Theme: Executive Privilege, By The Numbers - Four long entries that inelegant I will never encounter.
17A. Elegant business garb : THREE-PIECE SUITS
27A. Elegant business dinner : FOUR-COURSE MEAL
46A. Elegant business accommodations : FIVE-STAR HOTELS. Two plural. Two singulars in the theme set.
61A. Elegant business reward : SIX-FIGURE INCOME
Bonus: 44D. Wealthy group : THE RICH 53D. One in business who is no stranger to the elegant things in this puzzle : EXEC
Argyle here. Neat point is that the numbers are all hyphenated. Our constructor graced us with a Friday puzzle in January. Maybe we will get one for each day of the week. That would be nice(not french).
Across:
1. Filled tortilla : TACO
5. "__ to the Chief" : HAIL
9. Lincoln's legendary log home : CABIN
14. "Pronto!" initials : "ASAP!". (as soon as possible)
15. Killer whale : ORCA
16. Barely ahead in the game : UP ONE
20. Spirited meeting? : SEANCE. I'm not sure whom to thank but there are several mildly tricky clues today.
21. Cell phone message : TEXT
22. Building site : LOT
23. Seemingly forever : EONs
25. Office seeker, briefly : POL
34. Tolkien tree creature : ENT
35. Concerning a heart chamber : ATRIAL. Bad if they fibrillate.
36. New York NFL team, familiarly : G-MEN. (Giants)
38. "__ is human ..." : TO ERR
40. Down with the mouth : EAT. Cute.
41. "__, girl!": words of encouragement : YOU GO
42. __-American : AFRO
43. Quick on the uptake : ASTUTE
45. Down in the mouth : SAD
49. Diplomat's HQ : EMB. (embassy)
50. Captain of the Nautilus : NEMO. The Nautilus(Greek for sailor) is the fictional submarine featured in Jules Verne's novels "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870)
51. Imitate : APE
54. Pub order : PINT
57. Increase, as production : RAMP UP
64. Smudge : SMEAR
65. Catchall abbr. : MISC.
66. Heidi's mountains : ALPS
67. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE. and who is the father -of-pearl?
68. Not just one : BOTH
69. Quiz, e.g. : TEST
Down:
1. Body art, for short : TATS. (tattoo's) Remember when TATS meant to make 8-Down : LACE. (Tie, as shoes)
2. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE
3. Dear, in Bologna : CARA. Cara Mia(1:47) A Cappella and definitely not by Jay and the Americans.
4. Warm-up act : OPENER
5. "Heaven forbid" : "HOPE NOT"
6. Magnate Onassis : ARI. Jackie Kennedy's husband.
7. Rapper whose name sounds like a refreshing beverage : ICE T. He has been on the long-running(2000 to present) TV series, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola.
9. Usual procedure : CUSTOM
10. "The Simpsons" storekeeper : APU
11. Heat, as water : BOIL
12. Captivated by : INTO
13. Egg holder : NEST. 'Tis the season for nesting.
18. Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf : ECOCAR
19. Kick out : EXPEL
24. Most certain : SUREST
26. Danish toy block maker : LEGO
27. Greek cheese : FETA. 'Tis the season for fresh FETA. It is made with goat's and/or sheep's milk.
28. Wall switch words : ON/OFF
29. Wombs : UTERI. (plural of uterus)
30. Cowboy's rope : RIATA
31. Galileo was the first to observe its rings : SATURN
32. Cause to chuckle : AMUSE
33. Okay, in law : LEGAL
37. Okays with a head bob : NODS
39. Wander : ROVE
41. Naval petty officer : YEOMAN
43. Comparable in size : AS BIG
47. __ State Building : EMPIRE. (in NYC)
48. Alley prowler : TOM CAT
51. Part of NBA: Abbr. : ASSN. (basketball)
52. Soft cotton : PIMA. Did you get it this time?
55. Feeling no pain : NUMB
56. The Musketeers, e.g. : TRIO
58. Global extremity : POLE
59. Strike callers : UMPs
60. Annoying one : PEST
62. At a distance : FAR
63. Superlative suffix : EST. This is the farthEST I go.
Argyle
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteMostly a smooth romp in the park today. Only minor sticking point was on the eastern seaboard where I had LICIT instead of LEGAL and had no idea about GMEN. Does anybody outside of NY call them that? I guess I'm just not up on my NFL nicknames (other than "The Pats," of course).
Strange seeing THREE-PIECE SUIT so soon again...
Good Morning, Argyle and friends. This was a good start to the work week. Easy but fun puzzle. As Barry noted, however, I was a bit surprised to see the THREE PIECE SUIT so soon after having it be the theme recently.
ReplyDeleteI was also a bit stumped by the G-MEN, as I had only heard it referred to Government officials, not football teams, but then, I am not up on my NFL teams.
Since I buy PIMA cotton shirts, I wasn't stumped by the soft cotton.
I was shocked to learn recently that my paralegal had never heard of Heidi (who lives in the ALPS). That was one of my favorite childhood books (and the first one that made me cry.) I had to go out and buy the book for her so she can read it to her daughter. Anyone else remember that book?
Final Four is another matter. Anyone headed towards New Orleans this weekend?
QOD: There are no hopeless situations; there are only man who have grown helpless about them. ~ Clare Boothe Luce
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, Ki; cool write-up, Argyle!
Favorite answer: EAT.
Had the strangest day yesterday. Helper had the day off. Harvey away. Pouring cats and dogs, too. Son-in law called at 1 pm to invite me to dinner with his family at Lawry's. I hadn't seen those 2 beautiful grandchildren in 2 years. My grandson has sprouted to 5'10". He is 15. Both children were amazing! I had 2 hours to try to throw myself together, with ghastly backache. It took all of that! Sponge bath was the hardest part. Food was delicious, as usual (based on all of three experiences).
Have a pleasant Sunday!
wow what an easy monday speed run for me no issues what so ever. Theme clue clues were simple that I caught the progression very easily. Might not be on for a while having a schedule change that will get me out of the house early in the morning. Thank you Ki for the monday eye opener it is always nice to seem very smart first thing monday morning and thanky Argyle for the usual excellent write-up.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday all.
@Hahtoolah: Minor typo in your QOD, but I think it changes the significance. It should be, "There are no hopeless situations; there are only man who have grown hopeless about them."
ReplyDeleteSorry to be so pedantic...
Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteBack from sunny Florida, and facing reality once more on a chilly gray New England morning. The puzzle sure did lift my spirits, though. Thanks for the great link to the Turret Opera, Argyle. I have added that one to my list of favs!!
Loved to see the two different answers for "Down in the mouth": EAT and SAD. The theme was well-executed and consistently elegant, so THREE PIECE SUIT didn't bother me at all as a returning champion.
Now it's time to tackle that pile of mail on my desk...
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Ki Lee, for a good start to the week. Thank you, Argyle, for the write-up. That was some link to Cara Mia. I wasn't sure how that was going to end up.
ReplyDeleteThis was an easy puzzle, as it should be.
I finally have APU in my head. I have never seen the show, "The Simpsons," but we certainly use his name a lot in crosswords.
Did not know PIMA. Got it with perps. Did not know the Dane's made LEGOs. Interesting.
ECO CAR was good. I had never heard that term, but it fell together with a few perps and a wag.
The theme and the four numbers in sequence appeared easily.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Barry, there's a minor typo in your QOD. "man" should be "men". I can be pedantic too!
ReplyDeleteMorning, everybody!
ReplyDeleteEasy-peasy speed run today. The only spots that slowed me down were ONEUP for UPONE and SALARY for INCOME. But both were quickly fixed.
And why is there no father-of-pearl?
Hahtoolah, I never read the book, but I did see the movie. There was a big stink when the network cut away from a football game (Super bowl, maybe?) because it was running late, and instead aired the scheduled movie, "Heidi." Tempers still flare over that one!
anon@7:48, nice going!!
ReplyDeleteVroooom! And just like that, I'm finished. I love the ease of Monday speed runs, but wish I could spend more time with the morning QWP.
ReplyDeleteWinter has returned to chilly Chicago, hopefully we'll be back to sunny and 80+ soon.
I too never heard of GMEN, and I also liked Down in the mouth x 2.
Argyle, thanks for providing Fin's full first name. I never knew it. I like Ice-T on SVU, but don't like Ice Loves Coco. There are too many trashy TV shows like this.
Back to work (sign).
Oops. I guess it's Down WITH the mouth and Down IN the mouth.
ReplyDeleteThis was a confidence builder! I needed a little help but got 95% of it. I loved the clue "The Musketeers, e.g." That was clever.
ReplyDeleteMonday makes me feel smart!
Nice and easy Monday. Thanks to both Ki and Argyle.
ReplyDeleteI missed reading the wombs clue, as it filled with the crosses before I got to the downs. Enjoyed the mouth clechos, and noted the meeting of PEST/TEST with some amusement. The theme was so obvious, even I couldn't miss it!
Desperotto,
Perhaps it's because NACRE comes from within the shell--like the lining of a womb, hence seems motherly more than paternal. In New Zealand the paua shell is the same thing, only much more colorful with greens and gold.
Thank you Ki Lee for a very nice, and easy puzzle. Thank you Argyle for your charming explanations.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the father of Pearl ? ..... Mother-of-pearl or Nacre is the SECRETION , not the organism. It is the CaCO3, calcium carbonate hexagonal platelet of Aragonite org-inorg composite arranged in a cont. parallel lamina(e) which causes constructive and destructive interference of wavelengths of light , and so on .......
Father of Pearl could be a grain of sand ( irritant) or Mr. Mikimoto, and his 'descendants', or some other human or peripheral intervention.
Similar and in accordance with Judaic law, only the mother's ancestry is important and or the determinant. (Meant as a small jest, no hateful comments , please ).
Have a nice week, you all.
Good morning Argyle and gang.
ReplyDeleteSalary before INCOME, but smooth sailing, otherwise.
Father of Pearl? Colley would be one answer, Joseph is another.
Never rose high enough in the business world to enjoy all of those 'elegent things' on a regular basis, but did experience all of them on a few occasions. THREE PIECE SUIT would not be high on my list of things to experience again, though.
G-MEN emerged OK, and I gathered it was a nickname for the Giants, but I don't recall hearing them called that.
I see our constructor slipped in a tribute to our editor, THE RICH.
Fun start to the week after all of that weekend pummelling.
Good morning everyone:
ReplyDeleteNice, easy Monday offering; thanks to Ms. Lee for her efforts and to Argyle for his expo.
I needed something light and fun to counter-act the head/chest cold/congestion that is wracking my body, not to mention what it is doing to my ability to think straight.
Happy Monday to all.
Drat - I wanted to correct Barry G.'s minor typo as well. We bloggers may not be able to come up with original comments, but we sure can parse. Shakespeare can rest easy we wern't around in his day.
ReplyDeleteI better check this one out, for typos ...
ALT QOD:- I have no idea (on) how to change people, but I have a long list of candidates in case I ever figure it out. ~ Davvid(sic) Sedaris.
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteToo easy, only needed the across clues to complete, so I never looked at the down clues until the puzzle was finished.
However, I really don't care how easy a puzzle is because I can't fathom how difficult it must be for the constructor to complete it with all the words meshing.
The Giants are the G-Men throughout their far reaching nationwide fan base. I suspect Barry's Pats fan base pales in comparison.
Good morning Argyle and all.
ReplyDeleteNo incidents in the solve today. Thought the THREE- lead-in in the long acrosses might persist, so started 27a with 'three-' also, but FETA quickly convinced me otherwise to the 4,5,6 sequence. While YEOMAN was easy enough, I felt the clue was vague. Most petty officers are not yeomen, and many yeomen are not yet petty officers, since they might have attained status as a designated striker (yeoman) as an E-1, E-2, or E-3. A petty officer is E-4 thru E-9.
Have a great day.
Barry G: the quote was correct as originally written. Clare Boothe Luce was very opinionated about the abilities of the males around her.
ReplyDeleteHeartRx: I, too, liked seeing both of the Down in the Mouth clues.
how did you all input numbers in the grid? flash version o.c.
ReplyDeleteSuper-duper easy, even for a Monday. Broke the 6-minute barrier, which almost never happens for me.
ReplyDeleteG-men is legit for the NYG, thanks to ESPN.
Speaking of sports, the NBC "Heidi" game was not the Superbowl, nor a playoff game, but did feature the other New York team, the Jets. The stigma from Heidi (and, to a degree, technology) caused the major networks to refrain from switching from blow-out games to closer games. I read in Sports Illustrated recently that "March Madness" wasn't really born until the tv "execs" agreed to "in-game" switching.
In case you're interested, I found this newspaper article from 1999 about the Heidi Game. The article was written more than 30 years after the game, itself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your various comments on Father-of-Pearl. Anony-Mouse, back in '69 I visited the Mikimoto pearl operation in Japan, and watched the lady pearl divers. They only dove for nostalgic demonstration purposes. By that time Mikimoto was harvesting the oysters mechanically.
I've always heard that the "Rules of Netiquette" state that we should not correct other posters' spelling or grammar. There are times when it becomes neccessary to question a word or phrase in order to clarify a meaning, but slips should be left alone if the meaning is still clear.
ReplyDeleteBarry prefaced his comment by saying he thought the change of word would change the meaning so his comment would be acceptable... if he was sure of the quote. (Shoulda checked, Barry) For others to jump on his subsequent spelling error is, in my opinion, poor taste.
To all the pedantics : "Let (s)he who has never made a typo (or mis-quote), cast the first keyboard!"
ReplyDeleteGrumpy 1, yes, but it's BarryG, and he's extremely quick to correct others' minor mistakes. Payback is indeed a bi*ch.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to attack Barry, at least identify yourself.
ReplyDeleteCoward.
Wow a pedant party to start the week; of course the man/men variant was both H. and BG's, but really is that all we have to talk about?
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle itself was quite elegant, with excellent themeage and bonus words. The use of four hyphenated theme fill was excellent.
Spirited meeting?: SEANCE was nice, and the clecho 33A. Okay, in law : LEGAL; 37A. Okays with a head bob : NODS, was also a nice (not france) touch for Monday. A-man you were spot on as always.
Good day, puzzler friends. Argyle, great job as always. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSailed through this like a YEOMAN and also wondered about seeing THREE PIECE SUITS so quickly again.
One write over, EVICT before EXPEL when TEXT became apparent.
Count me in as one who has never heard of GMEN as the Giants but have heard of and read Heidi. I still have a copy. My older granddaughter loved Shirley Temple in the movie.
PIMA cotton is grown about one mile from my home on the PIMA Indian Reservation.
Have a beautiful Monday, everyone!
Hi Everyone ~~
ReplyDeleteA fast, fun Monday. Like several have mentioned, 'Salary' to INCOME was a write-over. I, too, liked 'Down with the mouth' and 'Down in the mouth.'
Because this went so quickly I tried to study it and see if I could come up with some clever findings. So many here at the Corner are good at that! All I came up with were 'opposites' to a few of the theme answers: FOUR COURSE MEAL / TACO, FIVE STAR HOTEL / CABIN and maybe in a stretch - THREE PIECE SUITS / TATS. My analyzing skills need some work! :-)
~~ Nice write-up, Argyle ~ I enjoyed your comments and info.
~~ Fermat ~ Glad you got to see your grandchildren!
~~ Marti ~ Welcome back to NE. We did hit 83 degrees last week, but tonight will be down in the 20s!
Happy Monday!
Delightful Monday speed-run--many thanks Ki Lee. Also delightful write-up, Argyle.
ReplyDeleteOf course I read Heidi, growing up in Austria. I believe I also read other Johanna Spyri (can't remember the spelling of her last name) books. They are sweet.
A question occurred to me this morning. Rich Norris gets lots of well-deserved kudos on this blog, but what about Joyce Nichols-Lewis? What does she do, and should she get a little of the glory too?
Fermatprime 6:04 am, so glad you had a lovely visit with grand-kids in spite of your backache. And Irish Miss 8:50, my sympathies with your cold. Mine is finally over, after 5 days, so I'll look forward to your recovery too.
Finally, please play nice everybody. We want everybody to have a wonderful start to their week.
Anons , refer to 38A
ReplyDeleteCC, refer to 41A
Misty,
ReplyDeleteHere is what Rich said a while ago:
"Joyce was LA Times puzzle editor long before I arrived. I began working with her 10 years ago, at which time we shared editing responsibilities. She's now retired, though we do talk regularly about the puzzles. I do all the editing, and she's among the professionals who check my work. Her name remains on the byline in recognition of her years of service to the LAT Crossword.
And, though you didn't ask, she's a terrific golfer. ;-)"
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteHad trouble in the NE corner. SUITE for SUITS. UP ONE is clumsy. CUSTOM, for some reason, was quite opaque. Even BOIL needed perp help.
Ah, well - To ERR . . .
Cheers!
JzB occasionally pedantic
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteI do love Monday puzzles. I can do them (usually). One error (only human) in aorial rather than ATRIAL. It only made HOPE NOr, which I didn't notice.
Good tsk,tsk Grumpy. Especially since the original quote was correct.
I loved HEIDI when I was growing up. Read it many times; never saw the movie.
Cheers
C.C. many thanks for Rich's cool explanation of Joyce's role! Clearly we owe lots of thanks to both of them!
ReplyDeleteHave oral surgeon appt., will do puzzle in waiting room...
ReplyDeleteTo lighten the mood.
desper-otto et al:
ReplyDeletei read the Heidi article and can understand the frustration but
I, for one, am really glad that sports has its own channel, ESPN, and numerous others, too, so we non sports fans can watch our preferences.
Yet, Sunday afternoon is still riddled with games so my solution is to record UP with Chris Hayes and Melissa-Perry Harris which start airing at 5 A. M. and I can watch them at leisure.
Watching sports does give you an incentive to go out and get some exercise. Its been clinicaly studied. If u hate sports fine. if u want to have a heart attack sitting on your couch watching cooking, real housewives etc. all day and not do anything fine. its your short life!....Gmony....have a good day.
Delete"Joyce Nichols Lewis has been editing the Los Angeles Syndicate Sunday Crossword Puzzle since 1978.
ReplyDeleteLewis, who received her training from Margaret Farrar, the grande dame of crossword puzzle editing, is the daughter of the late Maynard Nichols, the renowned crossword puzzle editor who for many years had been in partnership with Mrs. Farrar." TMS features.
LINK .
Wow! I did not make the connection.
Fermatprime:
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your mini family reunion. Sounds like it was fun. What kind of restaurant is Lawry's? Just curious.
Abejo
*sigh*
ReplyDeleteI think there is an officially named law published somewhere that states that it is impossible to correct somebody else's spelling or grammar without making an error yourself. Or words to that effect.
For the record, I did Google the quote before I posted and every reference I could find stated that it was "there are only men [or people] who have grown hopeless [not 'helpless'] about them." I didn't even notice that Hahtoolah had accidentally written "man" instead of "men," and I certainly wasn't trying to point out that minor error. I just felt that having "helpless" instead of "hopeless" totally changed the intent of the quote.
Having performed another Google search, I now see that both forms of the quote show up all over the place, although the "helpless" version seems to be in the minority (22,600 results for "only people who have grown hopeless" and 14,600 results for "only men who have grown hopeless" vs. only 4,920 results for "only men who have grown helpless." I still think that "hopeless" is the correct version, but I can see that Hahtoolah is not alone and that it probably wasn't a typo on her part. For that I apologize.
Also for the record, I rarely (if ever) "correct others' minor mistakes," whether they be typos or spelling or grammatical errors or what have you. I try to leave my criticism for the puzzle itself where it belongs.
Hola Everyone, A fast run for me today. I didn't have any real sticking points, and only slowed down at the G-men clue. I don't think I've heard that nickname before.
ReplyDeleteI loved the clues for Eat and Seance. Both were a little more thought provoking than usual.
I'm back to a somewhat normal routine this week, though will have another grandchild here overnight tonight. He lives in Boston and is here for business. We don't get to see him very often, so it will be a treat to have him with us tonight.
Heidi was one of my very favorite books. The movie with Shirley Temple was also one that made us all cry. Books were our entertainment way back when!
Fermatprime, Great that you were able to visit with your grandchildren. Mine keep me on my toes, literally. All five of my grandsons are now taller than I am and I am 5 feet 11.
Lest anyone have any doubts as to my intentions on the matter of corrections, may I state that I bear none any ill will or nor do I chortle as to other people's mistyped words....
ReplyDeleteI have great respect for Barry G. and Hahtoolah and others .... indeed the overwhelming majority of people on this blog are, in my mind, great word mavens, and mistyping is a very minor, minor, piddling error - and in most cases could or should be corrected - without any added snide asides.
IMHO, Barry G.'s word made MORE meaning, and was more grammatically elegant, even if the original quote was correct.... Anon was ALSO right, altho' the snide remark was totally unnecessary, and indeed - IMHO - detracted from the importance of the correction itself.
Its is far more optimally efficient and meaningful if we avoid personalities altogether and concentrate on the correction and the language.
As for the original quote, Mrs. Luce is absolutely entitled to her opinion, but the aphorism would have sounded nicer ( not French ) and more elegant, had both Barry G.'s and Anon's suggestion been incorporated. IMHO.
Am I the only person to be bothered by 8D? I for one cannot tie my shoes until they are laced. Judging by some teens, many of them are never able to get to the tie stage.
ReplyDeleteArgyle: Thanks for pointing out where the Empire State Building is located. Gave me a chuckle this morning. ;)
ReplyDelete"Son, what is the answer to your math problem?" PIMA!
"What did Drew Barrymore say when she starred in a Speilberg movie?" ICET
LEGO trivia from wiki:
The company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The word LEGO is derived from the Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well." The word "lego" can also be interpreted to mean "I gather together" in Latin, and "I connect" in Italian.
Hi Y'all,
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle Ki Lee! Thanks, Argyle for the comments and a cappella. Do love a cappella.
Since mother & father is a topic: Our newspaper publishes birth announcements listing parents. My kids & I were talking about the large number in which the mother and father had different last names. We aren't sure whether this means they aren't married or more mothers keep their "maiden" names.
However, as a "social study" I logged the number for a month. There were 151 births. Of those, 10 listed no father's name, 55 ma & pa had different last name, 86 ma & pa had same name.
I have no opinion about this. It's different than earlier 20th century practices. Only births where the mother & father had the same last name would have been listed in the paper at all. A sign of the times.
Hello everybody. Quick and easy, but very well-constructed puzzle today. Once I got the THREE and the FOUR, I filled in FIVE and SIX for the start of the next long answers, without reading the clues. Then, having read the clues, filling in the rest was easy, except that, like some of you, I entered salary instead of INCOME.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the puzzle again, I briefly wondered what A TRIAL was clued as, then remembered, "Oh yeah."
Interesting discussion about father of pearl.
Glad you had a nice visit, fermatprime.
Hahtoolah, you go, girl. What is Final Four? Something about some sort of sport, I'll guess.
I remember reading Heidi and enjoying it.
Gonna go finish doing Turbotax now. Best wishes to you all.
Argyle: Nice write-up. Merci!
ReplyDeleteKi Lee: FUN Monday offering.
I'm amazed we never got INTO the discussion of whether the Rapper/Actor should have been named:
ICE-T verses ICED-T ...
Hahtoolah:
I always look forward to YOUR "Quote-of-the-Day."
Anony-Mouse:
Your Alt-QOD's are fun too.
The only person I would "quote" would be W.C.Fields:
"I never drink water. I'm afraid it will become habit-forming."
Cheers!
Tin, this is the W.C. Fields quote that I remember. " I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it." Both are good and sound typical of him.
ReplyDeleteTinbeni:
ReplyDeleteLOL! . . . very loudly at your W.C. Fields quote.
Good afternoon to all, thanks Argyle and Ki Lee for a nice start of the week puzzle. No smudges and a speed run for me. I love to read the QOD's posted by all. Chris Berman an ESPN host always calls them the G-men. I would just like to say to all we all have different tastes,I for one would watch sports over anything else. Did anyone watch Helio win the race yesterday love to see the overhead shots of the waterfront in St.Pete. Have a great day to all and hope for the best cause that is what keeps us going! RJW.
ReplyDeletePK @ 12:38 pm:
ReplyDelete6.62% with no father? I didn't realize there were so many hermafrodite's out there!
Hahtoolah, I'm following Kansas U. at the Final Four. Very thrilling win last night. My only claim to them is my brother teaches at KU and a niece married a former KU (white) basketball player in 2005. Coach Bill Self was at their wedding.
ReplyDeleteI didn't follow sports at all before that, but I got interested in NBA because the KU star player (Not the groom) sat at our family table. He was drafted by the Miami Heat just after that, so I wanted to see how he did. He rarely played and got salmonella and washed out of pro ball. By that time I was hooked on NBA,
Mari at 1:27: Astonishing isn't it!
ReplyDeletePK, If I may respond, and add, to your informal (and admittedly, unscientific) survey of births, the following come to mind.
ReplyDelete-In 2009, in a major county of Ohio, 71% of births, in a major city were to unmarried females, and 68% of those were to girls under 18.
- As to foreign immigration, in many countries and regions of the world, notably in East Asia, women either do not have last names (as we understand it -), or do not change their last names when they get married.
- Some women do not change their last name (after marriage - ) for professional reasons, of whom I happen to know one intimately...
- Some fathers, if not married to the mother, prefer not to be identified, to retain certain public benefits for their children, and to avoid child care obligations, in perpetuity.
- As per US Govt. policy, "A child is never born 'illegitimate', irrespective of the conditions under which the child was conceived'.
Makes a huge lot of sense.
- An oncologist (cancer specialist ) friend, led me to a national study which showed, that where a maternal/paternal/child DNA had been studied in NORMAL (my caps ) situations, in 14% of the cases, the paternity tests showed the putative father not to be the biological one. ( The parents are NEVER informed, as a matter of routine -).
I think we live in a more caring world...
My apologies for the length of this post.
Fun Monday puzzle, went kind of fast, so when the SW corner was a bit blank i thought, "Oh Goody, something to puzzle over," but then i realized the theme, placed the "X," and before i knew it the whole puzzle was done. Kind of made me "down in the mouth."
ReplyDeleteBravo Barry G. on your clarification!
Calling the Giants "G-Men" must be a Queens thing, because in Brooklyn, it would have been an insult!
I remember the "Heidi Incident" quite well, but not the game. So i just went and watched it on YouTube. Sorry the clip is a little choppy, but i get a kick out of Joe Nameth's comment at the end.
Oh Nuts! i just realized i misspelled "APU" as "ABU" with a note to question 16A "uBone?"
...All this back and forth on misspellings makes me want to create my own quote: "Ours is not to question why, but to puzzle over it! - CrossEyedDave
We got a new refrigerator about six months ago. It came with a water filter that's supposed to be replaced every six months or so. I ordered some new filters online but I wasn't sure how easy replacing the old filter was going to be. Aside from the difficulty of bending over, down to the bottom of the refrigerator, it was easy enough. Turn off the ice maker. Push the button unlocking the old filter. Twist off the cap from the old filter. Replace the cap on the new filter. Push the new filter back in until it clicks. Flush the system with a couple of glasses of water. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. I even managed to straighten back up without assistance.
ReplyDeleteA Hermaphrodite is an organism ( which includes humans - ) which has both male and female reproductive organs. ( ambiguous genitalia ). BTW, Intersex is the preferred term for usage for humans, since it is less misleading and/or stigmatizing.
ReplyDeleteThese individuals are of course still conceived and born through a normal ova/ egg fertilized through normal channels.
This term has nothing to do - and its not the same thing - as with the 'missing' or 'not known' paternity of a child, and should not be confused as such. They are two entirely different situations.
Human Hermaphrodites cannot reproduce at all, ( unlike snails and earthworms - ).
Even snails and earthworms cannot 'self reproduce' - they need another partner.
With Anon at 2:09, the pedant race is on!
ReplyDeleteTin, my favorite W.C. Fields quote goes something like: "As I recall, it was a woman who drove me to drink. I never did remember to thank her."
Hello.
ReplyDeleteRJW. Hand up. Loved the sound of the twin turbos. Next up, Birmingham, AL on 1 Apr on NBCS.
Lotus engine needs work.
Giants and Jets share the Meadow
Lands in NJ. Why are they still called NY teams?
SJ can move into 7th with a win over the AVs tonight.
eddy
If anyone is interested, Middlesex is the name of a book by Jeffrey Eugenides about a hermaphrodite. It's fiction, of course, but a really good story that focuses on her/his struggles to accept his/her identity.
ReplyDeleteNow that we are thoroughly imbued with more information than we need about hermaphrodites, is there a term for anonymous posters that find it neccessary to espound at length on a subject that was only brought up as toss-off humor?
ReplyDeleteHow about a 4 or 7 letter word for the lower extremity of the alimentary canal? :-)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
ReplyDeleteThank you Grumpy1 @ 3:14 pm :)
ReplyDeleteMisty @ 11:08-Thanks for you best wishes. In addition to the cold and congestion, I think I have a sinus infection so I made an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow. One eye is watering so much, I can't see. It's a good thing I always have plenty of boxes of tissues on hand!
ReplyDeleteBill G. (yesterday@9:34pm)
ReplyDeleteBritons got talent clip was great! i forwarded it to all 3 of my daughters.
Bill G. (today@1:48)
Holy Cannoli! i forgot!
Here in New Jersey you cannot drink the water, so i get spring water delivered. But you just reminded me that the fridge i have had for 6 plus years has a water dispenser! (inside, not on the door.) i wonder if i can find the manual instructions for changing the filter!
Re: todays puzzle (oh yeah, we seem to have forgotten that.)
39D Wander, i 1st put "roam" which before i discovered the theme made me try to fit 2 star, 3 star, & 4 star hotel in 46A. So i blame "roam" but its probably because i am so cheap 5 star hotel never would occur to me.
I forgot to mention: Mari, it's nice to see your " book" avatar again. Happy reading.
ReplyDeleteHey! Jay and the Americans did a great version of Cara Mia! Who are u to judge!
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteHere we are, back in Wi. where the temp. got up to 40 degrees.
I have worked a lot of years in OB nursing. There were 2 cases I remember where a baby was born as an Hermaphrodite. It is very hard for the family. How do you tell people you don't know if it's a boy or a girl. Do you decide, as parents, whether to have surgery done or let she/him grow up and decide themself.I read an article one time about where the parents made the decision but as the child grew up it had more characteristics of the other sex. It was a very sad case. When we have healthy normal babies we can be so thankful.
Marge
Hi again,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure how many lines I had so decided to do a 2nd blog. I did enjoy this puzzle. I had wanted to post earlier but things kept needed doing, laundry for instance,or shopping, so it's been now and then for the blog.
I read Heidi,In fact several times. When I really like a book I read it over again. Also saw the movie. I also remember the incident in 1968. I think I voted for Heidi at the time. I wasn't as much into football then unless it involved the Packers.
Never heard of Giants as G-men, neither did my DH.
Have a good evening.
Marge
CED, I'm glad you like the Britain's Got Talent clip. It's always fun for me when smarmy Simon get surprised by somebody who doesn't look like a pop star.
ReplyDeleteI think our local tap water is perfectly OK. I'm not sure if I can taste the difference with the filter. I think next time I'll leave it in well past the six months and see what happens.
Avg Joe @3:18, I think you're on the right track. Maybe combine your three lette with 'head', since those anons all seem to suffer from rectal-cranial inversions.
ReplyDeleteBillG: Saw Dave's comment and went back to last night to pick up the BGT video. Stupendous voice. Reminds me of the old basso profundos (or whatever they were called) who both sang and ate with gusto. Thanks for the video.
ReplyDeleteRe filters: I have a filter on a separate line from my cold water sink tap. The same filter is also used in refrigerators. I change it about every 12 months or so, because I only tap a half gallon a day and then refrigerate. IMHO the time isn't as important as the quantity running through the line. If you have six kids getting drinks every day, change every three months, etc.
Hi all!
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle, Ki, and write-up Argyle. Loved the seance clue. I had a job once where I had to verify bank balances. The banks could not give me actual amounts, but they said stuff like four figures, etc. Very seldom heard six figures.
The Heidi thing is funny, but I can understand it because I get really bugged when games interrupt Jeopardy. However, I've got to admit I didn't mind when the Lobos were still in the running.
All this nit-picking going on makes me almost afraid to post anything for fear of mistakes, misteaks, misticks, whatever.
CED: What's wrong with NJ water? Salty or polluted? I went to the Jersey Shore once but can't remember the drinking water.
ReplyDeleteOur water here is supposed to be okay to drink, but it doesn't agree with me. The filter makes a big difference in taste and digestion.
i don't know how you constructors do it, but i have given myself a puzzle that will probably keep me busy for some time. I was looking at 48D Alley prowler=Tomcat. With the "elegant" theme a one letter change would have made it TopCat but how would you rearrange the entire SE corner?
ReplyDeletePK, New Jersey water is notorious for its bad taste. We have well water and that limestone causes the water to be very "hard." You must have a water softener if you want the soap to lather up in the shower. I have lots of pipe leaks in my basement, but they are all "self-sealing" because the calcium/lime buildup seals the holes. My neighbors just use a Brita filter and drink it right out of the tap, they think it tastes fine, so maybe its just my opinion.
Finished the puzzle while SO had two teeth pulled. These came out easier! The last one was a nightmare! He found the surgeon straddle his torso while SO held his jaw in place. Curved roots.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle was a joy. knowing the number-progression long fills helped tremendously. Miss-spelling yeoman hindered for a bit,"down with the mouth" cleverest clue, "ecocar" least favorite fill.
Please don`t miss the clip I posted if you are a Rita Hayworth or Bee Gees fan!
Cheers for the puzzle, the write up and pain meds!
Strange: Anon@2:09 PM made it through but Anony-Mouse got stuck in the filter.
ReplyDelete"PK, If I may respond, and add, to your informal (and admittedly, unscientific) survey of births, the following come to mind. -In 2009, in a major county of Ohio, 71% of births, in a major city were to unmarried females, and 68% of those were to girls under 18. - As to foreign immigration, in many countries and regions of the world, notably in East Asia, women either do not have last names (as we understand it -), or do not change their last names when they get married. - Some women do not change their last name (after marriage - ) for professional reasons, of whom I happen to know one intimately... - Some fathers, if not married to the mother, prefer not to be identified, to retain certain public benefits for their children, and to avoid child care obligations, in perpetuity. - As per US Govt. policy, "A child is never born 'illegitimate', irrespective of the conditions under which the child was conceived'. Makes a huge lot of sense. - An oncologist (cancer specialist ) friend, led me to a national study which showed, that where a maternal/paternal/child DNA had been studied in NORMAL (my caps ) situations, in 14% of the cases, the paternity tests showed the putative father not to be the biological one. ( The parents are NEVER informed, as a matter of routine -).
I think we live in a more caring world...
My apologies for the length of this post.
By Anony-Mouse on Monday,@ 1:40 PM"
Some years ago a young Secretary of state official, after attending a state party, upon being arrested for DWI refused to unlock his "top secret" attache case from his wrist. At the uproar the Washington Post editor sagely opined "Let he, who has never drank a martini,cast the first olive pit"
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle! Did it in record time for me. Reading the blog comments was a hoot! Father-of-pearl indeed!
ReplyDeleteHEIDI was a favorite at our house. We wore the covers off the book! Never saw the movie.
The Rita Hayworth/BeeGees clip was fabulous! even if it had nothing to do with the puzzle. Nothing wrong with getting a little off the topic. Keeps us learning.
gmony@3:59:
ReplyDeleteI don't understand your irritation about non-sports watchers. Though I am one of those, I exercise with yoga regularly and am in top notch physical condition at age 74.
BillG:
Forgot to mention your video from last night. That was stupendous! Thank you.
Anony-mouse:
I would add that women from Latin countries do not usually change their surname when they marry.
Aloha...have been trying to post since Wed. When we had C.C.and Don's awesome CW. DH handed it to me on the plane and I assumed that it was the easy commuter. He NEVER gives up his sports page. It didn't take long to realize that it was the REAL thing, and I had suspicions that it was from our D.Duo.Loved it and it kept me busy.
ReplyDeleteI was blown away by yesterday's young genius. Who knows all that information? Loved the write up and blogging, but can't open most links on iPad. Sigh.
Love a Monday CW..easy, but I always learn a few more things.
Hermaphrodite papayas are awesome because they can germinate themselves.;-)
Jabba the Hutton was a hermaphrodite..knew you were dying to hear that.
Fermatprime, loved that you were able to visit with family
Abejo, if I remember from my S. Calif. days, Lawry's is known for their prime rib.
Let's see if this is a go...
CED: You wouldn't need to rearrange the entire SE corner. Just re-clue 57a as SnoopDogg's offspring.
ReplyDeleteFrom MSNBC. A hummingbird faces off against a pit viper.
ReplyDeletehello all!
ReplyDeleteflew thru the puzzle today - beat my mom's time and was just a few seconds from breaking my own personal best. didn't even read most of the downs. way fun!! thanx for the great monday puzzle Ki, and an amusing write up, S!
was kinda sad to come hear and read the snipey comments from strangers. my DH says there are "trolls" that post ridiculous things on blogs just to upset the regulars. i think the seven letter answer is a better description.
a million thanx for the information on pearls, heidi vs football, and rita hayworth does the bee gees. i certainly learned a lot from you guys today.
i wanted to post a funny link, but i'm not sure everyone will appreciate it. so if you want to giggle and promise not to complain, please meet my friend Pearl.
wishing you all a peaceful night!
t.
Good evening? Santa, CC, et al, What a speed run! Fun stuff! I love Ki Lee! and Santa. Great write up too, Santa darlin'. I LOL'd several times w/your comments. And you're right..not Jay and the Americans! Loved your write up. so Cute!
ReplyDeleteFermat: so glad you got to see your grandchildren. I can only imagine how wonderful that was and what an effort it was for you.
Zcar; 1:14? Great job!
Santa: great response to PK 5:? Very interesting that a "'child is never born 'illegitimate'".
Tinbeni 12:03? : Love W.C. Fields. And I agree. My philosophy: I never drink coffee after noon. That's when I switch to vodka.
Enjoy your night.
tawnya: Love that! One of the funniest dang things I've ever seen. LMAO! My girls showed me that a while back and I forgot about it. Perfect!!!! Hil-freakin'-larious!
ReplyDeleteWe went out to look at Venus, Jupiter and the moon tonight. Very pretty. It was rainy and cloudy here last night.
ReplyDelete