Theme: "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." Ogden Nash
18A. Meeting of a select few : CLOSED FORUM.
24A. Crier's cry : HEAR YE HEAR YE.
39A. Estuary : TIDAL RIVER MOUTH.
51A. Shipping datum : PORT OF ORIGIN.
And the unifier:
60A. Bit of one-upmanship...and what can be found at the end of 18-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across? : PARTING SHOT. Each of the theme entries contains a hidden shot of booze at the end. How cool is that? This puzzle reminded me of Don G.'s martini mix from a couple years ago. Funny how some puzzles just stay in your memory long after the solve is finished.
Jeff saw me off on my trip to Europe, and now he welcomes me back to the corner with another great Thursday puzzle. I have come to love his stacked long non-theme entries like TO THE POINT, FREE ALL DAY, YOU'VE GOT ME and his word-of-the-day AUTODIDACT.
This will be brief, because it is late and I flew for 14 hours to get back home. But let's see what else Jeffrey has for us.
Across:
1. Org. with bomb-sniffing dogs : ATF. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The complete name is "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives." The beagles at Logan airport are so cute, but you mustn't pet them! (I found this out first-hand.)
4. Actor in many Tim Burton films : DEPP. "Edward Scissorhands" is still one of my favorite Depp/Burton films. 2:05
8. Chewed the fat : GABBED.
14. ___ favor : POR. Tough to see the Spanish without an upside down question mark or other accent.
15. Dunn's "___ Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters" : ELLA. The full title of the hardcover version is Ella Minnow Pea: a progressively lipogrammatic epistolary fable, while the paperback version is titled Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel without Letters.
16. Bird in a dugout : ORIOLE. Baseball! (And I actually got it!)
17. Suburban suffix : ITE.
20. Old queen's land : SHEBA.
22. Spot for a mineral scrub : SPA.
29. TV type : PLASMA.
30. British East Africa, now : KENYA. Geography lesson.
33. It rises in el este : SOL. The "sun" in Spanish, rises in "the east."
34. Nile wader : IBIS.
37. Dark suds : STOUT.
43. Like a maternal grandmother : ENATE.
44. Spare in a boot : TYRE. Brit spelling, Brit "boot" instead of "trunk."
45. ___ populi : VOX. Latin for "voice of the people." Like Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" interviews.
46. Bringing together : TYING.
48. Progressed slowly : INCHED.
55. Kimono accessory : OBI.
58. Collector's item? : IOU. Fun clue!
59. Lyric poem : EPODE.
65. Roofing goo : TAR.
66. Marzipan base : ALMOND. "Mozart" chocolates are ubiquitous in Vienna, and have a marzipan filling. I don't really like them - too sweet!
67. Casserole fish : TUNA.
68. Early 12th century year : MCV. 1105, to us Americans. I saw lots of Roman numerals in Italy!
69. With 40-Down, follows restaurant protocol : LEAVES. and 40-Down. See 69-Across : A TIP.
70. Spotted : SEEN.
71. Cézanne's warm season : ETE. French for "summer." Cezanne had a fascination with skulls.
Down:
1. Inane : APISH.
2. Terse : TO THE POINT.
3. Without a single appointment : FREE ALL DAY.
4. Breaks down : DECAYS.
5. Tetris piece : ELL. These are all the pieces:
6. Ramallah-based gp. : PLO. Palestine Liberation Organization.
7. Out of favor : PASSE.
8. Stop transmitting, as a radio station : GO DARK. How can a radio "go dark?" Do the dials not glow any more?
9. Lab report? : ARF. Funny. Labrador retriever's bark.
10. A&E offering : BIO.graphy.
11. Party pooper : BORE.
12. Jewish month after Av : ELUL. Have you memorized your Jewish months yet?
13. Sales rep's tool : DEMO.
19. Emissions watchdog gp. : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.
21. Spandex garment : BRA. I like spandex shorts, myself!
25. Mideast VIP : EMIR.
26. Target of a New Year's resolution : HABIT.
27. Quaint agreement : YES'M. DH always says "Yes, Ma'am"....even to me!
28. Within: Pref. : ENTO. I wanted "endo."
31. "I'm stumped!" : YOU'VE GOT ME.
32. Self-taught individual : AUTODIDACT. Word of the day!
33. Fr. holy woman : STE. "Sainte."
35. Trellis adornment : IVY.
36. Stroke lacking in many modern fonts : SERIF. Like this.
38. Texter's gratitude : THX. Modern clue for abbreviation = "Text."
41. Car-collecting TV host : LENO. Why isn't his name pronounced LEE-noh?
42. '90s attorney general : RENO. Why isn't her name pronounced REHN-oh?
47. Runs through the mill : GRINDS.
49. Like El Greco and the Minotaur : CRETAN. From the isle of Crete.
50. With it : HIP.
52. Dress (up) : TOG. We have had this discussion before...
53. Gives the boot : OUSTS.
54. "The ___!" : NERVE.
55. Down Under gem : OPAL. Pretty!
56. Agricultural unit : BALE. Not "acre."
57. "Garfield" waitress : IRMA. Not pretty!
61. Good, in Hebrew : TOV. WAG - I thought of the salutation "Mazel tov."
62. Like Mendelssohn's Piano Sonata No. 1 : IN E. Finally!! A musical interlude.
63. Color quality : HUE.
64. Unique : ONE. And on this ONE, I am done!!
Hugs from a jet-lagged and party-pooped Marti.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteDidn't eactly breeze through this one, but it wasn't too bad. When I got the theme reveal at 60A, I hoped it would help me go back and fill in some of the theme answers, but I couldn't make any sense of it until well after I finally finished the puzzle. Part of the reason was that VERMOUTH was so much longer than the other SHOTS that I just didn't see it (me: "OK, so we've got UM, YE, TH and IN...")
Nice to see AUTODIDACT in the grid. I couldn't think of it based solely on the clue, but I've seen it before and it came to me after a few perps.
Wasn't quite as nice to see YOU'VE GOT ME. Maybe it's regional, or maybe it's just me, but YOU GOT ME seems a lot more "in the language" to me.
Let's see... I usually associate APISH with brutish behavior, not inanity, but I guess it can be both. Oh, and speaking of brutish behavior -- and I was sure that 11D was going to be BOOR instead of BORE. I always get those confused...
[emajess]
Happy Thursday everybody!
ReplyDeleteIf only there was a bar here to visit and celebrate after (finally!) getting the Ta-Da….
Major end-game stumbling block in the southeastern seaboard today. Had no clue what a self-taught person is called, and had filled in EPOCH originally (hey, at least it’s a real word!), which became EPOCE after NERVE revealed, then guessed the “D” for EPODE…. Aahhhhhh!
Don’t really care for a STOUT beer…. Had the RUM, RYE, and GIN shots but couldn’t for the life of me see the liquor at the end of 39A. Thought maybe the ending of MOUTH should be OUZO, but that make no perpendicular sense, so it was back to MOUTH…. It was only after it was all over that I realized it wasn’t a 3 or 4 letter booze…. In other words, WBS.... A good 15-year old single malt would’ve been nice to see somewhere in the puzzle. And so we’re back to the bars….
One of my favorite jokes: So, a dyslexic walks into a BRA….
Speaking of BRAs, I thought only sports bras were made of spandex. I’m obviously woefully uninformed when it comes to female undergarments….
VOX Populi – wasn’t that one of the new Howard Beale spin-off shows touted by the Faye Dunaway character in the movie Network…?
False starts: EL AL for EL UL, DOV for TOV, MCI for MCV, GRISTS for GRINDS, GO DEAD for GO DARK, and HEP for HIP…. This song wouldn’t sound right if it was sung as What is Hep now would it…?
Favorite answer: HEAR YE, HEAR YE!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jeffrey Wechsler, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for the swell write-up.
ReplyDeleteWell, I started with TSA for 1A. That was one of the last ones I fixed to ATF. The NW corner was my last to finish.
I sort worked in the middle and then spread up and down. STOUT was easy for 37A. I do like that kind of beer.
KENYA was easy with a wag that worked.
GO DARK came quickly. That is the same term we use in the masonic organizations. When we stop meeting, for let's say the summer, we GO DARK for the summer. The Grand Lodge of Iran has been dark in that country for 34 years. They do meet in the U. S., however.
Got the theme answers easily. I just could not get the connection until I read this blog. I was looking for a SHOT out of a gun or something like that. I guess I did not look too hard. It was very clever, however.
Did not know marzipan base/ALMOND. I wagged the ALMOND after a few perps were in place.
It has been a while since we had SERIF.
AUTODIDACT was pieced together very slowly. Only took me ten perps.
Our steak fry came off well last night. Weather was great.
Off to my day. Must get ready for my New Orleans trip.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(fathef)
Good Morning, Marti and friends. Interesting challenge for Thursday.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you back, Marti. Sounds like you had fun in Europe.
I really wanted Off Air instead of GO DARK for stopping the radio transmission.
Fun to see RENO immediately following LENO.
ELUL is a month of reflection before the new year. This year Elul begins on August 7 of the secular calendar.
QOD: It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it. ~ Lillian Hellman (June 20, 1905 ~ June 30, 1984)
[invinfo]
Howdy folks,
ReplyDeleteLet's see.... RUM, RYE, VERMOUTH, STOUT, & GIN. but no Scotch. Yet it still made me think of old friend Tin.
Even with the spirit(ed) theme, this was a struggle form the beginning. AUTODIDACT was a newbie and the C in 68A was a swag. Could easily have been D,L,C,.X.... whatever.
The crossing L in 15A & 5D was a guesstimate too.
9d ARF took a moment or two to register. I give the credit to Riley... he was in the process of chasing a squirrel and he has one loud bark.
Had no issue whatsoever with YOU'VE GOT ME.
All in all. a nice offering from Jeff. Too early for a STOUT, so maybe a Virgin Mary?
Welcome back, Marti, and happy solstice to all!
ReplyDeleteI had to arm-wrestle with this one, but after a tense 15 minutes I finally got the upper hand.
Marti, I was right with you on ACRE/BALE and was able to enter TOV only because of that expression. I first thought of TSA for the bomb-sniffing dogs.
I really need to study up on my Hebrew months and African countries. They give me no end of trouble.
Later. Time for that 3-mile march...
Oops -- the puzzle was so difficult I thought it was Friday. The solstice is tomorrow How time doesn't fly when you're doing xwords.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle wasn't too bad, a couple I hadn't heard of before...my question is: do your papers publish the title of the puzzle? Mine doesn't and often the title would help with the solve.
ReplyDeleteBlogless Mary Lou
Good morning, gang - great puzzle, great write-up (welcome back, Marti). I needed perp help all over the place, but my biggest screw-up was going with TIDAL RIVER BASIN. That took a while to undo. Also had ENDO for 'Within: Pref.', so the middle east was pretty much an inkblot. I had the same reaction as Barry with APISH, but as he pointed out, it is correct. And does anybody ever use TOG up?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite clue? FREE ALL DAY, of course. I could get used to this.
It was bad enough losing a great actor, James Gandolfini, yesterday, but then I'm reading the papers this morning and learn that my favorite author of political thrillers, Vince Flynn, died yesterday of prostate cancer at age 47. I know I say it a lot, but.....carpe diem.
Anon @ 7:25, the theme title here on the blog is solely from the imagination of that day's blogger. The weekday LAT crosswords do not have titles.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to thank everyone for the nice comments on my puzzle from last Friday. I did not even know that I had one being published that day. I guess the email from Rich with the monthly schedule was lost somewhere over the Italian Alps!!
I had the same troubles as everyone else. My worst area was the SW. I had T TIE instead of A TIP, started to put PORT OF ENTRY, but soon realized that that would not fit, and had GRILLS for GRINDS. I too wanted TSA for ATF, but waited before writing it in.
ReplyDeleteNever did see the theme until reading Marti's write-up. So, it was a fight to the finish, but at least I won.
Good morning everybody! Did Tinbeni create this puzzle ;)
ReplyDeleteI never saw the booze coming until I read today's offering.
My favorite clues were:
- 44A: Spare in a boot: TYRE
- 58A: Collector's Item? IOU
We were at a bar and I asked my brother if he wanted a drink. He asked for a Scotch. So I get his drink, and he takes a giant gulp. He got this horrified look on his face and spit it across the room! Then he turned to me and said, "I thought it would taste like butterscotch."
Unforunately, I'm not FREE ALL DAY, so away I go. Have a great one!
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteWEES. Theme helped with the solve. Ended up going clockwise from the NE following the doable fill. And voilà!. Favorite clue/fill was SHEBA.
INCHED - If this country ever goes metric, 'inched' would have to be changed to 'centimetered' or 'millimetered'. Also have to change the name of inchworm to 2.54 centimeter worm.
Have a good day.
Perfect puzzle for a Thursday with many clues that were sort of Wednesday-like. I started in the middle. IVY suggested RIVER, suggested TIDAL. Then YESM gave me MOUTH and onward from there. Some first thoughts didn't pan out, off air, acre, and TSA, but perps to the rescue.
ReplyDeleteCute theme. It reminded me of Tin, too.
I know APISH is correct, but I would never use it for silly or ridiculous. I use it for boorish or imitative.
I knew AUTODIDACT, my favorite. No matter how much education and how many degrees we have, I am sure that, in addition to that, all those in this bunch are AUTODIDACTs. I love associating with this intellectually curious, always learning group of peple.
Welcome back, Marti - you missed some important things while you were gone - and some not so important, like your own puzzle (lol). You must have come back with a lovely tan ..... BTW, do they have the sol in Austria ?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jeffrey for a challenging puzzle - close, but no 'tada'.
I had FBI, then TSA, but it took a long time to get ATF. Have a distant cousin who works for the ATF, but he works in the data processing section, and wouldn't know the business end of a gun if you ..... anyway.
'Autodidact' is a word to remember. I have met a few of those, in certain fields. I can think of at least a couple on this very Blog !!! Very Impressive.
My computer is on its deathbed, so I am on life support.
Have a nice day, you all.
I found this very easy for a Thurs. No Googles, and the only unknown was this ELLA.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a drinker, but I offer you the PORT, in addition to GIN, in the 4th clue.
You may memorize the Hebrew months, but the only ones used here are ELUL and Nissan, something like a Japanese car but slipperier.
Nice puzzle!
Sfingi, I think ADAR shows up once in a while. I have no idea when that is, but I've seen it.
ReplyDeleteWhew, according to the answers published in the Barnacle, it was CUTES and not CUTEY, as Hutch maintained. Good. I'd heard of SADD but not YADD.
Sweaty, but three miles older...
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a DNF for me due to Elul-Elo crossing, but it was a clever and challenging Thursday offering. So, thanks, Jeffrey W., and thanks and welcome home to our globe-trotting Marti; we've missed you!
Mari, too funny about your brother's Scotch experience!
My third DVD of The Late Quartet is not defective, surprise, surprise! I watched it last night but fell asleep so will have to finish up later.
Have a terrific Thursday.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteTypical Thursday. Looked impossible at first, but with a lot of hunting a bit of pecking and some perp help, finally made it through.
Yesterday was National Martini day, so I'm happy to see GIN and VERMOUTH in today's quite clever theme. Also rather fond of RYE and the bonus STOUT. RUM I can take or leave.
Amazing vertical 10-longs. Even with the despised Roman Numeral, I'm willing to call this ONE a masterpiece.
This is for Gary from yesterday, but ALIA (or all o' ya) can listen. Played it at rehearsal last night. If the band would only taper down to ppp like they do from 2:20 to 3:20. The dynamics really make it for me.
It's an amazingly beautiful day here, and I'm playing in the park tonight with the concert band. If you're in downtown Plymouth MI, c'mon up and say "Hi."
Cool regards!
JzB
I like that you can hear a cowbell between 3:05 and 3:10. More cowbell!
ReplyDeleteSee Wiki for an illustration of serif versus sans serif. Serif refers to the little trailing line added to the tops and bottoms of letters. Gothic type faces are sans serif, no added lines. Roman type faces are serif with added lines.
ReplyDeleteLink type faces
JzB, I'm sure you are familiar with Hawkeye Pierce's recipe for the perfect martini. Six parts gin and a moment of silence for the vermouth....
ReplyDeleteOr Robert Benchley's description of the perfect martini.
Locking up the gin in an airtight container and walking past it now and then with an open bottle of vermouth....
To quote Hawkeye one more time, Mr. Kwan. I want a very dry, arid, barren, dessicated, veritable dust bowl of a martini. I want a martini that could be declared a disaster area....
Or how about: I must get out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini.... (from some snarky anon)
Finally, from Rodney Dangerfield. I must drink too much.
The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it....
I figured there was no way I was going to get this puzzle after the first run-through. But to my amazement, slowly, slowly, a little at a time, it fell into place. Hurray! I got the whole thing and even figured out the theme in the end! So many thanks, Jeffrey! And Marti, you are totally heroic coming back from Europe and giving us a great expo, jet lag and all.
ReplyDeleteLoved the Ogden Nash quote, and all of Doha Doc's martini jokes. But my favorite is, of course, that dyslexic BRA.
We stopped drinking the hard stuff after my husband's stroke, but still have a huge shelf in our pantry full of bottles from the old days. Problem: to whom does one donate liquor?
We are off on one of our little local vacations today. We can't travel anymore, and never go more than a half hour away from an Emergency room. So we vacation at a fun Hyatt Hotel only about 20 miles away from home. It gets us out of the house and gives us a change of scene.
Talk to you all again next week! And have a great Thursday, everybody!
If anyone wants to drink straight gin, gin on the rocks, vodka and cranberry juice, or lighter fluid, for that matter, it's their business and not mine.
ReplyDeleteBut a martini has recipe consisting of exactly 4 ingredients: gin, DRY vermouth, olives and ice. Within that realm many permutations are possible. But leave one out, and you have something that is not a martini.
Substitute, say, vodka for gin, onions for olives, claret for vermouth or Legos for ice and you have something that is not a martini.
This is a Martini.
Cheers!
JzB
So great to have marti back right where she left off. I thought this a challenge for a Thursday but doable and fun.
ReplyDeleteDD I like the Rodney Dangerfield quote, and HEAR YE HEAR YE was very nice.
Ogden Nash and Dorothy Parker likely sat around just thinking of little pithy sayings.
Sadly my helmet keeps any from invading my brain so I will wish you all a good day.
Hi all. Welcome home Marti!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, Mr. Wechsler, but DNF for me (sigh)
18 A ChOSEn...something
EPODE new to me.
Thanks for the theme reveal, Marti. Never saw it.
Got stung by a bee last week. First time for me. Took benedryl and put ice on it. It went away.
Yesterday while doing the puzzle, noticed a red circle on my inner forearm. Guess it is a delayed allergic reaction. Dr. gave me antibiotics. It looks bigger today. Hope it doesn't turn into something worse. (gulp)
tHi Y'all! My internet provider happened to GO DARK so I couldn't do the puzzle online. I almost panicked knowing it was Thursday and I had no friendly red letters. However, since my newspaper has succumbed to gripes from us older readers and enlarged the CW I clipped it out and set to with a pencil. Needed a good eraser: WEES. But I got 'er done! And even saw all the liquor which made the puzzle quicker, I'm sure. Even thought it was fun.
ReplyDeleteFor awhile I had PARkING SpOT instead of PARTING SHOT. I know several institutions who give their employee of the month/quarter/year a prime parking spot so I thought that would work. WRONG!
I did the puzzle waiting for my brother & wife with the new grandbaby to show up on their way back home. They didn't come so I called. They couldn't tear themselves away from the two grandkids they won't see for another several months, living a ten-hour drive away. I'm not going to bet they'll make it here tomorrow. I'm not as sweet.
Pas de chat, with that delayed reaction to the bee sting, could the stinger still be in your arm causing the problem? If it is and is causing the infection, maybe it should be removed like a splinter.
ReplyDeleteMarti, your dedication to the blog is amazing. This one was hard enough that i certainly couldn't have done it with jet lag. You deserve a medal. And a long nap!
ReplyDeleteWhile watching The Late Quartet last night, I kept waiting and waiting for Maggie Smith to appear. This morning, I did some checking and discovered that I ordered the wrong movie; the Maggie Smith movie is simply Quartet. So, now I start all over again with Netflix!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one-- a good thing too because I need something to snap me from a bout of depression. The funk is due to making little progress recently on a book I have been working on. I don't see a breakthrough there, but it's a mild pick-me-up to have a crossword fall into place.
ReplyDeleteThis looked at first to be a tough one. The short 3-letters didn't yield much the first time through, except for SOL. Curiously, the first big win for me was AUTODIDACT, as it so happens that this is the theme of the chapter I am stuck in (as in "What kind if pedagogy is useful for autodidacts?") That one word opened up the SE corner, a part of the puzzle in which I rarely get a start.
The SHOT theme was fun. I especially enjoyed how the names of liquors didn't stand alone but were either part of a longer word or spread over two words.
I'm grateful too to Wechsler for introducing me to Mark Dunn's "ELLA Minnow Pea"! I don't know this "novel," but the title alone is enticing. I must see if there is a Kindle edition.
BTW, a Happy Last Day of Spring/First Day of Summer to all!
ReplyDeleteApparently, the solstice will occur for some of us (in the west) just before midnight tonight. Must do my best to remember to salute it during "The Daily Show."
Hello everybody. There were several words and terms I did not know, or did not recall easily, in the puzzle today. Examples of words I simply did not know are APISH and ENATE. EPODE is a word that I did not readily recall. And as for months of the Jewish calendar, I don't know any of them and have never been able to successfully memorize them. For these reasons the puzzle was hard for me. But I did solve it without having to look anything up.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get the theme at all until coming here. I saw MOUTH and ORIGIN and thought the theme has something to do with sources, or where things come from and go to. Then FORUM and YE didn't fit that paradigm. Now that the liquor names have been revealed, I can appreciate the ingenuity of the theme and the relevance of SHOT in the reveal.
The topic of how many and what kind of non-English fill and cluing are reasonable in an English language puzzle comes again to my mind. Will I need to memorize the months in Urdu? Will I need to be able to count from 0 to 100 in Athabaskan? Or even in Italian? Need I need to know the words for all the familial relationships in Tibetan, or French? Really, where is the line drawn?
This puzzle was a tough one for me but I finished 'er up slowly. I enjoyed it. Thanks Jeffrey and Marti.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see a connection between apish and INANE. I didn't know EPODE or AUTODIDACT either.
Marti, as I've said before, I think both Letterman and Leno's shows have gotten stale and tired but I still love the Jaywalking segments.
Hondo, when I was walking our sheepdog, Sammy, when she would hear, smell or see a squirrel, she would go bananas. With just a little more effort, I'm sure she would have been able to climb up those trees.
Since some of you like Glenn Miller classics, here's one of his by the Manhattan Transfer. Tuxedo Junction.
Oh well, I can't help myself. Here's another favorite. Operator.
If you enjoyed those two, their version of Java Jive is great too.
Ack!
ReplyDelete(What a day to give up drinking!)
:(
Keith Fowler @1:20.
ReplyDelete"What kind if pedagogy is useful for autodidacts?")
Yikes! No wonder you're stuck!
If they're autodidacts will they seek formal (or informal)education?
What the heck did I just say? LOL
PK @1:02. Thanks, the Dr. saw it and said if a part was still in there it would work its way out. I pulled out the stinger when I felt the sting. He didn't want to dig in there. Keflex 4xs a day 7 days.
Took a while but got ‘er done! Gotta love …VERMOUTH. Welcome back Marti. Just back in from, well you know where, and are headed to Lincoln, because of you know who. Read ya later.
ReplyDeleteCED @ 3:02, you reminded me of this classic scene from "Airplane."
ReplyDeleteHi, Pas de Chat!
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough, in my field of theater directing, autodidacts DO seek formal education--some of them. This is partly because of a notion that such supportive lessons as script analysis, actor coaching, and various stage design classes constitute directing. Yes, they help, but the *art* is always self-taught. My task is to define the right environment for them to flourish.
A secondary reason for formal training is to cover their career bet with a master's degree. The MFA will not guarantee their ability, but it is a ticket of entry when applying for a steady teaching post.
Sorry to bore any Crossword Corner reader, but Pas de Chat's question reminds me of why I'm slogging away at this chapter!
Jazz, my permutation on the four part martini formula is just a "kiss" of vermouth. I'd rather have none than a whole ounce. Not being a purist, a lemon twist could easily replace the olive. I hear you saying, "Horrors!" I never heard of using pimento olives in a martini, just green ones.
ReplyDeleteMy ex and I were into Scotch in our 20's and gin in our 30's. After the bust up it was beer in middle age, and now wine.
My favorite colors also changed over decades. Pink is popular now and I was hugely into pink. Now I am tired of it and everyone still buys pink for me. My son and DIL bought me a lovely Wedgewood cameo. I was thrilled. When I opened the box, it was pink! OOH! I am ready for blue or yellow these days.
I taught kindergarten, first grade, a first/second combo (I never worked so hard in my life!), second grade, third, and fifth in public school. In church I taught every age from 2 to 92. I would have died teaching 32 years in the same age group.
ROTFLMAO Marti!
ReplyDeleteKeith Fowler:I would agree that much of "art" is self-taught.
As a child I had an ear for music and picked out notes and chords on the piano.
Piano lessons and formal college training helped organize and recognize what I heard in my head.
But what I learned the most about music came after much listening, playing with other musicians and writing.
Am I on the same page as you are?
Exactly, Pas de Chat,
ReplyDeleteUltimately in any art I believe there is an innate talent that isn't to be transmitted from a mentor. Your musical ear is a perfect example.
I really enjoyed today's puzzle and after a slow start finished without any real problems. I managed to avoid the unifier and then realized that without it, I would have had no idea of the theme.
ReplyDeleteI actually first thought that I'd be looking for the word SHOT "parted" in some way in each theme answer. Nope. When I saw the liquors, I loved it ~ so clever!
Thanks for a great write-up, Marti ~ good to have you back!
"Ella Minnow Pea" reminds me of the story of "Ladle Rat Rotten Hut".
ReplyDeleteLemme see, "One spawn term dare worsted ladle gull..." I thought the best part was "done stopper peck floors! Dun daily-doily inner florist, and yonder nor sorghum stenches, dun stopper torque wet strainers!"
ReplyDeleteMarti, I've seen that clip dozens of times, and I still laugh.
Pas de Chat, if that was your first sting, I don't think you could be having an allergic reaction. You need to be stung once, so your body can develop antibodies to the venom. The next time, you can have a reaction. Anaphylactic shock, anyone?
LaLaLinda, love the hat on little miss Prim!
ReplyDeleteMy iMac from about three years back came with a wireless keyboard and mouse. I like the concept OK but the batteries in the mouse need replacing often, maybe once a month. Also, the mouse tracking wasn't very reliable. I didn't think much about it and was afraid that it might be a sign of incipient Mother board failure. But Barbara had an old Logitech wired mouse lying around. I gave it some cheese and all mouse-related problems have gone away.
ReplyDeleteAt the recommendation of several of you guys, I'm trying "Burn Notice" for the first time. I haven't been able to get into it. The characters don't seem very appealing yet and I don't understand the story line. Should I stick with it?
Bill G., isn't that a decision you should make?
ReplyDeleteDesper-otto@ 7:00
ReplyDeleteWhaaa?
I'm NEVER going outdoors again!!!!
Now I'm afraid... really afraid.
Are you a doctor, or do you play one on TV?
Help! Anyone!
(Actually it looks a little better)
Jaycee, I never heard of the Little Red Riding Hood thing, but it's funny.
Burn Notice is in its final season. I am watching because I have to; I wouldn't bother to start it at this point. It did have a good run.
ReplyDeleteBill G, stick with it. I think it will grow on you.
ReplyDeleteOr what Argyle said. LOL
ReplyDeleteHello all ! Draggin' my tail all day after staying up late with friends to watch that great hockey game and having a couple too many pops. Made for a long day at work. I think I sweated it all out working in the yard this evening. Must have got all the way up to 82 or so today.
ReplyDeleteOrally, I had the correct answer for 44A, but initially chose the wrong vowel when I typed it. DOH !
Marti, welcome back. Great write up.
Hand up for endo and for basin. I liked 'Collector's item?' = IOU.
"...The fifth sax, playing clarinet most of the time, lets you know whose band you're listening to. And that's about all there is to it." I read that in the Glenn Miller Wikipedia article while listening to "In the Mood."
Still don't understand what that means. Is the sax player playing in the range of the clarinet, or is the sax player setting the sax aside and playing the clarinet ?
Bill, if you find Judge Judy too harsh, you may not care for Burn Notice.
LeBron James looks to be the best player in the NBA. I won't be able to stay up to see who wins this game 7 finale, but Miami is up late in the second quarter.
Have a good evening all. I am already past my bedtime.
tryaboa was my captcha.
Good night everyone.
ReplyDeleteDNF the puzzle; did get 22 correct answers – yippee!
Yellowrocks, I taught for 36 years. After 27 years I switched to Community College Denver and discovered how much easier it was. No lunch duty, no hall duty, no recess duty, and no parents calling. And a bit more money. But I'm glad to be retired. But chemo next Monday, so it's not all roses.
Cheers
I came across Zooey Deschanel on Ellen's show today. I don't know much about ZD. She doesn't seem like a skilled actress but her cuteness rating is off the chart. I could feel myself getting a sugar high just watching her chat pleasantly.
ReplyDeleteSallie, isn't it interesting how many retired (and non-retired) teachers we have here on the blog? Best of luck with your chemo. I admire your attitude.
As an AUTODIDACT, I learned what I needed to know with embellishments rather than what some professor thought I needed to know. My education tended to be more practical and usable and whetted my curiosity. My mind was not cluttered with as much non-necessary stuff, I guess. What talent I had led the education rather than a formal education trying to draw out the talent.
ReplyDeleteHi, all!
ReplyDeleteCan't believe that I was having such a bad day and forgot to come here! Usually cheers me up!
Swell puzzle, Jeffrey! Great expo, Marti! Good to have you back! Puzzle seemed to work itself. No problems (no cheats).
Bill: Have you tried Graceland? It is brand new. Might be better than coming in on the tale end of Burn Notice.
They say that pool (salt water now) will finally be ready on Saturday! Hope friend Chris will be available!
Good to hear from you, Sallie! Hope things improve soon!
Cheers!