Theme: Freeze Frame! As the reveal nicely explains:
52A. Where to find the starts of 20-, 25- and 46-Across : ICE-CREAM PARLOR. This is my local one here in Studio City:
20A. Some boxing wins : SPLIT DECISIONS. This happens when the three judges are not unanimous in their choice of the winner, and this usually gives rise to some controversy.
25A. Cause a stir : SHAKE THINGS UP. Like James Bond's martini.
46A. Sitcom security device that often defeated its own purpose : CONE OF SILENCE. From the '60s series "Get Smart". Here's the debut of the device from Episode 1.
Wednesday already? Gosh, tempus fugit. Good Morning everyone! Steve here with what I thought was a tougher-than-usual midweek offering from Pam. The top middle section gave me fits and I thought at one point I'd have to throw in the towel, but I managed to stare down the recalcitrant empty spaces and finally the pennies dropped. The theme was nice. Some crossword-ese in the fill but I think that's not unusual with two 14's and two 13's making up the theme. Let's see what else we've got.
Across:
1. Tower site : BABEL
6. "That last piece of cake is mine!" : DIBS.
10. Hemingway nickname : PAPA
14. Once __ time ... : UPON A
15. Shield border, in heraldry : ORLE. As I mentioned at the top, this section was tough for me, and this was my last fill. I need to file this away in the memory banks for the future. This is the shield of my old British Army regiment:
16. Skunk's defense : ODOR
17. Roulette choices : NOIRS. I missed the plural and had "NOIRE" first which slowed me down a little.
18. Roulette, for one : NOUN. I could not see this for the longest time and then I had my V8 moment.
19. Baltic native : LETT
23. Not bare : CLAD
24. Large expanse : SEA
31. Bath accessory : MAT
33. TV talk pioneer : PAAR. I always spell his name PARR at first, and then I go back and change it.
34. March composer : SOUSA. The band of the Grenadier Guards performing "Stars and Stripes Forever" at Blenheim Palace. Nice stirring stuff!
35. Destructive Greek god : ARES
37. Like May through August, literally : "R"-LESS. The four months of the year which don't have an "R" in their spelling. In the UK, we were taught not to eat oysters during these months as they were more likely to spoil in the warmer weather.
40. Bar order : BEER. In crossword-land, you order beer in bars and ale in pubs.
41. Use Comet on : SCRUB
43. Rejection from the top : VETO
45. RMN was his vice president : DDE. Ike's veep was Tricky Dicky. Excuse me, President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Vice President was Richard M. Nixon.
50. Bread, at times : SOP
51. Salad cheese : FETA
59. Winter coat : SNOW
60. Michigan city or college : ALMA
61. __ Janeiro : RIO DE. Host of next year's soccer World Cup. I can't wait!
62. Part of a plot : ACRE. I put ACT I first. Not quite sure what I was thinking there.
63. Pleased : GLAD
64. Navel phenomenon : INNIE. I need to wait for crosses to distinguish from an OUTIE. I wanted LINT first.
65. Tools for Wolfgang Puck : PANS. Nice checho with 12D
66. Italian noble family : ESTE. Completely unknown to me, so perps all the way. Here's their coat-of-arms. The orle isn't very impressive!
.svg/250px-Coat_of_arms_of_the_House_of_Este_(1239).svg.png)
67. Fancy moldings : OGEES. Another puzzle staple familiar to regular solvers.
Down:
1. Burger King supply : BUNS
2. For each one : A POP
3. Recipe instruction : BOIL
4. Supplement nutritionally : ENRICH
5. Race ender : LAST LAP
6. Outcome of successful negotiations : DONE DEAL
7. Camaro __-Z : IROC. Named for the now-defunct International Race of Champions auto race.
8. A bit down : BLUISH
9. Dojo instructor : SENSEI. This is also the term used for third-generation Japanese Americans. In this context it is the term used for a judo teacher - the dojo is a judo gym. (From C.C.: Steve confused "Sensei" with "Sansei". San ="Three" in both Chinese & Japanese, hence third-generation.)
10. Game divided into chukkers : POLO. The Brooklyn Dodgers used to play at the Polo Grounds - it must have been tricky fielding grounders with hoof marks everywhere!
11. Arabian Peninsula seaport : ADEN
12. Tools for Wolfgang Puck : POTS. As noted previously a nice clecho with 65A
13. Gallery showing : ART
21. Senegal's capital : DAKAR
22. Swimmers Crocker and Thorpe : IANS
25. Rudder's locale : STERN
26. Coin-tossing attraction : TREVI. They say if you throw a coin into the Trevi fountain you will return to Rome - I didn't and I've never been back. I've been kicking myself ever since. Marti will laugh.
27. Gooey lump : GOB
28. Upholsterer's choice : SUEDE
29. Previously owned : USED
30. Cut the skin from : PARE. Or peel. Waiting for crosses.
31. Like "padre," e.g.: Abbr. : MASC. Wow! Wednesday? This had me at "M"
32. BP subsidiary : ARCO
36. Drag to court : SUE
38. Like some millionaires : SELF-MADE
39. Expensive : STEEP
42. Pear variety : BOSC. Why do I always want to add an "O" at the end when I know it doesn't belong?
44. Lake on the New York border : ONTARIO
47. Silo filler : FORAGE
48. Hogwarts castings : SPELLS
49. Thoughtful : CARING
52. Cuzco native : INCA
53. Muffin grain : CORN
54. Flock females : EWES
55. Latin I verb : AMAT
56. Single : LONE
57. "Garfield" canine : ODIE
58. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES. Cheers? Not my first thought for this Welsh actor
59. Maple yield : SAP
That's it from me. If you're in Santa Monica at the tourney on Saturday come and say hello! I'll be the head-scratcher wondering what the heck just happened! C.C. bullied me into entering :)
Steve
Note from C.C.:
1) As Steve linked earlier, Crossword LA will be held on Oct 26 Saturday this year. They have an outstanding constructor lineup. Do say hello to Steve, our Wednesday Sherpa. He is not easily bullied. Look at those muscles. I forgot which race he's running in November.
2) Happy Birthday to dear CrossEyedDave, whose links and comments brought us so much laughter and joy.
Let's all make funny links for Dave today. Here is mine:
Steve
Note from C.C.:
1) As Steve linked earlier, Crossword LA will be held on Oct 26 Saturday this year. They have an outstanding constructor lineup. Do say hello to Steve, our Wednesday Sherpa. He is not easily bullied. Look at those muscles. I forgot which race he's running in November.
Let's all make funny links for Dave today. Here is mine:
WARNING: the first two are for people with dirty minds only.
ReplyDeleteThere once was a miss from Montana
Who could do things that most women canna'.
She had such firm control
Of certain muscles below
She had a fun way to SPLIT a banana!
A poor Ireland lass couldn't bake.
She'd ruin her pie and her cake.
But while chesty protrusions
Caused risks of contusions,
Guys watched when she made her milk SHAKE!
Gary couldn't decide, Jane or Joan;
Which to marry and take for his own.
He was thrown for two loops
Picking flavors of scoops,
But no question, his deserved waffle CONE!
They would meet by the cooler at the PARLOR
Where he in his arms would ensnarl her.
But with gloom he was pelted
While his ICE CREAM all melted --
And she waited in the funeral PARLOR!
You have no idea how warmed I am by the encouragement you all give me. Like Yellowrocks' son, "the intangibles are well worth it: purpose, self-esteem, time to socialize with real peers, a sense of accomplishment." But to keep myself from getting too swelled a head, I remind myself that you have just spent a significant amount of time building these themes yourselves, so these bits of doggerel are meaningful to you, but would be just so much dross to anyone outside "this happy breed of men and women, this little world, this precious stone set in the paper sea, against the envy of less happier pursuits,- This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this Crossword!"
P.P.(post posting) About the risque limericks, I want to apologize. I wanted to make them all that way, but couldn't manage it.
ReplyDeleteCED
Meta-clues at 18A, 31D & 37A almost qualify as a secondary theme.
Good morning Steve, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, CrossEyedDave! I hope the ladies don't "bug" you too much today, so here's my link for you!
¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫
Great write-up, Steve. I did throw a coin in the Trevi, and I have been back several times. Coincidence? I think not...
Cute theme, that I did not see coming until the reveal. The theme entries came easily for some reason, and I filled each one with only a few letters filled from the perps. I loved seeing CONE OF SILENCE. "Get Smart" was such a silly show, but I used to watch it all the time.
Yellowrocks (from last night) - it was so good to hear about your son's progress. Thanks for sharing.
Happy hump day, everyone!
Morning, all (*and Happy Birthday, CrossEyedDave)!
ReplyDeleteGot through this one pretty quickly. Didn't really care for BLUISH as clued (does anybody actually say "I'm feeling BLUISH today"?) but I got it after a few perps.
Struggled down south with FORAGE (what?) crossing ALMA, SOP and ESTE, but some semi-educated guesses (SAGS?) got me through.
[nvenapi]
Good Morning, Steve and friends. I struggled with the top portion, but after ICE CREAM PARLOR revealed itself, I was able to fill in the other theme answers.
ReplyDeleteThe Burger King BUNS, just wouldn't come to me. I had _U_S, and all I could think of was Cups. Oh, the biblical Tower of BABEL! Once Pisa entered my mind, I couldn't shake it.
Happy Birthday, Crosseyeddave!
QOD: Anyone who believes you can’t change history has never tried to write his memoirs. ~ David Ben-Gurion (Oct. 16, 1896 ~ Dec. 1, 1973)
[tyuagiz]
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThis one felt more like a Monday than a Wednesday, and it came together in Monday solving time. Maybe that's because ORLE immediately plopped into my mind. It used to be a crossword staple. Even DAKAR was at my fingertips (neuron-tips?).
Steve, maybe you wanted to add that O because of this BOSCO.
Happy birthday, CED. You always manage to add a chuckle or two to my day.
OwenKL, I enjoyed your Churchillian bombast this morning.
Hahtoolah, great choice for the QOD.
Just a little comment on the Dodgers playing at the Polo Grounds. The NY Baseball Giants played at the Polo Grounds. The Brooklyn Dodgers played at Ebbets Field.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers home field was Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds was home to the Giants. Thought an ANON corrected this earlier, but it disappeared from my screen.
HBD Dave
Dealing with a case of the flu, so Xword puzzles are not on my to do list presently.
So, where is the answer grid???
ReplyDeleteWed. 10/16/2013
[] Happy Birthday CED!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Dave!
ReplyDeleteNice Job, Steve!
I too was stuck in the center north, and did give up on ORLE and iROc, which also caused me to miss seeing NOUN and bLUish.
So a DNF for sure today. I had to struggle with much of the rest too, guessing one letter at a time in places.
I threw a coin in the Trevi just in case in 1970, and have no desire to return. Too expensive now, too many pick-pockets, and I saw it all when you could go through the forum without paying anything.
Thanks for the Birthday wishes, & keep those funny links coming, because I need them to keep from feeling "bluish?"...
ReplyDeleteThe whole top of this puzzle puzzled me into a DNF today. While I did not pencil them in, my incorrect WAGs created much confusion. with only a "P", 2D might have been aper? (a,per??) & with only an "O" the only thing I could come up with for 3D, recipe instruction, was "cook?" & 17A roulette choice (evens???) It was enough to make me want to toss my (1D) "buns"...
6A Dibs never occurred to me, because, ironically, I don't like cake... :(
27D gooey lump = Gob was a no brainer for me as I used to work in the packaging industry, & have visited glass making factories many times. It is amazing to see a "Gob" of molten glass being cut & falling into a mold by gravity. Hmm, maybe you might like to see: A triple Gob Press in action!
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis solve started out with a SEA of white all across the top. Changed pace and tried the short stacks in the corners. Gradually the bottom filled in including sufficient perps to get the unifier - ICE CREAM PARLOR. Then herringboned my way back to the top and discovered some great fill; BABEL and LAST LAP, ie. Sort of knew ORLE, but perps helped. Thanks Pam for a great solving experience.
Off to see BH's MD in Syracuse; routine follow-up.
Have a great day.
Good morning everybody! We all scream for ice cream - too bad it's a little chilly in Chicago today.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get DAKAR, ADEN, ORLE or LETT, so technically this is a DNF. I did enjoy the puzzle though. I learned about beer vs. ale in crossword puzzles.
Have a great day, and CED: Let's cut that cake!
Good morning, all. For a change, I saw the theme of this "Tuesdayish" puzzle early on. If BLUISH is okay, why not Tuesdayish?
ReplyDeleteI learned OLRE. IROC, and ESTE from LAT x-words.
We called our Japenese teacher SENSEI. Sensei (先生?) is a Japanese word that is literally translated as "person born before another".
[1] In general usage, it is used, with proper form, after a person's name, and means "teacher",
[2] and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority.
[3] The word is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill: accomplished puppeteers, novelists, musicians, and artists for example are addressed in this way.
-from Wiki
I, too, grew up with the admonition not to eat oysters in R LESS months. Since the 1960's, with improved refrigeration, even for overseas shipments, oysters can be safely eaten in any month. Some claim they taste better in months with Rs.
The top left and top middle took some time, especially with misspelling DECISIONS. The rest flowed but I had to adjust my receiver to get to Pam’s wavelength. Like Steve, I retained my towel and my pennies dropped.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Roulette/NOUN and SOP as a NOUN? Wreck was my first Tower site. SEA/LEA
-If we’re facing two kiosks where one has French fries and one has ice cream, Joann and I would part ways
-SPLIT DECISIONS usually favor the defending champion
-I think we need to SHAKE THINGS UP in congress with term limits
-The ODOR is finally gone after we ran over this
-SOUSA was the rock star of his era
-The man who started Nebraska on its golden era, Bob Devaney, played at ALMA College
-One attractive INNIE and outie
-Our lousy Burger King has a lotta BUNS but no customers
-That LAST LAP is also called the Bell Lap, which I’m sure Dave has heard running in the lead.
-We’re in the market for a tread mill but don’t think we want a USED one
-Happy Birthday Dave! You take the cake(s)>
Happy birthday, CED. Our family does not care for birthday cake, either. We substitute home made pies. I would love to send you my home made apple pie with a butter crust and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your entertaining links. I really enjoy them.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI found this a tad crunchier than a usual Wednesday but finished w/o help. Nice job, Pam, and great expo, Steve. Enjoyed the clip of the Stars and Stripes Forever. Believe it or not, our high school class had to SING it at our graduation ceremony. Makes singing The Star Spangled Banner seem like a piece of cake.
Speaking of a piece of cake, Happy Birthday, dear Dave. I don't know how to link using my iPad, so I'll just say woof-woof, oh, sorry, I meant meow-meow, have a catnip-filled day!
Have a wonderful Wednesday
Happy Birthday CED!
ReplyDeleteMy bad for the Sensei/Sansei mix-up - that's why blogs have editors, and ours has the best!
North central region and 31D led to some fretting (not on the guitar) but in the end proved not too unreasonable (no where near as bad as NYT today!)
ReplyDeleteChallenging for a good while
Hi Y'all! Last night I took a mild "sleep aide" then I did the puzzle. About all I remember of that is "I came, I saw, I conquered!" Glad that pill was mild, I'm still dopey today. Won't take that again soon.
ReplyDeleteWhat Steve said! Thanks. Thanks Pam for a bedtime "story".
Happy birthday, Dave! May something in your day bring you as much delight as the bacon roses you "sent" me for my birthday a couple of years ago.
Good morning all. I found this more difficult than normal for Wednesday, but doable ultimately. Had a hard time getting started cuz Pisa wouldn't fit and Paris wouldn't prove out with perps. Finally got Babel, but shot myself in the foot again with Last Leg. But all ended well, so no complaints.
ReplyDeleteHave a great birthday, Dave!!
A DNF! I can't believe it! Well, yes, I can, but it has been a long time since the towel got thrown.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I just could NOT see the obvious. BOIL was my undoing. A simple four letter "Recipe instruction." I flirted with BOWL for a long time. knew it could not be right (because NOWRS has nothing to do with roulette), but finally just chucked it, friends.
There comes a time when one's curiosity looms greater than the need to solve for oneself.
DIBS on CED's slice!
ReplyDeleteActually, I'd just take it home for the kids, I don't like cake either. HBD CED! The Gob link was incredible. To get the timing right for all the parts is the pennicle of mankind...
G'Day all...
This puzzle beat me. I got the theme after SPILT??? and worked from there, but CONEOFSILENCE eluded me. I kept thinking laugh track or jump the shark or.... Get Smart; I didn't. TREVI was way out (Python).
D-O's BOSCo ad - could anyone imagine a 10 year-old today sitting though a 60 second commercial?
Pam - Nice puzzle; please save the next on for a Sat where I know I will fail :-) Steve thanks for keeping me from pulling out my hair. And What Keith Said.
Cheers, -T
Couldn't finish because I had PHIL Donahue instead of Jack PAAR.
ReplyDeleteI did well though. I realized START THINGS UP was SHAKE THINGS UP on the way home from work. I wanted SCOOP for either SPLIT or SHAKE early on but it didn't fit in either spot.
ReplyDeleteSonnava... OwenKL - I meant to compliment you on your work. The first two were gold! C, -T
ReplyDelete//sorry folks - The delete is me. I err'd in were/where again. Dyslexia sucks...
Well, Birthday or not,,, must go to work & keep up appearances:
ReplyDeleteThe ice cream theme made my ears perk up...
A little something for the Snarks...
Disaster on a hot summers day...
Uh, if you don't want to know the truth about ice cream... then don't look at this one!
In bad taste...
I would like to see the mother (in bad taste above) pull that crap on this crew...
oops, gotta run... Almost forgot to vote!
Greetings, friends! Thank you, Steve, for your always witty and enjoyable review.
ReplyDeleteHappiest of birthdays to you, CEDAVE! May you have as much joy as you bring us with your wittiness.
Pam's puzzle started out easily for me and I was quickly on her wave length. ORLE USED to be a crossword staple but I spelled it OREL and that held me up for a while.
The themes,thought, sussed out quickly. In times past, PAAR gave me problems as PARR but he was as unique as his name and that's what I think about when deciding between the two spellings.
Like Steve, the middle center gave me fits and I-ROC seemed right but looked it up to make sure,and corrected ORLE.
DNF though, at the bottom center as I had FURAGA, and have no idea why. Thanks, again, Steve, for the corrections.
Make it a very special, Wednesday, everyone!
Oops! I really should edit. The fifth line down, The themes, THOUGH,. . .
ReplyDeleteI, too, threw coins in the TREVI but have not returned and judging from Kazie's remarks, maybe I don't want to. They charge to go into the Forum? What next. . .
Steve: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteCross-Eyed Dave, Happy Birthday!
CED's Opossum (:35)
Tonight the "First" Sunset toast is to you!
Cheers!!!
Thank you Pam klawitter for a nice puzzle. It was rather difficult, but now, it is finished.
ReplyDeleteThank you Steve, for a very nice blog. I had a totally different image of you when your avatar used to be a "south side" kid. And with all the foodie references, I imagined you with a paunch - never realized you were such a jock ..... Said platonically.
CED - Happy Birthday and many more to come. I couldn't search up a link, good enough for you. It would be like composing a sonnet for Shakespeare's birthday anyway .... I remember the link you had for my birthday , .... Very unsusual, but I can't fault you. Thank you. Maybe I might find a link good enough, some day, and I'll post it in your honor.
I hope you have a very jolly day, and your wife and kids make you very happy - as always.
On the puzzle, I had a confusion between Orle and Orly - the airport. And Sansei and sensei. One is a third generation, and a student and the other is a teacher. Both mistakes were a learning experience.
On Steve's heraldry .... I notice the center piece logo, on the shield, is a Bengal Tiger ?? I wonder if the Hampshires served in India, because there are no tigers in the UK, 'up north'....
I loved the Grenadier Guards band playing Sousa's, 'Stars and Stripes', but the real great pity, was that there were no spectators ....( That I could see, anyway.)
I wonder if at least the Queen was watching from one of the windows. If the band plays, on and on, and no one is listening, to it ..... was there any sound produced ?
Have a nice day, you all.
Really fun puzzle with a delightful theme, Pam--many thanks. But I did miss a TADA with just one letter--that R in ORLE and IROC, since I clearly don't know either heraldry or cars. (Does that make it a Natick for me?).
ReplyDeleteBut there were so many clever misleads: Winter coat (SNOW), Part of a plot (I was thinking fiction, of course), INNIE (I always misread NAVEL as NAVAL and was thinking marine and sea stuff for a long time). And I can't believe I taught at University of Michigan for eleven years, and never heard of ALMA. One of the benefits of crossword puzzles, they keep us humble.
Steve, great photo!
Owen, great Shakespeare.
Happy Birthday, Dave!
Gosh, I wish I could join you all in Santa Monica on Saturday, but even though it's just an hour away, I don't feel comfortable leaving my sweetie with a new caregiver. But I'll be with you all in spirit.
Have a great Wednesday, everybody!
Vidwan827 - you asked for it...
ReplyDeleteGeico Commercial. (It's only 30 seconds for the ADD kids... ;-))
-T
On the farm we always called it "silage" or "ensilage". This was chopped sorghum. The only place I ever heard it called FORAGE was in ads for FORAGE equipment or on the farm report of acres in FORAGE.
ReplyDeleteWe had a large cement tile silo in the yard by the barn at our farm home, no longer used. They bulldozed long rectangular pits in the ground and dumped the chopped sorghum in there where it fermented a bit. They would used the dozer to pack it down. A tractor with a front scoop took the silage to feed bunks for the cattle to eat.
On cold mornings sometimes there would be up to 50 pheasants on top of the open pit pecking at the seeds in the mix and enjoying the steamy warmth coming from the "cooking" ensilage. They were so
beautiful with their dark irridescent heads, white neck band and long rust-colored tail feathers striped with black.
My husband stopped shooting them because he liked to see them. That area was posted "No Hunting".
Some challenges today. Hand up for PARR and LINT. Wanted BRAN muffin.
ReplyDeleteLoved the cluing for SNOW, ACRE and INNEE!
I did not understand RLESS (and am not an oyster fan). Thanks for the explanation Steve.
I must remember IROC and ORLE for future crosswords. I did remember ESTE!
Good to see familiar Lake Ontario!!
Hands up for trouble in the center North. I don't know if I can claim a finish. I had so many write overs that I wnet on line with red letters on but saw the answers without triggering a red. I will leave it to others to define my success or lack of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat @Steve said about top middle. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteHi everybody! I respected this puzzle more than enjoyed it. I know it's probably just me and my lack of knowledge of certain factoids but I found this puzzle trickier than I would expect for a Wednesday, to the point where it almost seemed unfair. Some of the places where I got stuck included: ORLE, NOUN, NOIRS, MASC. and RLESS. Anyway, since more of the rest of you didn't have many complaints, I guess it's just me.
ReplyDeleteVery happy birthday wishes to my buddy, CED!
Here's another Animal Tracks slide show. ANIMAL TRACKS
Thanks all for the photo-compliments!
ReplyDelete@Vidwan827 - full disclosure, I was paunchy at the start of the year - the foodie in me was getting out of hand. I've lost 40lbs since January. It's a lot easier hiking up to the Hollywood sign now that I'm not carrying the equivalent of a 5-year old around with me!
Regarding the Hampshires - yes, that's a tiger on the shield - they were nicknamed "The Hampshire Tigers". I call them the "Hampshire Typos" - when I visited the Regimental HQ when I was in the UK last year, I noticed that Mesopotamia was misspelled on the battle honors carved into the granite. Ooops!
The regiment is no more - they became part of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in 1992.
BTW, and apropos of Owen's post and d-otto's comment today, the Coldstream Guards are marching at Blenheim Palace, home to the Duke of Marlborough. Winston Churchill was born there.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteFine offering, Pam! Great expo, Steve! I typed PAAR correctly on the first round, after having screwed this up in puzzles. (Maybe an old dog can learn new tricks.) Took much longer than usual as I was very upset.
Charlie was barfing all night--3rd night in a row. It is time now.
Problems with (free) former colleague, Russian boarder have escalated. He now associates me with his hated ex-wife and is having no therapy here.
I have been a zombie these past days.
Happy birthday CED! Hope that it is a great one!
Cheers!
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteNice theme, but I call foul on the entire upper mid-section. From the hideously self-referential cluing for NOUN, to SENSEI, which nobody should be expected to know, to the awful BLUISH, which is at best only marginally in the language, to the gratuitously obscure ORLE. Maybe one or two of these, widely spread - but as a cluster - No. Just NO!
MASC for padre is pretty unforgivably, too.
ARCO as a subsidiary has not existed since 2000.
Other than that, pretty good puzzle.
My Funny Link.
Cool regards!
JzB [hoping for a DONE DEAL today]
For Dave because I know you like pizza.
ReplyDeleteWait, don't you enjoy beer?
Bullseye!!!
KARMA, KISMET, COINCIDENCE or HOLY SPIRIT?
ReplyDeleteWe are just back from a funeral where I eulogized the mother of a childhood friend. She was a mentor to me and had the soprano voice of an angel. In my remarks I fondly remembered how I loved to hear her sing In The Garden. At the luncheon, her nurse sought me out and told me that during her last day on Earth she and Elaine sang that very song together. That took my breath away.
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Pam, for a very good puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for the fine review.
ReplyDeleteI never got started until this afternoon. Have been making gollabki all day. Made about 125 of them. Dinner tonight at the Commandery.
Happy birthday CED, many more as well.
The puzzle seemed easier to me than a normal Wednesday. Pretty much zipped through it.
Theme was easy.
Great poem OwenKL.
Got to run. Much to do yet.
Abejo
(ichmrnit)
(yminol)
I agree Steve, it was a bit tougher than the norm for a Wednesday. Got the TADA without any look ups and without any red letter assist, but it took 38 minutes and 45 seconds.
ReplyDeleteThought it was going to be a very fast fill today, as I nailed BABEL, BUNS, UPON A, NOIRS and BOIL all in just a few seconds. ENRICH and LAST LAP just didn't occur to me.
I had -OUN and held off with that initial N until DONE DEAL filled it. Thought maybe, just maybe, it would be some weird French word that I didn't know.
RLESS ? I got it. Only needed the E. Not sure I like it.
Otherwise, it was fun, and had enough chew for a Wednesday. Threw me off with BLUISH and FORAGE. Thank you Pam Amick Klawitter.
Owen, keep them coming. Also, loved the cross eyed opossum. Then, Marti follows with the cat that's gone cross eyed looking at the Asian beetle or lady bug on it's nose !
Happy (58th ?) Birthday Dave ! Look at all the famous people born on your birthday !
Have you heard the story about the Massachusetts high school senior who drove to a party to pick up her friend who had been drinking and shouldn't be driving? She was suspended by the school from her volleyball team for being at a party with underage drinking though police affirmed that she hadn't been drinking at all. Very poor judgment by the high school I think. The full story is HERE.
ReplyDeleteHG, I love "In the Garden" along with all of the old hymns I enjoyed while growing up. My father never cared for Elvis until he heard his albums of hymns.
Go Dodgers! (Please!)
For the second time this week a post made from my Kindle disappeared. How odd.
ReplyDeleteHBDTY CED.
Dojos are much more than home to judo.
MASCuline. really.
PEOPLE are funnier than cats, just not as CUTE .
Bill G., loved the animal tracks, as always.
ReplyDeleteI had hear the brouhaha over the North Andover student, and just shook my head at the stupidity of the school's decision.
Lemony - the cat mom hugging the kitten? Shhweeeet!!
Happy birthday, CED!
ReplyDeleteI found this puzzle to be pretty hard. Had to erase a lot. Hated MASC.
Later.
Hola Everyone, After two days of easy fast puzzles, this one gave me fits. The top NW and NC sections went unfinished. I had a scattering of letters, but not enough to even give me a clue for a Wild Guess.
ReplyDeleteThe Tower of Babel never entered my head. I had the B, but Stir instead of Boil fouled up the entire corner.
With the crossing of Iroc, Orle, and Sensei, and the two Roulette clues, I didn't have a CLUE!
Thanks, Steve for a great writeup. Without your insight, I would have had a site totally unfinished.
The whole bottom third and the NE corner all filled in so well, that I thought I was going to finish in good time, but no such luck.
Dakar was a gimme as our grandson spent 27 months in Senegal in the Peace Corp.
Clever Clues today: Winter coat/snow and Part of a plot/Acre.
OwenKL,Your philosophical comment at the end of your poems today brought a warming to my heart". I think we all feel about the Crossword Corner" with the same sense of community.
Happy Birthday CED.
One more thing
ReplyDelete-Owen, I didn’t choose Joan or Jane, I took Joann (which no one spells as intended). Your limericks are great but I really loved your Shakespeare light sentiment at the bottom today.
-YR, let me add my admiration for what your son is doing. Life has given you a hard task and your attitude of celebrating every victory, no matter how small, is inspiring.
I didn't know Kindle were intuitive. How cool.
ReplyDeleteI thought this one was tougher than a normal Wednesday puzzle with some real groaners. But I had seen most of them in prior puzzles. Rless was my downfall, the R could have been any number of letters as I wasn't thinking of the other months.
ReplyDeleteHBD to CED! Time flies as you get older. Couldn't find a cake so I settled on THIS
Don't blame me... C.C. started it!
Happy Birthday, CED ~ I always enjoy your posts and links, especially the kitties. =^..^= I hope you've had a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteAnimal Tracks wonderful, as usual. Favs are Panda cub and the poor, twin motherless lion cubs-so sad. Thanks, Bill G. And thanks, Lemony, for the kitten getting that hug from "Mommy."
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Dave
CED - Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteNot a funny per se, but this reminds me of all the good fun we have here.
CED Vacation spot & musical link.
ReplyDeleteWe like baked bosc pears with butter, balsamic vinegar and honey. This makes a delicious dessert and is healthier than cake, cookies or pies.
ReplyDeleteChickie @ 7:33 pm. We do Bosc pears with the center stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese. Broil or bake. Sprinkle top with walnuts.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday everybody!
ReplyDeleteWEES about this being a little harder than the usual mid-week offering….
Loved the CONE OF SILENCE clip Steve! Speaking of which, would you believe I was “this close” to the Ta-Da – done in by LATT for LETT….
Not much more to add about the puzzle….
Finally, HBD to CED! My link is an audio one, the Average White Band performing Cut the Cake….
Excellent links today! Thank you all!
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 5:40, one of my daughters said yr link was very inappropriate... (but I loved it!)
Snarky @2:34 Awesome Dude! (but how did you know what I got for my Birthday dinner???)
All the links were great (except the dead skunk in the road, that stunk!) But I have to admit, even I did not make it all the way thru the Bosco commercial.
On a more serious note, as a birthday present to myself, I made my 1st ever online credit card purchase of a digital download of a flight simulator game. (The only reason I did this is I heard raves about it, but the game is 5+ years old & no longer available on CD or DVD.) It is called IL-2 sturmovik Cliffs Of Dover.
Apparently the Russians produced this game, & a French company backed it for distribution, but unfortunately, it does not work with Windows 8. It took some serious game forum reading, & the directions of a few hackers, but I finally downloaded a program that will allow it to work on a Microsoft PC. The graphics are amazing!
But part of the game is (when you are ready) is to actually fly the dang thingy... fuel mixtures, prop pitches, the works! So, in order to enlighten myself, I tried to find out Spitfire startup & flight. (9:25)
Of course, if this is not your bailiwick, you may prefer to learn how to fly the B17 Flying Fortress. (28:44)
just be aware, that there will be a test tomorrow, titled, "what are cowl flaps," "& what are they used for..."
Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to CED! My son will show me a site and I've usually already seen it because of Dave and others who attach so many interesting links.
ReplyDeleteCED, today's your birthday for goodness sake - don't go running er, flying around, getting yourself killed.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could learn how to fly, once you can figure out how to get yourself off your hammock. Lol
Lots of love, and congratulations.
Every link I saw today was filled with love for you.
You must be doing something right. Right ?
Both teams have good starting pitchers and a good bullpen. Both play good defense usually. If the Dodgers can hit with runners in scoring position, they can be tough just like the Cardinals. One more good game from the Dodgers and this could be interesting...
ReplyDeleteSpitz and CED, I enjoyed your videos.
Q: What did the fish say when it swam into the wall?
A: Dam!
This maybe one of the prettiest videos I've ever seen. It's a great video of Iceland. Use full-screen. Iceland.
Fermatprime: Is that Russian still in your house? I thought he'd left. Sounds scary! Take care and call for help if you need it! We lone women can get into some real predicaments.
ReplyDeleteDam! Bill G. That video was breathtaking... The Dodgers played well today and took the game. It'll go back to STL for 6 & 7...
ReplyDeleteDam! It's cold. It's in the 60's tonight & I'm cold. Keillor said on Prairie Home Sat that is a heat wave in MN. :-)
CED - since no one linked it; Beatles just for you (no one else click :-))
Now to go figure out what animal is scratching in the garden. Cheers... -T