A jolly good morning to you all. Steve here filing this dispatch from the other side of the pond in old Blighty. I can hear Big Ben chiming each quarter-hour, so I couldn't be much more central in Central London. Unfortunately I'm not going to make it back for Thanksgiving - can one of you save me some turkey?
A smooth Wednesday from Gary Cee today. The reveal helped me with 42A when the "connection" between the theme entries became apparent.
Let's dig a little deeper.
20A. Cartoon quitting-time shout : YABBA DABBA DOO! We can all relate at some time or other to Fred Flintstone's trademark yell.
35A. Fins wearer : SCUBA DIVER. One of the best acronyms ever, and invented by a Frenchman too - wonders will never cease.
42A. Bookmarked link, say : WEB ADDRESS. I need bookmarks for bookmarks I've got so many.
And the reveal:
57A. Phone line difficulty ... and what literally appears four times in 20-, 35- and 42-Across : BAD CONNECTION. Hello? Hello? What? You're breaking up - I'll call you back! Comes in very handy sometimes, I do confess.
Across:
1. Unit price word : EACH
5. Gets ready to travel : PACKS
10. Game where 3-Down are used : GOLF
14. Org. concerned with privacy laws : A.C.L.U. The American Civil Liberties Union.
15. Pasta product suffix : -ARONI. Quibble Alert - it's Rice-a-Roni and Pasta Roni, so I think we're irons here.
16. Aroma : ODOR.
17. Ticket remnant : STUB. Or many torn shreds like so much confetti when it's a parking ticket you discover on your windshield.
18. Speed __ : DEMON
19. H-hour relative : D-DAY
23. Lay into : ASSAIL
24. Group of four : TETRAD. A learning moment for me today. I know I must have seen this in crosswords before, but it's never stuck. Hopefully now it will.
27. "__ Misérables" : LES.
29. "Odds __ ..." : ARE
30. J. Geils Band record label : EMI. Electric & Musical Industries, Ltd. in case you're wondering where the name comes from.
31. Swaddling clothes wearer : BABE
38. Three-time A.L. batting champ Tony : OLIVA. Minnesota Twins legend had his number 6 retired by the club.
 |
| C.C. & Oliva, Sept 15, 2011 |
40. Letters before a pen name : AKA. Nothing in the clue to indicate an abbreviation - has "Also Known As" moved beyond needing the periods in the shortened form?
41. Cardiologist's insertion : STENT
45. Soup can painter Warhol : ANDY
46. Schubert's "The __ King" : ERL. Why do I always put "Eel"? I've had to correct it often enough, you'd think I'd know by now.
47. Gaming cube : DIE
48. Four-song discs, briefly : EPs. Extended Play 7" vinyl. Say that to anyone born after 1980 and they will have no idea what you're talking about. Two on each side. This first official Beatles EP release is still the biggest-selling in UK pop history.
50. Sound system : STEREO. Not a lot of point playing the EP above on your stereo - it was only released in glorious mono!
52. Venetian marketplace : RIALTO
61. Word from the flock : AMEN. Baaaaaaa!
63. "Today" anchor Hill : ERICA. I needed the crosses for this, somehow I never seem to watch the Today show (nor remember the names of TV anchors!)
64. Good listeners : EARS
65. Barber's nape sprinkle : TALC
66. Starter course : SALAD
67. Stake in a pot : ANTE
68. It's not a true story : MYTH
69. "__ Dream": "Lohengrin" aria : ELSA'S. There's a nice version here from Bayreuth
70. Harbor skyline feature : MAST
Down:
1. Class that requires little effort : EASY A
2. Play the role of : ACT AS
3. Certain pro's selections : CLUBS. The link with 10A helped narrow this one down quickly.
4. When repeated, an enthusiastic shout : HUBBA. When I saw this crossing with Yabba I was expecting to find Bubba, Jabba and all kinds of others.
5. Table tennis tools : PADDLES. We called 'em bats at home. Ours had cork on one side and sandpaper on the other.
6. Field : AREA
7. Brush partner : COMB. I don't own any hair-styling tools, I just wash it, towel it off and comb it with my fingers. Some people say lazy, I say efficient.
8. Gearshift topper : KNOB. I'm renting a car here in London today, so I'll be experiencing this feature. Most rental cars in the UK are stick-shift, adding to the drama of sitting on the wrong side of the car to drive on the wrong side of the road.
9. "My Way" singer : SINATRA
10. Dramatic no-show : GODOT. The production I saw many years ago had Estragon and Vladimir act the entire play whilst standing up to their necks in large Grecian urns. It turned "Waiting for Godot" into "Waiting for "Waiting for Godot" to finish, PLEASE!".
11. Roulette bet choice : ODD OR EVEN
12. Mauna __ : LOA. Always need two crossing letters to distinguish from Mauna Kea
13. Cook in oil : FRY
21. Be unwell : AIL
22. Good ones don't go unpunished, so they say : DEEDS
25. Change for the better : AMEND
26. Below the belt : DIRTY. A low blow in boxing. Somehow it's OK to pummel a fellow about his cranium until he blacks out, but pop him one in the nether regions and that's a cardinal sin.
28. "Eek!" inducer : SCARE. Wanted Mouse, then Snake, then Sc .. ummm ... oh! Scare!
29. Take down a peg : ABASE
31. Pitney's partner : BOWES. Funny how the mind works, I had confidently filled in PRATT and couldn't figure out why nothing else would fit with it, then I went back and re-read the clue. "Whitney" doesn't look anything like "Pitney." How strange.
32. Colorful warning, often : ALERT. Usually Red. I've never seen a Blue or Green alert.
33. Evangelical hot spot : BIBLE BELT
34. Señora Perón : EVA.
36. Hawaiian strings : UKE
37. "Make __ good one!" : IT A
39. Put two and two together : ADDED. Was hoping for "Made Five", but not enough room.
43. Bishop's jurisdiction : DIOCESE. Is there a different between a Diocese and a Bishopric?
44. Goes viral, say : SPREADS. If you want an ear-worm today, click this link for a viral YouTube video that's had more than 700 million views. If you've had enough Korean dance music for a while, just skip over it.
49. [Not my typo] : SIC. What happens if SIC itself is a tpyo (sic). You'd have tpyo (sci) (sic) (sic) or something .. awesome!
51. Italian alternative : RANCH
53. Mr. T's group : "A" TEAM
54. Jungle vine : LIANA. I like this word for no good reason.
55. Basis of civil lawsuits : TORTS
56. First sign : ONSET
58. Like much family history : ORAL
59. Lofgren of the E Street Band : NILS. I always think that Keith Richards is Nils Lofgren's "Picture of Dorian Gray"
 |
| Nils |
 |
| Keef |
60. March Madness org. : N.C.A.A. The National Collegiate Athletics Association also administer other events besides this basketball tourney.
61. Brief bread source? : A.T.M. I love how "PIN number" and "ATM machine" are often part of the same sentence and both have redundancies - "I went to the automatic teller machine machine but forgot my personal identification number number".
62. Possibly will : MAY
That's all from me, other than to slip in a brief "Huzzah" that the Fighting Irish are back - ranked Number 1 for the first time since 1993! The ND London campus is very close by my hotel, so please indulge me with this picture we took yesterday!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Gary Cee, for a swell Wednesday puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for the great write-up, as always.
ReplyDeleteGot started easily once I was able to find the crossword puzzle. I tried my IPad and it bombed. then I went to cruciverb.com on my Mac and it worked. Go figure.
Zipped through the puzzle quite easily. Got all the theme answers and the theme before I made the BAD connection.
Needed perps for GODOT, NILS, ERL, and ERICA. All the rest I knew.
This puzzle seemed more like a Tuesday level to me.
I do not use a COMB. Nothing to comb.
Off to my eye doctor today to see if my surgery from two weeks ago worked (66761).
Tomorrow, I am the turkey chef. Frying one outside. My first time. Wish me luck.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteBreezed through the top half of this one in near record time. And then things started to get weird...
OLIVA was the first answer to give me pause. I vaguely remembered the name, though, so I stuck it in and continued on. But then I hit RIALTO (Which I only know as a theater name) and ERICA (no ideas whatsoever) and DIOCESE (which I knew, but misspelled as DIOSCES for no apparent reason). The E in DIOSCES had me thinking a starter course was an ENTREE, which made no sense.
What finally got me out of the mire was remembering ELSA'S Dream (again, something barely remembered from past puzzles). I still ended up finishing in better than average time for a Wednesday due to how quickly I solved the top half, but it really was a tale of two puzzles today for me.
Good morning everyone,
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle for a Hump Day, Not too difficult, but required a bit of thinking.
I was happy to see YABBA DABBA DOO because I had the pleasure of knowing a commercial artist, Gerry Dvorak, who did a lot of the animation for the series. After retiring from Hanna Barbera, Gerry began to paint sport personalities (Mantle ,Strawberry). He was also one of the three artists who created the 1953 Topps baseball card series.
I sailed right along today until I reached the South where i had a couple of slowdowns. ERICA Hill was unknown to me as was ELSAS Dream. I was hesitant on RIALTO too. Perps got me through it without causing too much angst.
Tony Oliva was a Helluva player and a deserved HOF'er. CC, did you ever see him play?
Wishing everyone on this wonderful blog a happy Thanksgiving. A special thank you goes to CC and the bloggers who get our day started on the right note. (UsuallY) EAT LOTS OF TURKEY TOMORROW.
Good Morning, Steve and friends. I was a Speed DEMON on today's puzzle. After getting YABBA YABBA DOO, however, I initially thought the theme might be cartoon catch-phrases. I liked the Bad to the Bone theme, though.
ReplyDeleteWould you consider this to be a BAD Connection?
I saw Waiting for GODOT back in my college days. I saw LES Miserables just a few weeks ago (for the zillionth time). The latter is far more exciting.
My Thanksgiving weekend begins today with a trip to get an oil change. How exciting is that!
QOD: I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it. ~ Voltaire (November 21, 1694 ~ May 30, 1778)
Good morning Steve, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you Steve! Great picture, and fun write-up today. You have a very SIC mind, LOL! For 40A, the clue indicated "Letters", so I had no problem with the three letters A.K.A.
Fun puzzle this morning. I saw the unifier clue and filled in the answer by going back and looking at the theme entries. I thought I found five "Bad" connections, but the backwards "bad" in DABBA didn't actually connect to two different words.
A couple speed bumps on this hump day puzzle. I had BABy at 31-A, so 34-D ended up as "Y"VA. When I looked at the clue and saw it was in Spanish, I thought "Hmmph - never knew that's how you spell 'Eva' in Spanish." (D'oh!!)
And since I don't watch basketball, NBAA sprang to mind for the March Madness group (Well, it looked like a legit basketball org. to me!!) I had no idea who ERIbA Hill was, but it looked suspiciously wrong. ("OK, I'll go with ERICA and NCAA there.")
And I always have trouble parsing the tense on clues like "Put two and two together." So I first entered ADD up. Perps gave me the past tense on that one. But then there was that YVA...so DNF. (boo-hiss)
Good afternoon, Steve. And good morning, puzzlers.
ReplyDeleteThis one didn't give me any grief at all. It seemed Tuesdayish or even Mondayish.
Steve, we also have Amber ALERTs. They're issued when a child goes missing, though I think they're named after a specific child and not the color.
I definitely remember the EP's. I had Buddy Holly and the Crickets EP of the That'll Be The Day album, and three Fred Waring EP's of his Christmas album, which was also available as an LP on one disk.
The perps had to show me BOWES. I was thinking Gene PITNEY of R&R fame rather than postage machines.
Good Thanksgiving Eve everybody!
ReplyDeleteThis was a speed run for me, though I did need a few perps (GODOT, ELSAS).
I liked:
- 51D: Italian Alternative: RANCH
- 61D - Brief Bread Source? ATM
Nice shout-out to me in 20A (last name's ABBA). (And DH looks a bit like Fred Flintstone.)
Have a great day tomorrow. Call me untraditional, but for me it's all about the sides. Stuffing, mashed potatos, etc. And lots of pumpkin pie. We go to the in-laws' and get no leftovers, so DH makes us our own pumpkin pies.
Enjoy your day! If you're working, I hope you (and I) get out early today.
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteWhat Hatoolah and Mari said. Pretty much a speed run.
Morning, Steve, thanks for the genuine laugh out loud with "Waiting for Godot to Finish, Please!"
Today is all about prepping squash and turnip. Yum! I love Turkey Day.
I just read yesterday's blog comments. Pretty impressive that Dawson Jr. stopped by.
ReplyDeleteAnony-Mouse @ 5:35 pm yesterday: Too funny!
Tinbeni @ 11:49 am yesterday: I'm thankful for my job. So many people are still unemployed, or under-employed. Last week I had my 18 year anniversay with the same company.
I'm also thankful for a DH who likes to cook, and enjoys black cats as much as I do.
I am more of a Black Friday sleeper than a Black Friday shopper.
Good morning, everyone! Nice light-and-lively Wednesday puzzle, Gary. Thanks for the fun write-up Steve. Gotta agree with you on the Keith Richards / Dorian Gray comparison. Great picture at the London ND campus; my nephew is also a huge Fighting Irish fan (both figuratively and literally – the boy is 6’5” and 300+ pounds!).
ReplyDeleteNot too many speed bumps today, but a learning moment or two. Hand up for only knowing RIALTO with reference to a theater; now I know where that came from. Had to wait for the perps to get LIANA – another learning moment. For some reason the [Not My Typo] clue for SIC really tickled me. Then Steve’s (sic)(sic)(sic) loop made me chuckle all over again.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all tomorrow! This year neither of the daughters will make it to Ohio for the holiday, so our gathering will be smaller than usual (thank goodness for Skype!). Mari, I always thought leftovers were an essential part of Thanksgiving – take along a couple disposable storage containers and give your in-laws the sad puppy eyes (LOL).
Time to start on the pumpkin roll and Waldorf Salad!
I loved this puzzle. Despite the few unknowns, I had no problem at all, but the difficulty level was just enough challenge for Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to mention is that the Erl king is based on Goethe's poem Der Erlkönig, and the 'Erl' part means 'elf', so why not translate the whole word instead of just the 'king'?
Great write-up, Steve. Enjoy the time in London, you can always have turkey for Christmas!
Happy Day before Turkey Day to all!
ReplyDeleteThis seemed like a Tuesday puzzle to me to. My theory is that the papers keep it easy for people off from work who seldom do crosswords.
I am old enough to have heard of EPS but I didn't recall them.
One interesting fact is that the first commercial CAT scanner was invented by Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield while he was working for EMI, Ltd. The same company that made the Beatles' EPS. I had a professor that would begin his lecture on X-ray Computed Tomography by asking, "How did the Beatles help with the invention of the CAT scan?" He claimed that EMI had so much money that Sir Godfrey could spend his time on pure research.
Sir Godfrey shared the Nobel prize with Allan McLeod Cormack who had independently done the math theory.
Huge Twins fan here, so thanks for the picture of Tony Oliva. I liked today's theme.
ReplyDelete"I'm also thankful for a DH who likes to cook, and enjoys black cats as much as I do. -- Mari"
ReplyDeleteMari, I've just gotta ask how your DH cooks those black cats. Sauteed or slow-roasted?
Enjoyed this puzzle but it did seem more like a Tuesday. Liked dramatic no show and Ventian market. Have fond memories of wandering through the Rialto market and looking at the many different types of fish.
ReplyDeleteTime to put the turkey in the brine and start the prep for tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Mari: YABBA DABBA DOO was my first fill today.
ReplyDeleteThought of you (instantly) with the double ABBA's.
(our Corner has the Swedish Group namesake!)
Follow up to my question yesterday (@ 11:49):
Why are you Thankful?
At Sunset (last night) as I was "toasting" everyone ... it dawned on me that I'm Thankful for the non-scotch imbibers.
Leaves just that much MORE Pinch for me!
Cheers !
Thank you Gary Cee ( - is that a real name ? - no really - ) or another pseudonym for our already famous constructors ? Anyway, I really enjoyed your puzzle - Thank you, again.
ReplyDeleteSteve, your wit has fractured my funny bone. - invented by a Frenchman - will wonders never cease ? - Ha, Ha, Ha. Looks like Dr. C is getting his heart jolted, with a defibrillator - before preparing to 'go deep'.
I saw I had an answer ... 'We bad dress' ... and I'm like, this definitely has a DF clue .... I wonder what it is...
Thank you Mari, for the something funny I posted - I don't archive my posts and forget about them immediately after I've posted them - so I had to go back and see - whaaat ?
I was stumped at 'Italian Alternative' - 'broken knee' wouldn't fit.
We have decided on a meat-less Thanksgiving. Radish and Daikon cold soup, with buttermilk - Baby Bok Choy sauteed in mustard oil, with horseradish sauce and a touch of Habanero. On second thoughts, don't read the above unless you want to ruin your appetite....
Have a good holiday, you all and best wishes.
If I am ever hijacked and ordered to an ATM, the criminal might as well shoot me. Neither me nor my wife ever uses an ATM and don't have a number. Our kids and grandkids think we are nuts, but we typically deal in cash. Anyone else out there like us?
ReplyDeleteSeeing "Elsa" reminded me of a performance by Elsa Lancaster at NIU back in the 50's when I ushered for the program. She got a standing ovation; however, when you asked people how they like the performance, I couldn't find one person who didn't hate it.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the puzzle seemed more like a Tuesday one.
KNOB: In respect to my DIL and her family, all of my (USA) family has learned to say, "You guys drive on the OTHER side of the road, steering from the OTHER side of the car." We avoid saying they are WRONG.
Off to visit my daughter for a few days. 200 mile drive, but I have rain and above freezing temps, so no complaints from me.
Montana
Talking of black cats - I've just got to let you into my earth shaking discovery. My DFAC - Darn Feral Attack Cat - has just cloned itself !! I was feeding it about 1600 calories, and it used to be all gone - in one sitting. Then, last night, I saw 2 of them - I have serious eye problems - but I don't see double ! I was thinking of names - Ebon and Inky - my CW favorites. But I settled on Ebony and Clooney (- Clone ) - I couldn't make out the difference, in the world, but they know who they are ...
ReplyDeleteHave talked to a molecular biologist about anti-cloning medication - but not discovered so far. Have rung up an Ob/Gyn to find out if I could get a 21 day supply cycle of birth control pills. (No.)
On one hand, I am glad, in the spirit of the season, that cats are so sharing to one another. On the other hand, My God !, this is becoming an 'entitlement' program and will cause me to run up my national debt ! Oh yah, yah - what have I started ?
Wow! I can't believe i actually got so many WAGs!
ReplyDeletegodot/tetrad
bowes/erl
nils/elsas
But i put Tort"e" for 55D, leaving me with a view of Natick harbor from the jungle vines.
DNF
An interesting use for Liana
Bad connection #1
Bad connection #2
I just lurked yesterday, could not find anything funnier to add to WEES Re:Family Feud. But just saw the late nite comments, this is why you can't pump your own gas in NJ!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Good to see you Steve. Great expo. Interesting to know that Notre Dame has a London campus!
ReplyDeleteSashayed quickly through this speed run. In fact, I was amazed at the Monday-Tuesday level.
Though I didn't know OLIVA, it emerged as BOWES and BIBLE BELT were obvious.
DDAY for me is Decision Day as I must decide whether to retire completely or teach another semester. I'm leaning toward the former.
Didn't NILS Lofgren appear in Saturday's puzzle?
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Good morning everyone. Thanks, Steve, for the intro.
ReplyDeleteNeat picture of C.C. and Mr. OLIVA.
This was not a BAD puzzle. The unifier helped confirm the theme, but it was easy enough. Never heard of ERL before. Perps were ample. No searches needed.
Have a great day.
Cell towers are springing up faster than weeds in the spring and so BAD CONNECTIONS are getting fewer and fewer. In parts of the Black Hills, however, Hello, Hello, Hello… Fun Wed. puzzle from Gary with unknowns ERL, ELSA’S and LIANA easy to get.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Do you come across BOOKMARKS that, for the life of you, you can’t remember why you made them?
-Tell me more about this game called GOLF
-I’ll say this for the A.C.L.U., they’ll defend anything but “yelling FIRE in a crowded theater.” QOD adjunct
-AROMA seems more pleasant that ODOR to me. You?
-My friend’s name is Val Jean, and that always reminds me of Les Mis’s Jean Val Jean when I see her.
-A friend just got a STENT last week. There seems to be so many procedures that save us from dying early or suffering great discomfort compared to years ago.
-A non-vegetative ERICA today
-A man I golf with just bought a $300 driver and he’s hitting worse than ever. It ain’t the CLUB, it’s the CLUBber. I don’t think they come with a guarantee.
-We used those same bats (PADDLES) too, Steve.
-No good DEED goes unpunished is proven to us over and over. I lost my relationship with my siblings when I loaned them money.
-I thought the Eek inducer might be a SCALE, it is for me! Dang taters.
-Gene Pitney came to mind first but he worked alone
-The Omaha DIOCESE is much more liberal than the Lincoln DIOCESE
@Steady 80 You do realize that ATMs also typically deal in cash?
ReplyDeleteLucina, this retirement business was harder for me than I thought. There are still 24 hours in a day and I don’t want to get tied to another schedule whether it is paid or volunteer. Thank God for golf but the weather forecast says that may be ending. I was a pretty good teacher but I found out they opened school that next August without me. However, subbing has convinced me that I did get out at the right time after 42 years.
ReplyDeleteFore!
Thank you, Anony-mouse. It is always nice to hear from you.
ReplyDeletePerfect Wednesday puzzle--not too easy, not too hard. Many thank, Gary!
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing two sports related pics of Steve and C.C.--both looking great!
(Or should I have said BAD! So how did BAD come to mean great?)
Anony-mouses and cats and clones, oh my!
Much to be thankful for and having this Corner to visit in the mornings is right up there! Thanks, everybody!
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle, Gary, with just the right amount of spice. And nice expo, Steve, and a super picture. Go Irish!
Another beautiful November day in the Northeast. We have been dry and sunny for the past week, temps in the 40's and 50's. Practically unheard of at this time of the year.
In reply to Tinbeni's question, I am thankful for my health and my family and friends. I am thankful for the freedom we enjoy in this country and I am thankful for all those brave men and women who have fought and continue to fight to preserve that freedom.
And I am thankful that I stumbled across this blog almost a year ago. I have learned a lot about the art of crossword construction but I have learned so much more about the diversity, interests, accomplishments, and life experiences of my fellow posters. This blog is a joy in so many ways and I thank CC for beginning and nurturing this " family" and I thank all of CC's "elves" for their delightful daily dissections.
Happy Wednesday.
Test
ReplyDeleteGreetings!
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle, Gary! Cool write-up, Steve! I listened to the aria in the background twice while reading Steve and posts so far.Thanks!
Puzzle went swiftly. Was puzzled over DIRTY for a bit. ERICA was given by perps.
Swell pictures, CC and Steve!
I like watching the reruns of The Mentalist on TNT. If they only had played them in order…
Marti: can't believe that you had a DNF, you are so sharp! (Do you have an 8 minute limit?)
Happy turkey day, everyone!
Cheers!
That Frenchman invented the Aqualung. The term SCUBA came later as a reference to the U.S. military frogman's oxygen rebreathers.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis was so much more doable than yesterday's puzzle. Most enjoyable. I truly love it when I can get the answers without too much struggle. Thank you Gary Cee, and thank you Steve for a very nice write up. Plus a belated happy birthday to you.
Yesterday's picture of Bill G. and Jordan was most enjoyable.
And thank you C.C. for including your picture with Oliva today, What fun.
Cheers
HAve a nice Thanksgiving everyone!
ReplyDeleteGood morning Steve, C.C., et al,
ReplyDeletea very enjoyable Wed! Since I "thought" I was doing pretty well, I decided to just work on the acrosses without any perps. LOL!
BAD plan.Couldn't get the theme until I changed That's all folks and several other sticky areas.
Trying to figure out Oliva came after multiple pronunciation guesses. Cute picture C.C.!
fav. Italian alternative: ranch
new word for the book: tetrad
Steve, thanks for the write-up; you removed a few cobwebs.Can't believe there are no turkeys in London. ;-o Which will it be, Spotted Dick or Toad in the Hole??
CED, gas pump-hilarious!
LP-has anyone purchased an iLP turntable conversion system , to transfer music from old records to your ipad,iphone,ipod?
Hi all
ReplyDeleteThis started out to be a toughie. I didn't get any word I was sure of until 10D (GOLF).
I really did want what JD wanted for 20A...but "that's all folks" just work with the perps.
I have never seen Godot, so didn't know that one.
Guess I'll join the rest in adding a new word: TETRAD. who knew??
What does the statement "No good deed goes UNPUNISHED really mean?"
LOL on the gas pumping woman. THAT'S why I don't want to do it :)
Hope you all enjoy tomorrow in whatever way you do it. I am just thankful I don't have to do ANY cooking. Did that for a lot of years!
I bet Gary Cee was happy to work NILS into the grid as Bruce is one of his favorite singers.
ReplyDelete- I wonder if he wanted to clue D-DAY as "character in Animal House?
- SINATRA is mentioned under favorite books.
- I would wager he also picked J.Geils for the EMI reference
- ANDY may have had a Shawshank related clue.
- Which famous person he is pictured with would you most want to have met? Me? Hands down Frank Zappa.
Thank you, Kazie for the remark about Elf King. I have never hear of Erl King. And I knew Oil King couldn't be right. Abejo, be very careful frying that turkey. Don't hurt yourself or your house. Desper Otto, you made me laugh like crazy.
ReplyDeleteSCUBA : Self Contained Underwater
ReplyDeleteBreathing Apparatus Jacque Cousteau was that Frenchman
May you all have much to be thankful for tomorrow and a way to show it. I'm thankful for C.C. & all of you. Some days you are my only human contacts.
ReplyDeleteC.C. & Steve: great pictures and commentary. Gary CEE, fun puzzle!
Kazie: thank you for translating ERL. I confidently filled in "elf". Never heard of ERL.
BOWES I knew. Monthly billings on my last job, I ran over 200 envelopes through a postage meter.
I was born before 1980 but didn't get EPS/SPREADS. I thot 44D was some kind of "ads". Duh for the day.
Hahtoolah: thanks for the song with lyrics shown. I've heard that song a million times, but couldn't understand what they were saying.
DO @9:12: Oh, yuk! Man, are you brave saying that in this crowd of cat lovers.
JD: Oh, I do hope Steve didn't get spotted dick with his toad in a hole over there! Those rashes are hard to get rid of. LOL!
Anonymouse: There are probably even more cats where those came from. They come in litters. Enjoy!
Monday easy.
ReplyDeleteDid have SnAkE before SCARE and COllECTION before CONNECTION, 'til I got the theme.
So warm today in Upstate NY, I wore a T-shirt and drove with the window open.
Merchant of Venice, Act III Scene i
Salanio:
"What news on the Rialto?"
Seen: Very interesting to see Gary CEE and watch his life progression.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle, but not overly easy, IMO. Had a couple complete unknowns, such as Erl, but got it sorted out.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem with Pratt as you, Steve. Didn't fill it in, cuz nothing confirmed, but I really wanted it. Didn't even realize that it didn't work with Pitney until you made that clear.
DO, the last employer I had was an avid pheasant hunter. He had a bumper sticker that read: "So many cats....So few recipes!" Now that I think of it, I'm thankful I haven't had an employer for 20 years.
Very pleasant puzzle. Thanks Steve. Thanks C.C. Also, thank you to everybody else here. I feel very lucky to have such good Internet friends. As PK said, this is the source of a lot of my human contact, almost all it positive, thoughtful and intelligent. I feel lucky to have stumbled over the Corner several years back. My life is fuller because of it.
ReplyDeleteSeen, Tx for the Gary Cee link!
ReplyDeleteAbejo! Good Luck!!!
It's been nice knowing you!
Remember to turn off the gas b/4 dropping the bird.
Or just take some advice from William Shatner & just flip the bird!
PK, LOl....I was thinking of just that when I read JD's comment about Toad in the Hold and Spotted Dick. We have had a discussion about those on the blog a few years ago. It was a hoot, as you can imagine.
ReplyDeleteI understand there IS a vaccine for those conditions.
This deep frying a turkey is just nuts...why add that much more fat to an already fat-saturated meal?
I know, I know...it's a fairly new method and sort of a craze but notice it's mostly guys that go for it?
Evening all,
ReplyDeleteBreezed through this one with only one misstep. Put in wwwaddress and not knowing oliva and erl didn't help.
Biblebelt helped fix it.
Thanksgiving is at my house as usual. All my wife's family will be here. I don't mind because we have plenty of room and I have plenty of hiding places. Everyone brings something so its always a good spread.
Abejo, I was going to post something but CED beat me to it. Ah hell, you can't be too careful. Turkey frying
Wish you all a happy thanksgiving
Dan
Carol, I'd be happy to try deep-fried turkey. Some other folks swear by brining, whatever that is. Still, cooking a turkey the old-fashioned way but breast down is such an easy alternative to get moist white meat, I don't know why it's not more popular. Once we tried it 30 years ago, we've never done it any other way.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was doing a turkey every year at my house, I always filled the cavity with apples to keep the bird moist then tented foil over it. Yum! Loved leftovers.
ReplyDeleteAbejo: My stars, man, why do you want to live so dangerously? I hope you don't have any worse problems than singed eyebrows, but really, sweetie...
why? Don't you have an oven?
Manac@4:15 I was looking for a compilation video, but could not find one! Good Job! i was LOL right up until that last one, then i was LMAO!
ReplyDeleteI was looking at the theme again, BA-D, & a thought struck me. What could make a sheep go bad? (Baa+D)
#1
#2
#3
#4
& just for the fun of it.
Bill G. Re: Yest.
ReplyDeleteYes I do read the late night posts but usually can't until the next evening. There is a range near hear like that where my friends and I visited often. I haven't been there in ages since all have moved away but is was always a good time. They always wanted to show off their newest gadgets but my goal was to walk in with six arrows and walk out with six. Usually successful but Stuff happens sometimes. Now its just targets in the back yard. But I still enjoy it.
CED, That gas pump video killed me.I was lost in youtube for an hour after that watching some other not so bright people trying to fill their tanks.
Again, Happy thanksgiving all!
Dan
Been awol for most of the day. I volunteered to take a wheelchair-bound elderly guy to his dental appt. We were early, but the doc was 90 minutes behind schedule. Hate that.
ReplyDeletePK & Avg Joe -- Actually, we are cat people. But the way Mari phrased it, I just couldn't resist. We have six (or maybe it's seven) of the critters. They've never met a door that they didn't need to be on the other side of. They're all rescue cats. Fortunately they've all been "fixed", so we don't have to worry about littering. We just need to figure out how to dissuade any more feline waifs from showing up and moving in.
Great Puzzle today Gary. Unknowns were solved with the perps.
ReplyDeleteSteve, bring me some Cornish Pasties and I'll save you some Turkey.
Breast side down does produce moist turkey as Bill wrote. You can also lard the bird. Dutch ovens that have been soaked in water beforehand produce moist birds. If you've never had a brined bird, try it, whether a turkey or a chicken. Doesn't take that much more effort. You will be richly rewarded.
Deep frying a turkey is not for the faint of heart, or drunkards. However, if cooked correctly, you will find it to be one of, if not the most moist turkey you ever had. This process is growing in popularity for a reason.
I've roasted them, smoked them and deep fried them. Of course, in the south, we deep fry a lot of things - some of which you wouldn't expect - including Twinkies and candy bars.
Besides be quick, one of the other advantages of deep frying the bird is that it frees your oven for the sweet potatoes, the vegetable medleys, and the pies and whatever else needs the oven time.
Here's part of the Food Channel episode where Alton Brown shows you how to deep fry a turkey.
Deep Frying a Turkey - Safely
Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and takes time to give thanks for all that they have.
Should have been the earthen ware Dutch ovens (the terra cotta type ones) soaked in water.
ReplyDeleteOMG!
ReplyDeleteWe are about to go out to dinner, but i don't know what to order...
Because of you guys,,, i have been watching all these crazy deep fried videos. The last one was deep fried pizza! They also did pop tarts, hot pockets, & anything else you can imagine!
Now i have to go out to dinner, & i am craving,,, Deep Fried,,,,Beer batter covered,,, ( you ready for this ) an entire deep fried Philly Cheesesteak Hero!
DW will not be amused...
Hi Everyone ~~
ReplyDeleteI'm late, but WBS. The upper part of the puzzle seemed very easy for a Wednesday but things changed about half-way through. Wasn't sure of the theme until the unifier, but managed to finish with perp help and a couple of guesses. An enjoyable puzzle, Gary Cee. Thanks, Steve for an informative and entertaining write-up.
C.C. ~ I thought of you when I was writing in OLIVA ~ What a great picture!
I'll be with my family tomorrow - there will be about 20 of us- with sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and their kids. - it's always good to be together and we have much to be thankful for.
Today marks my second year at the "Corner" although I lurked for about a year before that. What a wonderful experience it has been. Many thanks to you, C.C. and to all here who brighten the days!
Wishing Thanksgiving blessings to all!
Hello everybody. Gosh o'rooney, so many of you thought this was easy today; it was a DNF for me. But, I have an excuse, heh heh: shopping trips! Work a little puzzle, go out to buy some stuff, come back and work a little more puzzle, make another excursion to buy some more stuff, rinse and repeat. In 20-20 retrospect, it really wasn't that hard. At least I cottoned to the BAD stuff.
ReplyDeleteVery warm Thanksgiving wishes to you all.
Since so many are talking about turkey cooking methods, I'll weigh in. Although I'm getting this year off, for the first time in at least 20 years.
ReplyDeleteI follow the advice of the Joy of Cooking. Stuff it, then fire up the oven to 450. Once you've hit temp, put the bird in the oven in a covered pan, wait til it gets back to 450, then drop the temp to 350. Baste as you go, and cook to an internal temp of 165....anticipate that by a bit, cuz it will continue to cook after removed from the oven.
I've had very good luck with this method. It's not quite as good as using a fresh bird, but it's close enough that the premium associated with fresh isn't worth it.
CED,
ReplyDeleteJust let me say this. I vowed never again to let my guard down after you got me with that martian pic a few months back. So I am always prepared when I open a link from you. Baad sheep #1 LOL, Baad sheep #2 LOL, Baad sheep #3 I lost it!!! You got me again!
Enjoy your holiday!
Dennis, did you get my email?
ReplyDeleteLemonade714, did you get my email?
Any puzzle that works both Lohengrin and Lofrgren in clues is clearly a classic. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving Myths Part I
ReplyDelete1. Basting a turkey keeps it moist.
2. Deep fried turkeys are greasy.
3. Beer is BAD.
please add to list as desired
Thankgiving Myths Part II
ReplyDelete4. Fresh cranberry salad is the same as canned-shaped gelantinous stuff.
5. Frozen pumpkin pie is acceptable.
6. You enjoy the company of people because you are related to them.
Hola Everyone, Very late in getting the puzzle finished--but finish I did. I found a couple of areas that needed perps to finish off the CW. Nils, Erica, and Tetrad. Tetrad was a learning moment for me and like JD I'll be putting that into my "new words" book.
ReplyDeleteI loved Italian Alternative/Ranch. I couldn't figure out what could be an alternative to Italian--French?
Thanks for a great writeup, Steve. Also, loved the picture of C.C. and Oliva. I know she is a huge Minnesota fan.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. We have so much to be thankful for in our family and friends.
My grandson returned from Senegal for good last Monday. He had a great two years, but is also glad to be back in the US. We'll see him and his parents tomorrow.
7. Working the day after Thanksgiving doesn't bother me.
ReplyDelete8. I enjoyed tonight's traffic.
9. I will monitor my caloric intake tomorrow.
Pinto @6:52 & 6:59
ReplyDeleteYour myths were very informative, however i must take exception to #3.
Beer is bad???
1) if you must eat dried out turkey (& who hasn't) beer is a necessity!)
2)Greasy turkeys go down better with beer!
3) &(*^&*$&*^%(&^$^*%
4)If you drank beer, you wouldn't touch that pink gelatinous stuff anyway!
5)Frozen pumpkin pie? I hope you thawed it out 1st! Frozen key lime pie,,, now ya talking!
6) I would enjoy your comp[any if you drank as much beer as i did! (hic!)
7)Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. by Benjamin Franklin. ... Top 5 quotes from Benjamin Franklin!
Pinto @6:52 & 6:59
ReplyDeleteOh,,, you said myths?
My bad...
(well, at least it fits in with the puzzle theme...)
@CrossEyedDave I know you enjoy beer. So do I. I think of myths as lies, hence "beer is bad" is a myth or lie.
ReplyDeleteBeer is the greatest invention ever and an essential creation for the development of evolution and vice versa.
Beer and cornflakes for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteYum!!
College days!
Steve,
ReplyDeleteThanks for today's write up of the puzzle. Thank you C.C. for this great blog. Also want to thank the constructor of this puzzle. I had not heard of OLIVA but love learning about baseball. That was a nice picture from London and nice photo C.C. with the retired Twin. I will remember him now and his number!
I feel strange tonight because we are going out to eat tomorrow. Nothing to do this evening. I pray everyone has a blessed day with family and friends as the case may be. Family Circus said it well today. Not eating much today so they could eat more tomorrow!
Seen, thanks for the link to Gary Cee's info. CED, you most assuredly find the funniest stuff out there on the web.
ReplyDeleteWho brought up this beer issue.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't the one I was looking for but close enough. Nerds