Theme: Fed Ex Delivery - I think this video explains the theme.
20A. Sounding relieved : HEAVING A SIGH
25A. Doing witch's work : CASTING A SPELL
42A. Preparing greens : TOSSING A SALAD
47A. Losing it : THROWING A FIT
Argyle here with our birthday girl, Bernice Gordon. I don't know the exact date but she will be 98 this month. We had one from her last winter(here) on a Wednesday and some of today's felt like a Wednesday. The grid has 10 cheater squares. (Because of the themes being close to each other?)
Across:
1. Terminer's partner, in law : OYER. The designation "court of oyer and terminer" is French, to hear and decide.
5. Arouse from sleep : WAKE 9A. What insomniacs count : SHEEP. Now that's a cute pairing.
14. Present : HERE
15. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL
16. Terra __: pottery clay : COTTA
17. User's morning reading : MAIL
18. French-American soprano Lily : PONS. She specialized in the coloratura soprano repertoire. A nice write-up goes with this clip.(3:32)
19. Ran competitively : RACED
23. Favorite : PET
24. News agcy. since 1958 : UPI. United Press International.
32. "What light through yonder window breaks?" speaker : ROMEO
33. Arizona natives : YUMAs. Also called the Quechan. Make a note of it; it could be in a puzzle late in a week. That reminds me this puzzle is just short a Q from being a pangram.
34. Corn unit : EAR
36. Like the Gobi : ARID
37. "King Solomon's Mines" hero Quatermain : ALLAN. Always reminds me of Alan Quartermaine, a soap opera character on General Hospital.
38. Snug and comfy : COZY
39. Get some morning exercise : JOG
40. Apply for __: try to borrow money : A LOAN
41. Transplant recipient : DONEE
45. Purring pet : CAT
46. Conclusion : END
53. Louisiana marsh : BAYOU. Blue Bayou.(2:29)
55. Baseball family name : ALOU
56. Carbon compound : ENOL
58. Flynn of film : ERROL
59. Like much early TV : LIVE
60. Neutral shade : ECRU
61. Jules's 43-Down : ÉCOLE
62. New Zealand parrots : KEAs
63. Strong taste : TANG
Down:
1. Electrician's unit : OHM. Unit of electrical resistance.
2. Slangy assent : "YEAH"
3. Lake where Perry achieved an 1813 victory : ERIE. Funny coincidence, the Battle of Lake Erie is also called the Battle of Put-in-Bay. It resulted in the famous message: We have met the enemy and they are ours.
4. Became ill again : RELAPSED
5. Antlered animal : WAPITI. Elk
6. Nerve cell transmitter : AXON
7. Certain monarch : KING of the jungle and 8D. Lioness in "Born Free" : ELSA
9. Big name in newspaper publishing : SCRIPPS. Founded by Edward W. Scripps, U.S. publisher and media financier, in 1878.
10. Sub in a deli : HOAGIE
11. Emulate Rembrandt : ETCH
12. Summer along the Seine : ÉTÉ
13. Hippie's home : PAD
21. Presidential power : VETO
22. Lazy gal? : SUSAN. Lazy Susan - A revolving tray for foods, condiments, etc., placed usually at the center of a dining table.
25. French landscape painter : COROT. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot(1796 – 1875)
26. Cancún comrade : AMIGO
27. Parachute fabric : NYLON
28. Soviet labor camp agency : GULAG
29. Radarange maker : AMANA
30. British singer/songwriter Lewis : LEONA. Leona Lewis performing Better In Time.(3:56)
31. Took it easy, with "around" : LAZED
32. British rule in India : RAJ
35. Sandwich choice : RYE
37. 2005 Bush Supreme Court nominee : ALITO (Samuel)
38. Last-minute loss of nerve : COLD FEET
40. Usually : AS A RULE
41. Delany of "China Beach" : DANA. The ABC TV drama aired for three years, from 1988 to 1991, but in that time there were four seasons. Dana.
43. Word after high or tech : SCHOOL
44. Smooth transitions : SEGUEs
47. Beginner : TYRO
48. Base on balls : WALK. What's a crossword without some sports related clues.
49. Nastase of tennis : ILIE
50. __ Scotia : NOVA
51. Andean native : INCA
52. Struggling with choices : TORN
53. Spelling contest : BEE
54. Pop-up path : ARC. A baseball pop-up.
57. Loutish type : LUG
Argyle
From C.C.:
1) Thanks for the newspaper information yesterday. I've updated the list.
2) Please click here for an in inspiring article about today's constructor Bernice Gordon. Bernice and the LA Times should have the "oldest constructor" record unless she will be published by the NY Times again this year.
From C.C.:
1) Thanks for the newspaper information yesterday. I've updated the list.
2) Please click here for an in inspiring article about today's constructor Bernice Gordon. Bernice and the LA Times should have the "oldest constructor" record unless she will be published by the NY Times again this year.
100 comments:
Morning, all!
I have to give Bernice an amazing amount of credit for still having what it takes to construct puzzles at the age of 98.
Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Thank goodness for the Downs, today, because without them, I wouldn't have been able to solve many of the Across answers. I found this to be a tad more difficult than the usual Tuesday fare.
I recognized Ms. Gordon's name and remembered that she was in her 90s. She certainly created a fun and challenging puzzle for today.
I can't write too much this morning since I currently have a CAT sitting on my lap. Can't disturb the animals, you know!
I liked seeing BAYOU. I live near the Bayous, some of which are disappearing due to coastal erosion.
Very cold here, 33F, and to think that yesterday I sat outside and ate my lunch.
QOD: A true conservationist is a man who know that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children. ~ John James Audubon
C.C.: My paper(s) are on your list and still publish the LA Times.
Wow: My hat is off to Ms. Gordon, a fine, challenging puzzle, not for any LAZY SUSAN.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Bernice Gordon, for a great puzzle. At 98 years young, you are a true inspiration. Thank you, Argyle, for the great write-up.
Like 3D ERIE, my hometown lake. To add to argyle's presentation of Perry's Ship's Log entry: "Two Ships, Two Brigs, One Schooner, and One Sloop."
Well, to start I had to skip 1A. No idea. It came later with perps----OYER. Still had no idea. Then Argyle explained it and that is when I knew why I had no idea. French.
Liked AXIL and AXON. Haven't had them for a while.
ETE and ECOLE I actually got. They are used enough that I have them in my head.
Fun puzzle. Have a great Tuesday everyone.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Hello Puzzlers -
I'm with Hahtool, this was a bit harder than a standard Tuesday. Plus, you can't disturb a comfy CAT, it's against the law.
Also WBS! Bernice is an inspiration!
Lots of unknowns that got resolved with perps, such as OYER and COROT, but down South I got stumped. Could not grok WALK, ALOU, or LIVE, and flat out didnt know KEAS. Needed red letters to get out of that one.
Creating puzzles at 98! I doubt I'll be able to create carbon dioxide at that age.
I found it to be a speed run with the theme answers almost filling themselves. My only temporary misstep was putting PIMAS before YUMAS.
Hahtool, set me straight here. I thought the bayou was the waterway that runs through the coastal marshes, not the marsh itself. In Houston we have bayous. They're lined with concrete and act as storm drains.
Hand up for thinking this was harder than a typical Tuesday. Several unknowns and some twists not seen that often made for a challenging, but still very enjoyable solve.
Thanks for the article about Bernice, CC. That really is an amazing accomplishment.
Good day folks,
98 and still creating ... WOW. But in all honesty, I thought today's puzzle was a MEH.
Argyle, do you have a new FED EX driver in your area? That was some delivery.
OYER, SCRIPPS, COROT & LEONA all unknowns and will likely be erased from memory by lunchtime.
HOAGIES are called GRINDERS in my neck of the woods.
The X in AXIL/AXON was a SWAG. Never sure if it's X or V.
In spite of my criticism of the puzzle, I hope to hear from Bernice again. She is an inspiration.
Good morning all. Nice write-up, Argyle, and thanks for the heads-up on FedEx. We haven't had any issues, here.
After getting HEAVING, CASTING, and TOSSING, I wondered to myself" Where is throwing?", and lo and behold there it was at 47a. The only perp at the time was COLD FEET, so THROWING A FIT was a naked entry. Not much else to say. The few unknowns like KEAS, COROT, and TYRO came easily from the perps. Bernice did a good job.
Of course, if HEAVING and TOSSING, were followed by 'ralphing', we would have been off in a different direction.
Enjoy the day.
Good morning, all. Congratulations to Bernice on her January birthday and on her fun puzzle.
I wasn't sure of 1a, but the perps filled it and that's the way it went the rest of the way through the puzzle. I don't try for speed runs, but this one was done in about ten minutes which is very quick for me. I looked back and saw a lot of fill that seemed unusual for Tuesday, some that I would never figure out from the clue, but all had crossings that were so easy that they filled themselves.
Certainly nothing to be THROWING A FIT about in this one.
LOL, Spitsboov, I imagine there was a lot of heaving, tossing, ralphing and worshipping the porcelin god going on the past few days. Not that I've ever had any personal experience in that area... yeah, right.
OYEz OYEz OYEz!
Never Say Never (4:37) - ROMEO Void
What choices are you struggling with...?
TORN Between Two Lovers (3:41) - Mary MacGregor
Resolutions, anyone?
This theme reminds me that I need to resolve not to be such a pack rat...and to get rid of all my unnecessary accumulations!
Mornin' to all,
Wish we could have more puzzles from Bernice Gordon! Thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle....could it be because I am 81 and we're on the same wave length?
Thanks C.C. for letting us know more about this constructor.
Great way to start off the day.
Thank you Argyle and CC for the article on Bernice Gordon. She is certainly an inspiration, and I will be thinking of her all day today. God bless her.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer has the constructor today as Don Gagliardo - same as yesterday. Was this repeated in any other paper ? I'm sure Don is as miffed as Bernice must be.
The puzzle was nice, tho' I had 'KIAs', at first. I thought maybe that's how the car got its name, in Korea. I didn't know 'gulag' was the Agency - I thought that was a generic name for the labor camp. Now I must research this.
Alt QOD:- Wherever my dad is now, I'm sure he's looking down on us. He's not dead - just really condescending. ~ Jack Whitehall.
Have a good rest of the week, you all.
Morning, all.
This was definitely tougher than a normal Tues. Seemed like lots of unknowns, but after lots of back and forth, I managed to get most of it. Figured out the theme and the long theme entries, which helped. Well done, Bernice!
Today's the first day back to school and work after 12 days off. My little one was actually fully ready for the bus with almost 10 minutes to spare. Even though she complained that she doesn't like school the entire time she was getting ready. Which I know isn't true. I don't envy her kindergarten teacher today...
This year I have resolved to snowshoe more times than I did last year. So, I need to get out three times this year. Kind of hard to do without any snow. Will keep fingers crossed we get some snow soon.
Bummed about the Rose Bowl outcome. But it was an exciting game to watch. I took a yummy salad to the party we attended: greens, grapefruit, avocado, toasted pecans, shaved parmesan, and a honey mustard vinaigrette. Will keep this salad in rotation this winter.
Enjoy the day!
If it was my resolution to learn new words in 2012 this would have been a great start. I didn't know OYER, ENOL, KEAS, COROT, or PONS.
For some reason I never remember if its EEROL or ERROL Flynn.
I debated between TANG and TART for 63A.
Did the clues for 17A (User's morning reading), and 48D (Base on balls) sound odd to you, or is it just me. Either way, good puzzle and a nice "back to work" challenge!
Great puzzle, Ms. Gordon
Argyle, I always think of Gen. Hosp. too, he was a good looking man back in the day, remember him as the prince on Cinderella.
Thanks Ant for Never Say Never...one of my favorites
And of course Blue Bayou
Gotta go, thanks again
Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.
Bernice is certainly an inspiration for all. And she sounds like such a witty, funny person. I was trying to think of the words that got her editor fired with “The ___ mightier than the sword”, when all of a sudden my DF side kicked in. How funny!
Great clips today, Argyle – I wasn’t familiar with Leona Lewis, but she’s one I think I’ll add to the iPod list. Loved the original “Blue Bayou” by Roy Orbison.
I filled in OYER right away at 1A, but squinted at the calendar to check that it really was Tuesday today?
I wonder if anyone else noticed the dupe of 23A PET, followed by the clue at 45A “Purring pet” for CAT? Whenever I have possible dupes in clues / answers, I always make a note in my submissions so that they can be avoided.
But I still thought this was a fun puzzle today. I totally enjoyed the theme, and hope that all your Christmas presents delivered by FedEx were handled with TLC!
Good morning, all!
Great puzzle, Ms. Gordon; super post, Argyle! (Thanks for article, CC!)
A speed run for me. Yay! Argyle, so you watched GH?
ANON at 2:23 PM: Heck! I was referring to the LAT SUDOKU! (Still get the crossword in normal form from The Puzzle Society!)
Watched a wonderful, heartwarming movie called Evelyn on Showtime. Recommend it; Brosnan is terrific here.
Have a great day!
Appropos to nothing -
Superstitious or not, we can thank our 'lucky stars' for each day free from calamity, with a meteor puncturing the sky at every moment. A building in the U.S. is struck every 500 days on average. The word 'disaster' comes from the old astrological belief of 'unlucky stars' causing a catastrophe. ( dis: bad or failing; aster: star).
Too late for New Years. Dont stare at the cork when opening champagne. The pressure inside is about 90 psi. - 3 times that of a car tire. An accident can cause retinal detachment, double vision or blindness. Always cover the cork with a towel, before popping.
According to the 'Drunken Monkey Hypothesis', "our zest for alcoholic beverages derives from our distant ancestors' impulse to seek the ripest, most energy-intensive fruits."
Fermatprime, that was a time when I was working in a creamery and got home around 1:00pm. I was there for the Ice Princess and Luke and Laura's wedding.
Argyle: Nice write-up & links.
C.C. Thank you for the Deseret News article.
Also, the St.Petersburg Times is NOW called the Tampa Bay Times.
Bernice: YOU GO GIRL!!!
PONS, COROT & LEONA ... three, count'em 3, learning moments on a Tuesday. A big plus.
Grump 1: I guess we could say the theme was about "chucking."
Ant: hmmm, resolutions.
I, Tinbeni, do solumnly resolve to NOT drink any more.
That's it, Zip, Zero, Nada, not ONE MORE DROP!!!
YEAH, No more drinking ...
I'm not going to drink any less, either.
It took me years to get to that "Just Right!" level.
Cheers and a "toast" to one-and-all at Sunset!
Re: Tern/Erne discussion on Jan 1 & 2, see the humorous and interesting Thur, Feb. 1, 2007 –Rex Parker Blog...... http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2007/02/thursday-feb-1-2007-michael-s-maurer.html
Janet in Sherman Oaks
Open with OYER on a Tuesday? Oh well, I hope to be able to tie my own shoes when I am 78, let alone 98! HBD Bernice.
Nothing to add to puzzle which is overshadowed about news about our daughter. She has a growth on her tongue that has been biopsied with the conclusion, “It is made up of cells that can’t decide whether they want to be cancer or not.” Huh? So she is having it removed on the 10th and then can’t talk for a 2 weeks. Her wonderful Catholic school is supportive beyond belief and we are going to be as supportive in every way we can in Lincoln. Please keep her in your thoughts!
Very clean and enjoyable. Happy Birthday Bernice! Tougher for a Tuesday.
Theme helped me speed through (for me ...) faster today, got it quickly, but did not relate to FED EX or even UPS.
Needed crosses for TYRO and did not know PONS specifically but love colouratura ariE (other pl.)
Trivia:
OD = ocula dextra = Right eye, the one most commonly damaged by champagne opening novices who slept through physics.
Cheers
p.s. Download A-Lite LAT @ cruciverb; solve on paper by hitting print. :-)
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - a total speed run today, slightly over four minutes. Our constructor is 98??? Jeez, I hope to still be able to drool at 98.
Avg Joe, thanks for the design for my new business card. After surveying the landscape of potential customers, I'm more convinced than ever that I've made a good choice for a new career.
Any suggestions on a business name, other than the obvious 'Thanks for the Mammaries', etc., would be greatly appreciated.
Also, thanks to my 'receptionist' and 'relocation specialist' for providing updates when I can't. This type of hands-on research can be exhausting. Fortunately, I've brought a cold front to south Florida, so my area of examination tends to be highlighted...
Hope it's a great day for everyone.
Tinbeni, You had me for a moment there. I was wondering what you would change your avatar to....and then I read the rest of your post. Ha! Good one!
Desper-otto @ 7:28 am: Loved your carbon dioxide comment!
Hi There ~!
I must thank you, Argyle, for not adding a UPS link as well....
OYER to start, not so nice, but I was not too concerned - figured the perps would help me out. Rock on, Bernice ~!
My only "ARGH" spot was having RAI instead of RAJ, and so I_G for a morning exercise....?? and crossed with a French name....ugh.
Great game for the Winter Classic, my Rangers won, 3-2, not that the refs and NHL weren't pushing for an OT....
Splynter
Jiffy Boob
It is only the third of January and already we have JIFFY BOOB . Wow, what a country
Super Tuesday (now where have I heard that before?)
I'm feeling a trend towards toughening up the puzzles - if this is deliberate on Rich's part then I'm all for it. Today's and yesterday's were fun, here's hoping it continues. IMHO, of course.
I had a print of a Corot landscape (Ville D'Avray) hanging on my wall in a previous life - it's still on my bucket list to go and see the original in the National Gallery in Washington.
Here it is
Dennis, I'm glad you like the picture. Check your e-mail, I sent the original. And now that you've seen it, I've replaced my avatar with the logo from the T Shirt I got for Christmas from my BH.
Dennis, your search is over. I think Crossword Girl has nailed it! I'm still laughing. You won't be able to do better than that.
Nice going Mrs. Gordon. Happy Birthday. Wow I admire your clear thinking.
I do across and down together, checking the perps as I go. One answer led right into the next and I finished without coming up for air. The themes kind of solved themeselves. This puzzle seemed even easier than yesterday's. With the exception of Leona (and a few perps gave that away)I have seen all these answers in LATs and other puzzles.
Husker Gary, I pray for all the best for your daughter and hope that it will be a good outcome.
Resolution: To deal with all mail and paperwork daily, or at least weekly. Act on it, can it, or file it NOW. I am inundated with way too much unnecesary paper.
I found both WAPITI/PONS and ILIE/KEAS to be a bit of a natick for me. Still, great puzzle for a Tuesday.
Hi all,
What's a cheater square?
Leaving that aside, thought this would be a record speed solve. (I've never come close to 4 minutes; I can't type that fast. More like 8.) The only lion name I ever remember, Corot, from who knows where or when, all gimmes.
Then two clues stopped me dead in my tracks.
W
A
L
_EAS
Traipsed thru the alphabet for the New Zealand parrot, but nothing familiar sounding came up. And then the clue that still has me completely baffled: Base on balls. Had she said, Get to first base on balls or something similar, it would have made sense. I was thinking "base" as in base coat of paint, or the material the ball is made of. So, finished but "K" was a WAG. Anyone else have this problem?
Still scratching my head.
Jiffy Boob motto:
Happy Hangers in a Hurry
@Husker Gary
Can't imagine what you must be feeling regarding your daughter. Best of luck and I am thinking of her now.
There is a scientific experiment going on right now that is attempting to determine whether the intentions of a group of people, mentally communicated, can influence events. The 5 W's escape me at the moment, but I will post them when I find out. Once again, all the best.
I guess it all depends on what we've been exposed to, but Base on balls/WALK seemed absolutely natural and obvious to me.
Desper-otto, there was something serious on the news at the same time I was reading your carbon dioxide comment. My dear wife thought I'd gone bonkers, sitting here roaring in laughter at the same time she was saying "That is so sad.."
Second roar of laughter came with cwg's name for Dennis's business. As we go through the year and look back, we'll be echoing Dennis's thankful sentiments on many occasions, I'm sure.
Hi all (From the Rose Bowl winning state:))
Saw Bernice Gordon on the puzzle and had to look up her information. I knew she was in her 90's - Wow, 98!! maybe crosswords are the answer for longevity.
This was a bit harder for me than the usual Tuesday fare: LUG (Yay, I learned a new word for some people).
Did not know DANA DELANY (never watched that series), LEONA or COROT (lovely landscape Argyle).
Desper-otto (7:28) LOL
Spitzboov (7:46) Throwing was in the mix too. Very apt considering the morning of New Years Day (for some).
Husker Gary, I feel so bad about your daughter but finding this early will certainly help. We are all here for you.
Grumpy: would a fly without wings be a walk?
When I read Argyle's birthday greeting to Ms. Gordon, I thought oh-oh, typo, that 98 can't be right. Then I read CC's article and am amazed, inspired, thrilled! Thank you, Ms. Gordon, Argyle, and CC for giving us this amazing hope, inspiration, and grace!
Loved the puzzle although had the same 'Base on balls' question as others. And I now am guessing that the bailiff's chant of 'Oyez, oyez, oyez' at the beginning of court hearings has something to do with 'oyer'? (Or 'oyster'?)
@Husker Gary, my thoughts and prayers are with your daughter. I had a similar issue some ten years ago and it turned out to be nothing. But of course it's much more worrisome in someone so young. So I send all my hopes for a good outcome.
Desper-otto, you're right: crossword girl, that's freaking outstanding! I also like that it suggests 'in-and-out service'.
avg joe, got the email; thanks. Now I've got business cards and a uniform. All I need now is the perfect location. Maybe Palm Beach?
I swear, this blog is just dripping with creativity. At least, that's what I'm telling my doctor...
On a serious note, Husker, len's right - postive thinking can go a long way, and there's a ton of it coming your way from this blog. Please keep us posted; I know it'll be a successful outcome.
Good afternoon everyone.
This was such a good Tuesday puzzle: just easy enough for me to get with a few bits of help from DH. As he played baseball (as an Illini) he knew instantly what base on balls was. And he knows how to spell things like BAYOU.
Thank you and happy birthday Bernice. You are an inspiration. I'm with SouthernBelle in being 81 and thinking that might have helped.
Husker, all of us on the Corner will be thinking of your daughter and of your anquish. Best wishes to her and to you.
Cheers
@Hahtool, yes, that wingless fly would be a walk. It would also be a helluva lot easier to swat.
Base on balls is just normal baseball talk. Baseball Wiki says:
In baseball statistics, a base on balls (BB), also called a walk, is credited to a batter and against a pitcher when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls.
BAYOU always reminds me of Hank Williams's Jambalaya.
Link Jambalaya
Argyle- There are no cheater squares in this puzzle. Let's not mistake black squares at the front or end of a theme entry as cheaters.
@Yellowrocks 11:42
Not to be too picky, but you changed the wording of the clue! "A base on balls" as the clue would have made perfect sense and I would have seen it right away.
But "Base on balls", even if there is such an expression in baseball stats, and I'll take your word for it that there is, completely removed from any context, makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Look at it this way. Someone walks up to you on the street. They say: "Hi, Yellowrocks, base on balls." What would your reply be?
The quote in Xwordinfo is what?
len, if someone on the street walked up to me on the street and said strike or foul ball or yer out, I would have had the same reaction as I would to base on balls.
Base on balls to me was obviously baseball talk and immediately triggered walk. How could it mean anything else? If baseball did not occur to you, the "a" would not have helped.
When my kids were young I lived in an all male (but me) household. All watched baseball and some were baseball fanatics.
The only way 48d could have been more obvious is if was clued as "The answer is: WALK".
Base on balls is a very, very common term.
If you've never heard at least you learned something today. Isn't that a good thing?
Len: Instead of walking up to Yellowrocks and saying "base on balls", try typing it into Google and see what the first non-basball link is. See ya next week! ;)
Husker, best wishes for your daughter and you. How old is she?
Husker, best wishes for your daughter and you. Congratulations to Bernice for a fun Tuesday puzzle. Andrea, your salad sounds great! Yellowrocks, I love Hank Williams. I listen to today's country music for a minute or two and then turn it off 'cause it can't hold a candle to those old classics.
A baseball puzzle for you. How many ways can a baseball player get to first base? The obvious one is by getting a hit. The puzzle gave us another one; by getting a walk or a base on balls. How many more ways can you think of other in addition to getting a hit or a walk?
Great puzzle today!
Wishes for a good outcome in regard to your daughter's indecisive cells, Husker.
Sometimes I just have to curl up with a good COZY mystery. It would be nice to have a CAT or dog on my lap, but we have neither at this point in time.
Having a CAT on your lap is the best reason for asking a sibling get something for you. at least in my family. Speaking of animals, here is an anonymous and sort of ungrammatical quote I read today:
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
I can hear the groans already.....
Yellowrocks @12:59
UNCLE!!!
Dennis: I appreciate the cold snap you brought! I don`t have much of a figure unless it is cold!
Qli-That quote always cracks me up. It actually comes from Groucho Marx. The late, great Dan Naddor and I co-wrote a puzzle with that quote as the theme. Alas, rejection city...
other ways: fielder's choice, hit by pitch, error, strike 3 missed by catcher, catcher's interference
"Quick analysis
Puzzle has normal crossword symmetry.
There are 0 circles and 0 rebus squares.
The grid has 10 cheater squares. (Cheater squares are marked with a + in the bottom grid.)
Puzzle has 5 unique words:"
Hi All ~~
I admire Bernice Gordon and enjoyed today's puzzle! I do agree with those that said this was a bit tough for a Tuesday. Not knowing 1A gave me a slow start. Perps eventually took care of OYER and helped in a few other places. I could see what the theme answers had in common and filled in 'Pitching' A TENT instead of THROWING. That messed up that section until the W in WALK set me straight. Everything else fell into place without problems.
~~ Hahtool ~ I thought of you with BAYOU and CAT. >^:^<
~~ I was thinking that I might have discovered my first pangram on my own, but not Q uite!
~~ Husker Gary ~ Thoughts and prayers are being sent your way.
I count 10 cheater squares located at either side of the 4 grid spanners.
I don't consider blocks which delimit a theme entry "cheaters", otherwise all theme answers would need to be 15 letters long.
I don't think there are any cheaters in this grid - you there are two perfectly-allowable blocks at each end of the four theme answers and one more block at the start or end of the two 12-letter entries; these have to be there because of the rule that each letter must be clued with a cross.
No cheaters, QED.
McFondles
You deserve a peek today
Hi gang -
Bernice, you are an inspiration!
I also found this on the tough side. At a full 14 minutes, easily 3 minutes over Tuesday average (I'm no speed solver.)
I think it's time to officially retire ETE, before it dies from overwork.
WAKE and counting SHEEP reminded me of too many recent nights - and not in a good way.
HEAVING had me thinking along Spitzboov's lines.
Why isn't LUG clued as "Some kind of nut?"
Just for the novelty of it, at the next opportunity I'm going to THROW A SIGH and HEAVE A FIT.
Would a vegetarian fisherman CAST A SALAD?
Cheers!
JzB
Dennis: are you now
The TITalator????
Thank you, Steve. But if some people think this grid has cheater squares that's fine with me. My uncle sees people who aren't there and that's fine with me as well.
len- A cheater square is simply a black square placed in the grid to make the job of filling easier without changing the total word count. Rich Norris prefers to call them "helpers". "Cheater" is a bit negative since all constructors use them at times.
Good work, Bernice! Sailed right through this one except stupidly put an "R" instead of an "X" in AXIL/AXON.
Thanks for all the music links, Argyle. My musician mom always talked about Lily Pons, but I never heard a recording until today.
I want a full-body transplant if I have to live to be 98. Too many defects on this one.
Prayers for your daughter, Gary!
- PK -
To put it another way:
"Cheater squares are black squares that can be removed without affecting the overall word count of the grid. Constructors usually try to avoid these but some are often inevitable and many great puzzles have plenty of cheaters."
Good afternoon Argyle, CC, et al., Great puzzle! And such an utterly remarkable constructor. What a lesson...what a caution!! She's beautiful and an inspirtation.
LOL'd at Bernice's constructing
"the 'Pen is' mightier than the sword" and getting the editor fired. Geeze, that's funny! A kid did that to my decorated can labeled 'Pens'. He slipped in an 'i'...maybe I should just say he 'added' an 'i', the little stemwinder.
Spitz; LOL I'd add 'hurling' to that list as well. Funny guy.
Argyle: thank you for the Blue Bayou by Orbison. I only knew the Linda Ronstadt one. Crazy about that song. Good both ways.
Bill G: a 'walk' is given if a player not only gets a hit but also gets hit...he has a base on balls.
Husker: I will keep your daughter and all of you in my thoughts and prayers.
Enjoy your day.
Hello friends,
I enjoyed this puzzle which almost filled itself. I think we may have seen that article last year, at least, I know I've read it before. Imagine being able to create puzzles at almost 100years old. She may still be turning them in then!
I feel a nap coming on, so I'll try to write more later. Thanks, Santa.
Dennis: LMAO!!! Mr Jiffy Boob. Love your new career in Titology. Just wondering if you're going to baloon out from just doing mammograms to perhaps providing other useful services. Being a Master Titologist I'm here to tell ya, if my knockers start knockin' I'm comin' your way. Wonder what you could do if my rib bumpers go flat. Blow? Now that's a job!
I like WH's motto: Happy Hangers in a Hurry.
Oh the possibilities are endless!
Husker Gary, so sorry to hear about your daughter’s growth, but as others have said, you have a lot of people sending positive thoughts your way. Please do keep us posted.
Oh dear, crossword girl – I am still wiping my eyes from laughing about your “Jiffy Boob” suggestion to Dennis…
Yellowrocks, I open my mail over the trashcan. Magazines (unsolicited) and junk mail, flyers, etc. go immediately into the circular file. Bills get opened and filed in an accordian folder, under the appropriate “due date”. I make a practice of not handling any piece of mail more than once. I find this especially helpful when dealing with letter bombs or anthrax-powdered mail...
Dennis` possible business names:
Girl`s day out
Hooters (knockers, boobs) R us
Keep a Breast
Badongas
Atit kit a tatkit
Ta Ta`s
Bosom Buddies
Gravity got you down? I can help!
Handy man
Grand Tetons
Boobelees
Just Jugs
Paps and such
We keep puppies warm
I have another question.
The piece of code you have to use to import links into this blog- is it blog specific? Or can it be used anywhere else?
ie. Let's say I was sending an email and I wanted to put a link in it without using the attachment feature. Could I copy your code, put it in my email and put the link into my email that way?
Thanks
PS @Seen 1:04 I learn something new every day on this blog! :)
We used to titivate our quarterdeck; and other parts. Everybody seemed to know what that meant.
Steve@5:03
Thanks, I'll try it.
There is one more way for a baseball player to get to first base that hasn't been mentioned yet. It's perfectly valid but probably won't occur to you.
Gary, I'm sorry to hear about your daughters condition. I'm hopeful that the treatment prescribed is effective and that the recovery is swift. Do keep us informed. We're all thinking of you.
Bill G @5:30pm
Here's your answer, Bill!
Roy HEAD
Re: the pen is mightier than the sword. I think the editor got fired over this because it was a headline on his newspaper front page which was printed without a crucial space. This was used at several journalism seminars I attended as an example to stress the importance of white space. They always had a copy of the front page of the newspaper in question. Always a hit with the audience of journalists.
- PK -
Chapstick, love McFondles, but I think Jiffy Boob's the one.
Carol, I'll wear that title proudly.
Windhover, anon@4:42, you guys are way more clever than I. Nicely done.
Lois, I think I'll have to open an annex to accommodate you and Lucina (DDs, as I recall). Not that that's a problem. And Lois, I'm always open for other areas of exploration.
Anon@1:37, size is immaterial; bring 'em in! Which begs the question: Fees? Is it by size? By length of exam?
I can only afford to pay so much...
Bill G
Fan interference on a ball hit into fair territory.
Wild pitch on a swinging or called third strike.
Probably mentioned already, but fielder's choice.
And the right answer that is not immediately coming to me.
Bill G.
That would be Fielder's Obstruction (hindering the batter while he is running to first base).
Also via Runner's Interference.
Batted ball hits a runner in fair territory.
The runner is out. Though this was covered earlier since the batter is awarded a hit.
Sending prayers to Husker Gary and his family
Hola Everyone,
Hands up for the difficulty of today's puzzle. It felt more like a Wed. or Thurs. to me, also.
Hats off to Ms Gordon for the challenging puzzle and to Argyle for the blogging today.
I had a DNF today with tart for tang, that gave me nut for lug, so enol was unfinished. Chemistry is totally out of my realm of knowledge. I also put in Rise for wake, so that N Central section didn't get finished correctly. But, I actually remember Lily Pons. I'm showing my age for sure.
Oh, well, tomorrow is another day as we say in puzzledom.
Husker, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family for your daughter's quick recovery.
Positive thoughts will bring positive results.
To Husker Gary: The best of luck to your daughter as she undergoes the tests. Our prayers are with your family.
Abejo
Good answers all.
The expected but hard-to-think-of answer is a pinch runner. A 'baseball player' gets to go to first base as a pinch runner without having gotten a hit.
(Please don't be angry.' :>)
Weak. Very weak. Boo.
Happy Birthday, Bernice!
Dennis, you were supposed to take the cold spell with you when you were done 'practising'... And sadly, since you didn't have time to see me last week, I had to wait 1.5 hours for a dang machine to squeeze them instead!
The plus side of not being that into baseball, is that your mind is open to more DF interpretations of phrases like "base on balls".
And Bill G., I thought the most popular way to get to first base started BEHIND the dugout...
Carol: meant to say congratulations on having the winner of the Rose Bowl. What a game! Bit all my fingernails. THEN the OSU/Stanford game had me gnawing on my fingers. anoher What a game! Tonight is Va. Tech. Will have to borrow the cat's nails I guess. Go Hokies!
Dennis: I really need a 60,000 mile check up. But I'll settle for an engine probe and a few new belts (whatever you're drinkin' is fine). I'm still fully charged and shaking all four cheeks, I mean firing all 8 cylinders, so I guess I'll 'tit-a-later'.
Annette, the cold front's still here because I am too. Here till Friday, and I was of course saving the best for last, but you let some machine do my job.
Did someone say DF?
BASE ON BALLS?
What the batter called the pitch that hit him on the coccyx?
ASS BONE BALL
or...
What the dissatified diner called his bad fish...
ALL BONE BASS
Lois, I'm still figuring the rate for a 60,000 mile checkride. How much do you need?
Fermatprime. Really enjoined the movie Evelyn. I may have to stream it and enjoy it again. Thanks for the memory jog.
Hi y'all! I am just checking in to see everyone. Today is the first day that I have done the puzzle since before Christmas. The house was full and activities kept me hopping!
Today's puzzle was a soft start for my re-entry.
A sinus infection has also slowed me down. Hopefully, things will improve!
Hey Lois, some kinda mileage on them DD's - LOL. I'm sure Dennis can provide the support you need. As to the 'shakin' cheeks' - you go girl!!!
I say if ya got it, flaunt it.
Annette, warm hands (or other things) are always better than that damned machine. ;0
Of course, there's always room for a second opinion. The machine may have missed something that the manual approach is more sensitive to...
Bernice, I hope you have read our blog today. You have brought out the breast..I mean best in our long time bloggers. After reading the article, I'm sure you could add some "new" dirty words.Thanks for a wonderful offering.Who knew I'd learn so much on a Tuesday? You had me at oyer ..but unlike others, I got WALK.
HuskerG, sending hugs and prayers your way for a speedy recovery of your daughter. I had nodes removed from my vocal cords when I was 30 and I wasn't supposed to talk for 6 weeks. Believe me, that is nearly impossible with a newborn(or probably any time for a woman). So keep those pencils sharpened.
HG
You can add my thoughts and prayers for your daughter and your family
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