google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday July 3, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

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Jul 3, 2013

Wednesday July 3, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: VILLAGE PEOPLE (36A. Disco-era group known for the starts of 18-, 20-, 54- and 57-Across). Y, M, C, A starts each theme entry.

18A. What makes a man a man : Y CHROMOSOME. So what came to your mind first?

20A. 1988 Tony-winning play inspired by a Puccini work : M BUTTERFLY. Inspired by Puccini's Madama Butterfly. See here. Read the plot. Astonishing. Are you guys familiar with Beijing opera? In old days, the females were all played by males.
 
54A. Duracell R14's : C BATTERIES

57A. First of a planned 26-book mystery series : A IS FOR ALIBI

C.C. here. Melissa gets intermittent power due to excessive heat in CA, so I'm here to sub.

I made this puzzle sometime last summer, so I could not remember the details. Ideally the reveal entry should be placed as the last theme entry. But VILLAGE PEOPLE has 13 letters, so it could not go to the standard Row 13, hence its current middle row. 

I normally don't stack theme entries as they often force compromised fill. But stacked this one due to necessity.

I mentioned before that Rich always changes at least 50% of my clues. He adds interesting trivia. He corrects my grammatical errors. He succinctly expresses what I try to say in a long-winded way. He just adds so much color to my puzzles and always makes me look better.
 
Across:

1. Close one : PAL

4. Stout sellers : PUBS. I had "Stout spots" originally.

8. Archie Bunker's wife : EDITH. I had Edith Head reference.

13. Its members employ hygienists: Abbr. : ADA

14. Six-time All-Star Moises : ALOU

15. Transit systems in Delhi and Paris : METROS. I had no "Delhi" in. I'm prone to grammar mistakes.

17. Campfire seat : LOG

22. Parroted : APED

23. Golf course regular, often : SENIOR. Yep! Husker Gary and Boomer.

24. Backpacked beast : ASS

26. Hard water? : ICE. Repeat of a clever clue some other constructors used before. But worth repeating. It's good.

27. Fan mail encl. : SAE (Self-Addressed Envelope)

28. Noisy bird : JAY

30. NATO alphabet word after November : OSCAR.  Originally just "O, in NATO alphabet".

32. Reef material : CORAL. I had the nail color reference. I was obsessed with coral last summer.

35. Sanctuary sections : ALTARS

39. Subject of the sports film "42" : RACISM. Great clue. I referred "American History X". 

40. Nemo's creator : VERNE

41. Obviously impressed : AGAPE. You were impressed I had the dreaded A* words, right?

42. Just out of the shower : WET

43. You, to Yves : TOI

46. Scathing review : PAN

47. Tandoori bread : NAN. In China, the Muslims spell it as NANG.

49. Get even for : AVENGE

52. Span. miss : SRTA. My clue "She's available in Barcelona, briefly".

59. NHL tiebreakers : OTs

60. Use a ring in a crib : TEETHE. I had "Need a ring?". Does not make sense now.

61. Devastated Asian sea : ARAL. I had a wordy "Lake that lost 75% of its water volume since 1960".

62. "Are We Done Yet?" actress Long : NIA

63. Baseball features : SEAMS. I had "Baseball bracelet features", since I have a beautiful #33 baseball bracelet.


64. Pulls in : NETS

65. Muddy home : STY. I had "Home, sweet home, for pigs". And 38D. Four-footed friend : PET. My clue: "Pig, to Clooney".


Down:

1. Where to find dates : PALMS

2. Pueblo homes : ADOBES

3. __ Beach: Southern California resort : LAGUNA

4. Words before "the order of" : PAY TO

5. Stress-related ailment, possibly : ULCER

6. Physics Nobelist Niels : BOHR

7. Wander online : SURF

8. Ed Asner has seven : EMMYS. That's a record for a male actor.

9. "Gloria in Excelsis __" : DEO

10. "__ ripoff!" : IT'S A

11. Like many bright aquarium fish : TROPICAL. I clued it as "Like the weather in Bangkok." Steamy there.  "... One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble..."

12. Post-hospital recovery program : HOME CARE

16. Matzo meals : SEDERS

19. Big name in facial cleansers : OLAY. Facial cleaners, scrubs, defoliators, toners, eye gels, eye creams...  It's not easy to be a woman.

21. Accessory with a suit : TIE CLIP

25. Athenian lawgiver : SOLON

28. Binge : JAG

29. Painkiller with an Easy Open Arthritis Cap : ALEVE. Rich's clue. I simply had "Arthritis pill".

31. Heaven's gatekeeper : ST. PETER

33. Designer Mary-Kate or Ashley : OLSEN. I had "Boho Chic icon Mary-Kate ".  She's probably still a kid in your mind. But she and Sienna Miller inspired this whole Boho Chic style.

34. Chrysler truck : RAM

35. __ Lingus : AER

36. Unpredictable occurrences : VAGARIES.  "Vagaries of life". Boomer said I could not pluralize "Vagary". I just ignored him.

37. Complaint about blocked vision : I CAN'T SEE

39. Knocks on : RAPS AT

42. Minnesota Lynx org. : WNBA. Oh man, I thought this is my clue as a shout-out to our MN team. But it's not. I had "Org. for some female guards". Thanks, Rich! The Lynx and Timberwolves have the same owner.

44. Risotto ingredients : ONIONS 

45. "That makes sense" : I GET IT

48. Ranch measures : ACRES

49. Awaiting a pitch : AT BAT. I had "Up time".

50. Facial cover-ups : VEILS. I did not have extra "Facial".

51. Swift work : ESSAY. Rich's clue.

53. Old Spice rival : AFTA

55. King of comedy : ALAN

56. Lose steam : TIRE

58. Electrical unit symbolized by omega : OHM

C.C.


58 comments:

River Doc said...

Happy Wednesday everybody!

REALLY liked all the baseball-themed clues – I CAN”T SEE how that could have happened… oh, wait, now I GET IT…. (Thanks, C.C.!)

Also what an absolute treat to have the expo done by the puzzle author, explaining her thought process! Had no idea what the NATO after November clue meant – C.C.s original clue makes more sense to me (sorry Rich)….

Unknowns solved by perps: TOI, OSCAR / SOLON, and SAE (I’ve seen SASE, but not SAE….)

EMMY and OSCAR awards, but no Tony, Clio, Razzie, or even a Darwin…?

And here I thought the place to find dates was the Home Depot….

I have a TIE CLIP…. just haven’t broken it out in decades….

Finally, can’t wait to see how various Corner contributors describe the innumerable, immeasurable, incalculable other ways to show what REALLY makes a man a man…. And here’s my contribution - your link to The Man Song….

And in an effort to promote equal gender opportunity , I also give you The Woman Song….

And yes, just so you know, there’s also a hermaphrodite song…. it’s just not nearly as good as the other two…. no, that wasn’t personal attack, just my opinion that the joke was getting a little stale by the time that one came out….

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Gee, it must feel weird blogging about your own puzzle, eh? Great job as usual, of course.

I'm pretty sure RAM trucks are made by Dodge, not Chrysler. But since Dodge and Chrysler are owned by the same company, I suppose it doesn't really matter. Still, it seemed odd. Fortunately, I can blame Rich for that and not C.C.! ^_^

RAP AT seemed a bit weak, especially as clued.

Everything else, however, was pure gold today. Loved the theme and the theme answers were all solid. I was especially happy to see the full title of a Sue Grafton book for a change instead of just "A IS". I also appreciated the misdirection at 39A (I was trying to figure out how to fit JACKIE or ROBINSON and had a pleasant *aha* moment).

[robjouri]

Anonymous said...

Dodge is a brand within the Chrysler Group.

Montana said...

CC, great puzzle and it was interesting to read about clues.

A DNF for me over two Ns. I missed the N in NAN and WNBA didn't enter my head, and the N in NIA (okay) but I didn't get the vertical ONIONS! Now that is sad.

Off to Denver this early morning,
Read you all later.

Montana

Burrito34 said...

Good morning,

Although I seldom post here, I often do the crosswords and afterwards check out this blog. I enjoy the creativity of the constructors and also the things I learn from you who are "regulars" here. Thanks very much.

Anyhow, this puzzle had some interesting cluing that in some cases led to to two possible answers each having the correct amount of letters such as:

(30A) NATO alphabet word after November: I first thought "alpha" but the clue was for the next letter alphabetically so it was "oscar."

(39A) Subject of the sports film "42": I first wrote "Jackie" as in Robinson but perps led to the word, "racism".

(40A) Nemo's creator : I was animated in my thinking so I put down "pixar" at first; turns out it was Verne as in Jules Verne.

(65A)Muddy home: I was thinking of a mud "hut" but the old crossword standby of "sty" was the right fit.

From someone who stays in the shadows, you all keep up the good work!

HeartRx said...

Good morning C.C. et al.

I loved the theme – very clever to find phrases that begin with the letters for YMCA. And I loved the fact that you gave us a private tour of your mental process on this one, C.C. The stacked theme entries didn’t compromise the fill at all, IMO. Actually, with Rich’s clues, it seemed a lot easier. I doubt I would have gotten he “baseball bracelet” reference, or “pig, to Clooney.” Did not know he owns a pig!!

I was filling in the SE corner (without much luck), and had “I see IT” instead of I GET IT. Then when I moved out west, I CAN’T SEE appeared. Aha! So that’s where I missed the boat! After going back and fixing that one, I was done before I knew it. Thanks for a fun hump day puzzle!

Burrito34 said...

Oh and one other thing.

(10D)"__ ripoff!" I would like to have seen "___ trap!"

A reference to the internet meme of Star War's Admiral Ackbar.

Lemonade714 said...

Awesome fun, thanks C.C. the constructor constructor and also C.C. the blogger. A rare treat indeed.

Puzzle was fun and WBS, WMS and sometimes I like the original clues better.

Lemonade714 said...

Montana, how Long will you be in Denver?

Hops & Pie awaits, my son will take good care of you.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

We're off on another adventure, so I'm posting from my tablet. S-L-O-W.

When I got the MB starting the second theme entry, I was sure I'd screwed something up. That reminds me, it's not the weather in Bangkok that causes the problem. But I digress.

C.C., I'm impressed that you can remember what your thought process was a year ago. I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.

Off to tour some antediluvian mansions. Oops! Meant antebellum.

Later, maybe...

TTP said...

Thank you CC and thank you CC. Great puzzle and great write up.

At 18A, I had ---R-M-S--E and first thought it might be 'something MUSCLE'

What will you think if # 33 gets traded to the New York Yankees ?

"Boomer said I could not pluralize "Vagary". I just ignored him." That cracked me up. My DW does that to me all of the time. She exhibits great patience.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Thanks for a fun puzzle and informative write up CC. I liked learning a little about the inner workings constructors experience.

Had the theme pretty early today. Is there a Minor League ballpark that doesn't play YMCA between innings at least once a game?

I'm not sure fan mail or fan requests get answered anymore without a SASE. SAE's are like TRex...extinct.


Other then 30A, OSCAR, which was all perps, no hold ups today.

I never went to see "42" nor will I. I respect his place in baseball history, but he was a Dodger.

As much as I bitch about our weather, I really feel for you folks in the West. It's hard to imagine the danger or discomfort the heat is causing.

[euncing]

grams said...

Pls explain 30A ?

LaLaLinda said...

Hi Everyone ~~

There is SO much I like about this today ~ the puzzle, the blogging - complete with insights - and lots of the clues/fill! I preferred most of YOUR clues, C.C. (don't tell Rich)

Not only was the theme clever, but each letter - Y-M C-A was in and of itself, not part of another word - great!

Of course I loved all the baseball related stuff: ALOU, RACISM, AT BAT, SEAMS, (did I miss any?) and at times, ALEVE and ULCER for me while watching the Red Sox. They're doing well this year - I hope they don't 56D!

Like Doha Doc, I thought of Home Depot on 1D - Where to find dates. Hi, Splynter!

C.C., I was AGAPE at this accomplishment - looking forward to more! (LOL over your comment regarding ignoring Boomer.)

desper-otto said...

Grams, it's just the phonetic alphabet. N=November, O=Oscar.

Mari said...

Good Morning Everybody!

Nice puzzle today. When I first read the clue for 36A I was stumped. I couldn't think of any disco-era groups other than ABBA and The Bee Gees.

I wrote in DDS for "Its members employ hygenists". The correct answer was ADA of course. (I should know this from all the tooth paste and chewing gum ads).

I liked:
- 26A: Hard Water? ICE
- 51D Swift Work: ESSAY

Have a great day, and if I can't check in later, have a wonderful Independence Day tomorrow.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the fine review. Boy, that's a first!

This puzzle was on my wave length. Got it done in 15 minutes. That is definitely a record for me for a Wednesday. Usually it takes me at least an hour.

PUBS was my first answer. Then got that whole little section.

EDITH was easy for 8D. All in the Family was the best sitcom ever, in my opinion.

Thought I was in trouble with YCHR until I read the clue. Filled in in easily. My wife is always blaming my errors on my Y CHROMOSOME.

I have no problem with VAGARIES. Looks like a good word to me.

ARAL Sea again. Crosswordese lately. Actually, it is good to get this tragic situation out in the public's mind. We are slowly destroying the world.

Lots of baseballese today. Makes sense. I would expect nothing less.

Off to my day. Hope to head to PA tonight. See you tomorrow.

Stop back, Burrito34.

Abejo

(taksys)

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Great job, CC! The puzzle was a delight and the expo was the frosting on the cake. Very clever theme with some tricky cluing.

Had a rare dry day yesterday, but more t-storms coming today.

Happy Wednesday.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

I am early because acid stomach kept waking me up. Swell puzzle and write-up, CC!

Much easier for me than yesterday! No cheats.

It's off to holistic dentist again today. Sure am not looking forward to it!

Saw the first episode of Under the dome. Lots of people on IMDB hated it. I haven't made up my mind. Sliced cow very unrealistic! Any body else watching?

Happy belated birthday, Eric! Why not post?

Wasn't the Final Jeopardy question trivial?

Happy hump day!

fermatprime said...

Disagree with you, Abejo. My vote goes to Frasier.

Argyle said...

I've seen the second episode of Under the Dome and still not sure of it. Things like that cow detract from the show.

How do feel about eating humus, easy on the teeth.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. What a nice surprise, a nice puzzle from C.C. and then a hot wash-up from C.C. Thank you.

Enjoyed the theme fill although I didn't fully focus on it before coming here. Somehow wagged A IS FOR ALIBi. (Already had 'alibi' and 'is fo'.) Found the west half a bit crunchy - just enough for a Wednesday, and not enough to get ired. Learnt the C - R14 equivalence.

Had another 1½" of rain yesterday. Very TROPICAL here.

Enjoy the day.

Lucina said...

Hello, fellow solvers. Thank you, C.C. for your double duty today. I loved the puzzle and was pleased to learn the thought processes you used.

Great job blogging it, too!!

I didn't realize the ARAL Sea was in such dire shape. I'll have to research it.

Like others, I enjoyed seeing the entire title, A IS FOR ALIBI. I don't read her books but am quite aware of them.

This filled so fast I didn't see some of the verticals such as PET but did know TOI! And who knew George Clooney had a pig!

Today I must go see a periodontist. Later

Have a happy Wednesday, everyone!

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Ah C.C., our Double Duty Darling! Thanks for the fun puzzle & insights into the constructor's world. This is a bit hard, but I keep plugging away and I GET IT! Some clever stuff.

I don't think, unless one is a pilot or closely related, the NATO alphabet is ever used or even known about. Rich's November clue just added more obscurity.

I've never been to a wedding dance that YMCA wasn't played at least once. It's a good active song when everyone is "three sheets to the wind".

I though Sue Grafton was really ambitious when she started the alphabet series. Now I'm just pulling for her to finish the final few. Remarkable! Both for finding a female character with such long-lived popularity and being able to come up with fresh plots still stuck in the 1980's.

Is anyone watching "So You Think You Can Dance"?
Always a favorite with me.

Lucina said...

FYI:
Today is the birthday of Moises ALOU. He is 47.

CrossEyedDave said...

Wees,

Filled in very nicely, except:

43A You to Yves, I automatically inked in "OUI" without thinking. Minor inkblot.

I could not remember if it was "A"leve or "E"leve, but knew it had to be one or the other. That left me with a blank #28 space that had me scratching my head. I thought it was going to be a personal Natick until the 2nd time thru the alphabet...

CC, your original clue for 8A still has me scratching my head? (Edith head reference?) I don't get it?!?!

Anonymous said...

C.C. Thanks for the great puzzle. Easiest Wed for me. 18a broke everything and I had all theme answers before the rest of the fill.

Hiccup at 23a (Member seemed resonable), but that is all inked over now. Almost fell for Ural instead of Aral, but that got me a few weeks ago (I can be taught!).

Hands up on wanting Pixar at 40a, but held back. 22a and 51d also fun puns.

Cheers,

-T

Misty said...

To me, there's nothing more exciting than finding a C.C. puzzle in the morning paper--until today, when we also got C.C. explaining its construction! It doesn't get any better than this--thanks so much, C.C. And you also made us appreciate Rich's job as editor more.

The puzzle itself was brilliant, I thought. I agree with LaLaLinda that having the first letters of YMCA not part of words was what made it really amazing.

I've made risotto, but since there are ONIONS in practically everything I cook, it took a while before I felt confident about this.

Thought SENIOR referred to high school or college golfers. Talk about being in denial.

Only problem, I think I'm the only one who still doesn't get NATO alphabet. What is that? I know I'm going to feel stupid when I hear the explanation.

Finally, I loved the shout out to my town!

Have a great Thursday, everybody, and thanks again, C.C.

Tinbeni said...

C.C. OUTSTANDING puzzle and write-up.
Thank you for a FUN Wednesday.

Had a bit of a snafu when I entered "A IS FOR Arson" before my perps came up with an ALIBI.

Fave today was 1-D, Where to find dates, PALMS.
Also liked RAPS AT for 39-D, Knocks on.

Never use that "Hard water" (ICE) here at Villa Incognito.

Cheers to all at Sunset.

Zcarguy said...

Ram became a separate name brand in 2011 , no longer a Dodge

HeartRx said...

CED @ 10:41, Edith Head was a famous Hollywood costume designer.She designed for all the famous stars, and was nominated for (and won) more Oscars than any other woman.

Misty @ 11:03, the NATO alphabet is a phonetic alphabet which uses common words instead of letters. It is used by the military and other groups to avoid confusion during radio transmissions. Here is the complete alphabet.

Ol' Man Keith said...

This was more than the usual fun thanks to CC's blogging it. That gave us all a view of some of the inside dynamics of publishing a crossword.

I liked this for a Wednesday. Not too hard, and not a pushover. RACISM threw me for a minute or two because it haS the same number of letters as JACKIE, and J was lingering in my head from JAY and JAG. But the M of RAM could not be ignored.

I was tempted twice to check the internet (for "Lynx" and "Duracell"), but managed to keep Satan squarely behind me-- for a clean finish.

Pookie said...

Greetings C.C. and all.
FUN puzzle today, C.C.
Very clever theme. YMCA indeed!
Almost DNF in NW. Had ADOBE and put in cOt instead of LOG against even my own better judgement.
How could La Tuna Canyon be on the beach???
Almost put in TIE tack.

Funny stuff, Doha Doc!
Made me think of the

MOM SONG

JD said...

Good morning C.C., and all,

a double delight today...loved the YMCA theme and your thought process.Vagaries (singular or plural) was new to me. Loved Swift work. Essay was an a-ha!

Like others, I thought of Pixar, and teams before seams ... also seats :0

Needed just 1 letter to figure out sty, because I kept thinking of swallow nests!Stubborn brain.

Doha Doc, laughed out loud at the man/woman songs. I bet we could come up with a long list for 1D's: where to find dates.I'd say apt. pool.Fun clue, C.C.

I have enjoyed all of Sue Grafton's quick read novels.I've been known to pick up ones that I've already read at flea markets due to CRS.

Looks like it may be a tad cooler today.My hydrangeas are not happy.

RD said...

Ram is now a seperate division within the Chrysler Company, no longer called a Dodge Ram. Relative easy puzzle for a Wednesday.

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you, Thank you Doha doc for the Man song and the Woo-man song ....

And Thank you, Thank you .... Pas de Chat for the MOM song....

MADE MY DAY !

Thank you C.C. for a wonderful puzzle. Got it all. Thank you Rich - you made it all possible.

C.C. - Loved your blog - and you did it great justice and were very fair.

I have to be honest, and I have to agree with Rich's clues - for the most part - your clues, though cute, would have been too difficult and / or obscure for me. Perhaps you meant it for a Friday Puzzle.

I had 'TONYS" before Emmys and I was not aware that Delhi had a Metro. I got the 'Y Chromosone' immediately and got Village People and the YMCA theme.

WNBA was out of my horizon, and a couple of other clues .... like the R-14's.... but it is all well.

Thank you, again.

You all have a nice rest of the day..... I get my new computer, soon.

Vidwan827 said...

Swallows - at least in S.E. Asia who make the nest that goes into the 'yan wo' birds nest (soup) ..... make their nests, by using salivary laminae, not mud.

It is the male swallow, or rather a male swiftlet, who builds the nest, .... with his saliva. Maybe, one more thing, that makes a man, a man.

Somehow, I originally had 'Irony' instead of 'Essay' for Swift's work.

JD said...

Vidwan, I have heard of the Chinese delicacy of Bird Nest's Soup,but the barn and cliff swallows here in CA,(like those swallows that fly to Capistrano each year) build nests of mud that last forever... and, of course, are unedible.

Pas de chat, enjoyedseeing the mon song again, WITH the lyrics. La Tuna Canyon cracked me up. There is a Topanga Canyon which was pretty much untouched when I was a kid.

Anonymous said...

Vidwan827 - That's one way to fix your computer :-) -T

Misty said...

Marti, thanks so much for telling me about the NATO alphabet and giving me the link. Fascinating! I'd never heard of this. And to think I even taught linguistics for a few years early in my career (okay, a kazillion years ago when the NATO may not have been invented yet). One of the things I love most about this blog is learning new things--and this was exciting info to learn.

JD said...

Whomever submitted oscar must have been from Boston....oss-cah? Where is the R sound? LOL!

Melissa, lots of power outages in Campbell area too. PG daughter got a hotel room at the Pruneyard because it had AC and a pool.T'was all good, no more swollen ankles.

HeartRx said...

JD, I had a good laugh about your Boston comment. I hadn't even thought twice about the phonic "OSS-CAH" until you mentioned it!!

Misty - that's why I enjoy the corner too. Of course the cat videos, silly songs (thank you Doha Doc and pas de chat!!), and double entendres also spice up my day!

Bill G. said...

CC, Thanks for the fun puzzle and writeup. I liked 1A "Close one" = PAL and 16D, "Matzo meals" = SEDERS. As much as I respect Rich, I liked the original clues you had for 52A and 60A better than his. I wonder what his thought process was when he decided to change them?

Doha Doc (DD), I had never heard of The Man Song but I enjoyed it. Thanks.

Along with All in the Family and Frasier, I'd certainly put WKRP in my top five. Maybe Cheers and Welcome Back Kotter too.

CC and others, are you paying any attention to the Dodgers' new rookie, Yasiel Puig from Cuba? He's raw but he's got a lot of ability and is off to a great start. He's batting .443 with eight home runs after one month in the major leagues. He's fun to watch running the bases and taking an extra base whenever possible (and sometimes when it turns out not to have been possible). The Dodgers needed his spark and ability.

CrossEyedDave said...

YMCA#1

YMCA#2

YMCA#3

john28man said...

Here is a link to the NATO Phonetic Alphabet also used by ATC (Air Traffic Control:

NATO Phonetic Alphabet

Spitzboov said...

JD and Heart Rx - I can assure you the Navy pronounces Oscar as OSS-kur. Oscar is also the name of the dummy that is thrown overboard during Man Overboard drills. As in - the lookouts may be asked: "Where is Oscar?"

Lemonade714 said...

I really enjoyed the Man Song, which I had first heard listening to the BOB AND TOM SHOW which I discovered taking my kids to school 15 years ago. They have a wonderful stream of comedians coming through.

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, I opened the paper today and said, "I hope it's a C.C. puzzle." It was and not only that she blogged it, also. A real treat for all of us.

I loved the clues for Pulls in/Nets, Hard water?/Ice, Close one/Pal and Swift work/Essay. I even got the theme today!

I had one glitch in the Mid W section. Not being familiar with "42" and putting in "In Awe" instead of Agape I had to erase as Olsen and Rap at became solid answers. Even so, I had this finished while eating lunch. No lookups and lots of perp help.

With the heat at 100 yesterday and 98 the day before, I've done nothing much except sit around and do things that didn't require much exertion. Today is cooler so far, so I got out to the garden early to water and pick some veggies for dinner. Cucumber salad anyone?

Have a great rest of the day, everyone.

Abejo said...

Hey,Tinbeni. Nice to have you back! Always enjoy your posts.

Abejo

(liedsedm)

Anonymous said...

I thought Tinbeni was banned from this blog?

Husker Gary said...

So many people claimed to hate disco. Why? I had as much fun with it as CC’s lovely pre 4th puzzle and enjoyed the inside baseball on cluing!

Musings
-P IS FOR POSTPONING reading one of Sue’s books. Recommend?
-Even EDITH pushed back sometimes
-Thanks for the shoutout CC, I got in 27 this morning before working for 6 hours for my MIL and was just WET from the shower
-A nice way of many to clue OSCAR. BTW funny movies don’t get many
-Great hitters can “count the SEAMS on the ball” when they’re in the zone
-I’m sure Pueblo Abodes has been a nice anagrammatic clue?
-We science peeps all taught the BOHR atom for years
-My dad HOME CARE from a very disinterested lady
-ALEVE is magic for me
-The RAM is too big, my Dakota is “just right”
-Off for city fireworks tonight

Avg Joe said...

While it was unusual (and forced), I enjoyed the rare combination of constructor and blogger being the same. Well done CC! The perspective was very interesting.

Speaking of Edith Head ( and a repeat), seen on the wall of a bar in Denver c. 1977, "Edith Head gives good wardrobe."

CanadianEh! said...

Working today and late to the party. WEES
Great job C.C. both on the puzzle and the explanations.
Jean Stapleton who played Edith Bunker died May 31/13 so maybe that's why Rich changed the clue.
Didn't know SOLON or AFTA.

JD said...

Bill, 2 of your 5 sitcom choices scored high on their 100 favorite list that Entertainment Weekly just put out. All in the Family was #6 and Cheers was #15. Frasier was #44, and no shows for the others.Two of mine, ER and MASH were 30 and 31!They also rated movies, music, stage, and books.

Gary, none of Sue Grafton's books stand out, but then a book has to have really strong characters(The Color Purple, The Poisonwood Bible) or exciting plot(The Road ) for me to remember them.

MJ said...

Happy 4th Eve to all!

C.C., thank you so much for sharing your original cluing. I agree with many of Rich's changes which make this puzzle Wednesday level, but MUCH preferred your clues for 65A "Home sweet home, for pigs" (STY), and 49D "Up time" (ATBAT). It was fun to see your original thought process!

Enjoy the night!

melissa bee said...

good evening c.c. and all,

bummer i couldn't blog this puzzle, another gem from c.c. - the constructor's insight is always appreciated.

i've got power now but my imac is a little worse for wear. a few strange glitches, including it can't tell time now. i had to reset it manually because it couldn't determine my location - and i guess it changed itself at some point after that because i just figured out it was 8:19 and not 6:44.

jd, a hotel seems like a good idea.

lois said...

Good morning CC,et al., What a thrill to have you write up your own puzzle! Like Doha, I loved seeing your thought processes together with the evolution of the clues. Very interesting. Congratulations on both accounts. Jobs well done! Great theme too. LOL at your 11D comment.

Fav clues: 18A…what makes a man a man….a real poser. I have come to the conclusion that to be a real man means that he has overcome testosterone poisoning...learned to control it. I could be wrong though, but i DON'T think so.

party On!

Got derailed earlier, but just wanted CC to know how much I enjoyed her puzzle and blog.

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

TTP,
I think #33 will take less and stay with the Twins.

Bill G,
After Puig's first wild week, Boomer went to eBay for his rookie cards. Too hot to touch.