Theme: MONKEY BUSINESS. Since it's actually a double theme, I'll also go with APE IN THE MIDDLE. Second things first: The four longest answers each contain the hidden word APE, split between the first and last names of a real or fictional woman, consistently parsed as -A PE-.
18 A. Early Mary Tyler Moore role : LAURA PETRIE. Fictional Woman - Mrs. Rob PETRIE was a real dish on a favorite TV show from the distant past.
54 A. She played Carla Tortelli on "Cheers" : RHEA PERLMAN. Real Woman. You'd have to be, to be married to Danny Divito.
3 D. She played Nicole Chapman on "Fame" : NIA PEEPLES. Real Woman, who I've never heard of. Cute.
28 D. 1996 Madonna role : EVITA PERON. Real woman, fictionalized. Wow. Has it been 15 years?!?
Plus the extended unifier:
4 A. With 36- and 62-Across, kids' ball game, and something this puzzle's four longest answers have in common : MONKEY
36 A. See 4-Across : IN THE
62 A. See 4-Across : MIDDLE. In my neighborhood, we had a failure of imagination, and just called this often cruel game "keep-away."
Hi gang, it's Jazzbumpa, reporting from somewhere in APE country. Now, this dual theme is tight, cute, clever, and original. High marks for every bit of that. The only problem is that it's dead wrong! And thereby hangs a tail, so to speak. With that hint, I'll reveal why at the end, (which is sort of another hint, come to think of it.)
Let's see what other kinds of MONKEY BUSINESS we can uncover in APE country. Onward!
Across:
1. Trespass : SIN. I've heard these words used interchangeably in different versions of The Lord's Prayer.
10. Collar or jacket : ETON. The collar extends over the lapels of a jacket. Would these be worn together in an ensemble?
14. TNT element? : TRI. If all else fails, TRI-nitrotoluene. Here, breaking the word, rather than a molecule, into elements. Chemists love these run-on words.
15. Ring of color : AREOLA. An old favorite here at the corner.
16. Powerful TV princess : XENA. TV series from 1995 to 2001.
17. One of the Gershwins : IRA. George wrote the music, IRA wrote the lyrics.
20. Puts in a fresh pot : REPLANTS. RE-ANTES is a letter short.
22. Habeas corpus et al. : WRITS. Formal written orders from a judge or body with legal jurisdiction. Other examples are warrants and subpoenas.
23. Name of three presidents : GEORGE. Is it ironic that the first President George (Washington) led the fight for independence against King George III?
24. Noodle product? : IDEA. How long did you have to noodle this clue?
26. Glacial ridge : ESKER. I can never remember this word. Sounds Nordic.
27. Horticulturist's hangout : NURSERY. Full of potted plants. Or pot plants.
31. Happy co-worker? : DOPEY. Hi-Ho, I got this one right off. Disney Dwarfs.
33. Some TV screens : LCDS. Liquid Crystal Displays. Are TV and LCD still considered to be abrvs?
34. Go for, as a prize : VIE. Somehow, though, "VIE for it," never quite made it into the vernacular.
35. Hogwarts messengers : OWLS. From Harry Potter. In A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, they use ravens.
38. Tower city : PISA. Famous Italian landmark.
39. Bolo, for one : TIE. Neck wear - a western style string tie.
40. Nudge : PROD. I've heard of a gentle nudge. Gentle PROD seems a bit oxymoronic.
41. "I'm outta here!" : LATER. Alternative good-byes. Nope, can't say that just yet. Gotta do all those downs.
42. Meeting of Congress : SESSION. "Obstruction" has too many letters.
44. "Les Girls" actress Elg : TAINA. A Finnish actress. Here, you can see her, from teenager to octogenarian.
46. Latin word on a cornerstone : ANNO. A year in old Rome.
47. Getaway : ESCAPE. Either word can mean "get out of a bad situation," or "take a small vacation."
49. Ionian Sea island : CORFU. Dramatic.
52. Place for a bargain? : BASEMENT. That's a bit of retro language from department store days. Now it's all big box stores.
57. Genetic carrier : RNA. It goes DNA --> RNA --> protein.
58. Arena level : TIER
59. 2009 Ruben Studdard album : LOVE IS. Here he is, in some pretty good company.
60. Held by us : OUR. Plural possessive personal pronoun.
61. Numbers for one : SOLI. The plural of solo. This is also used to designate an orchestra section playing in unison or close parallel harmony.
63. Little thing to pick : NIT. There sure are a lot of female names in this puzzle.
Down:
1. Recipe direction : STIR. Drink recipe direction: Shake, don't stir.
2. Discount rack abbr. : IRREG. Irregular, i.e. containing some small flaw, like a Navajo Rug.
4. Trivia game that involves bluffing : MALARKY. Never heard of it.
5. Autumn color : ORANGE. Yellow also fit, in more ways than one.
6. Neither masculine nor feminine : NEUTER. I wanted DISENGENDERED.
7. Fashion designer Michael : KORS. Looks smug.
8. She, in São Paulo : ELA. Singular female pronoun.
9. Jabber : YAP. Lip flapping.
10. Cast-of-thousands actors : EXTRAS. Don't look for them in the credits.
11. Actress Hatcher : TERI. This Lois Lane portrayer was born on my 18th birthday.
12. "Don't count __!" : ON IT. An expression of skepticism or denial.
13. Rob Roy refusals : NAES Scottish expressions of skepticism or denial.
19. Washstand vessels : EWERS. Water pitchers.
21. Gets the consolation prize : LOSES. The winner gets the real prize.
24. Creep : INCH. Here, both "Creep" and "INCH" are verbs.
25. Snappy dresser : DUDE.
29. Increase : RISE.
30. Wine bottle datum : YEAR. Or ANNUM, if it's really old wine
31. Colon's pair : DOTS. Better than polyps, I suppose. No, wait, this is punctuation: ":".
32. Abrasion, to a tot : OWIE. I hurted myself.
33. Inc. abroad : LTD. Limited. In either case the owners have limited legal liability.
36. Golfer's selection : IRON. Some would choose a wood.
37. Thing to avoid : NO-NO. Or you might get an OWIE.
38. 2011 TV show with multiple pilots : PAN AM. Never saw it.
40. Calendar girl : PIN UP. This seems to be a common PIN UP pose.
41. Traffic cop's request : LICENSE. Along with vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Or so I've been told . . .
43. Jungle journey : SAFARI. A trek through APE country, maybe.
44. Working (with) : TEAMED. Snow White teamed with Happy and Dopey.
45. Lash out at : ASSAIL. The witch ASSAILED Snow White.
48. World-weariness : ENNUI. Boredom. Pronounced "ahn-wee." Must be French
49. PC monitors : CRTS. Cathode Ray Tubes. No so much, any more.
50. River formed at Pittsburgh : OHIO. The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers combine to form the beautiful OHIO.
51. Lively dance : REEL. It's a real lively dance.
52. L.A.'s Sunset, e.g. : BLVD. Strip doesn't fit, and an abrv. is called for.
53. Bakery offering : TART. Have any of you guys ever picked up a TART at a bakery?
55. Stately tree : ELM. Not so much, any more.
56. Louis XIV, par exemple : ROI. A French King, in French.
Answer grid.
18 A. Early Mary Tyler Moore role : LAURA PETRIE. Fictional Woman - Mrs. Rob PETRIE was a real dish on a favorite TV show from the distant past.
54 A. She played Carla Tortelli on "Cheers" : RHEA PERLMAN. Real Woman. You'd have to be, to be married to Danny Divito.
3 D. She played Nicole Chapman on "Fame" : NIA PEEPLES. Real Woman, who I've never heard of. Cute.
28 D. 1996 Madonna role : EVITA PERON. Real woman, fictionalized. Wow. Has it been 15 years?!?
Plus the extended unifier:
4 A. With 36- and 62-Across, kids' ball game, and something this puzzle's four longest answers have in common : MONKEY
36 A. See 4-Across : IN THE
62 A. See 4-Across : MIDDLE. In my neighborhood, we had a failure of imagination, and just called this often cruel game "keep-away."
Hi gang, it's Jazzbumpa, reporting from somewhere in APE country. Now, this dual theme is tight, cute, clever, and original. High marks for every bit of that. The only problem is that it's dead wrong! And thereby hangs a tail, so to speak. With that hint, I'll reveal why at the end, (which is sort of another hint, come to think of it.)
Let's see what other kinds of MONKEY BUSINESS we can uncover in APE country. Onward!
Across:
1. Trespass : SIN. I've heard these words used interchangeably in different versions of The Lord's Prayer.
10. Collar or jacket : ETON. The collar extends over the lapels of a jacket. Would these be worn together in an ensemble?
14. TNT element? : TRI. If all else fails, TRI-nitrotoluene. Here, breaking the word, rather than a molecule, into elements. Chemists love these run-on words.
15. Ring of color : AREOLA. An old favorite here at the corner.
16. Powerful TV princess : XENA. TV series from 1995 to 2001.
17. One of the Gershwins : IRA. George wrote the music, IRA wrote the lyrics.
20. Puts in a fresh pot : REPLANTS. RE-ANTES is a letter short.
22. Habeas corpus et al. : WRITS. Formal written orders from a judge or body with legal jurisdiction. Other examples are warrants and subpoenas.
23. Name of three presidents : GEORGE. Is it ironic that the first President George (Washington) led the fight for independence against King George III?
24. Noodle product? : IDEA. How long did you have to noodle this clue?
26. Glacial ridge : ESKER. I can never remember this word. Sounds Nordic.
27. Horticulturist's hangout : NURSERY. Full of potted plants. Or pot plants.
31. Happy co-worker? : DOPEY. Hi-Ho, I got this one right off. Disney Dwarfs.
33. Some TV screens : LCDS. Liquid Crystal Displays. Are TV and LCD still considered to be abrvs?
34. Go for, as a prize : VIE. Somehow, though, "VIE for it," never quite made it into the vernacular.
35. Hogwarts messengers : OWLS. From Harry Potter. In A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, they use ravens.
38. Tower city : PISA. Famous Italian landmark.
39. Bolo, for one : TIE. Neck wear - a western style string tie.
40. Nudge : PROD. I've heard of a gentle nudge. Gentle PROD seems a bit oxymoronic.
41. "I'm outta here!" : LATER. Alternative good-byes. Nope, can't say that just yet. Gotta do all those downs.
42. Meeting of Congress : SESSION. "Obstruction" has too many letters.
44. "Les Girls" actress Elg : TAINA. A Finnish actress. Here, you can see her, from teenager to octogenarian.
46. Latin word on a cornerstone : ANNO. A year in old Rome.
47. Getaway : ESCAPE. Either word can mean "get out of a bad situation," or "take a small vacation."
49. Ionian Sea island : CORFU. Dramatic.
52. Place for a bargain? : BASEMENT. That's a bit of retro language from department store days. Now it's all big box stores.
57. Genetic carrier : RNA. It goes DNA --> RNA --> protein.
58. Arena level : TIER
59. 2009 Ruben Studdard album : LOVE IS. Here he is, in some pretty good company.
60. Held by us : OUR. Plural possessive personal pronoun.
61. Numbers for one : SOLI. The plural of solo. This is also used to designate an orchestra section playing in unison or close parallel harmony.
63. Little thing to pick : NIT. There sure are a lot of female names in this puzzle.
Down:
1. Recipe direction : STIR. Drink recipe direction: Shake, don't stir.
2. Discount rack abbr. : IRREG. Irregular, i.e. containing some small flaw, like a Navajo Rug.
4. Trivia game that involves bluffing : MALARKY. Never heard of it.
5. Autumn color : ORANGE. Yellow also fit, in more ways than one.
6. Neither masculine nor feminine : NEUTER. I wanted DISENGENDERED.
7. Fashion designer Michael : KORS. Looks smug.
8. She, in São Paulo : ELA. Singular female pronoun.
9. Jabber : YAP. Lip flapping.
10. Cast-of-thousands actors : EXTRAS. Don't look for them in the credits.
11. Actress Hatcher : TERI. This Lois Lane portrayer was born on my 18th birthday.
12. "Don't count __!" : ON IT. An expression of skepticism or denial.
13. Rob Roy refusals : NAES Scottish expressions of skepticism or denial.
19. Washstand vessels : EWERS. Water pitchers.
21. Gets the consolation prize : LOSES. The winner gets the real prize.
24. Creep : INCH. Here, both "Creep" and "INCH" are verbs.
25. Snappy dresser : DUDE.
29. Increase : RISE.
30. Wine bottle datum : YEAR. Or ANNUM, if it's really old wine
31. Colon's pair : DOTS. Better than polyps, I suppose. No, wait, this is punctuation: ":".
32. Abrasion, to a tot : OWIE. I hurted myself.
33. Inc. abroad : LTD. Limited. In either case the owners have limited legal liability.
36. Golfer's selection : IRON. Some would choose a wood.
37. Thing to avoid : NO-NO. Or you might get an OWIE.
38. 2011 TV show with multiple pilots : PAN AM. Never saw it.
40. Calendar girl : PIN UP. This seems to be a common PIN UP pose.
41. Traffic cop's request : LICENSE. Along with vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Or so I've been told . . .
43. Jungle journey : SAFARI. A trek through APE country, maybe.
44. Working (with) : TEAMED. Snow White teamed with Happy and Dopey.
45. Lash out at : ASSAIL. The witch ASSAILED Snow White.
48. World-weariness : ENNUI. Boredom. Pronounced "ahn-wee." Must be French
49. PC monitors : CRTS. Cathode Ray Tubes. No so much, any more.
50. River formed at Pittsburgh : OHIO. The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers combine to form the beautiful OHIO.
51. Lively dance : REEL. It's a real lively dance.
52. L.A.'s Sunset, e.g. : BLVD. Strip doesn't fit, and an abrv. is called for.
53. Bakery offering : TART. Have any of you guys ever picked up a TART at a bakery?
55. Stately tree : ELM. Not so much, any more.
56. Louis XIV, par exemple : ROI. A French King, in French.
Answer grid.
If my hints didn't totally give it away, here's the scoop. An APE would be insulted if you called it a MONKEY. "Within the suborder of anthropoids, primates are grouped into monkeys, apes and hominids. The easiest way to distinguish monkeys from the other anthropoids is to look for a tail. Most monkey species have tails, but no apes or hominids do." There are also many other differences.
This is a pretty big mistake, but I wouldn't go APE over it. I'm outta here.
Cheers!
JzB
Good morning, Jazzbumpa, C.C. and gang - this, to me anyway, was the perfect Wednesday-level puzzle: not too easy, not too hard.
ReplyDeleteSecond day in a row with the theme cluing up top; nice change of pace. I have to admit I wasn't familiar with the game 'Malarky', so that slowed down the reveal. Once I had 'monkey', the rest of it was pretty obvious. I had other unknowns as well, including Taina Elg and the fact that Nia Peeples was in 'Fame'. I thought 'noodle product' was a great clue, and of course 'areola' is always welcome.
BTW, did all of you ladies see last night's news story about mammograms? Evidently doctors had been saying it was ok to wait until 50 to start them, and now they're saying you should absolutely start at 40. (Should you not have a doctor of your own, I have a part-time traveling practice...)
Jazz, fun read.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteFun theme today. A bit on the challenging side overall, however, due mostly to the pop culture trivia and proper nouns that are outside my wheelhouse. TAINA Elg? Michael KORS? Never heard of them. NIA PEEPLES? Heard of her, but didn't know she was in "Fame." LOVE IS? I know (vaguely) who Ruben Stoddard is, but not what he wrote/sang.
Thanks for the heads up, Dennis. I'll go schedule a mammogram for myself as soon as possible...
Good Morning, Jazzbumpa and friends. This seemed tough due to all the actress names (I thought of Kazie as I kept stumbling over all the names), yet when I finished, I realized that I never saw some of the clues.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of the game Marlarky, so my initial fill for 4-Across was Donkey instead of Monkey, so I thought we might be looking for Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
A snappy dresser is a DUDE? Well, maybe if the Dude Looks Like a Lady.
Noodle Product = IDEA is becoming a staple clue in the crossword world.
Today marks the last day of Hurricane Season.
Dodo: glad you checked in last night. I had been missing you.
QOD: I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. what do you want, an adorable pancreas? ~ Jean Kerr
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteLots of proper names means Hondo will likely need lots of perp help, and he did. The only gimme was LAURA PETRIE from the Dick Van Dyke Show. That show packed lots of laughs into a half hour and LAURA (MTM) was a pleasure to look at.
Hand up for never having heard of MALARKY although I've been told I'm full of it a few times, but more often then not I've heard I'm full of something else.
All in all, a nice puzzle for Hump Day.
Jazz, really enjoyed your write up. Lots of info cleverly presented.
Made it, but barely. Never heard of KORS or TAINA, or the game MALARKY, and NIA PEEPLES only tinkled -- didn't ring the bell. Oh, also never heard of MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE, never saw PANAM (is it still on?). I agree with Hondo, though, that LAURA PETRIE was a dish! And, yes, JZB, dots are preferable to polyps.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you suppose it is that the newspaper delivery person can hit my driveway consistently....except when there's water in the ditch?
Mornin' to all,
ReplyDeleteA fun and run puzzle. So busy putting in the answers, I forgot to look for the theme....it would have really been easier without all those proper names!
This means that today is going to be a great day....right?
Wow, tough going today. In the UK, we play "PIGGIE IN THE MIDDLE", so that wasn't a good start.
ReplyDeleteNice write-up there, Jassbumpa.
Small quarrel about EVITA PERON - her name was EVA PERON, her familiar name was EVITA (without the PERON). To me, it's like saying "DUBYA BUSH" - you don't. He's George W Bush or just "Dubya". Maybe it's just me.
On the online puzzle format, I got this email yesterday after we posted our comments/complaints:
"We have made some changes to the Crossword game based on feedback from our players:
1. Changed the color scheme to be more readable
2. Added a save option to Crossword so that progress in any puzzle can be saved
3. Added a Master level where correct letters will not show
...
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with us as we continue to improve our game,
Brian Peterson
Arkadium Customer Support"
What ya'll said. Lots of proper names, but enough perp help to muddle through.
ReplyDeleteHahtool, I can't help this one. It just popped into my head.
Alt QOD: Beauty may only be skin deep, but ugly goes through and through. Redd Foxx
Good morning, all. Thanks for the entertaining write up, JazzB.
ReplyDeleteDesper-otto, we must have the same paperboy.
I was all set to go APE about all of those unknown names crossing other unknown names or a TV show that no one ever watched. I had already figured out MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE (I recall the discussion we had here about the game), but I hadn't paid attention to the rest of the clue and wasn't looking for another tie in. Putting in ELe for the Brazilian 'she' led me to Maude Petrie and a game called Mamarky. Hey, with AREOLA crossing it you know what direction my mind was headed. I finally read the rest of the 4a clue and spotted the tailess monkeys hiding in the other names. Pass the V8 can please.
CORFU came easily from the 'U' on the end. My LW had a great time shopping for shoes on Corfu... twice.
Always nice to see a shoutout to one of my co workers.
Jazz: Wonderful write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteFUN Wednesday.
LAURA, RHEA & EVITA were gimmies.
NIA, KORS & TAINA all perps.
Hand up on MALARKY. What a fun word.
LOVE IS a puzzle that ends with a NIT.
The real Redd Foxx quote:
"Beauty may be skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone."
Cheers to all ... LATER.
Good morning all. Nice commentary, JzB.
ReplyDeleteI was stymied briefly by colon pair but when I saw it was DOTS, I howled. Great clue. We knew MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE as 'Dodge Ball'. Great game for kids if it is not too rough. I like words with K an so it was good to see ESKER. CORFU was a gimme. While the theme fill came easily, I didn't see the APE link until I was done. ESCAPE also has an APE. Well done David. BZ
Off for some bridge.
Speaking for myself, although I am a hominid, I've been called both a monkey and an ape in the past.
ReplyDeleteInteresting puzzle. Fun and informative write up, Jazz.
ReplyDeleteMy only totally unknowns were TAINA and LOVE IS. I was missing the first A in TAINA and the I in LOVE IS and wagged ASSAIL.
I meet NIA PEEPLES frequently, but only in X words.
As we discussed last time, the cruel Keep Away is not Monkey in the Middle. Monkey in the Middle is an actual, fun to play game with rules, and is played by mutual consent of all, even the "Monkey."
I thought DOTS was clever, but had the same problems with names as the rest of you, including MALARKY. But I did know RHEA PERLMAN. I thought of EVA before EVITA and wondered how to make it fill the space for a while. Thought ETON a bit strange without an e.g. to indicate it is just one kind of collar or jacket, but it didn't hold me up for long.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole though I thought it was fair for a Wednesday. I too have trouble remembering ESKER, since I can only ever remember moraines.
Enjoy your hump day everyone!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, David Poole, for a really great puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for the entertaining write-up.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I had a polyp removed yesterday. Got a generally good report, though. Glad all that's over.
Got the theme after a few perps to help me with MONKEY. In my youth we called it PICKLE IN THE MIDDLE. Same game I believe. I think we had this some time ago.
As others, never heard of MALARKY as a TV game. But, I do not watch much TV.
Several unknowns arrived at by perps: ESKER, TAINA, CORFU, LOVE IS, TERI, NIA PEEPLES. All worked out.
Read where Josef Stalin's only daughter died the other day. Svetlana, lived in Wisconsin. I bet she saw a lot in her life.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Damn, Damn, damn - dagumit, Egads and all that rot ! I have to get a new computer, and soon. This is ridiculous !
ReplyDeleteThank you David Poole for a very nice puzzle and JazzyB for a great commentary. I finished it !!! Either I'm getting better at xwords, or my head is now getting saturated with irrelevant, inconsequential trivia....
Jazz your point on 'Apes' was well taken. Of course, once I 'got' the theme (which was a miracle in itself - ), I didn't care if they called it an Ape or a Hominid ! Seriously, Rich Norris needs a scientific adviser, in addition to his mastery of the language. ( strictly LOL !!! )
David Poole your puzzle was wonderful - even with all those bygone female names. I think only MTM would have been even close to my type. I was hoping for the 'happy Hooker', but no luck.
Have a good week all.
Of course it's going to be a great day SouthernBelle!
ReplyDeleteMr. Bumpa, my stumpas were: ESKER, TANIA, and NIA PEEPLES. REPLANTS threw me off as I was thinking "puts in a fresh pot of coffee".
I wanted don't count "on me" for 12D. Shows what sort of mood I'm in. Must need that fresh pot.
Your comment for 41A had me chuckling: "Nope, can't say [later] just yet. Gotta do all those downs."
Argyle: ...and I`ve been known to call a man a "go-RILL-a." (but not you)
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't played Malarky, what about Balderdash or Fictionary? They are all word games where obscure words and fake meanings are used; this group should do great at it.
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks, one time when I was called an ape, was after being a little to energetic during a square dance. I told her it ain't no waltz.
I see in Wikipedia that Monkey in the Middle can be called Keep Away, but it is not the nasty trick of taking an item from someone and tossing it around so that he cannot retrieve it. This nastiness has no rules and the Monkey hardly ever wins. In the real game, the rules make it so that the Monkey has a fair chance and often snags the ball.
ReplyDeleteLink Monkey in the Middle
Some ramblings-
ReplyDeleteCorfu - A good read on Corfu - 'My family and other animals' by Gerald Durell. British author @ 1962. Very charming book.
I am getting so sophisticated on xwords, that for Colon's pair - I was looking for a Spanish word for 'pair'.
I was completely nonplussed with 'element' of TNT. ( C,H,N,O ??).
Recipe- Take a couple of litres of Toluene, add a couple of dollops of fuming Nitric Acid, four Tbs. of fuming sulfuric acid ( Oleum ), a pinch of Picric Acid ... STIR gently .... I better stop, the guy from Homeland Security down the hall, is beckoning me ....
Alt QOD:- I give the same halftime speech at each game. It always works ..... when our team is better than the other team. ~ Chuck Mills.
Subbing today with web access. Played golf in 46°F weather last two days – full sun and no wind and it was great! Tin, I shot 76.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-MTM’s legs starred in a TV show early in her career
-Jazz, we played “keep away” too before damage to anyone’s psyche was a big concern.
-School filter kept me out of AREOLA link but I think I remember
-I forgave sins until I married a Catholic and now it’s trespasses
-I grow plants indoors in the winter and REPLANT them in the spring. They are great but it brings little critters into the house as well
-Pot nurseries get busted here all the time.
-PISA was #1 on my bucket list
-Extras = Spear Carriers = Villagers
-I got out my registration from my glove box during a speeding stop and the state patrolman said to NEVER do that again as he had no idea what I was getting. Just sit and wait for him with your hands on the wheel.
Hi gang.
ReplyDeleteHad Taina Elg been born 16 years later - and I'd actually known about her - she, not Hayley Mills, would have been my impossibly desperate 13-yr-old crush.
David thrust a lot of names on us today, but they aren't hard to look at.
Cheers!
JzB
It’s great that the powers that be heard your complaints about the horrible new online format. Now if I write the Pope (are you kidding me with consubstantial etc?)…
ReplyDeleteArgyle, LOL Which, reminds me, yesterday was National Square Dance Day. What a delightful expereince! I came home with a happy heart. We held an open dance, no expereince or partner necessary. We, the experienced "angels," assisted the newbies.
ReplyDeleteLast time and this time we had a large contingent of people from a group home for the developmentally disabled. We kept them together as the B group. All others were the A Group. The caller called alternating sets (We call them tips.) with the A group dancing the regular moves and the B group dancing a simplified version. We angels assisted both groups.
TO BE CONTINUED
CONTINUATION
ReplyDeleteThe B group was so happy and thrilled to be dancing. The A group, strangers as well as club members, were very gracious and hospitable. Our club (Am I biased?) is the friendliest, most accepting group of any kind that I participate in.
It was such a high to have the Group Home clients so happy and the others also so happy and willing. I drove home feeliong light as a feather and extremely proud of our club.
PS I have an adult developmentally disabled son, who lives with me.
Gary -
ReplyDeleteKeep your hands on the wheel!
Cheers!
JzB
Hi There ~!
ReplyDeleteWell written blog, Mr. JazzB~! - Funny and witty
I am of the younger generation, so I was not familiar with LAURA PETRIE, but I did sorta know NIA.
I never went back and read the clue at 4A, and so I was surprised to see that there were "apes in those women"....
Splynter
JzB, I thought that was a Paul Evans (the "Midnight Special" guy) song! Never heard of this other guy.
ReplyDeleteHusker, in TX you're not required to carry your vehicle registration. Just your DL and proof of insurance. And the fellow who rear-ends you usually doesn't have the latter and the former is probably suspended.
I'm not going to bother with reading all the posts to see if anyone already said this, but the "cleverness" is totally annoying and completely ruined by the fact that a monkey is NOT AN APE, and an ape is NOT A MONKEY.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Jazz, C.C. and cyber group.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun puzzle from David Poole. Thank you, David. It's great to be on the constructor's wave length.
Most of the ladies in the puzzle except TAINA Elg were familiar to me and like others, knew of NIAPEEPLES but not of her role in Fame.
Noodle product, IDEA is funny regardless of how many times I see it.
I remember our previous discussion of MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE so it popped in quickly. Also did not know LOVEIS but it all worked out.
i believe JD went on SAFARI last year, right?
Ok, Dennis, just how far are you willing to go? I live in AZ...
Have a fantastic Wednesday, everyone!
anon@9:55
ReplyDeleteGo back and read Jazzbumpa's comment at the end of his blog.
Thanks for starting my day off with giggles and snorts. This puzzle was a lot of fun, topped only by the write-up.
ReplyDeleteSnorts happened at 24A Noodle product. I guess I'm new enough at this that I hadn't seen it before, but that coffee really flew (TMI?)
Odd coincidence - I actually have an appt. this morning for a mammo (sheesh! TMI again?), now if I could only figure a way to back to being 40.
Can anyone tell me why there's a little trash can at the end of my comments? I'm sure I'm doing something wrong - what?
ReplyDeleteVirginia C: "Giggles and Snorts" Ha - made me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteI think only the writer sees the garbage can, which signifies that person may delete the comment (nobody else can).
VirginiaC, the trash can is where you stuff the coffee that flew out.... just a joke (lol).
ReplyDeleteSeriously, are by any chance into genealogy ? I thought I once knew a Apple user group member who was very much into genealogy.
love this puzzle! i read the comments on my phone but cant send one of my own! hope this works1
ReplyDeleteanon@9:55, good of you to "not bother reading all the posts".
ReplyDeleteLucina, if I recall, the amount of 'work' necessary could justify the trip.
desper-otto, our newspaper guy has perfected the art of sliding the paper directly under the middle of whichever car is nearest the end of the driveway.
Speaking of cars, I finally got my little guy (THE CAR, DAMMIT) back last night, as shown in the old avatar.
A little ditty, to Dennis on top, and to his car.
ReplyDeleteEvita is the name of the movie , Madonna's role was Eva Peron , her real name Is Evita Duarte.
ReplyDeleteThe only place I see a " monkey in the middle " is in
Laura Petrie. IMHO.
Wow, Gabe, beyond nice. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think it's that little guy that drives this blog.
ReplyDeleteGabriella:
ReplyDeleteWell, the puzzle did have INCH in the grid.
Anon @10:53
Her real name was María Eva Duarte.
She was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952.
She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón ...
or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive EVITA.
Hello, everyone!
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle and write-up, David and Jazz!
Favorite answers combine to make DOPEY IDEA. I have lots of these! Had no trouble with the names, except spelled TAINA wrong the first time through. Never heard of MALARKY or the monkey game, but vaguely remember dodge ball.
Creature, so great to hear from you yesterday!
Trash trucks woke me up after 2.5 hours' sleep. Am a mess. Cannot get back to sleep.
Thought Plum 18 was Janet's best book in a looong time!
Happy hump day!
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse: Gerald Durrell is one of my favorite authors. There are a couple more set in Corfu. But I like all his books.
Nice puzzle, but DNF. Liked the ones I did though. Too many unknown names.
Great write up, Jazz.
Virginia C: the trash can is for you to delete what you have posted. I use it if I see a mistake after posting. That's why you'll see "comment removed by author". I just did it to remove an extra "Good afternoon everyone.
Cheers
Bill G.--You forgot "heigh ho silver?"
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Apple person! Do you like Lion?
JazzB, when I clicked on your link for PINUP, I thought "Holy mammalian lordosis behavior!"
ReplyDeleteSince 24A is clued with the slang "Noodle product?", shouldn't the answer also be slang, rather than the nonslang IDEA? Just a thought.
A perfect hump day puzzle--many thanks, Mr. Poole. And Jazzb., your write-up had me laughing and put me in a great mid-week mood! Also lots of fun posts, with one snarky exception.
ReplyDeleteLoved all those old TV shows, and they sure comes in handy with the puzzles these days. However, perped Nia Peoples instead of Peeples and so didn't get 'esker,' which I've never heard of (or should that be 'of which I've never heard'?).
Never played 'Monkey in the Middle,' (or 'Malarky,' for that matter)when I was a nerdy kid. Maybe that's why I love games so much now--making up for lost time!
I also had DONKEY at first, since MALARKY wasn't a game I had heard of. My family has spent many hilarious hours playing Balderdash, that other bluffing game. (Our son, at age 10, got a bunch of laughs for defining "kirkbuzzer" as "the button Captain Kirk pushes when the Klingons are attacking". Too many Star Trek reruns at our house?)
ReplyDeleteReally tried to think of other names for ramen to answer "noodle product", but then the light bulb came on.
I wanted to be LAURA PETRIE when I grew up. Then I was sure I'd be a nun. Then I hit puberty and discovered boys...
Fun puzzle and great writeup!
Dennis, where've you been?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't stir that mixture of acid at all if i were you anoymouse. You know about 'nitro' don't you?
ReplyDeletei mean Anony-Mouse
ReplyDeleteHi all -
ReplyDeleteWow, I started to post earlier and had to leave...now a whole lot of you have arrived :)
I had fun with this puzzle even though those names always mess with my head: ELG, TORI, NIA PEEPLES,KORS...didn't know RUBEN STUDDARD either but no matter, I learned something and got the answers through the perps...so there!
Loved 24A NOODLE PRODUCE/IDEA..clever!
Never heard of 4D MALARKY so had to look that up too.
Hey "Dr" Dennis: this traveling 'ta ta' exam you have planned, is that how you are getting to Florida? ps, what happened the "little guy"? Wind burn????
MR ED, thanks for asking - nothing dramatic, just an overly busy schedule, and it may bite me yet again. Where've you been?
ReplyDeleteCarol, yes, windburn's always a problem; one that requires soothing. The other little guy launched a deer into low orbit and sustained almost $6K in damage.
I was reading JazzB's blog again, for the nth time, and I would like to answer his question,
ReplyDeleteon 53 DOWN, he asks,'TART ... Have any of you guys ever picked up a TART at a bakery ?'.
I have to answer, I once did that, at a downtown bakery, many years ago. But she appeared to be underage, so I reluctantly dropped her.
... or was that supposed to be a Friday clue ?
I would also like to raise my hand as a lover of 'Balderdash' - one of the greatest word games ever invented. ( I have 5 copies of the game - ). The problem is you have to have a group of players who are equally skilled in the language and the vocabulary, to play the game. ( The bloggers out here would do admirably). The reality is that my family and our guests are like zombies out of hell, and some other idiot, nincompoop keeps winning the game.!@#
Good afternoon,Jazzbumpa enjoyed the write-up and David Poole's puzzle. I also never heard of malarky as a game but a great word for crosswords. As kids we played monkey in the middle and the youngest always ended up in the middle and could never get out untill they got mad and quit. Must be a requirement among paper deliverers to aim under cars in the driveway. hope everyone has a great Wed. RJW
ReplyDeleteSo we have a puzzle where apes and monkeys are mixed together, apparently due to an oversight or a conscious decision. I probably wouldn't have noticed if JzB hadn't commented on it. Didn't it occur a few weeks back that a Marti puzzle (on Curious Conundrums) was rejected because rattlesnakes aren't normally found in grass as in "Snake in the grass"? Today's confusion seems like a greater error though neither one would get in the way of my enjoying a well-constructed puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAs Steve pointed out, they have responded to some of our complaints about the new crossword format. I still don't like it as well as the old format. (I wonder why they felt it necessary to change?) You still have to put up with 33 seconds of advertising. If C.C.'s link to the old format stops working, I guess I'll go to Cruciverb.
BillG:
ReplyDeleteYou answered your own question. "33 seconds of advertising". $$$$
Hi fellow bloggers!
ReplyDeleteDNF--too DOPEY because noodle is full of congestion and cold medications and had no IDEA of some names. Also too anxious because kleenex ran out day before yesterday and T-paper supply is getting low. Want the fever gone before dragging myself to the store for more.
I got GEORGE, LAURA PETRIE, and NEUTER. Then wanted folage (forgot it had an "i". We played "Froggy in the middle". So when I found IN THE MIDDLE, I went back and erased Laura and just muddled about.
Dennis: why don't you post your fees. You'd surely be more gentle than those #$%@& machines. And probably more effective.
- PK
Dennis: Oh 'deer'!! As to the windburn, a little aloe be-twixt and between should have you back in shape in no time ;0
ReplyDeleteE-Mouse, I didn't think 'tarts' frequented bakeries....not their usual haunt. If they did, guess the guys would 'hang out' there too.
Isn't this fun?
WH, I'm sure you are right and the LA Times, like other newspapers, is having a hard time turning much of a profit. But they could have advertising with either format, couldn't they?
ReplyDeleteCarol, thanks for providing such expertise. Been there, done that?
ReplyDeletePK, regarding fees, I can only afford to pay about $50 a pair.
FYI, You can find the LAT crossword online at the Chicago Tribune site.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it is the format you were used to at your site, but I find it easy to use. They make the last 30 days (or so) crosswords available and all with no advertising, at least so far.
Google "Chicago Tribune Crossword" and you will find the page.
Happy solving,
Greg
Dennis-
ReplyDeleteGlad to see that you take care of and soothe that Benz. As to the other, hopefully you at least got a kiss from the dear before you launched her.
Since it seems to be pick on the paper person day, I'll take the other side.
ReplyDelete5+ years back I was in pretty bad shape after a fall for a few months and found it difficult to retrieve the paper from the porch. We were getting 2 dailies at the time. Our World Herald "paperboy" was a retired fellow and he let me know that if I were to place a chair on our porch (see porch in avatar) he'd be happy to put the paper on that so I wouldn't have to stoop to pick it up. He never let me down.
Admittedly, this was an exception, not the rule, but I really appreciated his efforts.
Greg: yes, that's exactly the format I was used to. Thanks very much.
ReplyDeleteThe stock market certainly had a good day. Maybe things are looking up for the intermediate term.
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun puzzle day! I enjoyed the puzzle, loved your write-up, JzB and I'm really enjoying all the comments. Some funny stuff! :-)
I went pretty quickly through this with just a couple of perps needed. I was lucky to have remembered almost all the names today ... TAINA was an unknown.
As a kid I remember my father would more or less tell us to "knock it off" by telling us to "Stop the MALARKY (malarkey?)." He had a lot of good comments and sayings ... as did my mother. I'm sure the five of us drove them crazy.
~~ Thought of Marti with NIT and JD with SAFARI.
~~ As I filled in 15A I just knew C.C.'s standard link would be showing up. Just one of many "perks" of being a part of the Corner!
Enjoy the day ~~
@Helpful Henry, etc.
ReplyDeleteNot an Apple user, but am serious about genealogy...so much, I even taught a class. Got a question? I'll try to help you ~ no guarantees.
Late to the party today, but I see everyone is Doin' Fine.
ReplyDeleteAltan is one of the better traditional Irish bands out there. Here they are, reelin' off the REELs (4:33)
Trent Reznor is Nine INCH Nails, but he also won an Academy Award for his soundtrack to The Social Network. Here is a teaser (with stills) for his soundtrack to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (7:08). Another Oscar on its way...?
And here's a man that I'm sure you all know and love, introducing OHIO Players with Love Rollercoaster (5:05).
YES! 69th comment!
You know, 70 is a lot like 69, but with one extra.
ReplyDeleteSkid Row MONKEY Business (6:56)
Good Afternoon All, I noticed the MONKEY/APE dichotomy (is that the right word?) early on...details of an old physical anthropology class coming back to haunt me. Does it do me any good to remember that it is only the New World monkeys that have prehensile tails? Well, after about 30 years, I finally found a place to mention it.
ReplyDeleteLike Jazz, it wasn't that big a deal for me and I enjoyed catching all the APEs in the ladies names.
NIA PEEPLES was a West Covina junior high school friend of my daughter, so she was an easy fill. Impossible fill was TAINA ELG. I had to have the perps to take care of her.
I laughed at Hahtool's link for DUDE. I'll go with "a man extremely fastidious in dress and manner"....and that's a lead-in to ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man.
Hello everybody. Fun puzzle! What y'all said.
ReplyDeleteDodo, good to see you last night. I for one did read your posts.
Bill G, good point about snake in the grass.
Best wishes to you all.
Didn`t Nia Peeples play a Texas Ranger in Chuck Norris` show?
ReplyDeleteI don`t think the pic you linked is Nia Peeples...
ReplyDeleteYes...that is Nia Peeples
ReplyDeleteJazz, A crush on Hayley Mills? Me Too!
ReplyDeleteDesper-Otto, next time, I’m sitting completely still with both hands on the steering wheel. I called the paper two days in a row because I had no paper. Guess what I found when I cleaned out my roof gutters that fall? BTW, no one collects for the paper door to door like I used to and so it is hard to talk to the deliverer (OWH won’t give out #’s or addresses) or tip them for exceptional service like Joe probably would like to (or did).
The school where I subbed today is experimenting with all 8th boys in one class and all 8th grade girls in the other. I kinda liked it! No boys showing off for the girls and no girls being intimidated to respond. Thoughts?
I loved the "Colon's pair" clue for DOTS. A DUDE is not necessarily a snappy dresser. ESKER was a new one for me, and CORFU "corfused" me.
ReplyDeleteI hate monkeys. And they're all monkeys. Apes, orangutans, gibbons, whatever, they're all monkeys. I hate them all. Soooo creepy.
Time to polish the bracelets.
Husker Gary,maybe in the short term separating the boys from the girls works out, but in the long run I don't think so. I went to a "prep" school where the boys and girls were separated, and all it did was lead to a lot of sneaking around, which in turn lead to a lot of the kids getting into trouble. I think the discipline problems were greater than if the boys and girls were not segregated. And in spite of the showing off etc., it seems to me that is how social skills are developed. A boy can't learn about girls if he rarely commingles with them. And vice versa. My 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteAnt-
ReplyDelete70 may be one extra, but it begs the question:
Who's the monkey in the middle?
I think it's good to separate middle school and high school PE classes by gender, but all other classes should be mixed.
ReplyDeleteWanda Woman, yes, of course the PE classes, or at minimum the shower rooms, should be gender segregated.
ReplyDeletefermatprime, if you're reading this, for what it's worth, I think I have finally convinced my wife to accept from me a gift of a new Mac Power Book, to replace her old one that can no longer be upgraded. Of course the new Mac will have Lion installed. We'll see how it goes.
Ant, if you are going to link a song with swear words, please post an adviso to that affect.
ReplyDeleteHello, glad i wasn't the only one to have never heard of malarky as a game.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the puzzle and write up and comments
and thanks for the mammaries
Later
Sorry, Santa! My bad...
ReplyDeleteI always pegged those kids from Altan as being clean-cut and wholesome, but who knew?!
:)
Hi Folk,
ReplyDeleteThis one was a real surprise to me. Seemed much easier than the usual Wed. challenge. I had to go back and look at some of the clues because much of the fill filled itself Well you know what I mean.
One mistake (bad proofing again!) I had LED for LCD. which left me with 'ineh' instead of 'inch'. I'd have picked that up if I were a good proofreader! Do we ever get smart about these things?
Haven't read the comments yet, so I'll catch you later.
Oops!! In case I don't get back, Jazzb, your blogging was outstanding! Thanks.
Hahtool, I loved your QOD! and thanks for welcoming me; nice to know I was missed. I too had DONKEY and was looking for 'PIN THE TAIL ON" but it never showed!
ReplyDeleteI went to school with mixed classes and taught in schools with mixed classes. Based on that experience, I think it worked fine but I have nothing to compare it with. In my math classes, many times the girls would be the best students. I made it my job to make sure all the students could participate easily. I wouldn't just call on the outgoing types who were always waving their hands with what they thought was the correct answer. I tried to get everybody involved. There's a name for this called 'Active Participation.' Learning it made a big difference in the effectiveness of my teaching.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Veggie Tales, I know the difference between a monkey and an ape :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--szrOHtR6U
(I don't think I know how to make this a clicky link ...)
Here's a video of a dog that really likes snow.
ReplyDelete"DARKROOM. Please keep the door closed. Otherwise, all the dark leaks out."
HG, my freshgirl year in high school was all girl classes. The 9th grade boys were also all boys classes. I don't know why. When we got to our second year, they mixed us up again.
ReplyDeleteIt was a "collegiate" high school, no typing or shop. There was a "technical" high school for kids who wanted to be secretaries and mechanics. Our classes were subjects like algebra, literature (lots of poems), biology, French, Latin and PE tossed in to make sure we knew how to play badminton and volleyball.
Maybe the administration wanted to make sure we all got a good start without any distractions in class. I liked it....as long as it was just one year!
One commenter said that she calls all monkey like creatures "monkey," including "apes," and is not charmed by any of them.
ReplyDeleteIn common parlance, colloquially, the terms "monkeys" and "apes" may still be used interchangeably. (Look it up.) Of course, scientifically monkeys and apes are not the same. But everyday language is not so exact.
The same applies for buffalo and bison. For many years bison were called buffalo. Buffalo Girl will you come out tonight, not Bison Girl.
So many fine distinctions, which are not made in common parlance, are made in every field of knowledge. Robbery, theft, stealing, etc. are narrowly defined by the law, but not by the common man (woman.) For example, "work" in physics is very narrowly defined and does not match the common defintion.
Monkey in the middle? When I was growing up, it was pickle in the middle!
ReplyDeleteGood evening all...super write up Bumpa, but then, you always make us smile.
ReplyDeleteWed. xwds are my favorite; just right(said Goldilocks). Today's was easily perpable. I usually need only one letter, unless it is a complete unknown , like Laura Petrie and Taina- even soli. Never heard of the game Malarky, but love the word.
Great links all around!
Yellowrocks, I agree with your take on the word distinctions that we see on many words.I think that applies to yesterday's myth, fable, legend. They definitely are different types of folklore, but people regularly misuse them. And, an australopithecus is definitely NOT a monkey.
Lucina, YES...best trip EVER.
Gabe, my thoughts exactly ...excellent choice!
Definitely Fun group today!
Bill...LOVED IT!!!!
ReplyDeleteJD, I'm glad. It's hard not to enjoy that dog's enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteWe're having a major wind event for the next two days. I can hear the wind howling outside and rattling the windows. The wind is 20 to 40 mph with stronger gusts. I hope the electricity stays on.
"No Senior discounts. You've had twice as long to accumulate the money."
A question for those of you in the Bay area. Do you suffer Santa Ana winds similar to those further south? I saw mention of the likelihood over the next few days in LA on TWC today, and I have a son in Palo Alto.
ReplyDeleteBill G. Loved the dog playing in the snow. Have sent it along to family.
ReplyDeleteWanda Woman, yes, of course the PE classes, or at minimum the shower rooms, should be gender segregated.
ReplyDeleteSpoilsports.
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteIt's been a really busy day for me but I had to tell you how excited the Dee Dee twins are at the prospect of your examination! You may not realize how much work that is as they always require an extra retake or two because of their well, um, volume to put it delicately. And $50 a pair. Yoohoo!
Dr. Den: Hey, $50 will just about buy a new industrial strength sling support for the big girls.
ReplyDelete- PK
loved the word play even though I did n't pick it up. also the tribal distinctions.
ReplyDelete