Theme: Not Quite Black - Five entries whose last word, if placed after the word DARK, form a new phrase.
64A. *When night owls thrive, or where the last words of the starred answers can go : AFTER DARK. (shouldn't have had a star on this clue though.)
17A. *Artsy-sounding microbrew : CRAFT BEER. DARK BEER are usually brewed from a pale malt or lager malt base with a small proportion of darker malt added to achieve the desired shade. Other colourants—such as caramel—are also widely used to darken beers. Very dark beers, such as stout, use dark or patent malts that have been roasted longer. Some have roasted unmalted barley. (as per Wiki, perhaps Lemon can elaborate more fully.)
29A. *Brains, informally : GRAY MATTER. DARK MATTER - "By fitting a theoretical model of the composition of the Universe to the combined set of cosmological observations, scientists have come up with the composition that we described above, ~70% dark energy, ~25% dark matter, ~5% normal matter. What is dark matter?
We are much more certain what dark matter is not than we are what it is." NASA Science
47A. *Officially restricted yet widely known information : OPEN SECRET. DARK SECRET, often proceeded by DEEP; we all have them, eh?
10D. *Many "South Park" jokes : TOILET HUMOR. DARK HUMOR - Humor that is viewed as dark, morbid, cruel, offensive to some, and or graphic in nature and is yet, still found funny. (per Urban Dict.)
25. *Classic Greek ruse : TROJAN HORSE. DARK HORSE - A term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.
Argyle here. I was here yesterday and so were a lot of the answers. Not much excitement so let's get to it.
Across:
1. __ facto : IPSO. (by the fact itself)
5. Cut in stone : ETCH
9. Carell of "The Office" : STEVE
14. Tex-Mex snack : TACO
15. "That's not enough!" : "MORE!"
16. Reason for a skull-and-crossbones warning : TOXIN
19. Spoke (up) : PIPED
20. Sci-fi computer : HAL. From the film, "2001: A Space Odyssey".
21. Crumpled into a ball : WADDED
23. Unhappy times : LOWS
24. Newspaper big shot : EDITOR
26. "Fantastic!" : "SUPER!"
28. Honeybunch : DEAR
34. High-pitched winds : OBOEs
36. "La __": Puccini opera : BOHÈME
37. Muslim pilgrim : HAJJI
40. Spot for a facial : SPA
42. Like pulp magazine details : LURID
43. It's held underwater : BREATH
45. __ salts : EPSOM
49. Gave the go-ahead : OKed
53. Sonnet feature : RHYME
54. Basic chalet style : A-FRAME
56. Cookie used in milkshakes : OREO
58. Security request, briefly : ID CARD
61. DVR button : REC
62. Pitcher Martinez : PEDRO. Retired now, he is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion.
66. Humiliate : ABASE
67. Sound from Simba : ROAR. The Lion King.
68. Play to __: draw : A TIE
69. "See ya!" : "LATER!"
70. Taxpayer IDs : SSNs
71. Mix : MELD
Down:
1. Bugged, as a bug bite : ITCHED. ???
2. Event with floats : PARADE
3. Justice Antonin : SCALIA
4. Gut-punch response : "OOF!"
5. Ban on trade : EMBARGO
6. See 18-Down : TOED. 18D. With 6-Down, kind of sloth : TWO
7. Believability, to homeys : CRED. Short for "credibility".
8. Joan of Arc's crime : HERESY
9. Sponsor at some NHRA events : STP. National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)
11. Overseas trader : EXPORTER
12. Hillside house asset : VIEW
13. Finales : ENDS
22. Not bright at all : DUMB
27. Renaissance painter Veronese : PAOLO
30. High-__ monitor : RESolution
31. "__ your instructions ..." : AS PER
32. Brit. record label : EMI
33. Lobster color : RED. Not in their natural state.
35. Itsy-__ : BITSY
37. "The Wire" airer : HBO. Central to the structure and plot of the show is the use of electronic surveillance and wiretap technologies by the police—hence the title "The Wire".
38. Dadaist Jean : ARP. Sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist. Also, frequent crossword visitor.
39. Derided : JEERED AT
41. Orangutan or chimp : APE
44. Prefix with sphere : HEMI
46. Rubberneckers : STARERS
48. Trees used for shingles : CEDARS
50. Discipline with kicks : KARATE
51. "Kick it up a notch!" chef : EMERIL. His site.
52. Floored with a haymaker : DECKED. A haymaker is slang boxing term for a wild swinging punch, using much of the same motion of someone using a scythe, twisting his waist and shoulders round before turning back.
55. Depression era pres. : FDR
56. Down Under gem : OPAL
57. McEntire sitcom : "REBA"
59. Corp. cash mgrs. : CFOs. (chief financial officer)
60. __ earlier time : AT AN
63. Opposite of 'neath : O'ER
65. River blocker : DAM
Argyle
95 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - total speed run today, just over four minutes. I couldn't see a theme emerging as I was going through, and thought it was very clever when I did get the unifier. My hat's off to the constructors that make Monday/Tuesday look so simple.
Paolo Veronese was an unknown, but the perps got it before I even realized it. Other than that, nice simple clues.
Hope it's a great day for everyone; two days till Florida.
Len,
It's overly rude & not acceptable here to ignore a blog administrator's warning and continue to over-post. If you can't obey the simple rules above the Comments box, please go back lurking or refrain from visiting this blog.
Morning, all!
Not quite a speed run for me today, but still pretty smooth. I had ATMO instead of HEMI at 44D, which slowed me down a bit. Once I figured out the last letter had to be an "I" I stared at ATMI in disbelief and couldn't believe they were going to try and pass that off as a legitimate prefix. Of course, they weren't...
I didn't know that KARATE was known for it's kicks. I always thought it was more about punching and chopping (hence the translation "open hand" or "empty hand"). Live and learn.
PAOLO was unknown, but easy to infer after getting most of the perps.
Good Morning, Argyle and friends. This was a fun Tuesday-level puzzle. I needed the starred clues, however, to complete the unifier.
I liked the fresh clues for some of our old crossword staples. Cookie Used in a Milkshake = OREO and High-Pitched Winds = OBOES, were both clever clues.
My favorite clue was It's Held Under Water = BREATH.
QOD: If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. ~ General George S. Patton
Good day folks,
Never got the theme until Argyle's explanation. This was not a walk in the park for me, especially the NE corner. Total brain lock until I wadded TOXIN and PIPED. That gave mr TOILET HUMOR and STEVE became the only logical fill.
Liked OBOE for high pitched winds. Two screw ups, eventually corrected, were Hadji for HAJJI and abash for ABASE, No other slow downs.
Has Pedro officially announced his retirement?
Unless I can squeeze in a quick post tomorrow, I;ll be AWOL until early Feb. Long, overdue 50th anniversary trip begins tomorrow. We are looking forward to it.
Aloha
Jeez, sorry for not being more attentive to what I wrote, Wadded s/b wagged. there are a couple other minor errors too. Sorry, just to much to get done today.
Hondo, congratulations again on your 50th -- just an amazing accomplishment. I hope the Hawaii trip is spectacular.
Are you taking your wife?
Hello Puzzlers -
Hand up for HADJI and ABUSE, which left me staring at DEEREDUT trying to figger out what that meant.
PAOLO was all perps. I noticed the long downs, TROJAN HORSE and TOILET HUMOR, both had T-H words. I expected this to work into the theme somehow, but it must be coincidence.
Started out being a speed run for me but got bogged down in the south half of the puzzle and had just a few letters to fill in to complete the puzzle.So not quite a speed run by the time I finished. A good Tuesday Puzzle if not a little easy in the beggining I thought this looked like Monday difficulty when I started. Thanks for the write up.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Julian, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for the review.
This was a quick one. Maybe more a Monday than a Tuesday puzzle. Enjoyed it.
EMI again. I think I have that in my memory banks now.
OBOE again. But, I like it. Any musical instrument is OK with me. Someone should use tuba sometimes.
STP was a recent answer. Reminds me of Andy Granatelli.
Not sure what South Park jokes are. Never saw the show.
I don't eat RED lobsters either. My wife likes lobster and my sister in Massachusetts always brings them to reunions. Someone else eats mine.
However, I will drink all the CRAFT BEER that people want to brew. Love it. I used to be a home brewer when I lived in California. That was a fun hobby. I think I might dabble in it again.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Good Morning All, Thanks Argyle for an informative session. Wow!! DARK MATTER got darker for me. It was even bending my mental light. Phew!
Julian, you are indeed a pro. Thanks for the fun, CC.
HAJJI spelling went awry, as I wanted a D in there.
PAOLO and PEDRO were works of perps, of course.
Thanks for all the kind words. They meant everything to me.
Have a nice day, everyone.
Good morning. I thought it was going to be a play on words when I got 'craft beer' thinking that somehow a c was going to be substituted for a d (draft beer). How wrong I was. Once I got going it was pretty easy. Had to use the perps a little bit.
Dark matter is one of the ways to explain the difference between the calculated gravitational mass of a stellar object and its luminous mass, i.e., the calculated matter they contain based on their luminosity. Dark matter neither reflects/scatters nor emits light.
Just read about the origin of 'dark horse' last night in a trivia book. It had something to do with Disraeli's book "The Young Duke."
Have a great Tuesday!
Oh! and I did start with atmo insteade of HEMI. My cross check while solving doesn't always work;
especially when both have the same letter-M.
Fairly fast solve, though; and fun.
Hondo- congrats!
Dennis- remarkable. LOL.
Morning all,
For the most part, WDS (What Dennis said). Hand up for HADJI/DEEREDAT before HAJJI appeared. Otherwise it was a speed run again today.
Argyle, thanx for the dark NASA link. Don't fully understand it, but interesting.
Dennis,
Am I taking my wife? What, and spoil all the fun!
GMTA
Sorry if I've posted this link before. This song was in the movie Heartburn, with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. Itsy BITSY Spider (7:05) - Carly Simon
I originally entered Daft for DUMB, and wanted to link to one of my son's favorite bands, Daft Punk - but I know I've posted them before. So much great music out there. Not good that I'm already repeating myself.
Not good that I'm already repeating myself.
I have also posted a tango before, but here is The Tango Maureen (4:09), from the movie version of Rent (based loosely on La BOHÈME). Corner warning - language.
Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.
I never know how to spell "hajji", so I just filled in HA--- and waited for perps to give me the rest.
Cute unifier, but I would like to have seen theme entries that had slightly different meaning than when combined with the unifier. Like "It's been ages", "Go in circles", "It doesn't matter", etc.
But solid fill and an enjoyable Tuesday level puzzle get lots of points in my book.
Morning all,
Thanks for a fast and fun puzzle - it's nice to feel smart every once in a while. Of course, I won't feel so smart as the week advances here in Puzzle Land.
I liked OOF and WADDED...just because their funny words.
Enjoy your day and have a great trip Hondo!
I should probably mention, in case you haven't seen the musical/movie Rent, that the two singers are singing about dating the same person. He is Maureen's ex, and she is her new "beau."
One of the better songs in the musical, I think. Not as powerful, though, as some of the other songs. Definitely rent the movie (ha, ha) if you haven't seen it...
Good morning all. Thanks for the comments, Argyle.
Agree with Dennis on the constructors. Not easy to make an (relatively) easy one, Went counterclockwise, today. Don't time myself; I like to savor the clues before moving on. Still one more spelling for HAJJI. Solver beware. Not much else to comment. No searches needed. Good job, Julian.
From yesterday, great family photo, JD.
Have a great day.
i have not done todays puzzle yet, or read the Blog, but reading the tail end of yesterdays Blog prompted me to post asap.
Re: Fermatprime
Everyone: This is what the $500 Outback Scam looks like
Good morning, Argyle and all. Thanks for overloading my GRAY MATTER with unfathomable information.
Yup, fell into that HAJJI/HAdJI trap, too. Unknowns were STEVE and PAOLO, but perps filled them without a problem. Julian's effort seemed about right for a Tuesday.
Hondo, congrats again on 50 years and hope you have a great time on your trip. It looks like you're headed for a great place to get lei'd.
I thought 15a should have been clued as Tinbeni's toast word.
Nice puzzle Julian!
Hand up for HADJI, didn't know what NHRA was, so STP had to perp itself. Had PERIL before TOXIN, but not for long, since the perps stepped in again. Never even saw the clues for CFOS or A TIE. Started with DULL for DUMB, but generally this was just right for Tuesday.
Wow, its a good thing C.C.'s post @ 5:31 caught my eye. I am trying not to read the Blog because i do not want to ruin the puzzle, but i was about to post something stupid like,
"only 5 posts? doesn't that give ANONYMOUS an unfair advantage?"
Hi all
Good Tuesday puzzle, I even got the unifier!! Gasp!!
(maybe I'd better buy a lottery ticket) :)
EXPORTER AND EMBARGO reminded me of my working days in international export....glad they are over!!
I can never tell whether to spell it GREY or GRAY. Good old perps.
I have never watched South Park so those perps saved me again.
Add me with the group miss-spelling HAJJI, I put the D in it too.
Cross-Eyed Dave: thanks for the heads up on the Outback scam. The old saying is true. I never believe the 'legitimate' advertising, so I would never fall for this. You cannot get something for nothing. A red flag goes up for me if I'm ever asked for personal information. A big NO-NO.
A lobsta is only red after it is cooked. Live lobsta's arecloser to brown. just sayin...
Julian: Thanks for a FUN Tuesday.
Enjoyed the AFTER-DARK themes.
Of course my 1st thought for "When night owls thrive" was After-Midnight.
Hondo: Happy 50th, the next 50 will be easy.
Grumpy 1:
I'm keepin my New Year's Resolution.
I am not "Drinking any MORE" ...
(Never heard of that brand anyway).
Hand up for really liking OOF in the grid.
Cheers to all at my Sunset Toast.
Overall solid if unspectacular Tuesday which was a very smooth solve unlike NYT which was just a bore today. This was a bit easyish for Tuesday, but no crap fill - yay.
64A - I guessed INTHEDARK before crosses proved AFTERDARK trying to be clever and jump the theme. Learnt a spelling for Muslim Pilgrim, thought HADJI was correct, must Google, therefore JEEREDAT was final fill.
@marthamartha - RL is a restaurant chain, you know, not great food but ... so the "R" in the grid is "silently capitalised" :-)haha
Good morning everyone.
Thanks to Dudley, to whom I am forever grateful, I was able to find and do this puzzle on my iPad!! YAY DUDLEY!!
I fought Hajji right to the bitter end I was so convinced it should have been Hadji, ended up using the reveal button to find how wrong I was.
as a one time drag racer I loved NHRA.
Is light the absence of DARK?
Musings
-Doesn’t every family have an OPEN SECRET that is not mentioned at Thanksgiving?
-South Park has no sacred cows but Stone and Parker and Comedy Central struggled with defaming or even showing images of Mohammed
-HAL’s dispassionate demeanor was chilling
-Dishing LURID details about the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, ad nauseum has sold a lot of newsprint
-I remember PEDRO throwing old man Don Zimmer to the ground (:12). Shoulda stayed in the dugout Don!
-It don’t get no better than The Rose PARADE
-EMBARGO and closing the Strait of Hormuz? Stay tuned.
-REBA had a sitcom, John lived one
-KARATE Kid’s seagull kick won the match
-I get an email every week from a former student that if I send her $200 she will show me how to make over $1,000/wk at home! How much ya want for that bridge?
Yes Virginia, there is a Hajji. You can check the word and go back to an extensive discussion we once had here.
Also, I have never raced in drag, but lived in Gainesville and loved the Gator Nationals.
Fine Tuesday with some new clues for old fill. Thanks A and Julian.
Good morning to all. Cute theme, easy solve. Good write-up, Argyle. Happy anniversary, Hondo, and enjoy Hawaii.
Abejo: I can't imagine anyone not liking lobster. But, then again, I can't picture me slurping oysters, either. Ah well, c'est la vie!
Happy Tuesday.
29A is an odd clue. As a synonym for "mental alacrity" both brains and GRAY MATTER are being used informally. But they both *literally* refer to the organ in out heads with which we think. You know, our brains. Which are made of GRAY MATTER.
Good Tuesday puzzle. But just to get nit-picky...
"As per" your instructions...? My English teacher would not be happy. This is a commonly used redundancy. "As instructed" or "Per instructions" works better.
G'day
RAC'em
Georgia Motor Trucking Association?
Are you a member? (laughing audibly)
Aww, shucks! :-)
Lemony, I think it would be fun to see you race in drag...
Lemon-
Also, I have never raced in drag, but lived in Gainesville and loved the Gator Nationals.
I now have a mental picture of a bunch of men in high heels and dresses, their hair done just right, running down the quarter-mile.
Thanks!
Yup, now I am stuck with that "drag" racing image in my head, too...
I really wanted HADJI, but the perp just didn't work. I was thinking of the old Johnny Quest cartoon that my son used to watch. Either his sidekick or his little dog was Hadji. or was it HAJJI?
Gee, Dennis, like Mari, I was feeling smart after my lowly fourteen minute finish with no Google help; however, the theme did jump right out at me today!
Where are you, old man winter? This 30 degree weather in January is just plain weird.
Hondo, congratulations on 50. Where are you going?
Fun puzzle. No muss, no fuss. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Our gas dryer broke. It's old so we are planning to get a new one instead of repairing it. The trouble is, will a new one fit into the space the old one does? It's a little area closed off by bi-fold doors. The salesman from the local store is coming by later today to check the space available.
Nice puzzle for a Tuesday, started off fast and ended up slow, just the way i like them.
Speaking of scams, i keep hanging up on this guy with an Indian accent telling me that he is from Windows, and that he detected a virus on my computer! Whats up with that?
I hate to see the clue Itsy___.but when i checked synonyms, everything else seemed super hard! Can anyone think of a Tuesday level clue for "bitsy."
Re: Dark Matter. I know the "tired light" theory was disproved, but if electromagnetic waves can lose energy (i.e. red shift) climbing out of a gravity well, maybe they lose energy when bent by gravity also. (not to mention being absorbed and retransmitted by particles we may not have even discovered yet.) I dont think the universe is expanding at the rate we think it is.
(19 lines! Whew! -Sorry-)
Just one more,
i awoke this am to my radio talking about a car that started by itself and drove into the house! i just had to Google it, and found a bunch of reports where a car started without a remote starter installed. Possibly a malfunctioning ignition switch.
if you pause THIS VIDEO at 22 seconds, you can see the keys are not in the ignition.
AAack! 4 posts today, and its not even noon! iv'e become a Blog Addict!
C.C. Help!
Bill G - Measure twice, cut once.
Cross-eyed Dave. Maybe this would be more Tuesday level.
Cross Eyed Dave @ 11:09 - I had a car start itself once. I heard the ignition catch from inside the house and I was holding the keys in my hand! Next thing you know, the car caught on fire. By the time the fire dept came out my car was pretty far gone. They said some wiring had gone bad.
Bill G @ 10:54 - DH sells water heaters and said the new larger models are causing a lot of problems for homeowners.
Hello, puzzle people. Thank you, Argyle, for shedding light on the DARK theme.
And thanks, Julian, for an easy puzzle. Quite the speed run today with only a few missteps.
PERIL then TOXIN
OOP before OOF
MAX before HAL
Loved high pitched winds, OBOES
Then I was on Julian's wave length, hesitated at HAJJI but perps revealed it.
Hondo:
Congratulations on 50 years! Have a wonderful time in Hawaii.
Dennis:
As we say in Spanish, travieso!
Have a lovely Tuesday, everyone!
To see a hilariously great movie with men in drag driving across the country, rent TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR, with Patrick Swayze et al.
TOXIN- To preceder
OBOES- Tot's arm joint
EMI- Two or more emus
"Quick, Odin, anagram TOILET HUMOR"
"Um... lie to Thor?"
Real toilet humor-
TROJAN HORSE-
Condum for the well-endowed
Yep, I too had Hadji and was puzzled by 'deered at.' And I wish someone would tell me when it's 'gray' and when it's 'grey.' I seem to get them wrong every time.
But other than that this was great fun and I loved getting the big ticket items like 'Trojan horse' without any help! So thank you Julian, and Argyle, for the helpful write-up.
And congratulations, Honda. 50--wow! Have a great time in Hawaii!
I'll spell it any way I want!
I forgot to mention that 28A "Honeybunch" gave me a sweet moment, because that's what my husband calls me (also what "Drabble" in the cartoon calls his wife). So I got 'dear' in a second!
@CrossEyedDave 10:54am re your scam. I too got those foreign accent calls from Windows telling me I had a virus a while back. Turns out they hacked into my Skype when I responded to a (fake) announcement one time and that gave them my phone number. So be careful with your Skype, if you have it.
Hi gang -
Good puzzle today, and another shadowy theme, though with lots of themage. I was totally in the DARK without the unifier.
Not really happy with OBOES as "High pitched winds." Clarinet can reach quite a bit higher, flute higher still, and the piccolo is almost a dog whistle.
Just an itsy-BITSY soupcon of displeasure.
NE corner slowed me down. Don't watch South park or The office, so no help there. Don't know what NHRA is.
Wanted to parse 60 D as A TAN.
Cheers!
JzB occasionally shoots for the moon
Thank you, Mr. Lim for a very nice and solvable puzzle and Argyle for a charming blog. We've had 'Opal' for 2 days in a row. Other than Paolo and Pedro, most words were familiar ones.
BTW, to go on a Hadj/Hajj is one of the 5 tenets of Islam. To visit the Kaaba in Mecca (and to Medina) during the last day(s) of the Islamic lunar calender, 70 days after Ramadan. However, a Shia sect, esp. the Ismaili's ( see Aga Khan,Wiki - ) have an exception - it is considered sufficient to 'see' the (present ) Aga Khan, in person - and that will (apparently ) satisfy the requirements - without having to make the arduous and expensive trip, in person.
ALT QOD:~ Whenever I date a guy, I think, "Is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with ?". ~ Rita Rudner.
Hola Everyone, A fast easy puzzle today. I wasn't as fast as Dennis but still fast for me.
EMI seems to be a regular visitor lately. Now, if I can just remember the Initials in the right order I'll be able to fill this in the next time it appears. My one error was putting in High (Def) for High Res but that was very quickly fixed with the surrounding perps.
Hands up for Gray or Grey.
Have a wonderful trip, Hondo, but take it from me the wife needs to go along!!
Have a great day everyone. Off to a meeting this morning. One tomorrow, too.
For Lucina To Wong.
For Misty Honey Bunch .
Jerome, gotta ask. I don't get your TOXIN : To Preceder. Would you please 'splain? I know it'll make me feel foolish for asking, but I still want to know.
One more movie for Lucinda and the Drag Racing Crossworders: Priscilla: Queen of the Desert
Regarding GRAY/GREY: In the US, gray is correct; in the UK and maybe Canada, it's grey. I'm sure, that since it gets misused a lot, you can find grey as a second choice in US dictionaries. Still, if you write a newspaper column or a book in the US, it will always be gray. Same with judgment/judgement. In the US, it's always judgment though judgement shows up a lot in common usage. Again, an editor will always change judgement to judgment in the US.
Jerome-
TOXIN. You're going to have to talk me into that one...
Oh.
Hondo,
have a wonderful trip and a well deserved anniversary celebration. Can't think of a more beautiful palce to do it.
Jazz @12;22,
I felt that way too about OBOE, but now I'm wondering if the high is relating to its height.
Desper and big D-
TALKS INTO
It's strictly sound related and not easy to parse. I'm sure most scratched their heads. And to tell you the truth, one half of my brain had to ask the other half what the hell was that all about.
Hi, gang,
Just checking in to say hello and IIve been having a bad time with my p.c. Finished Monday's and today's puxxles. Yesterdays was a speed run. couldn't write fast enuf.
today's a bit hatder but not much!
I'll be interested in all the comments. dodo
@Lemonade 1pm--Many thanks! Wow! I actually remember that Four Tops song but that was long before I became "Honeybunch" to the sweetie of my mid-life marriage. So it's a thrill to hear it, and I'm sending DH the link!
(I think Honda helped inspire this romantic jag this morning!)
Mari:
Thanks for the Priscilla link, whichj I restrained my self from including.
TALKS=TOX
a sound alike depending regional consideratiions.
Yes, Hondo congratulations, 50 years of anything is wonderful, and coupledom must be great.
Romance is good
Lucina, thanks - one of the mildest things I've been called.
hautbois, "high wood"
Jerome:
TOXIN - what the mommy does to the kids at bedtime?
I loved your clue for EMI !! (You think Rich will edit it??)
Lucina, I agree. "To Wong Foo--" is hilarious and heartwarming!
Yep, GREY here. I was wondering what on earth ESPER had to do with instructions, then realized I had to shift languages to that weird version of English I have to use over here :)
Speaking of which, I was looking at the original folio transcript of Hamlet the other evening, and noticed that the Elizabethans spelled "neighbor" without the English "u". American English spellers can now claim to be using a purer form of the language, how about that?
Happy Tuesday from 9A!
Well, on to Plan B. When our old gas dryer quit working, we decided to get a new one. The salesman from a local appliance store (we've dealt with for years) came by just now and it seemed doubtful that the new model we wanted would fit into the old space. So, we just decided (with his input) to repair the old one instead. It probably just needs a new belt. It'll be cheaper, it already fits and the repaired 20-year-old Maytag might prove to be more reliable than a new machine. So by Thursday afternoon, we should be good to go again.
Lemon and Mari:
Thanks for both links. I love those movies!
Dennis:
I should make a list . . .
Hi Y'all,
Great puzzle and commentary! Had only one erasure--put HEMo.
Home brew beer: The first year of our marriage, my husband and friend decided to mix up a batch in a plastic cooler. They bottled the first brews, complaining of all the unexpected residue which needed filtering.
The second batch of brew was "cooking" in the friend's back bedroom. His wife saw her 18-month-old bare-naked, picking up what looked like raisins down the hall then go into the bedroom. She got back there in time to see the kid lift the lid and start to dump in the handful. Not raisins--POOP!
Needless to say, that finished the homebrew project.
True story! Went with CRAFTBEER and TOILETHUMOR puzzle.
- PK -
I got a mental picture of guys in drag being chased down the road by aligators!
May you have many more happy years, HONDO!
- PK -
Hey, Marti- If we can get away with crud like radii and ulnae, why not emi!
Steve,
Interesting point. Do you suppose the founding fathers or whoever decided on the spelling changes here thought of that? After all, the -or endings do more closely resemble their Latin origins. The -our that you and I grew up with were mostly influenced by that period of French dominance in court circles throughout Europe.
BTW, Isn't the Greyhound bus line spelled that way here as well, and the real dogs too? I remember waiting for those "big dogs" while on a 30 day bus pass after our initial return here in '74.
Hondo, 50 years! Happy anniversary to both of you. I wish you and your honey bunch a delightful, romantic vacation in Hawaii.
Bill G. @10:54 I. too, was amazed that the new washers and dryers are larger and do not fit behind my bi-fold doors. My choices were, do away with the doors, reframe the niche, or accept more compact appliances. I chose the latter and stacked them because I needed clearance for the dryer exhaust duct and I have more room above than below. Then I put a cabinet in the empty spot. I have not been sorry. I only have laundry for 2. Watch out for the code for exhaust duct clearance.
My new built-in dishwasher is the same size as before at counter level, but is set back at floor level. I had to fill in the gap.
Good luck.
Filled in HA_JI and waited to see what the neighbouring entries would dictate.
Some terrific fill, such as WADDED, EMIRIL, OOF, and EMBARGO. (STARER, not so much.)
Fun puzzle! Thanks, Mr. Lim.
I must have worked too many crosswords in my life. I've always preferred the "Grey" spelling, but nonetheless wait for cross confirmation whenever it's grid fill.
And yes, the bus line as well the dog breed are spelled with an E.
All the small town scenes in "To Wong Foo" were filmed in a little unincorporated village called Loma that is 36 miles north of me. Lincoln went Hollywood for both that and "Terms of Endearment".
Hi All ~~
Enjoyed the puzzle and the write-up. I didn't notice the vertical theme answers at first ... thanks, Argyle!
Liked WADDED and OOF ... got my baseball fix with PEDRO.
Congrats to you and your wife on your 50th, Hondo. Have a wonderful anniversary vacation and many more years to celebrate!
Kazie:
I believe it was Noah Webster who standardized American spelling. He was an educated scholar who had studied Greek and Latin so no doubt that influenced his choices.
Ah, yes, Jayce ponted out that oboe = high wood, or hautbois, as the French call it.
And I think that is enough to justify the clue.
Alas,
JzB
@Kazie - there might be a simpler explanation (or simplistic, depending on what you think of this):
The original "Pilgrim" settlers would have brought the language with them as it was written at that time, and thus American English developed from that point, unsullied by changes (from French or wherever) that was affecting British English.
So when the Brits decided to start confusing things with superfluous "u"'s, the American version was unaffected.
Just a wild stab in the dark ..
Think happy thoughts, everyone!
It's National Peanut Butter Day!
My favorite is a peanut butter sandwich, on white, with banana slices, a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a healthy drizzle of chocolate syrup. Eat that, and you, too, can fly!
Jazzbumpa, you're cool.
If you like Events with Lots of FLOATS, now is the time to come to Southern Louisiana.
Hondo: I wish you and your wife a wonderful belated anniversary trip. You'll have a great time and enjoy some great food in Hawaii!
Congratulations on 50 years, Hondo!
Greetings, all!
Had one more package to get rid of to finish (?) with scam problem. Does anyone know if these things always end in a loop? Well, as I said before, I am very happy with new insurance company!
Thanks, Julian and Argyle. Too tired to do this rapidly last night. Too stressed to sleep.
Just watched Dr. Oz shilling bariatric surgery. Anybody had it? I eat very little (no processed or junk foods either) but do not lose weight. (This determined by bathing suit getting no looser. God forbid, I should be able to stand on a scale without shaking to death.)
Have a great time, Hondo!
Cheers!
NHRA =. National Hot Rod Association
Hey all, no crossword comments. I just wanted to share a couple of words. Wolfmom, your "Daisy" picture uplifts me ever day. Clearayes, hope you are feeling well. Still no work prospects, but keep trying. Kazie, we have half of the winter behind us. Cute story...needed to have my driveway cleared out, kids in the neighborhood came to the rescue for 3 dollars apiece and of course some snickerdoodle cookies. There is something to be said about living in a small town. Any of you I have missed...Carol, Judy, Dennis, MFCounselor, Argyle, BillG, Windhover, Hahtool, Marti. Doing the best I can with what I got, which apparently isn't enough.
How did I forget you C.C.? You have done an amazing job with this blog and also being published. Coodos (sp) to you.
Hello Jeannie, nice to "see" you! I notice you're not blue at the moment. Hang in there, Spring is on the way.
Hey Jeannie! It's good to hear from you again. I was laid off a couple of times in my younger days. It was very depressing and frustrating. I feel bad for you and I'm hoping things start to get better soon, Good luck!
Lo li ta:
Welcome home. Been there, done that. It will get netter
Having trouble going blue again. Three posts went to the wayside. Just know that all you are in my heart and not forgotten. You know who you are.
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