Words: 70 (missing Q,V)
Blocks: 32
This was one of those puzzles where perseverance wins the day. Many
proper names had me stumped for a while, with that creeping feeling that I
was gonna give in to Google - BUT - a few Wild-Ass Guesses (WAGs) and
some slight changes to my first guesses, and Ta-Da~!! We had us a
grrreat grid spanner today, with a little mis-direction:
35A. At sea : DISCOMBOBULATED
- I so wanted "ON THE BOUNDING MAIN", but I needed two more spaces; I
like this word; I have not gotten discombobulated on my first UPS
driving route - but wait til they move me to a different one for
Christmas, when I'm looking for house numbers in the dark....
And some tricky triple 10-letter corners;
5A. Site of many rolls : CRAPS TABLE - bakery? fat farm? oh, got it
16A. One of Sophocles' Theban plays : OEDIPUS REX
57. Showmanship : RAZZMATAZZ - ZZ's~!!!
61. Trooper relative : ISUZU RODEO - not a state trooper; we've had this automotive ruse before....note the License Plate~!
ON WAAG~!
ACROSS:
1. "The Matrix Reloaded" actress Pinkett Smith : JADA - even though I have not seen the movie, there's not too many "Pinkett Smiths" that I know of....
15. Asian sea : ARAL - crossword staple
15. Asian sea : ARAL - crossword staple
17. Brought up : BRED - I was stuck on REARED, SIRED, and then tried BORE
18. "Been there" : "I CAN RELATE"
19. Walked to the gangplank, say : SAW OFF - past tense of SEE off - and if you're on the gangplank, I hope it doesn't get SAWN OFF
21. One in a rack, maybe : SKI - um, yeah, one of these can be found in a rack, too....
22. Edible Andean tubers : OCAs
23. Cindy Bear's boyfriend : YOGI - DAH~! I did not know this
24. It may be thrown in : THE TOWEL
26. Less enthused : SOURER
28. Strauss' "__ Rosenkavalier" : DER
29. Toss up : LOB
31. Duke Frederick's daughter in "As You Like It" : CELIA - OK then
33. Bowl, e.g. : ARENA
40. Nerdy : UNHIP - ah, not WEIRD
41. 1978 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year : LOPEZ - Nancy Lopez, once married to baseballer Ray Knight
42. Ristorante suffix : INI - RotINI, LinguINI, etc.
43. N.C. State is in it : ACC - the Atlantic Coast Conference - sports
46. Former Prussian province : SAXONY
49. "Give me a break!" : "OH PLEASE~!"
52. Buck back? : AROO - BuckAROO
53. When Annie sings "Maybe" : ACT I - Put in "ACT", and wait; in truth, it can really only be "I" - maybe "V"; ever seen "X"?
54. Skit site, for short : SNL - I put this in, then took it out; my last fill via perps
55. Saturate : IMBRUE
60. "__ girl!" : ATTA
62. Common subject in "The Far Side" : COWS - here's one, and a link to more
18. "Been there" : "I CAN RELATE"
19. Walked to the gangplank, say : SAW OFF - past tense of SEE off - and if you're on the gangplank, I hope it doesn't get SAWN OFF
21. One in a rack, maybe : SKI - um, yeah, one of these can be found in a rack, too....
22. Edible Andean tubers : OCAs
23. Cindy Bear's boyfriend : YOGI - DAH~! I did not know this
24. It may be thrown in : THE TOWEL
26. Less enthused : SOURER
28. Strauss' "__ Rosenkavalier" : DER
29. Toss up : LOB
31. Duke Frederick's daughter in "As You Like It" : CELIA - OK then
33. Bowl, e.g. : ARENA
40. Nerdy : UNHIP - ah, not WEIRD
41. 1978 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year : LOPEZ - Nancy Lopez, once married to baseballer Ray Knight
42. Ristorante suffix : INI - RotINI, LinguINI, etc.
43. N.C. State is in it : ACC - the Atlantic Coast Conference - sports
46. Former Prussian province : SAXONY
49. "Give me a break!" : "OH PLEASE~!"
52. Buck back? : AROO - BuckAROO
53. When Annie sings "Maybe" : ACT I - Put in "ACT", and wait; in truth, it can really only be "I" - maybe "V"; ever seen "X"?
54. Skit site, for short : SNL - I put this in, then took it out; my last fill via perps
55. Saturate : IMBRUE
60. "__ girl!" : ATTA
62. Common subject in "The Far Side" : COWS - here's one, and a link to more
63. Bit of bun flavoring : SESAME SEED
64. Granny __ : KNOT - Dah~! I was stuck on "SMITH"
DOWN:
1. Short blows : JABS
2. Decks out : ARRAYS - I put in ARORNS, not realizing that this is NOT how you spell ADORNS
3. Dismantled Korean automaker : DAEWOO - every now and then I see this logo on cars; some Wiki on the company
4. Older brother of designers Vasco and Rodolfo : ALDO GUCCI - Once I had ALDO ---CI, the V-8 can flew
5. Lock arrangement : COIF - Hair locks; didn't fool me, but I tried UPDO to start
6. Cam button : RECord - on your camcorder
7. Recipe phrase : A DASH - DAR~! an "A" phrase; I was looking for BLEND, SAUTÉ, etc.
8. Edged with shears, as cloth : PINKED - Nailed it - mom is a seamstress, and owns PINKING shears
9. Elf : SPRITE
10. Calendar abbr. : TUEsday - take your pic; seven days, twelve months; or wait for perps; when the "E" showed, that narrowed it down a LOT
11. Comparatively base : AS LOW
12. Place for an allergy alert : BRACELET - ah, and a good one, as well
13. Not to mention : LET ALONE
14. They used to be together : EXES
20. Warm-colored gem : FIRE OPAL
5. Lock arrangement : COIF - Hair locks; didn't fool me, but I tried UPDO to start
6. Cam button : RECord - on your camcorder
7. Recipe phrase : A DASH - DAR~! an "A" phrase; I was looking for BLEND, SAUTÉ, etc.
8. Edged with shears, as cloth : PINKED - Nailed it - mom is a seamstress, and owns PINKING shears
9. Elf : SPRITE
10. Calendar abbr. : TUEsday - take your pic; seven days, twelve months; or wait for perps; when the "E" showed, that narrowed it down a LOT
11. Comparatively base : AS LOW
12. Place for an allergy alert : BRACELET - ah, and a good one, as well
13. Not to mention : LET ALONE
14. They used to be together : EXES
20. Warm-colored gem : FIRE OPAL
24. Oakland paper, familiarly : TRIBune - a WAG
25. Degree hurdle : ORAL EXAM
27. Titular Wes Craven street : ELM - The TITLE "A Nightmare on Elm Street"; titular had me thinking about "racks" again
30. Harmful : BAD
32. 2011 Huffington Post acquirer : AOL - America OnLine, once part of Time Warner - more here
34. Fayetteville athlete : RAZORBACK - Arkansas
35. SADD focus : DUI - not DWI - not "while intoxicated", but "under the influence"
36. Never : IN NO CASE
37. Noble pets of imperial China : SHIH TZUs - looks funny in the DOWN
38. Admired speaker : BOSE - I thought this might be a mis-direction; not an orator, but a woofer/tweeter; could have been POLK, too
44. Brother of Lucrezia Borgia : CESARE
45. Epic poem divisions : CANTOS
47. Antiviral brand : NORTON - Computer virus software
48. Couple's address : YOU TWO - "Oh, you two, get a room~!"
50. Pie not served for dessert : PIZZA - dinner last night
51. Noddy Holder's rock group : SLADE
53. Onassis et al. : ARIs
55. __ Center: former N.J. Nets home : IZOD
56. Word with Side or End : EAST - EAST side, EAST end
58. Ornamental flower : MUM - I thought this might be the answer, but it filled via perps anyway
59. Series finale : ZEE - EX, WYE, ZEE - what a great way to finish~!
Splynter
For those who are wondering, I did three days of UPS driver training
with a supervisor last week, and then this week my first day was TUEsday
- and they sent me out, alone, with 162 stops. Most seasoned
guys go out with that many this time of year. Not a good day. But the
rest of the week the stops came down, and I got better with the names
and numbers. However, there was an 'incident' about 4 stops from the
end of today's run; a woman mowing her grass next to the stop sign I was
at chipped up a rock, and it shattered the glass of the open door on
the right side of the truck - four inches to the right and it could have
beaned me; had to drive back to the center with a thousand shards of
safety glass falling to the floor.
Haiku instead of limericks today. Two sets of three three-line verses.
ReplyDeleteOH, PLEASE, a themeless?
I'm DISCOMBOBULATED,
Missing RAZZMATAZZ.
Like a buckAROO
In a RODEO, roping
Placid-BRED milk COWS.
Grid cells in ARRAYS,
Challenges I CAN RELATE
With my cyber TRIB tribe.
----------
IZOD, A.O.L.
NORTON, SPRITE, "CESARE PIZZA,"
BOSE: product placements.
DAEWOO, ISUZU,
Imported from the Far EAST,
LET ALONE the SHIH TZUS.
SHIH TZUS, a.k.a.
ChrysantheMUM dogs; lap dogs
A.k.a. yap dogs.
Difficult puzzle today, but not as bad as yesterday's. 5A I wondered if it was rolling waves or bakery rolls, then wondered why I had an -ABLE suffix on what I assumed would be a noun.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteGreat Saturday puzzle. Definitely a bit on the challenging side, but unlike yesterday I didn't get all DISCOMBOBULATED. Well, except maybe with IMBRUE, which was a complete unknown and just didn't look right to me.
Also took awhile to accept CRAPSTABLE. I had CRAP______ and was sure I must have made a mistake since that just wasn't proper language for a family puzzle... ^_^
[Lysalate]
Good morning all,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the explanations today, S. Wow, you were so lucky that rock hit the glass instead of your head! So did you finish those last four deliveries?
Lots of nice fill today, with all the ZZ's and XX's. OEDIPUS REX, ORAL EXAM, RAZZMATAZZ, ISUZU RODEO. And the grid-spanning DISCOMBOBULATED was icing on the cake.
I really liked the clue for BOSE, "Admired speaker," and "Site of many rolls" for CRAPS TABLE. Nice misdirection. I wasn't crazy about SOURER, and its clue didn't really conjure up that adjective in my mind. But still, it was pretty much a speed run all the way.
Have a nice start to the weekend, everyone!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI liked this one. It wasn't a Silkie, but it had a silkie feel to it. Came in several minutes under the wire, so all is good. Easier than yesterday, IMHO.
Hand up for thinking UPDO before COIF. I also immediately entered PINKED; not sure where that came from, but there it was. Chuckled at your racks comment, Splynter. Do you have to pay for the window?
I've got a pair of Bose speakers, but my favorites were made by Boston Acoustics.
Hey Splynter and Saturday solvers,
ReplyDeleteThought this was very doable for a Saturday, mostly what Marti said, I love my Bose and D-O my mother had linking shears in her sewing stuff which name made no sense but stuck with me.
Thanks Mark B. Don't be a stranger.
A real WAGfest for me (and I'm glad to hear that others had trouble with yesterday's puzzle). The final WAG was the "R" in NORTON and IMBRUE. Not a clue.
ReplyDelete[15:19]
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a toughie, but I managed to plug in a piece here and a piece there and get it filled...except around Imbrue. Had to red letter it in that area.
We have some Bose speakers around the house, too. After all, they're made over in Framingham. My favorites are my old Snell Acoustics, however.
Not as tough as a Silkie when it was all done, but not overly easy either. It took a while to gain momentum, but it all fell together. Liked seeing discombobulated. Had to wait for perps to decide on Razzmatazz or Razzamataz. Trooper didn't fool me, but it took a couple of perps to get Rodeo.
ReplyDeleteI lusted after a pair of Bose 901's 30 years ago when I couldn't afford them. By the time I could, I opted for Klipsch. Very happy with them. Also have a pair of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers that are amazing for their size.
Enjoyed the entries but was sourer about the clues.
ReplyDeleteDang! EST not ACC (shoulda seen OPAL not OPEL) hid in the weeds and cost me a 100% on Mark’s fine puzzle. I’ll take my 3 bad cells and try to get on with my life. If David’s effort yesterday generated 107 posts, what’ll happen today?
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Hey Oedipus, I only took my mom out to a movie
-I didn’t know this guy’s girlfriend was named Cindy
-Joe Frazier begged his trainer not to throw in THE TOWEL in the Thrilla in Manila but he did.
-Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a SESAME SEED bun.” C’mon, you could recite that!
-Even Solomon in all his glory was not ARRAYED as a lily of the field
-I’ll bet you were RECorded yesterday somewhere
-I love my LOB wedge
-Hey, Tin, I thought _ _ _ _ H was PINCH
-If you don’t know the difference, you can’t be a scout
-Our local TRIB can be slid under the door most days
-What musical featured the The Oldest Established (Permanent Floating CRAP Game)?
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteA toughie today but, grudgingly, fun to do. 10 letter stacks were brilliant. Never heard of IMBRUE before. I found the NW extremely gnarly.
Wondered what a CRAP STABLE was (I mucked them out in my youth), but then saw CRAPS TABLE and it made a lot of sense with a very clever clue.
All in all, a worthy Saturday offering.
Have a great day.
Guys and Dolls - Nathan Detroit - Luck be a Lady
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a DNF for me due to not knowing Izod Center, imbrue, and having Isuzu Rover instead of Rodeo. As DO said, it wasn't a Silkie, but it had a Silkie feeling.
Thanks, Mark, for a Saturday stumper and thanks, Splynter, for your cool expo.
Have a super Saturday.
Bill G keeps raising the 'I me' question to which I made a short response yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI found this on line about I, me, myself. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the expo, Splynter. Glad you didn't stop the rock with your head! My brother is a UPS driver back in the UK.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is named Jocasta - Oedipus's mother's name. No need to let an odd story get in the way of a delightful name.
Enjoyed the plethora of Z's down in the SW?
I will leave out the link for "crap stable" in the hope that Pas will return. (yes, I found one!)
ReplyDeleteBut I must link this discombobulated sign!
Hi Y'all! I CAN RELATE to Mark's great puzzle, I guess. It was fun for a Sat. Thanks! Lot of unknowns on the first pass through, but filled in the next time. OED gave me the answer I was SOURER about at first.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, glad you survived your day to remember. Makes a good story to tell.
CRAP showed up for "site of many rolls" and my mind was in the bathroom with a big pack of toilet paper rolls.
Hand up for never seeing IMBRUE before. 46A read Russian not Prussian so slowed that down.
39D not elm or oak or fir or gum. UPA? What kind of tree is that? Oh, UP A!
O-B-------D gave me DISCOMBOBULATED somehow. A successful WAG!
48D Couples address: I was trying to remember where golfer Freddie Couples lives. Duh!
Much admired speaker: Boehner sure didn't fit even if it started with the right two letters.
48D Couples address: I immediately put in STANCE and thought, "How clever" but ALL the letters were Xed out. Then and there, I decided to leave the 'help' on.
ReplyDeleteWhat a huge relief today's puzzle was, even if I didn't get every single thing. But I wasn't DISCOMBOBULATED the way I was yesterday. So I gave it a good Marti try and got nearly everything. I goofed, like Irish Miss, on ISUZU ROVER instead of RODEO (hey, I drive a ten year old Subaru Outback) and also put EMBRUE instead if the unknown IMBRUE. But this was a lot of fun, so, many thanks, Mark. Splynter, I loved the photo of the FIRE OPALs--gorgeous. And was shocked to hear of your near hit. Glad you're okay, but what a scare.
ReplyDeleteBOSE was the best misdirection, I thought. And of course I thought UPA was a kind of tree, like the three-letter ELM. Doh! But at least I got it even if I didn't 'get' it. And Husker, your OEDIPUS come-back was hilarious!
Yes, Pas, we still miss you.
We're trying to work up the courage to go see the 3D version of "Gravity" next week. My former students are all buzzing about it on Facebook but they say you're afraid to get into your car, after the movie, it's that disconcerting. I'm thinking we may be too old for this one.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
First of all keep your politics OFF THIS BLOG! Some of us at least appreciate that someone is trying to slow Obama's attempt to have the government taxing us into oblivion and taking over our lives!! Write again when Obamacare won't pay for your medical procedure that because of your age you are not deemed worthy by an IRS agent.
ReplyDeleteANON @11:50 How hypocritical. You say keep politics off this blog and then you spew more politics than the one you are criticizing.
ReplyDeleteanon at 11:59: Don't get your knickers in a twist. PLEASE! Boehner didn't fit because there are too many letters in the word. That wasn't a political statement. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteThat should be "anon at 11:50.
ReplyDeleteMisty, I won't be going to the "Gravity" movie because I can't even watch the ads on TV for it. A little too grave a situation with one of my favorite actresses.
ReplyDeleteSplynter: Excellent write-up & links explaining my Ink Blot.
ReplyDeleteDISCOMBOBULATED made this a FUN puzzle (all-by-itself) then RAZZMATAZZ showed up. Great stuff!
No problem with IMBRUE ... isn't that what I do with Pinch? lol
Hope the Tampa Bay Rays play better today (they can't play worse). Go Rays!
Cheers!!!
Very late to yesterday's Canadian party so I posted there today. Couldn't miss that chance!
ReplyDeleteHaven't had time to do either Friday or Saturday's puzzle and off to a birthday party today.
Maybe tomorrow.
Happy Saturday all.
DAMN!
ReplyDeleteI'm good!
No, I mean it, friends. I breezed through Mr Bickham's Saturday opus w/o a single help, and in less than a half hour. Either he has posted today's puzzle as a trick or I am just getting THAT much sharper.
Let's see: how did it fall? Well, I wasn't sure about JADA but took a chance. I didn't know any other bears except SMOKEY (too long) and YOGI (just right!) - and the upper left corner fell.
Next, well, OEDIPUS REX is right up my professional alley, so to speak, so I got that--just as I'm sure other colleagues sometimes find their specialties helping out. (But then OEDIPUS isn't that arcane a title, is it?)
After that, with only the "D" and the "M" in place, and no perps yet, DISCOMBOBULATED just flowed from my pen (yes, Pen! I don't fool around). I guess it helped that I had used that very word in this blog within the past month...
RAZZMATAZZ and SESAME SEED also "just flowed"; it certainly helps when the long ones give no resistance.
Finally it was just a matter of cleaning up. With my confidence up, I found that none of the misdirections was able to misdirect me today.
I guess we all have our days....
Have a great weekend, everybody!
MJ
ReplyDeleteI read and enjoy the blog every day. This is my first post. I must write to say how much I enjoyed yesterdays puzzle. I thought the theme was great anding with my favorite " eat metween meals." People are still down on it today and so I wanted to put in a positive opinion on the clever theme
To Steve @ 11:02,
ReplyDeletewho must be one to "defy augury"!
I agree that Jocasta is a very attractive name, but I am curious as to why--? Or how it was-- if you are up for telling-- that you decided to bestow it on your daughter?
The only classic use of the name of which I'm aware is for Oedipus's mother/wife. Her sad fate might deter many from recycling her name. But I am probably unaware of some virtues that may also accompany the name-- and would love it if you might enlighten us.
It may be time for more brave dads to rescue the name Jocasta!
Keith -
ReplyDeleteIt came about in a completely innocent way - there was a food writer in the UK named Jocasta Innes and my ex and I both liked the name. She has a daughter (who is also a writer) named Miranda, which, coincidentally, was also my ex's name.
I hadn't read Oedipus at that time and didn't know the name's origin - this was long before Google would have given us pause for thought.
My daughter likes the name - she's had it for 23 years and hasn't changed it yet!
Speaking of CrapStables: Not sure if the wordplay was intentional, but PointOfOrder's BS sign off barb to me yesterday gave me a chuckle, considering what the initialed version of their user name spells.
ReplyDeleteAnother good mind stretch today for us late week perseverers... Usually I'm on same wavelength in terms of my solving as Barry G., but for yesterday, which I both completed and enjoyed in doing so.
Yup. Persistance and perseverance were the key today. All my "Granny" words were 5 letters or more except "SHOT". I didn't get that fixed until I realized the "Fayettville" team wasn't in the Carolinas but in Arkansas. That gave me "KNOT" and one of my favoritites of the day "NORTON" Anitviral. Hah! Other short fills threw me off for a while to: like CURL instead of COIF. I had ARAL and ARRAYS but I too thought ADORNS was a better fit and was certain there would be a more obscure sea than ARAL for a Saturday (perhaps ADEN)? Once I figured the Trooper was an ISUZU, my first model was the AMIGO! Hahah. I loved SLADE when I was kid, but always felt like a dork because they weren't a "serious" rock band like Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or Aerosmith. I'm glad they got their due as an influence on many successful bands that followed.
ReplyDeleteSteve: Ever watch King of Queens?
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteGreat avatar picture!
Al Cyone,
Nice to see you back. How's your job?
Thanks, Steve!
ReplyDeleteYour reason for adopting the name is a familiar one. Parents often just read or hear a name, like it, and appropriate it. My mother told me that Keith was a hero in some Harlequin-type romance she was reading while I was cooking. I am sure your daughter will give her name a highly honorable new life!
I love Miranda--"worthy of admiration." I was privileged to be Prospero once, and my "daughter" Miranda was a very lovely young lady.
Unfortunately, the ignorant, indignant, self-centered, obsessive, hypocritical, hot-headed Anon@11:50 is representative of a certain segment of our population.
ReplyDeleteAwesome puzzle today. Loved it. Had the D_S and B_B, wrote in DISCOMBOBULATED, laughed out loud, then began to wonder if I might be wrong. Surely it couldn't be that straightforward, could it?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I kept thinking Fayetteville, NC, and kept wanting to squeeze BRONCOS in there somehow, but SAXONY was rock solid.
Hand up for wondering what the heck a UPA tree is.
Wanted GEEKY for UNHIP, which was a self-imposed obstacle in that area.
Altogether wonderfully clever and pleasantly misleading clues, and fabulous fill, as has already been pointed out.
Interesting how the difference of one letter (well, 2 letters in this case) can have such a large effect: if 47D had been clued as "Antivirus brand" I think NORTON would have popped into my mind immediately. As it was, however, I kept think of some sort of medication, which was, I dare say, the intent.
Best wishes to you all.
Man oh man, that Far Side COWS clue made me think of that old video "Cows with Guns" which I forthwith viewed (again) on Youtube. It's as funny as ever, and is worming its way around in my brain now.
ReplyDeleteHad to turn on the red letters today, but had fun with BOSE and NORTON.
ReplyDeleteJacye, if you are out of luck you are UP A tree. and thanks for the cow song; now it's in MY head. I did wonder why they kept saying he when cows are she. the writers must not have been country folk...
Qli, I guess in cartoons all cows are female. Not as much fun to draw as steers, I guess, or to say. LOL
ReplyDeleteMy parents had a pair of those Bose speakers once. One time I took the grille cloth off the enclosure and was amazed at what a long throw those little bitty woofers had. I'm currently lusting after the Polk Audio LSiM707 speakers, but my wife won't even consider getting new speakers, even though it was she who hand-picked the zillion-watt, part Rotel part Accurus stereo system that resides in our living room.
craps table makes so much more sense than crap stable...well, for the clue. Thanks Splynter. I was a little discombobulated for a minute.
ReplyDeleteHello all. Mark Bickham here. Glad some of you enjoyed this puzzle. I was leery of some vitriolic runoff from the responses to David Poole’s elegant and clever creation yesterday; I didn’t do his puzzle, but I can imagine that unless I reached the aha of the theme, it could have been a morning-ruiner, an all-or-nothing puzzle. As a constructor, part of me of course wants people to like my puzzle, but another part wants not to care; that part really admired David showing up on the blog with sort of an attitude of “I made this puzzle. I like it. Deal.” My NYT debut earlier this year was hated by people in unexplored parts of the Amazon Rain Forest, and it was hard to take. If you can’t handle criticism, don’t make puzzles. Mmmmm hmm.
ReplyDeleteI thought the band Slade was not well-known enough, so I had it clued as [Old West gunman Jack]. I thought I was familiar with the word “imbrue” from the phrase “imbrue with”, but I think I was thinking of “imbue with”; interesting similarity between “imbrue” and “imbue”. Thought Rich would consider PINKED a knockout, but he didn’t mention it.
I was a little rueful about the number of partials in the final product, but otherwise proud. Actually Rich rejected this version and asked me to revise the SE to eliminate UP A and ATTA, I believe, citing an excess of partials; not sure why he went with this original version. Editors are much more partial to partials that can be de-partialized in the clue, as was done with A DASH and AS LOW. I changed RAZORBACK to RASTAFARI (and BOSE to BITE, UP A to UMA, NORTON to IRISES, YOU TWO to PENPAL, and EAST to ESME), but RASTAFARI crossed AARE and maybe that was too Naticky for Rich. Anyway, I was ecstatic that he used my Far Side clue: I don’t really have a signature or style like many puzzlemakers, so when cluing I always try to pay homage to a hero of mine, just because--so it was nice to, in my own way, pay respects to Gary Larson.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Gravity heads-up, Misty. Interesting that the filmmaker wrote the script with his son--can’t think of any other father/son scriptwriters. Sandra Bullock so needs a great movie, I hope this is it. Love Clooney: I think that sort of blaring physical attractiveness some actors have often undercuts direct appraisal of their craft, but some pretty people are also extraordinary actors, like Clooney, or Jolie, or Depp.
Is there any greater example of Fate kicking the &%$# out of Freewill than Oedipus Rex?
Understanding Subject and Object has, for me, made many grammar rules self-evident. Subject acts, object is acted upon. Prepositional phrases have objects, but a preposition without an object--at the end of a sentence, e.g.--is grammatically okay for anyone who doesn’t want to be hypercorrect. Verbs that have objects are transitive, verbs without objects are intransitive. Linking verbs are the third and trickiest type of verb; they traditionally call for the subjective (aka “nominative”) form of a pronoun (he/she/I/they) rather than the objective form (him/her/me/them)… thing is, in short sentences like “This is she” or “It is I” the nominative pronoun feels awkward, so much so that on Bastille Day in 1987 the non-grammarian middle class rose up against the linguists and the lexicographers and collectively challenged the propriety of picking up a phone and saying, “This is he” on the sole grounds that doing so sounded silly, and they won. Power to the people. Since then, it has become more and more grammatically acceptable to say, “Hey, it’s me!” rather than “Hey, it’s I!” for no simpler reason than that the latter is aesthetically awkward (Grammar Girl might kindly disagree, but ask her in three years… she’ll come around, like they all will.)
ReplyDeleteI think that she and I will continue the fight against "me and her" until we succeed (doubtful) or die trying (inevitable).
DeleteI would argue that CRAPS TABLE and CRAP STABLE are alternate names for the same device!
ReplyDeletetest
ReplyDeletehmmmmm, wonder who Grammar Guy is...
ReplyDeleteMy Explorer has stopped working. I am on FireFox now.. I see on the net that Explorer has a huge security breech and is making a patch. I will stay on Firefopx from now on.I read something about Java Script also, but i don't understand it.
ReplyDeleteAnd my YouTube sound does not work. I think someone else on the blog had the same problem i wonder whether it is related to the Explorer problem.
For my last several visits to YouTube I got no audio, and discovered that the volume control within the YouTube video now defaults to "cranked all the way down." So I have learned one of the first things to do is slide the volume control up (from left to right.) Yellowrocks and others who have remarked that they hear no sound, maybe this is what you are experiencing. I don't think it's related to Explorer because I use FireFox and have the same experience.
ReplyDeleteBeating a dead horse again...
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate some of the positive comments about yesterday's clever puzzle. I'm guessing I wouldn't have liked it if I never caught on to the theme. I can imagine starting it on paper, getting frustrated, then somebody else giving me a hint and voila, I would see the trick and jump into the rest of it with both feet. I had much the same experience with solving it online. When I got stuck and was having a hard time proceeding, I turned on red letters. That warned me of a couple of mistakes and I filled in a couple of the theme squares with perps. Then, aha! I was off to the races. I am proud of David Poole's clever effort and of other constructor's defense of it.
I appreciate Mark's and other's thoughts on I/me. I know the rules though I always have trouble with nominatives. I think part of the trouble started when many schools stopped teaching formal grammar in favor of learning grammar by reading and writing.
Here's a little variation. Which is correct? I'll give the rest of the candy to whoever/whomever wants it?
Whoever. He who asks shall receive.
DeleteThanks, Jayce. My volume was already turned up. but I turned it up even higher. After being on FireFox for an hour my YouTube sound started to work. It suddenly came on at full blast.
ReplyDeleteWell, I feel I have redeemed myself on this puzzle after yesterday. Yes or no, would saying positionally, instead of literally have made the intent of the clues any clearer yesterday?
DISCOMBOBULATED, great word!
Thursday I was certainly discombobulated. When I came home from taking my son to work, all the lights in the house seemed dim and brown. TV, computer, and dryer showed no signs of energy starvation. After a while I called JCP&L who sent a man out to check. He said I had full voltage coming into the house, but he tightened a wire so that he didn't have to charge me for an unnecessary call.
After a few hours i wondered whether my eyesight was growing dim or what. I took off my glasses to clean them and saw I was still wearing my prescription sun glasses, which I seldom wear. They have the same frames as my clear glasses. Problem solved. Doh!
Mark, it's great to have you check in--many thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnd let us know if you see "Gravity" before we do. I'm still scared to try it, but suspect it will be nominated for tons of Oscars but won't be available on Netflix until after award season. So we need all the feedback we can get.
Misty, I'll let you know on Gravity.
ReplyDeleteOne for CED The Far Side
However, I'll give the rest of the candy to whomever I wish.
ReplyDeleteOne for Bill G
ReplyDeleteThe Far Side
Newbie here. I usually finish, but it takes me forever. I have loved this blog, but was appalled at the negative comments yesterday. How can anyone criticize the constructors?! They give their time to provide all the rest of us with pleasure. No, I didn't like yesterday's puzzle. Much too hard for me. But to fault someone who created such a sophisticated work of art is just too unkind to ignore. Thanks to all of you who give us so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThe only reason to see Gravity is for the special effects. The story is silly.
ReplyDeleteOne for Manac
ReplyDeleteThe Far Side
The Far Side Redux
One for the DF Crowd
ReplyDeleteThe Far Side
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away." The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet.. "How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something." The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room. The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck." The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!" The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but it's $150 now because of the Lab report and the CAT scan.
ReplyDeleteI probably won't go to see Gravity. I'm guessing I would enjoy the special effects in 3-D but I tend not to like stories where stuff starts to go terribly wrong until it's overwhelming. I guess I get too easily overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteG'Night all!
ReplyDeleteI just lost what I was posting searching for my bottom line link... Bummer (it'll come...)
Late in posting because I've worked on this on and off all day. I don't know how you guys do a Sat. I got about 17 ans. (right anyway) and still couldn't get anything beyond that.
Keith re: your easy solve. I'd like to say choice words, but you are too nice and obviously know more about art than I (DW had to explain O-Rex was a king too - I was thinking with Odipus with short arms like a T-Rex? Sorry, just tip the waitstaff...)
CED - now I know were to go to ReCOMBOBULATE myself after today :-)
HG - I know my KNOTs. RAZORBACK gave me that. BSA!
Steve - New avatar, you cycling?
YR - There are a number of new patches that came out this week. You may want to get your tech in to look at your computer. If IE doesn't work, there's an issue.
OwenKL - priceless...
Manac - After two kids, I got tutored too!
And my favorite Far Side.
Cheers, -T