Theme: Saturday Silk
Words: 72
Blocks: 29
Hi There~!
Triple 10's, triple 9's and a very low block count make up today's offering from Mr. Silk. Started off well by skipping the stacks and filling in the shorter answers first, and then on the second pass got most of the tough fill. Closed out in the SW corner, ironically with LOOSE ENDS - imagine that. Two 11-letter climbers as well;
10D. Dylan hit originally written for "Midnight Cowboy" :
LAY LADY LAY - I will let you link
30D. Basketball formation with numerous play options : SET OFFENSE - more at 60A, too - as you may not know, basketball is just not my thing - in fact, a game was on the TVs for sale in the Radio Shack I was shopping in, and just that squeak of sneakers made me want to leave...
ONward ~!
ACROSS:
1. Natural liniment : WITCH HAZEL
11. Beliefs : -ISMS
15. MacLeish work inspired by a treatise published circa 18 B.C. : ARS POETICA
16. "The Grapes of Wrath" traveler : OKIE
17. Decent sort : REGULAR GUY
18. Turner of records : TINA
19. Rubble creator : TNT
20. WWII leadership monogram : D.D.E. - Dwight David Eisenhower, usually clued as having played a part in the "ETO" campaign
21. Picks up : LEARNS
23. Like many poll questions : YES/NO
25. "Paradise Lost" figure : SATAN - not the NHL hockey player; has gone on to play in Slovakia
28. Period in a sonnet : E'EN - Evening
29. Without getting excited : IN STRIDE - as in "he took it in stride"
31. Govt. benefits provider : SSA - Social Security Administration - I am paying in to a benefit program I will not be able to draw from....
32. Bleep : DELETE - ah, not CENSOR
35. Sauté : FRY
36. Golfer's concern : HOOK
37. Mexican salamander : AXOLOTL - YIKES~!!
39. The States, to Mexicans : EL NORTE
41. Reunión attendees : TIOS - Uncle in Spanish, no?
42. Word of awe : OOH - and we have; 46D. "That feels great!" : AAH
44. Main arteries : AORTAS
45. Sudanese leader? : ESS - the capital "S"
46. "Age before beauty!" : AFTER YOU~!
48. __-Julie: Montreal suburb : STE - French abbr. for Saint
49. Media workers' org. : AFTRA - website
50. Employ against, as tear gas : USE ON
54. Develop canines, say : TEETHE - not the dog; see 26D
56. Welcome site : MAT
58. Jacuzzi setting : SPA - the locale, not "HOT", "JET", or "OFF" - hey, that could be a cute misdirection....
59. Last Stuart monarch : ANNE
60. Participant in an annual event since 1951 : NBA ALL-STAR
64. Year of Alexander V's death : MCDX - 1000, (-)100, 500, 10 = 1410
65. Dude ranch problem : SADDLE SORE
66. Nuisance : PEST
67. They require discussions : ESSAY TESTS
DOWN:
1. Toady? : WARTY
2. Castle seen in "The Whirl of Life" : IRENE - ah, the person, not the structure
3. USAF E-6's : T-SGTS - Forgive me if we have a Technical Sergeant who reads our blog, and I have forgotten who you are
4. Apple core, briefly : CPU - Apple, the computer company, that is
5. Keep : HOLD ONTO - again, not the structure
6. Command : HEAD - had LEAD here, made my first Across Witch Laze(r)
7. Idle : AT REST
8. First half of an indirect course? : ZIG - and of course, the second half being "ZAG"
9. Antique French coin : ECU
11. Speck : IOTA
12. Getaway that gives you a lift : SKI RESORT - what's your fave, HeartRx~?
13. Where Brooklyn Park is : MINNESOTA - not MANHATTAN; C.C., nearby perchance ?? (From C.C.: Oui!)
14. Eel-like marine reptiles : SEA SNAKES
22. Ethyl ending : ENE - Ethylene
24. Nobelist Bohr : NIELS - WARNING~! Science Content
26. Boxer's cry : ARF - this BOXER
27. Weary : TIRE - This doesn't jive for me - tireD, yes (C.C.: Weary can be a verb.)
32. Office gadget : DATE STAMP
33. Ontologist's concern : EXISTENCE - sounds like they're making life even MORE complicated
34. Unfinished business : LOOSE ENDS
36. Falcon-headed god : HORUS - if ANT stops in, he'll appreciate this one - it's the album cover I think I liked best from Iron Maiden
38. Longtime Mississippi senator : LOTT
40. Bad sign for one seeking a shortcut : NO OUTLET - here on Long Island, you see this too often - lots of "exclusive" developments
43. Unnamed woman : HER
47. Inn choice : RAMADA
51. These, in Tijuana : ESTOS
52. Bridget Riley genre : OP-ART - take your pick
53. Nasal passages : NARES - pretty straight forward
55. Modern dialogue unit : TEXT - best church sign I have seen in a long time:
"HONK if you love Jesus; Text while driving to meet him now"
57. One who's with you : ALLY
61. Humanities degs. : BAs
62. Plugs : ADS - usually the verb for advertises is "plugs"
63. Helmsman's hdg. : SSE
Splynter
Words: 72
Blocks: 29
Hi There~!
Triple 10's, triple 9's and a very low block count make up today's offering from Mr. Silk. Started off well by skipping the stacks and filling in the shorter answers first, and then on the second pass got most of the tough fill. Closed out in the SW corner, ironically with LOOSE ENDS - imagine that. Two 11-letter climbers as well;
10D. Dylan hit originally written for "Midnight Cowboy" :
LAY LADY LAY - I will let you link
30D. Basketball formation with numerous play options : SET OFFENSE - more at 60A, too - as you may not know, basketball is just not my thing - in fact, a game was on the TVs for sale in the Radio Shack I was shopping in, and just that squeak of sneakers made me want to leave...
ONward ~!
ACROSS:
1. Natural liniment : WITCH HAZEL
11. Beliefs : -ISMS
15. MacLeish work inspired by a treatise published circa 18 B.C. : ARS POETICA
16. "The Grapes of Wrath" traveler : OKIE
17. Decent sort : REGULAR GUY
18. Turner of records : TINA
19. Rubble creator : TNT
20. WWII leadership monogram : D.D.E. - Dwight David Eisenhower, usually clued as having played a part in the "ETO" campaign
21. Picks up : LEARNS
23. Like many poll questions : YES/NO
25. "Paradise Lost" figure : SATAN - not the NHL hockey player; has gone on to play in Slovakia
28. Period in a sonnet : E'EN - Evening
29. Without getting excited : IN STRIDE - as in "he took it in stride"
31. Govt. benefits provider : SSA - Social Security Administration - I am paying in to a benefit program I will not be able to draw from....
32. Bleep : DELETE - ah, not CENSOR
35. Sauté : FRY
36. Golfer's concern : HOOK
37. Mexican salamander : AXOLOTL - YIKES~!!
39. The States, to Mexicans : EL NORTE
41. Reunión attendees : TIOS - Uncle in Spanish, no?
42. Word of awe : OOH - and we have; 46D. "That feels great!" : AAH
44. Main arteries : AORTAS
45. Sudanese leader? : ESS - the capital "S"
46. "Age before beauty!" : AFTER YOU~!
48. __-Julie: Montreal suburb : STE - French abbr. for Saint
49. Media workers' org. : AFTRA - website
50. Employ against, as tear gas : USE ON
54. Develop canines, say : TEETHE - not the dog; see 26D
56. Welcome site : MAT
58. Jacuzzi setting : SPA - the locale, not "HOT", "JET", or "OFF" - hey, that could be a cute misdirection....
59. Last Stuart monarch : ANNE
60. Participant in an annual event since 1951 : NBA ALL-STAR
64. Year of Alexander V's death : MCDX - 1000, (-)100, 500, 10 = 1410
65. Dude ranch problem : SADDLE SORE
66. Nuisance : PEST
67. They require discussions : ESSAY TESTS
DOWN:
1. Toady? : WARTY
2. Castle seen in "The Whirl of Life" : IRENE - ah, the person, not the structure
3. USAF E-6's : T-SGTS - Forgive me if we have a Technical Sergeant who reads our blog, and I have forgotten who you are
4. Apple core, briefly : CPU - Apple, the computer company, that is
5. Keep : HOLD ONTO - again, not the structure
6. Command : HEAD - had LEAD here, made my first Across Witch Laze(r)
7. Idle : AT REST
8. First half of an indirect course? : ZIG - and of course, the second half being "ZAG"
9. Antique French coin : ECU
11. Speck : IOTA
12. Getaway that gives you a lift : SKI RESORT - what's your fave, HeartRx~?
13. Where Brooklyn Park is : MINNESOTA - not MANHATTAN; C.C., nearby perchance ?? (From C.C.: Oui!)
14. Eel-like marine reptiles : SEA SNAKES
22. Ethyl ending : ENE - Ethylene
24. Nobelist Bohr : NIELS - WARNING~! Science Content
26. Boxer's cry : ARF - this BOXER
27. Weary : TIRE - This doesn't jive for me - tireD, yes (C.C.: Weary can be a verb.)
32. Office gadget : DATE STAMP
33. Ontologist's concern : EXISTENCE - sounds like they're making life even MORE complicated
34. Unfinished business : LOOSE ENDS
36. Falcon-headed god : HORUS - if ANT stops in, he'll appreciate this one - it's the album cover I think I liked best from Iron Maiden
38. Longtime Mississippi senator : LOTT
40. Bad sign for one seeking a shortcut : NO OUTLET - here on Long Island, you see this too often - lots of "exclusive" developments
43. Unnamed woman : HER
47. Inn choice : RAMADA
51. These, in Tijuana : ESTOS
52. Bridget Riley genre : OP-ART - take your pick
53. Nasal passages : NARES - pretty straight forward
55. Modern dialogue unit : TEXT - best church sign I have seen in a long time:
"HONK if you love Jesus; Text while driving to meet him now"
57. One who's with you : ALLY
61. Humanities degs. : BAs
62. Plugs : ADS - usually the verb for advertises is "plugs"
63. Helmsman's hdg. : SSE
Splynter
61 comments:
Mornin' to all,
My favorite way to start a weekend is with a Saturday Silkie. What more can I say?
Back to bed I go!
I am not Anonymous....I am SouthernBelle.
Morning, all!
Wow, what a toughie! I ground through most of this puzzle, enjoying the challenge as I went, but then almost met a very nasty end in the SW corner.
I will never remember how to spell AXOLOTL. I remembered it had an OTL ending and an X somewhere, but I thought it actually began with an X.
The "Sudanese leader" clue fooled me for awhile.
Never heard of STE-Julie. Also didn't know the year Alexander V died (or even who he was, for that matter), nor that ANNE was a Stuart monarch (let alone the last one).
I finally got the ESS at 45A and TIOS at 41A, and that was enough to get me DATE STAMP a 32D. That got me the correct spelling of AXOLOTL and the rest came pretty quickly after that.
Elsewhere, I misspelled 13D as MINNISOTA and couldn't figure out what EIN was or what it had to do with a sonnet. When I didn't get the *TADA* at the end, I rechecked every letter and found my mistake...
Definitely what Barry said... except I misspelled it MINNESODA. What was I thinking?
Hello Saturday Solvers!
Boy, was I on Barry Silk's wavelength this morning. I slowed down in the SW, but it finally fell into place, and (suprise!) I'd finished in half my allotted Saturday solving time. Of course, I didn't know it was a Saturday Silkie 'til I got here.
AXOLOTL looks quite a bit like Phyllis Diller, doncha think? Hand up for LEAD/HEAD and also for SOU/ECU.
Splynter, thanks for the Niels Bohr link. Life was so much simpler before quantum mechanics reared it's ugly head!
Spring has sprung in my neighborhood. All of the trees are in leaf. Can't wait to see what happens when they get that extra hour of daylight. >^v^<
Good morning to all on the last day of daylight wasting. Today's Silkie was a brute, but certainly not a waste of time. I saw that sea of white and thought "Uh oh." Hunt and peck the whole way through. California was the last to fall. Existence looked like a solid answer, but I resisted it until the end. Had to do an alphabet run on that T in Axolotl to feel good about leaving it. Didn't have any viable options, so let it be.
Things are even greening up around here DO, and that's very early. And thanks for reminding me of TX flora. I was fascinated by Crepe Myrtle trees while in Austin and had forgotten to look them up. Unfortunately they're only hearty to zone 7 and we're in zone 5. Neat tree, but none in my future.
Good morning Splynter, C.C. et al.
Fun write-up, Splynter. Yikes, you can say that again – both for the picture of the thing and the word AXOLOTL. Like Barry, I will never remember how to spell that one.
If I had to choose, I’d probably go with Steamboat Springs, Co for my fav SKI RESORT. With “Champagne powder” and a laid back atmosphere, it just doesn’t get any better.
Argyle @7:06, is MINNESODA what Micky Mouse’s girlfriend drinks?
Hearti, Good choice. I lived in CO for several years and skied most of the areas. Steamboat is by far my favorite of them all. Second place is a toss up between Winter Park and Keystone. Never got to Aspen, but for all it's hype, I never liked Vail one bit. The experience levels constantly cross and that really slows you down.
Oh -- and I really wanted to put BIASED for 23A, but it wouldn't fit... ^_^
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead an hour tonight, folks! Unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii, of course...
Shopping list for today (that always comes out toady when I type) – a new eraser and a thank you card for Mr. Silk. This was a big boy puzzle that took an effort and provided a great time. After two days of basketball in Lincoln, we are headed to a funeral that is 2 hours away and then to Seward for a VB tourney tomorrow! Wow!
Musings
-BB teams sometimes yell “Set it up!” when they cross the half court line
-Okie played by Omahan Henry Fonda gave one of the most memorable screen speeches ever
-ESTADOS or something like that? Nope!
-ESS not SUD, OPART not OPERA
-Not fun when kids are TEEHTHing
-My intimate SADDLE SORES come from biking
-My DATE STAMP was almost a DESTAPLER
Read y'all later. Gotta run!
Husker, I agree about the bicycle SADDLE SORES. Ifs and Ands remain the same, but the Butts ain't what they used to be. Ten miles pedaling pretty much does me in. It's rainy and cool this morning, so I have an excuse for not biking today.
Ste is the abbreviation for sainte (feminine form of saint). Thanks!
Hello Puzzlers -
Solving this was a crocodile wrestling experience. I eventually managed a legitimate no-peeky, but it took a while.
Never heard of an AXOLOTL, but at least I knew that Mexican names often use that TL blend. Ontologists? Do they exist?
ESTADOS stayed right there, unwilling to budge. SET OFFENSE is a complete unknown. It took ages to parse NBA ALL STAR. Yessiree, this was a toughie but a goodie.
Splynter - thanks for today's enlightenment. I never heard of the hockey player Šatan. Did his NHL team jerseys include the caron over the S to clear up confusion? While we're at it, when did the Bruins logo change?
Hello, fearless puzzlers! Thank you, Splynter, for a great review.
Yowza! And thank you, Barry, for a rousing challenge today.
Luckily it had a mini Spanish theme and that is what I filled first, EL NORTE, TIOS, ESTOS.
Then just like Splynter, I jogged around filling the three and four letter ones until the NE corner was complete.
I believe Barry used AXOLOTL once before and I entered it in my crossword dictionary then.
The top stumped me because LEG was the first half of my indirect course until WITCH HAZEL cleared it.
ANNE popped out because I am an avid anglophile and have read much about British royalty.
I love LAY LADY LAY.
Have a fantastic Saturday, everyone!
Good morning everyone.
Anonymous/SouthernBelle, I certainly agree. A Saturday Silkie is an excellent start to the weekend.
The NE fell easily, then down to the SE, up through the middle, got the NW done and sat staring at those three long downs in the SW. I teased out enough acrosses to finally see DATE STAMP and the rest fell into place.
Hand up for the sou/ECU and lead/HEAD switch, but Barry didn't fool me (this time) with ESS. I was about to put in 'sons' at 41a when I noticed that little speck above the 'o' in the clue. With cheap newsprint, I have to look closely to see if it is a speck or a punctuation mark at times.
With LOTL in place I knew what lizard I was looking for, but, like several have mentioned, I wasn't sure of the spelling. I was pretty sure of the AX but had the O was the last to fall.
Good morning all:
Well, this was anything but "Silk-y" smooth! After the first pass, I thought this would definitely be a DNF but patience and perseverance paid off.
Went astray early on with timestamp instead of datestamp, lead instead of head, oof instead of arf (thinking of human boxer being punched in the stomach). On the plus side, I finished without help, even though it took forever.
Thanks, Barry, for the mental workout, and to Splynter, great expo.
The weather gremlins are still at work: today's high will be 34 degrees, tomorrow's high 50's, and the rest of the week in the 60's. March Madness indeed!
Happy Saturday everyone.
Dudley@9:,54AM: Too bad they didn't trade Satan to the Devils. (Hockey joke)
De' Ott@7:16AM : didn't know you were a science major. The funny part is how the sun knows enough not to shine any longer on Arizona. Maybe that's why it's a dry heat out there.
Great puzzle today. I screwed up AXOLOTL allotl. Didn't see the doohickey over the O in reunion so I had SIS attending the reunion and that kind of STAMPed on my DATEs.
Still fun but it wasn't TEETHEy
Enjoy the weekend all
Good morning everyone. Nice comments, Splynter.
It took a while, but I finally got it all without lookups. Got AXOLOTL from the perps. ARS POETICA, IRENE, and DATE STAMP were WAGS. Wanted CRS for helmsman's hdg. but settled for SSE. I have learned that most of Barry's fill, if one has the patience, usually involves ordinary words and phrases. Favorite clue was TNT for rubble creator.
EEN - Usually clued as Barry did. Een is also Dutch or L. German for 'one' and similarly is an indefinite article. (The vowel sound is the same as the 'a' in 'lane'.) The English 'an' is a direct descendent.
Dudley - 'Do they exit?' LOL
I got most of this without google but had to go there for MCDX, AXOLOTL, and tried but couldn't find the LOTT/AFTRA crossing. Didn't help that I also had ABA- for NBA-, so OFFENSE never appeared either.
Didn't like that STE had no abbrev. indication. I had it at first but then started to doubt it when other things didn't fall immediately.
Otherwise I am proud to have done so well with this Silkie.
Splynter,
Enjoyed the links.
Over and out.
Just for fun, I kept track of all my efforts (is there a standard notation, as there is in chess?). I found I pencilled in (I'm no fool) 65 words, and corrected 6 of them as I progressed. I cheated with one dictionary check for spelling (AXELOTL? Nope.), but probably could have survived without it. My favorite incorrect entry was 65A TENDERFEET, which I still like much better as a cleverly-clued "Dude Ranch problem" than the correct SADDLESORE, and will certainly use if I ever construct one of these things. (Don't hold your breath.)
"Sudanese leader" didn't fool me for a moment. Hand up (and 2 erasures) for LEAD/HEAD and SOU/ECU. I also had LEG instead of the correct (and much better) ZIG.
Avg Joe, just be patient -- Zone 7 will come to you.
Finally! A Smooth, Speedy Saturday Silkie! Got the north in a matter of minutes. SE fell after looking up AXOLOTL in the CW dictionary. SE bogged me down,especially had OPeRa instead of OPART. Fixed that and it was done!!! After a rough Thursday and Friday, I needed that! Since I have at least 20 clocks or timers around the house, I am so glad AZ doesnt go on DST.
Well, I guess I started off badly. I don't know why but LINIMENT looked misspelled to me. I would have guessed it was spelled Linament, but no.
Splynter, why won't you be able to draw out of Social Security?
I don't mind Daylight Savings Time but the change unsettles me for a couple of days.
Have I mentioned how much I enjoy "Love Actually"? I just finished watching it for probably the fourth time. It's funny, romantic, emotional, witty; all the things I love in movies. Several really memorable scenes.
Have a great day. It's supposed to top out at 70F here today. Just about perfect for me.
Hi Everyone ~~
I love Saturday Silk-ies ... they're almost always doable after seeming to be impossible. I had some of the same missteps mentioned by others but managed to finish on my own. I knew AXOLOTL had to be right but I had my doubts as it filled in. Thanks to your link, Splynter, I think I'll remember it. I really enjoyed your write-up!
~~ One of the last to fill was NBAALLSTAR. The 'AA' threw me and yet the 'HH' in 1A helped me to get WITCHHAZEL.
~~ I liked OOH and AAH in the same puzzle.
~~ I thought of Avg Joe on 17A - REGULARGUY.
~~ My favorite was 'Develop canines, say' - TEETHE.
Springing ahead in CT!
Well, I got more than I thought I would at first glance, but the west, both up and down, never totally fell into place. So DNF for me today. Not a great way to start a Saturday, but the sun is shining, our cockatiel is tweeting, our dachshunds are snoozing, and the sun will draw the tortoise out of its house on the patio. Not bad, especially with a little Dylan in my ear all day! So thanks Barry and Splynter.
Have a good weekend, everybody.
DNF! FIW!
It's Saturday, time for Splynter to explain my Barry Silk INK BLOT (again, ugh!). I think it looks like Rorschach's "Card # VI" and is kinda sexy. lol
Bill G.: I think Splynter was making a sly joke that SSA will be "broke" by the time he hits Retirement Age.
Here at "Villa Incognito", where we already "Sprang Ahead" (Yesterday! Hey, who cares if they lose an hour from Thursday to Friday!) we're not thrilled having to wait an extra hour to "Toast" the Sunset.
Cheers !!!
Hi Again ~!
No, no diacritical mark for Satan's jersey, and yes, we all thought it would be most apropos if he were to move to New Jersey - on so many levels, too.....
Bill G. - not sure if there will be any money left in the account, so to speak.
And yes, the two things I find rather amusing and/or frustrating to have any discussion on are quantum or sting theory, and existentialism - ooh, there's another good CW entry.
Splynter
After yesterdays disaster, i promised myself i would not use that solve button, & what do i get, a Saturday Silkie, Aaacckk!
Oh well, a promise is a promise, breakfast has turned into lunch as i am reading the posts. I finished it (not without red letter help) by slogging thru one letter at a time, & i am proud to say only one or two surprised me by popping up black. (i justify this by thinking if i was doing this in ink, i would be going thru the alphabet in my head anyway.)
My only complaint is i have too many questions that i now cannot remember. One was TNT. i know it no longer has to be listed as an Abbr., but the the clue "Rubble Creator" had me trying to remember if i ever knew Hanna/Barbera'a 1st names?
& 4 all you chickens afraid to post a link for Lay Lady Lay, this one was the only one that caught my interest.
Splynter - Yeah, that would have been a hoot if Šatan had signed with New Jersey.
Now for that Bruins logo question: the Wiki page you linked for Šatan shows him in what appears to be a legitimate Bruins uniform, with a casual-looking Bruins logo, unfamiliar to me. A batch of Google image hits show his 2010 jersey with the more familiar logo.
Is this a case where certain kinds of games, say charity or exhibition, call for a casual uniform?
who changed the format here? the old was way better. let well enough alone!
La La Linda, you look pretty.
linda, i agree
Hola Everyone, I actually finished a Silky! Well, not on my own. I had to use Google to find Mexican Salamander, The death year for Alexander the V and Ste Julie in Montreal. The SW corner was the most difficult for me. Loose ends was the last to fall.
However, I seemed to be on Barry Silk's radar today, as Sea Snake, Minnesota, and Witch Hazel just came out of the depths.
Sometimes the longer answers are the easiest because the perps help out with just enough clues to guess what those might be. Case in point was Saddle sore. Loved that one!
I loved the clues for Apple core, and Boxer's cry. There is always out of the box thinking necessary for a Barry Silk puzzle. He didn't disappoint today.
Thanks, Splynter for a great writeup. I always enjoy your take on the CW.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Hi Y'all,
Why I try to do Silkies, I can't guess. Masochistic? Or maybe I just like Splynter's help.
Witch Hazel is an astringent in my mental book. Until I got that from Splynter, I was lost. After he told me that and LAY LADY LAY, I was off and going.
Hands up for Hanna-Barbera on 19A. Yabadabadoo!
Bridget Riley's art made me dizzy.
60A: got N_AAL and confidently put in C & League since I'd been watching an NCAA tournament. I am ashamed to say that I, who watch NBA basketball nightly missed both BB clues.
My husband used to complain loudly about paying 15% FICA because he was self-employed. He said he would never collect it. Well, he got four checks and dropped dead. Splynter, please don't HEX yourself by saying you'll never draw it. On a happier note: since he got those checks, I could draw on his larger stipend when I turned 60.
Isn't MINNESOdA how some natives pronounce their state?
Only when we have a cold
The new format doesn't work well on my mobile phone. It keeps drifting back to the previous day. Any one else having this problem?
Holy wow, what a hard puzzle this one was! Doable, though, and quite satisfying to solve. Some amazing strings of letters in it, such as HH, BAALL, YTE, and of course LOTL. LAYLADYLAY blew my mind and twisted my tongue! Had LAYLA and then got sidetracked into thinking of Eric Clapton.
ESS fooled me (I'm so ashamed!) Wanted JOAD instead of OKIE, and then after I got OKIE I wanted MOTE instead of IOTA. And so it went.
Our paper had "Sautés" for 35A, which hindered me a little bit, and then I thought FRY can also be a plural noun, so I said "Oh, okay" to myself and kept on truckin'.
Like many of you I pencilled in (I use pencil, too, Mike) CENSOR for "Bleep" and was glad, again, that I use pencil. Maybe not as sexy as your Rorschach, though, Tinbeni :)
Love the word TEETHE. And the clue, too.
Hello.
Anon@4:01 sounds like ferm.
Uniform Logo is an alternate design (07-08). There have been many changes over the years. Very funny if he had played for NJ.
Syd may play tonight.
Daisy took me for a nice long w a l k this AM.
Nice shout-out to CC.
eddy
Speaking of Social Security, it distresses me a lot that our contributions into it are called "payroll tax." It is no more a tax than contributions I put into our savings account at the bank. SS was, and should still be, a savings program, albeit mandatory. The money you and I have put into it is supposedly our money, not a tax to be commingled with other tax revenue. It seems to me it would be illegal if someone came along and appropriated my savings. It seems actionable to me.
End of rant.
So, Hahtool, now known as Hahtoolah, you decided to become a feminine cat, eh? Very cool. I miss your comments and Quotes Of the Day.
I also miss Clear Ayes and Buckeye.
Best wishes to you all.
Jayce:
I'm still laughing at your "Center of Florida" yesterday being LORID.
Cheers !
Heartrx: LOL!
Minnisoda is also what elves, sprites and fairies drink, at least in my neck `o` the woods!
Avg Joe@7:34 -- Yes, there are lots of crepe myrtles in my area. Personally, I think the magnolia trees are even more impressive with their glossy leaves and huge, white blossoms.
Jayce@1:41 -- I hear your pain. But, unfortunately, SS has never been a "savings" program. The tax on current employees has always been used to pay the current benefit. Neither you nor I have an "account balance."
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Barry Silk, for a great puzzle. Thank you, Splynter, for the great review.
I started this morning a little later than usual, then we went to Whole Foods to get my Flax Seed Oil that I was instructed to take by my eye doctor. Supposed to help clear up the fluid in my eyes.
Finished the puzzle while traveling to the Mall.
I enjoyed it very much. Started slowly with short answers and then built from them. Had ESTADOS for a while for 39A. Nothing was working in that area so I tried EL NORTE and that got me going.
Thought 1D Toady/WARTY was excellent. Got 2D IRENE with perps. After finishing, I realized who she was.
Got AXOLOTL with perps and was still suspicious.
Took me a while to get NBA ALLSTAR for 60A. then, I saw the light.
Our trip to Whole Foods was great this morning. That is one store I really enjoy. All kinds of natural and healthy foods, as well as a great array of craft beers.
Tonight we are off to the Shrine Temple for the biggest piece of Prime Rib you ever saw. I might try to get a photo before I dig in.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Beer MMMMMMMM
Today I read in the Newspaper that Sprouts is buying Sunflower Foods and I don't know how to react. Does anyone here shop at Sprouts? I love Sunflower Fds. and don't want it to change drastically.
Lucina,
We shop at Sprouts often, and we like it. Not familiar with Sunflower Foods, though, so have no idea how different they are. Sorry, I know that is no help to you.
Abejo, I can't wait to see that big piece of prime rib, my favorite beef indulgence. I hope my mouth doesn't water so much I drool and mess up my keyboard.
Greetings!
Not much sleep. Puzzle very difficult.
I assure you, I was never an ANON, eddyB.
AXOLOTL was the name of my second horse. An old buckskin. Got the name from Mad Mag. and not salamander.
Cheers!
I enjoyed today's Silkie, finishing it over morning coffee. It took a tad longer than ususal. I had to leave before coming to the blog.
WEES. I had some of the same write overs and enjoyed the same puns. I read OTOLOGIST for a time. Stick it in your ear. When I discovered the N, ONTOLOGIST, the SW fell.
I accept Ste. Julie just as I accept St. Louis.
Today I attended an all day training meeting for our church board. UGH! For 32 years as an educator and longer as a church leader I have attended these useless meetings. (200 of them maybe.) The meetings are always the same. This one recommended exactly what we are doing now, thinking we must be too dumb to think of it ourselves.
Reading your delightful posts has restored my sanity.
I once went to whole foods and asked if the sold organic cigarettes, they reacted like i offended their religion or something.
Great puzzle, thanks Barry. As usual, an informative and entertaining write-up, Splynter. Same hangups as many of you. Had to peek to get the Mexican creature then it all fell in place.
Woke up early, early, came downstairs and looked out the windows to see a couple inches of
slushy snow. No way was I going to slog down the driveway for the paper. I lay down on the sofa with the afghan and the next thing I knew, I had my beautiful golden curled up at my feet, my daughter's mini pug cuddled in the small of my back, and my cat snuggled up to my stomach. No way could I disturb those furry faces so I went back to sleep for several hours.
a very disturbing story about the
axolotl
(it's Saturday night,,,pass the bottle...)
C E DAVE @ 6:34 ROTFL thanks.
CED:
Thanks. LOL! I think I'll name something AXOLOTL, maybe my car.
Nice! Thanks for the write-up Splynter - I think the axolotl in your pic looks cute! And @Cross-Eyed Dave - link of the day! Careful what's in that bottle of yours, @Tinbeni.
Apple core was fun.
Splynter - if you want to read a book "about" basketball which is anything but, try Pat Conroy's "My Losing Season". (Conroy also wrote The Great Santini and Prince of Tides).
Love the Satan/Devils conversation!
No clocks to change for me, I only have my cellphone and that takes care of itself.
As I told another friend yesterday, anytime you have to send "taxes" to the government there should be a form to fill out entitled "THINGS FOR WHICH MY MONEY CAN BE SPENT" with boxes to check. There should also be a law that the money could not be spent for anything else. I can think of a lot of things that probably would not be funded at all. Probably would cut down on the arguments in congress.
Here is a spectacular time-lapse video taken in Yosemite National Park. Best viewed in full screen.
Bill G, thanks for the Yosemite pics--beautiful.
CED: that video reminds me of the old saying; Ketchup, Ketchup in a bottle, none comes out and then a Lotl.
What an obtuse puzzle. Ruined my Saturday morning........
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