Theme: TWO CUBED. Or is that a CRAZY idea? Three theme answers contain anagrams of the word EIGHT, straddling two words of the answer. In crossword jargon, such mixing up of letters can be clued as CRAZY, so, CRAZY or not, this is a good, solid theme.
17 A. Michael Jackson memorabilia : WHITE GLOVES. Everyone needs a trademark.
28 A. Line-drawing tool : STRAIGHT EDGE. Here is a three-sided one. Also doubles as a ruler.
45A. Conversational skill : THE GIFT OF GAB.
The ability to talk at any length on any topic with no preparation. My
grandson Ryan has this gift - he can make friends in the line at the
grocery store. The other theme answers have two words, this one has
four = two squared.
And the unifier. 61A. Uno ancestor, and, in a way, what are hidden in 17-, 28- and 45-Across : CRAZY EIGHTS. Uno is game played with a special, and quite colorful deck. I must have played CRAZY EIGHTS as a kid, but don't remember anything about it.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to guide you on this colorful flight through some great and possibly crazy eights.
Across:
1. Singer Bryant : ANITA. Famous for orange juice commercials, among other things
6. Tooted in a Revolutionary band : FIFED.
11. Jacques, e.g. : NOM. "Name" in French - a French answer for a French name.
14. Common java hr. : TEN A. M. Coffee break time. N.B. abrv in cl & ans.
15. "__ of Two Cities" : A TALE. Charles Dickens novel set in London and Paris around the time of the French revolution.
16. Be in the red : OWE.
Slang. To be in the black is to have a positive cash balance. This
comes from the old accounting practice of noting debts in red ink.
19. Coal container : BIN. Historically also used for dust.
20. Met display : ART. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
21. Met supporter: Abbr. : NEA. National Endowment for the Arts. Semi-clecho.
22. Completely drained : EMPTIED. Exhausted didn't fit.
24. Cold War concerns : RUSSIANS. Well, this probably would depend on who you were asking.
27. Web address ending : ORG.
It stands for organization, as opposed to COM, which is intended for
commerce. These ideas were the original intent in 1985, but now both
domain types are unrestricted.
33. Fruity : BATTY. Crazy, like an eight. By why go half way, when you can have fruit bats?
36. Aristotelian pair? : TAUS.
Tau is the "T" equivalent in the Ancient Greek alphabet. Aristotle was
an ancient Greek and there are two T's in his name. My philosophy does not favor self-referential clues,
but I will be stoic about it.
37. Cauliflower __: boxing injury : EAR.
A condition caused by trauma to the external portion of the ear that
separates cartilage from the adjoining tissue, so that it degenerates
and fibrous tissue forms in the skin. Per Wikipedia, "The condition is
most common among boxers, wrestlers, mixed martial artists, and forwards
in rugby union."
38. "Exodus" author : URIS. Leon.
39. Heavy curtain : DRAPE.
41. Head of a family? : CAPO. Mafia slang.
42. Channel for film buffs : TCM. Turner Classic Movies, where you might find a flick about a CAPO.
43. Jalapeño rating characteristic : HEAT. Hot peppers.
44. Nemo creator Verne : JULES. This clue is about fictional submarine Captain Nemo, aka Prince Dakkar in the novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870,) and The Mysterious Island (1874.) Not to be confused with a certain lost fish.
49. Info source, with "the" : WEB. The infamous internet, source of all sorts of good and bad information.
50. Like early life forms : PRIMEVAL. Derived from Latin words meaning early age. In those halcyon days, neither prime time nor evil had yet been invented.
54. Shakespearean actor Kenneth : BRANAGH. He has directed or starred in several movie adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.
58. SALT subject : ABM. Topics for Strategic Arms Limitation Talks included Anti-Ballistic Missiles.
59. Worker who handles returns, briefly : CPA. A Certified Public Accountant handles tax returns and also can tell you if you're in the red.
60. Tune : AIR. Here is a wonderful example.
64. Prune : LOP.
65. New worker : HIREE. If you are a hirer
66. Pick of the litter : ELITE. This doesn't quote seem to fit.
67. Sot's symptoms : DT'S. Delerium Tremens.
This is a syndrome resulting from alcohol withdrawal that can include
body tremors, mood swings, hallucinations and several other symptoms.
"DT's" is in the language, and doesn't require an abrv. hint in the
clue.
68. Readied, as the presses : INKED. Ready to print.
69. Deep sleep : SOPOR. Another possible symptom of the DT's, that can last for a day or longer.
Down:
1. Engaged in armed conflict : AT WAR.
2. Beatles jacket style : NEHRU.
This is a hip length tailored coat somewhat loosely modeld on the much
longer sherwani, which was worn by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime
Minister of India from 1947 to 1964. It is unlikely that he ever wore a
Nehru jacket.
3. Contract change approvals: Abbr. : INITS. Initials - cuz' who wants to take the time to sign their whole NOM?
4. Tit for __ : TAT. Equivalent retaliation, similar to an eye for an eye. Probably derived from the Dutch tip for tap - blow for blow.
5. Motel Wi-Fi, for one : AMENITY. Something that provides comfort, convenience or enjoyment.
6. Singer-dancer Lola : FALANA. An American singer and dancer born in 1942.
7. Jurist Lance : ITO. He presided over events that gave murder trials a bad name.
8. Top choice, slangily : FAVE. Short for favorite, I assume.
9. Type of sch. with low grades? : ELEM. Clever clue. Elementary school, my dear Watson, for the PRIMEVAL part of your educational experience.
10. Iron-fisted rulers : DESPOTS. Historically, a ruling individual or oligarchy with absolute power. In
modern usage, there is an implication of oppression and abuse of
power. Game of Thrones fans will probably think of King Joffrey.
11. "Don't sweat it" : NO BIG DEAL. It's a piece of cake.
12. Baby's boo-boo : OWIE. Until you get hurt
13. Convalesce : MEND. Then you might have take time to get better.
18. First in a car, say : GEAR. This had me stalled for a while, but I'm in 2nd gear now.
23. Uno e due : TRE. One plus two = three. Is this French or Italian?
25. Retired fliers : SSTS. Super Sonic Transports. They have been out of commercial service since Oct. 2003.
26. Straddle : SIT ATOP.
This is imprecise. You can SIT ATOP something without having your legs
dangled on either side, which is what is required for it to be a
straddle.
29. Spark plug measurement : GAP. This distance is critical for proper performance.
30. Color : HUE. For some reason, red comes to mind.
31. Look open-mouthed : GAPE.
32. Valentine's Day deity : EROS. Aka Cupid.
33. Target of a joke : BUTT. This expresson goes back to at least 1775. It is probably derived from
the use of the word butt meaning a target for archery practice, and
then the target of the joke.
34. St. Louis symbol : ARCH. Someone who hates St. Louis would be it's ARCH enemy.
35. Sci-fi travel conveniences : TIME WARPS.
The Free Dictionary tell us a TIME WARP is "A hypothetical
discontinuity or distortion occurring in the flow of time that would
move events from one time period to another or suspend the passage of
time." But since I played an all Brubeck concert last night, I'll go
with this.
39. Dict. feature : DEF. Dictionaries feature definitions.
40. Dirty one in a memorable Cagney line : RAT.
41. Sugar shape : CUBE.
43. Terrace cooker : HIBACHI. A charcoal brazier.
44. Night-night clothes? : JAMMIES. Kiddie talk for bed time and pajamas.
46. DDE, in WWII : GEN. General Dwight David Eisenhower.
47. Worn at the edges : FRAYED. Like a puzzle with too many abrvs.
48. Sarcastic remark : GIBE. Did I just make one?
51. TV monitoring device : V-CHIP. So your kiddies can't sneak down in their JAMMIES after you go night-night and watch soft core porn on Skinemax.
52. Most likely will, after "is" : APT TO. Are they likely to?
53. Surgery beam : LASER.
54. Not in need of a barber : BALD. I just had my remaining hairs cut today, and discussed with my similarly unendowed barber the dangers of sunburn on the pate.
55. Mob action : RIOT. Not in a good way
56. It may run from cheek to cheek : GRIN. Wouldn't "ear to ear" be more in the language? My lips go cheek to cheek even when I frown.
57. Carol opening : HARK. Some angel named Harold is singing.
62. Zip code start? : ZEE. O G - a spelt out letter.
63. Day-__: pigment brand : GLO. Color, only better.
Well, that wraps up our CRAZY EIGHT tour. Pretty good ride, with some pretty good music, a crazy five, and only a couple of clunkers. Hope you had fun with it.
Cool Regards!
JzB
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteHad trouble getting started in the NW today, but the rest of the puzzle went down pretty smoothly. Just couldn't remember ANITA Bryant for some reason, which is completely my fault. But then you had TEN AM, which could have been ONE or TWO (can you tell I'm not a coffee drinker?) And RUSSIANS, which should have been SOVIETS. And WHITE GLOVES, when Michael Jackson was known for a single sequined (albeit white) glove.
Two word captchas now? *sigh*
[the niofait]
Re: 56-Down
ReplyDeleteI've known some sycophants whose lips went cheek to cheek.
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteFlew threw this one until I got to the bottom and stalled. Had no idea on BRANAGH, just didn't see PRIMEVAL without the I and V, never heard of V CHIP or SOPOR, and it took too long to get HARK / INKED.
So, about 16 minutes to get the majority, and 22 to finish it off. No TA DA.
Had 3 more typos in this one. NEA was NEe and RUSSIANS were RUSSIAdS, so Lola was FALedA. As if that wasn't enough, JULES was pULES and JAMMIES was pAMMIES.
Am now 0 for 3 for the week. Maybe I should TIME WARP to next Monday.
Will be back to read the write up after I make coffee for the boss lady.
Good Morning, Jazzbumpa and friends. Fun Wednesday puzzle. I haven't played either Uno or Crazy Eights in years.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite clues were:
Type of Sch with Low Grades = ELEM
First in a Car = GEAR.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...
In my office, Java Time is certainly not limited to 10:00 a.m.
QOD: Style is a fraud. I always felt the Greeks were hiding behind their columns. ~ Willem de Kooning (Apr. 24, 1904 ~ Mar. 19, 1997)
Two words or one?
[orksrba third]
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThis turned into a nice, quick solve for a Wednesday. Anita Bryant was Miss Oklahoma of 1958, recorded a few hit songs (Paper Roses, Til There Was You), and went un-gayly on her way thereafter.
I thought Ike was SAC (Supreme Allied Commander) before GEN showed up. Argyle, great observation @ 5:53. JzB, in addition to being a STRAIGHT EDGE, that's actually a triangular scale, used in olden times (pre-CAD) for making scale drawings.
Captcha -- you can skip the word that's easy to read and enter only the twisty one.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThank you Ed Sessa. Good stuff, BUTT you caused an OWIE to my ego. CAPO was new to me as was SOPOR and V CHIP and BRANAGH. Perped them all in due time. Will never remember BRANAGH unless I see the sequence in another puzzle. NO BIG DEAL was momentarily NO problem (again). I fall for it every time. Didn't struggle over TAUS as I didn't struggle over BETAS a week or so ago in another constructors puzzle. TGFP.
JzB, thanks! Great write up. Very colorful. Like that Brubeck piece. Wasn't it used in some 60s movie with a couple driving along the Riviera ? I will see if I can find it in a film credit.
Agreed at 66A "Pick of the litter." I see that I am not the only one that has typos. You got the O instead of the i at 66A, so your quite ended up as quote.
Could "Pick of the litre" be petrol or "Pick of the liter" be RC COLA ?
Also agree with your comments at 7 and 26 down.
See all you all later. Have a great day.
Though the theme didn't turn me on, there was some fresh vocab here.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw OWIE, a term not used in my mothering years, I thought - that could be pronounced OW - EE, as in, someone I OWE, with me being the OWEr.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Ed Sessa, for a swell Wednesday puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for the great write-up.
ReplyDeleteGot started easily in the NW and moved across and down. FIFED slowed me down until I had a couple letters.
FALANA appeared with perps.
BATTY took me a while. I was thinking of the type of fruit you eat. TIME WARPS helped me out.
URIS was easy. He was a top author in my opinion.
Did not know BRANAGH or SOPOR. Perps helped.
My experience cooking on HIBACHIs is not good. You cannot put a lid on it to slow things down or smoke them a little. Oh well, there is a use for everything.
Could not catch the theme until I read the write-up. Even though I should have. It was not hard.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(spendf)
Good morning everybody. Great puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI liked:
- 9D: Type of sch. with low grades? ELEM (not the dreaded "ELHI"!)
- 18D: First in a car, say: GEAR
- 44D: Night-time clothes: JAMMIES (wish I was in mine right about now)
- 56D: It may run from cheek to cheek: GRIN (not to be confusd with 33D's target of a joke.)
There were a few learning moments here for me. I always like adding to my vocabulary. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Now let's see if I can make it past the new and un-improved captcha...
Good morning Jazzbumpa, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteGreat write up and links, Jazzbumpa. The Bach arrangement is sometimes called “Air on a G-String,” which always makes me chuckle. I finished the puzzle, looked at the unifier, but didn’t bother to go back and find the anagrams. Thanks for pointing them out.
Some really nice fill, like PRIMEVAL (I always want to spell is “PRIMEViL”) and NO BIG DEAL. TCM is my station of choice lately. I also liked JAMMIES crossing SOPOR.
Happy hump day, everyone!
I zoomed through this at WARP speed, until I got to the SE. Crazy Eights was easy enough, but did not know ABM or SOPOR. A few WAGS and it was done! Unfortunately, I had to come to the blog and read Jazz's writeup before getting the theme. Easier puzzle today than yesterday's and Mondays.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, gang - back from an extended weekend stay over on Sanibel and Captiva. Shelling at 5am is not exactly my idea of the perfect start of a day, but as they say, "happy wife, happy life".
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this puzzle although I had some of the same concerns Barry had, especially with WHITE GLOVES (should've been singular). Since I'm also not a coffee drinker, 'Common java hr.' could've been any time. My one write-over was at 'Head of a family', where I had -ap- and went with PAPA. Didn't seem to me that sugar was shaped like a PUBE, and then the light came on. Oh, and ME wouldn't fit for 4D...
Nicely hidden theme, and Jazz, very informative write-up as always.
Marti, wouldn't air on a g-string be gas?
Have a fun day; I hope you guys out west are getting a break from the weather.
Egad! I just read yesterday's blog postings and it looks like it was a regular "ANON-A-THON"! Snarky, snarky.
ReplyDeleteI often get so busy at work that after I do the CWP and add my post I don't get the chance to read other comments.
Can I ask what happened to Tinbeni without opening up a can of worms? Apparently I missed something...
PS: Cute baby bat photo. My sister lives in rural Illinois and they sometimes get bats in their house.
fun puzzle, brought back fond memories of sleepovers at my grandmas. We would always play crazy eights and old maid, eat popcorn and drink grape soda until it was late.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ed Sessa for a very nice and enjoyable puzzle. I must have been very prescient, or ahem, ..... very, very, lucky today. Every guess I made, happened to be THE RIGHT one (Crazy EIGHTs indeed.).
ReplyDeleteThank you JazzB for your lovely humor, laughed out loud, at least once, (!) .... thank you especially, for TAUs - which I got without 'getting' (huh ? ), and 'TCM' and 'Branagh'.
Altho' a CPA myself, I had AGT. at first (!). There are, I am to understand, 62,000 IRS people employed, (not all Agts.... ) at Cincinnati, OH, 45999, which incidentally is in Covington, Ky. .... Go figure.
Are despots, the only iron-fisted rulers ? Margaret Thatcher, RIP, was iron fisted, but hardly a despot.
I was tempted to put in 'Tax Shelter Device' for 'Straddle', but it wouldn't fit. lol.
Have a good day, you all.
Mari, I wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I'll leave it alone.
ReplyDeleteDennis @ 7:51 am: I liked your comment about "Air on a G String" ;)
Good morning all. Nice informative intro, JazzB.
ReplyDeleteNot difficult for a Wednesday, but did have to sniff around the edgesw a few times; BRANAGH, CPA(had Fed first), ABM, but the perps quickly answered any doubts. Didn't get the theme until CRAZY EIGHTS, but by then knowing the theme wasn't needed. I've found I'm usually on Ed Sessa's wavelength.
Enjoy the day.
About right for Wednesday today. I did have a problem with HIBACHI-- i thought it was HITACHI so couldn't make sense of WET as an info source. Also didn't know ABM, I had ARM, which made no sense whatever with GIRE, but for some reason I overlooked that.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about the plural gloves too, then reasoned that maybe there were multiple supplies of the single gloves in case they got lost or dirty.
I finished todays puzzle, but b/4 I read todays write up, & the comments, I must say I just read yesterdays late nite, & had to respond...
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of fun with yesterdays Blog.
Thanks for all those who responded to "where were you May 1980." (some things are just unforgettable.) I hope all those babies are doing well today!
Manac, Manac, Manac, (@9:08pm) My post was meant to draw in some newbies, but I have to say, you are clearly the winner! I was ROFL for an extended period of time because of your "segue" post! (I must show it to DW, because you nailed it!)
Good Morning all - Thanks Ed for a great Wednesday CW. Had all the themed fill-ins before I got to the unifier, But didn't need them the 'get' the unifier. I did go back and find the CRAZYEIGHTS though. Thanks for a fun write-up JZ. Love Take Five. Laughed at your HARK observation. I'd never thought of that. :)
ReplyDeleteThought of WHITEGLOVES and STRAIGHTEDGE right off the bat with no perps filled in. (But you're right about his one glove. Sometimes I don't think of whether it's a correct answer - if it fits, well, use it.)
Had to pause at "Not in need of a barber". But hubby is BALD, so should have come easier.
Had PRIMEIAL for 50A, VCHIP and SOPOR were unknowns, so south east had a few blanks. Also not familiar with BRANAGH, but perps took care of it. Everything else was pretty straightforward for me.
First GEAR reminds me of the day my uncle took me driving - my father did not have the patience to teach me. Can't remember the make or model of the car, but it was a 3 speed on the column. I was in 3rd gear as we approached a hill. He told me to down-shift so I proceeded to go 'down' to first gear. OOPS! After the car screamed at me then stalled, he informed me of my mistake - DOWN to 2nd gear!!! (which is actually an upward motion) Never did that again. Ah, the memories. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day everyone!
sandfy
Dennis, LOL !! I was actually thinking about the "exposure."
ReplyDeleteHow did you like Sanibel/Captiva? I was there in February with my BFF of 50 years. We loved it. Had the greatest brunch at the Seafood Grille restaurant and lunch one day at The Bubble Room. Fun place!
Marti, both Sanibel and Captiva are great for a relaxing getaway, as I'm sure you found out.
ReplyDeleteCoincidently, we had lunch one day at the Bubble Room; if you go back, try dinner at the Mucky Duck. Sitting on the beach, having dinner and drinks and watching the sun set over the gulf is not too shabby. Here's their webcam.
JzB always a fun write up , and Ed is a consistent creative challenge.
ReplyDeleteWhen methaqualone was introduced to the US it was marketed as both Quaalude and Sopor. It was designated a soporific drug.
GAP and GAPE were near each other.
Enjoy spring when it comes, anyone join the class action lawsuit against Phil?
Hi Y'all, WEES! This was mostly on my wavelength. Thanks, Ed! I thought it was easier than Tue. I did type in SequinGLOVE and it was all red.
ReplyDeleteYou were at your wittiest, JZB! Thanks for the chuckles. Loved the B & B (Bach & Brubeck). Suited my morning mood.
Marti: Air on a G String--visions of that will keep me smiling all morning.
Zip Code start got me. I was trying to remember back that far when they laid that new-fangled invention on us.
Uno ancestor made me rack my brain for "one" of my forbear's title, so was stunned when CRAZY 8 appeared with perps. I played that game a lot in my younger years, but never have played UNO.
Dennis, Captiva & Sanibel sound like fun! The only way I'll ever get to go there is when I read Randy Wayne White.
Mari, you need to go back and read blog comments for the past week. Last night sounded like someone had too much Pinch.
Oh, that UNO?! I was reading it as Italian/Spanish uno and just couldn't get the crazy eight connection. Duh! Sopor is becoming one of those x/word words like "eclat" or "deist"...just fill it in when a 5 letter word is called for.
ReplyDeleteI too had ARM before ABM, so that took awhile to straighten out. I thought the puzzle was just right for a Wednesday.
Speaking of spark plugs...my daughters car was broken into last week (right in our driveway). The officer who came to take the report told us how the creeps are doing it these days. They take a spark plug and break off the porcelain part. Then they toss the porcelain piece at the window, catch it, toss it again, catch it, etc. until the window shatters. Amazing, huh? Who'da thunk it!
Off to the shower. Everyone have a good day.
Thank you Ed and Jazz for this Wednesday puzzle and expo.
ReplyDeleteWow! It was not an ordinary Wednesday for me—I went through it like it was Monday. There were a couple I didn’t know, BRANAGH and SOPER, but the perps filled them in. Yesterday’s puzzle was a disaster for me, so today was great.
I saw a show about MJ where they showed all the WHITE GLOVES he carried in a suitcase to concerts, so I didn’t think twice about plural. I thought it wasteful to throw out the second one of each pair, but the show said he ordered them special made so there was no waste.
For geometry class, I had straight edges for the students to use for drawing lines. My pet peeve was hearing ‘ruler’ when it was used for constructions. There were no markings on my straight edges.
I had TCM channel on in the background while solving the puzzle.
I live where there are 150 active ICBM missile silos. We drive by them on most road trips. Montanans followed the SALT talks. Didn’t want to lose the income from having those missile sites here. I was able to take my science students on a field trip to one of the silos as they finished construction on it. We went just before they lowered the missile into it. Kids were impressed with how deep into the ground they went.
My avatar is of my nephews, day before yesterday.
Montana
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteThe things you can learn on You Tube:
The original piece is part of Bach's Orchestral Suite No.3 in D major, BWV1068, written for his patron Prince Leopold of Anhalt sometime between the years 1717 and 1723.
The title comes from violinist Wilhelmj's late 19th century arrangement of the piece for violin and piano. By transposing the key of the piece from its original D major to C major and transposing the melody down an octave, Wilhelmj was able to play the piece on only one string of his violin, the G string.
With Bach, I always think of fugues first, but this is such a sweet melody.
Argyle - your 5:53 comment is brilliant.
Cool regards!
JzB
Couldn't get Captcha to work until second try.
ReplyDeleteBARRY was the word the allowed me to post!
Montana
Excellent. This felt just right for a mid-week challenge. All but SOPOR fell to my grasp, and a few made me think twice & thrice. TAUS had me going for a while. I think I know my Aristotle, so hubris was preventing me from seeing the most obvious answer!
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle, good for a Wednesday and thanx JzB for a GREAT write up. Agree whole-heartedly with your comment on "Straddled/sit atop" - had a heck of a time with that one.. Also agree with "grin" but got it with no prob. Really wanted fifeS rather than fifeD mostly because you can't have "violined" or "clarineted" but then you can have
ReplyDelete"trumpeted" or "drummed" so I'll just get over it.
It is now 38 degrees and snowing in SE MI.
ReplyDeleteCold regards!
JzB
Virginia -
ReplyDeleteI tromboned Monday night.
Cheers!
JzB
Hello, JZB, and all. Enjoyable analysis, J, thank you. HARK the Harold made me LOL!
ReplyDeleteI didn't even look for the CRAZY EIGHTS as thinking about SOPOR almost gave me a headache so I finally WAGged it, however, I meant to return to finish CAP/TAUS and forgot so no A there.
Otherwise this was NO BIG DEAL. I'm surprised so many are unfamiliar with Kenneth Branagh as he has been in many films. He's Irish and a handsome guy. Ireland is another country that breeds beautiful people.
Loved the clue type of sch. with low grades, ELEM.
Have a wondrous Wednesday, everyone! It's already in the 90s here.
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteHad a few bumps but sailed through w/o help. Was able to figure out the "crazy eights" but like some others, didn't associate UNO with the card game; was thinking "one" in Spanish.
Anyway, thanks Ed Sessa for a good mid-week workout and thanks JazzB for a great expo.
Happy Wednesday.
GarlicGal, that's interesting about the spark plug. I wonder why they'd go to so much trouble.
ReplyDeleteI've done some volunteer stuff with the local Crime Watch down here ("excuse me, miss, but what're you hiding in that bikini?"), and the tool of choice is the same window-break safety tool that many of us keep in our cars. Cheap, small and very effective with one shot.
Lucina, I'm in that 'didn't know him' camp too. I guess handsome guys aren't my thing...
Well, Kenneth Branagh is a Shakespearean actor so I'm not that surprised if you haven't seen him. He was spectacular in Hamlet, a four hour film with an intermission after two hours. That's rare in today's movies.
ReplyDeleteJazzbumpa, look at my avatar earlier today. Glad the snow has left us and reached you. Weatherman predicts near 70° in the next couple days. Crazy weather!
ReplyDeleteNew avatar is of sand cranes migrating through Montana the last couple days.
Montana
Except for the "P" in SO_OR and VCHI_, I got this one. It was easier than yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThanks, gentlemen, for the pleasant start to my day.
I don't think I've ever played UNO, but I got the connection. Many moons ago the elementary PTA organized parent volunteers to teach a foreign language to interested students. I used UNO to teach colors and numbers. One student asked how to say "My (sibling) is a brat". I didn't know so I told her that French children don't speak like that to each other.
47* and the rain is coming to an end. A nice day to stay inside.
Enjoy your Wednesday; it's the only one this week!
Pat
It's 38 in Chicago. Will Spring ever come? No problems with today's puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAny mechanical drafting instructor would really let you have it if he caught you using a scale as a straight edge. For line drawing you normally use a T-square or a 30/60 or 45 deg triangle
ReplyDeleteDennis:
ReplyDeleteThat isn't news to me. I KNOW what interests you!
I'm with Anon @ 1253 on the straight edge thing.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone. Missed Mon. and Tues.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I have a steady gig on those days at a music school.
Finished today but NEVER saw the theme,(thanks JazzB) and can't say that I care.
Not fond of scrambled answers or backward words.
"Fruity" clue was really a stretch.
Nuttier than a fruitcake, yes, but I think in slang "fruity" has another definition and it's not PC anymore.
Couldn't wait to finish, just didn't enjoy it that much.
Will try to catch up on past posts.
Good afternoon Bumpa, CC, et al,
ReplyDeleteFastest Wednesday ever, and what 61Rampy@7:46 said. Never heard of sopor, and a few others puzzled me for awhile:tune-air,sit at top-straddle...really? It took awhile for the N to fall in ameNity.And, batty was not my first thought for fruity.
fav.= worker who handles returns -CPA
Leave it to Dennis to have visions of sugar pubes dancing thru his head!!
Musings
ReplyDelete-Subbed today, then mowed and now off to Lincoln and so I wlll read your comments later.
-Many pleasant memories of Crazy Eights in my ute and in my adulthood with this fine puzzle.
-GIFT OF GAB? I’ve got it and did extemporaneous speaking in high school debate
-Isn’t NOM the way they say Norm in Cheers
-My Java time is WAY before 10 am
-It should not be necessary to be or hire a CPA to do your taxes!
-Radar once had Henry initial a form to indicate that he signed rather than initialed it
-Disney has “pay to play” internet connections It is free everywhere else we stay.
Not even ITO and Johnny Cochrane are get our young Chechen off
-Remember the novelty song that ends with the guy asking the Cadillac driver, “Hey buddy, how do you get this thing out of second GEAR?”
-Gotta go.
Husker, Beep Beep by the Playmates -- 1958.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally Harold joins us on our 3-mile marches around the 'hood. DW and I often refer to him as Hark.
Coffee at 10 AM? That's a good four hours too late.
I really do think solving in ink is a totally different experience than using a computer, you have to remember what you "think" might be right rather than post a letter to change later. Wednesday is the last day I have time to do the puzzle in ink, & this one surprised me.
ReplyDeleteNormally I do the across, then down, pausing occasionally to check the "fit" of an answer, & then roll up my sleeves to go at all that missing stuff... Today was exceptional in that I started NW, & there were so many pause/checks that before I knew it 80% of the puzzle was done! The South however,,,
56D runs from cheek to cheek, I had **in & immediately inked in "chin" without thinking.
35D sci-fi travel convenience. I had time***ps & could not escape from that time loop until I finally relented that tune = air.
Vchip/sopor was another toughie due to the obscure 66A pick of the litter = elite. But I got it done, Tx Ed Sessa!
Any day you have your puzzle published is a good one. I also hope you have a GOOD NIGHT ED.
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. Nice puzzle, witty writeup, and interesting comments. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that Cold War concerns should be NUCLEAR WEAPONS but it didn't fit. I got all but NEA and its perp FALANA. My WAG was an I. I finished in 15 minutes which is excellent for me on a Wddnesday. Thanks, Ed Sessa and Jassbumps.
ReplyDelete6A, tooted in a revolutionary band. I was going to link a cartoon of a guy in a 1 man band with a horn up his butt, but it had "copyright" all over it. Then Dennis (7:51) said "air on a G-string=gas",,, Oh nuts, I will never be able to find a pic of the image in my head of "that" revolutionary band..."
ReplyDeleteDennis, I will be in Naples in August, & have heard about Sanibel, & can't wait to check it out. Tx 4 the links, I have bookmarked them for review. But what is this "shelling" at 5am? Pls enlighten this newbie that is about to become a Floridian...
garlic Gal @9:44 Hmm, there must be some interesting physics involved because rocks & metal do not have the same effect.
1st in a car?
JzB, Awesome guitar piece! I copied the link, & I am going to try & play it!
Wanted to write after reading the comments about Sanibel. Appreciate everyone's opinions, as always. Dennis, HeartRx,(or anyone on the blog) if ever you come back to Sanibel, be sure to eat at Cips or Traders on Periwinkle (the best), and drop in at the Ding Darling Refuge to say hi. If I'm not there they know where to find me. Best regards.
ReplyDeleteIt's a dreary afternoon weatherwise around here. I got the puzzle done but never saw the theme even after the 'reveal.' That made me wonder; what happens when one of our fearless bloggers has responsibility for a puzzle, solves the puzzle but like me, can't figure out the theme? Then what? It must have happened to CC or JzB or Marti or Argyle or ??? somewhere along the way. So what do you do?
ReplyDeleteAh, geez Dennis @ 9:13. I wish you hadn’t sent me to that Mucky Duck beach cam link. I just sat there and stared at it for four hours today. I think I might have gotten a little sunburn…
ReplyDeleteBill G., it's very rare that I cannot figure out a theme, and I'm sure the others have the same experience. It's just something that you get used to looking for. But if I ever did have a problem, I know that Argyle and C.C. are always there to help, thank goodness!
Ed @ 3:29, we actually did visit Ding Darling Refuge. I have tons of pics of the birds that we saw there. Ibis, anhingas, egrets, pelicans, herons, cormorants...but the one bird I never saw was the roseate spoonbill. Were they on spring break while I was there?
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed, (@3:29) I've bookmarked these:
ReplyDeleteCip's Place
traders on periwinkle
& is this what you meant by Ding Darling?
My dream is to buy a HobieCat Kayak that has those pedals so you can sneak up on the fish, but also add a sail to get home fast. But then I keep looking at that webcam with all the JetSki's,,, hmm, should I go green, or go power... (I guess it depends on the alligators...)
Montana @10:02 ICBMs? Scary! I have been living in NJ for 20+ years, & only recently discovered thru Geocaching that 3 miles from me, behind a strip mall on Rte 10, is an entire block that appears abandoned. It has streets with driveways that lead to empty lots, fire hydrants,,, and a rusty old playground that makes you think of ghosts! Geocaching informed me that it is Gov't owned land that was once the homes of people that manned a nearby Nike Missile Base! (more on that later, i'm outa lines...)
Re: 28a
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 12:53 PM is spot on. The device you show is a scale. While it has three straight edges, it is used to measure, not to draw lines.
Hola Everyone, What a difference a day makes. Yesterday frustration, today completion--and in record time. I even "got" the mixed up eight words.
ReplyDeleteThanks, JZB for a great writeup, as usual. I enjoyed the links and music.
Capo was new to me, but it came easily with the perps. My favorite clue today, was Aristotelian pair. A new way to clue double letters or a beginning letter in a word. Quite clever.
have a great rest of the day, everyone.
To HeartRx: roseate spoonbills have been scarce all season at the refuge, maybe due to water quality issues (lots of persistent red tide this year). But I understand that this doesn't mean that their population has suffered a decline, just that they're feeding elsewhere, north of us. Hope they'll be back again in numbers.
ReplyDeleteDave, Sanibel is considered one of the world's best shelling sites - the best way to get up to speed on it is to google 'Sanibel shelling' and you'll have enough to read to carry you through to August. Email me with any questions, or if you'd like recommendations on lodging, restaurants, etc. Great bike trails too. As to the Hobie/JetSki issue, I love speed, so you know where I come out, but the Hobie would be great for that area as well.
ReplyDeleteEd, we ate at Cip's -- excellent food. The BBQ shrimp appetizer is particularly good. And the host steered us out back to that secluded porch among the trees. We'll certainly stop by Ding Darling's during our next trip over (late next month), and thanks for the recommendation on Trader's -- we somehow missed that one.
Marti, the web cam doesn't do it justice; it's pretty damned good. You need to go back.
Off to see 42.
Great blogging, Jazz!
ReplyDeleteThis was an easy one for a Wednesday.
By the way, I was known before as Memphisbelle, but for some reason I am now listed under my name. Google? Whatever.
The Belle
Evening All,
ReplyDeleteA fun speed run for me today until I got to the SE...sat there looking at V CHIN? until I finally had the 'duh' moment.
Abejo@ 7:41: Old Hibachis make great planters, especially if they have rusted-out holes in the bottom for drainage!
Dennis@ 7:51: Thanks for the coffee out of my nose at your sugar cube observation!
CED@ 4:34: You may already know this, but the magazine/website 'Weird New Jersey' is a great source of info on all of the Garden State's hidden gems, like the old Nike Missile Base you discovered.
Here are a couple of interesting links I found on NBC. The first is a video about a stork who had adopted a pub. Stork.
ReplyDeleteThe second is an article about the best and worst jobs of 2013. Jobs.
Thanks for cool puzzle and expo, Ed and Jazz!
ReplyDeleteNo problems!
What Lucina said about Branagh! (Last thing I saw him in was My Week With Marilyn; rather sad. Too bad that he divorced Emma Thompson.)
It's very cool here too, Bill! What a disappointment!
Received knee braces and elastic bandages today, courtesy of Medicare. Braces are rather daunting. Won't help much if I cannot walk due to excruciating back.
Cheers!
Dave, I thought you'd get a kick out of the segue link.
ReplyDeletePK, That last link was only a joke and you would be quite surprised as
to how I happened to come across it.
Ced: I enjoyed reading about Bertha Benz. Behind every successful man...and all that.
ReplyDeleteBillG: Are you watching the Laker-Spurs game. The Lakers imports are finally playing at the expected level of expertise without Kobe.
Manac: I knew it was supposed to be a joke. However, my friend's cat who experienced the washing didn't seem to be amused. That was only one of the many ornery things her two boys came up with. I think they were 4 & 5 yrs. old at the time. Last time I saw them they were 6'5" & 6'7". Hope their demeanor has improved. They moved and so did I, so I've missed the latest chapters.
At brewzzies tonight, thought of you Dennis.
ReplyDeletePK, yes I'm watching the Lakers but I'm not current. As usual, it's on my DVR and I'm behind so I don't know as much as you do. But from reading between your lines, I'm hopeful that things are going to turn out well.
ReplyDeleteI'm time-sharing among the Lakers, the Dodgers and NCIS from a couple of days ago. (My attention span has gone to hell since I got the DVR.)