Theme: Author, Author. Write me a pun.
Another intricate web spun by a true renaissance man John Lampkin, who flexes his intimate knowledge of music, amusement and creepy crawlies to create a really challenging Friday fracas. (Bill G., look what you and your kerfuffling has done!). The four theme answers are set in pairs, two across and two down with a fifth entry in the middle; they each take in the language phrases/words and with a new clue create new phrases where the second word in each is a form of writing creating the first level of puns. The melange of clechos, and twisted definitions made this quite the kaleidoscope. While there may be one or two groaners, the overall fill is wonderful, with some nice intermediates like AS IT WERE, COLD FEET, HOMESPUN, KNEE DEEP each of which interesects another of the 8 letter fill with the awesome knee deep/cold feet and new ways to clue some others. Let's get to it.
17A. Article about a bottle of whiskey?: FIFTH COLUMN.(11). I read all about the threat of the fifth column in Great Britain, France and the US in the 30's and 40's. LINK. John gives us the more benign discussion of why is booze sold in 1/5 of a gallon container rather than the more common 1/4 gallon, also known as a quart.
62A. Essay for grammar class? : PERIOD PIECE.(11). A write up about proper usage of a period might not be too interesting, but I am sure one about commas will always start debate.
41A. Autobiography?: I BOOK. I-BOOK becomes a book about the author. Multiple layer pun.
11D. Report on the site of the Humpty-Dumpty tragedy?: WALL PAPER.(9). My favorite and the one which revealed the theme. Like the other down clue, JL takes a word and splits in two to reveal the new and silly answer.
34D. Drama about Trigger? : HORSE PLAY.(9). By making both of the down theme answers derived from a single word, JL added another layer of symmetry to his work. While I love Roy Rogers, it is creepy to picture Trigger stuffed and on display (not that play?). Did I mention I liked the horse which portrayed Silver in the new Lone Ranger movie?
Across:
1. '90s-'00s first baseman Martinez : TINO. Man, I thought I was going to breeze through this puzzle as I just watched on Wednesday night, a local Miami Marlin telecast where the new Marlin hitting coach and former Yankee star was interviewed. Then to make sure I was right, I did 1 down, and it was a college my Uncle went to.....
5. Batter like the wind : BUFFET
11. Best in a game : WIN. Best the verb, not the noun. Notice how John has Tino, batter and Win all across the top.
14. Whole thing, or its part : UNIT. The team was an effective unit, or each unit was part of the team?
15. Maroon : ENISLE. I fought this one for a while, but where do people get marooned? Gilligan's mountain?
16. Old ring leader? : ALI. More splitting words and not hairs; a ring leader, not a ringleader. He was the Greatest.
19. Bar in the shower : LUX. As soon as I had the L, I had it because what other soap is three letters with an L? It also begins the clechomania. 29A. Bar in the kitchen : OLEO. Give him a pat on the back for working this pair in.
20. Blowup cause : TNT. Another dynamite deception.
21. Prefix with bound : EAST. This was another one I did not have much faith in until the Tada. I kept remembering this very obscene SCENE.(1:23). No nudity, but the language is very coarse, please do not view if offended by bad language and imagery.
22. Loud salute : SALVO. Twenty-one guns make a lot of noise.
24. Bird's-eye view provider : SKYCAM. You see them hanging there is all the sporting events. VIEW.
26. Folksy : HOMESPUN. Like Will Rogers or the Prairie Home Companion.
31. Composer/conductor Boulanger : NADIA. No Comăneci for JL, but the creator of THIS, (19:37), as well as "teacher" of Aaron Copland, Quincy Jones, Piazzolla, Michel Legrand, Leonard Bernstein, Philip Glass, Ginette Neveu and so many more...(various sources).
32. Macy's competitor : KOHL'S. I love this store, where you can buy dress shirts, towels, coffee makers and more all at great prices. The store began as a grocery chain in Wisconsin, but in the last 10 years it has expanded into 49 states. The family bought the basketball team I think.
35. Black, to Jacques : NOIR. Just love the rhyme in the clue.
37. Hardly a back rd. : TPKE. Abbreviated clues mean abbreviated ans.
40. Walked : TROD. This took a while even though it is a simple word.
42. Unwanted growth : WEED. I wanted WART, well actually I never wanted a wart but I was thinking of on the body like...oh never mind.
43. One born unfree : SERF. Unfree; great clue.
44. Beaver's expletive? : DAMN. Dam, he is probably right.
45. Antarctic phenomena : BERGS, this and its partner, 53A. Antarctic phenomenon : ICE CAP were extremely difficult for me and I spent way too much time in the southwest corner as I was trying to put in the more esoteric. mirages, parhelia, halos, arcs, midnight sun
46. They can make good impressions : SEALS. Like the old days where wax seals were on everything, and lawyers used silver to seal all deeds.
48. Start to get going : STIR. Not a creature was stirring. How are you Creature? And, 57A. Get going : HOP TO.
50. Seriously involved : KNEE DEEP. We will not speculate as to what substance JL had in mind...
58. Downwind : ALEE. Not Ann from the Shakers, not Robert, just another crossword staple.
60. Put in service : USE. Notice how this juxtaposes the next clue
61. Service-related: Abbr. : MILitary.
66. That niña : ESA. Spanish.
67. Faddish : TRENDY.
68. King with a notable nape : LION. JL is my main man here.
69. King of Spain : REY. More Spanish.
70. Den piece : SETTEE. Put your buttee on my..close to the Lion answer to add to the fun...
71. They evolved from wasp-like ancestors : ANTS. You can see the resemblance in this wonderful picture form the photographic artistry of our John Lampkin. Notice the ant grooming the ambush bug reveling in its kill.
Down:
1. New England school with a campus in the French Alps : TUFTS. This research University should be familiar to our New England group as it sits in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts. My Uncle did a study on bird anatomy while there.
2. Indelibly : IN INK. The way certain arrogant solvers do their puzzles.
3. Peachy-keen : NIFTY. This whole puzzle.....
4. Cooperstown's Mel : OTT. I was playing in my head the Gary Cooper scene, as Lou Gehrig, where he says he is the luckiest man in the world, when Mel reappeared..
5. Evolved into : BECAME. I did not want to put this in, with 10D. Became anxious : TENSED, which I had filled first...it really did make me all tense.
6. Juan's "some" : UNOS. Yes, un poco mas. I do not speak Spanish.
7. Laundry challenge : FILTH. So many five letter laundry problems, stain, grime...In GB they call the police the filth.
8. Seminoles' sch. : FSU. In keeping with my luck in solving, Florida State University in Tallahassee (known as the girls college to U. of Florida grads) is the alma mater of son one and his bride and we do know Seminole. My favorite casino.
9. Certain leaf beetle's target : ELM. More insect trivia, though this pic is not John's.
12. Candy heart message : I LUV U. It is safe to tell someone you luv them because by spelling it wrong you are released from all promises.
13. "___ in China": John Adams opera : NIXON. Another composer from John who also composes. Watch.(6;33) I wonder what they thought in China. C.C.? (From C.C.: Nixon is very well respected in China due to his groundbreaking visit.)
18. Makes sound : HEALS. Extra tricky right next to a musical "sound' clue.
23. So to speak : AS IT WERE. Fun phrase.
25. Cause of a sudden withdrawal : COLD FEET. I knew 'her husband's key in the door' would not fit.
27. Shallot relatives : ONIONS. I enjoy the discussion of the various members of the onion family set out by Rex Stout in his Nero Wolfe books.
28. Dog-ear, e.g. : MARK. I would never mark my place by dog earring a book; it must hurt the page. You could tell if Wolfe liked a book by how he marked his place.
30. Hoping to score : ON BASE. Where is Dennis now that we need his comments; a nice little baseball clue slipped in. Those were impressive eyes.
32. Valuable rock nos. : KTS. karats, followed by 33D. Rock with promise : ORE. and 59D. Rock band? : LODE.
36. Tuba player's mantra? : OOM. Oh, pah, he takes the standard OM and makes it fit music.
38. Suds holder : KEG. After seeding our mind with thoughts of soap, he flashes this beer reference to make a three letter fill a bit of a challenge.
39. Mag wheels? : EDS. Magazine and editors. Another use of word play.
41. Like a bump on a log : IDLE. Did your parents say to you, "Well don't just sit there like a bump on a log."
45. ___ curls : BICEP. 2 days a week for me, using dumbbells.
47. Accepts, as a resolution : ADOPTS. If you do minutes for corporations, you see every resolution that passes is adopted.
49. Eye-popping shirt : TIE DYE. I think he meant it this way.
50. ___ Rouge : KHMER. With this letter progression I am surprised we do not see more of this horrible BUNCH which got its name from all the red blood it shed in Cambodia.
51. Tumult : NOISE. There you go Bill G.
52. Manet's medium : PAINT. Sometimes, I really hate doing puzzles. I spent way too long trying to adjust OILS or impressionism into the fill when the answer emerged, I wanted to...
54. Bring up to speed : CUE IN. This for me was the eh, but maybe I just do not know it.
55. Race site for 300+ years : ASCOT. I am sure John knew they are RACING this week end. It was founded 302 years ago by Queen Anne.
56. Rounded hand-tool parts : PEENS. I think I can HAMMER this concept home.
63. Previous to : ERE. The only fill needing no comment. Oops, too late.
64. IRA part: Abbr. : RETirement.
65. Dockworker's gp. : ILA. And our parting shot, International Longshoremen's Association.
Well along with composing, traveling to take pictures, lecturing, playing music, studying all kinds of flying things, it is a pleasure to have Mr. Lampkin back to leave us a summer present. Thanks JL and thank you all for watching this weeks episode. (JL, no J?)
Lemonade out.
Note from C.C.:
Happy 83nd Birthday to dear Sallie, who is bravely fighting cancer. Click here if you missed the Naples Corner gathering pictures.
Every time someone on the blog says "Happy Belated Birthday to ....", I'll think of Sallie, who taught us the correct form is "Belatedly Happy Birthday to ....!"
I disliked the crossing of OOM and IBOOK. OOM? Really?
ReplyDeleteLemonade711 is conveniently coddled.
[erialtg]
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of waiting until tomorrow so I could belatedly wish Happy Birthday to Sallie, but I guess I'll do it today instead... ^_^
Solid Friday puzzle today with a fun theme. I struggled throughout, which is fine for a Friday, but I never got stuck and managed to get through it without any help. Did not know NADIA, but the perps were solid. Did know TUFTS, which helped immensely.
Wasn't crazy about the cluing on OOM, but everything else was fine by me.
Now, if only I could read the CAPTCHA ("Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart") today. I think I'll have to hit "Preview" until I get one I can figure out...
[cidexch]
Good morning Lemonade, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteAnd timely Happy Birthday to you, Sallie!
.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._
Fun write-up Lemony. You really nailed all the same thoughts I had about this one. Fresh clues, clechos, misdirection, zippy fill. What is not to love?
I thought "Tuba player's mantra?" for OOM was brilliant, and laughed out loud when I filled it. Thanks John L. for such a fun friday frolic!
Good morning, gang - up until 3am this morning discussing a very big move for a west coast friend of mine, so I'm using that as an excuse for my many troubles this morning.
ReplyDeleteI too thought this might be an easy Friday after quickly getting TINO and BUFFET. Surprise! NEATO quickly erased that thought, and there was nothing I could come up with to fit --OCAM when I finally got to 24A. It wasn't until I'd finally finished the rest of the puzzle that the SKY opened for me and I completed the NW.
The NE continued my struggle. Put ROD for 'Bar in the shower' (shower rod?) and then only I LOVE fit 12D, so there was that. Took the return trip to fix. Also, further on, I had SEALY for 'They make good impressions' (don't ask), MUG for 'Suds holder' and a myriad of other brilliant insertions. Finally finished after a very long thirty minutes or so, but the puzzle is virtually unreadable now. Just as well.
Loved the theme, loved the cluing; JLamp, wonderful job as always.
Lemonade, great write-up; very entertaining. And yesterday, impressive eyes indeed.
Sallie, a very Happy Birthday; keep up the good fight!
Off to make an impression on a SEALY for a bit.
Good Morning, Lemonade and friends. Yowser! This was a tough puzzle. The theme totally evaded me.
ReplyDeleteLots of good pairs in today's puzzles. That made up for me not finding the theme, even after Lemonade's explanation. Still too obscure.
I loved seeing Bar in the Shower = LUX and Bar in the Kitchen = Oleo.
I liked all the "ring" references, too. I initially tried I DO for the Ring with a Promise.
My favorite clue was Blow Up Cause = TNT.
Hand up for wanting Stain instead of FILTH for Laundry Challenge.
I saw Nixon in China. I think if people don't know the history of Nixon's visit to China, they will miss alot when watching the opera.
I think of Macy's as being more high-end than KOHL's, so didn't that they were competitors.
A belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sallie. As C.C. noted, you taught us the proper way to wish someone a good day after the fact. Keep your chin up as you go through chemo. We are all pulling for you.
QOD: Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them. ~ R. Buckminster Fuller (July 12, 1895 ~ July 1, 1983)
[eanizym]
Ooftah!!
ReplyDeleteThis one took some heavy lifting. The NW was OTT and white space for the longest time. Hand up for STAIN, WART and MUG. On the other hand ENISLE, KNEE DEEP, AS IT WERE and I LUV U were my first guesses.
I'm with Hahtoolah when it comes to KOHLS and Macy's. I'd heard of TUFTS but wasn't familiar with what they taught. Upholstery?
Happy birthday, Sallie. Keep up the good fight!
loved this puzzle. WMS about "oom", cracked me up, visualizing a tuba meditating.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle John. DNF here. Hit a wall from North Carolina up to New England. Couldn't get a grip. Surprised that I was only at 32 minutes with just that area to fill.
Turned on red letter help and had no mistakes. AS IT WERE, WALL PAPER, ILUVU, NIXON, KEG and EDS all escaped me. Never heard of LUX.
Told the game to solve the letter W, which gave me WIN (I was glued on ACE), and that gave me NIXON, which led to SALVO and then to completion in another 44 minutes. I wonder if coffee would have helped. Haven't had a cup in 13 weeks.
Hand up for stain.
I thought of Abejo at 36D.
Thank you Lemonade. What ? No dawn deity or war god this Friday ?
Lemonade is now a wealthy man. For every kind word I give him a bright shiny new nickel.
ReplyDeleted-otto, good one for TUFTS! (^0^)
ReplyDeleteGreetings!
ReplyDeleteThis one was a real slog for me. Took way too long. However, I persevered and eventually got the TADA without any cheating.
Thanks, John and Lemonade!
NIXON was a freebie. Gave me LUX. (Is that still around?) Guffawed at FIFTH COLUMN and WHITE PAPER. OOM was really clever!
Have a wonderful birthday, Sallie!
Cheers, all!
Howdy all,
ReplyDeleteThis was a classic toughie for me and it will be impossible to recall all my struggles, many of which have already been covered.
I was initially deceived because TINO, OTT, & TUFTFS in the NW suggested this was going to be a piece of cake. How wrong was I!
HORSEPLAY gave me a sense of the theme which got everything rolling. It came down to 44A Beaver's expletive. Thinking Beaver Cleaver, I went with Darn. That gave me the dreaded DNF.
Thank you for the challenge John, & thank you Lemon for the education.
Sallie, happy birthday. Follow Jimmy V's advice.... "Don't give up, don't ever give up"
Great news from the weather front..... Humidity gone for a day or two. Time to attack the yard work.
A wonderful John Lampkin with so many layers and so many fun misdirectionss that it's impossible to pick a favorite. HORSE PLAY gave me the theme.
ReplyDeleteI had many interruptions during this puzzle, but I succeeded. With tricky puzzles I usually like to use a laser like focus.
Lemonade, thanks for a delightful review as always. Let me CUE you IN: It's not from arrogance that we solve in ink, but weak eyesight. I can't stand the distraction of navigating to solve on line. It interferes with my focus.
I tried DARN for BEAVER Cleaver. C'mon now! Beaver wouldn't say DAMN. Then I got it.
Happy Birthday, Sallie. I admire your courage. we are pulling for you.
Wow, John. This was a really fun solve! If I've learned anything from doing JL's puzzles, it is to never go with the obvious answer. But I seldom put into practice what I've learned, so I went with 'neato' and 'Baton'. It didn't take long for the perps to straighten that out, and those were my only write-overs. Yes, I do the puzzle on paper, in ink.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Sallie. Going out for lobster?
Given the subject of the Florida trial in the national news, my CAPTCHA was rather interesting--carryn.
Have a great weekend, all.
Happy birthday Sallie, may each day be better than the previous one.
ReplyDeleteMonth by month I have become a better crossword solver, but today's puzzle was way over my head. I am sure some of you pro-solvers enjoyed the challenge of this one, so it is good we have these type near the end of each week.
Lemonade, yesterday @ 2 my son drove us to "Hops and Pie" across town in Denver. It was about 35 minutes away, but I started learning how to use the Navigation app on my phone. It is pretty NIFTY. Your son wasn't there, but we had an incredible pizza and Adam gave us very good service. I would recommend the place to anyone. We even walked up and down the street a little--lots of quaint little village shops.
Have a good weekend, everybody,
Montana
CED, from yesterday, that dog was amazing. Marti, we've also got a feline alarm clock. His name is Augie, and at about 3:30 each morning he paws at the blinds in the bedroom (clackety-clackety-clackety) until somebody lets him out. We tried locking him out of the bedroom, but then he just slams the kitchen cupboard doors.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, thanks for posting those...eyes.
And you New Englanders with your 3H days, I know two of them are Heat and Humidity. But what's the third?
Hi Y'all! Water main break last night down the block with the fixit crew arriving around 11. Noisiest bunch of workers, yelling and clanging and banging until 2 a.m. Then I was up at dawn to water and glad it was flowing okay thanks to the noisemakers.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle, John L! You were ON BASE with this one. I enjoyed it despite the difficulties. Another peck & fill, then chuckle. Great expo, Lemony, except for that one NASTY link. Okay, you told me not to look. I'm contrary.
I like KOHL's because I can park right in front and don't have to walk all over. It's not in the mall.
I din't like de LUX. I din't think they still made it.
Didn't know there was an opera about "NIXON in China". Nixon really helped farmers here by opening China to trade, and did a lot for the Chinese people too.
Mag wheels? EDS? Oh, good one.
KHMER not Baton or Moulin Rouge.
ENISLE? Again? Still think Rich made that up.
Happy Birthday, Sallie!
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteWhat Hatoolah said. I completed the solve without catching on to the theme. Even so, I enjoyed this clever JL project!
D Otto - Hazy.
HBTY Sallie!
Cheers All
Sallie: I misread C.C.'s note and thought we missed your birthday. You are 2 weeks older than my mom who will be celebrating her 83rd on the 26th.
ReplyDeleteI p, too, really wanted a shout out to my state capital with Baton instead of the Cambodian regime.
Sallie, Happy Birthday !
ReplyDeleteDesper-otto, I had that third H question myself. I guessed at Haze and left it at that. Maybe that's it ?
Or Haze in this case.
ReplyDeleteI usually think of Hazy, Hot, and Humid. Whatever you call 'em we have a lot of all three, and I'm sure I speak for all of us in saying we're sick of it.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWow, was this ever a toughie! Hand up for mug before keg, stain before filth, skybox before sky cam, and ebook before ibook. I did finish w/o help but oh so slowly.
Kudos to John Lampkin for a terrific Friday challenge and thanks to Lemony for the detailed expo, which I'm still not sure I understand.
As Hondo said, we have a day or two reprieve from the 3H weather but, in my area anyway, it's coming back with a vengeance by Monday.
Happy Birthday, Sallie; have a wonderful day!
Have a super Friday.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, John Lampkin, for an excellent puzzle. Thank you, Lemonade, for the outstanding review.
ReplyDeleteMy only beginning word up North was STRANDS for 15A. Of course, that turned out to be wrong. Fixed it to ENISLE much later.
Then I entered EBON for 35A. That stayed for a while until I used my expertise in French and four perps and fixed that to NOIR.
So far I am 0 for 2.
OOM was easy. I own and play two of those instruments. TTP even remembered. He even caught me at Tuba Christmas at the Palmer House.
ONIONS was easy. One of my favorite foods. I am growing them here and PA. Growing much better in Illinois. My ground in PA is pretty poor, I am finding.
I also had BATON for 50D. KNEEDEEP fixed that to KHMER.
Liked the theme. That helped me get WALLPAPER. Since I had PIKE instead of TPKE.
42A WEED was easy. That is about all I have been doing these last few weeks. My hands are still a little grimy.
So much else good I couldmtalk about with this puzzle, but I would run out of lines.
Happy Birthday, Sallie. Keep the faith. We a with you.
See you tomorrow from Bloomington, IL.
Abejo
(futpwa)
(Allenby)
HBDTY and many more Sallie; positivism helps heal the body; we are all here for you.
ReplyDeleteJL, I do love a shiny nickel but knowing what Rich pays, I cannot accept. As others have said, I found this to be a struggle, but I am not sure why. I am surprised there have been no comments on the ant grooming the ambush bug who was eating another bug. Icky, even if the photo is brilliant.
Gareth over at Crossword Fiend uploaded John's composition, March of the Ants which would be the theme music for the puzzle if I were more skilled at computers. I know how to do pics and videos, but not music.
Steve, where did the use of Filth for police start in the UK?
Happy Friday to all and Happy Birthday to Sallie, keep up the fight.
ReplyDeleteTough one for me as it took a little longer. Thanks Lemon for your write-up.
I checked yesterdays posts first, welcome back Tinman, someday we are going to have to meet to bend an elbow or two.
Have a great day RJW.
Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks for a great end-of-the-week challenge, John. Lots of clever misdirection and a fun theme. Terrific write-up, Lemonade – I had to laugh at your “husband’s key in the door” comment at 25D.
ReplyDeleteGot the theme with WALLPAPER, which helped with the rest of the long answers. Had the most trouble in the NW as neither TINO nor TUFTS were gimmes for me. Lots of fresh fill with KNEEDEEP, HOP TO and AS IT WERE. Not a fan of ENISLE, which has appeared twice in recent days. No I-BOOKS for me, but I do love my Kindle.
A very Happy Birthday to Sallie, and many good, healing thoughts coming your way as you undergo chemo.
We’re enjoying a break from the dreaded 3H’s here, with a picture-perfect forecast for our church festival weekend. DH and I are working the Dessert Booth on Sunday (hey, if you’ve gotta volunteer somewhere, it’s a pretty sweet gig!)
I thought John's picture of the bugs was remarkable, but I wasn't sure what I was seeing. I didn't realize from what Lemon said that there were three different insects. Is "ambush bug" the actual name of an insect or was it something else which ambushed the bottom bug? The two bottom ones were nothing familiar to what I have around here.
ReplyDeleteI have been an interested insect studier since childhood. I won't say amateur entomologist because I enjoyed learning about different species, but didn't remember every latin name.
I watched ants grooming and herding aphids on a new rose bush a few years ago. That was interesting until I realized I'd better get rid of the aphids before they spread to other rose bushes and did real damage.
A just right Friday by John.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-The FIFTH COLUMN in our country today has frightening goals
-The film NOIRs on TCM are wonderful PERIOD PIECES
-Is WALL PAPERing a lost art?
-Do men outgrow HORSE PLAY? Not on a golf course.
-The M80 firecrackers of my ute contained grains of TNT
-I’ll take Jerry Reed’s EAST BOUND and down
-KOHL’S is well set up, has a huge variety and good prices
-TV baseball announcers sometimes say, “The bullpen is STIRring” when the starter is getting into trouble
-“Being drunk is temporary, dear, but tattoos are IN INK!”
-Marti, have you ever TENSED up over a 3 foot putt?
-Some call FSU Free Shoes University for a scandal they had
-Nixon/Caesar, “The evil men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones”
-Ascot, “C’mon Dover, move your bloomin’ arse!”
-Did anyone else think of Gimbels as Macy’s rival?
-HBD Sally!
I, too, wondered what the third "H" was that the easterners were talking about. Is this like what the west coasters call SMOG? We get cloudy here, but my city is not industrial enough to get much real haze. We see a lot of sunshine with our heat and not a lot of humidity as compared to what I experienced living on the Texas Gulf Coast. I personally dripped and frizzed down there.
ReplyDeleteLemon: Thank you for a great write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteJL: FIFTH COLUMN was wonderful. I always enjoy whiskey articles.
Like Grumpy1, I always do my solve on paper, IN INK. Just my habit, never thought I was being arrogant.
Went with neato, stain & baton ... soooooo, a DNF and nice Ink Blot.
Ron Worden: I'm practicing my elbow bends since "It's Five O'clock Somewhere!"
Sallie: Happy Birthday! My first Sunset "toast" is to you.
Cheers!!!
'
Husker, the uptown department stores of my ute were H.C. Prange, Gimbels and Schusters. They're all gone. Less upscale merchandise could be found under the wavy roof at Treasure Island. It's gone too.
ReplyDeleteI have no fight with ENISLE.I have seen it in many crosswords. I suppose for most it is only crosswordese, but it is found in the dictionary and I have read it in several books. It is easy to infer its meaning. When I meet words I haven't met before I welcome them as new acquaintances.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
1.To set apart from others; isolate
Example:“The map shows how Northern sea-power could not only divide the South in two but almost enisle the eastern part as well.”
From "Captains of the Civil War; a chronicle of the blue and the gray." -Charles Henry Wood
Unlike my mom, my dad had few of these sayings, but he always said, HOP TO it.
First of all, Happy Birthday, Sallie! Your courage inspires all of us! And that is one lovely, colorful outfit you're wearing in the photo!
ReplyDeleteAnother toughie, this morning, but I like John Lampkin puzzles and so worked hard at it. Got a late start because for some reason I got yesterday's LA Times two days in a row, and had to phone in to get Friday's delivered. Since I do the puzzle in the paper this gave me quite a late start. But it was a lot of fun, as was Lemonade's expo--so many thanks to both John and Lemony.
All my false starts have already been noted--such as WART and MUG, and thinking we were talking about Beaver Cleaver. But I got OOM right off the bat--how about that!
Have to get my husband's physical therapist to check out his orthotic (spelling?) today. He's getting a sore on his foot, maybe caused by the device rubbing, or something. It's so important for stroke survivors to keep walking as much as possible, that we need to get this taken care of.
Have a great Friday, everybody!
Tinbeni: I was teasing about solving in pen being arrogant, like many others, if I use pencil and the newspaper I cannot read anything and I make lots of mistakes based on misread fill. I also have trouble finding pencils thought golf and lotto help.
ReplyDeleteMontana, I am glad you had a positive experience at Hops & Pie, sorry the boy was not there to add that extra touch.
Hello, Lemonade, and all.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Sallie! I echo the good wishes that you keep going and stay positive.
Yowza! Thank you so much, John Lampkin for this delightfully challenging puzzle. I loved it!!
With almost every fill having a double meaning, it was just fun! I started down south because the first clue flummoxed me but I-BOOK, NOIR, ONIONS (which I doubted because it was so straight forward)started me and kept going from there.
Of course, ESA and REY were easy but I insisted on ALGO for 6D and that impeded any progress for a long while. Finally after erasing it all and restarting that section, UNOS BECAME clear.
Thank you for the fun today!
It's nail salon day so off I go.
You all have a fantastic Friday!
I do the crossword puzzles IN INK, also. I write lightly on the first pass of the Across clues, then press harder with the Down clues. If that makes me arrogant, then so be it. LOL!
ReplyDeleteLemon: The only "pencil" I have is my Pentel PS315, .05 mm. from my Accounting career.
ReplyDelete(Funny how you become attached to things ... I lost my first Pentel behind a Bank Cash Vault on my second Audit. It's replacement lasted for over 35 years. Still works great.)
On newsprint, it practically slices up the paper like an X-acto knife.
I tried using a Red Pen for that "Red-Letter-Help" ... but that didn't work out
Sooooo, I'm back to using a Black Ink pen.
Maybe i should try solving "once" on the computer.
Old habits are hard to break.
(Like my nightly "toasts"!)
Cheers!!!
WEED
ReplyDelete-Otto, I have never been in a Gimbel’s, I was just referencing a certain Macy’s Santa who was sending customers to its rival Gimbel’s if they had an item Macy’s didn’t. Hmmm… what was the name of that classic movie *<|:{)}? Duh!
ReplyDelete-p.s. no pedicure yet.
-Tin, my mom did the Omaha World Herald Sunday puzzle in ink. With four young kids, she only took time on Sunday to do the puzzle. You’re right about those .5mm pencils slicing up newsprint plus I can’t find a mechanical pencil with an eraser as good as my good old #2 Ticonderoga, er Dixon today.
-If newspapers keep folding, the daily crossword may go the way of the buggy whip, and we may only have a computer option for contemporaneous puzzles edited by Rich.
HG - Miracle on 34th Street. Classic good stuff for the holidays!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have much luck with the puzzle, (I thought Macys rival was Sears) & after staring at a sea of white, I had to go red letter.
ReplyDeleteSince it was a John Lampkin puzzle, I knew that just reading all the answers would be cheating myself of a good time. So I agonized over every clue & answer & cheated as necessary. (The fun of a puzzle is in the struggle...)
Thanks John, but Man,, those were some hard clues!
Happy Birthday Sallie!
(Actually, finding this particular spelling variation of Sally in a Happy Birthday message is not easy. And I happened to find two! So I am throwing this in to cover last year belatedly)
Gee, I hope I got the grammer right...
The fifth always reminds me of Leeloo...
Actually The Fifth Element was a goof on Sci Fi movies with great graphics. I have been looking at movie trailers lately, & was surprised that The Fifth Element trailer was making it look so serious.
Because it is so hard to write on newspapers, I am printing out from the computer but I use a blue pen as it is easier for me to see. I do other puzzles in newspapers and use blue there also.
ReplyDelete5th Element was interesting.
Going into the city to see the Macy's and Gimbel's window displays was always a big deal as a child.
Thanks for a fine write-up, CC.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and good luck to Sallie. Wes þú hál!
I loved this crossword. It was very tough, but do-able w/o cheating. I enjoyed the cleverness of the clues, from "Old ring leader" to the deceptively simple "Manet's medium." In the same simple vein, it was hard not to think of the Irish Republican Army at 64D.
Like Barry G., I thought OOM was the weakest, although I smiled at it. But why should OOM be considered an entire mantra w/o PAH?
Oh, and I too do my crosswords in ink. Not being cocky. The fact is that pencil is apt to tear the news print, and I never seem to have a good #2 for lettering that's dark enough.
ReplyDeleteAnd ink isn't that hard to print over-- when necessary.
DAMN, did anyone see the HORSEPLAY concerning parsing that Pearls Before Swine had today?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletei use a Pentel p0.5mm P205 for solving with HB lead. BUT, I also print the puzzle from the Merriam-Webster site. I have used it on the newspaper occasionally w/o any issues.
Yes the third H is for Hazy. When vocalizing one or all three H's, a descriptive adjective beginning with F is commonly uttered first.
ReplyDeleteI am arrogant (not) and I do my crosswords on the computer.
Don't get a newspaper. Gave up on that media almost 20 years ago. We get Sunday's as the DW likes to see all the ads. The Chicago Tribune's sports section is a joke.
Dillards, Saks, Carson Pirie Scott, Van Maur, and Lord and Taylor are Macy's competitors at that mid-priced brand name level, but Kohls and Sears and JC Penney, Target and others are Macy's competitors in the sense of being chain department store retailers.
Those of us in Chicago miss Marshall Fields.
That left handed guitar player that was, at one time, the opening act for the Monkees, sang about Purple Haze.
Stopping by today just to wish Sallie a timely HBTY! Celebrate it well!
ReplyDeleteMy puzzling effort today was not successful, but I appreciate JL's sparkly offering just the same.
Today is my day to try and wash and clean after the visit. Sorting pix will take a long time--we have a total from three cameras of over 1200 of them! So please be patient.
Have a wonderful weekend all of you!
Here, HHH would be Hot, Humid, and Hotter. At the moment there is a much welcomed drizzle as well.
ReplyDeleteLemonade, I failed to mention your excellent and always enjoyable to read review.
My preference for puzzling is always pencil as I hate messes. Some time ago I purchased a package of Artist's pencils which are darker than the #2's and with a tip eraser attached work wonderfully well for old eyes.
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Sallie. Hope you did something special today.
WEES said. I like John's puzzles- I guess because his love of nature shows. Only change I had to make was having 'lens' before LODE. The perps were not to be denied. Liked IBOOK.
TUFTS has family connections; sister earned MD there, and DIL majored in Mech. Eng.
Agree with Keith Fowler @ 1431. Ink is much easier to read.
Hope you are all having a great day.
Thanks for my shout-out, Lemon and for the excellent write-up, befitting JL's super puzzle. I shared the good and the difficult with most of you.. Sally, many happy returns. You are such a pretty woman inside and out . I'm hoping your chemo goes smoothly. Please keep us up on your progress.
ReplyDeleteI try to stay up with my dear Corner friends every day, but my life just hasn't smoothed out enough to add my two cents worth.
I'll be diving in soon.
Kazie thanks for taking time to say hello, it is reassuring to see one of the Corner pioneers here.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, great to hear from you Creature, an hello now and then from our past posters so we know everyone is ok is always appreciated.
Creature, good to see your post. I have been thinking of you lately and wondering how you are doing.
ReplyDeleteYR: You don't have to continue to champion ENISLE for my benefit. I'm joking about Rich making it up. It seems awkward and lukewarm to me. Exile seems a stronger word that embodies deprivation.
Stephan, I saw the "Pearls Before Swine" cartoon you mentioned and wished I knew how to bring it here. LOL!
It is amazing that my computer tech took my malfunctioning hard drive out of my CPU, scanned it and transferred the data to my new computer with all the data alive and well. It seems a half way sophisticated techie can frequently access all your data on your discarded computer, even if it doesn't work or has a virus.
ReplyDeleteSo I naively vowed to smash my hard drive. It is approx. 4x6x0.75inches. It is very compact. The screws needs a very special tool. It is not able to be pried apart. It is extremely (almost impossible) to smash and seems impenetrable. The platters with the data are deep inside. I have been researching the destruction of a hard drive. It is unbelievably difficult. In the same vein, I worry about discarding a mobile phone, especially a smart phone. or a notebook.
I was interested in HG 's fifth column comment. Without choosing a political side, I found dozens of mutually exclusive ideas as to what constitutes a fifth column in the U.S. Hopefully that means that none of them is strong enough to gain ascendancy. If you respond please keep your comments neutral.
To each his own. I have said far less in championing enisle than others have said knocking it. I am also a lone fan of A words. I find them rich and colorful, adding to the diversity of expression. If others are always knocking them I will be the loyal opposition. There are two sides to most things.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I like about crosswords is that they include unusual, even arcane, language to keep us on our toes.
YR - Drill holes through your drive. You'll need a good metal drill bit.
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks:
ReplyDeleteSome time ago I posted a defense of A-words. I'm in total agreement with you regarding their use as well as unusual, arcane, and even foreign words. For me it's all about stretching my limits and learning.
I've always considered JL to be among the funniest constructors, so I put more effort into today's solve than I normally would have. Got it done in about 20-25 minutes and enjoyed the pun-ishment a lot. Thanks John! Favorite fill: Horseplay. (More hay Trigger? No thanks Roy, I'm stuffed)
ReplyDeletePearls Before Swine has been discussed today, Here is the comic in question for anyone that missed it.
On the topic of pen v pencil (or pixel), I use a #2 Ticonderoga on newsprint, and it's my only use of a pencil in real life. No problem with pen users, but I like the ability to erase cleanly in case wags don't work out. Tried solving on line one time only and found it to be too restricted in looking at the broader picture. And I really don't care for the red letter aspect of on line solving. That's just cheating by another name.
It's been a purty tough week. Guess there will be a Silky tomorrow, eh?
Yellowrocks,
ReplyDeletePhysical destruction works well.
I use a strong magnet and demagnetize the drive first.
Old TV repairmen know how to degauss a TV screen. Same process for disk or tape storage.
Then physically destruct.
Good Friday to all! I started about my usual time this morning, slowly made headway, struggled, ran some errands, struggled some more, went for a bike ride and finally finished just now. It was really hard for me but fair. Good work John!
ReplyDeleteMy best wishes for a happy birthday Sallie. “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small..."
Speaking of Dixon Ticonderoga pencils, they are our weapon of choice for tutoring. Have you ever gotten one where the lead breaks, you sharpen it, it breaks again, etc.? We had bought a box of them and many were that way. I can't imagine what the defect might have been...
It's good to hear from Creature!
More later.
ARAPROSDOKIANS... (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.
ReplyDelete1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it's still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
10. Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. On my desk is a work station .
11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted pay cheques.
12. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR."
13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
Part 2
ReplyDelete17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.
21. You're never too old to learn something stupid.
22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
25. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
26. Where there's a will, there are relatives.
Finally:
I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now.
_________________________
-YR, call them a FIFTH COLUMN or sleeper cells, there are people in this country who mean to harm this country in the name of their own tenets, irrespective of how many people get hurt or their chances of overall success. They have struck already and will again. How’s that for neutral, my friend?
ReplyDeleteFor Marti:
ReplyDelete♪♩♬♫•*¨*•.❤.•*¨*•♫♪•.¸¸.•´♫♪♩♬*¨*`•.♥.•´*♫♪♩♬
HBTY, HBTY, dear Sallie.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to hear from tou , Creature.
No time to dedicate to CW today, but very much enjoyed your write up, Lemon.
Lots of interesting news items on the Internet:
ReplyDeleteA Kemptville Walmart employee terminated for calling police about a dog locked in a hot car.
Long-lasting, painful erections send 10,000 men to the ER each year.
One in 10 adults use phones during sex. Worse, a third use them in movies. (Nearly three-quarters of adult smartphone owners report that they are within five feet of the mobile gadgets a majority of the time. Knowing that detail, it's almost not even surprising that 9 percent of those folks admit to using their phones during sex. Among smartphone owners ages 18 to 34, that statistic jumps a whoppin' 20 percent.)
G'Evening All:
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Sallie - stay strong...
This puzzle was a slog as I kept picking it up and putting it down. I couldn't get a good hold anywhere, but wanted to finally hit parity with John.
I do the puzzle in ink in the paper. Its how my grandparents did it and it works for me too...
Yellowrocks - you can purchase a program online that will wipe the disk to mil-spec. It will take about 30 hours, but you will know the data is gone. As far as your competent tech, yes, there are some of us out here that know what we are doing. And you are smart not to just dispose of a smart-phone!
For a good mech pencil with a great eraser, I got a box of .05mm Skillcrafts in grad school - three still float about the house. It has the screw-up erasers!
Cheers,
-T
oops, 0.5 mm Skillcraft; .05mm would be a razor on newsprint :-) -T
ReplyDeleteScrew-up erasers!
ReplyDeleteLove the double-meaning of those.