Theme: Time to catch some zzzzs.
A very tight Friday, with some very challenging fill from one of our old pro constructors, for the newbies, here is his INTERVIEW. Today he has a letter/sound substitution where SSes, or the S sound is replaced with a double ZZ to create a new and rib tickling phrase. There was totally unknown fill but some nice ones like, DEN DAD, DOTE UPON, I SEE YOU, O'LEARY'S, TROJANS, WIZENED and I clearly learned some new things like AGENA and HUTU, no to be confused with HULU. Anyway, enough, on to the show.
18A. North African prison wear? : CON FEZZES (9). (Confesses). Cute visual, though I doubt they really are given out in jails there; and I am not sure they call their convicts cons.
37A. Lint depository? : FUZZ POT.(7). (Fusspot). Another word broken in two to when the S sound is replaced with Z. We also call them fuss-budgets, but I do not know why. When my mother got her first washing machine, she thought the lint filter was some kind of cloth and kept putting it back. With the CON on top it would have been nice to have a police clue here.
59A. Really short haircut? : MICROBUZZ. (9). (Microbus). A very short haircut, or the vehicle of my generation.
3D. Dogcatchers? : MUZZLE MEN.(9). (Muscle men). Very conflicted visual of the mean dogcatcher muzzling the poor puppies.
33D. Ride a Russian statesman? : RAZZ PUTIN.(9). (Rasputin). The famous Mad Monk. Also a shout out to our own RAZZ who was an early contributor to the corner and does stop by now and then. RAZZ from Raspberry. Put your tongue back in.
Across:
1. Foxx who played Ray : JAMIE. I had the pleasure of meeting Ray Charles when he came and played at the music hall, but never met this ACTOR (1:33) who won the Oscar for this role.
6. Place for shades : LAMP. Some cute deception for a simple fill, as I fist was thinking of glasses.
10. Hard-hitting sound : WHAP. So many choices...
14. Look embarrassed, maybe : BLUSH. "Man is the only animal which blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain.
15. "Metamorphoses" poet : OVID. The poet of love, who put together this 15 book mock-epic poem which features Cupid rather than the other Roman gods. Not to be confused with Kafka's The Metamorphosis, the meaning of which still bugs me.
16. He helped get Cassio demoted : IAGO. I do love my Shakespeare, but this character really bugs me, especially when I played Cassio in high school.
17. Carving tools : ADZES. Our first Z, but not the last.
20. Bring down to earth : RAZE. Literally down to the ground, as in tearing down a building.
21. "Rats!" : DANG. A good Southern US word.
22. Nancy Drew books pseudonym : KEENE. You might want to check out this LINK which tells you all you wanted to know and more. I had a Ned reference recently.
23. Disinfectant brand : LYSOL. This product has been around since the early days of Downton Abbey, where if only Ethel Parks had known of its other USES she might still be working there.
25. Scout leader : DEN DAD. Reminds me of our own Dr. Dad. Are these with the Cub Scouts? And, 36A. Rapper who founded Aftermath Entertainment : DRE. Another Dr. D.
26. Went on a date, perhaps : ATE OUT. Speaking of Lois' recent birthday, her DF comment on this almost salacious clue would be wonderful.
28. Soft material : SUEDE. The original
30. Affectedly reserved : DEMURE. What a great definition.
31. Rugrat : IMP.
32. Trifle : DRIB. I found this clue a bit drab.
40. Bustle : ADO. Shakespeare again?
41. ___-Indian War : SINO. Of or relating to Chinese. This was likely a response to the grant of asylum to the Dalai Lama by India, and was fought in the Himalayan mountains.
43. It has some crust : PIE. Another fun clue for simple fill.
44. Makes more elegant, with "up" : RITZES. Not the crackers, but basis of this SONG.(2:03).
46. Pillages : LOOTS.
48. Storied swinger : TARZAN. Did you go ape over this clue, or think about Lois again?
49. Spot for a belt : TAVERN. Another nice one, I hope you did not waist time on any other answer.
52. "The Fox and the Crow" writer : AESOP. The fabled moral man, not the morel one..
53. Fugitive's invention : ALIAS. I think creation is more accurate.Oddly, AESOP is an alias.
54. Helper : HAND. All hands on deck.
56. Begin to dive : JUMP. Off the diving board or out of the plane, or off the boat?
61. "Today" anchor before Meredith : KATIE. Couric. This anchor. Thumbs up, or down?
62. Nasty : ICKY. Gentleman, do you remember the shuffle?
63. Case for pins and needles : ETUI. No not Brutus.
64. Chilling : ON ICE. Honey, is the champagne chillin'?
65. Take away : LESS. Not fish and chips but subtraction.
66. Capital of Estonia : EURO. Money honey; The Capital City is Tallinn which I bet very few knew.
67. Grant player : ASNER. Lou from Mary Tyler Moore comedy, who went on to his own serious show.
Down:
1. Old ski lift : J-BAR. Also a place in Davie where you drink, and a rare J for me.
2. Bisset's "The Mephisto Waltz" co-star : ALDA. This MOVIE (2:27)which I never heard of.
4. Phrase in a tot's game : I SEE YOU. Peek-a-boo.
5. Questioning utterances : EHS. Eh, exsqueeze me?
6. Nearby : LOCAL
7. Viva by Fergie fragrance maker : AVON. The power of the mighty dollar. She and hubby Josh Duhamel announced she is carrying their first baby.
8. Big name in artifacts : MING. Was this a much studied DYNASTY in China, C.C.? (From C.C.: Probably because of the porcelain. But Tang Dynasty garners more interest. More than any other dynasty, Tang had the most influence on Japanese culture, esp architecture, tea custom and clothing.)
 |
| Tang Costumes |
9. Adobe file format : PDF. Portable Documnet Format., this was on Jeopardy Champions and they all got it wrong, the backbone of my profession.
10. Old and wrinkled : WIZENED. But I earned every wrinkle!
11. Made indistinct : HAZED. I went away to prep school, so this word had a very different meaning.
12. Gemini docking target : AGENA. I did not know most of this LINK.
13. Sat : POSED. Has any of us worked as a painter's model? You don't have to say if you posed nude, but of course we want to know.
19. Barely got (by) : EKED. For those of us who barely eked out a living to survive college, a few dollars to be a still model, nude or not made sense.
21. Spoil : DOTE UPON. You can bet little Miss Charlotte will get lots of spoiling from me.
24. Turf mate : SURF. Love the rhyme.
25. Banished, in a way : DEPORTED. Immigration reform is not a good topic.
26. Counts (up) : ADDS. Simple and elegant.
27. Garr of "Mr. Mom" : TERI. One of my favorite comic ACTRESSES.(1:31).
28. Shoe store array : SIZES. Am I the only who thought of Al Bundy?
29. One crying foul : UMP. A baseball reference for C.C. and spring training which has begun.
34. Notion : IDEA. I had an inkling you found this easy.
35. Cap'n's mate : BOS'N. Also know as the BOATSWAIN..
38. Skin cream target : ZIT. Not to be confused with our earlier ZOT.
39. Tijuana relatives : TIAS. Spanish Aunts, not Spanish Flys.
42. Mrs. ___ cow : O'LEARYS. The scapegoat for the Chicago FIRE.
45. Insidious malware with a classically derived name : TROJANS. From the Trojan horse used to trick Troy by the Greeks. Not sure how they became the name of condoms which keep things out rather than sneak them in.
47. Thereabouts : OR SO.
49. ___ Tigers: Sri Lankan separatists : TAMIL. Do you read this NEWS.?
50. Mrs. Kramden of Chauncey Street : ALICE. Most remember Audrey Meadows, "to the Moon Alice."
but she was the second actress to play the part.
51. NyQuil manufacturer : VICKS. I loved the TBBT with Sheldon, Amy and Vaporub.
52. WWII Italian beachhead : ANZIO.
54. Rwanda native : HUTU. This corner was really hard for me. I did not know any of this LINK.
55. Bleu shade : AZUR. French lesson of the day.
57. Chuck E. Cheese et al. : MICE. And Mickey and Minnie.
58. Review target : PEER. The process in graduate schools where the department members look over each other's shoulders.
60. Opie's great-aunt : BEE. Standing for B., not Beatrice.
61. Camping org. : KOA. Kampground of America.
Well, time to fold my tents and let you have control of your computers; I hope you enjoyed our time together with Ed and his handiwork. Thanks Dr. Sessa, and thank you all, and a continuing welcome to all the newbies who keep the rest of us on our toes, which for someone not ballet trained is hard.
Lemonade out.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteWith only half the puzzle filled and running out of time this morning, I almost gave in the towel. Then I finally caught onto the theme and was able to throw down a bunch of Z's in the theme answers and finish the grid. The grid had a mistake in it, however, and I had to turn on the red letter help to change AZUL/EULO to AZUR/EURO.
Many of the clues/answers were nearly impossible for me to get this morning and I had to rely heavily on the perps and a few WAGS. KEENE? ANZIO? DRIB? DEN DAD (as opposed to MOM)? JBAR? MING (as clued)? AGENA? Seriously, it's amazing I finished with only one error. In fact, it's amazing I finished at all...
[leterpy]
As a newbie l appreciate the shout out. Thanks. This one totally not doable for me as are most of the later week ones. Enjoy the commentary, links and comments.
ReplyDeleteDo have a couple of questions. What is a perp? What does "Pref" mean in a clue?
Have a good day. Rain and ice here today. Be safe.
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteSolving this puzz put me in mind of walking on ice: every step was done cautiously. There was a fair bit of trial & error. I caught on to the theme somewhere in the middle, and that helped immensely.
Ah, yes, the famed VW Microbus! We had four of them over the years. My mom got one of the really early ones, in 1957, with a roll-back roof. She used that one to take a driving test for a MA driver's license. She was so nervous about the test that she plum ran through a stop sign, but the official fellow giving the test was so absorbed in that novel German vehicle, he didn't even notice the infraction.
Good morning.
ReplyDeleteOnce again I labored to produce a DNF. When I finally got the theme, things worked out fast. But, at 1D I had written TBAR, and had no idea who was the Foxx who played Ray, so TAMIE got to stay. Never heard of a JBAR. Sessed lah vye, as we used to say in French class.
nu be, read "Comments Section Abbreviations" on the front page for many of the abbreviations used here. "Pref" means prefix.
ReplyDeletenu be in oh@6:34: Perps are perpendiculars--the words crossing the word you're trying to solve. "Pref" in a clue means Prefix. Here's one from last Sunday: "Thought: Pref." The answer was IDEO.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the Olio section on the R-H side of the main blog page. There's some good stuff in there.
Good Morning, Lemonade and friends. Interesting puzzle. I got a foothold in the bottom portion of the puzzle and worked my way up. Unusual solving for me.
ReplyDeleteMICRO BUZZ was my Rosetta Stone.
I learned that Nearby is not Close, but LOCAL.
I learned that a Hard-Hitting Sound is not Thud, but WHAP.
Marti told us about KOA being the Kampgrounds of America just yesterday, because that is where the RVs can rest.
I have never heard of RITZES Up. I have heard of Dolls Up and Dresses Up and even Putting on the Ritz, but RITZES Up???
I was in Tellinn, Estonia just last year, so knew the monetary unit was the Euro.
Some really fun clues: Storied Swinger = TARZAN
Spot for a Belt = TAVERN.
One Crying Foul = UMP.
In honor of the reason for the DEN DAD, here is today's QOD: Correcting bad habits cannot be done by forbidding or punishment. ~ Lord Robert Baden-Powell (Feb. 22, 1857 ~ Jan. 8, 1941) [Founder of the Boy Scouts]
[rigoope]
Good morning everyone,
ReplyDeleteAfter my first pass the NW corner was complete and the rest of the grid looked like a metaphor describing T S Eliot's Waste Land. I had a "cacti" here, a "sagebrush" there and a lot of emptiness.
Working from the bottom up, I eventually completed everything except the NE corner. POSED, IAGO, & DENDAD were the only fills. CONFEZZES was no wg here to be seen either.
The rest turned out to be a pleasant challenge. RITZES was all perps, a previously unknown & likely soon to be forgotten expression. Spot for a belt/TAVERN was a fav. Been there, done that on a few occasions.
Irish Miss, whats the weather prediction for your area this weekend? I'm scheduled there on Sunday and am thinking about going up on Saturday.
Have a good weekend and be safe
nelgtgg
ReplyDeleteOOPS
Should have proof read more carefully.
CONFEZZES was no wg here....... should be "nowhere to be seen either."
Pedestrian Friday crossword offering.
ReplyDelete"Hard-hitting sound : WHAP"
Weak.
"Nancy Drew books pseudonym : KEENE"
This is biased against men.
"Scout leader : DEN DAD"
Creepy.
"Trifle : DRIB"
Really?
Challenging until I realized that ZZ was the key. Finally I Googled the capital of Estonia, Tellinn. When that didn't fit I knew capital referred to money and got EURO. Before that I had AZUL instead of AZUR. Wrong language. I still had one answer wrong TBAR, instead of JBAR.
ReplyDeleteAn interseting, fair puzzle, no real unknowns. DUH! "I coulda been a contender." from On the Waterfront
Good morning Lemonade, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fun write-up and all the neat links, Lemony! I had the same thoughts as you did about the MUZZLE MEN - "poor puppies!" As soon as I "got" CON FEZZZES, though, I was off to the races.
It must have been very difficult to come up with a theme/grid that would work with five entries having double ZZs. Great stuff!
Good morning everybody. Fun puzzle today, with some super great clues. Hahtoolah covered most of my favorites, but another one was 64A: Chilling: ON ICE. At first I wanted EERIE.
ReplyDeleteNancy Drew books were my first true love. They got me on the enjoyable road of reading that I still travel today.
I also liked 42D: Mrs. ___ Cow: O LEARYS. That poor lady will never live down the stigma of being associated with the Chicago Fire. Chicago is like that. Some are still blaming poor Steve Bartman for the great Cubs loss of 2003.
We maybe got 4" of snow last night. Not too bad, but were now expecting freezing rain.
Have a nice weekend!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Ed Sessa, for a great puzzle. Thank you, Lemonade, for the excellent review.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great morning. This puzzle was outstanding! No, I did not complete it easily, but I did get it done.
My first theme answer was MICRO BUZZ. Then MUZZLE MEN. OK, I am looking for double ZZ's.
CONFEZZES came easily. As I have mentioned before, I own several fezzes.
Took me awhile to change TBAR to JBAR. Had DARN before DANG. Had LANE before LAMP. That whole area was tough for a while. LAMP is what fixed it.
O'LEARY'S and TAVERN crossing made that area pretty simple.
ETUI is an old crossword favorite.
We always had DEN MOTHERS in Cub Scouts. I think DEN FATHERS, or DADS came later.
Well, we got a couple inches of snow last night. Not too bad.
See you tomorrow, or maybe later today, just to see what's cooking. Speaking of cooking, where's Jeannie? Come on back!
Abejo
(egaltipt)
TTP:
ReplyDeleteSaw your note from last night. Yes, I am also off 59, I would guess north of you. Agree, we should get together and swap crossword stories, etc. With a suds would be OK. Maybe Mari would like to join in.
Abejo
(callogis)
Slow going this morning but got it done. My first ski experience was with a T bar, so had trouble with the J. Also, as a young girl,Nancy Drew was my idol, She, Ned Nickerson and her convertible had me in awe, and I read every book at least 3 times. I still have some of the original books from the 50's. They are probably priceless - i.e. worth 50 cents on ebay! But I did not know Carolyn Keene was a pseudonym. Just goes to show that you do learn something every day.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Mr. Sessa for a challenging puzzle and to Lemonade for your always brilliant analysis. I got the ZZZ right away but as usual missed the theme until I got here.
Happy Friday to all!
Tough Friday puzzle, red letter all the way. Thank goodness for the double Zs as they made it a little easier.
ReplyDeleteI may have to rethink my opinion of Security cameras. (as seen on Facebook today)
Well, excuse me while I try to go & catch some Zs.
I’m Dreaming of a White Easter. 6” yesterday and then more on Monday and Friday! DARN/DANG and TUTU/HUTU (duh!) cost me getting done but everything seemed to fit. Dang impatience! The theme was amusing and finishing with RAZZPUTIN was wonderful!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Pitcher Mark Buerhle sas traded to the Toronto Bluejays but MUZZLEMEN may keep a member of his household out of Canada
-Malls around here are being RAZED and new multiuse facilities are being built in their footprint
-The syndicate that produced Nancy Drew books also wrote my Hardy Boy mysteries
-Many an unsuspecting lad has been hooked by a DEMURE look!
-Former colleague Ken Ritzdorf went by RITZ and claimed, “Everything’s better when it sits on a RITZ”
-No matter how much LOOT or PILLAGE Hagar brings home, Helga wants him to do his chores
-Despite being raised by apes, TARZAN screen personas always seemed tonsorially impeccable
-KATIE is fine with me and I do remember the ICKY shuffle
-New use of “take away” – What was your take away from that presentation?
-I was raised in LOCAL TAVERNS
-Being HAZED is illegal almost everywhere now
-I was all over the AGENA docking target that tested the concept of a rendezvous in space
-I assume Kate Middleton POSED for this horrible portrait
-Audrey Meadows (Jayne’s younger sister) was the second Alice and spectacular in the role
-What famous actor who worked under an ALIAS, referred to his old name with the movie line, “…the last man who said that to me was Archie Leach…”
It looked like today was going to be a toughie. And it was! First pass resulted in just a couple of words, some of which didnt look right- like ADZES. How could that lead to dog catchers? Perseverance prevailed, however, and I managed to get the whole thing with nary a look-up or even a write-over. Good puzzle today!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a 67 VW MICROBUS- yes, it involved BUZZing too.
rackbmy
Lots of single and double ZZs from Sezza - I mean Sessa. Www!
ReplyDelete1. ADZES, RAZE, RITZES, TARZAN, WIZENED, HAZED, ZIT, SIZES, AZUR, ANZIO, (Why is it TSAR, not czAR?)
2. CONFEZZES, FUZZPOT, MICROBUZZ, MUZZLEMEN, RAZZPUTIN.
Rewrites on my part:
aide before HAND
OrEilY before OLEARY
gussiES before RITZES
Am familiar with RITZy and (TIA) Fritzi RITZ, not RITZES up.
In the process of looking up WIZENED (shouldn't the I be pronounced long if followed by a single consonant?), found out about the Whizzenator. I'm way behind in yucky inventions.
Do people really call kids IMPs?
Wanted WHAm before WHAP.
5D. Questioning utterances : EHS
ReplyDeleteAlternate clue - several Canadians!
Got the theme fairly early and then things filled in.
Never heard of a J-bar (wanted T). Also wanted AZURE not AZUR!
Liked TAVERN, ASNER and RAZE clues.
I loved reading Nancy Drew books. I still have them in a box somewhere in the basement!
Yes Husker Gary @9:43 we don't allow pitbulls in Ontario so this created a dilemma for Blue Jays pitcher!
Hi Y'all, Sun is shining bright but 17 degrees with all the snow. Won't venture out today. Schools all closed. Cat confined indoors and not complaining.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this puzzle! Any Friday when I know the first clue is good with me. JAMIE Foxx channeled the spirit of Ray eerily well. So we gon' "Mess Around" with ZZ's. Good one, Ed! since your surname has SS's, I presume for the day, we call you Dr. ZeZZa. I caught on by the second set.
Great witty, commentary, thank you Lemonade!
HG: Cary Grant?
I probably wouldn't have finished this without red letter help. Took me several tries on some of the fills. New to me: Bisset & ALDA's movie, AGENA & DEN DADS (not moms).
A struggle from beginning to end for me. Poked around looking for a toe hold, then largely ended up solving from west to east. First theme fill was muzzlemen, which gave me enough to wag fuzzpot. Had the most trouble in the SE, but it eventually came together.
ReplyDeleteWe ended up with about 6" of snow. Enough to cause a little concern on the roads, but not enough to snow anyone in or cause major problems. I'm sure there'll be plenty of hand wringing about closing school etc, but I think most people were satisfied with erring on the caution side and taking a snow day even if it didn't turn out as advertized. Jim Cantore got a nice write up in the local paper.
And while I'm linking the Journal Star, they also had a nice article on the Isis Theater fund raiser I'd mentioned last week. They did good....beat their hoped for number handsomely.
Strange that when Captcha says I didn't type the non-word correctly and I do it again, it shows up twice. Frustrating!
ReplyDeleteAbejo & TTP: Sounds like fun! We could have our own "Midwest Coven", but we'd have to come up with an original name.
ReplyDeletein re: WIZENED (short i) English spelling is far from consistent.
ReplyDeleteQuoted by Vivian Cook and Melvin Bragg 2004,
I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, lough and through?
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead: it's said like bed, not bead -
For goodness sake don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose -
Just look them up - and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart -
Come, come, I've hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive!
I'd mastered it when I was five!
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteAaaack! I suzzed the theme, and was able to work from that to get most of Mr. Sezza'a pussle. I had the blanks filled in, but not all correctly. Missed the obvious EURO, and put an O in the WHOP / OGENA natick.
Fav clue/fill was Cap'n/BOS'N.
Wanted something baseball, then golf before TARZAN.
Did you spot TERI in the RITZ clip? That song has the strangest syncopation. I always liked TERI a lot. She's battling MS.
But lots here to dislike. Shades plural, LAMP singular; ETUI is so stale is should be banned; Rug rats might be imps, but it ain't necessarily so, RITZ aint no verb.
OTOH, ATE OUT over DEMURE is quite amusing.
Tigers first spring training game today against the Braves, who are graciously allowing the Tigers to use their DH.
Storm his us early this a.m. leaving about 2 inches of snow. Good day to stay home.
Cool regards!
JzB
Dudley @ 6:39 am: I loved your mom's driving test story! I failed my first attempt because I had a sneezing fit right when I was supposed to make a left turn. I think I was allergic to the monitor's cologne.
ReplyDeleteAny Starbucks lovers out there? I don't care for it, but when I heard their new Blonde Roast was good for people who don't like Starbucks I gave it a try. Nope - still too bitter for me.
How do you TBBT fans feel about Raj's potential new girlfriend?
Good morning, everyone! Just wasn’t on Mr. Sessa’s wavelength today, so ended up with a big fat DNF. J-BAR, AGENA and ANZIO were total unknowns. The ZZ theme was fun, though. RAZZPUTIN made me laugh – pictured someone giving old Vladimir a Bronx cheer. Thanks for the fun write-up Lemonade. That clip from Young Frankenstein is one of my favorite movie moments of all time.
ReplyDeleteI see PK beat me to the punch -- Archie Leach was the given name of the inimitable Cary Grant.
Mari, count me in for any future meetings of the Midwest Coven (where the first item on the agenda would be to come up with an original name).
White-knuckle drive home in freezing rain last night. Spring can’t arrive a minute too soon for my money.
Have a wonderful Friday, all!
So a J-bar is basically half a T-bar. Here is a demostration by a local kids show host. J-bar
ReplyDeleteChildren today are indeed playfully called IMPS, a softer, more loving term than brats. One dictionary definition is "a mischievous child."
ReplyDeleteParents brought two sister IMPS to our dance on Tuesday. They did cartwheels through the squares of dancers. They poured multiple cups of punch and dumped them back into the bowl. They had a water fight. Our refreshment chair had to wipe up the water on her hands and knees. They got into the treasurer's papers and wrote on them, etc. etc. They were not mean, but they sure were mischievous.
When I used to take my young children to meetings and other grown up events, I provided, books, paper, crayons, and other quiet pastimes and, most of all, SUPERVISION. Are the times changing, or does it just seem that way?
Lemon: Thank you for the nice write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteDNF - **it happens!
Fave (of course) was TAVERN
Non-fave (of course) was ON ICE
Cheers!!!
Hi Everyone ~~
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Ed Sessa's puzzles and had fun with this one. It wasn't all smooth sailing and I did jump around a lot. I caught the theme with MUZZLE MEN, although when seeing 3D starting with 'Dog...' I filled in Mutt before the perps steered me in the right direction. Knowing the double ZZ did help with the other theme answers.
~ TAMIL and HUTU were unknowns.
~ DEN DADS sounds really odd to me - more familiar with den mothers and maybe fathers.
~ I, too, am not familiar with the term "RITZES up."
~ Somehow AVON does not immediately come to mind when thinking of fragrances.
~ I thought of Canadian Eh with 5D - EHS.
~ Nancy Drew books were THE books of my preteen years ~ had such fun swapping them with friends. I knew Carolyn Keene was a pseudonym, but had no idea it was shared by so many different writers! Thanks for that info and all the other great stuff in your write-up today, Lemonade ~ wonderful!
Hello, PuZZlers. Great write-up, Lemonade, as always.
ReplyDeleteYowZa! JAMIE started me off as he was superb as Ray. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
But then I just skipped around until finally the eastern side filled itself and the many ZZees gave me ammunition to finish. The NW however, gave me fits and finally I researched 2D and got ALDA. My first thought was of an opera but with that fill all the rest fell in place.
RIGA was my first fill for Estonia's capital but then the haze lifted and I saw EURO.
A warm welcome to ETUI, one of the first words that puzzles taught me. Again, failing to check my work I had TUTU/TAND instead of HUTU/HAND. I blame it on my WIZENED state.
Thank you, Ed Sessa, this was fun and not too hard for a Friday.
Have a great day, everyone!
popeanic
-Just back in from getting rid of the balance of our first round of snow and what the maintainer left at the base of the driveway. It looks like Marti won’t get that Prada purse after all ;-). The late winter sun is melting things like crazy if your driveway faces south.
ReplyDelete-CanadianEh! Hmmm…. If I have to choose between my pit bull and a multi-million dollar contract…
-PK, yes that was Archibald Leach (ALIAS Cary Grant) who said that line as the smarmy Walter Burns in this wonderful movie (Archie Leach line is about 2/3 of the way down the page)
-Mari, maybe Joe and I could catch a cheap flight and coven with you. Midwest Mavens, Corn Coven, Middle Children, Big 10 Brigade, Fly Over Fraternity (gender issue?), Heartland Horde, …
-Very cool poem about our puzzling language, YR! Yes, a very small child can be an IMP if allowed.
-Best line from Young Frankenstein” - Gene Wilder at the door –“What knockers!”. Teri Garr – “Oh thank you, Doctor!” I remember her from Mr. Mom, Close Encounters and Tootsie as well!
If ever there should be a link ...
ReplyDeleteWhat knockers
Good Afternoon:
ReplyDeleteWell, this was a doozzy! I did finish w/o help but not without a struggle, even though I got the theme early on. Last to fall was Northeast.
Kudos to Mr. Sessa dor a clever, fun Friday, and thanks to Lemony for a clever, fun expo.
HH @7:03 - The forecast as of five minutes ago calls for mixed precipitation Saturday afternoon and evening and continuing into Sunday. There are two separate fronts being watched and whether we get rain or snow depends on which way they track. I can email you with an update after the 6:00 pm news, if you like.
I used to devour Nancy Drew books. Did anyone else read Trixie Belden? I loved those, as well.
Have a fantastic Friday.
I don't mean to cause a " dang , I wish I kept it " from some of you ,
ReplyDeleteA 23 window 1963 model Microbus sold at OC auction for $ 198,000 , that's before bidder and auction fees.
@Yellowrocks - wonderful! Will put in my collection.
ReplyDeleteI had a HS friend whose wife died falling off such a bar. I tried skiing once. Didn't like cuz I hate falling. I'll take the Monorail, and just watch, thank you.
Loved Teri Garr and Katie Couric. I was looking forward to retiring so I could watch the Today show. By the time I retired, it was disintegrated into fashions and recipes. I listen to NPR.
@Lalalinda - Been meaning to say I love your cat! Is the heart natural? Hutus and Tamils are part of the news NPR tends to repeat. That's when I turn the IV back on.
DANG! I thought I got this whole delightful Friday pussle--oops, I mean puZZle! But like many of you, I had T BAR and also OH instead of EH, giving me TAMIO for the Foxx, who I thought should have been REDD, which sadly didn't fit. But no matter, this was a lot of fun. So many thanks, Ed Sessa! And Lemonade, thanks for the pic of the MICROBUS, the only theme I didn't "get" even though I got it. Also, LOL at your Kafka "Metamorphosis" gloss.
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks, your rhyme is totally hilarious. Reminds me why it was so difficult to switch from logical German to totally illogical English when I was a child (no, I was not an IMP).
Nu be in oh, ask HeartRx to give you advice on how to do the difficult end of the week puzzles. She sure helped me.
Have a terrific Friday, everybody!
Well, the official snow fall here is 9". For my son's home it's 12" and his business is 15". Most we've had here in several years. My yard man called this morning and asked if I want my driveway cleared. He got a very
ReplyDeleteenthusiastic "YES!" My BFF emailed me last night and said she would have to scoop today. I urged her to hire an out-of-school boy. She has a faulty heart valve and I don't want to lose her. I gave up thinking I was super woman years ago. She hasn't.
Den dad? Ritzes up? Ming vases are artifacts? I would say the Chin dynasty terra cotta soldiers are artifacts... End of nitpicking.
ReplyDeleteLiked CON FEZZES a lot. IMP crossed UMP, hmmm.
9" in Kansas
ReplyDelete7" in Nebraska
6" in Illinois
Ice in Ohio
Snow on the Golf channel
Sweaters and hoodies in Daytona
That reminds me. its National Margarita Day!
Don't forget to celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day on August 14th.
UuI thought this an easy friday with only three crappy clues and two terrble clues. Loved razzputin, awesome. Three clues i always hate are maybes and in a way. Place for shades? Shouldn't it be lamps! Not singular lamp? That threw me off at first. Then banished (here we go) "in a way" ; departed?? Is that in a way??? Other than that, awesome, even though i give you "ritzes" up. But remember this is friday and anything goes!!!!
ReplyDeleteHere is a "place for shades", a single lamp. Please scroll down to the 11th item.
ReplyDeleteLink shades
Spot for a belt..............
ReplyDeleteVilla Incognito!!! Cheers Tin!
WEES nits"Ritzes up" Ugh.
Why do the emails in profiles go to SBC Yahoo DSL? My nerd friends tell me to stay away from there.
Anon@12:38 -- It was DEPoRTED not DEPaRTED which could be "banished, in a way." Makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteIn that case is in a way needed?
DeleteGood morning (still AM. here) from sunny, green California. I slept in, so did the puzzle late.
ReplyDeleteI used red letter help, but did quite well on a "Friday!"
I knew Tallinn was the capital. Needed all the perps to get EURO, then DO'H!!
Have a good rest of the day,
Montana
Toughie today, but very enjoyable. LAMP as the answer for "...shades" didn't quite sound right. WEES about WHAP, DRIB, JBAR AND AGENA.
ReplyDeleteThe knockers link made we wonder where Dennis has been lately?
I spent many happy hours with Trixie Belden, the Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. thought I would be so cool to have a roadster like Nancy. Meanwhile, the really cool cats were driving microbuses.
To everyone in the path of this winter storm, stay warm.
Ierson
ReplyDeleteIRISH MISS,
An update will be gratefully appreciated.
Hondo
Qli, with all this talk of snow and sleet, your avatar is a most welcome sight!
ReplyDeletenu be in oh, I have been trying to solve the NYT Friday-Saturday puzzles since I can't remember when. Sometimes I get em, sometimes I don't. BUT, I always learn something. So it's worth sticking to it and trying. Misty breezes through them now, and pretty soon she's going to try her hand at constructing some, aren't you Misty? ;D
Sfingi @11:38 ~ The cat in my avatar is some artwork that I found online. But I have seen some actual photos of cats with "natural hearts" created by their fur. Each of my own three kitties has been shown as my avatar in the past ~ I think I'll bring them back soon! =^..^=
ReplyDeleteHola Everyone, Thank you Lemon for a great writeup. Loved the Kramden link. The theme was sussed out after Fuzz Pot and Micro Buzz. I jumped all over the puzzle before getting a real toe hold, but those two answers really helped.
ReplyDeleteI had to Google Agena, J-Bar (as opposed to T-bar), and Jamie Foxx. I wanted Redd Foxx and that wouldn't fit. I'm so not up on recent movies, and pop culture. I am usually totally out of it on a Friday CW and I feel really good about getting it all done today.
I wanted Alibi instead of Alias, but I knew that Mrs. O'Leary's Cow was firm, so had to change my thinking. Adzes just didn't sound right to me, but it fit. Hands up for close instead of Local.
My nephews had only Den Moms when they were in Cub Scouts. Den Dad it had to be as Mom didn't work.
Anzio came from my long lost memory of WWII. I wasn't very old, but those places in Italy, France and Germany were burned in our minds as we were growing up.
Too many cousins didn't come back from some of those far away places.
Welcome nu be in oh. I hope you enjoy the banter.
CED, Great Security Camera link!!!
Dilbert had our theme in today’s strip
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks, Some of those English pronunciations were very difficult to teach to First Graders. If we adults have trouble imagine a six year old wrestling with even the simplest of the non-conforming words. I loved the poem. I'm going to copy it and send it to my daughter who teaches First Grade.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I think that parents aren't into the supervision of their children as we were back when. As a retired teacher I have to hold my tongue when in the grocery store or someplace where children are misbehaving. For example--I DIDN'T hold my tongue when some Imps were setting the mouse traps in a hardware store then putting them back in to catch someone's fingers when they reached for a purchase. I thought that was beyond mischievous.
I noticed that the traps were in sealed packages the last time I looked.
Not too eazzy but a pleazzant Friday solve.
ReplyDeleteMontana, did I miss something? What are you doing in California? Whereabouts in California?
YR, I agree about children who are poorly behaved. I'm willing to go along with the idea that corporal punishment should be minimized or avoided but children need to know their behavior boundaries and there need to be consequences. A young child was yelling and screaming in a restaurant and the parents were choosing to avoid the whole situation. Not only were there no unpleasant consequences for the commotion but they didn't even seem willing to point out to the IMP that his/her behavior was making others uncomfortable.
Marti (HeartRx), thanks for the sweet compliment--even if it was only a little joke. After seeing the movie "Word Play" in 2006 (was it? I bought a book that not only had puzzles but also had grids to give people a crack at constructing. Totally impossible! I worked and worked at it, but no go. That's why I'm in such total awe of C.C. and you and all those other brilliant constructors we meet every day. Constructing puzzles is hard--and for me, impossible.
ReplyDeleteAnother lively group today, great.
ReplyDeleteDespite solving for 50 years I am not a speed solver and have to persevere to get many puzzles done. The New York Times Fridays and Saturday require constant practice and even then can be impossible. When my mother was alive we also did the London Times and they too were a challenge but more doable after months of practice. Bottom line, the more you do the better you will be, especially if you write down the things you learn.
Constructing is another issue entirely.
Snow in Arizona melted quickly and spring training starts tomorrow.
ReplyDeletetsarybru
WEES, except I couldn't even solve with red letter help. Sad, but true.
ReplyDeleteDH was out shoveling snow for the second day. Two young men came by with shovels and finished the job for him. Gave them 3 dollars apiece and told them if they come by earlier next time he would give them more.
Thank you, Lemonade, for helping understand some fills that I totally missed. Excellent write-up!
I'm spending quite a bit of time going through papers, photos, and just plain old junk my husband is bringing out of the basement for me to go thru. May not have time to comment everyday. Did read all your comment last few days.
Pinto, loved Yosemite Frazil ice link. Hope I can watch more Yosemite links later. Haven't traveled west of Arizona, Colorado, or Wyoming.
I would like to be included in a Midwest Meeting Of The Minds if my health would allow. HG, Avg. Joe, Mari, etal keep me informed.
Hope you all are safe and warm.
Pinto @12:15
ReplyDeleteWere you alluding to where the ladies are the happiest?
BTW National Hot Chocolate Day has already past. It was January 31, 2013
(August 14th is National Creamsicle Day).
just sayin' ...
Cheers !!!
Lemonade @4:13 re: speed-solving -- while I understand that some solvers like the challenge of beating the clock, I prefer to take my time and enjoy the ride. It's always such a treat when one of our resident constructors shares insight on how a puzzle is "born". Makes me appreciate all the effort that goes into our daily diversion.
ReplyDeleteI started doing puzzles 40 yrs ago when I was 12. After dinner my father would do all 3 Chicago papers, then the NYT (he didn't like 60's TV too much). He gave me both a Thesaurus & Crossword Puzzle Dictionary and I still use the online versions of them to this day. It seems to me that most people don't like to use those sources, but I think that once you look up something you don't know, you'll never forget it.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, as one of the newbies, I appreciated the link to the interview, thank you. A few stumbling blocks today, even getting the theme did not help in a few areas! I am a mystery fan, started out with Nancy Drew, then to Agatha Christie and beyond! I collect first editions of both. It was disappointing to find out about the different authors of the Nancy Drew books over the years. A good resource to learn more information is "Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her" by Melanie Rehak.
ReplyDeleteThe comments about children and parenting are right on as far as I am concerned, as a Special Education teacher, I have noticed an avoidance of the word "no" by parents and an overall lack of limits...
HH @ 2:24 - Weather Update as of 6:24 EST.
ReplyDeleteSaturday afternoon and evening, rain and possibly 2" of snow, but 2-5" possible in the Berkshires. Continued rain on Sunday.
Hope this helps.
Evening everyone,
ReplyDeleteI loved some of the clues in this puzzle. Others, not so much but the double zz format kept me at it.
Montana, I sure hope you enjoy your time in CA. I realized the theme with 3D and that helped with some of the other answers. However, I had entered BEA for 60D and didn't recheck. Certainly were some odd words today.
Sorry TIN, but I like mine ONICE. I used the art dept. in college (as a means of funding my college) as a model. The fifteen dollars an hour bought a lot of groceries for my daughter. It is much harder to sit or lie still for three hours than you realize. I wish I had a drawing from those young years!
The sun came out today for less than five minutes. This week has flown. I was glad to see Robin Roberts back on tv. Dennis I hope you are well.
I also enjoy taking my time on crosswords. If I were to rush and try to do one quickly it would take part of the enjoyment out of it. Blue Iris, glad you are feeling well enough to comment.
ReplyDeleteIt's even snowing in crosswords two favorite places Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, they are predicting 6 - 12 inches above 10,500 ft. Think I'll stay home and enjoy the massive amounts of rain.
ReplyDeleteI started out with the Bobbsy Twins then graduated to Nancy Drew. I was one of those flashlight under the covers kid's. When I would hear one of the parental units stirring, very quick to click it off.
Love Ed Sessa puzzles, this one ranks up there with some of his best.
Bill G, I flew to Sacramento yesterday and am now in Turlock visiting my brother-in-law. We plan to spend a couple days driving the Pacific Coast Highway, ending up in Hemet, CA where a sister-in-law winters. I am hearing and reading from others on the Corner, that there are lots of sights to see on the drive.
ReplyDeleteShe wants us to take a couple day drives to the ocean next week. I have never been south of Monterey.
CA is a treat, weather wise, compared to MT.
Montana
Montana, I hope you tarry and enjoy the drive south on Pacific Coast Highway. There are lots of places to drive, stop, have lunch, enjoy the view, etc. When you take your other drives to the Pacific, are you going to be in the Los Angeles area?
ReplyDeleteOK, so I had a pedicure this afternoon. I've done it twice before. I admit I continue to have misgivings but I just can't bend down to do the job properly myself because of back problems, etc.
I just finished Modern Family from a couple of days ago. There's no accounting for taste in comedy but I like it much better than TBBT. And then there's Sofia...
Bill G @8:02 - I have become so disenchanted with TBBT that for the last few weeks I have forgotten to watch it. Sad, because it was a very funny show.
ReplyDeleteBill
ReplyDeleteDowntonabbey here. I get a kick out of TBBT theory still but do like MF too. Have you heard of the Mackensie back exercises? They have helped me a great deal with my lower back problems. Will check about the name of the book for you.
Hello all!
ReplyDeleteI am still alive, just barely. Worked yesterday's puzzle w/o a hitch but did not get a chance to blog. Three ring circus here today. Turned on red letters as could not concentrate. Thanks Ed! Thanks Lemonade! A real plethora of interesting links today!
Enjoyed reading the blog! YR: loved the poem! (No classical music provided today, though, unless I missed it.)
I attempted to remove Java. This caused horrible disaster as YouTube would not play. What's up?
Cheers!
BillG@8:02
ReplyDeleteI don't understand. Why do you have misgivings about a pedicure? I think you are courageous to have one. As I've mentioned before, every time I go there is at least one man and sometimes more.
tackingo
Chicago area folks:
ReplyDeleteLet's talk over the weekend, via the blog, or email.
Abejo
(ryxpano)
Bill g. 8:92--please don't give having a pedicure a second thought. Since my husband suffered his stroke, I of course have to clip his nails, both fingernails and toenails. If I didn't he would have problems with scratching and poking and all sorts of other issues. I too have some back problems and although I've never had a manicure or a pedicure in my life, I'm suddenly so grateful that this commercial help exists for seniors who have trouble bending and stooping and reaching. It's time we realized that this service is no longer a cosmetic service but a general health and comfort management support.
ReplyDeleteLucina, you and Misty make perfect sense. Since it's something I never used to do, it seemed uncomfortable at first. But it seems like a very desirable service at this point; money well spent. I didn't much care for the environment in the Vietnamese-run shop but this place is more expensive and suits me better. I'm pretty much at ease by now and I appreciate your support.
ReplyDeleteI missed all of the Friday fun. Had the puzzle done by 6AM, albeit with red letter help. Then it was snow blowing until 8AM and work until 5PM. In bed a few hours later. I was exhausted. Great write up Lemonade !
ReplyDeleteFermatprime, you don't need Java to play YouTube videos. There are no dependencies. To remove Java, see http://www.java.com/en/download/uninstall.jsp
The help resources for Java are on the left if you only want to update it.