google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday December 15, 2013 Jeff Chen

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Dec 15, 2013

Sunday December 15, 2013 Jeff Chen

Theme:  "And 100 More!" - C is added to each familiar phase. Love the title.

22A. Big tips on cruises? : LINER C-NOTES. Liner notes.

32A. Beginning piano student's first scale? : C MAJOR DISASTER. Major disaster.

49A. Shockproof battery? : PADDED C CELL. Padded cell.

63A. Channel for channel surfers? : SHORT ATTENTION C-SPAN. Short attention span.

79A. Food problem at the front? : C RATIONS OUT. Rations out.

93A. Tech news site's nefarious plan? : NOTHING BUT CNET. Nothing but net.

107A. Painfully out-of-tune note? : RAZOR C SHARP. Razor-sharp.
 
This would be very cool if there were no other C's other than those in the theme entries. But then the fill would not be sparkling.

Typical Jeff Chen grid. Fun theme/fill and super smooth. Spoiler alert: Jeff also has today's NY Times. A rare Sunday doubleheader.

I've been enjoying Jeff's notes on those NYT puzzles. He points out the strength and weakness in each grid and his comments are always observant & informative. Sometimes he's goofy.

Across:
       
1. Brief regrets, maybe : RSVPs

6. Agitated state : STEW

10. Order from on high : FIAT

14. DJIA stock : IBM. Their ThinkPad is owned by Lenovo, a Chinese company.

17. Nobelist Root : ELIHU

18. Source of heat : STOVE

19. It's for the dogs : ALPO. Indeed.

20. Campus center : QUAD

24. Chicken __ : KIEV. Boomer made more General Tso's Chicken last night. But he added in some cashew nuts, which are mostly used in Kung Pao Chicken.

25. Many a jazz combo : TRIO

26. Willing to listen : OPEN

27. Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

28. One good at stretching? : LIAR. Stretching the truth. Of course I was thinking of Ichiro.


29. Tubular carb source : PENNE

30. Green sage of films : YODA. Why is he green?

36. Stars and Stripes squad : TEAM USA

39. They're noted for their neutrality : SWISS

40. Civil offenses : TORTS

41. LAX listing : ARR (Arrival)

42. Sassy : PERT

44. FĂștbol cheer : OLE

45. Panther's color? : PINK. Pink Panther.

46. Nigerian people : IBO. Learned from doing xwords.

52. Stumblebums : OAFS

53. Multiple millennia : AEON

54. Latin 101 verb : ESSE. In esse.

55. Code breakers' cries : AHAS

56. Sugar bowl fans : ANTS. Ha ha.

57. Capital of Belarus : MINSK

58. __ Aires : BUENOS

61. Twosome in the news, or the news itself : ITEM. Nice clue as well.

62. Appear eventually : TURN UP

67. Sitcom lover of Chachi : JOANIE. Was unaware of "Joanie Loves Chachi", a spinoff of "Happy Days".

68. Give up : CEDE

69. Start of a balcony delivery : O ROMEO

70. Queen __ lace : ANNE'S

71. Via, informally : THRU

72. Locking horns : AT IT

73. City on the Arno : PISA

77. Manufactured locks : WIGS. Another great clue. "Locks" always refer to "hair" in xwords.

78. Startled cries : EEKS

82. One of several H.S. subjects : SCI

83. Black Friday event : SALE

84. Owing : SHY

85. Rough patch? : ACNE. Oh I have a question: can you pluralize ACNE?

86. Slick, perhaps : WET

87. Hugo title word : NOTRE. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

89. Deliveries at Lincoln Center : ARIAS

91. "CHiPs" co-star : ESTRADA (Erik)

97. Sorority letters : PHIS

98. Nonspecific checkbox : OTHER

99. "Born Free" lioness : ELSA

100. Skye of film : IONE.  "Say Anything..." is pretty good.

102. Classic muscle cars : GTOS

105. URI's hoops conference : A TEN. Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). I drew a blank.

106. "Sometimes you feel like __ …" : A NUT. Hence the 105A clue. Jeff does not want two consecutive "a..." style partial clues.

110. Hamburger man : HERR.  So people from Hamburg are called "Hamburger"?

111. Miller __ : LITE

112. John Paul's Supreme Court successor : ELENA

113. Out-and-out : UTTER

114. Playa del __: L.A. coastal region : REY

115. Pic to click : ICON

116. Binds : WEDS

117. Arnold's art : POESY. Which "Arnold" are we talking here?
 
Down:

1. HR dept. concern : RELO

2. Err : SLIP

3. Oenophile's vacation destinations : VINEYARDS

4. Promising whiz : PHENOM

5. California's Big __ : SUR

6. Vulcan in demeanor : STOIC. Spock.

7. Tribal emblems : TOTEMS

8. Holiday preceder : EVE

9. Director Craven : WES

10. Muslim ascetics : FAKIRS. Forgot. We had this before. 

11. Homer classic : ILIAD

12. Appetite stimulants : APERITIFS

13. "Mazel __!" : TOV

14. Measure of brightness : IQ TEST

15. Color in the original "Crayola 48" : BURNT SIENNA. And 64. Motto on an inspirational cat poster : HANG IN THERE. Jeff made great use of the long slots.

16. It was admitted as a free state as part of the Missouri Compromise : MAINE. Also a learning moment. I know nothing about Missouri Compromise.

18. NBC staple : SNL

21. Shaker, so to speak : DOER. Not your salt/pepper shaker. Tricky clue.

23. Quit : CEASED

28. Get shellacked, say : LOSE

29. Part of PRNDL : PARK

31. Pigeon : DUPE

33. Delinquents of a sort, briefly : AWOLS

34. Memorable climber : JILL. Jack and Jill.

35. George Foreman's five Georges : SONS. This would be very confusing to me.

36. Record, in a way : TAPE

37. Historical periods : ERAS

38. Things known to a select few : ARCANA

43. Knickknack : TCHOTCHKE. Yiddish, isn't it?

45. He played Arnold on "Happy Days" : PAT MORITA. More familiar with his role in "The Karate Kid".

47. Short deck hand? : BOSUN (Boatswain)

48. Doing mil. drudge work : ON KP

50. Fillets : DEBONES

51. Hunters' holidays : EASTERS. Egg hunters.

52. A smidgen : ONE IOTA

53. Preps for a snack, as corn : AIR-POPS

56. Long-distance letters : AT&T

57. Ponder : MUSE. Hi there Gary!

59. "Exodus" novelist : URIS

60. Hot time in Quebec : ETE

61. Like Beethoven's Sonata Op. 109 : IN E

62. Airer of vintage films : TCM

63. NBAer until 2008 : SONIC. Now the Thunder.

65. URL tag : EDU

66. Observe : NOTICE

67. Steel-toothed Bond villain : JAWS. In "The Spy Who Loved Me".

71. Like some anchors : TELEGENIC. Who's your favorite TV anchor?

72. Early Indo-European : ARYAN

74. Big 12 wrestling powerhouse : IOWA STATE

75. Went after : SUED

76. "__ boy!" : ATTA

78. Make : EARN

79. In : CHIC

80. Without a buyer lined up : ON SPEC

81. Belg. neighbor : NETH

83. The cooler : STIR

84. Span. miss : SRTA

88. Writer with an award named for him : O HENRY

89. "Pride and Prejudice" novelist : AUSTEN

90. Grabbed : SEIZED

92. "You betcha!" : RIGHTO

93. Father of Shem, Ham and Japheth : NOAH

94. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER

95. Belushi's "Animal House" role : BLUTO. Needed crossings.

96. Cel mates? : TOONS. Cute clue.

101. Org. that sticks to its guns : NRA

103. Metal refinery input : ORES

104. Nimble : SPRY

106. Frazier's Fight of the Century foe : ALI. Have you seen this clip from the Jack Parr show? Ali is a good rapper.

107. Clicker button : REW

108. Microbrew selection : ALE

109. Slangy "How's things?" : SUP



1) Our local Star Tribune has a nice article on Twin Cities crossword community. Click here. George Barany & Victor Barocas are featured. Nodding my head at George's comment: "It’s probably one of the lowest-paying jobs you could find on a hourly basis. It’s strictly a labor of love." Victor's puzzle is not for the LA Times, by the way, it's for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

2) For those Gmail users, if you don't want Google to group all your emails with the same subjection into one line in the inbox, please click on Settings, then under "Conversation View", click  "Conversation view off". I really dislike the one lump. So messy and hard to file.



C.C.

55 comments:

OwenKL said...

My loan-shark is feeling his oats.
He's chased me by plane, car, and boats.
I paid off the loan, all
With CDs atonal.
Well, he said he wanted payment in C-NOTES!

The major thought it looked sharp,
So the bugler was issued a harp.
Thus the camp got to savor
Taps strummed in C-MAJOR,
And reveille in the key of C-SHARP!

Madge's camping kit she packed well.
A flashlight and extra C-CELL.
For clothes, outdoor fashions;
For food, some C-RATIONS.
(Her hubby booked a fancy hotel!)

OwenKL said...

For politics, C-SPAN is my channel.
For tech, the C-NET expert panel.
For everything I've a solution.
I should start a revolution!
(But all day I'm in my PJ's comfy flannel.)

It took 3 or 4 passes, with red letters on after the first one to roust out the red herrings, but I finished this one, which is better than I did Saturday! No particular problems, though it did take getting 3 or 4 theme entries before I was able to suss out today's gimmick. But once I got it, the others came easily. Fun theme, funny clues!

George Barany said...

First of all, hearty congratulations to my cyberfriend Jeff Chen for the LA Times construction just blogged, and for his remarkable "Daily Double" feat of having also constructed today's NY Times Sunday puzzle. The latter is called "A Cut Above" and I recommend it with the highest degree of enthusiasm. Many of the top constructors in the country are coming up with their own tributes to the 100th "birthday" of the crossword puzzle, officially less than a week away, and I bet there will be other mind-boggling feats.

Concerning the Star Tribune article that C.C. graciously linked to, I know that its author Jeff Strickler had just a couple of days to work on it once his editors decided to run it this Sunday rather than next Saturday. When he interviewed me on Monday, I devised a simple theme for demonstration purposes, and the newspaper decided to run with it. This sports-themed puzzle is called They Sure Managed, and some of you might find it a nice "after-dinner mint" to the wondrous main courses served by Jeff Chen. Reason I mention it in this manner is that Jeff Strickler's article opens with some information that pretty much gives away that puzzle's theme.

Finally, I wish to reiterate sentiments expressed yesterday, my appreciation to C.C. for hosting this blog and for building a wonderful on-line community of solvers. C.C. is also one of the real stars of the Twin Cities constructing community, and you can find several pictures of a number of us by clicking here. Closing the loop, C is the Roman numeral for 100, so C.C. reminds us of the 100 years of crosswords just passed, and the next 100 years to come!

kjinkc said...

CC - loved the 'stretching' photo of Ichiro. Hope he doesn't get traded. Just FYI...I don't think there's going to be a way to solve via my tablet as I'm unable to find an app. Hopefully one day soon, they will develop one.

Owen - another clever rendition.

Particularly like the Sugar Bowl clue.

Time to get some more zzz's.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Fun puzzle from Jeff today. Got the theme early on, which helped immensely with the fill. Stumbled a bit with the spelling of TCHOTCHKE, but at least I knew the word (used quite frequently in my home growing up).

Absolutely could not understand why EASTER was clued as a "hunter's holiday" and resisted putting it in until the very last perp forced it upon me. Then I came here, read the write-up, and went D'OH!

Things I learned today included the fact that the SONICS are no longer an NBA team (and haven't been for awhile, apparently) and that BURT SIENNA is no longer a Crayola color...

[flmetsc]

Anonymous said...

Matthew Arnold for 117A?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Arnold

Fun puzzle and nice write up CC!

buckeye bob said...

Anon @ 6:47 a.m.

Yes, it could be Matthew Arnold.

But it could also be Elizabeth Arnold.

Alizabeth Arnold Wiki

Hmmm. We are back to C.C.'s question...

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I went top-to-bottom on this one. Had to wait for the crosses in a couple of spots, but otherwise it came together quickly. I'm used to seeing bos'n rather than BOSUN for boatswain. I knew the word TCHOTCHKE but needed lots of perpage to spell it.

C.C., it might be confusing for the kids, but I'll bet George Sr. never called his kids by the wrong name. Favorite TV anchor? Guess I'd pick Scott Pelley on CBS. Least favorite? Diane Sawyer on ABC.

Cold here today -- not bike-riding weather. I think we'll have to march instead...

Al Cyone said...

Well, it wasn't an auspicious beginning but I got a foothold in the NE, made some progress, then stalled again until I got the "C" theme. After that it was mostly a perp-fest and a satisfying "TA DA!" after yesterday's fiasco.

A measured 8" of snow here in the beautiful mid-Hudson Valley.

[27:51]

Dennis said...

A quick heads-up: Sunday Morning on CBS (just started) has a segment coming up on the 100th anniversary of crosswords.

Anonymous said...

"Knickknack : TCHOTCHKE"

Go to hell, Chen.

Anonymous said...

CC PLEASE do not spoil the constructor name for this one week later solver.

Argyle said...

Ignore spoiler alerts at your own risk.

Husker Gary said...

CC’s summation works for me. The only bump was putting CRATION confidently at the end of 79A and then having to move it to the front.

Musings
-Advice for our snowy friends – C # or you’ll B♭
-I got off the Star Wars bus pre-YODA
-I still get goose bumps when I watch TEAM USA do this (:23)
-SWISS clues on TBBT (first 1:00 of 3:42)
-PERT Kelton was the first Alice Kramden and later had this famous role
-My keys, cell phone, wallet and remote always eventually TURN UP
-There is no SALE ITEM for which I’m willing to stand in line for hours
-This ARIAS event seemingly dragged on for AEONS
-I wrote a lotta checks to this ΠÎČφ
-Hi there CC!
-Fav news reader is Jim Lehrer, at least he seems to not be biased
-Is an ARYAN Wig HERR Hair?
-Every kid with a 100+mph fastball is a PHENOM until he can’t throw strikes
-ON KP
-What faux movie was about "A young girl's strange, erotic journey from Milan to MINSK."

Al Cyone said...

I was going to pick a nit to the effect that Miller Lite is more properly called "Lite Beer from Miller" but Wikipedia tells me that was abandoned in the 80s. It's a good thing they dropped "beer" from its name!

desper-otto said...

Husker, you really got off the bus early. You never saw the second film, The Empire Strikes Back?

Lucina said...

Good day, friends! Thank you for the illuminating commentary, C.C.

I was so proud of myself for finishing this quickly and easily until I saw LINERCNOTE and RELO. I had Diner/REDO. Drat!

Otherwise this was very doable although most of the theme phrases needed many perps to complete.

My eraser got a workout with some of the misdirection, but it all worked out. Loved Eric ESTRADA.

Pic to click, ICON is a fun clue
SHY is tricky.

MINSK seemed like a drab and dreary place when I was there. I don't even recall the hotel but all other hotels in Russia were memorable, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

HANG IN THERE, everyone, only a couple of weeks to go before the big day!

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Simply put, I'd rather do a crossword than go out there and deal with the snow. How handy that we had a Jeff Chen large-grid to procrastinate over.

Had a pretty good inkling of the theme with the first such fill at 32A. After that it was a standard Plug & Chug (a phrase borrowed from math). The biggest unknown was that Arnold thing.

Morning, C.C.! I'm not especially expert in Animal House lore,but I recall that Bluto is the character's nickname. His full name is John Blutarsky (memorably portrayed by John Belushi). As for the acne question, my sense is that it isn't plurable.

Coffee's all gone, rats. Now I have to go remove snow.

mskmoorthy said...

As noted earlier by Denis about CBS (Sunday morning) broadcasting an episode about crosswords,
here is the link http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-crossword-puzzle-celebrates-its-centennial/

June said...

Regarding the Acne comment - I think Acne is the plural. Zit or pimple or whatever other word you assign to this unpleasant eruption is the singular. Lots of zits at the same time = acne! IMHO. I still don't understand 10. Order from on high : FIAT. I must be having a blonde moment.

Argyle said...

FIAT: a decree, sanction, or order from those with absolute authority to enforce it: The king ruled by fiat.

Bill G. said...

Hi everybody. I enjoyed the puzzle. A good theme and lots of fun fill. I knew the word TCHOTCHKE but I sure didn't know how to spell it.

Spoiler alerts don't really work when the spoiler is in the next line or two. Still, I just can't work up too much sympathy for Anon at 8:35. With that thinking, I guess I should be upset at being told that a CW segment is coming up on Sunday Morning (that I haven't watched yet). Some squeaky wheels deserve oiling more than others.



desper-otto said...

mskmoorthy and June: Are you first time posters? I don't recognize your handles. If so, welcome to the best cw blog on the web.

Lucina, when you say "memorable," do you mean it in a good way?

I don't see why revealing the creator's name requires a spoiler alert. It doesn't ruin the puzzle in any way that I can see.

Irish Miss said...

Hi Everyone:

I finally finished w/o help but only after numerous write-overs: Roma/Pisa, Ohio/Iowa, Morales/Estrada, pasta/penne, burnt orange/burnt sienna, etc. All of these missteps made the solve a lot harder than it should have been. Fav clues were for ants, liar, Alpo, and toons.

Nice job, Jeff, I look forward to solving the NY Times puzzle later. Great expo, CC. My favorite anchor is Brian Williams.

By the look of it, I think we got about 8" of snow. I'm staying put for the day. I can't wait the see what CED will come up with for the cat's Hang In There poster.

Stay safe and warm. My captcha is "winedTo". Hey there, Marti!

Irish Miss said...

Sorry, should be, I can't wait to see......

June said...

Argyle - thanks for the info on Fiat. I couldn't get the car out of my mind.

Desper-otto - I have read this best CW Blog on the web for years and feel I know you interesting and intelligent folks well. I have posted only one other time when the answer had to do with my alma mater Drexel University. Perhaps I should do more!

Argyle said...

OK, June, you got me to wondering; where did the automotive Fiat come from?

Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Interesting puzzle, Jeff Chen. Thanks, C.C.

I couldn't figure out what most of the initials in this puzzle were: DIJA, HR, URI, PRNDL. Oh, the latter on the gear shift. DUH! I don't drive enough anymore.

FIAT: didn't know this was anything but a car. IBO was all perps too. Didn't remember IONE & terrier was too long.

The Sonic NBA team was sold and moved from Seattle despite a huge fan base. They went to Oklahoma City as Thunder with a huge fan base there. Very good team right now.

Kansas was also admitted in 1861 as a free state in the Missouri Compromise, but that wouldn't fit in the puzzle. I didn't know MAINE also came in then. MAINE probably escaped the border wars that ensued along the Kansas-Missouri border with this piece of legislation.

Spitzboov said...

Good afternoon everyone.

All atwitter from watching the cw anniversary piece on CBS Sunday Morning.

Enjoyed Jeffs puzzle today. Thought the SE was crunchier than the rest of the solve.
ELIHU Root - Hailed from Clinton, NY next door to us. There is a marvelous garden and small arboretum there called Root glen (where he lived). In addition to his work resulting in the Nobel Peace Prize, I was always conscious, professionally, that he negotiated with his Great Britain counterpart, the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 between the US and Canada. It sets out how the 2 countries regulate the levels and flows of boundary waters and usage of those waters which especially include the Great. Lakes.

C.C. re: 110a - Hamburg resident. It is Hamburger, in German, too. Here is a pop song Hamburger Deern (Hamburger girl) in which the singer can be clearly heard pronouncing Hamburger.

Lucina said...

desper-otto@11:44:
Memorable in a very good way. Those two hotels were almost self-contained cities with 1500 rooms, a mall, several eateries, and lovely gardens. In the dining room we were served in courses, one at a time.

And the breakfast room was vast with several stations where the cooks made dishes to order. The buildings themselves were also beautiful architecturally.

Lucina said...

No, actually, I believe there were 2500 rooms, not 1500.

R.I.P.
Peter O'Toole

CrossEyedDave said...

Irish Miss @ 12:10

Sorry, I did not do the puzzle today. Between digging out of the snow, shopping, driving Mr. Moms Taxi, & tree decorating, I just did not have the time for such a large puzzle.

I did read CCs write up, & when I saw your post I could not remember seeing anything about a hang in there poster, which made me "control F" the Blog for it.

Truly, I would love to link a cat hang in there poster, but I think its been overdone...

River Doc said...

Happy Sunday everybody!

Fun theme today, but one letter SHY of the TaDa (the W in REW and WEDS)....

Least confident answer = TCHOTCHKE, obviously. Is that pronounced like CHACHI, whom JOANIE loved...?

Favorite clue = Panthers color. Kept wanting to put in TEAL (Carolina Panthers)....

Just my opinion of course, but some TV Anchors think they are more TELEGENIC than they really are....

Didn't get what PRNDL was until coming here to The Corner, which is why we love It so much - thanks PK...!

Finally, always enjoyed watching the closing credits of Animal House, mostly to see that Bluto ended up becoming Senator Blutarsky...!

Irish Miss said...

CED @ 2:33 - I guess that cat didn't have 9 lives, after all!
(-:

PK said...

When I worked at the weekly newspaper there were two large posters above our layout table. One was the famous cat-hang-in-there poster. The other was stated "it's never finished until the paper work's done" and pictured a toilet scene. Both were apt for our business. CED: your poster is kinda how I feel these days. My hang-in-ability has slipped.

Doc, Maybe I'm not the only dense one today. Glad to be of service.

Spitzboov said...

The only inspirational cat expression I could think of:


re: Mousies

TTP said...

Hi all ! Thank you Jeff Chen and thank you CC !

Good stuff today, but was busy with other matters so it was an on and off solve.

I watched the Sunday Morning episode this morning. Glad to see that some of you all saw it as well.

Yellowrocks said...

Cute!

Link Hang in there

Jayce said...

Jack and JILL went up the hill.
Right behind came Farmer Phil.
Jack said "No,"
Jill said "I will,"
And came back down with a ten-dollar bill.

Jayce said...

A friend of mine from India told me that FAKIR is pronounced like fucker in his language. I am not making this up.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Okay, seriously now. I did not feel the ole tingly Aha with this puzzle today; don't know why, because it's a perfectly fine puzzle. Maybe spelling vinyard as vineyard got me into a negative mood, even though it is, of course, correct.
Um, I think I'll read all your comments before I write any more ...

Jayce said...

IGood comments, all! What a great bunch of people!
Speaking of a great bunch of people, LW and I had a good time at a party last night. I had an interesting discussion with a fellow whitebeard consultant who had lived in Melbourne, Australia, for a couple of years, in which he mentioned a food called Moreton Bay Bugs that he enjoyed very much after he got over his first apprehensions about how they looked like large maggots. I looked it up, and now I want to find a local store that has has them for sale. Hey, I'll eat anything once!
With regard to news anchors, I have to agree with Husker Gary about Jim Lehrer. I have basically zero respect for or confidence in network news, as I am constantly frustrated by the way they almost always fail to really tell you anything except headlines. No real information.
Man oh man, I must be in a bad mood this morning. I shall therefore shut up, wish you all well, and slink away into the dark night to the strains of Luciano Pavarotti singing Nessum Dorma. Hugs.

CrossEyedDave said...

Jayce @ 5:51

Aw, it's just a lobster without claws.


Heads up!

Did anyone else get a Xmas card Email from Gary Schlapfer? (Husker Gary???) I tried to open the doc file attached, & my antivirus went crazy saying "do not open it!"

HG,,, did you send me an email xmas card?

(I am afraid to open it, it might be a bomb!)

((this is because someone stole my email address book, & now I get spam from people I know...)

Bill G. said...

I went grocery shopping, visited with my son, his serious girlfriend and their American bulldog mix, went for a short bike ride and got a macchiato. I was struck with how friendly and polite most people are. "Excuse me" was common as we all tried to negotiate the aisles of the supermarket. Drivers would pause to let you enter the stream of cars in the parking lot. The baristas had my coffee ready almost as soon as I came though the door. They all know my name. I wonder if I should leave them a bigger than usual tip for the holidays?

Which is correct? John or his wife is coming? John or his wife are coming?

CED, yes though I couldn't open the attachment. He re-sent it as a PDF file and it opened fine. Odd...

Argyle said...

I opened it with a special reader; no virus.

Husker Gary said...

Dave, et al. I did send out our Christmas Letter to those people with whom I have had personal correspondence and many responded upon receiving it. I attached it as a .docx document but had to send it to Bill G as a .pdf file for him to open it.

Anonymous said...

well, that's the 2nd virus to which we've been introduced

CrossEyedDave said...

Ack, I still can't open it, as I do not have the program it was sent on.

pdf pls

Irish Miss said...

I didn't have any problems opening Gary's Christmas card. What virus have we been subjected to, Anon @ 8:02?

RIP, Peter O'Toole.

Irish Miss said...

Just went to Cruciverb to download Monday's puzzle. Guess what? Cruciverb is AWOL AGAIN. What can I say?

Dudley said...

Oh, not again!

Darned Cruciverb.

Abejo said...

Good evening, folks. Thank you, Jeff Chen, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the fine review.

Well, I worked off and on all day on this. Finally got it. It was not easy.

Took me forever to get the theme. I think PADDED C CELL was my first theme answer.

Lots of tough words today. But, after I got them, they seemed quite simple. Such is life.

Did not know 46A IBO. Perps. However, those perps were slow in coming.

I guess I never saw the HANG IN THERE poster. Another tough one.

TCHOTCHKE, now that's a tongue twister. Thank goodness for nine perps. That's the way this puzzle went.

I had no time to read the entire blog. I will do that tomorrow. Never did Saturday's puzzle. I was on the go from 5:00 AM to 12:00 midnight. This time of year is non-stop go go go.

OwenKL: Caught your facebook item on the silent monks. That was great!

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(innutsl)

OwenKL said...

Abejo: the silent monks I swiped from Dudley right here yesterday!

BillG: "John or his wife are coming" just sounds righter to me. Grammar should be descriptive, not prescriptive, I guess. Whatever sounds best in natural speech is the way it should be written, and rules be damned!

What should you recommend to a cat about a catnip bar? Hang out there.

Dennis said...

With that thinking, I guess I should be upset at being told that a CW segment is coming up on Sunday Morning (that I haven't watched yet).

BIll G., thanks for that. One of the best laughs I've had on here.

Anonymous said...

Passive aggressive much, dennis?