google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, November 21, 2013 MaryEllen Uthlaut

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Nov 21, 2013

Thursday, November 21, 2013 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: "I Kid You Not!"

The unifier can be found in the middle of the grid today:
40-Across. Troubled youth literally hiding in each answer to a starred clue : CRAZY MIXED UP KID. Today is anagram day, with four of them hidden in common phrases.

18-Across. *Filet mignon dish named for a goddess : STEAK DIANE.

24-Across. *Emergency supplies : FIRST AID KIT. or FIRST AID KIT. It would be better to avoid this type of ambiguity, but there really are no other common 11-letter phrases that use that particular sequence. And you really want to have all the anagram possibilities.

52-Across. *Pipe-smoking royal : OLD KING COLE.

63-Across. *Fictional rank above Padawan : JEDI KNIGHT.

Just missing the "Q" for a pangram. Did it seem especially easy for a Thursday?  Some of the clues were a little tricky, but I found the fill to be very Monday-level, with nary an obscure name in the bunch!

Across:

1. "Are you serious?" : WHAT. (Usually pronounced as WHAAAA??)

5. Handicapper's concern : ODDS.

9. Class __ : CLOWN. I bet CrossEyedDave was the class clown in his school.

14. Doth possess : HATH.

15. Los Angeles, for one : PORT.

16. High nest : AERIE.

17. Opposed party : ANTI.

20. Jet sounds : ROARS.

22. Proactiv target : ACNE.

23. Was in the vanguard : LED.

27. Dog in Baum stories : TOTO.

28. Dangerous fly : TSE TSE.

33. Puffin kin : AUK. Seems they have a playful side, too.

36. Sizable music combo : NONET.

39. Planted : SOWN.

44. Fable : TALE.

45. Makes the scene : COMES.

46. I trouble? : EGO.

47. Slob's napkin : SLEEVE.

50. Spheres studied by Mendel : PEAS. From them, he eventually developed his "Laws of Inheritance."

58. Tailless primate : APE.

61. Explorer on Nick Jr. : DORA. The Explorer.

62. Art support : EASEL.

67. Pro __ : RATA.

68. Where the action is : ARENA.

69. Former Neet rival : NAIR.

70. Similar : AKIN.

71. Face-off locales : RINKS. Hockey face-offs. Hey, Splynter!
72. Low joint : KNEE.

73. Wings, for instance : BAND. Paul McCartney's band on the run...

Down:

1. Marina structure : WHARF.

2. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum city : HANOI.

3. Rose essence : ATTAR.

4. Need of a 53-Down : THIRST. and 53-Down. Solution for 4-Down : DRINK.
... of 12-Down. Riesling product : WINE? ...or 48-Down. Stoli and SKYY : VODKAS??

5. Brief missions? : OPS. (Operations.)

6. Hi and Lois's daughter : DOT. Her twin brother's name is "Ditto."

7. Foreboding : DREAD.

8. Cupboard arrangement : STACK.

9. Officers-to-be : CADETS.

10. Floral wreath : LEI.

11. Word-of-mouth : ORAL.

13. Aid factor : NEED.

19. Grow together : KNIT...as, a broken bone.

21. Rock-filled : STONY.

25. It can be viewed with a scanning tunneling microscope : ATOM. Invented by Roher and Binnig. Read more about how it works here.

26. Column style : IONIC. I always want to put "doric" first. Hi Dudley!

29. Paranormal ability : ESP.

30. Tip for a croupier : TOKE. We have had this recently, I think.

31. Large gulp : SWIG.

32. Prefix with skeleton : ENDO. And a clecho with 37-Down. Prefix with skeleton : EXO.

33. Book after John : ACTS. (of the Apostles)

34. River through Orsk : URAL.

35. Broccoli relative : KALE.

38. Metronome settings : TEMPI. Plural variant of tempos.

41. Prize component? : ZEE.

42. "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook" author Paula : DEEN. Her recipes always seem to begin with "Add two cups of sugar to three pounds of butter..."

43. Stylebook subject : USAGE.

49. Tar Heel State campus : ELON. Just outside Greensboro, N.C.

51. Egyptian amulet : SCARAB.

54. 2010 Supreme Court appointee : KAGAN.

55. Honshu port : OSAKA.

56. Admit to the club : LET IN.

57. Twisty-horned antelope : ELAND.

58. Admitting a breeze, perhaps : AJAR.

59. "Frasier" actress Gilpin : PERI. She played Roz, Frasier's radio producer.

60. Shangri-la : EDEN.

64. Press coverage : INK. OK, I had to think about this. Does the clue literally refer to the ink that covers the printing press roller? Or, does it mean column space in the newspaper ("J-Lo sure gets a lot of ink.") I'll leave it to you to decide.

65. Make haste : HIE.

66. Uno e due : TRE. One + two = three, in Italian.

And that's a wrap for me this week!
Marti



Note from C.C.:
 
Charlotte, Lemonade's beautiful granddaughter, turned one year old. Look how pretty she is. Click on the first picture, you'll see how incredible long her eyelashes are. It's in the genes. Lemonade said he used to have long eyelashes before his corneal transplants. Click here to see all the cute Charlotte pictures in my Ginger Roots archive.





66 comments:

OwenKL said...

KDI
My wife cooked a hot STEAK DIANE,
A flambéed dish in a pan.
That wasn't intended,
That's just how it ended.
She was trying to heat up some Spam!

IDK
Our new kitten, I have to admit,
Is smart for a common feline nitwit.
She's in training, you see,
As a cat E.M.T. --
She'll soon be a real FIRST AID KIT!

KID (and IKD)
A CRAZY MIXED-UP KID rigs
A stage, for beat poetry gigs.
His room is just peachy,
It reminds him of Nietzsche
He laconically says, "Beatnik digs!"

DKI
OLD KING COLE, that merry old shah,
Thought that his diet was getting too blah.
So cabbage, he decreed,
Would be part of each feed.
The act is now known as Cole's Law!

DIK
Although Luke was hardly more than a KID,
Yet become JEDI KNIGHT, still he did.
Yoda, his teacher was.
We are thankful because
He didn't teach grammar, Force forbid!

[There are 6 permutations of KID, and the grid's theme entries used 5 of them, including KID. Had there been room, the 6th could have been SHEIKDOMS or BATIK DYING, or the phrase I used above.]
This seemed like a Monday, or at worst a Tuesday puzzle. I whizzed through it with nary a misstep for once.

George Barany said...

Nice puzzle, MaryEllen, and fun writeup, Marti. And one-day-late congratulations to my friend and University of Minnesota neighbor Victor Barocas.

Switching gears, we have some pretty momentous anniversaries coming up, so for those of you who may not know about them already, please check out one or more of the puzzles found by clicking here, here, and/or here. In each case, a "more reading" ("midrash") page is provided. Hope you enjoy them!

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Mostly smooth solve today. We may have had it recently, but I completely blanked on TOKE and was only saved when I finally figured out the theme and got the missing K.

Elsewhere, I almost turfed it completely way up North. Had no idea about DOT, just couldn't think of STACK at 8D and kept thinking that 15A was going to be CITY. I finally got DREAD, however, which disabused me of the CITY notion and got me to PORT instead. Then the light bulb went on and I was able to get STACK.

[efecamp]

Montana said...

Good morning, Marti, and fellow solvers.

This seemed more like a speedy Tuesday puzzle. Needed a little perp help.

SNOW on the ground in Denver.
However, only an inch of two.
I did bring snow boots just in case.
Only down to 29° so that is not bad for a Montana gal!

Have a good day,
Montana

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

WBS about the north, exactly.

Morning, Marti!

Martin said...

JEDI KNIGHT was a gimme so I finished it today. I almost finished yesterday's but I didn't have the M in MOTT.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Marti. I rather enjoyed this Where are the Kids puzzle.

When is a door not a door? When it's AJAR!

My favorite clue was Spheres Studied by Mendal = PEAS.

QOD: I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile. ~ Goldie Hawn (Nov. 21, 1945)

[mkosit]

Middletown Bomber said...

I must have been on Maryellen's wave length today so I agree with Marti on her assessment of this puzzle as this was a Thursday speed run for me. I did not need to know the theme to solve the puzzle So I discover the theme when reading the blog. Enjoy Thursday all as it is Thanksgiving next week.

Montana said...

I got a note from a friend at home in Montana that it is below zero this morning.

Guess I am happy to be in Denver for the winter.

Montana

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Yes, today was a Thursday speed run. My only write-over was to change TEMPO to TEMPI. That is if you don't count where I had to change KAGEN to KAGAN.

Peri Gilpin now has a recurring role on CSI as D.B. Russel's (Ted Danson's) wife.

Marti, did I misread things again, or did you call Dudley a "doric?"

Yesterday was funeral day in the woodlot. One of our neighbors shot our white cat with a pellet gun. Two days and three hundred dollars later, the cat is dead. Wish I knew who did it. The cats don't wander far, so there's a limited list of candidates.

Hahtoolah said...

Desper-Otto. I am so sorry to hear about your cat. Having lost my beloved cat recently, albeit through illness, I know the sadness of such a loss.

TTP said...

Good morning all.

No problems in the northeast today. In fact, no problems anywhere.

Thank you MaryEllen Uthlaut. And thank you MartiHearti. I finished the puzzle a long time ago, but went off reading, starting with your link on the the scanning tunneling microscope.

That Charlotte sure is a sweetie pie !

Desper-otto, my condolences. Perhaps a teenaged boy or a man that never matured.

HeartRx said...

d-otto, I am so sorry about your cat. I just can't imagine any beast (really, whoever did it can't be called a "human") so cruel as to hurt an innocent animal like that. (Send Dudley an email, and you will know why I thought of him at "Doric.")

OwenKL, I forgot there were six iterations of KID, duh!! I think it would be a real challenge to get 7 entries (6 iterations and a revealer) into one grid. I guess the idea is to use as many as possible, while not sacrificing zippy fill or theme entries. (BTW, loved your limericks this morning, but KING COLE made me laugh out loud...)

Spitzboov said...

Good morning. Hope everyone is in fine fettle.

I agree with Marti; the puzzle seemed easy for a Thursday. Had it just about done when I sussed the theme . Well done! Seemed to be a few more K's than usual, partly brought on by the KID MIXUPS. Always like seeing AUK in a cw. Had an aha moment with the cluing for PEAS. NONET had to wait for the perps.

Have a great day.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

A pretty smooth solve for a Thursday. Thanks, Mary Ellen, for your fine effort and thanks, Marti, for your "pearls of wisdom"

Happy Birthday to dear, little charmer, Charlotte. What a cutie-pie!

D-Otto, I am so sorry for your loss.

Have a fantastic Thursday.

kazie said...

Lemonade,
What cute photos of a really beautiful little girl!

I did find this to be a fairly easy Thursday, though by no means were the names all known to me. But that's just me.

Going nuts trying to keep up lately, so posting will be sporadic at best for a few weeks.

Have a good one everyone!

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, MaryEllen Uthlaut, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for the swell review.

Well, this puzzle was tougher for me than most of you, it appears. I had to go way south to get a foothold. Started with NAIR and KNEE. Then caught the SE corner. Then went back and caught the NW corner, after re-reading a few clues up there.

FIRST AID KIT was my first theme answer. OLD KING COLE came easily. I liked OwenKL's limerick on Cole's Law. Clever.

I never figured out the theme KID. Looked for a while, but gave up. Pretty simple, actually. I was up late last night, so I am still a little groggy.

Remembered ATTAR after a couple letters to start. We have not had that in a while.

Lots to do today. Getting a laser on one of my eyes.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(ublesad)

Husker Gary said...

Oh, I see the theme – DIANE, KIT, it has to be surnames. WHAT?

Musings
-Parity and the ODDS make betting NFL games financial suicide
-The CLASS CLOWN is a pain from the other side of the desk
-S.B. Morse wondered “What HATH God wrought”
-Portuguese wine drunk on the left side of a boat near an LA WHARF – Having PORT, PORT side in a PORT
-Mendel’s PEA work was a precursor of this activity for which I hired 360 kids every summer
-Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon inviting you to Where the action is!
-In trying to stop football hits to the head, tacklers are going low and endangering KNEES
-THIRSTY Thurston was also in Hi and Lois strips and, along with Mayberry’s Otis, a lovable imbiber
-Wanna hilarious line about a tunneling electron microscope with PERI Gilpin in the background? Here ‘ya go! (1:10)
-You gardeners would love including ornamental KALE in your beds
-ELON took a 70 – 0 beating at the hands of Georgia Tech but collected a big paycheck for it

Abejo said...

D-O: Sorry to hear about your cat.

Lemonade: Great shots of beautiful Charlotte.

Abejo

Montana said...

Forgot to wish Charlotte a Happy Birthday even after I looked at all the other photos.

Montana

Lucina said...

Happy day to all! It's good to see you, Marti, with your effervescent commentary.

I, also, wanted DORIC before IONIC (Hi, Dudley)and by that time the upper strata were completely filled. This KNIT together very quickly with nothing exotic or too foreign. Afterward I went looking for the MIXED UP KIDS and found them all.

I saw that CSI episode with PERI Gilpin and I'm sorry to say she isn't aging well. But she is a good actress and she aced her role as Russell's wife.

Owen, you clown, you! COLE's law had me chuckling loudly.

Lemonade:
Is Charlotte one year already? How time flies! She is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing her photos.

Everyone, have a fantastic Thursday! Haircut day for me.

Lucina said...

desper-otto:
I'm so sorry about your cat and what a wrenching way for it to go. Can you identify who has a pellet gun or is that a common weapon in the neighborhood? Take care, my friend.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, MaryEllen! I didn't find it easy but it perped okay. Thanks, Marti!

Steak Diane? I read the recipe and couldn't believe all the trouble they go to, roasting bones and what not. I'd rather just slap those fillet mignon on a grill and get to the eating part quicker.

Kansas University beat Elon in basketball the other night.

HG, I saw some ornamental KALE in a flower bed the other day and wondered what they were, still blooming after a hard freeze. Might try KALE next year.

D.O. - Sounds like you have some little terrorist practicing up for the big time. My condolences.

Speaking of terrorists. Did you hear they had arrested some terrorists in Kentucky. Windhover, can you hear me? You don't need us to wire bail money, do you?

CanadianEh! said...

Agree with everyone that this was a speed run for a Thursday. Some trouble in the SW at first because I wanted OPEN instead of AJAR, TERI instead of PERI, and TEMPO instead of TEMPI. And because I was doing online, I had a double-take when I saw PREFIX WITH SKELETON twice (Didn't I already do that one?!)
Fortunately ZEE filled in from the perps because this Canadian would have filled in ZED!

Happy Birthday to little Charlotte.
desper-otto: so sorry to hear about your cat.

Have a good day all!

Husker Gary said...

-Otto, my sympathies to you on the loss of your kitty. Research shows that that behavior is a precursor of much more violent actions and so I hope your neighbor gets the help they need but also the punishment they deserve.
-PK, not only are those KALE beautiful all summer and hearty into the cold weather but I also transplanted them rather roughly and they still thrived.
-For no apparent reason: Does anyone else have the same pattern in their high school champions as the Nebraska Volleyball Champions this year -
Class A – Omaha Marian Catholic High School
Class B – Norris High School (#1 seed Lincoln Pius X knocked out in first round)
Class C1 – Kearney Catholic
Class C2 – Hastings St. Cecilia (West Point Guardian Angels Central Catholic 3rd)
Class D1 – O’Neill St. Mary’s (Grand Island Central Catholic 5th)
Class D2 – Giltner (Grand Island Sacred Heart 5th)

Misty said...

Well, I first thought this was pretty fair for a Friday puzzle, until I realized it was only Thursday today. But I still thought it was a lot of fun--thank you, Mary Ellen--and I got the KID theme even before getting the reveal.

Marti, thanks especially for the pic of DOT. I haven't seen a Hi and Lois cartoon in so long I couldn't remember what the family looked like. I first had SLUG instead of SWIG. But I got the ZEE in PRIZE right away--guess I'm catching on to some of the common constructor tricks after all these years.

Desper-otto, anyone who would shoot a sweet kitty for target practice is totally sick. I hope neighbors can help you figure out who it was, and that some action (that doesn't endanger anyone) can be taken. I feel so sad for you.

What a total sweetie little Charlotte is growing up to be.

Have a good Thursday, everybody!

Bill G. said...

I really enjoyed this puzzle. I almost dislocated my shoulder from patting myself on the back when I sussed out the theme and some of the other tricky clues. Thanks MaryEllen and Marti!

I always liked Roz.

We had flank steak, kale, potatoes, etc. for dinner last night. And it rained for the first time in many months. Very excellent!

Charlotte is certainly a cutie!

D-O, I'm sure sorry about your cat. It's really a shame when people do things like that to pets (and their owners).

Tinbeni said...

My 24-A,*Emergency supplies, were SCOTCH CASES ... sooooo, that took a while to fix.

Faves today (of course) were DRINK, a SWIG of VODKAS, with WINE thrown in ...

Always think of this with TOKE (3:17)
I've never been "One TOKE Over the Line" LOL !!!

A "toast" to all at Sunset.
Cheers!!!

CrossEyedDave said...

H1stBD Charlotte!

john28man said...

I, too, agreee woyj Marti that this was pretty easy for a Thursday. It was my first no-write-over in quite some time. The others were all Mondays. My only head scratcher was digging up Paula DEEN.

PK said...

HG, does the KALE thrive more in sun or shade? I've got shady spots that could use some color. Are they annual, biennial or perennial?

Husker Gary said...

-PK, our KALE were in full sun and thrive best there. They are annuals and hard to find in the spring. We got the last 7 at a huge Omaha nursery in April and had to look hard to find them in a corner. Our nurseries here had a beaucoup selection this fall, which I do not understand.
-I first saw ornamental KALE on Disney property
-Great, funny follow up on yesterday’s ON/OFF Switches

PK said...

Oh phooey! KU beat Iona not Elon. I get those two mixed up. Almost an anagram. I watched part of the game, but...

MamaLi said...

Yes, my recliner is full - with my two besties: Grandson Israel and D.C. the Wonder Dog - both wanting my attention!

I had Knight, but I had to look up "Padawan." As a novice, I thought this was pretty easy for a Thursday. I still have a lot of trouble with the Theme and all the other nuances of cw, but this blog is very helpful to read after you have finished the cw. My retention is so much better because of the clever explanations of the puzzles. Thanks so much!

Jim from WVa said...

Finished the puzzle quite nicely. The blog writer was very helpful. The little baby is so cute and cuddly and happy. Made my day. All very nice and peaceful and delightful.



CED, your cakes are delectable. Do you take custom orders ?

Anonymous said...

I have been struggling with the puzzles this week so this was a welcome surprise. I even found the theme on my own--I usually forget to look. Thank you Maryellen and Marti.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Charlotte!

D-O- I'm very sorry for the loss of your pet.

"One Toke Over the Line" is the ear worm for today.

This month the shelter I volunteer at has been in an on-line contest to win a $10,000 social media makeover. The results were announced today and...(drum roll) WE WON!!!! It's going to be interesting to see what professionals will come up with for us.

Have a great Thursday!

Pat

CrossEyedDave said...

Jim from WVa@1:57, Credit should go where credit is due...

Marti (@Blog write up 9A) You would lose that bet, I am the shy one they always warn you about... The problem is this Blogs (sort of) anonymous nature has released a side of me that was contained for years. (God help you all...)

Signed: One Crazy Mixed Up Kid...

My search for funny things to post turned up some things I was not aware of:

Crazy mixed up candy?

& Joe Brown. (I never heard of him, but I must go back & listen,there is some interesting stuff from this guy.)

& finally,,, it is not always the kid who is the class clown!

Jim from WVa said...

C E D I appreciate your honesty, and your hard work.

When you say the blog brings out the courage in you to do what you normally would never think of doing ". Maybe that's what it takes to bring out the best in some of us. That's why some guys sing better in the shower than they ever would in front of a live, albeit friendly audience. Maybe that's why Michaelangelo worked alone, high up in the ceiling. So he was his own worst critic and he did not have to put with snits from others - until much later.

Frequently we are not able to perform our best because of the fear of other peoples opinions. For that unique but rather common personality trait - an anonymous blog offers a great respite and an opportunity. For myself, I am glad to enjoy your contribution, and am glad the anonymity of the blog has been such a courage booster for you.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Happy Thursday, dear Puzzlelings,

Kinda easy, I thought. I was slowed in the NW corner only because I started with ESTER instead of ATTAR.

I thought 50A very funny. Something about the poetic grandiosity of peas aspiring to sphere-hood. I guess they might also aim to be orbs and globes. Why not? Little Malvolios!

Ol' Man Keith said...

desper-otto:
Sorry to read about your cat. People really are the hardest creatures to understand. What can get into someone to pull a cruel stunt like that?
We have dogs now, but I grew up with cats. I was reminded two nights ago via ABC News of the love between Man and Cat when a guy whose home had just been leveled by a tornado was in absolute despair, in baying tears over the loss of his home. Then he went searching for his lost cat while the camera followed —and I’ve never seen anyone happier than he was when he found his cat alive! The loss of his home didn’t seem to matter when he picked up that cat. The tears came again, but they were now so very different.

Anonymous T said...

G'Day All:

Soooo, it was easy for you pros, eh? I was so happy that I was LETIN to the Thurs. solve club... My ROARS of ORAL cursing was in the SW corner. It was the last to fall (I thought Padawan had something to do with Jabberwocky - and I'm supposed to be a nerd (I'll turn in my card now...)).

Wonderful puzzle MaryEllen. Marti - very nice writeup and links. C.C. LEM's GD is a cutie-pie.

6d was going to be DOT or Zoe, STEAKDIANE perped it. Zoe must be Baby Blues...

Nit: 33a clue: kin 70a answer AKIN... Um, Rich? (C.C. is that considered OK in a pzl?)

HG - KIDs detastling (sp?)?

D-O: I'm just down the road. Have gun (and laptop); will travel... So sorry to hear about your kitty.

Owen - WEES COLE's law... LOL

HG - ON-OFF ceiling switch - priceless. Of course, if you make things idiot-proof, the world creates a better idiot...

CED - keep 'em comming... I'll dispense my nemesis with magic...*

Cheers, -T
*I've never met an enemy... Thus, "poof" they are gone.

Lemonade714 said...

Thank you all for you sweet comments on Charlotte, and CED the cake is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had typed my comments earlier but ended up in the midst of 8 real estate closings, so my head is spinning and I am coughing so more tomorrow. Oh my, it is Friday, my day?!?

HeartRx said...

Lemony, I already emailed you about how sweet Charlotte is, and how much I adored her cute little pigtails. But I'll put it out here on the blog as well…

Keith Fowler, little peas as orbs and globes?? "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them…"

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Wonderful treat, MaryEllen! Wish all Thursday puzzles were this nice! Swell expo, Marti! Had no troubles. Theme easy. I always check perps before writing IONIC or doric!

desper- So sorry about your cat. Had problems when we moved to Northridge. Wonderful cats disappeared. A few years later a neighbor died and his ground was dug up. Many, many cat skeletons were found. They had been shot.

Lemonade- swell photos! Beautiful child!

pje- What is a social media makeover???

Cheers!

PK said...

Lemonade, is Charlotte talking any? What does she call you?

A friend's 10-yr-old kid was visiting me many years ago when I was on the farm. We watched my cat cross the yard some distance away. "I can kill that cat for you," the kid offered. I had a small fit and told him I didn't want my cat killed. He was surprised. I wondered what on earth he was hearing at home that made him think this would be okay. Somebody obviously didn't like cats.

Husker Gary said...

-AT, yeah, that’s detasseling. Those hybrid crosses brought in big yields this summer where in past years there might have been no grain at all. Drought resistant genes are doing better and better.
-I don’t think anyone knows which of the ceiling fan/light cords to pull and so I enjoyed that poster! You’re right about idiots. It’s like the little boy at the dike in that you can’t plug all the holes.
-I hope all our resident scientists liked the tunneling microscope joke from Frasier. I think it is one of the funniest TV lines I have ever heard.
-BTW, Peri Gilpin in 2013. I think she is lovely and as I said last week, men last longer in the movie industry than women and I think it is a sin that vehicles are not written for them.

Lemonade714 said...

Jim from W Va, welcome; Charlotte is the happiest baby I have ever known.

PK, she has some words but no name for me yet. Her smiles are very better than words.

Anonymous said...

Fermatprime: below is what the company posted on Facebook describing what will be included in our makeover. Thanks for your interest.


Today we awarded the League for Animal Welfare a "check" for winning Dooley Media's social media makeover contest. We can't wait to help them share their mission using brand development, social media, content, videography and photography! The LFAW is SO excited, and we got to play with puppies. Win/win. (thanks to Team Fitz Graphics, LLC for the check!)

Pat






Anonymous said...

When I was doing the crosswords today, I had a tough time with the clue about 50 Across - Spheres studied by Mendel.

The answer was - peas.

I thought that was a long shot, but it's Thursday, so the clues have to be obfuscated, confused, punned, and in general mutilated so that only the one percent, who do these games all the time - and know all the tricks of the trade - can follow through.

Until I read that other people have also had this problem, so it's not just me. The question remains, how many people have to complain before an answer is considered unfair? Some people never complain, it goes against their very soul ... They may make snide remarks, or not so gentle suggestions, but an actual complaint on a blog like this, is considered very bad form. Why be the first ones ? Maybe the others will think I'm not that good, or a shirker of some sort, so hence I will hold my nose and pass on. Passing peas as spheres - why not globes, novas, orbs, celestial bodies domains etc. etc. maybe the next time he should show a Venn diagram.

Maybe that's for the Friday puzzle.

Hahtoolah said...

Lemonade: I can't believe I forgot to wish Charlotte a happy first birthday. She is a doll!

Anonymous said...

I would guess that everyone has been taught about Mendel and his peas. If you didn't remember, well, then that's too bad. But it far from obscure. It should be at least vaguely familiar. I would rate it a Tuesday level clue, maybe Wednesday.

I wonder if anon @ 7:13p has ever heard of Pavlov's dogs or Franklin's kite?

JD said...

Good evening all,

Thanks for the fun Maryellen, Marti and all. I liked having an easy Thursday, even with a few unknowns- like Padawan.Nonet crossing stony was my last fill.Loved old king cole!Never saw KID. :(

D-otto, so sorry about your cat.I hope you find who was responsible.

Happy birthday pretty Charlotte. I have enjoyed seeing her blossom. Love that polka dot dress--so girlie.

Manac said...

Evening All,
Thought this was a Monday level puzzle like most of you. Mendel we have had before.
Small accident on Monday crushed my right hand, no broken bones but some other tissue/tendon damage that made my knees Buckle, good thing I'm not in NY:)

D-Otto, Very sorry to hear about your cat. GD shame that responsibility isn't a requirement to own a pellet gun! Taught mine early on there will be consequences if used abusively.

And a very belated Happy Birthday! To Creature! I always enjoy reading your posts!

This is really tough typing left handed.

Anonymous T said...

@713 & @745 - it's the obfuscation / off-by just-a-bit that moves the mind left when it was going right that makes the puzzle pleasurable. No complaints if we get it and a groan when it becomes obvious after a "cheat." Personally, I I always hate the "1945 winner for best actress" type of clues - 'cuz I ain't got a chance in h***...

For an honest assesment of the puzzle, Barry posts early. He'll tell it like it is (even if it wasn't like that for you). That's why I love this corner. Everyone admits their stumbles (and if you didn't trip, you feel smart), and their strengths (where you fell flat and feel like a dolt). It's all worn on their SLEEVES.

And then there's all the links from everyone that tie in; icing on CED's cakes...

pje - that award is awesome. I thought it was a joke at first (or worse, a prelude to you being scamed), but that's soooo cool. Take care of those puppies!*

-T

Bill G. said...

Owen', I always enjoy your efforts. Cole's Law was especially clever!

It rained overnight and more rain is due tonight. No biggie for most of you but it's more unusual locally. I'm enjoying it and I plan to get in a short bike ride while it's cool and damp but not raining yet. I've turned on the furnace for a few minutes and fired up the Lava Lamp.

I thought the PEAS clue was tricky but fair. I needed a couple of crossing letters to get it. As I remember, Mendel studied short and tall pea plants more than the peas themselves. (Wiki seems to agree.) Still, tricky but fair.

Lucina said...

Keith:
I love that you can pull poetry out of even the most mundane fill.

Mendel is to peas as Einstein is to math/relativity. It instantly clicked in my mind when I read the clue.

Bill:
It looks like your rain is heading in our direction and we really need it.

Bill G. said...

Lucy: But, but...I'm not through with it yet...

Here's a photo of the Manhattan Beach pier with the bad weather influence. MANHATTAN BEACH PIER

buckeye bob said...

Husker Gary @ 9:08 --

That link to Tunneling Electron Microscope was hilarious! I laughed out loud!

PK said...

Manac, sorry to hear about your hand. Sounds very painful, but hope it heals okay. Sometimes those things can plague us a long time. Take care!

Rosie Palmer said...

So sorry Manac.

Always worried about injuries.

And to lose the right hand...

Blister In The Sun

Lucina said...

Sorry, Bill, it's arrived!

Manac:
I'm sorry to hear about your hand. "Crushed" sounds mighty painful and so inconvenient to use the left hand. I hope the prognosis is for a short recovery.

Good night, everyone!

Anonymous said...

C'mon people, we all know when you use the left hand its like someone else is doing it.

Unless your already left-handed. Manac?

Anonymous said...

*Yes, it should be you're.

Anonymous T said...

Manac - I must have been taking a long time to post. I didn't notice yours until someone mentioned your hand (and linked the VFems). What did you did?

Bill G. You can't have all the rain. TX still needs some too. Cool photo - I thought it was a painting at first.

Lucina - got any knock-out spiced-up side-dish recipes? SIL wants to do the bird, et.al. this year. I've got deviled eggs and WHAT?

Cheers, -T

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

Anon-T,
Rich won't allow dupe entries in a grid. But a tiny clue/ANSWER dupe happens at times.

D-Otto,
I hope the guy fesses up & asks for forgiveness.

Maverick said...

Wow! I had given up when I was down to the cross of ANILE and MOTETS. Whoda'thunk those were actual words. That SW corner was killing me. I thought I had a clever answer with BABYBUMP. Once I gave up on that and tried some more conventional answers I got the GREETS and the ELEM (cute) not NOUN; TO LET (euro sign). Never could figure out what a DAW was supposed to be even though I'm a birder (Guess I didn't see a DAW on a TO LET sign). Vivaldi's IN E was a puzzler too. Neither ONE, nor UNE of the four seasons.