google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday August 25, 2013 Gail Grabowski

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Aug 25, 2013

Sunday August 25, 2013 Gail Grabowski

(Please click here (LA Times Crossword on-line) or here (Mensa site, no ads) for the Sunday puzzle we blog here. We don't know why LA Times newspaper does not carry this puzzle on Sundays. )



Theme: "Force Field" - CE is added to each theme entry.

23A. Light for lovers? : ROMANCE CANDLE. Roman candle.

39A. Coat with a "V" on it? : PEACE JACKET. Pea jacket.

58A. Op-ed page apology? : HUMBLE PIECE. Humble pie.

84A. Flinch at the drop of a hat? : WINCE EASILY. Win easily.

102A. Astronaut's vacation spot? : SPACE RESORT. Spa resort.

121A. Cruise destination for impulsive sorts? : ISLE OF CAPRICE. Isle of Capri.

16D. Wipe out municipal coffers with a scam? : FLEECE THE CITY. Flee the city.

57D. Satiric video of a backyard gathering? : FARCE FROM HOME. Far from home.

So, two CE are added to the end of the second word, quite consistent.

I don't quite get the title. Argyle explained to me: "All I see is forcing CE into a phrase. For CE field." Just does not sound natural. Anyone else has a better explanation?

Across:

1. "Nope" : NAH

4. Symbol on Vietnam's flag : STAR. It has a single star. China's has 5.

8. Assertive comeback : AM SO

12. Fixed expense : FLAT FEE

19. Denver-to-Chicago dir. : ENE

20. Gutter locale : EAVE

21. In the neighborhood : NEAR

22. Added up : TOTALED

26. Reddish-brown horses : SORRELS


27. "Close enough" : IT'LL DO

28. Agitated : IN A STIR

30. Winslet of "Revolutionary Road" : KATE. Her husband's name is Rocknroll.

31. They're often not seen on the beach : SHOES

32. Alias user : SPY

33. Chef's creation : DISH. And 7D. Food Network offerings : RECIPES

35. Grifter's plan : SCAM

38. Philosophical subgroup : SECT

44. Ranch ending : ERO. Ranchero.

45. Hot Springs National Park locale : ARKANSAS

48. Exist : ARE

49. Add staff : HIRE

50. "OMG, skip the sordid details!" : TMI

51. D.C. regulars : POLs

52. Icky buildup : CRUD

53. It's good when it's fair : WEATHER

55. 2003 holiday film : ELF

62. Kid stuff? : SUEDE. Great clue.

63. MTV's owner : VIACOM. They own Comedy Central as well.

65. Enumerate : LIST

66. Pres. after JAG : CAA. This got me all the time: James Abram Garfield & Chester Alan Arthur.

67. Ltr.-bottom letters : ENC

68. Designer Saarinen : EERO

69. Docking places : SLIPS

71. Dried coconut meat : COPRA. Learned from doing Xwords. Do you guys have Bob's Red Mill product in your local grocery stores? Their Coconut flakes are so good.



73. Kerry's home : EIRE. Kerry Country Ireland.

76. IRA recommender : CPA

78. Memorable 1969 bride : ONO

79. Bit of deceit : WILE

80. Give : BESTOW

82. Musical shortcoming : NO EAR

87. "__-haw!" : YEE

88. 2013, election-wise : OFF-YEAR. Yay, no campaign stuff at our State Fair. But I developed a strange sun rash on my forearms a few weeks ago. Now I can't walk under the sun for too long. Face, neck & legs are all fine. Why my forearms?

90. Unkind comment : BARB

91. Roger of "Cheers" : REES

93. Patriotic org. since 1890 : DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution)

94. Tissue additive : ALOE

96. Soprano Marton : EVA. Another stranger to me.



97. Private quarters? : BARRACKS. Like "Private meal" for MESS. Can't fool me.

101. Earlier : AGO

105. Let off : VENT

106. Sub : TEMP

108. Score notation for two singers : A DUE

109. Actor Tommy __ Jones : LEE

110. Rush participant : MINER

111. Defunct govt. anti-subversive group : HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee). I just read the Wiki article. I used to think it was the one once headed by 
McCarthy.

113. Dispute decider : ARBITER

117. Tootsy cover : BOOTEE

118. Shout during an attempted escape : STOP HIM. Be aware of those iPhone snatchers.

123. Percussion set : TIMPANI. Kettledrums.

124. Give out : EMIT

125. Couple's pronoun : OURS.

126. Protective pad : MAT

127. Victimizes : PREYS ON

128. GPS suggestions : RTEs

129. Picture of health? : X-RAY. Another great clue.

130. Mini-albums, for short : EPs.

Down:

1. Steamer sunk by a U-boat in 1941 : NERISSA. Never heard of it. Spizboov?

2. One way alternative? : ANOTHER. One way or another.

3. Socrates' undoing : HEMLOCK. He drank the poison.

4. Ships : SENDS

5. Folded food : TACO

6. Greeting for Gaius : AVE

8. Kournikova of tennis : ANNA. She's been with Enrique Iglesias for many years. So pretty.


9. Doc's orders : MEDs

10. Curing substance : SALT

11. Potato giant : ORE-IDA

12. NBA stats : FTs (Free Throws)

13. Words of impatience : LOOK HERE. Can you give me a context? I don't associate LOOK HERE with "impatience".

14. Gillette product : ATRA

15. Bakery buys : TARTS

17. Wriggly swimmer : EEL

18. Text tweakers, for short : EDs (Editors)

24. Handle in a pub : ALE TAP

25. "The Cherry Orchard" daughter : ANYA. No idea. Wiki said it's the last play by Anton Chekhov. 

29. Loaded : RICH

32. Jerk : SPASM

34. Goggles and boots, say : SKI WEAR. For Marti, who kayaks as well. And she loves opera.

36. Dangerous partner? : ARMED. Armed and dangerous.

37. Ripply fabric : MOIRE

40. Soft touch : CARESS

41. Blow one's top : ERUPT

42. Sci-fi warriors : JEDI. See, it's always singular.

43. Needle : TEASE

46. NYC neighborhood above Houston Street : NoHo. North of Houston Street.

47. Depressed areas : SLUMs

52. Tie already tied : CLIP ON

54. Airs : TUNEs

55. Night for celebration : EVE

56. Links concern : LIE. Golf course.

59. Pancakes served with sour cream : BLINI. Argyle calls them Blintzes.

60. Environmentalist's test site : ECO LAB

61. Jutting lands : CAPES

64. Patient's obligation : COPAY

70. Underhanded course of action : LOW ROAD. Hard to take high road at times.

71. '80s-'90s Olds models : CIERAs. I have no concept of car models. I thought of ALEROs.

72. More adept : ABLER

74. Shad output : ROE

75. Meadow matriarch : EWE

77. Bailiwicks : AREAs
 
79. Make, as a basket : WEAVE

81. Once-over giver : EYER

82. Signal silently : NOD AT

83. No longer a minor : OF AGE. I feel like I suddenly grew up yesterday due to Boomer's heath scare. He's been protecting me and taking care of me all these years. I've never written a check, paid a bill or even opened a letter from the mailbox. He does everything. Now it's time for me to be an adult. So grateful to have all my blogging team and Misty there giving me prompt information.

85. Radio-active type? : CBer. Saw this clue before. So no stumper today.

86. Enraged : IRATE

89. "Stand Up Guys" co-star : AL PACINO. Never saw the movie.



92. Messiah : SAVIOR

95. Andean country: Abbr. : ECUA (Ecuador)

97. "Song of the South" villain : BR'ER FOX. Is Br'er Bear good then?

98. Franc fraction : CENTIME. French "cent" or "hundred".

99. Football pad beneficiary : KNEE CAP

100. "__ of Philadelphia": Oscar-winning Springsteen song : STREETS. Loved the song. Can't remember much of Philadelphia.

103. More chilling : EERIER

104. Cooking spread : OLEO

107. Lightweight boxer? : PUPPY. Ha ha.

110. Peter Rabbit sibling : MOPSY. Flopsy & Cottontail.

112. Elated exclamations : AHAs

114. Realty ad abbr. : BSMT (Basement)

115. He beat Arthur in the 1972 US Open : ILIE (Nastase)

116. Vietnamese holidays : TETs

117. "Cleopatra" star, 1917 : BARA (Theda)


118. Lucas Oil competitor : STP. Gimme for eddyB. Not me.

119. French shooting match : TIR. No idea. I used Google Dictionary, it says "TIR" is French for "Shooting".

120. Part of an hr. : MIN

122. Contemptible sort : CUR

C.C.

50 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, gang - a rock-em, sock-em thunderstorm woke me up, so I figured I'd knock out the puzzle, then maybe catch a few more hours.

As Dudley pointed out yesterday, this one seemed a bit tougher than most Sunday offerings. Seeing the obvious theme with ROMANCE CANDLE certainly helped the rest of the way, but I had some problems, particularly in the NW. Needed perps for NERISSA, and once I had the AL---- for 24D, 'Handle in a pub', all I could think of was AL CAPP, when in fact the character I was thinking of was really ANDY Capp. I call that dumb squared. I'm blaming the four hours of sleep I've gotten so far.

After that ink blot, I went with HEE HAW for 87A, SKI GEAR for 34D and ALEROS for 71D, ''80s-'90s Olds models', all of which created more ink blots. Finally, I needed perps for Roger REES; knew the face, but not the name.

Still a fun solve, just a bit messier than normal. Always love Gail's cluing.
Enjoy the day; heavy rain's the order of the day here - good for a little catch-up sleep.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Cool puzzle, Gail! Thanks so much! Swell expo, CC!

Did not think that it was very difficult. Got the tada w/o any typos to search for. No cheats, unlike last two days!

Saw Life of Pi tonight. Really liked it. (Especially the math connection.)

Have a great Sunday! (Off to sleep, I hope!)

River Doc said...

Happy Sunday everybody!

Well, this one took more brain power than usual for a 21 x 21. I started to SPASM at MIN 50, since I only had 10 minutes left for lunch. I kept looking at the filled long answers and trying to see how the words FORCE or FIELD would fit (force fit?). Then the extra “CE” theme revealed itself (with ISLE OF CAPRICE) to my gray matter (AHA!) and all of a sudden the rest fell into place. Except for 2 squares, that is…. (Damn you, John Kerry, stay out of my head!)

Do I have a better explanation for the puzzle title? NAH….

First DNF in a month of Sundays, so a DISH of HUMBLE PIE is in order….

Lots of write-overs: HEE for YEE, GUNK for CRUD, PIERS for SLIPS, ALEROS for CIERAS, PITA for TACO, ADULT for OF AGE, PRE for AGO, SOHO for NOHO, HERO for TEMP, FROSH for MINER, and DISNEY for VIACOM….

WAGS that worked: MOPSY, MOIRE, SECT, and HUAC….

I noticed a lot of double “E”s by double “G” in today’s puzzle, namely: fEE, lEE, yEE, knEE, EEro, strEEts, flEEce, EEl, rEEs, EErier, bootEE, and wincE Easily….

TMI…?

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Ave, Gail! Great puzzle! I caught on to the theme early, which helped on the later ones. Got stuck on ROMANCE, wanting some word for "moon". I don't think of candles as romantic -- only a fire hazard.

I had trouble with 29 IN A STIR/RICH cross for some dumb reason. Also 114D BSMT. These were my last fills.

I wanted TyMPANy.

New to me: NERISSA, EVA Marton, ANYA.

C.C., I hope Boomer is all right. What happened? I am so sorry you had a scare. Please let us know.

Dear C.C., please educate yourself on Boomer's business matters. My sister was a "protected wife". When her husband, a wealthy man, became incapacitated, she didn't bother to open his mail. As a result, his big life insurance policy lapsed and she got nothing when he died. He owned several real estate properties which were sold by the taxing entities because she didn't know to pay the taxes on them. She came close to losing her home. She has lived in near poverty ever since. Such a shame.

desper-otto said...

Oh no! The Houston Barnacle has gone over to the dark side! Today's puzzle was the NYT Sunday puzzle, not the LAT. Now that I've finished that one, I'm going to check online to find the LAT puzzle. Makes me wonder what Monday will bring....

Yellowrocks said...

Fun Sunday puzzle. I don't understand the title, but I caught on to the theme quickly. Gail, please enlighten us.
NERISSA was all perps.
The Mensa site omitted three clues. I had to wait for the newspaper to finish the SE.
I have used LOOK HERE and SEE HERE as terms of impatience. "Now LOOK HERE! I told you many times that ball playing is not allowed indoors!" They are not gentle phrases.
Favorite was kid stiff=SUEDE.
Sorry to hear of Boomer's health scare. I wish him well.

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

PK,
Boomer has no business matter. He's been retired since May 2003. I meant he opens all our mails.

Boomer has diabetes and he has struggled with the foot nerve problem for a few years. He started to limp after spending the whole day last Wednesday at Treasure Islands watching the pros bowl. I fear his right foot is losing sense. He could not find his car key on Thursday after bowling when in fact he walked with the big key chain inside his right shoe (He always put the key in the right shoe in the bowling center). His foot was too numb to feel the keys.

He could not point & drag the mouse accurately at the poker card when he played online game earlier yesterday morning. He blamed the Pogo website. Then when we took a short walk in the afternoon, he had severe limping. Then he dropped the Pepsi can on the carpet when we were back home. I also noticed a bit of speech slurring (He insisted he did not slur).

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

So I wrote to Argyle immediately. He said it might be a stroke. Lemonade & Marti said it might be TIA (mini-stroke). I think it might be indeed be one after reading what Misty said in her email.

But Boomer refused to go to ER and said I overreacted and acted weird. He said he walked unsteadiby because his right toes all felt tingly and funny and he had to put more weight on his left foot.

His speech has since been very clear and now he's quick to retort. He hates when I nag or push him to see his VA doctor ASAP.

desper-otto said...

I'm back....

This was much easier than the NYT. We got TARTS but NOHO (plus those New Yorkers mispronounce Houston). No, I don't understand the theme title, either.

C.C., I agree with what PK said. You need to be aware of the "business end" of your marriage. When my dad died many years ago, mom suddenly had to deal with the finances. Her only previous experience had been a purse full of credit cards that she used freely, but didn't have to pay. She coped, but it wasn't easy, and it wasn't pretty.

Yellowrocks said...

EAVE

Haiku based on the author’s childhood memory of icicles with the sun shining through them.

Icicles

Clean, clear icicles,
Like a living chandelier,
Growing from the eaves.

Montana said...

Hope Boomer is doing okay. Please keep us updated.

Awoke before 7 am to fire engines blaring. I heard at least two, but I see no smoke. I do live two blocks from a highway. I am not a gawker, so will wait to hear what happened, on the radio.

I did this puzzle yesterday when it came out early, but couldn’t find it this morning, so re-did it. Still had some red letter squares. I absolutely never saw the theme. (That’s not unusual, though.)
I surprised myself at how well I did. I figured MOPSY, but kept trying to put it across rather than down, and it wasn’t working. I do that on occasion with the larger Sunday puzzles. I read both across and down clues, know one of the answers, and then try to put it in the puzzle but the wrong direction without thinking about it. Wonder if it’s because I am left-handed?

We have Bob’s Red Mill products in our stores.

Have a relaxing Sunday, everybody,

Montana

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

C.C. = I never heard of NERISSA. (got from the perps today). Other than being the only ship to sustain loss of Canadian soldiers, it was not unlike many many other ships sunk during WWII, It was only 5000+ tons and shorter than my destroyer. This is not a nit but my guess is Gail ended up with a word she had to find a clue for.

I enjoyed the puzzle and found the theme fill relatively easy. The 'CE' schtick was mutually helpful.
59d - BLINI. I call them blintzes, too. I think blini is Russian while blintz is Yiddish. I could be wrong.
52d - CLIP-ON. We had a captain who required the officers to wear ties to the evening meal - even at sea. So at the change of the bridge watch at the end of the first dog, at 1800 hrs, the oncoming watch would. after relieving the off-going watch, take off their clip-ons and give them to the relieved watch to save them a trip to their quarters to get a tie so they could eat dinner.

Splynter said...

Hi there~!

I got the idea for the theme at romanCE candle, but then I put in PETTY JACKET ( I was thinking PETTICOAT ), and that made no sense at all - so the title made me try CE, which gave me PEACE instead, but as for the title, I still don't "get it".

DRUM KIT worked for 'percussion set' - messed that corner up for a while.

Best to Boomer, C.C., and I have to agree with the others - make sure you understand what's going on financially, etc., because I saw what went on with my parents; my dad was stubborn, too - keep persuading Boomer to see a doctor.

Splynter

buckeye bob said...

Here is how Wiki differentiates blini / blintz:

"A blin, blintchiki or blini is a type of thin pancake. Blintzes are thin pancakes that typically lack a leavening agent and are similar to crêpes, whereas blinis are typically thicker and include a leavening agent."

desper-otto said...

Dagnabit! Not only is it the NYT in the Barnacle, it's not even this week's NYT. I just determined that it's last week's Sunday puzzle by Liz Gorski. Unfair! I sure hope the LAT is back tomorrow. The Barnacle used to print the Sunday NYT on the following Thursday. This shenanigan smells of another cost-cutting maneuver.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

CC, not to be an alarmist but Boomer should definitely see a doctor. The symptom you describe sound very much like a stroke or TIA. Best wishes to you both.

Caught the theme immediately and most of the answers were pretty easy to come up with. I didn't get the TADA because of caves instead of capes, covra instead of copra; have never heard of copra. So, a FIW again today.

Favs were kid stuff=suede and picture of health=X-ray. Nice job, Gail, and neat expo, CC. (Please try to persuade Boomer to see a doctor.)

Happy Sunday.

emjay said...

Good morning, all.
Hey, Boomer. Listen to your friends and see your doctor! It's his job to help you.

I put in "tympani" for 123 across and thought tyr made sense for a French shooting match since I didn't have any idea what it might be. After seeing C. C.'s answers I looked up "tir" in my trusty French dictionary. It's gun firing like at a rifle range.
Have a great day, everyone.

buckeye bob said...

CC, I am normally a lurker, but I feel compelled to comment today. The effects of diabetes can be very serious. And the symptoms you described may be important clues. I add my voice to the others who say you must strongly encourage Boomer in a positive way to go to the doctor very soon. Do it for his sake and for yours.

Lucina said...

Hello, C.C., and all.

Fun sashay today with a plethora of three letter words and abbreviations. The -CE gimmick helped with the other themes after ROMANCE CANDLE.

I had not heard of COPRA and didn't recall CIERA; also I left the X in X-RAY blank intending to return to it and forgot. So a DNF today but lots of fun with the rest of it.

C.C., I will add my plea to encourage Boomer to please see a doctor. My late brother-in-law hated going to doctors and taking medication. One night he had a major heart attack and was found dead on the floor reaching for the bottle of meds. He was only 53.

It can happen and diabetes is very serious. Urging him to go for a checkup is an act of love. This is not to scare you but because we love you and we know you love Boomer.

Have a sensational Sunday, everyone!

HeartRx said...

Good morning C.C. et al.

Boomer, I am talking to you! I will reiterate my advice, along with everyone else's. It is not too late to avoid serious consequences, if you go see your doctor now, before you have a major issue. C.C., please do everything you can to convince him!

On a lighter note, the puzzle was a lovely distraction this morning. I did get the theme early on, so that was a big help. But I have no better explanation than what you said, C.C.

I loved the clues for PUPPY, "Lightweight boxer?" and XRAY, "Picture of health?" And of course, I thought SKI WEAR was great fill! It's not too long before I will be digging out all my stuff. But as you said, I am still enjoying my kayak during these lovely New England late summer days.

Have a relaxing day everyone. And do keep us posted on Boomer, C.C. We all are concerned, as you can plainly see!

Yellowrocks said...

Houston Street NYC was named when Sam Houston was only 10 years old and does not refer to him. It makes sense that the OU should be pronounced OW instead of long U.

“FIRST of all, we’ll get Houston Street’s derivation, and its unusual pronunciation, out of the way: The street from the Hudson River to Bedford had acquired its name by 1803, when Texas general, senator and governor Sam Houston (1793-1863) was ten years old. Couldn’t be him. Other accounts have the name derived from the Dutch term huystujn ("garden house") from the Bleecker family gardens, on which the street was laid out.” (Many sources dispute this garden house version. YR)

“Most likely, though, Houston Street is named for a congressman from Georgia, William Houstoun, who married Mary Bayard: her father Nicholas owned the land in Greenwich Village through which he cut the street in the early 1800s, naming it for his son-in-law. Houstoun spelled his name with that extra ‘u’ and likely pronounced his name Howstoon or Howston. Over time the extra letter fell out while the pronunciation remained.”

Link Source of quote

desper-otto said...

YR, I feel sorry for those Georgia folks who couldn't pronounce their own name. Howston, we have a problem!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-We had ROMAN CANDLE fights in my ute and lived to tell the tale
-Detroit died because a lot of good people decided to FLEE THE CITY
-I had a plumber over for 10 minutes but his FLAT FEE was $60 minimum
-We WINCED when we TOTALED up our August expenses. Yikes!
-Golfers have their own ideas of when to tell you “Close enough” on a putt
-This is the scene for which I remember KATE Winslet. Yowsa!
-They won’t HIRE you without a decent skill set
-“All right, you had your gall bladder out, the rest is TMI”
-JOHN KERRY’S HOMES
-OFF YEAR elections cut down on marchers in local parades
-My fav Tommy LEE Jones movie is the update of TV’s The Fugitive. All right, maybe Coal MINER’S Daughter too
-Anna doesn’t really need tennis, does she?
-The SALT in Lincoln, NE drew some off the Oregon Trail to resupply
-LOOK HERE, we’ve been waiting for over an hour!
-Taking the LOW ROAD always seems easier at the time but…
-Basement? Perish the thought. It’s the garden level.
-Boomer, nothing I read indicates your issues will self-heal. All of us are concerned about you and CC so see someone ASAP.

Yellowrocks said...

Having been a teacher, I am reminded at this time of year of the struggle to pronounce a list of new surnames. Quite a few surnames are pronounced differently although they have the same spelling. If I got it wrong, the friends would giggle. For example, the Koch (coke) Brothers, billionaire entrepreneurs and Ed Koch (kotch), former mayor of NYC or Sam Houston (hewston) and William Houstoun (howston), Georgia delegate to the Continental Congress.
Many words and names have several pronunciations. It is not a matter of right or wrong. But,of course, the kids would giggle regardless.

momnature said...

Boomer--

Please, please, if you love C.C. get thee to a doctor posthaste...I can still recall how frightened I was upon returning to my office nearly 30 years ago to find a message from my husband's station manager saying they had transported him to the hospital because he was unsteady on his feet and slurring his speech while maintaing he was 'just fine'. ER Doc diagnosed a TIA (transient ischemic attack) and I was suddenly forced to learn a whole new language...DON'T do this to C.C. She doesn't deserve such treatment Be Brave and seek medical help, not stubborn and foolhardy.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Well, I had to struggle with this puzzle today, and finally resorted to turning on the red letters to get TIR vs TYR and TIMPANI vs TYMPANI. Like you, Splynter, I put in DRUMKIT at first. Also, spelling BOOTEE as BOOTIE and MINER as MINOR, prevented me from getting KNEECAP. I still don't know how a rush participant is a miner.

I also worked Liz Gorski's NYT puzzle which is published in our paper on Sundays. I hate to say it, but I liked that puzzle much more, for once.

Best wishes to boomer and to you all.

Bill G. said...

I really enjoy Gail's puzzles and this was no exception. I sussed out the theme and it helped a bit with the solving. The fill was clever like, ITLLDO and LOOKHERE. CC, Look here and See here are just impatient attention-getting idioms. Like "Look here, that'll be enough of your shenanigans" or "See here, I don't belive your story!" They really don't have much specific meaning except to say I'm impatient and listen to what I have to say right now!

Gary, I agree about Kate Winslet. She's really a knockout. Anna K, the tennis player was a good player though not great. However, there was something about her face that just exuded sex appeal.

I am totally sympathetic with Boomer's dislike of going to the doctor. That said, I hope he will relent and get a checkup for both of your sakes.

Jayce, am I correct that you have to pay to subscribe to the NYT puzzles?

Jayce said...

Bill G, I don't have to pay for the NYT Sunday puzzle; it is printed in our Sunday paper every week instead of LAT puzzle. I don't know why, but as desper-otto said, it smells of cost-cutting maneuver. Sure, it's last week's puzzle, but it's there so I have fun with it. And if I don't find it to be fun, I leave it.

Argyle said...

Jayce,

Forty-niner miners were in the big gold RUSH.

Dennis said...

One of the papers we get, the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, has the Merl Reagle puzzle and the NYT puzzle each Sunday. I always assumed I was solving a current NYT puzzle, but you're saying it's a week old? Not that it matters; it usually beats me up anyway, but I'm just curious. Today's was by a favorite, Elizabeth Gorski.

Abejo said...

Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Gail Grabowski, for a great puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the fine review.

First, Boomer, please see a doctor just for your peace of mind, and C.C.'s. I went for decades without seeing one (except for the dentist), and almost had a disaster with my eyes. I now go to a regular doctor twice a year and my eye doctor twice a year. I do have peace of mind, and better health.

For the puzzle: Could not get started in the NW. NERISSA came late with only 7 perps. I am smarter than I look.

Theme came easily, after ROMANCE CANDLE and PEACE JACKET.

ALOE was easy for 94A. I am of the opinion that if you have a 4 letter word to fill and you are not sure of the word, just enter ALOE and you will be correct about half the time.

HUAC was good. I had forgotten all about that group. I am sure it was when i was a young boy.

Remember the CIERAs. I think the word in Spanish is not a good word. I remember reading, way back when, that GM was trying to market that car in Mexico, but the name was not appropriate in Latin America. Anybody know what it means?

Never heard of COPRA. Perped it. I do, however, take a tablespoon of of coconut oil every day. I was told by a retired doctor (free of charge), who is a friend of mine, that it may prevent alzheimers. So, I take a tablespoon of flax seed oil for my eyes each day as ordered by my eye doctor (not free of charge), plus the coconut oil. Anyhow, enough of that.

Off to the rest of my day.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(aficen)

Pookie said...

LOOK HERE!I said to the cop. I was mugged at the corner of Coconut and Oldsmobile! He was wearing a SUEDE PEACE JACKET and kinda looked like AL PACINO. I was standing at the TACO stand in NOHO when the CUR grabbed my purse. I yelled, "STOP HIM" and a a guy kicked him in the KNEECAP.It wasn't like I was on the STREETS of the SLUMS, for crying out loud.
The cop told me it's the guy who tries to FLEECE THE CITY and he PREYS ON distracted TACO eaters.
Oh well, this has been an OFF YEAR for me. At least he wasn't ARMED.

Jerome said...

C.C.- Here's a timely and perfect context for the phrase "look here"

"Look here, Boomer, you're going to a doctor!"

If he refuses, knock him out and drag his defiant butt to the VA.

SwenglishMom said...

Thanks for a tough puzzle today Ms.Grabowski! I needed to redletter this one! Even that didn't help for the block headed by CAA. Ciera, capes and ecolab were beyond me this evening, possibly thanks to my cold, the reward for nursing my 7 year-old on Friday when she was sick.

Thanks C.C. for your fine review and comments. I'm glad to know you have a fine family of concerned and knowledgeable folk here regarding your guy. Mine is a bit hypochondriac and maybe that's a good thing, except he can't bear it when I'm sick so it's carry on as usual as far as he's concerned even when I keep saying I don't feel well, like today.

Regarding your arm rash, C.C., hubby had that as well, just on the forearms. He looked it up and learned he needed complete coverage while it healed, any.time he was in the sun. The recovery took a couple of years but he thinks he's over it now. So invest in some long sleeves :-)

Best of luck with your fella. Sometimes we have to nag and be unlikeable in order to keep the thing we love. And sit in the doctor's office with him and make sure he's reporting all the symptoms.

SM

Anonymous said...

.Part of a life well-lived is providing for those you may leave. That includes making sure they know where everything important is and how to take care of it.

Jayce said...

Ah, those miners. Argyle, thank you.

Bill G. said...

I just took an online test that purports to determine ones social attitudes. I think it's got me pegged fairly well.

Radicalism 85.75
Socialism 50
Tenderness 50

These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a university professor. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.

HeartRx said...

Abejo @ 3:04, I think you may mean the Chevrolet car "Nova." In Spanish, it means "Does not go." So, it was inappropriately named for that market.

Bill G. said...

I was driving to get an espresso yesterday when I noticed I was behind a Tesla motorcar. Very nice-looking. I bought a little stock in the company several weeks ago. I'm hoping it will turn out to be another Apple.

PK said...

C.C. Just got back to the blog after an early start this morning. Thank you for letting us know about Boomer. My experience with our folks was that the sicker they were, the louder they protested against seeing a doctor. I think they get scared and don't want to hear bad news. This makes things very difficult, but at some point, the concerned person just has to take command. Sometimes it takes several persons. Does he have a friend there he might listen to? Boomer is a big boy for you to physically have to force. Good luck, sweet lady! Boomer, we want you well and able to bowl 300.

JD said...

Good evening C.C. and all,

C.C., you have a lot on your plate, but, as always, did a great job on Gail's goodie. Her puzzles are always fun with just enough of a challenge. Loved the clues:
rush participant
kid stuff
lightweight boxer
picture of health

and who doesn't love the word bailiwicks?

copra, a learning moment

I bet there were others who wanted tin ear in lieu of no ear.

There were 3 or 4 that I could not complete in the SW, surrounding farce from home.

C.C., I thought Swenglish Mom's advice @ 4:30 was worth rereading. If Boomer waits until his Oct. check up he will have forgotten all those symptoms.We love you both.

BTW, I thought I was the memorable bride of 69. LOL!

Blue Iris said...

CC and Boomer, I would make an educated guess, with the info provided, that Boomer had a TIA. These may multiply and worsen into a full blown stroke. He should be followed continually by a physician. The ER has meds (TPA) that must be given quickly to stop permanent damage, if a stroke does occur. Does he take his blood pressure at home on a regular basis? You usually can have it taken at a drug store. I'm sorry to not be more tactful, but this is serious.

My DH has always handled our finances, but he keeps an updated Excel spreadsheet of our expenses along with other vital info in desk drawer.

I enjoyed cluing with today's puzzle because I could at least get half the fills without hoping around. Still don't totally understand the theme. Just finished it now.

We went to a play in Wamego, KS at the Historic Columbian Theater this afternoon. It was called HOO-HAW and was music and corny jokes like old TV program. We enjoyed it very much.

chefwen said...

Yellowrocks - I also print out the LA Times from the Mensa site. Most every Sunday they miss some clues. I just go to their site and scroll down to read the missing clues and write them on my printed out copy.

You would think that all of those smarty pants people at Mensa could figure that out.

Montana said...

Found out my sirens this morning were 3 fire engines and one ambulance responding to a 2 vehicle crash south of town. We are under red-flag warnings of high fire danger because of extremely low humidity.

Montana

Anonymous said...

Anon.. Just FYI, I use the LA Times online every Sunday by using this link: http://games.latimes.com/games/daily-crossword/. I think the difference is that I select it via the Daily version by 'date' rather than choosing the 'Sunday' version by Reagle. Hope that helps.

fermatprime said...

CC,
I have known many people who have had TIAs, sometimes on the phone with me. At least make Boomer take an aspirin should another one occur.

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

SwenglishMom,
Thanks for the sun rash advice. I'll wear long sleeved shirts for protection. So strange I developed a sun rash at this age.

PK,
He has close friends and a grown-up son from a previous marriage, but knowing him, I don't think he'll mention this episode.

Blue Iris,
He does take his blood pressure at home. But not on regular basis. He only takes his blood sugar every day (165 on Sunday).

Fermatprime,
He does take an aspirin every day.

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

Thanks for the advice & concern everyone, each is a comfort to me.

Boomer is adamant he did not have a TIA, and I annoy or even anger him whenever I mention this topic. He said he dropped the Pepsi because he clumsily wanted to take off his shoe. He insisted he did not slur. The only thing he admits is his limping, which is due to tingly feeling of his right toes. He has been dealing with this tingly nerve issue for quite some time.

Boomer is seeing his VA doctor in October. I'll make sure he mentions this strange episode to the doctor. He's hot tempered at times. My nagging often backfires.

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

I've also learned what on earth insomnia is and how precious "peace of mind" can be.

Anonymous said...

Didn't particularly enjoy this puzzle, found it somewhat tedious. Once I got roman candle, I sort of knew what was going on. Best wishes to all.