(Note from C.C.: If you solve today's puzzle from Mensa or other ads-free websites that use the old format, your unifier will be: "Has a meal, and based on certain outer letters, what 17-, 24-, 30-, 46- and 53-Across each does". Those websites don't support circles. LA Times/Chicago Tribune websites do now.)
theme: staff of life
theme: staff of life
17A. One of Beethoven's 32 : PIANO SONATA. PITA bread. wikipedia says "... as a set they comprise one of the most important collections of works in the history of music."
24A. Rants and raves : RAISES CAIN. RAISIN bread. to 'raise cain' is to create an uproar.
30A. Social service item? : COFFEE URN. CORN bread.
46A. Proverbial nonexistent meal : FREE LUNCH. FRENCH bread.
53A. Place of central interest, man : WHERE IT'S AT. WHEAT bread.
65A. Has a meal, and as the circles show, what 17-, 24-, 30-, 46- and 53-Across each does : BREAKS BREAD
squeeze the circled letters together in each theme answer to form five kinds of bread.
melissa here. LOTSA arty words today, will let the music and pictures do most of the talking.
across
1. Tons o' : LOTSA
6. Blows, as a script line : FLUBS. oops.
11. Has permission : MAY
14. One may be passed around at a reunion : ALBUM. so many lines.
15. Like the Vegas strip : LIT UP. quite the view.
16. Honest prez : ABE
19. Moll's leg : GAM. moll = woman companion of a gunman or gangster.
20. More pitiful : SORRIER
21. Channeling state : TRANCE
23. Gas from the past : ESSO
27. Charity's URL ending : ORG
29. Change to zeros : RESET. like your trip odometer.
34. Wing measurement : SPAN. more than impressed.
38. More than impress : AWE
39. Debit card ID : PIN
40. Where to get off: Abbr. : STAtion. stockholm central train station.
43. __ Deco : ART
44. Sweet root : BEET.
49. Davis who was married to Ruby Dee : OSSIE. They were married 57 years, and as civil rights activists received many honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors. Davis delivered the eulogy of Malcolm X. Ossie died in 2005, Ruby is 90 years old.
52. "Collages" author Anaïs : NIN
57. Dog in the FDR Memorial : FALA. according to wikipedia, "the only dog so honored."
61. Hang up the gloves : RETIRE
62. Hollered : SHOUTED
64. Slick-whistle connector : AS A.
68. Chi follower : PSI
69. Farsi speaker : IRANI. baleh.
70. Edible little sphere : OLIVE
71. Oeuf seasoning : SEL. french for egg and salt.
72. He bested Alexander in 1804 : AARON. burr and hamilton.
73. Fragrant compound : ESTER
down
1. Brain freeze : LAPSE
2. Jumbles : OLIOS
3. Snowboarders' aids : T-BARS
4. Venting car option : SUNROOF
5. Parisian possessive : AMOI
6. Apt name for a woman with a green thumb? : FLORA
7. Jeremy in the 2012 NBA's Rising Stars Challenge : LIN
8. Acting teacher Hagen : UTA. german-born actress and drama teacher. and 22. Creates some drama? : ACTS.
9. Steep-sided hills : BUTTES. west mitten butte in arizona.
10. Spread out : SPARSE
11. __ Carta : MAGNA
12. Bead counters for bean counters : ABACI.
13. Arabian republic formed in 1990 : YEMEN
18. Composer Prokofiev : SERGEI
25. Like the vb. "to be," in most languages : IRR. irregular.
26. Hunch : SENSE
28. Sales __ : REP
30. Oft-grabbed ride : CAB
31. Be in hock to : OWE
32. Admission price : FEE
33. Not up to snuff : UNFIT
35. Part-goat deity : PAN
36. __ de Triomphe : ARC. paris.
37. Extreme degree : NTH
41. Some odometers show them : TENTHS
42. Clay, since 1964 : ALI
45. Songwriter Amos : TORI
47. Matter in court : RES
48. Displays, as a flag : UNFURLS
50. Montenegro neighbor : SERBIA
51. __ Club: conservation group : SIERRA
53. Completes a shoot : WRAPS
54. 1946 Literature Nobelist Hermann : HESSE
55. Cybersales : E-TAIL
56. Invite to enter : ASK IN
58. Took the hit, financially : ATE IT
59. Time off : LEAVE
60. Venomous snake : ADDER
63. Double-reed instrument : OBOE
66. Musical talent : EAR
67. "It's __-brainer!" : A NO
melissa
melissa
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteToday's puzzle was mostly "A NO brainer" for me, although there was nothing "white bread" about it.
Didn't see the circles, so didn't get the theme until it was all finished. Didn't need to know the theme to solve, though, so that was fine.
Only stumbling spot was in the very center where I tried INEPT and INAPT before finally settling on UNFIT when nothing seemed to work except for the "N". Everything else went down very smoothly.
[pntrea]
Good morning all. Thank you Peter Collins. Great puzzle. Only had theme answer FREE LUNCH filled in when I got BREAKS BREAD, and that clue gave me french, which made getting the other theme answers just a little bit easier. Could not get the SE in HESSE, and Chi follower PSI and Ouef seasoning weren't ringing any bells. They were my naticks.
ReplyDeleteBunch of words resonated today. Notably, RETIRE and LEAVE, and TRANCE and the clue for ATE IT. Thinking hard about retiring, but I may just take a leave to get away for awhile. Just have to get out of this funk I've been in. Of course, having the occasional lows makes one really appreciate and savor the highs. Much like the change of seasons. Paradise ain't just a city in Texas.
And speaking of taking the financial hit, I have been in somewhat of a trance lately. Using Garlic Gal's terminology, I rounded up all the tax crap and took it to the tax crap man (me). I understand how and why it happened, but there was a significant delta between taxes paid and owed. I think I shall write my congressman. And then spit in the wind. And tug on superman's cape.
Melissa, I thoroughly enjoyed your writeup, and all the pics and links. Thank you very much.
After starting in the NE today, I saw RAISIN, and was able to breeze through the rest of the puzzle. Only issue was my own, where I put ETAIL in where ASKIN should have gone. Getting the unifier helped a bit in getting some of the circled answers. Overall, medium difficulty for the middle of the week. Isnt that the way it is supposed to be?
ReplyDeleteHappy hump day, all!
ReplyDeleteGreat pix, Melissa! I guess that BUTTE's called "West Mitten" because of that thumb sticking up on the right. Pan also seems to have a stick up problem.
I had trouble getting started in the NW, but the rest of it came together easily. By the time I rotated back to the NW, I knew what the circles were for. That area finally fell.
I've got one more day to be the "tax crap man" (tomorrow), and then that'll be it for this tax season. The campus where I prepare taxes is a branch of the college where those stabbings occurred yesterday. It was all quiet at our campus.
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteNicely crafted puzzle, just right for a Wednesday. I always forget Res even though we've had it quite a bit. Uta and Nin are getting easier to remember, though.
Morning, MB, thanks for the fine images! L'Arc de Triomphe is a beautiful monument (but dangerous to walk to, unless you use the pedestrian tunnel - the traffic is crazy). Owls are impressive birds, true enough. Great gams...
A note about the Vegas strip: the big pyramid casino, the Luxor, has an impressive lighting feature with which I was indirectly involved. The great shaft of brilliant white light aimed directly skyward is produced by a large array of xenon arc lamps, each equipped with a parabolic reflector to aim the output. I can't recall to total wattage of the lighting equipment but estimate it at 50,000. A lot of that energy gets dispersed in the atmosphere on the way up, but astronauts say they can easily pick out the Luxor at night from space.
If you had the circles, you should feel cheated out of a fun extra layer to the puzzle. IMO
ReplyDeleteGood morning everybody. Nice puzzle. No complaints, other than I'd like a little more "bread" in my wallet!
ReplyDeleteBarry: Feeling any better today?
TTP: Sorry to hear about your funk. What line of work are you in? It sounds like you could use a nice, long vacation. (I know I could.)
Another note about the Vegas strip: I saw on Bar Rescue that the MGM Grand's entrance originally had a lion's head you had to walk through, but many Chinese gamblers avoided the casino, or came in the back entrance because they believed entering the mouth of the lion was bad luck.
As for the puzzle, I foolishly wrote CAN instead of MAY for 11A: Has permission. Otherwise it was smooth sailing.
Enjoy your day.
Melissa, I loved your links and pix. Thanks. This puzzle was a Monday walk in the park.
ReplyDeleteI thought of sugar BEETs for sweet root because a short time ago we discussed them as an alternate source of sugar, in addition to cane sugar.
Link Sugar beets
We read some of the poems of Hermann HESSE in German Literature in college. They often were quite sad. My German has deteriorated very much in the intervening years. Here is an English translation, not mine, of course.
Stages
As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.
Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slave of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.
Hermann Hesse
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Peter Collins, for a very good puzzle. Thank you, Melissa Bee, for a great write-up.
ReplyDeleteM.B: Caught you Baleh for 69A comment. And to that, ghorbani shoma.
Well, I had circles today in my Chicago Trib newspaper. However, they did not help with the solve, just made sense of the theme after it was over. Yesterday, was weird with the many different clues.
I could not easily get started in the North, so I headed to the bottom of the puzzle and worked my way up. My first answer was IRANI for 69A
OLIVE was easy for 70A after I had a couple letters. I love olives. Especially those olive bars in some supermarkets, such as Whole Foods.
I have seen the FDR memorial and FALA in then DC area.
No truer statement was ever made: There is no FREE LUNCH.
I did not sleep real well last night. I thought I would from my exhausting day at the polls. I guess I was too achy.
TTP: Nice to see you back.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(evelsonm)
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually like circles in cw's, but this one was OK. Rewrote the circled letters out in the right margin so it would be easier to read. NW filled in last, so it helped to see PI TA looming which gave me PIANA SONATA, and, voilà, it was done. ESSO was an educated WAG. At 25d, had 'INT' for intransitive, before RESET and ……URN showed that it had to be IRR for irregular. Just enough misdirection or bifurcation to make it a little prickly. Thanks Peter for a good morning workout.
Sallie, glad to see you. I wish you well and hope that you are on your way to a speedy healthy recovery.
Have a great day.
Good Morning all - Thanks Peter for a fun puzzle with clever construction. It had just enough crunch to it for me. Great write-up Melissa with some stunning pictures.
ReplyDeleteFirst pass across gave me 9 - count em - 9, fill-ins. The downs helped me a lot and I managed to complete the puzzle with no look-ups or wags. Last to fall was the southeast, but after figuring out the connection on themed answers, I was able to get BREAD (I already had BREAKS), which led me to get ADDER, then SHOUTED, then..... You get the picture.
Like Dudley, UTA, NIN, as well as HESSE are becoming more recognizable and with one or 2 letters are easier fill-ins.
Favorite clue was "Edible little sphere", most misunderstood was "Tons o' ". I kept wanting to finish the phrase (as in tons o' fun), but finally realized my mistake and after a couple of letters, came up with LOTSA which led to the rest of the northwest completion.
A fun puzzle this morning - very enjoyable.
TTP - Sorry about your 'blue funk'. If you decide to retire, don't worry about being bored - there is ALWAYS something to do, and at some point you will wonder how you ever found time to work. Life is too short not to enjoy what you do and be happy. Hope you can find the path to make your life more enjoyable.
Hubby has gone fishing so guess I'll get to my needlepoint this morning, then to the beach this afternoon. Supposed to be mid 80's today. We won't see that until mid summer up north.
Have a great hump day everyone!
emaryrar
Nice puzzle and write up!
ReplyDeleteI also stumbled for a while in the NW, but after coming back and changing PHOTO to ALBUM, my top half was done, and noticing the PI-TA got me going on the rest of the theme answers. Circles definitely made it go faster after that. SEL was a gimme.
I'll need to make more of my WHEAT BREAD later this week, as we're nearing the end of the last loaf of the last batch.
Hi Everyone ~~
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this puzzle even before discovering the theme. I agree with Argyle ~ the circles weren't really necessary and it would have been fun to see the BREAD "sandwiching" the other letters without the hint. Still fun, though - thanks Peter Collins. The only place I hesitated: 10D - SPARSE, to me, is more 'spread thinly' than 'spread out.'
Melissa ~ your write-up was wonderful - so colorful with your pics and links.
Enjoy the day ~~
What a wonderful Wednesday puzzle! Thank you, Peter Collins. I enjoyed your witty write-up and pictures MB. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI had trouble getting started and the NW was the last to fill in. My 4 years of HS/College French come in handy quite often, so those clues were easy.
21A Had seANCE for TRANCE. Once I cleared that up the rest filled in nicely.
Welcome back, TTP. Hope you get out of your funk soon. They are no fun. Will you pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger? Just don't mess around with Jim.
I'm off to run errends, then take the dog to the dog park to see some friends, two and 4-legged ones.
Have a great day.
Pat
A just right Wednesday puzzle with clever cluing! I wonder who decides when to use circles or just have us solvers go back and suss out PI…TA, RAIS…IN, et al. Even I got the theme early with the 000…00 format.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-In one play I was in, another actor FLUBbed his lines by skipping ahead two pages and we just had to go with it. Some of my best lines went “bye-bye”
-C’mon, you all played “Mother MAY I” growing up, didn’t you?
-The Willie Nelson family reunion might pass around something else
-Moll? GAM? Can gat, stool pigeon, copper and gum-shoe be far behind? Isn’t that Bogart over there?
-BEETs fall into the “love ‘em or hate ‘em” category. I’m in the former camp.
-UTA and NIN? You might as well learn ‘em Gary, they ain’t goin’ away!
-Seeing FDR always reminds me of how the press hid his handicap and looked the other way for his dalliances. Try that today with everybody having cameras.
-Knock, knock. Who’s there? OLIVE. Olive who? You finish it…
-Burr vs. Hamilton - and we think today’s political feuds are bloody.
-SUNROOF had been replaced by the more elegant sounding MOONROOF
-60 Minutes told about the discrimination Jeremy LIN faced as a basketball player because he was Asian
-When we were crossing Wyoming, Crowheart BUTTE was the only vertical thing we saw for miles!
-TTP, this retirement thing is tougher than it looks. However it’s nice to have the option, so Good Luck.
-Mari, in the long run, there is no such thing as good luck in Vegas. Those casinos ain’t built on credit.
-Nice write-up MB, that PAN looks like he knows WHERE ITS AT!
-What movie had Whoopi Goldberg scamming people by pretending to go into a TRANCE?
Hello, all!
ReplyDeleteHappy hump day!
Swell puzzle, Peter; nice write-up, mb!
Here is something that I would have included (but then that's me):favorite sonata.
Ghost Husker?
Am looking forward to Spies of Warsaw tonight on BBC. Like David Tennant from Dr. Who.
Have a great day!
Good morning Melissa, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteWonderful links today, Melissa! Each picture was breathtaking…especially the PAN image. Woo hoo!
I have to agree with Argyle. I did the puzzle online at the Mensa site, which did not have the circles. I think I would have felt cheated of the elegance of the theme if they had been there.
I recently re-read HESSE’s “Siddhartha” and think that I appreciated it much more than I did in high school.
HG, have you ever had roasted beets? It seems to concentrate the flavor – delicious! Oh, and Whoopie Goldberg didn’t scam Demi Moore when she went into a trance – Patrick Swayze really did take possession of her body! (uh, in the movie that is...)
Happy Hump Day, everyone!
Finished the puzzle, but never really got the theme as I did the MENSA version.
ReplyDelete2 TOUGH QUESTIONS.... INTERESTING
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1:
If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis. Would you recommend that she have an abortion?
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteGreat theme today. Of course, breaking bread is one of my favorite pastimes, and there wasn't one in the list that i don't enjoy.
Top center was slow to develop. Almost flubbed it.
Lots of sugar beets grown here in MI.
OLIVE ESTER is an interesting stack up, since olive oil is composed of esters, such as polyethylene glycol esters of oleic acid. Yummy and good for you, too
Definitely not up to snuff today, with a headache and sore throat. I think I'll break some chicken soup and have a nap.
Cool regards
JzB
Question 2:
ReplyDeleteIt is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts.
Here are the facts about the three candidates:
Candidate A:
Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 Martinis a day.
Candidate B:
He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.
Candidate C:
He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never committed adultery.
Which of these candidates would be our choice?
Correct answers to follow later. (I'm sure some of you already know them.)
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteGreat Wednesday puzzle. I had the circles but I didn't know what they signified until I got to the reveal. Clever theme and cluing, Mr. Collins. Nice expo, Melissa.
TTP, hope things start looking up for you soon.
Mari, I also had can before may.
Mild temps today but very gray and gloomy. I think a cold front is coming on the weekend.
Have a great day.
The LA Times left out 67D.
ReplyDeleteOK - this was pretty easy, and yet was almost DNF because of the NW corner. PIANO SONATA broke the jam, but then for some reason I couldn't bring myself to buy that old stand-by LOTSA for 1 across. But I guess using a cliche ("Tons a'") to get a cliche is fair game.
Clever, clever, clever puzzle--many thanks, Peter! I love circles, and got excited as soon as I saw them. Could not have understood the theme without them, I suspect. Only tiny problem was caused because the LA Times didn't give the clue for 67 down, for some reason. The answer was ANO, wasn't it? But what was the clue? Anyway, a really fun way to start a Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I'm so glad you showed the photo of the FDR Memorial. I would have spent all day wondering how that little FALA fit into it. Also have never seen a photo of UTA HAGEN before, even though I've filled her name into hundreds of puzzles. And the image of that flag being UNFURLED was lovely. Many thanks!
Yellowrocks, many thanks for the Hesse poem, although it did make me a little sad. We are losing so many friends these days, that that last stage of life is getting harder and harder to confront.
TTP, hope you go from your blues to a much happier stage soon. It's spring, and the woes of tax season will hopefully go away.
Have a great day, everybody!
-Right, Ferm, Whoopi’s character faked going into a TRANCE for a living but somehow actually did see the dead Patrick Swayze and a lovely movie ensued. I always felt that it was so unusual for Hollywood to make a movie with such religious or at least spiritual overtones in it – good and evil, righteous characters going placidly “up” after death and evil ones being pulled “down” in terror, etc.
ReplyDelete-Marti, my BEETS have always been pickled or Harvard style and I like both very much. Daughters hate ‘em either way and Joann is indifferent
-Ain’t it amazin’ how much more sense literature makes now than when we were 16? “Oh, that’s what Shelley meant in Ozymandias!”
-My good friend was raised on a sugar BEET farm 3 miles west of Chimney Rock.
-My favorite SONATA is about a MOONROOF, no, wait a minute, just MOONLIGHT
-Hey, at least the captcha codes aren’t case sensitive!
I too had problems with LOTSA. After all, this is Wed. not Monday. Had the corcles but all they did was make it difficult to read my scribbling. I do the paper version, in pencil.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun puzzle and a real treat to find this blog again.
Melissa: Excellent write-up & links. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteArgyle: I would have preferred the puzzle without the 'circles'.
Spelled Prokofiev's first name SergAY before that PIN # made it SERGEI.
I would rather pass around the Pinch at a reunion.
Well, "It's Five O'clock Somewhere!"
Cheers!!!
AnnieB: As to your questions
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't abort Beethoven.
I'd pick FDR (#A) over Churchill (#B) or Hitler (#C).
What a fun puzzle today, and what an outstanding write-up from the multi-talented mellifluous MelissaBee. Great links and pix!
ReplyDeleteAnnieB, I heard those questions years ago and was surprised at the answers. Good stuff.
So I found a new bike path near here that runs for a good stretch along a canal and winds through a designated 'nature' area. On the way back, I decided to sit on the bank a bit, have some water and watch the birds, lizards, etc. As I sat down, I looked to my left, and there, about 30 yards away, was an alligator. Not a huge alligator, but one with many teeth.
Using all my Marine courage, I....ran away. Probably faster than I've moved in quite a few years. The alligator didn't' seem at all interested, fortunately. After I got home, I called who I hope were the proper authorities, and evidently, it's not all that unusual down here. I gave them the location, the approximate size, and also warned them that there could be a large pile of excrement nearby.
I've since learned from a neighbor that down here, you're to assume any body of water could contain things with many teeth. Nice to know.
I hope your day is somewhat less eventful.
Greetings, all! It's great to see you, Melissa, and thank you for the visuals, especially UTA Hagen who, like Mari, I've written countless times but had not seen.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and did not mind the circles. It did make finding the theme easier at the end. Of course BREAKING BREAD is one of my favorite activities. Ooh, I do love BREAD.
Ironically, AMOI was my first fill. Kazie, these French lessons are paying off. Thank you. SEL came easily, too.
Marti, I should reread Siddhartha as it would probably make more sense now.
I love hearing about OSSIE and Ruby's long love affair. It was always inspiring to watch them interact with each other.
Well, you all have a wonderful Wednesday!
Tinbeni and Dennis (@ 11:42 and 12:01) I guess I should realize any email I get has been around the block more than a few times. I thought the answers were interesting as well.
ReplyDeleteDennis - we have alligators in our 'lakes' around here too. We stay away from the edges - especially at night.
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteWas this the first time you saw a Gator in the 'nature' area of Florida?
FYI, He was probably just sitting there trying to get some Florida Sun to warm up.
I would have just sat there and enjoyed the moment. Geez, he was 30 yards away!
I wouldn't have called "the authorities" (Gators have their rights too).
Dennis @ 12:01, funny alligator story! When I went down there to visit my girlfriend in February, she told me the same thing - always assume that any water will contain alligators! So when we went to water aerobics at the community center, I was looking at the pool with a very suspicious eye...
ReplyDeleteUTA Hagen was an incredible actress and teacher, who inspired the likes of Liza Minnelli, Jack Lemmon and Whoopie Goldberg. I found this video of her acting class. 4:16
Tin, now that I know I wasn't in a 'danger zone', I'd be more inclined to relax and watch him. There was something in the back of my mind that gators had a very fast initial burst of speed, but not for very long. I've since learned that I was pretty safe, unless he started calculating my body weight.
ReplyDeleteAs to the authorities, it was more to just get someone out there in case little kids/pets should chance upon it.
And I admire your courage...
Marti, I'm reluctant to lift up the lid on the hot tub, which we've never used.
Dennis: Advance in retrograde!
ReplyDeleteESTERS are what give bananas, pineapples and rum their wonderful smell.
Dennis, Having grown up there...I can tell you that people who live near canals, lakes and ponds usually have "guard" ducks to set up a sometimes, short-lived commotion when gators come around. Even the grandaddy ones can move very swiftly on land. Bowel evacuation is a common happening when coming face to face with one for the first time! I used to fall asleep to the sounds of bull gators calling to each other @ night. My Dad said they were "defining their territory" and claiming any females within said territory. Sounds very familiar for some reason.
ReplyDeleteYour wit is as sharp as ever!
Hi everybody. I liked the theme OK (no circles at the Mensa site) but I found the puzzle pretty hard and not so enjoyable. So I'll take the Thumper approach.
ReplyDeleteI have an irrational dislike of going to the doctor. I had my physical last week and I was supposed to go back to have the blood pressure and circulation tested in my feet. So I woke up this morning feeling apprehensive. It's over now. I think it must the the fear of bad news that worries me so much.
Barbara has been scheduled for a knee replacement. She developed pain and swelling in one foot and leg and feared gout but tests ruled that out. Her doctor's best guess is a resistant infection. She was on antibiotics with small improvement. Then a shot with small improvement and today she's starting an IV infusion of antibiotics. So the surgery has been delayed. Maybe that's why I had a harder time with this CW puzzle. Maybe my mind is elsewhere. Geez...
Fun puzzle, and lovely melissa write up.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited the campus of the University of Florida College of Law, my brother took me to Lake Alice, where people fed the alligators marshmallows; it was interesting to watch the marshmallow bobbing and then from out of nowhere huge jaws would open and snap shut.
There was one sunning himself (her?) on the bank, perfectly still. After 30 minutes I bravely inched closer until I was about 6 feet away. that point, it decided to stand up. Recalling how fast they are on land, I managed to jump straight up in the air. Very exciting. There was a little building that I put between the beast and me and inched away.
Good morning Melissa, C.C. et al,
ReplyDeleteLuckily I got up early enough to steal today's sport's section from DH... and so I saw the circles..not really. I looked at raisin and the light did not go on.
Had a pretty easy time mostly, but had never heard "slick as a whistle". Had to change cup to urn and seance to trance.Tbars didn't come to mind for a bit either.
Melissa, loved your links. Seeing Pan in all his glory had me laughing. When I taught ancient Greece, the students were to research their own favorite god/goddess, make a chart with interesting facts, and draw a picture. Of course they copied books...sometimes with all the parts included.
Dennis, laughed at your story. DH grew up catching alligators for friends while living in Naples.
After the passage of so much time many of us might not be able to carry on a full conversation in a language we learned in school, or read a complicated foreign language text without a dictionary. However, I find it interesting that so many of us who have almost no contact with the languages we learned still remember enough to find this helpful in x-word solving and in inferring the meanings of new words when we read.
ReplyDeleteThe problem comes with expecting that the loan words which English has adopted will follow the rules of their language of origin. English has changed many of these adopted words as to pronunciation, nuance of meaning, spelling, and/or rules for pluralizing. Knowing these words in their original language is a helpful clue, but not a rule. A recent example is that ATRIUM has two acceptable plurals in English, ATRIA and ATRIUMS.
I studied a year of French, two of Spanish, and two of Latin, and had a minor in German. If I were to find myself totally immersed in a sink or swim situation, I think my German would return rather quickly. With the other language I would know just words and expressions here and there. Although I studied Japanese for quite a number of years I find I needed continuous reinforcement to stay on top of it. It was the last language I studied and the language from which I have lost the most.
Well, don't I feel foolish. And it's the first time I've ever run away from a 'man-eater'.
ReplyDeleteArmed with my new-found knowledge, I shall venture forth in the coming days and look for my toothy friend. When I find him, I'll walk up behind him, grab his tail, and flip him up and down, just like the new rope exercise that's turning my poor arms to butter three times a week. Then I'll use him as a paddleboard for a cruise down the canal. Maybe invite him back to the house for a nice cow-meat BBQ!
Realistically, though, I'll probably just sit next to him and regale him with stories from Marlin Perkins' Wild Kingdom. And if he gives me attitude, well, I might just post a picture of myself sporting a new belt and shoes...
Well you just knew that Lemony would have something to say about the time he and Jack Kennedy met an alligator.
ReplyDeleteDennis, if I had known that was you, I would have introduced myself.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, it was a breeze today. Got theme to the extent that it helped me solve the whole puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAs for Hesse, the novel Siddhartha was, IMHO, the German equivalent of The Catcher in the Rye, in the sense that you'd have to be an adolescent to love it.
Finally, no more snow, just rain. We'll never lack for water, here.
Dennis, I started quickly reading your comment @ 12:38, and got as far as "I'm reluctant to lift up the lid..." and I immediately had a totally different receptacle in mind! Ouch!, now that would hurt! (^0^) BTW, your "man-eater" comment was priceless.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, we were given good advice from a biologist tour guide: If you find yourself being chased by a 'gater, then ZIG --OR-- ZAG. Don't do both! It seems that 'gators can go very fast in a straight line, but they are very slow when turning.
NW was the hardest for some reason, but in the end I FIW at the crossing of a poet & French seasoning.
ReplyDeleteHere are some funny bread pics.
I was going to post some individual pics, but found it easier just to post the whole page. I counted at least a dozen cats with bread slices on their heads, (& one dog.)
LOL Dennis! Here is a beginners alligator wrestling class, & a more advanced lesson.
Oh, & this was the 1st breaking bread pic I was going to post before I started counting cats...
YR @2:45
ReplyDeleteThanks for your wonderful discussion of the intricacies of the English language. I am impressed by your language study.
I had 4 years of high school French and 3 years of Latin. The Latin (even though a dead language) is a great base for many English words. I can still understand the French to read but conversation is not fluent at all. (And of course, trying to use Parisian French in Quebec does not help you to be understood!) My granddaughter is growing up with exposure to English, Hindi, and Arabic at the moment and probably will gain an ability to be fluent in several languages. Kids seem to absorb different languages so easily.
Started the puzzle on the Mensa site today and then saw the circles when the newspaper came. That helped to finish as I had some difficulty in the NW corner.
ReplyDeleteLike clue for FLORA. I love flowers and have some success in growing (partial green thumb?)
Thankfully no ABUCUSES today - LOL!
Melissa thanks for all the beautiful links today.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't let go of seANCE instead of TRANCE
No time to read comments as yet,but
Why do French women never order two eggs for breakfast?
Because one egg is an oeuf.
Good puzzle today! Enjoyed the circles in print , just made it more fun as the fill appeared ! My parents live in Florida most of the year , their animal problem right now is bears! Enjoyed the write up & links , thanks to all!
ReplyDeletehi all, thanks for all the nice comments.
ReplyDeleteabejo: nice catch. damet garm.
dennis: people in florida need hot tubs?
misty, et. al., another part of the fdr memorial is a sculpture called the bread line. more compelling , i think, than fala.
sallie: so nice to "see" you yesterday, hope you're mending up well.
Canadien @4:27 How wonderful that your granddaughter is growing up multilingual! With multicultural marriages becoming more common, perhaps Americans will become more open to speaking more languages and less xenophobic. "Why don't they speak English?"
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed that in Switzerland many speak a variety languages, sometimed Swiss German, English, French and Italian.
Because my DIL is Japanese my grandson is becoming bilingual in the spoken tongue, but not in reading and writng.
CE Dave, I loved the first alliagtor wrestling clip the most. Boys that age just tug at my heart. It almost makes me want to teach again.
Bill G. Best wishes for Barbara's recovery. It seems so many of us seniors have problems with our GAMs. Aside from the pain is the threat of loss of independence should we not be able to walk.God health to both of you.
Bill G - I hope the IV treatment does the trick for Barbara's infection. Wasn't it LaLa Linda's husband who had such a hard time getting a leg infection cleared up? Keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteBill G.: My best wishes for an uneventful surgery and speedy recovery for Barbara, whenever she has the surgery. It took 4 1/2 months for me to get to the point where I thought it was worth having it done. Almost 2 years later it's nice not to hurt with every step.
ReplyDeleteMy DH grew up in Michigan's thumb where SUGAR BEETS are a main crop and processing them into sugar is a major industry. Compared to regular beets the sugar ones are huge!
Thanks for the tip to open links in a seperate window. I'm listening to "Moonlight Sonata" while at the computer. I used to know how to play it.
Good evening.
Pat
Dennis, I'm glad you will live another day!
ReplyDeleteAs a native Kansan, I don't understand the affinity for these prehistoric creatures. I don't even like the fake ones people put in their gardens.
Barry: Feeling any better today?
ReplyDeleteNot really, no. And my wife is feeling worse today after feeling better yesterday.
But thanks for asking... ^_^
Bill G, I hope the IV therapy causes a quick turn around for Barbara. It's difficult to have mobility issues with complications to boot. I know you'll take good care of her.
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. Fun puzzle. Enjoyed your writeup, Melissa Bee. Bill G, best wishes to you and Barbara. Lucina, it looks like Fashion Square didn't work out; we're now looking at a place in The Pavilions at Talking Stick.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite piano sonata by Beethoven is the Appassionata. I can't play the piano, but I did manage to put the notes into a computer program, so the computer is my instrument.
Best wishes to you all.
MelissaBee, I don't get it either, but the previous owners built a whole separate enclosed outdoor area for the hot tub. As I said, I've not used it, but it might be good for aches and pains at some point. Not as good as a massage, of course.
ReplyDeleteSallie, great to see you back with us. Couldn't have been a good time for you.
CED, thanks for the links; I have something to aspire to now.
Bike Patrol, I couldn't get your link to work.
Barry G - Hope you and your wife can kick that bug and feel better tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteBill G - Hope your tests come out okay - waiting is sometimes the hardest part. Also hope your wife can fight the infection and have a successful surgery. My husband as had both knees replaced. First was in 2005, 2nd was in 2012. The first one feels almost like his own now, 2nd one is getting there. But he can now kneel on both knees which he hasn't done in years! Best of luck to her.
Bill, wishing a speedy recovery for Barbara so she can get her new knee. Bob loves his, but he gets frisked & felt up every time we take a flight.
ReplyDeleteJD, that doesn't necessarily sound like an all bad thing.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your good wishes.
Jayce:
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear it didn't work out at Fashion Square, but the Pavilions is another good option, from a shopper's perspective. I hope that pans out.
BillG:
Good luck and best wishes to Barbara. I've been a care giver for a friend when she had hers replaced and I know it's difficult but in time it's a wonderful thing, I'm told. My friend had hers done at separate times.
Right now, the knee replacement is on hold until the infection (or whatever the problem is) gets resolved. I'm sure we'd both feel better if things weren't up in the air.
ReplyDeleteI've spent an inordinate amount of time perusing videos of Ricky Jay, the magician and card thrower. He is like Fred Astaire in that he makes doing really difficult card manipulation look easy. He's very intelligent and funny too. If you enjoy good close-up magic, hunt for him on YouTube. He's worth the effort.