Theme: Peace!
20A. Game with a windmill, usually : MINIATURE GOLF. It's the creepy clowns that get to me...
31A. Uncle Remus rogue : BR'ER RABBIT
41A. Insect honored on a 1999 U.S. postage stamp : DUNG BEETLE
And the revealer:
53A. Literally meaning "driving enjoyment," slogan once used by the maker of the ends of 20-, 31- and
41-Across : FAHRVERGNUGEN. From the German "fahr" (driving) and "vergnugen" (pleasure). The Volkswagen models in the theme entries are highlighted in red.
Easiest Thursday puzzle in a long time. Donna Levin's puzzles are always so smooth. I suppose "Fahrvergnugen" is not a Monday-friendly word, otherwise this puzzle could easily qualify. The clues seemed all straightforward, with not a lot of misdirection.
Across:
1. They sit at stands : CABS
5. Check out with nefarious intent : CASE. As in, "Case the joint".
9. Gyneco-'s opposite : ANDRO. I am from Venus, and you are from Mars?
14. Really cruel guy : OGRE
15. ABA member : ATTY. America Bar Association.
16. Man-trap : SIREN
17. Grievously wound : MAIM
18. Approach : NEAR
19. Thirteenth Amendment beneficiary : SLAVE
23. "___ takers?" : ANY
24. Big shots : VIPS
25. Requiring an adult escort : R-RATED
28. Big London attraction? : BEN. The bell, not the clock, in "Queen Elizabeth Tower".
29. Handy set : KIT. Remember Handy Andy tool kits?
30. Former despot Amin : IDI
36. Big butte : MESA. (Does this plain make me look fat?)
37. Bootcut Skinny brand : LEVIS. (Do these jeans make me look fat?)
38. PC interconnection : LAN
39. Like proofed dough : RISEN
40. Dueler's choice : EPEE
43. Make a booboo : ERR
44. ___ Lingus : AER.
45. Article in Der Spiegel : EIN
46. Not at all out of the question : DOABLE
48. "Shucks!" : DANG
50. Friend of Francois : AMI
56. Popular household fish : TETRA
58. Princess with an earmuff-like hair style : LEIA (Whatever was she thinking?)
59. Lose color : FADE
60. "If ___ Would leave You" : EVER I. From Camelot. 3:10
61. Sea decimated by Soviet irrigation projects : ARAL
62. Done : OVER
63. Removal of govt. restrictions : DEREG
64. Lucie's dad : DESI. Didn't we just have her?
65. Boarding pass datum : SEAT
Down:
1. "I, Claudius" feature : COMMA. Because "autobiographical novel" wouldn't fit...
2. Piano teacher's command : AGAIN.
3. Like pickle juice : BRINY
4. Big rig : SEMI
5. Ensenada bar : CANTINA
6. Devoured : ATE UP
7. Headlines : STARS
8. Rochester's love : EYRE
9. Categorize : ASSORT
10. Nabisco cookie brand : NILLA
11. Most in need of insulation : DRAFTIEST
12. Gun : REV. Rev the engine.
13. Individual : ONE
21. Declares : AVERS
22. Spunk : GRIT
26. Four-wheeled flop : EDSEL
27. Title name in Mellencamp's "little ditty" : DIANE. Great ditty! 4:31
28. Runny fromage : BRIE. Not exactly "runny", per se. Just really soft. "Fromage" is French for "cheese."
29. Powerful pair of checkers : KING. "King me!"
31. Run, as colors : BLEED
32. Copy, for short : REPRO
33. Eternally : EVER AFTER
34. Get fuzzy : BLUR. Like things get after a few beers?
35. Prohibition : BAN
36. Appearance : MIEN
39. Run the country : REIGN
41. Antelope playmate : DEER. "Where the deer and the antelope play..."
42. Language of South Asia : BENGALI
44. Secretary of state after Ed Muskie : AL HAIG
47. Support for practicing pliés : BARRE
48. Farmers' John : DEERE. Maker of tractors, not the outhouse.
49. Diva specialties : ARIAS
50. Sonoran succulent : AGAVE
51. Jason's jilted wife : MEDEA. Play by Euripides.
52. Like helium : INERT
54. "Impaler" of Romanian history : VLAD
55. Sci-fi staples : UFOS
56. Rocker Nugent : TED.
57. Night before : EVE.
Answer grid.
That's all I have for this week! As I said, straightforward puzzle and clues that didn't really need any help from me.
Hugs,
Marti
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteMostly straightforward puzzle for me with a couple of significant potholes. I actually got all the theme answers easily based solely on the clues with no perp help and before seeing the theme reveal. When I got to the theme reveal, however, I couldn't figure out how to spell it without help from all the perps...
Pothole number one was right at the beginning where I couldn't figure out the clue for CABS and was totally fooled by the tricky clue for COMMA. Total V8 moment when I finally got the C.
Pothole number two was at the intersection of KIT and KING. I went through the alphabet in my mind twice (once trying to get _IT and once trying to get _ING) before the light bulb finally went off with KING. I don't know why, but "handy set" just wasn't meaning anything to me and it has been way too many years since I last played checkers...
Pas de chat,
ReplyDeleteWe often eat the moon cakes in the evening of August 15th in Chinese calendar. What kind of stuffing did you get? Also, what does your name mean?
TTP,
You should turn blue. Have you seen this? I laughed so many times. The last one is so good.
Good Morning, Marti and friends. I had been missing Donna Levin. I love her puzzles and this was no exception. Although FAHRVERGNOGEN isn't an everyday word, after getting the GOLF and BEETLE, I knew I was on the right track.
ReplyDeleteThey Sit at Stands = CABS was a great start to this puzzle. My favorite clue, however, was Big Butte = MESA.
I also liked the Piano Teacher's Command = AGAIN ...and Again ... and Again ... Practice makes perfect!
I initially tried Eaten instead of ATE UP for Devoured.
There is no SEAT designation on a boarding pass on Southwest Airline, yet everything is so civilized on that airline.
In honor of the 190th anniversary of his birth, here is today's QOD: In avoiding the appearance of evil, I am not sure but I have sometimes unnecessarily deprived myself and others of innocent enjoyments. ~ Rutherford B. Hayes
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteBeing a lifetime owner of VWs, I filled in Fahrvergnungen without a pause. The rest of the puzzle was certainly straightforward.
In an interview years after Star Wars was filmed, Carrie Fisher recalled the many hours it took the hairdressing people to do Princess Leia's hairstyle each day. When she later appeared on SNL, the costume people had prepared fake "buns" that went on in two minutes flat. She wondered why nobody ever thought of that back in Star Wars...
VW ad
ReplyDeleteLike Barry G. (#1) I blanked out on the first square and it ended up being the last one filled.
ReplyDeleteGood morning folks, thank you, Donna Levin, for a great Thursday puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for the swell review.
ReplyDeleteI tried the u-tube links, but I am too far off the beaten path to be able to view those. I had to take this IPad over to the window just to pull up this blog.
Anyhow, I enjoyed the puzzle very much. I could not get started up north, so I headed to the east center. Got a few there to get a foothold; GRIT, KING, KIT, IDI, MESA, LAN, EDSEL, etc. Then was able to spread from there.
Got the word MINIATURE easily, but GOLF had to wait until I got to the bottom and saw the big German word.
BRER RABBIT was easy. Please don't throw me in the briar patch.
Could not think of SLAVE until I had a couple perps.
For Rochester for 8D I kept thinking of Jack Benny's side kick.
My dad loved BRINE pickles. His aunt, and my greatbaunt, used to make them from the Lake Chautauqua area of New York. That's where all my older relatives are from.
Took me a while to get AL HAIG, but it appeared after some perps.
This was a good start to the day. I am off to my chores, of which I have many.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Good morning, Marti and crew.
ReplyDeleteThis one seemed pretty easy for a Thursday. Like Barry G, I knew the reveal word, but not how to spell it. Perps were required.
I had DERE_ and was having trouble remembering AL HAIG, so that final G was some time in appearing. My helium was LIGHT at first.
Donna, thanks for the puzzle, and Marti, thanks for the always-cute expo.
Howdy folks,
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect to Marti and those who posted before me, I did not find this to be a walk in the park. Even though I knew the English answer for 53A, I had no idea how to spell VW in German. All the 53A fills were from perps.
I wagged 54D, Impaler of Romanian History. I was vacillating between a B and a V. Flipped a coin and the V won.
I too was flummoxed in the NW corner, but once I entered COMMA, the rest came together. Several other clues caused me to slow down. But like my fill in 46A, they were DOABLE.
One learning moment .... I always thought a BUTTE was bigger then a MESA.
Liked 16A, SIREN. A trap I joyfully fell into once or twice in the long ago past.
Enjoy the day.
thehondohurricane @ 7:14:
ReplyDeleteI had no idea how to spell VW in German.
uh.....V - W ? LOL!!
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Marti's comments - almost a Monday puzzle. Always enjoy Donna's puzzle. This one was on the easy side. Had my BRER RABBIT molasses on my oatmeal this morning. FAHRVERGNUGEN was a gimme. (The Germans spell it with an umlaut over the 'u' as 'ü'. Having grown up in a German speaking household, the English pronunciation of the un-umlauted u always has felt like dragging one's fingernails across a chalkboard. Just a personal thing.) No lookups needed.
Have a great day.
Thanks for the musical links, Marti, especially Robert Goulet. I love that song.
ReplyDeleteAt first I, too, wondered why it was not a Monday puzzle until I realized FAHRVERGNUGEN is not a Monday word.
Although I easily got RISEN from a few perps, I never heard of proofed dough before. I learned that it is yeast dough risen for the final time. Years ago I used to bake bread. Once after I set the dough to rise for the final time my two year old fell off the swing and broke his leg. When I returned after hours in the emergency room, the dough had risen to a huge dome two feet high.. When I punched it down it never rose again. After all that work, it was a big disappointment.
Loved it. As Marti said, very smooth. Unlike some products made from 50D I had a few times in my "ute."
ReplyDeleteBut, not a great start as I had 1A) Sit at stands = FANS, 15A ABA member = NETS, 40A Dueler's = GUNS in first pass, and misread 17A as Grievous Word (wanted ALAS as a result) and 5D as Ensalada bar, so I had to let perps fix the incorrect answers. Also incorrectly read 7D as HeadlineRs, but correctly entered STARS. So, some delays until I fixed my errors and cleared my eyes and woke up a bit. Knew the automaker was Volkswagen, and remembered 53A as FAHRVERGNUGEN, but had to have the perps and DW help spell it.
Fav clues = Farmers' John, Aricle in Der Spiegel, Mellencamp's "little ditty" tile name, Check out w/ nefarious intent, Gyneco's opposite.
CC, that clip was hilarious !
Make room Yaz, where ever you are. Miggy just joined you in that elite club !
Time for a cup o' joe and the workday grind.
Pretty easy puzzle for a Thursday. I quickly caught the theme but didn't exactly know how to spell Fahrvergnungen>
ReplyDeleteMy favorite clues were:
1A: They sit at stands: CABS. (I wanted FANS - as in a sporting event).
47D: Support for practicing plies: BARRE
My learning moment was teh definition of fromage.
Have a nice day everybody.
Thank you Donna Levin for a really nice puzzle - Wednesday, under my belt. Got the words, with a lil difficulty, and the theme - but didn't know how to spell it... Thank you, Marti for a cheerful expose'.(lol).
ReplyDeleteOnly the Germans could have a word for the 'driving experience' - they love their cars so much, and they take very good care of them. A friend who lived in Hamburg, once told me, ' A German may forgive you for insulting his wife - but he will kill you if you dent his car'. No wonder Mercedes is the best selling car all around the world - or used to be - now, of course, there are BMW's, Toyotas and such. I once briefly, (very briefly - ) thought of buying a Mercedes, but when I saw the log books, the mandatory maintenance requirements, I turned white. To me, the car is merely a method of transportation from Point A to Point B, and the gas station... oil change, what oil change ? ... the car burns oil ?
Thank you Spitz (?) for the Jovers, yesterday, and thank you Grungy for the Bob Hope Youtube Memorial. He was a really great man, and he will never be replicated.
ALT QOD;- There is no spectacle more humorous than observing an old friend fall from a roof-top. ~ Confucius.
Have a good week, you all.
Sorry, Marti, - nit - you spelled VolkswagEn wrong. (lol) Forgive me, but it just seemed odd.
ReplyDeleteI think the Dung Beetle - also called the Scarab (?) - was the sacred idol of the Pharaohs .... lots of images, especially in faience ( - Marti, that's a nice xword !) and gold. BTW, they also revered cats, and treated them like Gods - which is how kitties expect to be treated ...
Bengali is also the national language of Bangladesh ( literally, 'Land of the Bengalis' ). Unfortunately, last week, in Bangladesh, a mob went berserk, on a rampage because of the Youtube video on a certain religion, and lopped off 200 Buddha heads, off of the idols, in a town called Cox's Bazaar. ( They sell what ? ).
Finally, in answer to your question - whatever was she (Pricess Leia ) thinking ? ... maybe I can reach for the Sky tonight ?
I started a bit slow in the NW, but soon got going when COMMA fell. The rest was fun and easy for once.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed the French and German today, and was amused at all the strange incarnations I saw in the posts here for FAHRVERGNÜGEN.
Fahren means to drive, genug means enough, and the prefix ver- often has the sense of strengthening anything it's used with. So putting ver- with a contraction of genug gives us Vergnügen (pleasure/satisfaction), hence the whole word Fahrvergnügen.
It's very rare that a German word ends with -on as a suffix. It's almost always -en, except words with a foreign influence, or names. So although wagon is OK in English, it's Wagen in German, and can mean wagon or car: Volkswagen was Hitler's idea, proposed to Porsche, who designed and built the early models--a car for the people.
In German, when is a eff an 'F', and when is it spelled with a 'V' ? In Fahrvergnugen, we have examples of both. In "Vaterland' (Fatherland) ... the eff-word begins with a 'V'. I'm sure, with such a precise, almost mathematical, language, this seems to be an anomaly.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Marti's comments: pretty easy for a Thursday. I didn't know AlHaig; I struggled with Bengali, the Der Spiegel article, and King; and, I (plausibly) had Fans instead of Cabs, and State instead of Slave.
ReplyDeleteMellencamp was still Cougar when "Jack and Diane" was released.
Kazie, Spitz, the one that I always found amusing was Krankenhaus Krankenwagen for hospital ambulance. "Sounds like" an irritable way to get to an irritable place.
ReplyDeleteToday's
ReplyDeleteblog
is
uncharacteristically
humorless.
ANON @ 10:08
ReplyDeleteHow about you supplying some?
In re to CC 's questions,
ReplyDeleteSurprised no one has elaborated , maybe it's a sensitive subject to some , so I'll be the first
I was Zcarguy , like in The car guy with a Z reflecting my interest in Datsun Z cars,
Now that I'm collecting Mercedes SL cars , I changed my name to SL Zalameh , Zalameh is Guy in Arabic.
But, when you pronounce SL Zalameh in Arabic , it means .. the most obnoxious guy.
I'm really not , but it a fun idea
TTP,
ReplyDeleteThe letter 'v' in German is pronounced like an 'f' when it is at the beginning of a syllable, unless in foreign words. 'F' is always pronounced like in English. The letter 'w' is always pronounced like the English 'v'.
If you compare the two languages, often German 'v' can be replaced in English by 'f'. Example: Volk = folk, voll = full, von = from, vor = (be)fore.
To get FAHRVERGNÜGEN in a puzzle was quite a feat; then to have the theme also was wonderful, and while simple, elegant. Which I am sure is who Donna and marti are.
ReplyDeleteNot every puzzle is susceptible to the same type of write up, sit back and enjoy and do send us your witticisms.
Aha, Z, now I understand all.
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteI, like HondoH, did not find this to be a walk in the park but it was my own fault. I went astray early on with June-Beetle instead of Dung. I guess I was thinking of June Bug. Anyway, until I corrected that, I could not for the life of me get the kit/king cross.
I did get the theme early on but had no idea how to spell the unifier; that needed lots of perps. Overall, it was a fine puzzle so thanks, Donna, and thanks to Marti for a fine write- up.
Let's hope Sheldon and the gang return to form tonight and make up for last week's disappointment. Will also be watching Person of Interest and Elementary.
Have a great Thursday.
Good morning and happy Friday eve. Thanks to Donna Levin for a fun puzzle and Marti for the easy write up. Loved the theme and saying that German car word. Also liked Aer Lingus and big butte.
ReplyDeleteMy Uncle had one of the original imports of the Bug after WWII he drove it to his job at Grumman on Long Island for over 30 years.
Have a great Day to all. RJW .
What a great puzzle! Miniature golf came so easily, and the unifier such a good hint that it made it simple to figure out the theme. Remembered Fahrvergnugen, but could no more spell it than the man in the moon. I know everyone's saying this was a Monday-level puzzle, but it was nice to have a few minutes of savoring the fact that I finished a Thursday puzzle. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI get a kick when others say the puzzle was easy and straightforward and I had a hard time with it. Today was one of those days. Maybe I had a brain cramp. Sometimes I check out this blog thinking "that was pretty easy for a ....." and everyone else thinks it was hard.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note I was listening to the local AOR station yesterday and they mentioned that "30 years ago today Jack & Diane was the #1 song in the Country". ThenI see it in today's puzzle. Weird!
Delightful puzzle, many thanks, Donna--though I didn't think it was as easy as everybody else seemed to think. I also had trouble with KIT and KING, and with SIREN AND SLAVE, since I'd never heard of NILLA. But in the end I used Barry's alphabet strategy and got the whole thing. Very satisfying!
ReplyDeleteAlso it really helped growing up German speaking for this puzzle, even though I've never owned a VW. I worried that everybody would grouch about the difficulty of FAHRVERGNUGEN, but it looks as though with or without perps, everybody pretty much aced it.
Have a great day, everybody!
That comma really threw me. I went all thru the actual plot instead, lol. Failed to note the 63A abbr, so the G came only after HAI. Der Spiegel article gave me a run for my dough--oy vay.
ReplyDeleteHatoolah: I really liked the BIG BUTTE clue too.
Abejo: yeah, you and I and Jack Benny--I first put in MARY, then I go, no, that was JB's love. lol
the hodohurricane: I believe a butte is narrower than a mesa, so it might be taller, but not wider, no?
Anony-Mouse: I had DUNE for awhile. Guess with all the car names, I had dune buggy on the brain, lol.
Thanks Kazie, but that wasn't me that inquired. After 3 years in Germany, and then (much) later marrying into a family that spoke German, I am now well familiar some of the basics of pronunciations.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a newbie in Germany, one of the other GIs taught me to ask a fraulein to dance, "Mochten sie schlaffen mit mir gehen ?" which I did at a local club. I promptly got slapped. Those guys laughed their butts off. Welcome to Germany !
TIP,
ReplyDeleteSimilar happening to me in Poland.
I wanted to dance with this pretty girl and I asked my Polish friend "how do I ask her to dance"? He told me chodzmy spac. I got slapped also.
Fred
Donna: Thank you for a FUN Thursday offering.
ReplyDeleteOf course, my fave today was CANTINA.
Salud to all at Sunset.
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteDNF. Had no idea for 53A. And then fell asleep in my chair and gave up and came here.
When we lived in Vienna we belonged to an Austrian motor club and had a card that said "Gutte Fahrt" which means good trip. Kept that card in my guest bathroom for many years.
Cheers
Where're my 2 Karmann Ghias? ('69 and '71)Cold (the extra heater helped the driver only) and rusted fast.
ReplyDeleteIf there were an umlaut, then the down could be üfo, or German speaking aliens.
@TTP - In Italy, Hubster taught some girls to say, "I have clap," while they clapped their hands.
Easy for me for a Thurs.
Fred at 11:11 and Sfingi, both funny.
ReplyDeleteIn honor of 50 Down, What Tin might order at the 5 Down ?
Theme for the week seems to be that the NW is the last to fall. I can't even claim that FANS came to mind to fool me, it just wouldn't come clear.
ReplyDeleteI started 53A with FAAR. I'm really proud that a name came to my rescue. For those of you that don't know me well, LEIA I can do; Carrie Fisher comes from Dudley's post.
I can't contribute to the German discussion, so here's some English.
Never had a chance to mess with someones chances with a foreign lass, but last year a friend needed to get his skis waxed and we told him to, "Ask for a brazilian wax, it's the best."
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteI did not find this puzzle easy. I filled it in with red-letter help, but enjoyment today was reading Marti's blog and then seeing the cleverness of many clues.
DIL made it to Australia yesterday, so grandson keeps me very busy. Nap time and bed time are only times for crosswords.
Have a good evening, everybody,
Montana
Hello everybody. Fun puzzle today; I always like Donna Levin's puzzles. Got ANDRO right away, but might not have gotten it were it not for an explanation by C.C. recently where she pointed out that gyno is the opposite of andro.
ReplyDeleteLiked the clever clues, such as for CABS, BUTTE, DEERE, DEER, and KING.
I guess nobody would get it if DESI were clued as something like "Across the border from a Paki."
Bill G., you were very gracious in your response to my statements last night. In my book you are a classy guy, and I admire and respect you all the more.
Best wishes to you all.
Fahrvergnugen?? What the?? Really?? Kidding. This was quite an enjoyable puzzle. Same problem as Barry with cabs and comma otherwise a straight forward fun Thursday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, Marti, C.C. and gang - this was a very rare Donna Levin speed run for me. My only slowdown was in letting 'Fahrvergnugen' spell itself through the perps. That's not to say there weren't great clues; as others have mentioned, 'They sit at stands' was one of the best. I'll always remember Al Haig as being "in charge" after the Reagan shooting.
ReplyDeleteSfingi, great 'clap' story. We did something similar with bar girls in Japan, but it can't be told here...
Latest slice of life from here in beautiful Boca Raton: I'm on my way back from the gym, and I stop for a red light at an intersection. I look over next to me, and there's a 'q-tip' (a name we've conferred on little old white-haired people who just barely see over the steering wheel) in her mid-1980's Lincoln Town Car. She's got on coke-bottle glasses, and as I'm trying to figure out how the hell she can drive, she whips out a pair of OPERA GLASSES and is trying to read the overhead sign. Needless to say, I got away from her quickly before she decided to merge cars.
Lemonade, I never thought of Marti or Donna as "simple". And yes, I know what you meant.
Forgot to mention earlier -- I'm leaving next Thursday for Atlanta to attend the FIFTIETH REUNION of my high school class. I expect it to be truly terrifying.
Have a fun day.
Fart Fig Newtons
ReplyDeleteJJM @ 10:57, don't you just hate it when you come to the blog spluttering and ready to give 'em hell, only to find out everyone else found it easy?? Happens to me all the time!
ReplyDeleteGunghy @ 12:46, funny John Branyan link, ROTFLMAO!!
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteI will eagerly suspend my abhorance of 4N words to admit the only slightly off-smelling (like ripe BRIE?) FAHRVERGNUGEN!
How can anyone opine that the blog is humorless after: "(Does this plain make me look fat?)"
Brilliant!
And a mostly brilliant puzzle too, though I cannot suspend my hatred of odious, self-referential, tooth GRITting clues like today's 1D. (To say more would risk being R-RATED.)
Jack and DIANE went on to lead more or less normal lives, no saints by any means, but only mediocre sinners. But they sinned enough to keep from getting the really good seats in paradise, and wound up near the back door that never quite close properly. It was the DRAFTIEST EVERLASTING.
Cool regards!
JzB (DUNG BEETLE?!?! Really?)
Wees, i did get sidetracked for a minute at 16A mantrap, thinking it was woman. & 9A Gyneco-'s opposite had me looking for an abbreviation of Proctologist...
ReplyDeleteLoved the Butte/Mesa write up!
What i call a couple of Buttes
Good afternoon all, An enjoyable puzzle, I'm always amazed that someone can construct a puzzle in the first place. It seems like such a daunting task. Same traps as most and couldn't spell the theme answer
ReplyDeleteFARR? FAAR?
Anyway, after watching the debate, never checked back here.
C.C. I don't know for sure what filling was in the mooncake, maybe lotus seed paste? Threw the box out, as I only purchased a single cake. It was very good. Every year I see tons of fancy boxes of them at the Asian market chain here. Finally tried one.Mmmm
Yellowrocks, Yes, I really enjoy classical ballet. The dancers are uniformly fit and strong. Took class for the past 5 years and also assisted recently at a friend's studio. Pas de chat IS step of the cat. But....Until you said something about getting a yellow rock, I had no idea it is a square dancing cue that means hug the corner!! Is that correct?
AriadneArts, Isn't everyone very welcoming here? I was afraid to post, but glad I did. Thanks for your kind words about "Puff", but I didn't think of the present tense myself. It came from Warren's other clip.
And thanks to Anony-mouse for the challenge.It was fun. (Although I sang the darn thing all day, when I wasn't singing the "Flintstones" theme, thanks to JazzB.
First cool day here...FINALLY
AriadneArts, I am still memorizing your version of the 'Puff' ending, from yesterday ... I thought of Dung Beetle right away, because I still have that 1998 (NOT 1999 - ) USPS mint set of 20 Insects and Spiders... you can still buy it on Ebay for 7.00, a premium of 0.40 over cost. Plus I think Dung Beetles are the most ecologically helpful and also a boon for agriculture. Dung Beetles are of 5000 different kinds, only one of them is a Scarab.
ReplyDeleteJayce, you must have many Indian friends to know 'desi' - literally from the (old) country - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka.
Fair-for-new-gun ?
I had to use a translator to get,
Chodzmy spac - ... lets go to bed ...
Mochten sie schlafen mit mir gehen - would they go to sleep with me...
Although I saw this joke, twice, in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', I really cannot believe, that natives would purposely mislead non-native speakers into such compromising situations. I was once approached by a young American, who respectfully, cussed me out with 3 vicious Indian slurs. I felt so bad, I invited him to dinner...
Sorry. Sorry, Sorry - pas de Chat -- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your lovely version of 'Puff, the magic dragon'. I loved it, loved it, loved it - but I was not able to thank you, yesterday.
ReplyDelete.... now if we can only get someone with the musical abilities and the melodious voices of the Trio ...
Pas de Chat, Yellow rock is just a hug in square dancing. We hug everybody all the time, not just our corner. One of our men has painted tiny stones yellow and attached metal loops to them so they can be used as yellow rock dangles for erarings, necklaces or pins.
ReplyDeleteAnon, a cruel friend, for those not Polish, it is their version of voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
ReplyDeleteTTP,
ReplyDeleteSorry--I misremembered. It was an anon who asked about the v to f sound.
I also want to thank C.C. for that wonderful Ellen clip at Costco. It really made me LOL.
Welcome to the new posters, we really are a very agreeable group almost always; and please go blue so we can communicate.
ReplyDeleteHola Everyone, I was really on Donna Levin's wavelength today. I've always enjoyed her puzzles--regardless of the day they are published!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Barry in that I've heard Fahrvergnugen, but never tried to spell it. I had to get all of the bottom half of the puzzle before I could finish that one up.
Technically, I had a DNf. I had skipped over _ndro and didn't go back to check to see if I had filled in everything. I also started out with Fans for the very first answer instead of Cabs, so that corner took a bit to clear up. Fans don't sit at stands they sit IN stands.
Thanks, once again, Marty for a great Thursday writeup. Hugs back to you for your efforts today.
I wasn't sure about Nilla for a Nabisco brand. I don't buy store bought cookies and oreos wouldn't fit. They are the ones that we usually see in our CW's.
C.C. That U-tube video of Amy at Costco made my day. It was so funny. Thanks for sharing. It was good to hear from you today.
My briny hot dill pickles are marinating in their jars. I had a bumper crop of cucumbers this year and my mother's Dill Pickle recipe just called out to be used. I'm hoping they'll be crunchy and a little hot on the tongue. I'm shooting for Thanksgiving to open our first jar. It takes about 6-8 weeks for the flavor to really be at its best.
Have a great day, everyone.
Yellowrocks, I think I've told this bread dough story before, but here goes.
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband's uncle was a teen ager his mother set her bread dough to rise in a large dishpan. She had to leave the house for some reason and told him to punch the dough down when it had risen to a certain point and recover it.
Well, he forgot. When he finally remembered to check the dough had risen and fallen over the edge of the pan onto the kitchen counter. Not knowing what to do he scooped up the dough on the counter and buried it in the backyard. When his mother came home she finished up the loaves for the week.
When he was grown and had a family of his own, he finally told his mom the story of the bread dough. She told him that she had always wondered why there weren't enough loaves for the week as she always made the same amount of dough every week.
We laughed until our sides hurt when he told us this story.
Anon at 10:08--Keep reading!
ReplyDeleteJJM,
ReplyDeleteSome of us have done puzzles for 60 years, and there are days we find an offering as difficult when everyone else is saying how easy it was; my favorite thing is to see a new word from a puzzle appear in something I am reading. It seems to happen very frequently and I am so happy I do not have to look it up. Thanks for going Blue
I liked this puzzle a lot. I couldn't believe I remembered "fahrvergnugen" but then recalled years ago being stuck on the highway coming out of Cape Cod and the car in frint had that word on it. Wow I forget simplest things but who knew this would pop up again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for enjoyable puzzle.
What the FAHRVERGNOGEN!
ReplyDeleteI think we are forgetting somebody!
Introducing the Dung Beetle.
Lemonade 4:15
ReplyDeleteHow do I go blue?
Anony-M 3:18: Thx for the Dung beetle book info. Will check it out.
Got to make an appt. now (3:25p here in SoCal). See y'all later.
AriadneArts
ReplyDeleteClick on the "Google Account" button.
Follow the simple instructions.
You can enter, or leave out, ANY info you want. etc.
You can include your email address OR leave it out.
It's easy ...
Hmmmm, again it's raining "Cats and Dogs" ... maybe I'll get luckier trying to catch a pet.
Cheers!
Thanks Yellowrocks! See, I learn something everyday here! You chose a cute nickname..... "Hugs"!
ReplyDeleteTinbeni, never thought about going out to catch a pet :-)
Cousin from Thief River Falls, MN just called and said it SNOWED today!
Off to finally run some errands.
Are all of you California people experiencing the gas shortage and over $5.00 a gallon prices? In some areas shown on the news it was close to $6.00. It's "only" $4.05 here.
ReplyDeleteGas $3.15 in our small town in the midwest.
ReplyDeleteHmm, Yellowrocks, all this time i thought you were Gold...
ReplyDeleteI guess i am a pyrite...
A pyrite walks into a bar... (Oh forget it!)
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle, Donna; swell expo, Marti! Hugs to you too.
Puzzle went very fast. However had to rely on perps for spelling of FAHRVERGNÜGEN.
Favorite answer: COMMA.
Am really looking forward to Person of Interest. It's about time Finch was rescued!
The electrician fired up the new fan-light in the former Jacuzzi room--and shattered up the pretty glass wind chimes that he failed to see. It's a good thing that I had my specs on! (It is one disaster after another here.)
Cheers!
Irish Miss: gas prices going up very rapidly here. Haven't reached $5 yet. Mobil station went up 12 cents overnight.
ReplyDeleteTemperatures are down (low 70s), gas prices are up (close to $5). Luckily for my wife and me, we used to teach less than a mile from our house so our commuting costs were low. Now they're even lower since retirement. Running errands, ferrying my bike to the beach, Barbara goes to a quilting workshop, etc. All small potatoes.
ReplyDeleteI recorded a few old WKRPs from cable and I am enjoying them all over again. I tend not to like modern sitcoms with laugh tracks. However, I have tried Modern Family and I enjoy it. After all of your recommendations, I'm going to give The Big Bang Theory a try tonight.
Bill G.
ReplyDeleteyour best bet to enjoy "TBBT" is to start with "the best of" YouTube clips, I assume i can include the above clip because it mentions "Volkswagen" @ 0:37
& no,,, i am not like Sheldon,,, what makes you think i am like Sheldon!!!
Oh,, i'm sorry VW reference @ 0:32
ReplyDeleteCED, I followed your advice and watched several YouTube TBBT videos. There's some good stuff in there all right. But, of course, there's no Sophia Vergara...
ReplyDeleteThey walked along the seashore,it
ReplyDeleteWas a sight to see, but
Only she could see her friend and
Only he saw she, they
Spoke of things of wonder, and
Why they got along, they
Live forever on the shore and ever in this song....Oh
Puff the magic
HELP!!!SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!!
Pas de Chat
ReplyDeleteNo way i'm stopping you, this is great stuff! (I'm telling Peter Yarrow!)
Bill G. No Fair! You know i can't resist learning,,, & i'm learning,,,
about Sophia Vergara... ( ooo, i love learning when it's not a math puzzle!)
Oh Crap!
ReplyDeleteI went over the 5 post limit!
I'm really sorry, i did not realize it as i was having so much fun. The only reason i am back here again is to apologize, & to ask all you girls out there if you can find some imperfections in those Sophia Vergara pics! I mean, she's only human,,, there's gotta be something wrong with her... Bad breath, didn't shave her armpits,,, something!
OK, CED, I have a picture of my BFF from the late 60's at the Peter, Paul, and Mary concert, but don;t know how to post it, can you help? We were standing outside a Palm Reading place at the Pike in Long Beach. Earworm squared!!!!
ReplyDeleteAAACK!
ReplyDeleteYes i can help, but your email is not on your profile!! & i'm over my limit!
(your getting me in trouble!)
Rats, another spelling error for me. It's Sofia, not Sophia. I hope she doesn't get wind of that and hold it against me. Well, maybe that wouldn't be so bad...
ReplyDeleteCED, I appreciate your research. Those photos are excellent but they can't convey her personality, intelligence (I'm totally serious) and sense of humor.
Thanks to living in the hinterlands where pickup trucks were popular and Volkswagens seldom seen and were not advertised on our 2 or 3 TV channels, FAHRVERGNUGEN was unknown. Got it with perps. However, completely unable to do most of the NE & NW. At 3D I put ACIDY and never got MINIATURE GOLF. TEED me off! CAB stands were also unknown in my neck of the woods. We didn't even have a cab.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the rest of the puzzle though. You seemed a bit blue and not your usual cheerful self, Marti! Hugs back to you.
Could the high rise in gas prices be a concerted effort by the oil companies to blame Obama for this thing over which no president really has control?
Dennis, is your new house move-in ready or will you have to do some refurbishing/remodeling? Good luck with your new life.
CrossEyedDave.....eight's a little excessive, no? And please don't answer this one.
ReplyDeletePK, just some new color on the walls, otherwise we're good to go. Thanks for asking.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll post it tomorrow, my picture of Peter and my best friend.....
ReplyDeleteSo Pas, where on the west coast are you? I'm in Manhattan Beach. "How to fix things that don't work." Does that include Congress? Have you got a plan for that?
ReplyDeletepas de chat 8:50. You crack mr up!
ReplyDeleteBill,G
ReplyDeleteI.E.
Talking about things to fix at home. Can't stand ignorance concerning an easy fix regarding home repair.
Congress... Debate..Vote...No politics here I'm told.
Please vote, everyone!!
AA, thank you, now if you and our other newbies all could actually fill out a profile and leave an email address so CED can respond directly instead of abusing C.C.'s 5 post rule....
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'
Lemon, I DID fill out a profile, etc. Did it not come up?
ReplyDeleteAriadneArts, you're good.
ReplyDeleteGood show! Thx, Argyle.
ReplyDeleteAriadneArts, nicely done - welcome to the zoo.
ReplyDelete