google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday, Jan 21st, 2012, Brad Wilber & Doug Peterson

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Jan 21, 2012

Saturday, Jan 21st, 2012, Brad Wilber & Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 32

Happy Birthday to C.C. and her Crossword Corner Blog - we turn "Four" today ~!!!

To celebrate, we have two of our regular constructors teaming up, much like our host does with her co-conspirator DonG. I got through this one without red-letter, or a Google cheat, but not without waking up some of the darker portions of my sleeping brain....A pinwheel of triple elevens and nines, no spanners or climbers, but a tough solve all the same. Lots of proper names, and foreign ones, too, which never makes it easy, and one name I refused to give up on (17A.).

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Fictional Bagne of Toulon prisoner : JEAN VALJEAN - I had not a clue; reference to Les Misérables; here is a little on the location

12. "How relaxing!" : AHH

15. Military sanction : ARMS EMBARGO - the "O" at the end was a big help; not too many words there

16. Friend of Piglet : ROO - Characters from Winnie the Pooh

17. The Hulk, untransformed : BRUCE BANNER - Now, I grew up on the TV series in the 70's, with Bill Bixby as DAVID Banner; I would not let this one go until I started on the blog, and checked this link

18. Double-chevron wearer: Abbr. : CPL - when you don't know rank, take your pick; SGT, ENS, ah - Corporal

19. Universal signal since 1908 : S.O.S.

20. Ultravox frontman Midge __ : URE - Total blank; perps filled this in; Brit pop band

21. Held up : LASTED - anyone else start with ROBBED ??

23. Office orders : REAMS - not FORMS, but paper measures

26. Tessellated artwork : MOSAICS - tessellate, from the Latin for small stone cube, which was lurking in my lobes somewhere; a sample

27. Native American in Connecticut : MOHEGAN - for BarryG, probably a straight fill; for me, a duh V-8 can moment, because I see the commercials for the casino 'Mohegan Sun' in CT all the time....

30. Dylan contemporary : OCHS - More here

31. Gave a shot, say : DOSED - the Doctor who "1D.'s" you with a needle

34. Spica's constellation : VIRGO - we just had these two

36. Sprinkling : FEW - I had "TAD" to start

37. Lacking a point : INANE

38. First name in spy fiction : IAN - Flemming, James Bond's creator - for you, C.C. (Xie Xie.)

39. 2010 Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas __ : LLOSA - More here

41. Ga. airport that serves Hilton Head Island : SAV - D'oh~!! Another V-8 moment; this airport

42. Prefix with -loquent : MAGNI - pompous

44. Highest score possible with a single dart : SIXTY - a triple 20



45. Keen : AVID

47. Missed payment result : LATE FEE

49. Louisiana license plate image : PELICAN - Image

51. Baseball Hall of Famer Cap : ANSON - If it's baseball, I defer to C.C. (From C.C.. Wow, I've never heard of the guy. Died in 1922. The first player to have over 3,000 career hits. He played a record 27 consecutive seasons, the last game with the Chicago Colts (now Cubs) in 1897. Inducted into the Hall in 1939 by the Veteran's Committee. Just a Wiki summary.)

54. Easy to erect : PREFABricated, like houses

55. Crony : PAL

57. Memory unit, briefly : MEG

59. Labyrinth location : EAR - canal #1

60. The Bridge of the Americas locale : PANAMA CANAL - canal #2

64. Gone by : AGO

65. Yellow Brick Road terminus : EMERALD CITY - not "THE LAND OF OZ", but I was never a big fan

66. Remote abbr. : REW

67. "Charlie's Angels" actress : KATE JACKSON - one of eight that I can think of, from TV and movies - Image, on left

DOWN:

1. Ring sequence : JABS - Boxing ring

2. Reason for striking out : ERROR - Ah, not whiff, as in baseball, but in tezt - text

3. Divert : AMUSE

4. White House foreign policy gp. : NSC - National Security Council

5. Certain migratory pattern : VEE



6. Jump : AMBUSH

7. Brace with a 90-degree bend : L-BAR

8. Krakowski of "30 Rock" : JANE - Image; dated a girl who looked just like her

9. Southwest add-on : ERN - SouthwestERN

10. Really drawn-out : AGE-LONG

11. Dunn and Ephron of Hollywood : NORAS

12. Lemming predator : ARCTIC FOX - Image ( a tad rough )

13. Trousseau holder : HOPE CHEST

14. Reigns : HOLDS SWAY

22. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores : SAO - I WAGed SAN, got close enough

24. "Well said!" : AMEN

25. PC peripheral : MODEM

26. Hitchcock title kleptomaniac : MARNIE

28. "B.J. and the Bear" star Greg : EVIGAN - another show I grew up with, and totally believed was real - a truck driver with his co-pilot, a chimpanzee....ah, youth

29. Goliath, for one : GIANT

31. Become extinct : DISAPPEAR

32. Typically : ON AVERAGE

33. London street known for high-end haberdasheries : SAVILE ROW - Map-ish

35. His watch signals Superman : OLSEN - Jimmy, the photographer at the Daily Planet; I was thinking Alfred or Commissioner Gordon, but that's BATman

40. Whoppers : LIES

43. Mobile home? : ALABAMA - Mobile, the city

46. Lack of similarity, informally : DIF

48. Holly follower? : FA-LA-LA - Christmas song, Deck the Halls "...with boughs of holly..."

50. "War with the Newts" sci-fi novelist, 1936 : CAPEK

52. Old Dodges with front-wheel drive : OMNIs

53. "Swell!" : NEATO

55. Trim : PARE

56. Key of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 : A MAJ - I had the "A" from Pal and the "J" from Jackson, so I had the key, and it was not minor

58. Romance novelist Elinor : GLYN

61. Circus safeguard : NET

62. Quarantine advisory org. : CDC - Centers for Disease Control - Gov't Agcy

63. Speech balloon cry of dismay : ACK~!! - Bill the Cat, Bloom County

Answer grid.

Yes, No, Maybe, Not ~?

Thank you, C.C., for a wonderful way to start the day, and my gratitude for being allowed to help everyone get through a tough Saturday puzzle~!

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

As Splynter mentioned earlier, we turn "Four" today! I want to say a special "Thank you" to Dennis and all my blogging crew. Without their constant nurturing & hard work, this blog would have withered and died last Fall. I also want to thank those who donated, commented and wrote me emails. I appreciate your kindness and readership.

100 comments:

len said...

Hi all,

Happy Birthday and Congratulations! My guess is lots of today's blogspace will be filled with similar messages so I'll leave it at that.

Great write-up Splynter, as always. Your prison link made me shudder. Plus ca change...

DNF for me, by one letter. I couldn't let go of "Last of the Mohicans" so I spelled 29 across MOHIGAN instead of MOHEGAN. Since I have never watched "B.J. and the Bear" I had no idea who 28D star Greg EVIGAN, not IVIGAN, was. To use the new word I learned yesterday, that was my "natick" moment.

Never heard of Midge URE, Elinor GLYN, ANSON Cap, and the8D 20A "E" could have been another "natick" except that JANE sounded more likely than, say JANA. I'm surprised there is such a word as MAGNILOQUENT, but there is.

My computer has updated and keeps telling me it wants to restart, so that's it for me.

Great job you "guys"!

Cheers!

Barry G. said...

Morning, all (and happy birthday to the blog)!

This one was beyond me, I'm afraid. I struggled throughout with an ocean of unknowns (EVIGAN, GLYN, ANSON, LLOSA, SAV, URE), but most of those I was able to eventually get via the perps.

The NE corner is where I finally threw in the towel, turned on the red letter help, and started randomly guessing letters. I've never read (or seen) Les Misérables, so JEAN VALJEAN was completely out of my wheelhouse (on a side note, MONTE CRISTO fit perfectly as well). I couldn't get NSC from the clue, although I have heard of it before. "Ring sequence" meant nothing to me, I had the wrong sense of "divert" in mind, and the clue for ERROR was just way too tricky for me this morning. I got EMBARGO but could only think of TRADE for the start of it. And all I could think of for "Universal signal" was something to do with the movie studio (their logo is the planet Earth, so I thought maybe ORB?)

Not a bad or unfair puzzle by any means, but definitely beyond my abilities today.

windhover said...

Happy Birthday to Crossword Corner, the Best Little Blog in the 'sphere.
I think my 3rd anniversary as a member is coming up soon. I got the iPhone 12/3/08 and like everyone else discovered this great group while Googling a clue, probably around March, '09. I'm sure Argyle knows.
It is a great assemblage, and I'm pleased to participate.
Good morning, friends, and thank you, C. C.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Happy birthday CC and fellow bloggers from snowy Ct.

Wow, this was a bear today and a DNF. I managed to complete most of the South without assistance but I had to look up Greg EVIGAN. The G was my unknown. The NE was a different story. No perp help either, No nothing without MR G.

I found the vertical clues easier today and they helped me get a foothold in a few areas. The NE was my downfall.

Being a CT resident Mohegan was a no brainer as was Cap Anson. Sold his Allen & Ginter baseball card from my dwindling Pre War inventory a few weeks ago.

Anyone getting snowed upon, be safe.

desper-otto said...

HB, Blog. And thank you, Splynter. I always learn something from your writeups.

Today was a toughie, but I slogged through it and finally won. I wasn't happy with MOHEGAN, never having seen it spelled that way. And I looked long and hard at LLOSA trying to make it something different.

I think the PELICAN has just appeared (reappeared?) on the LA license plate. There used to be no image -- just a "Fisherman's Paradise" slogan. CAPEK is a cw regular, but usually clued with another play, "RUR".

Gotta run. Warm this AM, but gonna chill down later. Need to pedal that bike around the 'hood now.

HeartRx said...

Good morning Splynter, and congratulations on a four-year run, C.C. I can't imagine what I would do without the camaraderie of this wonderful site.

Len, I had the same hang-up in the middle with the MOHEGAN answer. From wiki:
“Cooper's well-known book helped confuse popular understanding of the tribes to the present day…”
Well, he sure as heck confused me this morning! I had MOH---from perps, so filled in MOHICAN. That made the central area the last to fill. I had no idea of EVIGAN, but with VIRGO in place, that one became IVIGAN. And I couldn’t figure out how a cIANT described Goliath. I finally had to gg EVIGAN to finish this bad puppy.

Did not like the clue for MAGNI at all. But seeing ERN clued as a southwest add-on instead of a coastal flier was refreshing.

Have a great day, stay warm!

Jacel said...

This puzzle was very difficult for me. I have been "Blogging" with you about 2 years and I am slowly growing as a crossword puzzle solver. My husband and I completed this puzzle by putting our heads together and googling some of the names.

Happy Birthday and thank-you for the Blog. It helps explain some clues/answers even after I solve the puzzle. I am

Dick said...

Good morning CC and Happy Blog Birthday. Since I was one of the earlier participants, in your blog, I wanted to stop by and offer my congratulations and admiration for all your hard work. I also want to thank your hard working crew as I know they have contributed very much to make this blog the success it is.

Being one of the original three D's I hope Dr Dad and Dennis will stop by today.

Seldom Seen said...

Congratulations C.C. and all. This blog has improved my puzzling skills immeasurably. Thank you.

p.s. I see Argyle's Avatar is back.

Argyle said...

Windhover : February 3, 2009 8:32 AM

Hello Dick, I saw a lot of your smiling face while searching for Windhover's first post. I hope you are still smiling.

Seldom Seen said...

ha ha....right on cue!

Tabby said...

Happy Birthday. I'm a newbie to the blog, but I'd like to thank you for the great job you all do. It makes the morning crossword so much more enjoyable. I've learned a lot from all the comments too.

Middletown Bomber said...

Happy birthday to the crossword corner. nice puzzle good saturday difficulty it took me a few minutes to wake up so the north was hard but the south was easy.

Knew bj and the bear star evigan (i used to watch the show when i was younger) knew cap anson (sort of a baseball fan)

Victor Hugo: Les Mis: Saw the musical in philly on its 2nd run back a million years ago or so. so Jean Valjean was the answer but I was not awake enough to process the answer until the end.

Argyle said...

Here, Seen, I've changed the avatar to correctly reflect today's entry.(52D)

Grumpy 1 said...

Good morning, Splynter and the gang. This turned into a Saturday Stumper (or Stump the Chump) for me.

My LBAR brace was a knee brace and my AGE LONG was TOO LONG. Those kept me from getting anything in the top for a long time. I finally took out the knee brace and too, figured out the first three downs and got that corner to fall.

That MOH_GAN/_VI_AN/MA_NI was a double Natick for me. None of the three were in my wheel house, or maybe my wheel house is in the same shape as the one on the Costa Concordia. Nothing looked right, or even familiar, no matter what letters I plugged into those spaces. I settled on an I and an L, struck out on both for a DNF.

Brad and Doug both create some tough Saturday level puzzles. When they team up it can get pretty brutal.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Morning C.C., and Happy Birthday to your baby! I found the Corner about February '10, same way as most - researching a clue. It's been a daily part of life since then, and I am grateful!

Technical DNF today. Didn't know most of the names, leaving that center section downright porous. Had to Goog EVIGAN to fill in the patches. Thought FIFTY was the max in darts, didn't know about triple twenties. Having never been a comics fan, I didn't know The Hulk morphed from a regular guy, but somehow BRUCE JENNER came to mind from a few perps. Close enough.

Ah yes, KATE JACKSON, the smart one. My favorite until the drop-dead gorgeous Cheryl Ladd arrived.

SouthernBelle said...

Mornin' to all,

Congratulations, C.C. You have done a wonderful blog for beginners, old times and pluggers!

Favorite clue today: Mobile home? ALABAMA.

Finished with the red letter, but it was a great way to celebrate 4 years.

Wonder how long I have been on here? I know Argyle, Barry and Dennis were here, plus ClearEyes & Kazie.
Is there any way to find out how long I've enjoyed this blog? Seems like I was blue at one time with pic....ah, getting old has its moments!

Husker Gary said...

Pleasure/pain was the cycle for this Saturday foray. The G in eviGan/maGni cross was my only ERROR. Natick?

Musings
-Happy Anny C.C. and thanks!
-Yup, I first had Mohican, but that’s the “Last of” them
-I thought Arlo might be Bob’s 4-letter contemporary
-I’m a VIRGO
-I am all over baseball names like ANSON
-I taught in a PREFAB building and you could see daylight through the precast slabs for a few months until they figured out how to seal them
-Joann was up for cruising to the Panama Canal until this week
-Why is one side of the VEE always longer than the other? More birds.
-Remember this modem sound?
-Another anniversary today – fifth year of taking grandson to Midand’s International Car Show in Omaha!

LaLaLinda said...

Good Morning All, and congrats on four years to you, C.C. and to all the others who make this blog so successful!

This was quite the Saturday challenge for me today. I had SO many unknowns and/or unsure ofs: MAGNI, URE, ANSON, LLOSA, GLYN leading the list. I didn't 'have a blue' at 1A but the J in Jane at 8D gave me my start. From there I hopped around and with lots of perp help and wags managed to finish on my own. Whew!

My parents bought a PREFAB in 1948 and I grew up there in the neighborhood with many similar homes. Lots of additions and changes were made over the years but it's a place that will always be close to my heart.

I liked the clues for DOSED, ALABAMA, FALALA and REAMS. I've been to MOHEGAN Sun Casino a few times but we prefer Foxwoods. Haven't been there in a while ... maybe it's time!

Loved your write-up, Splynter. You added much to all that I was unfamiliar with. You are quite the Saturday guy!

Thank you, thank you, C.C. for joy of this Corner. I am so grateful for all your hard work!

Avg Joe said...

Happy anniversary Corner. And thanks to everyone that puts in so much effort to keep it going. I've been an observer here for over a year, then went blue back in about May. The route was a little more circuitous for me. Started at Rex's NTY blog on Sundays, then found Confidential. Then a puzzle by C.C. and Don caused mention of this blog and I've been watching since. It's a lot of fun!

Brutal puzzle and had to Google 4 or 5 entries. Mohican was very hard to set free. Did finish, but with too many assists to count for much.

Tinbeni said...

Splynter you're getting really good at explaining my Ink Blots.

On the plus side, I did enjoy my 2 Mugs of Java.

For 37-A, Lacking a point, I really wanted to enter ANONS but SAVILE ROW wouldn't allow that.

I came over to this site because I got tired of all the negative puzzle comments at LACC.
Mostly the ones from "holier-than-thou" Mr.Self-righteous himself, Rex.
Ed.Note: Will Rogers reportedly never met him.

Plus, this was always posted earlier (by 6:30am).

C.C. Tonights Sunset "Toast" is to YOU and this wonderful Blog.

lois said...

Happy Birthday and Congratulations CC to you and all y'all who have made this place such a fun spot in our virtual world and daily lives. Thank you for all your hard work and patience in making this blog such a success. We vodka you sooo much.

Excellent write up, Splynter. Thank you for all the links. I know it's Sat but I had so few fills with the first run that I was a little put off.

I teach Psych in Film and loved seeing Marnie for 25D. Coincidentally, there's talk about having Tippi Hedren come to our school for a Hitchcock seminar.
She's offered. Fun times!

When 17A the Hulk turned out to be Bruce instead of David, I saw the light. I'm going to a gun show in a little while and really don't want to have a lot of pent up anger churning inside of me while I'm there. So, today was a DNF, which is rare for me. It's all good. Party ON!!!

Irish Miss said...

Good morning everyone and happy anniversary, CC et al.

On first pass, I had one fill-in and thought "Oh boy, am I in trouble!". But slowly and with help from some easier perps, I finished without help and no write-overs. Nice way to end the week.

Great write-up, Splynter, as usual. Happy Saturday to all.

CrossEyedDave said...

Happy Birthday!

Our newspapers "thought for today" made me think of crosswords.

"I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate." - George Burns
American Comedian (1896-1996)

I love the links, and you have taught me HTML. Also, reading an article about tonites tv shows, it mentioned the word "Bonhomie," and i knew what it meant thanks to you!

Lemonade714 said...

HBDTY Corner!

Like WH, I believe I began 2/09; Santa? My recollection is a discussion of father son professional golfers, or was it College teams which did not have an"s" at the end like Crimson Tide. Anyway, time flies and I hope it keeps on flying.

I found this to be an odd puzzle, with many complete unknowns URE, LLOSA and GLYN for example, but with some very accessible long fill, with the three 11's filled quickly top and bottom.

I wonder who my first constructor here?

Ciao all

Sfingi said...

One of the worst, for me. I Googled 18. For proper nouns, I knew only LLOSA, EMERALD CITY, KATE JACKSON, JEAN VALJEAN.

When I Googled the fey lemming, I could picture all of its predators saying, "Hey, we've got to eat something up here!"

I did learn quite a bit. Did not know SAVILE ROW had one L; Knew grandiloquent but not MAGNIloquent;

Still don't get LASTED or DOSED. Must be youngster talk.

Thanx for Canada goose formation and Phil OCHS memory nudge.

Doug P said...

Happy Anniversary, C.C. & crew! I'm glad Brad & I were here today to share a little of your virtual birthday cake.

Lemonade714 said...

While Kate Jackson may be most known for her role on Charlie's Angels she first was recognized for her her time as Daphne on DARK SHADOWS . The house they used for the intro credits is in Thompson, Connecticut, about 6 miles from my childhood home.

Anonymous said...

I wonder who my first constructor here?

Lemonade, again, it's not about you.

Andrea said...

Morning, all. Hbdty, blog!!

I don't normally do the Saturday puzzle, but tried it today while resting w/ a cold. Tough puzzle, but I solved with Splynter's help, and realized it's a special day today!

I lurked for quite a while before posting the first time. I think it was CC's question about what we eat for breakfast that prompted my first post 3ish years ago. It has been fun "meeting" so many interesting people, both virtually and in person. I periodically come across the picture of the lunch with Kazie, Dot, Irv and me. My restaurant staff loved that we were blog friends, and that we met in person. I know that so many friendships have formed over the years. CC, you have created a truly remarkable thing, and it has been fun to watch it evolve with the awesome crew over the years. Even if I don't post regularly anymore, I'm still following, and cheering, from the sidelines!!

desper-otto said...

My first four-letter choice for Dylan contemporary was BAEZ. Actually, I believe it was Joan who had a minor hit with Phil's "There But For Fortune..." Phil died way too young.

Sfingi, I had a pair of blue jeans which were very durable and really LASTED. The vet DOSED my cat with his annual rabies vaccine.

Kate Jackson showed up recently as Emily Prentiss' mother on Criminal Minds. Do you watch it?

Anonymous said...

Where's the leadoff man?

Chris Carter said...

Lemony, you have researched far more obscure things than your first post and constructor. C'mon man!

Anonymous said...

Hi Ya'll,

Congratulations to C.C. and the daily explainers for a great blog. I enjoy it very much.

Wanted to share a headline that appeared on the newspaper sports page today in half-inch tall bold black letters: "Finally, Trojans relish return to TIT title game". In much smaller letters the translation: "Topeka Invitational Tournament". Oh, basketball......

- PK -

crazyhorse said...

I don't post often, but I wanted to say congratulations C.C.!
I read the blog everyday and thoroughly enjoy it!
I really enjoy the different styles of the bloggers.
Keep it up!

Misty said...

Happy Birthday, C.C. and Splynter for a great write-up, as usual.

This puzzle was a bear, or maybe an ARCTIC FOX for me. I actually did get a fair chunk of it, starting with ROO and MOSAICS. Then PELICAN popped into my mind, and so on and so on. Also EMERALD CITY since I've seen 'The Wizard of Oz' only a kazillion times. Oh yes, and HOPE CHEST. Do young women still do that--collecting beautiful table cloths and china and things in hopes of a gorgeous wedding and a dream marriage? Or do most of them still stumble into marriages unexpectedly, like I did the first time?

Anyway, thanks for the challenge, BW and DP, and to everybody who makes this blog an ongoing pleasure.

Dennis said...

Afternoon, gang -- just wanted to stop by and congratulate C.C. again; just a fantastic accomplishment!

Most of my comments about the puzzle have been covered already, but I had a pretty good struggle with it. Lots of perping, a bit of g-spotting, but managed to get through it without too much gnashing of teeth.

Nice to see some old 'faces' drop in today, and as Lois would say, it's always great to see Dick again.

Steve said...

Wow, tough! And Happy Birthday! Thanks for the write-up, Splynter

DNF for the G crossing MAGNI and EVIGAN. My WAG was R, wrong!

Some great cluing, loved "Mobile home?" and "Holly follower?" - Ivy? No. Golightly? No. However, gives me the excuse to post a link to the loveliest film actress ever to grace the silver screen, and a beautiful song that will cheer up anyone's day.

Have a wonderful day, y'all

Rube said...

Had to give up and Google to finish. Too many proper names. Got JEANVALJEAN but was at a loss for BRUCEBANNER. I really dislike triple proper name crosses like LLOSA/OLSEN/ANSON. I should have figured out OLSEN, but time ran out.

Got flummoxed at MOHEGAN. J.F. Cooper is a distant relative of mine and Mohican should have worked but GIANT wouldn't allow it, sigh.

Could rant on about all the names I didn't know, but would just be repeating others' comments. Did eventually get the SW as it had no proper pop names and had learned that Louisiana is called the Pelican State from xwords a few weeks ago.

Must remember tha labyrinth clue for EAR.

Yellowrocks said...

HB again Crossword Corner. Thanks CC. This is so much friendlier and more positive than most blogs. Tinbeni @9:47, I agree. You all have become a big part of my day.

It is interesting to hear everyone's first experience with the Corner, including Lemonade's. I lurked during the early months of 2011 and turned blue last summer. You all made me feelI was adopted into your family.

Tough, but fun puzzle. Technical DNF because I googled one letter. the G crossing MAGNI and EVIGAN. Now MAGNI makes sense. V8 can, please.

I learned about MOHEGAN vs. Mohican.

Dennis said...

I meant to post this yesterday because of Etta James' passing, but forgot. One of my favorite all-time videos with her, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards and others. If this doesn't get you moving, call the medical examiner and tell him you're ready for pickup.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody and happy birthday felicitations to this blog and all of you who contribute to it. Personally, I have enjoyed reading and writing here since I stumbled across it somewhere between one and two years ago. For months, because of your baseball card avatar, C.C., I thought you were a man. At some point somebody asked the question that I had been too shy to ask, and you confirmed you are female. I have to say, wow, what a woman! As Lois says, it's all good.

Amazing puzzle today; those stacks of long fill are awesome. Pretty masterful construction work, if I may say so.

Darned if I didn't know JEAN VALJEAN right off the bat, but doubted it was right because I couldn't figure out the perps that would support it. So remained unfilled for a while. Danged if I didn't do the same thing with EMERALD CITY: knew it but at the same doubted it, so saved it up until the perps showed me the correctness of my ways.

Loved all the puzzles this week, actually.

Best wishes to you all.

Bill G. said...

Congratulations to C.C. and all of us. Four great years!

C.C., you mentioned at the end of the writeup this morning that without a lot of support, this blog would have withered and died last fall. What was going on then that I didn't know about or have forgotten? Danged CRS!

We had a nice rain here this morning; enough that I went back to sleep for a little while. It seems to be all over now but with maybe more due on Monday. I hope so.

I read some Shel Silverstein to Jordan last night after he got in bed. Our favorites are 'Sick' and 'Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout.'

CrazyCat said...

Happy Crossword Corner birthday! Thanks CC and the other bloggers for your hard work. And, thanks Splynter for your very helpful writeup. I'm a newbie here - a refugee from LA Crossword Confidential. Agree with what Tinbeni said.

This was a killer. Although I started off well with JEAN VALJEAN (saw Les Mis 3 times), I became bogged down in the lower half of the puzzle. Finally resorted to Google twice just so I could finish and get on with my day. So it was a DNF for me. Despite the difficulty level, I really liked the puzzle. I mostly got hung up on unknown (for me) proper names.

I once got stranded overnight in Atlanta trying to fly into SAV for my mil's memorial service on Hilton Head. Ended up having to rent a car and drive. Boo Delta!

eddyB said...

Hello.

Happy 4TH!

My first remembrance of the Corner
was also when CC asked what we had for breakfast.

Started reading Red Mist - the latest Scarpetta - so, SAV (41A)
was a gimme.

Take care. eddy

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, Just checking in to wish C.C. and the Crossword Corner a very happy birthday.

For the past few years my mornings have been brightened by the anticipation of doing the crossword and then logging on to the blog to share comments and commiserate about wrong answers.

Thank you C.C. for starting this Blog family. I have met in person and in cyberspace some wonderful people.

To New Friends and lasting friendships.

windhover said...

Steve, re: AH,
You got that right, man.
Dennis:
You, too. I know we all loved Elvis Aron, but Chuck Berry was, is, and ever will be the real King of RocknRoll. Long live the King.

Anon @ 10:58,
Share the love, man. Still got that feather if you need it. ;-}

Chickie said...

Husker, I too, taught in a prefab building for a year. The first graders found out that if they stomped a bit while walking our floor sounded like a drum. Oh, the joys of little ones sometimes were more than I could bear!

I had too many mistakes to mention while doing the puzzle today. I had a DNF and many of the same problems as others. I had a difficult time giving up The Land of Oz and was so pleased with myself when i entered that very incorrect answer.

A real challenge, but that's what keeps us all interested and learning in the crossword world.

Jerome said...

C.C., You will always be the most awesome blossom...

desper-otto said...

Actually, now that I think about it, the LA license plate said "Sportsmans' Paradise". Damn, it's hell to get old!

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon everyone.

I add my anniversary congratulations to C.C. and the Corner. Have been reading daily since July, 2008, and loving every minute of it. Thank you so much C.C. and the hardy souls who do the write ups. And it seems Argyle and Dennis keep the ball rolling with a lot of time.

Today's puzzle I didn't even come close to finishing. Got all of 24 answers correctly. Yesterday's buoys and gulls was such a hoot of a pun that I feel I must mention it.

Cheers

desper-otto said...

Sallie, I remember eating at a seafood restaurant (I think it was in MA) back in the '70's. The restrooms were identified by a picture of a buoy on one and a gull on the other -- no words. I didn't get it, and was afraid to go into either one. I'm ashamed to admit that I finally had to go back to the Maitre'd to find out if I was a buoy or a gull.

JIMBO said...

I don't remember the exact date that I first commented; But it was pre March, 2009. I don't comment any more. Just monitor daily. This blog has been a great source of entertainment and education for me and I hope it keeps going and growing.
C.C. you're still my HERO and you're married to another who bowls multiple 300 games. (Two HEROS in one household).
Happy anniversary girl. YOU ROCK.

JIMBO said...

My profile saya I started in April 2008. So I suppose I am among the first group to enter.

CrossEyedDave said...

Steve @12:46

Being a newbie that is frustrated with having "One Missed Letter" called a DNF, how about we call it
"a hole in one."

Avg Joe said...

DesperOtto, I've seen a similar restroom thing with a hunting dog theme. Setters and Pointers. It's fairly common to see it spelled out, and that's pretty easy to grasp... er... understand. But when they only show an outline of the 2 dogs, it's tougher to figure out. Especially after a few dozen beers.

And you're right. It is hell to get old. But it's unstoppable. :-)

CrossEyedDave said...

CC, i do not know you, but i do love this Blog. But on this auspicious day i do have one complaint. Today your Blog made me use that red letter assist just to get here to read the Blog! i am an Ink and Paper purist, but i believe you deserve a STANDING OVATION

CrossEyedDave said...

oh crap! it didn't work, let me try again:

Standing Ovation

Dennis said...

JIMBO, great to see you; hopefully all's well with you. Do stop in more often.

Anonymous said...

I have not looked at the puzzle yet but I want to say "thank you" to CC and congratulations on four years. I've been reading the blog for most of those years although I rarely comment. Now I don't seem to be able to post my comments even though I've tried setting up a new password, etc. I will see if this will go through anonymously. Dot

Anonymous said...

Andrea, Thanks to our cold, snowy weather yesterday, I decided to try and work on my photo albums and one of the picturesthat was still on the loose was the one you referred to. I think there are a couple more Madison area bloggers, now. Maybe in the spring we could get together again.

Dot

Avg Joe said...

The passing of Etta James is worth noting one more time. I listened to her album "At Last" today, and was reminded again of how good she was. Ignoring "At Last", among other things, she was more than a decade ahead of Foghat, and a couple of years ahead of the Stones with This tune written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters (per Wiki). She'll be missed, but will be remembered forever. Certainly in crosswords.

Susan said...

Happy Birthday and Congratulations CC! Great job Splynter; I had to turn to you for almost all of the names.

References to two of my favorites--Les Mis and Wicked. Also knew Savile Row from a song lyric--You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile from Annie, I think.

Although I don't post very often, I also read this every day. I value all that I have learned here and I really enjoy the friendly conversation.

Thank you everyone.

Susan said...

Me again. I wish I knew how to post a picture. I've got a cute one of my older daughter and Teal Wicks, the star of San Francisco's and now B'Way's Wicked.

They are both in "green face" and wearing Teal's witch hats backstage in SF.

Blue Iris said...

Happy Birthday! I've been enjoying your blog for a year now. I didn't want to comment until I could go blue. My son was home for the weekend and set me up. My husband and I like to do puzzles together. I enjoy reading your comments to find out where we went wrong. Hope to get to know you all better now.

Spitzboov said...

Good Evening everyone. Nice write-up, Splynter.

Probably most of the potential puzzle comments have already been commented upon. My only red letter moment was putting bravo before NEATO. Got the center and SW easily. Broke through in the NE with HOPEless CHEST. My aha moment was sussing JEAN VALJEAN. With Portuguese place names named after saints SAO was a gimme. Great puzzle from Brad and Doug.

Spica in VIRGO rises just after Midnight, local time (on the time zone meridian, 40ºN) bearing about 106ºT.

JD said...

Good evening all,

Today was a bit frustrating and I had a hard time sticking to it because of the unknowns. Splynter, thanks for the links and the reasoning behind some of the answers. I'm sure I won't remember Anson, Llosa, ochs,CPL (well maybe) and Midge Ure.

with labyrinth I was already wandering around Crete.

with tesselations, I was back in the classroom with Escher.(loved your mosaic)

mohegan: knew it, couldn't spell it.

Jean Valjean: This is when you sing along to soundtracks and never quite get the whole name (or correct words).Jean--- Jean

magniloquent..wow, a great word, but no one has ever said it in my presence.

Crosseyed Dave-fabulous quote today.BTW, I love your avatar.

WELCOME BlueIris and hubby!! What a great day to join our group officially.

C.C. and Boomer, you rock our world.

Marge said...

Hi all,
Puzzle was hard for me but I can't believe I missed Jean Valjean. I never saw the movie or play,but I did read it when I was in Junior high school. I always loved it. That was a long time ago. They even came out with a comic book. I wonder what happed to my copy.

Congratulations CC! On the blog and your Birthday. I don't get to post every day but do read it.

Dot, I live 40 miles north of Madison.
Bye!
Marge

TinoTechie said...

Splynter, thanks for the excellent write-up. CC, Many thanks for starting and keeping this blog going. It has helped me improve my CW skills immensely.

And thanks to the many bloggers who offer wonderful insight and humor to the daily puzzle.

I could not finish, but that is normal for me on Saturday. With red letter help and a couple of "solve letters", I was able to see all the answers.

Lemonade714 said...

JIMBO great to see you back; since no one else has, here is the first day 1 21 2008 .

If you want to know the early days nd the DF history with 235 comments there is 235

Frenchie said...

Hi CC, Len and folk,
Happy 4th to us! Congrats., CC.
08/09 for me, I believe I first posted after a short lurking stint to get the hang of it.
Very good, Splynter...I really learned a lot! I love perps. on a day like today. It was an exercise in fits and starts. Some stuff hidden in the gray matter for me, too.
@Windhover, I have an ipad to use while on the boat and it doesn't support Adobe Reader so I can't get the puzzle. You use apple, don't you? Help??? I don't get the puzzle on the boat and its a real loss for me every day. I love being on the boat but it's a big sacrifice!

agelong?
holdssway?
ACK!!!

Great to read your comments today, friends!

I'm out!

Anonymous said...

Frenchie, if I remember correctly, Windy doesn't do the puzzle. I think he likes to read the blog and make comments using his iphone.

Lucina said...

Hello, Splynter, C.C. and gang.

I all but missed the party today because I had two meetings back to back, one at school 9-12 and my Book Club afterward.

Came home and completed Brad and Doug's wonderful puzzle. It was quite doable, starting in NE all down the column. Took a stab at LLOSA and that finished OLSEN and ANSON for me.

The bottom was easy with EMERALD CITY and on from there.

Most difficult were the NW and SW but I plugged away, cell by cell until, viola, it came together.

Drat! One ERROR, MEG as have never heard of Elinor GLYN, had FLYN.

Thank you for the challenging puzzle, guys.

Yesterday I expressed my gratitude and admiration for this blog as I knew I wouldn't make it today.

I hope your Saturday was super!

CrossEyedDave said...

Susan @ 5:09

Re: Oh Crap, take II

this is what it says to insert a picture using HTML

honestly, i can't figure it out, but if you post your pic to any website, you can then copy the address and use the "a" html command that "Ant" showed me.

Lucina said...

I would also like to thank all the bloggers who add so much diversity each and every day. You are a super team!

Linda said...

Congratulations, Xie Xie. You have created quite a community here. I hope all is well with you.

windhover said...

Anon :
Could you just for once get your hand off your crotch and your head out of your ass and mind your own f'ing business?
Frenchie:
The best way I access the puzzle is on the Chicago Tribune site. But I have to Email it to the Irish, who then prints it on her work computer. So I'm afraid that like me, you're out of luck as far as getting the puzzles on the iPad in a very timely way.
Lemonade:
Thanks for that July '08 link. That was well before I hooked up. At that time my local paper carried the puzzle and all I had to do was drive 1/2 mile out to the mailbox to get it by 6:00 AM.
It was interesting to see that even then you were plagued with idiot anons. Comes with the territory, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Windhover, I really don't think anon's comment was made with malice. Maybe lighten up just a bit? No need to keep bringing the blog down.

Anonymous said...

So, Windy, you do the puzzle later, after commenting on it?

Wait, come to think of it, you never comment on doing the puzzle.

No problem there. To each their own, I always say.

Anonymous said...

Why so testy Windhover?

fermatprime said...

Good evening, all!

Happy blog birthday, CC! You have contributed so much to my life! Many thanks!

Thanks to Brad, Doug and, of course, Splynter!

Stuck with the puzzle today, without losing patience, for a change. No reds but two googles. VALJEAN was a gimme. Got a kick out of FALALA. Stuck with MOHEGAN, but quite confused. Interesting bit of new trivia. Interestingly, the spell checker flags the true spelling, but not "mohican."

How do you get 60 with a single dart? Do not get it.

Heart attack of the day: State Univ. System changed health insurance carriers and I could not get my eye medication (if I do not have it, my post-cataract eyes cloud up and I cannot see). Disturbed the eye doctor on the golf course, or, whatever, and he informed me that he had tried to call it in. However, the name has changed. Swell. Called 10 pharmacies. The 4 that actually answered at 3 PM did not have it in stock; the other Rite Aid pharmacies did not even answer. I have to wait until Monday night. Oh, joy unbounded! (I really object to their use of "Rite", by the way. Fools.)

Happy Sunday!

windhover said...

There you go.
Don't get me wrong, I love the attention, I really do. But it's really hard to move around with your head so far up my a--

Think you could back off just a little.

Yes, there. That's much better, thanks.

Anonymous said...

No, its just that, um, you make it so easy.

Annette said...

Happy Anniversary, C.C.! And thank you for building this little empire that's changed so many of our lives, for the better!

CrossEyedDave: I encourage you to devise your own standard for what YOU consider having successfully completed the puzzle, rather than going by anybody else's idea of what is a DNF. As far as I'm concerned, if I use a couple red-letter hints when working online, or like today was doing it on paper and had to google a couple clues to help me kickstart a section that I couldn't get past, I STILL DID FINISH! And better yet, I learned a few things in the process. If anybody else considers that a DNF, then that's their business. I think there are plenty of newbies frustrated, thinking they've failed if they don't know it all from the start, based on what is said here...

Bill G. said...

Annette, I'm with you 100 percent. I can usually finish the puzzles without help maybe Monday through Wednesday or Thursday. On the harder puzzles, if I need red-letter help or to Google something, I do it. I much prefer that to leaving something blank or incorrect. I do the puzzles for fun, not to satisfy any other standard of excellence.

Frosty the Throw Man said...

FermatPrime: One dart inside the triple-ring of the twenty section scores 3x twenty or 60.

Dudley said...

Frenchie and WH -

Now hear this!

I have posted a number of times about my willingness to tell iPad users how to get the puzzle daily, from Cruciverb if desired, as early as 10:00 Eastern if desired. Marti showed me how it is done, and It works just fine.

An occasional poster named VirginiaC wished for just such a process, so I posted about it, but no reply. Only a quieter Cornerite named Martha (I think) asked about it. She was able to get it working.

Bottom line: iPad users can get the LAT puzzle just like everybody else. It takes a $10 app.

Dudley said...

Addendum:

I meant 10:00 PM the night before the puzzle's actual date.

Just to be clear.

Abejo said...

Good evening, folks. Thank you, Brad and Doug, for a tough but excellent Saturday puzzle. It was a bugger. thank you, Splynter, for the write-up.

I started in the morning, but had to go to a Knight Templar conclave in Chicago that lasted all day. Finished on the way home. It was tough. Lots of perps needed.

Got JEANVALJEAN amazingly. Saw the play many times.

I actually spelled MOHEGAN correctly for the puzzle. I think it is also spelled Mohican in other places. No problem.

All the long answers became easy once a few letters were entered. I thought it would be an impossible task at first, but the answers slowly came forth.

My toughest spot was the center. EVIGAN, MARNIE, MAGNI. All unknowns.

Congratulations, C.C., on the four-year anniversary of this wonderful blog. I have been here about 13 months and have enjoyed almost every day. The only days I miss are if I cannot get to a computer to participate. I always do the crossword.

See you all tomorrow.

Abejo

Irish Miss said...

Dudley:

Could you please explain in more detail how we iPad users can get the puzzle? Thanks so much.

windhover said...

Dudley:
My bad. You have indeed. That will certainly work on the iPad. The iPhone screen is a little small, but I may give it a try. It would definitely be worth $10. I don't know what I will do for sport if the anon no longer monitors my every post, but I'll manage. Maybe I can hunt up some fish in a barrel. And looking on the bright side, it does draw some fire from others.
Anyway, thanks.

Anonymous said...

congrats on 4 years of informative, witty, funny,educational, dedicated hard work from c.c./guest bloggers/commentators.This blog is so special I hate to see the sniping/snarkiness that showed up on the late posts today. Can't we all get along?

DSM-IV said...

Yes NPD runs rampant on the 'net. Luckily, on this blog, only a couple of posters are affected.

Vairnut said...

I too have been lurking since PG shut down in Oct of 11. I originally thought I would be here as the voice of reason and sanity, since everyone always seemed to solve puzzles with no effort, and I had difficulties. However, after reading all the posts, I am happy to see that other people have troubles with these puzzles also. I may only be posting here occasionally, but I enjoy reading what other people have to say.
Oh, and Happy Bday to this blog!! Funny, sometimes I solve these easily where others have problems, and others solve easily, and I am feverishly going thru my CW dictionary, or Yahooing ( I dont use Google).

Vairnut said...

Dont take that the wrong way- Im not glad so see that you have problems with the puzzle, I am just glad that I am not the only one!

Argyle said...

1-Across is a perfect example. For some a gimme, others an unknown. But no judgments made in either case.

mtnest995 said...

Frenchie - Dudley really has the whole iPad thing down, as does Marti. Once you follow the instructions, it's a piece of cake. I normally work the puzzle on paper (in ink because I'm a glutton for reality), but we spend a lot of time on the road and having access to the puzzle and the blog is a necessity, so this is too cool. I probably couldn't explain it as simply as Dudley, but he offered, so take him up on it! For a $10 app, what have you got to lose? (sounds like possibly $10). Plus you gain access to all this wonderful conversation! I say go for it. Good luck!

Thanks again, Dudley, you're the bomb!

I posted my congrats yesterday, but just wanted to let C.C. and the gang know how much I appreciate what has happened here. I've worked Cws for years but never really understood how creative and complex they are. The incredibly diverse and intelligent folks who frequent this blog add an unbelievable "third dimension" to the experience that is extremely difficult to imagine. I have suggested the site to a couple of friends, but I guess they're afraid of the "dark facade". Oh well, their loss.

mtnest995 said...

So sorry, C.C. didn't mean to ramble so. It won't happen again, I promise!

Dudley said...

Thanks for the kind words MT!

Irish Miss, sent you an email.

Thanks as ever to Marti for sussing out the way!

Freond said...

Very tough puzzle for me today. Tried not to, but finally turned on red letters and had about 10 errors. Being convinced that the bridge was somewhere near Macinaw was my worst error, and a bad one indeed.

I don't care for puzzles that are tough because they are excessively obscure, which is how I feel about parts of this one. Midge URE??? MAGNILOQUENT??? C'mon!