google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, July 29, 2013 Patti Varol

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Jul 29, 2013

Monday, July 29, 2013 Patti Varol

Theme: Game On! - The three starred answers begin with a type of team sport ball.

20. *Page-bottom reference indicated by an asterisk : FOOTNOTE

34. *Skydiver using low-altitude starting points : BASEJUMPER

41. *Nervous wreck : BASKET CASE

54. Angels or Dodgers, and, in a way, what the first words of the answers to starred clues comprise : BALL CLUB

Argyle here on a very Monday. Patti (interview) shows us how to construct a simple Monday puzzle. A nice touch are the the two columns, each spanning two answers.

Across:

1. Mustard-colored kernels : CORN

5. Campaign ad target : VOTER

10. Best buds : PALS

14. Toward shelter, at sea : ALEE

15. Boxing venue : ARENA

16. Dr. Frankenstein's helper : IGOR


17. Musical Horne : LENA

18. Lost some color : PALED

19. Refuse to continue : QUIT

22. Exotic lizard : IGUANA

24. St. Elmo's __ : FIRE

25. Yawn inducer : BORE

26. Vowel sound in "bug" : SHORT U

29. Designer Gucci : ALDO

30. That ship : SHE

33. Junction point : NODE

37. Dickens's Heep : URIAH

39. Mom, to Auntie : SIS

40. __ bear : POLAR

44. Ecstatic review : RAVE

45. Concorde, e.g., for short : SST. (supersonic transport)

46. Crazy as a __ : LOON

47. Like a three-piece suit : VESTED

49. Supply that exceeds demand : GLUT

50. Like the Magi : WISE

51. "On the wall" beauty judge in a film classic : MIRROR. "Snow White".

58. Garfield's pal : ODIE

59. Hot under the collar : IRATE

61. Norway's capital : OSLO

62. Alternative word : ELSE

63. Like anchovies : SALTY

64. Funnyman Carvey : DANA. SNL Audition(2:22)

65. Plant's beginning : SEED

66. "__ are the times that ...": Paine : THESE. “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” Complete text LINK.

67. State, in France : ÉTAT

Down:

1. Young cow : CALF

2. Topping in a tub : OLEO

3. Nevada gambling city : RENO

4. Compulsive tidy-upper : NEAT FREAK

5. Vicks mentholated ointment : VAPORUB®

6. Address the crowd : ORATE

7. Prefix with vision : TELE

8. WSW's opposite : ENE

9. One supplying drive-time music, briefly : RADIO DJ

10. Stimulate, as curiosity : PIQUE

11. Juanita's water : AGUA

12. Choice cut : LOIN

13. Mlle., in Mexico : SRTA.. French in Spanish.

21. Point trivially picked : NIT

23. Word after support or study : GROUP

25. Sanctify : BLESS

26. Deliberately doesn't invite : SNUBS

27. Jewish wedding dances : HORAs

28. Dedicative poet : ODIST

29. Made in Taiwan, say : ASIAN

30. Wet impact sound : SPLAT. Bug-hits-windshield sound.

31. Let out, as a sigh : HEAVE

32. Messed up : ERRED

35. Knotted neckwear : ASCOT

36. System with dots and dashes : MORSE CODE

38. "You had me at __": "Jerry Maguire" line : HELLO. (movie)

42. Camera-toting traveler, often : TOURIST

43. Curse-inducing stare : EVIL EYE

48. Immigrant's subj. : ESL. Another from Sunday's.

49. Avarice : GREED

50. Light bulb units : WATTS

51. "The Simpsons" tavern : MOE'S

52. Gathering dust : IDLE

53. Increase : RISE

54. Hayloft bundle : BALE

55. Atty.-to-be's exam : LSAT. ( Law School Admission Test)

56. Forearm bone : ULNA

57. Tub toy : BOAT

60. Stadium cheer : [RAH!]


Argyle


72 comments:

  1. Morning, all!

    A little crunchier than normal for a Monday (why "mustard-colored" instead of just "yellow"?), but nothing too difficult.

    If I had to pick a NIT, I'd say that IGUANAs really aren't considered "exotic" any more since they are actually pretty common pets here in the U.S. Common enough that I used to own one, at least... ^_^

    [esdsiti]

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  2. HELLO and Happy Monday everybody!

    Well for a while there I was on pace to actually complete a puzzle without any write-overs. Yeah, right! So I ended up with six – TRIO for WISE, IRKED for IRATE, HER for SHE, SHUNS for SNUBS, A FOX for LOON (misread the clue), and ALIEN for ASIAN….

    That last ERRor left BALE JUMPER, which is a homophone for something ELSE entirely. Took a few scratches of the head, and the unifer hint, to correct….

    Fun to see GREED and GLUT(tony) crossed – just need the other 5 deadly sins for the complete set. Any non-Googled guesses for the other vices…?

    No NITs with this GROUP, right…?

    Finally, for all you Sports Fans out there, ladies and gentlemen, The Tubes!

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  3. Good morning sportsfans ! How fun was that ?

    Loved the Dana Carvey audition clip.

    Thank you Patti Varol, and thank your Argyle.

    Yinz have a good day n'at.

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  4. Morning everyone,

    Eraser got a good workout today due to my mind still being a few nautical miles away from CT, but eventually got it done.

    Main screw ups were 26D, Shuns/SNUBS & 29D Alien/ASIAN. Nesketcese for 41A, Bale Jumper for 34A & Hode for 32A "sort of" told me something wasn't right. Got 'em done though.

    Picked up on the theme after all was done.

    Oh well, one for one to start the week keeps MR DNF on the sidelines.

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  5. Good Morning, Argyle and friends. I found this to be a Monday speed-run. I liked the theme even thought I am not a big sports fan.

    There were three clues where I initially tried an alternative answer, but the perps immediately set me on the right path. I wanted Faded instead of PALED; Study Guide instead of Study GROUP and Shuns instead of SNUBS.

    St. Elmo's FIRE is both a weather phenomenom and a coming-of-age movie.

    QOD: Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon ~ Dag Hammarskjold (July 29, 1905 ~ Sept. 18, 1961)

    [ssiowh]

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

    I know when I see Patty Varol's name that the puzzle is going to be really straightforward. So I didn't even try to second guess any answers, and put what immediately came to mind.

    About the only perps I had to check before entering my answer were at SHE and WISE. Otherwise, a true Monday speed run. Thanks for a quick start to the week, Patty!

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  7. Good morning!

    Pretty much WBS. Zip. Zip. Done.

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  8. As HeartRx said, I put whatever immediately came to mind and finished in a trice.
    I think in the IGUANA clue exotic means "from elsewhere, introduced from another place or region," namely the tropics. The green iguana is so plentiful in parts of Florida that it is considered an invasive species.

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  9. A total speed run today with my only hesitation being whether to spell ALEE or ALEA. I always get confused at that.

    Hope you're all enjoying the same cool snap as we have up here in SW Wisconsin--such a relief from the humidity.

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  10. Very nice puzzle, Ms. Varol, and since I always have high expectations for a Monday solve, I was not disappointed. Thank you Argyle for your very nice blog.

    The only pencil blot I had, was when I put FIRE in the space for BORE. I need a better pair of glasses, a better pair of mag lenses .... and (sigh-) a better pair of eyes. Other than that, I worked the grid so fast, I actually wondered if this was a palindrome or a pan humdrum - or whatever it is, that uses all the letters of the alphabet that Argyle often talks about. I see there is no Z though.

    Last week I came across an exotic animal, called a Takin ( pronounced 'take-in' ), the national animal of Bhutan. Working from an IPad, so I can't link .... It's like a sheep- goat- cow.

    Have a nice day, you all.

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  11. Good morning everyone. I always like Argyle's comments. He amplifies what needs explaining or clarification, and leaves alone what is obvious. Thanks.

    Fast run today. No NITS nor lookups. @ 30a, had 'her' briefly before SHE. Favorite fill was PIQUE.
    SPLAT - How do you tell a happy motorcyclist? He/she has bugs on their teeth. (old one).
    Thanks Patti; fun outing.

    Have a great day.

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  12. Sounds like one of my old girlfriends.

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  13. Good Morning Everybody. Nice, straight forward puzle today. I had FADED before PALED at 18A, but otherwise things went well.

    My grid does not look like it was completed by a NEAT FREAK!

    HeartRX, I flew to Louisville on Friday and tried to do your puzzle on the plane. DNF! Without my friends at Google I had no clue. Good (Friday Level) Job!

    Fun time's over (for me). Back to work. Enjoy your day.

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  14. Don't worry Vidwana-Mouse - I'm sure CED will provide a link for you. He's just Takin his time...

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  15. Good morning, folks. Thank you, Patti Varol, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for the swell review.

    CORN was obvious for 1A, especially after I saw CALF, OLEO, and RENO for the downs.

    MORSE CODE. Had it recently. Still remember the book I recently read and Samuel F B Morse was a main character. He was a political activist back in the 1800s, big time.

    SPLAT for 30D reminds me of my youth. I worked at an airport and part of my job was cleaning the windshields of the small planes. Talk about bug splats.

    I made it to Johnsonburg. Now I have lots of work.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    (sxpect)

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  16. Good Morning:

    An easy, breezy start to the week. Thanks, Patti Varol, for a fun run and thanks, Argyle, for a fun expo.

    How are gas prices in other areas? I saw $3.70 yesterday, although the national average was much lower.

    Our weather forecast for the next few days is delightful. What a topsy-turvy summer it's been!

    Mari @ 8:50 - that Friday puzzle was not Marti's; go back and read Friday's posts to get the full picture. Did you watch The Killing or did you DVR it. Let me know your thoughts on it.

    Happy Monday.

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  17. Is the theme FOOT/BASE/BASKET or NOTE/JUMPER/CASE? DUH!!!

    Musings
    -The Mustard colored kernels around here are spectacular this summer
    -Constructing FOOTNOTES according to form is one of many things I hated about writing papers
    -Campaign ad hyperbole point with pride or view with alarm.
    -My mom’s SIS lived in a 2,000 sq ft house with a husband she couldn’t stand. Now there living in a 300 sq ft room together in a nursing home
    -RAVE On!
    -An ex-colleague is trying to last one more year in an Omaha inner city school so she can get VESTED in a second retirement income. It’s killing her but she won’t QUIT. My God!
    -Wise? The Magi had to stop and ask directions and brought very impractical gifts ;-)
    -Snow White’s witch and Fonzie both had such a mirror. Hey!
    -Oh, OSLO and not KRONE this time
    -These ain’t no bovine CALVES
    -I’ve been married to a NEAT FREAK for over 46 years
    -God bless Sirius XM. You get the music without the DJ’s adolescent wit
    -Crazy BASE JUMPING. Yikes!

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  18. Link Takin animal. that Vidwan was talking about in his post.

    Looks like my ex- girlfriend too.

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  19. Damn, that's her!!

    Mine, not yours.

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  20. I love a Patti Varol Monday puzzle! A speed run--thank goodness after last week's miseries--and a lot of fun. I even liked, and got, the sports theme! And thanks to you too, Argyle, and to you, C.C. for an illuminating interview with Patti. It's easy to see from her responses that Patti is a very good writer!

    Finally took an Advil PM and got some sleep. Maybe that's why this morning feels so good!

    Have a great week, everybody!

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  21. What in the world do you guys look like if you attract and date women that look like that?

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  22. We are on pins and needles here in cool, rainy eastern Nebraska. 16 year old granddaughter is currently driving the 50 miles to Fremont from Lincoln by herself. It’s her first long solo drive and we and her mom are nervous. Sound familiar to any of you?

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  23. Happy new week, puzzlers.

    WEES. This was a fun run and as Marti said, straightforward, write what comes to mind first. But FADED turned to PALED when nothing else fit on the crosses. And hand up for HODE/SHUNS corrected with SNUBS/NODE.

    Kazie:
    I'm glad you are enjoying a cool respite and wish you could send some here. It's sweltering.

    Thank you, Argyle and Patti. Now I'll read the interview.

    Have a delightful Monday, everyone!

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

    Just a few write overs this morning :nome to node, shuns to snubs, alian to asian, and jet to sst.Otherwise, a very smooth run. Favorite was mirror.Nothing really jumped out, but iguanas. I photographed some real beauties in the Caribbean.

    Have a lovely week.Weather here is perfect.

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  25. Happy new week to us all! I enjoyed the puzzle. Hands up for FADED before PALED. I had HER instead of SHE and stumbled over making sense of the mirror clue but I got it done with no outside help. Thanks Patti and Argyle.

    I know some of you watch Suits. So do I. But I've been disappointed lately. The Mike story line about not really being an attorney has faded away. Harvey is so egotistical that he's hard to like at all. Jessica isn't likable either. If it weren't for Rachel, it would be hard to find anybody to care about. Also, I don't know if the writers have changed, but the dialog is stilted. Nobody talks and pontificates like they do. Anyway, unless Rachel can convince me otherwise, I may quit watching it.

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  26. Wow! My respect for Patti Varol has grown tenfold after reading that interview. She sounds so congenial and smart.

    I must have missed that interview when it was originally posted so thank you for repeating it.

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  27. G'Morning All!

    Fun, easy romp through the pzl today. I feel smart again! Thanks Patti & Argyle.

    PIQUE was my favorite. I love that word though sometimes peopel think you say peak.

    Only unknown (which I should have learned by now) was 29a. I only needed 4 perps.

    60d wanted ole, but I already had THESE at 66a, so had to go with RAH (isn't that a god too?)

    Loved the DANA Carvey link. He actually performed that on SNL after the demo apparently worked. His other characters (Church Lady, Waynes World, Bush I, etc) were all funny.

    CED - how did the pizza in the woods turn out?

    @10:38 & @11:04 anons - you need to up your GF standards.

    HG - I've got two more years to worry about my eldest driving. She's scared of it (was with the bike too). My youngest wants to drive now; she takes me for a LOON.

    Cheers,

    -T

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  28. A nice easy, Monday fill, a reminder of the simple pleasure of not lifting pen from page.

    Kf

    PS. I am not sure I wouldn't pass on mustard-colored corn.

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  29. Hello Puzzlers -

    Nary a speed bump today.

    Vidwan 8:10 - Pan Humdrum got a good laugh outta me!

    Husker - you're right, those are definitely not bovine calves. The nearby college town has a young population, including all summer, and in the hot weather we see lots of those lovely limbs. And much else. Mmmmmmm

    Base jumpers must have really big ones, of solid brass. Even the women. Yikes!

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  30. CONFESSION:
    Sometimes I will say "Peak" when I mean "Pique," and nobody notices the difference.

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  31. Hello everybody. Ah, life is good: Endeavour on TV last night, a fun Patti Varol puzzle this morning, and the sun is shining brightly but not hotly. Best wishes to you all.

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  32. Houston, The Emma (Eagle) has landed! Yippee!

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  33. Peek, peak, and pique are all homophones, pronounce exactly alike.
    In addition to the meaning "to stimulate, as curiosity," pique(n) can mean "a temporary feeling of resentment," or as a verb to cause to feel resentment.

    Then there is pique pronounced another way(pi KAY). This is a type of textured cloth. It is used for the white tie that is worn with top hat and tails. I have a waffle weave white pique dress, very crisp and neat looking.

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  34. Argyle: Excellent Monday write-up. Esp. enjoyed the DANA Carvey link.

    That MIRROR (Mirror) "On the wall" beauty judge (51-A) was my fave today. Cute clue!

    Husker: Are you nervous about the 'Return Trip' ???

    Cheers!!!

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  35. Hi Y'all! Two of Patti's puzzles in less than a week. Have we got it good or what? Speed run with no red letters for me. I let the perps find ALDO & DJ.

    Doha Doc: My favorite deadly sin was lust. However, I have managed to conquer that one in my old age.

    NOTE the proboscis on that Takin.

    Irish: I paid $3.91 for gas on Saturday, but I have to have the high octane to keep my fuel jets from clogging up since I don't drive much. The total fuel bill gave me momentary heartburn, but this is only the second time I've filled the tank in 2013.

    Monsoon here with 67 degrees. It rained most of the night with big drops going SPLAT on the roof. Kept waking me up. No thunder though. Still raining. We seldom have long rainy periods.

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  36. A speed run for me. My only write over was DUCK instead of BOAT. Which cleared up in seconds.

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  37. Irish Miss @10:11
    $ 3.47 gas price here in Tampa Bay.

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  38. HG: You reminded me of a very anxious night many years ago. Our 17 yr. old daughter left to go on a field trip to a nearby city with local & Mexican exchange students. Later her sister noticed her car wasn't parked in the school lot. She was to ride with someone else. When she wasn't home at midnight, we called the trip sponsor's home. The sponsor was home. Someone who had been scheduled to drive a car cancelled, so our daughter volunteered to take hers. She had never driven in the city. When the sponsor was leaving the city, some of the kids wanted to stay longer so they piled into daughter's sedan (nine total). This girl was the world's worst driver. My husband said some very profane and nasty things to the sponsor and I didn't care. 2 a.m.
    she came dragging in safe and sound. Her dad was in such a state by that time she almost didn't stay safe and sound. I won't mention my state of mind.

    Now her daughter will be learning to drive. HAHAHAHAHA!

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  39. The previous post pi- kay'ed my interest.

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  40. Tin, et al, Yes, I am worried about the return trip but every time she comes up here, I so impressed with her maturity and level headedness. She will be a junior in the International Baccalaureate program in Lincoln this fall and already has a great path laid out for herself towards being an MD.

    She has a friend who will go to Stanford and wants to major in theater arts. Emma is stunned that she does not have a plan to get a degree where there are actual jobs.

    Picture of Emma!

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  41. Husker, glad to hear that Emma handled the 50-mile solo just fine. She looks like a nice, level-headed girl.

    PK, too funny about your daughter!

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  42. The gas prices around here are usually the highest of most places in the US. Regular is around $4.19. Luckily, neither of us drives a lot. Even when we were teaching, my commute was about a mile. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Saved money on car insurance too. Of course, that was offset by the very high cost of real estate around here.

    Peak vs Pique; good one Keith!

    Gary, I enjoyed your photo of Emma and the other ones too.

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  43. I have to say that my daughter has made me proud many times since that night. She is lovely and creative and as a teacher works wonders with her students. She
    has raised a lovely daughter. So a few bad nights don't matter 20 years later. Good for laughs!

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  44. HG - Love picture of Emma.

    Bill G - Emma looks a little like Rachel on Suits, I think.

    PK - Judging by your some of your posts, I think you have led an interested, spirited life! (-:

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  45. Gas prices in Ct are $3.999 for reg and rising. A gas tax increase earlier this month caused an uptick & the rising oil prices handled the rest. And you get whacked an add'l .04 cents a gallon for using a credit card.

    The tax payers are PIQUED and it is spelled PISSED!.

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  46. Gas here ranges between $3.48 & 3.54. I use a discount card which shaves off .10 a gallon.

    I'll try and see if I remember the seven deadly sins:
    pride, lust, gluttony, envy, avarice, greed,

    oops. Can only recall six!

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  47. I had to search SLOTH. Perhaps because I am sometimes guilty of that? Denial works wonders.

    Jayce:
    I was gone last night but Endeavour is recorded so I can enjoy it tonight.

    Dudley:
    Congratulations on the progress of your house. Shall we see photos at some point?

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  48. Mari, don't credit me for Friday's puzzle. As Irish Miss pointed out, there was a last minute substitution, but some papers still kept my name as the constructor.

    Irish Miss, funny that you mentioned that Emma looks like Rachel on "Suits." I think she looks like Rachel on "Glee"!!

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  49. Lucina, sloth? (But I see you already researched it.) Those and some of the 10 Commandments seem kind of pale compared to some other sins. Why have those and not child abuse, kidnapping, torture, etc. Yhe 'deadly sins' and a commandment against coveting seems kind of pale in contrast to some other more serious sins. I've always felt 'The Golden Rule' covers most everything important for me.

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  50. Why do people constantly repeat the answer even after they know someone else has posted it? So everyone will know they knew the answer? I really don't understand this.

    It was asked and answered. Once should be enough.

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  51. Wees, I see I am too late to link a "Takin pic". I spent the afternoon fishing because I did not want to waste such a beautiful day. Unfortunately I didn't catch anything, & lost my favorite lure...(Fish 1, CED Zero)

    So, in the middle of a nice relaxing fishing trip, my cell phone rings. It's Daughter #1 who was driving a friend back to Philadelphia. She got pulled over for speeding & expects me to be able to find her missing registration! (&*&^^%$#*&^*%*^%&#)

    Never got to the pizza, after hamburgers, sausage patties on onion rolls, baked potatoes, followed by scrambled eggs & bacon for breakfast, we just didn't have time or space left over for pizza! (besides, I want to try the beer recipe at home with an oven & pizza stone. But how much beer to use? I see a lot of inebriated experimentation in my future...)

    Oh yes,,, the puzzle! I never really understood why people join football clubs...

    However, I could get into the baseball club down at Moe's Tavern.

    & here's a basketball club that's world famous...

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  52. Does it bother anyone but me that murder isn't among the deadly sins? Was that okay in the days the Bible was written? Seems strange to me. I guess most of the deadly sins lead to a basis for murder.

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  53. Blog guardian, of sorts,July 29, 2013 at 4:14 PM

    Anon at 15:21 ..... People repeat the answers to the puzzle, for many many reasons.

    1. We're not that smart, and we have to do it again and again. Practice makes perfect, more practice makes more perfect.

    2. We have to revel in our small achievements - when we get something right, we're so happy, we want the whole world to know about it. (That's not a bad thing -). ;-)

    3. Most of us here, are teachers, and we like to do it again and again, until we've get that right. Plus all those reinforcements, keeps Mr. Alzheimer's, at bay. It's makes us feel good about ourselves, and be content. You've got problems with that ?

    4. I forgot the fourth reason.

    If all the above, gets you that mad, may I suggest that you take some heavy duty blood pressure lowering medication - and stick to the first page of the blog. Or stop b------- and gloss over and read the next message. Who invited you here, to complain, huh ?

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  54. HeartRx, you're become famous for constructing the most talked-about (?) puzzle you never wrote. At the least Mr. Shayler should share his honorarium with you. ;>).

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  55. Drat! This is my fifth post but I have to correct my error. AVARICE and GREED are actually the same. This is what I missed: WRATH. So it's pride, lust, envy, anger, avarice, sloth,gluttony.

    Now I recall that is how I originally learned them.

    I agree murder, exploitation, pedophilia and some others should be among the cardinal sins but the present list was created in the fourth century by a monk and then revised and ratified by Pope Gregory. As was pointed out, maybe some of them led to other serious sins.

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  56. Greetings!

    Enjoyable puzzle with some of the "type-overs" as indicated as write-overs above. A bit crunchy for a Monday, but, as usual, an enjoyable Varol offering! Great expo, Argyle!

    Great Endeavor last night, as usual!

    Agree with Bill G. about Suits. Record it for Harvey to watch while I catch up on email.

    Anon. at 3:21. This generally happens after I have answered a question!

    Cheers!

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  57. I'm not so sure pedophilia was a sin in the 4th century. In fact, I'm not so sure it's a sin now.
    Who am I to judge?

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  58. At Villa Incognito running out of Pinch is a deadly sin.

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  59. Pedophilia: Cardinal sin or Cardinal expectation?

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  60. Thanks, Lucina! Was momentarily confused by Avarice and Greed.

    Husker: Nice photo of Emma! Love the rockets!

    Dr. Oz did a segment about fibromyalgia. Things have changed somewhat since I was diagnosed in 1991 or so. He listed major symptoms as pervasive pain, IBS, brain fog and lack of energy. Only mentions massage by an OD as a palliative.

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  61. Hey Guys,

    Daughter #2 showed me some interesting stuff on YouTube that I, (& maybe many of you) did not know. It is difficult to tie this stuff in with the puzzles, so on slow days I may add one or two to liven things up.

    This 1st one (with apologies to Tinbeni) comes from deepest, coldest Siberia...

    The 2nd was something we found while trying to steal the Papa Johns Pizza Dough Recipe: How to make brownies!

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  62. CED, Good Grief! What has happened to you? Where's the CED we all used to know? Been taken over by evil spirits? Are you going to try to make us believe daughter #2 is reponsible? Yeah, sure!

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  63. What a wonderful and variegated bunch of people you are!

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  64. Don't click the brownies!

    CED - The Baikal Ice thing was much cooler :-)

    Bill G.
    I didn't feel OK to post yesterday since I didn't do Sunday's pzl. But, your joke reminded me of the freshman in a 101 seminar final...

    The prof hands out the essay booklets and says go. Everyone writes feverlishly.
    At the end of the 50 min. The prof calls time. Everyone sighs and begins stacking their essay booklets. Except for one guy who just keeps wrting.

    The prof tells him to stop now or get an F. He keeps writing. Finally, the frosh finishes and goes to turn in his book. The Prof. stops him and says no.

    "Do you know who I am?" insists the frosh.

    "No, and frankly I don't give a damn" replys the prof.

    "Good" the frosh says as he slides is booklet into the middle of the stack and walks out.

    Cheers,

    -T

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  65. Merl's puzzle is really fun today. I go to the Wash. Post puzzle site when working, but it also can be found at this site. Heartily recommend this one for laughs!

    P.S Wash. Post is better puzzling experience if you work on line (by far). You have to join, but it is free!

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  66. Anon T, good one!

    I know some of the other anons are awaiting news of my exciting afternoon. I went grocery shopping. While choosing two artichokes, the sharp pointy end of one of the leaves stuck me. It left a tiny little mark in my finger which turned out to have a tiny little splinter in it. Barbara preformed preventative tweezer surgery and I am recovering while watching Kids Jeopardy. I like it because I can answer almost all of the questions.

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  67. Not bad, Bill G., not bad.

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  68. On one of the morning TV shows (GMA, Today, etc.), they were talking about the results of a survey regarding desirable traits men and women looked for in the opposite sex. The expected ones were there like intelligence, sense of humor, etc. Somewhere along the way, they rated desirable women. I found it interesting that the two at the top of the list were Penny from TBBT and Gloria from Modern Family. I can't fault their selection process. I dunno what a long-term relationship with either of them would be like but ...

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  69. CED - the Springfield Isotopes are my second favorite baseball club....

    Is Snarkiness considered a venal or mortal sin...?

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  70. Fermatprime. I couldn't sleep, so I took your advice and did the Merl Reagle Sunday puzzle. Awesome! 15 theme answers, each one a clever play on words. Not a clunker on the bunch.

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