Theme: SACK IT TO ME! you bet your bippy, all the theme clues are homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and spelled differently in today's case).
17A. Sachs : GOLDMAN'S PARTNER. goldman-sachs. not a lot of fans these days.
27A. Sacks : FIRES FROM THE JOB. wonder if this will ever happen to anyone from 17a.
48A. Saks : NEW YORK RETAILER. the image below is of his and hers saks fifth avenue stores on opposite sides of the street in chicago's magnificent mile.
64A. Sax : WOODWIND IN A BAND. mindi abair (6:16 - long and worth it). that's what i call a blowjob.
there's a brilliant bonus, that may or may not be intentional:
37A. "Awakenings" actress : MEARA. anne meara portrayed miriam in the movie awakenings, which was inspired by oliver sacks' book by the same name. sacks is a well-known neurologist and author, who suffers from face blindness. there is an interesting episode of wnyc's radiolab (download or stream) about face blindness, with guests oliver sacks and chuck close, an artist who paints faces.
mr. cromer, if you're out there, do drop in and let us know.
melissa here. four beautiful grid-spanners make for a very tidy puzzle. seemed like a perfect wednesday difficulty level to me.
across:
1. Nice forecast : FAIR. lucky us in california, spectacular weather right now.
5. Blatant promotion : PLUG
9. Entertain : AMUSE
14. Shoppe modifier : OLDE
15. Hoosier city : GARY. indiana. according to wikipedia, there doesn't seem to be much consensus about the origin of the word hoosier.
16. Kitchen gadget : PARER. or peeler.
20. Texas longhorn, for one : STEER
a cacophony of noisy entries today:
21. Shocked reaction : GASP. 67. Audibly : ALOUD, 69. "Yikes!" : EGAD, and 70. Sounds from pounds : YELPS. dog pounds.
21. Shocked reaction : GASP. 67. Audibly : ALOUD, 69. "Yikes!" : EGAD, and 70. Sounds from pounds : YELPS. dog pounds.
22. 45-Down et al. : ISP'S. internet service providers, and 45d. Buddy List co. : AOL. in aol, your buddy list consists of the friends in your instant messenger window.
23. Hai or oui : YES. hai (はい) = japanese; oui = french.
25. Atop : UPON
35. Detours, e.g.: Abbr. : RTES. routes. appropriately misleading (detour).
36. Kitty : POT. a pool of money in some gambling card games.
38. Start to sing? : ESS. sing.
39. Fawned over, with "on" : DOTED
42. Uncertain word : MAY
43. Warren Buffett's city : OMAHA. didn't know this fact.
46. JFK listing : ETA. jfk airport, estimated time of arrival.
47. Matchmaker.com connection : DATE. never heard of matchmaker site, only match.
52. __ bargain : PLEA
53. Crunch targets : ABS
54. Uffizi offering : ARTE. museum in florence, italy. so beautiful. anyone here ever been there?
57. Couples with clubs : FRED. Fred Couples. and 5d. Couples's org. : PGA
60. Comic pianist Victor : BORGE
68. Taj Mahal site : AGRA.
71. Maintain : KEEP
72. Conifers with elastic wood : YEWS. lovely bending branches, used in archery bows.
down:
1. Turns opaque, with "up" : FOGS. sometimes the golden gate does that. definitely worth a GASP.
2. Loads : A LOT
3. Run in place : IDLE
4. Late-night flights : RED-EYES
6. Clubber __, nemesis in "Rocky III" : LANG. obscure for me, never saw the movie.
7. Bear in the sky : URSA
8. Plaster of Paris component : GYPSUM
9. Financing letters : APR. annual percentage rate.
10. Daytime fare : MATINEE. one definition for fare is offering.
11. Coffee hour sights : URNS
12. Ooze : SEEP
13. Misses the mark : ERRS
18. GI rations : MRE'S. meal ready to eat. i had some during search and rescue training - not terrible.
19. Date with an MD : APPT. not that kind of date.
24. Dirty Harry's org. : SFPD. san francisco police department.
26. Resistance unit : OHM
27. Refrigerant gas : FREON
28. Announcement at the door : IT'S ME. according to grammar girl: "fortunately, most grammarians forgive you for saying 'it's me,' and the 'it is I' construction is almost extinct."
29. Took in again : RE-SAW. i can hear the groans from here.
30. Pal of Tigger : ROO
31. Playful aquatic critter : OTTER
32. Actor Malcolm-__ Warner : JAMAL
33. Speak with style : ORATE
34. Tylenol alternative : BAYER. both are brand names. tylenol is acetaminophen, bayer is aspirin.
40. Summer on the Seine : ETE. french. pronounced ay-tay.
41. Computer fodder : DATA
44. Really enthused : HYPED UP
47. Act rebelliously : DISOBEY. like him.
49. Homeowner's option, in brief : REFI. re-finance.
51. "Fernando" quartet : ABBA
54. Sports schedule column : AWAY. home and away games. sharks play the next six games at home.
55. Audition aim : ROLE. or sometimes just a roll.
56. Word with box or belt : TOOL
58. On __: nervous : EDGE
59. Calamitous : DIRE.
61. Storm : RAGE. twenty years ago this week, the andrea gail and her six man crew, subject of the book and movie 'the perfect storm,' were lost at sea. riveting book.
62. Eat away : GNAW
63. Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall : EDDS
65. OED entries : WDS oxford english dictionary entries are words.
66. Suede feature : NAP
answer grid.
melissa
answer grid.
melissa
90 comments:
Morning, all!
Not too much to say about this one. Got the theme early on which helped immensely.
I initially put in HYPE instead of PLUG at 5A, which was wrong, but it was odd to later see HYPED UP as the correct answer at 44D.
I had no idea what "Uffizi" was referring to, so thank heavens I was able to get ARTE completely via the perps.
Everything else was smooth sailing!
Mornin' Ya'll,
Will someone please let me know how 'start to sing?' is ESS? New for me....but I've been away from LA Times for a long time.
SouthernBelle: The word "sing" starts with the letter "s" which is spelled out as ESS.
Good Morning, folks. Thanks, David Cromer, for a swell Wednesday puzzle. I really liked it. Thank you, Melissa B, for the excellent write-up.
Got started with PLUG, GARY, PGA, and URSA. From there branched left, right, and down.
The theme came easily. That really helped with many of the filler words.
Thought PGA for Couples org was clever. Then we had Fred Couples later. OK.
Nice to see AGRA again. That city is a crossword staple.
Did not know JAMAL. Got it with perps.
Fun morning. Now its off to the racers. Cooking ham and escalloped potatoes for our Commandery Dinner tonight.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Smooth puzzle. Great write-up, Melissa. I enjoyed your drawing together the cacaphony of noisy entries.
This seemed to me to be more of a Tuesday puzzle, very easy and straight forward. Yesterday's seemed more of a Wed. type.
I enjoy Victor Borge. He's corny, I know, but I like him.
Link Borge
Hello All,
For some reason I got stuck in the NE corner. Looking back it doesn't seem so hard. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that jazz.
Happy Wednesday - we're half way there :)
Melissa: Nice write-up & links.
Yup, I thought of HIM as I entered KARNACK.
OK, the themes were easy enough.
GOLDMAN'S PARTNER jumped in since I was watching CNBC.
But that "RTES over ESS/crossing IT'S ME next to RESAW" area was UGLY!!!
Victor BORGE had a club on Treasure Island where he entertained, during the winter months.
His show was always a hoot.
Cheers to all at Sunset.
Hello Puzzlers -
Our 3G network is working now, so at least I could do the puzzle. No power or telephones yet. The house is pretty cold.
Thanks MB for a nice writeup, and David Cromer for a fun puzzle.
Good morning Melissa and all.
I felt bad when this one was done; as Alexander T G said"no more words to conquer". Just right for a Wednesday. Got the NW and SE right away, but got hung up a little in the NE - looking for possible misdirections. Finally settled on APR and ISPS - got PARER and MATINEE, and moved on. Same in SW - got ARTE and AWAY and locked it up. Liked the theme - NEW YORK RETAILER fell right out after the 'New'. The Queen said "We are not AMUSEd" but I enjoyed this one.
Nice Indian summer day today. Bridge at noon.
Like others, the theme really helped me today. I also filled the NE corner last of all and now can't quite see why.
Many of the names were unknowns, and although we frequently get ABBA, I don't know the names of any of their offerings. I groaned at RESAW too.
I saw the Uffizi--Florence was one of the few places, along with Rome, fortunately, where we didn't strike the museum workers' strike during the month I was in Italy in 1970. But I saw so much art on that six month trip around Europe, I can't remember what was at the Uffizi.
Good Wednesday level for me.
Clever theme. Same lame fill.
Sometimes I just guess what the word is from what's there already. Thought I saw MR ED twice. No.
MREd? No. MRES. mRED? No. FRED. That one I didn't get, even filled in. Some golfer whose last name is Couples. Whatever.
So, a sax is a WOODWIND because it has a reed? Whatever.
Didn't like REFI.
@SouthernBelle - I've got used to these lame clues, like "start to sing," for ESS. Whatever.
Good morning Melissa, C.C. et al.
Wow – loved, loved, loved the Mindy Abair link! Thanks for the great write-up, Melissa. Lots of interesting tidbits packed into it!
I agree with Yellowrocks, that this seemed like a Tuesday puzzle – I certainly finished much more quickly than yesterday. Nothing difficult about the fill – just a few that needed to wait for perps to confirm:
16A. Kitchen gadget. PARER or sieve?
46A JFK listing. ETA or etd?
52A ___ bargain. PLEA or hard?
71A Maintain. KEEP or aver?
I have been to the Uffizi gallery in Florence – it is near the Ponte Vecchio (Old bridge). I was most impressed with Boticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”. It is a huge painting, and the reproductions you see in art books just don’t do the colors justice.
Link.
Dudley, if you have 3G service, can electricity be far behind??? I wonder how Mainiac and LaLaLinda are faring?
Melissa, I agree! What a wonderful Humpday offering which was made even better by your 37A elaboration. Wow!
Musings
-My name, the city where I spend a lot of time and two golfers! I’m HYPED!
-Did anyone else think of a forecast word for Nice, France? Rain and snow here today ain’t NICE.
-Leno, Letterman, etc would go hungry if no one wanted to PLUG a project
-Longhorn arrogance STEERed the Huskers out of the BIG 12!
-I’ll bet “oui” all got 23A
-Warren’s Omaha house is very modest!
-I have been to the Uffizi but only remember the David at the Accademia
-Victor Borge turned his incredible talent into a handsome comedic enterprise!
-Mr. T made a great Rocky III villain. Yikes!
-MRE’s make a fun demo in chemistry class
-FREON isn’t used anymore!
-Favorite Carnac – ANSWER - Sis, Boom, Bah. QUESTION – What is the sound of an exploding sheep?
HuskerGary, good comments, but I've long wondered: Do you get paid by the exclamation point?
- John
Whoa. Almost DNF in the east due to my own misdirection. When I saw the Tylenol clue I quickly inked in ALEVE where ORATE was supposed to go. Didn't know MEARA or JAMAL, but once I put ORATE where it belonged and BAYER next door, the perps finished the area.
Liked the puzzle and enjoyed the theme. Nice writeup, Melissa.
Did not like 34D. Tylenol is a trademarked brand name for acetaminophen owned by Johnson & Johnson. BAYER is a pharmaceutical company that happens to have held the original trademark on the word 'aspirin' for the drug acetylsalicylic acid (TM was voided when Bayer's assets were seized during WWI).
Saying Bayer is an alternative to Tylenol is like saying Fuji Heavy Industries is an alternative to a Civic. Yes, an Impreza manufactured by Subaru which is owned by Fuji is an alternative to a Honda Civic... but Fuji Heavy Industries is NOT!
No John!! (You knew I was going to do that ☺).
As I said in my first musing, I am HYPED today
Aristotle counseled, "Moderation in all things" Hmmm...
Thanks for the kind comment and observation.
Good morning! Thanks, MB, for a very educational write up. No problems on this one except for wondering if that Nice forecast was going to be French. Perps quickly took care of that, though. Everything else was pretty well known or already filled by perps by the time I got to the clue.
As I mentioned yesterday, on the same day we had Bobcat in the puzzle we had a Bobcat in our yard. The first I had ever seen here. Here is a link to the Bobcat and his prey and also the alligator that would also have liked to dine on a duck dinner. Feel free to prowl around through the albums, which are mostly of our world travels in the last six years.
sfingi: How do you spell "whatever?"
Thanks Melissa,
Your rather naughty comment on "blow job" was duly noted, and enjoyed.
And what's with the Fred Couples frenzy - lovely chap, but did he strike some sponsorship deal with our crossword constructors?
A speed run, except like HG, I was expecting a misdirection to French weather forecasting at 1A. In fact, I wrote in "FAIT" at first, as in "Il FAIT de neige en État Unis de l'est". Was this intended as a double double entendre?
(Not on the west coast though - another glorious day forecast - sun, sun, sun, with a high of 84°F.)
@Kazie - Abba passed you by then? "Dancing Queen" is routinely voted as the most popular disco dance tune of all time. And no Brit worth his salt would forget "Waterloo", but that's maybe too far from the land of Oz.
NC
Tuttle, you may be technically correct, but Bayer spends a lot of money on advertising to keep the name Bayer synonymous with aspirin, just as Tylenol is synonymous with acetaminophin on this side of the pond. A lot of companies make aspirin, a lot of companies make acetaminophin. But if someone says "I take Bayer" or "I take Tylenol" most people will understand exactly what product is referenced. I think the clue is fair.
Prescription Riddle for those who don’t like and choose to nitpick these puzzles -
Patient – “Doctor, doctor! It hurts when I do this!”
Doctor –“Then don’t do it!”
Whatever.
But WHATEVER would we do if we couldn't pick nits? !!!
A pleasant Wednesday all; it is a busy time for me, making it hard to comment before many of you have already dissected a fine puzzle with a very fun write up (tks mb). My oldest son and dil loved Uffizi, and I enjoyed Mr. T., as CLUBBER LANG .
I used to play a little Sax, and it clearly ia a WOODWIND ; now I have to ask my doctor if I am healthy enough for Sax.
NC,
I have been here since 1974, and as far as I know ABBA didn't exist before that. No, I simply had no interest in music newer than the 60's at that time.
Grumpy,
Must be interesting living so dangerously!
Tuttle,
I simply decided they were both brand names and accepted Tylenol and Bayer as such. In Oz we always had Aspro instead. I didn't realize they were bought out in the '70's by Bayer--didn't like the competition, I guess.
Thank you Mr. Cromer for a very nice puzzle and melissa b for a very charming commentary. I finished it, so it was a delight !
I have been to the Uffizi, in 2000, and what with the plethora of 'Arte' and 'David' and the derrings-do of the Medicis, and the metallic carvings on the doors of the chapel, nearby - I was over sated - but hey, that's just me.
For what its worth, I completely agree with Tuttle, - Tylenol is a drug brand name of para acetyl amino phenol, mfg. by J&J - Bayer is a whole Pharmaceutical and Chemical company. They are not equivalent.... Aleve would have been more appropriate.
Alt QOD: - My mom said that Greek Easter was later because then you could get stuff cheaper. ~ Amy Sedaris.
what we really need, is an ethnic Xmas in mid-January.
Hello.
Pittsburgh visits tomorrow night.
No Crosby yet.
Tour bus stopped on hill over looking Florence. Lots of photos
but no Indian Chief.
How about Motrin? The other type.
Had an 800 mg Rx once.
Por Gary. !!!!!
eddy
One of the newer folks here seems to be of the opinion that if she doesn't know something, then it's lame. Whatever...
Yellowrocks, I love Victor Borge too. I think he's droll and brilliant! I got tired of his phonetic punctuation because it got repeated so often. This is my favorite skit, made even more funny for me since I know what's coming. Conducting an orchestra
Take my wife - please.
No grousing on the apostrophe in the Couples (Couple's) clue at 5D? It seems as if we just had this discussion, but it is definitely wrong here.
Saks isn't just in New York (as adequately shown by Bee).
And I'm going with Tuttle & Mouse on Bayer.
However, I did enjoy this speed run, so, whatever.
Back from the Y on a rainy, snowy, windy day. Feels got to be inside. By the way, I took an ALLEVE and not a BAYER or MOTRIN before I went.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch made by the Y chromosome possessor in this marital firm. Upper 50’s and 60’s next week, so clubs are still in back of pickup!
NC, freetranslation.com makes out your phrase to be “It DOES snow in United State of the east”.
Marti, we sat on that old bridge as well and greatly admired the huge paintings. The Mona Lisa seems pedestrian by comparison in skill and scale but I’m a philistine and too uncultured to know why the da Vinci work is more admired. Like I’ve said before, art, wine and music are sometimes determined to be “great” because someone says so. C.C., others on this blog and I know the 6th game of the recent World Series was great but others, not so much. Ain’t life/art/sports grand?
Now where is that darned can opener?
One of the regular folks here seems to be of the opinion that if he uses "red-letter" help he "solves" the puzzle. Whatever...
Good afternoon everyone.
Good time on this one, even though I didn't get it all. Thanks for the brilliant write up Melissa B.
Good grief, is whatever to be our new catch phrase. I surely hope not. One overdone comment was enough.
I cannot agree with grammar girl. It's me is NOT correct. And It is I is not out of date. Humph!
And I too wondered about the punctuation in 5D. Thought maybe it was part of the clue.
Did not know about the yew tree. Thanks again, MB.
Cheers
I researched this to be certain that BAYER and TYLENOL are both brand names, as Melissa orignally said. Bayer is a brand name , as well as a the name of the corporation.
■“Since writers vary in the use of the apostrophe, it is not possible to make a hard and fast rule about the apostrophe in singular words ending in s.… Punctuate according to pronunciation.” (John E. Warriner, English Grammar and Composition)
In James's cat, we add a second syllable for the second s sound. If the possessive of Couples is a single syllable you add just ('). If you add a syllable you add ('s).
Bill G. I enjoyed your Borge clip. Today we are cooking your Stilton-Cauliflower soup again. It was a big hit.
HG, great picture of you and your class. Your enthusiasm for science enlivens this blog.
In my paper the clue was 'Couples's org'. His name is Fred Couples, not Couple. Thus, the apostrophe must follow his name to indicate the possessive. The added 's' is needed to differintiate between the singular possessive of Couples and the plural possessive of couples (as in pairs). This is not the same as the recent discussion that was referenced, IMHO.
What do you know? Package was from Moldova this time.
Just finished bio of Louis Zamperini by Laura Hillenbrand
(Seabiscuit) Remarkable story of survival. Might have broken 4 minute mile at 1936 Berlin if Finns
hadn't slashed his legs with their sharpened cleats. Highly recommend.
Had to look up soprano saxes. Don't see them very often. Always
wanted a tenor sax. Fingers not long enough.
eddy
Good Morning All, Although I've been to Rome and Venice, I didn't get to Florence. It made me sad at the time because UFFIZI was on my "to do" list.
Ohhh, Fred 57A)COUPLES again. Next time I'll get it!
When my sister and I were "Eurailing" around in 1978, just about every station, store and restaurant in nine countries had ABBA going on in the background. The U.S. had gone ABBA crazy around 1976 with "Dancing Queen".
I agree a lot of the fill was old stuff, but the theme was clever, so it all evens out.
I would definitely use 28D)IT'S ME, before I would say that I 29D)RESAW anything.
In my defense, I always answer the phone with "This is she.", when asked "Is Clear Ayes there?"
HG...you've been watching Jeopardy. The Carnac A & Q was on the show last night.
GAH and I have tickets to see Rudolph Budginas(2:03) in March '12. His performances have been compared to Victor BORGE.
Yes, the apostrophe in 5D should have been after the ESS.
Speaking of "enthusiasm for science," we haven't had a math problem or brain tickler for a while.
Bill G? Bill Nye? Bueller?
Hello, Melissa Bee, C.C. and all. I caught your gist. hee, hee
A FAIR puzzle to AMUSE us today though I fear a few of our group must be in a RAGE of some kind or other. It's only a puzzle, a game to be solved. Relax. Move on.
Easy enough to sashay through this but I first had PERU instead of GARY as my neighbor is from there. GYPSUM made it clear and had no idea about LANG but GASP clinched it.
If EDDS was obscure you must be young and missed the pleasure of watching 77 Sunset Strip as well as JAMAL on the Cosby Show.
And, YES, Carnak made me smile at KARNAK.
Florence is a magnificent city but so much of Italy is itself a work of art.
Time to go. Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Yellowrocks, thanks for the nice comment. We all have our passions and mine was science and making it not only palatable but fun and engaging for the toughest audience in the world – teenagers.
CA, Jeopardy is up against Judge Judy and Pardon The Interruption in our 4:30 pm TV market and so I do not always watch Alex, et al. I definitely did not see it yesterday as I was basking in 72°F weather on a golf course. I have seen it many times on Carson’s “best of” shows and remember Ed barely able to catch his breath for laughing so hard. (I fought the temptation for an!).
Thanks for the link to the new Borge. As an addendum to my earlier musings on art, isn’t it ironic that I Walk The Line made Johnny Cash millions and skilled artists like Budginas don’t make even a fraction as much. Ah, the vagaries of art and commerce.
My newspaper has 5D, Couples's org.
For missing jeannie:
You are the ruler of a medieval empire and you are about to have a celebration tomorrow. The celebration is the most important party you have ever hosted. You've got 1000 bottles of wine you were planning to open for the celebration, but you find out that one of them is poisoned.
The poison exhibits no symptoms until death. Death occurs within ten to twenty hours after consuming even the minutest amount of poison.
You have over a thousand slaves at your disposal and just under 24 hours to determine which single bottle is poisoned.
You have a handful of prisoners about to be executed, and it would mar your celebration to have anyone else killed.
What is the smallest number of prisoners you must have to drink from the bottles to be absolutely sure to find the poisoned bottle within 24 hours?
Good Morning, gang,
Well I DNF today. I just couldn't seem to get the 49D/57A cross, well, really I guess mainly 47D, as well as 53A. A real mess there. Couldn't suss out "New York retailer" which owed me many knocks fron the V8 can. My head i s splitting now and my face is bright red!
Haven't even finished reading your commentary yet, MelissaB, but I know it'll be sensational as always!
I'll go sit in my corner now!
Didn't get going on this puzzle until I went to Melissa's page for the long answers, then I filled in. For purists, this may be cheating. For me, it is learning.
Too many distractions and interruptions today. Too little patience.
Yardman came to mow up fallen leaves from three big maples and a sweet gum. He cleaned out the gutters on the house. Leaves were falling so fast, he finished the back yard and had to go over the front again. Gutters filling again fast. Storm coming.
Next door neighbor came over to tell me he has a broken water main in his yard. Yard flooded. City now digging up the main. Water shut off. Much failing infrastructure in our city.
Grumpy, great wildlife pictures! Do you have trouble keeping pets with the nearby alligator?
Loved the saxophone and Borge clips.
Gary, I enjoy your comments always!!!!!
ABBA is an all-time favorite of mine. Went through a blue time a couple years ago and watching "Mama Mia" was the best mood lifter for me. Watched it twice a week for awhile. Probably know all parts word for word. Tried to watch it a few weeks ago and went to sleep early in the show. It served its purpose once. Bravo!
Fred Couples is in the golfing news a lot because he is this year's captain of the USA President's Cup Championship.
-PK
Hmm.
I could have sworn the puzzle app for my Android (Shortyz) and this very blog showed 5D as "Couple's." Now both, as well as the LAT site, show "Couples's." Time to get my prescription checked. So I apologize for the nit, and all the needless bantering because of it.
On that note, I leave you with another doozie from Henny:
"The other day I broke 70. That's A LOT of clubs."
CA, I may say "It's me." when asked "Who's there?". But I answer the phone "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?" (Seriously. I do. But only when caller ID let's me know its a friend :-)
HG, My favorite Carnac A&Q was:
A: "An oink, oink here and an oink, oink there."
Q: "What do you hear in a singles bar at closing time?"
(And before the PC police get riled up, that cuts both ways.)
Sallie, I agree with you. "It is I" is correct but "It's me" rolls out of my mouth sometimes without thinking.
I also agree that "Couples's org." seemed OK. But I am still confused why the apostrophe was left out of "Jobs creation" (for iMac) a while ago and something else like that more recently.
I posted this link late last night. I think it is so good that I'm including it here for those who missed it. It is a highly detailed panorama of the night sky made of many high-quality photographs taken with a telescope. It has beautifully-detailed view of the Milky Way. You can pan in all directions and zoom in and out. You can also get info on objects and outline the constellations. Really neat!
Couples is a name that ends with "s" like James. We add ('s) to James for the singular possessive,James's (sounds like Jameses) because we add an extra syllable in pronunciation. I think we do not add ('s) to Couples', unless we pronounce it, COUPLESES. See the grammar book rule I copied earlier
Lemonade714
It took about a minute to find that riddle/solution on google.
Funny thing, one solution said it would take 10.
Another said it would take only 8.
The math made me feel like I was back in an Algebra class. (Too long to post here).
My solution would be be to skip the wine and serve Avatar.
Bill G.: Nice sky link, thanks.
Yellowrocks, without the added s there would be no waay to tell whether the reference was to the person, singular possessive, or the duo, plural possessive. Pronunciation isn't always the determining factor in making the decision, although it usualy is, as you state. What's the old saw about the exceptions prove the rule?
Tinbeni or anyone else who may have knowledge: I have ordered a bottle of Glenkinchie 12YO. How is it?
YR: But we don't add 's to Peters, just ' as in Bernadette Peters' latest role. Hope this helps.
Also, It is me. is ok if the use of It is I. would sound too stuffy or pompous. I'm sure editors consult their relevant Elements of Style to keep us as happy as possible.
Bill G:
Forgot to tell you how much I enjoyed that fascinating night sky! Thank you.
Lemon/Tin,
I would think the answer is 5 - because after that, the 'handful' of prisoners is exhausted.
Or, as Tin suggests, go with the Scotch. Sláinte!
Sweet write-up, Melissa. Nice catch regarding the reference to Oliver Sacks - I wonder if it was intentional?
@Anon 9:57 - very true.
A Marine friend of mine once told me that MRE actually stands for "Meals Rarely Edible". I've got some stashed away for when my part of California decides to shake itself loose from the rest of the continent and become an island.
Argyle. Have tasted it. Reminds me
of the Oregon pine in which it is fermented. One of the last three lowlands. Let us know what you think.
eddy
Hey! that anon@1:30pm was ME (I?) dodo! I want credit where credit is due, thanks. How could that happen?
I'm surprised some have not heard of the "Oracle of Omaha," Warren Buffet.
King McLargehuge:
Yup, a "handful" of prisoners would be no more than five. lol
What I thought interesting, after I typed in:
"1000 poison bottle riddle" there were many sites addressing the problem. Leading to various solutions.
Argyle:
I prefer the darker Scotch's.
But the lowland single-malt "Glen's" have never disappointed.
Cheers !!!!!!!!!! (those extra "!" are for John!
Lucina @3:06pm,
Click here. Tell me, are you surprised by Melissa's Favorite Musician list? Do you know all of them?
Re: It is I: I just start talking, I guess. Everyone seems to recognize my voice; even people I don't know very well. The only ones who ask to speak to Dorothy are the ones who want a donation of some kind. Usually I screen them out (don't answer.) If I really have to answer "Is Dorothy there?" I say, as does CA, "This is she."
In my paper it was Couples' org.
Regarding Tylenol vs. Bayer discussion, seems like the question might be: How do you clue Bayer? That would be a lot harder for me to answer.
Oh my, Tin. You've started us all over again: Scotch's? Please.....no apostrophe at all! Just and es, as in Scotches.
Sorry, I try to ignore the nits; sombody else usually gets there before me anyway. Useless apostrophes are a real bane for me.
Or even a pain!
BAYER: Wolf, vis-à-vis
the moon
Dodo, there are no useless apostrophes... just collect em and stick em in, in all the places where theyve been left out.
C.C.:
Yes, a very surprising list and eclectic, too. I recognize only a few, notably, Santana, Los Lonely Boys and Harry James (the original or is there a current version?) Never heard of Los mocosos! Oh, my, what a name.
Bill G. enjoyed your link to the sky panorama.
Some of it reminded me of a beautiful sequence from The Tree of Life (1:50).
A few weeks ago, I think it was Hahtool who asked if anyone had seen the movie. I finally did see it. As far as the movie goes, it is slow, with gorgeous cinematography, and a heartbreaking convoluted story line. Either you love it, or you don't. I loved it, but I'd definitely have to see it again (or more).
Hi gang -
Well done, MB - I like your take on a puzzle.
Struggled with the top third.
Good theme.
REFI is legit jargon. Hate ESS!
Sax is made of metal but is definitely a WOODWIND (yes - because of the reed.) So it goes. Never played sax, but I knocked one over and broke it once. That was a really bad moment.
The late Bob Berg was my fav soprano player.soprano player. Don't love Miles or this song, but it will give you a flavor of Berg.
Argyle: Glenkinchie 12 - Lowland, a bit grainy flavored, Very smooth, hardly peaty at all, pretty mild, nice finish. A little bland as single malts go, but I don't mind. I've never met one I didn't like. Fav's are more full flavored, though: Talisker and Lagavulin.
Aristotle: "Moderation in all things."
Lazarus Long: "Moderation in nothing. when you find something you like, WALLOW in it!"
Cheers!
JzB YES - IT IS I!
LOL CC Are you thinking of Jimmy Buffet?
Grumpy @ 3:38, or, you could just, like, y'know, drop 'em down a bit, and use them, like, commas...
Spitzboov, my point exactly, we don't add s to Bernadette Peters' because we would have to say Peterses. We don't add s to Couples' because we don't say Coupleses. Grumpy, there is not too much confusion as to whether this is a name, especially with the cap, or whether it refers to a duo. If you had your way, the confusion would be in the pronunciation. We would think we had to say Coupleses.
Yellowrocks, you are a hypocrite, saying you hate silly nits and here you go! From now on I abstain.
I've had my say. Sorry!
I tried to comment on Bill G.'s sky panorama (complimentary) and also on a requested response to Hahtool about the movie "The Tree of Life". It looks liked it was saved and now it is gone. Ah, well, it wasn't particularly interesting. The only reason I mention it is in case it shows up in Argyle's or C.C.'s spam.
Melissa, you deserve this name (bee in Greek), your are indeed a busy bee
Love your blog, helps me solve the sf
chronicle Crossword
Bill G. enjoyed your link to the sky panorama. Some of it reminded me of a beautiful sequence from The Tree of Life (1:50). A few weeks ago, I think it was Hahtool who asked if anyone had seen the movie. I finally did see it. As far as the movie goes, it is slow, with gorgeous cinematography, and a heartbreaking convoluted story line. Either you love it, or you don't. I loved it, but I'd definitely have to see it again (or more).
By Clear Ayes on Wedneday, Nov 2, 2011 David W. Cromer at 3:56 PM
It did show up in spam.
Thanks for the rescue Argyle. I've seen other people mention it, but it's never happened to me before. I guess with blogs, "stuff" sometimes just happens. Here is the Tree of Life, Universe link that I was reminded of by Bill's sky panorama.
From Jane Straus's "Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation":
Rule 2. Use the apostrophe to show possession. Place the apostrophe before the s to show singular possession.
Examples:
one boy's hat
one woman's hat
one actress's hat
one child's hat
Ms. Chang's house
NOTE: Although names ending in s or an s sound are not required to have the second s added in possessive form, it is preferred.
Mr. Jones's golf clubs
Texas's weather
Ms. Straus's daughter
Jose Sanchez's artwork
Dr. Hastings's appointment (name is Hastings)
Mrs. Lees's books (name is Lees)
I guess the "experts" can't agree, either.
Hi all!
Fun puzzle and write-up. Seems like all has been said.
CA, etc., I always say, "this is she" also. Also, use " it is I" on occasion.
Envy all of you that have been to Italy (and most everywhere else, it seems).
For $175 today my sliding glass door is moving once again. Can't believe I suffered with its recalcitrance for so long. Always needed someone else to open and close it, with concomitant complaints.
Happy hump evening!
PS Program about Steve Jobs on PBS tonight.
Shout out to @King McLargeHuge who had me rolling in the aisles with his new name.
@Steve
Yeah, rather ironic that you posted right after me. Your link yesterday had ME rolling in the aisles. Now I'm trying to track down a copy of Space Mutiny (with the MST3K add-on, of course).
-Big
good evening all,
nice to see that most enjoyed the puzzle, as i did - always fun to watch where the conversation goes.
i had no issue with bayer vs. tylenol - though i do understand the point.
steve, the mre's i've had were not terrible, but the freeze dried foods available now for backpackers are so much better than they used to be, and so lightweight. last time i went backpacking i even had biscuits baked on my little hiker's stove - just add water. i recommend them over the mre's for your emergency stash.
lucina, c.c. also mentioned to me about the 'oracle of omaha.' if i ever heard it i didn't remember. impossible to stay ahead of this smart crowd.
thanks all for the nice comments, have a great night.
Hola Everyone, I haven't much new to add to what has already been said about the puzzle.
My one misdirection came about when I missread Pal of Tigger as Pal of Trigger. As a result this was the last area to fall.
The thrift shop did a spectacular business today. We were kept extremely busy all day, and I'm tired this evening.
Husker, one item I sold today, was a Barbie Cheerleader dressed in a Husker outfit,brand new and still in the unopened box. The Husker Logo on her outfit and on the box was exactly like your Avatar.
Thanks, Melissa for a great writeup. Loved many of the links.
My cup of tea is waiting. Good evening, everyone.
The clue for 34d seems like a mistake.
Bayer is a company, not a product.
Bayer is the name of a company, tylernol
is the name of a drug.
Two different categories. Bad clue.
Thoughts?
Helen, read the discussion earlier today in the blog.
sorry, I didn't mean to post my Q twice.
Apologies again - before I posted, I searched for 34d an found nothing, so thought nothing had been written about that. I agree with Tuttle -- I think it's a bad clue.
What? Tylenol(acetaminophen) and Bayer(aspirin) are both brand names.
I'm thinking that "s's" isn't quite right.
Thoughts?
You need the apostrophe in s's (even though it's not possessive) because the meaning would be very unclear without it.
From the Internet: Apostrophes are used to form plurals of letters that appear in lowercase; here the rule appears to be more typographical than grammatical, e.g. "three ps" versus "three p's." To form the plural of a lowercase letter, place 's after the letter. There is no need for apostrophes indicating a plural on capitalized letters, numbers, and symbols (though keep in mind that some editors, teachers, and professors still prefer them). For example, mind your p's and q's.
Christopher, read the discussion earlier today in the blog.
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