google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, June 11, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

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Jun 11, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: What's your story? - The tail-end of the starred entries can follow story... and that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

11D. *Cigarette lighter alternative : MATCHBOOK. Story book.

35D. *14-Across-like sporting equipment : SNOWBOARD. Story board, used to pitch an idea.

17A. *Financial institution employee : BANK TELLER. Story teller, like Uncle Remus.

41A. *Sunbather's transition point : TAN LINE. Story line, the plot.

64A. "That's all she wrote," and literally, what the last word of each starred answer can be : END OF STORY

Argyle here. See? Mondays don't have to be short on theme. Just a note: I spent way too much time looking at TAN LINEs so I decided to link "tanning lady", but I just couldn't. She doesn't pass the breakfast test. I do think many of the photos of her have been altered, though.

Across:

1. Venomous snake : ASP

4. Classify : ASSORT

10. "We gotta get going!" : "C'MON!". Quit looking at tan lines.

14. Enjoy Aspen, say : SKI

15. "Pinball Wizard" rockers : "THE WHO". Link. (3:02) in stereo.

16. Repair for a tear : TAPE


19. Move a muscle : STIR

20. Do penance : ATONE

21. Versatile WWII vessels : LST's. For any 47-Downs out there, "Landing Ship, Tank".

22. Kept in the loop with a dupe, briefly : CCed. What a clue!

23. Loathe : DETEST

25. Synagogue scroll : TORAH

27. Challenging Chopin piece : ÉTUDE


30. Folder for arriving email : IN BOX

33. Low singing voice : BASS

36. Election Day list to choose from : BALLOT

39. Make a choice : OPT

40. Suffix with east or west : ERN

42. It's stroked by a rower : OAR

43. Personality component : EGO

44. Parka wearer, perhaps : ESKIMO

45. Dust Bowl st. : OKLAoma

46. Dots on a map : TOWNS

48. Up to this point : SO FAR

50. Outperforms : BESTS

53. Lied in a small way : FIBBED

57. Load, as cargo : STOW

59. Barrel of laughs : RIOT

62. Distance runner : MILER

63. "Moby-Dick" captain : AHAB

66. "Me neither" : "NOR I". "Art not".

67. Chairperson's list : AGENDA

68. Even, as a score : TIE

69. Landlubber : ship :: __ : ranch : DUDE

70. Sahara, for one : DESERT

71. Lesson about sin, say: Abbr. : SERmon

Down:

1. Equally undesirable : AS BAD

2. Do toe loops, e.g. : SKATE

3. Wine grape : PINOT

4. Swear (to) : ATTEST

5. One of the girls : SHE

6. Go like hotcakes : SELL

7. Avian symbols of wisdom : OWLS. More owls.

8. He could make Scarlett see red : RHETT



9. Sculpture subject : TORSO

10. Med. imaging procedure : CT SCAN. A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside the body. (cross sectioned)

12. Sheriff Taylor's son : OPIE

13. Geeky type : NERD

18. Miniskirts reveal them : KNEES. You know what Bob Hope said ....

24. Marching band instruments : TUBAS

26. Solemn event : RITE

28. Unpleasantly humid : DANK. And unpleasantly chilly.

29. __ Island: former immigration center : ELLIS. If you care to visit, ferry routes.

31. Fall birthstone : OPAL

32. More, in adspeak : XTRA

33. Pickled veggie : BEET

34. Jason's vessel : ARGO

37. VIP's ride : LIMO

38. Like basic switches : ON/OFF

41. Thomas Hardy heroine : TESS Of The D'Urbervilles.

45. Planetary path : ORBIT

47. Rookie : NEWBIE

49. Points toward : AIMS AT

51. Tire pattern : TREAD

52. Burn a bit : SINGE

54. Uses a paper towel on, as a spill : BLOTS

55. Goosebump-causing : EERIE

56. Salon blower : DRYER

57. Beach makeup : SAND

58. "__ shalt not ..." : THOU

60. Verses of praise : ODES

61. Muscle quality : TONE

65. HST was his last VP : FDR. Harry S Truman/Franklin D. Roosevelt.


Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Here is the final installment of Kazie's trip to Spain. Thank you for carefully selecting the best of your photos and labeling each one, Kazie. Thanks also for the opportunity of seeing Spain through your eyes!

75 comments:

  1. Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - total speed run today; just acrosses, with an occasional glance at a down clue to verify. Not a clue as to the theme until the unifier. Pretty standard Monday fare, but enjoyable nonetheless. Favorite answer? 'Tan lines', of course. Love 'em.

    I saw something in the Ft. Lauderdale paper yesterday that I thought I'd run by the group: In talking about an accident, the reporter said that one car had "side-swept" another. I've never seen that used before - it's always 'side-swiped'. Thoughts?

    Looks like today's a reprieve from the rain; I'm taking my bike down to Lauderdale, for a ride to N. Miami and back. Hope it's a great day for everyone.

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  2. Morning, all!

    Very smooth Monday solve today. No junk fill, a nice theme, total speed run. I think I hesitated briefly at TOWNS (I wanted ISLES), but that was really it.

    Dennis -- I would agree that "swept" is the past-tense of "sweep" and not "swipe".

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  3. Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Fun way to start the work week. Anyone else think of Jessica Fletcher when reading the unifier (That's All She Wrote)?

    Since no one uses carbon paper anymore, I wonder if the computer generation even knows what CC'ed stands for.

    I misread Like Basic Switches as Like Basic STITCHES, so was confused by the ON/OFF answer.

    I am fond of PINOT Grigio.

    Another Humid day here, but DANK it is not.

    QOD: Washington, D.C., is a city filled with people who believe they are important. ~ David Brinkley

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  4. Good morning, folks. Thank you, Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke, for a great Monday puzzle.

    Zipped through this quickly.

    Got the whole NW corner right off the bat. Trucked on through to the end.

    Never caught the theme, nor looked for one.

    TUBAS was easy for 24D, since I play that instrument. However, comment, a Tuba is typically not a marching band instrument. It is usually a Sousaphone. It is the same instrument, plays the same, but is shaped so that you can carry it while marching over your shoulder.

    Well, we are in cold and windy Minot, ND. Getting ready to eat breakfast at 7:00, then off to work somewhere in the city. We find out at breakfast.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

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  5. Good morning, all. Definitely a Monday puzzle as far as ease of solve goes, but it had some good fill and clever clues. Good job, gail and Bruce.

    Argyle, thank you for NOT linking the tanning lady!

    Side-swept? I wonder if it's ignorance on the part of the writer or a spell/grammar/style checker program run amok?

    Hahtoolah, I'll join you for a nice PINOT. Will a Santa Margherita 2010 do?

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  6. Forgot to add earlier -- I picked up another interesting book of quotes over the weekend, so I thought I'd continue (from a while back) adding one at the end of a morning post. Here's today's:

    Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.

    - Ernest Hemmingway

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  7. Morning Everyone,

    After my fishing trip and spending last week finding my desk, this was a pleasant re-entry to cross-wording. Only needed to fill a few down clues to finish it up. Fun puzzle Gail and Bruce.

    I rushed to get the garden in before my break. Rained the entire week so I replanted everything but the tomatoes and peppers over the weekend.

    Dogs ended our weekend with a k-bang. I thought I had eradicated all of the porcupine on my lot but they found one. Hank got the worst of it on his right rear foot of all places. Finished pulling quills around nine. Better than the last two dogs, I had over $2000 in quill removal. They just never learned and wouldn't let me pull them.

    Have a great day!

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  8. CC has taken on a new meaning for the computer generation who never heard of carbon paper. With the advent of email, the term has also come to refer to simultaneously sending copies of an electronic message to secondary recipients.

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  9. Hey guys.

    While I didn't need to cheat or WAG at all, I'm rolling my eyes at people who try using only acrosses, because how else can one be sure when it's LSTS or SSTS?

    While technically I didn't note the theme till after I solved, I do insist on finding it before coming to the blog, since I usually need "theme help" on other days, so I need to exercise my recognition skills.

    As I've been saying, I get the Sunday puzzle two weeks early in the Argonaut (hence the mild spoiler yesterday). Does no one know what's up?

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  10. Great Monday puzzle! Didn't grab me in the owski like Gail's last harder one did. Argyle, thanks for the early morning ETUDE.

    Liked the juxtapositions of TORSO/TORAH & ASSORT/ATTEST/ATONE/DETEST. The latter series being a puzzlement of whether to use one or two "T's".

    Thanks, Kazie for sharing your Spanish trip. I suppose we can look forward to having the River TAGUS in a future puzzle now. Memorize, Gang!

    I agree the "side-swept" newspaper tidbit could well be an ignorant reporter. We used to get some interns whose vocabulary was strange. My boss once sent one to interview this sweet little old lady whom everyone knew. The intern called her "infamous". The lady was very hurt and insulted. Her sons were verbally irate. The intern was axed.

    Abejo: what do you do that keeps you on the road so much?

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  11. Thank you Gail and Bruce for a nice, wonderful, easy Monday, puzzle, and Argyle for a wonderful blog. I hesitated momentarily at 'CCed', and then I thought it was a shout out to our great founder, of the blog.

    Todays Alt QOD is very rude and sexist, but included here, to show that even famous people say stupid things.

    'I believe you should place a woman on a pedestal high enough so you can look up her dress' - Steve Martin.

    Argyle, re: yesterdays stone throwing problem - most people can't 'see' 200 ft. down, to accurately measure the ( time of) impact with a stop watch, and the sound wave is probably the best indicator of the point of impact. In any case, it was just a joke ;-).

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  12. I paused on my romp through this nice puzzle to try to suss the theme. Buzz, thanks for playing! We have some lovely parting gifts for you!

    Musings
    -My TAN LINE is most obvious when I wear sandals because of my short socks worn on the course. Around here we call white foreheads part of a FARMER’S TAN
    -I abandoned C’MON years ago as I just realize it takes Joann just a little longer to get ready
    -I loved CCed! I had LADE before STOW.
    -An unfiltered INBOX can be a mess. That Nigerian prince never sent me a nickel!
    -Doncha just hate BALLOT issues where you have to vote NO to be FOR the issue or vice versa?
    -Dad said that a lotta Okie dust made it up to Nebraska during the “dirty 30’s”
    -The world’s most famous MILER was Roger Bannister and ain’t it funny how his breaking the 4 minute broke the barrier for others to do it.
    -Spelling mnemonic One S in Desert and two S’s in Dessert. No one wants two deserts.
    -Yesterdays SERmon was about… Oh yeah, 10 minutes too long.
    -I watched Betty Davis in Jezebel last week wearing that infamous RED dress
    -Most people mistake a Tuba for a Sousaphone
    -What fabulous movie had the tire TREADS for a “Michelin model XGV, size 75r, 14 inch wheel” as a plot element?
    -What singer sang, “If you’re ever in Alaska, stop and see my cute little ESKIMO”

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  13. WEES about the puzzle. Nice and easy but lots of fun stuff too. My one area of hesitation was TAPE, where I had thought of repair of the sewing variety rather than what needs tape. But eventually I gave in and put in the P that OPIE made obvious.

    Anony-mouse,
    I think knowing Steve Martin, anything he says would have to be taken with a grain or two (or many)of salt. He's always going for a laugh.

    Dennis,
    I read a long treatise on Hemingway over the weekend, which seemed to be saying he was less deserving of fame than Dos Passos, who nevertheless is largely forgotten by comparison.

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  14. Thanx puzzlers for reminding people what a DUDE originally meant in this country. He's the guy who buys a 10-gal. hat, a shirt with hand-embroidered roses and $600 boots to ride his first horse. He looks sharp for a minute.

    Had hoOT before RIOT. Had mid before ERN because I was thinking prefix, not suffix.

    And, that's all SHE wrote.

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  15. Husker asked:
    -What fabulous movie had the tire TREADS for a “Michelin model XGV, size 75r, 14 inch wheel” as a plot element?
    My Cousin Vinnie?

    Also, I agree about the swept/swiped verdict. Probably a lack of knowledge on the part of the writer. Unlike the headline typo in our last week's local rag:
    "Pubic invited to Open House"

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  16. Dennis, I have been REAR ENDED (never pleasant in any context) but never SIDE SWEPT!

    Last night a new weather man on a local station said BEE’ UH TRISS instead of BEE AT’ RISS for Beatrice, Nebraska. Know your material or have a better editor!

    Another language issue – as mentioned earlier, most people call a sousaphone a tuba. The same can be said of bison/buffalo. Any others?

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  17. I forgot - SKATE crossing SKI, whew.

    @Husker - how might you pronounce Beryl? As in hurricanes. We say Burrul around here, not Barrel.
    Of course, one should say a town the way the townies say it. Around here it's WESmoreland, not WestMOREland, for instance. And Clinton gets a glottal stop, which is kind of yucky. Give NEWBIEs a little time.

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  18. Husker:
    Rick(y) Nelson
    By the way, do you know what famous session guitarist gave Ricky his signature sound?
    Rainy Monday in the Outer Bluegrass. We needed it.

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  19. I like any puzzle that references books, but my favorite clue was 22A: Kept in the loop with a dupe, briefly: CCED. An oddly worded clue, but it works.

    Kazie, I think I'll be avoiding the Open House, but thanks for the invitation! ;)

    Also, I loved your photos - especially the cathedrals.

    Maniac, your quill stories made me cringe! Poor doggies.

    A nice relaxing weekend at home, but now back to the grind...

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  20. Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

    Argyle, I'm with Grumpy1 in expressing thanks for not linking tanning lady, and with PK in expressing thanks for the Chopin ETUDE.

    Fun puzzle this morning, just right for a Monday. I was toying with DAmp instead of DANK at 29D, and with SNOW shoes instead of BOARD at 35D, so I had to be patient and wait for the across clues before I could fill those in.

    Kazie, that headline is a riot . Did they get a lot of takers? Thanks for all the pictures of your trip. When you were at the Museo del Prado, did you see any of our crossword GOYAS like the MAJA paintings, or other works of ARTE?

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  21. Spitzboov, re: yesterdays Border crossing....in the interests of 'fairness' ... you wrote, ' head of each guard saluted each other ...crowd behaved well also'....

    The salute and the handshake, was the ONLY decent, 'correct' thing, they did, in the video, required by protocol. You are severely handicapped in your understanding the full impact and symbolism, because you are not from that region, don't understand the language, and are unaware of the past history.


    The video was obviously taken from the Indian side ... the 'cheerleader', with the mustache, is prob. an Indian army officer in plainclothes, ( " mufti" ), the slogans were 'jingoistic', and on an Ugliness scale, I would rate this a 7 or 8. Ironically, the people on either side share a common ethnicity and race, common ground and water resources, an identical language and common occupations ( mostly agrarian - ), with such bitterness for something that happened in 1947-48. ( ~ 3 mil. people were killed ). There are over 50 videos on Youtube, but trust me, they are not worth the trouble. Mercifully, this has all ended.

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  22. Nick,
    Maybe you can ask the editor of your local paper puzzle section? He can contact with Rich Norris and solve this scheduling error. As for Merl's puzzles, I simply don't have the time to solve them. Have to get up early on Sundays to solve & blog the LAT puzzle, then leave the house around 4:00am.

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  23. Kazie, Thanks so much for the fabulous pictures. Europe is definitely not homogenized like the U S of A. I still wouldn't want to live there but going and seeing that part of the world is something any educated person should do. I never did see any PUBIC areas but maybe next time! Now if only I could tolerate that long flight to Oz.

    WH, right you are on Ricky (later Rick) and I had no idea but enjoyed reading about James Burton. The only session guitarist I know is Glen Campbell with the Beachboys. Of course others got the line from My Cousin Vinny which has so many great lines, not the least of which is about the menu at the diner!

    Sfingi, we say barrel! Waddya gonna do? Maybe someone can explain Mackinac Island’s pronunciation to me. Or Worcester. Or…

    Fore!

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  24. Good morning everyone. Thanks for the comments, Argyle, and to Kazie for sharing the photos.

    Not quite a speed run, but the solve filled out easily from anywhere I landed. Good start to the week. Scratched my head over STORY BOARD but Argyle explained it. No lookups, no strikethroughs.

    Dennis - I think side swiped is correct. The editor should have caught it.

    Have a great day.

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  25. Pretty fast Monday, lade before stow. To be honest, i did not get the theme until Argyle explained it.

    Kazie, the Spain pics reminded me that i want to go see El Camino Del Rey. (from the bottom, you might get me on the top,,,with a blindfold!)

    Since it's past Breakfast, time for some tanlines!

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  26. Hello, Argyle. hello, puzzlers. Thank you, Argyle, for spelling out LSTS and other abbreviations. Though I'm not a NEWBIE I can't always remember them, just know the letters.

    No XTRA time needed for this clever speed run today.

    WEES. I liked beach makeup, SAND and a mental image of RHETT is always welcome.

    By end of the week NORI would be clued as a Japanese seaweed or sushi wrap. Right?

    DUDE, I live in the SESERT so my TANLINES are well blended but I can surely recognize out of state visitors. They turn BEET red after lying in the sun.

    Hand up for side-swiped. Sweep, swept for using a broom.

    Yes, I thought of Murder, She Wrote at 64A and last night on the Tony Awards, Angela herself made a presentation and still looks great.

    Have a most enjoyable Monday, everyone!

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  27. Morning all,

    My only pause doing this puzzle was to take a sip of my coffee. made feel smarter than I really am. Thank you

    We met a business associate of mine and his wife for drinks last night at a local seafood restaurant , we were talking about food and such , the husband said he doesn't like to eat tomatoes by itself, I told him to try it with SUMAC sprinkled on it , him and his wife both asked , what is Sumac , and what's it called in English , I told them its called Sumac, the wife said that's not an English word and it must have another name, I started questioning myself and try to think of another name,
    I told them they might be right that Sumac is not an English word, but that's all I know it's called here.
    They wouldn't agree.

    Is there another common name for Sumac ?

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  28. Kazie:
    Thank you again for sharing your beautiful photos. They pique my desire to return to Spain.

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  29. Nick, several people, myself included, have solved puzzles using just the across clues. As Dennis pointed out in the first post, an 'occasional glance' at the down clues will usually straighten out any confusion, expecially with the easier puzzles.

    You should try it with one of the early-in-the-week puzzles. Maybe your eye roll will go away.

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  30. Thanks Gail Bruce and Argyle, easy peasy but fun and like the rest the CCd clue is well said.

    I was sideswiped, and still have torn minisci and herniated discs.

    Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck worked as seesion musicians; it is rare for one to remain employed and yet never famous like Burton.

    Kazie, next time I take a trip, I want to book you as my photographer; and John lampkin.

    As far as tanline; I vote yes, but would like to know why the Mona Lisa shows up in an array of Coppertone pics?

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  31. Strange how a box can be a folder (30A), but it is just a name.

    Off topic. Downloaded the NYT Crossword yesterday and discovered it was entitled "PUZZLE TITLE". Looked in the paper and saw the actual title. Perhaps someone failed to fill in a field.

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  32. Good morning:

    Thanks Gail and Bruce for a fun Monday offering which was a speed run compared to the last two DNF. And thanks, Argyle, for your usual fine expo.

    Kazie, again, your photos are beautiful.

    CED @9:24-I was able to watch about 45 seconds of your El Camino Del Rey clip before my extreme acrophobia struck. My stomach is still queasy!

    I thought The Killing was going to end last night with a two hour finale but I was wrong. One more week of suspense to go before we learn the killer's identity.

    Happy Monday to all.

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  33. I agree with the notes about being sideswept. Maybe, just maybe, the offending car was actually a witch riding her broom with which she "side-swept" the poor victim. You just never know for sure.

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  34. I was trying to get a tanline on my legs yesterday (can`t stay out of the water long enough) and was floating under the diving board, hanging on to it. A 13 year old thought it would be fun to jump over me...I`m blaming the ensuing whack on the head for not understanding 24 across. What is "cced?"
    I always do the downs first and check with the acrosses.
    We`ve seen "etude" many times lately. "Toe loops" gave pause for a while. Favorite clue type: "---is to---as ---is to---"

    Good to "see" you, Dennis. Better get some of those gell inserts for that long bike ride!

    Good job, Argyle, as always.

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  35. Bags of fresh vegies from Farmer`s Mkt. to cook for lunch. It will be ready around 1:00...ya`ll come!

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  36. What a great Monday puzzle, Gail and Bruce! First time I never had to use my eraser once--a great way to start the week. And fun write-up, Argyle, as always.

    Sorry I missed Jessica Fletcher on the Tony Awards last night. I used to love "Murder She Wrote." Chin, your side-swept witch made me laugh. And Mainiac, sorry to hear about your poor pups.

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  37. WEES on the puzzle. Pretty easy fare, but fresh enough cluing to make it interesting.

    On the CC topic, while it originally meant "carbon copy", it's come to mean "courtesy copy" in modern office parlance.

    Side-swept? Not.

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  38. So Argyle, do you think Sumac is related to coriander?

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  39. CED,
    Whew! The best part of that video was the comment that called the photographer a crazy SOB. I agree wholeheartedly! After he got to the top I couldn't watch all the time on the way down--especially after he jumped that one time, and going over so many places where the concrete had rotted out--it looked only about an inch think! I have to make sure my son (the adventurer) never finds out about that place!

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  40. Hi gang -

    Enjoyed this puzzle a lot. SKATE-SKI crossing is nice. Miniskirts and TANLINE (a major distraction) even nicer. Positioning over ESKIMO is a bit of irony. I like the way Steve Martin thinks.

    Very rich in themage for a Monday. Great effort by Gail and Bruce.

    As Gary illustrated, TUBA and SOUSAPHONE - not at all the same thing. END OF STORY. The latter was invented because the former is not a marching band instrument.

    Googled the tanning lady and immediately regretted it. If you haven't -- don't! Trust me on this one.

    Looks like rain here. I hope it happens.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  41. Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al,

    This was a speedy one, but lots of fun.I usually make a mad dash across the top row or two and then switch to the downs.Didn't catch the theme until reading Argyle's blog, which I always look forward to.(oops, bad sentence)

    Kazie, thanks for sharing so many of your photos. What a lovely trip.

    Cross Eyed Dave,whew! What a video. Checked to see WHY it was built. In 1901 a walkway was needed between 2 hydroelectric plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanyo Falls.Took 4 yrs. Now it will take 3 yrs to restore it as there have been many fatalities.

    Was hoping to come up with some old b&w photos of the Dust Bowl era, but instead came up with Black Sunday.

    Have a great week all.

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  42. CED:
    My insides are churning after watching El Camino del Rey! It boggles the mind to think of constructing it and carrying supplies on it!! It would never make my bucket list.

    On tomorrow's agenda for me: cataract removal! Yea!

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  43. My two cents on SIDE "SWIPED" Vs. SIDE "SWEPT": I think "sideswiped" has become one of those verbs that has worked its was into our lingo as a noun. So even thought you may have been SWEPT away by the accident, and maybe had to have SWEPT the street to get rid of all the broken glass, you were definitely SIDESWIPED.

    Husker G., DH still shakes his head every time we pass the sign for "WISS-TAH" on the Masspike!

    CED, amazing clip of El Camino Del Rey! I noticed that they helpfully supplied a steel cable to link carabiners - but the guy who was filming disdained to use them...I would love to do that climb, but alas it was closed in 2000 due to a couple fatalities.

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  44. Hola Everyone, A great puzzle this morning despite some erasures in the SW corner. I had lade for stow and Not I for Nor I. That made Snowboard a little late in appearing. Also, hands up for damp before dank. Other than those few missteps, everything else was a fast, but enjoyable Monday puzzle.

    Thanks Argyle for a great writeup of Gail Grabowski's and Bruce Venzke's CW.

    If you are from Arkansas and live in Fayettville you pronounce it Fedvul. Regional pronunciation is sometimes a mystery to outsiders.

    SLZ, My first thought about Sumac was Poison Oak. It grows rampant here in our area and I am VERY alergic. We don't usually say poison sumac, just sumac. I was surprised that it is also the name for a spice. I learn something new everyday here on the blog.

    Have a great day, everyone.

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  45. Kazie, I forgot to tell you how beautiful your pictures are. They are worthy of framing. Your skills as a photographer are to be admired.

    I've swept the floor many times, but never swept the side of a car.

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  46. I`m from AR and we pronounce it fay ut-ville.

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  47. As a crossword novice, I love Monday puzzles! Still need all the clues, across & down, to complete it tho. If I keep reading this blog and the comments, maybe I'll only need acrosses one day, too! Those who are complaining about rain, send some to southern Wisconsin -- we need it!

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  48. Fun Monday puzzle.

    Gary: Good mnemonic for desert/dessert. However, it doesn't work when you say that someone got his/her just deserts. Tricky one, that.

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  49. I haven't read the rest of your remarks except Dennis's so far, but wanted to offer my thoughts on side-swept vs. sideswiped. Side-swept is a hair style. Side swiped is what happens when two cars strike a glancing blow. I think the news reporter used the wrong terminology.

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  50. Coriander comes from a plant and sumac comes from a bush or small tree. Yma Sumac came from Peru.

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  51. Hello everybody. Easy but fun puzzle today. Well constructed.

    PK, you are so funny! I laughed and laughed at your "grab me in the owski" comment. And I'm going to take your advice and memorize that whatsitsname river.

    I am fond of PINOT noir. Cheers!

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  52. STeven Martin.. I BELIEVE:
    That sex is the most wholesome
    natural,beautiful thing money can buy.
    I BELIEVE
    In 8 of the 10 commandments,

    you can google for more or a
    video of his skit

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  53. Lucina,
    Good luck with the cataract surgery tomorrow!

    Welcome 2poodles--what part of southern WI?

    Maybe 2poodles knows this, but near me we have a town called Muscoda, pronounced MUScoDAY, and another village called Gotham, pronounced GOAtham, (long 'o'), not Gotham with a short 'o'.

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  54. Hi all,
    Yes, this was a fun puzzle and it went nice and easy.

    Etude always makes me think of The Von Trapp Family Singers. Have any of you read the book? I read it a long tme ago. The first half of the book was similar to the movie except for the music. The second part wasn't. When they sang in public they sang religous music.They wore Austrian clothes and stood in 2 rows with hands folded at their waste and sang a lot of Etudes. It certainly wasn't like 'The Sound of Music.'

    We visited Ellis Island when we were in New York. Statue of Liberty was being repaired so we couldn't stop there. Most of my ancesters came over in the 1750s and early 1800s so never came thru Ellis Island.

    Husker- Last evening a program came on National Geographic Channel called Untamed Americas about wild life in deserts,forests and other unpopulated areas of the Americas from Alaska down to the most southern (Ah,I get to use that word) part of South America. There are 2 more episodes tonight. I thought of it when you said Bison/Buffalo as they showed some in areas where they are coming back. Actually there are some in Wisconsin,too.

    I also had lade before stow.

    God evening all!
    Marge

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  55. In response to an ever diminishing number of inquiries, here's an update on our lunch adventures.

    We went to our attorney's office to update our trust. Then we headed across the street to the Ocean Diner, on a little hill overlooking the Pacific. We split lentil soup, a fantastical salad and a hot veggie sandwich including eggplant, zucchini, pesto, Swiss cheese, etc. Everything was delicious. It came with the same view I enjoy every day on my bike ride.

    The Dodgers are playing the Angels who always give them a hard time. Will the Kings bring home the Stanley Cup? We will see.

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  56. Hi again,
    I just went back and looked at Saturdays blog and thank those who linked the Mario Lanza music. The people in this blog are great!
    Marge

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  57. This isn't quite in line with Gary's query since it's really not about colloquialisms, but it sorta fits. The Walleyed Pike is one of the most prized catches for "catch and eat" fisherpeople. But it's not at all related to Pike. It's a Perch.

    Marge, I heard my Mother pronounce Muscoda all my life. When I finally had to go there for a funeral in 1995, I had the damndest time finding in on the map.

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  58. @CrossEyedDave - Holy (fill in the blank) I didn't need to ride my bike this morning, I got my cardio in just watching that video. PHEW!!!

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  59. CED: I was doing ok on your video until I came to the cement pathway that had eroded away and the fellow was walking only on the metal beam!

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  60. Kazie: loved your headline goof. One for my collection of goofs. As for the TAPE repair, I once cut the cake at a wedding with my hem held in place with masking tape because I sewed until the last minute and ran out of time.

    Another unusual pronunciation for a town is Buena Vista, Colorado. Untanned (aka redneck) people there seem to call it as though it has a long "U" and no "E". This is despite quite a number of Spanish speaking citizens.

    CED: don't step theeeeeeeeeeerrrre!

    2nd Alt. QOD: "I think,at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity."--Eleanor Roosevelt.

    Maineac: Curiosity may have killed the cat, but curiosity quilled the dogs! Ow, Ow, Ow!

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  61. Anon from AR. I pronounced Fayettville, Fay-ut-ville and was promptly corrected by three of my four aunts. I wonder if it is a regional thing?

    Lucina, good luck with your cataract surgery tomorrow. Carol can tell you what a difference it makes.

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  62. Lucina, you will see so much better once you have that operation.Good luck, although it should go smoothly.

    Marge, thanks for the heads up on Untamed America.I'll check it out tonight.

    "Sometimes questions are more important than answers."

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  63. The Kings are looking pretty good right now. I have never been much interested in hockey but it's fun to root for the hometown boys.

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  64. Lucina: good wishes for the surgery! My mother had it done 20 years ago with me holding her hand and doing the drops afterward. When she got out she looked at the purple outfit she was wearing and said, "Well look here! I thought these pants were brown!" So it does make a difference. The hardest part was not being supposed to bend over for awhile.

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  65. I am not a hockey fan but feel a little disappointment for the Devils as one of my nephews is one of the Asst. Equipment Managers for the team. Congrats to the Kings.

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  66. Thank you, Kazie, Chickie, Pk,JD and everyone else who wished me well for the surgery tomorrow. I am so excited! But I shall miss my yoga class.

    If I rise early enough I'll post comments before leaving at 7:30 A.M.

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  67. The Kings win!!!

    Sorry, Irish Miss, but like you, I've got a connection - my best friend is the assistant General Manager, and he's finally getting the cup after a quarter of a century in the NHL.

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  68. Lucina my thoughts and prayers are with you. It is now a routine operation , so relax and enjoy seeing again.

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  69. Dennis: Congratulations to the Kings and to your friend. As I said I am not a hockey fan. However, the NY Yankees and Giants are another story. Go Joe (Giradi) and Tom (Coughlin).

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  70. Lucina,

    I just learned that your cataract surgery is tomorrow. My best thoughts go with you. My husband had both eyes done about ten years ago, and his vision is now better than mine. So I'll pray all goes well with a speedy and comfortable recovery.

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