Theme: "Child's Play" - The last words are all kids' toys.
22A. Obstacles : STUMBLING BLOCKS
32A. Wild pair, sometimes : ONE-EYED JACKS
50A. "The Phantom of the Opera" setting : MASQUERADE BALL
65A. Morsel mentioned in '80s Australian tourism ads : SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE. Barbie is their slang for BBQ. The original 1959 barbies are worth thousands.
85A. Abstained, in a way : WENT ON THE WAGON
97A. Take the gold : COME OUT ON TOP. The guy to watch in Rio.
114A. Snap : LOSE YOUR MARBLES
Fun
theme. When I was a kid, there were no blocks, or wagon or barbies or
any plastic toys, we sewed our own little bags filled with beans or corn
and played a very simple backyard game. Similar to this, except mine
were prettier.
Across:
1. Tie-dye locale : CAMP. I like to nail 1-Across entry. Not today.
5. "Sonic the Hedgehog" developer : SEGA
9. Skunk Le Pew : PEPE
13. Pileggi of "The X-Files" : MITCH. Recognized his face. Not his name.
18. Suffix for stink : AROO
19. Sea once fed by the Amu Darya River : ARAL
20. Round Table array : ARMOR
21. Cape Cod vacation destination : TRURO
25. End-of-term hurdle : FINAL
26. Put out there : AIR
27. Pealed : RANG
28. Barroom disorder : MELEE
29. Special Olympics founder Shriver : EUNICE
30. Picked up on : SENSED
34. Biblical verb : HAST
36. Playwright Ensler : EVE. Stranger to me.
37. Technology in Pixar films, briefly : CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)
38. "Wicked Game" rocker Chris : ISAAK
41. Boastful opening : VENI . "Veni, vidi, vici"
43. Civil War historian Shelby : FOOTE
46. Aquarium fish : OPAH
53. With reason : SANELY
55. Coal industry org. : UMW
56. Conspiracy : PLOT
57. Get under the tag, hopefully : SLIDE
58. Hades, to Satan : REALM
59. Amanda of "2012" : PEET. Oh, I liked her Something's Gotta Give. Very pretty.
61. Like drag strips : LOUD. I don't get this clue.
63. 24-hr. convenience : ATM
64. A hitchhiker might have one : GAS CAN
70. Spots : ESPIES
72. Area usually not mowed : LEA. Simple in retrospect.
73. Pelican St. metropolis : NOLA
74. Spanish 101 verb : ESTA
77. Dummy on Bergen's knee : SNERD
78. As a companion : ALONG
80. "Herding Cats: A Life in Politics" author : LOTT (Trent)
82. Bargain basement letters : IRR
83. Seasoned sailor : SEA DOG
88. Cries from one standing on a chair, maybe : EEKs
89. Obeys : HEEDS
91. Kudrow of "Friends" : LISA. Phoebe.
92. Navel concavity : INNIE
93. "__ appétit!" : BON
94. NYC visitor's final destination, perhaps : JFK. Or first.
95. 1998 home run record chaser : SOSA (Sammy)
104. Puts into words : UTTERS
108. Unprincipled : AMORAL. Out of the $80,000 Eliot Spitzer spent on his self-destructive sexual liaisons, not one penny is from public money. I'd vote him for the Comptroller post, Splynter!
109. Reduce : LOWER
110. Pigeon shelter : COTE
112. Half-pretentious? : CHI. Chichi. Recognize him?
113. Shows pluck : DARES
117. Play, as Julius Caesar : ENACT
118. Curved moldings : OGEES
119. Blew the whistle : SANG. And 120. Blows the whistle : RATS. "Rat" always sets off Whitey Bulger. I'd eat worms if he's not a FBI informant.
121. Shades : TINTS
122. Gamer's title island : MYST
123. Nice sweetheart : AMIE. The French city Nice.
124. Brief writer: Abbr. : ATTY. Legal brief.
Down:
1. Places on una avenida residencial : CASAs
2. Fictional Ziff infatuated with Marge Simpson : ARTIE. I'm just not into The Simpsons.
3. Wear black, perhaps : MOURN
4. Little Spitz, briefly : POM. Hello Spitzboov!
5. Dieters' lunch orders : SALADS
6. "__ Brockovich" : ERIN
7. Turf controller : GANG
8. Subj. with exponents : ALG. For Bill G. Thanks to his post last Tuesday, I learned the differences between "Hay" and "Straw".
9. Worker, informally : PROLE
10. Host : EMCEE
11. Gumby's sidekick : POKEY. The pony.
 |
| Gumby & Pokey |
12. Relatives of ums : ERs
13. Honshu Isl. peak : MT FUJI
14. Youngest of the three Prozorov sisters : IRINA. Three Sisters.
15. Forum wear : TUNIC
16. Figure out : CRACK
17. Case weaknesses : HOLES
20. Coeur d'__ : ALENE
23. Dissolution : BREAK-UP
24. Low-budget flicks : B MOVIES
29. Advantages : EDGES
31. "Inside the NBA" analyst, to fans : SHAQ
33. Outer: Pref. : ECT
35. Wii locale : TV ROOM
36. Tight position? : END. Tight end.
38. Morning announcement : I'M UP
39. Word before time and place : SAME
40. At this very moment : AS WE SPEAK
42. Flip over : EAT UP
43. Trust : FAITH
44. "Grumpy" film title characters : OLD MEN. Grumpy Old Men.
45. Fútbol shout : OLE. Football in Spanish.
46. Part of a layette : ONESIE
47. Hippie bus decal : PEACE SIGN
48. __ marsala : ALLA
49. Choir number : HYMN
51. Perry of fashion : ELLIS
52. Hardly inconspicuous : BLATANT
54. Egyptian, usually : ARAB
60. Show places? : THIRDS. Nice clue.
62. Dressed to the nines, with "up" : DOLLED
64. Log holder : GRATE
66. Take back to the drawing board : RE-DO
67. Eye-catching signs : NEONS
68. Nuts go-with : BOLTS. Nuts and bolts.
69. Island greetings : ALOHAS
70. __ quam videri: North Carolina motto : ESSE. To be, rather than to seem (to be).
71. Three-time All-Pro Giant lineman Chris : SNEE. Knew him only because I needed a new clue for SNEE once. "Old dagger" just would not work.
75. Half-Betazoid aboard the Enterprise : TROI
76. "Alfred" composer : ARNE. More familiar with his "Rule Britannia".
78. It might be inspired : AWE
79. Driving instructor : GOLF PRO. In the driving range.
81. Storm that's chased : TWISTER
84. Grave offender? : GHOUL
86. Neat finish? : NIK. Neatnik.
87. Med sch. subject : ANAT
90. Fangorn Forest inhabitant : ENT. The Lord of the Rings.
93. Toots one's horn : BOASTS
94. Outback young : JOEYS. Baby kangaroos.
96. Reason for oversleeping : OUTAGE. Since the alarm clock would not work? Not true for Husker Gary!
97. Future officer : CADET
98. Saudi neighbor : OMANI
99. Bugs with weapons : MORAN. Bugs Moran the gangster. Al Capone's rival.
100. Like a Siberian Husky's ears : ERECT
101. Informal science : OLOGY
102. Sketch artist's array : NOSES. "Array" made me think of the tools the sketch artist uses, not the stuff he draws.
103. Certain follower's reading : TWEET
105. Ostentation : ECLAT
106. One giving Scarlett a fever? : RHETT. Great clue.
107. No tough guy : SISSY
110. Study all night : CRAM
111. Luxury hotel chain : OMNI
114. "Ten Little Indians" actor Herbert : LOM. He's also in The Pink Panther.
115. Today preceder : USA. USA Today.
116. Victoria's Secret buy : BRA. Dave's daughter works there. Speaking of Dave, he mentioned last time "My Dentist has this poster on his door to keep your mind busy while he drills." I just could not see the man. You?
C.C.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteFinally, my depression eased and I managed to finish a puzzle with no cheats!
Thanks for the fun theme, Amy! Swell puzzle--but time consuming. Thanks CC for great expo.
Loud cars are on the drag strip. This took awhile!
Merl puzzle, by contrast, full of corrections. A real doozie.
Looking forward to Endeavor. But can't possibly live up to last week's splendid opera fest!
Have a happy Sunday!
Happy Sunday everybody!
ReplyDeleteWell, TECHNICALLY did not finish because I was forced to look up “Layette,” never having had kids….
Which is kind of ironic, because I got all the children’s play things fairly easily. I attribute it to still being a kid at heart. SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE was the Rosetta Stone for today’s puzzle….
I had no clue department: MORAN, CHI, TRURO, PROLE, NOLA, OPAH….
STUMBLING BLOCKS solved by perps and/or SWAGS included FACES for NOSES, COOP for COTE, LONG for LOUD, VEAL for ALLA, ALTO for HYMN, EROO for AROO, BRAWL for MELEE, TORNADO for TWISTER, TOGAS for TUNIC, ORATES for UTTERS, FEWER for LOWER, and VINI for VENI….
Also had a “two-fer” stumble on the whistle blowing duo – TOLD for SANG and REFS for RATS. Open Question: if you “blow” both ends of a Clecho, is that a Clerror…?
Would’ve been cool to see AGGIES instead of OGEES next to LOSE YOUR MARBLES….
“Total Impact” author = LOTT (Ronnie)….
After staring for about a half an hour, I FINALLY saw the man’s face in the coffee beans. Maybe it’s because I’ve worn glasses for most my life, but those eye-to-brain posers usually don’t work for me….
Didn’t need to eat SALADS to lose weight here in Qatar, simply needed to hitch a ride ON THE WAGON for a while…. 17 pounds, or a little more than one stone, so far….
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteNice Sunday puzzle. I liked that all the theme answers were recognizable phrases.
Hand up for TOGAS before TUNIC.
Had no idea about ALLA Marsala and it took the longest time to get NOSES at 102D. I was thinking more along the lines of a caricaturist and not a police sketch artist, so I was looking for something like PENCILS or ERASERS, etc.
MORAN also had me stumped for a bit, especially since I went with the more literal WASPS. But at least I've heard of Bugs Moran, so when the perps rejected WASPS I was able to switch gears.
[lreaqug]
I did good till Bugs gunned me down.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, C.C., and friends. My favorite theme clue was SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE. I like the image of the shellfish on the doll.
ReplyDeleteI misread Forum Wear for Formal Wear. Tuxes wouldn't fit.
Tornado is another name for a TWISTER and also fit into the space provided for a Storm that is Chased.
I will be working on a Brief this week.
I liked seeing NOLA. By the way, SHAQ is an LSU grad.
QOD: Never go on trips with anyone you do not love. ~ Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 ~ July 2, 1961)
[diantifi]
Good morning C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about CAMP for "Tie-dye locale" either, C.C. Glad to see I am in good company! Perps came to the rescue, but it was disheartening to miss the opener. My final fill was the crossing of ECT and CGI. Almost lost it on that one!
I loved see all the lively phrases, but my favorite was LOSE YOUR MARBLES. So often in crosswords, the generic "one's" would be substituted for YOUR. I have no idea why, but thankfully this one was left intact.
I thought of Hahtoolah when I filled in NOLA. I think it has been hotter here than down in that neck of the woods this week. Whew! I don't know how people get used to that type of weather.
Today is supposed to be much more comfortable, so we may actually get to go outside and do something fun. Have a great day, everyone!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice offering from Amy Johnson. There were lots of unknowns for me, but the perps were solid, so there were no major problems. I misread "member" for "number", so I had ALTO before HYMN. And my follower was reading a religious TRACT until TWEET showed up. Otherwise my grid would be blot-free.
C.C., I could see that man hidden in the picture right away. And for the second week in a row, we had the opposite reaction to an answer. I recognized the name MITCH Pileggi, but had no idea what he looked like. I never saw the X-Files.
The bicycle awaits...
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteHad to iron out a few sticky spots, but got right through this Sunday gem. I agree with Marti that "Lose Your Marbles" is better than "Lose One's Marbles". It's not clear to me why the generic form is usually used in puzzles.
Morning Ninja C.C.! Always glad to see your style on Sundays. It took quite a while, but ultimately I spotted the man in the coffee beans. The trouble I had was not knowing whether the face was just subtly suggested by changes in shading or was normal and well concealed.
About toys: the few times I've been in big-box toy stores over the last few decades, I've been consistently appalled at the pointlessly huge variety of toys and games for sale. Some of those things are so stupid! Both Hasbro and Milton Bradley were once big employers around here; they have withered away, which suggests that the market agrees we don't need all those games. I would love to see a return to folk toys like C.C.'s.
TRURO (not PTOWN) was right, so gimme a “got ‘er done” despite a plethora of obscure names!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-If he had “WENT ON THE WAGON”, my brother would still be alive
-Will a boycott not allow our athletes to “Take the gold” in Sochi
-Three expensive Hollywood STINKEROOS of the summer
-I liked my FINALS to test what the kids knew, not what they memorized
-Shelby FOOTE’s voice is perfect for Ken Burns’ masterpiece
-I doubt Loretta Lynn’s daddy was in the UMW in Butcher Holler
-Horrible outcome of teenage Drag Racing in our town
-The “low fuel light” on our vehicles has saved me from hitchhiking
-Should I worry that I couldn’t immediately come up with SNERD or celebrate I eventually did?
-We got to see Paula’s Creamer’s INNIE
in Lemon’s Friday write-up
-Cougar Ann Margaret ain’t windin’ up with Walter Matthau
-I’ve learned more on the web than from a GOLF PRO
-Yep, CC, that’s true. I’ve never used/needed an alarm. Well except for getting up at 3 am to catch a flight with 100 kids
Addendum
ReplyDelete-Re: CC’s comment. If every AMORAL person were forbidden to hold office, that capitol building could sure hold a lotta hay! I only get stirred up when the GSA, IRS, Secret Service, et al spend tax dollars on their indiscretions.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAt last! A great puzzle that not only did I finish w/o help, but one I enjoyed solving, unlike the three previous brain-busters. Only write-over was -eroo before -aroo. Thanks, Amy, for a nice Sunday romp and, thanks, CC, for a fine expo. (I found the man in the coffee beans immediately.)
Temps in the 80's for the next several days, so we can breathe easier and get out from under the A/C for a welcome change.
Happy Sunday.
Happy Sunday all. Lots of Charlotte so I am perky.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which reminds me of Amanda Peet in The Whole Nine Yards. Are DOG ears your thought when you hear the word ERECT?
Do not know Mitch Pileggi, never think of PROLE(artist) and CAMP was a tricky 1A.
Chris SNEE is married to his coach's daughter. I wonder how it will go when it is time to cut him.
While we have heat and humidity it is seldom as extreme, so we adjust gradually and have great a/c.
Watching the ebb and flow at Muirfield?
SPOILER ALERT the face is bottom left
We saw Moonrise Kingdom on DVD last night. What a pleasant movie! It's quirky all right, but beautiful to look at and sweetly entertaining. Anybody else?
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! Fun puzzle, Amy! I seemed to be on her wave-lenghth despite many unknowns. The perps filled most of them. The theme came easily and helped on a couple long ones.
ReplyDeleteC.C. Thanks for your explanations. CHI made no sense before. I didn't get the ECLAT/CHI cross. "C" was last fill. I stared at MORAN a long time after perps filled it. I'm with you on CAMP. I still can't "get" how that is "tie-dye". Can anyone explain it?
Groaner: naval concavity=INNIE. Not military.
I saw "Phantom" on stage and don't remember any MASQUERADE BALL.
Didn't know Trent LOTT wrote a book, but at least knew the name when it filled.
Three UPS in the puzzle. Shout out to Splynter?
I really liked "Grumpy OLD MEN". Saw it twice. Jack Lemon is one of my all-time favorites.
Didn't see a man in the bean picture. Too subtle.
Doha Doc: Sweatin' it off? The heat lately has helped kill my appetite. 76 degrees this morning. My a/c is blessedly silent for once.
Thank you Amy Johnson and thank you CC. What a wonderful puzzle and writeup !
ReplyDeleteFor whom the bell PEALED; it pealed for thee. Er, um, never mind.
Had a hard time CRACKing CRACK. MT FUJI, TUNIC and HOLES were easy enough, but IRINA and TRURO were ubknowns.
Gumpy and POKEY were on early Sunday morning TV when I was a child. I lovingly call my wife Pokey when she is not ready to leave on time.
This puzzle was fun on so many levels. A perfect title as well.
Hahtoolah, I remember LSU with Shaq, but the other LSU seven footer was the better player at the time and IMO, "schooled" Shaq. As good as the big men were, neither could have stopped the best LSU cager in school history. Pistol Pete wiki.
SPOILER ALERT - THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP - SPOILER ALERT
I've been watching The Open Championship all morning. Phil just finished birdie, birdie and will most like claim the Claret Jug.
Greetings, puzzlers. I'm glad to see you, C.C., and read your excellent expo.
ReplyDeleteThis took me a while because at the same time, I was watching my three year old granddaughter who is into everything.
STUMBLING BLOCKS was my first theme answer and so realized I was looking for toys. I suppose SEGA would fit in, too.
TRURO, POM (spitz, briefly)are unknowns nor do I understand POM. NOLA reminded me of Hahtoolah,
One of the funniest scenes in Peter Pan is the uncle having LOST HIS MARBLES, literally, and looking for them. Yes, I saw the head among the beans.
Very nice, Amy, thank you.
Off I go! You all have a wonderful Sunday! It rained last night and my roof is leaking. Yikes!
Lucina, leaky roofs are no fun. My BIL has repaired and repainted our stairwell to the basement. He's highly skilled with repairing plaster walls. Of course, had to pay for a new roof first.
ReplyDeleteThis should help with your understanding of little Spitz. POM
While "shrimp on the barbie" is a popular phrase for Americans attempting an Australian accent, it's actually a misnomer. The 1980s ad switched out the real Australian word for shellfish - prawns - b/c they didn't think Americans would understand. SO we should say "prawns on the barbie" when trying to be Crocodile Dundee!
ReplyDeletePK and HeartRx -- I think the tie-dye locale is CAMP, because it's one of those crafty sort of things that they teach at a kid camp. Just like those braided plastic keychain thingies they teach kids to make.
ReplyDeleteSince I crabbed so much about the weather all week, I will now thank Mother Nature for a glorious day of blue skies, moderate temp, a light breeze, and NO humidity! Couldn't ask for a more picture-perfect summer day. And the icing on the cake is the arrival of sweet corn!
ReplyDeleteDO, Thanks for the CAMP explanation. Makes sense although I didn't know they did that at a kid's camp. Fun, but pretty messy for yahoos.
ReplyDeletePOM reminded me: my neighbors have a spitz-looking chow who has always been a very shaggy hairy beast. This summer someone has sheared him except for the tail. Very shocking at first. Changed his personality from aggressive to embarrassed. Usually he greets me with a sharp loud bark. Since the hair cut, it's a tentative quiet "woof". I said, "Smoky, what did they do to you? He went behind the shed and peeked around the corner. I told him he was a good dog and looked great, so he came back to the fence and just wagged his tail. Too funny! I'm sure he is much more comfortable in the heat we've had.
My cat who didn't eat his food for five days, has regained his appetite and acts better. He also gave up grooming himself. I wonder if he got into poison--maybe ant powder or Decon fed mice.
TTP: I tuned in to the British open just in time to see the winning shot. That is such a grueling ugly barren golf course. Contrasted with the beauty of Atlanta, Muirfield is certainly less enjoyable to watch. The pros must want the money and prestige badly to subject themselves to the humiliation of the links.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday to one and all. Fun solve, about 45 minutes. Truro, Irina, Mitch last to fall.
ReplyDeletePK, re: Phantom- Masquerade Ball is a pretty big number in the musical. If you heard the song, you would probably recognize it.
Doha Doc, 17 pounds? Wow! See what happens when you have to stick to water? My friend who worked in Baharain always talked about drinking homemade "White" or "Brown". I guess it was better than nothing.LOL
Dudley, we watched "Moonrise Kingdom" and really enjoyed it. Quirky is popular around our house.
Busy week ahead. Garlic Festival, Baby!!
PK,
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely the prestige more than the money for those guys. The Open is the oldest of the 4 major championships. It's almost a different game than played in the US.
I've played some pretty good links styled courses here, but one of my golfing buddies that went on a near month long golfing vacation to Scotland (and played Muirfield and other courses that have hosted The Open) said there's no real comparison.
I think the most beautiful course is Augusta - home of the Masters. I prefer watching the Masters over the Open. Much better television coverage and definitely more contrast. The fairways of the Open are so light colored it's hard to see the ball.
OOPS, I see I spelled Gumby as Gumpy earlier. No disrespect intended.
d-otto, thanks for elaborating on CAMP. I tie-dyed many things in my misguided ute, and I remember it as being a particularly messy thing to do. Certainly not something I would picture 7-10 year olds doing!
ReplyDeleteDudley, with 5 children, my parents did not have a lot of money for toys. I remember making a "roller coaster" with my older sisters out of 2 x 4s and an old baby buggy we found in the dump. Guess who got to be the first one to try it? I still have the scars, but my sisters' bottoms hurt a lot longer when my parents came home and saw what they had done! Ah, memories...
HeartRx: you are right. I think it is much warmer in New England than in southern Louisiana. It was a "wintery" 75F this morning and is now only 83f.
ReplyDeleteTTP: I do remember Stanley Roberts. He didn't stay long at LSU, though.
TTP, I like to watch The Masters, too. Augusta is always beautiful. The AT&T at Pebble Beach is a gorgeous event to watch, as well.
ReplyDeleteWo ist der Turk? Tough to find him but I did despite my
ReplyDeleteI-pad correcting itself at every turn!
TTP:
ReplyDeleteThank you for that link. I did not realize that spitz was a dog! But not you, Spitzboov.
Fermat:
I also look forward to watching "Endeavour."
PK:
In the move, Phantom of the Opera, the MASQUERADE BALL is very obvious. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
Well nuts. I see that when I deleted and repasted my earliest post, I lost the embedded links.
ReplyDeleteFirst, one story on Stanley Roberts. the other 7 footer at LSU I still have my LSU Tigers hat from that era, although it is a little worse for wear.
Second, the link to Pistol Pete
Garlic Gal,
I always tune into the AT&T at Pebble Beach. Great television coverage of that event that showcases the beauty of Pebble Beach. We were there last year, but not for the tournament. I'd love to play that course. And a lot of others too, but Pebble Beach would be in my top 5 for sure.
Lucina, you are welcome.
I started the puzzle late last night and finished it this morning. I had the same missteps as others. WEES. And, I really didn't understand "Put out there" resulting in AIR.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen PROLE except in a couple of crossword puzzles. Is it in your speaking vocabulary? What's a sentence containing PROLE that you might have said?
One example would be to AIR a grievance. "I'm not holding back. I'm going to put it out there. Don't care whether you like it or not. Working in this heat without more frequent breaks is dangerous. There, I said it."
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, folks. Thank you, Amy Johnson, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the swell review.
ReplyDeleteGot started with 9A PEPE. AROO was easy. ARAL also easy. Favorite word lately. ARMOR appeared. MT FUJI, EUNICE, and HOLES fell into place. I felt I had a good start. Things got rougher real soon.
The theme answers started to appear. Helped with the puzzle in a few places.
Wagged ARNE for 76D. I am guessing that he wrote the song about Alfred The Great. Alfred was the only English monarch to be given the title "The Great", according to a book I just read. Back in the late 800's. I am just surmising this. I really enjoy English history.
LOM for 114D was my last to complete the puzzle. Had the LO and just started going through the alphabet until my IPad gave me the good news.
MORAN was clever.
Took me a while, but I remembered Mortimer SNERD. I had the "D".
Well, I am home now from Normal, IL. Done with that for a while.
My wife and youngest daughter are in NYC, along with my sister, watching some shows, etc. First time for them.
My oldest daughter is 43 today. Makes me feel old.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(intaae)
BillG, I believe PROLE is short for "proletariat", the laboring class in a capitalistic society. Think back to the old communist propaganda days. The word was more common then.
ReplyDeleteI saw "Phantom" in 1992 when I was newspaper editor. After a busy writing week, we made deadline and finished layout which we did by hand those days. My best friend and writing partner and U grabbed the last of the pizza we had ordered in. Made a quick trip to the bathroom. Hopped in her DIL's van with her DIL & grand daughter & some of their friends. Drove an hour to see "Phantom". I can remember the chandelier above the area and maybe it lowering for the ball. I think actually I was so tired I sleep-watched the play. I can remember not really understanding quite what it was all about. Loved the music.
OOPs! Supposed to say "partner & I".
ReplyDeletePK, I saw something pretty amazing last evening. Our sky was completely clear, but there was a line of towering clouds to the S & SW. I figured they were prolly on the NE-KS border. Then I took a look at radar...They were on and along a line right at I-70 from about Salina to KC.
ReplyDeleteThese clouds had to be at least 60,000' high and were as clear as if they were 20 miles away despite being over 100 miles distant. I've often said we can see KS from here, but had no idea it could be so far into KS.
We enjoyed that sight, but sadly we got no rain.
PK, thanks for the input on PROLE. I don't think I've ever heard it or read it except in CW puzzles.
ReplyDeleteI am willing to agree with most everybody else in the world that Phantom is an excellent play. But I never cared for the music or most of the rest of the stuff written by ALW. Being a fogy, the music from Rodgers and Hammerstein, Loesser and their ilk is what does it for me. Oklahoma, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, etc. and especially The Music Man.
Late to the party. One of my sisters is in the hospital. Today my younger sister and I went to help her arrange her finances, personal possessions, etc.. It's scary to become incapacitated, even temporarily.
ReplyDeleteI did the puzzle early this morning but have been gone all day.
My grandson has all kids of expensive toys, but his favorites are the few with which he can invent and act out stories.
Bill G. PROLE is another of those literary words, not often used in every day speech.
"If there was hope, it must lie in the proles." 1984 Orwell
I remember tie dye projects as a camp counselor. It was done by the preteens.
CHI CHI "Ostentatiously stylish; deliberately chic," Free Online Dictionary.
CHI alone, only half pretentious. HAHA
Lemony, thanks for suggesting bottom left, now I see it.
To all you techies: If I type a paragraph with the cap lock inadvertently on, is there a quick remedy, other than retyping?
YR - Best wishes to your sister.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for Phil Mickleson.
I got stuck at ONESIES, OPAH, and ALLA, and had to look up layette. Fun puzzle, though.
ReplyDeleteIt took me lots of looking before finally finding the man in the coffee beans.
Like Bill G, I like only a very little bit of Weber's music, usually only one number out of an entire opus, such as "Memories" from Cats and "Phantom of the Opera" from you-know-what. IMO, The Music Man is a work of genius; too bad Meredith Willson never again wrote anything as good. One the songs I really like a lot from Oklahoma is "Poor Jud is Dead."
Also looking forward to Endeavour tonight.
Bill G, the word "prole" was used a lot in Orwell's "1984."
ReplyDeleteJayce, great minds run in great circles.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to write this from memory, so I'm probably misquoting. I always liked the verse of Poor Judd Is Dad which went something like...
ReplyDeletePoor Judd is dead,
a candle lights his head,
he's lookin' oh so peaceful and so nice.
He looks like he's asleep;
it's a shame that he won't keep,
but it's summer and we're runnin' outa ice.
Great musical!
Hi All, CC, Tx for the shout out to Daughter #1. I never got to do he puzzle today because we were having a birthday party for daughter#3. & I spent 2 hours in the AM getting the backyard ready because two of our Maple trees decided to drop branches after all this heat. ( one branch weighed over a ton.) I borrowed my neighbors electric chain saw & spent 2 hours reducing half a tree to firewood. (Manac would appreciate this...)
ReplyDeleteYR @ 5:58, Yes I found out a way to "uncap" a line of typos by accident years ago, but for the life of me, I do not remember how I did it. If you find out pls let me know.
CC, The original "Man IN The Coffee Beans puzzle" was designed to differentiate left brain people from right brain people. ( or how you use your brain...)
This website explains it in more detail.
desper-otto, good memory! Great lyrics.
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks, the shortest distance between two great minds is a great circle.
CED: We're supposed to use our brain? OOOh! No wonder.
ReplyDeleteBillG: I prefer the old unsophisticated musicals with the lyrics that make sense, are easy to sing, and touch the heart. Is there anything more stirring than "OOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain! And the waving wheat can sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain!" Paints such spectacular description.
ALW musicals ALWAYS leave me somewhat confused. I like the music, but can't ever remember the lyrics and think the tunes are harder to sing.
AvgJoe, those spectacular clouds gave us a much-needed soaking rain. It's amazing how far clouds can be seen.
Evening Everyone,
ReplyDeleteHaven't had any time for the puzzle or blog lately but glad I checked in today so I could offer this.
CED, Were you a dairy farmer once?
No one can milk a job like you do! Two hours for a tree limb? :)
Reminds me, Have about 3 cord to gather this week and I'm calling it quits for the year.
I greatly admired the CHI CHI clue. I am surprised no one else noticed.
ReplyDeleteCED I found it interesting that if I scrolled down so the spinning girl was off the screen, then if I imagined her spinning clockwise and scrolled up, she was spinning clockwise. Similarly, if I imagined her spinning counter-clockwise and scrolled up, that's what she did. I think I must be psychic...or maybe I just need a physic.
ReplyDeleteYR, you are right. The CHI CHI clue was very clever. So clever that I didn't notice it at first. It went right over my head. (That's not so hard to do...)
ReplyDeleteOh drat. Looks like Cruciverb is acting up again.
ReplyDeleteI finally saw the man after reading Lemonade's comment. So according to Dave's link, my right brain is a mess.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I only see the girl spinning clockwise. Did any of you (other than D-Otto) see the girl moving counter-clockwise?
C.C.: duh! we all know you're a leftist!
ReplyDelete