google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday Nov 21, 2011 Donna S Levin

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Nov 21, 2011

Monday Nov 21, 2011 Donna S Levin

Theme: Whatever Argyle would have title - Theme answers are 4-word noun phrases all in the pattern of "*ILL OF THE + noun".

17A. National consensus : WILL OF THE PEOPLE

38A. Deerstalker's excitement : THRILL OF THE HUNT. So literal. For me, it's "Flea market
lover's excitement".

62A. Dark, quiet period : STILL OF THE NIGHT

C.C. here. I hope I did not miss anything on the theme cohesion. No easy job to be Santa. I just could not think of a clever title.

A bit surprised to see ILL (25D. Unwell) due to the pattern of the first theme words. Changing 24A into SPARE would give us an ALL for 25D, which dupes ALL'S in 12D. So, all's good.

Across:

1. Soccer great Mia : HAMM. Bill G meets her at his biking path occasionally.

5. Spider's creations : WEBS

9. "Beat it!" : SCRAM

14. Steinbeck's Tom Joad, e.g. : OKIE

15. Afghanistan's western neighbor : IRAN

16. Fabric with a repeated scenic pattern : TOILE. See here, with a repeated pattern and often in one color.

20. Metal playing marble : STEELIE. Never played it.

21. Sincere : EARNEST

22. Propelled with sculls : OARED

23. Camembert cousin : BRIE. So what's your favorite cheese?

24. Malice : SPITE
27. Cooks on a spit : ROASTS

32. Biol. or chem. : SCI

35. Burn soothers : ALOES. JD grows them. I wonder if Creature does also.

37. Turn on a pivot : SLUE

42. Grows darker : DIMS

43. Clark Kent's birth name : KALEL. On Krypton.

44. Sound of fan support : RAH

45. Garlicky shrimp dish : SCAMPI. Chives on top, right?

48. Ran at an easy pace : LOPED

50. Not taken in by : ONTO

52. Hairdresser Sassoon : VIDAL

56. "The Four Seasons" composer : VIVALDI. Nicknamed "The Red Priest" due to his red hair, and he was a priest.

60. Rock fissure : CREVICE. Look! Nature is amazing.

64. Davis who was married to Ruby Dee : OSSIE

65. Word with pyramid or chain : FOOD. Yes!

66. Cut down on 65-Across : DIET. No. Maybe after Thanksgiving.

67. Hymn of praise : PAEAN

68. Females with pig tails : SOWS. What a funny clue.

69. Means' justifiers : ENDS Down:

1. "In what way?" : HOW SO

2. Japanese canine : AKITA. Dennis' last dog. Couldn't picture him in tears. Hard man.

3. Long-distance runner : MILER

4. Brawls : MELEES

5. Hi-tech airport connection : WI-FI

6. One-named Deco artist : ERTE. 4-letter word starting/ending in vowels, very grid-friendly, hence his frequent appearance.

7. Scroogean exclamation : BAH

8. Derisive look : SNEER

9. More than mono : STEREO

10. Masked critter : COON

11. Ready for picking : RIPE

12. "__ well that ends well" : ALL'S

13. Track competition : MEET

18. Longtime chum : OLD PAL

19. Part of a poker full house : PAIR

23. Bovine hybrid : BEEFALO. Never had it. But have you ever tried SweeTango apples? It's a hybrid between Honeycrisp & Zesta. Oh, man, it tastes so good.

26. Stole : TOOK

28. Volcanic output : ASH

29. Defamatory remark : SLUR

30. Yellowfin or albacore : TUNA

31. Fourth man : SETH. His mom would have loved SweeTango.

32. Norms: Abbr. : STDs

33. Fashionable : CHIC. Blake Lively always looks great, no matter what she wears.

34. Culinary author Rombauer : IRMA

36. WWII Normandy battle site : ST LO

39. Doctrinal suffix : ISM

40. Cool, like a cat : HEP. Our Jazzbumpa is super cool! Raw, natural talent in entertaining.

41. Craps natural : ELEVEN. Never played Craps.

46. Hay fever sufferer's nemesis : POLLEN

47. __-European languages : INDO

49. Split : DIVIDE

51. Petty quarrels : TIFFS

53. "Bon appétit," from mom : DIG IN

54. Was sore after a workout : ACHED

55. Riga natives : LETTS

56. Cognac bottle letters : VSOP. Very Superior Old Pale.

57. "__ Small World" : IT'S A

58. Carpenter's clamp : VISE. So no need to spruce up the room in the past months, Splynter? I don't buy it. The date part.

59. Et __: and others : ALIA

60. Vittles : CHOW

61. Cinncinati team : REDS. Hi there Seen, do you hate or love Marge Schott?

63. Also : TOO

Answer grid.

C.C.

57 comments:

  1. Good Morning, C.C. and friends. what better way to start of the week with a Donna Levin puzzle followed by C.C.'s commentary!

    This was a speed run for me, but still fun. We haven't seen ERTE in the puzzles for quite a while.

    I had to laugh at C.C.'s comment about Seth and his mom liking the apple hybrid!

    My favorite cheeses are BRIE and a nice sharp cheddar. We lived on BRIE and wine when we lived in France!

    QOD: A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. ~ Lou Holtz

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  2. Morning, all!

    Nice, fluffy puzzle. Speed run for me as well, but just perfect for a Monday morning.

    Have a great one!

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  3. Good day folks,

    Semi speed run for me. Did not know Sassoon and from there it became a bit of a struggle, but everything worked out fine.

    I'm by no means a classical music expert, but I've always enjoyed Vivaldi because his compositions are usually upbeat.

    Anyways, nice start to the week.

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  4. Thanks for the writeup C.C.

    Super smooth quick puzzle. Just what a nice Monday should be, although SLUE wasn't something I remembered. That area was last to go.

    Have a nice day everyone.

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  5. C.C.: I could't think of a clever theme either.

    But in reference to Marge Schott, I think they say "don't speak ILL OF THE dead." ;)

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  6. Did you notice the sub-theme?

    Let's DIG IN: CHOW crossing FOOD. Is HAMM a MEET? Sometimes BRIE can be RIPE. I love SCAMPI even though it is not good for a DIET. Have you ever tried ROASTS of BEEFALO? Some people eat 'COON. SOWS provide my favorite, bacon. TUNA is a lunch staple. And finish it all off with a nice VSOP.

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  7. Good morning. Thanks for the write up CC. I couldn't think of a clever title or way to unify the theme either, although it was pretty obvious that 'ILL OF THE' was going to be in there by the time I got to the third theme entry.

    I wanted spin before SLUE, but TUNA and SLUR were pretty obvious so that was easily corrected.

    Donna Levin puzzles are always fun and this was no exception. Thanks for a great start to the week.

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  8. My NW corner didn't fall into place immediately, and I thought I'd have too much trouble for a Monday. But I worked back from the NE and it filled as if by magic. From then on it was a speed run, and several of the downs in the south were clues I hadn't read until coming here.

    I wasn't here yesterday, so was there a warning of Argyle's absence? I hope he's OK.

    C.C., thanks for filling in.

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  9. Good eye Seen, perhaps somebody is gearing up for Thanksgiving. You forgot one - what comes after eating all of that food? See clue to 41D.

    The puzzle started out smooth and easy for me, but I had a few hang-ups. I didn't know 64A OSSIE or
    67A PAEAN

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  10. I just learned from Argyle of Creature's sad news yesterday. Like others, I send her my heartfelt sympathy and hope she has plenty of family around to help her get through this terrible loss.

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  11. Dear Kazie,

    Please read yesterday's personal note after the Sunday write up

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  12. sorry Ms. Kazie, I see I was too late

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  13. C.C.: Nice write-up & links.

    Can't say this was "a speed run" since I solve, sipping java, watching CNBC, sitting in my recliner.

    Hmmm, favorite cheese, that would be Swiss.
    You TOO Husker???

    Mari: TOO funny ...

    STD'S was thinking somethin' else.

    Cheers with some VSOP at Sunset.

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  14. nice little weekday eye opener did this one a little quick than most 12 mins. did not know 67 a but did now the others around it. slapped my head on Dims it must be monday.

    thanks for your hard work CC

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  15. Thank you Donna for a Monday puzzle, almost restores my faith in humanity, and thank you CC for a very nice and concise commentary.

    I didn't know 'Scampi' is a dish - I thought it was a larger genus of shrimp. ( - like I think 'prawn' is a smaller genus of shrimp - ). Being allergic to that type of seafood, I (generally - ) don't eat it -



    ALT QOD:- I eat cheese sticks for dinner. It'd be healthier to take a bullet. At least a bullet goes through you. ~ Roger Rittenhouse.

    Have a happy and safe holiday, you all.

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  16. An “L” of a puzzle for a Monday, Monday!

    Musings
    -I get agita (soft g) when I hear any politician say, “The American people know that I…”
    -Deer hunters here get “buck fever”
    -Hawkeye and BJ made M*A*S*H hooch in the “still of the night”
    -PAEAN to CA, “What a tangled WEB we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”
    -Velveeta works for this Swiss non-connoisseur, Tinman ;-)!
    -The word pivot elicits these images here (look carefully at satellite picture)
    -Bubba’s ways to ways to cook shrimp (:43)
    -I wonder if you can get stereonucleosis.
    -C.C., Nebraska has beef and bison (no buffalo) but I’ve never had the beef/bison (beefalo) cross either
    -Lady of the evening Irma, you’re out. Author Irma, you’re in.

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  17. Hi There~!

    Hand up for SPIN before SLUE...

    I recall the water episode of Modern Marvels pointing out the popularity of center pivot irrigation, HG - quite an image.

    Sorry, C.C., but it's true, no need to spruce the place up - not for a lack of trying, mind you, but between work and school....

    Short UPS week - done by Wed. for the holiday ~! yea ~!

    Splynter

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  18. Good morning C.C. and all.

    Thanks to Don G for dropping by yesterday.

    I always view Donna's puzzles to be as bright as a shiny penny. This one did not disappoint, but was suitably easy for a Monday. The solve went linearly from top to bottom with some pauses along the way to confirm with some downs and keep on track. Learned Clark's birth name today. Thought of 'Utah" for Normandy battle site, but since we had the ending 'o' from LOPED, it hat to be ST LO. As C.C. wrote, other than the repeating …ILL OF THE…of the theme phrases, I couldn't make more out of it either. It worked fine, tho. Love BRIE cheese.

    Kazie: Since Argyle blogged C.C. & Don's puzzle yesterday, I suspect they swapped and C.C. took Argyle's turn today.

    Have a great day.

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  19. Good morning, folks. Thank you, Donna L, for a great start to the week. Thank you, C.C., for writing it up.

    This puzzle went quite easily.

    I played marbles with STEELIEs as a youth. They could break the glass marbles.

    Theme came easily.

    Needed Perps for TOILE.

    Isn't Et Al short for ET ALII? Can someone comment? After the puzzle I looked it up in my Webster and it was ET ALII in that book.

    See you all tomorrow.

    Abejo

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  20. Splynter, etalia, here is the comparison between

    Dry Land Corn Yields

    And

    Irrigated Corn Yields.

    Nebraska sits on top of the largest underground reservoir of fresh water on the planet (The Ogallala Aquifer) and puts it to good use. While there are many people in this world that can’t get any good drinking water, in Nebraska we pump it on crops and here in Fremont we sometimes have to pump perfectly good water into gutters because our water table is so high. Wars over water may soon supplant wars over oil.

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  21. Chives on Scampi? No way! Nothing but real butter and lots of garlic, maybe a little very dry white wine.

    My market has a white cheddar with horseradish - yummy!

    Good Monday though I wasn't fond of 22A "oared" and kept trying to fit Psalm at 67A.

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  22. Dear Spitz and Anonymous,
    Thanks for your updates on yesterday and why C.C. blogged today.

    This brings me to another concern: I have been wondering if there is a fail-safe way for us to have the blog informed of our own demise. Linda was asking after Jimbo, and we've heard nothing of him for ages. If something happened to me, I seriously doubt if my DH would know to come here and let it be known.

    Maybe we should all do something in our own families to cover that by leaving some sort of instruction for our nearest and dearest. Has anyone already done so?

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  23. Abejo,
    I think either is correct. The ending depends on the gender of what is referred to: masculine noun plurals would need the alii agreement, while alia would work for neuter things. Aliae would be feminine plural but I don't think I've ever seen that. How we would know what was needed is another story. Perhaps for people (male usually given preference for a mix of both genders) you'd get alii, and for unknown objects it would be alia. Since Latin uses all three genders for inanimates but English doesn't, I guess they go with the hybrid thinking of the latter.

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  24. I was a little surprised to see that 24 of the 45 theme squares were repeats ("ill of the") leaving only 21 unique theme square entries.

    Some of my OLD PALs are coming over tonight for a spirited game of marbles. STEELIEs are verboten. As Abejo mentions, they could shatter your favorite Cat's Eye or Aggie. Only glass Taws allowed.

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  25. Husker G, I just got the report from my farm in NE Ohio. We don't irrigate other than what Mother Nature provides. Corn yield was 188.95 bu/acre this year. That's about 30 bushels higher than normal. An unusual year to say the least.

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  26. Creature, please know that my sincerest sympathies go out to you and your circle of family and friends.

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  27. Goin' back to 80s rap for today's possible puzzle title: Run DMC You Be ILLIN' (2:44)

    How about some 70s disco by CHIC Le Freak (5:17)

    Does anybody like The Alan Parsons Project? STEREOtomy (4:13) (great song, but very weird video)

    Too many great STEELIE (Steely) Dan songs to pick from...what's your favorite?

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  28. Good day, C.C. et ALIA. Nice job of blogging, C.C.

    I also grow ALOES plants and have used them effectively on cuts and bruises. A friend even boils them and drinks the juice for good health.

    Thanks, Donna, for again supplying a lovely Monday puzzle.

    In THESTILLOFTHENIGHT is a beautiful song by Cole Porter, I believe and The Four Seasons is often on my stereo.

    I can never recall Superman's real name so had KALED instead of KALEL and couldn't understand EDEVEN. Need a case of V-8!

    Females with pig tails, SOWS is clever.

    My favorite cheese is Cotswold. Yum!

    Seen:
    Very funny sub theme!

    Kazie:
    I have thought of that and since I already have a folder with Last Instructions I shall add the Blog to my list.

    Enjoy this beautiful Monday, everyone!

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  29. A couple of months ago, we had a small ( & ) irrelevant ( to this blog - ) discussion about some predictions that neutrinos could travel faster than light. ( per some CERN researchers, and their experiments - ).

    To those who even care about such esoteric matters, this just in. An international team of scientists in Italy has just concluded that those earlier tests, about the speed of neutrinos are wrong. ( Just to reassure some kindred souls, and the thought that dear Einstein can rest easy in his grave - ).

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  30. Nice to have an easy nice puzzle after a rough weekend. Though, thank goodness my DH (I loved learning this new term) is now home from the hospital. Thank you, everybody, for your kind wishes.

    Missed the blog yesterday and hope everyone is okay. I see signs of worry today?

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  31. Grumpy, my neighbor also got 190 bushels/acre on dryland here but there have been years where the rain gods have not been so generous as they have been in this last decade. I would suspect your Ohio farm gets more annual rain than most of Nebraska and doesn’t need the irrigation as much. Corn yields and tillable ground have been extended and enhanced by our pivots that slue here in the heartland.

    Ant, nice links on a chilly Monday.

    Lucina, my daughter lives on Cotswold Street in Lincoln. Cole Porter is great but how ‘bout this 5 Satins version of In the Still Of the Night that is being sung in front of an audience in the 50’s that probably would not have welcomed these singers into their country club.

    Off to the Y.

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  32. Nice monday! Thanks Donna, and nice write-up too.

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  33. Creature,

    My deepest condolences for your loss. My thoughts are with you.

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  34. Happy Monday!

    Well, this was fun and faster than usual today; 10 minutes for me. I don't try to set a speed record but I'll bet I could do an easier puzzle like this one faster with pencil and paper than online.

    I had a great time playing with my daughter's new iPhone. That personal assistant, Siri, is amazing. Her little iPhone has more computing capability than the big main frames we used to use at Hughes Aircraft Company in my early days as an engineer.

    I know we have a lot of baseball fans here. I'm watching 'Fever Pitch' again with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. It's romantic, funny, emotional and lots of fun. I highly recommend it if you enjoy those kinds of movies.

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  35. Just For Your informationNovember 21, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    Misty;- Yesterday, the blog was informed by C.C., that dear 'Creature's' husband passed away, subsequent to a fall at their home, a couple of days earlier, hence the somber mood.


    Mari:- 'DH' refers to 'Dear Husband/ Hubby '. ( I presume - ). Clear Ayes refers to her matrimonial counterpart as 'GAH' or 'Golf Addicted Husband'.


    I am sure there are other references to non-blog -enthused 'significant others', but those acronym encrypted codes have yet to be broken .....

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  36. Mari:
    DH means Dear or Darling Husband.

    Husker:
    That is lovely and does justice its composer.

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  37. Hello.

    Kazie, I was thinking the same thing yesterday.

    CC. That would be freshly chopped parsley on the scampi.

    Lots of people lost their hats yesterday.

    take care. eddy

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  38. Oh, Creature, what desperately sad news. I am so sorry to hear this and my heart goes out to you. You will be in my thoughts and in my prayers for the next difficult weeks.

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  39. Hi gang -

    Creature - my deepest condolences.

    On brighter note, I mentioned some time back that our former bass trombone player in the Symphony had leukemia. Just got word that he's doing well, and back to playing again.

    Fun, breezy puzzle today.

    Would you SNEER if I DIVIDED MELEES into TIFFS?

    C.C. - Thanks for the Cool call out.

    My favorite cheese is Jarlsburg. Swiss cheese from Norway(?!?) Runners up are Comte and Gruyere.

    Gary - got a chuckle from stereonucleosis.

    Spent a couple hours helping the LW hang new curtains in the living and dining rooms. They're a light cream color and dry-clean only, so she says we can't have any food fights.

    Darn.

    Cheers!
    JzB (LW = Lovely Wife0

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  40. Hi all,

    I love a Donna Levin puzzle no matter what day of the week, well unless it's Saturday...I never can get through one of those toughies.

    I even had some problems with this one. 47, 56,and 59D - 67A. The perps eventually answered all.

    I knew 56A (Vivaldi) but forgot for a moment how to spell it.

    Nice start to the week :)

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  41. See now this is a monday puzzle! Not like the last couple of weeks. Loved 68 across. And I just love cheese and california wine! Brie brie brie. Time to beat it! like joad See yawl!

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  42. Hola Everyone, I always love a Donna Levin puzzle, because I can usually whiz through them without too much trouble. One sticking area today was a learning moment for me. Paean is a new word as I have always used the word Psalm for a hymn of praise.

    I never can remember Clark Kent's birth name. My comic book reading days are some 60 years in the past and my brain is a bit rusty after all these years.

    Gorgonzola and a good Port are my favorite after dinner treat with some really good crackers. Try it, you'll like it as they used to say to Mikey! Have a good day everyone.

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  43. I named one of my sons KAL-EL. And that's not even one of the most eccentric things about me.

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  44. To Kazie: Thank you for the explanation of Et Alia and Et Alii. It all makes sense now.


    By the way, I learned of Stilton Cheese from this Blog. I like it. I was able to buy a piece earlier this week at Whole Foods. It was $23.00 per pound. Therefore, I bought a small piece.

    Abejo

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  45. I think that's parsley on the scampi. I shouldn't look at pictures like that in the middle of the afternoon; gonna hafta have an early dinner tomight now!

    Nature truly is amazing.

    A wedge of brie, a bagette, a bottle of wine, and thou. Heaven.

    Didn't Nebraskans invent circular/pivoting irrigation?

    Never had a SweeTango apple, but tomorrow I'm gonna.

    Warm wishes to you all.

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  46. Ah - food!

    @Anony-mouse - Scampi is both a particular variety of shrimp and a cooking method. Back in the UK, "Scampi" almost always means some kind of shrimp tail shelled, battered and deep-fried (what else would you expect from the Brits!). Scampi as a particular variety of shrimp is the langoustine - best described as a salt-water crawfish - it's got claws.

    @Abejo - you can get Stilton for much less at Trader Joe's, but be aware that it's a little riper than the Whole Foods stock and therefore don't leave it too long before you eat it. It does freeze very well though, so if you buy more than you need wrap the excess and throw it in the freezer.

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  47. Do speak ILL OF THE Living ? No thoughts A.?

    I am so far behind; KZ this is why I want all the missing people to check in on the 23rd, to make sure we are all still around; my children and cousins know of my involvement here but I hope they don't need to write you.

    As can be seen by our reaction for Creature, cyber friends are part of the new reality.

    Please drop us a note Wednesday and let us know you are out there, if you are a quiet oldie, or a quiet newbie.\
    \thanks

    Bruce, thanks for the conyinued support and Anoa Bob. hearti when are you back?

    no dennis, ah well it was fun

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  48. Good evening all,

    Great to see you on a Monday, C.C...an enjoyable write up for an enjoyable xwd. This was a nice start to a perfect week.Having a bit of brie, crackers and some wine will top it off.

    Stumbled over a few things, like psalm for paean, and Kalel. Was I the only uninformed goober that died laughing over craps natural???

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  49. Steve@...6:55 PM Comment was stuck in the blog net 'til now.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hello, fellow solvers!

    My heartfelt condolences go out to Creature. What a terrible shame.

    Fine, speedy puzzle Donna! Great puzzle yesterday, CC and Don!

    For all Mozart fans, here is
    something delightful.

    Cheers!

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  51. Is it me?

    C.C. wrote:

    61. Cinncinati team : REDS. Hi there Seen, do you hate or love Marge Schott?

    Seen wrote:

    But in reference to Marge Schott, I think they say "don't speak ILL OF THE dead." ;)

    Lemonade714 wrote:

    Do speak ILL OF THE Living ? No thoughts A.?

    Wow. I was only referencing this. Surely you are familiar. I was implying that rather than say something negative, I chose to say nothing at all.

    Honestly, I can say, that Marge Schott cared alot about Cincinnati and its children. Other than that...well...there's this.

    She kept my ticket prices low and sold the worst $1.00 hotdogs ever. She DID want a winner and won the World Series in 1990.(one of my favorite sports memories!)

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  52. An easy Monday. There were a few things (and names) we did not know but the perps took care of them. I knew the term toile but did not know it had a scenic pattern.

    To Creature:I want to add my condolences and prayers to all the others. I hope your son is continuing to improve.

    Dot

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  53. Sid is back! 2 goals, 2 assists,
    14 FW and game winning goal.

    Gotta love this game.

    eddy

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  54. Today's theme was "ILL OF THE"

    She greeted her friends in the large industrial residential space with a LOFT HEIL. :0 Oh, Marge

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  55. Wait a second... Has anyone mentioned that "LOFT" is in every answer?

    So today's theme could be:

    Such a LOFTy puzzle!

    ReplyDelete

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