Theme: Homophone Time - The first words of the three theme entries are pronounced the same.
16A. Sniveled, "But I don't wanna!" : WHINED IN PROTEST. Vivid image.
29A. Treated like royalty : WINED AND DINED
47A. Take care of every last detail : WIND UP LOOSE ENDS. I've only used "tie up loose ends".
C.C. here. No write-up from our bubbly Marti this morning. Hope she's alright. I'll just publish a skeletal write-up and fill in my comments later. (Updated at 6:00am: all done. Thanks for the patience.)
Not our usual Thursday theme, which often features more tricks and wordplay. This one has a straightforward Monday feel, with only 3 theme entries. But the grid has a Saturday design, with only 70 words, six of which are 3-letter words.
This is second time in a row that Jeff has a grid spanner non-theme entry in his puzzle. I feel he has been experimenting and exploring new ways to spice up his grids. Additionally, like Brad Wilber, Jeff likes using single helper squares in the corners of the grid to smooth out his fill. And he always produces the smoothest fill.
Across:
1. Composes, as a telegram : TAPS OUT. Is telegram still in use?
8. Render harmless, in a way : DE-CLAW. And 10D. Critter to 8-Across, perhaps : CAT.
14. Warranty contract fig. : SERIAL NO. Nice entry.
15. Hold 'em challenge : I RAISE
18. Flagrant felonies : ARSONS
19. Moxie : GUTS
20. Puffin kin : AUK
21. Damon and others : MATTS. And a Matt Dillon.
22. Like runts : PUNY
23. River in a 1957 film title : KWAI. "The Bridge on the River Kwai".
24. What much may follow : IN AS. Inasmuch. Tough to clue this answer.
25. Indigo Girls song, e.g. : DUET
26. Fetches flies : SHAGS
27. Common starting word : MAMA. Same as Chinese.
28. Male mallards : DRAKES
33. Symbolic trees of Lebanon : CEDARS. One on their flag.
34. Days in Durango : DIAS
35. Loosely arrange : DRAPE
36. Like a soufflé : EGGY
37. Scrapple meat : PORK. Bill's favorite breakfast, Scrapple.
41. Prefix with byte : TERA. Prefix for "trillion".
42. Pantry lineup : JARS
43. Broadcast network : AIRER
44. Like the Opry? : OLE. Grand Ole Opry.
45. Brand of syrup : KARO
46. Beatles nonsense syllables : OB-LA-DI
50. Tennis great Goolagong : EVONNE. Aussie.
51. Traces : VESTIGES
52. Puts new prices on : RE-TAGS
53. He voiced curmudgeonly Carl in "Up" : ED ASNER. His name appears way too often in the bottom of the grid due to its friendly letter combination.
Down:
1. Azadi Tower city : TEHRAN. I've never heard of this tower.
2. Barry Manilow's longtime label : ARISTA
3. Some Côte-d'Or reds : PINOTS
4. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. You've got to commit his name into memory.
5. Auto industry pioneer : OLDS
6. __-ball pens : UNI
7. Flooring joint : TONGUE AND GROOVE. A delight for Splynter! Any good anagram on this entry, Jerome?
8. Unsportsmanlike : DIRTY
9. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS
11. Stare at the ceiling, maybe : LIE AWAKE. I don't. Solid 8 hours of sleep.
12. Eased : ASSUAGED
13. Sloppy greeting from a puppy : WET KISS. Here is how to say "I love you" in Cantonese. Love George Lam. "Wo Ai Ni" is Mandarin spelling. Ni becomes "Ney" in Cantonese.
14. Guru : SWAMI
17. Give up the ball : PUNT
22. Tawny predator : PUMA
23. Kublai __ : KHAN. Grandson of Genghis Khan.
25. A&W competitor : DADS
26. Hindu titles : SRIs
27. __ mortals : MERE
28. Time for action : D-DAY
29. TV roving reporter's opening : WE'RE LIVE. Great answer.
30. Words of reluctance : I DARE NOT. Another nice one. Multi-word entries are always preferable.
31. County with grapes on its seal : NAPA
32. Finds cool, man : DIGS
33. Storage for jewel cases : CD TOWER. History.
36. British peer : EARL
37. Offer to a bunch of hitchhikers : PILE IN (Note: Argyle answered my question earlier.)
38. Valencia, for one : ORANGE
39. Not as well-done : REDDER
40. __ Kringle : KRISS
42. Makes fun of : JAPES
43. Picks the locks for, perhaps : ABETS. Oh, no hair locks today?
45. "__ Fu Panda": 2008 animated film : KUNG. Jackie Chan is also an enduring figure in Cantonpop (Cantonese Pop Music).
46. Greek high point : OSSA. Mt Ossa.
48. It was Genentech's stock ticker symbol, aptly : DNA. Very wise for them to pick the symbol.
49. 20-volume ref. : OED
Answer grid.
C.C.
16A. Sniveled, "But I don't wanna!" : WHINED IN PROTEST. Vivid image.
29A. Treated like royalty : WINED AND DINED
47A. Take care of every last detail : WIND UP LOOSE ENDS. I've only used "tie up loose ends".
C.C. here. No write-up from our bubbly Marti this morning. Hope she's alright. I'll just publish a skeletal write-up and fill in my comments later. (Updated at 6:00am: all done. Thanks for the patience.)
Not our usual Thursday theme, which often features more tricks and wordplay. This one has a straightforward Monday feel, with only 3 theme entries. But the grid has a Saturday design, with only 70 words, six of which are 3-letter words.
This is second time in a row that Jeff has a grid spanner non-theme entry in his puzzle. I feel he has been experimenting and exploring new ways to spice up his grids. Additionally, like Brad Wilber, Jeff likes using single helper squares in the corners of the grid to smooth out his fill. And he always produces the smoothest fill.
Across:
1. Composes, as a telegram : TAPS OUT. Is telegram still in use?
8. Render harmless, in a way : DE-CLAW. And 10D. Critter to 8-Across, perhaps : CAT.
14. Warranty contract fig. : SERIAL NO. Nice entry.
15. Hold 'em challenge : I RAISE
18. Flagrant felonies : ARSONS
19. Moxie : GUTS
20. Puffin kin : AUK
21. Damon and others : MATTS. And a Matt Dillon.
22. Like runts : PUNY
23. River in a 1957 film title : KWAI. "The Bridge on the River Kwai".
24. What much may follow : IN AS. Inasmuch. Tough to clue this answer.
25. Indigo Girls song, e.g. : DUET
26. Fetches flies : SHAGS
27. Common starting word : MAMA. Same as Chinese.
28. Male mallards : DRAKES
33. Symbolic trees of Lebanon : CEDARS. One on their flag.
34. Days in Durango : DIAS
35. Loosely arrange : DRAPE
36. Like a soufflé : EGGY
37. Scrapple meat : PORK. Bill's favorite breakfast, Scrapple.
41. Prefix with byte : TERA. Prefix for "trillion".
42. Pantry lineup : JARS
43. Broadcast network : AIRER
44. Like the Opry? : OLE. Grand Ole Opry.
45. Brand of syrup : KARO
46. Beatles nonsense syllables : OB-LA-DI
50. Tennis great Goolagong : EVONNE. Aussie.
51. Traces : VESTIGES
52. Puts new prices on : RE-TAGS
53. He voiced curmudgeonly Carl in "Up" : ED ASNER. His name appears way too often in the bottom of the grid due to its friendly letter combination.
Down:
1. Azadi Tower city : TEHRAN. I've never heard of this tower.
2. Barry Manilow's longtime label : ARISTA
3. Some Côte-d'Or reds : PINOTS
4. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. You've got to commit his name into memory.
5. Auto industry pioneer : OLDS
6. __-ball pens : UNI
7. Flooring joint : TONGUE AND GROOVE. A delight for Splynter! Any good anagram on this entry, Jerome?
8. Unsportsmanlike : DIRTY
9. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS
11. Stare at the ceiling, maybe : LIE AWAKE. I don't. Solid 8 hours of sleep.
12. Eased : ASSUAGED
13. Sloppy greeting from a puppy : WET KISS. Here is how to say "I love you" in Cantonese. Love George Lam. "Wo Ai Ni" is Mandarin spelling. Ni becomes "Ney" in Cantonese.
14. Guru : SWAMI
17. Give up the ball : PUNT
22. Tawny predator : PUMA
23. Kublai __ : KHAN. Grandson of Genghis Khan.
25. A&W competitor : DADS
26. Hindu titles : SRIs
27. __ mortals : MERE
28. Time for action : D-DAY
29. TV roving reporter's opening : WE'RE LIVE. Great answer.
30. Words of reluctance : I DARE NOT. Another nice one. Multi-word entries are always preferable.
31. County with grapes on its seal : NAPA
32. Finds cool, man : DIGS
33. Storage for jewel cases : CD TOWER. History.
36. British peer : EARL
37. Offer to a bunch of hitchhikers : PILE IN (Note: Argyle answered my question earlier.)
38. Valencia, for one : ORANGE
39. Not as well-done : REDDER
40. __ Kringle : KRISS
42. Makes fun of : JAPES
43. Picks the locks for, perhaps : ABETS. Oh, no hair locks today?
45. "__ Fu Panda": 2008 animated film : KUNG. Jackie Chan is also an enduring figure in Cantonpop (Cantonese Pop Music).
46. Greek high point : OSSA. Mt Ossa.
48. It was Genentech's stock ticker symbol, aptly : DNA. Very wise for them to pick the symbol.
49. 20-volume ref. : OED
Answer grid.
C.C.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well with Marti...
Very crunchy puzzle today. I don't recall any unknowns (well, perhaps EVONNE), but the clues seemed amped up a bit. I couldn't even get started in the NW corner and had to come back to it later, due to things like TAPPED OUT, TEHRAN and SERIAL NO that simply did not spring to mind when reading the clues.
I agree with C.C. that the common phrase is "TIE UP LOOSE ENDS". Even knowing the theme, I still wanted TIE or TIED at the beginning of 47A. Actually, I wanted TIED and was a bit annoyed that the tenses didn't match and TIE wouldn't fit. I was all set to stick in TIED and come here to complain about the tense mismatch, but then I remembered the theme and had my little V-8 moment.
It was nice, btw, to see such a wonderful grid-spanning answer 7D.
WBG (what Barry said)
ReplyDelete1-Across could have been clued better, like just: Telegrams : Taps out (telegram as a verb).
Good Morning, C.C., and friends. Hope you are okay, Marti.
ReplyDeleteSeeing only two long answers on the top row was a bit intimidating for a Thursday. I had to google the Azadi Tower, but after that, things fell into place rather easily. I had never heard of that tower, either.
I did learn, however, that Cans are not lined up in the pantry, but JARS are.
I also liked the crossing of PUNT and PUNY.
Of course, I thought of Splynter when I read Floor Joint. I was also pleased that I could answer that clue!
QOD: Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt. ~ Herbert Hoover
Good Morning C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteI am so bummed I didn't get to write up this great puzzle, C.C. My network was down last night and I couldn't get online at all. I waited until around 1 am, and finally gave up! Thanks for filling in.
So basically, all I get to say is "What Barry Said", or WBS.
More about 4-Down: Composer Saint-__
ReplyDeleteI stuck with Buffy St. Marie for a long time. I failed to remember she is Sainte Marie. Camille(Charles) Saint-Saëns who was also famous for "The Carnival of the Animals", composed "Danse Macabre". Getting ready for Halloween?
Boy, I thought that northwest corner was tough! Particularly because I wagged JEDDAH for TEHRAN and JOTSOUT for TAPSOUT. I was desperately trying to come up with a red wine that began with a "T". But once TAPS "clicked", then PINOTS fell into place, and suddenly it was done.
ReplyDeleteI thought the easiest answer was TONGUEANDGROOVE -- got that one right away.
BTW, does your newspaper print the theme, when there is one? The Barnacle doesn't. I totally missed today's theme until I read CC's writeup.
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteMarti, happy to know you are okay.
NW corner a bear for me too. Left it for last. I was also bothered by Wind up loose ends. Was thinking Pick up .......
Remember Evonne Goolagong well, but wanted Yvonne until CD Tower saved me. Guess I was thinking about an actress, Yvonne DeCarlo, from the 50's.
Sloppy greeting from a puppy still a daily event here from our 14 month old collie.
Tera Byte new term to me. Kept trying to make Mega Byte work, but perps saved the day.
This was an enjoyable puzzle with a lot of fresh cluing. A nice Thursday offering. Thanks Jeff.
Do you follow any sports Barry?
ReplyDeleteDesper-otto et al.
ReplyDeleteOur paper only prints the theme on Sunday. The rest of the week I'm left to have it unfold as I solve.
Was intimidated by the Saturday look today--wondering if I would get done by the time I need to go to work, but not as bad as expected.
Good Morning, folks. Thanks, Jeff, for a unique puzzle. It was fun. Thank you C.C., for the swell write-up.
ReplyDeleteAs usual got started slowly. Went South and started with YVONNE, which I eventually corrected to EVONNE.
Got the entire South and slowly worked up.
Some very clever and not-often-used words. ASSUAGED, VESTIGES.
CEDARS came easily. I am a member of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon.
The original name of the Azadi Tower was the "Shayad Monument." Built by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran. The name was changed by the Iranian Revolutionaries in 1979. I went by that monument many times while living there. It was near Mehrabad Airport.
Great start to the day. Next I am off to my eye doctor for a check up. I expect to be doing this the rest of my life.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
C.C.:
ReplyDeleteYour date is off at the top, FYI. It says Oct 17, 2011.
Abejo
Good morning all. C.C., thank for the comments.
ReplyDeleteNo WHINing or kvetching today. When I saw the (Saturday-like) grid I wondered where we were going. But the NE quickly filled in and I began to get the homophone theme. I had 'grit' before GUTS so I had to use the Wite Out™ today. Also had a 'Y' in EVONNE, until CD TOWER was clear. Liked seeing ASSUAGED and VESTIGES. We occasionally had Scrapple in the Navy. Didn't know what was in it, but it tasted good. Overall, the solve seemed a little on the easy side for a Thursday. Good job, Jeff.
Have a great day.
My initial look at the grid led me to believe Rich did not have a calendar as it looked very Saturdayish but DUET/DADS got me started and my WHINE subsided. Lots of fun and learning on Jeff’s puzzle!
ReplyDeleteMusings-
-TIED/WIND was/is perplexing
-Would have preferred Uses telegraph for 1A as TAPSOUT seems to be the actual sending not the composition
-NEUTER was my Render harmless act for that CAT
-ARAISE/IRAISE and CANS/JARS choice.
-Damon and Pythias? Nope, Matt.
-Bridge On The River Kwai shows British stoicism about as well as any other movie!
-The original Grand Ole Opry still has the pews from when it hosted revivals!
-TEHRAN and ARISTA were great WAG’s
-Grandson’s athletic clothing must say PUMA
-Do people still pickup hitchhikers? I wouldn’t even pick up Claudette Colbert!
-Hahtool, no president/congress combo has left such a large debt!
THREE theme, ONE is questionable? Meh!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, all. Thanks for filling in this morning, C.C. and glad to hear that Marti's absence was only a minor glitch. Comcast has been making lots of changes around here and it seems we lose internet/phone for a few minutes to a few hours on a pretty regular basis.
ReplyDeleteA quick look at the NW didn't show anything that popped out at me but I saw that down grid spanner and knew it had to be TONGUE AND GROOVE. I went down the line on that and filled several of the perps, which led to more fill and suddenly there I was with the whole puzzle filled... except for everything west of OLDS in the NW corner. I figured out the theme, which gave me WHINED and the rest fell into place.
Tie up loose ends or wrap up is the phrase I've always used or heard, but the perps forced WIND UP. Once I saw that it was part of the theme it was easier to accept.
The Saturday type construction did look a little daunting at first, and having two corners with only one letter linking each to the rest of the puzzle is almost like solving three separate puzzles. Unusual puzzle for a Thursday, but not that bad after all.
C.C.: Great Pinch-hitting.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, that gives me an idea ...
Jeff: FUN Friday! oops, it's only Thursday?
My slog made me think I missed a day.
Hand up on the "TIED" before WIND.
When I saw the AZADI Tower photo, I remember it be linked here a llooonnnggg time ago.
Off "ABET" I put in "A and E" for my Broadcast network before PILE-IN and (there's that) ORANGE, got me AIRED.
"TONGUE AND GROOVE" didn't make me think of a Flooring joint.
Cheers a little early ...
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteLots of fresh and interesting fill. I took the hunter-gatherer approach to this intimidating puzzle, but still got a DNF - though not because of DNA - except for my own, maybe.
I mostly agree with Gary, except I probably would stop for Claudette,
Didn't know where that tower is, and can't spel TERHAN, anyway. Nor YVONNE. Chardonnays are PINOTS, PINOT GRIX is also white, so I'm a bit conflicted about that NOIRISH clue. IN AS is a particularly awkward partial.
TONGUE AND GROOVE plus WINED AND DINED threw me onto the wrong thematic track. I don't WHINE IN PROTEST about grid spanning down fill, but it ought not echo the structure of a theme entry. Unless theme misdirection is now a part of the constructor's arsenal, this strikes me as a pretty major flaw.
/KVETCH
Cheers!
JzB will occasionally LIE AWAKE
If you read the note to Gary's Claudette vid, you'll find that Bugs Bunny's mannerisms were based on Gable's antics in that scene.
ReplyDeleteI see the latest NASCAR snack is a funnel cake topped with bacon and chocolate. I think I'd rather DRAPE EGGY PORK over it.
Learned the word JAPE reading George R.R. Martin.
Cheers!
JzB has LOOSE ENDS that need to be TIED UP
Good Morning All, I was up early this morning. Sometimes, as many of you can testify, the cure is worse than the disease. I get monthly Zometa infusions to keep my bones strong, but once in a while it gives me sleep depriving bone ache in my hips and knees. Only way to deal with it is get up, take a pill and wait it out. So...Thursday puzzle got done.
ReplyDeleteWBS (handy abbreviation) about TAPPED OUT and SERIAL NO.
I like seeing 25D)DADS tied up with 27)MAMA and even 27D)MERE, the french version of MAMA. Some different cluing, but fun to see.
Happy almost birthday to Boomer. GAH and I have our 25th anniversary today, although we've been together for 31 years. I have had a ladies' day planned for today in Modesto for a couple of months, so we're celebrating on Saturday. We will be WINED AND DINED. Don't worry, we'll have a nine-year old in a booster seat lined up to be a designated driver. (Did you read about that idiot father?)
This was a difficult puzzle for me . Thank you CC for pinch hitting and your lucid explanations.
ReplyDeleteAbejo,-------- 'Shayad' or 'Shaheed' (Tower) probably, most likely, means 'Martyr' , and I know 'Azadi' means 'freedom'.... the more the regimes change, the more they stay the same......
GURU and SWAMI would be considered equivalent only for someone from a non-Indian cultural background. The first one, is more akin to Rabbi, as a teacher, even a secular one. The second one is an religious leader or a head of a sect, or one with special powers. Swami is soo old fashioned, and now, most times, used as a pejorative
Alt QOD: You have all the makings of a successful politician: A horrible voice, bad breeding and a vulgar manner. ~~ ARISTOPHANES.
Gak. Had 17D PASS and 22D LION crossing 19A SASS and 22A LAST for the longest time.
ReplyDeleteMy only real nit (aside from 1A and 47A like everyone else) is 53A. If the answer is a first and last name the clue should be as well (Carl Fredricksen).
I've never seen Kris Kringle spelled with two S'es before.
This looked and felt like a Saturday puzzle but with a theme. I much preferred it to real Saturday puzzles though.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would stop for a hitchhiker under the right circumstances. When at Cornell, I hitchhiked to Philadelphia to see a girl. Worked great except it began snowing partway there. When Barbara and I were driving back to Virginia (in the snow) after an evening in Washington D.C., we passed an unfortunate soul walking with no jacket. I was hesitant but stopped to offer him a ride. We were apprehensive because he was so quiet in the back seat. When we got to his destination, he told us, "God bless you." We may have saved his life.
I enjoyed seeing scrapple in the clues. I haven't had any for several months. Goes great with eggs.
Marti - Technically, you should have used "what C.C. said."
ReplyDeleteHondo - Yvonne DeCarlo worked much more than just the 50s. In fact, she's in one of my all time favorite movies - Oscar, from the 90s. Great classic farce - the movie isn't given nearly enough credit.
Abejo - agree on the VESTIGES and ASSUAGED.
JzB - tongue in groove. Yep.
Two TOWERS in the grid (clue and answer). And shouldn't it be KRIS Kringle and KRISS Kross?
To keep the jokes going - What do you say to a one-legged hitchhiker?
Hop in!
Clear Ayes: I did, indeed, see the video of the drunk father letting his young daughter drive his van. At least she was able to drive. Poor child!
ReplyDeleteClear Ayes: a very happy 25th to you and your GAH. We made our 25th in August.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, C.C. and all. It's so nice to see you, C.C. and I'm glad Marti is well.
ReplyDeleteAs most of you I thought this had a Saturdayish appearance and felt daunted but it was, in fact, quite doable.
On my first pass across, though I suspected SAENS, I had nada, so slithered down to the bottom where it quickly filled. Finally the top yielded its secrets and it all came together.
DECLAW was the last to fall because I had POUTY at 8D until the light turned on.
I liked flagrant felonies, ARSON and common starting word, MAMA.
Also thought of Splynter at 7D.
Thank you, Jeff Chen, for another great challenge.
Hoping your Thursday is wondrously special, everyone!
CA:
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 25th anniversary!
Yes, I saw that video of the nine year old driving and was appalled.
For those of you new to this blog, the "Theme" which is presented at the beginning of each Monday through Friday puzzle, is generally the creation of the person writing the blog that day, NOT the constructor. Once in a while, we will receive a comment from a constructor on our interpretation of the theme, but mostly it just sits there to assist the solvers in understanding our take.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased to see Jeff Chen back in his puzzling mood and enjoyed this challenging effort, even if I did spend too much time trying to make TONGUE IN GROOVE part of the theme. Some conventions die hard. C.C., it is amazing that you could throw together a blog so quickly. You must know Al's secret which I still do not understand. Kudos. to and Jeff.
Happy Silver to Hahtool and CA both. I have my 20th year since my divorce coming soon.
ReplyDeleteGrumpy1, we changed our cable company yesterday (they also provide our internet), so I have a sneaking suspicion that had everything to do with my glitch. This morning I finally unplugged all the router power cables, shut down all the computers, plugged them all back in, booted up again, and VOILA! Internet and email were restored. Why I didn’t think of doing that at midnight is beyond me…
ReplyDeleteClear Ayes, congrats on 25 years!! It sounds like you will be having fun this weekend WINDing down, with nothing to WHINE about.
Frank, you’re right – “What C.C. said.” (Couldn’t have said it better, myself!)
i just learned that Ghadaffi was killed (I never turn on the TV in the morning) and read that with him died "the last VESTIGES of his regime."
ReplyDeleteHis judgement is no doubt already in place.
Kris Kringle is the only spelling I found except for a website called Kriss Kringle which my computer did not want me to visit.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm relieved I'm not the only one to struggle with this Saturday-like puzzle!For some reason the Ks helped me out today. "Bridge on the River Kwai" (great movie!) and Kublai Khan (great poem!) got me started. 'Karo' and "Kung' came next. Then got stuck with 'Yvonne' and 'tied' up loose ends (until I noticed the tense didn't work). Eventually got 'CD Tower' but still don't understand what it has to do with jewel cases.
ReplyDeleteFinally nearly finished but had 'mutts' instead of 'Matts' for Damons. Kept wondering which mutt was named Damon? Thought 'Mama' for 'starting word' was darling!
Thanks for the kind words on my check-up yesterday, Lucina and Dodo. All is well except for a recommendation to start Pilates or Tai Chai to keep back strong.
Congratulations on the upcoming anniversaries and birthdays and wish you great celebrations!
Frank,
ReplyDeleteWith Lily (Yvonne deCarlo) today and Herman (Fred Gwynne) yesterday, your Munsters references are "piling on." Halloween is coming, I guess. What's tomorrow, Grandpa? Perhaps ALLEWIS can be the next EDASNER in the puzzle.
Congratulations on reaching 25 years, Hahtool and Clear Ayes. May you enjoy 25 more.
ReplyDeleteHappy 25 CA! I hope for another 25 at least!
ReplyDeleteMisty, jewel cases are the clear plastic cases that hold CDs. A CD tower is a vertical storage unit for CDs.
I've seen this video before but it's one of my all-time favorites. Forgive me if you've see it too but if so, I think you will enjoy it again.
Best pals
Hello everybody. When I laid eyes on the grid today I thought, "Uh oh, that sure is a lot of white space." As y'all said, very Saturday-looking. As is my wont, I started with the acrosses and nothing until MATTS, which, by the way, was just a lucky guess. Then KWAI, which just had to be right. Then DIAS and PORK. EVONNE, which I first filled as YVONNE, and EDASNER finished the acrosses for me. Then I started in on the downs, and by zigging across and zagging down I solved the whole thing somewhat more easily than I expected to. Which is good, because today is Thursday, after all.
ReplyDeleteVESTIGES and ASSUAGED are awesome fill. I guess I am more impressed by cool words like those thasn I am with multi-word fill such as SERIAL NO, I RAISE, and I DARE NOT.
I have to say I'm not enamored with adding an S to a word that otherwise would never normally be spoken or written as plural except in a crossword, such as SRIS and yesterday's RARES.
ReplyDeleteI too was taken aback at KRISS Kringle with two esses.
Darn good puzzle, though, and it gave me a nice hour of pleasure, which I suppose is the objective.
When we were kids, we only had Karo syrup for our pancakes, which I didn't much like. That and the OLE squeeze-bag margarine. Ew!
Frank, good joke :)
Best wishes to you all.
Hello.
ReplyDeleteSome problems as everyone.
Go StL! Tony is a Bay Area guy.
Can't get tounge in groove out of my mind now.
Daisy gives all a sloppy greeting.
Quite a lover.
Sharks still out of sync.
Waiting for MTL jersey. Very cold this morning but snow isn't going to happen.
46th next month. Next goal 50th.
Take care. eddy
Hi all!
ReplyDeleteBill G., thanks very much for your comment - that's exactly what I was trying to get at!
I've been thinking about ways of creating "stepping stone" puzzles, an easy way for a solver to start doing themeless puzzles. I feared doing them for so long, but now wish I had started sooner!
I tried to get this one to be Monday/Tuesday difficulty, but didn't quite get there. I'll keep trying!
Happy Thursday,
Jeff
In addition to being homophones, the theme words drop one letter as they go down the grid.
ReplyDeleteVery impressed with the lack of 3-letter words in this puzzle. I'm sure the answer is yes, but, have there been grids with fewer?
Lemony, of all the well wishes being given out today, I offer mine to you. Congrats?
Bonjour mes amis,
ReplyDeleteIl fait tres bon ici. Couldn't be a lovlier day! Sunshine, cool breezes from the Delta, and the forecast is for more of the same!
Well, it took a while, but I got 'er done without any lookups or other outside help. I proofed it for once and I'm afraid I may have one error, but we shall see!
Back later after reading it all.
Frank,
ReplyDeleteNo quibbles about Yvonne's career. It actually ran from the '40's into the early '90's if I remember correctly. I cited the '50's only because she often played a "cow gal" in western flicks and I didn't miss too many oaters in those days.
But my favorite scene of hers is from the early '60's in MCLintock when she and John Wayne became inebriated and she tried assisting him up the stairs.
Still LMAO when I see it.
Misty:
ReplyDeleteJewel cases is the trade name for the clear plastic case that CD's are packaged in.
I could not think of a smooth way with which to end that sentence without a preposition.
CA & Hahtool,
Happy Anniversary
Lemonade:
You too
I have a cousin who remarried his ex-wife. The first divorce just didn't work out, but it appears that the second will.
Sorry Bill,
ReplyDeleteBeing in an earlier time zone, I missed your jewel case reply.
I live in Kentucky. Things always happen here later than elsewhere, at least according to Mark Twain.
Windover said: "…… that CD's are packaged in.
ReplyDeleteI could not think of a smooth way with which to end that sentence without a preposition."
Let not your heart be troubled. For all you grammar grouches I cite as my reference: "You Are What you Speak" by Robert Lane Greene who has written for the NY Times and The Economist
@Bill G and Windhover, many thanks for explaining jewel cases to me. Who knew? We just pile all the CDs into an empty drawer. Looks like it's time to check out a tower!
ReplyDeleteFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ReplyDeleteKris Kringle (sometimes given as Kriss Kringle) is a name used in the United States and may refer to:
-Christkind or Christkindl, the Austrian and Bavarian Christmas gift-bringer,
-the Christ Child.
-Santa Claus, by assimilation in Canada and the United States of the separate German tradition
-Secret Santa, a gift exchange deriving from the Christkindl tradition
Kris Kringle, the lead character in Miracle on 34th Street
I have found 15 dictionaries that use the spelling KRISS KRINGLE. Including the highly respected, and often used by editors, Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Edition.
ReplyDeleteI had the same trouble starting this one in the NW corner. Didn't even get too far in the NE either. "Auk" got mr "---kiss" but couldn't sus the first three letters! Duh!. "lieawake" and "eros" came easily but I had to move on after "tongue and groove" and "Saens". From there on things got easier Did the "Y" thing with "Evonne". Never heard of "tera". What does
ReplyDeleteteragig" mean? Guess I should ask "howmany" instead of "what".
Really liked getting this done, even with mistakes. Unusal for me on a Thursday. Thanks, Jeff and C.C.
Congratulations to Clearayes and Hahtool. I'm glad we have so many lasting marriages here at the Corner!
WH. You make this too easy. Let the joke parade continue.
ReplyDeleteA young fellow from KY was granted a scholarship to Harvard. On the day of his arrival it was early in the evening and he thought he'd take a look around. He'd seen most of the campus, but realized he had not yet spotted the library, so he approached another student walking in the opposite direction.
"Excuse me." he asked "Could you tell me where the library is at?"
The other student had a look of horror on his face and replied. "Pardon me Sir, but a Harvard student would never end a sentence in a preposition!"
The young fellow from Kentucky replied: "Then let me rephrase the question. Could you tell me where the library is at, asshole?"
dodo, that would be "terabyte," which = 1000 megabytes, which = 1000 kilobytes, etc. One and two terabyte hard drives are common and inexpensive these days.
ReplyDeleteA terabyte is 1000 gigabytes
ReplyDeletea gigabyte is 1000 megabytes
Hi everyone.
ReplyDeleteSame glitches as many of you--Yvonne, Kriss, etc.
Got my first real sure entry with Napa since I was just there. My daughter and I went to a wonderful winery called Castello Di Amorosa. It was built like a castle with a moat, torture room, towers--fun. The wine was good too. Touring it was a challenge for me since I was on crutches.
Love Jeff Chen's puzzles! Thanks for the Chinese lesson XieXie.
ReplyDeleteI wanted RAT for 10d. I knew Goolagong began with EV and was spelled in an unusual way so went with Evelin until KUNG came along. Then I looked her up.
Lemonade, you always come across as a peacemaker, it's hard to believe any fool would part from you.
Thanks Gary, Danse Macabre was a favorite piano piece when I was a reluctant student 10-12-yrs old. The piece was simplified. I played it over and over until my dad shut the piano key lid on me and said "Enough!" Only time I was accused of too much practice.
-PK
Hi There~!!!
ReplyDeleteD'oh ~!
Got here too late to have anything fresh to say, tho I did think that this grid was a "mistake" at first, and that I was up to blog - I usually get the grids that look like this ~!
Ah, and TONGUE AND GROOVE - got it, of course, and, well, it always sounded like the best name for a band ever, and I have seen more than one group with the name in my time - but they never rose to super-stardom.
Maybe I could be the one....
Splynter
Regarding ending a sentence where the preposition is AT; this may be the ultimate, but it requires a little stage setting.
ReplyDeleteDad is going to read his little one a bed time story, and decides to take advantage of the quiet time after the kid drifts off to catch up on his own reading. So, when he goes upstairs, he takes a copy of some fat, obviously adult book that the kid would have no interest IN.
Junior looks at the tome and says, "Daddy, what did you bring that book that I'm not going to be read TO OUT OF UP FOR?"
JzB highly experienced bed-time reader
I was going to give a shout out to my 6th Grade teacher for teaching us the prepositions to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy, but a quick Google search shows that this is a very common teaching tool.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought I was unique! I do, however, still remember it after all these years - and sing it occasionally when I need to determine where to end a sentence AT.
So, thanks, Mr LaPierre!
I enjoy this warm, funny, informative blog, however sometimes it feels like this:
ReplyDeleteHusband: We arrived at SFO at one o'clock,
Wife: NO, DEAR, we arrived at 1:02.
4:51, you enjoy the blog but sometimes it makes you feel like you're married?
ReplyDeleteSpitzboov, thank you. You are absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 4:51PM. Funny, and I get it :)
Whether I'm married or not, sometimes the nagging, on this blog, goes forever on ( there, nailed it ) ...
ReplyDeleteAnon: Well, we like it. Why don't you go somewhere else to get your fill of kvetching?
ReplyDeleteArgyle@ 5:15 In marriage we accept the better with the bitter, and if the better is good enough we can keep on loving. Thamks for the marriage counseling.
ReplyDeleteDid the new carpentry magazine "TONGUE AND GROOVE" pose a threat to other periodicals?
ReplyDeleteAnna Wintour: "NO DANGER TO VOGUE"
Yellowrocks, with tongue in cheek I say; "Dear, you mean 'thanks'.
ReplyDeleteAnd who is that with you in your avatar?
ReplyDeleteOkay, back to the puzzle. Did anyone else think of Ford before OLDS for the auto industry pioneer?
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteTo reiterate:::
ReplyDeleteKilo Bytes = thousand 10*3
Mega Byte = million 10*6
Giga byte = Billion 10*9
Tera Byte = Trillion 10*12
Peta Byte = Quadrillion 10*15
then increasing by an additional 3 rd powers, - Exa 10*18, Zetta - 10*21, Yotta- 10*24.
TB is Tera Byte , Tb is Tera bit.
In binary prefixes Tera Byte
TB = 1 099 511 627 776 bytes = 1024*4 or.... 2*40 bytes.
-courtesy of one who has an over-bite and couldn't afford an orthodontist, and therefore occasionally suffers from headaches, like, about right now.
Hahtool, I gotta say no, I didn't think of Ford. I only thought OLDS, probably because it's such a common xword fill.
ReplyDeleteHahtool - I only thought of OLDS because the cross at 18a was clued as plural, auguring for a 4 letter word ending in 'S'.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was very small, I thought ALL cars became OLDS, when they got run down, and became tired and weary.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, thaNks, I really CAN spell. I won spelling bees, but no typing awards.
ReplyDeleteMy avatar pictures my niece about five years ago, She is from WI so I see her about once a year. Time flies. I cannot believe my grandson whom I see about every 4 to 6 weeks is 13. Before he became older and involved in so many activities I saw him 2 or 3 times a week. He loves scouting and camping. I miss him so much.
Nail Biter - After Yotta (10*24) comes Lotta (10*27), then Wholelotta (10*30).
ReplyDeleteAnd all of Shakespeare's work takes up an oeuvrebyte.
Btw, sorry TinB. The 'tongue in groove' shout out should have been to you. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Say no more.
Anon@4:51
ReplyDeleteNot so much marriage but more high school...
Great place to learn, even entertained, but you must endure:
-Nagging teachers who correct grammar, spelling, typos etc.
-Cliques of seniors, cool chicks, jocks and such.
-Bullies(you know who you are)
-Class clowns(whose posts are often deleted)
-Know-it-alls(trying to show off)
-Teacher's pet(who gets away with everything)
-Creepy janitors leering at pretty girls
-Quiet kids in the back who are often ignored.
-Snarky kids who cause trouble
-Did I mention judgemental teachers?
It's "judgmental"
ReplyDelete10 demerits for you.
Late to the party today, and everything has pretty much been said, but want to add a couple of thumbs-up for the puzzle today.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what that old crossword-standby rocker-anagram Axl Rose would think of TONGUE AND GROOVE?
Too crude.
ReplyDeleteResisting the urge to post under a funny name, I ask "Breakfast Club":
ReplyDeleteSo what's it like in the perfect, oh so boring world you live in?
I'm sure we all recognize which category(s) we fall into, yet it's lasted nearly four years, and we (mostly) like and respect each other.
We all have lives; this is for most of us a pleasant diversion. The critics come and (usually) go.
Never said my world(blog) or other worlds were perfect.
ReplyDeleteJust making an observation. Was meant to be funny in a Andy Rooney kind of way.
I agree with your post Windhover. Just be a little less defensive next time.
Point taken, but that is sort of what I do, you know.
ReplyDeleteCan't get too far out of character. It could ruin my bad reputation. ;)
Hi all!
ReplyDeleteScary grid. Very surprised to have worked it in 21 minutes with no cheating. A banner Thursday! Thanks Jeff and CC.
CA: A very happy anniversary!
LIEAWAKE was definitely put there for me!
Marti: It's amazing how often one forgets that simple solution!
Cheers to all!
Windhover,I am not Breakfast Club.
ReplyDeleteMostly I agree with you. It is a fun party. People who are right and perfect all the time are boring. On the other hand someone you love and are familiar with can sometimes be a pain, but worth putting up with. Occasionally the PICAYUNE (not the coin) gets me down.
WH, rejoice! There is finally one person in the world that "mostly agrees" with you. That's a first. The rest of the world just puts up with you and accepts you the way you are. :-)
ReplyDeleteAJ:
ReplyDeleteWho could ask for more? I'll take it.
hey what happened to the skunk joke? i couldn't finish reading it and now poof! gone!! what was the ending?
ReplyDeleteTerrific day with 12 best friends. GAH was very understanding of my deserting him on our anniversary for a clique of cool senior chicks. (You might be surprised at how many younger guys give a yell out to the the red hatted cuties...fun and harmless.)
ReplyDeleteAJ, There are many who do more than "mostly agree" with Windhover and have done so for a long time. He has a large group of friends and admirers. But then, so do you.
Well, I was coming back to nag at grammar, join a clique, bully a few clowns by showing off, pet a teacher, leer at the red hat ladies, ignore the quiet ones, cause trouble, and be judgmental; but it's late, so I'll just raise my hand for FORD and otherwise mostly agree with WH.
ReplyDeletePlus, I'll add that a preposition is a thing that a sentence should be ended without.
Cheers!
JzB wrong, imperfect and still boring (I got the trifecta)
You all really are the best; JzB that was classic. Sleep well while I toil, foir every boy and goil.
ReplyDelete