Theme: Hot as Ice. 3:17 Each of the theme entries uses just the opposite of the normal phrase, in terms of "temperature". So, definitely a "climate change".
17A.Tropical roadside area? : HOT SHOULDER. O.K. guys (and gals), 'fess up: how many of you have received the "Cold shoulder", lately??? If I were in Cancun, I think the "shoulder" of the road might be quite hot.
23A.Roughly, San Jose's population acting friendly? : WARM MILLION. I'd like to have a "Cool million" in my bank account right now. San Jose actually has a population of 945,942 people as of the latest census. So, "roughly" a million...and I hear they are quite friendly!
45A.Sentiments from a hepcat? : COOL REGARDS. I sign my emails to close associates "Fond Regards", but I guess it would be just as appropriate to say "Warm regards". If I were a hepcat, I guess I could be cool...
53A.Polar exploration? : COLD PURSUIT. Have you ever watched "Bad Boys" on cable? The cops are often in "Hot pursuit" of perps (that is, "perpetrators"). (...not to be confused with "perpendiculars", or "crossing" answers, as referred to on this blog...). But, if I were like Ernest Shackleton, I might think twice about making another cold polar pursuit!
The unifier sits in the middle of this grid:
35A.Environmental concern...and what's happening in 17-, 23-. 45- and 53- Across?: CLIMATE CHANGE ("Global warming" fits, as well...and gave me fits, until I corrected it with the perps !!).
Very unusual grid design, so let's look at what it holds...
Across:
1.Blood typing system : ABO. Right off the bat, a clue I can relate to! I am A+. Do you know your blood type? And
4.Sea once dotted with 1,500-plus islands : ARAL.
13.Prince, to Cecil Fielder : SON...OK, C.C., you got me here. I was thinking of the singer "Prince", who was born to John Nelson (so, was he a nephew of Cecil?... maybe a cousin??) But of course, this is a C.C.-Don G. collaboration, and I should have known that they were referring to the father of the Detroit Tigers first baseman "Prince" Fielder...
14.Discman maker : SONY
15.Name that means "pretty" : BONNIE. Is she bonnie?
16.Topeka-to-St. Paul direction : NNE
19.Morales of "Jericho" : ESAI
22.Ryder Cup team : USA. The other team is Europe. The players compete for no money, just for the victory!
27.Hazardous current : RIP. R.I.P. anyone who dares venture into such a current!
28.Stick on a stake : IMPALE. Maybe I can give you a better visual if you just picture a marshmallow being toasted on a stake...
29.Bog : MIRE
30.Unfair wear? : RAIN HAT. In weather that's not fair, in order to save your hair!
34.Literary miscellanea : ANAS
38.Sound of pain or pleasure : MOAN. OK, I won't go DF here...
39.Satisfied : CONTENT (...moan)
40.___ above : A CUT
41.Don's code : OMERTA. The so-called "code of silence" in the Sicilian Mafia.
44.Sharp-toothed fish : GAR. Fish with long jaws, filled with long sharp teeth.
50.Curling venue : ICE. The game of "curling". I wanted something to do with a salon or spa...
51.Frizzy do : AFRO. Now, that's curly!
52.Peel : PARE
58.London-born miler : COE. Runner Sebastian.
62.Works at the docks, say : LADES
63.Email folder : SENT
64.Hovel : STY
Down:
1. Comparably fresh : AS NEW...as a daisy?
Down:
1. Comparably fresh : AS NEW...as a daisy?
2. Tree in a tray : BONSAI
3. Like macho push-ups : ONE ARM. Not to be confused with these bandits...
4. Lenten symbol : ASH. The first day of lent is Ash Wednesday, for Catholics. Coming up on February 22.
5. Short hopper : ROO. Short for "kangaroo", not that we are referring to their diminutive stature!
6. Scout on the floor, perhaps : ANT. Thank goodness, ant season is over (for now) here in New England. (From C.C.: Hi there Ant. For you: Waiting to bat/the hitter swats/a swarm of gnats)
7. It helps you clean up : LYSOL. I'd rather have a maid, thank you.
8. Where Monet's cathedral series was painted : ROUEN. One of my favorite series. Just look at the different nuances in light and texture!
9. Commercial development done in one hr.? : ENL. Oh, photo development! Enlargement: "hr." is the abbreviation hint.
10. Permanent : ENDURING
11. Judgement day poem : DIES IRAE. If you really want to hear the words, go here. If you just want to have fun, go here.
12. Colorful shawls : SERAPES
15. Clod : BOZO. Predecessor to Ronald McDonal?
18. ___ polloi : HOI. From Greek, meaning "the many"
20. Evidence in a rug : IMPRINT. Oh, not burns?
24. Polite address : MA'AM
25. Like a pelvic artery : ILIAC
26. Slow, to Yo-Yo : LENTO. Yo-Yo Ma, world-famous conductor. His paternal ancestry can be traced back eighteen generations to the year 1217. (Update: I meant to say "cellist", not conductor!)
29. Femme fatale : MAN TRAP.
31. Layer : HEN. Cute clue!
32. Player : ACTOR
33. Amusement park focus : THEME.
35. Minute Maid parent company : COCA COLA
36. Adorned with a wreath : LAURELED
38. Like a charm, maybe : MAGICAL
42. Evidence in the snow : TRACKS. I love looking out my kitchen window after a snowstorm, and seeing the rabbit tracks across the back yard.
43. Skillful : ADROIT
45. Guitar tone changers : CAPOS. This was the style that my old pal Pat and I used in the '60s:
46. "Just the Two ___":1981 hit : OF US. Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton. Sighhh...if I have to. Here is the hit song from their album. Oh wait, the clue referred to the 1981 hit. Hmmm, that would be "More Than Just the Two of Us" by Sneaker?? (Ahhh, that's more like it!)
47. Immortal among hockey defensemen : ORR. Boston Bruin and crossword immortal.
48. Wins the battle of the bulge, ironically : LOSES
49. Five-star opposite? : SEEDY. HaHa, funny clue!
54. Rap's Dr. ___ : DRE. I'll let Len go there...
55. "What's the ___?" : USE
56. Author Fleming : IAN
57. "For shame!" : TUT. Tut, tut...don't tell me you didn't finish this one? (It's no shame-it was definitely a Thursday challenge!!)
Happy Ground Hog Day, everyone!
Hugs,
Marti
Constructors’ note from C.C.:
Constructors’ note from C.C.:
"I thought it would be fun to replace COLD, COOL, WARM & HOT in 2-word phrases with their opposites and have CLIMATE CHANGE as a unifier. CLIMATE CHANGE has 13 letters, tough to place in the end when we have 5 theme entries. So Don and I decided to put it in the middle and have other theme entries in descending degrees with warmth."
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteChallenging, yet fun, outing today. The theme was interesting and figuring it out early certainly helped with the rest of the puzzle.
Had trouble in the NE after first putting OBOES instead of REEDS and then putting ARLES instead of ROUEN. Elsewhere, the clues for IMPALE, IMPRINT and RAIN HAT all stymied me for awhile, so thats ection was also a challenge. I finally saw the light, though. Very tricky clue for RAIN HAT!
Like Marti, I assumed the "Prince" referred to at 13 across was the singer but, unlike Marti, I had no idea who the singer's real father was and had never heard of the baseball player, so it seemed like just a bit of interesting trivia and went in smoothly.
I really wanted MAN EATER at 29D. I don't think I've ever seen a woman referred to as a MAN TRAP before.
Marti,
ReplyDeleteJust noticed the ABO & A NEG dupe after reading your 1-A pair. Completely escaped us. Mine is O. So happy that lots of the original clues survived, esp "Don's code" for OMERTA, "Sound of pain or pleasure" for MOAN, "Slow, to Yo-Yo" for LENTO & "Wins the battle of the bulge" for LOSES. I clued Across, Don clued Down this time.
Prince Fielder was a new Tiger, he was with the Brewers for a long time. Power hitter.
Thanks for the cheerful and informative summary. Did not know that Yo-Yo Ma's ancestry can be traced that back. Yo means "friendly" in Chinese. So his name is Friendly Friendly. Ma is a popular surname, also means "horse".
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, C. C. and Don! Fun exposition, Marti!
Favorite answer: SEEDY.
My pool house has unrelenting ANT problems. Spiders and other crawlies too! Have ordered a new eco-friendly spray.
Had some gift cards to spend on more cacti for front of pool house. Saw a euphorbia that was incredibly pristine and spectacular. But very cold sensitive.
I enjoy reading your contributions!
Cheers!
Good Morning, Marti and Friends. What a fun theme! On my first pass, I was afraid that this would be a DNF. My first theme answer was COLD PURSUIT and I wondered what that meant. Then I got WARM MILLION, which lead me down the right path to fill in the remaining theme answers.
ReplyDeleteI liked how Curling Venue = ICE was right next to Frizzy Do = AFRO. My parents used to Curl, so I wasn't mislead by the former clue.
I need an Unfair Wear today. Very, very rainy!
I laughed at the Five-Star Opposite = SEEDY. I was thinking more along the lines of military, not a hotel.
IMPALE makes me think, not of marshmellows, but of VLAD.
I learned that Peel is not a Rind, but means to PARE.
I learned that Tease is not Rib, but KID.
SON was a pure Wag.
QOD: The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority. ~ Will Durant
Good morning C.C., Don G. et al.
ReplyDeleteI really, really loved this theme. It was especially elegant to see the progression from "HOT" to "COLD" in the theme entries. Thanks for a fun Thursday - you two always give me lots to work with for the write-up!
Meh! Big deal.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I add after such an astute post by anon?
ReplyDeleteJust The Two Of Us
Happy groundhog day, all!
ReplyDeleteStruggled, but finally won. Got the theme at HOT SHOULDER, so that helped a lot.
Still...BONITA before BONNIE. RIB before KID, HUT before STY. And I couldn't remember the last three letters of OMERTA, so the SE was the last to fall.
On 25D the clue sounded to me like it required an adjective form. I thought ILIAL rather than ILIAC. Isn't that a noun? Anybody?
I'm A-Neg, which is in the minority, but not so rare as B-Neg or AB-Neg. In two weeks I'll be eligible to donate again.
Hi CC, this is Kathy, from back in the day. I am at work now, but I had some time to check the blog. I didn't do too well, but loved reading the blog and everyone's comments. I miss it. I will be checking in when I can.....
ReplyDeleteThe Katherine I remember didn't have anything attached at her hip. Who is that?
ReplyDeleteThat little one that is attached to my hip is 13 years old now! I do remember your name. I can't believe how the time flies. Hi to everyone...
ReplyDeleteHow about posting the answer grid??
ReplyDeleteThanks.
The Dynamic Duo plus one>
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice challenge for Thursday and brought home by Marti. I am not sure why this took so long, but I jumped all over the place even after the theme revealed. WARM MILLION did it for me. I also have watched the signing of PRINCE FIELDER (what a great name for a baseball player) by Detroit which already has all star Miguel Cabrera playing first. Will he really go back to third? Happily?
H. I also thought of sweet Vlad, though the link said he was born in early 14th and was Prince in the 15th????
Kathy, it always nice to know people are out there. WM are you going send us some grand kid pics?
Answer grid has been published. Thanks for the heads-up.
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle CC and Don, got the unifier idea first with the clues for the first to theme answers hot and warm. Recalled who cecil fielder was so 13a came easy. other wise this was a good work out for a thursday. Happy ground hog day all.
ReplyDeleteClever and fun - thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe original femme fatale ”Mantrap”?
ReplyDeleteFYI: 1981 Hit "Just the Two of Us" is by Bill Withers. Check it out, I think you will recognize it.
ReplyDeleteI hope this does not get posted twice. I wrote a comment but when I hit preview it all went blank. I have not seen the puzzle yet but wanted to let you all know that Jimmy the Groundhog from Sun Prairie, WI did NOT see his shadow. So we will have an early spring. I understand that the PA prognosticator had a different prediction so I'm glad I'm in WI. I don't remember how many years this Jimmy has been the seer but so far, he has never been wrong.
ReplyDeleteDot
Great puzzle by Don and C.C. at just the right level! Some mental digging was required (OMERTA, ANAS), all the better! Last day of golf today as a BIG snow is coming.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-This old planet of ours has been changing its climate for eons and will keep doing so. The Little Ice Age is a book that posits that climate changes caused many historical events such as the Irish potato famine, etc.
-I was hanging on to COLD MILLING for a while
-C.C. can’t be happy that Prince is now playing for Twins’ rivals Detroit Tigers
-I watched a little girl get caught in a RIP tide at Cocoa Beach. Young men on beach went out and got her..
-Olds gave cwd’s REO and ALERO
-I wanted PASHMINA
-Musical Man Trap from Hall and Oates
-I tune my guitar down two steps and then CAPO up to play. It allows me to raise or lower key easily
How is Literary miscellanea = Anas?
ReplyDeleteAnswers.com says:
A genus of water fowls, of the order Anseres, including certain species of fresh-water ducks.
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteWhat Barry Said, except that I put REEDS right in. Where I did go wrong was putting in GLOBAL WARMING which really looked solid, for a while at least.
What a coincidence that ESAI and ESAU appear in the same puzzle so soon after my remark that I can't keep 'em straight. Probably still can't.
Tons of unknowns and sorta-knowns, such as ANAS. I don't recall seeing that one before, but it looks crossword friendly. What does it mean?
Thanks DGCC for another workout, and Marti for another elucidation!
Good morning everyone. Great write-up, Marti. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle today; not too hard. Did not know CAPAS, so the theming helped with that. 41a, Don's code had me scratching my head - I thought it might be linked to the co-cruciverbalist. But then after sussing MAN TRAP, I saw OMERTA emerging. Great clue. No other issues or 'Naticks'. Great job, Don and C.C. BZ
Off to play some bridge.
Thank you Don G. and CC for a very nice puzzle. I got the theme (surprisingly - ) and some of the answers - but a DNF. Beyond my ken. Thank you Marti for a very nice commentary. The US postal svc. has just issued a series of Bonsai 'Forever' stamps - the 1st cl. mail postage went up by 1 cent on 1/12/2012.
ReplyDeleteI am an O Neg. - universal donor - and I believe it is my duty and a mitzvah ( worthy deed - ), or rather a tzedakah ( righteous obligation ) to give as much blood as I can donate. However the American Red Cross has the most unnecessarily rigid and onerous rules, in the world, and has made it impossible for me to donate ! This is for something that would cost me nothing and not harm anyone else, and be of some use to mankind. Go figure.
Have a nice Groundhog day, you all.
Anon@8:38
ReplyDeleteLook up ANA.
Great theme - I liked the warm/cool flip flop. I had some trouble with this one - guess I didn't have my Thursday thinking cap on. I got the theme, but couldn't figure out a few of the clues. Like 30A Unfair wear? RAINHAT, and 33D: Amusement Park Focus: THEME (I wanted RIDES). 8A threw me off - I wanted GALES or GUSTS for Some Winds. I'll have to channel JzB next time.
ReplyDeleteBut I liked Layer: HEN (very clever), MAN TRAP, and the shout out to us A NEGs.
Have a happy! I hope my black cat brings you some good luck today.
Good morning all. Fun puzzle and great write-up. as usual. Knowing the theme definitely speeded up the solving.
ReplyDeleteana (n) - Bing Dictionary
an·a [ ánnÉ™ ] 1.collection of items: a collection of things connected with a famous person, place, or period, especially spoken or written information, anecdotes, or sayings
2.collectible item: an item in an ana
MANTRAP was used in many old movies.
HG, I want a pashmina, too, please.
Anony-Mouse. (from yesterday) Although I Google almost everyhting before I respond, I didn't Google Teabagging (art) because it sounded so arcane. Now, I see it is quite popular.
Thanks Yellowrocks! I looked in Wiki for ANA but only got confused.
ReplyDeletePS: Omerta (41A) was fresh in my mind after recently doing an interview with Al Capone's grand-niece Deidre Marie Capone
ReplyDeleteHeartRX: I loved the Clara Bow picture!
ANAS is often clued as "Santa ___: California winds". So it was a little trickier today to suss the meaning from the clue, but it is still a valid word.
ReplyDeleteI found this puzzle tougher than most of you evidently did. But it is consistent with the progrssion this week and was a lot of fun. Caught the theme at Warm Million, then backed up to Hot Shoulder to confirm. That helped, and I also had about half the perps in the reveal by the time I tackled that one, so no Global trap for me.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't recall who sang "Just the Two of Us", but it sure set off the right earworm. Now, can that be exorcized? THIS might just do it.
They do say Clara Bow was one of the first stars. Thanks M.
ReplyDeleteYou know we have a different DF level and crowd and we have all this talk of teabagging and it is about folding stuff. Howard Stern where are you? Doing reality TV!?!
It is interesting that CC mentioned that Yo means 'friendly'. I spent some years in Thailand, and learnt Thai, and the word 'Ma' has atleast 7 meanings, including - 'mother', 'cow', 'present' and congee rice.... obviously intonation and ref. to context are very important. On a related subject, I wonder if 'punning', or the use of puns exist in other languages as well ?
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, I had a neighbor named Ja Ja Ling, or Jahja Ling - an Astt. Cond. of the Clev. Orch. - he was from Indonesia, but of chinese ancestry. Like others of his ilk, he was a child prodigy and learnt piano at the age of 3... now Cond. of the San Diego Orch. Unfortly I had no knowledge of the subject, and worse, even less interest, so it was like a cobbler trying to appreciate an Einstein.
I always thought of the 'femme fatale' as 'Mata Hari', a Dutch exotic stripper, turned incompetent spy,(WW 1 ? ) with a pretend Hindu goddess name -
Cool puzzle! My effort was slow and challenging.
ReplyDeleteMany unknown connections such as ARAL having lost islands, MANTRAP, COCOA COLA as a parent company for Minute Maid, anything about either Prince, or what DIES IRAE was about, since I only know the phrase from CWs.
I only ended up with one mess--MAC for HAT, and since amusement park conveyed something much smaller to me than a THEME park, I figured CHEME must just one of the many things I'd never heard of. MEN was one I never even thought to look at again after my last fill: CONTENT. I guess I was fooled into thinking of ply and tier for layer, and never looked at the final result that was perped.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Don and C.C., for a great puzzle, albeit a tough pone. Thank you., HeartRx, for the review.
ReplyDeleteI wanted ABO at first for 1A, but held off because I did not have a crossword. Later I entered that corner.
I believe the ARAL Sea is the one that is drying up, if I remember correctly. All those islands are probably mounds now.
Got the theme with COLD PURSUIT. That helped with the rest. CLIMATE CHANGE was my last to fill in.
Marti: I liked the Wagoner/Parton version best. I watched their show on TV many decades ago.
ANA or ANAS, is a crossword staple we have had for years. It is in the dictionary. You know, the one on the bookshelf.
I was confused on ROO, but after reading this I realized it was the "short" version of the word. I initially thought the clue was off base, but now I do not. Good job.
I am O-Pos and try to give every eight to ten weeks. Now that I have my blood pressure down, they will take my blood. For a while they would not. I was 180/110.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Hi C.C. & gang, my wife is working at home tending to a sick cat so we teamed up on today's puzzle.
ReplyDeleteRuth suggested posting this:
Here's a link to one of Ruth's project pages: Nobel Prize winner Dr. Burton Richter book on climate change in the 21st century
And a link to the Richter blog
Good Morning! Enjoyed the puzzle and learned from the write-up, what could be better?
ReplyDeleteLoved " unfair wear", Did the down clues first and really wanted 15D to be boob rather than BOZO, but OOZE fixed that. Would never have gotten MIRE except that I'm reading a Lincoln/Child book where they are in Scotland with many references to a foulmire.
Got 4A purely because ARAL was the only 4 letter sea I could think of.
If you want a really good read, pick up "Endurance". It's the account of Shackelton's search for the South Pole, written from his own diaries. Riveting stuff!
Oops, That's a Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child book.
ReplyDeleteGood morning to all. Thanks Don and C.C. for a good Thur. puzzle, and to Marti,as always a cut above. I got the first parts easily then perps helped fill in second parts of themes. I am A-POS and only knew because I needed a transfusion after my surgery back in Nov. Don't know about 6 more weeks of winter as it is pushing 80 here today. a great day to all RJW.
ReplyDeleteWhat famous man's "last words he heard on Earth" were, "you sockdologizing old man-trap"?
ReplyDeleteFore!
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteAt first I noticed just the HOT-->COLD progression, and only after filling in the second part of the theme answers did I see how COOL this puzzle really is! Lots of fun, Don and C.C.
As always, Marti, your write-up was both entertaining and informative. OMERTA was new to me and at 11D I was seeing DIESIRAE as one word which brought me to a 'huh?'
~~ I liked the sounds of 'Tree in a tray' and 'Stick on a stake' and as a bonus the 'I' joined them!
~~ Like desper-otto, I had 'Ilial' instead of ILIAC at 25D so it took a bit to get CONTENT.
~~ Argyle ~ Thanks for the Bill Withers link ... his version was what was in my head as I filled that in. (Love your anon-inspired cat avatar!)
~~ C.C. ~ My husband is thrilled with the Tigers acquiring Prince Fielder, especially with V-Mart having a torn ACL.
I thought the line was from My American Cousin, and it was the line for which Booth waited to fire at Lincoln. Not in nebraska, but Ford's theater.
ReplyDeleteMorning C.C. Don G. Marti and all,
ReplyDeleteNot an easy one by any means , but doable
I don't need anymore coffee , my brain is wide
awake after this workout, one question tho ?
If I RIP my pants , I can feel some current ,
but how's that Hazardous ?
Learning moment OmertÃ
Y'all have a good day
This is a great example of how to take a stale idea and turn it into a fresh winner. Congrats Don & C.C.!
ReplyDeleteZ., mine was a 280 2+2 bought in '75. Gold, loved it until the hood was mangled by a straight back truck at an outdoor concert in Georgia.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, do not know if you were being serious, but for us in Florida RIP CURRENT is a very serious, sneaky and dangerous phenomenon, even though we do not usually have big waves.
Oh , and I thought Glover Washington Jr
ReplyDeletesang Just The Two of Us !?
Lemon,
ReplyDeleteMine was a 1983 280ZX white on gray TTops 5 speed
, I loaned it to a friend
one time , he went out got drunk and wrecked it,
Thank goodness he didn't kill anyone , or himself
I was serious to the RIP question in a joking manner
If that makes any sense , but you answered , thank you
You two are something else! Clever, witty, and fun. I'm lovin' this puzzle. It's nice to see DIES IRAE in full, rather than broken up in that always cruddy partial.
ReplyDeleteDouble cruddy-
IMPALE- Kinda wan myself
SEEDY- They follow A and B
Quick, what runs down the TRACKS in a RAIN HAT. AH... TRAIN?
In HOT SHOULDER, HE SHOUT, LORD!
And the last time I talked to the lord about CLIMATE CHANGE
A ANGEL HIT ME,C.C.!
Hi Marti et al
ReplyDeleteI liked how you swapped "opposites" of the theme entries for the common phrase - HOT/COLD SHOULDER/PURSUIT and WARM/COOL MILLION/REGARDS. Seemed such nice symmetry.
Hand Up for GLOBAL WARMING and then a whole lot of head-scratching.
I had to bounce around this one for a little while - very nice challenge.
Fave clues were for RAIN HAT and IMPALE.
Near Natick for me at DIES IRAE and ANAS - my SWAG worked, thankfully.
I use a CAPO to change the key of my guitars, not the tone, but that's just my nit.
Hello, Marti, C.C., Don G., and all.
ReplyDeleteAnother winner today from our dynamic duo! Have you completed the 7 day cycle yet?
On first pass I thought this was daunting until some downs started to fill as I knew ROUEN, DIESIRAE and SERAPES.
Kazie:
The DIES IRAE is sung at the Mass for the dead. It is a mournful but quite beautiful chant.
Seeing CLIMATECHANGE led to WARM and the other theme reveals. Clever and appropos.
However, I had no idea about CAPOS (usually that is the Mafia Don) which would have related to OMERTA. New word for me.
I am O+ as well and used to donate blood regularly until hypertension sidelined me. I can't believe I used a baseball term!
Happy Groundhog day, everyone!
Please don't make retarded puzzles, this one was.
ReplyDeleteThis thing about the opposite sucked. I love a good entertaining puzzles where my brain can get into gear and learn.
Really tough (while I was working on it) yet really brilliant (after I miraculously got it!) So thank you, Dynamic Duo--you are now my favorite constructor team!
ReplyDeleteToday is not only Groundhog Day, but also James Joyce's birthday (born Feb. 2, 1882). He pushed his publisher hard to get his novel 'Ulysses' published on his 40th birthday in 1922.
Okay, okay, not as interesting as Phil and that little Wisconsin critter but I wanted to mention it as prelude to confessing my great learning moment today: 34A ANAS. Never heard of it, so many thanks for the explanation, Yellowrocks 9:00am. It makes perfect sense of course, see "Americana," etc.
Have a great Thursday, everybody!
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteFun write-up Marti. Not being a Britney fan, I didn't realize she has A Song of Ice and Fire.
Brilliant puzzle. The switches are clever and funny. Not an easy time, by any means, but I did make it through. Great long fill. Ignore the BOZO comment above.
Symmetries:
Mexican Mystics wear MAGICAL SERAPES.
That cheap hotel isn't run down, it was SEEDY AS NEW.
Do you find the MANTRAP IMPRINT in a rug -- or a matress?
Do ESAU and ESAI make a PARE?
We get to watch granddaughter Amanda dance tonight.
COOL REGARDS!
JzB the occasionally ADROIT trombonist
See ANONY-MOUSE @9:26.
ReplyDeleteWe keep hearing and saying that English is so strange and difficult. In the 9:26 post we have an example of other languages being difficult. In Japanese, the same spoken word can have several meanings, only distiquishable by context. However, in writing each meaning is represented by a different Kanji (Chinese character.)
Sometimes when we asked for the logic behind certain language customs the teacher replied,"That's just the way it is." And from life long familiarity with the custom, she did not notice the incongruence.
I believe there are strange and difficult things for newcomers in many languages.
Carl, if it wouldn't be too terribly much trouble, please go screw yourself.
ReplyDeleteThank you; that is all.
Dennis, If he did that would he be dating himself?:-)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the puzzle. It was nice to see my daughter's name in the puzzle
ReplyDeletePretty unusual, a Leporidean sheep herder. This video makes it hard to give a sheep much respect anymore. It's a little long and repetitive but I enjoyed it. Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit indeed.
Bill G. ~ Cute video of the mighty rabbit and ... I don't think I'll EVER get that tune out of my head! ;-)
ReplyDeleteHello all. New Poster here.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle, it was a BAW solve for me. I got the HOT and COOL and deduced the WARM and the COLD pretty quickly for the theme answers. Saw that GLOBAL WARMING fit size-wise but not theme-wise, so the CLIMATE didn't CHANGE until much later. So I just kind of wandered around the puzzle filling in something here and figuring out an answer there until it came together. Loved it.
Liked CAPOS with OMERTA. Would have been fun to clue it "Don's main men."
I told my wife about the blog and that the many of the main contributors frequently have puzzles featured in the LA Times. Her comment was, "Isn't that a conflict of interest."
Very enjoyable puzzle and blog. Thanks!
BTW - BAW = back-ass-ward
Well, we've all done THAT, so to speak, but I'm curious about what the view is like when one has one's head that far up one's.... well, you know?
ReplyDeleteMost of my interests conflict with something, or someone. :)
ReplyDeleteCarl, You no like, you no look. Nobody is forcing you to do the puzzle. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. Man oh man I loved the textured layering of this puzzle. What complex and imaginative minds you two constructors have!
ReplyDeleteLike many of you, I had to jump around a lot, but managed to eventually solve it all without looking anything up.
Some terrific fill!
Wonderfully fun and tricky cluing, too. After "Tree in a tray" (yes, I did that down before the across), I couldn't see the "stick" in "Stick on a stake" as anything but a noun. Killer :)
Also really liked "Unfair wear."
Nice shout out to San Jose.
I'm O-neg and used to donate regularly until they discovered some sort of unwelcome antibody.
ESAI and ESAU. TRACKS and IMPRINT.
Best wishes to you all.
To Lemonade: I sent you an email responding to your question.
ReplyDeleteAbejo
Carl, PLEASSSSE go away and never come back. It is obvious you have no wit or soul.
ReplyDeleteHG, no response on the last words?
Thanks JzB for the Game of Throne's link, I am into book 4 and waiting for season 2. I appreciate the series much more having read the books, and with the wonderful world of CG, I guess they make it all happen, except the 13 year old girls and 15 year old boys are much more mature.
Papa Cass, the CAPOS-OMERTA combination is great, but maybe C.C. does not know mafia captains are known as Capos, or thought the knowledge too obscure.
Lemonade, the post limit applies to you too. You're now at 6.
ReplyDeleteTo Creative Carl:
ReplyDeleteI suggest you wallow with your own type and leave us alone. Then, we will all be happy.
Abejo
Here on the Pacific coast we call them RIP tides, and they are as dangerous as Lemonade says they are. Wikipedia says rip tide is a misnomer.
ReplyDeleteI once knew a guy named Nomer. Nobody ever called him Miss Nomer. Nobody ever called him Mister Nomer either, for that matter.
Marti: Nice write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteAmusement Parks (in Florida) like
to focus on "The-Me".
Avatar abhors ICE.
A "neat" toast to all at Sunset.
virginia, who is the author of "Endurance", the book you referred to? Several books of that name come up in my Kindle search, all dealing with the Shackelford expedition. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJohn L., thanks for stopping by! Loved your puzzle on Sunday. When do we see another?
ReplyDeleteBill G., funny "run, rabbit, run" clip. I wonder if he can also herd cats?
Jazzb, I’m not a Britney Spears or a Cindy Lauper fan, either. I linked those just to see if I could get a nose wrinkle from anyone…
I'm looking for new books to order and to read on my Nook that I got for a Christmas present. I think I've read everything that Robert B. Parker has written. Other authors/books that you can suggest?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the Women's No. 1 Detective Agency. I think I've read all of them too. What about 44 Scotland Street? I've read The Help and The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and enjoyed both of them very much. I need to find some new books and authors.
ANON @2:45. I counted Lemonade's posts several times. They total 5. I tutored kdg. thorugh 8th grade and also tutored the writing of H.S. term papers. I am sure I could teach you to count.
ReplyDeleteAnother rule of this blog, an even more important one, is "Play nice."
Jayce - I have a copy of "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing with photographs by Frank Hurley, the expedition's photographer. Illustrated edition of 2002. Lansing's original copyright is for 1959. I believe you mean Shackleton vs. Shackelford?
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 2:45 - Could you please count accurately? I don't know whether I should be disturbed or not. You're not helping.
Bill G:
ReplyDeleteOur book club recently read The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips and we all loved it. You might also.
Dennis and AvgJoe:
Wouldn't that be a COLD PURSUIT?
For Bill G: Have you ever read Clive Cussler books? Dirk Pitt was his original hero now updated to Kurt Austen in his book series with Paul Kemprecos...
ReplyDelete;-)
I think that my wife and I have read almost all of Cussler and Parker books - now Ruth downloads e-books to her Kindle Fire.
Spitzboov, thanks. Yes, I meant to say Shackleton.
ReplyDeleteYour response to Creative Carl, and other Anons, prompts me to post this WARNING
ReplyDelete(it is another gem from Julian Lennon's Facebook wall photos)
YR & Spitz:
ReplyDeleteLemon removed his 11:24 AM comment asking Abejo to email him.
I believe C.C. allows Argyle, Dennis, Lemon, Marti and the "guest Blogger" extra comments.
Dennis: I had the "Avatar" ready for Carl.
(I used it to respond to Anons yesterday.
Admittedly, a bit over the top. Oops!)
Ed.Note: I will NEVER change Avatar again.
Carl: It is OK to disagree in a civil manner.
For instance, tomorrow is Friday.
Also know as "Add-a-letter" or "Change-a-letter", create a "whacky or pun" theme Day.
Not my favorites style of puzzle.
But I wouldn't say they are "retarded".
Cheers.
There were also at least 2 documentary films made about "Endurance". I've seen one, but don't remember for sure if it was This one with Liam Neeson as narrator. Saw it on one of the cable channels, probably A&E, back in c 2002. It was very good and the story is quite amazing. "Where the hell did you guys come from?" is a prominent tag line from the story, but you have to know the details to get that part. I won't spoil it.
ReplyDeleteTinbeni, my understanding is that the bloggers can exceed 5 on their blogging days, since they'll typically be responding to comments related to their comments.
ReplyDeleteAs to Argyle and me, I don't know that there's a limit as 'administrators', but I don't think you've seen either of us abuse the privilege.
Hope this helps.
Should have good news by morning!
Lemon, I just got back in off the course and saw your response (4:22 pm CST).
ReplyDeleteYes, Abe's last spoken auditory experience did contain the words MAN TRAP. It wasn't in Nebraska as we did not become a state until Mr. Lincoln was dead for 2 years. However, we did name our capital after him.
We have 8+ inches of snow coming and so that will be my swan song on the links. I have played 10 days in January and so that is like playing with house money.
I never let me kids go out very far in the Atlantic because of the rip tides. The tattooed kids that saved that little girl were smoking and drinking but jumped right up when the father started yelling that his daughter was going out to sea.
CC:
ReplyDeleteThought i had it all figured out when the temperatures emerged, but it took a visit to the Blog to make me realize i had only scratched the surface. Very nicely done...
Being a guitar player, i put "fret" right away, and reluctantly changed it later.
"Stick on a stake" had me pulling my hair out, its what made me go red letter in the end.
9D enl - i was sure it was "pic." Messed up my whole NE corner.
(P.S. - I spent an hour, took a 3 hour break, and then spent another hour on this puzzle. Thanks for the fun.)
Hey Len,
ReplyDeleteDon't go away mad or bitter. I enjoyed your posts, even when I disagreed with you. You have a lot to contribute. I know how tempting it is to answer immediately, especially if you are used to other blogs with no limit. I am conscious of the 5 post limit and sometimes write down my thoughts and save them to bundle with other responses in a later post. You will get used to our rhythm. Don't be a stranger.
Hi Y'all,
ReplyDeleteHad WARM Millieu for a while. Ran though the whole puzzle and was stumped. Went to the grocery store and read the Minute Maid carton for that answer. Can't drink OJ. After grocery shopping was too tired to make sense of the puzzle, so came to the blog to get me going.
Loved the rabbit/sheep link. Reminded me of our dachshund rounding up escaped cattle with me being seven months pregnant. Those cows did not like that yapping little dog, but didn't kick him. I couldn't have got them back in the pen without him.
Thanks for the write-up and links.
This should have been a Friday puzzle. So much "cleverness" than when I did know the answer, I figured it was too easy and couldn't be right.
ReplyDeleteHi CC, Don and Folk,
ReplyDeleteGood job today...it was smooth sailing from start to finish.
I enjoyed your write up Marty. Very entertaining.
So, Don's code/Omertà is an inside joke...kinda?
@Hahtool, back in the day, you would perhaps have had one of these stashed in your pocketbook for just such a day!
UNFAIR WEAR.
Dennis@1:12. What if he adopted his girlfriend and scr...oooops! I guess she wasn't retarded. Or at least not that the reporters on FOX News Network mentioned?!?
I don't seem to have anything insightful to say today.
It's not like this place is seedy, but...
I'm (checking) out.
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteThat was my point.
As "Blog Administrator's" and "Blog Contributor's" you are allowed more latitude.
(I didn't say you ever abused the privilege).
Lemon's earlier comment to Abejo was a request for an email (on the subject of lowering his blood-presure).
When he got it (the email) he removed it.
Then ...
When Lemon made his @2:41 comment,
Anon@2:45 "jumped" to admonish him.
Geez, that was petty.
Husker:
Glad to hear you got to "go for the brown."
Cheers !!!
Hola Everyone, A great puzzle C.C. and Don G. Thanks Marti for clarifying ENL. That was a total Huh? for me.
ReplyDeleteI managed to finish the puzzle today, but not without the help of my Crossword dictionary. I had to look up Cecil Fielder and also Rouen. I had a V8-can moment with Reeds. I wanted Santa Anas--too long or Urals just right, but not right.
Loved the clues for Slow, to Yo-Yo, Unfair wear?, and Some winds (Once I was away from weather and into instruments).
Dot, Our spring started shortly after Christmas. I've only worn my heavy coat about two times all winter.
Jerome, As usual, very, very clever.
Loved the shout out to my Home City of San Jose. Would that we all had a cool million!
Bill G. I've just ordered "The Grace of Silence". My daughter's book club highly recommends this book by the NPR commentator, Michele Norris. Read the reviews in Google.
ReplyDeleteBill G.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the Lee Child
or the Tess Gerritsen series?
I enjoyed both of them.
One and out.
eddy
I noticed how bitter the anons have been this week. Thanks for clearing it up YR.
ReplyDeleteDuh! D'oh! Head slap! and V8!
Hi all. Thanks C.C., Don and Marti
ReplyDeleteJust made my whole post disappear while previewing. It was MAGICAL.
Had to struggle with this one. Took a break and was finally able to finish. My big problem area was the SE where I, like others, had RIND before PARE, RIB before KID, HUT before STY and OMENTA (too much Dr. Oz?). My paper also had a big white blot where 22 and 27 across should have been. TUT!
Haven't heard of MAN TRAP, sounds like the opposite of Chick Magnet. I think Yo Yo Ma is a chick magnet. Love his music.
Nice Thursday level of difficulty and tricky clues.
I like all the kitty cat avatars LOL.
Bill G - is that Babe the Bunny?
Tinbeni - I thought your avatar was perfect!
JD - Cute Groundhog Day video yesterday!
Frenchie: I remember my grandmother having one of those rainbonnets. I think she got them after a visit to the "beauty parlors "
ReplyDeleteCC and Don, it was a clever and fun puzzle. Marti, I always enjoy your write-ups. I'm afraid for me there was some mental digging and alot of red letter cheating. OOPS...maybe I'm not suppose to admit that?! Still enjoyed the whole experience.
ReplyDelete@ EddyB late yest- Thanks for clarifying(LOL). BUT I did say dessert bombes, not desert bombs. My son, who served in Iraq, tells me there is an unpleasant difference.
Frenchie and Hahtool - unfairwear
ReplyDeleteMy mil had those "rain bonnets" until she died in 2006. She had her hair "done" once per week and did everything possible in between to preserve the "do."
BillG., have you read "Water for Elephants"? Its been one of my favorites in the past year.
ReplyDeleteI like Harlan Coben, JAJance, Tami Hoag, Jonathan Kellerman, Faye Kellerman, Stuart Woods, Randy Wayne White, Maeve Binchy.....
My Mother has a saying: "Those who can do; those who can't criticize."
ReplyDeleteI will add that silence is better than saying unkind things. We all love these puzzles and enjoy the blog, so what is the point? I guess to get a reaction.
I LOVED today's puzzle, and it definitely was not a meh. Was afraid at first that it would be a DNF, but once I caught on to the theme, things began to come together. I not only finished, but had a perfect score, and I felt proud because the puzzle was difficult.
So thank you CC, Don and Marti. I do not believe most people realize all of the hard work and dedication that goes into these efforts, just so the rest of us can have fun!
My family loved the "Babe" movie. All I could think about watching BillG's 1:21 link was "That'll do rabbit. That'll do."
ReplyDeleteCC, I've always thought YoYO Ma was such a memorable name. Nice to know what it means.
My husband and I are both B+ (I tried to have him direct donate to me in 1986, but Kansas had passed a law against it. I was told it was to prevent the blood supply from drying up.)
We interrupt this blog for a PSA. For those of you in the current target zone, as well as those in other parts of the country, we are bracing for the first serious storm of the winter here in the heartland. Here's a Weather service link that should always be up to date. (It also can be used to find your own area if you prowl the site.)
ReplyDeleteThis storm looks nasty folks. They're predicting from 5 to 14" and blizzard conditions in Nebraska right now, and that's changing by the hour. Points further east aren't getting any ink so far, but it will no doubt have an impact on many of you. Stay tuned. This will be ugly. Recess is over.
The mention of sheep gives me an opportunity to share this video. There is not a rabbit in sight to explain this BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Startrek had an episode titled "The Man Trap," but i don't find HER appealing.
Great cw today but definitely too hard for me--never even got a toehold.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Bill G, Ant, and CE Dave for trying to help me post a picture. I haven't fooled with it yet. I did do the Ctrl f thing today to find the rabbit video again to show my husband--worked great.
Bill G: I've been reading a lot of James Patterson, Jonathon Kellerman and Faye Kellerman lately. Also like the novels about Scarpetta, a medical examiner. I can't think of the author's name, but I'm sure someone on the blog will know it.
Greetings fellow puzzles folk,
ReplyDeleteGreat challenge today, loved the
theme and write up.
While at a carwash a few years back
a group of people were standing around waiting for our cars to be done. One of those cars was a patrol car and the officer was among the waiting group. What we noticed was the light bar atop the car was on, flashing like crazy while coming through the sprayers.
Finally someone asked the officer why the lights were on.
Without missing a heartbeat he replied “I am in hot pursuit” which got him a lot of laughs and round of applause.
Still chuckle when I think of it like today while doing this puzzle.
Apparently they leave the lights on so the computer run equipment can recognize where the top is and not rip the light bar off.
Hi all. i really enjoyed this offering from the Dynamic Duo and Marti's write up was delightful. As soon as I realized that the theme entries were a bit odd sounding, I suspected the old switcheroo was lurking. Very clever.
ReplyDeleteJust about four years ago we sailed past Elephant Island, where the crew of Endurance had awaited Shackleton's return. We then sailed to So Georgia Island and saw the place where he landed on the uninhabited East side of the island. We then sailed around the north end and anchored in the harbor of the old whaling station where Shackleton finally found help after crossing the mountain. It's too bad he didn't have skis. It would have been a beautiful downhill run from the crest to the whaling station.
We spent a few hours on shore prowling around the old whaling station and walking among the seals, sea lions and penquins. Ours was the largest cruise ship (700 passengers) ever allowed to put passengers ashore. It was a very educational experience.
Funny how coincidences happen in crosswords - one of my near-Natick words today turns up the same day in the Washington Post!
ReplyDeleteAvg Joe, good luck -- that's a nasty-looking storm. Do keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteCrossEyedDave, truly a strange video.
Tinbeni, thanks for the synopsis. No need to get defensive; no one accused you of anything.
Grumpy 1, what were you sailing on?
Patricia Cornwell
ReplyDelete@ Dennis We were on Holland America's Prinsendam on a 68 day Circle South America/Antatrica cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale.
ReplyDeleteYes - Patricia Cornwell wrote the Kay Scarpetta series of medical forensic novels and they can be riveting. As someone else mentioned, Tess Gerritsen's medical mysteries are fascinating reading - especially loved Harvest. Also, I enjoy anything by John Grisham, but his early ones are best - A Time to Kill and The Firm.
ReplyDeleteI was totally on the constructors' wavelength today - not a speed run by any stretch of the imagination, but with a lot of thought and effort I got it. Made me feel super smart, but that will all change tomorrow and Saturday! Good thoughts for safety are directed toward HG and Avg Joe and anyone else in the path of the pending storm. I feel pretty safe in the central valley, but you never know when the next earthshaker could change that.
Cheers to all on TGIF eve.
Good evening all,
ReplyDeleteIt's all been said, and even though I cheated to finish, I loved it. On days like these, Marti is a lifesaver with heart and humor.
Fav. clue: "tree in a tray" (so good!)
Fav. answer: seedy LOL!
Cross eyed Dave..best links!
Patricia Cornwell is the author Susan couldn't remember. Her older ones are her best, like Body Farm, From Potters Field, Body of Evidence, Post Mortem- very graphic. Later ones are so-so.
If you haven't seen the movie (and it was good),Lincoln Lawyer was great (Michael Connelly).
Nelson DeMille is another good author.
C.C., my goal is to be able to do one of your puzzles in an hour with only 1 or 2 look-ups!
Grumpy, 68 days?? That's pretty amazing -- were there a lot of port calls?
ReplyDeleteBill G - you might also enjoy the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They are a lot of fun and the first one was just released as a movie - One for the Money. Quick reads that are a hoot!
ReplyDeletehello to my friendly bloggers!
ReplyDelete(this is me ignoring the inane anon comments that keep peppering this lovely site.)
late go at the puzzle today - but i was so excited to see it was a Don/C.C. venture! my favorite duo! and then a most entertaining write up Marti! thanx to all of you.
in high school i got to type my blood - A POS (easy to remember because i always get an A+).
loved the bunny clip - i, too, thought of the movie Babe "...because everyone knows that sheep are stupid..."
growing up in/on the ocean, my mother always taught me that if caught in a RIP tide, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim in. saved me many times!
thanx again Don, C.C and Marti for a fun time this evening. better than the vacuuming i was doing earlier!
happy groundhog day!
t.
BTW, Lucina, you still haven't used a baseball term. (@11:54AM)
ReplyDeleteSidelined is more of a football term.
Hi CC, Don and Folk,
ReplyDeleteGood job today...it was smooth sailing from start to finish.
I enjoyed your write up Marty. Very entertaining.
So, Don's code/Omertà is an inside joke...kinda?
@Hahtool, back in the day, you would perhaps have had one of these stashed in your pocketbook for just such a day!
UNFAIR WEAR.
I don't have anything that hasn't already been brilliantly
said today...and it's not like this place is seedy, but...the time has come...
I'm (checking) out.