Theme: MM MM GOOD (63A. Campbell's soup slogan, and a hint to
the puzzle theme found in 18-, 20-, 40- and 56-Across) - Each theme
entry contains 4 M's.
18A. Musical based on ABBA songs : MAMMA MIA.
8-letter answer as the first theme entry is just hard. You'll know when
you construct puzzles yourself. They result in stacked 6's alongside,
and I find stacked 6's challenging to fill, esp for a Monday grid.
Also, notice this theme entry and the next one have a 5-letter overlap?
No showmanship here. They're often done out of necessity. Gareth gets
smoother fill this way. Downside: plenty of 3-letter entries.
20A. Golfer Snead's nickname : SLAMMIN' SAMMY. Did you know Sam Snead can kick the top of a seven-foot doorway in his 70's? He was very very agile.
His swing is so hard to imitate. I tried! Ben Hogan's, on the other
hand, is highly effective & efficient. Sam Snead makes me want to
over-swing.
40A. One on a board : COMMITTEE MEMBER
56A. Whale or dolphin : MARINE MAMMAL
C.C.
here. No new puzzle from Cruciverb last night. Dear Santa Argyle
normally braves through, but he has to go to VA hospital early this
morning for a stress test.
Regulars probably have
noticed, this problem happens on Cruciverb once a month, when new batch
of puz files do not arrive in time for Cruciverb to put out.
Across:
1. Paper used for envelopes : MANILA
7. Teensy kitchen invader : ANT. The mouse in our house really bothers me. Peanut butter just does not attract him.
10. Thick-bodied river fish : CHUB. The fish looks stunned.
14. Lessened : ABATED
15. Critical hosp. area : ICU
16. Take down with a wrecking ball : RAZE
17. Trade for cash : REDEEM
22. "I don't care which" : ANY
23. Naval petty officer : YEOMAN
27. Lasting mark : SCAR. "Lasting...", so it can't be SCAB.
30. __ and gown : CAP
33. John, Paul, George or Ringo : NAME.
Some words are fun to clue, like NAME, NOUN, VERB, etc. Some are plain
boring, like RARA, IRAE. You just don't have other choices.
34. Go without food : STARVE. I always eat fish on New Year's day. Superstition. I'm worried that I'll starve again.
36. "True __": Wayne film : GRIT
39. CFO's degree : MBA
43. Swiss peak : ALP
44. Gas in a sign : NEON
45. Knocks for a loop : FLOORS
46. Scallion relative : LEEK. I think Yellowrocks has killer potato leek soup recipe.
48. Space-saving abbr. : ETC
50. Team statistic : LOSS. Twin Cities has all the major sports teams. Lossville though.
51. Finale : ENDING
54. Selling fast : HOT. I snatched a set of this Carolina Herrera cute bags. $9.99 at Target. All gone now. Look closely at the design of the biggest bag. What do you see?
66. "Seinfeld" woman : ELAINE. She always has big salad.
67. Albany's canal : ERIE. Hello Abejo!
68. Actress Hagen : UTA
69. Sticky-toed lizards : GECKOS
70. Tadpole's breathing organ : GILL
71. LPGA star Se Ri __ : PAK. Her name is actually Park. Error in filling in some form, then she decided to keep the wrong PAK.
72. Be agreeable : ASSENT
Down:
1. Red planet : MARS
2. Ill-fated Biblical brother : ABEL
3. Diddly, to Dalí : NADA
4. To-do list entry : ITEM
5. Oscar winner for "Cat Ballou" : LEE MARVIN. Nice full name.
6. Part of FDA: Abbr. : ADMIN
7. Gets in one's sights, with "at" : AIMS. Watch the action at 1 minute mark. Thanks, again, TTP!
8. Campus sports org. : NCAA
9. Tot's belly : TUMMY. And 10. Tot's drawing tool : CRAYON
11. Clumsy actor : HAM
12. Special forces weapon : UZI
13. Arthur who played Maude : BEA
19. Marseille Mrs. : MME
21. The Big Apple, initially : NYC. A snapshot of the top visitors to our blog two days ago. Don't know where "not set" is located.
24. Latin ballroom dances : MAMBOS
25. Orange-yellow gemstones : AMBERS
26. Gets warmer, in a game : NEARS. I don't get this clue.
27. Taken in a break-in : STOLEN
28. Slept next to the trail, say : CAMPED
29. Upper limb : ARM
31. Sales rep : AGENT
32. Opposite of post- : PRE
34. Weighing device : SCALE. Boomer
weighed 214lbs in his Army days, with a 34' waist. His weight has not
changed much over the years, but his waist has gone through the roof.
35. Somme summer : ETE
37. Global currency org. : IMF
38. Stretch the truth : TELL TALES
41. Bathwater tester : TOE. Fun clue.
42. Dairy farm sound : MOO
47. Late-night host Jimmy : KIMMEL. I like Fallon.
49. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE
52. Inveterate faultfinder : NAG
53. Word with hug or therapy : GROUP. Do you often find this type of "Word with what or what" clue more challenging?
55. Alpha's opposite : OMEGA
57. Teensy amount : IOTA
58. Fargo's st. : N DAK. Hi there Qli.
59. Apples with screens : MACs
60. Karaoke prop : MIKE
61. Many a folk song, composer-wise: Abbr. : ANON
62. "__ we forget" : LEST
63. Ryan of "Sleepless in Seattle" : MEG. Did anyone watch her "Courage Under Fire"? I was so confused and could not tell who's telling truth.
64. Hosp. scan : MRI
65. 1,000 G's : MIL
A couple notes:
1) Click here for details of the Second Minnesota Crossword Tournament to be held on Feb 3, 2013.
2) I'm so happy to see more new faces on the blog the past week, despite our blog trouble. Here is some basic guide on how to turn blue. It's not updated. So feel free to pop in Comments section if you need help.
C.C.
 |
| (MMMM, from Argyle) |
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteAlmost a total speed run today, except for CHUB and PAK which took crosses to get. Oh -- and I also stuck in MAMBA instead of MAMBO at first, getting my dances confused with my snakes... ^_^
Good Morning, C.C. and friends. Fun Monday puzzle. I remember the grotesque Campbell Soup Kids.
ReplyDeleteI first saw Jimmy Kimmel on Win Ben Stein's Money.
Here's one explanation for calling New York City the Big Apple.
Cain slew ABEL.
C.C., in a child's game, a child is supposed to find either an object or a person. Others give the child hint, by saying he is getting warmer, when he gets near the object/person. As he moves away from the object/person, he is told he is getting colder.
I hope Argyle is doing well. It seems that 2013 is causing a lot of people on the Blog a lot of health issues.
Summer is approaching. My azaleas have bloomed about a month early, and it is predicted to be near 80F later today.
QOD: Total absence of humor renders life impossible. ~ Colette (née Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, Jan. 28, 1873 ~ Aug. 3, 1954)
Good morning C.C. et al
ReplyDeleteFun fun puzzle today, and as always, a very insightful analysis of the construction on this one. I'm afraid I always miss out the extra layers that you spot so easily, C.C.!!
I wondered if my hint the other day would help anyone decide between SCAb or SCAR at 27-A. I forgot about "lasting," which you commented on.
Your Carolina Herrera bags look like they have Japanese figures engaged in some Kama Sutra poses? HOT, indeed!
Have a great day everyone!
Well, the temperature got slghtly above freezing yesterday for about an hour or so here in the BMHV and only dipped into the teens last night. But today we'll be treated to the infamous "wintry mix" of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. It could be worse (think Australia).
ReplyDeletePuzzle-wise, nothing remarkable though, like Barry G., I had MAMBAS before MAMBOS. [5:51]
Good morning everyone,
ReplyDeleteDefinite speed run today, but as much as I do not like to criticize constructors, i have a couple of nits today. I thought 33A & 50A were both pretty weak. OK, it's Monday, but the clues & fills really turned me off.
Had Ensign before YEOMAN. I was sure MAMMA MIA was supposed to be MOMMA MIA, but never heard of the NCOA.
Slammin Sammy would dominate Pro Golf today if he had been born a few years later.
After a dinner packed with lots of Cholesterol & calories last night, some MMMGOOD is on the menu tonight.
good morning, a really strong offering from Gareth and the extra insight from C.C.
ReplyDeletestacking the mms was particularly impressive with each of the 5 theme answers having a different internal pattern of mms.
funny, I do not recall many posts from Houston,come on Texas step up to the plate
CC thanks for always being there to keep things going on the blog. I liked reading your views on puzzle construction. I'm wishing you the best of health, Argyle.
ReplyDeleteGareth, it neat that every theme answer has 4 M's.
My first answer was UZI and my second answer was CHUB, but I am more familiar with the small bodied
creek CHUB. We used to catch them along with small sunnies in the creek behind our house. Dad patiently cleaned them and mom fried them up, no matter how small.
Link Creek chub
Where are the leMMings?
ReplyDeleteHad GEiKOS before GECKOS.
Many double letters - all but one horizontal:
redEEm, maMMalia, slaMMing saMMYy, coMMiTT EE, flOOrs, lEEk, loSS, maMMal, MM MM gOOd, giLL, aSSent. And
tuMMY.
good morning everybody, back to the start of another week.
ReplyDeleteI tried MAMA MIA before I got the MMM theme, but I couldn't figure out where I was one letter short.
Nice puzzle. Was there a hidden theme hinting at my eating habits over the wekend: TUMMY, CHUB, MOO?
As for GECKOS, I'd be happy if I never saw another Geiko commercial again.
The crossword convention looks fun! I'm assuming CC will attend. Anybody else?
If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it. Here are the high temperatures for Chicago this week:
ReplyDeleteMon: 48
Tue: 60
Wed: 32
Thu: 15
Fri: 17
Quite a difference between the highs on Tuesday and Thursday.
Thank you Gareth Bain for a nice and easy puzzle - for a change. (small change - ). Really enjoyed it. I too, had MAMBAS before I remembered those be Egyptian cobras.
ReplyDeleteThank you, C.C. for a very interesting and charming blog. Loved the link to the Maru cat. I now 'own' 3 feral identical black cats. They now sit and stare at me from a safe distance. Like trying to hypnotize me. It seems to be working. I wish I could feed them a mouse. Unfortunately, no mouse in the house this year, so I have to feed them Mahi-Mahi and Tilapia.
We had a math prof. over for dinner. He is an expert in knot theory and topology. ( I can make 3 types of knots ... ). He gave me a math problem, worthy of BIll. G.
IF .... one third of six is three, what would be one half of twenty be ?
( Some ground rules - notice the big IF .... don't question the language or the accuracy of the problem itself. This is a question of mathematical tautology and propositional logic. And, the answer is not 10.)
Answer tomorrow.
Have a good week, you guys, and best wishes.
Good Morning and Happy Monday - I love Monday puzzles - makes me feel smart. lol Only unknowns today were PAK and UTA and couldn't think of the end of GRO to complete group. (I was trying to find a consonant to put there). Am proud to have heard of Slammin Sammy Snead. My dad was a golfer and I spent many weekends watching golf with him. 67A was easy for me as I live in the Mohawk Valley. My son lives along the longest straight stretch from Rome to Salina in Durhamville. His house was built in 1822 - yes 1822! Needless to say it needs some updating. I too confuse mamba and mambo and samba and sambo. Thanks for a fun puzzle and informative write up.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, C.C. and gang - flat-out speed run today, right at the four minute mark. Perps swept up my one unknown, Se Ri PAK, without pause. I liked the theme; I know now how difficult it is to come up with something clever, and even more difficult, one that hasn't been done before.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else looking forward to The Following tonight? I'm interested in seeing if they can keep up the intensity, or if they shot their wad with the pilot.
Argyle, I assume you studied for the test?
Hope it's a fun day for everyone.
Always like how Gareth gets some creatures in his grids. (He is a Vet).
ReplyDeleteAnony-Mouse @8:04
I compute it as "Mari @7:55" Thu.
Cheers !
Good morning all. Thanks for the intro, C.C. Hope that Argyles test has a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteA Gareth goodie, today. He cobbled together a cw with quite a few m's. Even the Somme summer clue had 4 m's. Always liked LEE MARVIN in movies. I questioned the NEARS clue, too. Hahtoolah nailed it.
While the clue for YEOMAN is acceptable, it might be pointed out that a rated seaman E-3, like a YNSN is also a yeoman. Actually any sailor normally working in a ship's office doing routine admin paperwork can be informally termed a "yeoman" .
YR - I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend.
Have a good day.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, Gareth! Cool theme. Thanks for write-up, CC! The last bag reminded me of M C Escher.
Best wishes to Argyle!
Had no trouble with spelling. Recommend the movie Mamma Mia. Fun despite the fact that Brosnan cannot really sing,
I am tempted to write Julian Fellows and complain about death of Sybil.
Have a good day all! (I hope that I can get more sleep. Acid reflux woke me up after a few hours' sleep. Is that apostrophe in the right place, YR? So sorry for the loss of your friend.)
fermatprime @8:35 -
ReplyDeleteThanks for the DA spoiler.
Mari @7:51
ReplyDeleteFor obvious reasons, I'm very surprised that an ABBA clue had you counting letters.
Downton Abbey won the SAG Award for Best TV Drama Ensemble Cast.
Fermat: And that would accomplish what ????
Maybe we should have a DA Free Zone on Monday to allow those who recorded it a reasonable time to watch without Major Plot Events being revealed.
Just sayin'.
A-M IF my @8:24 was too cryptic ... 15.
Cheers !
I loved MAMMA MIA and SAMMY SNEAD, have been on many COMMITTEES (where solutions go to die), have seen a gazillion MARINE MAMMALS in my many trips to Sea World and was raised on Campbell’s Soup! I also enjoyed CC’s “inside baseball” assessment of the puzzle. Good luck to Santa at the VA today!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Name for a bad Filipino sports team? The Manila Folders
-The fog hasn’t ABATED here yet
-Did anyone else here ever REDEEM Green Stamps?
-The genesis of my biggest SCAR involved a tricycle and stupidity and a dare. Don’t ask!
-My cousin Stephan lives in beautiful Hieden, Switzerland at the base of an ALP and above spectacular Lake Constance (Ger: Bodnesee). Grandpa left there 100 years ago because no one had any money and you can’t eat scenery.
-I agree with Marti, that the biggest bag seems to be a billboard for some very ancient, erotic exercises that I probably won’t see at the Y today. Target??
-PAK and other Asian women are dominating the LPGA!
-My brother and I argued but I never considered homicide. Ya shoulda talked it out, Cain!
-Funny sign about AIMING
-Sloppily putting in a second A in MAMBO gave me a very strange dance partner!
-Amen, Sister Mari, on the ubiquitous Geico commercials!
-QOD is obvious to everyone around Sheldon Cooper but he doesn’t get it one IOTA!
I'm surprised to see so many more Houston blog readers than LA...I guess as a fellow Houstonian I shouldn't be too shocked.
ReplyDeleteThe ol "Houston Chronicle Crossword Corner"...
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteQuick and fun today. I could tell from the first few comments that this wasn't Argyle ~ hope all is well with you.
I got the theme easily, so I thought, until C.C.'s second line in her write-up showed me that I hadn't. I saw the double MM but missed that that were four Ms ~ Duh. A wonderful write-up, C.C. ~ your analysis and comments add so much to the enjoyment of the puzzle.
~ I needed perps for PAK and IMF.
~ I like both Jimmy KIMMEL and Jimmy Fallon.
~ Glad I knew the people in both 13D - BEA and 63D - MEG ~ they had clues with men's names.
~ Favorite: 3D - 'Diddly to Dali' - NADA.
Off to the vet for another recheck for Grace. She may not need insulin anymore! =^..^=
Hi all! Who spotted the bonus theme entry?
ReplyDeleteP.S. I realised it was CC blogging after only 1 paragraph!
Keep on Monday-ing all!
A late good morning to all.
ReplyDeleteAs somebody else has remarked, today's puzzle was a flat-out speed run. No problems. No nits. Nuff sed.
Argyle, good luck on your stress test. I had one of those a few years back. I couldn't believe how long it took to get my heart rate and respiration count back to normal after that ordeal.
YR, I agree about the CHUB. I've never seen one bigger than 8 inches.
Marti, I agree with your Scab/Scar comments. That's how I usually decide, too.
Yes, Husker, I used to save S&H Green Stamps -- got 'em at the Clark Super 100 Gasoline station. As I remember, if you filled up an entire book you could get about a dollar.
RE: Aiming. The Beyond The Fringe comedy group did a skit about a bathroom sign which read "Gentlemen lift the seat." Was it a comment on what makes a gentleman? Was it an instruction to a gentleman? Or was it an invitation for upper class larceny? British humour is...well...British.
Speed run here too. Fell into the Mamba and Mama traps, but quite easily corrected.
ReplyDeleteI'd guess the bonus theme was Jimmy Kimmel?
Since we're on a toilet humor thread, I remember reading a joke when I was a kid...Readers Digest, I think: A small town cafe had a toilet that often continued to run after flushing. The management put up a small hand written sign: "Please wiggle handel." Someone then added: "If I do, will it wiggle bach?"
Good workout for a Monday. Hand up for MAMBA and MAMA Mia. Remembered Marti's clue for SCAB/SCAR -thanks!
ReplyDeleteI remember having a Campbell's soup doll. Such CHUBby cheeks.
Always love ALP clue - reminds me of trip to Austria/Switzerland a few years ago - 3 clear days in Zermatt to see Matterhorn!!!
Louise Pitre who played Donna in original Broadway cast of Momma Mia is a Niagara native. She gives wonderful hometown concerts (her Edith Piaf "La vie en rose" is superb).
@AnnieB - also MV - from Utica. You'll find ERIE is the answer to many crossword clues, since it's a great lake, and a port town, and a fort in Canada. My house is 1850. Big deal. The snowstorm has started, here. I'll bet Durhamville is worse.
ReplyDelete@DesperOtto - back in the days of S&H and Plaid stamps, there was a fellow here who actually was charged with a crime for trading stamps for $ and other brand stamps.
@Anonymouse - how do you determine your cats are feral?
Mamma Mia!! Pierce Brosnan does not have to sing, all he has to do is stand there and smile! Years ago I "bought" a set of blue towels and some sort of shelf for the bathroom with green stamps, still have the shelf! In St. Louis, Mo. (20 miles from my home until age 15) we shopped at Famous-Barr, and got Eagle stamps. I loved to cross the Mississippi River and look down at a tour boat called the Admiral. Anyone out there remember that "boat?" Here in California we have nothing that compares with those BIG midwest rivers. Fun Puzzle today, also started with a snake and ended up with a dance!
ReplyDeleteI lit up with delight as soon as I saw it was a Gareth Bain puzzle this morning, and wasn't disappointed. I love a Monday speed run, so many thanks, Gareth. And thanks to our fearless leader who got us through the Google crisis in spite of her flu, for a great write-up.
ReplyDeleteSo, does the term "chubby" come from the CHUB? That would never have occurred to me until I saw C.C.' photo of that fish with a bit of a paunch.
Avg Joe, I'm usually not big on potty humor, but your joke cracked me up. Will have to print it out for my classical music loving hubby.
LaLaLinda, good luck with Grace's vet visit this morning. Can Gareth give you any advice, or is he a different kind of Vet?
We're off to see "Silver Linings Playbook" this morning. We're trying to get in all the top Oscar nominees before our annual party on February 24.
Have a great start to your week, everybody!
Hello solvers. Thank you, C.C. for once again pinch hitting and yes, I agree, your insight is priceless.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, good luck with your test. I hope the stress wasn't because of something we said!
Wonderful speed run today and good thing, too, because it's a busy day for me.
Hand up for green stamps. There was a store where we went to exchange the filled books for merchandise.
Have a mmmarvelous MMMonday, everyone!
AVGJoe:
ReplyDeleteLOL! Loved the joke. Love Bach.
Nice Monday solve. Thanks, Gareth and thank you CC for the Blog.
ReplyDeleteI solved across and down at the same time and didn't have to make a second pass. Nice!
Anonymouse, 15.
Husker, I still have a 'female friendly' wheelbarrow (it has a different setup for tires and is lightweight)and a lawn fertilizer/seeder spreader, both of which were purchased with green stamps many years ago. I got them when my mother passed away. Surprisingly, they are in pretty good shape.
It was nice to have a week of nice weather. Below zero temps headed my way again tomorrow,
Montana
I overused the word, 'nice' in my post. Sorry. I was excited to see I could read the Captcha and wanted to get right to it!
ReplyDeleteMontana
Hello from a new poster.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon:
ReplyDeleteI am always happy to see a Gareth Bain puzzle. Today was a speed run with nary a bump in sight. Very clever theme. Well done, Gareth, and a super expo, CC.
I get so annoyed when Cruciverb doesn't have the puzzle as I like to solve it the night before it appears in the paper. Oh well, what can we do?
I like Jimmy Fallon, not too keen on Kimmel.
Mari @ 7:55 - Our temps for the week are on the same roller coaster as yours. Wednesday 55 and Friday 25. It is snowing right now and is supposed to change to freezing rain later in the day. Just crazy.
Forgot to wish everyone a happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteGreetings and welcome, Awol. On the lam?
ReplyDeleteA Woman Of Leisure
Delete(Tongue firmly pressed to cheek.)
I've been following along for about a year and enjoy the dynamics of the group.
ReplyDeleteMy sense of loss when the blog went missing recently startled me and I realized I should participate a bit.
Total speed run, but fun with all the 'mm' varieties.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteCondolences on the loss of your friend, Yellowrocks.
Hope the results of your stress test are good, Argyle.
fermatprime, yes your apostrophe is correctly placed.
Love to do Mondays because I can do them! DH had to tell me the last letter of 53D. I looked at GROU and could not figure out an ending; of course 71A was no help. Any letter would do there.
Cheers
'A Woman Of Leisure' -- so that's what it stands for! All these years I've been mistaken.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"YR, I agree about the CHUB. I've never seen one bigger than 8 inches."
How did that line sneak by without comment?
PS I forgot to thank C.C. for pitching for Argyle. What a week you have had, C.C. You are amazing.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, everyone! A definite speed run today, with a fun theme. Thanks for the day-brightener, Gareth. Always like your insider’s look at puzzle construction, C.C. Interesting info about Se Ri PAK’s name being changed from Park because of a typo. My sisters and I have been doing some genealogy research and came across at least three very different spellings of one of our German ancestor’s last name.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with Dear Santa.
Will have to catch up on everyone’s comments and links later tonight – lunch break is just about over.
Have a great Monday, everyone!
I don't get 3D. Diddly, to Dalí : NADA. Can someone enlighten me?
ReplyDeleteYay! ~ Grace's diabetes is in remission. =^..^= (I didn't realize that could happen.) No more insulin injections for now ~ she'll be checked in a month. Thanks for your good wishes, Misty.
ReplyDeleteAfter Gareth's visit @9:56, I looked back and saw possible bonus theme entries with MME and TUMMY and then Avg Joe mentioned KIMMEL ... but wait - is the theme four Ms? - MMMM. Hmmmm - now I don't know!
Welcome, Awol!
TinoTechie - Didly means 'nothing' or 'almost nothing'.
ReplyDeleteSince Dali spoke Spanish, he would probably have said NADA.
Welcome AnnieB and Leisure Woman.
Wees,
ReplyDeleteMM MM Good puzzle!
A while back i questioned why anyone would build a "goat tower?" The answer i got was that they like to climb. So when i saw 25 photos that "were not" photoshopped, i was not surprised. Check out #9.
Yay for Gracie! What a relief, La La Linda.
ReplyDeleteWelcome AWOL. You are AWOL to this blog no longer.
CC showed us the thick bodied river chub asked for in the clue. I believe I have never seen one of those. We all are more accustomed to the little creek chub.
Some asked for the recipe for my potato-leek soup or vichyssoise, I'm sorry. My method is "by guess and by golly," as we said at home. It is hard to give a recipe. Some call the method, "a pinch of this and a pinch of that." Someday when I make it again, I will try to quantify it.
Thank you for your welcome, Yellowrocks.
DeleteI always enjoy your posts.
YR - what potatoes do you use?
ReplyDeleteGood news about Grace, LaLaLinda. I gave our cat insulin daily for over 3 years until he passed on at age 17. At least he sat quietly on my knee for the needles!
ReplyDeleteCED: I've seen some of those pics before but I have to question the facts of that video. When describing #23 the narrator mispronouces Agassi's name and proclaims the helipad is "over a mile above ground". What? I think that court was around 650ft above ground. Even the tallest building in Dubai(and the world), the Burj Khalifa is only 2722' tall.
ReplyDeleteAll of my kids have asked for my recipe for Vichyssoise, so I have it handy in my docs file.
ReplyDeleteVichyssoise
Ingredients:
2-3 Leeks (at least 1 Cup)
1 Large Onion (White or Yellow, but not Red)
4 Medium white potatoes
5 Tbsp Butter or margarine
4 cups Poultry stock (or water and good quality chicken bullion)
1-2 cups cream
Cut leeks and onion into thin slices. Sautee in 3 Tbsp of butter until tender and clear, but not caramelizing. Peel potatoes and dice into 3/8” cubes. Add to Sautéed mixture, add poultry stock and cook until potatoes are done. Remove from heat and blend until smooth (a hand held blender works easiest, but a canister style will do). Return to stove, add cream, mix and heat until fully warm, but not boiling. Serve with remainder of butter as top dressing.
Season with salt and pepper. White pepper is preferred due to color, but taste is not impacted by black pepper, just the appearance.
Saves well and is actually better the second day as flavors tend to wed and improve with time. Also is often served cold.
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteStill no puzzle at Cruciverb today. Rats.
Manac from yesterday - oh, I remembered all right! I was just too tired to come with something funny.
Hi everybody. Another Monday, another pleasant puzzle. MM good! Thank you Gareth and CC.
ReplyDeleteI just read in Time magazine that half the people in Vermont have cats, more than any other state.
CED, I enjoyed your "not Photoshopped" slideshow. Good catch about the veracity of all of the narration. It's so easy to accept everything you see on the Internet as gospel.
I'm sure YR's vichyssoise is excellent. Avg Joe's recipe looks great too. You can find more recipes in many cookbooks and on the Internet. When Barbara used to make it, it was very high in calories because of the cream and always served cold. If you want to be extra special, serve it with a chilled soup spoon too!
Thank you Tinbeni and Montana, for your correct answers to the 'math' problem. Fifteen is the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is purposely worded to appear confusing. This is a concept of proportional ratios. Rather than worrying how 3 can be a third of 6, just compute what 3 is actually a third of - the number 9. That is our conceptual target number.
Using the same reasoning, we know half of 20 is 10. But in this frame of reference, 10 is a third of 20 - which means it is the actual third of a conceptual target number of 30. The 'half' of the conceptual target number 30 is .... 15.
Thus, consequently, if 3 is one third of 6, then 15 must be half of 20.
If you understand this, thank your elementary math teacher .... if you don't understand this, don't ask me (!). ( I try not to think about it too much ....).
Happy Monday everyone!
ReplyDeleteQuick and dirty solve, so it must be a Monday. Absolutely fascinated when I came “across” the four consecutive “M”s in the unifier answer – I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before!
LEE MARVIN was also great in Paint Your Wagon (Bonus - Clint Eastwood sings! Well, okay, maybe that’s not so much of a bonus….)
Speaking of movies, another good one is The OMEGA (or last) Man with Charlton Heston….
JiMMy KiMMel grew up here in Vegas and still makes frequent appearances….
Whenever I see the word YEOMAN, I think of Yeoman Janice Rand from the original Star Trek series….
AM – the way I looked at this puzzle was that one third of 6 is actually 2, but IF it is conceptually 3 than the “answer” is one and a half times the actual value. So the actual value of one half of 20 is 10, and then one and a half times 10 is 15.
I survived the test. The techs won't tell you the results, of course. The doctor will tell me next month but they didn't rush me onto a gurney so that's good.
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. Nifty puzzle today; enjoyed it and enjoyed reading all your comments.
ReplyDeleteGood news, Argyle.
Hello again.
ReplyDeleteAl Cyone and Tinbeni: I think that if you look at yesterday's blog, you will find that I was not the first to spill the beans about DA. (I would rather that they had replaced the actor!)
Today is the first day without boiling acid in esophagus. Perhaps because dinner last night was just an organic avocado, Greek yogurt (lactose free) and an organic apple (followed by 3 Tums a bit later).
For all those who are cruciverb deprived, let me suggest The Puzzle Society for $15/year. You get many puzzles (LAT included), which are almost always up at 11pm pacific time.
A breeze puzzle on a Monday! Nice to have one on an icy day in Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteRe: Photoshopped or not?
ReplyDeleteYour right, i should not have assumed the pics were legit with out checking. But when i did check, it turns out (according to Sports Illustrated) that this tennis match did actually take place! The facts however were wrong. The Burj Al Arab, the worlds 4th largest hotel, is only 1,053 feet tall...
Now to verify the other pics,,, (this may take a while...)
While you are waiting,,, enjoy cat meets snow for 1st time.
Just posting a profile photo.
ReplyDeleteThis is Bizzy BIZIN.
Awol: So glad that you have turned blue!
ReplyDeleteHola Everyone, MMMM for a great puzzle and a writeup from our fearless leader. I enjoyed all the theme fills. This was pretty much a speed run for me.
ReplyDeleteMy only huh? today was Manila. I couldn't for the life of me think of a paper for an envelope. Once I decided to do the downs in the NW corner I had to hit my head hard with that proverbial V-8 can.
Everything has pretty much been discussed so I'll leave my post today with a wish for everyone to enjoy the rest of their day.
Green Stamps were coveted by us as they provided the little extras that we couldn't have afforded otherwise. I would never have purchased a pair of brass candlesticks, or a pottery hen and rooster. But Green Stamps were spent on these and I still look at them and enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteWelcome AWOL. I know that you'll enjoy the banter.
Linda, great news about Grace.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, good job!
Welcome, Awol, cute cat!
CED, loved the cat-in-the-snow clip. Do you have cats?
AM, I solved your puzzle like Vegas did, thinking 3 is 150% of 2, so what number is 150% of 10; 15.
ReplyDeleteMy son proposed to my (now) daughter-in-law when they stayed at the Burj Al Arab. They had interesting stories from their vist. My AF son served several deployments in the UAE, so suggested sites and foods ahead of time to them.
Montana
Anon@12:13 -- after reading that post of mine, I wondered how long it would take for somebody to make small talk about it.
ReplyDeleteAWOL -- welcome to the pool, the water's fine. I'm sure glad your cat isn't named Wizzy. Not a good mental image...
Ok, i'm back!
ReplyDeleteThe Goats Are Real!
If you don't believe the pics, check out the video on the bottom!
Also, in researching i found a deer that thinks it's a sheep! (i had a better video, but it was tied to a deer & dog friendship, but the powers that be decided to trap the dog, leaving the deer all alone. It was just to sad to post!)
I bought my 1st guitar at 14 years old with 7&3/4 King Korn Stamp Books!
( Does anyone remember a supermarket called "King Korn?")
I hesitate to link M&M comercials, everyone has seen them. Besides, Andy Griffith said it better, even if it was only one MMMMM...
Irish Miss??? Do i have Cats??? After a year of Blogging, you don't know everything about me???
(must go find pics of my cats,,, oh boy, is Manac going to be mad!!!)
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this puzzle. I even got the theme early. My DH always looks at the puzzle early and knew 'slammin Sammy' at once. When I saw all the M's it was easy to figure out the rest.Especially 63A MMMMGOOD. That was my favorite.
We'e had a lot of neons lately.
Mari @ 7:55: We have had the same weather patterns in SW Wisc, with the temps 10 degrees less than you. We were supposed to have bad weather yesterday. It did snow and sleet,etc for awhile but not as bad as they said. It thawed quickly.
We used to use green stamps but they have been gone for a long time. Now we have "reward cards" at the grocery store, gas pumps, even Walgreens now.
I use my walker most of the time but can take a few steps without it so am making good process.
Have a nice evening all!
Marge
Dennis, AWOL as 'a woman of leisure', only helps if you happen to be one. It is not an issue of mitigation for a crime, if you happen to be on active duty, and are supposedly looking for one.(lol).
ReplyDeleteSfingi asked - how do you know 'your' cats are feral ?
Well, following Marti's suggestions, I would look for a collar, its behavior (snarls ?), is it scared ?, etc. The one thing I would not be able to confirm, is if it's been spayed or 'fixed'. ( Even if I was able to catch it, I wouldn't know what to look for ....)
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Gareth Bain, for a great Monday puzzle. Thank you, C.,C., for pinch hitting for Argyle.
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous 2:27. I am also in freezing rain, PA, near Erie. Heading back to Chicago early in the morning.
Argyle: Good luck on your test.
Puzzle was quite easy. Caught the theme after a couple answers appeared and after 63A. I also ate plenty of Campbell's soup growing up. I still eat quite a bit.
Had OAF for a while instead of HAM for 11D.
ERIE for 67A was a gimmie. Saw your note C.C.
I also tried to download this puzzle from Cruciverb.com. No cigar. So, after most of the day was over I printed it from the Chiago Trib Site. Zipped through it.
Welcome AWOL. Nice to have you with us.
See you tomorrow from Illinois or some place in between.
I worked hard all weekend at a gun raffle in PA. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I even won a gun. Taurus "Judge", five round handgun. Leaving it at my sister's since I cannot carry it through Chicago, as far as I know. Will pick it up next trip through and take it to Johnsonburg.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
HGary:
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to tell you that last night Charles Barkley was a guest on a local TV channel and somehow they were on the subject of manicures and pedicures. He spread out his hands and stated, I get those regularly.
Does that inspire you?
fermatprime @2:26
ReplyDeleteWell, now that I know the ground-rules (about when to reveal DA details) ...
Would I be "out-of-line" (Warning, SPOILER ALERT !) if I revealed that in the next Episode Bates kills his 'cell-mate' ???
CED, I enjoyed the links. You're a pistol.
Awol, as is my tradition, my first "toast" at Sunset was to you!
Cheers !!!
PS re: DA ... that may, or may not be true. LOL !!!
Zipped thru this one but it is Monday.
ReplyDeleteCED, Me? Whatever would give you that Idea?
Fermatprime. I BEG YOU, please stop putting information about Downton Abbey without providing a spoiler alert. Not all of us get to watch shows when they play. PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteMichele. I BEG YOU, please stop putting information about Downton Abbey without providing a spoiler alert. Not all of us get to watch shows when they play. PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Annie B, welcome AWOL and 61
ReplyDeleteMari (@7:51) and HG (@9:23) – about those ubiquitous Geico Gecko commercials. They’re a little tired, I agree, but the Geico ad that REALLY, REALLY annoys me is the current one featuring the Little Piggy and a young lady “parking”. And she’s flirting … with a PIG, for crying out loud! Even if it is a talking pig … it’s still a PIG! Just creeps me out. OK, end of rant.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to AWOL – plenty of cat-lovers here (with the exception of Manac, lol!) And LaLaLinda, glad to hear your kitty no longer needs insulin shots. If I tried that with my 18-year-old cat, I’d need first aid!
Tinbeni:
ReplyDeleteOooh, you are a wicked man!
Easily solved Lemon.
ReplyDeleteI solved AM's RATIO problem in the same way as Vegas and Montana.
ReplyDeleteCarol's service is tomorrow. She was 63. Thanks for all the kind thoughts.
It just keeps coming. Four different friends have had an elderly parent pass away this week.
JM , I agree that the Little Piggy ads are annoying, I kinda like the Gecko.
Uh Oh! What did I do ?
ReplyDeleteWhy do I get the feeling this Is going to be the scene around here if HG ever divulges my address. Catch me if you can
Just the first 60 seconds will do.
Manac? Did i miss a post somewhere?
ReplyDeleteNo need to get paranoid, The Blog denizens aren't just cat lovers, they are animal lovers! Besides, unlike your video clip, we would never track you down with bloodhounds,,, ( we have a special terror in store for you )
Yellowrocks, Irish Miss, CanadianEh (a 17-year old kitty!) and Java Mama (an 18-year old kitty!) ~ ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good thoughts on Grace. She's been doing so well lately. CanadianEh - I hope I have her around that long. She's now 12 1/2. Java Mama - I know you could do the injections if you had to. The best time is when she's eating - she doesn't even realize it's happening. I'm sure she doesn't miss it, though!
CED ~ Loved the cats on leashes!
I don't like war at all but I do enjoy war movies. I came across an old movie on TCM called "Submarine Raider." I had never heard of it, and after watching some of it, I can see why. Its special effects are the cheesiest I've ever seen. In spite of that, I've enjoyed it so far.
ReplyDeleteI'm also in the middle of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Classic Humphrey Bogart but fairly unpleasant in parts.
All the cat videos are fun.
Bill, NOOOOOO!!!! Don't give in to the Dark Side.
ReplyDeleteDave, All too funny :-)
HG, LMFAO!
It's all fun and games til someone gets ( Enter your ending here ).
CED, I agree that we all seem to be animal lovers here, but the cat contingent appears to hold a distinct advantage. The Cats On Leashes clip reminded me of when I had three cats, and occasionally let them out into the backyard to “air them out” if nothing else. They would tend to stray in different directions, so it was a challenge trying to, well, herd cats…. These were all (mostly) indoor cats, and lived to be 17, 18, and 17 years respectively. Here’s a clip of my last cat (no sound)….
ReplyDeleteThank you Michele, the discussion can go on but if details are coming a warning will suffice.
ReplyDeleteI am a dog person. I had one cat who would fetch and roll over on command. kitties are clearly very cute.
C'mon Bill. Try to be a little sensitive to our Wisconsin contingent! They hate that movie.
ReplyDelete"Badgers? We don't got no Badgers. We don't need no stinking Badgers!"
Avg Joe, heh heh, you got me! Cheeseiest and badgers. But what about some other stuff I looked up? How about muskellunge? Gelena? Forward!? And trilobite all to the tune of a spirited polka?
ReplyDeleteI feel sure I've linked this once before but I don't care. It's worth at least one more viewing. It's a combination of a very cool magic routine with the droll wit of Steve Martin. Ladies and gentlemen, The Great Flydini!
Lemonade, Tinbeni, Al Cyone: So sorry! Since I was not the first to blab about DA, I did not think that I would be the first blamed! Have never done this before to me knowledge, and certainly will not in the future.
ReplyDeleteA day late since cruciverb was too. Be well, Argyle. Liked the different alignments of the M's.
ReplyDeleteSe Ri PAK is total class.
Sweet Monday.