google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday October 14, 2012 John Lampkin

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Oct 14, 2012

Sunday October 14, 2012 John Lampkin

(If your paper does not carry the puzzle we're blogging on Sundays, click here to solve on line or print out a copy.)

Theme: Location, Location, Location - The first word in each locale contained phrase is replaced by a sound-alike word.

25A. African antelope's haven? : GNU REPUBLIC. New republic the magazine.

27A. Farmer's fields? : FODDER LAND. Fatherland

44A. Roomer's mecca? : BOARDER STATE. Border state.

66A. Ford's legacy? : AUTO-MAN EMPIRE. Ottoman Empire.

85A. Oscar fan's realm? : WILDE KINGDOM. Oscar Wilde. Wild kingdom.

108A. Celebrity chef's turf? : EMERIL CITY. Emeril Lagasse: "Kick it up a notch!". Emerald City.

110A. Bellyacher's bailiwick? : WHINE REGION. Wine region.

42D. Friendly folks' environs? : HI COUNTRY. High country.

50D. Jurist's paradise? : SUE NATION. Sioux Nation.

To me, no one does this type of punny theme better than John Lampkin. Try to clue those theme entries yourself,  you'll realize what imaginative and witty person he is.

Of course, a pangram. Of course, no cheaters. It's a John Lampkin after all. He treats every grid as an art. Plenty of long non-theme entries for a 9-theme entry grid. Only 66 black squares. I'd need 76 to 78.

Across:

1. Nighttime refresher : SLEEP. Lately Boomer (a diabetic) wakes up often because of foot nerve problem. Any advice will be appreciated.

6. Stir : ADO

9. Coffee flavoring : MOCHA

14. Galleon spars : MASTS

19. Roaring Camp chronicler : HARTE (Bret). From the "The Luck of Roaring Camp". Not  familiar to me.

20. Like some cats : HEP. 95D. Cool cat's "Understood" : I'M HIP.

21. Faint : SWOON

22. Britten's "Billy Budd," e.g. : OPERA

23. Command to a soldier : ABOUT FACE

29. Eocene and Miocene : EPOCHS

30. Unappreciative response : ICK. 41. Appreciative responses : AHs

31. Cardinal's resting place : TREE. What a great misleading "Cardinal"!

32. Bid : OFFERED

34. They may be written in tablets : DOSAGES. Great clue also.

36. Down : SAD. Splynter frequently gave shout-outs to Eddy on Saturdays, Eddy always  responded in his terse & droll style.

38. Actress Vardalos : NIA. And 56. Aimée of "La Dolce Vita" : ANOUK. Both should be gimmes for long time solvers.

39. At an earlier time : SOONER

48. It: It. : ESSA. ELLE in Italian.

52. Amp controls : DIALS

54. Shaping devices : DIES. Tricky clue.

55. Galleria display : ARTE
  
57. Highest point : ACME
 
58. Like some memories : FOND. I will remember you, will you remember me?
EddyB Hockey Game
Clear Ayes & Granddaughter Rachael

59. Tints : DYES

60. Rhododendron variety : AZALEA. I planted Burning Bush in our little garden this year. So impressed with their bright color and sturdiness.

61. Route directories : ROAD MAPS

63. Mexican pyramid builder : MAYA. 56D. Mexican pyramid builder : AZTEC

64. Nicklaus rival : WATSON (Tom). Or PALMER. Tom Watson is very nice in person. Some pros can be very cold.

65. Berliner's cont. : EUR

69. Peace, in Mexico : PAZ

71. 1960s-'70s first family : NIXONs. Nixon is very well regarded in China.

73. Queen's subjects : ANTS. John's wits in full display.

74. Acoustical foam pattern : EGG CRATE. I wonder why this shape.

76. Floral fragrances : ATTARS

77. Down : BLUE. "... Where do you go when you're blue..."I love this song so much.

78. Dullsville : BLAH. 89. Dullsville : DRAGGY.

79. Vacation plan : TRIP

80. Modern Persian : IRANI

81. Alligator __ : PEAR. Avocado. On toast with a few red pepper flakes. Heaven!

82. "__ there ..." : BEEN

83. Legally block : ESTOP

84. Feathered mimic : MYNA

88. __-cone : SNO

91. Gram. case : OBJ

92. Sister : NUN

94. Airport security concern : LIQUIDS

97. Round Table figure : GALAHAD. Lancelot's son. 

100. It broke up in 1991: Abbr. : USSR. Where were you in 1991? I was in college, happily dating.

104. __ Darya River : AMU. To the Aral Sea.

105. Come to pass : BEFALL

113. Taught gradually, with "in" : INSTILLED.

114. Gritty intro? : NITTY. Nitty-gritty.

115. Rub out : ERASE

116. U.S. Army E-6, e.g. : NCO

117. Pet annoyance? : PEEVE. Pet peeve. 45D. Gets pets, maybe : ADOPTS

118. "Jes' think ..." : S'POSE. Does "Jes'" stand for Jesus? I've never heard of this phrase before.

119. Site of unplayable organs : TORSO. And 33D. Organ with a drum : EAR

120. JFK, in the '50s : SEN

121. Philly cager : SIXER   

Down:
    
1. Dumbwaiter enclosure : SHAFT

2. Birthday work for mom : LABOR. Fun clue.

3. Destroy over time : ERODE

4. Liszt's "Transcendental __" : ETUDES. John is a pianist.

5. Elliott the Dragon's friend : PETE. From "Pete's Dragon". I definitely googled this before.

6. Time and __ : A HALF

7. Orange-handled pot beverage : DECAF. I don't drink coffee. Have no idea it's in orange-handled pots.

8. Unrestricted, as a discussion : OPEN-ENDED

9. Controversial flavor enhancer : MSG. It's widely used in Chinese dumplings.

10. Dominated : OWNED

11. Clever stroke : COUP

12. Scope opening? : HORO. Horoscope.

13. One may begin "Reminds me of the time ..." : ANECDOTE. I like this clue.

14. Creamy dessert : MOUSSE

15. 911 call follow-up, perhaps : APB

16. Baseball commissioner who helped establish interleague play : SELIG (Bud). Also wild card.

17. Instant : TRICE

18. Quarterback's concerns : SACKS

24. Bilbo's heir : FRODO. "The Lord of the Rings".

26. App-using device : PHONE

28. Helps with the dishes : DRIES
  
35. Some bowls : ARENAS

37. Playing hooky, maybe: Abbr. : ABS

39. Casting site : STREAM. Fishing.

40. They made Trigger happy : OATS. Trigger was Roy Roger's horse.

41. On __: if challenged : A DARE.
 
43. Memorable provider of roadside aid : SAMARITAN

46. Classic laundry soap : RINSO
 
47. Approve : SAY YES

49. Featured chorus lines : SOLO PARTS

51. Alias indicator : AKA
 
53. Showed the way : LED

58. Satyr cousins : FAUNS. Half man, half goat.
 
59. "Inferno" author : DANTE

60. Cry of frustration : AARGH

62. Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, e.g. : MAORI

63. Soil enricher : MANURE

64. Tobacco industry whistle-blower Jeffrey : WIGAND. Stranger to me.

67. Bug, perhaps : MALADY

68. Pequod part-owner : PELEG. "Moby-Dick".

70. Youngest Marx brother : ZEPPO. Herbert Marx.

72. Kubla Khan's palace : XANADU. It's located in the present day Inner Mongolia, north of Beijing.

75. Amendments 1-10 subj. : RTS (Rights)

76. Intention : AIM

77. Lux. neighbor : BELG (Belgium)

78. Hundred-dollar bills, in slang : BENJAMINs

81. Pickled offering at a deli : PIG'S FEET. Widely consumed in Guangzhou, but never pickled.

82. Authoritative source : BIBLE

83. Avian runner : EMU

85. Spoonbill, for one : WADER
 
86. RV park chain : KOA

87. Vague rumor : ON DIT. Literally "They say" in French.

90. Angus cut : RIB EYE

93. Centers : NUCLEI

94. Homeowners' prides : LAWNS
  
96. Birder's Andean mecca : QUITO. Trust John on this. He's a naturalist.

97. Sheen : GLOSS

98. So : HENCE

99. Bad fire : ARSON

101. Big name in kitchen appliances : SILEX
 
102. Winwood of Traffic : STEVE. Also unknown to me.

103. Cup sought every two years : RYDER. Epic meltdown this year.

106. Farmer's prefix : AGRO

107. "Pants on fire" person : LIAR

109. Bussing needs : LIPS. Yellowrocks had a fun comment on bussing/bussed this past week.

111. Some Windows systems : NTS

112. Romantic beginning : NEO. Noe-Romantic.

I want to thank Seen and Windhover again for checking on Eddy & Clear Ayes last week and all your touching notes. I'm very saddened by the loss of two long-time regulars in a short period of time, but also comforted by the warmth and support shown on the blog. 

Life has been a bit rough lately, thank you for brightening my day with your daily comments and banters.


C.C.

69 comments:

  1. Fabulously done puzzle. I am in see. Well,one back John

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  2. Greetings!

    Finally got to swim. Afterwards, had unexpected long nap. So, I'm up late again.

    Swell puzzle, John! Great write-up, CC. Feel better soon. Thanks for the nice pictures!

    Friday's was OK; Saturday a disaster. This one OK but took a very loong time! Worked the Netword--much easier--the Washington Post--terrible--and the Universal--not bad. Time to try to sleep again.

    Quite cold today for us, but we are expecting a heat wave (they say).

    CC: I have pre-diabetes and have the problem that you mentioned. Rheumatologist gave me Neurontin. If I do not take it as directed I really suffer. I ran across a diabetic sock site that advertises a non-prescription remedy. Haven't had the guts to try it!

    Cheers!

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  3. PS I Suppose that it is "just think." No?

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  4. Morning, all!

    Have family visiting, so no time to go into details. Loved the theme, hated some of the clues and fill (DRAGGY?). Learned a new word today (ONDIT). Couldn't guess crossing of WATSON and WIGAND.

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  5. Good Morning, C.C. and friends. What's not to love in this John Lampkin puzzle ~ the witty clues, the misdirections, the repeated clues ... Fun, fun, fun!

    SUE (Sioux) NATION was my first theme fill. It took me a while to see where we were going with the Locations.

    I wanted Time and Again instead of Time and A HALF.

    I thought the classic detergent was Ivory, not RINSO. The latter is unknown to me, HENCE, not classic enough for me!

    I wanted the Cardinal's resting place to be a Nest instead of a TREE.

    I though the Floral Fragrances would be Scents instead of ATTARS.

    I liked the HEP Cats and I'M HIP.

    I though one of the DOWNs might refer to feathers. Instead, but referred to moods.

    C.C. the "Jes" in the "Jes think ..." clue is slang for "Just" and its answer, is slang for "Suppose."
    C.C. I was in law school in 1991.

    QOD: The chief qualification of a mass leader has become unending infallibility; he can never admit an error. ~ Hannah Arendt (October 14, 1906 - Dec. 4, 1974)

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  6. Hi Y'all, Got the NW and Wslope. The rest was hit and miss. The puzzle was great, but difficult to concentrate when I'm still coughing all the time.

    Haven't been able to lie down to sleep in 4-5 days. I'm thankful for a comfy recliner that gives me an hour or so of sleep at a time. So I just cat nap around the clock.

    I've been fighting this mess for three weeks and this is my last day of ten on an antibiotic which has knocked my bronchitis and bronchial pneumonia before. All it has done this time is keep things loose. If this isn't full-blown pneumonia, it's doing a pretty good imitation. I've got all kinds of strange squeaks and moans and growls issuing from my lung region. Does this sound like pneumonia to any one else?

    I will go back to the doctor tomorrow and hope he can give me something else so I can get better. I also hope he can hear these strange noises this time. Last time he didn't hear a thing. Didn't leave the stethoscope in place long enough IMHO.

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  7. C.C.- I have burning and itching pain with my feet at night. Washing them good then rubbing in Bengay helps me as much as anything.

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  8. Hello Puzzlers -

    Haven't seen you all for a week, was unaware the Corner had lost some regular contributors.

    Chipped away at this clever Lampkin grid, until the area around On Dit was the only thing left. I was way too slow to recognize the familiar French phrase.

    Morning C.C., thanks for your effort! In 1991 I was in another dead-end job in a dysfunctional company. Just my luck.

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  9. As Hahtoolah said, "What's not to love in this John Lampkin puzzle ~ the witty clues, the misdirections, the repeated clues ... Fun, fun, fun!"

    I likled the punny theme answers.

    I started with time and again, too.

    Do you rememeber the jingle, "Rinso white, Rinso bright, happy little washday song"? That was back in the day when colors could be gay.

    No nits. The only truly unknown was WATSON. I had all but the W. Going down I had -IGAND. I finally dredged up the W for WIGAND, but was not 100% certain. I was prepared to say AARGH, if W was wrong.

    The Chicago Trib omitted 5 down clues. That made it take longer, but I prevailed in the end.

    After an overnight temp. of 34 on Froday night, we expect to hit 70 today.

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  10. Really enjoyed this puzzle and your write-up, C.C.
    I remember Rinso.
    Does anyone remember "Super Suds? I think they sponsored Blondie and Dagwood" on the radio. Now if you ever see it in a puzzle, you'll know it!
    emjay

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  11. An enjoyable puzzle, but a little too much for me to tame. Had to cheat a little near the end (our Sunday paper has the solution). I'd filled in Phogg instead of Peleg, and that caused me a lot of grief. But it was still a fun run and worth the time spent.

    C.C., Like Fermat, I've had pretty good luck with Neurontin for neuropathy. It's actually an anti-seizure medication, but is recognized and prescribed for other maladies. It does take a few days to fully kick in, but has little in the way of side effects and might be worth a try. Oral steroids are another possibility.

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  12. Fun puzzle. I wasn't going to attempt it until I saw who the constructor was and I always enjoy what CC writes about puzzles.
    I was racing my iPad battery. I did quite well, but did let red letters help me with first letter of unknowns after first passes across and down.
    CC: my late husband had great relief with Neurontin. A neighbor didn't, but her doctor prescribed a newer medicine that she described as a miracle for her feet.
    Beautiful weather today,
    Montana

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  13. CC, I absolutely agree with you about John's puzzles. And as Hatoolah opined and Yellowrocks reiterated, "Fun, fun, fun!" John always seems to offer the perfect blend of clues that are enjoyable in challenge and humor.

    Starting with 1A, Nighttime refresher, I wanted to enter PINCH for some reason, but SHAFT for 1D made sense to me. Hey, the I in in PINCH made quasi sense for ICING for 2D Birthday work for mom!

    In proving 6A ADO, for 6D wanted 'time and AGAIN' but also considered A HALF. 8D Unrestricted discussion just had to be OPEN FORUM, did it not ? But short clue 32A Bid led to OFFERED, which agreed with FRODO. Soon had ABOUT FACE and FODDER LAND. Game on! Every theme answer made me smile.

    59A fell for the Tints DYES / hues trap. At 85A Oscar fan's realm wanted SESAME STREET which, based on letter count, fit nicely, but ruled out because it didn't match the theme patterns.

    116A US Army E-6 wanted SSG, but answer was once again NCO. How about that one ? Not just any clue that could have lead to NCO. Easily misdirected because it was so specific and precise about military branch and rank. An Army E-6 is very specifically an SSG *Staff Sargent."

    Took 1Hr, 25min, 30 sec to complete, but it was so much fun.

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  14. God morning C.C. et al.

    Thanks for your spot-on analysis of this one, C.C. John truly is a master, and his wit shines through in his puzzles. There were so many clever clues that you already pointed out. I thought “Casting site” for STREAM was brilliant. I really wanted “couch”, but it wouldn’t fit. I also liked the “Organ with a drum” for EAR and “Site of unplayable organs” for TORSO. Witty!

    The “Orange-handled pot beverage” had me going in circles for a while, until I remembered that iHop uses the orange handled pots to distinguish between caf and decaf coffees.

    I had BENJAMeNS before BENJAMINS, so that SE took a little while to straighten out. The other glitch was at SELIG…I had most of the perps, and took a WAG that it might be SELIG. Ta-da! I guessed correctly on a baseball clue, for a change!

    Have a relaxing day of rest, everyone!

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  15. CC, in 1991 I was 10 years into the current career, and in my 4 year as an Illinoisan.

    Tough news about Jeter. Not a Yanks fan, but am a Jeter fan. Watched the game last night to the end.

    102A Steve Winwood - Lead singer and pianist in the English band Traffic. This piece ~ 11.39 was their biggest hit. I was blown away by the saxophone the first time I heard this song. The song starts so slowly and quietly and builds along the way.

    Or, as WIKI says "The song begins with a gradual fade-in and ends with a slow fade-out. At about 11 minutes and 35 seconds, it is the longest song on the album. Musically, it is noteworthy for its sparse arrangement and slow deliberate pace alternating with a double-time densely layered pop chorus. The verses are in D minor while the choruses modulate to D major. The song is noted for the repeated piano riff in D Minor. The song has received wide praise for the extended solos played by band members in the later portions of the song."

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  16. Good morning all.

    Agree with C.C. about the birds. Had MYNA, EMU, WADER, and Cardinal that I counted. Agree with others; a great Sunday puzzle. Loved the theme word puns. One I should have gotten but didn't was ON DIT. ICK! Much of the cluing made me think but it was all gettable. A special treat to do one of John's puzzles.

    2 personal notes re: MANURE. Growing up on our dairy farm, I was never so glad for modern inventions as when my Dad installed a barn cleaner.
    My parents dearly loved their adopted country. But some cultural nuances tended to be difficult to get past. Much of the 'at home patois' was Low German. So when they would hear that a local young girl was named 'Missy' they would blanch because Miss means MANURE in L. Ger.

    Enjoy the day.

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  17. Spitz, I can imagine. Sis had a Morgan and I was assigned that chore after she got a compound fracture when she was riding bareback. And that was just one horse !

    Family friends near Green Bay installed an automatic milking machine this year. Big time saver for that twice a day chore.

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  18. I've always been a big fan of Steve Winwood. Check out the blues legends he jammed with when he was only 13 or 14! He co-wrote, played organ and sang this song when he was 18.

    This movie is a cult classic. Especially if you grew up in the inner-city or partake in the sacrificial herb. "I like pigs feet"(not really, though)

    My Reds provided me with a very enjoyable summer. As one of the youngest teams in baseball and with several stars signed to long-term contracts, we should enjoy success for several more years. Dissappointing end however.

    Time to post a new avatar.

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  19. Good afternoon:

    I enjoyed this clever and challenging puzzle very much but needed a little help to finish. Went astray early on with again for ahalf, fleas for peeve, isle for city, tele for horo, and thought Oscar was referring to Hollywood so put Golden in before Wilde. Eventually, things smoothed out but It took me longer than usual

    Thank you, Mr. Lampkin, for your wit and wisdom, and thank you, CC, for your always-concise and clear analysis. Much hope for brighter days ahead.

    Welcome, back, Dudley, we missed you. I'll be spending my afternoon stuffing envelopes for a political mailing. My neighbor is running for a seat on the County Legislature and I promised to help any way I could. So we shall stuff away!

    So sorry about Derek Jeter. He will be missed in the field and in the line-up. I hope some of the other players can pick up the slack.

    Happy Sunday to all.

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  20. Hiya!

    Very fun puzzle for me today! Thank you much, John Lampkin.

    I just loved the theme solutions. So much fun trying to figure them out. Haven't read the blog yet. Gotta go out for a bit. I'll check back in a few.

    Eileen

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  21. G’Day, all. My undoing this morning was the Far East (Anouk, Wigand, et al). Gnu Republic was the theme de-coder for me – got all others except Sue Nation (again with the Far East). Maybe I should’ve switched from De-Caf to Leaded….

    Lots of other go-backs. Eider for Wader, Dyes for Dies, Cops for Lips, Nest for Tree, Palmer for Watson, Arms for Pear, Peri for Horo, and so on. Perps all set me back on the correct path, eventually.

    Bret Harte is the poor man’s Mark Twain, imho….

    Bud Selig is reviled by a lot of baseball fans for deciding to call the 2002 All-Star game a tie after 11 innings.

    Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire by the Castaways is one of those songs that is hard to get out of your head. Does anyone else remember the 60’s group The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band?

    I got married in 1991. Divorced 10 years later. Aargh!

    Here’s hoping Eli Manning suffers many Sacks this afternoon at Candlestick!

    Seen @ 12:10, don’t give up on Mr. Redlegs as your avatar – it’s a baseball classic! That having been said, Go Giants!

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  22. Vegas Doc: As a confirmed NLer and a hater of all things Cardinal, I S'POSE I have to root for your Giants(but I won't like it!).

    Don't worry, Mr. Redlegs will return when the pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, AZ next spring.

    Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

    p.s. I think that parachute dude live video has crashed You Tube. Having trouble logging on.

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  23. Plenty of Aarghs today, starting with time & again (8D), but were correctable. Like 12D scope opening, i had to change "peri." But that made me too wary, because i could not believe that 14A Galleon spars would be something as easy as "masts." If i had a pencil, i might have been able to figure out that corner.

    What really got me was the crossing of 39A&D! i really wanted "before" for an earlier time, but was afraid to ink it in. Casting site had me thinking theater? stage? foundry? mill? broken leg? Fishing never did come to mind.

    Thank you John Lampkin for keeping me from raking leaves!

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  24. Hello everybody. What Hahtoolah said. I had the same thoughts about and experiences with this puzzle that she did, except that FODDERLAND was my Rosetta stone. A terrific puzzle!

    Beverly Sills, the great opera soprano, got her start singing the "Rinso white" jingle on the radio.

    Gosh, 1991 was so much like 1990 and 1992 that I can't think of anything particularly outstanding about what I was doing that year. "A year like all years, filled with those joys and sorrows that illuminate and alter our lives." (To paraphrase Walter Cronkite.)

    Best wishes to you all.

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  25. C.C. Excellent write-up of a John Lampkin jewel!

    Irish Miss: Keep the Faith. Jayson Nix will be a fine fill-in for Derek.
    tears ... what a tough break (pun intended). Go Yankees !!!

    AraidneArts: Hope you "best friend" has good news Monday.

    Have a great Sunday.
    Cheers to all at Sunset !!!!

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  26. I got all but the middle east done and then had to head out for 6 hours with grandkids at Valla’s Pumpkin Patch for the 11th consecutive year. I agree with C.C. in spades. This was fun, witty, clever and had a helpful, punny theme. OTTOMAN EMPIRE came in a blaze of insight and made me laugh out loud!

    Musings
    -Lovely picture remembrances C.C.!
    -ABOUT FACE had same number of letters as ATTENTION, Player and Palmer lost out to WATSON. ATTARS not Esters
    -My FOND I Remember You
    -I don’t anyone uses ROAD MAPS anymore. It’s easier to fold up my iPHONE.
    -Like Nixon, other presidents get/got into trouble when they obfuscate about screw ups (see Q.O.D.)
    -BEEN THERE, done that, got the commemorative coin
    -Being polite, on time and respectful was INSTILLED in me
    -I always wonder if the pot with the colored handle really has DECAF (after noon).
    -The Sooners OWNED the Longhorns yesterday in Dallas
    -I love what SELIG has done, I just wish they could speed up the games a little
    -Is WIGAND a common name and ON DIT a common phrase?
    - Pop XANADU
    -The Pawn Stars pay off in BENJAMINS

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  27. I'm Hip

    When it was hip to be hep, I was hep.
    Now I'm deep into Zen meditation and macrobiotics,
    And as soon as I can I intend to get into narcotics.

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  28. Love the Sunday puzzles because they are so challenging. It's so satisfying when I finally "break the code" and figure out the puzzle theme. Thanks for keeping my old brain working overtime!

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  29. I have to break this up into 2 posts, my PC is slowing to a crawl...

    Gnu Republic

    Fodder Land

    Boarder State

    automan Empire ( sorry i got confused with Ottoman.)

    Wilde Kingdom ( i may have gotten confused with Wilde Forest.)

    Emeril City I dunno, i think, one "Bam" & the whole place is coming down...

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  30. Hello, Peeps. A very special hello to you, C.C. as I warmly recall our meeting of almost two weeks ago. How time flies!

    Very late to the party today as I took my granddaughter home after spending the night.

    A wonderful puzzle by John Lampkin to day! Loved the theme and got most them except GNU REPUBLIC as I had ELAND PUBLIC and tried to make sense of it. Finally, it was so late I came to look and then finished the upper part.

    Many times I had to ERASE as the misdirections emerged. JL is so good with that!

    Natick at WIGAND and PELEG. But so much interesting fill, DIES, DYES, MAYA, AZTEC, etc.

    Though I had ONDIT it is completely unknown to me. I'll have to enter it in my notebook.

    In 1991 the cancer in my late DH reared its ugly head and it was downhill from there.

    Great to see you back, Dudly!

    Hope your Sunday has been super, everyone!

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  31. I really enjoyed John's wordplay today! and thanks, C.C. for a great writeup.

    Maybe it's this nice relaxing sunny Sunday, but I cannot figure out why ANTS would be Queen's subjects.
    Anyone?

    In 1991 I was car-pooling boys to TaeKwonDo and school as well as working. Oofda!

    Hope life gets better soon C.C. You and your blog add a dose of fun to my life every day. Thanks for starting it.

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  32. Whine region

    Hi Country ( He shouldn't have smoked that joint up there!)

    Sue Nation,,, i have utmost respect for American Indians, i am not linking anything funny...

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  33. Sorry, I hit publish instead of edit. The song is I'm Hip, written by jazz pianist and composer Dave Frishberg and sung by Blossom Dearie.
    I'm so sorry to hear that not all are feeling well. PK should insist that the doctor give a thorough exam. 3 weeks is a long time.
    I always look forward to C.C.'s write-ups and getting a chance to hear about all of you.
    Had a discussion with DH last night concerning time outs and
    times out. Which is correct?

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  34. Qli, the "queen ant" has the same prestige as a "queen bee". See the Wiki article, here. Since it's John Lampkin, expect the unexpected!

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  35. Just like bees, ants have a queen also and a queen ant can outlive a queen bee several times over.

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  36. Dunno why but I've decided to weigh in before reading C.C.'s or other comments. This puzzle was unusually hard for me though I'm a big fan of John Lampkin. The theme seemed too clever for me. I even had trouble after turning on red letters.

    Now I'm going to see what C.C. and others had to say. I'm worried that everybody else is going to think the puzzle was fun and easy.

    ... Welp, I was right.

    pas de chat: I know it's Attorneys General and Brothers-in-law but I would vote for time outs, especially when speaking informally.

    Seen, I'm a big fan of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The CD set of Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a classic.

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  37. C.C. "J'es think" is Harlem dialect circa 1940, as heard on the Amos and Andy show, for "just think." S'pose is obviously suppose.

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  38. Ohhhhh. Break out the V-8 can. Thanks, Marti and Argyle!

    CEDave, where do you come up with that great stuff?

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  39. ON DIT means vague rumor and is borrowed from the French, roughly translated as they say. It is found in unabridged American dictionaries. Here is a quote from the The Saturday Review, “On dits and surreptitious tales that float about."

    PK, you have really had a terrible siege of illness. I am thinking healing thoughts. Get well quickly.

    TTP, nice to have your screen name explained.

    Late at night in a diner I saw a waitress pour coffee from the regular pot into the orange handled pot and serve it as decaf. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and had some. I was up all night.

    I checked the Chicago Trib. again. Their online puzzle has all the clues, but their printout is missing five of them. I guess that is why no one else noticed. It annoys me to solve online.

    HG I think you have spoken of the DRAGGY, BLAH music at church. Once a month we have a jam band at our regular service with electronic piano, full percussion, tambourine, and guitars. The music is very rhythmic, upbeat, and vigorous for the entire service. It is very well received and eagerly anticipated by our supposedly staid Episcopalians.

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  40. C.C. - 1991 - First thought it was an ordinary year. But upon reflexion: daughter got married, 1st son graduated from college, last son graduated from HS. Working hard to keep 2 in college. 21 yrs ago. Time flies.

    Kiri Te Kanawa - Probably my favorite soprano. She is of mixed Maori ancestry, and was adopted and raised by a Maori family.

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  41. Hi all.Thanks for your warm words of appreciation and encouragement. Especially you C.C.! It's a great feeling to hear praise like that from a terrific constructor.

    Pangrams are cool in their own right, but it's especially satisfying to create one using words like XANADU and BENJAMINS.

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  42. CC: About Boomer and your sleep problem. Move to another bedroom. My children thought we had broken up when I told them I had my own room now...to which I replied, "Sleep is the only thing we`ve stopped doing together." Because of snoring and getting up a lot, it became a necessity or I would have gotten ill from lack of rest. He takes naps during the day, too...which I seldom have time for. Sometimes I still stay with him until he drops off the first time. He`s ok with it because he know how irritable I am when I don`t rest.

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  43. PK: I am really sorry about your illness. I take 2 grams of good quality vitamin C per day and haven't had a cold or flu in several years. (People come in and sneeze all around me.) Would a humidifier help you?

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  44. In 1991 I completed an MA degree plus 30 more masters level credits in just 3 years, while working and coping with major problems.

    That year I divorced and had to sell, during a down market, the house I had brought into the marriage, sharing 50/50. My mother was admitted to a nursing home with Alzheimer’s and my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My disabled son had major setbacks that year involving three medical appointments every week.

    On the plus side, as I had planned, my extra schooling increased my pay rate to the point where I could afford this lovely condo, a little farther out. PS, I bought the condo at down market prices. YAY! I love it here. By 1993 things had settled down and I won an all expenses paid scholarship for 3 weeks in Japan studying the education system. It all comes out in the wash as my mother used to say.

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  45. I totally missed the 1991 question, brah.

    After reading through the blog a second time, I came to appreciate C.C.'s effort even more. Just classic Corner stuff. Thanks, C.C..

    1991 began with a bang for me in Tampa with my friend Tonya. Super Bowl XXV with Whitney Houston. What a night.

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  46. Hi All!

    I'm finally back.

    Irish Miss, thx for your kind post of yesterday evening.

    Tinbeni, thanks so much for your good wishes.

    Pas de chat: Wonderful link! I've listened to it twice and am going for more. Thanks for brightening an otherwise blue day. Blossom is indeed a Dearie!

    Husker: I've seen you mention them before-- I'm also a Pawn Star fan. And American Pickers--i'm watching an all-day marathon of them as I write.

    PK: Hope you get some relief from this bug ASAP. Keeping you in my thoughts...

    Speaking about feet burning, my feet burn daily, esp. at night. What the heck is that about? I keep cold water and paper towels by the bed so I can bathe them, or I can't get to sleep. I'm guessing it's age (for me) so I just accept it and deal with it. Anyone else?

    And yes, Vegas Doc, I certainly remember the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Got to see then live at our local 'folk' club, the Ash Grove, before they went and got all famous. LOL

    Lucina: I'm pretty familiar with French, but ON DIT is a new one on me. I assume it's derived from 'one says', hence, 'they say'.

    emjay, I sure do remember Super Suds, and even the jingle--'Super Suds, Super Suds, da da da da Super Su-u-uds.

    Thanks Everyone for funning up my day.

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  47. Thanks, CC for a wonderful write up! Do hope things look up for you.

    1991 I was counseling prospective small business owners; often advising don't or do some more investigating!

    CED loved your input! Enjoy rest of Sunday evening.

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  48. Yellow Rocks, my story is similar but pales in comparison. So many quips abound about fortune or good luck being the result of hard work and perseverance, so I'll spare the rhetoric.

    Speaking of turning lemons into lemonade, am I the only one that's a bit concerned the with the curious post by our creative contributor from Casa Limon ?

    Seems so atypical and nonsensical from one that otherwise writes with such clarity.

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  49. C.C. Thanks for a great writeup and for the most enjoyable video clips. Hoping things get better for you...

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  50. Thanks Bill G. You agree with me that it is time outs. I win!
    Looked at your profile and see that you enjoy the Parker novels. Used to love that Spencer. He was always eating and drinking with gusto!
    Thanks Ariadne Arts, I'm glad you enjoyed the song. I've sung it many times, but unfortunately not everyone "gets" it.
    Seen, we were in an apartment and had an arranger/pianist friend over for dinner. When the John Clayton arrangement of Whitney's performance of the SSBanner came on he and I both said "nice changes" at the same time. That was the best re-harmonization I've heard for that song, and many have tried to copy cat since.
    1991 we bought our house in April. It's been 21 years, wow.

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  51. Pas de chat, having me agree with you isn't necessarily a good thing...

    Yes, I like Robert B. Parker. My kids gave me a Nook last Christmas. I got The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (didn't like it), one Louis L'Amour book (not as good as some of his others) and a Spencer book written by somebody new (pretty good). I ordered the second-newest Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency book but I haven't started it yet. I'm looking for other suggestions.

    BTW, a friend gave my a non-fiction book called The Sun's Heartbeat by Bob Herman. I highly recommend it. It will educate you about our nearest star while entertaining you, somewhat like Cosmos did.

    If the Yankees don't get off their butts, it's going to be dreary around here for a while. Barbara isn't a happy fan.

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  52. Mr. Lampkin, Is that your real pic on your profile page? And who is the man? :)

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  53. I read Lemon`s post...it is strange...are you ok LM714?

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  54. Due to health issues, we haven't kept up with the puzzles or blogs as well as usual. I've had severe anemia with no explanation. Then I complicated it with pneumonia. In the meantime, Irv broke a bone in his foot doing nothing.
    I've obviously missed out on a lot of blog news, but want to send my condolences to Eddie b's friends and family as well as the family and friends of Clear Eyes.

    To those with the itchy feet, are you taking and meds, like antibiotics, which could be the cause?

    Dot

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  55. Tinbeni - I will keep the faith but the Yanks have to make a really big comeback! I hope they can meet the challenge.

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  56. Bill G Yes, agreeing with ME is always good :-), but look what I found...
    “Time Outs” and “Times-Out”

    Because “time out” first appeared in football, the sport defined the word. The plural that is most technically correct will necessarily be written in football rule books. The NFL rulebook, in the Timing section, paragraph 5 reads:

    Each team is allowed three time outs each half.

    The 2007 NCAA rulebook reads:

    Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each half.

    So there you have it. The spoken plural, whether dealing with NCAA or NFL football is “time outs.” Don’t let sportscasters give you any other impression.

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  57. Cc
    Neurotin and its newer version works pretty well. Takes a bit to get used to.thanks for the write today and tributes
    i sure hope things ease up for you. It is hard to see someone we care for suffer. Glad this week is over. Michele

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  58. Pk
    If you read this get the doc to culture what you cough up. That way they order correct antibiotic! Feel better
    Michele

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  59. So glad I happened to check in at the blog today. I've been wondering about Clear Ayes all summer. I thought I just wasn't catching her posts. Count me among the many grieving her loss... Thank you, Windhover for sharing the news.

    It's sad to hear of EddyB's passing too. Thank you Seen, for letting us know.

    Wishing you all well!
    Annette

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  60. Dot, sorry to hear of your troubles but it's still good to hear from you.

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  61. Good evening, folks. Thank you, John Lampkin, for a great puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a great review.

    Also, appreciate the good photos of our two departed friends. We will certainly miss them.

    I missed yesterday. It was a busy day, to say the least. Our phone rang at 5:00 AM. Our daughter called from Milwaukee to report our car had been stolen from her while she was gassing up. Some lady grabbed her keys, hopped in the car, and took off. Wrecked the car four blocks later. Totaled. The good news is our daughter is OK. Just upset. The cops got the person. Turned out is was a guy dressed like a girl. Needless to say I did not do the puzzle yesterday. We just bought the car two months ago when our other one was totaled by a taxicab.

    Yellowrocks. Just to report, I had the same problem you did. I got up early and printed the puzzle from the Chicago Trib site and was missing several down clues. I worked it for a while, then waited fro the actual Trib to be delivered and I worked it. It was complete.

    Saw the movie ARGO tonight. It was pretty good. Thye kind of developed a slogan using the word ARGO. If you see it you will know what I mean.

    The puzzle was not an easy one at all. Took me a while to catch the theme, but after doing that it helped greatly. My first one was HI COUNTRY, then SUE NATION.

    As Barry said, I was not a fan of DRAGGY.

    Got PIGS FEET real easy.

    Did not know WIGAND, perps.

    WILDE KINGDOM took me forever to get. But, I got it.

    Tomorrow, off the eye doctor for an ultrasound on my eyes. Seems my pressure has gone back up. Not sure how an ultrasound on the eyes works. we'll see.

    Got to call the insurance tomorrow and get this car thing started. Had the car towed to elgin, IL, which is near us.

    In 1991 I had been living in Illinois for eight years and our daughter was conceived. She was born in 1992.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

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  62. AriadneArts
    Apparently ON DIT is quite common. I researched it and am surprised I hadn't come across it in my reading. Kazie doesn't check in on the weekend or I'm sure she would have provided a thorough explanation.

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  63. Abejo, it's good to hear from you as always. I haven't seen ARGO but heard of it. The title isn't a reference to an old knock-knock joke by any chance?

    Dot, it was good to hear from you. Here's hoping for better health news for you and Irv.

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  64. Bill G. have you read Louis L'Amour's Walking Drum set in 12th century Europe and the middle east? I enjoyed it. It is quite different from his westerns, Which book were you disappointed in?

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  65. ONDIT. Forced in on crosses. "Vague rumor?" Man, that is the VAGUEST. If five people outside the borders of France have EVER heard of this, I'll "mange" my "chapeau." I had this whole grid done and still was half-convinced I'd somehow jumped the tracks with this horrible entry.

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  66. YR, the book was "Fair Blows the Wind." I don't know why I picked that one. I just went to Barnes and Noble website and searched through Louis L'Amour and picked out one. Boy, he has written lots of books.

    This one really isn't a western either. I like all the westerns I've tried.

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  67. AriadneArts...
    Could be benign fatty tumors,but the important issue is that you are giving a nice home to a pet who would otherwise be not here if not for you. Think of extending the life of a faithful friend. We got two pets from the pound. Never regretted it for a minute. You do the best you can and the pet is better off for your efforts. We wish you the best tomorrow.

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  68. Fermatprime et al,
    Thanks for the Neurontin recommendation. Boomer is seeing his VA doctor tomorrow. Hopefully he's getting some relief.

    PK,
    Can you write to me crosswordc@gmail.com?

    Spacecraft,
    So funny: I'll "mange" my "chapeau."

    Dave,
    I officially declare you the blog treasure.

    Dot,
    Great to see you!

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