google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Gary's Blog Map

Jan 10, 2012

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Tangibles - The four themes end in a word that is capable of being felt, seen, or perceived.

17A. Cosmopolitan piece : MAGAZINE ARTICLE

27A. "This can't lose" : "IT'S A SURE THING"

48A. Los Angeles Times piece, e.g. : NEWSPAPER ITEM

63A. Stipulation from a wealthy purchaser : MONEY IS NO OBJECT

Argyle here. Two grid spanner Tuesday. Although the four themes are synonymous in one sense, their use in their individual phrases are not. Personally, I found it easier than Monday's; you may not.

Now Gimme Dat Ding (2:19)

Across:

1. Stops stalling : ACTS. Not a case of vapor lock on your runabout.

5. Concert souvenirs : STUBS

10. Spongy ball brand : NERF

14. It's often fenced : LOOT

15. Toys that need wind : KITES

16. Electric co., e.g. : UTIL. (utilities)

20. Without help : ALONE

21. FDR's successor : HST. Harry S. Truman.

22. Milo of "Ulysses" : O'SHEA. He is 85 now.

23. Nothing at all : ZERO

25. Inner Hebrides isle : IONA. Map

32. Sinbad's transport : ROC (but they lost his baggage.)


33. Part of SASE: Abbr. : ENV. (self-addressed stamped envelope)

34. Support at the meeting : SECOND

37. Somewhat wet : MOIST

40. Caesar of comedy : SID

42. Do over, as a bow : RETIE

43. Island greetings : ALOHAs

45. Whole bunch : TON

47. Stein filler : ALE

52. "Show Boat" author Ferber : EDNA

53. School since 1440 : ETON

54. McCartney bandmate : STARR

57. Signal for immediate assistance : SOS

59. Cooks cakes : BAKES

66. Banquet hall vessels : URNS

67. Plant in Greek legend : LOTUS. The "lotus-eaters" are mentioned in the Odyssey, one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer.

68. Productive start? : ANTI

69. Pest in a swarm : GNAT

70. Nautical speed units : KNOTS

71. Heath-covered wasteland : MOOR


Down:

1. __ mater : ALMA

2. Shade of black : COAL

3. Like many lunch orders : TO GO

4. Song section : STANZA

5. Do a downhill run : SKI

6. Two-bit gamblers : TINHORNS. According to World Wide Words(site), it relates to a gambling game called chuck-a-luck.

7. Colorado natives : UTEs

8. "Vamoose!" : "BEAT IT!"

9. Outdated geopolitical letters : SSR

10. Pain in the neck : NUISANCE

11. Carve in stone : ETCH

12. Make hopping mad : RILE

13. Dog bugger : FLEA

18. Snazzy duo? : ZEEs. The letters.

19. More stylish : TONIER

24. Wish one hadn't : RUE

26. Cries of surprise : OHs

27. "__ la Douce" : IRMA. 1963 romantic comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

28. Chisel, e.g. : TOOL

29. Offspring : SCION

30. Musical with the song "A New Argentina" : "EVITA"

31. Was able to reach : GOT AT

35. River through Sudan : NILE

36. Consider : DEEM

38. Most diaphanous : SHEEREST

39. Cheap and gaudy : TAWDRY

41. Deduces, slangily : DOPES OUT

44. Hyphenated ID : SSN

46. Table tennis table divider : NET

49. Relay, as information : PASSON

50. Lyndon Johnson's son-in-law Charles __ : ROBB. Married Lynda Bird.

51. Experiencing serious traffic : IN A JAM

54. Self-satisfied : SMUG

55. Undecided : TORN

56. "The King and I" role : ANNA

58. Not snookered by : ON TO

60. Numbers game : KENO

61. Prefix with plasm : ECTO. "I ain't afraid of no ghost!"

62. Ruckus : STIR

64. Class : ILK

65. WWII espionage gp. : OSS. The Office of Strategic Services

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) Good luck to Husker Gary's daughter, who's having an operation today.

2) Happy Birthday to Frenchie. Hope you're doing well.

93 comments:

  1. Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - Argyle, I agree, even easier than yesterday's.

    'Magazine article' wasn't my first choice for 'Cosmopolitan piece', but that's another story. I wasn't sure about the theme until 'newspaper item', and even after the last one, I was still unsure if I'd missed something else. I almost put 'lawn' in for 14 across after filling in 'alma', but a quick glance at the perps saved me an ink blot. 'Dopes out' is a term I've heard maybe twice in my life. Overall, a nicely done, smooth Tuesday-level puzzle.

    Anybody else busted their New Years resolutions already?

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  2. Morning, all!

    Yep, another super easy speed run today, that's for sure! A few minor missteps (GOT TO instead of GOT AT, LAWN instead of LOOT), one unknown (ROBB) and a learning moment (I didn't know TIN HORN related to gamblers).

    The theme was a bit dull, but that's OK...

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  3. Good day folks,

    Agreed, today was easier then Monday.

    Got a kick out of 14A IT'S OFTEN FENCED/LOOT. My first choice was yard, but after eyeballing the downs, decided I had to go in another direction.

    Never grabbed onto the theme, but it did not hinder my progress.

    Don't bother with New Year resolutions anymore because I never kept them.

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  4. Good Morning, Argyle. I agree that this was a bit easier than yesterday's puzzle. MAGAZINE ARTICLE came to me immediately, but I that made me think the theme would be parts of speech.

    My only error was to read 71-Across as Health-Covered Wasteland instead of Heath-covered.

    Woe is LSU.

    Happy Birthday, Frenchie. Come back, we miss you.

    Sending good thoughts to Husker's daughter.

    QOD: Marriage is very difficult. It's like a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, all sky. ~ Cathy Ladman

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  5. Barry,
    Ha ha! I just told Argyle before the post was published that ROBB would still be an unknown to you. Don and I had it in our puzzle last month.

    And don't forget your Robb NEN trouble last time.

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  6. I forgot to mention the shout-out to our HeartRx with the SKI answer! Any good skiing this winter, Marti?

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  7. Hi all,

    Another quickie. Thanks Gail, Argyle.

    Favorite answer: LOOT also. Also, no new year's resolutions.

    My very best to your daughter, Husker!

    I got a kick out of yesterday's blog. A heck of a lot of discussion about beer! (I never liked it!)

    HBTY Frenchie!

    Tonight (at 12:00) I was given dinner! Don't worry, PK!
    (I should find some innocuous snacks to keep around. Main problem is that my kitchen is far away and separated (most misspelled word in universe?) by two sets of two large stairs. Bummer.)

    The King's Speech was on Showtime. Great flick!

    Have a happy day. Go easy on the SHLITZ.)

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  8. STUPID FACT OF THE DAY
    Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" was released in January 1975 -- the last month of the Year of the Tiger. Oddly, Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" was released in 1982, putting it in the Chinese astrological Year of the Dog.

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  9. Wow, I can actually say - WBS. Dull is the perfect word, as I was thinking "You're IT" as a theme title.

    Here's a wonderful version of ALONE Again (Naturally) (3:38) by Gilbert O'Sullivan.

    TOOL is a very artistic metal band, known for their unique, non-traditional style of music, visual productions, and creative videos. Their driving force (and singer), Maynard James Keenan, owns a vineyard and winery here in Arizona.

    In light of the beer discussion yesterday, here's Sober (5:06) by TOOL.

    Give it a chance, and let me know what you think. Though I should probably give the standard Corner warning...

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  10. Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

    I would like to have seen “article” and “item” with two different meanings. Here, both were used as published writings. Maybe “item” could have been “big ticket item”, instead.

    As others have mentioned, “It’s often fenced” for LOOT was clever. But I was not familiar with DOPES OUT.

    Hahtool, this morning I had a dusting of snow in the driveway. Not enough to SKI on, though.

    Ant, thanks for providing me with a Friday-level clue for TOOL !!!

    Husker Gary, my thoughts will be with you and your daughter today.

    HBD Frenchie, wherever you are!

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  11. Nice puzzle The theme answerts came easy to me Not sure if i would consider this a speed run only because I was interupted no less than 10 times while doing this puzzle.

    Barry, One of LBJ's Daughters (lynda) married Charles S.("Chuck") Robb. Chuck went on to become the the Governor of Virginia.

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  12. Good morning, folks. Thanks, Gail and Bruce, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for your review. Great "Ding" link. I even watched the whole thing.

    Did not start in the NW. I wanted LAWN for 14A, but saw it did not fit. So I headed East and got STUBS, KITES, SKI, UTES, etc.

    Learned a new word Diaphanous. Waiting for C.C. to post her see-through clothes picture again. That was clever the other day.

    Had ROBB recently.

    Argyle, we played Chuck-A-Luck at the West Ridge Hose Company Annual Bazaar many years ago. It was one of their big fund-raisers.

    I even figured out the theme today. Fun puzzle.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

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  13. So what did Rich know by running that grid with ALABAMA in it yesterday? That couldn't have been a coincidence.
    Eerie.

    Roll Tide.

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  14. Morning, all.

    This was a tough one for me - never quite got traction. It's still dark out, so maybe my brain is still sleeping.

    I resolved to snowshoe more this year than last. Which means I need to get out 3 times. Hard to do without a lick of snow... We may actually get an inch or two Thursday. We're booked for a late March ski trip in Breckenridge, but I don't think they've had much snow yet, either.

    Gary, sending positive thoughts for your daughter, and look forward to reading the update that all is well.

    HB Frenchie.

    Off to work on my other resolution - holding a toe plank for a full minute. Ciao!

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  15. Argyle: Nice write-up & links.

    Well, I had Sinbad on a Rug (ROC) and my Cry of surprise was AHA (OH's) which kinda put me IN-A-JAM for a few brief moments.
    Also not really sure why ANTI is a normal start for Productive ...

    It's often fenced, LOOT was my fave.
    DOPES-OUT all perps. I guess not knowing todays slang doesn't bother me.

    So it was my usual Tuesday solve as I watched high-lights on ESPN.

    Hahtool: I didn't see Sabin's tears.
    (Hmmm, it might have been Gatorade in his eyes).

    Cheers to all at Sunset.

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  16. Have you ever said TONIER? I haven't. I've also never heard it, only seen it written.

    I resolved not to make a New Year's resolution, and by golly, I'm keeping it.

    Thought Sinbad's transportation was a rug...then ROC appeared. Otherwise today's puzzle was a SURE THING.

    Off to mentor AARP Tax-Aides-to-be. Any of the rest of you do that?

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  17. I'm in the 14A club, I first went with YARD. I guess you can fence a lot of things! Unfortunately, I don't have any valuable LOOT.

    I dug 18D: Snazzy due? ZEES. I've seen clues like that before and I always like them.

    Tinbeni: I had Sinbad on a RUG too. Guess we were thinking of flying carpets.

    Red State: Fascinating.

    Ant: I've heard many good TOOL songs, and I really like Sober.

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  18. Dennis: On January 1, 2007 I resolved to go to a gym. I'm still at it.

    Best wishes to Huskette Gary Jr. and the birthday gal!

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  19. Now that I think about it, was Sinbad ever on a rug. It's Alladin that had the rug.

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  20. HBTY, Frenchie.

    Husker, All my good wishes and thought go to you and your daughter today.

    I agree this was easier than yesterday. But I wasn't aware that SCION meant offspring, and haven't ever heard DOPES OUT or ANTIPRODUCTIVE either. Isn't that COUNTERPRODUCTIVE? I also had to WAG ROC, as I'm not so familiar with Sinbad's story. Thought LOOT was clever. Didn't know ROBB. Got the theme easily. I guess I often don't think about themes if I get through the CW very fast, but today I did.

    Andrea,
    I wouldn't hold out too much hope for that snow Thursday. I guess we missed the last three snowfalls here while we were gone, but none sounded like it was enough to ski or snowshoe in.

    Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

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  21. Good day, Argyle, C.C. and all.

    HBDY, Frenchie; I hope you're lurking.

    Great Tuesday romp from Gail and Bruce. Never thought of LAWN because I could see STANZA was at 4D.

    I'm always impressed with Z's in the puzzle. Really like snazzy duo, ZEES.

    Also, GN (GNAT)and KN (KNOT) words can't be easy to use.

    No idea about TINHORN and DOPESOUT but they emerged quietly and easily.

    It's another overcast day here in Chrlotte. I now miss the bright sunshine. Leaving this afternoon.

    Ant, please tell me it's sunny at home.

    Have a super Tuesday, everyone!

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  22. Husker Gary:
    I'm sending prayers and good wishes for your daughter.

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  23. Argyle:
    Now that I think about it was Sinbad ever on a ROC?
    It was, after all, a MYTHICAL bird of prey having enormous size and strength.

    Alladin, Yup he's the Flying Rug guy.

    Geez, I can NEVER keep these make-believe, fairy-tale guys straight.

    (I assume their "straight" ... not that there's anything wrong with that if they're not.)

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  24. Tinbini: they must. E tears of joy.

    I learned of ROC only through doing the crossword puzzles, I never learned the Sinbad stories.

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  25. Top o' the Tuesday morn, all. HBTY Frenchie. Lot's of good thoughts headed your daughter's way, Gary.

    I'm not sure what a shrink would make of it, but I wrote in LOOT without even considering that that there were other possibilities. But then I wrote in Nada and had to change to ZERO. Sinbad preferred a rug to a ROC in my puzzle too. Other than that, this one solved easily.

    As Casey Stengel said, "we was ROBBed".

    Fermatprime, I still remember my English teacher from fifth grade writing 'separate' on the chalkboard and then underlining ARAT while saying that there's a rat in that word. Every time I write separate I have to double check to make sure a rat is still there.

    DOPES OUT and TIN HORNS were both familiar enough that only a perp or two was needed to see them.

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  26. Good morning all. Thanks for the comments, Argyle.

    Hand up for 'rug' before ROC. But the perps kept me on course. Agree with Tinbeni on the Sinbad Aladdin dichotomy. But we've had Roc numerous times in the past. IONA was a WAG, although I flirted briefly with Skye until I saw the 'K' was a non-starter. Cleverest clue was for ZEES in 18d. No searches were needed. Having just had Gail on Sunday, and liking Bruce's puzzles, it was fun to work on their collaboration.

    Happy Birthday Frenchie.

    Best of luck to Gary's daughter.

    Have a great day.

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  27. Fun puzzle. Finished in under 15 minutes, which is a speed run for me.

    Tinbeni, I'll bet you were a Seinfeld fan!
    If you were a member of the Procrastinator's Club, you would totally get ANTI as a normal start for productive, as I do, whether it is a commonly used word or not.

    TONIER sounds like a word that would have been used in the 60s. As in a woman with a beehive hairdo and a sheath dress and heels would be TONIER than a woman in a housedress and slippers. Now I have those pictures in my head...

    My clue has to be the one for LOOT. and I am old enough to remember Lynda Bird's wedding pics on TV. I thought Mr. ROBB was a cutie!

    How 'bout those Bison!!!

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  28. PS: Fermatprime, I hear you about stairs! We built our split foyer home when we were just starting out, thinking that all those stairs would help keep us fit. Who anticipates bone spurs on both kneecaps??

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  29. Oooh, yes, I had Sinbad on a rug, too, before the ROC appeared.

    I learned the meaning of SCION many years ago because when Barry Goldwater was alive the NEWS PAPER ARTICLES always referred to him as the SCION of a pioneer . . .

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  30. I hope all goes well today Gary!

    Rug before ROC here too. But a quick fix. I had to work at this, so no speed run, but no major hangups either. The clue for LOOT was my favorite. Zees, not so much. The theme did seem to leave a little wanting, but a fun solve overall.

    I too resolved to not resolve. That's worked out pretty well so far.

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  31. Argyle, I think you're think of the Alladin who used to sing/play with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. I'm pretty sure he wore a rug.

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  32. Oh, and here's that missing "ing".

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  33. I agree, this was even easier than MON.

    Gary, you and your daughter are in my thoughts today. I wish you well.

    I thought RUG on reading the 32A clue, but already had the R in IRMA and the C in SCION. For the fenced item, LOOT was my first choice. Cute.

    Today's clues made me nostalgic for Scotland, hiking on the MOORS and visiting the Isle of IONA. IONA brings to mind the actress, IONA SKYE and the very beautiful Isle of Skye, where we also hiked. I am wishing I were hiking now instead of resting my knee. PK, thanks for the thoughtful suggestion the other day. First I will have an MRI to rule out tears.

    It seems there are not be too many bloggers intereted in Westerns(Oaters as we say in xwords.)You hear TINHORN all the time, but never OATER.
    Link Tinhorn

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  34. Hi all,

    I am another one who thought this was just as easy (if not easier) than yesterday.

    I also put RUG in, and said OOOOH when Argyle mentioned Aladin. Then I realized he was the one on the magic carpet. I have no knowledge of Sinbad other than I have heard of the story but that's all...and that's about the same for Aladin.

    DOPES OUT??? That's a new one to me. Cards is not the subject that first came to mind with that.

    Husker - please let us know all went well for your daughter :)

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  35. Hi Argyle, C.C. & gang, I'd put down 'rug' before 'roc' appeared also. My wife Ruth got that one right.

    Here's what popped into my mind when SOS appeared.

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  36. I think DOPE OUT is likely old fashioned slang, rather than modern slang. When I was young the "straight DOPE" was commonly used for the correct info. "Bob has all the DOPE on that scandal." It is only one step to using DOPE OUT to mean figure out (the info.) which was also used back then.

    BTW Don't forget yourself and try to correct your comments while they are on the Preview screen. They will disappear as mine just did.You must hit EDIT first.

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  37. @ant, I'm in AZ too - ever see the movie "Blood Into Wine"? It's about Keenan and his vineyard, not bad wine either.

    I didn't get anti as a start for productive either, tinhorn came easily as I watched a lot of oaters as a kid,

    thanks for the write-up and the " Gimme. . ." link, made me chuckle early today which is always good.

    Finished the puzzle but felt it didn't really sparkle, dull came to mind, especially after the Barry Silk yesterday.

    Best of luck (and M.D. skill?) to H. Gary's daughter.

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  38. Hello Puzzlers -

    What Spitzboov said.

    Argyle: it's been a while since I heard "Gimme Dat Ding". In the summer of '71, give or take, it was played loud and often on one of my favorite amusement park rides, the Zugspitze. This was at Riverside Park in everyone's favorite town, AGAWAM!

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  39. Two more comments have been freed from our persnickety spam filter.

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  40. Way too easy today. I am not happy with " antiproductive" but it fits. Also, I am tired of "ale" since I would order a good German beer in a stein or, when in a pub, it would be bitter or stout. For now, I am enjoying a cup of Rise Up Coffee.

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  41. other than a few over-used but not entirely cr@ppy bits of fill, rather clean & nice.

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  42. LSU must have gotten a hefty pay out to loose that badly!

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  43. Gary, since this is my last post from Charlotte, I'll check tonight in hope of seeing good news about your daughter.

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  44. Lucina, its been gorgeous here! Sunny and in the 70s, but don't tell anyone...we'll just keep it to ourselves! This is what we endure those summers of hell for...

    No Steppenwolf, but here's a magic carpet ride for the kid in all of us: A Whole New World (2:55) from Aladdin.

    -ANTI am.

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  45. All the good thoughts for my daughter were successful, along with a very good surgeon. The growth was removed from her tongue, examined for 20 minutes and the doctor was confident that he had gotten all of the mass that was there and after examination nothing looked suspicious in what had been removed. Waiting for him to say those words after he entered the waiting room seemed like 20 minutes but it was only a few seconds!

    She left the hospital an hour later, to her great surprise, and we have been helping her and she says she is ready to be on her own and we can go home tonight.

    Thanks again for your support!

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  46. desper-otto @ 9:34 AM: "Wore a rug" - too funny!

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  47. Enjoyed the puzzle, and a nice write-up, Argyle. That was an awesome "Ding" link!

    I'm not sure I'd describe a moor as a wasteland, in fact if I was a moor I'd be positively insulted!

    Geaux Tide - I guess you Roll Tigers!

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  48. Hi Virginia!

    No, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard of it. And I've had the wine...in Jerome. I'm sure the DFs here will appreciate the name of his vineyard: Merkin Vineyards.

    TOOL will actually be in concert here in AZ next week. Unfortunately, it's in Tucson, on a Tuesday, so I don't think I'll be making it. However, I will get to see the Cavs play the Suns on Thursday. Can't wait for that exciting game...

    Great news, HG!

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  49. All the best today, Husker. Since "miracle" is just our word for something we can't explain, that means they happen every day!

    And speaking of unexplained occurrences, now I know why ROBB popped into my head right off the bat. Thanks, CC.

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  50. DOPESOUT- What Dennis yells at the start of a MENSA meeting

    UTIL- Coll. that teaches plowing

    OSHEA- Sot's start of the national anthem

    "Favorite gambling game, Tonto?"
    "KENO, Sabe"

    There's TINHORNS IN THORNS

    Sometimes NUISANCE IS NUANCE

    ETON- What yer doin' during supper

    BEATIT- One of Arthur's boobs

    My resolution was to not post ridiculous crap. Obviously I've failed.

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  51. Fantastic news, Gary.

    I'm not letting up on the "good karma coming your way" gas until your daughter's fully recovered!

    On the "TONY" subject, I first learned the word in the context of a neighborhood, specifically in Manhattan. That's my word association now - TONY to me conjures up a swanky loft apartment in Soho or Chelsea.

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  52. Keep bringing the funny Jerome.

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  53. Husker: Such GOOD NEWS!! Tell her we were all in her corner.

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  54. Happy birthday Frenchie! Best wishes Gary and good thoughts heading your way for your daughter and for the rest of the family. (I just read the good news. Excellent!)

    Here is the puzzle with the answers from last night. I hope you enjoyed it.

    26 = L in the A (Letters in the alphabet)
    52 = C in a D (Cards in a deck)
    13 = S on the A F (Stripes on the American flag)
    32 = D F at which W F (Degrees Fahrenheit at which water freezes)
    90 = D in a R A (Degrees in a right angle)
    200 = D for P G in M (Dollars for passing go in Monopoly)
    3 = B M (SHTR) (Blind Mice - See how they run)
    5 = D in a Z C (Digits in a zip code)
    1000 = W that a P is W (Words that a picture is worth)
    29 = D in F in a L Y (Days in February in a leap year)

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  55. GREAT NEWS, HUSKER! Woo Hoo!

    Love Gail & Bruce's puzzles, and today was easier for me than yesterday's, although I did have to look up scion to see if it was a real word.New def. of fence for me..have I been under a "roc"? Great picture Argyle.

    Had to wait and see what diaphanous had to offer. Ah..nothing

    Got the theme..hip! hip! and Argyle, I always need your great explanations of the many fills that puzzle me.

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  56. Great Tuesday puzzle--my fastest speed run ever (although I don't actually time myself). It went so well, I think, because for the first time in ages I was familiar with all the literary and movie references.

    Milo O'Shea played Leopold Bloom in Joseph Strick's 1967 film of James Joyce's "Ulysses." Highly recommended! I think it won an Oscar nomination for screenwriting. And since "Ulysses" is based on the Odyssey, I also got "lotus." And I loved "Irma La Douce" when it came out, although that may have been in my pre-feminist life. Am not so sure I'd like a cute movie about prostitution now--but Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemon were delightful!

    So thanks everybody, Argyle, GG and BV, for a great puzzle morning!

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  57. HG:

    What wonderful news, great!

    Frenchie, ou est la petite? Joyeux anniversaire. Tu nous manques et tes paroles.

    Puzzle, easy fun. ROBB ROBB ROBB

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  58. HG, Great news!

    Andrea, I think the Wisconsin winters must be getting a whole lot milder. When I grew up we could count on 4" of ice on the mill pond, enough for skating, by Thanksgiving. The first snow would fall in November and the ground would be white until late March or April. Christmases were always "white." And we could count on at least a week in January when the temps wouldn't get above zero F. Global warming is very real.

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  59. HG, that's really great news! I hope her recovery is as speedy as the operation.

    Jerome, glad to see you broke your New Year's resolution...

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  60. It is interesing to think about where we learn things; I learned the word SCION from watching DOGMA the irreverent Kevin Smith movie. Of course seeing the word on the back of all those faux Toyotas did not hurt.

    RDS, that is thr silliest coincidence I have heard in a long while.

    When do Alabama and LSU play the rubber match to see who really is better? Not a Nick Satan fan; watching him lie twice to the media and his players about leaving and taking another job does not promote the type of message our college students should learn.

    I had not heard of any collegiate vandalism, but it is in keeping with lack of moral sense.

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  61. Hi All ~~

    ~ Husker Gary ~ Wonderful news! I'd been thinking of you and your daughter this morning.

    ~ A fun, fast puzzle. I learned about 'Diaphanous,' TONIER, and DOPESOUT.

    ~ Jerome ~ I agree ... keep bringin' it!

    Enjoy the day ~~

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  62. I always make ten New Year's resolutions with the intention of keeping one. Number ten is 'break the first nine within the first week'. I've always been able to keep that one.

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  63. @Husker Gary,

    Just saw your message. That's absolutely terrific--I am so happy for you and your daughter! Cheers!

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  64. We had a record snowfall yesterday, 10.6 inches out here in the desert. All good drought relief. I didn't have to get out in it, so I enjoyed watching it come down.

    Easy Tuesday puzzle. Most of the answers flowed into one another from NW to SE. I wanted "proto"plasm and "counter"productive, but they wouldn't fit. ROC came easily because I had the perps R_C before I read the clue. I didn't even see the clue for 33a ENV until I came to the blog.

    HG, great news about your daughter. Prayers continue for her complete recovery.

    HBTY, Frenchie!

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  65. HG,

    Great news! Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

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  66. Gary, outstanding news! Of course, there was never a doubt, with all this positive energy behind you. You don't mess with Corner Power.

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  67. Hello.

    Watched part of the game on line on
    ESPN3. Turned it off after 5th FG.
    If Honey Badger didn't care, I did.

    Cover left PHX at 7:30 PM last night.

    Will have to ask Frenchie if she is lurking. HB.

    eddy

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  68. eddy - how are YOU doing?
    I've tended to lurk more than participate in the discussions lately, but I can't help but notice your posts over the last few months have been sparse. And I don't mean just in frequency, but in content.
    Is everything OK with you?

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  69. A memorable scene from "The Cosby Show." It is near the top of the most enjoyable things I've ever seen on television. The Cosby Show

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  70. Daffydill, a nice surprise to see you. Happy New Y. To Frank as well; Jerome thanks for being you here once again. You are my idol.

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  71. Great puzzle! Great blog & link, Argyle!

    Glad you're fed, Ferm! I'm in trouble if I don't eat regularly. I gave up stairs eight years ago with a move. Best thing I ever did for myself.

    Good news, Gary! Will she have chemo?

    Dennis, etal, might enjoy today's enjoy today's Non Sequiter cartoon.

    Tools "Sober" to me sounds anything but.

    Lemon's undressing scene in "Irma" is a classic funny piece for me.

    Ant, I'm so envious! My favorite team is the Suns. Admire Steve Nash. Have been furious at management for personnel decisions. So happy they have Markieff injecting new life now. I hoped for that draft.

    - PK -

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  72. Husker,
    Wonderful news, and as has already been said, it couldn't have been otherwise with all the prayers and positive energy from this corner of the world. Here's hoping the recovery is as painless and fast as possible.

    Jerome,
    I too am glad of your broken resolution! Keep the nonsense coming!

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  73. Great news Gary. Glad to hear it. Sounds like you have been relived of duty. That's a good thing.

    I've been doing some grunt office work the last few days and have had Pandora turned on for the first time in months. A song that really caught my ear popped up a few minutes ago. Try it on and see what you think Gregory Alan Isakov.

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  74. Lots of boxes and pallets in Gimme Dat Ding. The UPS network?! LOL

    Jerome, UTIL was a ONER! Keep 'em coming. (And don't touch THAT line with a ten foot pole!)

    Susan, all that talk about Dan Brown reminded me of a babe detective of myth and symbology that could play herself in one of his books or movies. Her name is D.M. Murdock, aka Acharya S. Here's a link:

    BABE

    And, since everybody's being all bilingual on the blog today:

    Femmes-du-sax

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  75. Hola Everyone, Hands up for this being an easier puzzle than yesterday. I hardly hesitated and was finished before my lunch was all gone.

    I thought about Marti when I did 5 Down, Do a downhill run.

    Happy birthday to Frenchie.

    Also, so glad to hear about the good news for Husker Gary's daughter.

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  76. Grumpy 1, what a great way to remember the spelling of separate.
    I'll have that image in my mind now, too.

    Reminds me of the time during my first year of teaching. While putting an item on the blackboard, I misspelled calendar(er). I was being observed by my then principal (my former 5th grade teacher). He didn't call me on it until later during my evaluation. Needless to say I've never forgotten that spelling, and to this day think about the kindness of my administrator. Talk about embarrassing moments.

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  77. @len, WOW, the ladies in the sax quartet in Spain were outstanding!

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  78. That spam filter needs a serious tweaking.

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  79. Hello.

    Thanks for asking Frank. I usually don't comment on puzzle since I seldom get here before noon CST.

    Am doing as well as can be expected. Had a pretty bad cold
    that I'm just getting over.
    Macallan helps at night.

    Big hockey night. Kings closed to
    within a point but, Sharks have five games in hand.

    Take care. eddy

    Waiting for an answer from Frenchie
    if she isn't on the boat.

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  80. Good afternoon people,

    Argyle, I agree with you. This one was easier than yesterday's. Very straightforward so there's not much to say. No nits, although I'm not too sure about 'tonier'/more stylish.' Seems to me I liked the last Venzke and that usually Grabowski's stump me.

    I'll see what all of you have to say about it noe.

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  81. My Shockwave Flash player crashed. So no more SAX aujourd'hui!

    Salut!

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  82. Yes, Steve, 'tony'= swanky, posh, in my book, too.

    I also agree that this was a dull one. I didn't want to be the first to say so. Not many misdirections, hence the popularity of 'fenced'.

    Gary, I'm delighted to hear your good news! I told you there would be lots of good vibes!

    Andrea, what's a toe plank?

    TinB, 'dopes out' was slang befoe you were born, I think.Like 'gay', it once had a benign definition.

    I've missed the comments for a couple of days. Terrible how you can get behind so fast.

    I could be wrong but wasn't Ali Baba the one with the rug? The flying one, I mean.

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  83. Bill Cosby and Henry Fonda in a scene I remember from 42 years ago. They get trapped in an elevator with Elsa Lanchester and pass the time playing 20 Questions. Great stuff.

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  84. Husker Gary:

    Glad to hear your daughter had a good outcome. We should never underestimate the power of prayer. You had a lot of those with you and her.

    Abejo

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  85. I saw this bumper sticker on my way home tonight:
    "Well-behaved women rarely make history"
    ...and I immediately thought of Lois and Carol.
    I had to laugh, because this blog has now crept into my driving experience.
    Thanks! I really enjoy you all.

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  86. The whole show is subtle, droll and funny. If you want to skip to the 20 Questions game, it starts right about 5:30.

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  87. My previous post seems to have gotten eaten (maybe by the spam filter?). Anyway, it was a 42-year-old episode of an early Bill Cosby show where he gets trapped in an elevator with Henry Fonda and Elsa Lanchester. To pass the time, he tries to show Henry Fonda how to play 20 Questions correctly. 20 Questions If you want to skip to the game, it begins about 5:30.

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  88. Two more released from the spam filter. 3:50 PM and 6:47 PM

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  89. Husker Gary, great news about your daughter!

    I really enjoyed the Bill Cosby episode, but 1970 was 42 years ago?! Yikes!!!

    Happy Birthday, Frenchie!

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  90. Gary, fantastic news about your daughter! I'm with Abejo, never underestimate the power of prayer.

    Home sweet home! I love the time spent with my sisters, but it's good to be home!

    Jerome, you break your resolution as often as you can. Too funny.

    I worked Barry Silk's Saturday puzzle on the airplane and I'm exhausted. That took a lot of thinking! It was great though. I'll have to read Splynter's blot on it.

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  91. Hi CC, Argyle and folk,
    Of course I drop by on my birthday! Thanks to all for the thoughtful birthday wishes. Yes, I'm on the boat a lot and have no connectivity. I miss you all!
    eddyB, I made it on tonight...just checking in! How is everything with you?
    Fermat Prime, how are you doing? My thoughts are with you as well! Lemonade714, I hope you are on the road to recovery. That was a scary experience!
    HuskerGary, it is wonderful that all went well for your daughter!
    Love,
    Frenchie

    P.S. Oh, the puzzle, imho, a bit on the slow side...if you know what I mean!

    Thanks again and
    I'm out.

    ReplyDelete

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