Theme: The Boxer Rebellion.
Bernice Gordon turned 98 in January of this year! She usually constructs early week puzzles, so it is a great honor to write up this Thursday offering. Four grid-spanning theme entries define the common word BOXER, and she gives us a pangram just for good measure. Impressive!
17A. BOXERS : FIGHTERS IN A RING. Pow!
26A. BOXERS : SHORTS WORN BY MEN. Wow!
43A. BOXERS : POWERFUL CANINES. Bow!
56A. BOXERS : SHIPPING WORKERS. Now?
Marti here for your Thursday dissection. Let's see what Ms. Gordon has to offer us.
Across:
1. Pilgrim to Mecca : HAJI. One who had completed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca is called a hajji (alternate spellings: haji, hadji).
5. Pop singer Miley : CYRUS. She gained fame as Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana on the Disney channel.
10. Window part : PANE. Damn you JazzBumpa! I automatically filled in "sill" without even looking at the downs!
14. Blackberry lily's family : IRIS
15. First lady before Michelle : LAURA. Bush. Michelle Obama.
16. Caddie's suggestion : IRON. My caddie's suggestion? "Take up tennis!"
20. They're seen on airport carousels : IDS. Identification tags on luggage.
21. Sculling tools : OARS
22. It gets into a lather : RAZOR. Fun clue, had me going for a minute.
23. Suggestion opener? : AUTO. Auto-suggestion, or the art of self-hypnosis.
24. Former Heathrow-based flier : BOAC. British Overseas Airway Company, merged with British European Airways in 1974 to form British Airways. And 59-Down - Merged Dutch airline : KLM. Can you say Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.? Now merged with Air-France.
33. Some coins : CENTS. Makes sense to me.
34. Holliday and a dwarf : DOCS. I love it when a plural proper noun can have such a fun clue.
35. Single : ONE. One hundred cents?
36. Join forces : ALLY
37. Corpulent : OBESE. That's just wrong...
39. Not perjured : TRUE
40. Padua possessive : MIO. Not Neapolitan? 3:22
41. One of the Marxes : KARL. I laughed out loud at this one - I went through all five Marx Brothers before I realized Ms. Gordon was pulling my leg!
42. Drawn weapon : SWORD. Did you read the article? She once got an editor fired writing a clue as "The ___ mightier than the sword..."
47. Extreme desire : LUST. What do you lust for?
48. Team that pulls together : OXEN
49. Bottom deck : ORLOP. Maybe Spitzboov can elucidate. Isn't that the deck where the crew usually sleeps?
52. Old Broadway title beau : ABIE. A Jewish fellow and an Irish Catholic gal marry, despite their family's objections. Hilarity ensues.
Bernice Gordon turned 98 in January of this year! She usually constructs early week puzzles, so it is a great honor to write up this Thursday offering. Four grid-spanning theme entries define the common word BOXER, and she gives us a pangram just for good measure. Impressive!
17A. BOXERS : FIGHTERS IN A RING. Pow!
26A. BOXERS : SHORTS WORN BY MEN. Wow!
43A. BOXERS : POWERFUL CANINES. Bow!
56A. BOXERS : SHIPPING WORKERS. Now?
Marti here for your Thursday dissection. Let's see what Ms. Gordon has to offer us.
Across:
1. Pilgrim to Mecca : HAJI. One who had completed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca is called a hajji (alternate spellings: haji, hadji).
5. Pop singer Miley : CYRUS. She gained fame as Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana on the Disney channel.
10. Window part : PANE. Damn you JazzBumpa! I automatically filled in "sill" without even looking at the downs!
14. Blackberry lily's family : IRIS
15. First lady before Michelle : LAURA. Bush. Michelle Obama.
16. Caddie's suggestion : IRON. My caddie's suggestion? "Take up tennis!"
20. They're seen on airport carousels : IDS. Identification tags on luggage.
21. Sculling tools : OARS
22. It gets into a lather : RAZOR. Fun clue, had me going for a minute.
23. Suggestion opener? : AUTO. Auto-suggestion, or the art of self-hypnosis.
24. Former Heathrow-based flier : BOAC. British Overseas Airway Company, merged with British European Airways in 1974 to form British Airways. And 59-Down - Merged Dutch airline : KLM. Can you say Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.? Now merged with Air-France.
33. Some coins : CENTS. Makes sense to me.
34. Holliday and a dwarf : DOCS. I love it when a plural proper noun can have such a fun clue.
35. Single : ONE. One hundred cents?
36. Join forces : ALLY
37. Corpulent : OBESE. That's just wrong...
39. Not perjured : TRUE
40. Padua possessive : MIO. Not Neapolitan? 3:22
41. One of the Marxes : KARL. I laughed out loud at this one - I went through all five Marx Brothers before I realized Ms. Gordon was pulling my leg!
42. Drawn weapon : SWORD. Did you read the article? She once got an editor fired writing a clue as "The ___ mightier than the sword..."
47. Extreme desire : LUST. What do you lust for?
48. Team that pulls together : OXEN
49. Bottom deck : ORLOP. Maybe Spitzboov can elucidate. Isn't that the deck where the crew usually sleeps?
52. Old Broadway title beau : ABIE. A Jewish fellow and an Irish Catholic gal marry, despite their family's objections. Hilarity ensues.
53. Canada's largest prov. in area : QUE.bec. Map, so you can see for yourself.
60. Hoard, say : SAVE. Anyone watch "Hoarders"?
61. "Air Music" Pulitzer winner, 1976 : ROREM. Ned.
62. Screened fuzz : LINT. Oh, great clue! Who just mentioned the other day, that they thought lint was composed of missing socks? C'mon...you know who you are!
63. Copied : APED
64. Q-tips : SWABS. We all know where not to put them!
65. ___ en scene: stage setting : MISE. From the French "to place".
Down:
1. Music maker : HI-FI. I filled in "Harp" from the "h" off HAJI. grr...
2. Nothing like swampland : ARID.
3. Lively dances : JIGS
4. Suffix suggesting degree : -ISH. Ish thish how I shpeak when I have had a great degree to drink?
5. Some athletic shoes : CLEATS. Do any of you other golfers still have metal cleats? Our course banned them long ago. I don't miss them at all.
6. Plant with feathery leaves : YARROW. I have some in my garden. Lovely!
7. It spans nine time zones: Abbr. : RUSS.ia. Here's the map. (Can't find 9? Check out the little teal-colored blip on the left side.)
8. Ocean State sch. : URI. University of Rhode Island. Gimme.
9. Leader of Jose and Juan? : SAN. Fun clue for a crossword staple. San Jose and San Juan.
10. Maritime crime : PIRACY. Don't sail off the coast of Somalia!
11. St. that turned 100 in February : ARIZ.ona. Oh! I was thinking of St. Valentine!
12. Forbidden thing : NO-NO
13. One working on the RR : ENGR. Abbr. for "Engineer". Working on the railroad.
18. Tipsters : TOUTS. One who "touts" his skill at predicting the outcome of races, and sells those tips to desperate bettors.
19. Most Lebanese : ARABS
23. Superficially cultured : ARTY
24. Family business abbr. : BROS. Brothers.
25. Start of a story : ONCE. upon a time...
26. Troublemaker : SCAMP
27. Sun: Pref. : HELIO
28. Keeping food warm, as an oven : ON LOW
29. Children's author Scott : O'DELL. Don't know him. I was more into Nancy Drew mysteries...
30. Dimwit : MORON. And 37-Down: Bozos : OAFS.
31. Habituate : ENURE
32. They can't be ignored : NEEDS. What do you need?
38. Cologne first launched by Faberge : BRUT
39. Baseballer named for two cities : TWIN. Minneapolis and St. Paul are the Twin Cities.
41. Essen industrial family name : KRUPP. 400-year old German dynasty of manufacturers. Not to be confused with the Krups coffee maker - that's a different family.
42. Look of scorn : SNEER. JazzBumpa, you explained "leer" and "ogle" so well yesterday!
44. Fled to Gretna Green, say : ELOPED. Gretna Green is the Las Vegas of Scotland.
45. Finespun trap : COBWEB
46. Self-evident truths : AXIOMS
49. Greek mount : OSSA. Mount Ossa. Beautiful!
50. Gershwin wrote one "in Blue":Abbr. : RHAP. I never knew Gershwin was into rhap music. 7:03
51. Risky, TV show-wise : LIVE. Other than the news, are any shows still "live"?
52. Indian city on the banks of the Yamuna : AGRA. India - city - four letters: agra.
53. Cunard flagship for 35 yrs. : QEII. Queen Elizabeth II. She was re-fitted to help the troops in The Falklands. Then she was revamped again and sailed until she was retired in 2008.
54. Samovars : URNS.
55. Tivoli's Villa d'___ : ESTE. This place. You can see why it is a UNESCO world heritage site.
57. Taxing org. : IRS. Thank goodness that's over for me this year. Anyone file an extension?
58. The present : NOW. This instant! (Sorry - gotta go!)
Answer grid.
Hugs,
Marti
Note from C.C.:
Here is a lovely picture outside Dummy Dennis' condo. He has his breakfast in the deck every morning. Heavenly!
85 comments:
Morning, all!
Liked the theme today and the fill was enjoyable for the most part. Didn't know ODELL, KRUPP or YARROW and only barely remembered BOAC, but the perps took care of them all.
Once again, though, I wasn't crazy about some of the cluing (and as usual I'll blame that on Rich and not the constructor). A COBWEB, for example, might have started out life as a "finespun trap," but by the time it gets covered in dust and fall apart that definition no longer applies. And of all the possible words that start with AUTO, "suggestion" really seems like a stretch (although I get that Rich wanted the misdirection).
Other clues, of course, were brilliant, as Marti mentioned. "One of the Marxes" for KARL tickled my funny bone as well, for example, although I guessed the misdirection right away.
Good day folks,
Nice to be recognized twice today with OAFS & MORON although I prefer the former!
Had a couple of miscues that slowed me down for awhile .... 16A CLUB instead of IRON & 26A BRIEFS instead of SHORTS ... but I got back on track thanks to perps.
34A DOCS was a favorite. It was a snap as soon as I read HOLLIDAY properly. A nasty clue considering the approaching weekend.
Marti, I too went through the entire list of Marx Bros. KRUPP got me to KARL though. And thanks for the explanation for GRETA GREEN. I had no idea what it was.
Loved the BASEBALLER NAMED FOR TWO CITIES. CC, how did you manage to sneak it in?
And finally, I can assure everyone our UPS driver doesn't look like Marti's example.
Our computer caught a virus so our IT son said not to turn it on until he was able to pick it up & clean it up. I said its amazing how essential a computer is in the life of a couple of old retirees. Although I seldom comment, I normally read the blog everyday. I may not get back to it today, because we will be celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary. Just Irv & I are going out of town & having a special dinner tonight. Monday, our kids, grandkids and great grandkids will gather at the local daughter's home to celebrate. I thought it is interesting that the constructor today is 98 yrs old as Irv is. Thanks to all the bloggers who make life entertaining day by day.
Dot
Marti, thanks for your witty blog, as usual. I enjoyed this puzzle, but it was more like a Tuesday one. I didn't remember whether it was KRUPP or KRUPS and had to wait for the perp. I shoulda known.
I looked up COBWEB some time ago and learned that it just means spider web, from coppe, Middle English or Middle Dutch for spider. It can be freshly made or old and dirty.
It is too bad Bernice Gordon's editor was fired for allowing, "The ___mightier than the sword." The DF is only in the mind of the puzzler. After all, to really be DF we would need an extra “is.”
Wow !!!! Marti, a wonderful write-up and fantastic links - charmed my day already !!! Loved your commentary. Bernice Gordon, thank you, for a lovely puzzle, and Gods bless you and more long life ahead.
Was I one of a few, who thought of Karl Marx immediately ? (I couldn't remember any of the others ...).
I'm glad my UPS person is not like the picture, I don't think my heart could take it - though it would be fun to dream about.
One of the very few Thursdays, I have been able to finish.
Unlike most other pilgrimages, a mere trip to Mecca does not even begin to satisfy the religious edict fulfillment and would not entitle the pilgrim to append the title 'Haji' to his name. A Haj must be undertaken only between the 8th to 12th day of the month of Du al Hija, the last month of the Islamic lunar calender. (precedes the festival of Eid Al Adha). Hence the massive tsunami of pilgrims who converge on Mecca ( and corresponding places ) during those 5 days.
Marti how perfect, you blogging dear Bernice Gordon. I am so glad you had the chance; or is it me blogging as you? Oh drat/ Anyway, you said everything worth saying, so there probably will not be any comments at all today. Ah well; I did like the SWORD story, since I like them to have a MOREL. Imagine constructing still at her age, wow, now, pow and bow!
I am surprised you do not recall Scott O'Dell the Newbery Prize winner who appeared in your march 29, 2012 blog. I had him back in 2010.
Dot so nice to hear from you and Irv, keep well.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Bernice Gordon, for a great puzzle. And many more, I hope! Thank you, as well, Marti, for the great write-up. And many more, I hope!
Got HAJ to start. was not sure of the last letter until I finally got ISH.
CYRUS for 5A was my last entry. Did not know the singer. Also did not know YARROW. The ":Y" became obvious after a little staring.
The theme answers were great. All four grid spanners, wow!
Did not know MISE for 65A. KLM, QEII, and URNS helped. Had EST and wagged the final "E."
Still not sure what AUTO for 23A means. Anybody help? Autosuggestion means nothing to me. I must be looking at it wrong.
Marti, the nine time zones are listed under the picture of Russia.
KARL and KRUPP crossing is kind of funny. One a communist and one a capitalist.
More yard work today.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
YR
The problem is puzzles do not have spaces so the taboo word was sitting there for all to see. The newspaper determined the editor should have noticed....Rich? C.C.?
Good morning, all. Great expo, Marti.
Congratulations, Dot and Irv, on 60 years. Great milestone and hope you have many more.
Bernice came up with a real goodie today. There were quite a few entries that needed a lot of perp help, but my first thought was KARL and confirmed with KRUPP. Anytime I needed to rent large hydraulic cranes for our construction jobs, I was always pleased if a KRUPP was available. Setup and operation was always very smooth.
We've seen ORLOP at least once before, but it took four perps before I could remember it.
Too rainy to golf, so I get this wonderful Thursday puzzle from Bernice. As I write this, I still don’t know if I got the bottom right hand vowel box right or not - MIS_/EST_ with an E.
Musings
-Boxers vs. tighty whities debate continues
-One hit wonder dad Billy Ray Cyrus got on the Miley train
-Hey, Marti, I put in SASH, wanted HORN, read Hardy Boys and went through Groucho and his brothers too.
-Are the CENTS (pennies) days numbered?
-Now THAT’s a FAT CAT!
-Did Roger Clements PERJURE himself in front of Congress? “ONCE upon a time, I was a great pitcher who did not take steroids.”
-I never thought QUEbec was that big!
-My Q (cue) Tips needed to be chalked all the time but I never jammed them in my ears!
-I can see our YARROW from here
-Radios are full of football TOUTS on Saturday morning. If they’re so darn good, why ain’t they rich?
-C.C.’s TWINs and my Royals are stinkin’ it up so far this year
-Rhapsody in Blue is theme for what airline?
-Nice Digs, Dennis!
-Hey, my E was right! Even a blind squirrel finds some nuts!
Thank you Bernice Gordon for my "new" 'Favorite Crossword Puzzle of 2012.'
Marti, Excellent write-up & links. I always look forward to 'your' Thursdays.
Yellowrocks, thanks for the COBWEB explanation (that someone assumed was incorrectly clued).
When I'm solving, I enjoy learning new meanings for words.
Rich Norris, Thank you for your erudite editing.
There's probably something about the 30-D clue, Dimwit and the answer MORON.
Hondo, you would NOT be the one I make that association. You're too cool!
A 'toast' to all at Sunset.
I also thought the clue for 'cobweb' was spot-on. What happens to it after it's spun is completely irrelevant.
I enjoyed today's solving experience.
Thoroughly Thursday: A little tough, but doable.
Hondo: I'm still laughing about your recognition!
My favorite "BOXERS" were the SHIPPING WORKERS. I didn't see that wone coming.
What do I LUST for Marti? How about being able to live comfortable without having to go to work every day? Sounds good to me.
Have a good one y'all.
I didn't see that ONE coming either. Sometimes my fingers type faster than my brain can compute.
Good morning everyone. Thanks, Marti for a very erudite and detailed write-up.
What a special treat to work on one of Bernice's offerings. 4 grid spanning theme phrases; wow. While I got IN A RING early, I had to drop to the bottom and work my way up. Guessed at YARROW, a new learning for me, and finished with FIGHTERS IN A RING. I thought it was fairly tough, but it had a nice solving 'texture'.
ORLOP - Marti, we had no orlop deck; I think it is a sailing ship term. A Wiki check showed one on Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, and the orlop was used as you said.
KLM - stands for the Dutch words for Royal Airtravel Company
Have a great day.
Good morning, a little late...
Marti, I was right there with you HARPing, enumerating the Marx brothers, and looking for a saint.
Several learning moments today. I always thought Ontario was the largest province. Takes forever to drive across it. And who knew that Kaliningrad on the Baltic was still part of Russia? Villa d'Este is quite some palace! I've seen it often in CW's but had no idea what it looked like.
That young woman doesn't look anything like my UPS delivery person. Alas...(and quite a lass!)
Later.
Musings (cont.)
-Welcome back Tinman!
-Happy 60th Dot!
-My IRONS are getting more use now that my woods are becoming shotguns rather than rifles
-What group features a YARROW?
-Does “What happens in Gretna Green STAY in Gretna Green?”
-I lust after shooting in the 70’s
-Sky is clearing so…
Husker: Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary.
Lemon @8:08, I didn't remember O'Dell, because I had to look him up on March 29, too (brain sieve). Didn't recognize him then, either!! The only O'Dell I remember was called "Digger". (Do you know what show he was popular on?)
Abejo, great catch on the KARL / KRUPP krossing!
HuskerG - "Rhapsody in Blue" was used by United Airlines.
I pretty much hate you all! :-)
This felt every bit as tough as a Silkie to me. Took forever to find a toe hold, but eventually started picking away at it. Did not fall into the Marx brothers trap, but did put Laura on the second line instead of the first. Had the U in QUE, but felt that YUK had to be the largest province, so that took a while.
Still, a technical DNF cuz I took a wag on A instead of E at that natick in the Miami location. Very impressive puzzle and a satisfying solve even if I didn't quite get there.
My 4 favorite long haired music pieces are Rhapsody in Blue, Fur Elise, 1812 Overture and Hungarian Rhapsody. 2 out of 4 for the week ain't bad!
I went to work today on my day off. I LUST after retirement.
Came home and worked on this puzzle, but it got the best of me. ORLOP, TOUT, and AUTO helped to do me in. I'm still not sure why all the BOXER clues were capitalized. Can anyone tell me?
Favorite clues today were for DOCS and TWIN. Wish the TWINs were having a better season.
it's great that Ms. Gordon is still constructing at 98. Wish I could solve what she constructs!
I received an email comment, that the pic I posted (Wow!) was of briefs, not boxers. But really, do you think the ladies would have been happy with me if I had linked a picture of these?
Be careful categorizing "most" Lebanese as Arabs. That can be a very touchy subject in the area. Most Lebanese do speak Arabic, but ethnically they are a heady mix of various Semitic peoples (Arabic, Aramaean and Phoenician mostly), Greek, Turkish and, even, Western European (from the Crusades).
I enjoy the wide range of people who contribute to the blog. I suspect there are many thousands who enjoy the blog but do not contribute. I was one of those until today. Didn't get fooled by Mars, but orlop was new to me. Crosswords are a great way to get the mind going in the morning, and you have to know a little bit about a wide range of subject matter.
Bye for now!
Qli @ 9:51, whenever the theme uses the same (one word) clue, they put them all in caps. Why? Beats the heck out of me!
Gary M, welcome! You are right, because we see many hundreds more "hits" on this blog than we have contributors. It is always nice to hear different viewpoints. Thanks for jointing in!
Was impossible to finish today.
Too many imprecise abbreviations (EVERYWHERE, in the fill AND the clues!), and far too many proper names.
When the proper name I don't know (and therefore can't figure out, no matter how hard I think) crosses with an abbreviation (that could literally be any letter in the word), it's a permanent blank square. It may be a challebge for some of you, but it just feels sloppy to me.
The word for habituate is INURE. Enure is to come into operation or have effect.
Life of Riley another show you are way too young to remember dear hearti. Aside from Digger, I recall O'Dell's hair trainer. Anyone else have that goop put on their tender little heads?
Unknown/Mamadove: Check This Link
Worst thurs in awhile. To many abbr. QEII c'mon wtf. Last couple of wks thurs and fris have been awesome. I think when u use to mny abbrs. Its a cop out. Stick to m-w pzzls. Also the authors want u to abrv the way they want u to not proper wy.
Hi Everyone ~~
I am so in awe of Ms Gordon! A most challenging puzzle but one that I was able to complete - almost correctly. After coming here I found that I had two wrong squares. I didn't get 18D - TOUTS because I had AS TO for 23A - 'Suggestion opener,' thinking of someone saying "As to .... and then suggesting something. Well, it sounded good at the time. :-) I'm not sure what I was thinking leaving 'Tosts' for 'Tipsters.' I also missed the E in MISE crossing ESTE - l had an A - someone else mentioned this earlier.
The theme answers came pretty easily but I got tripped up by some of the shorter fill - QEII took me a while and I was also slow to recognize RUSS as an abbreviation. I smiled after finally getting 39D - TWIN ~ I was trying too hard to come up with an actual player's name. That was one of my favorites along with 'Drawn weapon' - SWORD and 'It gets into a lather' - RAZOR.
I loved your write-up, Marti. Lots of info, humor and great links! I think the one for "undies" boxers was just fine. \ ^ _ ^ /
Hondo ~ I got a good chuckle from your "being recognized" comment.
Dennis ~ Wow ... impressive view! Hope all is going well.
Listening to Tigers baseball right now - No Red Sox game today.
Enjoy the day!
Marti- Still campaigning for FATCAT?
Fun puzzle, Bernice. Good blog, Marti! Enjoyed the good music. (Especially, after enduring two hours of American Idol last night, during which I muted the sound several times. As usual, I didn't think the person who won was the best singer. I quit watching for several years. Didn't watch it much this year. I'm getting crotchety in my old age.)
Read enough English writers whose lovers ELOPED to Gretna Green--a gimee.
Didn't fare so well on many others. 23A Suggestion opener had to be goTO as in followed by "hell", a pretty strong suggestion. I never heard of ORLOP and had KRUgg then KRUmP.
MARI: I'm very grateful to be living your dream after pinching pennies all my life. Now if my health would improve so I could travel.....
No wonder we don't hear from Dennis. Who wants to look at a computer screen with a view like that?
Happy 60th Dot & Irv!
Greetings, puzzlers. Hearty, har, har, Marti, for your amusing blog.
Yowza! Bernice Gordon, congratulations on your continuing success!
This was a lovely puzzle on which sadly I DNF as I filled FIGURES instead of FIGHTERS and SHOPPING not SHIPPING. I blame it on my poor vision! Of course!
However, all the rest was a neat sashay and thought RAZOR was clued wonderfully as well as ALLY, IRS, and SAN.
And happy birthday to my state, ARIZ, which was in fact admitted into the Union on Valentine's Day, 1912.
YARROW is a herb (h is pronounced) which is featured in the book I am currently reading, The Lady of the Rivers, by Philippa Gregory. It's based on the life of Jaquetta who was the grandmother of the twin boys locked in the Tower of London. It's quite fascinating.
Contratulations, Dot and irv on your 60th anniversary!
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Bernice Gordon, you are my new role model! I'd be so happy to still be able to do crossword puzzles when I get into my 90s, and here you are, constructing brilliant puzzles, still! Awesome--as the kids say!
And Dot and Irv, how inspiring that you're celebrating your 60th anniversary! Makes me wish I'd met my sweetie decades earlier. We'd have to live into our 100s to have a 60th anniversary. Have a fabulous dinner celebration!
Welcome to the blog, Gary M. And Lucina 12:20, I hope so much that your vision will be wonderful after your cataract surgery. My husband had both eyes done some years ago, and he can see better than I do now!
Have a great Thursday, everybody!
Hello everybody. I liked this puzzle a lot, and was able to correctly finish it with no cheating, but it felt, well, weird to me. I cannot put my finger on why I feel that way.
I barely remembered YARROW and ORLOP from previous puzzles, my brain being as much of a sieve (colander?) as anybody's. Never heard of ABIE so it was totally gotten from the perps. Immediatley thought of KARL Marx because, if I recall correctly, the Marx brothers' names are all five letters or more. That led me to KRUPs, which was wrong, which in turn made me take a long time to get SHIPPING.
I hate to admit it, but CYRUS was a gimme. Like many of you, HAJI led me to HARP. I still can't get it through my thick skull that CLEATS can be the shoes and not limited to those spiky dealie-bobs on the bottoms of the shoes.
Loved how DOCS was clued, but "Holliday" made me think of Billie for far too long. I think that was the point, of course.
And I, too, wanted a Saint in 11D, and even after filling in ARIZ from the perps I kept wondering who Saint Ariz was.
Until Marti showed us that map of Canada, I always thought the Northwest Territories was the largest, so (over)confidently pencilled in NWT for 53A.
And so it went. Weird :)
Dot and Irv, happy anniversary.
Dennis, what a lovely view. Good to hear from you.
Some of us click on the blog quite often in one day. Although there are many unknown readers, not every click is a new person.
I am reading Gentleman Captain and its sequel, The Mountain of Gold, by J.D. Davies. They are about The Royal Navy in the time of the Restoration and King Charles II. It is a rollicking good story and a neat way to learn about the Restoration in the 1600's and about the war ships of that time. This type of book always gives me many words like ORLOP which come in handy for puzzles.
LaLaLinda, nice hat!
Hondo, funny :)
Jazzbumpa from last night, thanks for the Danse Macabre link. I like "Stokie's" interpretation.
Tinbeni, you subtle dawg you.
Husker Gary, may you never lose the knack of making mental connections.
Dot, congratulations!
Speaking of what people have been reading lately, I confess I have been enjoying the early novels of Dana Stabenow. Her stories are set in the "bush" of southwest Alaska, which she brings alive in my mind by her skillful descriptions. I like the characters she has created. Oh, and Yellowrocks and windhover, because of your comments several weeks ago, I have been reading up on John Dominic Crossan and his work. Man oh man, what a scholar he is!
Best wishes to you all.
Thanks Jayce! What musical has a song about a TOUT extolling the virtues of a "horse named Paul Revere"?
From the course
Husker
HG, You've planted the earworm from Guys and Dolls too deeply. "I've got a horese right here. His name is paul Revere..." will not quit.
Husker Gary, since I didn't know the answer to your Paul Revere pop-quiz and had to look it up, I won't answer here. I don't want to spoil it for others. I like your quizzes, though, and hope you keep 'em coming.
Hi everyone:
I'm late to the dance today; had lots of errands and chores.
Wonderful Thursday offering, Bernice, and great write-up, Marti. Had horn before hifi and Etna before Ossa, but other than those two miscues, the rest was smooth.
Welcome, Gary M.
Happy remainder of the day.
YR:
You are correct that not every hit is a unique viewer, but when you have 5,930 views as of this moment, it is liekly the audience is considerably larger than the posting part. Even if everyone logged in 10 times a day, that would leave 1000 people on an average Thursday.
PK;
Not sure if I mentioned, but I finished the Spenser continuation novel, and it was entertaining. The rhyrhym is not perfect but it was a Spenser type plot and it preserved much of the characters.
I have recorded but not seen the new Jesse Stone movie; read the first book and it was okay.
I also am reading the Anne Perry Thomas and Charlotte Pitt books.
Welcome to the writing world Gary M. It can become addictive, at least for a while.
"I've got the horse right here..." is further evidence that they don't make musicals nearly as good as they used to. Great stuff!
Congratulations Dot! I hope you have a super day!
What do these words have in common, or another way of asking is, what is interesting about these words? Bras, bibles, needles, millionaires, timelines and princes?)
I don't think I ever mentioned that when I was studying in London as a Rhodes Scholar in the early sixties, I had the pleasure of meeting Karl Marx. We had a mutual friend, Fred Engels. He was quiet and rarely talked the few times we met. He loved to drink his ale, though.
Bill G.; We had that riddle back last year on June 1, 2012, when Jeannie was going through her riddle phase. I will wait to see if anyone wants to guess before I reveal.
Anon at 2:45; since we have no idea who you are, how could we possible know what stories you have told, though a karl marx siting would likely be remembered
Lemony, for some reason, my mother used to call me Digger O'Dell. Maybe it was because I used to love digging around in the sand?
Jerome @ 11:50, Hahtoolah is the one who started it! Speaking of which, where is she? I have missed her insights this week...
Congratulations to Dot and Irv wow, 60 years together and you are still going out on "dates". I love it!
Bill G. I agree with everyone else. With a view like that, why would you ever come inside? My BFF of nearly 50 years just moved down to the Tampa area, so I plan on spending a lot of time visiting her new digs!!
Gary, add "s" and get a new word. Eg, bras becomes brass.
Hi all,
This was a fun puzzle and not as hard as yesterdays. I didn't get all the answers but got most.
I have watched Hoarders some but then I look around and say, if I'm not careful my house will soon look like that.
On the map of Samalia did you notice where it also showed Oman from yesterday's puzzle and could see that Mumbai was straight east? Very interesting.
Gretna Green was easy as I used to read a lot of English novels and someone was always sneaking away with their lover to get married and someone else was chasing after them to rescue the bride.
For 41A my first thought was Karl but had to check names of the brothers to make sure none of their names had four letters.
Have a good evening all!
Marge
PS
I forgot to tell Bernice thank you for this fun puzzle, also thank you to Marti and CC.
Also Happy Anniversary Dot and your DH. Only live about 45 miles north of you.
Marge
I just got back from picking up a tuna sandwich at Subway. Yummy! The noise level was overwhelming though. A group of children was yelling and having noisy fun and the adults were talking louder than usual to be heard over the din. The interesting thing was that a couple of their mothers were there but said nothing. If it had been me, I would have told my kids and friends to use their indoor voices. Do you think it was just that mother or that putting restraints on your kids' behavior has fallen from favor?
Good afternoon everyone.
That part of the puzzle that I figured out was fun. I agree with Qli that he/she wishes to be able to solve the puzzles that Ms Gordon constructs. And at her age!
I just returned from a 100th birthday celebration, and am awed by the acuity of these folks who are older than I and can still do so much.
Happy 60th Anniversary Dot and Irv.
Hope you have fun with your celebrations.
Since I knew QEII, Quebec was a gimme. The whole east side was fairly easy, as opposed to the rest.
Cheers
PS: I don't know the story about SWORD. Can someone please fill me in?
A grown man should never, EVER use the word 'yummy'. Good lord.
Hi gang -
Marti - I do believe that is the first time I have ever been damned.
In this venue.
Spelt SIRUS rong. Inexcusable - I have 7 granddaughters! Miley is working hard to throw off the clean Disney image. Hope she's not the next Britney Spears.
Stuck a U in the AUTO - TOUTS cross because nothing else seemed reasonable. Then stared at it and scratched my head. ORLOP messed up the SW for me. Writing in the ridiculous SHOPPING WORKERS didn't help. ETNA for OSSA, too. Alas, a DNF.
A bit somber today. Our parish priest passed away on Sunday, and the Memorial service was today. He was a sweet guy and very much loved. The parish will almost certainly be consolidated now.
On a happier note, this is for Dot and Irv.
Is LUST for that SCAMP boxer a NONO?
Bernice is still going strong. I love it.
The KRUPPS are luckey. I know someone named KRAPP.
Cool regards,
JzB
Sallie@4:00
I am sure you are familiar with the adage: "the pen is mightier than the sword" so just imagine no space between pen and is. At least that is my interpretation. Right now I live in a less than clear world.
Hi There ~!
I could not pass up commenting on today's write-up, even though I am really late to the party - but thank you, thank you, HeartRx, for a picture of beauty in a UPS uniform - God, those shorts are too uncomfortable for me....
The puzzle was great - really torqued the brain, but still, I liked the spanner themes, and when not in "uniform", I happen to be a boxer fan, myself.
Splynter
Tuneagement time.
#1: Boxer
#2: Holiday
#3: Yarrow
#4: Cobwebs
DNF, but not for lack of trying. I must have put this puzzle down & went back at least 6 times, Slowly filling in the blanks until the SW corner did me in!
Lots of WEES!
Being a Marx Bros fan, 41A 1 of the Marxes did not fool me at all & i confidently penned in Carl! (Crups sounded good to me) 44D i had Elude. I knew it was wrong, but Elope would have been the last i would have thought of. So that left me with -HIDSINGWORKER, & for the life of me i could not get "shipping" out of that mess. The only deck i know is poop, so that didn't help.
LaLaLinda, Luv the Kitty!
I also had "tosts"
10A window part had tripped me up in previous puzzles (sash/pane) but i never thought if "sill." I will be ready for next time.
Boxers Hmmm!
JazzB - re: I know someone named KRAPP.
Some years ago we stayed in the Hotel Krapi in Tuusula, Finland north of Helsinki. It was nice - out in the country. Sibelius' home was nearby.
JazzBumpa, a thousand pardons! I didn't mean to "damn" you...only the little worm you put in my mind about "sills" yesterday....arrrghhhh!!
Speaking of brain worms...now I have an ear worm with Simon and Garfunkel playing in the background..."Lai lai lai, lai, lai lai, lai, lai, lai, lai lai lai lai"...thanks a lot, Avg Joe!!
We just saw "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" with Judi Dench. What an absolutely lovely and delightful movie about retired people (like me). Highly recommended!
I'm surprised that no one questioned the size of Nanavut on the Canadian map? Although Nanavut is larger in size than Que., it is not officially a "province". It is a "territory". Quebec, although an official province, has a large group who want it to be sovereign from the rest of Canada.
All I can say is, if you go to Quebec, you really should be able to speak French! (I have family there, so this is not an "off the cuff" remark...)
BTW, the name for that musical paen to TOUTs everywhere is Fugue For Tinhorns. How elegant is that?
There also some great musicals being written today but the "oldies" are constantly being reproduced at every level of theater competence and always satisfy when they are done well. Grease is filthy and dark in places but can be cleaned up sufficiently that it makes a good high school production. Go Grease Lightning!
I was gonna say something about Nunavut but it slipped my mind. A good friend of mine was instrumental in the process of getting the Canadian government to set it aside as a separate territory, and she holds several influential positions in the Nunavut government and in education. That's why the Northwest Territories are not as large as they used to be.
Most of the people my wife and I met in Montreal, Quebec, were warm, welcoming, and gracious, but a few, a very few, were a bit snobbish to us because we spoke only English (and my French is atrocious.)
Well, I am just awed that a beautiful 98 yo created this puzzle! Wow! May my mind be this clear if I ever live that long.
This was a toughy. I got the bottom half, but then thought I would never finish the upper half. Took quite a bit of time but I kept at it. My favorite clue was "it gets into a lather" - loved that! At first I thought it was about beer. Nono broke the ice for me in the North (no pun intended).
Got it all correct, so I am proud, particularly knowing that this is somewhat of a masterpiece and a milestone for the "cruciverbalist".
Marti: Thank you for the Rhapsody in Blue! Only Lenny could be the conductor and the soloist combined, and all with his usual flair! What a talent he was! I remember calling my Dad on the day he died because I felt the loss. I guess we both did. My Dad and I were both musicians in our day and I basically grew up on Bernstein's LP's.
Have the next four off to garden and take care of my lawn. Would like to do a little cooking-out as well. I wish all of you a wonderful Memorial Day. Make sure to fly your flags if you have 'em. Mine will sure be out there!
Had NEEDy before NEEDS and ShandongWORKERS (as in the Boxer Rebellion) before SHIPPINGWORKERS. When I saw "most Lebanese" I asked "Who is the most Lebanese?" before I saw "What are most Lebanese?"
Didn't know Gretna Green. Wasn't that where OJ killed his wife?
Didn't care for RHAP as an abbrev. for Rhapsody in Blue.
All in all, a clever puzzle.
To Bill G @ 3:51
I don't think all, but most parents just don't bother anymore when it comes to manners. It is too NPC to discipline ones children, and this is a shame. Of course, there is also the worry of having them taken away if somebody else thinks you are not doing it right!
In some ways, I feel that I may have been spanked too much. I was the oldest; it hurt at the time, but it didn't hurt in the long-run. I learned how to behave both in and out of public.
Not the same world anymore.
One more thing that I did not see anyone else mention: Bernice learned the computer in her late 80's! How accomplished and daring is that! I remember my Mother retiring in her late 60's because she was afraid of the impending doom of the almighty computer.
Good for you Bernice - a pioneer all the way around! It just doesn't pay to be afraid.
What an apt name for a hotel in a converted cowshed: HotelKrapi. Never was in a cowshed that wasn't crappy in the most odoriferous sense of the word. What a hoot!
Lemonade: thanks for the comeback on the latest Spenser. Will probably imbibe after I finish my latest book. Has anyone read Grisham's "Calico Joe"? I finished it earlier in the week. Engrossing as Grisham usually is, but I wondered how possible the ending was with old jocks.
Spitz -
Sibelius was born on my birthday -- though I may have that backwards. He also lived into his 90's.
Anon @2:45 has us all beat, though.
Cheers!
JzB
Fugue For Tinhorns
Great fun.
JzB
Greetings!
Wonderful puzzle, Bernice! Great write-up, Marti. You are my favorite!
WEES about puzzle, mostly. I was in stupid mode last night so it took much to long.
Irish Miss: thank you so much for the Jesse Stone info! That's great! Selleck sounds like Stone (in his persistence).
Congrats Dot and Irv!
I, too, read Stabenow. Really miss the Liam Campbell character.
Cheers!
Jazz- I knew a guy named John Krappnickle. He hated the name so much he changed it to Bob.
PK: you cracked me up - couldn't resist writing! I laughed my ass off even though the hotel is probably great. Sorry to all the people who have stayed there - but I am still laughing!
I'm sorry that I wasn't clear earlier(@2:45). I should have said the "early EIGHTEEN sixties". And that Marx was the quiet drunk, not Engels. Capiche?
To add to the comments about krup,krapi, etc,and other strange names, years ago my late husband and I had a condo to rent and our first renter was named Sloppy. Fortunately, they did did not live up to their name.
PK
None of Grisham's books reflect any part of reality in the legal field, so I doubt he is more expert in any other area. He is writing to entertain, and none of his books end where they would.
Regarding Grisham's books, I always enjoy reading them except, sometimes, for the ending. I think writing a satisfying ending has often been his great weakness. The heroes are saved but end up going off to witness protection to save them from the mob...or something like that.
Good evening all,
Bless you dear Bernice! This is the 1st Thursday that was fun for me,as I nearly completed it with no help.Had to wag misE/estE, but couldn't complete agRa/roRem. Sailed along until orlop.. abie, and really needed perps at that point.
Loved the theme; the last one was the hardest to fill.
Now to go back and see what others thought.
Happy Anniversary Dot and Irv..hope your day was lovely.
Bumpa, great Sinatra selection.
HeartRX, always an enjoyable write up. Thanks for the time you put into this each week.
I had to come back to this one. It really beat me up! it's amazing how a few days off can snap your brain back together. Yarrow? just couldn't get it no matter what I tried. Even with everything filled out I still thought it was wrong!
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