17A. *Shopper's aid : GROCERY LIST. I confidently put CART in first. Less confidently replaced it with LINE shortly after. I got there in the end. A- list.
64A. *Stop-action film technique : FREEZE FRAME. This famous example at the end of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". A-frame.
11D. *Phone that can't be tapped : SECURE LINE. Is there such a thing? I think the only secure line nowadays would be a string between two tin cans. A-line.
29D. *Angler's equipment : FISHING ROD. You'll hope you have a secure line when you have a fish on. A-Rod.
 |
| KEEP CLAM AND FISH ON |
39A. In the future, or, when spoken with a long starting vowel, what the last word of the answers to starred clues can have : AHEAD
Top 'o the morning to you all. Steve here with a really nice puzzle from Gareth. A fun theme and a lot of sparkly fill. The final theme entry literally made me laugh out loud with "A-Rod". (C.C. - is Alex Rodriguez technically still with the Yankees?) (From C.C.: Indeed. Guess who has the most career grand slams in MLB history?)
Across:
1. Cried one's eyes out : WEPT
5. Facial expression : VISAGE. Here are a few:
11. Hang down : SAG
14. Pre-migraine phenomenon, for some : AURA
15. Hot wings did him in : ICARUS. Loved this clue. One peculiar fact is that the Greek Air Force Academy is named after Icarus. I'd have thought future pilots might like to distance themselves from that kind of hubris.
16. It may need a boost : EGO
19. Barracks bed : COT
20. Scattering seed : SOWING
21. Raid the fridge : EAT
22. Songwriter Bacharach : BURT. One of the most well-known Bacharat-David compositions featured in the movie at the top of the blog.
23. Small combo : TRIO
25. Katana-wielding warrior : SAMURAI
27. Barking sound : ARF. One of the neighborhood dogs was doing a lot of this last night. I gave up trying to sleep through it and made an early start to my day.
30. Responsibility : ONUS
32. Choice in a booth : VOTE
33. Evening for trivia buffs : QUIZ NIGHT. I misread this as "movie buffs" somehow, and so FILM NIGHT took a little bit of the wind out of my sails until I checked back.
36. Disney lioness : NALA
38. "That __ last year!" : IS SO. A funny exchange I heard between two friends was "Where can I get a fanny pack?" "1985".
41. 1492 vessel : NINA. Along with the Pinto and the Santa Maria these comprised Christopher Columbus's exploration fleet.
43. Hoodlum : THUG
45. Run-down urban buildings : TENEMENTS
47. HST part, say: Abbr. : INIT.
49. Ex-Yankee Martinez : TINO. There are a quite a few ex-Yankees coming down the pike - Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettite; Derek Jeter to follow shortly as well as the aforementioned A-Rod. C.C. must be glum.
50. "A mouse!" : EEK
51. Takes care of : HANDLES
54. Islands in the stream : AITS. There are a couple in the Thames in London, but they are spelt EYOTS.
56. Meringue needs : EGGS
57. Alts. : HTS. I'd say an airplane has an altitude, and a mountain has a height. Hopefully the former is more than the latter.
59. Homemade pistol : ZIP GUN
63. Bygone space station : MIR
66. Rock gp. known for its symphonic sound : ELO, or the Electric Light Orchestra if you're being properly formal when you introduce them to your grandmother. Here's a bouncy sample of their oeuvre.
67. Maker of Light & Fit yogurt : DANNON
68. Jungfrau's range : ALPS. Not Drei Oktaven?
69. Homer's nice neighbor : NED. Okely-Dokely!
70. Battery parts : ANODES
71. Push to the limit : TEST
Down:
1. Clowns : WAGS
2. Mark replacement : EURO. Both Finland and Germany replaced their Marks with the Euro.
3. Figurehead spot : PROW
4. Silently understood : TACIT
5. Birth state of four of the first five American presidents : VIRGINIA. Odd man out was John Adams, born in Quincy, MA
6. More than unfriendly : ICY
7. Word after fire or bake : SALE
8. Met program details : ARIAS. A reference to the New York Metropolitan Opera. Let's have a little "Women are Fickle" for this Wednesday morning.
9. Austrian painter Klimt : GUSTAV. Crosses - I need to "brush" up on my Austrian artists.
10. Superlative suffix : -EST
12. Ancient Greek market : AGORA
13. Mob boss John : GOTTI
18. Subject of the 2003 TV film "The Crooked E" : ENRON
22. Zippo filler : BUTANE. Minor nit - the classic Zippo uses lighter fluid which is distilled cosmetic-grade petroleum, not butane which is used in gas lighters.
24. Should, with "to" : OUGHT
26. Work-wk. start : MON
27. Pollution meas. : A.Q.I. We pay attention to the Air Quality Index here in Southern Cal.
28. Tin Woodman's trouble : RUST
31. Fitted bedding item : SHEET
34. "Gadzooks!" : ZOUNDS. Great Clue/Answer combo
35. Patty Hearst, in the SLA : TANIA
37. Kitty builder : ANTE. Throw a couple of chips into the kitty to get the action going in a poker game.
40. Inhabitants : DENIZENS
42. Pose : ASK
44. Miracle Mets manager Hodges : GIL. The New York Mets won the World Series in 1969 - it was their first ever winning season, and they beat one of the best Baltimore Orioles squads of all time to take home the trophy and earn the nickname.
46. Recurring theme : MOTIF
48. Mideast capital : TEHRAN
51. Hunks : HE-MEN. No performance-enhancing supplements here, of course:
52. Like gymnasts : AGILE. I tried LITHE first. That didn't last too long either. Quite a few missteps for me today.
53. Shorthand expert : STENO
55. Fat-shunning fellow : SPRAT. His wife must have been quite a sight considering fat was all she ate.
58. Email button : SEND. Sometimes shortly followed by "Noooooo ....". Egret - when you regret sending an email?
60. Storm wind : GALE
61. Calls the game : UMPS. Umpires in the verb, not the noun, sense here.
62. Brooding place : NEST
64. Govt. Rx watchdog : F.D.A. Our Federal Drug Administration.
65. Actress Caldwell : ZOE. Not familiar with this thespian.
That's all from me today. Have a great Wednesday!
Steve
74 comments:
The A-list of stars and celebs,
Anight they will mingle with plebs.
...At their A-frames in Aspen,
...In A-line dresses by Maxim,
Schmooze with A-Rod and giggly debs.
The puzzle went very smoothly today, but figuring out the theme was a chore and a half. Even now I'm not sure I have it right. Was the long starting vowel "aaahead," or the first vowel in the keywords, or what?
Loved the hot wings clue. Wanted GROCERY CART, TENDS TO instead of HANDLES, and TANYA instead of TANIA, but otherwise breezed through.
Morning, all!
Pretty much what Owen said today. Smooth solve overall, but I gave up trying to figure out what the theme clue was saying after a few seconds and just went ahead and solved the puzzle. Afterwards, I went back and tried to figure it out, but I thought it was saying that you could add a "head" to the end of the last word of each theme answer, which didn't work (LISTHEAD? HEADLIST?)
Now, of course, I see that each word simply can have "A" added at its head (i.e., beginning). Not nearly as interesting, but at least it makes sense...
[otogyag]
Good day folks,
.Garreth Bain alway gives me a challenge and today was no exception. For openers, I had a couple of write overs; 29D Rod and reel/FISHING ROD & 35D Tonia/TANIA. 33A QUIZ NIGHT doesn't suggest trivia to me. Sort of reminds me of the grilling I would get on the rare occasions I arrived at home late.
However there was another fill that I should have caught. For 13d I had Gotta. Samuraa didn't send up ant warning signals because I was so sure about Gotta.
From yesterday, Irish Miss, survived the MRI. The new machines are GREAT. Find out results tomorrow. Will be delighted if I do not hear TORN ROTATOR CUFF from the medico.
Greetings!
Swell puzzle, Gareth! Fine expo, Steve! No problems.
Did anyone else see The Simpsons on Sunday? (Parody of Homeland.) (Have only watched a few shows in my lifetime.) I thought it was pretty funny.
Cheers!
Good Morning, Steve and friends. As Owen and Barry G noted, this was a pretty smooth puzzle for a Wednesday. Sussing out the theme came only after I had filled in the starred theme answers.
Although everyone might not have remembered GUSTAV Klimt's first name, I bet everyone here is familiar with his iconic KISS.
In Fourteen Hundred and Nine-Two, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue. I learned that poem in school, but I never heard this song. (Steve, one of the other ships was the Pinta, not the horse or car. LOL)
QOD: Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, ever reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully. ~ Graham Green (Oct. 2, 1904 ~ Apr. 3, 1991)
It is also Don McLean's 68th birthday.
[nedtsre]
Good morning!
Steve, I can't get that image of Columbus arriving in a hatchback out of my head!
I, too, had my share of jump-the-gunners. Hand up for CART / LIST. RESIDENTS before DENIZENS until I ran out of space for the S, and ACT/ASK for pose.
As usual, the theme totally eluded me. Even after finishing I went back to see if I could see it. Nope.
Lots of folks in Houston learned that it's a bad idea to put your retirement money into company stock. When ENRON imploded they lost their jobs and their nest eggs.
I don't understand the clue for AURA. "Pre-migraine phenomenon"? I don't get that at all. My mom would sometimes use AGRO as an abbreviation for AGRAvation. I also wanted PPM for AQI, RAIN for RUST and RESIDERS for DENIZENS.
Good morning, friends!
Hot wings did him in!! I love this clue.
This was a fun and easy puzzle from Gareth Bain, smoothly reviewed by Steve. Thank you, both.
Thanks to crossword puzzles I now know most of the Simpson's characters and today, NALA not Elsa was Disney's lion.
For some reason GIL Hodges' name is firmly imprinted in my mind.
I also enjoyed the misdirection of Met program details, ARIAS.
Now I shall try to resume sleeping.
Have a really great Wednesday, everyone!
Hello Puzzlers -
Zoomed right through, but missed the TaDa. Hmmm...turns out it was the Y that I put in Tanya. It looked right at the time. Never did suss the theme - thanks for 'splaining, Steve!
A minor correction for you railroad fans: yesterday my memory had connected the slogan "Around, not thru, Chicago" with the Soo Line. Actually, that slogan belonged to the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern railway. Makes much more sense, in retrospect.
TTP from yesterday: I've never used sanding sealer before, must give it a try. I've been using Minwax pre-stain conditioner, which isn't cheap, but which does seem to improve the results. Marti - hang in there, I feel your pain! :-)
Good morning all!
Fun puzzle from Gareth this morning. I had a brief “huh?” when the theme answer revealed itself, because I thought HEAD – LINE made sense, but what the heck is a LIST – LINE??? I finally figured it out, and thought it was really well done.
Thanks S., for the Luciano ARIA. What a voice! And I really enjoyed your story about the fanny pack - that's hilarious.
I had no idea what a ZIP GUN was, so I had to go looking on the web and saw this. I think they would be more dangerous to the shooter than the shootee!
Hahtoolah, not only did I know GUSTAV Klimt’s first name, I also have a copy of “The Kiss” hanging right over there on my office wall. It is breathtaking to see the original in the Belvedere Museum.
Have a lovely day, everyone!
Very sparkly puzzle, Gareth. I especially liked
Hot wings did him in- Icarus.
Kitty builder-Ante.
Mark Replacement- Euro.
Pose-Ask.
I always wonder, which clues were the constructor’s and which were Rich’s.
I find bake sales to be a nuisance. You spend a lot of money on ingredients and spend time baking. Then you clerk at the sale and are expected to buy something, after you had already baked. I just donate $15. Some outfits hold bakeless bake sales where you just donate dinero, no baking.
There is such a thing as Quiz Night, sometimes held at pubs.. You can also hold one with your friends at home. The Internet offers ideas and questions.
Link Wiki
I used to fill my son’s butane Zippo. I am glad he stopped smoking.
My mom and one of my sisters were prone to migraines.
Link migraine aura
Thanks for the Pavarotti aria and Rain Drops.
Good morning everyone.
I thought Gareth had a good puzzle today. Steve, I had 'cart' before LIST, too; my only white-out. Got most of the fill easily enough, but didn't get the sense of the theme until seeing A-ROD. Guess I'm a little dense today. Few unknowns like NALA, ZOE, and AQI came from perps.
Thanks for your welcome backs and good wishes. This is a good group.
Have a good day.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Gareth Bain, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for the fine review.
Steve: I agree with your Zippo lighter comment. As far as I know they still use regular lighter fluid, not butane. They are made just a few miles north of Johnsonburg, PA, in Bradford, PA. I have owned a few, back when I smoked. They are guaranteed for life.
Puzzle was about right for a Wednesday. Got through it easily, with a few snags. I also did not get the theme. Got all the answers, but could not piece it together. Was trying to use the word AHEAD.
I also liked the ICARUS clue. Clever.
TEHRAN, my old stomping grounds.
Just had TACIT the other day.
Not familiar with who ZOE is. Got it easy enough.
Great limerick, OwenKL. Keep truckin'
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(zuekis)
(iskssfo)
Zippo High Polish Chrome BLU2 Silver Lighter (4 1/4 x 2 1/4-Inch)
Blu2 is the next generation of the Zippo Blu premium butane lighter. Made in USA. New case styling. Elegant s-curve lid. Patented Blu Technology. Distinctive "z" patterned chimney. Compact gift box with butan lighter identifier.
from Amazon
Great puzzle Gareth Bain loved it enjoyed it ... Thank you. Lovely blog Steve ..... I'm disappointed at not enough food references .... Irrespective of the puzzle itself, lol. Thanks for your blog.
Gustavo Klimt 's. Portrait of Adele Bauer .... Is one the most expensive paintings, now in NYC.
Hahtoolah, your QOD is quite apt. Since alcohol suppresses the super ego, and reduces inhibitions, and eliminates slyness, and craftiness ..... There is a proverb, in an Indian language that says, "A drunk man is like a small child - and always tells the truth".
One of my daughters, who is a prof of pain therapy, just published her first paper, on migraines.
Have a nice day, you all.
Good Morning:
Pretty much a romp except for tends to before handles, and Elsa before Nala. Fav clue was for Icarus. 6D made me think of Tin; the answer, Icy, not the clue!
Nice job, as always, Mr. Bain, and ditto, Steve, for your entertaining expo.
Hondo, fingers crossed for your MRI report.
Have an appointment with my ophthalmologist this morning. It's usually a long drawn out affair, with this test and that test, not to mention the dreaded dilating
drops.
Have a great Wednesday.
This puzzle was A-okay in my book, even though the Y I put in TANYA and TYNO resulted in a techical DNF.
The story of ICARUS made me so sad when I first read it as a child. My sloppy printing made me misread the S in EST as another E, so I pictured an Asian competitive eater done in by buffalo wings...thanks for clearing that up, Steve!
Vidwan, is there a link somewhere to your daughter's paper? It sounds fascinating.
The opera link was wonderful. I have grown to appreciate Pavarotti so much more as I mature. Wonder why?
Hi Y'all! Enjoyed Gareth's puzzle as usual. Did not get the theme until our hero du jour Steve explained it. Thanks.
ARF chorus woke me this morning. My cat must have been making his kingly rounds. All the dogs in the neighborhood have to protest his freedom from behind their fences.
Couldn't remember the last vowel in DANNON.
Didn't know GUSTAV and wasn't familiar with "Kiss". Surprised me since I studied a lot of "art appreciation" at one point in my life. I'd have thought someone worth $135,000 would have made my list.
Didn't know AQI. The air quality where I live is always good unless one is offended by the smell of frying corn chips from the Frito-Lay factory. Yum!
Didn't know ZOE. I've finally learned not to dwell on the ones I don't know and move on to the perps.
I used to have migraines more frequently than I do now. Mine are triggered by air-born allergies: perfume, cigarette smoke, cedar pollen, etc. Since I left the farm, I rarely have one. On the farm I lived in a cedar windbreak grove. When the red pollen clouds were on the breeze, I was miserable. No AURA though.
RIP Tom Clancy.
Hi gang -
My first puzzle this week. The theme eluded me. Nice expo, Steve.
Fun puzzle from Gareth. "Hot wings did him in" is my fav, of course.
Should have known AQI, but didn't.
BURT/BERT - got burnt.
AITS was a total unknown.
RUST should be a problem for the man of steel, not the man of tin. Then again, no rust with alcohol.
ZIP GUN IS SO 50's.
Symmetrically speaking, those Presidents were VIRGINIA DENIZENS.
Very Americo-centric offering from far-off Gareth.
My thoughts on the last month of the Tiger's season, if anyone is interested.
Cool Regards
JzB
PK, just saying .... The portrait of Adele Bauer was sold for $ 135,000,000. You missed three zeros.
The actual story is even more fascinating - it was confiscated by the Nazis as their share of Jewish loot, when they took over Austria,
then appropriated, after WWII, by the Austrian museum in Vienna, who were loath to give it up , then forced to give it up by US lawsuits and binding arbitration, and then they had to buy it back in a world wide auction, which they lost to Ronald Lauder. Who calls it 'the American Mona Lisa".
Some challenges today but got it solved (SW was the last to fall). Didn't get the theme until I came here (thanks Steve!)
Loved ICARUS and his hot wings! Also enjoyed "need a boost" under SAG and cross of kitty builder and NALA the lioness!
Well, I actually thought this one was a bit tough for a Wednesday--more like a Thursday or even a Friday. But in the end I got it all, even though I was sure AITS was going to be wrong (never heard of it). So, many thanks for a cool challenge this morning, Gareth. And you too, Steve, for a fun write-up. Loved the comment about strings and cans being the only secure phones left, these days.
Was with everyone in finding the ICARUS--HOT WINGS clue the cleverest and funniest. Though I wouldn't say it was hubris that prompted him to fly to the sun--more like just dreaming of new heights to achieve.
Hondo, great news on the easy MRI. Irish Miss, hope the eye exam won't be too uncomfortable.
Have a great day, everybody!
Steve: Wonderful write-up & musical links.
Gareth: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle.
Only needed 6 perps to get GUSTAV and 3 perps for ZOE.
Being a life-long Floridian, my "Islands in the stream" were KEYS before MOTIF made me change it to AITS.
Irish Miss: No wonder I like my Pinch neat. If I used ice, it would be unfriendly (ICY). lol
Jazz: Wow! That is a very detailed analysis of your Tigers Sept. performance.
I'm just rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays because I live here.
Cheers!!!
Widwan:
Yes. If your daughter's paper is available, I, too, would like to read it. My daughter's migraines usually start with a blazing light "AURA" and are debilitating.
I am happy to say that I apparently outgrew my migraines. I haven't had one in over 10 years. [Fingers-crossed]
Irish Miss, I got my eyes dilated earlier this year. They've got a new preparation -- it doesn't sting as much, it doesn't make you as light-sensitive afterward, and it doesn't last as long. No need to dread it any longer.
Doh! Pinto! What was I thinking?
There's an funny tale attached to the Pinto - when Ford made the model available in Brazil it didn't sell anywhere near as well as they thought it would - then the marketing folks discovered that "pinto" is a slang term in Portuguese for a man with - ahem - a less-than-average "endowment". They changed the name.
Chevy had the same kind of problem with the Nova in Latin America - "nova" means "doesn't go".
Last year, Nokia caused some red faces in the latino community when then introduced the Lumia cellphone - "lumia" is Spanish for "hooker".
Lost in Translation ...
Hi! I finished the puzzle. WEES. There was a lot for me to like, especially ICARUS but not the theme. Anytime the theme takes that much explaining, it's too much. Even after I read Steve's explanation, I still didn't care for it.
Boo on ENRON and the people who manipulated its stock price so that so many people lost their nest egg. They're right up there with Bernie Madoff.
Fun puzzle, but as with several of you, I started with Tonya. Changed the o to a, but never thought about the y. Oh well, it was fun. Also couldn't figure how to parse the master clue, so didn't get that until coming here. But hey! I learned a new factoid about Columbus :-)
Also liked the Icarus clue best. Alan Parsons did a concept album called "On Air" with a fine tune called One Day to Fly. No one ever bought the album, but it was one of their better efforts, IMO.
Another fine GB effort and Steve write up, basically what YR and JzB said.
The butane issue reminds me to not speak of the top of my HEAD if I want to be AHEAD.
Heading out, thanks guys
Yellowrocks - thanks for the Zippo correction - I guess I'm old school when it comes to things pyro.
No doubt that Gareth went through an extensive list of names and phrases beginning with an A. There's also no doubt that he dismissed DONUT HOLE as a theme entry early on.
Thanks Gareth ! I haven't done as many puzzles as many here, but how many times do we get to see VISAGE, and TENEMENTS, and DENIZENS ? It was a good TEST.
Super writeup Steve. Nice foreshadowing with the FREEZE FRAME pic, with the tie in to 22A BURT. I chuckled at Pinto, and then again as I read Hahtoolah and Desper-Otto.
Jerome, nice set up and delivery !
G'Afternoon All!
This Gareth was fun. I did get the MOTIF, but must SAG my head & brush off the EGO. NW was my ICARUS moment. I had gAGS for 1d and would never let it go. Marks at 2d kept wanted exes, but 17 & 20a would let that fall. Oh well, EGGS on face, it was fun as was Steve's write up.
WEES re 15a &42d.
YR - That BLU2 is so stylish, I might take up smoking again.
I tried to find a good Belushi SAMURI delicatessen video, but no dice. So I will just link Fun Lovin' Criminal's GOTTI video. MA for language & content.
Cheers, -T
Musings
-Finally got the theme as I went, er, ALONG
-SAG and THUG go together like…
-Have you ever been comfy on a COT?
-America’s most famous SOWER?
-My favorite TRIO sang the sad chronicle of Tom Dooley
-Our neighbor’s habitually barking (YIP not ARF) dog just went away one day. We never asked.
-Lief Ericson’s boat beat the NINA by 500 years
-I don’t care for Yankee’s checkbook baseball methods but baseball is better when they are relevant
-Some kids will TEST a sub. Solution! (:07)
-GOTTI’s Teflon wore off
-Can anyone fold a fitted SHEET?
-My 125 lb Jack Sprat brother married a 225 lb woman
-I did hit SEND on an email that I thought was going to my wife but was instead sent to a woman about whom I was making some unfortunate remarks. I went to apologize but saw her laptop unattended with her email open and my note in her inbox. What do you think I did?
Here's Pryor doing SAMURI. -T
Re 45A "Run-down urban buildings: TENEMENTS":
This is a foul. There is nothing in the definition of "tenement" that requires it to be "run down." A sufficient clue would have been "urban dwellings."
-Seinfeld seeking the truth. Schnapps was truth serum for Elaine but George said he could beat a lie detector because, “If YOU believe it, Jerry, it isn’t a lie”.
-My uncle had a nervous breakdown when his ENRON (Nebraska Natural Gas was a subsidiary) pension was lost.
-Steve, I appreciated your write-up and encyclopedic knowledge of Brazilian male shortcomings and Spanish damas de la noche
-FREEZE FRAME that IS SO 1980’s
-What song proclaimed “the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and TENEMENT halls?”
Husker Gary,
For me, baseball is better when the Yankees are irrelevant.
JzB, I enjoyed your trend analysis and commented over at your blog.
H.G. - I'll bite.
"Spirit of Radio" from Rush? I always thought it was
"Studio Walls.
Concert Halls." Maybe I'm right and answering the wrong question? :-) -T
This has been a super sweet 3 day run of fun, easy puzzles. Thanks to the constructors and the bloggers.
RIP Tom Clancy. Loved "Hunt for Red October".
Like others, my favorite clue was 15a: Icarus. Somehow I managed to pull it out of the gray matter on my own.
HG @2:37--yes, I can fold a fitted SHEET. Years ago when I worked retail, a customer showed me how. Fold all 4 corners together, lay it flat, then fold in the short edges. You should have a flat rectangle to fold up however you like.
JzB--I had such high hopes this year. Doesn't Detroit find some way to implode at the end of every season?
Happy Hump Day!
Pat
HG - I'll Buzz myself - ZZZnenggg. Wrong. I just Googled it. I love the song, but won't spoil guesses for everyone.
My version from Rush.. It may not be everyone's cup 'o tea. C, -T
HG, as I recall, it was a very quiet song by P.S.
-Yes the prophets were writing on TENEMENT walls in a very lovely, contemplative song by PS but AG’s soaring, lyrical voice was an exquisite vehicle for PS’s wonderful poetry.
-TTP, I respectively disagree about the Yankees. I am no fan of them but if you don’t love them, they are fun to hate. Same for Tiger Woods, the Miami Heat, the Dallas Cowboys, John McEnroe, Muhammad Ali, et al. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they put butts in the seats. Do you think anyone tunes in to watch these guys play tennis.
HG I loved to watch the officious Barney Fife dealing with "perps." It is strange how we all find that funny, but would react very negatively in real life to a Barney moment. You are so competent I am sure you do not deal with your charges that way. A sub like that is mocked to death.
HG, I'm dense. I didn't get that SOWER connection.
BUMPPO, I surmise that you are an attorney and your definition of TENEMENT fits in your world. Steve's usage, however, is what most commonly comes to mind as the definition.
ten·e·ment
1. Also called tenement house. a run-down and often overcrowded apartment house, especially in a poor section of a large city.
2. Law.
a. any species of permanent property, as lands, houses, rents, an office, or a franchise, that may be held of another.
b. tenements, freehold interests in things immovable considered as subjects of property.
3. British . an apartment or room rented by a tenant.
-YR, the statue high ATOP the Nebraska state capital is of a figure with a bag full of seeds that he is SOWING on the Great Plains and hence his name is “THE SOWER”.
-As per my sub strategies, I will repeat my mountain or molehill decisions criteria. In the words of the Dry Deodorant commercial of yore, “Never let ‘em see you sweat”. A boy farted (I don’t care for that verb but…) yesterday in the dead silence of study time, which generated some muffled laughter and glimpses at me to see what I would do. I looked up and said calmly, “That was very rude, don’t let it happen again” and went back to my work as did the kids.
HG,
So you are speaking of financial relevance ? In that regard, they are always relevant. And this year, they will be especially helpful to other teams. They are going to be paying a luxury tax of greater than $29M because of their excessive payroll. Their penalty is comparable if not more than the Astros payroll this year. The Astros may be cheap, but I'm glad the Yankees can't buy the championship.
No doubt they get attendance, but like the Cubs, they get attendance win or lose. 3M fans virtually every year, win or lose for the Cubs. I don't see, IMO, how that makes them relevant or not.
The Yankees haven't missed the playoffs very often lately. In terms of playoff relevance, or the race to get to the playoffs, I have always enjoyed baseball better when the Evil Empire is not in contention, or in other words, is irrelevant.
I like some of the Yankee players, past and present. I wouldn't say I hate the team, but I do enjoy it when I know they have that excessive payroll and aren't making the playoffs or lose early when they get in.
That was my point.
HG, I immediately thought of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" as I read your lyrical question @ 3:03
Yellowrocks: I tip my hat to you. I just have not kept up with Zippo lighter technology.
Abejo
(domsi)
(brunrp)
(toricet)
There are a number of Bay Area residents here, and I have a question for y'all. We'll be going there in the next several weeks, and I'll want my dead tree crossword fix. What area papers carry the LAT puzzle that would be available at any typical stop-and-rob store? I may have to do it in pen, but I will not be without my normal kick start to the day. And would greatly prefer to not do it on line.
27 World Series Championships (out of 40 appearances).
This year was only the second time in the last 19 years they missed the playoffs ...
Yup, I guess that makes the New York Yankees irrelevant. lol !!!
As for tonight's Wild-Card Game ... Go Rays !!!
I was going to wait until Sunset to "toast" them ... but the Pinch is already poured ...
Cheers!!!
Avg.Joe
I always get the days puzzle from the Tampa Bay Times.
here in "the Bay Area" ... lol
I anticipated that comment Tin. But no matter how much you muss and fuss, there's still only one "Bay Area" in terms of popular US culture. Sadly, not even Green Bay qualifies. Sorry :-)
Tin,
I said I enjoy baseball better when they are irrelevant.
They have often proven that they are the best team money can buy. lol !!!
I guess we should have no baseball politics.
Didn't mean to ruffle all the feathers. Was just stating my opinion that I like it better when they aren't in contention.
Avg Joe, the San Jose Mercury News is available at many many newsstands. You might even snag a free one that somebody leaves behind at a coffee shop. The LA Times puzzle is at the end of the Sports section.
Lucina, it was so nice of you to have stopped by my son's store the other day. I have passed your complement on to him. Next time you are shopping in that area, maybe you could stop in and say hi, maybe.
Thank you Jayce.
Go Red Sox!
Any Cleveland fans?
This could get interesting.
List of newspapers that carry the LA Times Crossword
Late to the discussion, but anyone who wants to be a fan of irrelevant baseball, find a nearby minor league team. There is nothing irrelevant about Major League Baseball.
The Yankee payroll never assures them of success, but it sure as Hell assures them of attendance. If they put an inferior team on the field next year, the fannies in the seats will take a big hit as will their P & L.
Baseball is a business, and a business operates to make a profit. The Yanks usually earn a profit as well as make the play offs. The team is driven to win championships and make money. They do ok on both ends. (See Tin's historical stats)
And like them or not, they do it with class and dignity.
As an aside, I hope the Rays go all the way. Then perhaps I'll join Mr ..Beni for a taste at a future sunset.
HG @ 4:11
Re: A boy farted.
I would have said
"What! You couldn't wait until you were in a crowded elevator?"
Probably explains why I am not a teacher....
Flashback. 1988. Denver. My sisters wedding, our first time staying at a multistory hotel/motel with an elevator with children. Our kids were 6 and 4.
I taught them the inimitable life skill of farting in an elevator then walking out with a perfectly straight face upon exiting while a someone else was entering.
It was a proud moment!
G'Eve all:
TTP - I grew up with the Cubs and the rest of the NL Central. I don't like AL ball. But this Saturday marked the 1st time I ever rooted for the Yankees. Actually, just for Andy Pettitte against our Astros. The seasons he gave us in '04 & '05 made a home loss worth it to watch him retire pitching all 9 innings.
Pas - where are you? Call out these fart posts! :-)
And just for fun (the best money can buy) Mel Brooks.
My wife grew up on Long Island and is a dyed-in-the-wool Yankees fan. I've got to agree with Hondo; they play with class and dignity. Since moving to California in 1963, I have been a Dodgers fan. I am hopeful for their continued success this year but injuries may do them in.
We're starting to go downhill here but -T I thought you were going to post this Mel Brooks
Anon @11:09: You are right I did miss a bunch of zeros. I had read Hahtoolah's link too. That is one of my quirks I had to watch out for when I was being paid to write -- leaving off zeros. Millions and billions don't exist in my world somehow. I had to train myself to write $135 million, etc. Guess I'm out of the habit now.
I spent the afternoon watching two men slave and sweat for my benefit. Life gets no better than this. They were laying some pavers by my porch in an area where nothing will grow.
The men were 8 days later than they told me they would come. My yard man had a dilly of an excuse. He has an 18 mo. old child who goes to day care. The day care lady's husband had a seizure (never had one before), drove through three yards, took out a diving board while narrowly avoiding a dip in the pool and drove into a house. (Made the local paper.)
So the lady wasn't doing daycare and since my YM's wife works out of town and his hours are more flexible, he stayed home with the baby. Love a man who takes responsibility. I'll forgive him. Paved area looks nice.
A collection of great photos from the 1950s
You can navigate through these great photos of people, places and cars with the arrows at the right or left. They give a little information about each photo at the lower left.
HG, enjoyed the pix of your capitol. Notice they even include some of the urinals. Did a double take there.
SOWER is an apt thing for me today. I was out pitching some more grass seed. I discovered my cat loves the newly tilled soil I churned up last week and has been doing his part by fertilizing. However, I'm miffed because he is rearranging the seed and burying it too deep. Grr! Oh well, the seed doesn't seem to be germinating anyway.
Hi all,
Fun puzzle, but had to get the theme here. Had trouble with the SW sector.Had tend to for handles. Spelled Mir-Mur, and it looks awful, so I don't know why! Elo and Ned were unknowns. I don't think I'll ever memorize Homer's neighborhood!
Slapped my head upon FINALLY spotting Sprat. Lordy... aits did not help.
fav. clue- hot wings did him in.
Nice seeing Burt Bacharach. He sure gave us some fantastic music; Dionne Warwick made his songs memorable.
clowns=wags ???
A WAG is a humorous person. a wit, a joker.
No one else noticed that QUIZ NIGHT could have been a theme entry? My off-line dictionary didn't have it, but the on-line one did.
A`night´
adv. 1. In the night time; at night.
Does he hawk anights still?
- Marston.
Liked Jerome's comment about DONUT HOLES. Surprised so many didn't recognize the crosswordese AIT, a mainstay of lesser puzzles, nor AQI, which was a clue for the EPA just a few days ago.
Theme a couple days ago in my limerick group was Wizard of Oz, and I wrote
If you're rude, it's as if you had sinned.
On Dorothy this faux pas was pinned.
...She raced a tornado
...Clear over the rainbow,
But was chastised because she passed wind.
Joe,
San Francisco Chronicle carries LAT xwords.
TTP @4:38pm,
"I like some of the Yankee players, past and present. I wouldn't say I hate the team, but I do enjoy it when I know they have that excessive payroll and aren't making the playoffs or lose early when they get in."
Yes! Yes!
OwenKL,
Never heard of anight. When in doubt about theme entries, look at their symmetrical partners. In Gareth's grid, it's TENEMENTS, so clearly QUIZ NIGHT is not a theme answer.
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