Words: 70 (missing F,J,V,X)
Blocks: 26
Now
that's what I call a Saturday grid~! Triple 8's and 6's in the across
AND down corners, with a grid spanner, AND a grid climber, to boot~!
Mr. Thompson was last seen here over a year ago with his "Box Set"; I
have not had the "39A". Completely intimidating, but with a few
educated fills from crossword experience and a lot of WAGs, I did get this one done, and in a relatively short time. Here's the 15-letter answers:
35A. Film based on junk science, say : SCHLOCKUMENTARY - anyone think of an example~?
8D. Biased interview features : LOADED QUESTIONS
And some of the others;
36D. Licorice stick in a pit : CLARINET - HA~! I get it~!
And some of the others;
36D. Licorice stick in a pit : CLARINET - HA~! I get it~!
And I am guessing some of you are wondering what happened with miss Home Depot?
63A. Premature plot giveaways, e.g. : SPOILERS - can't tell you now....have to wait to the end~!
Oscar-November-Whiskey-Alfa-Romeo-Delta~!
63A. Premature plot giveaways, e.g. : SPOILERS - can't tell you now....have to wait to the end~!
Oscar-November-Whiskey-Alfa-Romeo-Delta~!
ACROSS:
1. Onetime college All-Star football game : HULA BOWL - Once I had HU--, I WAGed the rest
9. "Hasn't scratched yet!" cleanser : BON AMI
15. Song played at the 1920 Olympics when music for the Italian national anthem could not be found : "O SOLE MIO" - one of the educated crossword fills
16. Enmity : ANIMUS
17. Colorful headwear : BANDANNA - the second (er, third) "N" got me; I went with BANDANAS, since headwear could be plural
18. Sorbetto alternative : GELATO - oops~! put in GelatI
19. Sister : NUN - I have a friend, Sister Barbara, in the "Friends of Bill W." clan - she is a character, let me tell you; I used to joke that she could get thru the "Third Step" (the one about God) easier, because she has the 'hot-line' somewhere in the nuns' Villa....
20. Blitzes, in old football lingo : RED DOGS - I did not know this; it was mostly perps for me
22. RSA neighbor, in the Olympics : ZIMbabwe - map
23. Grizzlies, in Granada : OSOs
25. Not at all swank : SEEDY
26. "He who hath many friends hath __": Aristotle : NONE - this is my take on people who go around claming they have 763 "friends" on Facebook - I am probably the last 42yr-old who still does not have a presence there; I am trying to get my H.I. business a page - anyone help me with that?
27. Did some farm work : BALED
29. "Crusade in Europe" memoirist, initially : DDE - Dwight David Eisenhower, seemed like a good choice to me (I also had D-E....)
30. "Bouquet of Sunflowers" painter : MONET
31. Have a life : ARE
33. More unsettled : QUEASIER - as in one's stomach
39. Delight : PLEASURE
40. Czech sci-fi play : RUR - Nailed it, but not saying much; crossword standard
41. Pulls down : EARNS
42. Fire proof : ASH - had a bonfire while the English family was here; the next day the neighbor complained the smoke was getting in his house; too bad his windows are closed with the A/C units runnning....
44. Like infant fingers : PUDGY
48. First Nations tribe : CREE
49. Skirts that come in bell and pancake styles : TUTUs - not my kind of skirt, as you know
51. Insignificant : MERE
52. Rx instruction : t.i.d. - ter in die, Three Times a Day
53. Pros : ARTISTS
55. Decline : SAG
56. Strand, in a way : ENISLE
58. "Absolutely!" : "OH YES I DO~!" - ooh, four-word answer~!
60. Wrap again, as an ankle : RETAPE - ah, I had REBAND, and I knew it wasn't quite right
61. Cared for : NURTURED
62. Cut and dried? : STYLED - hair-dos; Lilia had a ponytail today....
DOWN:
1. Mingle (with) : HOB-NOB - and I did so with her last evening....
2. 1992 Dream Team chant : USA~! USA~!
3. Cambodian leader ousted by the Khmer Rouge : LON NOL
4. City pol. : ALD. - This filled in via perps; I have never heard this term, either
5. Support : BEAR - Could have been beaM, too, which is what I had
6. Exeunt __: stage direction : OMNES - All go off stage - hey~! my high school Latin came in handy~!
7. Breathless : WINDED
9. Like some jeans : BAGGY - not FADED, like Lilia's....
10. People : ONES - the "ones" over there
11. Cipher : NIL - well, it's a stretch, but with the absence of "0" in Roman times....more here
12. Vast rainforest : AMAZONIA - AMAZON was too short; then the -IA filled, and the V-8 can flew....
13. Bounty rebel : MUTINEER - Mutiny on the Bounty - not the paper towel
14. Equality of measure : ISOMETRY
21. Concert hall : ODEUM
24. Pirate's hunting ground : SEA LANE
26. Medicine show elixir : NOSTRUM - "a medicine of secret composition recommended by its preparer but usually without scientific proof of its effectiveness" - Merriam Webster
28. Refuse : DROSS - Ooh, I was close - I went with DREGS - a noun and not a verb
30. Put on one's big-boy pants : MAN-UP - Like this commercial~?
32. Old coin with an accented first letter : ÉCU - another "educated crossword experience"
34. Poetic adverb : E'ER - went with o'er first
35. Haunting images : SPECTERS - here's a song from "Spectres", Blue Öyster Cult
37. Trait determinant : HEREDITY
38. Brat topper : KRAUT - ah, the food; I was thinking "TIARA", as in Toddlers & Tiaras
43. Keep under wraps : HUSH UP
45. Really fancy : DESIRE - the verb, to fancy - as I do Lilia
46. Teacher, during exam week : GRADER
47. "Mercy me!" : YE GODS~! - so? so? what happened at HD~?....
49. Stuck up? : TREED - stuck, UP, in a tree~!
50. Prefix in a Dow trademark : STYRO - Dow the chemical company, and their extruded polystyrene foam
53. Suisse peak : ALPE - just the "European" spelling for Alp
54. "Contact" acronym : SETI - Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence - and another BÖC song~!
57. Baseball's Bando : SAL - I leave it to you, C.C. (Wiki talks. He let Paul Molitor go!)
59. Oporto-to-Lisbon direção : SUL - straight up Portuguese for south
OK - Home Depot & Lilia....Um, well, the conversation went really well, and while Lilia was mixing my paint, she was telling me all about being Russian, and living in New York....so when I asked if she would like to carry on this conversation over coffee, she said....
she was married.
DAH~! I couldn't believe it. Two years. BUT - then she says, "give me your number, and when I go out with my friends, I'll call you" - apparently, her hubby is not much of a party guy. We will see....
Splynter
9. "Hasn't scratched yet!" cleanser : BON AMI
15. Song played at the 1920 Olympics when music for the Italian national anthem could not be found : "O SOLE MIO" - one of the educated crossword fills
16. Enmity : ANIMUS
17. Colorful headwear : BANDANNA - the second (er, third) "N" got me; I went with BANDANAS, since headwear could be plural
18. Sorbetto alternative : GELATO - oops~! put in GelatI
19. Sister : NUN - I have a friend, Sister Barbara, in the "Friends of Bill W." clan - she is a character, let me tell you; I used to joke that she could get thru the "Third Step" (the one about God) easier, because she has the 'hot-line' somewhere in the nuns' Villa....
20. Blitzes, in old football lingo : RED DOGS - I did not know this; it was mostly perps for me
22. RSA neighbor, in the Olympics : ZIMbabwe - map
23. Grizzlies, in Granada : OSOs
25. Not at all swank : SEEDY
26. "He who hath many friends hath __": Aristotle : NONE - this is my take on people who go around claming they have 763 "friends" on Facebook - I am probably the last 42yr-old who still does not have a presence there; I am trying to get my H.I. business a page - anyone help me with that?
27. Did some farm work : BALED
29. "Crusade in Europe" memoirist, initially : DDE - Dwight David Eisenhower, seemed like a good choice to me (I also had D-E....)
30. "Bouquet of Sunflowers" painter : MONET
31. Have a life : ARE
33. More unsettled : QUEASIER - as in one's stomach
39. Delight : PLEASURE
40. Czech sci-fi play : RUR - Nailed it, but not saying much; crossword standard
41. Pulls down : EARNS
42. Fire proof : ASH - had a bonfire while the English family was here; the next day the neighbor complained the smoke was getting in his house; too bad his windows are closed with the A/C units runnning....
44. Like infant fingers : PUDGY
48. First Nations tribe : CREE
49. Skirts that come in bell and pancake styles : TUTUs - not my kind of skirt, as you know
51. Insignificant : MERE
52. Rx instruction : t.i.d. - ter in die, Three Times a Day
53. Pros : ARTISTS
55. Decline : SAG
56. Strand, in a way : ENISLE
58. "Absolutely!" : "OH YES I DO~!" - ooh, four-word answer~!
60. Wrap again, as an ankle : RETAPE - ah, I had REBAND, and I knew it wasn't quite right
61. Cared for : NURTURED
62. Cut and dried? : STYLED - hair-dos; Lilia had a ponytail today....
DOWN:
1. Mingle (with) : HOB-NOB - and I did so with her last evening....
2. 1992 Dream Team chant : USA~! USA~!
3. Cambodian leader ousted by the Khmer Rouge : LON NOL
4. City pol. : ALD. - This filled in via perps; I have never heard this term, either
5. Support : BEAR - Could have been beaM, too, which is what I had
6. Exeunt __: stage direction : OMNES - All go off stage - hey~! my high school Latin came in handy~!
7. Breathless : WINDED
9. Like some jeans : BAGGY - not FADED, like Lilia's....
10. People : ONES - the "ones" over there
11. Cipher : NIL - well, it's a stretch, but with the absence of "0" in Roman times....more here
12. Vast rainforest : AMAZONIA - AMAZON was too short; then the -IA filled, and the V-8 can flew....
13. Bounty rebel : MUTINEER - Mutiny on the Bounty - not the paper towel
14. Equality of measure : ISOMETRY
21. Concert hall : ODEUM
24. Pirate's hunting ground : SEA LANE
26. Medicine show elixir : NOSTRUM - "a medicine of secret composition recommended by its preparer but usually without scientific proof of its effectiveness" - Merriam Webster
28. Refuse : DROSS - Ooh, I was close - I went with DREGS - a noun and not a verb
30. Put on one's big-boy pants : MAN-UP - Like this commercial~?
32. Old coin with an accented first letter : ÉCU - another "educated crossword experience"
34. Poetic adverb : E'ER - went with o'er first
35. Haunting images : SPECTERS - here's a song from "Spectres", Blue Öyster Cult
37. Trait determinant : HEREDITY
38. Brat topper : KRAUT - ah, the food; I was thinking "TIARA", as in Toddlers & Tiaras
43. Keep under wraps : HUSH UP
45. Really fancy : DESIRE - the verb, to fancy - as I do Lilia
46. Teacher, during exam week : GRADER
47. "Mercy me!" : YE GODS~! - so? so? what happened at HD~?....
49. Stuck up? : TREED - stuck, UP, in a tree~!
50. Prefix in a Dow trademark : STYRO - Dow the chemical company, and their extruded polystyrene foam
53. Suisse peak : ALPE - just the "European" spelling for Alp
54. "Contact" acronym : SETI - Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence - and another BÖC song~!
57. Baseball's Bando : SAL - I leave it to you, C.C. (Wiki talks. He let Paul Molitor go!)
59. Oporto-to-Lisbon direção : SUL - straight up Portuguese for south
OK - Home Depot & Lilia....Um, well, the conversation went really well, and while Lilia was mixing my paint, she was telling me all about being Russian, and living in New York....so when I asked if she would like to carry on this conversation over coffee, she said....
she was married.
DAH~! I couldn't believe it. Two years. BUT - then she says, "give me your number, and when I go out with my friends, I'll call you" - apparently, her hubby is not much of a party guy. We will see....
Splynter
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteYE GODS! This was a brutal, brutal puzzle. The entire Northern section was a sea of white that refused to be filled in until I finally tried a WAG and went with O SOLE MIO at 15A. When that actually fit, I then got cocky and threw down FLETCHER (as in Fletcher Christian) at 13D. That one didn't work out quite as well for me, sadly...
There was so much in this puzzle I either didn't know or could get from the clues. HULA BOWL, CLARINET, RED DOGS, MONET, NIL, SUL, OMNES (tried OMNIA at first), ISOMETRY... And, like Splynter, I went with BANDANAS at first.
And yet, and yet... I actually somehow managed to get 'er done unassisted. Don't ask me how. Lots of WAGs, I suppose.
Oh -- I really loved seeing SCHLOCKUMENTARY. As for examples, it's basically any documentary that takes a stand you disagree with.
[putnipa]
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteHard to believe that I slogged through a Saturday w/o switching to red letters. Thanks, Bill, Splynter! Was thrilled by the ta-da!
Several things were put in, deleted and put in again! (Have no self confidence on Saturday.)
The SCHLOCKUMENTARY gradually morphed from dOCUMENTARY. What a fill! My favorite!
Back a little better. Hope to get some sleep.
Happy weekend!
WBS and tough news on the Lilia front.
ReplyDeleteDid not have any idea that we now need to add Potugese to our knowledge banks
What an interesting grid! Many gimmies today and most of my WAGs held up. I doubted the 2Ns in BANDANNA but kept them in. I doubted SUL, but decided it had to be. Only the SE was a little crunchy. 20 minutes. Challenging and fun.
ReplyDeleteCool write up, Solynter. Too bad the lady is married.
BTW does your UPS bag your packages when you drop them at the door in the pouring rain? I am still annoyed that the carton which held my very heavy BBQ grill disintegrated in the pouring rain. What a disaster!
Good morning, Saturday soldiers!
ReplyDeleteThings were going swimmingly (for Fermat), until I started marching across Georgia. My "really fancy" was DELUXE and took quite a while to morph into DESIRE.
But in the end I ran into a dreaded DNF. My "support" was a BEAM and "Exeunt" was followed by OMNAS (my Latin is non-existent). So, I had no RED DOGS only MAD DOGS.
Too bad about Miss HD, Splynter. Guess I should have said "Missus." My advice, not that you want it, is to look elsewhere. A Russian triangle is something to avoid.
Georgia was my undoing, also. And it may be Splynter's, also, if Lilia is a mail-order bride from Georgia, Russia. She could be stuck in a loveless marriage looking for a white knight to save her.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who did alright with his mail-order bride ...with one small caveat; his came with a mother-in-law attached.
Splynter: You said, "We will see"
ReplyDeleteFree advice is usually worth about what you paid for it, but here's mine:
What Desper-otto said. If you plan to venture into the Lion's Den, don't forget your whip and chair, or where the door is. Better to run away now. And this isn't a morality play, it's pragmatism.
On the other hand, do let us know how it goes. :-)
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteWhat a workout! This was a good one to do on computer, because all that trial and erasure would have made a mess of newsprint. Very few gimmes.
Sorry for the news, Splynter! That's the sort of thing that would happen to me.
Too tough for me. Erasures were legion, but it was the ones I left in that were my undoing. Odean and Oer, most notably. Lots to like, but not enough to succeed.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, I think DO has handed out some excellent advice!
A Sad(istic) Saturday,
ReplyDeleteWhew, this was a killer. I ran through the NW like it was a Monday, then someone tuned the brakes on. HULA BOWL, REDDOGS, & BANDANNA were gimmes and the rest fell into place. From that point on it was a slow slog.
In spite of using up the better part of an eraser, I eventually got everything done until reaching the SE corner. 58A, 61A, 50D, 54D, & 59D would not register. So another DNF.
Even though I did not finish, I have no gripes. This was a fair challenge for Saturday.
SCHLOCKUMENTARY took a while before I thought it would be OK. Went back and forth on 47D. Started with Ye Gads before settling on YE GODS.
Splynter, regarding your "situation", what Windhover said.
[ontnfor]
“Have a life: ARE”
ReplyDelete“People: ONES”
Can someone please explain these?
Good morning, gang - as others have said, it was really a bunch of WAGs that got me through this one. I thought maybe this was going to be an easy day, since HULA BOWL came quickly, then O SOLE MIO, then USA USA and LON NOL, but then things bogged down in a hurry. After getting to the NE, I actually filled that in pretty quickly, and how I knew NOSTRUM, I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteMy real stumbling spot was the SE; I think I was so mentally whipped by that point that I took forever to get it done. Putting OH YES YES (always liked the sound of that, for some reason)for 58A didn't help things. Very much a fun puzzle, though, and my favorite clue by far was 'Licorice stick in a pit'.
Splynter, I, like the others, have been waiting to see how your Home Depot situation played out. That sucks. And, as was astutely pointed out here, I'd keep my guard up should you get that phone call. In my limited experience, and that of my friends, we've found Russian women to be extremely clever/manipulative; in fact, one of my friends up north spent an evening in a bar with a couple of Russian women, thought he'd hit the jackpot, and woke up in a hotel room minus all his cards and watch. I don't mean to paint them all with the same brush, but just a word to the wise...
Hope everyone has a great, fun weekend.
“Have a life: ARE”
ReplyDelete“People: ONES”
ARE as in "to be alive, to be in existence".
ONES as in multiple individual people. "Who are the ONES [the people] over there?"
Kinda weak, I agree.
Do I like this puzzle? OH YES I DO! Great gridding and clever cluing. A real PLEASURE to solve. But, YE GODS, SCHLOCKUMENTARY sure opens up the possibilities for heated discussion or even ANIMUS. Dare I say, almost anything by Michael Moore fits that description? Now there's a LOADED QUESTION.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! I was in a good mood until I tried this one. All my entries in the top half turned red except NUN so I really had NIL. My breakfast settled into QUEASIER status. I kept plugging away a few letters at a time, but I have to admit I wanted to beat someone with that "licorice stick in a pit" by the time I got that filled.
ReplyDeleteSCHlOCKUMENTARY? ENISLE? (He made those up!) Boo hiss! I put in EXILES and doubted the red letters.
I did finally finish the puzzle, but couldn't believe many of the answers. I don't want to talk about it. I've ranted enough.
Really fancy? Only in England would that be DESIRE.
Splynter, You had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the big revelation. Too bad she's taken. Is she from Brighton Beach where the Russian Mafia is reputed to be? Scary! You don't need to get mixed up in something that will drive you to drink again. You've worked too hard, honey! Thanks for the expo & letting us hear your Lilia saga.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI had a DNF due to beam rather than bear and omnas rather than omnes. Thought of Keith Fowler on that clue.
Thanks, Bill T., for a Saturday stumper and thanks, Splynter, for a great expo.
Still sweltering with the 3 H's weather; hope we get some relief soon.
Happy Saturday.
-Monet is a favorite of mine. The Monet House at Giverny is on my bucket list.
ReplyDelete-Splynter, 26A, I agree. I immediately thought of Facebook friends, too.
-I knew ALD because 2 nearby towns have aldermen. Or women?
-SCHLOCKUMENTARY. Usually when I disagree with a documentary or find it "iffy", I research it from several points of view. Because I am always willing to learn, sometimes the research opens my eyes, but more often I find it is a SCLOCKUMENTARY.
-I knew ENISLE from previous puzzles.
-My favorite clue was cut an dried/ STYLED.
-Do you FANCY(desire) some iced tea? OH YES I DO! I will have some now. It is hot and humid. The forecast is for 97 degrees with more 90 degree days to follow.
Good morning Splynter, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud when I read the end of your HD story, Splynter! But I think others have already given you the same advice that I would about that situation...
Fun, fun puzzle and a real Saturday challenge. I had the top half filled pretty much in five minutes, but oh that southwest corner was a real OSO!!
Never heard of SCHLOCUMENTARY but I had the *****C*MENTARY, so figured it was some kind of portmanteau.
"Brat topper" really had me going, as did "Licorice stick in a pit." Whaaa???? Finally dawned on me that it was CLARINET and Bratwurst we were talking about, and finished without any lookups.
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
DNF for me. Liked the puzzle quite a bit. Had an early inkling the long down was LOADEDQUESTIONS, but couldn't make it work with the crossers for quite awhile. Had "UNEASIER" for "QUEASIER" and misspelled bandanna (BANDANAS). Fire proof was a great clue but once I had it I wondered at the editorial decision to clue it without a question mark. (Can't decide.) In the end I couldn't finish the NW but had a fun time with the other corners.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone. Good commentary, Splynter.
ReplyDeleteoscar november ……Oh1 I get it! ONWARD!
Got the long stuff OK, but the SE was a little too crunchy for my taste.
Got DROSS OK this time.
"First Nations' clued that the tribe was Canadian - CREE.
BALED was a gimme - did lots of that in my early years.
Liked the CLARINET clue, too.
KRAUT topping 'brat' was cool beans.
Not OSOLEMIO, but here's some Funiculì in a grocery store in London.
Splynter: Don`t know how "permanent" a relationship you`re seeking...but it`s true 99 and 44/100 percent of the time , if she`s willing to "cheat" on this one, you can expect the same treatment.
ReplyDeleteHi again~!
ReplyDeleteWell, I am touched that so many of you are concerned for my well-being regarding Russians~! I have dated a Russian girl before, and I am aware of the BB connections....I am just curious as to who Lilia's friends might be - and my thoughts are the same as PK - I am not about to get done in after 8.5yrs of sobriety over this....
Thanks~!
Splynter
I have to ask; no ring on her finger?
ReplyDeleteWell, a Saturday toughie, all right, not as bad as a dreaded Silkie, but a DNF all the same. Still, I got everything but a bit of the SE corner. I shouldn't have erased DESIRE because it just made no sense. Didn't occur to me to to think of FANCY as a verb rather than an adjective. So, thanks Bill, it was a lot of fun even if I didn't nail it. Loved SCHLOCKUMENTARY and the clue for ASH. And learned something new with TID.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, in my experience it works best if you first become really good friends with somebody, and the romance grows out of that. I think my sweetie of 20 years would agree.
Have a great Saturday, everybody!
PK said: I kept plugging away a few letters at a time, but I have to admit I wanted to beat someone with that "licorice stick in a pit" by the time I got that filled.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh--that's hilarious! I only read this blog but I just could not help posting my appreciation of that one. Seriously funny--I'll be laughing to myself all day!
: )
Oh Splynter! My first thought about your HD Dolly was Tony Soprano and his "friendship" with the one-legged Russian women. (Remember when his sister hid the wooden leg?) Keep looking...maybe you should learn the UPS version of the "bend and snap" move (google Leagaly Blonde)?
ReplyDeleteWell I didn't have mAddogs, I had mUddogs. That caused my downfall. Everything else fell into place once I finally erased delUXe and filled deSIre.
Has anyone seen "The Lone Ranger" yet? Reviews???
Cooling off here in northern California, for which I am very thankful. Happy Saturday.
Now this was a good one. Thank you, Mr. Thompson! Tough enough to be for Saturday, cleverly clued, and still do-able. My first time through yielded absolutely nothing, so I feared a DNF. But I kicked myself into doing the hard work, and it paid off.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Barry G's definition of a SCHLOCKUMENTARY as the documentary with which you disagree. Most directors avoid the charge, though, by calling such a movie fiction (cf. JFK).
I hadn't realized that TUTUS came in different styles, but it makes sense. What other shapes are there?
RED DOGS was new to me, too. For a long time I was stuck with something called MEDDOGS because I wanted BEAM for 5D, "Support."
Favorites for me include ASH for "Fire proof," KRAUT for "Brat topper," and ODEUM for "Concert hall." I am so used to ODEON I didn't realize ODEUM was a fair variant. This was even trickier because ODEON was the first entry I felt confident of (and the last I had to change).
Hi all. Thanks, Splynter, great review.
ReplyDeleteI keep forgetting about "Y" when running through possible vowels. Thus STYRO and STYLED.
Can't do Saturdays without red letter help.
But after I'm finished it all looks sensible. ENISLE is something I have to look up.
I use BONAMI.
Re: Home Depot gal,I HOPE you didn't give her your number.
Ack! (What a disaster.)
ReplyDeleteI thought 45D Really fancy = Smancy,,, & it went down from there...
Splynter (What Argyle said.) No Ring?
Well, maybe she didn't think you were her type. (But why the phone number?)
Optimist view: Maybe she has a girlfriend she thinks might like you?
Pesamist view: She is going to have her boyfriend bump you off....
Garlic Gal, here.
ReplyDeleteLinda @ 9:06 PM Friday . The Lone Ranger review.
Splynter: And keep in mind the trouble Joey Quinn got into when dating the Russian girl on Dexter.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably gone far enough that the witness protection program would be worth considering. At the very least start shopping at Lowes instead.
ReplyDeleteI'm never a fan of themeless puzzles but I disliked this one less than most. Between Bill T. and Rich, there were some clever clues.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, WWandDOS.
Spitz, I loved the grocery store video. How come the biggest event in my grocery shopping was to get a quick glance at Mia Hamm (Garciaparra now).
I've not seen The Lone Ranger yet but the previews have put me off. They've taken a fond memory from my youth of western adventure and derring-do and turned it into a broad comedy. I'm prepared not to like it.
Splynter: Thank you for another excellent write-up & links (explaining my X-Rated Ink Blot!).
ReplyDeleteDon't know why I can never remember what song was played for the Italian's at the 1920 Olympics ... 32 years before I was born. lol
Glad I have no knowledge of bell & pancake styled skirts, TUTUS.
A "toast" to all at Sunset.
Cheers!!!
G'Afternoon all!
ReplyDeleteSplynter - Can't help with HD girl, but maybe setting up website; there are plenty of cPannel resellers out there that make simple sites easy for anyone (my daughter got hers up in a day - she was 12).
I thoutht I was doing my own puzzle for a while as I inked the grid, but even after two cheats (3d and 9a) didn't help much, ended up with a 40% complete pzl. Licorice in a pit? I'm stuck with a vat of it in my head... I've never heard of a schlockumentry either so I had s_ _ ldocumentary. Oh,well.
I gave up after a few hours with a DNF and can't wait to feel smart again on Monday!
Have a great weekend all...
-T
Make room in my favorites list. This wonderful puzzle provided fun, learning, wit and just enough Easter eggs to make it doable. It took my Big boy pants but I got ‘er done.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-I can think of quite a few SCHLOCKUMENTARIES
-LOADED QUESTION – “When did you stop beating your wife?”
-Oh, Benny Goodman’s Licorice Stick!
-Imagine the Italian Olympians walking in to It’s Now Or Never eating GELATO
-My daughter teaches with NUNS and loves “the girls”
-MONET/MANET – tomayto/tomahto
-QUEASIER not UNEASIER - quick fix
-Some FB players get RETAPED right over their shoe so they can go back in
-Chicago ALD. are infamous for retail politics
-BAGGY JEANS banned!
-Many of those MUNTINEERS went here. Their HEREDITY ensued there.
-What movie character is admonished to “watch her phraseology” when she says YE GODS?
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteI'm late today ~ had to go get 62A! I liked this puzzle even though I found it very challenging. I thought I had finished it successfully, but Splynter showed me that I had a number of mistakes! I messed up the area around 5 & 6D and 20A - had Beam instead of BEAR and Muddogs and Omnus. It all looked good to me. Oh well.
~ The SE was my trouble spot - GRADERS ( was thinking of proctors or monitors) and DESIRE took a while.
~ Liked Decline / SAG and Pros /ARTISTS when I finally got them! My thinking was completely off.
~ Favorite: Stuck up / TREED
Thanks for your hard work once again, Splynter. Your story had me hopeful - I almost went ahead to peek at the ending - then I was disappointed ...sigh. Someone said it before I could - time to shop at Lowe's!
Splynter, dating a married Russian woman with access to power tools? Hmm… what could go wrong there? I might want to stick to a domestic model ;-).
ReplyDeleteHusker, too funny "access to power tools"!
ReplyDeleteRe: last question @ 2:38
The mayor's daughter in the Music Man?
Don't remember her name, though.
Pas, You’re right, it was Zaneeta Shin and her father the mayor (gotta be Paul Ford!) told her to “watch your phraseology for saying”
ReplyDeleteThe Music Man (1962)
Zaneeta: It's indecent to meet boys at the footbridge!
Tommy Djilas: First thing after supper?
Zaneeta: All right! Ye Gods!
AND
Zaneeta: Papa, please! It's 'Capulets' like you who make blood in the marketplace! Ye Gods!
AND
[repeated line]
Zaneeta: Ye, Gods!
splynter, are you suggesting that smoke, or the smell thereof, cannot make it into a house if the windows are closed? I'm sure there is a fresh air intake, cracks around windows and doors or simply osmosis occuring.
ReplyDeleteI will disagree with just about everyone else here. carpe dame.
The best line in The Music Man is "Balzac!" as only Hermione Gingold could enunciate it. I still laugh when I think of her cello schtick (not in the movie -- on Omnibus, I think). Remember it?
ReplyDeleteSplynter, what a sad story - and what a sudden ending. Hope things could have worked out a little better for you. I must admit, I was on the 'edge of my seat' - waiting for the conclusion. Hope she did not mess up your paint, as well. ;~)
ReplyDeleteI am a 'safe' kinda guy - Russian Mafia or otherwise - don't mess with the married ones. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. Maybe - could I suggest - 'EHarmony' or some dating or marriage web sites. At least you are dealing with the motivated ones, who are actively looking, and willing to 'deal'. Curiously, I met a young lady at Home depot, just last month, in the flooring section - very nice person, with a very nice attitude - a single mother, but unfortunately, I am not in the market ....
Dealing the right way, through the web sites, is a very safe and 'correct' way of approaching the problem, for the age old solution. Hoping for a chance meeting as a customer or a client is absolutely the worst possible way to go about it. That sort of nonsense only happens in the Hollywood movies. It probably never happens in real life. Just my 2 bits worth. Keep looking.
And, do keep us posted - even if you have to make things up. One more 'interest strand' at the blog.
PANCAKE TUTU
ReplyDeleteBELL TUTU
I am a huge fan of The Music Man; well, almost all of the old classic musicals like Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, etc., but The Music Man is my favorite. I am such a fogy that I would rather go see it again for the fifth or sixth time than whatever is the lately trendy show on Broadway at the moment. Ye Gods!
ReplyDeleteGuess what? (My grandson, Jordan, starts most conversation that way. When I suggest he doesn't have to say that every time, it renders him practically mute. So... anyway, guess what? I came across the pilot episode of The Big Bang Theory on cable. I thought it would be interesting to see how the characters have evolved but the truth is...not much.
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Bill Thompson, for one tough puzzle. Thank you, Splynter, for a fine write-up.
ReplyDeleteSplynter. Watch the married ones. Too much to lose. IMHO.
This was one tough puzzle. The SE was my undoing. I finished, but had to get help.
SCHLOCKUMENTARY. Not on my wavelength. LOADED QUESTIONS was OK.
Got CLARINET after a long while. Good clue.
NOSTRUM?????? Too much for me. Maybe I need a shot.
YE GODS was not for me. Not sure if I have ever seen the word GOD in a puzzle.
Anyhow, I commend Bill T, for quite a puzzle. Very few black squares. Lots of long words. Just too tough for this regular guy.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(yedsher)
Hi again~!
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought you could get dating advice from a crossword blog~? (LOL) I am just pleased that the encounter was a pleasant one, and that it's sort of an accomplishment for me to approach a total stranger and ask for her number, considering my M.O. in the past was to be liquored up first.
And no, there was no ring on her finger - but then again, I have another friend in the "program" who has made it clear to me that if she were not married with a kid, she'd be on me like white on rice - she doesn't wear a ring, AND she's not Russian....
Splynter
pas de chat - Thanks for linking the clips depicting the two tutus. I understand Ballet a lot better now.
ReplyDeleteGood evening, everyone! Oh, Splynter, I was holding my breath until the reveal. How disappointing for you! You have plenty of sound advice here from the wisdom of experience. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI almost missed the party today because I stayed with my granddaughters at their house while their parents had a night out.
WEES. WEES. WEES.You've all commented almost exactly my experience especially P.K.!!
I worked one quadrant at a time and the NW fell first, then the NE. It took a long while for BON AMI to surface but I knew it was buried in there somewhere.
Then I tackled the SW which took a little longer as I wanted GENE POOL but finally conceded defeat, then the light went on.
I loved the cluing for STYLED.
The SE was brutal. I thought SUR might be south in Portuguese as it is in Spanish. But no!! Finally, it came together but NOSTRUM took some time as I had MANET. I love MONET but thought he only painted water lilies.
Instead of GRADER I thought of so many more fitting words I couldn't use there.
I hope your Saturday has and continues to be joyous, ONMES!
PasdeChat:
ReplyDeleteI, too, thank you for the ballet clips and never tire of seeing those amazing dancers. Some years I buy season's tickets, depending on the opus.
Well, I found under Wiki 2 more Tutu styles, but when i went to link images, they were the same as Pas De Chat links, only different sizes.
ReplyDeleteThanks pas de chat, I also understand Ballet a lot better now...
Still trying to link Daughter#1 singing the National Anthem, I have it on Facebook, but I am sure you do not want to see my homepage. I uploaded to YouTube for the 1st time, but I need to wait a day or 2 because right now it only shows the owner version. ( & I don't want Anons editing my video...)
Sigh...
Maybe I can contribute "something" today... I know Bill G would love this piece of Science Fiction coming true.
Why anyone would want to land a spacecraft like that i have no idea. It's just 1950's fantasy if you ask me...
We missed this caught in the spam filter. Sorry, Keith.
ReplyDeleteKeith Fowler said...
Now this was a good one. Thank you, Mr. Thompson! Tough enough to be for Saturday, cleverly clued, and still do-able. My first time through yielded absolutely nothing, so I feared a DNF. But I kicked myself into doing the hard work, and it paid off.
I agree with Barry G's definition of a SCHLOCKUMENTARY as the documentary with which you disagree. Most directors avoid the charge, though, by calling such a movie fiction (cf. JFK).
I hadn't realized that TUTUS came in different styles, but it makes sense. What other shapes are there?
RED DOGS was new to me, too. For a long time I was stuck with something called MEDDOGS because I wanted BEAM for 5D, "Support."
Favorites for me include ASH for "Fire proof," KRAUT for "Brat topper," and ODEUM for "Concert hall." I am so used to ODEON I didn't realize ODEUM was a fair variant. This was even trickier because ODEON was the first entry I felt confident of (and the last I had to change).
July 6, 2013 at 12:39 PM
Splynter, excellent writeup! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe pilot of TBBT was excellent.
ReplyDeleteCED, I don't know why you thought of me especially but holy crap, I loved it!
For those of you who care about baseball, here are some little bits of information that you may find interesting.
* The Dodgers have a rookie who has been in the major leagues for one month. He runs fast, has an arm like a cannon, has hit four or five home runs and is batting .420. He is even being mentioned as a possible All Star candidate.
* San Francisco was batting in the first inning. Their excellent catcher batted in an apparent run. The Dodgers brain trust noticed that he had batted out of turn and brought it to the attention of the umpires after his time at bat had been concluded. The batter was called out and the run rescinded. I knew about that rule but I'd never seen it applied in the major leagues.
Splynter, I thought your approach to the girl was good and am glad you worked up the courage to make it. I'm sure there are a woman or two out there that you haven't really noticed who would love to be approached by you. You're smart and nice looking. We who treasure your input here are like substitute mamas, poor guy. We want the best for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Argyle!
ReplyDeleteHoly Stuff CrossEyedDave - that SpaceX video was amazing. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBill G. if you have a link to the batting order rule video I'd love to see it. I've not seen that call in a game above little-league. I miss baseball as our team "defected" to the AL :-(
-T
New to this blob. What are WAGs.?
ReplyDeleteWild-ass guess.
ReplyDelete