Theme: Letter Progression - All the first words of each 2-word phrase have 6 letters, all in the pattern of "B + vowel + TT??". The middle vowel progresses from A through U.
17A. Military strategy : BATTLE PLAN
21A. Wife, to a humble husband : BETTER HALF
38A. Final unpleasant moment : BITTER END
59A. Net profit or loss : BOTTOM LINE
63A. Rectangular server with a dulledged knife : BUTTER DISH
Argyle here. I ignored the second T because B_T (except for the last one) isn't a word. This puzzle may have had you looking at the calendar. No connection between the theme entries other than they are two word phrases starting with B_TT. Seven vertical letter blocks in the corners.
Update: All except BETT can be a stand alone word.
Update: All except BETT can be a stand alone word.
Across:
1. Mar. parade honoree : ST. PAT
6. Switch for frequency choices : AM/FM
10. Cheep source : NEST
14. “... __ / By any other name ...”: Juliet : A ROSE. A shout out.
15. Room in la casa : SALA
16. Ancient Peruvian : INCA
19. Tennis great Steffi : GRAF
20. Bar mitzvah, for one : RITE
23. Old Roman road : ITER
24. Like an illmannered kid : BRATTY
25. “Wow” : "GEE!"
26. Like Leif Ericson : NORSE
28. It happens : EVENT
30. __ gratia artis: MGM motto : ARS. "Art for art's sake"
31. Made a haunted house sound : MOANED
37. Brainchild : IDEA
40. Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO
43. Canned cooking fuel : STERNO
44. Sleep stage letters : REM
47. No-goodnik : LOUSE
49. Icy look, perhaps : STARE
51. Tummy muscles : ABS
52. Playground apparatus for two : SEESAW
58. Phone sound : "RING"
61. Sailing, say : ASEA
62. __-deucy : ACEY. 56D. Tossed in a chip : ANTED. like for Acey-Deucey. You then bet a portion(or all) of the pot that your card will fall between the two cards the dealer has turned up. Your best bet is if the dealer has an ace and a deuce face up.
65. Eve’s opposite : MORN
66. Songstress Adams : EDIE
67. Prefix meaning “hundred” : CENTI
68. Church recess : APSE
69. Tear to bits : REND
70. Specialized idiom : ARGOT. Was it Reader's Digest that used to have a feature about insider's terms?
Down:
1. TV’s teenage witch : SABRINA
2. Mutineer : TRAITOR
3. Earthenware makers : POTTERS
4. Autumn bloomers : ASTERS
5. __ Aviv : TEL
6. In accordance with : AS PER
7. Mediterranean island country : MALTA
8. Scruggs’s bluegrass partner : FLATT. Lester
9. Impressionist Édouard : MANET
10. At hand : NIGH
11. Really angry : ENRAGED
12. Like triangles with unequal sides : SCALENE. Equilateral, Isosceles and Scalene.
13. Crisp fabric : TAFFETA
18. Tidal movement : EBB
22. Ham sandwich choice : RYE
27. Brit. recording giant : EMI
29. Kid-__: tots’ TV programming : VID
32. NFL fifth periods : OTs
33. ABA member : ATTorney
34. Michelle Obama __ Robinson : NÉE
35. Mess up : ERR
36. Place for thieves : DEN. Leftover from Sunday's puzzle?
38. Sox from Mass. : BOS.
39. Refusals : NO'S
40. University in Tuscaloosa : ALABAMA
41. 1987 title lawenforcing cyborg : "ROBOCOP"
42. Buffing results : LUSTERS
44. Bringing up : RAISING
45. Che Guevara’s first name : ERNESTO
46. Box office smash : MEGA-HIT
48. That, in Tijuana : ESO
50. Word with Joe’s or Vic’s : TRADER. The Albany area will have its first Trader Joe's this spring. Yay!
53. Fireplace bit : EMBER
54. Get away from : ELUDE
55. Protest on the floor : SIT-IN
57. Little, like laddies : WEE
60. Daly of “Cagney & Lacey” : TYNE. Currently can be seen on the TV series, "Burn Notice". Oops! That's Sharon Gless on Burn Notice, regularly, not Tyne Daly.
64. Victrola company : RCA
Argyle
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - back in NJ, and fortunately for Annette et al, I brought the cold wave back with me; house-hunting continues later this month.
ReplyDeleteA nice Monday sub-five minute speed run this morning, except for putting 'Red' in 38D, Sox from Mass. Picked up the progressing vowel part of the theme after the third one, not that it was really needed for the remaining two.
'NFL fifth periods' was timely, as we had one in last night's Denver win. 'RCA' rang a bell, as that was my father's employer for some 40+ years. I'm sure no one had a problem getting 'better half' as that's in constant use on our blog. And Argyle, I had the same thought about 'den'. An enjoyable Monday puzzle.
C.C., thanks for the compliment yesterday, but it really may be time for glasses.
Hope it's a fun day for everyone.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing this one was super easy, since my brain is suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and I still managed to waltz through this one with no problems whatsoever.
The theme reminded me of a tongue twister I learned from my father and have been recently teaching to my son:
Betty Botter bought some butter.
But, said she, this butter's bitter;
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter.
So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter
And it didn't make her batter bitter!
Good mining Argyle, C.C. et al.
ReplyDelete'Twas a very simple theme, but solid entries that required only a moment's thought before filling in the entire answer. Nothing really stood out for me in the non-theme fill, so I guess it was just right for a Monday.
I do think it could have been made zippier if 42D had been clued as "DF guys on this blog".
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteLiked the way the second letter of each theme fill was one of the five vowels.... in proper order.
Anyone besides me think 32D should have been TTS for Tebow times? If nothing else, this guy has been a breath of fresh air in a league that needed it.
I did not find this a walk in the park, specially the NE corner. I'll blame the cold I picked up over the weekend, but I got it done without assistance.
Good morning, all.
ReplyDeleteNice easy puzzle. Thanks Timothy, Argyle.
Am rather bummed--no dinner tonight. (One would think from the number of times this happens that one would lose weight. Naw, old-fashioned thinking!)
The continuation of Downton Abbry on PSB was splendid, as expected.
Argyle: That's Sharon Gless on Burn Notice, regularly, not Tyne Daly.
Cheers!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Tim Meaker, for a great start to the week. Thank you, Argyle, for the review.
ReplyDeleteThis was a pretty easy run. Very clever theme with the alphabetic vowels in order.
Got SALA with perps.
Nice to see ITER again.
EMI has been coming up a lot lately.
To Barry G: Clever rhyme and tongue twister.
To Argyle: Are you sure about Tyne Daly on "Burn Notice?" I think it is someone else.
Off to a funeral this morning. One of my Kiwanis brothers died. He was 95.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteHaving trouble with Cruciverb just now. It's not offering today's puzzle file for some reason.
Wow, I might have to go find a newspaper...
Marti, great take on 42D.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Argyle and Friends. We haven't seen a Vowel Progression is some time, so this was fun and easy.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun seeing the DEN of Thieves after yesterday's puzzle.
I learned that if something is At Hand, it is not Near, but NIGH!
A holiday for some in my state. Maybe I'll go see a movie before the Big Game. Geaux Tigers!
QOD: The first rule of holes: When you're in one, stop digging. ~ Molly Ivins
Super easy monday speed run for me. But I did not think it was going to be so easy as i tried to force Irish in 1-A but the down clues made stpat clear enough.
ReplyDeleteTyne Daly was on one episode of Burn Notice. Sharon Gless's(Michael's mom) character needed to be friend Tyne's Character in order for Michael to use information Tyne's charater possessed.
and 50D reminds me I need to make a Trader Joe's run some time this week.
thank's argyle for the write up.
Good MORN!
ReplyDeleteI liked the long-letter stacks in the corners, and the TRAITOR/TRADER combo was nice, but there was way too much 3-letter fill, and I thought the B-T/B-TT theme was a bit inelegant. I think it would have been BETTER if there had not been three entries with -ER. All or one, as the Musketeers used to say.
Here's some Juice to go with your breakfast - a "live" recording, only to the extent that there are live bodies on a stage. This should be an earworm even if you don't click on the link.
Angel of the MORNing (3:57)
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteSo that's what acey-deucy means. No wonder I couldn't spell it.
I wanted a couple of the answers to be BattleFLAN and BITTERhalf but that was not to be. It's Monday, after all. Quickie solve tho I didn't pick up on the AEIOU progression in the theme.
Speaking of "lusters", are we getting the whole story on them Freemason fellers? Just askin'...
Freemasons turn me on
Sorry, wrong url. Let's try this again.
ReplyDeleteFM's turn me on-Take 2
I don't recall ever seeing this constructor before. A solid Monday offering with enough good stuff to make it interesting. Well done.
ReplyDeleteCan't let that motto go without this: Art For Arts Sake.
Good morning Argyle and all.
ReplyDeleteNice Monday puzzle to slide into the week. As I began to see the theme sequencing, it became obvious that 63a was BUTTER DISH. Pretty much a smooth sail; no lookups needed.
BITTER END - Another (nautical) description is:
The end of an anchor cable is fastened to the bitts at the ship's bow. If all of the anchor cable has been payed out you have come to the bitter end.
Have a great day.
FUN Monday, almost too easy.
ReplyDeleteHahtool: I noticed ALABAMA.
A prediction? or just messin' with ya?
A 'toast' to all at ... NOW!
Morning all,
ReplyDeleteLike Hurricane, it was a speed run until the NE corner for me also. Very doable though.
Acey-Deucy is also a different version of backgammon. Used to play it all the time in college.
Hoping our community gets back to some normalcy this week. My son is goes to the school where the hockey player Jack Jablonski was paralyzed after a check from behind. If you haven't seen anything about it, google his name. It has really gone viral and national. Really sad story and checking in youth hockey is pretty controversial, so it has been talked about endlessly (we also live in a state where hockey rules!). His school is reeling over this, one of his teachers is the hockey coach. It's been pretty disruptive, but yet an important lesson to the kids that life is fragile. Fortunately, he attends a Catholic school, so the support has been outstanding. I believe now the family needs time with themselves to begin the process of acceptance and healing. I am hoping the media takes a break.
Hope all is well with everyone. Good luck with the house hunting Dennis. Such a chore.
Oh, Barry, loved the tongue twister.
ReplyDeleteHands up for RED Sox in 38D. Typical Monday speed run. I liked 10A "Cheep Sourse", and disliked clue for 28D "It happens". This one just seems sort of vague.
ReplyDeleteI was tempted to enter ADAM for Eve's Opposite, but held my pen. And finally, on 46D, Box Office Hit, I wanted MAMA MIA, but alas! It was MEGA HIT.
We watch a lot of hockey in my house so I'm going to look up Jack Jablonski.
Let's all have a great week!
Morning Argyle, Lusters, et al.
ReplyDeleteHahtool, great QOD. Too bad Molly's no longer with us. She was a real pistol! I used to look forward to her political commentary from Austin. I believe she's the one who quipped that George Bush Sr. was born with a silver foot in his mouth.
Barry, try this one three times fast.
The slim sylph slowly sipped Schlitz.
(Too bad Schlitz is also no longer with us.)
MariL Adam popped into my head for a minute, too, for Eve's opposite!
ReplyDeleteTinbini: Saban will be crying in a few hours.
Good morning, Argyle and the gang.
ReplyDeleteNice easy start to the puzzle week. No problems except for ignoring the abbreviation hint and putting in 'red' instead of BOS. ARLO corrected that and the theme revealed about the same time. Easy walk the rest of the way.
Marti, I don't think you need to practice gender discrimination for your change to the 42d clue... or has 'guys' become a unisex term in these days of PC?
I don't know if I could deal with something like paralysis. That's the scary part of war, the part you never see in the recruiting posters. If you just buy it, fine, you're done. But what if you come back severely disabled? Like Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July.
ReplyDeleteBut here's an entirely different take on it. Under the heading of: And you think YOU were dealt a bad hand.
AMAZING
Ah yes, Desper-otto, the demise of Schlitz also killed the old joke about nude beer parties on the beach and where the sand ended up.
ReplyDeleteNice easy Monday. I took a while to come up with NEST but the rest came on first thought or via perps for a couple of the names. I didn't notice the vowels' alphabetical progression.
ReplyDeleteI like that tongue twister too, Barry.
I picked up a sore throat somewhere, maybe in flight earlier in the week, but now my voice sounds gravely and not like me at all. Most of the soreness is gone leaving just the strange voice. I remember when this used to happen when I was teaching, and if I lost it altogether and had to whisper in class, the kids would start doing the same. What a great disciplinary tool!
Did anyone note the vowel progression and put in BUTTERface before even reading the clue?
ReplyDeleteHi There ~!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy puzzles with a vowel progression like this one. Simple and straight forward - I tried ADAM before MORN; never thought of a time of day....
To answer those from yesterday, I am not relocating, just yet, but I am pondering the switch from union to management - and I am glad to hear that you could switch back, Jayce - I don't plan on going higher than this supervisor position, since the hours still accommodate my two businesses - but I was told that there is NO GOING BACK - kinda like MiB.
I do hope to transfer one day, and I don't mind if they tell me I have to step back.
I will let you all know.
Splynter
Grumpy1 & Desper-Otto,
ReplyDeleteI don't normally comment this early in the day, but you've brought up one of my favorite things, beer.
Schlitz is not dead. The name is now owned by Pabst, and the beer is being sold in selected markets. I bought several twelve packs last year as my rotating barn beer brand. (the beer, usually cheap, that we keep in the barn refrigerator during haying, etc.)
Schlitz is an interesting story. It was once (one of) the leading brand in the US, then in the seventies the company changed the formula from all barley to include the cheaper grains corn and rice, plus they went to a cheaper fermentation process. The resulting poor quality plus labor problems did the company in and it was sold.
Ironically, all the major brands (Millbudcoor, as I call it) now do the same, which partly explains the rise of so called microbrews in the US.
BAT - to swing
ReplyDeleteBET - to place
BIT - a piece
BOT - a 'bot is perfectly acceptable domestic help
BUT - but, but, but
I am in a fog this morning, started slowly but eventually liked the puzzle a lot except for a mention of our (poor excuse for a) president's wife - but hopefully not replaced by Newt Santorum
ALABAMA? LSU? SEC, but not our GATORS, seemingly limited to NFL glory this post season..
All this carping about BCS, does Congress really need to get involved?
Oh yes, it is not about sport, it's about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Almost as sad as my personal Mickey Mantle story from 1962.
More than enough free-association for one morning ...
Cheers
Hi all:
ReplyDeleteI'm with Hondo on the NE corner...very much a V-8 moment on 10A...I had the N and T and do you think I could come up with NEST????
Noooooooooo. I kept thinking baby bird. Arggghhhh.
Marti: LOL on 42D...yeah, we have some 'LUSTERS' here alright! Good for them!
Perps helped me through some unknowns so I was pleased about that.
Schlitz beer, ah the memories and they aren't good.
WH, that must be why it was always said that Schlitz give you the s..ts.
Oregon has some excellent micro-brews. We are nationally known for quite a few of them. I tried a raspberry ale that was really delicious! Since I am not used to drinking ale, and it tasted so good, it slid right down my throat and made me forget myself - ooops, perhaps the wording on that was Miss Leading.
It seems the blog ate my homework earlier. So again..I can't let that motto go without this: Art For Arts Sake.
ReplyDeleteYup, Schiltz is still around. There's a bar here called Buzzard Billy's, which has a "Crappy Beer Night". Schlitz, PBR and several others are proudly served. I've never been, so I don't know if they go as low as Black Label, Buckhorn or Blatz.
Oh my - I was going to say yesterday that because AGASSI was in the solution then his wife was due an appearance today - lo and behold, there is Steffi GRAF at 19A. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteNice Monday, again I think that the puzzles are toughening up just a little, especially early in the week. Or maybe my brain is on the decline.
@Barry C - nice. My dad taught me one that I still can't say:
"The Leith Police dismisseth us".
I need to go to Trader Joe's today, thanks for reminding me, Timothy.
Grumpy 1, I usually call everyone "guys". Even the ladies in my book club ("Do you guys want to discuss the book now?"). But I was being un-PC and DF all in one comment earlier...
ReplyDeleteKQ, it seems like Jack Jablonski can now move his arms, in what is considered a miracle, given his injuries. Len, that was an absolutely inspiring video of Nick Vujicic. Thanks for sharing!
Very nice puzzle Mr. Meaker, throughly enjoyed it. Thank you Argyle, for a very genial commentary.
ReplyDeleteI initialy, had 'Tavern', instead of 'Trader' for Joe's and Vic's. Having never been to a tavern, I assumed, it was a generic name.
What is the longest number you can remember ?
How about 12, 345, 678, 987, 654, 321 ?
and the math question to go with the above answer ?
What is 111,111,111 squared ?
ALT QOD:- I went to a restaurant that serves breakfast at any time. I ordered French toast during the Rennaissance. ~ Steven Wright.
Have a good week, all y'all.
Avg Joe, it was in the spam filter.
ReplyDeleteHi guys (unisex version) I too had a problem with nest, wanted Adam in place of Morn but I also thought stare should have been sneer. But I got it! No looking anything up or cheating. Either I'm finally learning this stuff or they are getting easier. Oh! I also put Box instrad of Bos but louse straightened that out.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the write-up and love the commentary, thanks a bunch.
Having read Marti Heart's comment, on 42 D 'Lusters' - which I got correctly, because of the perps -
ReplyDelete- I reread the original clue, and wondered if the correct answer should have been 'Lustres' ? .... or maybe thats just the remmnant of the British fragment in my DNA.
Somehow, I dont seem to remember ever reading 'luster' as a smooth finish or gloss.
I thought this was a very fine Monday puzzle. Those triple-stacked 7's in all four corners were impressive. Don't usually see that kind of thing until much later in the week.
ReplyDeleteOne minor comment, in no way meant to detract from the puzzle: For 6A "Switch for frequency choices" AM/FM, I would change "frequency" to "band". Once in the AM or FM (or Short Wave, or whatever) band, you make frequency choices to select particular stations.
Yep, Schlitz is back. The tag line is "Classic 1960's Formula". So maybe they've gone back, as per Windhover's explanation, to the original recipe. Had some last night. If you're a beer drinker, give it a try.
Good Monday MORN, Argyle and fellow puzzlers. Thank you Argyle for ACEY as I had no IDEA what it means.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, Timothy, for a nice start of the week puzzle. It was a quick romp while visiting with my sis at the same time.
Yes, ADAM, before MORN and REARING then RAISING which finished that corner.
I liked the vowel progression, too.
Yesterday we shopped at Trader Joe's for seafood to add to the paella. It was delish! Wish I could share.
You all have a wonderful Monday! It's overcast here and rain expected. That's a novelty!
Update: All except BETT can be a stand alone word.
ReplyDeleteBATT : A sheet of matted cotton, wool, or synthetic fibers.
BITT : A a strong post of wood or iron projecting, usually in pairs, above the deck of a ship, used for securing cables, lines for towing, etc. Thank you, Spitzboov.
BOTT : (or BOT) 1) The larva of a botfly. 2) A conical knob, mounted on a rod, for stopping temporarily the flow of molten metal or slag from a blast furnace
BUTT : see Kardashians.
Not to harp on 'lusters' - but, maybe a better clue would have been - 'Ogling ones'.
ReplyDeleteI, also, reared my son and raised roses.
ReplyDeleteAnd I dislike ATT for ATTY, the true abbrev. for attorney.
But, I likes me a good vowel progression.
Argyle: Ein gutes Bett :-)
ReplyDeleteThere was a thrash metal band back in the 80s called Atrophy down in Tucson while I was going to U of A. A fun band live (aren't they all?). They had a few albums, and almost broke through, but never quite made it big.
ReplyDeleteHere is their ode to s..tty beer:
Beer Bong (2:06)
(Corner warning)
I had the same thought as Anoa Bob about 'Switch for frequency choices.' The tuning dial (or buttons these days) change the frequency, not the AM/FM switch.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think SEESAW should have been clued as 'Old playground apparatus for two.' I haven't seen one in years. They were fun but were a lawsuit waiting to happen. The heavier kids could bounce the lighter kids or could leave them on the high side as long as they wanted.
BATTLE AXES (10)
ReplyDeleteBETTE DAVIS (10)
BITTER PILLS (11)
BOTTLE TOPS (10)
BUTTER PATS (10)
Thanks, Timothy. The grid that I designed yesterday for this theme is now in the trash.
Btw, I am constantly amazed at what I can find on YouTube. I didn't think Atrophy would be there, much less that song (a throw-away farce at the end of side one). Now I'll have to go back and listen to the rest, as I haven't been able to play my cassettes in years.
ReplyDeleteOn a similar note, I took my son (14) to a metalcore concert the other day. I stood in the back while he joined the mosh pit, and I was thinking "seven different bands and every song sounds the same."
OMG, I've turned into a parent!
My ears are still RINGing.
WH, I consider myself a beer connoisseur of what's on sale. That normally restricts me to Busch. I was not aware that Schlitz was back. Apparently it hasn't made it to my neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college, there was a local brew called Fauerbach (not sure of the spelling, and not sure it's still around). The story went that when it was sent to the Department of Agriculture to be tested for purity, the report came back in a single sentence: Sir, your horse has diabetes!
HOla Everyone,
ReplyDeleteI had a chance to do the puzzle early this morning. It was a speed run for me, too. I also figured out the vowel progression after the third entry came up. I agree that we haven't seen a vowel progression in some time.
Jerome, I'm sorry that you didn't get your puzzle in before this one was published. Save it for another time, as we always enjoy a good run.
Hands up for Adam before morn. Argot was the new word of the day for me.
Have a great day everyone. Off to Trader Joe's.
That's funny, DO!
ReplyDeleteHere's one for you: Genesee Cream Ale is sold here in Arizona...for $7-8 a six-pack! Screamers!
Ha ha ha ha ha.......!!
Nice puzzle, Mr. Meaker, and thanks for the lemon painting, Argyle! What everybody else has already said goes for me too. And I enjoyed Barry's and others' tongue twisters.
ReplyDeleteHave a good Monday, everybody. Time to take down the Christmas decorations--always makes me a little sad.
Hi all and Happy Monday. This is our 7th Timothy Meaker Puzzle, but the first since November 2010. I liked it, and feel bad for Jerome as the theme is a perfect Monday, but maybe you can do yours in two years J. and all will have forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI liked Cheep Source, and Marti, I think your comment was hilarious, but in truth it would fit all GUYS, who by nature are DF.
Lots of double letter words in the fill.
A., does Albany have Wegman's, and do you like Trader Joe's better?
Hello.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Tebow legend grows. Not bad
for a QB who isn't supposed to be able to pass.
Scalene triangles also have an angle greater than 90 degrees.
Acute triangles could also have three unequal sides. Think right
triangles with one 90 degree angle.
Sharks have a three point cushion.
eddy
Hey, I was smilin' when I wrote what I wrote. This sort of thing happens more than you would think.
ReplyDeleteBesides, Timothy's puzzle is much better. His grid is terrific.
Jerome, don't you hate it when that happens??? I threw out two perfectly good puzzles last month, but after reading some of the comments following yours, I think I'll go dig in the trash bin and same 'em for a rainy day...
ReplyDeleteAvg Joe @ 10:00 am - Crappy Beer Night sounds halarious! Do you suppose they still make Blatz? (BYW: "BLATZ" is the sound you make when you puke it back up.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of beer, some of the best lines come out of the movie Blue Velvet. Does anybody remember Dennis Hopper's line after he asks Kyle MacLachlan what his favorite beer is?
"Heiniken?!! FTS*! PABST! BLUE! RIBBON!"
*Edited for politeness.
Easy Monday puzzles are important for us "newbies"! Most of us are afraid to post, because of some of your biting comments. However, we learn an enormous amount from you!
ReplyDeleteFrom...A "newbie", hoping someday to find Monday's puzzles easy.
Try repeating this one quickly:
ReplyDeletered leather yellow feather
red leather yellow feather
red leather yellow feather
Now try it on "Crappy Beer Night"
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteHad to use the LATimes site, since the puzzle is not up at Cruciverb. That drained every bit of fun out of it. And it's a really nice puzzle (sigh.)
Love Marti's comment on 42D, and am chagrined that I did not think of it.
anon @12:44 - Biting comments? I have never seen a virtual community as open and accepting as this one. Get a screen name, turn blue and hop on in.
Re: OTS -- Credit where it’s due. Tebow had a terrific 2nd period. Other than that, at 10 for 21, it was his real constant – inconsistency.
Still, I would say that Tebow’s greatness is perfectly exemplified by a 17 yard pass with a 63 yard YAC against a depleted, misaligned secondary by a receiver with blinding speed and a great stiff-arm.
Why nobody recognizes that the real hero in Denver is Matt Prader remains a mystery to me.
Cheers!
JzB
Argyle: You Kardashian comment, priceless...whether you meant anatomy or personality. Thanks for the second shout out in a week. (Lemon`s was the other.)
ReplyDeleteMonday is the only day I have the time, inclination, and...I might as well say it, the brains, to do all three puzzles in my paper. I realize the editors have the biggest part in determining puzzle difficulty...and their cleverness amazes(one of 2011`s most overused words, btw) me.
Favorite clues:Place for thieves,in accordance with (I use that cream regularly!) and little like laddies (which stumped me for a while because my brain saw "ladies.")
Who intimidates you, anon? Some of the best advice I ever got: "No one can offend you (or intimidate you) without your permission."
Good to "see" you Dennis!
anon@12:44, biting comments are never directed at a newcomer on here without justification. This group likes nothing better than having new people join us; it's only when an anon starts taking shots at someone that he'll catch return fire.
ReplyDeleteYour comment that 'most of us are afraid to post' - is it a whole group of people? I've always thought this was one of the most open blogs on the web. Hope you'll continue to post.
eddyB, a scalene triangle doesn't have to have one obtuse angle, just three different sides. Of course, you could have a triangle that's both obtuse and scalene.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tongue twister is simple but hard to say three times.
Bugs black blood, bugs black blood, bugs black blood.
Tim Tebow sometimes does great things on the football field but I get awfully tired of his genuflecting afterwards.
Jazz, Your QB is probably the most underrated in the league this year. Stafford is prolly second only to Rodgers in accuracy and composure under pressure. Twas a shame to see the Lions lose on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteOTOH, it was an absolute thrill to see the Donkeys win yesterday in the shortest OT of all time.
Mari, I haven't seen any of those 3 labels in many years. I'd guess that Black Label is still around, but I doubt that Blatz or Buckhorn are. And speaking of crappy beer, the worst I ever encountered was Grain Belt. I bought a 6 pack once, and actually threw 4 of them out! That says more than any of you will ever know.
desper-otto:
ReplyDeleteLOL! Had I been drinking coffee it would have spewed out!
Love the tongue twisters, everyone.
What is better on a cold, rainy day than "everything you can find" soup? That is what my sister is making and smells so good.
To: len:
ReplyDeleteChecked out your Freemasons musical group link. They are quite talented. Never heard of them before, but I am not in to modern music. However, I will ask my daughter if she has heard of them. She knows all the groups.
Abejo
Bill G.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tongue twister has nothing to do with saying ANYTHING out loud ...
Hi, Yall! Good puzzle and write-up. Thanks for the "Angel of the Morning" link.
ReplyDeleteFermatprime, why no dinner! Are you without help still? You said your helper was very sick and your friend was taking a breather. Are they back? I worry about you.
- PK -
There used to be a really cheap beer in the Los Angeles area called Brew 102. I experienced one of the best tasting beers (freshest) years ago at Busch Gardens, the brewery and entertainment park a bit north of here in the San Fernando Valley. They would give you free glasses of beer at booths in their park. It was really fresh, having just come from the adjoining brewery. The beer at their Michelobe booth was the best.
ReplyDeleteConversely, I went to lunch at a deli in West LA. The only beer they had was Budweiser. It didn't taste very good. I checked its Born On date and it was well over a year old.
Marti- You could always send them to another publication. There's nothing wrong with that. A different editor might really enjoy it. As for me, I find that my heart isn't in that particular puzzle now.
ReplyDeleteSuper short tongue twister-
TOY BOAT
Being a "sometimes Floridian" for several years now, I think Tebow is the real deal. All distinctive "victory dances/chest thumpings" are usually self-glorifying and can be tiring and repetitious...perhaps Tebow wants to give credit where he thinks credit is really due...
ReplyDeleteL. I haven't been to either one. Nearest Wegman's is in Syracuse and nearest Trader Joe's is in Hadley, MA.
ReplyDeleteAlex Baldwin was dropped from Wegman ads because of a couple dozen complaints about his antics on that plane. He was returned when several hundreds complained about his being dropped.
Joe, et al,
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Blatz for a long time. One of my jobs right after high school was driving a beer truck. The regular driver had gotten a DUI and the distributor didn't want to fire him, so I was hired to drive until he got his license back. The first day out, he drank a warm beer in the warehouse while we were loading the truck. (7:00AM). Then he drank a beer at each of 17 stops up until about 5:30. He also sipped bourbon out of a pint between stops.
My outstanding memory from that job: we delivered to a small carry out in Manchester, Ohio, population 1000 and the only wet town in that county (Adams, I think). We sold 600 cases a week there.
As for Black Label, I have it in my barn refrigerator right now. It also was the first beer I ever tasted, at the age of 19. It isn't bad. I have a friend in the Twin Cities who drinks Grain Belt. I agree with the USDA report.
Amazing Wegman's has not made it to Albany; I will suggest they do so. I love choices.
ReplyDeleteMarti:
have you submitted to other editors yet?
My bike-riding friend tried something called Moose Drool brown ale. He liked it.
ReplyDeleteI found National Velvet on TCM and recorded it. I don't think I ever saw it before. I've got about a half hour left. I am enjoying it.
Argyle, you are gonna love Trader Joe's. We've had one for about 2 years now, and it's every bit as great as people say it is.
ReplyDeleteWH, that driver you mention sounds like the first home builder I ever worked for. Keeping up with somebody like that is great fun for a young guy.....for about a week.
Anony-Mouse
ReplyDeleteLook on the bright side, they're still called the Buffalo SABRES! And I just got the spell check red line when I wrote that!
If I had my 'druthers I'd go with LUSTRE for the shiny and save LUSTER for the DF's on the blog.
Like yours truly!
Cheers!
windhover- I drove a truck for a lumber yard in 1971-72. There were about 15 drivers and most of us drank beer while driving. Our miles were measured in beers. A thirty mile drive was a two beerer, etc. And of course,we hung out in saloons after work. Sounds absolutely crazy now, but then it's just the way we did it.
ReplyDelete@Anon 12:44 - double-underlining what's already been said - no biting allowed here!
ReplyDeleteShed your Anonymous tag and jump on in - the water's lovely and we'll all keep the sharks away from you!
One more thing - when I lived in small-town England in the 70's, an American-style bar/grill opened, a big culture-shock for us all.
ReplyDeleteThey sold Schlitz and Colt 45, the Colt coasters had the following slogan which I remember to this day: "It's as good as a homer in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded".
We had NO idea what that meant, and spent hours of conjecture trying to figure it out. Funny how we had no idea back in those days pre-globalization.
Fun easy puzzle even for me. I found I was going so fast that I quit writing acrosses and downs together and made myself do just the acrosses then the downs just to slow down the solve.
ReplyDeleteLen, what were you talking about the Freemasons? I stayed up way too late last night finishing reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. Second time I've read it and now I want to visit DC.
I prefer a 40 ouncer of Night Train.
ReplyDeleteGot it.
ReplyDeleteThree sides egual, two sides equal
and every thing else is scalene.
He calls it faith because he thinks that it works.
eddy
Bill G. comment @11:14 AM just released from the spam filter.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan
ReplyDeleteActually, I wasn't talking about the Freemasons. Abejo was. He is one and has been telling us a little bit about them from an insider's perspective. I don't know anything about them myself. I was merely responding to his posts.
Having said that, your question is actually a bit startling. I am beginning to wonder if there is any such thing as coincidence. Hardly anyone was on the blog yesterday compared with today, but I posted a link to a website called The Intention Experiment, which just happens to be cited in Dan Brown's book, The Lost Symbol.
Here it is again:
Link
There are a couple of others I think you might be interested in, but my 20 lines are up!
Cheers!
@anon 12:44 - INRE "Most of us are afraid to post, because of some of your biting comments." I, too, am a newbie but have never seen any biting comments, only love and friendly exchanges between old friends who have probably never met in real life and wouldn't recognize each other walking down the street.
ReplyDeleteI (generally) don't post simply because I enjoy being a lurker.
I usually follow up the LAT puzzle with the one my local paper so I can feel a little smarter, but that's not needed today!
Loved today's puzzle, like most Mondays it was easy and done under 9 minutes. No googling so I'm happy :)
Thanx to all of you daily contributors - I enjoy your banter and the links are always entertaining!
Tinbeni,
ReplyDeleteLaughed my a.. off when I read your comment at 1:57.
Avg Joe, thanks for prompting a very pleasant memory of Crappy Beer Night at Buzzard Billy's! Our business travels would often take us through Des Moines, and my business partner and I always enjoyed Crappy Beer Night and tasty cajun food. I recall one evening I required several cans of Hamm's to wash down my Jambalaya! Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteLemon and Jerome, I never even thought of sending puzzles to other publications. My goal right now is just to finish “the cycle” in the LAT. Maybe this year?
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. Been super busy today stomping out fires. Fun puzzle. Thank you all for your comments, which I have very much enjoyed reading. Best wsihes to you all.
ReplyDeleteTo all the anons and lurkers; it really is fun to post in your own "name" not that we care who you are, but so we know the continuity of your comments. Some like PK do not go blue, but we know who is making the comment. Also, for those who stay, this is a friendly supportive place, with a little bit of everything to offer.
ReplyDeleteJump in the water is fine
Pretty dull football game so far. Watching the Oregon Ducks was a lot more fun.
ReplyDeleteSilly equation quiz (The letters are the first letter of the words that the numbers represent.) The first one is Letters of the Alphabet. The second one is Cards in a Deck.
26 = L in the A
52 = C in a D
13 = S on the A F
32 = D F at which W F
90 = D in a R A
200 = D for P G in M
3 = B M (SHTR)
5 = D in a Z C
1000 = W that a P is W
29 = D in F in a L Y
Tinbeni:
ReplyDeleteLOL! So naughty!
Bill G, I'm workin' on it.
ReplyDeleteSo far:
13 stripes American flag
32 degrees Fahrenheit ST which water freezes
90 degrees in a right angle
3 blind mice, see how they run
29 days in February in a leap year.
I'll get back to you.
That was supposed to be "at" which water freezes. Darn Autocorrect.
ReplyDeleteBill G--uncle, I give up. I think I got all of them except 200, 3, 5 and 1000. Great riddle! I hope you plan on giving us the answers.
ReplyDeleteTo: len and Susan:
ReplyDeleteIf you ever go to D.C., the House of the Temple is the setting for the conclusion of "The Lost Symbol." It is open for tours. Magnificent building. I have toured it probably a dozen times.
As far as Dan Brown's books, I have enjoyed them all. Remember, they are novels. As far as the Freemasons are concerned, in my opinion, I am tickled pink that we are part of the stories. Just getting our name in the public eye is more than we have ever done before. We have always kept our lamps very dimly lit, so to speak. The books, the movie "National Treasure," and the internet are getting us out in the public. Our most visible ambassadors are the Shriners and the 22 hospitals they support. However, much of the public does not know that all Shriners are Freemasons.
Anyhow, len, I looked into your link. It looked very interesting and I do remember that subject from the book. However, as Freemasons, we are not into that sort of scientific study. Most of what we do goes back for centuries and has not changed much in that span of time. We are trying to get more active in our communities, in a visible sort of way. It just takes time.
Thank you for your interest.
Abejo
26 letters in the alphabet
ReplyDelete52 cards in a deck
-pk -
Oops! Went back and reread the paragraph. No wonder it was so easy. I'd speed read it already.
ReplyDelete- PK -
1000 words that a picture is worth
ReplyDelete5 Ducks in a Zoo Cage
ReplyDelete5 DIGITS IN A ZIP CODE
ReplyDeleteHi yall
200 Dollars for Personal Gratification in Madrid
ReplyDelete$200?? What a Monopoly!
ReplyDeleteHi again,
ReplyDeleteSorry for typing all caps, I wasn't screaming, I was over at Jiffy Boob and........I lost my train of thought...never mind.
Personal gratification.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean you pay yourself, sweetie?
If you had been at Jiffy Boob, you might've been screaming...
ReplyDelete