your trip pictures made me wish I was one of the ladies. Life is short, and memories such as this, are the windows into our souls, and make life worth living. Your background music appeared to be strangely familiar.
Do 2 M.S.'s in different subjects, equate to a Ph.D. ? Probably not.
Rats, out of lines again. Have a happy week, you'all.
Fermatprime,
ReplyDeleteI thought the 'I' used in WWI and WWII were simply Roman numerals which are always used for those abbreviations. Who said they shouldn't be used?
loved it! pretty easy for a Wednesday, but the theme was fun. and I love any puzzle that I get to use "ennui".
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Melissa, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteI chuckled as I read your post, Melissa, because I was thinking the exact same things at APU, AKRON, SON, and FLO rida. But I nearly peed my pants when I watched the clip for AD LIB. Funny stuff, and I was sad to see that show go off the air. Drew Carey never had the same success with his Improv-a-ganza show.
Thanks for posting those beautiful pictures, too! Looks like you had a lot of fun, and like Creature, I was drooling over the yummy-looking food.
Lemonade, thanks for posting the clip of FLO rida. Now I know why I didn’t recognize his name: he’s another one of those rapper guys. And what on earth was he standing on – a giant Oreo???
Kazie, I made the comment a couple days ago that for the LAT we can’t use things like RTE I, where the “I” is supposed to be the number “1”. Roman numerals are fine (but only in a “constructing emergency”!!)
So the puzzle – same comments as everyone else – easy for a Wednesday, but quite enjoyable to suss the punny theme. Thanks Michael/Rex!
Happy hump day, everybody!
Nice Cuppa, I wouldn't have mentioned this, but you brought it up. I too, used to be a Resident Alien - until I realized the valuable benefits of being a U.S. Citoyen ( thatsa, a Nice citizen - ) - also including a tuppence worth of a vote. Did you know, the unlimited surviving spousal estate tax marital deduction is only available for US citizens etc. etc. My neighbor, an RA, of 18 years, , was deported, for pleading no contest, to one count of domestic violence.( Not that I condone, DV in any form, ofcourse .... ). Also the TSA is considering a quick barium Xray of all non US citizens, with foreign accents. ( sounds familiar ?). So, put in your citizenship papers, now.
ReplyDeleteBarry,
ReplyDelete"Well, if you've ever read Michael's own blog dealing with the NYT puzzle, you'll know that he does, in fact, often critique the comments of the bloggers "
Although I've only looked at that blog 2 or 3 times total, and not in the last year or so, isn't that what has distinguished that blog from this one, and why this blog is infinitely superior to that one?
I'm not suggesting, as my friend Jerome might, that no criticism should be made (it isn't my style, but it's also none of my business), but that there's an indistinct line between being critical and being harsh. Maybe it's a Southern thing.
And yes, Anon, I do like to get drunk on
tequila and hum a little Kumbaya and abuse farm animals.
How is this for an alternate theme title? Bad Brew or AIL ALE.
ReplyDeleteAnd a jab I can't resist. Our constructor.
Morning all, MB
ReplyDeleteI found today's CW much easier then Tue. and Mon.
I blew thru the top half in record time, slowed down a bit when I put BEHIND THE PAIL, but LOTTERY corrected that quickly. FAV. was 4D TRIP
Rocco Mediate went toe to toe with Tiger Woods at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines outside of San Diego.
They both tied at the end of the tournament, with Woods playing with a bad knee, they went on playing extra 18 holes, after which they were tied again, thanks to a birdie by Woods on the last hole, Woods did it again on the extra hole of sudden death on 18 to win his 4th US Open
It was one of the greatest USOpen I've seen.
Y'all have a good day.
Well, it looks like I picked a good day to jump back into the crossword puzzle. Easy peasy even for someone as out of practice as I am. My only hang ups were Baal and ennui, and I must admit I am not up on my rap singers. I also thought BB’s as ammo was a stretch. What can you kill, a bird?
ReplyDeleteToday is neither rain nor snow day. We can all wait on that snow.
Do you think Flo Rida is from Florida? If so, my rap name would be Min Nesota and I guess that makes Kazie Wis Consin and my favorite farmer Ken Tucky.
Melisssabee, I just love that Redwood house. It looks like a good time was had by all. Have a good day everybody and I hope this finds all of you well.
Hello.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if this is still true.
Once a year "Old Ironsides" used to be taken out in Boston Harbor to be turned around to weather the other side. Quite a sight.
Hand up for Every Man A Tiger. He wrote a lot of non-fiction about our military forces.
Better go sit. Only have six years
make my quota.
eddy
NC: I perhaps failed to mention that a Mac with Apple-installed Lion CANNOT be downgraded. After several calls to Apple, I found someone who suggested that if Lion was installed over SL then the machine can be downgraded with special SL disks from Apple due to arrive here in 4 or 5 days. If this doesn't work, Macconnection will take the machine back and I will be forced to search eBay (oh, goody).
ReplyDeleteKazie: I already acknowledged that goof above!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All, Just about any three letter Simpson fill will be either MOE or APU. An LOL clue like 19A makes it OK with me.
ReplyDeleteUnsually my puzzle criticisms have to do with my inability to figure them out. Even after years of cross-wording, I have no idea what distinguishes a good puzzle from an average one...and that my friends is why I have no intention of EVER trying to construct.
Ricky Nelson....sigh. TRAVELIN' MAN may sound somewhat misogynistic today. In 1961 there weren't too many 19 year olds (me and all my friends) who wouldn't have loved to be just one of his far-flung loves.
I didn't know 30D)FLO, although I think I made up for it with getting 52D)ROCCO.
I've heard the term BEYOND THE PALE, but I only know of its interpretation in reference to the Russian Pale of Settlement. Think "Fiddler On the Roof" without the dancing, singing and kindly cossacks.
Great photos Melissa. You and your women friends have a knack for choosing lovely getaway places.
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteNice easy, breezy Wed puzzle. Sort of a cross between a Monday & a Tuesday puzzle.
All my comments or observations have been mentioned so I won't bore anyone.
MB, thank you for the write up and pix. Looks like you had a wonderful time.
I am fairly new to crosswords, so I am just learning the tricks.
ReplyDeleteI liked the puzzle. Not too hard and I completed it. Yes it may have been easier than a normal Wed., but I liked it. made me smile several times.
Lyon king was clever. I am now starting to catch that kind of misdirection.
Thanks to all.
Here's a question (or two) for Marti, C.C. or other constructors. I know you come up with phrases that can be twisted into puns, substituted letters, etc. I also know that you use computerized construction programs (or do you just start with a blank grid and just start filling and erasing?). Do you pick a grid size pattern and a square length to fit your phrases/words and then let the program fill in the rest of the fill, or is it all created by the constructor? I understand you make up your own clues, but are clues for fill furnished with the program(s)?
ReplyDeleteI know that it is no longer a PEN AND PAPER enterprise, so, mostly human, mostly computer, half and half? I couldn't do it either way, but how much help is a crossword program?
Someone should notify the Kentucky State Police. It seems that someone has stolen Windhover's iPhone and is using it to post messages asking us to "play nice".
ReplyDeleteHello, puzzlers. MB, very nice as usual. Great pictures from you. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Micheal Sharp is Rex Parker but was enlightened by Barry.
Somewhat of a speed run with no problems though had GIANTS at 32D at first then saw it was SAINTS.
Also NIHILIST fit perfectly at 39D but was overtaken by BEYONDTHEPAIL.
I must make an EXODUS to go to yoga.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Although I've only looked at that blog 2 or 3 times total, and not in the last year or so, isn't that what has distinguished that blog from this one, and why this blog is infinitely superior to that one?
ReplyDeleteOf course! That's why I now post here on a daily basis instead of over there...
Plus the fact that you got blasted by the administrators several times.
ReplyDeleteClear Ayes, interesting questions. I don’t know how others do the process, but when I first started constructing, I used Excel and designed my grids and did the fill manually.
ReplyDeleteNow I use crossword software which provides a certain number of “standarized” grids that would fit the theme entries. But I usually take one of the suggested grids, and tweak it by adding or deleting or switching around blocks until I am satisfied with the look, and that there are no awkward letter placements (like a word ending in Q or U, e.g.).
I still enter the fill around the theme entries manually, using word lists that come with the software. It saves an enormous amount of time, and keeps me from getting locked into a corner from fill that I put in earlier. Hope that answers your questions!
Anon @ 12:48:
ReplyDeleteBite me.
Is that better?
Clear Ayes, I forgot to mention that the software database does provide some clues for some of the more common words, but I almost never use them. There are also sites that publish all the words and clues that have been published in the LAT, NYT, Washington Post, etc. I maintain my own clue database for puzzles I have published, so that I make sure not to use the same clue twice if I can help it.
ReplyDeleteBut I am always updating both my word and clue databases whenever I see a neat word or think of a good clue. In that way (as you can see from the puzzles published in the LAT), each constructor ends up with their own unique "style", even if we all used the same software!
Anony-mouse, why do you hide behind the anonymous name, a name which someone else could steal, when you sometimes join us in blue?
ReplyDeleteWindhover, I agree there has been a negative slant recently. We can disagree without making personal attacks.
Jeannie: I have missed you. Glad to have you back. You always have such interesting things to share.
The ROI clue is pure Rich, and excellent, as many have noted.
ReplyDeleteA Monk is not a Friar, but given that no one seems to have noticed, I guess it's no big deal that Rich changed that clue.
I once offended Barry, who seems like a nice guy. I'm sure he remembers circumstances better than I. I apologize and hope there are no hard feelings. I tend to stay out of my comments section now, for the most part, and it hums along just fine without me.
I tried to make a Monday puzzle and failed (it's hard). The result was this—and easy Wednesday.
Thanks for the feedback,
Michael/Rex
Thank you Clear Ayes, for the link to the 'Pale of Settlement' on Wiki. There is where I should have gone (to) in the first place. (God Bless the millions of contributors, who post on Wiki ..... )
ReplyDeleteThe history of the Jewish people is so rife with discrimination, pogroms, poverty and human suffering that it is a miracle they have even survived. I am glad the US was able and willing to take in some of them, and also benefit from their contributions.
BTW, there was no Calcutta Inst. of Tech., before 'The Simpsons'. So this so called trash comic strip may have been the impetus, to the auspicious beginning of (then) fictitious institute.... ( I have never heard of this 'C.I.T.', and I would be very suspect of their accreditation.... )
Art imitates life, imitates Art.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle was fun and was easier than Mon. and Tues.
I had no problem with Atlanta being the largest airport because the whole world flys across the U.S. and Chicago is no longer the largest.
We were down there In April and when we came home, my computer and another small bag were lost. (It was our fault) and we thought they were gone for good. The bag was located at lost and found but no computer. A few days later we received a call from someone in Chicago that they found the computer with their luggage and only realized it when they were getting ready to go back to Atl. We got their address and when thet got home my son picked it up.
We were lucky.
Good afternoon all!
Marge
PS Have you seen My greatgrandsons picture?
Howdy pals, A nice staightforward puzzle today. Pretty easy for a Wednesday! Thanks, Michael
ReplyDeleteOutstanding writeup, Melissa B.
Not much to say about this one, and it's good because I need to get to the lab. Was hoping I wouldn't have to go out agains today. It's still in the high 90s.
Praps I'll see you later. I'll want to read the comments! high
My p,c. is doing odd things. I hope it shapes up before I get back!
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDelete29 days and counting.
Sad, sad news from Russia. A jet crashed on take-off and an entire
KHL team got wiped out.
Happy news, sorta, Buddy Holly to finally get his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Will have Macallan tonight.
At least, Tin was welcomed back at the other place.
Looking forward to Sat.
eddy
Music break. For WH
ReplyDeleteThat old classic It Had to be Ewe!
Argyle, Gotta love that Ale bottle. I'd take of case of that.
I just heard the yutube on my fellow resident Flo Rida.
ReplyDeleteThe music be nice, the gal shore is pretty , but what language the guys be singin in ? Spanish or pig latin ?
Good Afternoon, folks. Thank you, Mike Sharp, for a swell puzzle. I did not know you were Rex Parker. OK with me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melissa B., for the great write-up. Enjoyed your photos of your trip.
I got back to Chicago this afternoon and bought a Tribune downtown. Did the puzzle on the train coming home. It was quite easy for a Wednesday.
Did not know FLO, perps helped. Thought ORD was the airport, but soon realized that ATL was the answer. I think the busiest airport went south with our population.
The theme answers came easily. I never really looked for the theme itself. Everything else was a snap.
To: Anony-Mouse. If you want to read a good book about the oppression of the Jews over twenty centuries, read "Constantine's Sword" by James Carroll. It is quite a tome, but very informative.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Good evening MB, CC, et al., Like Lucina, I had no idea that Michael Sharp was Rex Parker. No big deal.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't know that ATL was the busiest airport in the world.
Had to laugh at the positioning of LOOK AT ME and ROI. IDA know. Seems like a case of ARRESTed devlopment to me. I don't think the guy could've made more of an OLD ASH out of his TYPICAL MAIL self if he'd TRYed. He's not only BEYOND THE PAIL, he's over the edge. He's a TRAVELIN' MAN all right with a rovin' eye and russian fingers giving the ONCE OVER to some dAMES AMPLE BREASTs while his BAAL ALIAS (ACORN) is doin' CALesthenics w/ the SAINTS prayin' his EXODUS won't be a HEARTBROKEN one 'cause this LADy will say OUI OUI and show 'im the ROPES. LOL be his luck those ROPES 'll be tied to THE FRIARS TAIL..SHAKEn not stirred!
Santa Baby: LMAO!!! Loved the link! LOLROTF!!!
Hola Eaveryone, A tad easier for me today than yesterday. I started the puzzle early on, but had to leave it unfinished. When I came back to it it filled in the rest of the way very quickly.
ReplyDeleteI had the same unknowns as Barry, and left off the N in Travelin Man. I need to go back and check to see if I have left any blank squares.
Thanks, MelissaB. for your writeup and for the pictures of your annual girls' weekend. Always fun to see the fun your were having.
The sub fairy called and I had to work today with no internet connection! Dang! Came here after the Y and supper!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Puzzle was the easiest of the week for me
-How many trees will we save when junk mail is eliminated?
-Nobody misses ash trays!
-LeBron ain’t all that popular anywhere in Ohio. He made the right move!
-Iowa State and the rest of the Big 12 may be left holding the bag very soon when the conference really blows up!
-Bert and Ernie in It’s A Wonderful Life too? Cool!
Rex, thanks for stopping by. I for one like it when you comment as you often bring about heated discussions, which are good for us all, as long as they are not personal.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who do not read other blogs, Rex left Confidential to PuzzleGirl months ago. He is back to commenting only on the NYT.
Lo li ta, nice to see you back; now turn around and show your front
Rex/Mike, nice to hear from you tonight! I thought it was interesting that you tried to make a "Monday" puzzle. I agree that those are the hardest ones to construct!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to know, what was your original clue for THE FRIARS TAIL?
Barry: You should know so I`m asking. What/who is Rex Parker`s avatar? Just a guess, but I`d bet it`s someone "great" since he is?
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. Late today; been werkin' my you-know-what off today and didn't get to the puzzle until late in the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteMy oh my, so much to say, so little time to say it. Thank you Melissa for your writeup and thanks for sharing the photos of you having a good time with your friends. So what do I really think of you? haha
Nope, never read Every Man a Tiger. After reading A Clear and Present Danger I realized Clancy's books were getting ever more uninteresting and ever more prefabbed, canned, roboticized, slapdash, formulaic.
Love love love the photo of the half-shorn sheep!
What Barry G said.
dodo, thank you (for what you posted last night); you're sweet.
'Slate, gotta go. Best wishes to you all.
Love this blog!
Husker Gary, the sub fairy???? (Sowwy, waaaaay too DF.)
ReplyDeleteThank-you MB.
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice ride for a Wednesday.
I even got it! Alert the media.
Funny Jayce! The sub fairies rule!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marti. I appreciate the information and I have a better idea of how it works. It is as I suspected. The software can help get you started, but it is up to the constructor to do the "grunt work" and to put your individual stamp on it. I wish I were better at identifying those signature entries, but I'm just happy when I manage to get 'er done.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, as always, nice blogging. Love-loved those pictures-very classy. Also enjoyed the ad lib link, lol, and you cleared up EE for me. Another dent!
ReplyDeleteMarge, your great grandson is beautiful!
Lois, glad to see you are hangin' on to your sense of humor while teen toiling. Anni est longa.
As far as Rocco goes I was on another planet, but all the perps filled the golfer in.
me·di·ateVerb/ˈmēdēˌāt/
1. Intervene in a dispute to bring about an agreement or reconciliation.
My sister and I had a BLAST with this cute Flo Rida song last Christmas! She really got good at imitating these moves... :)
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, this clue was a gimme!
Late Show Fun Facts By Dave Letterman
ReplyDeleteThe Marlon Brando role in The Godfather was
originally offered to Andy Griffith.
Dwight Eisenhower removed his own tonsils with a swiss army knife.
In 29A, a "Monk's unusual appendage," could not be "The Friar's Tail" because Monks are not Friars, and Friars are not Monks. To the uninformed, they may look similar, but they are not. Monks are cloistered and live in communities where they toil and produce goods and produce to sell for their livelihood. Friars live in the world and are mendicants, depending upon charity for their livelihood. This is only one of many differences between Monks and Friars, the least of which is that they are called by different names, which should be your first clue that they are not interchangeable. I get that "The Friar's Tail" refers to "The Friar's Tale" from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. I took sophomore English classics. But, the Friar in Canterbury Tales was not a monk either ... he was a Friar. Using the word "Monk" as a hint for "Friar" is like using the word "soldier" as a hint for "sailor."
ReplyDeleteHey Pete, a little late to the party.
ReplyDeleteRex Parker said...3:17 PM
A Monk is not a Friar, but given that no one seems to have noticed, I guess it's no big deal that Rich changed that clue.
The constructor knew so take it up with the edtitor