Theme: QOD ("Quote of the Day.")
Our regular blogger Hahtoolah always supplies us with a thought-provoking QOD, but today she has been upstaged with this theme quote, attributed to Victor Hugo.
19. Start of quote attributed to Victor Hugo : FORTY IS THE OLD
33. Quote, part 2 : AGE OF YOUTH.
39. Quote, part 3 : FIFTY IS THE
56. End of the quote : YOUTH OF OLD AGE.
Any questions? I chuckled when I finished the quote, because I thought it would be quite appropriate for our little band. So what is Sixty? Seventy? Eighty? I'll let you all fill in the blanks!
Marti here, to check out the rest of the fill.
Across:
1. Song title spelled out in a 1967 hit : R-E-S-P-E-C-T. We start out with one of my favorite tunes. 4:27
8. Wicket defender : BATSMAN. Opposite the bowler, in cricket.
15. Composer Vivaldi : ANTONIO. Perhaps best known for his "Four Seasons." 41:59 I opened it in a separate window, and listened while doing this write-up. You may not have the time to listen to it all, but the first few bars should jog your memory.
16. People people? : EDITORS. "People" magazine, that is. And 52-Down. 16-Across reversals : STETS. "Let it stand," which is a notation over an originally edited word.
17. Crick who co-discovered DNA structure : FRANCIS. His co-discoverer was James Watson.
18. It went down in history : TITANIC. At this time of year, I am inclined to think of Rudolf, instead. 3:12
21. Troubadours' instruments : LUTES. Anyone else fill in "lyres?" My first ink blot of the day...
22. Follower of Stalin? : IST. Stalinist. I might ask, "Why 'Stalin', in particular?"
23. Tale spinner : LIAR.
26. Bastille Day season : ETE. Bastille Day is a French holiday celebrated on July 14th. So we are looking for the French word for "summer" here.
27. Coal carrier : TRAM.
30. Statue at St. Peter's : PIETA. I think the PIETA by Michelangelo is the one that struck me most when I visited St. Peter's.
31. Pachy- add-on : DERM. In Massachusetts, we call liquor stores "packies."
36. Novelist Ferber : EDNA. I always think of "Giant" when she is mentioned. Fantastic classic film made from the novel, starring Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and Rock Hudson.
38. Met, as a bet : SEEN. "I'll see your dime, and raise you a nickel..."
43. Crash site? : SOFA. Fun clue, but didn't fool me.
47. Elegant tapestry : ARRAS. Named for the French town known for its fine wall hangings which were sold all over Europe to decorate castle walls.
48. Saintly ring : HALO. "Aura" would fit. (Sigggghhhhh....second ink blot!)
50. Rock's ___ Lobos : LOS. "The Wolves" in Spanish. You may recognize this song. 2:52
51. Volvo competitor : SAAB. Last week it was "Sundsvall roller."
52. ___-Julie, Quebec : STE. Map. No hint of Abbr. in the clue?
54. Round at the saloon : BEERS. Cheers! ("It's five o'clock somewhere!")
60. Barbecue cook : GRILLER. DH is the resident griller in this house.
62. Head-in-the-clouds sort? : AVIATOR. "Dreamer" also fit...(Drats! Third ink blot!!)
63. Meet unexpectedly : RUN INTO.
64. Fraction, e.g. : SEGMENT.
65. Protective sac for some embryos : EGG CASE. And a clecho with 5-Down. Form into a sac : ENCYST. Ewwww...
66. Locks overhead : TRESSES.
Down:
1. Offered as a door prize, say : RAFFLED. The only door prize I have ever won was a bunch of scratch tickets that turned out to be duds!
2. Going somewhere : EN ROUTE. This one fixed my "lyres" ink blot.
3. First-pitch thrower : STARTER.
4. Florence's ___ Vecchio : PONTE. All along both sides of the bridge are small shops selling (mostly) gold and silver jewelry.
6. MXXX ÷ X : CIII. This one was slightly easier for me than one of Bill G.'s math puzzles!
7. Deep-six : TOSS. The expression "deep-six" comes from the practice of burying the dead at at the depth of a fathom (approx. 6 feet). At sea, the water must be a minimum of 6 fathoms before the weighted body can be interred.
8. Second Hebrew letters : BETHS. These (UPDATED 8:15 - THANKS MIDDLETOWN BOMBER!): בּבּבּבּ
9. Trying to lose, with "on" : A DIET.
10. Bandleader Puente : TITO. What a great personality he had. 4:21
11. Stud farm studs : STALLIONS.
12. Kin of "Sacre bleu!" : MON DIEU.
13. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI.zona.
14. Defense advisory gp. : NSC. National Security Council.
20. It marches and flies : TIME. Are we having fun yet?
24. Verizon rival, initially : ATT. American Telephone & Telegraph
25. Stadium sound : RAH.
28. Royal sari wearer : RANI.
29. Turkish titles : AGAS.
30. English poet laureate, 1790-1813 : PYE. One of his prose works is "Summary of the Duties of a Justice of the Peace Out of Sessions: With Some Observations." Sounds absolutely fascinating, doesn't it? You can read the book online here. Go ahead, I'll wait for you to finish it...
32. Like diets based on body type : METABOLIC. ...Back already?
34. Workplace protection org. : OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
35. Have a hunch : FEEL. Like most of my WAGs, I usually have a hunch they will turn out to be wrong.
37. Functional opening : DYS. DYSfunctional, like some people here on the corner. (Yes, you know I mean you!)
39. Scale notes : FAS.
40. Author Levin : IRA. "Rosemary's Baby" was my first introduction to him.
41. Coming apart at the seams? : FRAYING. Loved the clue!
42. Kojak, to friends : THEO. This one fixed my "aura" inkblot.
44. Fatty-acid ointments : OLEATES. I could explain how this clue relates to the answer, but I'm afraid eyes would glaze over. Instead, here's a fascinating story about what happens when an ant dies. I first heard it on NPR's "All Things Considered." (Funny you should use that phrase in your 4:09 post yesterday, Creature!)
45. Like some conclusions : FORGONE. In this sense, shouldn't it be "foregone"?
46. States categorically : ASSERTS.
49. Bind legally : OBLIGE. I am OBLIGEd to tell you that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of the management...
53. Spasm : THROE.
55. Red-wrapped cheeses : EDAMS.
57. Radius neighbor : ULNA.
58. Ramadan practice : FAST. This one fixed my "dreamer" inkblot! The entire month of Ramadan is observed by Muslims as a month of fasting.
59. At an end : OVER. Almost there!
60. Univ. sr.'s exam : GRE. Graduate Record Exam.
61. Persian, e.g. : RUG. "If an Iranian wears a toupee, does that make it a Persian rug?"
Hugs,
Marti
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeletePretty straightforward solve today, even without knowing the quotation. I haven't checked a dictionary, but Foregone seems "correcter" than Forgone to me too. Other than that, this seems like an interesting and well crafted grid to me. I don't recall seeing this constructor's name before.
Cheers All!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteOnce I got rid of ENCASE and replaced it with ENCYST the puzzle turned out to be a pretty smooth ride today. Also had to get rid of NSA and put in NSC instead, but that was less of an issue. Only total unknown today was BATSMAN. Not into cricket, but I've heard of the baiul and the wicket and thought maybe it would be BAILMAN. It wasn't.
Never heard the quote before, but it was pretty self-evident once a few perps were in place and I actually threw down the last bit without any perp help at all.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, Pawel! Great expo, Marti!
I hate puzzles with quotes in general, but this one wasn't too bad. Hand up for ENCase before ENCYST. Will I remember this yucky word?
Am enjoying the Vivaldi, Marti! Thanks.
Will try to go to sleep now, if rain will quiet down!
Cheers!
Good Morning, Marti and friends. At first this puzzle looked very daunting, and I am not generally keen on quotes, but it turned out not to be as scary as I first thought.
ReplyDeleteI made many of the same mistakes as Marti. I wanted Lyres before LUTES; Dreamer before AVIATOR and Cat before RUG.
I knew the BATSMAN from having seen the movie Lagaan. It is about a cricket match that spans over several days. I felt like I was watching this movie in real time, too. (I wished TIME would fly.)
I was living in France during the bicentennial of Bastille Day. There were some wild celebrations that ÉTÉ!
The Second Hebrew letters clue is a bit unfair, since the English spelling is a transliteration and has several common spellings. Generally, I have seen it as spelled Bet or Beit. By the way, BETH is often a transliteration of the Hebrew word House. So a synagogue called Beth Shalom would mean House of Peace.
Locks Overhead = TRESSES and It Went Down In History = TITANIC were great clues!
QOD: I fell asleep reading a dull book and dreamed I kept on reading, so I awoke from sheer boredom. ~ Heinrich Heine (Dec. 13, 1797 ~ Feb. 17, 1856)
Good morning everyone,
ReplyDeleteHand up for FOREGONE. FORGONE was driving me nuts. I thought I missed the boat, but finally gave up and decided to go with FOR....
My first reaction to this puzzle was it was going to be a brute. Antonio got me going though. I'm no expert on the subject, but I do like classical music and Vivaldi is a favorite composer. His music tends to be upbeat, which I prefer.
Needed a lot of perp help until the quote came to life for me. I wanted THROB for 53D, but EGGCASB ? Changed the B to an E with some mild trepidation.
Favorite was 3D First Pitch Thrower/STARTER.
Fun Thursday... Thank you Pawel for a nice challenge and thank you Marti for your usual terrific blog. Listening to the Four SEasons has been put on my agenda for today.
Nice puzzle a lot easier than I thought it would be. I had a little trouble in the south east. It was nice to see a quote puzzle as I think it has been a while. It did take a few minutes to remember what sport requires wickets to be protected. 2nd hebrew letter beth came fairly easily as my son is studying the language. But the Letter shown on the blog page is the Veth as the Hebrew Letter Beth has a dot in the middle.
ReplyDeleteWow, fun Thursday!
ReplyDeleteENCASE/ENCYST, NSA/NSC -- hand up for both of 'em. But my first guess was LUTES, so no write-over there.
Marti, I enjoyed your Ant Death link. It reminds me of a PBS program about crow communication. Older crows apparently will "describe" a human who's killed one of the group so that younger crows will recognize that person upon first seeing him -- even when there's no older crow around to raise the alarm. Fascinating show.
For me La Bamba belongs to Ritchie Valens. He was touring with Buddy Holly and was in that plane the "day the music died."
Interesting puzzle with fun misdirections. Marti, very enjoyable post, as always, especially the Death of an Ant link and the Vivaldi music.
ReplyDeleteI got my start in the bottom and soon wagged YOUTH OF OLD AGE, and working backward wagged the whole quote easily.
I had LUTE first, thought of DREAMER but waited on a perp, had the Y in FORTY, so encyst did not fool me.
I read that FORGONE/forgo is a variant spelling of FOREGONE/FOREGO. If you Google “FORGONE conclusion,” you are redirected to “FOREGONE conclusion.” I think that is much more common.
Forgo has its own unique meaning, to abstain from. I have to be on my way, so I will forgo dessert.
Lots of look ups on this one! Seems I'm the only one who had trouble today!
ReplyDeleteWrite-up was very interesting. Who knew about how ants die? Cricket in India--want to watch the movie. Victor Hugo, has anyone read Les Miserables? My granddaughter didn't know it was a book too?? Just a musical? Oh well. Have a good one. Sun is shining here.
Happy Friday Eve Everybody! Great puzzle today, even though I nominate myself for the "don't like quotes" club. The down clues fell nicely into place, which helped me fill in the quote.
ReplyDeleteSo many great clues today!
- 43A: Crash Site? SOFA
- 62A: Head in the Clouds Sort? AVIATOR (dreamer would have fit).
- 66A: Locks Overhead: TRESSES
- 20D: It Marches and Flies: TIME
Great words too: RAFFLED, METABOLIC, OBLIGE, THROE.
Count me among the FORGONE/foregone group.
If the quote is accurate, I'm somewhere in the middle of No Man's Land.
Have a great day!
Tinbeni @ yesterday:
ReplyDeleteA toast of a Blue Hawaiian to you at sunset!
I was initially taken aback by all the longish (i.e. seven-letter) answers but RESPECT and TITANIC came quickly so I gave it a try. Was stumped in the SE corner (FOREGONE wouldn't fit). I guess it turned out to be a sheep in wolf's clothing. [14:05]
ReplyDeleteI violated rule #1. Never assume your answer is correct. I entered DIVORCE as 1 across.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, folks. Thank you, Pawel Fludzinski, for a great Thursday puzzle. Thank you, as well, Marti, for the excellent review.
ReplyDeleteOK. I confidently put in D I V O R C E for 1A. That was a song, or was in a song, as I recall. Then I did 6D CIII, and it all meshed. I thought I was good in that corner. Eventually RAFFLED fixed that and I wrote in R E S P E C T. I was a little more cautious as i proceeded.
Got the last part of the quote first. then worked my way back to the first part. Got it. It was pretty good. I remember we used to get a lot of quotes in puzzles. I have no problem with them. It was nice to get one again.
Quite a few long words. Had to do some thinking.
Had TEARING for a while for 41D. Fixed that to FRAYING.
For 52A STE, I am not sure that those three letters are an abbreviation. I think STE-JULIE might be the actual name in full, expert in french as I am.
ENCYST for 5D. Good word. A little different.
Do Widzenia, Pawel!
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Good morning everyone. Good intro, Marti.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed Pawel's (Paul's) puzzle today. Great QOD; Lots of stacked 7's and triple verttical 7's. Also liked the longer downs STALLIONS and METABOLIC. Perps were ample enough to get unknowns like FRANCIS. I felt the puzzle had an air of whimsicalness to it with clues for fill like TRESSES, AVIATOR, SOFA, and TITANIC.
"deep-six" - We used that expression regularly on our ship when at sea. Garbage and waste were routinely deep-sixed. At least once a watch, Main Control would request permission from the Bridge to "dump, pump, and blow". (Dump garbage, pump bilges, and blow tubes. (boiler tubes were blown with a steam spray to wash soot from the firesides to minimize corrosion)). Bilge pumping was restricted to at least 50 miles off shore. I assume rules regarding the above are all a lot stricter, now.
Terrific Thursday offering. Thank you very much.
ReplyDelete"Composer Vivaldi : ANTONIO. Perhaps best known for his 'Four Seasons.'"
"Winter" is among the finest and most emotionally stirring compostions in the history of music. If you haven't heard it, treat yourself to a sublime experience.
"Met, as a bet : SEEN. I'll see your dime, and raise you a nickel..."
That's cute.
I thought at first it would be a bear today. but plugging on I got it all with no real difficulties. I did have to return to the NW though and used perps to get started there. Having BURY instead of TOSS to start didn't help.
ReplyDeleteMy Concise OED confirms what YR said--FORGO means to avoid, abstain from, while FOREGO refers to something in the past.
The French never refer to their national day as "Jour de la Bastille", but rather "le quatorze juillet".
Marti: Thank you for another exceptional write-up & links.
ReplyDelete(Since I don't speak Spanish, I always thought the first line was: "What are the words of La Bamba?")
My "Spelled out song title" was D-I-V-O-R-C-E (it worked with CIII) before RESPECT appeared.
Pas de chat: Please tell me you also put in CAT for Persian, e.g. before RUG.
My "Red-wrapped cheese" was Gouda before I noticed the plural "cheeseS" that became EDAMS.
Off that "G" (in gouda) my "Round at the saloon" was 'Again' before my perps wanted some BEERS. (they're drunk, now!)
Plus we have the "Quote thingy" going on.
If you already know the quote they're fun puzzles.
Then there are the one's like today that are a "Perp-Fest" (and mine are blasted!)
Mari: I'm looking forward to some Johnnie Walker BLUE Label at Sunset.
Cheers !!!
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteLike some others, I'm not a big fan of quote puzzles, although this one was on the easy side to suss out. Nice job, Pawel, and neat expo, Marti.
Hand up for lyres before lutes and David before Pieta. Didn't care for encyst or egg case and agree on foregone vs forgone. Overall, a fairly easy Thursday.
Have a great day.
This is my first post, altho I have been lurking for sometime. Love all the comments.
ReplyDeleteI too was curious about forgone vs foregone. Here is link to rather long explanation. And I'm still confused.
Enjoy.
http://www.word-detective.com/2012/06/forgo-forego-et-al/
A just right Thursday with a quote rife with meaning for those of us of a certain age. 50 looks very different in the rear view mirror than through the windshield. Bloom where you’re planted!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-My inkblots matched the ones Marti revealed in her always lovely write-up
-My research says Aretha was saying R-E-S-P-E-C-T “take care TCB” not “take out TCP” which is what I always heard. TCB = equals Taking Care of Business, a phrase Elvis adopted-
-Vivaldi’s lovely music is part of this movie which speaks somewhat to our puzzle theme
-The Pieta is behind bullet-proof glass now because of a vandalism incident
-My daughter loves Volvos but service is an hour away in Omaha
-Hy Vee sells GRILLERS that are chicken breasts wrapped and stuffed with bacon, pineapple, etc
-I RUN INTO some of my 14,000 students all the time who say, “Do you remember me, Mr. Schlapfer?”
-A good STARTER in MLB, like Jason Verlander is worth his weight in gold
-I got BETH from remembering Beth El Synagogue in Omaha
-My God makes more sense to me than Sacred Blue as an oath
-TIME magazine’s Person of the Year
-Read y'all later as we are going on line to get granddaughter Justin Beiber tix for a July concert in Omaha
Welcome, Bloomin Gramma Jo - good of you to 'come out' and join us. Look forward to your contributions.
ReplyDeleteHi gang -
ReplyDeleteA quote theme is a big downer for me. Then when I saw ETE, DERM and IST, I decided this puzzle simply isn't worth putting any further effort into.
By way of compensation here is some VIVALDI LUTE music.
Sadly,
JzB
Husker, beware of scammers. Some dude just got sentenced to 8 years for selling fake Bieber tickets on-line. You do remember the names of all those students, don't you?
ReplyDeleteMy high school General Science teacher's favorite "swear" expression was sacre bleu! Exciting stuff when you're a freshman.
The math teacher's favorite expression was "Today is Friday." It didn't matter what day of the week it was, it meant that today was pop quiz day. He'd told us at the beginning of the semester that he'd only give tests on Friday.
Wees, didn't know the quote, but it was fun watching it appear.
ReplyDelete40
50
60
70
80
90
100
& because i really should be linking something informative, instead of silly,,, meteor shower tonite!
Husker:
ReplyDeleteThere is a BIG difference between being the Time's "Person of the Year."
Which will be announced December 19th on the Today Show.
And being the "The Winner of Time's Person of the Year READERS POLL" Kim Jong Un.
(sounds like someone heaving to me)
CED: Those links were a hoot !!!
Hello and good day.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Pawel Fludzinski for a challenging puzzle. Count me in the club that doesn't care for quotes but this was easily sussed.
ANTONIO was my first fill as I am a big fan. After that I jumped around quite a lot until the pickets on the fence could be filled and it came together nicely.
Hand up for LYRES before LUTES, ENCASE then ENCYST and the B in BETH/BATSMAN was a pure guess.
Marti, I agree, the delicacy and fine detail of the PIETA take one's breath away.
Loved the misdirections! And, of course, loved your expo, Marti.
Much to do today. Later
You all have a fantastic Thursday!
I always start reading clues before looking at the grid, so I expected 1A to be YMCA. Fidn't dit. My first guess was Respect, but it took a long time to fill it in cuz I couldn't get any cross confirmation. As many have said, this was a decent quotation puzzle where things just kind of appeared. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it....I'd rate it an 8.
ReplyDeleteCED, your senility prayer link reminded me of National Lampoon's spoof on Desiderata. You have to be of a certain age to remember this too.
Easier than yesterday. Loved Respect and tresses clues very clever. But is there to many non english answers to todays puzzle? Counted at least five or six. But since i got the quote very early i breezed through it. But if I haddid not, today would have sucked.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, everyone! Thanks for the very entertaining puzzle, Pawel. As I solve, I put an asterisk next to clues/answers that strike me as clever – today my puzzle page was covered in stars. In addition to the ones Mari mentioned @ 8:16, I got a kick out of Coming Apart at the Seams / FRAYING and People people? / EDITORS. I always look forward to your Thursday write-ups, Marti (and your puzzles!). Got a big chuckle out of your Persian rug comment. I’ll save the Vivaldi link to enjoy with a nice glass of wine this evening.
ReplyDeleteThe quote was a little slow to dawn on me, mainly because I resisted ENCYST (eew) as long as possible. Also thought FORGONE should be foregone, then decided “Oh, well – it fits”. Roman numeral math clues always look a little daunting at first, but haven’t stumped me yet.
Lots to do to get ready for the weekend. Younger daughter (and her cat) arrived yesterday. Older daughter (and her cat), SIL and grandbaby are on their way and should be here this evening. Grandbaby is being baptized on Sunday, so we’ll have a houseful for the reception. Let the good times roll!
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this puzzle and as I read the comments already posted, I can just say "Ditto!" Same feelings about 'Quote' puzzles, same write-overs, same favorites and same feelings about ENCYST and FORGONE. I thought I was being smart in not thinking of cars with 'Crash site' and instead thinking of a computer crash - nope!
Thanks for a very entertaining write-up, Marti. I liked how you explained how certain answers fixed your "ink blots." Loved listening to Vivaldi as I worked the puzzle.
Java Mama ~~ I love that the cats are visiting too! =^..^=
More Christmas-y stuff to do ~~ Enjoy the day!
I nearly got the whole thing--Yay! When I saw all those long clues right on top, I thought "Oh, no!" But like many of us, I got ANTONIO right away, and then, surprise, FRANCIS, because my husband used to teach the introductory genetics course at our university before he retired. The only ones that stumped me in the end were BATMAN and TITO. And I loved the theme quote. So many thanks, Pawel. And Marti I loved the pictures.
ReplyDeleteIronically, I subscribe to "People" magazine mainly to help me with crossword references to popular culture! Paid off today.
Also liked the two Italian tourist memories of the PONTE VECCHIO and the PIETA in the Vatican.
Finally, a collective welcome to all the new bloggers signing on in the last few weeks. Wonderful to have you.
Have a great Thursday, everybody!
Welcome Bloomin Gramma Jo. Here is the link you supplied. I read it, and can understand why you are still confused! Yellowrocks made the distinction earlier, but hopefully this will clarify for you:
ReplyDeleteIn the case of a conclusion that was pre-determined (before the conclusion was reached), the word should be FOREGONE.
If someone made a hasty conclusion and then decided not to use it, they would have FORGONE the conclusion, and went with some other opinion, instead.
CED, hilarious links! But I loved the last one (100) the best! I have a similar plaque over my sink that reads:
"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most."
Marti seemed to be in especially fine form this morning.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what would happen if you spray a mist of oleic acid over an entire ant colony. Do they keep carrying each other to graveyard?
Java Mama: Yay for the visiting kitties! I hope Santa-Cat knows where you live so he can leave some catnip under the tree!
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks - D'Oh! I really should have known already that Forgo and Forego are separate.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Bloomin Gramma Jo! I went to the Word Detective site you pointed out. It clarified things, sorta...
Marti, thanks for the Tito Puente link. That's the only non-Santana version of Oye Como Va I've heard.
Hi Y'all, The best decision I made this week is to put a new eraser on the end of my pencil before I started the puzzle yesterday. I needed it both days. Astonishingly, I got this one all correct too. WAGd my way through. Another great puzzle.
ReplyDeleteMarti, a wonderful expo! I got to thinking this morning that when I called you and Don the "Devious Duo" you might not have read it as the compliment that I meant. If so, I am sorry. Any puzzle that I finally get right is a great one and yours was, though tricky. Well, I do this for the mental gymnastics.
Why won't YOUtube let me view the Vivaldi stuff and LaBamba? I just get a black square.
There is a very moving replica of Pieta in a Catholic hospital in Wichita that I passed daily for a while.
CED: But we like your silly! I especially liked the one with the old man sitting there wondering if he has enough breath left to blow out that conflagration!
Speaking of ant bodies: I once had a multitude of big winged creatures swarm on my window sill and the desk beneath. I called an exterminator who would come the next day. Then I sprayed the things. Put a couple in a bag in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteGood thing I did. By morning the other ants had come in and carried off every single dead body. Exterminator ID'd my frozen ones as carpenter ants. I had wondered about termites.
I thought it was nice that they cleaned up their own mess. They must have got the message they weren't welcome. Didn't see any more.
Good fare for a Thur. Tough, but if you kept at it, it all came together quite quickly.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was a bear for me but today I got all but four letters on my own. Unfortunately, They were needed to get the quote.
ReplyDeleteI don't remeber whether is was the NY Times or the LA one that used to have a quote almost every Thursday but I dislike them being an engineer and not a Liberal Arts major.
ReplyDeleteCED,
Thanks for forecasting my future moods/attittudes. LMAO.
LaLaLinda and Mari – the visiting kitties get a mixed reception from our two resident cats. Buster (our five-year-old male) is thrilled to have someone to chase and play with. Kiki (our 17-year-old female with an overdeveloped Princess gene) just hisses and sulks, occasionally deigning to sit on top of the cat tower and watch the other three make fools of themselves.
ReplyDeleteIn planning for our various holiday and christening festivities, I was thinking of serving some of the wine everyone was raving about on the blog a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten the name. I think it was Marti who first mentioned how good it is; also, I think it begins with an “L”. If someone can supply the name, I promise to write it down this time – seems to be the only way I can remember things these days.
Thanks Marti, for some help and clarification.
ReplyDeleteI will NEVER remember that graduate exam GRE!!
Had this same quote in a puzzle a long time ago when my paper still featured a quote puzzle. It must have been NY Times. Hmmmm?
Like so many others, confidently put
DIVORCE 1A (thinking quarter notes, not eighths as in RESPECT)
and DONATED for 1D.
Knew ANTONIO so it had to be wrong.
Tinbeni, I thought RUG first !
CED, fave was 90.
Gotta run for now. Welcome all of you new kids!
PK @ 12:37, absolutely no insult taken about your "Devious Duo" comment! I thought it was really clever, since Don G. and C.C> are clearly our "Dynamic Duo!"
ReplyDeleteDudley, I used to love watching Tito Puente when I was a kid. I think he might have been on Ed Sullivan or something. Then when Santana came out with their version of "Oye como va," I always thought of Tito's band singing it!
Good day to everybody!
ReplyDeleteI'm OK with quote puzzles if the quotes are insightful or fun. However, they seldom are, and this one wasn't very appealing.
As usual, the rain came and went too quickly.
Damn Lakers!
The new Dodgers owners are spending money and trying to improve the club over last year. I hope it will work out well.
I too learned about FORGONE vs FOREGONE today. However, I probably have to look it up the next time I need to use one or the other.
Minnie and Yvette are tortoises. They decide to have a race. Minnie runs at a speed of 3 feet per minute and stops to rest for one minute every 6 feet. Yvette runs at a speed of 5 feet per minute and stops to rest for three minutes every 10 feet. They agree on a 30 foot race. Who will be the winning tortoise?
Yvette
ReplyDeleteHusker G. did you get my e-mail?
Java Mama: The new blogger has to bring us all donuts. (just joking!)
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. I liked this puzzle and had many of the same chuckles, difficulties, and impressions many of you did.
ReplyDeletePawel, thank you. I did sawor the flawor of your construction.
Didn't we have ANTONIO Salieri quite recently? (Maybe not; I can't find it.)
The only writeover I did was write PIETA over LENIN at 30A.
Best wishes to you all.
This is the other one that I thought for 1A, but it
ReplyDeleteWouldn't fit
Java Mama @ 2:04, I think I have mentioned how much I like "Ménage à Trois" red wine - it's a California blend.
ReplyDeleteBut lately I have been buying a Chilean red wine from the camenere grape: Cono Sur. I guess I just like pun-y wine names!
Since we're talking about answers that don't fit...
ReplyDeleteHeartRx, I think I'd like to try a "Ménage à Trois"; I've never had it/one.
ReplyDeletePART I
ReplyDeleteIt struck me that the quote inferred that 50 year olds are at the beginning of old age. I disagree.
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was born two centuries ago. In these intervening centuries life expectancy has increased, maybe not as dramatically as some have claimed, but it has increased.
The high infant mortality rate in the 1800’s skewed the life expectancy stats we usually read about. If you correct for that by calculating the life expectancy of 20 year old males (those who have survived childhood) in the U.S. you get a truer picture of how long the average male lived in the 1800’s. 20 year-old males in 1850 could expect to live to age 60. The insurance actuarial tables I consulted today say a 20 year old man living in the U.S. in 2007 could expect to live until age 81.
(To be continued.)
PART II
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that, if in Hugo’s time the average man died at age 60, age fifty (or earlier) would certainly be the beginning of old age.
Today most fifty year olds are vigorous and in their prime. IMO, indeed very many 65 year olds are still vigorous. I would make 65+the “youth of old age” these days.
I read that life expectancy could dramatically decrease in the next generation due to obesity, lack of exercise and other poor health habits. More and more 50 and 60 year old people will appear elderly because they will be in ill health and infirm.
The 50 to 65+ year olds I know are not OLD.
Bill G,
ReplyDeleteYvette
Maybe it's just me, but I really took issue with this puzzle. Again, maybe I'm being harsh, but I think misspelling an answer ("FORGONE") is a cardinal sin. Another one that really bothered me was "BETHS." Although it's a bit contrived, my real issue with it is that my familiarity with hebrew actually made it HARDER, which shouldn't be the case. I never would have guessed that some people transliterate the letter as "beth" because it's pronounced "bet." Throw in "IST" and "DYS" and I was really disappointed by this one.
ReplyDeleteWell,my friends, I took the plunge and bought a NOOK reader. Thank you Bill, Hahtoolah and Abejo for the encouraging reviews. It is charging at the moment and I look forward to using it.
ReplyDeleteAs a resident septuagenarian here at the Corner, I can tell you old age is far from my thoughts and activities. I'm vigorous and fairly agile so possibly 70 is the new YOUTH OF OLD AGE. Or to put it another way, 70 is the new 50.
D-otto @3:20, I can't believe you've never tried it before?!?!
ReplyDeleteI just got back from a run to the supermarket. I had a pretty short list. I made the mistake of asking Barbara if she wanted to add anything. Yikes! But I made it back just before my back would have given out. Now lunch, then a short bike ride, a macchiato and an hour of tutoring. Afterwards, will I have the fortitude to watch the hapless Lakers?
ReplyDeleteLucina @ 3:52, "...70 is the new 50." Geez, if we keep going this way, I'll be a teenager again before I know it!
ReplyDeleteMarti, thanks for the wine advice. I'm no Cono-Sur (lol), but I do enjoy a nice Riesling or Pinot Grigio. Need to explore the reds a little more, so it's good to have some suggestions.
ReplyDeleteMari, the "virtual donuts" are on me. Best part - no calories!
Hola Everyone, I started the puzzle today while waiting at our local Starbucks for JD and Garlic Girl to arrive for our mini-coven get-together. We had hoped to see Wolf-Mom (Kathleen Wolf) today, but she had to change a caregiving date for her mother and couldn't make it.
ReplyDeleteSo you could really say I had a DNF today as I had help from JD and Garlic Gal both. (Just a teensy bit of help, but help none- the-less). After arriving home I finished up the rest of it over my lunch. It wasn't the easiest puzzle I've done, but not so hard that I couldn't finish it off.
I thought Aviator/Head-in-the clouds sort was clever. I started off with Dreamer, so had to erase and start that SE section over again.Tresses/Locks overhead and Titanic/It went down in history were close seconds on my clever list today.
The quote came easily once I had the first line in. I hadn't heard it before but it appeared magically as the rest of the puzzle emerged.
Thanks, Marti for a great post. I always enjoy your sense of humor.
Have a great day everyone. I'm off to the post office to stand in line with all the other poor souls who waited until now to send their Christmas packages off.
-Just back home after playing 27 holes in a T-shirt on a 53°F day with full sun and no wind.
ReplyDelete-Well we were shut out for Justin Bieber tickets on the pre-sale today and were told that when the general tix go on sale tomorrow, they will be gone in 5 minutes. Taylor Swift is coming soon and she was sold out in 5 minutes as well! So, we went over to Stub Hub and got great seats for a little more money and Elise will get to see the show of her dreams! Stub Hub has a sterling reputation and so I feel confident.
-Tin, TIME has made some interesting choices for Person of the Year -List
-Spitz, no email yet!
-Marti, not having tried it is different from not having it offered ;-)
-FORGONE/FOREGONE conclusion – my little map would hit some bumps in the road. The biggest issue seems to be that it won’t open for some people. I have Word for Mac on my iMac and it opens just fine for you OSX peeps but I have sent the map out as a .pdf for some and it seems to work as an alternative.
-Welcome new bloggers, if you want to be on the aforementioned map let me know your location and if you want a copy I need an email address.
Neither Yvette or Minnie as they were hit by a car. The hare finally won.
ReplyDeleteI have had Ménage à Trois, but it kept me awake all night.
(For Lois and Carol, okay it kept me up all night).
Thursday, Quote puzzle day.
marti loved your write up. Pawel, you had many great clues already mentioned by others.
Until tomorrow.
Yvette did win by 2 minutes, but then she kicked back and smoked a cigarette before being run over by a car. Victory is fleeting.
ReplyDeleteGary, you're right. There is a huge difference between having tried it and having been offered. Ah, the memories of youth!
aaahh, The Twins ... The Twins ...
ReplyDeleteAnd we're not talking baseball here ...
Bill G. I got distracted from watching that race between Minnie and Yvette ...
I had to go outside to watch the grass grow.
(and a Sunset !!!)
No Tin, sisters, not twins.
ReplyDeleteBut it was an indecent proposal nevertheless.
A bit of crossword trivia. We frequently get clues for the Universal Products Code (UPC). The man credited with inventing the Bar Code, for which he was granted a patent, was Norman Joseph Woodland. He died this week at age 91.
ReplyDeleteEvening all,
ReplyDeleteWhen I got the Dysfunctional clue I
immediately thought of this group. Don't know why though?
Hello all! I always plan to comment everyday and then my body gives me a reality check. I will only be 58 yrs old next month, but my body thinks I'm 80 unfortunately. It always frustrates me when I see a 90 yr old friend hop out of her chair.
ReplyDeleteWEES...very clever cluing and fills. Marti your write-up was very helpful.
DYSfunctional reminded me of visiting college friends in NC that we had not seen in 30 years. We were both hoping that our friendship had survived the years. It was a wonderful time. When we left, I gave her a little pillow that said " Just remember-We are a normal family!"
The dying ant story made me think of the TV series "Dark Matters, Twisted but True" on the Science channel. Has anybody else watched it?
Attending my uncle's 90 birthday. He and my aunt, 88 yrs old, have outlived all their brothers and sisters. This is an amazing birthday for him because he fought in the islands throughout WWII.
I can honestly say my family put the "fun" back into dysfunctional.
ReplyDeleteI thought todays puzzle had some clever clues, too. Thank you Pawel.
I was able to finish it before leaving for "Coffee with the NorCal Mini Coven". Now there is a mouthful! Had a great visit with JD and Chickie and even scored some cool gifts.
Welcome to all the new puzzlers joining the corner. And thank you Gary for the interesting map.
Adios, Muchachos!
I love Ménage à Trois wine. Been buying and enjoying it regularly for maybe a year or so by now. It's called Ménage à Trois because it's a blend of 3 red varieties; I don't remember which ones or the relative percentages, but HeartRx already gave a link to it.
ReplyDeleteHeartRx: You must read this article about
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin. She deserves credit along with Crick and Watson.
Great puzzle, completely solvable yet challenging(unlike yesterday's). Thank you Fludzinski.
ReplyDeleteFermatprime : James Watson was interviewed recently. He was very condescending with respect to Rosalind Franklin's contribution to the discovery of the DNA helix. He said that she didn't deserve / need recognition when he and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize because she was already dead by then. The interview made me very angry.
ReplyDeleteFermatprime, I agree Rosalinde Franklin deserved the Nobel along with Crick and Watson. She was royally screwed. Watson was a total jerk and asshole; based on what he has said in numerous interviews he has demonstrated that numerous times. The guy had absolutely no clue as to what is right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah, that interview and other interviews have also made me feel very angry towards James Watson, who, as I said, seems to have had no conscience whatsoever. The guy is totally clueless.
ReplyDeleteOh, and one other thing. Hahtoolah, there is no way you are, or have ever been upstaged.
ReplyDeleteSorry gang,
ReplyDeleteDon't know what happened to that link.
It worked at first. This was it.Dysfunctional
Jayce, I meant my comment about Hahtoolah's QOD in the most affectionate way. I love her QODs, and thought it most appropriate to recognize her contributions with this theme...
ReplyDeleteFermatprime, "Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA" would make a great book for our next book club meeting! Thanks for pointing me to that bit of scientific betrayal....
Just got finished tutoring a new student. I think things are going to go well.
ReplyDeleteManac, I love Calvin and Hobbes. I don't remember that panel before though. Great stuff!
Good job all with the tortoise race. Here was my solution:
ReplyDeleteMinnie runs 6 feet in two minutes and rests for one minute making her speed 6 feet every three minutes for an average speed of 2 feet per minute. If you do a similar calculation for Yvette, she has the same average speed. So the race would be a tie, right? Wrong. If you make a table or graph you can see that Minnie would get to the finish line in 14 minutes before her rest at the end. Yvette would get there in 12 minutes before her last rest. Yvette wins! Pretty exciting race, eh?
Bill,
ReplyDeleteSo wait a sec...
your telling us it was only minnie
that got run over by a car?
My bet was on that they both got run
over by a semi but by both the left and right wheels simultaneously.
I found this photo on MSNBC's The Week in Pictures. Beautiful snow and a steam locomotive make a great combination. A train in the snow. (Double click)
ReplyDeleteThen here's a really nice animal slide show. Animal Tracks.
BillG:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Animal Tracks post. They are all fascinating creatures.
What Lucina said.
ReplyDeleteLemonade: You said Carol & Lois kept you UP all night. Brag! Brag! Brag! Most men can't after a certain age.
ReplyDeleteMichele here
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone said about Watson. He is just a bit arrogant.
Bill, thanks for the heads up about the new editions. I will also look for originals. I loved the train in snow. Grand father was a fireman in Western NC on one from a very young age.
Jordan might also like The Boxcar Children.
Will have to try the wine...