Theme: "Like a Rolling Stone," the final theme entry words get all messed up. Each one is an anagram of "stone."
20A. Reason for detention, perhaps : PASSING NOTES.
36A. Unexpected attack, as of dizziness : SUDDEN ONSET.
43A. Melodious sounds : DULCET TONES.
57. Publication since 1967, and a hint to the end of 20-, 36- and 43-Across : ROLLING STONE.
I found this one to be much easier than last Friday's anagram puzzle. Only eight 3-letter words, so some chances for longer fresh fill. Let's see what's on the plate today.
Across:
1. Canaanite god : BAAL. Deity of agriculture and life.
5. Humiliate : ABASH. I always hesitate between ABASH and "abase."
10. Speed-of-sound ratio : MACH.
14. Play the siren : LURE. Fun clue! I was in a police car somewhere (figuratively, not literally!)
15. Mombasa's country : KENYA. Its largest city.
16. Flash, perhaps : IDEA. Flash of "inspiration," that is. I had one, once...
17. Red states? : IRES. Another cute clue.
18. Hotel room amenities : IRONS. Wow, they provide golf clubs?!?
19. Convinced : SOLD. OK, I'm sold!
23. Fore-and-aft rigged ship : SLOOP.
24. Samson's betrayer : DELILAH.
28. "I am Fortune's fool" speaker : ROMEO. Act 3, Scene 1. Romeo has just killed Tybalt, and realizes that no matter what he does from now on, he is no longer in charge of his own destiny.
32. Dough : MOOLA.
33. Intel collector : SPY. With the short "intel," I was looking for an abbr. like CIA or FBI...then we have 54-Down. Whom to trust, per a 33-Across : NO ONE.
39. Srs.' income sources : IRAs. Now we get the abbr. in the clue, so Individual Retirement Accounts made sense to me.
41. Pedro's lucky number? : SIETE. The extent of my Spanish is counting from one to ten. Thank goodness they weren't looking for unlucky 13!!
42. Masters champ between Craig and Ben : SEVE. Craig Stadler (1982), Ben Crenshaw (1984) and Seve Ballesteros (1983.) He also won it in 1980.
46. Like Mars, apparently : RED. I dunno, what do you think?
47. Pioneering computer : ENIAC. A team of six women did most of the programming, but their role was historically downplayed.
48. Tennis great with 11 Grand Slam singles titles : NADAL. Did not know this guy. Impressive.
50. Frat party recyclable : BEER CAN. Hesitated between "keg" or CAN...perps to the rescue!
53. ___ code : PENAL.
61. Where to find a hero : DELI. Great clue!
64. Icy cold : GELID.
65. Floor plan division : ROOM.
66. Hubristic : VAIN. From the ancient Greek ύβρις, meaning extreme pride or arrogance.
67. "Hunger Games" battle setting : ARENA. I still haven't seen the movie. Am I the only one?
68. Prefix with European : INDO.
69. Put under : DRUG. Hard to suss this one.
70. Lamb creation : ESSAY. Charles Lamb, best known for his "Essays of Elia."
71. Hammer part : PEEN. More than you ever needed to know...
Down:
1. Control tower spots : BLIPS. "Beyond the Blips" article. Scary!
2. Ear-related : AURAL.
3. Playground retort : ARE SO. Now, now - play nice!
4. Rent collector : LESSOR.
5. Similar : AKIN. Not to be confused with a certain Missouri ex-Representative.
6. Cold water hazard : BERG. Do you remember the difference between a berg and a floe? Yellowrocks can remind you!
7. Before thou know'st : ANON. Cute.
8. Church council : SYNOD.
9. Cause of many a mistake : HASTE...makes waste.
10. Religious enterprises : MISSIONS. What's your position?
11. Busy goings-on : ADO.
12. Disney collectible : CEL. Short for celluloid, and now mostly abandoned as a medium since computer animation has taken over the field.
13. Hornswoggled : HAD. "I been had!"
21. NASDAQ debuts : IPOs. Initial Public Offerings.
22. Saint with a fire : ELMO. How would you like flying in this, Dudley? 0:41
25. Short-straw drawer : LOSER.
26. Anti-inflammatory brand : ALEVE. My go-to drug of choice...
27. Abominable : HATED. Aw, I can't hate this guy!
29. It's not optional : MUST.
30. Polish language : EDIT. Nice misdirection.
31. Ancient Greek theater : ODEON.
33. Hit back? : SIDE B. Nice misdirection.
34. Trim, as a tree : PRUNE. Anyone else want "adorn" at this time of year?
35. Singer in the Whiffenpoofs : YALIE. 2012 version here. 4:05
37. Italian peak : ETNA.
38. Sine qua non : NEED. Literally Latin "without which there"...is nothing.
40. Permanently marking : SCARRING. For life.
44. Danish shoe company : ECCO. This week we had UGG. Now ECCO. But neither one holds a candle to these.
45. Weakens : SAPS.
49. Deliver, as a rant : LET RIP.
51. Aquatic plant life : ALGAE. Like this. 0:31
52. Phils, e.g. : NLERS. Philadelphia Phillies, National Leagu(ers) of baseball.
55. Positive pole, perhaps : ANODE.
56. Fruit high in vitamin C : LEMON.ade, our own Friday blogger!
58. Places in la mer : ILES. French for "The Sea" and "islands." 9:29 and 9:14 (Hey, I try to do equal times here. Debussy and King Crimson.)
59. One of a historic seagoing trio : NINA. Pinta and Santa Maria were the other two ships...
60. Howdy from Adelaide : G'DAY.
61. Pirate's booty? : DVD. Like the spoils of this 92 Y.O. bada**.
62. Teacup handle : EAR. In MA, we have "teacup handle" turns at some traffic lights. You have to go right, in order to turn left. They are also called "Jug handle" turns in NJ and other northeastern states.
63. C.W. Post is its largest campus : LIU. Long Island University. Thursday level clue for early week movie actress Lucy. I believe this campus is close to Splynter.
That's all for this week!
Hugs,
Marti
Hugs,
Marti
84 comments:
Hello Puzzlers -
Smooth sailing today. Nasal was the only unknown, though Gelid was hard to be sure of. Hand up for Keg before Can.
Morning Marti! What's Hunger Games? I only guessed at Arena.
I noticed double consonants in all the theme answers and figured it must be part of the plan. The unifier booted out that idea. Clever clue of the day has to be Polish language.
Cheers All!
That was Nadal, not Nasal. Might have been an Autocorrect thing.
Greetings!
Interesting puzzle, Jeff! Great expo, Marti!
Thanks to those of you who were concerned about me. Have enormous bandage on arm which I am babying. Just hope that the second time they got all the cancer cells!
Good thoughts go to LaLaLinda!
My mother got the flu after every flu shot. You might want to read what Dr. Mercola says about flu shots. I take lots of vitamins and have not had the flu as far back as I can remember. Do not get colds either.
This is my favorite rendering of Ghost Riders in the Sky.
Holistic (rhymes with expensive) dentist today.
Can't seem to get to sleep. No surprise, since I slept most of the day. Tired, though.
Cheers!
Morning, all!
Glad to see you're back and OK, fermatprime!
I blew through most of this puzzle with little resistance, even though I never figured out what, exactly, was going on with the theme. For a change, I even got the sports references (SEVE and NADAL) right off the bat.
I say "most" because I nearly crashed and burned in the teeny SW corner. I had DELI and SCARRING, but LIU was a complete unknown to me and I just couldn't think of EAR, DVD or DRUG. I finally figured out DVD, though, and that let me get the rest. *whew*
Good morning. Thank you Jeff Stillman and thank you Marti.
Jak sie masz ?
Loved the Played the siren and Place to find a hero clues.
Did Delilah play a siren ? Was Samson a hero ?
My delay was in the middle. 2 down clues in a row, starting with 29D It's not optiMAL. D'OH !
As for the next one at 30D... Windy City residents see the following on a regular basis, Mowimy po polsku or Mowimy po polska. Right Mari ?
Very nice Thursday offering. Thank you.
"Humiliate : ABASH. I always hesitate between ABASH and "abase."
Likewise.
"Pioneering computer : ENIAC. A team of six women did most of the programming, but their role was historically downplayed."
?
"Polish language : EDIT. Nice misdirection."
Indeed.
"Hand up for Keg before Can."
Hand up.
Good morning all,
Wasn't crazy about a lot of the cluing today and it resulted in a DNF. Most of the trouble spots were in the NE & NW. Had AMTOO for 3D and that left me with ????? for 14,17,& 20A. Had SURE for 19D leaving ???? for 16A, 11, 12 ,&13D.
In the central I entered UNIAC for 47A. Everything else was OK, but I struggled throughout.
I was surprised to find my wag for 43A, DULCET TONES, was correct. My learning moment for today.
LA LA Linda, here's hoping all goes well for your husband.
Good morning!
I didn't hesitate at all. I confidently penned ABASE and then wondered how EASTE could cause mistakes. My NINES eventually turned into NLERS. On the other hand, I waited for the perps to decide KEG/CAN/MUG and PEEN/CLAW.
I took several wrong turns. I thought "Intel" referred to the company, and I really scratched my head to come up with the name of a Polish language. My final entry was the "D in NADAL -- I figured it couldn't be NATAL or NASAL.
Cute comment on MISSIONS, Marti. And No, you're not the only one who hasn't seen The Hunger Games.
It seems (Wiki) that C.W. Post of Post cereal fame, never lived on Long Island. The C.W. Post campus was constructed on land formerly owned by Post's daughter and her husband, E.F. Hutton.
TTP @ 6:51 am: Right you are! We also see prisoners escaping out of 5" wide windows. Welcome to Chicago!
Great puzzle today, some real head scratchers. This took me longer than normal (which I appreciate).
I really liked these clues:
- 30D: Polish Language: EDIT (I was thinking more along TTP's line of thought)
- 33D: Hit Back? SIDE B (gets me every time!)
- 52D: Phils, e.g.: NLRS (thank God for PERPS)
- 61D: Pirate's Booty: DVD
Busy, busy, busy at work. The boss is on vacation next week and wants all year-end reporting done today! Boy have we been scrambling!
I hope you have a great Thursday and I hope your shopping is done. I heard a fellow commuter say they went to Target last night and it was an absolute zoo. Hand up for early shoppers.
When E. F. Hutton talked, did Post's daughter listen?
:-)
As others, I had KEG before CAN, misinterpreted "Polish", and thought DVD was clever. But, as Wednesday's puzzle was more like a Tuesday puzzle, this seemed more like a Wednesday puzzle. Does this bode well for Friday and, my weekly nemesis, Saturday? [10:31]
My noggin still hurts from that BEER CAN (gee, I coulda HAD a V-8) head smack for SIDE-B.
Plus I knew there wasn't a Tennis great named Madal, so I changed Odeum to ODEON and got NADAL.
Al: I'm not worrying about this weeks Saturday ... it ain't gonna happen. lol
Husker: Can we assume that golf game is on hold?
Only able to finish with red letter help. Missed the theme; needed help there too.
Off to LGA in a couple hours. 3 hour layover in Minneapolis, then on to CT. Looks like we might thread through the snow storms.
Have a warm day,
Montana
Thank you Mr. Stillman, for a nice challenging puzzle. It was a DNF, but I still enjoyed it.
Thank you Marti, for a delightful commentary. Your links were wonderful and I really learnt a lot.
'Side B', 'Yalie' and 'LIU' messed me up. I had 'ALers' instead of 'NLers' - I was half right ....
My daughter gave me the Avatar DVD, six months ago, but I haven't seen it yet .... one of these days ....
For the best Indian movie in the last 15 years, you may want to consider watching, "English Vinglish" - (at least I think so).
Marti, I am now the proud owner of a brindle-black feral cat. It has brought me incredible luck, and I feel the least I can do is to feed it. I see it for 5 minutes, every 3 days, but that is good enough for me.
The cat has mastered the art, of melting my heart.
Have a good rest of the week, you all and best wishes.
Dudley, "Hunger Games" is (was?) a wildly popular movie that came out this year, based on the 2008 novel by the same name. It's about a post-apocalyptic world where young people from each sector are pitted against each other and forced to fight to the death. Ugh, not my cup of tea...
Anonymous @ 7:11, in my ENIAC comment, I was referring to this essay by Jennifer Light. (I bet Fermatprime is familiar with it!)
Today's Google Doodle, is in honor of Grimms Fairy tales - 200 years - it is a user -activated, clickable, slide show, of a cartoon of 'Little Red Riding Hood', .... all the way to a happy ending. Worth watching.
Anony-mouse, LOL at the feral cat saga, and glad to hear it is having a happy ending. But you really should get it trapped and spayed before you end up with an even bigger dilemma. Many towns subsidize the cost, so check with your local vets to see if they have such a free or minimal cost service. Some even offer the free use of Havahart traps. Good luck!
SW corner was all that slowed me down but even that turned out to be fun after Put Under wasn’t BURY and my pirate was electronic. I saw the theme early which was a real bonus.
Musings
-I never made a big deal of PASSING NOTES. I just told them to put them away for now.
-I had a 24 hour bug yesterday but went out and blew some snow at 8:30 pm and had a SUDDEN ONSET of dizziness (laid down on garage floor) after not eating all day. I’ll take IDIOT for $1,000 Alex.
-Getting past MACH 1 was dangerous and avowed goal of jet jockeys in the 50’s
-My hotel room had MINTS first, and I was SHAMEd not ABASED. Gotta love Polish language and Hit back.
-Do Spanish crap shooters say SIETE venir once?
-No one wanted to call these BLIPS
UFO’s in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (3:27)
-My impatience has reinforced HASTE makes waste maxim
-ALEVE has worked wonders for me on occasion
-Read y’all later, gotta go scoop/blow some of this white Christmas stuff
Happy Thursday, everyone. I Enjoyed this puzzle, but was stumped by the SW corner. WEES about EDIT,ABASH, and HASTE. Marti, I enjoyed your take on MISSION. SIETE came to me courtesy of my Sesame Street Spanish.
Safe journey, Montana. I wonder if you will pass my son and his girlfriend in the Mpls airport. They also have a three hour layover on the way here from CT. I'm a little nervous, since our Christmas will be a lot more quiet than what she's used to.
A fast start, but a serious slow down near the end. That SW corner was tuffff!
I think we got off easy on the snow, with only around 2" in our location, but it sure is icy. Lincoln reports around 6". There are huge chunks of I-80 closed across the state, and most flights from both Omaha and Lincoln have been cancelled, so it evidently is widespread. The sun is out, but the wind is still at 30mph, so there is still drifting taking place and it's just generally not a nice day.
Marti, I fully agree with your link article, that the importance of women in Computing, ( and Engineering - ) has been historically, ignored and under-rated. You may want to read on the biography of Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992), co-developer of FORTRAN and especially, inventor of COBOL, who first mentioned about a 'bug' in the software programs, retd. as Rear Admiral, U.S.Navy - one of very few women, ( USS Hopper, DDG-70 - named after her.).
FYI, in an article of the Indian Council for Scientific Research - of the top 38 Medical schools and Engineering (Technology ) colleges in India - for the last 18 years - women comprise a full 64% of the total enrollment - and graduation. Entrants are selected strictly on blind, non-interview based Merit order, and on a gender-neutral entrance examination.
Hi All ~~
Enjoyed the puzzle ~ hesitated at both 1A and 1D and thought this was going to be tough, but it all seemed to fall into place without too much trouble. Loved all the misdirection ~ always fun to figure out. Thanks for pointing out all the good stuff in your write-up, Marti - some of it escaped me. My last fill was 30D - 'Polish language.' With my husband's Polish ancestry, my mind was in Poland. Really clever clues today!
Thank you for the many good wishes for my husband's health. We returned to the hospital late yesterday afternoon - getting him down the stairs was a challenge, but we managed. Lots of waiting, different theories from different doctors but last night they decided to admit him and put him on IV antibiotics and pain meds. What we were given on Sunday wasn't doing anything - not strong enough. After X-rays showed no structural damage to the knee (the swelling is just below that) they've determined that it is cellulitis causing the problem.
He had hit his leg and scraped it earlier last week - hard to believe that could cause such a problem! As of this morning there's no change but hopefully after a couple of days there, things will improve.
I'm off to my own doctor's appointment (just a check-up) and then will check in at the hospital after that.
Glad to hear from you, Fermatprime - wishing you the best.
Enjoy the day ~~
Tin, yeah, I’m gonna clean the clubs this afternoon. Being inside today feels like being in a big cocoon as the wind and snow whip around.
We got the snow scooped/blown but the snow grader hasn’t been by yet. Those of you who live where it does snow know that digging out the end of the driveway after he goes by is often the worst job. My neighbor across the street faces north and he had to scoop/blow a lot more snow than I did. Generally we got about 6”.
My neighbor had yard signs up this fall for every candidate I DID NOT support but I blew off his corner lot walks anyway. He’s a good guy and we can disagree agreeably.
Marti, an engaging and fun write-up as always.
Best wishes to LaLa and Ferm.
Good morning:
A nice Thursday offering, Jeff, and neat expo, Marti.
Favorite clues were Polish language, hit back, where to find a hero, and pirate's booty. I had less trouble today than I had yesterday.
To all those being affected by the storm, stay safe.
Have a great Thursday.
G'DAY, puzzlers. You make me laugh, Marti, especially your MISSION question!
Ditto on ADORN before PRUNE. Also ABASE then HASTE gave me ABASH.
What started as a speed run at the top came to screeching halt at both bottom corners. Could not get off SAG at 45D so PENAL code eluded me and had MELON for 56D. Then on the SW corner had no idea about LIU so a DNF for me today. Drat!
I really enjoyed the clever cluing, though, especially for EDIT,SPY,DELI,and HAD.
LLLinda:
Glad everything turned out fine and for you, Fermatprime, as well.
Hand up for not having seen The Hunger Games. I wasn't crazy about the book so don't care to see it.
Mari, Target sounds like Walgreens where I had to go yesterday and have never seen so many shoppers there! Luckily I could pick up my one item and go!
You all enjoy your Thursday!
I spent 15 minutes on the whole puzzle and 5 minutes waiting for the picture on the DVD to appear ,
Typical pirated material ...!
Ferm:
Thank you for posting Johnny Cash's version of Ghost Riders. I love it! Also listened to him and Willie Nelson. Good stuff.
Dudley@8:13
LOL! I wonder if younger people know that reference.
Hi gang -
Took me a while to catch onto the anagram theme. Ah - the aha moment!
Quite a good puzzle.
Still, I made a mess of it. Other than stubbornly staying with BEER KEG, I won't even admit to the sad litany of errors leading up to my DNF.
I'll just add that item A in Marti's hammer diagram is a BAAL PEEN.
Other interesting symmetries:
LEMON BLIPS
RED SPY
MUST NEED
Have you ever liked the hit, but HATED SIDE B?
Husker could play today with GELID IRONS.
COOL [not GELID] REGARDS
JzB
fYI:your "ear" in Michigan we call it "a michigan uie"
This talk of left turns reminded me of an article I read years ago about a Pittsburgh Left. At that time (c.1994?) it was noted as working pretty well in practice. I wonder how well it works when there are out of towners involved? Anybody with experience in this local custom?
Perfect Thursday puzzle, Jeff--many thanks! Started very slowly with just one or two and then more fell into place and then, miraculously, I got the unifier which helped with remaining theme words. A perfect way for a puzzle to work. And I loved your cute snowman, Marti.
Like many others I had ABASE and KEG at first. I thought I knew my campuses but have never heard of C. W. Post.
Anony Mouse, that's so sweet that you gave your feral cat an outdoor home.
So glad your news is okay today, LaLaLinda and Fermatprime.
Have a great day, everybody.
Good afternoon Marti and all.
Thought I would suffer a DNF. After the easy top, chipped away at it and took a couple short breaks. Finally filled in the left center and it was done. Had beer keg before BEER CAN. Didn't know DVD or LIU, but perps helped provide for WAG. Never did suss the theme but no matter. Several cute/clever clues as Marti mentioned.
Hi kids, Missed a lot lately. DNF today, but regards to all. Time flies when you're behind the eight ball.
I really enjoyed this puzzle. Loved the misdirection in some of the clues. Overall it was quite simple. Some of you talking about cleaning up some of the white stuff. Up here in the Great White North I've never touched a shovel this season yet, and never had to shovel once all last winter. I guess it's true what they say " the poles are reversing and Ontario Canada is on its way to becoming the new Florida." Take care everyone and have fun in the snow!
Hi there~!
I actually taught Adult Education AutoCAD at LIU, next door to the C.W. Post campus - actually a bit of a trip, but it was a Saturday morning 9-12 class, so traffic was light.
Splynter
Good Thursday morning wishes to you all! I thought there were some really fun and tricky clues such as Frat party recyclable, Where to find a hero, Pirate's booty, Hit back and Polish language. I wonder which ones were Jeff's and which were Rich's?
Some college songs are SO pretty like The Whiffenpoof Song. Also Cornell's Alma Mater, Far Above Cayuga's Waters.
Desper-otto, I haven't seen The Hunger Games and I doubt that I will.
Santa's problem:
Santa needed 100 more smallish presents at the last minute so he went to the store. These included model planes at $10 each, little books at $3 each and candy canes at 50 cents each. If it cost him exactly $100 for all the presents, how many of each kind did he get? (You must include at least one present of each kind or it’s too easy.)
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Jeff Stillman, for a great puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for the equally great write-up.
This the second time today I have written on the blog. Thenfirstbtime my daughter and I were out shopping. She was driving and I was typing on the IPad. She mad e a turn and centrifugal force caused the screen to rotate. I typed somewhere I should not have and blew thenwhole thing away. Now we are back in the car. We will try thisnagain.
Started at the top and got started, but stumped. Headed to the South. Got most of that, except the SW.
Got BEER CAN easily. ECCO not so easy. But I still got it.
Could not catch the theme until I read the write-up.
Looked for a Polish language word for 30D. My wife is Polish, so that was in my head.
GELID is not a word you see every day.
Husker Gary: When I read your notes about scooping snow it caught my attention. We always called it shoveling snow. I worked with guy from Kearney, Nebraska, and he also called scooping snow. Thought that was interesting, regional terminology being a little different. I hope we have more to shovel this year than last year. We need a good winter.
Fermatprime. Good luck with your arm. LaLa Linda. Hope your husband feels better.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
I have had a very trying day. I realized my Hooters calendar ends in eleven days on 12/31/2012. Now the Mayans have assured us not to worry about their calendar ending tomorrow, but what about Hooters? Like the Mayans, these girls are very smart and have big brains. They always know what I want before I do. I began to panic. I begged my wife to go with me to Hooters to discuss this wtih their local representatives but to no avail. Finally a friend volunteered to take me.
Great news they had for me; for only $13.95 I could get an updated calendar that would give the earth another 365 days of existence! Whew! Crisis averted. Those girls are so smart. They even knew I needed some chicken wings and beer.
Regarding the Santa puzzle; as always, if you have an/the answer, either e-mail it to me or cleverly disguise your answer so as not to spoil it for anybody else who is still working on it.
Gary, interesting about your good-guy neighbor. It's good that you are both like that. There are a couple of guys I used to share a First Class bulletin board with. In the Politics conference, neither of them could disagree with anybody without name-calling or getting super snarky. Yet, they might have been pleasant people otherwise.
Yes, I've been to Hooters twice. I found the waitresses to be very friendly, personable and pleasant to chat with.
Enjoyed the puzzle. I always hate when I read the clue wrong..or to fast.. Like Ancient Greek market instead of theater.. So it took awhile to clean up..
I think it is always interesting to see the difference between popular culture knowledge of the group. I follow tennis so Nadal was very easy for me..
I am glad to see that the midwest is getting snow. I look at the drought monitor and is amazing how much of the country needs rain.
Thanks for the write up...I always come away with some aha moments.
No spare time today, had to do the puzzle red letter. Not very satisfying, but the wonderful wordplay made up for it!
Why isn't this stone rolling?
Speaking of balancing stones...
Have you heard the expression, living stone?
Which brings me to S. American Stone Work. It is said that the Inca removed solid blocks of stone from the mountain. "If" this is true, how did they do it??? I cannot think of a better puzzle solving bunch of people to solve this mystery. Seriously, how do you remove a solid block of stone leaving a perfectly smooth cavity in the mountain? Any thoughts would be appreciated!
& Finally, what would people think when they discover this 2000 years from now?
CED:
Maybe they carved out the nooks in the mountains to put things there. That aren't there anymore. Idols, Icons, etc. Just a thought.
Abejo
BillG:
I just read the editorial you posted last night. Thank you for that. Now if only more and more influential voices echo those opinions, maybe something will be done.
Worry Wort -
Thank you for saving the world. Your sacrifice is deeply appreciated. Especially since my daughter's birthday is the 22nd, and Nate and Em are staying with us overnight.
You don't see the Wiffenpoofs every day, so this is a rather weird coincidence. I just wrote a parody on that song on Monday.
Turns out, the song is a parody on a tragic Kipling poem.
Cheers!
JzB
This was one of my all time favorite puzzles, Jeff. Your misdirections were funny and clever, very tricky, but doable. I concur with all those listed above. Polish language was my favorite. I enjoyed your interesting links, Marti.
Hondo, I hope you will feel better soon. The flu is no walk in the park. LaLaLinda, my thoughts are with you and your hubby. I hope this time the diagnosis is correct so they will be able to cure the problem.
Fermatprime, I am happy that your operation went well and that you had a long rest afterwards. Good luck with your dental appointment. I know it is expensive, but delay will only increase the cost. HG, I’m sorry you fainted. Do take care.
One of my sisters raved about the book, The Hunger Games, but her recap turned me off. It sounded too much like the “reality” TV shows which I find abominable. I will neither read the book nor watch the movie. I’d like to see Lincoln and Life of Pi.
Bill G.
I already emailed you the correct answer but ... Santa really bought:
2 model planes ($20)
10 little books ($30)
100 Candy Canes ($50)
That way he spent the $100 ...
Got the 100 little presents he needed ...
And on his way back to the North Pole ...
He ate(enjoyed for himself) the remaining 12 Candy Canes.
Good afternoon, everyone! Really enjoyed this puzzle – thanks, Jeff. Got a kick out of many of the same clues / answers others have already mentioned (especially Hit Back?, Red States? and Polish language). Plus, “hornswoggled” is just a fun word to see spelled out. Thanks for a nifty expo, Marti – I loved the Abominable picture.
Glad you’re on the mend, Fermatprime. Your “holistic (rhymes with expensive)” comment proves your sense of humor is fit as a fiddle. LaLaLinda, hope the docs hit on the right treatment to get your hubby up and about soon.
Average Joe, our daughter went to grad school in Pittsburgh, and one of the first things I noticed driving around town was that the first left-turners would always jump out in front of me as soon as the light turned green – and get very offended if I honked or tried to go first. After a while, I just assumed it was a “local thing”, but still didn’t like it.
Round Two of the out-of-town visitors showing up tonight. Fortunately, they’ll be staying at a nearby hotel; our little house is filled to the brim already.
Have a great evening, folks!
Hola Everyone, A real DNF for me today. I had about 1/4 of the puzzle finished and came to a screeching halt. My head just wasn't with it today. Thanks HeartRx for the writeup today. I needed all the clarification I could get! LOL!
I wanted to check in to find out how LalaL's husband was doing. Good to hear that perhaps this is the correct diagnosis.
And also good to hear from fermatprime. Hopefully your last surgery will be successful. Been there, done that. Just SCARRING to show that something was done.
Have a great rest of the day, everyone.
Mayan Weather Forecast! We’ve only got a few hours left!
YR – thanks for the sympathy but I was just light headed and had to lie down for 10 minutes. Once again, what an idiot I am! I came in and had some Gatorade, a banana and some applesauce. BART mnemonic for upset tummies = Banana, Applesauce, Rice, Tea.
Abejo, makes sense, but does not explain how they did it. Just check out this hidden temple.
Sun temple
Puma Punku
& the latest discovery, Gobekli Tepe
I finished my Christmas shopping today, did the laundry and bought all the non perishables for Christmas dinner and other company meals. I hate to have to return for the rest of the groceries on the weekend or Dec.24th. Crowds are an abomination to me.
I have one more batch of Christmas cookies to make. Instead of rolling out Linzer tart cookies, I will use the almond dough and make thumb print cookies with raspberry jam.
Our traditional family sand tart recipe, which I made yesterday, is very buttery with little flour proportionately. The dough is rolled so thin that I can see the wood grain of the baking board through the dough. The cookies turn out potato chip thin and crunchy and melt in your mouth. They are a pains-taking labor of love for the munchers and for my mom and grandma before me.
After reading Lucina's post about the Editorial Bill G. posted last night, I went back to read the article.
Thanks Bill G. for posting this. Hopefully there are enough others in our Legislature and the general public to get something done. Not just about the guns but about the mental health issues.
Last evening there was a bit on the TV evening news about arming teachers and administrators so that they would have a gun to protect themselves and their classroom.
I'm so against this. We don't need more guns in schools. It would take only ONE curious and persistant child to want to "see" that gun and we would have a tragedy on our hands with a Capital T.
We won't have a gun in our home so why would I want to send my child to school where there are guns--even locked up and secure. Such thinking is just wrong.
Great music link for you all: Rapture
There is something for everyone. Try one you've never heard of. I really liked #2. #9 and #11. #15 and #4 were good also. The side links kept me busy too.
This was posted a few days ago and I'm still not through it.
Hi all,
Yesterdays puzzle wasn't easy and neither was this but I realy wasn't into it anyway.
Yesterday,after a Bible study at church, as I was going out the door I fell on my left side. Most of the group was gone but fortunatly the door didn't go shut so I started yelling and finally got the attention of Pastor Blake and the Christion Education Directer(who is also the pastor's wife)and they helped me up but it hurt to walk.
My DH took me to the ER and xrays showed I have a crack in my pelvis. So I won't be getting Christmas dinner as I have to either sit or lay down. Fortunately, my DH and son can do the cooking so I will just have to give advice.
The pain isn't as bad as it was yesterday.
Our snow is still coming down. It is at least 12 inches deep but is about over. The wind is still blowing.
Have a good evening!
Marge
Avg Joe, re: "Pittsburgh Left"... I am familiar, but haven't been there in a good while.
Pittsburgh is old town built with the neighborhoods nestled on the hills and in the valleys of the Allegheny, the Mon, and the Ohio rivers. A lot of tight neighborhood streets and roads. Most of the flatland in the valleys had been gobbled up by the steel mills, that are now torn down.
If anyone has ever sat on a two lane street waiting for someone up front to make a left, you'll understand why it's done even though the oncoming traffic has the right of way.
Same thing happens in some neighborhoods in Chicago where there is no room for left turn lanes. I would imagine, in any of the older cities with similar restrictions, that considerate locals do it as a matter of courtesy.
Of course, the common courtesy that starts in the neighborhoods becomes so engrained that some people expect to be afforded that right of way even when they don't need it.
IMO, it's fairly easy to identify the normally city and urban area drivers when they get out on the interstates and rural areas, no matter where in this country. I have friends in Wisconsin who have an acronym for these certain Chicago summer vacationers heading to and leaving the Dells. FIBs.
I'm sure those "Pittsburgh Lefts" are still being done in Pittsburgh, although technically it's illegal. There are "jug handle" turns in some areas of congested Pittsburgh suburbia.
Still no snow in the western burbs of Chicago, but the forecast is 2 to 4 inches in my area with sustained winds of 30 to 40 MPH and gusty winds of up to 50.
Marge, hope you are you doing well up there. Thought I saw where areas through southwest Wisconsin already have well over 12 inches.
Hi Y'all, "Over the ground lies a mantle of white..." We got it too. Luckily, I have the self-defrosting driveway--south-facing which catches the now-sunny rays & slanted enough the melt runs off. The ground being warm sure helped.
Clever puzzle! Too clever. I got all the theme fills, Seve & Nadal, so I have to be happy with my level of achievement. I was HAD by the cluing on something in every block. Thanks, Marti, for enlightenment.
IMHO the importance of women has been underated in almost every aspect of historic achievement.
No "Hunger Games" in any form for me. Think that may be going on for real in the mean streets today.
St. Elmo's fire clip was interesting. I also watched the side clip about the "fire" while refueling in air.
What keeps the fuel from igniting? Lack of oxygen at that altitude?
Wonder why archeologists always call those Inca (etc.) buildings "temples". The one looks like an apartment building to me.
LaLaLinda: if they don't get a satisfactory diagnosis on your husband's leg, you might try a good chiropractor. I've had so many missed diagnoses on leg and foot injuries from physicians. Something may just be out of alignment enough to block fluid flow and cause swelling and pain. The leg might just need a good jerk. Good luck!
Ah Marge, I was typing while you were posting. So sorry to hear that ! Please take care and stay warm.
Marge: How painful! Hope your pelvis knits rapidly! Don't try to do too much--lot of inner & outer stress on the pelvic area. I know from experience. Sometimes they find more damage later.
Has anyone received this e-mail? Finally, a cat video I can get into. If it is fake, please don't tell me.
Seen:
Great link of Chester Cheetah ...
Cheap Eco-tourists wouldn't even offer him some cheetos ...
TTP, thanks for the expansion on that local custom (and Java Mama as well). As I said the article I read was nearly 20 years ago, but as I read it, I thought "That makes too much sense. Glad it works that way.....but..."
We have a bottleneck on the south edge of Lincoln where there is a T intersection on 2 arterials right beside a heavily used double RR track that causes lots of complications. Without trying to bore you, it is a situation where the local customs that have evolved make it work pretty well....until someone unfamiliar gets involved. It generally is a practice where drivers allow vehicles turning against traffic to go first, and in turns, until the clog clears after the train has passed. The problems arise when either an aggressive asshat demands going first or a timid non-native won't grab the gap when offered. I see that as being the biggest chink in the Pittsburgh Left, but still think its pretty neat when practicality overrules the hard view of the law. Ah, to live in simpler times!
Seen, great cat video!
More unusual animal behavior
& seriously, how do you cut stone like the incas? Any masons out there?
Ced, I'm no mason but from your links it looks like they used a diamond tipped saw and a really, really long extension cord. But.. I could be wrong.
Bill G. I came home tonight with a major league headache so I'll try your little puzzle after the "Tylenol" kicks in.
Yellowrocks, Those thumb prints cookies with jam are a family favorite. My mother sent up a huge batch for thanksgiving. Bless her heart. I'm expecting another package shortly for Xmas.
Marge, so sorry to hear about your fall! And at this time of year, yet. Take good care of yourself. I'm so glad you have loving family who will help out.
Chickie, I couldn't agree with you more.
Lucina and Chickie, I'm glad you enjoyed that editorial. He's a really good writer and does a weekly column; sometimes funny and sometimes serious but always intelligent and thoughtful.
Manac, LOL ! Yea, I was thinking they might have used some kind of plasma cutter, or high pressure water system.
As Mari wrote earlier, there were two convicts that managed to squeeze through a 5" diameter whole at the city lockup. They were on the 15th to 17th floor - according to different reports - and slid down the exterior of the building on ropes made of bedsheets sewn together with dental floss.
Now THAT is a poser. It occurs to me that with over $500K in bank loot still missing - that one of the convicts was responsible for - they may have had some inside help and taken the elevator.
Marti, you piqued my curiosity on the "Computers" of ENIAC. Great link !
The last six paragraphs of this article from Columbia.edu, under the section, "From a Computer History Museum announcement, 19 September 2008" summarizes it very well. No one gave them any credit
This puzzle was full of ridiculously obscure clues. Getting the theme answers was the easiest part of the puzzle, but didn't help with many of the other answers...Ear, Drug, DVD, NLERs, LIU...Gimme a break...
Before thou know'st @ 7:46. Perhaps you should stick to the USA Today Puzzle, or at least refrain in your criticism of the constructors.
TTP...Perhaps you should get a life, other than crossword blogging.
Anon @ 8:35
To slightly misquote a line.
"What in the Wild Wild World of Sports are you doing here then?"
ANON @8:35 TTP and the rest of us have a fine life. It's doing great puzzles like this that make us think. The tricky clues are the most interesting to us.Puzzles where we fill im the answers as fast as we can write are not all that challenging.
I knew that tea cup handles are called EARs, although EAR is more common for a pitcher handle IMO. It was interesting to learn that the turns we in NJ call jug handles are tea cup handles in other states.
Good night.
Marti, thanks for explaining today's puzzle for me. I liked what I was able to finish...managed to get one of the theme answers.
Marge, please take care and don't overdo. Pelvic injuries are so painful.
I enjoyed the links CED. In the future I think we will understand much more about these structures.
I had a virus today that I think I caught while getting a checkup at the doctor's office. I hope it is the 24 hr kind.
I just saw on the new that some in NE have lost power so I am hoping our friends there are staying warm!
good night all!
Bill G., I meant to mention that I really couldn't agree more with the editorial. I posted the blog letter written by the mother on my facebook page before it went viral. The issue of mental health needs not being met is one close to me. During the Reagan yrs we closed state institutions. Many of those patients now are in nursing homes, homeless or in prison. Family members must walk such a fine line trying to get help for a loved one. If assault weapons can be removed from the equation it will make a difference. I hope we have reached a point of TAKING action.
Michele, I'm glad you liked it. Me too.
New Zealand is still up and functioning as I'm typing. Maybe some people weren't right about the Mayans. Also, Harold Camping was recently wrong about the Rapture twice. I just can't understand it. What went wrong?
BillG:
In the news tonight it was reported that the entire eastern hemisphere where it's already Friday, nothing cosmic has happened. Imagine that!
I wonder how that rumor ever started, anyway?
Bill G - still chuckling... :) :) hopefully they were wrong... :)
I too liked the editorial... I read it last night... it would also help if there was a lot more discipline in the home..
My kids were raised with guns in the house... they knew what and where they were and they knew how to use them.... yet they never touched them just to touch them...
thelma
Today's puzzle, December 20, was a welcome pleasure.
Can someone please explain Pirate's booty = DVD?
Think of Intellectual Property piracy.
Make sense?
Doh!
boo
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