Theme: "Where pride goeth." The first word of each theme answer can precede the word "FALL" to yield a good, in-the-language phrase.
17A. *It's lower during dry seasons : WATER TABLE. This is the level below which the ground is completely saturated. Of course, in dry weather it will be lower, and you'll have to dig a deeper well. WATER FALL: the world's highest is Venezuela's Angel Falls, AKA "Kerepakupai Vená."
23A. *Index that measures skin sensation : WIND CHILL FACTOR. Not sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this. Very apt description, though. It's a measure of how cold windy air feels on the skin, as compared to a colder temperature in still air. WINDFALL: an unexpected, unearned, or surprising gain or advantage. This expression dates back to the bad old days when all land was owned by the nobility (a title category granted with no sense of irony) and the picking of fruit or felling of trees was forbidden. But anything blown down by the wind was fair game.
36A. *Road trip respite : PIT STOP. From the world of racing, where pit stops are for refueling and tire changes done in less than a minute, to the vernacular. When traveling the LW and I strategize according to the distance between highway plazas: 36 miles - I think we're OK; 62 miles - nope, we're stopping here. PIT FALL: a trap placed or dug into the ground that captures whatever wanders into it. In the vernacular, any hidden hazard.
38A. *Winter storm respite for some : SNOW DAY. School is closed on account of snowy weather. When a SNOW DAY is expected, some of the grandchildren have a ritual of placing white crayons on the window sills and wearing their pajamas backwards. It doesn't always work. SNOW FALL: just exactly what you think it is.
47A. *Knocked loopy : DOWN FOR THE COUNT. Not like this. Totally without hope, like a boxer knocked down for the referee's count of 10. DOWNFALL: A sudden loss of wealth, status, or reputation from a previously exalted position.
And the unifier; 58. Lag, and a hint to what the starts of the answers to starred clues have in common : FALL BEHIND. The expression should be self explanatory. And, literally, the word FALL can go behind the first word each of five(!) theme answers - two of them grid spanning. Good, solid tight theme. Pretty impressive - no?
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here. Let's see if we can get through this thematically rich puzzle without FALLING BEHIND.
Across:
1. First country you'd come to if you sail west from Mumbai : OMAN. Oh, man, I did not know that.
5. Soft wood : BALSA. Remember model airplanes?
10. Out of sight, perhaps : AFAR. Especially for the nearsighted.
14. Sex researcher Shere : HITE. She wrote many books, including The Hite Reports on male and female sexuality, and books of advice for women about good and bad guys.
15. Online commerce : E-TAIL. Everything on line is E-whatever. Word play on retail.
16. CBer's handle : NAME. 10-4 good buddy.
19. Minor quarrel : TIFF. I had SPAT at first.
20. Cockney abode : 'OME. An 'ouse isn't necessarily one.
21. Part of many a plot : ACRE. My plot is smaller than that.
22. Fallen orbiter : MIR. This low orbit space station was assembled in orbit by the Soviet union starting in 1986. It was used for experiments in biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology until its DOWNFALL on March 21, 2001.
29. Pseudonym preceder : AKA. Also Known As.
30. Lewd look : LEER. This is a sidelong glance with lewd, sly, and/or malicious intent. OGLE is more of an open stare.
31. Old MGM rival : RKO. Radio-Keith-Orpheum (not Olberman) Pictures, one of the big five from Hollywood's golden age. Performers in their films included Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Katherine Hepburn. RKO produced Citizen Kane and the original King Kong. "It was beauty killed the beast."
32. Support staff? : CANE. Clever clue. My M-i-L is a citizen who needs a CANE.
34. Burn slightly : SEAR.
35. A boater may rest on them : OARS. At the end of the race, a hearty boater may rest on his laurels.
40. Barbados, e.g. : ISLE. A sovereign island country in the Lesser Antilles, of about 166 square miles. Traditionally, the local economy was based on the citizen's cultivation of sugar CANE. In the last few decades it has diversified into manufacturing and tourism.
41. Carry : TOTE. Here, a verb. Can also mean a bag in which to TOTE things. But, see 53A.
43. Roger of "Cheers" : REES. This Welsh actor. Can't say I remember him.
44. Earth-friendly prefix : ECO. What would an earth-hostile prefix be?
45. Yours, to Yves : A TOI. Bah - French!
46. Collected dust : SAT. Idle. Nice visual. Well, maybe not nice, but apt.
53. Add (up) : TOT. I was ready to call foul here, since this word really should be spelt the same as 41A. But, the online dictionary recognizes this spelling, so I'll have to (grudgingly) let it go.
54. Greenish blue : TEAL. I assume this is the eponym.
55. What a winner may have to break : TIE. The only possibility of bringing baseball into this puzzle. C.C. mentioned former Tiger Brandon Inge yesterday. Here is a TIE breaking grand slam home run with his new team. Brandon had 16 RBI's in a week, and is now sidelined with a groin injury.
56. Get hot : BOIL. Literally or figuratively.
61. BMW rival : AUDI. A couple of German cars getting hot in competition.
62. Feudal lord, or his subject : LIEGE. Strangely, the word is derived, via Old French, from the Middle High German ledic, meaning free, empty, or vacant. Go figure.
63. Treated, as a sprain : ICED. To keep the swelling down.
64. Bark site : TREE. On the outside.
65. Latin bears : URSAE. Some are big and some are little.
66. Like child's play : EASY. Do you think this puzzle is child's play?
Down:
1. "Yikes!" : OH WOW! Gee whillikers! Expressions of surprise, amazement or dismay.
2. "__ Vice" : MIAMI. Another TV show I never watched.
3. When many start fifth grade : AT TEN. Sure enough, Nate will be TEN in August, and starts the 5th grade in September.
4. Society page word : NEE. From the French, I believe. It refers to a married woman's maiden name, frex: Catelyn Stark, NEE Tully.
5. "You __!": "Yep!" : BETCHA! Yer durn tootin' I won't get political.
6. Pong producer : ATARI. The height of video gaming technology, back in the day.
7. Two-time Grammy winner Patti : LABELLE. One of Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards' Grammys was for Burnin', these twenty years gone. Great pipes.
8. RSVP part : S'IL. This is where French children place their crayons blanc, in hope for a jour de neige. No, wait, RSVP is short for répond s'il vous plaît, i.e. "respond, if you please." S'IL means "if." It does not please me.
9. Draft pick : ALE. Now this is more like it. Misdirection, playing on NFL draft day, but an experienced pub crawler will not be fooled.
10. Prank : ANTIC. Obsolete pranks from days of yore are antique ANTICS.
11. Movement to promote equitable commerce : FAIR TRADE. Good luck with that.
12. Bowling equipment mfr. : AMF American Machine and Foundary, founded in 1900. Does anyone have more 300 games than Boomer?
13. Court arbiter : REF. Basketball or tennis.
18. Dishonest scheme : RACKET. Not a loud noise, nor a tennis implement.
22. Mess up : MAR. JoshHamilton's Harrison's bloop single with one out in the ninth messed up Justin Verlander's bid for a third no-hitter on Friday. I don't think he was very happy.
24. Saint-Saëns' "__ Macabre" : DANSE. Based on a poem by Henri Cazalis about an old - yep, you guessed it - French superstition that the Grim Reaper calls the dead forth from their graves at midnight on Halloween, and they must dance for his diabolical violin playing until dawn.
25. Car dealer's offer : LEASE. Mine is up in nine months. Maybe next time I'll buy.
26. Plant with fronds : FERN.
27. Gumbo pods : OKRAS.
28. Optimistic : ROSY. My ROSY outlook for the Tiger's prospects this year is slowly turning into ashes.
32. Kid in Westerns : CISCO. A TV show that I did watch.
33. When many dig clams : AT LOW TIDE. It's certainly more convenient then.
34. Animal trail : SPOOR. Any sign or trace that can be followed: prints, odor, droppings, bread crumbs, etc.
35. Be a debtor of : OWE TO. Straightforward.
36. Mottled : PIED. Like a piper or windhover, maybe.
37. "Beetle Bailey" dog : OTTO. Arf!
39. Ancient consultant : ORACLE. One who was divinely inspired to give good advice or predictions.
42. Dots : TITTLES. The dots over lower case letter i and j, and used as diacritical marks in other languages (frex: Hägar) are tittles. The things you learn . . . (<=== these are not TITTLES.)
45. Back, at sea : AFT. Go to the back of the boat, s'il vous plaît,.
46. Naval builder : SEABEE. No mere acronym, this is the proper name for a member of the Navy Construction Battalion, derived from the initials.
48. "Honestly" : NO LIE. Words that often precede or follow a LIE.
49. Hägar's comics wife : HELGA. Lovely lady.
50. Erie Canal city : UTICA. In New York.
51. Dressed to the __ : NINES. Being rather informal, I generally only dress to the sevens.
52. Brother of Jack and Bobby : TEDDY. Kennedys
56. Night flier : BAT. Or a member of the Louisville AAA baseball team. I've seen them play the Mud Hens.
57. Sharer's word : OUR. Yours and mine.
58. Winter woe : FLU. Influenza, AKA the miseries.
59. Get out in the open : AIR. A nudist camp is a place where men and women go to AIR their differences.
60. Make haste : HIE. In order to not FALL BEHIND. A crossword stalwart.
Answer grid.
Well, despite my grousing, I liked this puzzle a lot, had fun blogging it, and got to work in more baseball that I first thought, and even a little music. (BTW, Nate's team won 8-6 last night.) Hope you like it, too.
Cheers!
JzB
17A. *It's lower during dry seasons : WATER TABLE. This is the level below which the ground is completely saturated. Of course, in dry weather it will be lower, and you'll have to dig a deeper well. WATER FALL: the world's highest is Venezuela's Angel Falls, AKA "Kerepakupai Vená."
23A. *Index that measures skin sensation : WIND CHILL FACTOR. Not sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this. Very apt description, though. It's a measure of how cold windy air feels on the skin, as compared to a colder temperature in still air. WINDFALL: an unexpected, unearned, or surprising gain or advantage. This expression dates back to the bad old days when all land was owned by the nobility (a title category granted with no sense of irony) and the picking of fruit or felling of trees was forbidden. But anything blown down by the wind was fair game.
36A. *Road trip respite : PIT STOP. From the world of racing, where pit stops are for refueling and tire changes done in less than a minute, to the vernacular. When traveling the LW and I strategize according to the distance between highway plazas: 36 miles - I think we're OK; 62 miles - nope, we're stopping here. PIT FALL: a trap placed or dug into the ground that captures whatever wanders into it. In the vernacular, any hidden hazard.
38A. *Winter storm respite for some : SNOW DAY. School is closed on account of snowy weather. When a SNOW DAY is expected, some of the grandchildren have a ritual of placing white crayons on the window sills and wearing their pajamas backwards. It doesn't always work. SNOW FALL: just exactly what you think it is.
47A. *Knocked loopy : DOWN FOR THE COUNT. Not like this. Totally without hope, like a boxer knocked down for the referee's count of 10. DOWNFALL: A sudden loss of wealth, status, or reputation from a previously exalted position.
And the unifier; 58. Lag, and a hint to what the starts of the answers to starred clues have in common : FALL BEHIND. The expression should be self explanatory. And, literally, the word FALL can go behind the first word each of five(!) theme answers - two of them grid spanning. Good, solid tight theme. Pretty impressive - no?
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here. Let's see if we can get through this thematically rich puzzle without FALLING BEHIND.
Across:
1. First country you'd come to if you sail west from Mumbai : OMAN. Oh, man, I did not know that.
5. Soft wood : BALSA. Remember model airplanes?
10. Out of sight, perhaps : AFAR. Especially for the nearsighted.
14. Sex researcher Shere : HITE. She wrote many books, including The Hite Reports on male and female sexuality, and books of advice for women about good and bad guys.
15. Online commerce : E-TAIL. Everything on line is E-whatever. Word play on retail.
16. CBer's handle : NAME. 10-4 good buddy.
19. Minor quarrel : TIFF. I had SPAT at first.
20. Cockney abode : 'OME. An 'ouse isn't necessarily one.
21. Part of many a plot : ACRE. My plot is smaller than that.
22. Fallen orbiter : MIR. This low orbit space station was assembled in orbit by the Soviet union starting in 1986. It was used for experiments in biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology until its DOWNFALL on March 21, 2001.
29. Pseudonym preceder : AKA. Also Known As.
30. Lewd look : LEER. This is a sidelong glance with lewd, sly, and/or malicious intent. OGLE is more of an open stare.
31. Old MGM rival : RKO. Radio-Keith-Orpheum (not Olberman) Pictures, one of the big five from Hollywood's golden age. Performers in their films included Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Katherine Hepburn. RKO produced Citizen Kane and the original King Kong. "It was beauty killed the beast."
32. Support staff? : CANE. Clever clue. My M-i-L is a citizen who needs a CANE.
34. Burn slightly : SEAR.
35. A boater may rest on them : OARS. At the end of the race, a hearty boater may rest on his laurels.
40. Barbados, e.g. : ISLE. A sovereign island country in the Lesser Antilles, of about 166 square miles. Traditionally, the local economy was based on the citizen's cultivation of sugar CANE. In the last few decades it has diversified into manufacturing and tourism.
41. Carry : TOTE. Here, a verb. Can also mean a bag in which to TOTE things. But, see 53A.
43. Roger of "Cheers" : REES. This Welsh actor. Can't say I remember him.
44. Earth-friendly prefix : ECO. What would an earth-hostile prefix be?
45. Yours, to Yves : A TOI. Bah - French!
46. Collected dust : SAT. Idle. Nice visual. Well, maybe not nice, but apt.
53. Add (up) : TOT. I was ready to call foul here, since this word really should be spelt the same as 41A. But, the online dictionary recognizes this spelling, so I'll have to (grudgingly) let it go.
54. Greenish blue : TEAL. I assume this is the eponym.
55. What a winner may have to break : TIE. The only possibility of bringing baseball into this puzzle. C.C. mentioned former Tiger Brandon Inge yesterday. Here is a TIE breaking grand slam home run with his new team. Brandon had 16 RBI's in a week, and is now sidelined with a groin injury.
56. Get hot : BOIL. Literally or figuratively.
61. BMW rival : AUDI. A couple of German cars getting hot in competition.
62. Feudal lord, or his subject : LIEGE. Strangely, the word is derived, via Old French, from the Middle High German ledic, meaning free, empty, or vacant. Go figure.
63. Treated, as a sprain : ICED. To keep the swelling down.
64. Bark site : TREE. On the outside.
65. Latin bears : URSAE. Some are big and some are little.
66. Like child's play : EASY. Do you think this puzzle is child's play?
Down:
1. "Yikes!" : OH WOW! Gee whillikers! Expressions of surprise, amazement or dismay.
2. "__ Vice" : MIAMI. Another TV show I never watched.
3. When many start fifth grade : AT TEN. Sure enough, Nate will be TEN in August, and starts the 5th grade in September.
4. Society page word : NEE. From the French, I believe. It refers to a married woman's maiden name, frex: Catelyn Stark, NEE Tully.
5. "You __!": "Yep!" : BETCHA! Yer durn tootin' I won't get political.
6. Pong producer : ATARI. The height of video gaming technology, back in the day.
7. Two-time Grammy winner Patti : LABELLE. One of Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards' Grammys was for Burnin', these twenty years gone. Great pipes.
8. RSVP part : S'IL. This is where French children place their crayons blanc, in hope for a jour de neige. No, wait, RSVP is short for répond s'il vous plaît, i.e. "respond, if you please." S'IL means "if." It does not please me.
9. Draft pick : ALE. Now this is more like it. Misdirection, playing on NFL draft day, but an experienced pub crawler will not be fooled.
10. Prank : ANTIC. Obsolete pranks from days of yore are antique ANTICS.
11. Movement to promote equitable commerce : FAIR TRADE. Good luck with that.
12. Bowling equipment mfr. : AMF American Machine and Foundary, founded in 1900. Does anyone have more 300 games than Boomer?
13. Court arbiter : REF. Basketball or tennis.
18. Dishonest scheme : RACKET. Not a loud noise, nor a tennis implement.
22. Mess up : MAR. Josh
24. Saint-Saëns' "__ Macabre" : DANSE. Based on a poem by Henri Cazalis about an old - yep, you guessed it - French superstition that the Grim Reaper calls the dead forth from their graves at midnight on Halloween, and they must dance for his diabolical violin playing until dawn.
25. Car dealer's offer : LEASE. Mine is up in nine months. Maybe next time I'll buy.
26. Plant with fronds : FERN.
27. Gumbo pods : OKRAS.
28. Optimistic : ROSY. My ROSY outlook for the Tiger's prospects this year is slowly turning into ashes.
32. Kid in Westerns : CISCO. A TV show that I did watch.
33. When many dig clams : AT LOW TIDE. It's certainly more convenient then.
34. Animal trail : SPOOR. Any sign or trace that can be followed: prints, odor, droppings, bread crumbs, etc.
35. Be a debtor of : OWE TO. Straightforward.
36. Mottled : PIED. Like a piper or windhover, maybe.
37. "Beetle Bailey" dog : OTTO. Arf!
39. Ancient consultant : ORACLE. One who was divinely inspired to give good advice or predictions.
42. Dots : TITTLES. The dots over lower case letter i and j, and used as diacritical marks in other languages (frex: Hägar) are tittles. The things you learn . . . (<=== these are not TITTLES.)
45. Back, at sea : AFT. Go to the back of the boat, s'il vous plaît,.
46. Naval builder : SEABEE. No mere acronym, this is the proper name for a member of the Navy Construction Battalion, derived from the initials.
48. "Honestly" : NO LIE. Words that often precede or follow a LIE.
49. Hägar's comics wife : HELGA. Lovely lady.
50. Erie Canal city : UTICA. In New York.
51. Dressed to the __ : NINES. Being rather informal, I generally only dress to the sevens.
52. Brother of Jack and Bobby : TEDDY. Kennedys
56. Night flier : BAT. Or a member of the Louisville AAA baseball team. I've seen them play the Mud Hens.
57. Sharer's word : OUR. Yours and mine.
58. Winter woe : FLU. Influenza, AKA the miseries.
59. Get out in the open : AIR. A nudist camp is a place where men and women go to AIR their differences.
60. Make haste : HIE. In order to not FALL BEHIND. A crossword stalwart.
Answer grid.
Well, despite my grousing, I liked this puzzle a lot, had fun blogging it, and got to work in more baseball that I first thought, and even a little music. (BTW, Nate's team won 8-6 last night.) Hope you like it, too.
Cheers!
JzB
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteSwell puzzle, Jack. Nice recap, CC!
Re: yesterday. Sorry, Argyle, Mama Cass did not do justice to John Hartford's "California Earthquake." Here is the author doing the singing:
Calif. Earthquake. I was terribly sad when Hartford died of lymphoma in 2001. Such a talent! (And a steamboat captain, too!)
Puzzle seemed to be easier than Monday! Whipped through it. No nits, but, then, I do not usually have many. They're always covered by others anyway.
Finally got the OK from the doctor to have teeth cleaned and other horrible things done. Probably will have broken tooth removed first. Oh, joy!
Need some sleep! Have a good day, all!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI agree with fermatprime that this was a pretty easy puzzle. I met very little resistance while solving, although I didn't get the *tada* at the end due to a typo. Well, I'm gonna call it a typo, although it was really just a mistake on my part. I had URSAS instead of URSAE at 65A and it took me awhile to realize that SEABES didn't look right...
The theme was cute, although I couldn't figure it out while solving and had to think for a bit afterwards to get it.
All in all, a fine puzzle, even if a bit on the easy side for a Wednesday.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jack M., for a swell Wednesday puzzle. Enjoyed it. Thank you, as well, Jazzbumpa, for a swell review. Liked the Cisco Kid bit. I watched him too, way back.
ReplyDeleteDid not get OMAN immediately. Needed a couple perps first. My geography hat could not remember where Mumbai exactly was. Isn't that the former Calcutta?
Remember BALSA wood very well. I was a model airplane builder and flyer. Lots of fun as a youth. Flew a Ringmaster with a McCoy .35 engine.
WATER TABLE is becoming a problem here and there, with 7 billion people in the world. 200 years ago there were 1 billion ( I think I read somewhere).
Did not know ATOI for 45A. Perps got it.
However, I did get SIL for 8D. That has been around long enough that I knew it.
AMF was easy for 12D. I used to work in York, PA, where there was an AMF plant. They also owned Harley-Davidson for a while.
SEABEE was easy for 46D. I worked at Port Hueneme, CA.
Fun puzzle. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Good morning JazzBumpa, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great write-up today, JazzBumpa! I have Ella singing in the background. I did not even see TITTLES until I came here because it had been filled in by the across answers. Thanks for the explanation - I certainly would have scratched my head over that DF sounding word! I loved how you connected TOTE with TOT and your "sill" comment with S'IL. Fun stuff.
As I mentioned, I did not even see a lot of the down clues or answers because this was such a smooth solve for me. With 6 theme entries, that is no easy task, but Jack McInturff is a pro (do not try this at home!)
Happy hump day everyone!
Jazzbumpa: I play tuba.
ReplyDeleteFermatprime: I suspected Harvey was at a York Rite event. I looked it up on the internet. That is what I do most as well. Give him my best regards.
Abejo
JacMac thank you for a wonderful Wednesday offering, JzB, your write up today was a tour de force (oops, French) anyway, you did a very skillful work justice.
ReplyDeleteIf you did not see ACME's comments last night they were very interesting. Thank you Andrea, will look for Fur Elise also in the future.
Thank you Jack for the good wednesday puzzle. Nice write up Jazz. Thought this puzzle was very easy as I was answering the clues thought it might be a speed run for sure when I looked at the time I was shocked how quickly 15 minutes had elapsed.
ReplyDeleteI used to Trick or Treat at Patti Labelle's house when I was a kid as she lived down the street from my cousins and a fewof my friends. I know a SeaBee so that one came easy to me to. Its humpday so enjoy.
Fun Wednesday puzzle,Jack, very smooth to solve. Jazz, this was one of your best, so informative and witty. The snowfall pictures along with the Doris Day song were lovely. That was the most snow I have seen all year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the "Jazzy" write-up and fun puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI had a few minor blips, including URSAS for URSAE and NET for REF at 13D. I went with SPAT instead of TIFF at 19A, but all else went well.
Of the options presented, I believe I shall take the WIND FALL please.
Have a great day!
WOW! I usually start to struggle with Wednesday's puzzle. Not so today. WEES. Reading across and down together, easy solve. Didn't get theme until JzB explained it. Still a great puzzle.
ReplyDeleteMontana
I forgot to add: I loved the cle for 9D: Draft Pick: ALE (I was thinking sports), and 32-A: Support Staff? Cane.
ReplyDeleteHi gang -
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention the learning moments in this puzzle - like the difference between LEER and OGLE.
(If there was a King OGLE, I've never heard of him.)
Abejo - I use a Schilke 59 mouthpiece on my bass trombone. It will fit inside your tuba mouthpiece. Those things are huge. Happy tooting?
This might be the first time I've gotten through a puzzle blog without some sort of mistake or loose end for CC to clean up. Practice!
Cool regards!
JzB only slightly sleep deprived
Happy Wednesday, all.
ReplyDeleteQuick solve today. Hand up for SPAT/TIFF, but ANTIC fixed that. And my PEESTOP turned into a PITSTOP, little difference. I got my Latin and Spanish confused, so my bears started life as OSSAE.
JsB, thanks for not saying, "Aw, nuts!" over Brian's mishap.
Abejo, Mumbai is the former Bombay. I spent two weeks there back in the 80's. I was so proud of myself for not getting sick while there. It held off until the planes wheels left the ground. That was one long flight to Frankfurt!
WATER/WIND/SNOW/DOWN or TABLE/FACTOR/STOP/DAY? Hmmm… Oh, FALL! Theme not helpful but a fine postscript on this Wednesday for me! Thanks, Jack!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Yes, Jazz, impressive! Great links and info my friend.
-WATER TABLE is so high here that some pump the best water in the world here out into the streets during rainy times
-We have a name for a January -30°F WIND CHILL FACTOR here. We call it Tuesday.
-A SNOW DAY to a teacher? OH WOW!
-Jazz, great DOWN FOR THE COUNT link!
-My sister has a garage full of junk that has just SAT for years while cars are out on the street.
-Daughter and SIL will only buy cars that are foreign and end in vowels. They currently have a Volvo and an AUDI. They have had repair issues but…
-ICE = Ice/ Compression/Elevation was SOP for us coaches
-Grandson will be 10 entering 4th grade with August birthday.
-Tennis REF for McEnroe? Nah, I think I’ll get that root canal!
-A car LEASE did not appeal to me.
-Oh Pancho, Oh CISCO (ceesco)!
-A Holy Roman Empire founder and Beetle Bailey’s dog.
-John Wayne drove a caterpillar into gun fire as a Fighting Seabee
Good morning all:
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. M for a fun, clever Wednesday offering and to Jazzb for an equally fun, clever expo.
Smooth sailing but, like others, had ursas initially.
Did anyone watch the Jesse Stone movie on Sunday night? I thing Tom Selleck is terrific but the real star of this series is that beautiful, mournful dog; he deserves an Emmy!.
Happy Wednesday everyone.
Good morning all. Thanks for the intro comments, JazzB
ReplyDeleteGot the theme fills without strain, but didn't focus on the common TIE before coming here. Liked the clueing for ACRE and ALE. Nice to see UTICA and SEABEE. Did not know ¨¨ were called TITTLES; today's learning, I guess. Pretty easy, no lookups, no strikethroughs. Easy Hump Day.
Have a great day.
JzB, Knowing the drill and the time, you must be very sleep deprived with all you out into your writing. Super. I also liked Sherry HITE in the beginning and HIE in the end along with the clues like Support Staff and Draft Pick.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the girl who is being ravaged by the vampire looking at the camera? And who hangs around a vampire to take pictures? And if they do not reflect in mirrors why can their pictures be taken?
The girl being ravaged is saying (with her eyes ... ) "I can feel something hard, and it isn't his teeth.
ReplyDeleteToday's Google doodle is very cool. Click on the "rec" button to record your own performance. Now, if I only knew how to play...
ReplyDeleteWho hangs around a vampire ... bloody groupies ?
ReplyDeleteAnd if they don't reflect in mirrors why can their pictures be taken ....... err, maybe the camera is not a Single Lens Reflex .. but a digital version which uses PV cells (without mirrors ) ?
... and for Lemonade, maybe vampires don't abide to the words of the contract (lol).
Thank you, fermatprime. That extra verse that Mama left out, puts a whole different spin on it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the puzzle and writeup. I agree with everybody else so far.
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss: Yes, I watched the Jesse Stone movie. Tom Selleck's character seems very true to Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone. That being said, he's very thoughtful, self-sufficient, slow, almost morose and not very enjoyable to watch. I think he seems as if he would be very tough to live with or work for. I wonder if Tom Selleck is like that in real life?
Yes, I saw and played with the Google Doodle. Very clever.
Good day folks,
ReplyDeleteLate to the party today due to early AM service on my SUV. Unlike most of you, I found this a bit difficult, especially in the North. Buy, a lot of my problems were self inflicted. For example:
19A Began with SPAT before TIFF.
30A OGLE before LEER
54A AQUA before TEAL
I really enjoyed this puzzle though. Thought the cluing was excellent and as usual, the theme was a foreign object to me, but the answers were solvable with a bit of perp assistance.
Have to run .... time to face up to painting the picket fence. UGH!
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle ~ no problems. I tried to avoid the unifier ... I wanted to see if I could figure out the theme. Well, that didn't work out, but it was all made clear with FALL BEHIND. I needed perps for LIEGE, REES and TITTLES. I really liked 32A- Cane support / STAFF and 46A- Collected dust / SAT.
I wouldn't have known 53A- Add up / TOT if we hadn't had it in a puzzle some time ago. There are lots of learning moments here at the Corner - now if I can just remember them!
I really enjoyed your write-up, JazzB ~ so many clever comments! I, too, liked the link for DOWN FOR THE COUNT. I also enjoyed seeing Justin Verlander again. My husband is a long time Tigers fan so I follow all the games. Psst - I think it was Josh Harrison and not Josh Hamilton who broke up the no-hitter. I wonder if Hamilton ever hits a "bloop" - it seems like they're all bombs! Anyway, I hope the Tigers can soon start living up to all the pre-season hype. They have a lot of talent.
Red Sox are playing an early afternoon game ~ off to watch! Enjoy the day, everyone ~~~
Bill G. @ 11:01-I agree with your assessment of Jesse Stone's personality and I think he would be very hard to live with. However, from what I have seen and heard about the real Tom Selleck, he is the complete opposite of Jesse. He has been married for almost 30 years, has a lovely wife and daughter and just radiates happiness and contentment. And his dimples ain't too shabby, either! And what about the pooch?
ReplyDeleteTotally enjoyable Wednesday puzzle--many thanks, Jack, and you too, JazzB for a fun write-up.
ReplyDeleteI breezed through this with only a couple totally silly moments. For example, I initially had EARS for 35A because I took 'boater' to refer to a straw hat (that's what they called them in Ireland early on). Still seemed dumb to me, since guys usually didn't pull their straw hats down to their ears. When I looked at 35D OWED, the OARS fell in place. Duh! This is what happens when you start expecting misleading cues at every turn.
Am cleaning out my office after 27 years of teaching (retired last summer)--lots of bittersweet memories looking at old student thank you notes and such. The end of an era.
Have a great Wednesday, everybody!
Good Morning! Fun puzzle, getting better at Wednesdays. How long can I call myself a newbie? Also thought the write-up was terrific.
ReplyDeleteI had Spat instead of TIFF and really wanted 35A to be EARS, I assumed the boater in question was an ill fitting hat.
I thought the double dots,used over some vowels, in other languages were/was an umlaut. So I guess an umlaut is made up of tittles?
Ditto on the Emmy for Jesse Stone's dog!
Anon at 10:38: Been wondering about all the vampire hoopla, if they have no circulatory system how could that girl be feeling anything hard other than teeth?
Hello, puzzlers. Thank you for the chuckles, Jazzbumpa! I learned so much from your explanations, especially WINDFALL. That's very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOH, WOW! EASY puzzle from Jack Mac and fun to solve, too!
Had to start with BALSA and work my way back to OMAN which I first thought might be IRAN but MIAMI convinced me otherwise.
Great clues for CANE and ACRE and no trouble with URSAE as I had SEABEE (interesting derivation, too). Did have SPAT before TIFF but ANTIC and MIR changes that
Our WATER TABLE is dangerously low at this time but we depend on the Colorado River.
Most of my fourth graders were nine years old so of course went to fifth grade AT TEN.
Misty, congratulations on your retirement. You will love it!
I wish you a great Wednesday, everyone!
The local chapter of the BBC (Bad Back Club) is not accepting new members. Full up.
ReplyDeleteWe use canes and envy those who can walk more than 100 ft.
Kings broke a tie and won in OT last night. Awaiting the winner of the NY/NJ series.
A good time for an Indy Car pit stop to get 4 tires and a full load of fuel is less than 10 sec.
This was a 66A exercise.
Hello everybody. Good to read what you all have had to say today. Enjoyed the puzzle. After filling WATER, WIND, and SNOW, I was looking for a weather/meteorological theme, which conflicted with just knowing, knowing, I tell ya, PITSTOP. That's what makes it fun.
ReplyDeleteHad MIR, then erased it because I wanted FREE TRADE, then figured out that corner and put MIR back in.
I guess that's where the phrase "every jot and tittle" comes from. Equivalent to "dotting every i and crossing every t" I suppose.
Didn't know LIEGE also referred to the lord's subject. Learned sumpin new.
Lemonade, all good questions about that vampire. I think the "Twilight" books completely changed the 'rules' about what characterizes vampires. I think I like the traditional vampires better than the ones that sparkle in the sunlight.
Fun puzzle and even funner write-up JazzB. Special thanks for the Cisco Kid link. That was from the days when TV still had its magic for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso from the Cisco Kid video, nice to see Mitt Romney in one of his earlier gigs as the Weber's Bread deliveryman. Spiffy uniform, no? I believe this was just before he landed the Aqua Velva Man and Brylcreem roles.
"they" all look alike, don't they Bob?
ReplyDeleteAll this talk about canes reminds me; what did you think about the end of House Monday night?
ReplyDeleteSPOILER ALERT
Reply by email so as not to spoil it for those that haven't watched it yet.
Fun puzzle and write-up. Patti LABELLE, “MIAMI Vice,“ MIR, and ATARI: The 80s are alive and kicking.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, thank you for stopping in late last night.
Jazzbumpa, I don’t guffaw much; I get by with chuckling and snortling and, occasionally, cackling. But your “down for the count” pic made me fall out of my chair.
Fermatprime, I enjoyed the original much more than the Mama Cass version. It’s so rare that a cover is better than the original, anyway. “Better” is subjective of course, but I can probably count on my fingers what I believe are exceptions to this “rule,” two of which
are Jeff Buckley
doing a Leonard Cohen cover and Amy Winehouse doing a Carol King cover.
Actually, I might have been turned on to the Amy Winehouse at this blog some months ago. Can’t remember. I couldn’t find the video for the performance, only slide shows and such. What’s weird, for me, is that that video is an incredible piece of great art: an outstanding singer performing outstandingly an outstanding song; and it bothers me that I can’t find it because of the slew of memoriumbilia eclipsing a very tangible life event. Hate to sound insensitive but, like, I get it: she died, it’s sad. But she lived, too.
LaLaLinda -
ReplyDeleteYes, Josh Harrison. I'm especially chagrined because I just checked before I posted. Must have been some sort of after midnight brain fade.
Josh Hamilton got offensive player of the week when Inge had the 16 RBIs, else it would have been Brandon.
I had to look long and hard for a "down for the count" pic that I was willing to link to.
Not that I'm a prude or anything . . .
Cheers!
JzB got a nap, then cut the grass
I agree about the pooch in the Jesse Stone movies. He's a good actor and has a sad visage about him.
ReplyDeleteMisty, congratulations on becoming unemployed. I know the 'housecleaning' is emotional and I'm sure is bringing back many good memories.
My only hold-up was which vowel to complete "T-ttle" not knowing the French word for "yours". Even the long fills came easily...more like a Monday for me...the water table in my half-time home is pretty low, too... restrictions on watering...one relative thinks that because she has her own deep-well that she is exempt...I can`t convince her that she is using the same ground water we all do...just not "processed" as much.
ReplyDeleteTom Selleck and/or Sam Elliot: WooHoo! (no more need be said!)
Placemat, Here's another cover better than the original that I believe you can add to your list: One Too Many Mornings. But I generally agree with you, and even in cases where the cover is better, the original writer should get credit.
ReplyDeleteAs for Cohen's Hallelujah, there are numerous covers, and most are more uplifting than the original...not necessarily better, but not nearly as dark. BTW, hadn't heard Jeff Buckley's version. Thanks!
Joe, that was pretty cool. Here's my favorite Dylan Cover: Sophie B. Hawkins. Note: the audio kicks in at about :14.
ReplyDeleteRelink: Sophie B. Hawkins
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say i aced this puzzle, but i got "spoored", & isn't "atoi" that future race from the Time Machine? I'd like to say that i DNF due to a personal Natick, but then Barry G. points out "seebes". I made it thru the puzzle, & the recap without knowing i screwed up. Thanks Barry, (& thanks to all the rest of you for rubbing it in!)
ReplyDeleteAll this makes me want to 10-100 oh well! (at least i was not fooled by 9D draft pick=Ale.
Good falls
Bad Falls
Many thanks for the kind retirement wishes, Lucina 12:15, and Bill G., 1:59! Yes, it is a lot less stressful not to be working any more, although I do miss the students. Teaching senior citizens at the Senior Center has been a wonderful replacement, though--especially since there are no exams and no grades!
ReplyDeleteHurrah for UTICA, my hometown. The name was taken out of a hat of ancient city names. This one was in Tunisia. It had been a port but was silted in. Use to be that for every beach that was washed away, another was built up.
ReplyDeleteTITTLES? thought they were umlauts.
CED, do you mean eloi? Enjoyed it all, thanks everyone
ReplyDeleteWho knew, that in addition to the TITTLE, we have:
ReplyDeleteInterrobang: ?! (Unicode U+203D ‽)
Guillemet: > (From the French word for William, because it was invented by Guillaume Le Bé)
and Pilcrow: ¶ (etymology uncertain)
My word list is growing by leaps and bounds!
Brilliant puzzle now that I'm here, but once again did not get the theme until I read JzB's analysis. I am always trying to take both words of the unifier instead of just FALL to relate to the first words of the theme clues. For example, with pit stop, I was thinking when a racer goes to a pitstop, he falls behind in the race. Same with the boxing clue. But of course, could not make wind chill factor make sense with this reasoning.
ReplyDeleteWas a technical DNF for me today. Was unable to print the puzzle because I had to get a new starter for my car, so did it on line. Could not decide between TAKE or TOTE at 41A. Meanwhile, I had changed URSAS to URSAE, but I think I tried both TAKE & TOTE prior to fixing that, so it was disappointing not to get it all correct in the end.
Are there any others out there like me who prefer a hard copy of the puzzle to work with pencil rather than doing it on line?
Overall, I thought the puzzle was great! Lots of nice fill and learned new words SPOOR & TITTLES. Never heard of either.
Also like JzB's commentary. Again, something fresh and a little different, as well as educating! Thanks to both Jack & JzB.
My apologies, Jazz, for not giving you credit! (Finally got to sleep at 6 am, I think. Really was wiped.)
ReplyDeleteI love the Jesse Stone series. I wonder if there are any more installments left for us. Absolutely transfixed by that golden!
crossword girl: I believe that was a joke!
ReplyDeleteJesse Stone is an alcoholic who continues to drink; a man who lost his dream of being a major league shortstop; and, who had the misfortune of falling in love with a woman who used her body to get her way with men even after marriage. You would be sad, somber and slow as well.
ReplyDeletePatti LaBelle, a truly talented and wonderful person. back in Gainesville some friends opened a music hall and she is one of the artists I had the pleasure of meeting during the 70's. Nona Hendryx was also really talented, but the group split up not long after Lady marmalade.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty sure it was a joke, but am so scared to offend anyone!!!
ReplyDeleteCrossword Girl/fermatPrime, Yes it was a joke, i am always joking, (it's good cover for when i REALLY screw up!)
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone here gets offended by friendly banter, we are just having fun. (The only thing offensive is anonymous attacks)
Has anyone heard from Tinbeni? I have not seen him post since the day before i posted about Softstones as alternatives to ice cubes. (I hope i am not responsible for his demise!!!)
CED: Thanks for the nice link to Vivaldi's Fall. Wish someone would link to Danse Macabre for me! What a wonderful piece.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, Tinbeni really has been off of the radar lately. I'm sure he is fine and will return soon. Must maintain optimism. He may have taken a trip or something, let's hope?
Fermatprime @5:49-I just read an article that quotes Tom Selleck saying he thinks that last night's movie is the last Jesse Stone that will air on CBS. However, he believes other media outlets (cable, feature films, etc.) will be interested in continuing the series. He did say, and I quote, "I'm not done with the character, though". That bodes well for us!
ReplyDeleteDanse Macabre
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
Cheers!
JzB
I was visiting San Francisco once and had the pleasure of meeting Camille Saint-Saens. He was staying in the same hotel(the Whitcomb). We met in the parlor and he gave me back stage passes to his performance that night with the SF Symphony Orchestra. He was a delightful human being.
ReplyDeleteEight-year-old grandson Jordan is visiting and as usual lately, he asked to play chess. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteThen, I turned on the Dodgers game against Lucina's Arizona D-Backs. I discovered their pitcher, Joe Saunders, is from Falls Church, Virginia where I have fond memories growing up.
Say, have you noticed that a standing ovation has become devalued lately? It used to be reserved for revered celebrities or outstanding performances. Nowadays, every popular Tom, Dick and Harry seems to get one as if their pedestrian performance had been something really spectacular. My noticing it is another sign of increasing fogydom.
Quite a learning experience today, lots of great music. The word "spoor" was bugging me, so i did some research & discovered it is not just animal tracks, but all sorts of tracks. I found this video under "spoor". Model planes, trains, & boats have always been a fascination for me, but i never heard of "gauge one, live steam" before.
ReplyDeleteThe "tittle" explanations were ok, but did not make sense to me until i saw this image
Husker gary, i was looking for a clip of John Wayne driving a caterpiller in the fighting seebees, but all i found was this (isn't that fred Mertz from "I love Lucy" in the audience?)
Bill@9;25
ReplyDeleteThank you for ascribing the AZ Diamondbacks to me although as you know I''m not even a sports fan. However, I am proud of some of our sports teams and wish them well. I'm sorry the Coyotes lost but apparently they played well enough to make the playoffs.
Please forgive me if there is anything amiss in this message as my eyes are still dilated after 5 hours. They had to be remeasured for the upcoming cataract and lasik surgery.