Theme: SOFT DRINKS. Three long theme answers each take a common verb phrase and give it a humorous twist, while ending in a word that signifies a kind of (typically non-alcoholic) beverage. I loves me this kind of word-play.
19A. Outdo other guests seeking a party drink? : BEAT TO THE PUNCH. Do something before somebody else can, a term probably derived form boxing. PUNCH: A drink made with fruit juices, soda, other flavorings, and typically served in small cups from a large bowl.
36A. Order one so-so ice cream drink? : GET A FAIR SHAKE. To get a fair or unbiased opportunity for success. SHAKE: A cold drink made from milk, ice cream, and fruit or chocolate. Very amusing clue.
53A. Activate a dispenser for a fruit drink? : TURN ON THE JUICE. Flip the switch to "on". Activate the energy. JUICE: Fluid naturally contained in plant or animal tissue. Emphasis on the plants here, as we don't usually drink animal juices, though some can be quite potable.
Hi, gang, it's JazzBumpa, noting that any of these drinks could be made alcoholic, if one so chooses. With that in mind, shall we have a sip, or a big gulp? Onward!
Across:
1. Kid's summer spot : CAMP. Lots of options: I went to Boy Scout CAMP as a kid, some of the granddaughters have been to Theater CAMP. Oldest grandson will go to Band Camp this Summer. What are your experiences?
5. Ain't it the truth : FACT. No made-up CAMP stories, please.
9. Melville's Billy : BUDD. A sailor in a story left unfinished when Melville died in 1891. The story has a confusing history.
13. Craft seen at many a 1-Across : CANOE. Watercraft, not arts and craft, and only if the camp is on a lake or a river.
14. Banned apple treatment : ALAR. This plant treatment regulated the growth, improved the color, and made the harvest easier. Per Wikipedia, it was also intended to be used on cherries, peaches, pears, Concord grapes, tomato transplants and peanut vines. It actually was not banned. It was withdrawn from the market when the EPA proposed banning it. Details.
15. Current about : UP ON. It pays to be UP ON your FACTS.
16. "Family Matters" nerd : URKEL. Waaay too annoying for a clip.
17. __ dry eye in the house : NOT A. We were all wailing and gnashing our teeth.
18. Hindu music style : RAGA. Indian music sometimes uses quartertones - notes between the scale notes we in the West are used to hearing. This gives it quite an exotic sound. Here is an example. It's over 9 minutes, but you can sample less.
22. Hotel annex? : IER. Hotelier. Typically cliched misdirecting clue for an affix. We are not amused.
23. Carson's late-night predecessor : PAAR. Jack.
24. Thurmond who was a senator for 47 years : STROM.
26. Fancy neckwear : CRAVATS. Warnings to not tie them too tightly are CRAVATS caveats.
29. Bay Area airport letters : SFO.
31. Lux. locale : EUR. Abbrv. for Europe. Luxembourg is a tiny land-locked country, over there somewhere. Maybe one of our world travelers can enlighten us.
32. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE. Needed lots of perp help, 'til the light came on. ELSIE was the advertising spokesbovine for Bordon Dairy Products. Great clue.
34. Size up : ASSESS. When you ASSESS, you must also mind your spelling.
39. Throw in the direction of : TOSS TO. As what one might do with a hot potato.
40. __ one's game: performing below par : NOT ON. As when one drops a hot potato.
41. Bribe : SOP. More perp help needed. Couldn't bring this together, but it's legit. Also, an acronym for Standard Operating Procedure. Hmmmmm . .
42. Slice of history : ERA. Frex, Jazz ERA.
44. Hardly silk purse material, in an idiom : SOW'S EAR. Cute, but obvious clue.
48. Building brick : ADOBE. A brick of sun or kiln dried clay. Not this. Not him.
50. Bearing : MIEN. Probably from the same root as demeanor.
52. Unnamed degree : NTH. Specific, but unspecified. Oh, the uncertainty.
57. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA. Perhaps the most famous bus rider, ever.
58. "You bet, señora!" : SI SI. As we say to our esteemed hostess, "SI SI, C.C." See?
59. Rye fungus : ERGOT. This fungus renders the grain toxic. Those who speak of it in arcane terms are using ERGOT argot.
60. A very long time : AGES. It's been a long, long time.
61. Lobe adornment : HOOP. Check it out.
62. Slasher's title hangout, in film: Abbr. : ELM ST. The slasher is Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on ELM ST. Movies
63. Schools of whales : PODS. Does anyone know why?
64. Pops the question : ASKS. Put this way, it could be any old question. Shouldn't it be the specific one for Lida Rose?
65. H.S. junior's exam : PSAT. Pre-SAT. Let's not teach to the test, though.
Down:
1. Job, and then some : CAREER. Engineering used to be a a CAREER. Now, it's just a job.
2. Asian capital on a peninsula : ANKARA. Turkey
3. Champagne brand : MOET. Now here is some French I can go for.
4. Assail (with), as snowballs : PELT. Definitely different from TOSS TO. PELT implies force and/or violence. We PELTED him with snowballs until his pelt was caked and soggy.
5. Classic film with dancing hippos : FANTASIA. This is one of the worst pieces of classical music ever, IMNSHO. I had to play it once. After Allan Sherman, it's almost impossible to keep a straight face. Still, here is the clip.
6. Hawaiian hi or bye : ALOHA. Indicates you most likely have recently or are about to get leied.
7. Works a wedding : CATERS
8. Catch : TRAP
9. Too well-done : BURNT. This would qualify as well done, but not done well.
10. Where not to be paddleless? : UP A CREEK. Severity of the dilemma depends on the nature of the creek. Best not to be in a concrete canoe.
11. Whence a front yard growl : DOG HOUSE. From yon DOG HOUSE emanateth yon bark.
12. It may be used to ID a perp : DNA. Not our kind of perp. Genetic material used to I.D. a criminal
13. Like dice, shape-wise : CUBIC.
20. Chooses : OPTS FOR
21. G.I. entertainment : USO SHOW. Bob Hope did these in WW II and for decades after. Here is one example. We play this song for the 4th of July park concert every Summer, while honoring the service vets. Even for crusty old me, it is very moving.
25. Robinson of song : MRS. From the movie, The Graduate. Still sounds good.
27. November honorees : VETS. See 21 D.
28. Support group for kids of substance abusers : ALATEEN. Fortunately, this is outside my experience.
30. Scam that's "pulled" : FAST ONE
33. Hamburger's article : EIN. German for "one" or the indefinite article "a."
35. Without : SANS. I could do SANS the French
36. All set : GOOD TO GO
37. Championed, as a cause : ESPOUSED
38. Fruit used as a vitamin C supplement : ROSE HIPS. From the same plant that gives us the flower. Somewhere, there must be a lady named ROSE HIPS.
39. Airport safety org. : TSA Transportation Safety Administration.
43. Prenatal tests, for short : AMNIOS. Abbrev. for amniocentesis, a rather dangerous procedure.
45. Baffling problem : ENIGMA. Speaking of Soviet Communism, Winston Churchill said: "It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an ENIGMA." I hope that is clear.
46. Not marked up : AT COST. This has to do with selling prices, not graffiti.
47. Classic role for Clark : RHETT. From Gone With The Wind. Do you give a damn?
49. Military bigwigs : BRASS. Looks like this might be a shortened form of "BRASS Hat," so called for the gold braid on the hat.
51. "Everything's fine" : IT'S OK.
54. Worker protection agcy. : O. S.H.A. Occuptional Safety and Health Administration. Not the impudent wilding woman who knows that Winter Is Coming, here seen holding her own against Theon Greyjoy.
55. Cherokee maker : JEEP. The 2012 lineup only has a Grand Cherokee.
56. www addresses : URLS. Universal Resource Locators on the World Wide Web.
57. 50 Cent's genre : RAP.
Answer grid.
Ahhhh! A fine, refreshing quaff from one of puzzledom's greats. I'll admit, though, that I did all this with a snifter of Pinch at my elbow.
Cheers!
JzB
19A. Outdo other guests seeking a party drink? : BEAT TO THE PUNCH. Do something before somebody else can, a term probably derived form boxing. PUNCH: A drink made with fruit juices, soda, other flavorings, and typically served in small cups from a large bowl.
36A. Order one so-so ice cream drink? : GET A FAIR SHAKE. To get a fair or unbiased opportunity for success. SHAKE: A cold drink made from milk, ice cream, and fruit or chocolate. Very amusing clue.
53A. Activate a dispenser for a fruit drink? : TURN ON THE JUICE. Flip the switch to "on". Activate the energy. JUICE: Fluid naturally contained in plant or animal tissue. Emphasis on the plants here, as we don't usually drink animal juices, though some can be quite potable.
Hi, gang, it's JazzBumpa, noting that any of these drinks could be made alcoholic, if one so chooses. With that in mind, shall we have a sip, or a big gulp? Onward!
Across:
1. Kid's summer spot : CAMP. Lots of options: I went to Boy Scout CAMP as a kid, some of the granddaughters have been to Theater CAMP. Oldest grandson will go to Band Camp this Summer. What are your experiences?
5. Ain't it the truth : FACT. No made-up CAMP stories, please.
9. Melville's Billy : BUDD. A sailor in a story left unfinished when Melville died in 1891. The story has a confusing history.
13. Craft seen at many a 1-Across : CANOE. Watercraft, not arts and craft, and only if the camp is on a lake or a river.
14. Banned apple treatment : ALAR. This plant treatment regulated the growth, improved the color, and made the harvest easier. Per Wikipedia, it was also intended to be used on cherries, peaches, pears, Concord grapes, tomato transplants and peanut vines. It actually was not banned. It was withdrawn from the market when the EPA proposed banning it. Details.
15. Current about : UP ON. It pays to be UP ON your FACTS.
16. "Family Matters" nerd : URKEL. Waaay too annoying for a clip.
17. __ dry eye in the house : NOT A. We were all wailing and gnashing our teeth.
18. Hindu music style : RAGA. Indian music sometimes uses quartertones - notes between the scale notes we in the West are used to hearing. This gives it quite an exotic sound. Here is an example. It's over 9 minutes, but you can sample less.
22. Hotel annex? : IER. Hotelier. Typically cliched misdirecting clue for an affix. We are not amused.
23. Carson's late-night predecessor : PAAR. Jack.
24. Thurmond who was a senator for 47 years : STROM.
26. Fancy neckwear : CRAVATS. Warnings to not tie them too tightly are CRAVATS caveats.
29. Bay Area airport letters : SFO.
31. Lux. locale : EUR. Abbrv. for Europe. Luxembourg is a tiny land-locked country, over there somewhere. Maybe one of our world travelers can enlighten us.
32. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE. Needed lots of perp help, 'til the light came on. ELSIE was the advertising spokesbovine for Bordon Dairy Products. Great clue.
34. Size up : ASSESS. When you ASSESS, you must also mind your spelling.
39. Throw in the direction of : TOSS TO. As what one might do with a hot potato.
40. __ one's game: performing below par : NOT ON. As when one drops a hot potato.
41. Bribe : SOP. More perp help needed. Couldn't bring this together, but it's legit. Also, an acronym for Standard Operating Procedure. Hmmmmm . .
42. Slice of history : ERA. Frex, Jazz ERA.
44. Hardly silk purse material, in an idiom : SOW'S EAR. Cute, but obvious clue.
48. Building brick : ADOBE. A brick of sun or kiln dried clay. Not this. Not him.
50. Bearing : MIEN. Probably from the same root as demeanor.
52. Unnamed degree : NTH. Specific, but unspecified. Oh, the uncertainty.
57. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA. Perhaps the most famous bus rider, ever.
58. "You bet, señora!" : SI SI. As we say to our esteemed hostess, "SI SI, C.C." See?
59. Rye fungus : ERGOT. This fungus renders the grain toxic. Those who speak of it in arcane terms are using ERGOT argot.
60. A very long time : AGES. It's been a long, long time.
61. Lobe adornment : HOOP. Check it out.
62. Slasher's title hangout, in film: Abbr. : ELM ST. The slasher is Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on ELM ST. Movies
63. Schools of whales : PODS. Does anyone know why?
64. Pops the question : ASKS. Put this way, it could be any old question. Shouldn't it be the specific one for Lida Rose?
65. H.S. junior's exam : PSAT. Pre-SAT. Let's not teach to the test, though.
Down:
1. Job, and then some : CAREER. Engineering used to be a a CAREER. Now, it's just a job.
2. Asian capital on a peninsula : ANKARA. Turkey
3. Champagne brand : MOET. Now here is some French I can go for.
4. Assail (with), as snowballs : PELT. Definitely different from TOSS TO. PELT implies force and/or violence. We PELTED him with snowballs until his pelt was caked and soggy.
5. Classic film with dancing hippos : FANTASIA. This is one of the worst pieces of classical music ever, IMNSHO. I had to play it once. After Allan Sherman, it's almost impossible to keep a straight face. Still, here is the clip.
6. Hawaiian hi or bye : ALOHA. Indicates you most likely have recently or are about to get leied.
7. Works a wedding : CATERS
8. Catch : TRAP
9. Too well-done : BURNT. This would qualify as well done, but not done well.
10. Where not to be paddleless? : UP A CREEK. Severity of the dilemma depends on the nature of the creek. Best not to be in a concrete canoe.
11. Whence a front yard growl : DOG HOUSE. From yon DOG HOUSE emanateth yon bark.
12. It may be used to ID a perp : DNA. Not our kind of perp. Genetic material used to I.D. a criminal
13. Like dice, shape-wise : CUBIC.
20. Chooses : OPTS FOR
21. G.I. entertainment : USO SHOW. Bob Hope did these in WW II and for decades after. Here is one example. We play this song for the 4th of July park concert every Summer, while honoring the service vets. Even for crusty old me, it is very moving.
25. Robinson of song : MRS. From the movie, The Graduate. Still sounds good.
27. November honorees : VETS. See 21 D.
28. Support group for kids of substance abusers : ALATEEN. Fortunately, this is outside my experience.
30. Scam that's "pulled" : FAST ONE
33. Hamburger's article : EIN. German for "one" or the indefinite article "a."
35. Without : SANS. I could do SANS the French
36. All set : GOOD TO GO
37. Championed, as a cause : ESPOUSED
38. Fruit used as a vitamin C supplement : ROSE HIPS. From the same plant that gives us the flower. Somewhere, there must be a lady named ROSE HIPS.
39. Airport safety org. : TSA Transportation Safety Administration.
43. Prenatal tests, for short : AMNIOS. Abbrev. for amniocentesis, a rather dangerous procedure.
45. Baffling problem : ENIGMA. Speaking of Soviet Communism, Winston Churchill said: "It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an ENIGMA." I hope that is clear.
46. Not marked up : AT COST. This has to do with selling prices, not graffiti.
47. Classic role for Clark : RHETT. From Gone With The Wind. Do you give a damn?
49. Military bigwigs : BRASS. Looks like this might be a shortened form of "BRASS Hat," so called for the gold braid on the hat.
51. "Everything's fine" : IT'S OK.
54. Worker protection agcy. : O. S.H.A. Occuptional Safety and Health Administration. Not the impudent wilding woman who knows that Winter Is Coming, here seen holding her own against Theon Greyjoy.
55. Cherokee maker : JEEP. The 2012 lineup only has a Grand Cherokee.
56. www addresses : URLS. Universal Resource Locators on the World Wide Web.
57. 50 Cent's genre : RAP.
Answer grid.
Ahhhh! A fine, refreshing quaff from one of puzzledom's greats. I'll admit, though, that I did all this with a snifter of Pinch at my elbow.
Cheers!
JzB
92 comments:
Good morning, , C.C. and gang - I loved this puzzle. Flat-out loved it. Thought it had a ton of fresh clues, a great theme and no terribly obscure answers.
Woke up to no heat this morning, so I'm going up to the gym early where it's warmer than the 60 I've got here. Hopefully more comments later.
Morning, all!
Lovely puzzle today. Tore through it like nobody's business with almost no resistance whatsoever. I thought I was in trouble when I noticed 62D was ending with MST, but then I realized what the heck the clue was talking about and it was all good.
Hi, all!
Couldn't go to sleep so was reading my Kindle until time to contribute.
Swell puzzle, Nancy. Great write-up, Jazz! (But I love Fantasia!)
Favorite answer: UP THE CREEK.
Did not do very well time-wise last two days. This one was faster!
It has gone from pouring cats and dogs here to blasting a cold wind. Tomorrow is supposed to be 81º. Whoopee! Japanese magnolia awash with blooms. Hope that they aren't all blown away!
Jeannie--so good to hear from you! Best of luck finding appropriate employment!
Dennis--that is some swell auto!
That's all, folks!
Good Morning, JazzBumpa and friends. Fun Wednesday level puzzle. I found it more difficult than yesterday, but wasn't stumped.
My first thought for a Kid's Summer Spot was Pool. I went to camp over the summer when I was in grade school. We made lots of lanyards out of gimp.
My first thought for Pitcher of Milk? was Udder. Oh, the other meaning of Pitcher! ELSIE
Jeannie, so good to see you last night. Feel free to drop me a line anytime if you just need to "talk." I miss you, too.
QOD: The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. ~ Albert Einstein
Hello Puzzlers -
Smooth sailing today, minor speed bump involving EONS where AGES was meant.
Loved the write-up, Jazz! The kids in the Lida Rose scene from "Music Man" were pretty impressive.
Summer camp, you ask. I went to Boy Scout camp just once, and hated it. Our scoutmaster did tent inspections at midweek, and left in each tent a score card indicating his ASSESSment of cleanliness. Our score card read "Pig Pen". We didn't find that card until packing up at the end of the week, such was the mess.
Summer Camp, Part 2.
A later year I went to YMCA camp, and it was a lot better, except that they went to such pains to keep the lake water at 33 degrees.
A louse epidemic broke out among the youngest campers, resulting in the need for medicated shampoo camp-wide. The (male) camp director personally scrubbed each and every little boy in the showers with special soap; some of us older boys thought that seemed creepy but ascribed it to medical necessity. Looking back, I wonder...
That was enough summer camp for me.
nothing to difficult today This puzzle is in line with the other offerings for this week. I have to remember to slow down and read the clues on 23A saw the Carson Late night and automatically put down LENO When that did not work re read the clue and changed it to PAAR (its been a long time since i have seen old jack used in a crossword puzzle.)
thanks for the write up.
Good morning Jazzbumpa, C.C. et al.
You were in rare form with your write-up, Jazz. Thanks for all the clips you posted, and especially for the ones you didn’t (URKEL)…
I loved this theme because the phrases themselves are all lively. But then Nancy goes a step further and clues them all as if the last words were really drinks. I’m sure she must have tried to fit “avatar” in there at some point, Tinbeni…
Great fill, too. DOG HOUSE, UP A CREEK, GOOD TO GO and FAST ONE all come to mind. Some old-timey fill with PAAR and STROM Thurmond, but both are kind of legends that even the young folks should know, I guess.
Jeannie, from last night, great to hear from you. Are you “linked in”? Networking is probably the best way to get a new job. Anyway, we are all pulling for you!
My head wasn't in this one this morning. I got a lot of the fill but plugged in some answers that were not quite right. For example, I used PIGS EAR instead of SOWS EAR, OFF OF ones game instead of NOT ON, and STUD instead of HOOP for 61A.
I liked: 46D "Not marked up: AT COST". 11D "Whence a front yard growl" had me scratching my head.
I'm going to get my morning caffiene!
Thanks for the fun puzzle Nancy. I really did enjoy it.
Good morning, all!
Puzzle seemed easier than the typical Wednesday fare, not an ink blot in sight. Favorite clue: pitcher of milk.
Nobody named Rose Hips in our neck of the woods, but there was a very famous lady named Ima Hogg. Her garden is open for tours every spring during the "Azalea Trail."
JzB: This was one of those blogs which is often more entertaining than the puzzle! ie: spokesbovine, cravat caveat and leied.
Camps? I was one of those heathen church camps hated to see attending!
I like "Fantasia", too, especially the wizard with the water buckets. It`s an apt metaphor for life.
Good morning all. Great write-up, JzB
I agree with others. A great puzzle with great delivery; finely textured. It reminds me of the ones we appreciated from Dan Naddor. Most of the fill went quite well except for the NW. I had 'ell' before IER @22a. But changed 'cubed' to CUBIC, and accepted ANKARA, and, voilà, it was done. I thought the ELSIE clue was quite clever. Note the 2 helper squares in the NW and SE. Thanks Nancy for a great offering.
Congrats to Hondo and have a great trip!
Jeannie, I think of your situation frequently and hope that something breaks for you soon. Glad you checked in yesterday.
Enjoy the day.
Interesting CW with several fresh clues for old friends. I thought I was stuck at first in the NW with POOL and CUBED, but then I gave up and worked around them until the FACTs of the matter appeared. Also thought SFI(nternational) for SFO until USO fixed it. And I wanted GUARD DOG for DOGHOUSE until I remembered STROM.
The rest was breeze with at least one unseen clue--for SOP, which I didn't notice until I was here.
Jeannie,
I was unaware of your jobless state until this a.m. Linkedin might be a good idea, if you can get some connections in areas where you want to be. Shoot me an email if you need an intro or just want to gripe about the reason for losing what sounded like a cool job with DQ.
Agree that it was easier than typical for a Wednesday, but was rather good, but did not know SOP except by crosses. Interesting, no indication of an abbr.
Still a rather better than average puzzle, another reason I love the LAT puzzles.
PS: Jazz, I love your write-ups. When I'm not chuckling I'm learning.
Nancy and Jazz, you have slaked my thirst for a fun puzzle!
Musings
-Working every summer precluded camp for me
-Before OJ became a pariah, his offensive line was called the Electric Company because they TURNed ON THE JUICE
-HOTELIER Leona Helmsley is famous for saying, “Only the little people pay taxes!”
-I was stuck at SFO when I had to wait for a bus driver to bring back my billfold I lost on his bus. There were 15,000 Huskers trying to get back home and so it took a day to get a new flight
-I always think of Elsie pitching glue
-Sportscasters often make a TOSS back TO the studio
-My nephew’s team last night was NOT ON their game. They had as many turnovers as points
-ROSA is a personal hero of mine
-FANTASIA was of a time when cartoons were full of beautiful music and no bathroom humor
-Mrs. Robinson was an early cougar
Redanman @ 8:42: There's no indication of an abbreviation, because it isn't an abbreviation. It's simply a three-letter-word: sop.
Rain arriving soon, and a tornado watch is in effect. This is one of those rare 100% chance of precipitation days. We need the rain.
Good Morning, folks. Thank you, Nancy Salomon, for a great puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for a real great review.
Could not get started in the nW, so I headed to the NE. Got BUDD easily, then BURNT, UPACREEK, DOGHOUSE, and DNA.
My first theme answer was TURN ON THE JUICE. I thought this might have an electricity theme at first.
Everything else was pretty easy, except I made some gross errors that caused me great consternation for a while. I entered FAA instead of TSA. GETS A BAD SHAKE instead of GET A FAIR SHAKE. CUBED instead of CUBIC. ELL instead of IER. OFF ON instead of NOT ON.
Needless to say I was in a stew.
Finally changed to CUBIC, then got CRAVATS. slowly the rest were corrected. If I had not made those initial errors it would have been a speed run. All in all, great puzzle.
Nice to hear from you, Jeannie. The best of luck.
Abejo
Thank you Ms. Salomon for a really nice puzzle. I completed it, with efforts to spare. BTW, I work with a Ms. Solomon and a Ms. Salomone.
Your clues and your answers were charming and delightful. I loved 'Cherokee' maker - I was looking for the cigar co !!
'Rosehips' was a learning moment - I was looking for something 'lemony'... Also 'pool' needed for a 'canoe'.
JazzB, your humor was uplifting ( no, - no DF - ) and your music was full of memories. Lee G and Simon and Garfunkle - those were the carefree, young and innocent days.... Ravi Shankar, not so much - I cant stand more than a couple of minutes of him. Plus I read his biography - dissolute soul !@#@!
Have good week, you all.
ALT QOD :- I'm going to marry again because I'm more mature now and I really need some kitchen stuff. ~ Wendy Liebman.
Jazz: Great write-up & links.
Spent more time enjoying the links than solving this puzzle.
Liked UP-A-CREEK being next to the DOG-HOUSE.
If you're "UP" one, then you're "IN" the other.
If you GET-A-FAIR-SHAKE then you're GOOD-TO-GO.
CRAVATS got their origin in Croatia.
Soon adopted by the French, Belgians, Dutch and on the British Isles. Leading to the Gentlemans Neck-Tie.
Airport safety org. TSA are more concerned with being pains in the ASSESS.
Hmmm, I guess my enjoying a "non-alcoholic" themed puzzle is an ENIGMA.
Cheers to all at my 80º Sunset.
(Probably a great day to play "Swing-n-Cuss").
Musings 2
-TSA agents do a necessary and thankless job and have made a lot of enemies. Frisking infants and elderly women will do that.
-Alternate, alternate QOD on marriage from my millionaire friend Jay, “Gary, I’m just going to walk down the street, find a woman who hates me and buy her a house.”
-My SOPping involved bread and my mom’s incredible chicken gravy.
-Meatballs is the ultimate CAMP movie! “It just doesn’t matter!”
-Dudley, Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer has posited that the coach was merely showing naked boys good hygiene practices in the shower.
-RE Mrs. Robinson. Recently a Utah high school rejected the nickname COUGAR because of the new connotation.
HG-
Re: the glue comment. That wasn't me, that was my DH Elmer. He used to get such a kick out of this:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Horses that lose
Are made into glue
Hi all,
Wow, what a puzzle and Jazz, what a great write up!
It really took me a long time to get anything filled in....17A (NOT A)was the first one. The NW corner had me in a fog. I did think of 'arts and crafts' for 13A so that slowed me down. Didn't know 16A (URKEL),(never watched "Family Matters"). Didn't know 2D (ANKARA) or 22A (IER) and I put CUBED in for 13D. Sigh.
Liked the clue/answer for 10D. How do all of you pronounce the word CREEK....rhyming with REEK, or RICK?
Jeannie, good to hear from you. HeartRx is right, networking is the best way to find a new job. Volunteering is also good. Hang in there, your positive attitude will get you through this.
Just for S&Gs, here's all the Asian capitals on peninsulae;
Seoul, Pyongyang, Hanoi, Vientiane, Bangkok, Rangoon, Kuala Lampur, Singapore, Phnom Penh, Port Moresby, Riyad, Sanaa, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama and Ankara. Maybe Kuwait City (if it is on the Arabian Peninsula) and Baku (if Azerbaijan is in Asia) as well.
You bloggers belong on FACEBOOK - get a life!
Elsie, you're right! They're both white fluids from Borden but hardly interchangeable. Although, there was this sour milk I put on my cereal once... and every kindergarten has a kid who drinks glue.
This was a great Wednesday puzzle. Lots of fun cluing today and a great write-up by Jazz. I went to Girl Scout Day camp quite a few years. Loved the camp songs and crafts. Still do.
HOOPS made me think of an article I read yesterday about "earlobe guaging". They had a pic of a guy that stretched his earlobes over 2". The showed him with and without the rings in them (Ugh). He actually ran a shop that helped people do this, but was going to get his earlobes surgically sewn shut again. He said it has become a pain as his baby wants to pull them all the time. OUCH!!! Makes me ill just looking at kids with this done.
Hi Y'all,
Great puzzle! Exceptionally entertaining write-up and links, Jzbmpa!
I went to church camp (pre-teen) and band camp (teenage), mostly to meet boys. My kids went to band camp. My future-military son went to engineering camp and space camp. Last summer my 11-yr-old granddaughter came home enthusiastic about veterinarian camp. My grandson went to basketball and golf camps. There's a camp for just about any interest now--if you have the $$$.
When I was remodeling our 125-yr.-old house, my husband often said "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Motivated me to do something lovely anyway.
- PK -
Hi gang -
Happy Wednesday!
ELSIE -
That's good. Elmer's glue is 100% equine free, though. It's a propriety synthetic copolymer, in a water emulsion. (Hey, milk is natural polymers in a water emulsion.)
The glue polymers are probably vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol, but I'm just guessing.
I quite enjoyed the Ravi Shankar clip and had the whole 9 minutes on in the background while blogging.
Fantasia is a great movie, loaded with fabulous music - Night on Bald Mountain, the Sorcerer's Apprentice, Beethoven's 6th. My snark was specifically directed to the Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Pnchielli. It's the kind of tripe that gives classical music a bad name. Hillarious with the hippos, though.
Can't find a decent clip of Alan Sherman's Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, but I'm sure you all know what I mean.
Cheers!
JzB
Good Morn to all! Loved the puzzle and the write-up was terrific too.
Once I figured it out I LOL at Elsie, had a problem with Sop and yes, I do give a damn about Rhett - Yummy!
Isn't Rye fungus what was determined to cause the actions of the Salem "witches"?
Dudley, iPad worked again Yippee!!
We've go that horrible cold, 25mph wind here too, sure hoping for some of that nice weather tomorrow, the Gov. is coming to town for a luncheon.
Oh! I never went to camp unless you want to count camping with Mom, Dad, and brothers. I remember Mom fainting when some kid popped the eyes out of a trout we caught and showed them to her. Ithink that was our last camping trip.
Notwithstanding if HOTELIER Leona Helmsley is famous for saying, “Only the little people pay taxes!”, the Helmsleys were philanthropic. Their trust gave $71 million to NY Presbyterian Hosp. Their Helmsley Tower Guest Facility makes affordable lodging available to families of patients of the surrounding hospitals including Cornell and Sloan Kettering. We have benefitted from this gift.
I haven't done the puzzle yet but I thought I would check in here first. I was just struck with the sincere outpouring of emotion and well wishes on the House floor for Gaby Giffords. Good thoughts are sent her way.
She seemed to be universally well-liked. I'm guessing she was a favorite of our Lucina too.
Hi All:
Good puzzle and great write- up, Jazz. Went astray with eons for ages and cow's ear instead of sow's ear ( where was my brain?). Otherwise easy finish.
Can someone tell me how I can add an avatar to my profile? ( Not a photo, just an image.). Thanks.
Happy Wednesday everyone!
Lovely, and a wonderful write-up, JzB. Some great fill, Nancy had me at ESPOUSED. IER was the only clunker, IMHO.
Food! Great french dip pic, JzB - the home of that sandwich is here in downtown LA at Philippe's. I always cringe when I see a menu saying "roast beef with au jus" as if "au jus" is a noun.
If you ever see a jar of Philippe's mustard in a specialty food store, grab it, it's awesome.
Luxembourg is a little odd in that you never just pass through it, if you're in Luxembourg it's because you specifically wanted to go there (usually it was to deposit large amounts of untraceable funds in a numbered bank account.)
I agree Spitz. It is ironic that after a very productive life of good and generous acts, the memory associated with a public person can be tainted by one unwise statement or act or, as we have seen lately, failure to act.
What an enjoyable puzzle! I was in synch with Nancy Salomon's cluing. I initially had pond instead of CAMP. BTW, I never went to summer camp. Our family always took a summer vacation. One time in Miami Beach, several times camping in Douthat State Park in Virginia, once in a cabin at a lake in Maine, etc. Fond memories.
Really, really enjoyed this puzzle and thought it was easier than yesterday's. Pitcher of milk/Elsie was my favorite. Didn't see anything not to like.
Summer camp was four weeks in Michigan on a lake full of muskrats. I had a tent mate who loved snakes and spent most of her time looking for and playing with them - yew! Don't remember a lot except making lanyards and swimming in the lake, trying to avoid the muskrats!
Cheers to all. Thanks, JzB for a great write up and to Nancy for a most enjoyable puzzle. Good to see you, Jeannie - hope you find something soon.
Note that the Hamburger article, EIN is spoken by a male. The female would be Hamburgerin. Here, for your listening pleasure is the Hamburger Lotsen (pilots chorus) singing "The Ebenezer" in English. If you hit the 'show more' button beneath the video, it will give you the words in English. (I always have liked to hear the English accent of the N. Germans; probably because of how my elders spoke.)
As Marty said, there are some great phrases in this puzzle. Nancy is a master at filling her grids with fun, lively, lovely stuff. Perhaps it's because she's a lovely person. She co-wrote my first two published puzzles, and has taught dozens of the finest constructors how to craft a crossword.
Not so fine-
Pull a FAST ONE, you might end up with a FAT NOSE
ADOBE ABODE
MOET- How to get rid of high grass
CUBIC- From Havana
I can row a boat. CANOE?
What's in Thurmond's grave?
76 STROM BONES
"Salty as Lot's wife's ass"
Never heard that one before but would dearly love to work it into a conversation.
Tuttle@9:54, S&G, haven't heard that in awhile.
This one time, at band camp...
Fun puzzle from Ms Solomon and equally fun writeup from JazzB. Wednesdays just don't get any better.
Lots of memories of family camping trips and several years of Boy Scout camping trips in my youth. From age 8 to 11, I lived across the road from Camp Berry Boy Scout Camp, Hancock County, Ohio. When it wasn't occupied by scouts, I had the run of the place and became friends with the caretaker. I learned a lot of the camping skills before I was old enough to be a scout.
Marti,I've figured out how Tinbeni's avatar could have made the puzzle:
What Tinbeni will do at sunset?
HE'LL DO IN A PINCH
Greetings, Jazzbumpa, C.C. and all.
Great write up, JZ, thank you.
A lovely speed run from Nancy Solomon whose puzzles I love, thank you.
I had POOL before CAMP but that was easily changed and sashayed through the rest and didn't even see some like IER as they emerged.
Loved pitcher of milk, ELSIE
I never went to camp but my Dad went to the CCC camp and helped to build park trails and other now enjoyable amenities.
Enjoy your Wednesday, everyone!
Jeannie:
It was great to hear from you and I pray that you soon find a job.
What Jerome said. Nancy has mentored many newbies to the craft of construction free of charge. I'm one of those. Thanks Nancy, and congrats!
Hi All ~~
When I saw Nancy Salomon's name on this puzzle, I remembered having seen it in the past but it seems that it's been a while. This was really enjoyable! Your write-up added even more to the fun ... thanks, JzB!
~~ For some reason I had the kid in a 'tree' for 1A but that changed quickly with perps.
~~ No real trouble spots, but I was looking for a first name at 25D-'Robinson of song.' Had 'Aeon' before AGES and 'Amen' before FACT.
~~ I, too, liked the clue for ELSIE ... lots of really clever clues/answers!
Jerome ... I LOVE "76 STROM BONES!"
Good to hear from you, Jeannie ~~
Enjoy the day!
Hello everybody. Wonderful puzzle today. What Spitzboov said.
Things noticed:
- The 2 black squares in the NW and SE corners slightly disoriented me at first.
- Was struck by 3 words in the NW all beginning with CA (CAMP, CANOE, CAREER) and 2 words in the NE beginning with UP and 2 with BU, so I thought maybe there was some sort of pattern to look for.
I don't know why a herd of whales is called a POD, but I love that they are called that. POD has always been a fun word for me.
JzB, I liked your blogging as much as ARBAON did. You are not only cool, IMO, but witty and smart, too. May you continue to post on this blog for years to come.
Summer camp? Yeah, I had to go to Boy Scout camp every summer, and hated it. Ironically, when our son was in Boy Scouts I was the outings leader, so guess where I spent 2 weeks every summer?
Best wishes to you all.
Were ELSIE and Elmer married? Maybe just dating? I dare say they went together like milk and glue. LOL
Slake is another fun word. Thanks, Gary.
Hi Elsie! Didn't see ya there until after I had posted my comment.
Good morning Jazzbumpa, C.C. et al,
Loved all the fresh clues, even the ones I could not answer. The top filled as rapidly as a Tues., but then I put on the brakes at sop and mien. Had never heard that sow's ear expression..only pig's eye.
learning moment..rose hips, a fruit? Must be true. I trust everything that Nancy says. If I remember correctly from C.C.'s many interviews, she has mentored MANY a constructor.
When cleaning the house,Fantasia is one of my favorites ..lovely music, delightful cartoons. I shared the Pastoral Symphony with my class while studying Greek mythology ; earlier in the year we watched The Rite of Spring because it showed a semi scientific explanation of the earth's evolution.Theory was the key word before going into Early Man.
Jeannie, we're all pulling for you.
Have been checking this site for ages for occasional help over a speed bump, but this is the first time I've followed the links and read the comments...and feel much enriched!
You have a great community of smart, kind, and funny people. I'll check back.
Re memorable quotes on marriage: I had a jaded single woman friend who said once, "I need a man who can satisfy me, both physically and financially."
IMHO Anonymous @ 10:02 am needs to go to Sleepaway Camp
Strom bones -- good one! :)
JazzB, I loved your DOGHOUSE comment, and thank you, Nancy, for giving us animal lovers a fun puzzle. The misleads didn't fool me this morning. I got ELSIE right away, but was so taken thinking of her that I put 'Cow's ear' instead of 'Sow's ear' by mistake for a while. Thanks too, Desper-otto, for reminding us of Ima Hogg.
My only question: is ROSE HIP really a fruit? I thought it was a nascent rosebud (BUDD) or something.
Anyway, have a great hump day everybody (I still feel a little embarrassed saying that, but I learned it on this blog).
Mari @ 12:41,
Unfortunately, Camp Sleepaway isn't there anymore. (check out the filming location on your link) But if Anon does come up, I'm sure I can show 'em where it was in the woods.
Pretty much what everyone else said,
Quite a grind for me today, many unknowns filled with perps, a few write overs, a couple of wags, and even some that were incomprehensible.(ier?) It's nice to see a puzzle that has everything that is still doable.
JzB, very entertaining, i am stealing some of your material...
Spitzboov @10:23 Thanks for the "ier" example, now it makes more sense. I guess i will have to stop saying "yes'm ms Helmsley" to my wife every time she berates me for not cleaning properly.
Misty- A rose hip truly is a fruit. It's simply the fruit of a rose bush. For some reason the hips have been bred out of the modern nursery rose, but wild roses have them. Hips are used to make tea, jam, jelly, syrup, soup, wine, pie, bread, and marmalade.
Chinchillas, guinea pigs, and horses love 'em. They are also loaded with vitamin c, anti-inflammatories, and antioxidants.
I wonder if they go well with beer and Old Crow?
Oops- My source was Wikipedia
Off-topic (but not by much).
A clue in today's CrosSynergy puzzle read: "C. in C.'s second-in-command"
1) Fleetingly, I thought: Argyle? 7-Up?
2) Then I thought, what was the name of Willie Aames' character in that Scott Baio show?
Does anyone (who didn't already do the puzzle) want to guess what the answer was? It has four letters.
And without looking it up, can anyone recall the answer to #2?
C in C's (commander in chief) would be veep.
no idea on number 2
Frank, I always thought it was the Secretary of Defense who was the commander-in-chief's second in command. That's a few more than 4 letters though.
Isn't Dennis C.C.'s second in command? I got that impression over the years. Or maybe it's Boomer?
-John
Jazz, one of your best ever efforts. I am still laughing at your wit and enjoying your links.
Ein/eine. In Japanese the gender and status of the speaker is reflected in the grammar and choice of vocabulary. Not so in German. Nouns in German and some other European languages are classified as masculine and feminine. In German, there are also neuter nouns. When the subject is a masculine or neuter noun EIN is used, When it is a feminine noun, EINE is used. In the accusative case (direct object) EIN changes to EINEN before a masculine noun. When the object is fem. or neut. there is no change.
It is interesting that in some German dialects the sun is masc. and the moon is fem. In others it is the reverse, depending on the climate determining the more benign body.
Good to hear the positive side of Leona H.
Grumpy, the use of 'Commander in Chief' led me to believe they were calling for second in command on the military side. You are probably right though.
-John
Acoording to gardening sites we do not see many rose hips because we cut most of the roses or prune the dead flowers before rose hips can grow. I have seen rose hips in roses that have gone to seed. All sites agree that rose hips are the swollen ovaries of the rose flowers containing seeds, hence a fruit.
All my family could afford to give me was one year of Girl Scout camp and one year of church camp. Fun. But my most rewarding organized camping experience was as a counselor for inner city "kids with problems," not "problem children." i have such heart warming and heart rending stories of that summer.
I still enjoy family tent camping with the wind soughing in the pines.
@Jerome 2:19pm Many thanks for the rose hips explanation, which, of course, makes perfect sense. As someone who was an avid gardener until my back went out, I should have remembered that flowers also produce 'fruit' in a sense. I still remember being surprised to learn that flowers produce those gorgeous blooms not for aesthetic reasons but in order to get fertilized so that they can reproduce. (Like a lot of us wearing make-up and cool dresses when we were younger, I guess). Anyway, many thanks--I learn a lot on this blog.
Grumpy - Yep, the answer was VEEP.
John/anon - Boomer! A classic answer. Us hubbies may think we're in charge, but we all know who really runs the show...
Bill G:
Yes, I do love Gabby Giffords even though I do not live in her district, but she has been such a valuable contributor for the good of our state and will be terribly missed.
I absolutely hate that she was deprived of her abilities.
Jerome:
I love your MOET!
Irish Miss@10:28
is THIS IMAGE sort of what you were referring to?
Some of the conversation today, reminded me of this quote.
From a wonderful movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
"Let me tell you something, Toula. The man is the head of the family but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants."
I found the theme answers and JzB's write-up very clever and fun for a Wednesday. I didn't come up with canoe for "craft at camp" immediately, but was V-8 moment for sure. I don't like rare (or reddened at all) steak, therefore I won't order steak at a nice restaurant. I still remember ordering well-done and being chided by the waiter,"you mean(9D) burnt!"
Jerome @ 11:30, loved ‘em all, but 76 STROM BONES takes the cake!!
Grumpy1@11:42, good one! Just guessing, but I think Tin would approve, too…
My fond memories of camp were from the summer I spent as the laboratory director at the Elliott P. Joslin Camp for Diabetic Boys in Charlton. We were responsible for doing the daily blood and urine blood sugar tests, so that the doctors on staff could regulate their insulin. The campers all learned that there were plenty of other kids who had the same disease, but that you could still live a normal, healthy, active life.
Their most memorable day was when Nicole Johnson (Miss America 1999) visited the camp, and gave a motivational speech to all the kids about how she copes with diabetes. I don’t know if they remember what she said, but they sure looked like they were hanging on every word…
I have many memories of working as a camp nurse in 3 States over the years. One summer we had 2 compound fractures due to repelling; a broken nose due to shooting the rapids;: a counselor resuscitated and flown out by helicopter; a teen with bleeding ulcers due to higher altitude; and of course, we didn't escape the flu. Although I never expected to sleep, I still loved my job and hoped to retire and live at a camp. Unfortunately,Registered Nurse who walk with a cane, shake and have memory problems are not in high demand.
HeartRx @7:54 and
Grumpy1 @11:42
If I was ever going to construct a puzzle the "themes" would probably be all the different "Avatar" I enjoy.
Brands such as:
Chivas Regal, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Dewar's, Duggan's Dew, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Laphroaig, Macallan,
McClelland, Oban, Royal Salute
With the reveal being: Sunset DIMPLE (aka PINCH).
Cheers ... it's almost time to Toast the Day.
Tin Man -
You missed my Favorites, Talisker and Lagavulin.
Cheers!
JzB
CrossEyedDave @4:03
Since I live in the Tampa Bay area, with the Republican Primary next Tuesday, your link to Irish Miss was very timely.
It got an actual "Out-Loud" laugh.
Thankfully, I only have to put up with the (panels description) candidates for 6 more days.
Jazz @5:23
Well it is my "Dream Puzzle" with my brands. lol
(Trust me, it was a sparse/partial list).
Yours go on the Liquor Store "To-Do" list.
Cheers!!!
Life has been keeping me from crossword land. I thought this was a fun puzzle and an especially entertaining write-up by JazzBumpa. The comments have been equally as enjoyable.
I went to girl scout camp early on. I still remember all the songs.
In my early teens I went to a riding camp in upstate NY. Looking back, there was minimal supervision. The day went like this: get up, eat breakfast, feed the horses, groom the horses, ride for at least two to three hours and then have the rest of the day off for what ever CRAFT or other activity one chose. My derelict cabin mates and I chose CANOE demolition derby. It consisted of hijacking the canoes and crashing them into each other. Afterwards we would smoke cigarettes in "The Peppermint Lounge" AKA the latrine.
Blue Iris,
Sorry to hear of your condition. Is it MS?
I never experienced summer camp, since I lived very close to a wonderful white sand beach, that was all I ever wanted.
Hola Everyone, I started the puzzle early this morning, but didn't finish it until after my meeting late this afternoon.
Most has already been said. My experience with the puzzle was much the same as many others had today.
I will mention the Leadership Camp that my grandsons attended. They both enjoyed it and I know it helped with their college and careers after they graduated.
I went to church camp as a camper and as a counselor. Both experiences were great. Our camp was in the midst of the CA Redwoods and the only drawback were huge banana slugs which crawled into everything! The University of CA at Santa Cruz chose the Banana Slug for their mascot. Who would have thought that lowly, ugly creature would have the status of a msacot? I thought it was a joke when I first heard about it.
Happy evening, everyone.
I forgot to mention, the CANOEs were UP A CREEK.
I am hoping when this gets posted that I will now have an avatar. It only took about 5 hours and lots of gnashing of teeth but I think I pulled it off. Fingers crossed. And, if I was successful, I owe thanks to Mari and CEDave.
PS Just checked preview and Mission Accomplished!
I hope all of you are having nice weather but you will have to be very lucky to equal today's weather in southern California. Here, it was in the low 70s with blue skies and a nice ocean breeze. I got a short bike ride in, a macchiato and then two pleasant hours of tutoring.
Bill G. - Yes, beautiful weather today. I've been admiring the snow in the distance on Mt. Baldy.
Irish Miss - Looks good!
Nice job, Irish Miss ... lookin' good! :-)
No time to finish the puzzle today,but I loved reading the comments.. Thanks, Jazz you are the best.
We are gearing up for the Brazilian Tornado's visit. She will be with us while the parental units have break.
Jeanie, keep the faith. I know how you feel. my husband has been unemployed for over two years. The good news is that we won't need to pay the lawyer to change our wills. the kids can hardly fight over a fourth of zero!
I realty am a Pollyanna!
@Norskybabs - don't be a stranger now you've found us!
Irish Miss- lovely!
Memory of Girl Scout camp-strep throat on 1st day-- have never had it since!
Chickie, those banana slugs are yukky, but they did a great job refashioning it as their mascot.
Bumpa, forget to tell you how much I enjoyed your write up.
Crazy Cat
LaLaLinda
JD
Thank you for your kind words, Makes it worthwhile for all the teeth-gnashing, most of it self-induced. Best to all.
Irish Miss
Your "avatar" is PERFECT !!!
(Do YOU call it "Shamrock"???)
My "avatar" goes by the name PINCH.
He says "Shamrock" gets the last "toast" tonight.
Cheers !!!
Irish Miss:
I like your cute avatar with its perky bow.
We also had a beautiful day here; it was in the low 70s and it's going to continue throughout the week.
Tinbeni: Yes, I call it a Shamrock and a toast to you from a Dewar's devotee!
Lucina: Thanks for your compliment.
Erin Go Braugh.
Hi all,
Fresh puzzle...very enjoyable! Nice job Jazz! Great comments, too! Very upbeat.
I went to camp and loved it. I sent my kids to camps. Calder to Boy Scout Camp where he later worked as a nature lodge director. When the boys who
assisted him wanted time off, Calder would have them put in a written request in Haiku form. Annie went to all kinds of camps...horseback riding, art, leadership and girlscout. Annie was in high school band and attended bandcamp every summer so she got plenty of teasing from her peers. Like 'Seen' at 11:47 said, " one time, at band camp..." She still shudders when after all this time, a friend may bring it up.
Annie's good news: @ 25 years of age, she has purchased a home of her own. It's a lovely and cozy place and we are very happy for her!
I am still having a problem getting the puzzle on my iPad. I continue to persevere. Dudley has been giving me pointers.
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