google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

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Dec 4, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

 
Theme: Unfettered - Three synonyms that while they may not be synonyms of each other or how they are used in their phrase, are synonyms of the unifier.

17A. Quits worrying : RESTS EASY. Easy in the phrase is an adverb but as a synonym of loose, that something or someone is permissive, is an adjective.

27A. Like 56 minutes of each hour of The Masters telecast : COMMERCIAL-FREE. The phrase use is as unobstructed but as a synonym of loose, free is unrestrained.

47A. "Get off my back!" : "CUT ME SOME SLACK!". Here slack is part of an idiom, to give someone a break. As a synonym of loose, slack is the antonym of taut.

62A. Unfinished business, or, in a way, what 17-, 27- and 47-Across have in common : LOOSE ENDS

Argyle here. This softball turned into a hardball when I tried to write it up. Thanks a lot, Marti. I hope I got it right. Good solid corners, the way Rich likes them.

Across:

1. Ho-hum time : DRAG. No drag here.

5. Ship's command post : HELM

9. Zip preceder : STATE

14. Really-really : OH SO. Superlatively qualitative. and 25D. Chop-chop : PRONTO

15. Verdi's "Celeste Aida," e.g. : ARIA

16. Hypothesize : POSIT

19. Oohed and __ : AAHed

20. "Luncheon on the Grass" painter : MANET. You know, the two guys and the naked chick.

21. Law firm bigwigs : PARTNERS

23. Group with many golden agers : AARP. If you don't know AARP, well, bless you son.

26. Failed firecracker : DUD

34. Federal web address ending : .GOV

35. Office betting groups : POOLS

36. CuraƧao neighbor : ARUBA. Map and Bottle.

37. TV's talking horse : MR. ED

39. Drum kit drum : SNARE

41. "Want the light __ off?" : ON OR

42. "Stick Up for Yourself" nasal spray : AFRIN

44. Glittery topper : TIARA

46. Molecule with a + charge, e.g. : ION

50. Mischief-maker : IMP

51. Hose fillers? : LEGS. I'm leaving this for Splynter.

52. Wide-awake : OPEN-EYED

57. Wanted poster word : ALIAS

61. Longish skirts : MIDIs

65. Temporarily unavailable : [IN USE]

66. Sask. neighbor : ALTA. (Saskatchewan/Alberta, Canada)

67. Macro or micro subj. : ECON.. Could be ECOL?

68. Help desk staffers, usually : TECHs

69. Hornet's home : NEST

70. Tebow throw, say : PASS. Still chuckle at New York Jest(from a past puzzle).

Down:

1. Quarter of a quad, perhaps : DORM. Quadrangle/Dormitory

2. Perlman of "Cheers" : RHEA Here is a classic clip.(I can't stop laughing) And seasonal, too.


3. Part of YMCA: Abbr. : ASSN.

4. Pep rally cry : "GO TEAM!"

5. Possess, in the Hebrides : HAE

6. Christian __ : ERA

7. Speech impediment : LISP

8. Honduras native : MAYA

9. Patty turner : SPATULA

10. How a pendulum swings : TO AND FRO

11. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE

12. Row at Wrigley : TIER. More alliteration.

13. LAX guesstimates : ETD's. Or any airport.

18. Email doesn't require one : STAMP

22. Nutritional abbr. : RDA. (recommended daily allowance)

24. 1920s-'30s Flying Clouds, e.g. : REOs. Early luxury cars from Oldsmobile.

27. Greek vacation isle : CORFU. A Greek island in the Ionian Sea.

28. For all to see : OVERT

29. Insurance case : CLAIM

30. Knesset country : ISRAEL. Knesset - The unicameral parliament of Israel [Hebrew, literally: gathering] Unicameral - consisting of a single chamber, as a legislative assembly.

31. Written in mystical letters : RUNIC

32. Kindle download : E-BOOK

33. Deservedly get : EARN

34. Former car-financing org. : GMAC. (General Motors Acceptance Corporation)

38. Dwindle : DIMINISH

40. Hebrides tongue : ERSE. Map. Home to Talisker Scotch.

43. Archrivals : NEMESES. Super heros seem to attract them.

45. Aquarium accumulation : ALGAE. Shouldn't there be little critters in there eating that stuff.

48. One seeking intelligence : SPY

49. In dreamland : ASLEEP. Where I should be.

52. Leave out : OMIT

53. "Ponderosa" tree : PINE


54. PTA's focus : EDUC.. Locally, it is PTSA, Parent-Teacher-Student Association. Is that what your school has?

55. Lust for life : ELAN

56. Charitable distribution : DOLE. What to do with the contributions.

58. Machu Picchu resident : INCA

59. Fusses : ADOs

60. Federal IDs : SSN's

63. Extra NHL periods : OT's

64. Did nothing : SAT


Argyle


100 comments:

Al Cyone said...

Pretty typical Tuesday puzzle with minor help from perps. [6:53]

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Nice tuse3day puzzle with a really tight theme. Anybody else go crazy when people confuse LOOSE with LOSE? Once might be a typo, but I frequently see people get it wrong multiple times in the same sentence/paragraph. Ugh.

I could have done without EDUC today, but everything else was solid. I was greatly relieved when RUN__ turned into RUNIC instead of RUNED, which is what I thought it might be at first.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Marti, for an excellent puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for an excellent review.

My IPad worked so I was able to get in early.

Could not get going in the NW so I headed to the North Central. HELM, ARIA, HAE, ERA, LISP, and MAYA were easy.

9A Zip preceder/STATE caused me to pause. I thought Zip should have been written ZIP, with all capitals. I believe it stands for Zone Improvement Plan. I held off on SYTATE until I had a couple crosswords.

Actually remembered MANET for 20A. I have seen that painting recently, somewhere.

AARP was easy of course. My Moose Lodge actually paid my AARP Dues. My new card showed up a few weeks ago courtesy of the Loyal Order of Moose. The next time I get back there I will have to ask them about that. It was a surprise, nonetheless.

Got the themes eventually. Never realized that the Masters was COMMERCIAL FREE for 56 minutes. Glad to hear that.

INCA was easy for 58D. We seem to get that a lot.

Enjoyed the Cheers clip, Argyle. That was a good show. I did not watch it all the time, but once in a while.

45D ALGAE is one reason I will never own an aquarium again. Once was enough.

Anyhow, off to my day.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Great fun, Marti! Swell expo, Argyle! Thanks!

Took a bit longer than usual Tuesday as my brain is really tired. Doesn't "Al Cyone" get amazing times? Is this name a play on "halcyon?"

We are in for some sunny days apparently. My CA desert tortoise doesn't seem to know what to do. I worry. (I have not been able to adopt a male friend for her but she pathetically lays an egg every year. Poor soul.)

It has been 6 weeks since I started weaning myself off of Nexium. Still have bad bouts of acid reflux; at the moment rather bothersome.

Am disappointed that there will be no new episodes of Castle until Jan. 7!

Cheers!

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Argyle and friends. I thought this was a tad tougher than the usual Tuesday fare. I had a hard time getting a toehold in this puzzle. SPATULA was my first fill. From there, the pieces slowly started to fill in.

I. too, thought of Splynter when I read Hose Fillers = LEGS.

My first thought was Alive instead of ALIAS for Wanted Poster Word. I was thinking of the Wild West when the posters sought one Dead or Alive.

I liked the two Hebrides references at 4- and 40-Down.

I was at the Knesset in October.

Just in case Argyle's description wasn't subtle enough.

No one had ever accused me of having multiple personalities before, although my DH sometimes calls me a psycho.

The pelicans have returned for their annual migration. They are such majestic birds.

QOD: In law, nothing is certain but the expense. ~ Samuel Butler (December 4, 1835 ~ June 18, 1902)

fermatprime said...

Did anyone figure out what the theme had to do with yesterday's USA Today puzzle?

thehondohurricane said...


Good morning everyone,

I did not have an easy time getting today's puzzle solved, but after a erasure or two, i managed to complete it.

What I thought was a "gotcha" turned out to be a learning moment. I thought 13D should have been clued ROWS, not ROW. But Mr Webster defines TIER as "One of a series of rows..." Marti. my apology for doubting you.

Started with AHSO for 14A, but 1D DORM got me back on track.

Thanks to Augusta National, the Masters is the one sporting event where innumerable TV time outs do not ruin the event.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I thought this was a tougher-than-usual Tuesday puzzle. I couldn't seem to get on Marti's wavelength. My pendulum was swinging BOTH WAYS and when I quit worrying, I LET IT PASS. Still, when reading Argyle's expo I realized that there were still a whole lot of clues that I had skipped entirely, because they were already filled in.

And just what is a Little Minch (Argyle's map of the Hebrides)? And where is the Big Minch?

Tinbeni said...

Argyle: Wonderful write-up, as always. Enjoyed the Cheers clip. Too funny!!!

Marti: Thank you for a FUN Tuesday.
Not sure how 14-A,"Really-really"= OH,SO, also didn't know the nasal spray, AFRIN, but my perps got-er-done.

Just read the later comments from yesterday/late night.
Geez, Maybe when I am ASLEEP it should be OPEN-EYED. lol

Barry G.: What's wrong with EDUC?
Also in a sentence talking about typo's (LOOSE-v-LOSE) what day is "tuse3day"???
(just pulling your LEGS, really-really. lol)

A "toast" to all my "Blue" cyber-friends at Sunset.
(The others, I don't know if you are really-really who you say you are ...)

Cheers !!!

grams said...

What happened to Anonymous' comment?

Fun puzzle. Reo was unknown because of clever clue. Looked up "flying cloud". Came up with airstream recreational vehicles?

Good write up as usual. Thx

Lucina said...

Good morning! A really, really good write up, thank you Argyle and a really, really good puzzle. Thanks, Marti. Time for a song from the Spice Girls?

Laughed to see AAHED following REST EASY as I sashayed quickly all the way through. This was no DRAG and what's with the Hebrides references, HAE and ERSE?

However, I had MAXIS before MIDIS and COMMERCIAL TIME before FREE became apparent.

Mice shoutout to MR. ED!

Have yourselves a fine Tuesday, everyone!

Anonymous said...

"'Luncheon on the Grass' painter : MANET. You know, the two guys and the naked chick."

There's two naked chicks, and they're prostitutes.

"Macro or micro subj. : ECON. Could be ECOL?"

No.

Mari said...

Nice puzzle today. I did well on the onset but tanked at the end. My SW corner is a scribble scrabble of write-overs.

I liked the clue for 1D: Quarter of a quad perhaps: DORM. (Even though I didn't get it without PERPs).

I'd never heard the term MIDI skirt. Maxi and mini, yes. But MIDI was unfamiliar to me.

Puzzle's done. Now I can REST EASY. Hope your day isn't a DUD!

Mari said...

I took Micro Economic and Macro Economics in college. Both were interesting, but Macro was definately easier.

Mari said...

I just read last nights comments - always a hoot!

Pas de Chat @ 7:49 pm yesterday: I love black cats (and your avatar)! Do you get the Black Cats Calendars?

Michele @ 8:17 pm: I slept on a Sleep Number bed at a hotel in San Francisco. I wasn't impressed.

Dudley @ 10:32 pm: My brother loves Frank Zappa. One of his favorite films is 200 Motels.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning all. Nice intro, Argyle.

Another delightful puzzle from Marti. Basically, not difficult. Had 'maxi' before MIDI. While HELM was easy enough, I think of a (navy) ship's command post as the 'bridge' where the helm is located. Perhaps the clue refers to an older sailing type vessel? Before entering CORFU, pondered that 'Crete' also has 5 letters.
Noticed the two 'helper' squares.

Have a great day.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Thanks, Marti, for another crisp puzzle! I must have been on your frequency, no speed bumps.

Morning, Argyle, loved the Cheers clip. I never saw that episode.

Gloomy rascal of a day here, probably needs GlĆ¼hwein to help it along!

kazie said...

An OH SO fun offering Marti--thanks!

I actually had trouble with that NW part, and returned to it at the very end. Having never experienced dorm life first hand, and being associated only with a very small campus here, I didn't picture DORM as part of a quad. I was thinking quadrangle, which is a section of the major uni I attended in Sydney--the Arts block, but no dorms were there. Then I thought does it mean a room for four people? Here we have only doubles or triples, but one berth in one of those would not constitute a whole dorm. In the end I just went with it because of perps, but GO TEAM is odd too--how do they know which TEAM?

Argyle,
Thanks for the Cheers clip. Why is TV comedy so lame these days?

kazie said...

Dudley,
We have a nice sunny day here today, but funny you should mention GlĆ¼hwein--our son and d-i-l were talking about the Christmas market this past weekend, and making us jealous with tales of the opening weekend for the markets with lots of Knacker (Wurst) and GlĆ¼hwein.

Dennis said...

Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - a nice, fun Tuesday solve today from our multi-talented Marti.

I had the same brief hesitations as others, namely thinking 'bridge' first for 5A and 'Crete' first for 27D. Saw no problem with 'educ'. Arglye, thanks for the laugh-out-loud Cheers clip and the excellent write-up.

For my fellow Calvin and Hobbes fans, I saw an article in today's paper about a web site where if you remember something from a particular strip, you can put in a keyword and it'll call up any strips with that word or phrase in it. Here it is.

It's early December and I spent almost all of yesterday in just a bathing suit. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this place and may stick around for the next several decades.

Dudley said...

Mari - I never saw the film 200 Motels, just heard the soundtrack. I wonder if I should Netflix it...

Spitz - in small, tiller-steered sailboats, I have generally taken "helm" to mean the aft part of the cockpit near the tiller. I never got to steer anything large enough to have a bridge!

On second thought, I did get to steer the excursion ferry Katahdin on Moosehead Lake. She had serious problems, especially needing a lot of right rudder just to track straight. There was also a slight bend in her prop shaft, which certainly throbbed. She was limited in screw RPM because of it.

Dudley said...

Kazie - send some of that sun over, willya? I love the look of Bavarian Christmas markets myself. GlĆ¼hwein adds to the experience!

Never tried a sleep number bed. My boss and his wife bought a Tempur Pedic, and instantly disliked it. Before the trial period was out they had the store delivery man return to take it away. The agent admitted that more such mattresses were returned than kept, and once they've been used, they have to be thrown out. Resale is not permitted. What a waste of material.

Dennis said...

Dudley, I hope you don't mind, but I'm stealing "she was limited in screw RPM". That's just too good a line not to use on occasion. Not to mention the 'bent, throbbing prop shaft'.

I should be in a rest home somewhere; my mind's rapidly deteriorating.

Husker Gary said...

Sunny, 62° today, back to the course after this cold and a Marti puzzle. Life is good!

Musings
-Kind of a DRAG to sit around for 5 days. Hey, I’ll make a map!
-Them there French girls can sure (un)dress for a picnic
-Since RHEA was a given, I avoided the mAnet/mOnet quandrum
-The NEA and the AARP have been big time advocates for me
-I had a friend who was trying to kick the nasal spray habit
-TBBT devotees remember Amy getting her TIARA from Sheldon and Kripke’s LISP
-She’s got LEGS and she knows how to use ‘em….
-Caffeine (hard for me to spell) is working its magic to make me OPEN-EYED
-My wanted poster had AL___ and I put ALIVE first
-Tebow PASS could be a wobble
-I went back to DORM Room 237 at Morey Hall last year. How did I live there?
-According to the MAYAS, 12/21/12 is all she wrote
-STAMPless email is so cool because it gives the recipient a chance to mull over a response, unlike a phone call
-NE is the only unicameral state in the union
-Huge PINES around here are suffering from wilt. So sad!
-QOD comment – I always felt my lawyer would bill me for telling me the time of day
-Kazie, I agree, what happened to smart, funny TV dialogue delivered by talented ensembles?

Anonymous said...

Super easy Tuesday. Wanted "alive" instead of "alias" caused a bit of extra ink in the southeast. The only other ink blot was "mini" instead of "midi", but when I read 54d, the correction was swift.

Are Inca and Maya not plural?

On another note, I tried doing the the crossword online a couple times, but fealt like I was somehow cheating. I find that pen and paper is how a crossword is intended to be completed. Furthermore, I will leave a box blank and score a loss, before I look for an answer outside of my own mind. I guess it is the purist (perfectionist?) in me.

I mean no offense to anyone, just my musings on the topic.


CrossEyedDave said...

143 posts yesterday? Wow!

Mari,,, why does Santa look like he has Kitty Sam in a choke hold? (12/3@6:54am)

Michelle@ 8:?? Re: Temperpedic.
Being slightly overweight (?) we went thru several mattresses that appeared to be digging their own graves. I finally opted for the Temperpedic, & i must say, it is like floating on a cloud! You lie down, & you feel like your always sinking! but it always bounces back! Only 2 nits! It takes about a week for that horrible plastic smell to get out of the house. & you must buy sheets that have at least 17-1/2" overlap on the sides!

Re: Today! MArti, Fun puzzle. Being a Tuesday, & a MArti, i had to do it it ink! (which left a couple of blots!)

Maxies b/4 midis
temps b/4 techs
& Israel b/4 Isreal.

I always thought Corfu was some Egyptian guy?

46D To prevent algae, i always put some snails in the Aquarium. Unfortunately you wind up with hundreds of snails!

Dennis, Bookmarked Calvin & Hobbes!
I put in Oops,, & came up with 34 returns,,, (this may take some time.)

desper-otto said...

Husker, what have you decided about the map? And is that unicameral one hump or two?

CrossEyedDave said...

Anyway... HG, put my town in the map! I am not worried! Being an avid outdoorsman, + (Nerd, geek, total wacko, nuts i can't find the right term...) I have my house covered in security cameras & alarms.

Actually, the reason it took me so long to put up the outdoor Xmas lights, is that i had to bend over the front tree to set the snare. Anyone who comes to my front door & steps over my Xmas lights will find themselves hanging by their ankles next to the Xmas Wreath!

BWAHHAHAHAHA!

Hmm,,

Oh Shit!

I forgot about the mailman!!!

(Gotta Go!)

Husker Gary said...

Map update
I received some lovely STAMPless emails yesterday and some cautionary ones as well. So here is how it is as of now as I try to address all issues – I am going to compile a Gmail group populated with the emails of those who have expressed an interest in seeing the map containing the ambiguous, non-specific, within 200 sq mi locations of our peeps whose names are already in the public domain, identified only by their blog names who have not requested non-inclusion (how’s that for qualifiers?). Once I have compiled that group (nothing is ever as easy as you think it’s going to be) I will send out a mass email with the map attached. I have the option of sending it as a Word .doc format or as a PDF and I am leaning toward the former. Doing this means I can resend the map with any corrections/additions/deletions that will come up as perfection is not the norm for me without having to start all over. If you have “gone blue” and want to be left off, just email me.

Liliputian Lurker said...

Please, please, PLEASE, no more map discussion today. Please?!?!?

Today's blog is very enjoyable. Thanks to the host(s)? and posters.

Anony-Mouse said...

Thank you to our lovely, witty Marti for a lovely, witty puzzle. A lil bit more challenging for a Tuesday - but I absolutely loved it.

I am a little late to post because I was reading yesterdays comments -- my, my, my. As Argyle said, I am not afraid of someone trying to burglarize our house - there's nothing worth taking - unless you are interested in a 1992 (circa .... ) Panasonic 26" TV.

Argyle - thank you for your tremendous commentary - and fun - and the lovely 'Cheers' link - I missed that particular episode, but the link was really funny.

1. Thanks for the 'Blue Curacao' picture - I wonder what the flavor of the liqueur is - Dill, Anise, Fennel, Mint, Pandan - anybody tasted the stuff ?

Its interesting, Argyle, the map you linked, showed Curacao, but not Aruba (lol). One of our friend's son went to a med school (St. James med.)) in Bonaire, nearby. I think Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (the ABC islands -) are in the 'Kingdom of the Netherlands' (by their own choice - ).

2. Re:Manet's painting - I distinctly remember 2 naked women, in various stages of undress.

To the person who claimed they were prostitutes - that is totally speculative - how would you know ? Not every naked woman is a prostitute. That is so unfair and sexist and biased. As an Art Historian has written - all through the ages, there are a 100 times more naked females than males - in all forms of art - which is merely a reflection of how females have been treated ( - with contempt - ) through the history of mankind.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

And happy tuse3day.

Nice offering from Marti today, with no DUDs, and all the LOSE ENDS ties up. (Sorry - couldn't resist, so CUT ME SOME SLACK.)

Fans of LEGS usually don't care for MIDIs.

Monet also took a rather more sedate shot at Luncheon on the grass.

The thing that makes the Basie band so hard to imitate is that they were both tight and LOOSE - at the same time.

Here's is a Basie arrangement we'll be performing - though probably not quite at this tempo. Those trombones are so sassy!

ECON is a pseudoscience.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Jazzbumpa said...

Who really goes to town [or, at least Down Town] in the kitchen?

SPATULA Clark.

Cheers!
JzB

Lucina said...

desper-otto@10:06
LOL! one hump or two????

CEDave
You are a hoot! I've been choking on my coffee!

Name withheld as I will deny any knowledge of such a… said...

Marti's 18D provided the idea for a new get rich quick scheme. Tell gullible people that part of the fiscal cliff negotiations is a requirement that e-mail will need an electronic postage stamp to help reduce the post office deficit. (The target audience won't know they are unrelated.) Then sell $100 of e-mail stamps for the low price of $50, one per customer. But if you act now, you can buy …

Anony-Mouse said...

Dennis, thank you for the psycho-analysis, inner interpretation of Dudley's post. Sigmund Freud must be basking in glow, in his grave (lol) - definitely an 'id' issue. BTW, I never even dreamed that one could use torque, in addition to tension and compression. I was so caught up with Dudley's technical discussion, that the 'latent desires' never even entered my mind.

I loved Calvin and Hobbes, too, and I really miss it. Such an intellectual toon. I did get to meet Bill Watterson, who has lived in the Cleveland area - his father is a councilman in nearby Chagrin Falls. A very reclusive, self effacing man - he refused to license the cartoon characters for any form of merchandising - unlike, say, Disney.

Have a good week, you all, and best wishes.

Misty said...

I too thought that this was a little tougher than the usual Tuesday offering, but I always love Marti's puzzles no matter what. And Argyle's write-ups, too, so thank you both.

I didn't get AFRIN, but that's a good sign, meaning I never need nasal spray.

Fermatprime, my husband is a huge "Castle" fan and will be devastated to have to do without it for a month.

Finally, I never got a response to my question yesterday, about what I would need to do to "go blue." I'd love to do it, but just don't know how.

Have a great Tuesday, everybody!

kazie said...

I always preferred maxis to midis, since, unless you can wear stylish boots under midis, they are totally unflattering to anything less than perfect legs and slim ankles.

Maxis do a good job of hiding legs altogether, and they're warm in winter. The first year I taught here was in the height of the maxi fashion era, and halfway through the year I broke out something shorter, and one kid exclaimed "She's got legs!"

As to Manet's nudes, I agree that nudes were the order of the day for many artists, and maybe Manet did two versions of the painting, perhaps one more famous than the other one with two nudes. I've seen so many versions of some artists' works throughout Europe, you have to wonder if they are all authentic.

Dennis said...

Misty, on the first page of the blog, down the right side, look for "How to Create a Comment"; it'll tell you how to 'go blue'.

desper-otto said...

Misty, you can follow this link to create a blogger account. Then use that username/password to post your messages.

Irish Miss said...

Good morning:

Thanks, Marti, for a fun Tuesday offering and thanks, Argyle, for your great write-up. No problems, just smooth sailing.

On the subject of today's comedy shows, I think the lack of truly funny situations and dialogue, not to mention talented performers, is due to the networks target audience of 19-35, roughly. The coarse and vulgar language on shows such as Mike and Molly, Two Broke Girls, Two and A Half Men, and even TBBT, at times, seems to be what this age group deems " comedy".

OTOH, shows such as The Middle, Modern Family, Parenthood, seem to draw their far share of viewers and I don't think they use inappropriate language or innuendo. Personally, other than TBBT, I am more into the drama shows: Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Vegas, Person of Interest, Elementary, Chicago Fire, etc.

Have a great Tuesday.

Lucina said...

IrishMiss
I'm with you in respect to drama. After the first year of the inane
comedies I'm weary of them and stop watching. I prefer some good drama instead.

I'm glad to see Rizzoli and Isles is back.

Dudley said...

Dennis, you ol' hound dog! That's the best laugh I've had this week!

Steady 80 said...

Hahtolah's comment about multiple personalities reminded me of the following: Edward was married 7 times, each time to a Bertha. A friend asked, "Don't you think you may have a psychological problem?" "Not at all" said Edward, My mother, Bertha, said it was completely normal.

Got the whole puzzle except for 1 down. I figured the "quad" was a special math term so "Darm" seemed O.K.
But it did leave me with the oriental expression, "Ah so" for "Really, really." Agree with Barry on Loose/Lose. Even worse is making "it's" possessive.

Argyle said...

Misty, C.C. did answer you @4:46 AM. She's early to bed, early to rise.

Anon@8:04 AM, Wikipedia says both macro- and micro-ecology are legitimate.

Re: "Luncheon on the Grass" - The woman coming out of the water is wearing a chemise.

Argyle said...

Oh, and I bought some Camembert (Sat's puzzle) and if that's a cousin to Brie, it's a distant cousin!

Argyle said...

I should have checked the sell by date on that cheese.

"Over-ripe camembert contains an unpleasant, excessive amount of ammonia, which is produced by the same microorganisms required for ripening." per Wikipedia.

Splynter said...

Hi there ~!

Just got a chance to do the puzzle - 11hours last night....phew~!

Well, since Argyle asked, I will oblige - and I don't care what length the skirt is ~!!!
LEGS

Splynter

Misty said...

Thanks, C.C., Dennis, and Argyle. I did check the "How to Post a Comment" to figure out how to go blue, but suspect it won't work for me, since I don't have a private e-mail account. But I hope I can continue to feel like a real blog member, since I've been on for quite a while now, and doing the puzzle and then checking in here is my favorite part of the morning!

Mari said...

Irish Miss @ 11:12 AM: I like Chicago Fire too. DH's cousin is a stuntwoman for the show (and several movies). We've been able to pick her out in some scenes on Chicago Fire.

DH likes Two Broke Girls, but I find it trashy, with unbelievable story lines. (They can hardly make their rent, but the took out a lease on a store for their cupcake business? And how can they afford to keep a horse on their salaries?)

I really enjoy Person of Interest. I like the two main characters, their two "helper" cops...I even like their dog.

desper-otto said...

Misty, unless you're opposed to having a personal email account, you can get a free one at gmail.com The reason you need an email account to join blogger is so that they can help you in the event you forget your user name or password.

Anonymous said...

I try to do this puzzle in ink daily,extra challenge. Thanks for today's breeze, although it was dicey with " Aftrin", as I was mistakenly thinking of the shaving cream, "Afta" initially.

Bill G. said...

Do you enjoy winter scenery? Here's a really nice slideshow from MSNBC.
WINTER

Pookie said...

Thank you, Marti! This one was a little tough in the beginning.
Yikes! Can I finish a Tuesday???
I don't get Barry's Tuse3day.
Hatoolah @ 6:12 See???
She DOES have multiple personalities.
She's herding pelicans now. :D
Mari @ 8:28 I'll have to get a black cat calendar. Thanks!
Husker @ 9:56
Hey, I’ll make a map!
Absolute LOL on that!
Jazz @ 10:23
Basie's band swings from the get-go. Forgot to say I liked the arrangement from yesterday's post.

Irish Miss said...

Mari @ 12:58 - Your DH's cousin must be one brave lady as some of the scenes and action in CF are hair-raising. Unfortunately, the show has not been renewed.

I agree with you on the cast of POI; they mesh well, even the dog!

I know you and DH are movie buffs; have you seen Beautiful Boy with Maria Bello and Michael Sheen? Just watched a Netflix DVD of it; what a powerful and sad story of the parents dealing with the aftermath of their only son committing a Columbine-like massacre and the taking of his own life.

Anonymous said...

Anytime there is a Legs/Hosiery clue, I check in to see if Splynter links something.
You did not let me down! Awesome as always.

HeartRx said...

Hi everybody,

I am really late to the party today, so I haven't had a chance to read all the comments yet. But I wanted to stop by and tell Argyle what a great write- up - even better than I could have explained the theme! What no DF comment about EASY women, Santa??

And I absolutely loved the Cheers clip - I remember that episode, and didn't realize just how much work went into making it. Hilarious!!

Now off to read all my critics...

CrossEyedDave said...

Well, i am back after taking care of a few loose ends... (Sorry Marti..:)

We managed to cut down the mailman, it took about a 1/2 hour. Boy was he mad! However, he said he would not sue me after i gave him that unopened bottle of Glenlivet. The only problem is, the LightKeeperPro doesn't work if you cut the wires! I guess i will have to solder them back together.

Note: I never knew Xmas lights had shunts in them...This video explains it.

(click on "overview" (7:00)
(& no, i am not a LightKeeperPro Salesman!)

Husker Gary said...

Well I have sent out the map I compiled to all who I perceived to have requested it as opposed to a blanket/public posting on the web, which is a compromise that seems to address all needs. If you didn’t get one,

1. I did not find (or lost) your request
2. I did not have an email for you despite your request for a map (at least three of those)
3. Your email address failed
4. I mistyped your email address (Ah, now were getting down to cases!)
5. Frankly, Gary, I don’t give a damn.

If you want one and didn’t get one, email me and I’ll add you to the mailing list but send you one individually too.

Mari said...

Irish Miss @ 2:54 pm: I had not heard about Chicago Fire not being renewed. Oh well, we still have Person of Interest.

Great map Husker Gary!

Lucina said...

HG
I love the map! Thank you so much for doing that.

HeartRx said...

Thanks for all the nice comments, everyone. I did this one in May, so it was quite a while ago. I think if I re-did it, there would be far fewer abbr. I'll try harder in the future, I promise!

CED @ 7:09, I am still chuckling at the thought of your “postal delivery person” hanging upside down in your tree!!

Dudley @ 9:02, why I never knew that side of you…LOL!!

Yellowrocks said...

This was an interesting puzzle on a Tuesday, so I looked for the constructor. It was made by Marti, of course, always fun and never prosaic. Fun expo, Argyle.

Thanks for the great map, Gary. There is no way I could use it to find anyone’s precise locations, but, as I read your posts I like to picture where you all live. I wonder why we are gathered in 3 clusters with few in between.

As I lit the bushes in front of my home this afternoon, I recalled Monday's discussion and my misadventures of other years. I remembered to keep the male end of the string or cord nearest to the electric outlet. The confusion is that some strings have only a hermaphrodite end and a female end. You have to remember that the hermaphrodite end is the only one that contains the male feature. Tomorrow I will put the candles in the windows.

Lemonade714 said...

Yeah, damn right. Less abbr. and more DF clues! And Tuesday, huh Friday not enough for you anymore?

Tinbeni said...

Yellowrocks
As PK pointed out yesterday ... it is practically a road may to your front door.

I believe in a certain degree of being cautious in this ever-changing world ...
But I also believe that making erroneous assumptions, without the facts, is just as egregious.

As Ron White said: You can't fix Stupid.
You can't fix Stupid (2:26)

Time to "toast" my Blue Friends.
Cheers !!!

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Really really cool puzzle today, Marti. Thank you. And thanks to you too, Argyle, for your writeups and dry wit.

ALIAS, not ALive. TECHS, not TEmpS.

AFRIN SNARED me. Do any of you use it?

IN USE, not OCCUPADO. Wait ... oh yeah.

Dudley, your humor is not a DUD.

ALTAdena, ALTA Vista, ALTAmont, ALTA Bates, ALTAberta ... um ...

Is RHEA Perlman's sister named EMU?

Best wishes to you all.

Anonymous said...

Anonymouse, maybe the reason there are more pictures of naked women is because the people who want to see someone naked think the female body is more beautiful than that of the male.

Argyle said...

CuraƧao Link

Jayce said...

Husker Gary, nice map! Well done! Thank you.

Jayce said...

My grandmother, who hated the cold Pennsylvania winters, used to spend every winter in CuraƧao. LW and I still enjoy a sip of the liqueur from time to time, and sometimes use it in cakes. Thanks for that informative link, Argyle.

Anony-Mouse said...

Jayce, if you're still here .....

I could not respond yesterday, to your comment on the changing of the headlight bulb on a Toyota, through a dealership. My original comment on how long it took, and the tools, and the 'helpers', - was ONLY meant to be a joke. ( I guess, rather a poor one.)

The fact is, changing a headlight bulb on most cars, is as easy as changing a light bulb in your table lamp or in the ceiling of your house - although the space you have to work with, in the car, is somewhat constricted, and tight, and you may have to hold the bulb, sideways, between your 'pointer' and your middle finger .... and slip it horizontally into the opening of the receptacle - the headlight fixture, behind the housing.

Since your finger and hand will obstruct the utility light ( which you may need - ) you have to put the bulb in, by 'feeling' your way. Its really not all that difficult as it appears.

So, it should take no more than 5 minutes, or ten, - if you know how to do it - irrespective of your ethnic makeup ( this is also a joke - !@# ). So, if you decide to change the bulb yourself, you'll save about $ 30, per bulb - then its up to you to decide whether its worth it.

I did not want to leave you with a wrong impression.

PK said...

Having seen Gary's map, I agree that it is probably harmless. However, at the time with all your coordinates out there....

I am truly very happy for all of you that you have not had any crazies in your past who wish you harm. Unfortunately, that is not true for me. Add to that the high crime rate in our city and some of the weirdos who have knocked on my door, my state of wariness is high.

I have learned through the years that if people don't want to believe something is true, they refuse to hear it. May you all continue your charmed lives with my blessings.

Jayce said...

Anony-Mouse, thank you. I guessed maybe you meant it as a joke but wasn't sure. I've changed the bulbs in tail lights and brake lights, usually without any difficulty or adverse effects on my Caucasian fingers, and have changed "sealed beam" headlights on some of my previous cars. I agree with you that it is a no-no to touch a halogen bulb with one's bare, oily fingers, and have changed a few of them (bulbs, not fingers) also. Now that our children are grown and on their own, there is nobody to teach, and at our age we no longer have all that much interest in many "do it yourself" projects any more, except for our hobbies, toward which LW and I expend inordinate amounts of time and energy.

I always enjoy your comments and your sense of humor that is revealed in them.

Anony-Mouse said...

Thank you, Argyle for the liqueur Curacao ( pronounced Kyoo-ra-sow - ) link. I found out it is a bitter Orange flavor, generally. Now, to find out a bar that carries it.

Anon. @ 4.45 ... viewers liked the female nudes more, because the museum visitors used to be / or were a male majority. In the bird and animal kingdom, it is primarily the males, who are more colorful, more resplendent, and bigger and more 'vain' - with all their preening - like Peacocks and Birds of Paradise etc.

Anonymous said...

Hey PK, some bitter hacker has hijacked your screen name again!

Manac said...

Evening all,
A nice tuse3day puzzle from Marti.
I thought it was going to be a humbling DNF with Corfu but Afrin to the rescue.
HG Map? What map?
I

PK said...

ANON @5.44: Nope, no hacker. It's me that time and I'm not bitter. Just very sad.

Argyle said...

PK, you are over the limit for posts. ;~)

Manac said...

Dudley,
I may have to take back
my "Always a gentleman" comment
from yesterday.

Marge said...

Hi all,
Enjoyed the puzzle but didn't get it finished. Your puzzles are always fun, Marti.

Knew 61A had to be Maxie or midie as mini would be too short.

Husker, how do I access the Map?

I liked the theme but only got 2 of them.

Have a good evening!
Marge

Husker Gary said...

Marge, send me your email and I'll wing one out to you!

Gary

Abejo said...

PK: I just finished "The Black Box" Read the entire book today. Great book!

Abejo

Pookie said...

Anyone:
Tuse3day?????????

Argyle said...

Typo from fat fingers?

Tinbeni said...

pas de chat:
re: Tuse3day ...

Barry G., in his comment at 5:42am this morning, had the typo "tuse3day".

The funny thing is at 7:07 I kinda poked fun about this because it was in a sentence where he was commenting about "typos".

Jazz and a few others picked up on it.
It was ALL very innocent.

Pookie said...

Argyle LOL
I could see the se getting hit at the same time, but not the 3.
"Enquiring" (sic) minds want to know,
such as Tinbeni:@7:07
what day is "tuse3day"???

Pookie said...

Tin, Thanks.
I was typing while you were answering. I've had one toast.
Time for a refill.
G'night all

PedantTheBrit said...

Jazzbumpa @ 10:23 - I think you should have warned arachnophobes about that LEGS link!

I think I might get myself one of those Lightkeeper Pro thingies. Anyone know if they really are any good - or do they only work on TV, like Chop-a-matics.

Yellowrocks said...

Bill G. @ 2:17. Thanks for the Winter pix. Lovely. The first one reminds me of my special son. Up until 10 years ago he rode his bike everywhere in all kinds of weather. The local paper had a picture like that of him riding his bike in the snow. They spelled his name wrong and had most of the caption wrong. Other than that and being listed as a member of his graduating class he has a very light paper trail.

We all are listed as members of musical groups, teams, professional staffs, committees, writers of letters to the editor, puzzle constructors, writers of articles, etc. etc.

Tonight I decided to Google my son, just his name and state. The search came up with his address and age. More info was promised for a fee. I racked my brains to think of the source. Then I realized he has a DMV picture ID for use at airlines. I think our driver's licenses and many other bits of our lives are easily accessible. Privacy these days? There is none.

Manac said...

HG,
Thanks for all the chuckles tonight.
I really enjoy someone with a great sense of humor. The person at the door was a Jehovah Witness. Oops!

Blue Iris said...

Thanks Marti for a witty and freshly clued puzzle. Thanks Argyle for your helpful write-up and funny Cheers link.

Gary, decided to answer your question attached to conversation started last June. Hope you got it.

Lemonade714 said...

Me too jchap18181@aol.com

windhover said...

Husker:
Send me the map. I've been considering a cross country crime spree, and a bunch of addresses might be a good way to begin. Just kidding. I don't even jaywalk these days.
But send me the map anyway.

Blue Iris said...

My DH wanted me to add that e-mail not requiring STAMPs is his NEMESES
and Facebook will lead to the demise of democracy and privacy as we know it. LOL
He retires in Feb. after 34 yrs in Stats/Finance Management at the US Post Office.

JD said...

Good evening all,

Got a late start, but enjoyed Marti's creation. I'm rarely ever on her wavelength, so her puzzles take me a bit longer...such a smartie pants (in a good way). Always doable with wonderful clues.

Loved inca and maya, and runic is such a great word.

Hose fillers=legs brought this clip to mind, one of my favorite holiday movies.

I do agree with Lucina and others about the quality (or not) of this years' batch of comedies. I tend to like drama too: Good Wife, Revenge, Grey's Anat.,and Parenthood are favorites.

Argyr, thanks forthe write up and extremely hilarious link. That is comedy!

JD said...

It would be nice if I took time to edit. Sorry Argyle.

Lucina said...

BillG
Thank you for posting the winter pictures. They are lovely and the only way I want to experience winter.

Dudley said...

For the record: the ferry Katahdin really did have a bent prop shaft the year in question, about 2002 as I recall. It was mid-September at the time, and the idea was to get to the end of the tourist season before performing repairs (or so we were told). The boat was not particularly smooth. It also could not be run at full speed, but that hardly mattered for scenic excursion work around Moosehead Lake. It's an unhurried sort of travel.

Now, I believe I have used no phrases with DF undertones...Dennis?

downtonabbey said...

CC, Argyle, thanks for yesterday's post. Marti, I enjoyed the puzzle. I also really like Gary's map.

Mari, thanks for commenting about the bed. I also slept on one when we rented a motorhome two years ago. One side worked great, but my side wouldn't adjust at all. I have heard that the new temper-pedic beds are not as "hot" to sleep on and work very well for people with spine/pain issues.
Finally getting some rain here in Texas. It was much needed.

I also had ALIVE before ALIAS.

Good night all.

Dennis said...

Dudley, well done -- I got nothing.