Theme: JOIN THE CLUB (55A. "That's exactly how I feel" ... or what each starred clue's first word can do? ) - The first word of each two-word theme entry can precede CLUB.
17A. *Title role in the 2009 Tony winner for Best Musical : BILLY ELLIOT. Billy club.
24A. *Advantage of some military goggles : NIGHT VISION. Nightclub.
45A. *Freetown is its capital : SIERRA LEONE. Sierra Club.
11D. *Unauthorized stories written by devotees : FAN FICTION. Fan club.
28D. *Pro shop freebie : GOLF PENCIL. Golf club.
Hello everyone, Boomer here and hopefully I'll be using one of those golf pencils today. I just hope those double digit numbers will fit in the small boxes on the card. I happened to think that the word "Puzzle" has two "Z"s as a double letter. There are a few other words with double Z but I was trying to think of a word with two Zs not together. I only came up with Marc Rzepczynski (Nickname "Scrabble"), a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. I wonder how many autographs he gets to sign each year.
Here goes today's puz zle:
Across:
1. Its median score is 100 : IQ TEST - You can now take these tests on the internet, but at the end they ask for your cell phone number. hmmmm
7. Weapon for Tyson : FIST - This of course would be the heavyweight ear muncher, Mike.
11. Christmas choice : FIR - I suppose, but a Norway Pine or blue spruce is a great choice also. Too bad most choices are green plastic trees from Walmart, paid for with gold plastic.
14. Former drug giant : SEARLE : Founded in Omaha, and once led by Donald Rumsfeld. Contributions included Celebrex and Nutra Sweet - (Aspartame)
15. Sans employment : IDLE - I would prefer "Sit at a stop light". Something we all do daily.
16. Enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, say : ATE
19. Drop off briefly : NAP
20. Shoe with a swoosh logo : NIKE - They must make a lot of $$$ on those shoes. Plenty to share with Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie, and others.
21. Tex-Mex snack : TACO
22. M-16, e.g. : RIFLE - Introduced in the Vietnam conflict. Light weight weapon.
26. Bottlenecks : LOGJAMS - Approach one on the highway and your engine will IDLE.
30. Not hard to grasp : BASIC
31. Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE - Sorry, I really didn't get this one. Something about a hotel in New York, where I dare not go, after dark.
32. Write quickly : JOT - Scribble didn't fit
33. Sports car roof option : T-TOP - I think the Corvette was the first to sport a T-top. I never knew where they put the two roof pieces in case they were needed when it rained.
36. SkyMiles airline : DELTA - based in the huge Atlanta Airport. They have now merged with Northwest to have a major presence at MSP.
37. Make, as a sandwich : FIX
38. Ethiopia's Selassie : HAILE - Of course I remember Haile Selassie. I just can never remember how to spell his name.
39. Like flannel and fleece : SOFT - I might try like "a six and an ace"
40. Creepy-crawly : BUG
41. Tiered Asian temple : PAGODA - Also reasonably priced jewelry kiosk at many malls.
42. Butterfly's perch : PETAL - Another clue that got me.
44. Noble headpiece : CORONET - Also 110 of them followed J.P. Sousa's 76 trombones.
48. Response to a dare : CAN SO - We usually said "Can too!"
49. __ II razor : TRAC
50. Actor Morales : ESAI - Famous for role in "NYPD Blue".
54. Film buff's channel : AMC - Naturally I put TCM first. Pass the Wite-Out.
58. Stat for Ryan Howard : RBI - looks like Ryan and the Phillies are headed for the playoffs again. He is a horse, but my choice for MVP this year is the other Ryan. (Braun of the Brew Crew)
59. Having the knack : ABLE
60. Tough leather : OXHIDE - I've never known anything to be made of oxhide.
61. Subj. that helps people assimilate : ESL - Sorry, this clue escapes me
62. Niggling things : NITS - this one also
63. "Enough already!" : STOP IT
Down:
1. Publisher's ID : ISBN - I prefer puzzles with words
2. Royally named liner, briefly : QE II - see comment above
3. Heart-to-heart : TALK
4. Gardner of mysteries : ERLE - Of course famous for "Perry Mason" novels, and famous for crosswords because of the way his mom spelled his given name.
5. Shrewd : SLY - Or "Rocky" or the guy with the family Stone.
6. When strokes begin to count : TEE TIME - Oh, I thought it was not until after the second mulligan. (Or before the last gimme)
7. Rip off : FILCH
8. Couch potato's fixation : IDIOT BOX - Wow, I haven't heard the TV called that since someone thought of Boob Tube.
9. Pavement warning : SLO - could this be Slow without the W???
10. Game with tumbling blocks : TETRIS - I was addicted for awhile, but the game was not as mesmerizing as Pac Man.
12. Author Calvino : ITALO
13. Confine again, as swine : REPEN - I get it, but I'm not even sure if this is a word.
18. Trails : LAGS - Okay, but you won't hear Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing "Happy Lags to You".
23. "Did we get the bid?" : IS IT A GO - a little slangy
24. Orion Mars mission gp. : NASA
25. Acid container : VAT - I'm a baby boomer where acid was LSD. I thought they kept wine in a vat, or maybe I'm just whining.
26. Some arena displays, briefly : LEDS - Acronym for Light emitting diodes. Not too excited about using a plural form.
27. Bar from a dairy case : OLEO - I object! A bar from a dairy case might be an Eskimo Pie, a Klondike bar, or a Dreamsicle. Oleo comes in sticks, tubs, or bags. The clue could be fake butter, corn oil spread, Iowa butter, or banned in Wisconsin.
29. Pre-speech obstacle : JITTERS - Just picture everyone in the audience naked.
32. St. Patrick's Day dance : JIG - After a few green beers.
34. Ye __ Shoppe : OLDE
35. Bog fuel : PEAT - I've heard of peat bogs. Not sure if the fuel would be any good.
37. Big name in online poker : FULL TILT - Turns out that whether or not you won, you still lost. Players accounts were raided to pay the big shots. Ponzi Poker??
38. March __: Carroll character : HARE - "No time to say hello, good bye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late"
40. Sound at a shearing : BAA - Yup, I Baa'd every time my dad cut my hair
41. Stormy weather gear : PONCHOS - Plastic ones were seen frequently at ballparks this year.
43. USC athlete : TROJAN - In a little trouble with the NCAA, but who isn't. Barely squeaked by the Gophers a couple of weeks ago, (And the Gophers aren't that good, even with a coach named Kill).
44. Cold weather wear : COAT - And the cold weather will be here sooner than you think.
45. Give the creeps : SCARE
46. Sonnet line fivesome : IAMBS
47. Maritime birds : ERNES - Terns and ernes seem to turn up in many puzzles
50. Footsteps-in-an-empty-hallway sound : ECHO - Didn't like the clue. I'd prefer something like Alps answer, or Yodel back atcha.
51. Blunder : SLIP
52. BMW rival : AUDI
53. "Yeah, sure!" : I BET - "I BET I can't SLIP into an AUDI"
56. Shizuoka sash : OBI
57. Phone no. addition : EXT
Answer grid.
Boomer
Note from C.C.:
I'd like to share with you a few recent pictures of Boomer and his sports collection.
17A. *Title role in the 2009 Tony winner for Best Musical : BILLY ELLIOT. Billy club.
24A. *Advantage of some military goggles : NIGHT VISION. Nightclub.
45A. *Freetown is its capital : SIERRA LEONE. Sierra Club.
11D. *Unauthorized stories written by devotees : FAN FICTION. Fan club.
28D. *Pro shop freebie : GOLF PENCIL. Golf club.
Hello everyone, Boomer here and hopefully I'll be using one of those golf pencils today. I just hope those double digit numbers will fit in the small boxes on the card. I happened to think that the word "Puzzle" has two "Z"s as a double letter. There are a few other words with double Z but I was trying to think of a word with two Zs not together. I only came up with Marc Rzepczynski (Nickname "Scrabble"), a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. I wonder how many autographs he gets to sign each year.
Here goes today's puz zle:
Across:
1. Its median score is 100 : IQ TEST - You can now take these tests on the internet, but at the end they ask for your cell phone number. hmmmm
7. Weapon for Tyson : FIST - This of course would be the heavyweight ear muncher, Mike.
11. Christmas choice : FIR - I suppose, but a Norway Pine or blue spruce is a great choice also. Too bad most choices are green plastic trees from Walmart, paid for with gold plastic.
14. Former drug giant : SEARLE : Founded in Omaha, and once led by Donald Rumsfeld. Contributions included Celebrex and Nutra Sweet - (Aspartame)
15. Sans employment : IDLE - I would prefer "Sit at a stop light". Something we all do daily.
16. Enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, say : ATE
19. Drop off briefly : NAP
20. Shoe with a swoosh logo : NIKE - They must make a lot of $$$ on those shoes. Plenty to share with Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie, and others.
21. Tex-Mex snack : TACO
22. M-16, e.g. : RIFLE - Introduced in the Vietnam conflict. Light weight weapon.
26. Bottlenecks : LOGJAMS - Approach one on the highway and your engine will IDLE.
30. Not hard to grasp : BASIC
31. Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE - Sorry, I really didn't get this one. Something about a hotel in New York, where I dare not go, after dark.
32. Write quickly : JOT - Scribble didn't fit
33. Sports car roof option : T-TOP - I think the Corvette was the first to sport a T-top. I never knew where they put the two roof pieces in case they were needed when it rained.
36. SkyMiles airline : DELTA - based in the huge Atlanta Airport. They have now merged with Northwest to have a major presence at MSP.
37. Make, as a sandwich : FIX
38. Ethiopia's Selassie : HAILE - Of course I remember Haile Selassie. I just can never remember how to spell his name.
39. Like flannel and fleece : SOFT - I might try like "a six and an ace"
40. Creepy-crawly : BUG
41. Tiered Asian temple : PAGODA - Also reasonably priced jewelry kiosk at many malls.
42. Butterfly's perch : PETAL - Another clue that got me.
44. Noble headpiece : CORONET - Also 110 of them followed J.P. Sousa's 76 trombones.
48. Response to a dare : CAN SO - We usually said "Can too!"
49. __ II razor : TRAC
50. Actor Morales : ESAI - Famous for role in "NYPD Blue".
54. Film buff's channel : AMC - Naturally I put TCM first. Pass the Wite-Out.
58. Stat for Ryan Howard : RBI - looks like Ryan and the Phillies are headed for the playoffs again. He is a horse, but my choice for MVP this year is the other Ryan. (Braun of the Brew Crew)
59. Having the knack : ABLE
60. Tough leather : OXHIDE - I've never known anything to be made of oxhide.
61. Subj. that helps people assimilate : ESL - Sorry, this clue escapes me
62. Niggling things : NITS - this one also
63. "Enough already!" : STOP IT
Down:
1. Publisher's ID : ISBN - I prefer puzzles with words
2. Royally named liner, briefly : QE II - see comment above
3. Heart-to-heart : TALK
4. Gardner of mysteries : ERLE - Of course famous for "Perry Mason" novels, and famous for crosswords because of the way his mom spelled his given name.
5. Shrewd : SLY - Or "Rocky" or the guy with the family Stone.
6. When strokes begin to count : TEE TIME - Oh, I thought it was not until after the second mulligan. (Or before the last gimme)
7. Rip off : FILCH
8. Couch potato's fixation : IDIOT BOX - Wow, I haven't heard the TV called that since someone thought of Boob Tube.
9. Pavement warning : SLO - could this be Slow without the W???
10. Game with tumbling blocks : TETRIS - I was addicted for awhile, but the game was not as mesmerizing as Pac Man.
12. Author Calvino : ITALO
13. Confine again, as swine : REPEN - I get it, but I'm not even sure if this is a word.
18. Trails : LAGS - Okay, but you won't hear Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing "Happy Lags to You".
23. "Did we get the bid?" : IS IT A GO - a little slangy
24. Orion Mars mission gp. : NASA
25. Acid container : VAT - I'm a baby boomer where acid was LSD. I thought they kept wine in a vat, or maybe I'm just whining.
26. Some arena displays, briefly : LEDS - Acronym for Light emitting diodes. Not too excited about using a plural form.
27. Bar from a dairy case : OLEO - I object! A bar from a dairy case might be an Eskimo Pie, a Klondike bar, or a Dreamsicle. Oleo comes in sticks, tubs, or bags. The clue could be fake butter, corn oil spread, Iowa butter, or banned in Wisconsin.
29. Pre-speech obstacle : JITTERS - Just picture everyone in the audience naked.
32. St. Patrick's Day dance : JIG - After a few green beers.
34. Ye __ Shoppe : OLDE
35. Bog fuel : PEAT - I've heard of peat bogs. Not sure if the fuel would be any good.
37. Big name in online poker : FULL TILT - Turns out that whether or not you won, you still lost. Players accounts were raided to pay the big shots. Ponzi Poker??
38. March __: Carroll character : HARE - "No time to say hello, good bye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late"
40. Sound at a shearing : BAA - Yup, I Baa'd every time my dad cut my hair
41. Stormy weather gear : PONCHOS - Plastic ones were seen frequently at ballparks this year.
43. USC athlete : TROJAN - In a little trouble with the NCAA, but who isn't. Barely squeaked by the Gophers a couple of weeks ago, (And the Gophers aren't that good, even with a coach named Kill).
44. Cold weather wear : COAT - And the cold weather will be here sooner than you think.
45. Give the creeps : SCARE
46. Sonnet line fivesome : IAMBS
47. Maritime birds : ERNES - Terns and ernes seem to turn up in many puzzles
50. Footsteps-in-an-empty-hallway sound : ECHO - Didn't like the clue. I'd prefer something like Alps answer, or Yodel back atcha.
51. Blunder : SLIP
52. BMW rival : AUDI
53. "Yeah, sure!" : I BET - "I BET I can't SLIP into an AUDI"
56. Shizuoka sash : OBI
57. Phone no. addition : EXT
Answer grid.
Boomer
Note from C.C.:
I'd like to share with you a few recent pictures of Boomer and his sports collection.
73 comments:
Hello Puzzlers - What Barry said.
Just planning ahead...
Good Morning, Boomer and friends. Nice to see you again, Boomer. i like your take on the puzzles.
This was a pretty easy puzzle for a Wednesday. I did wonder for a while how all the starred clues were related, until i got to the unifier.
I think that the Subj. that Helps People Assiminate = ELS referrs to the fact that learning English as a Second Language helps foreigners communicate to Americans, who seem to refuse as a group to learn another language.
Delta Airlines should award SkyMiles for inconveniencing their customers. The Airline gladly put me on an earlier flight recently when it was convenient for the company (my flight was overbooked), but wanted to charge me an additional $50 to put me on an earlier connecting flight when it was for my convenience.
QOD: It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends. ~ J.K. Rowling
Morning, all!
What Dudley said.
Interestingly, Full Tilt is in the news today as well as in the puzzle.
Hi folks,
Fun puzzle. Thanks Julian, Boomer. Don't like SLY for shrewd. Favorite answer: ELOISE. That was the oldest daughter from Medium. Wonder what she is doing now. Wasn't March Hare different from White rabbit?
Sent back the two MacBook Pros with Lion today. Ordered last year's model instead. Can't wait!
Managed to get swimmer's ear the other day, so swimming is on hold for a bit. Friend Harvey has been watching me, after a fashion. (He cannot swim. Has negative buoyancy. Anybody swim with this?) Swimming friend Chris' leg still bleeding. 15 days now. But a moot point since she is in PA visiting ancient aunt.
Still hot here. Still waiting for DWP to OK the solar electricity. (Phooey!)
Cheers all!
Really liked yesterday's puzzle. A real speed run. Thanks to JL and Argyle. Congrats to Argyle on 220! Such an accomplishment!
Heh heh!
Seriously now, Good morning Boomer, nice to see you again. Eloise was the little troublemaker featured in a song of that name. As for the IQ test, do you suppose they lop off about 50 points if you actually do give your cell phone number?
Ummm - is oleo really banned in Wisconsin?
Just a few unknowns today, such as FAN FICTION. Never heard of the concept. Perps took care of that.
Oh, an alternate QOD I find amusing:
"Celibacy is soluble in alcohol." - Unknown
Good day folks,
Ditto Dudley & Barry!
Boomer,
Great collection. Where were you when I was trying to deplete my '55 Topps double Header inventory?
This was a fun Wed puzzle that went easily. Only slowdown was 49A. I initially entered Atra. Trac came into view soon after . 10D, Tetris, an unknown, but the across fills took care of it.
Have to run, lots going on today. Have a good day.
Hi There~!
I loved the write-up, Boomer, and the pics C.C. posted. I, too, can never remember the spelling of Haile.
As for the puzzle, it was OK, a variation on a common theme. I liked seeing the "Q" without the "U" twice, no W, or Z tho.
Splynter
Boomer: Great write-up & photo's.
Mixed feelings about this offering.
On the one hand, an OK theme we've seen before.
FAN FICTION seemed forced.
Then some really good stuff: FILCH, TETRIS & JITTERS.
FULL TILT got a grin after seeing the CNBC ponzi report yesterday.
ELOISE, all perps, and a WTF ???
AMC use to be this "Film buff's channel" until they went "commercial" and started repeating the flix's over-and-over, then over again. JMHO.
Cheers to all at Sunset.
Very smooth after my struggle with the NYT grid this AM.
@Barry G
Where is your write-up? I identify with your comments about the puzzles and your time to complete them. Please post!
Thank you all. Dudley, I embellished a bit on the OLEO. Back in the fifties, Wisconsin banned the sale of YELLOW margarine. You could buy it, but it looked like Crisco Shortening and tasted like salted lard.
Yeah. What Dudley said.
Boomer, thanks for the writeup...and WOW! 8 300 games!
IIRC, when Wisconsin banned the sale of yellow oleo, you could also buy small caplets of yellow dye to remedy the situation. Certainly a complicated solution, but one that worked.
Boomer and Dudley,
I was just reading yesterday that WI restaurants still have to serve butter rather than oleo, unless it is specifically asked for, and there is now talk of changing that law.
Boomer,
What a fun write-up, thank you!
I had many unknowns today and didn't really get the theme until here. But most things perped out except ELOISE. I didn't think of LOG as a prefix for JAMS, wanting a different word for traffic to fit there. Logs would seem to have gone the way of the old lumberjacks, in my mind anyway.
Boomer, always a pleasure. Julian Lim (another JL!) also delivered a fun puzzle, with some misdirection, unknowns (ITALO?) Mr. Lim did a fun Pirate puzzle in the NYT on Monday.
Dudley, your opener was precious, but Barry's response was gold!
I am surprised we have not had more recall ELOISE AT THE PLAZA.
The Plaza is perfectly safe; you may not want to wander off into the Park, though. I have so many memories from the hotel, from being there when they were filming movies and meeting people like Richard Pryor, General Westmorland; and watching the Veteran's Day parade with my ex-marine, ex-father in law.
Another 300 write up
Eloise is a character from Kay Thompson's books. She lived at the Plaza Hotel. There is a painting of her at the hotel. Scroll on down this link to see it.
Link Eloise
Who buys a BAR of margarine/oleo? What recipe calls for a BAR of it? Sorry, that one is really stretching, unless it's a dialectical difference that I'm unaware of. Here in NEO we refer to it--and butter, my personal choice--by STICK.
Other than that, I'm with Dudley and Barry.
And is anyone seeing any sun, anywhere? These grey days are really frosting my cupcakes. ;-(
Sorry Lemonade, we posted almost simultaneously. Since I live close to NYC, Eloise and the Plaza are forever linked in my mind. I agree that the Plaza is safe at night. You need to know where to go and not to go in the city.
Ox hide is used for purses, briefcases, guitar straps, etc.
Link ox hide purses
Good Morning Boomer, C.C. et al.
Fun write-up, Boomer, and thanks for the pics C.C. Amazing collection of stuff you have there!
I loved loved loved this puzzle, because It had me guessing all the way. The reveal was just great - both the clue and the answer JOIN THE CLUB. And the fill was nice and juicy, too:
IQ TEST, LOG JAMS, OX HIDE,IDIOT BOX, JITTERS, FULL TILT, TROJAN.
Then, I come to the corner and get to guffaw out loud when I read Dudley and Barry's comments! Yes indeed, it promises to be a happy hump day for me!
YR, One of the vagaries of commenting is the unknown post while you type.
Marti, I agree about the fill, and I guess a good day your DH is on the way.
Good morning everyone. Nice to see your comments, Boomer.
I had the puzzle about ¾ completed when I got the club unifier. The theme phrases fell relatively easily. Two strikethroughs - moon for T-TOP, and wool for SOFT.
I don't think Julian planned it but I thought it was interesting to see QE II and Freetown - SIERRA LEONE in the same puzzle. During the Falklands War in May, 1982, The UK Gov't requisioned the RMS Queen Elizabeth II to transport troops to the Falklands. After a quick suitable conversion, she proceeded on her mission. Due to the great distances involved and since the Brits did not have significant RAS (replenishment at sea) capability,she had to put into Freetown, Sierra Leone, to replenish fuel and water and the port call was done in great secrecy for her protection. (Argentina had subs and air assets.)
Enjoy the day.
Good Morning, folks. Thank you Julian, for a great Wednesday puzzle. Nice to see you again, Boomer. Great write-up. Great collection you have.
Worked through this easily. ISBN came to me because we just discussed that at our book club last week. QEII was a gimme. IQ TEST then came easily. I was off and running.
Was able to get all the themes before the unifier. Lucky.
I agree with someone earlier about 27D, never heard of a bar of OLEO. I actually quit using oleo/margarine. I am a 100 percent butter user. I read somewhere that your body is able to handle butter better than manufactured food, such as oleo, because butter is natural food. I am not a nutrition expert at all, but what I red made sense to me.
See you tomorrow, after I get to Pennsylvania. I am actually flying for a change. Landing at Bradford. Closest airport to Johnsonburg. Bradford is the home of Case knives and Zippo lighters, FYI.
Abejo
Good Morning All - Ditto
@Boomer - the only one I can think of is pizzaz
Good morning, all. Impressive collections, Boomer, and great write up for Julian's fun puzzle. All unknowns were easily 'perp'etrated. Not really any NITS to niggle about.
HAILE got me at first, as I always think of Halle's Department Store that was a fixture for many years in Downtown Cleveland.
Mike Tyson used other parts of his anatomy as a weapon a few times. He should have stuck to FISTs.
Dudley and Barry, thanks for starting the day with a knee-slapper.
Boomer thought of two more:
Zigzag & Razzmatazz
I remember in the late '40's that mom would buy OLEO on her weekly shopping trip. It was white, in a clear plastic bag. There was a dye capsule in the bag that would break when you pinched it. Then I got to knead the bag for several minutes until it was a uniform yellow color throughout. I'm not sure if it was state or federal law that prohibited the selling of already colored OLEO because it was considered a deceptive marketing practice.
@Hahtool, if Delta--or, let's face it, any airline--awarded frequent flier miles for annoying their customers, they'd never sell another ticket.
@fermat, yes, the White Rabbit and the March Hare are different characters.
@Dudley, oleo is not illegal in Wisconsin. In fact, I just bought some the other day. It *was* illegal up until 1967, and even now it's illegal to serve it in restaurants unless butter is offered alongside it. There are periodic attempts to get the law repealed, but since it doesn't really cause any inconvenience or cost any money, the attempts never go anywhere.
Tinbeni, what seems forced about FAN FICTION? Take the word of someone who's read a lot of it and even written a few stories, it's a very real thing that's been around under that name for close to fifty years.
Thank you for your nice puzzle Mr. Lim. I barely finished it, by the skin of my whiskers. I think this puzzle, with some of the arcane matter, hits the limit of my xword IQ. I now retire for the week.
Thank you, Boomer, for a very enjoyable blog. Your writing is so very charming. I was surprised you didnt know ESL.( CC, of course, would never have had to use it .... )
Thought of Marti Rx when I saw 'Nits'. Having never played golf, I was surprised, that they gave out golDpencils at pro-shops - they must really rip you off, on the regular merchandise, to make that kind of money.! (lol)
Alt QOD: Fish is perhaps the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like just what it is. ~ P. J. O'Rourke.
Dudley, I LOVED your Alt QOD - wrote it down ... and crammed it to memory ! ( I Don't drink much .... )
Dudley, Re: your Alt QOD, how about ...
Misery soaks alcohol and vice versa ?
Boomer:
Zanzibar
Zambezi (River)
Re: OLEO. Growing up on a dairy farm in NYS, Oleo was forbidden at our eating table, once butter came off rationing after WWII.
Fun puzzle. Thanks for the writeup Boomer. No red letters or Googling for me today!
Nance: Yes it's been overcast here a lot too, especially in the mornings. But I'm not complaining because the days have stayed pleasantly cool.
I much prefer butter to margarine. I remember my mother trying margarine when I was a kid. It came with food dye too to make it yellow. I had heard it was because of a law championed by the dairy industry lobby to give butter a continuing marketing advantage.
Good Morning All, I liked Julian Lim's puzzle and Boomer's take on it. Lots of fun to be had.
Early on, I oh-so-cleverly drifted down the grid to find a unifier. I found it, filled it and it still didn't help me one bit until all the fill were in place. The V-8 can finally bounced off my forehead. It was a lovely lightbulb moment.
I liked seeing 12D)ITALO. I recently read "If On A Winter's Night, A Traveler". It can be difficult to follow, so don't read it when you are sleepy. (My mistake.)
My younger sister was a big 31A)ELOISE fan and I read all the books to her. Secretly, I loved ELOISE too.
FILL TILT Poker was unknown....Phew, that's a good thing!
Grumpy1@9:29, last year Carol and I reminisced about kneading yellow food coloring into bags of OLEO when we were kiddies. It was fun for about 3 minutes. Unfortunately the task took 5 or 6 minutes..."Mommy, I'm tired!"
I'll do something with those IAMBS in a little while.
jheaton: re: FAN FICTION
File it in the "you learn something new everyday" category.
I wiki'd and learned quite a bit about this.
I especially liked the Lev Grossman, in TIME magazine, July 18, 2011 quote:
"Fanfiction is what literature might look like if it were reinvented from scratch after a nuclear apocalypse by a band of brilliant pop-culture junkies trapped in a sealed bunker."
Obviously, not my "Snifter of Scotch."
A sonnet consists of fourteen lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with a particular rhyming scheme. One of the common English schemes is: "ABBA CDDC EFFE GG". This poet might surprise you.
Our minds are married, but we are too young
Our minds are married, but we are too young
For wedlock by the customs of this age
When parent homes pen each in separate cage
And only supper-earning songs are sung.
Times past, when medieval woods were green,
Babes were betrothed, and that betrothal brief.
Remember Romeo in love and grief—
Those star-crossed lovers—Juliet was fourteen.
Times past, the caveman by his new-found fire
Rested beside his mate in woodsmoke’s scent.
By our own fireside we shall rest content
Fifty years hence keep troth with hearts desire.
We shall remember, when our hair is white,
These clouded days revealed in radiant light.
- George Orwell, 1903-1950
Clear Ayes:
When I wrote in the answer this morning for 46-D, Sonnet line fivesome, IAMBs, I thought of you.
You have probably taught me more about poetry than my prior teachers.
I always look forward to your poems.
Thank you!
In rural Scotland, we saw PEAT cut into blocks by hand and set out to dry. (Mechanization is also used to cut peat, but we didn't see that.) Peat is still being used for heat in some homes there.
Here is another interesting use. Some Scotch whisky distilleries use peat fires to dry malted barley. This gives some Scotch whisky a distinctive smoky flavour, often called "peatiness".
ECHO reminds me of the old radio programs. (Pre-TV) The ECHOing of footsteps down an empty hallway was creepy.
I automatically filled in OLEO for BAR FROM A DAIRY CASE without batting an eye. My mother started using oleo because of WWII rationing and continued thereafter because it was less expensive than butter. We were a large family on a small income. I, too, remember kneading the button of yellow coloring into the white oleo. Maybe that's why I love butter so much today.
The standard Elizabethan sonnet (aka Shakespearean sonnet) has a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Each set of four lines (a quatrain) has a specific structure. The first quatrain introduces the situation or conflict; the second provides specifics, or gives a clear picture or moment; the third quatrain restates the problem/situation; the couplet or pair of lines at the end can do several things. It can sum up; it can offer a new insight or "Eureka!" moment of epiphany, or it can offer a lament. The English sonnet (yet another term for this art form!) usually follows this structure somewhat loosely.
My creative writing students had a real love/hate relationship with The Sonnet. Creativity within limits, I would tell them. I love to write them. They are a wonderful challenge.
Thanks to JL another puzzle I could do. Yay! Good blog Boomer.
One little NIT, Boomer, CorOnet is a crown. CORNET without the second O is the brass instrument behind the 76 trombones. Got sore lips playing one through high school. It is much like a trumpet but not as elongated. No matter. Bowl on!
Aloha Boomer and all,
Impressive collection Boomer, and an outstanding write up. I filled "join the club", but had NO idea why until you literally handed me a healthy v-8.
I just love the Wed. Puzzle, and this was no exception. I thought of CA while trying to fill Billy Elliot. Ironically, logjams was my last entry.Laughed at oxhide after filling ext. Searle and isbn had to be
We're off this morning to a rice mill and a taro farm. Several endangered bird species nest there..got my camera.
Boomer, you left out one of the theme entries: HARE CLUB- Group formed by a balding Eddie Rabbit.
PAGODA- Abe's father.
Tyson, FIST, and IDIOT BOX. There ya go.
Just for the heck of it- Change CORONET to COLONEL and it still works. More interesting word... yes?
Good day, cyber friends. Boomer, thank you for your charmingly funny blogging.
What an impressive collection you have! And impressive bowling track record.
Hahtool explained ESL and believe me students flock to the class; their articulated motivation is to find better jobs.
Today's puzzle seemed easy for a Wednesday with some fun fill already mentioned and commented on by our resident comics, Dudley and Barry. LOL
However, sports did me in as usual as TEETIME and TETRIS, okay not sport but gaming, did not readily pop out and was left with BILLY ALLIOR.
CA, I also thought of you with IAMBS and looked forward to your posting.
Nance:
If you want sunshine, Arizona is the place for you. We have it in abundance. Not a cloud in sight.
Abejo:
I'm with you on the butter issue and for the same reason. All in moderation, don't you think?
Have a super Wednesday, everyone! My sisters have given me the day off so I can rest.
The medieval people married young, gave birth young and mostly died younger than today. After two daughters waited until 30's to try for babies and had awful and expensive experiences with only one live birth between the pair of them, one wonders if the old "medieval" natural no-pill, take-babies-as-they-come method isn't preferable.
Good afternoon everybody.
Boomer: terrific write up. And I loved this puzzle because I got most of it – on a Wednesday! I too missed PETAL. And your solution for JITTERS is sublime.
And New York, except for Central Park, is perfectly safe at night. I have walked alone or with my son's dog many times with no happenings. So go and enjoy it. DH & I shall spend a week there with my son and d-i-l in October. So much to see and do.
I also didn't know and wagged ELLIOT after BILLY, which is funny because Elliott is my maiden name.
Cheers
P.S.
Nance, Naples, Florida is another place with sunny days almost always.
We do get some rain or thunder lately in the afternoon sometimes. It's great. (Of course it's hot, but AC fixes that - or the beach.
P.P.S.
Will someone explain the need for and how much is asked for in the plea for donations? It's a surprise.
Tinbeni, thank you too.
JD, I loved BILLY ELLIOT, the movie. So far I haven't seen the musical. It's on my list.
fermatprime, yes, the White Rabbit and March HARE were two different characters. The White Rabbit (Bill Thompson) "sang" I'm Late in Disney's 1951 animated movie. The March Hare (voiced by comedian Jerry Colonna) was present at Disney's Un-Birthday Party. Happy Un-Birthday Everyone!
The Disney movie was fun for kids, but I prefer Lewis Carroll's book and "Through the Looking Glass" even more. They're bound books I haven't "Kindle-ized". I'm sure I'll want to read them again.
Speaking of things British, I came across this Orwellian essay, A Nice Cup of Tea. Orwell had very definite ideas about how to make the perfect beverage. I'm curious if Nice Cuppa, or other tea fanciers agree.
Great puzzle for someone whose fav sandwich is, yup, a CLUB! Fun write-up Boomer! I am subbing today and have time off from 11:10 am to 1:27 pm and so I am writing this from home after doing the puzzle while home for lunch.
Musings
-Mike Tyson was on the Charlie Sheen Roast last week and he has gone from frightening to docile (sort of).
-Michelle Wie is now a spokesperson for Kia. This video never shows her in this very small, inexpensive car but does show lecherous men following her every move.
-TACO not TAPA. DOVE bar and I watch TCM too!
-That makes 186 just playing trombones and coronets! Big bus!
-ESL is big in our schools with burgeoning Hispanic population!
-Pickup up that 10 footer, Boomer, it’s good!
-Gotta run back to school so I am NOT "late for a very important date!"
What "plea" for donations?
Re; CORONET again. Boomer, what did you mean about J.P.Sousa? He wrote lots of great marches but I'm pretty sure Meredith Wilson wrote Seventy-six Trombones along with all of the other great songs in The Music Man. BTW, again -- a very enjoyable writeup.
Morning all,Boomer
Nice and easy offering from JuLi today, but I didn't care much for Golf Pencil, Ball Marker would have done the trick and kept the theme alive, not to mention make more sense,but what do I know.
It's going on 10 years now working on my Pagoda...no I'm not building a Temple..it's a 1967 MBZ 250SL. they are called Pagodas cos of the shape of their roofs. we just finished rebuilding the engine, and the car should be ready for show before the end of the year..fingers crossed ..I can't wait..I'll post pictures soon.
Ya'll have a good day
Hi gang -
Boomer - fun stuff. Great to see you and actually see you.
I thought this was an inordinately tough Wednesday, but maybe I'm just off, since I didn't suss the theme. Never heard of BILLY ELLIOT. Couldn't remember ELOISE.
But I do have the opportunity to point out that the Ye in YE OLDE is actually THE, spelt with the rune "THORN" in place of the "TH."
Since I'm in put-too-fine-a-point-on-it mode, I'll also point out that the those 110 things that LAG me are CORNETS, not CORONETS.
I could possibly take me 8 games to total 300. But who counts . . .
Beautiful sunny day yesterday, partly so today.
Cheers!
JzB who would never write FAN FICTION with a GOLF PENCIL
This joke doesn't translate well to the written word, but here goes:
First guy: "Did you hear about the fellow that bowled three hundred and one?"
Second guy: "No. That's impossible."
First guy: "Really? No one ever bowled 300 and lost." :-)
Jazz:
Thank you for mentioning CORNETS as I had a question about it but failed to ask.
Taco is not tex mex!!!!! A fajita is but not taco. Get it right!!!!!
Is so anon, look it up
When you consider how many women used to die in childbirth (one of my great-grandmothers) and how many babies died within the first few days of birth, I would say the old ways had problems as well. There are women in their 40's and even 50's having safe wonderful births, and there are teenagers who have problems. Like all of our existence, it is more complicated than we think. We may be homos but we are not sapiens.
Great to see you Jerome. The week would be perfect if one your puzzles filled out schedule.
41D, 43D, 44D...
PONCHOS, followed by TROJAN, followed by COAT
Be safe out there, people. And protect yourself - from the weather.
Settle down, Anon-Amigos. Maybe we'll hear from Lucina, our expert on Mexican cooking. Can a TACO be a Tex-Mex snack, or is it an unadaptable Mexican (no hyphen) only favorite? Two or three Tacos de camarones (love that shrimp), or Tacos de pescado made with tilapia makes a meal....so good! I've eaten these in Rosarito Beach, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and east coast Mexican destinations, as well as the U.S. South-West. I love 'em no matter what they are called.
Anon@12:32, I hope your grandchild is healthy and blooming. I can appreciate that your daughters had tragic experiences in the hands of modern medicine, but I tend to agree with Lemonade. Very few people, particularly teen-agers, are equipped, either physically or financially to "take-babies-as-they-come".
LOL (literally, Avg Joe) I love modern medicine. I wouldn't be writing this if not for the advances of the past 20 years or so.
A lot of wouldn't be on this blog if it were for modern medicine. And there are new advances every day.
I was intrigued by Lemonade's remark - we may be "homos" but we are not "sapiens". I looked it up. So, as to spare other readers, from the effort -
Homo - Man
Sapiens - wise, rational.
Trust Lemonade ( a Solon ? ) to come up with such a witty remark.
Actually, as Lemonade pointed out - the complications of pregnancy are so numerous, and have such a variety of reasons, that IMHO, our (collective ) wisdom is besides the point - our DNA and genes and environmental and other factors pretty much make up all the decisions for us. Our limited ability in advances in the medical fields, are puny compared to the giant mass of uncontrollable variables out there. However, it is generally believed that the scientifically optimal child-bearing-years are ( unfortunately) at an age much lower than the age of marriage in most developed societies.
Hi, gang, especially C.C, and Boomer! Good to see you both and great work, Boomer. I like your humor!
Well, I made it through this one without assistance; I guess I can be proud of that.
Oh dear, Hahtool says it was easy! No wonder I got it.
Anyway, I liked it and don't really have any comments or nits to pick.
CA,
I like my black tea the way my family always served it at home: Just as your link describes for the heated tea pot, only we scald it with some of the hot water just before it boils. Then add the tea to the drained pot, one teaspoon for the pot, and one for each cup (My Dad used to say "one for each person and one for the pot"), or if your pot holds more, you are allowing for a second cup for some people. The link was right about the boiling water too. Let it steep a few minutes, stir once if you like, but I think the leaves scatter enough when the water hits them. I like milk in mine--definitely no cream, but putting it in first was the way we used to do it. Now I don't care if it is added to the cup later. I also like sugar in mine, but less now than I did as a kid.
Dodo: sometimes I find puzzles incredibly difficult and others think they are easy. Just because today's puzzle was easy for me, doesn't mean that everyone should have found it so. Congratulations on being able to complete the puzzle this far into the week, sometimes on Wednesdays I have to resort to google.
If you have not yet watched Jeopardy! today, you will enjoy the hare/rabbit experience on it.
Clear Ayes:
Thank you for such a vote of confidence but I believe the article you linked it explained Tex-Mex quite well.
Southwestern Mexican food is such an olio of cultures including Spanish, Mexican, Native American and individual regions that it is difficult to pinpoint it to one section. Corn was unknown in the old World, so we know that contribution was Native American. From there it evolved gradually and differently in other parts of the continent.
Avg Joe: that was a terrible joke... I can't wait to tell it at work tomorrow! [grin]
Re: 37d. FULL TILT. In case you haven't read it, today's WSJ has a front page article about the US DOJ filing a civil suit against several principals of Full Tilt alleging overpayment to themselves from depleted player funds on deposit with the company.
Jerome, so glad to see you back! Your post tickled my funny bone... You've been missed.
Late getting back. Thanks one and all for your info about oleo, particularly the part about artificial color. That was evidently before my time. I do recall my Mom talking about having to mix in the fake dye; right or wrong, I connected that with WWII and the food shortages therein.
Speaking of which, I have great respect for our nation's accomplishments and sacrifices in that war. I hope it's never necessary again.
Ditto, Tinbeni @ 11:53.
I was thinking about this just the other day.
I've been out of the loop lately.
Hope to get back in soon.
Dodo hang in there; love those posts. You always hit the nail on the head.
Dennis, I really miss you and what you did for this blog. Hope your life is good.
Argyle, It's impressive when there is a number to attach to praise. Unfortunately, There doesn't seem to be a number for your value to this blog or to me personally. Every Sunday AM, I thank you when I print "Two Pages" and can painlessly read the puzzle. It's automatic for me three days a week; plus , I always know you're there for us, daily.
You're unassuming manner is a sign of greatness; thank you so much for being there.
CA, my note to Tinbeni was meant to be followed by my deepest gratitude to you personally. I always look forward to your posts; in addition, I am enjoying it more, because of your gentle guidance in the poetry dept. Thanks.
Oops!
I forgot to thank Julian for the fun puzzle; and Boomer for the write-up and CC for sharing Boomer's impressive collection and photos.
Thank you, thank you and thank you!
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