google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, July 15, 2013 MaryEllen Uthlaut

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Jul 15, 2013

Monday, July 15, 2013 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: Tinnitus - Four sets of rings.

18A. Banner passed from host city to host city : OLYMPIC FLAG


38A. Things associated with 18- and 57-Across and 3- and 34-Down : RINGS

57A. A bride and groom may write their own : WEDDING VOWS. And exchange rings.

3D. Samsung product : CELL PHONE. With some rings that hardly resemble a ring.

34D. Big top performance : CIRCUS ACT. Traditionally in a ring and a big circus would have three rings under one tent.

Argyle here. The grid is arrayed with the themes forming a ring around the unifier. Our constructor has given us three Sunday puzzles in the past. Interestingly, all, like today's, includes the whole phrase as the theme entry, not just one part. Nothing fusty here.

Across:

1. Baglike structure : SAC

4. Frozen drinks : ICEEs

9. Perp's fake name : ALIAS

14. "__ before beauty" : AGE. “Pearls before swine” Dorothy Parker.

15. Religious doctrine : DOGMA

16. Island nation near Fiji : TONGA. It is in the pink area on this MAP.

17. Nothing : NIL

20. Right-angle pipe joint : ELL

21. More than trot : LOPE

22. Take turns : ROTATE

23. Issue a new copy of : REPRINT

25. Female sib : SIS

26. Soggy : WET

27. Unclear, as the future : HAZY

28. Stale-smelling : FUSTY. Related to old wine casks while musty indicates a more moldy source.

30. Make amends : ATONE

32. Taxi customer : FARE

33. Unreturned tennis serves : ACES

37. Venom dispenser : FANG. (or Dorothy Parker)

39. Fair-weather system : HIGH

40. Arborist's concern : TREE

41. Formerly : ONCE

42. "__ and Bess" : PORGY. Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin.

43. Pass along : RELAY. Pass the baton.

45. Swamp reptile, for short : CROC

46. "Oh, sure!" : "HAH!"

49. Every bit : ALL

50. Take for granted : PRESUME

53. Melodious piece : ARIOSO


55. Historic periods : ERAs

56. Prodigal __ : SON. Luke 15:11-32 - The Parable of the Prodigal Son.

59. Malt brew : ALE

60. Genuflect : KNEEL

61. Grocery walkway : AISLE

62. Pic taker : CAM

63. Having a lot of cheek : SASSY

64. Post-sneeze word : BLESS

65. Attempt : TRY

Down:

1. More rational : SANER

2. Like a twinkletoes : AGILE

4. Place on a pedestal : IDOLIZE

5. One of the original 13 : COLONY

6. Land of pharaohs and pyramids : EGYPT

7. Plus-size supermodel : EMME


8. Plant juice : SAP

9. For no profit : AT COST

10. Barn story : LOFT

11. Relative by marriage : IN-LAW

12. Striped stone : AGATE

13. TV comedian Bob : SAGET

19. Showy spring flowers : IRISES


24. The Lone __ : RANGER

25. Storm-caused sea rise : SURGE

28. __ Feast: cat food : FANCY

29. Yokels : YAHOOs

30. Sternward : AFT

31. Driveway covering : TAR

32. Critical test : FINAL

35. Breakfast staple : EGG

36. Bashful : SHY

38. Deodorant type : ROLL-ON

42. Removes wrinkles from : PRESSES

44. Without difficulty : EASILY

45. Moves like a baby : CRAWLS

46. Keen-sighted birds : HAWKS. Little something for Windhover.


47. Gladiators' venue : ARENA

48. Keeps out of sight : HIDES

50. Ordinary language : PROSE

51. Grinding tooth : MOLAR

52. Nemesis : ENEMY

54. "To a" poems : ODEs

55. Black-hearted : EVIL

58. Chatterbox's "gift" : GAB


Argyle


79 comments:

River Doc said...

Happy Monday everybody!

Couple of quick comments to suit an equally quick puzzle solve:

My cats didn’t care for FANCY Feast. Friskies was just fine, thank you very much. Sidebar: they now make gluten-free cat food. Also soy free. As well as vegetarian. Vegan cats? The only time my cats ate plants was when they felt the need to work up a fur ball….

Was going to BAG on FUSTY vs the much more popular MUSTY, then thought I’d sit back, take a breath or two, and actually look it up before passing judgment. Ye Gods, it’s a word! Thanks to our Corner brethren and sistren for teaching me patience and tolerance in the cross wording world….

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Mostly straightforward Monday effort today. I did go with MUSTY instead of FUSTY, which held me up a bit until I remembered FANCY Feast.

Up north, I had TENET (and then CREED/CREDO) before DOGMA, which messes things up a bit for awhile. It didn't help that I was looking for a specific state instead of the more generic COLONY at 5D and can never seem to remember EMME's name. To cap off my confusion, I was perversely looking for a more generic term for frozen drink instead of the brand name ICEES and couldn't think of a run that was faster than a trot at first. Once I came up with DOGMA, however, it all fell into place very quickly.

[ademnyt]

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Dudley,
Yes. BLK on my driver's license. Black hair/eyes. I'm actually a Ninja.

HeartRx said...

Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

Thanks for linking the Bach arioso, Argyle – beautiful! I liked this puzzle – nothing too difficult, as Mondays should be. Of course I wanted mUSTY before FUSTY, but FANCY Feast locked in the correct answer.

I also liked seeing KNEEL and AISLE just under WEDDING VOWS. But then the bride gets SASSY until the priest can BLESS them. (I TRY.)

Have a nice start to the week, everyone!

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, MaryEllen Uthlaut, for a swell Monday puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for the swell write-up.

Zipped through pretty easily. Had MUSTY first, then FANCY gave me FUSTY. New word for me.

TONGA was easy after a few letters. I stayed in the same hotel with the King of Tonga many years ago. They had a guard stationed outside his room. I wondered about the guard and later found out who he was guarding. That's my 15 minutes in the sun.

Did not know Bob SAGET. Accepted the perps.

Nice start to the week.

Off to give a pint of blood.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(owelei)

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Pas de chat,
Can you send me an email (crosswordc@gmail.com)?

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Fun speed-run this morning. Although there were a few non-Monday words, the perps filled them in with no problems.

Hand up for trying Musty before FUSTY.

My cats only eat the FANCY Feast wet food. Talk about picky! They must have been influenced by those spoiled cats on the TV commercials.

Dogma was also a movie starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

QOD: Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out. ~ Iris Murdoch (July 15, 1919 ~ Feb. 8, 1999)

[liesnic]

thehondohurricane said...

Hello all,

Back to the HHH in CT. Whoopee doo!

Musty before FUSTY too.

Got a kick out of Barn story/LOFT.

Am I the only one a bit confused by 5D, One of original 13? I kept trying to put in the name of a state. To me, all 13 states made up the COLONY. I did end up with the correct fill, but if left me[ wondering.

Nice start to the week.

Lunch/Dinner at wife;s fav shoreline eatery today. A birthday surprise. I'll be in good stead for a few days now.

[LCQuari]

Avg Joe said...

Other than Musty, a good early week romp. Fancy prevailed.

Speaking of Porgy and Bess, I had an extended Pandora session on Saturday. One tune that really struck me was Doc Watson's cover of Summertime!!

Anonymous said...

Fusty?

Really?

Montana said...

Thanks for the puzzle and write-up. Same thoughts about FUSTY as everyone else. I solved across and down together and was done in one pass.

I have a new granddaughter, Diana Nicole, born very early Saturday morning about 10 minutes after mom and dad got to hospital. Exciting!
Everyone doing well. I babysat my 22-month old granddaughter through the weekend. Good times!
(No pictures on computer yet.)

Montana

Yellowrocks said...

Very fast puzzle today. Only hiccup was I had MUSTY first, but when The F appeared I was acquainted with FUSTY. For future puzzles, FUSTY is also used in literature to describe a person, "outdated: old-fashioned and conservative in style, appearance, habits, or attitudes."
Loved the Bach arioso, thanks.
The picture of the irises was lovely. Mine were just like that for 20 years. This time when I hired a young guy to dig them up and separate them he cut off all the leaves from the corms, instead of leaving one, as you must. They didn't come up this year. So sad.
HH Hot and humid)forecast for all week this week, It is not often HAZY here. We have had rain all or part of most days this summer, although not forecast for this week. Instead of HHH, it should be RHH, rainy, hot and humid.
Hondo, that's the original 13 colonies.

Grumpy 1 said...

What's the old saw about old dogs and new tricks–or, in this case, words? I'm pretty sure this old dog never encountered FUSTY before, but it was easier to accept than Mancy Feast cat food. I wondered if it might be a portmanteau of 'funky' and 'musty' until I looked it up.

Other than a few moments spent cogitating over that, it was a quick solve.

Happy Monday, all.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Got 'er done, but not without some really stupid mistakes along the way. I wrote OLYMIC TORCH (notice that I forgot the P), and then mentally carped that a TORCH is not a banner! D'oh! That plus SAMOA before TONGA really messed up the Massachusetts Bay COLONY.

Argyle, you missed a third chance to mention Dorothy Parker. She's credited with saying, "You can't teach an old DOGMA new tricks."

We got a little more than an inch of rain overnight. Lovin' it!

Spitzboov said...

Good Morning Everyone.

Easy Monday except for FUSTY. New learning. Don't plan on using it soon in conversation; all I'll get is vapid stares. Thanks for explaining it, Argyle.
Didn't know ARIOSO, either. Perps nailed it. Convenient vowel rich fill.
Enjoyed the theme.

Have a great day.

desper-otto said...

C.C. @ 5:53 -- I can see it in my mind's eye. You'd be a ninja ala Hetty Lange (NCIS Los Angeles).

Last evening Spitz posted a hilarious comedy bit about bungee jumping. If you missed it, it's worth going back and checking it out.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Easy breezy Monday. Had tenet before dogma and have seen fusty many times, so no problem there.

Nice job, Mary Ellen, and good expo, Argyle, although many of your links are blank on my iPad, such as the arioso.

Pretty picture shout-out to Blue Iris. Wonder if Mari will chime in today; I miss her whimsical posts.

Congratulations on the new addition, Montana. What a pretty name!

I think I'll hibernate all week to escape the heat wave.

Have a good one and stay cool!

kazie said...

Fast easy solve on my first "normal" day for a month. Many photos to sort through of course.My d-i-l is camera crazy.

Hand up for musty/fusty too, and Tonga was fairly easy for me. I wanted MARRIAGE for WEDDING until it wouldn't fit, but that was the only other misstep.

Yellowrocks said...

Fusty is related to more than wine casks, which I have never smelled. Fusty brings to mind old unused homes that smellstale, damp, dusty, mildewed, and/or aged. It is more than moldy. Basements can smell moldy without smelling fusty, especially after a June of close to 10 inches of rain,
Improperly stored old clothes and draperies can also smell fusty.
Musty and fusty, closely related words with different nuances.

HeartRx said...

Montana, congratulations on the new granddaughter! I agree with Irish Miss - beautiful name. And I hope we will get to see some pics real soon!!

creature said...

I never have heard YAHOO in reference to a yokel. Of course, that may be because I am one and they never say it to your face.

Thanks Mary Ellen for neat little Monday trip and Argyle for keen things clear.

Have a nice day all.

Argyle said...

Yellowrocks, I'm sure you will find this LINK interesting.

creature said...

Montana, what fun! They will probably stay close and enjoy having each other.

TTP said...

From yesterday...
Lucina, Once and again, thank you.
Spitzboov, funny video.


Conratulations Montana !

Argyle, thank you for explaining fusty.
Thank you MaryEllen Uthlaut.

It's supposed to be HHH here today, with the temp climbing to 90 or so, and the dew point reaching 70. Supposed to be even worse Tuesday and Wednesday. I was out early doing my weeding. Today in the Honeysuckle hedgerow. I know there's poison ivy in that row, so I had long pants, long sleeved shirt and gloves on. Good thing. It had proliferated. It's in the garbage now, and my clothes and gloves just went from the washing machine to the dryer.


Have a good day all.

Misty said...

A welcome speed run this morning--many thanks, Mary Ellen! WEES. Had MUSTY before FUSTY (at least it wasn't Misty). Never heard of ARIOSO or EMME but got them with perps. Pretty irises, Argyle.

Loved the Barn story clue for LOFT.

Congratulations, Grandma Montana.

Have a great Monday, everybody!

Lucina said...

Greetings, Argyle, and all.

Whoopee! Thank you, MaryEllen, for a quick and easy puzzle.

WEES about FUSTY/MUSTY, TENET/DOGMA and no problem with COLONY as OLYMPIC and LOPE were in place. IDOLIZE forced me to change TENET.

It's the best five minutes spent on a Monday.

Montana:
Congratulations! A grandchild is a lovely gift.

TTP:
You're welcome.

You all have a marvelous Monday!

Anonymous said...

Good morning everyone.

Thank you all for your birthday wishes and good advice. Yes, Grumpy, we did have lobster. I have very little appetite, so I enjoyed a Maine lobster and ate none of the stuff that came with it.

I do Monday puzzles, because I can – usually. Loved today's. Took some heavy thinking to get the theme answer though.

Cheers

desper-otto said...

Courtesy of the Gipper, July is national ice cream month, and July 15th is national ice cream day. He urged us to "observe these events with appropriate ceremonies..."

Bill G. said...

That was a very pleasant Monday puzzle. Thank you MaryEllen and Argyle. I got stuck on FUSTY for a while too but I was sure about FANCY Feast. I liked the Rings theme.

Montana, congratulations on the new granddaughter! Very excellent!

Pretty Arioso. What is the defining characteristic to qualify for that particular name?

Avg Joe, I've got one of my Pandora stations set to Doc Watson and Chet Atkins.

Zcarguy said...

Summertime ala George Benson and Jill Scott check it out on YouTube , don't know how to link .sorry



kazie said...

Montana,
Congrats on the new arrival! Wonderful name too. You'll soon be having twice the fun with them both as they grow older.

Pookie said...

C.C. @ 6:11
UH-OH What did I do?
My apologies, but I must remain anonymous.
Witness protection program. ;-)

JD said...

Good morning Argyle, C.C., et al,

Well, that was one fast puzzle! I only needed to read a few downs to help me with Tonga, arioso, and presume. Like others, I had musty and tenet, and also yea for hah.. all easily remedied. Loved loft clue.

SAP: Our "Shark Tank" has had many names. This morning it was revealed that it will now be the SAP center; no longer the HP Pavillion. Ha,ha, it will take awhile before that name catches on.

Montana, congrats on your new bundle of endless joy.. pretty name too. Hoping my daughter's labor goes as quickly... any day now.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Hand up for that Musty/Fusty thing. Otherwise, standard Monday walk in the park.

C.C. 5:53 - I see! Quite dark eyes, then. I find dark eyes just lovely. (The waitress here in my favorite café has them too, beautiful pools of inky darkness)

I can see where it would be handy to be a Ninja! Images of Lucy Liu come to mind, recent as they are, because I saw her in Elementary last night.

Cheers All

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, A quick, easy solve today. I didn't even see some of the clues as the answers had already filled in. Arioso was the only word that I wasn't completely sure of, so when it filled in I learned something.

I agree with Doha Doc on Fusty. I had Musty at first, but that quickly changed when Fancy (Feast) went in. Hands up for Tenet vs. Dogma.

Montana, Congratulations on your new granddaughter. Fun times, indeed.

Have a lovely day, everyone.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! This was a lovely nine minute romp for me, MaryEllen. Thanks!

Argyle, Loved the Bach "Arioso" and kestral flight. Thanks.

"Summertime" was one of my all-time favorites to sing. My babies heard it a lot.

My cat isn't eating FANCY Feast or anything else. Don't know if he's hunting, getting a better handout at a neighbors or sick. Hope he hasn't got squirrel claws stuck in his craw.

Marti, great wedding vignette. Surely the bride wore a FANCY dress too.

Montana: congratulations on the new baby!

Hope Mari's husband hasn't had a medical emergency that keeps her from posting!

Tinbeni said...

Argyle: Excellent write-up & links (esp.the Bach ARIOSO).

Thank you MaryEllen for a FUN Monday offering.

Last week they caught (and later released in the Everglades) an American CROC in Lake Tarpon.
It was the first time a CROC had been sighted as far north as the Tampa Bay area.
They estimate there are between 1,500 and 3,000 American Crocodiles in Florida.
[As for gators ... we're lousy with them, esp.in Lake Tarpon, lol!)

A "toast" to all at Sunset.
Cheers!!!

Dudley said...

Doha Doc 5:44 -

I agree, trying to turn a cat into a vegan doesn't really compute. That said, our sweet little Tabitha loved lettuce, peas, and homemade bread (wheat). These were her choices, not ours! Sadly, that best-ever cat died from disease at age 5. Years later we still miss her.

TTP said...

JD,

Thanks for mentioning the renaming of HP Pavilion to the SAP Center. Just sent my nephew a note. He lives there and goes often. I think he may be a Sharks season ticket holder.

Go Hawks !

Marge said...

Hi all,
Nice puzzle,MaryEllen,thank you.

Like most of you I had musty until DH remembered fancy food. I did look in my crossword dictionary and there was fusty right next to musty. DH also got the theme word for me.

Interesting 24D, Lone Ranger. The new movie hasn't had the best ratings or attendance. We don't go to many movies but will go to see it because we read in New Mexico magazine that most of it was filmed in New Mexico, one of our favorite states. So is Arizona, Lucina. I don't like the the way they have Tonto (Johnny Depp) painted up. I read somewhere some Native Americans are not too happy about it,either.


Bob Saget is a comedian but I best remember him for 'Full House" which was also funny but a very good family show.

Didn't know the plus size model. That's the size I'V worn most of my adult life but can now wear some regular sizes a lot of the time.

Have a good evening all!
Marge

Argyle said...

SL Zalameh, here is your link to George Benson and Jill Scott scatting "Summertime" LINK(3:50) and I'm impressed.

But I must link my favorite, too. Big Brother & The Holding Company LINK(4:03)

Bill G. said...

This is what happened when the Tampa Bay Rays asked a cute pop singer to throw out the first pitch.

First pitch.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-RIANT and now FUSTY. To quote Dick Martin, “You can look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls”
-Did anyone here answer a phone after two longs and one short or…
-My cell has a Model A oooogah oooogah “ring”. Yours?
-DOGMA all looks like “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin” to me. Heed the Golden Rule and get on with your life.
-If you sub in the elementary, you’d better give everyone a TURN
-Pawn Stars tell some pawners they only have REPRINTS. “You mean that isn’t John Hancock’s signature at the bottom?”
-My SIS and I don’t speak much
-Wanting to ATONE requires someone who will let you ATONE
-I heard a sermon once that took the side of the faithful and not the PRDODIGAL son
-That’s AT COST? HAH!
-EGYPT is one of many Mideast countries that are tired of religious or military dictators in the 21st century
-Nobody TARS a driveway here
-These MMA and Ultimate Fighting “sports” of today seem to be a throwback to gladiators in the ARENA fighting until someone is severely hurt or dead
-Bob SAGET’S standup ain’t family friendly!
-Congrats Montana!

Ol' Man Keith said...

Nothing here that stalled me for long. I too did MUSTY before FUSTY, but suspected that MANGY FEAST wasn't much of a name for cat food-. Still, that was only a blip in an otherwise smooth--and enjoyable-- Monday xword.

I appreciated the theme gag on RINGs, playing on the word's different meanings. Thanks, MaryEllen, it rang my bell.

Argyle said...

Does that make you LOTR?

Lucina said...

Argyle, I, also, appreciated the name of the theme, TINNITUS, which I constantly hear though not a ring, but cricket noises. Most of the time I can tune it out.

Marge, I'm glad you like to visit Arizona? Where specifically do you like to visit? There is much to like and admire, especially the weather in winter.

Lucina said...

Ooh, sorry! That should be . . .Arizona. without the question mark.

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you Ms. Uthlaut for Avery enjoyable puzzle. I just returned from an extended journey, from areas South US. Thank you, Argyle for an charming blog.

I had FETID before Fusty, - the former probably named for a popular indian spice - Asafoetida.

'Having a lot of cheek' ? I am back from a resort (not of my choosing ..... ) where some girls and women seemed insistent on showing up a lot of -----. My CW. answer wouldn't have passed the breakfast test.

If an Em-dash is bigger than an En-dash, would the model smaller than the plus size, under the 'Emme' size ...... - be 'Enne'. . .?



Have a good week, you all.

Anonymous said...

I feel smart again... Easy Monday pzl. Hand up for musty before FUSTY...

Thanks MaryEllen for a quality Monday and Argyle for the write up. Fav was 10d LOFT fit while Animal Farm had too many letters. And then there was the 3rd H - Hazy at 27a.

Fun, fun, fun.

Cheers,

-T
// Another witness protection member...

PK said...

My favorite "Summertime" link is Kathleen Battle, browsing the side links.

creature said...

Argyle,
Love Miss Joplin

Avg Joe said...

Z Carguy and Argyle, thanks for the George Benson and Jill Scott version of Summertime. Hadn't heard that one. And I too vote for Janis as the best version ever.

Gary, our farm number was 122 on 27 ....so one short two longs not vice versa. My small home town didn't get dial service until '72. But the strangest experience I ever had placing a call was from Tampa to our tiny county seat in '75. The operator refused to believe that a phone number could only have two digits. I could have sent that message by Pony Express more efficiently.....and cheaply.

Husker Gary said...

-Joe, our number was 132-J and where dad worked was 34 but they always got through with an ordinary ring. The people in the country were on party lines and had to wait for their exclusive ring pattern. That did NOT preclude listening in and what you said had better be pretty generic if you didn’t want everyone to know. Also, my grandma (mom’s mom) was the night operator and if I made a call after 10 pm, you’d better believe my mom heard about it.

Argyle said...

Kathleen Battle - Summertime LINK(3:17)

Avg Joe said...

Gary, our in town number was 54-J. We were lucky...only two parties on that line, but the same caveat applied. Who knows how many were on line 27, but it was legion.

Another odd experience was the night a local church caught on fire late at night. I saw it while driving down Main Street and immediately drove to the only phone booth in town to report it. I couldn't raise the operator within a minute or so, so I ran the half block to the phone office and banged on the door to wake the operator up. That was more effective, but having a cell phone would have saved a few minutes:-).

lois said...

Good evening Santa Baby, Ninja CC, et al., Loved this puzzle. Very clever construction and a fun run. Same missteps and favs as others. LOL at Keith Fowler’s MANGY FEAST instead of FANCY FEAST. Yeah, that would be a problem.

Loved the links, Santa Darlin’ and Avg Joe. Janis Joplin rules and Doc Watson’s guitar pickin’ and smooth voice was fabulous. The Bach Arioso was beautiful! Thank you.

Sally: so good to see you again. Happy Belated Birthday. I hope it was outstanding. I wish you many, many more.

Montana: congratulations on the new addition of joy to your family. I’m so happy for you all. I guess the 22 mos old is the big sister? If so, just remind the new mother that the first year is the hardest but after that they entertain each other beautifully. That information was given to me by a cafeteria worker at school when I showed up ‘still pregnant’ after having the first baby. Her words kept RINGing in my ears that first year and sure enough she was spot on. Like Creature said: The best part of it all is that even to this day, they more than enjoy each other. Those two are eerily, spiritually symbiotic or mutualistic, even 1000 miles apart. If one has a bad day, the other knows it. It’s amazing!

Yellowrocks: thank you for the descriptions of fusty and musty. That helped. Fusty was a new one for me. I think I smelled ‘fusty’ in my grandmother’s house after she died. It wasn’t really musty from mold, it was …perfectly fusty!

Creature: LOL You do not fit my image of a YAHOO, a snaggle-toothed hillbilly whose ancestry is so inbred it’s illegal for him/her to marry anyone in a 500 mi radius.

JD: good luck with the new baby. How exciting! Keep us posted.

It’s all good. Enjoy the evening.

Bill G. said...

My grandmother, in Upperville Virginia was 71-W.

Barbara can't do much and is still getting around with a cane so I took her out for lunch today. We had lobster bisque soup and the best pizza I've ever had. It was on a wonderful thin crust and was tomato, basil and a special mozzarella that was soft and runny, almost like dollops of cream. Wow!

Argyle said...

I just received a phone call informing me my 1991 Troyota might still qualify for a warrantee extension. They hung up before I could stop laughing.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Coming up for air (sorry, I don't have a snorkle, lois) to say hello to you all and tell you how much I enjoy reading what you have to say. My head is overflowing with "Summertime." I also got sidetracked with another song from Porgy and Bess that I love, "It Ain't Necessarily So" which, I'm thinkin', was brilliantly performed by Sammy Davis Jr. Best wishes to you all.

desper-otto said...

Lucina, you mean those crickets that I keep hearing at all hours of the day and night aren't real?

Husker, I have no idea what my cell phone's ring tone sounds like. It's never rung. Of course, it usually isn't turned on.

Montana, congrats on the new arrival. Pretty name.

Argyle, too funny about the warranty. But that li'l Texas gal sure could sing. Alas, gone too soon.

Lemonade714 said...

Congratulations Montana, they be wonderful. My boys were 22 months apart and I think it worked well.

Thanks Mar Ellen and A. WEES.

creature said...

Argyle,
sounds like they hung up before they got to the 'dirty' part

Lucina said...

d-o:
I'm sorry to tell you, but no, those aren't crickets.

TTP said...

desper-otto,

Your cell phone ring might sound like my door bell. I disconnected it when I bought this house. I figured if it rang there might be someone on the other end of it. Same reason I screen my calls on my land lines and never had a cell phone...


I'm looking forward to the home run derby this evening on ESPN.

Irish Miss said...

I've mentioned before how sometimes certain things strike me as hilarious. Well, Argyle, your comment at 6:03 struck so hard, I am still laughing. Ditto for DO at 6:32 re his cell phone. Maybe I'm just suffering from heat stroke! Ah well, laughter is good medicine.

Zcarguy said...

Thanks Argyle , now if you can teach me how to link it'll be great !

Argyle said...

LINK

JD said...

Bill, poor girl... that was awful. Must have been so embarrassing for her.

TP, we've shared season tickets with lots of other families for years, so we're able to see a few games in the same great seats. I always look for Lois's daughter.

Lucina, isn't it amazing how quickly we adapt to our aging parts... no crickets yet, but I have a HUGE floater that would be a terrific modern art painting. LOL! I seem to look past it now, except on very gray days.

Forgot to say thanks to Mary Ellen, and Argyle... always appreciate the time you put in for us.

Avg Joe said...

OK. Nuff's enough. It's time to break out the original version of Summertime

While it doesn't begin to resemble Janis's version, it's purty durn good. It'll do. Thanks George and Ira.

lois said...

Santa Darlin', that warranty deal was hilarious! I can beat that offer tho', whatever he had in mind. I will offer you coverage for your 'up and coming' equipment in Dec. If you wish I can add a rider for your 9 horny pals who lead the parade. Can't wait!

Jayce 6:26: LOL Yeeeah, about that coming up for air. I can loan you my snorkeling outfit, but I firmly believe in breathing. It just adds to one's quality of life.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Swell puzzle, MaryEllen; great write up, Argyle! Thanks for the Bach and the Battle, too!

Hand up for mUSTY! Otherwise, pretty fast!

Congratulations, Montana!

Did anyone else watch Masterpiece Mystery last night? (Endeavor Morse.) Fabulous opera themes and piano work! And pertained to the sequence EGBDF. I think you can catch a replay on the web. (I guessed who the villain was early on.) I haved saved it to rewatch soon.

Cheers!

Lucina said...

Fermat:
Yes! I'm addicted to the Morse and Endevour mysteries. I loved last night's episode.

Dudley said...

Lucina -

Do you also like the Lewis episodes? We just watched a recorded copy of the season finale of Lewis, and we find ourselves wondering whether another season is planned (haven't read up on it). It just seems reasonable to pass the torch to Inspector Hathaway.

Regarding Summertime, all of Porgy & Bess for that matter, and by extension Rhapsody in Blue: let me just say I'm grateful that George Gershwin lived and wrote music. Nuff said.

Dudley said...

Argyle - the Kathleen Battle brought tears to my eye bones. Beautiful.

Argyle said...

Thank pk for that tip.

Lucina said...

Dudley:
Yes, I also like the Lewis episodes but I don't expect them to be continued with Hathaway. In the season finale he appeared disillusioned with police work and indicated he might resign. Time will tell.

Tonight I watched a recording of last night's Morse as it is from 9:30-11:00 and the ending shocked me! I don't know if you saw it so I won't reveal it.

Dudley said...

Argyle - right you are, just re-read the earlier posts.

PK - thanks! :-)

Lois 5:27 - liked your Yahoo description, reminded me of the phrase "his family tree looked more like a wreath!".

Lucina - I think I have that Morse on the DVR. Looking forward to it!

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Pas de chat,
Just thought you might enjoy 3 ballet clips from Jazzbumpa's granddaughter Amanda, who's going to spend a whole week with the Rockettes this summer.

Dudley said...

C.C. - snazzy new avatar you have there!! How fitting!