Theme: Get Off the Fence - If you make the last word of the theme entries, you can get off the fence.
20A. Noncash executive compensation : STOCK OPTION
27A. Close boxing match outcome : SPLIT DECISION
50A. Folgers competitor : TASTER'S CHOICE
58A. Randomly determined NBA draft choice : LOTTERY PICK
Argyle here. I'm ambivalent about today's offering. Well done certainly with a couple of good columns but still left me feeling flat. I hope it's only me.
Across:
1. Business attire : SUIT
5. Somewhat : A BIT
9. Punches hard : SOCKS
14. Tolstoy's "__ Karenina" : ANNA
15. Jazz singer Horne : LENA
16. Packing rope : TWINE
17. Hot spot connection : WI-FI
18. What gears do : MESH
19. Addition to a school, say : ANNEX
23. Siamese or Abyssinian : CAT
24. Solo in "Star Wars" : HAN
25. Seminary deg. : TH.D. Doctor of Theology
26. Dog tags, for instance : IDs
33. Part of a foot : TOE
34. Norway's capital : OSLO. You know, the city in Czechoslovakia.
35. Low soccer score : ONE/NIL
38. Aquatic plant : ALGA
40. Work wk. end for many : FRI.
42. "__ Lama Ding Dong": doo-wop hit : RAMA. Still rockin'.
43. Enter : GO INTO
46. Hurricane rescue op : EVAC. operation/evacuation.
49. Omnivorous Looney Tunes devil, familiarly : TAZ
53. Greek letter between phi and psi : CHI
55. Airline approx. : ETA
56. Tee or blouse : TOP
57. Sandwich meat : HAM
64. "Me, too" : "AS AM I"
66. Use a piggy bank : SAVE
67. Overflow with, as charm : OOZE
68. Prelude, for short : INTRO
69. Hawaiian strings : UKEs
70. Thief's haul : SWAG
71. Explosive experiment : N-TEST
72. Felt tips and ballpoints : PENS
73. Dumbo's wings : EARS
Down:
1. Log cutters : SAWs. The tool, not the person.
2. Condo division : UNIT
3. "Inside" facts, briefly : INFO
4. Meditative exercise regimen : TAI CHI
5. Teardrop-shaped nutlike snacks : ALMONDS. Oh, what I misread this clue as.
6. Answering machine cue : BEEP
7. Part of MIT: Abbr. : INST. (Massachusetts INSTitute of Technology)
8. South Seas getaway : TAHITI
9. Substitute (for) : STAND-IN
10. "To thine __ self be true" : OWN. Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3.
11. Ohio city : CINCINNATI. Home of WKRP. Short snippet(1:31)
12. Work on dough : KNEAD
13. Titillating cellphone messages : SEXTs
21. Green Hornet's sidekick : KATO
22. Extremely : "OH SO". "too too"
27. Male deer : STAG
28. Game on horseback : POLO
29. Valid : LEGITIMATE
30. Christmas toymaker : ELF
31. Gadget used on an apple : CORER
32. "__ the fields we go" : O'ER
36. PC alternative : iMAC
37. Relax in a hammock : LAZE
39. California's Santa __ : ANA
41. ICU drips : IVs
44. Poet whose work inspired "Cats" : T.S. ELIOT
45. Director Preminger : OTTO
47. Woman on stage : ACTRESS
48. Bok __: Chinese cabbage : CHOY
51. Consumes avidly : EATS UP
52. Take a stand against : OPPOSE
53. Series of links : CHAIN
54. Lacks : HASN'T
59. Word before five or ten : TAKE. How long a break should be.
60. __-steven : EVEN. Just a rhyming phrase.
61. State known for its caucuses : IOWA. The Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President. New Hampshire is the earliest primary.
62. Business bigwig : CZAR
63. Gunpowder holders : KEGS. A favorite of early Westerns and cartoons.
65. "__ Doubtfire" : MRS. How is your sense of humor today? Mrs. Doubtfire recut as a horror movie.
Argyle
72 comments:
Morning, All!
Fine puzzle today, although it seemed to play a bit on the hard side for a Monday. That might have more to do with my brain than the puzzle, though. Nothing to really point at, other than it just took longer than usual to come up with much of it.
Went initially with SO AM I instead of AS AM I, as the former seems more natural than the latter, but other than that it was pretty smooth.
Some clues give you more than one OPTION
So it's you who must make the DECISION.
Do you hope your CHOICE works,
Or wait for more perps
To ensure you PICK the perfect solution?
(Is there some day other than Sunday in front of Monday? This one seemed easier than a Monday to me. My only stumble was misspelling LEGITaMATE. But I was pretty certain CHA was a Latin dance step, not a Greek letter.
My Internet connection went dead yesterday just after I posted, and stayed off until ~4 this morning, so I had to read all yesterday's comments, work today's puzzle, and write a poem late this morning.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jeff Stillman, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a swell review. perps
Zipped through this one. It is a Monday after all.
Did not know KATO until I had a couple perps.
Wanted THE for 25A, but accepted THD when STAND IN appeared.
CINCINNATI is always tough to spell for me. Once I see it I know if it is right or wrong. Getting it down on paper the first time is a challenge.
Used to drink gallons of TASTERS CHOICE and FOLGERS. Now it is strictly Earl Grey. I even carry my own when I go out.
Spelled CHOY wrong until a perp fixed that. had CHOI.
Theme was fine. LOTTERY PICK reminded me of the book I finished yesterday. "Lottery" by Patricia Wood. Excellent story, once you get into it. Great ending!
Enjoyed your musical link, Argyle.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(6497 45966884
Good morning!
Learning moment: I don't know how to spell CINCINNATI.
Anybody else think of Husker at "Substitute (for)?"
The company I used to work for didn't give stock options. Instead they awarded SARs (Stock Appreciation Rights). Employees who received them could later redeem them like stock, but there were no actual shares involved, so the majority owner's holdings were not diluted. Seemed shady to me.
"Gadget used on an apple." This past week I bought a gadget to use on whole pecans. Works like a mini-log-splitter. Very efficient, but difficult to avoid squashing too much. Only occasionally can I turn out perfect pecan halves.
I thought it was a representative Monday, and loved seeing Rams Lama Ding Dong. But it may not be everyone's preference.
Thanks Jeff and Argyle
First time this happened to me; that anon is me. Do not know why.
Good day all,
As I type on my IMAC, a pretty quick solve today with a couple of hold ups which aren't unusual for me.
Always want to put the two N's in CINCINNATI in the beginning rather then the middle, but across fills saved my bacon.
Wasn't sure about THD or OHSO. The H was a wag.
Todays technology..... thought texts was the fill for 13D, but Sockt eliminated that. SEXTS only thing that made sense. I guess it's some kind of titillating sex thing..huh?
Thanks for the write up Argyle, excellent as it always is.
Same issue with H as Hondo.
Thanks, Argyle, for the blue links.
Very poor wi-fi lately.
Montana
Thank you for the puzzle, Jeff Stillman. Thank you for the excellent review, Argyle. Oldies rock!
I thought this was easy-peasy. I had ATEST but the perps changed that to NTEST. Ended up finishing in about ¾ of my usual Monday time. Over too soon, but that’s Monday.
I, too, used to have a hard time spelling Cincinnati. Then I moved to SW Ohio and now I can spell it without thinking about it. Nice shout-out to several of our bloggers!
What song opens with the line “She came down from Cincinnati…”?
@ kjinkc from last night 1:21 a.m.
Rocket Man, Elton John.
Excellent tie-in to one of yesterday's topics!
Almonds are not just "nut like" they are nuts, whether the tree, the dry fruit, or the kernel.
Good morning everybody. This puzzle was super easy for me. My only trouble was I kept reading "cactuses" instead of "caucuses", so I wanted Ariz or Utah for 61D. Also, I don't think I'd ever call my boss a CZAR, even though he is a business bigwig.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
I misspelled Cincinnati which made 35a a miss; then I could not get 22d, or 25a. For whatever reason, I spelled 32d ore and I know the answer is oer. I seem to do that a lot where I know the word, but when I put it in the puzzle I put the letters in the wrong order!
Enjoy your day!
I am still working each daily puzzle and reading the blog.
I am staying in a hotel apartment and their Wi-Fi has been on the fritz. I can randomly connect. I took Abejo's advice and get the puzzle on my iPad--then I can work on it without connection as long as I don't shut it off. I can intermittently read the blog then, too.
I also have had an interesting thing happening--when I type in a post, if someone posts on the blog, the site refreshes immediately and I lose mine. I gave up trying last week.
Nice new avatar picture, Lemonade.
Montana
Almonds are just "nut like" because they are seeds.
MamaLi, there's a word for that: dylsexia :>)
One meaning of nut is the kernel or the seed of such a tree. The almond seeds ARE nuts, not nut like.
Undecided by The Delta Rhythm Boys (2:46)
To review: Nuts are seeds but not all seeds are nuts. Almonds are related to peaches so it might be best to call them a pit or stone.
Musings
-Corporate decisions are made by the SUITS
-The NBA LOTTERY is determined by ping pong balls. The worse your record, the more ping pong balls you get. Some teams get accused of losing to get a high lottery pick
-Our school had TWINE for boys who did not wear a belt
-When will WIFI be free and universal like cell coverage?
-‘Spose we’ll get a lotta LINKS for CATS today?
-Watching soccer is like watching paint dry to me. Get a bigger net & eliminate offsides.
-Harry Truman lived on Mt. St. Helens and turned the EVAC people away. Now the St. Helens is on TOP of him
-Joann bought a HAM and we are on our fifth meal using it – in scrambled eggs, rice casserole, sandwiches, ad infinitum
-When watching old What’s My Line shows the blindfolded panel often would ask the mystery celebrity if they ever acted on the LEGITIMATE stage-
-More often than not, the winners of the IOWA Caucus does not get the nomination but are forced to be in the contest to establish name recognition
-Hey, Otto, I’m posting late because I’m, you guessed it: Substituting
-OMG, more kids!! We’re going over verbs and objects and when I mentioned diagramming, they look at me like I’m an alien.
Almond with shell- nut
Almond without shell - seed
Pic
Clue was for what the snack was. Which would you eat?
Good Morning:
I agree that this was a little trickier than normal for a Monday, but all fell into place eventually.
Thanks, Jeff, for a fine effort and ditto to Argyle for the write-up.
I imagine CED will regale us with oodles of links to 23A. Meow!
Have a great day.
I have to admit that a few clues got me for a while, but then again, I'm not awake yet. I did finish without cheating, though.
If I were Chinese and my family name were HAN I would name my son Solo. He'd be Han Solo.
What happened to HeartRX?
Hello, friends!
WEES. I feel the same about this puzzle. It was quick, easy and I tripped on CINCINNATI. My first choice is always TT instead of NN and usually I have a mnemonic for spelling but not for that Ohio city.
No wonder they call it Cinci.
I almost had a Natick at OHSO/THD because the degree is usually abbreviated DD, doctor of divinity.
All that added some spice to an otherwise normal Monday offering. Thank you, Jeff Stillman. And thank you, Argle. You always clarify it all.
CZAR is not just an ordinary boss; it is usually the head of some national organization.
Have a special Monday, everyone!
Good morning all. Thank you Jeff and thank you Argyle.
Seemed like a fair test for or Monday.
Learning moment ? I did not know that almonds were not nuts.
I thought of Husker Gary at STAND IN.
Also spelled it CHOi until the LOTTERY saved me.
SW corner was last area to fill. Had no clue for "Cats" inspirer, but with TSE, it wasn't hard to fill.
What kind of explosive experiment ? Blank TEST. Waited for perp.
Fell for so AM I.
Wife only buys Folgers.
Good morning everyone.
Don't want to whiz on anyone's barbecue, but I felt the puzzle had a vapid cast to it. Guess I'm agreeing with Argyle. No solving issues though, and it is always fun to complete a puzzle.
These STAGS were stressed.
Good morning all,
Argyle, this was not a rama lama ding dong for me either. It went very quickly with very few fun fills.Had to change loot to swag and needed perps for as am I .I did hesitate filling almonds with that clue, but I already had a few letters.I figure that all the constructors do their research, so I rarely disagree.
Still waiting for rain. Unfortunately in some areas it has been windy, so there is now danger of fires.
Where ever you are, make the best out of this day.
Really odd day, first I appear as an anon then it will not let me post as me. Try, try again.
Speaking of Lotteries, I not only love words, I love numbers and they get used. For example, you can manipulate STATISTICS to create what you want.
I personally have never feared a vending machine.
Spitzboov, Your entry about STAGS is wonderful. Interesting and astonishing. So glad you found it.
Cheers
Decisions, decisions,,, should I post cat pics? or just go with the flow...
Option
Hmm, why make a decision when I can do both...
Choice
& who can guess what pic I picked for Pick.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jeff! I really needed a Monday speed run after my repeated DNFs last week. And I actually thought this one was a lot of fun! Zipped through the puzzle while drinking my FOLGERS coffee, although I've also started drinking green tea in the afternoon after reading about its health benefits.
Thank you too, Argyle, for your expo.
Did anyone watch "Downtown Abbey" last night? Brilliant--and the ending left me gasping in distress.
Can't believe that I never thought about where NUTS come from. So, what's the fruit surrounding the ALMOND pit? What about CASHEWS? NUTS or SEEDS? PECANS? Except for WALNUT trees, I don't think I've ever seen a NUT in its natural habitat. The things you realize you've missed, late in life!
I was born, raised and still live in an almond producing county. Almond meats,hulls and shells in this county generated 786.9 million in sales during 2012. As a teenager I have worked in the almond orchards irrigating, harvesting and pruning. I thought I knew almonds. I also was peeved about 5d. I thought the seed was the nut. So thanks Argyle for straightening me out, another learning moment.
Spittz's STAGS link made me smile.
Lemon's STATISTICS link made me chuckle.
CED's PICK link made me growl! (-:
Misty - I'm with you there, I didn't expect that ending on Downton Abbey. Kind of a shock.
I had the H problem that some other bloggers experienced. Other than that today's was smooth sailing as it should be on Monday.
I also like the all number code that allows posting.
Dudley & Misty:
Hand way up! I am still shocked by that ending and angry! The offender has to be punished in some way.
I'm glad that "My KEGS" contain beer. Just sayin'.
Cheers!
Lucina - I vote for Mrs. Hughes to wait a bit, then have a discreet word with Lady Cora, possibly without naming the victim (whose reasoning makes sense, at a cost of great self-sacrifice).
Hola Everyone, A DNF for me today as I had Has No for Lacks so Ntest didn't appear. I didn't go back and check my last entry, otherwise I would have seen Noest and known that it was incorrect.
Asami--what was that? I didn't see As am I! Duh! That whole SW corner was a no go for me.
I didn't zip through this, but it was pretty quick for a Monday. Some of the entries were in before I read the clues.
Have a lot of things to do this morning, and it is already late.
Have a good day everyone.
Check out this baby making a SPLIT DECISION because she is A BIT confused by her dad's STAND IN.
Funny Video
Misty Dudley and Lucina.... thanks for making me chuckle this morning with your feelings on Downton Abbey.... I personally don't care how much is revealed... but now I am really anxious to see this episode when it comes on again this week.... :)
Thanks Jeff S for a puzzle I didn't have to agonize over and Argyle for your always enjoyable write up.
Hope you all have a great day
thelma
Thanks, Argyle, for the definition of Almond. That cleared up the problem I was having with the Almond as a "nutlike" snack.
I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one who had a nut to pick about the almond/seed problem in the clue. I've always considered the whole package a nut! I've husked, dried and shelled lots of almonds and walnuts so it didn't make sense.
Good grief, that was what you could call a real nut nit!
This was a good start to the week. Thank you, Jeff and Argyle.
I never knew that almonds were seeds. Live and learn.
Favorite clue is 11D: Cincinnati. I've lived here for 30 years, so it was a gimmee.
Love Doo Wop so thanks for the link.
Have a great week!
Pat
I was sailing along nicely and then the SE corner would not finish and I had to use the red letters. And on a Monday for shame!
Wanted LOOT for SWAG, EASE for LAZE. Thanks goodness KATO and EVAC filled in with perps and crosses.
Hand up for SOAMI, CHOI, ATEST.
I missed Downton Abbey. When does it come on again??
If it walks like a nut and talks like a nut...
sack full of nuts
CanadianEh!:
It's on Sunday nights. I don't know about your PBS station but here they re air the last week's episode first then the new one. You might catch it.
I am still having a little trouble telling the
Nuts
from the
Seeds
Lucina,
I didn't know that.... :) last year they showed it again at midnite on sat nites.... and tho I didn't watch the re run this week it was listed as being on at 12 sat nite...
thanx for the info - incase it isn't on sat nite... :) but it then probably would never get watched if sunday nite is the only option....
thelma
What is the nutlike legume sometimes referred to as a goober ? Is it a seed too ?
The nut industry is so big here in my area the local AAA baseball team is named The Modesto Nuts. In case you think we're only nuts here we also boast:
Gallo Winery worlds largest winery
George Lucas creator of Star Wars
Jeremy Renner movie actor
Timothy Olyphant movie and tv actor
And Colin Kaepernick SF 49ers QB
buckeye bob: You nailed it on Rocket Man and I'm not sure if anyone answered your song of the day, but if not, it's by Jimmy Buffet called 'Fins'. Here it is for your enjoyment: Link Fins
I used to work in the financial sector and I was awarded a bonus of 400 stock options @ $28. We all know what happened a few years back. The stock price fell to $5. so those options were never exercised and finally expired this year and basically I reaped a big zero. So much for the big bonus.
An almond is a nut.
A tomato is a vegetable.
Picture and blog.
I once wrote a cryptic clue "Sounds like it's twice as evil in a fancy suit in Ohio". A homophone for Sin-sin-natty.
Spitzboov: nice fish story, thank you.
Lemonade: interesting article, but the first two comments were what really made me LOL!
CED: as always!
Anon@2:23: good argument!
PBS station schedules vary from place to place, unlike most other channels. But I dislike Downton Abyss because it bumps Rosemary & Thyme to too late for my wife to watch it with me.
I agree that this was a bit hard for a Monday. Just a bit. I had to do a few rewrites, two for word choices and one for a spelling mistake (KATO starts with a "K," eh?). Oh, wait! one more--with the two "Ns" in CINCINNATI fooling me too. I lived in SE Ohio for a year, but that did nothing for my spelling.
Not much, but hey, we don't expect any rewrites on Monday.
Fun TV this weekend. On Satuyrday, we got caught up on the new "Downton Abbey" that we missed last week, plus the new one on Sunday--a delightful overload of old Brit class structure. Now I know when to address a duchess as "Your Grace" and when not to. (I actually met an English duke once, but it was a "hey you" sort of occasion.)
And then my 'Niners acquitted themselves quite well. I like seeing how they have improved throughout the season, giving us hope for their coming encounter with the Seahawks-- next week.
Greetings!
Thanks for fun puzzle and expo, Jeff and Argyle! Just a tad harder than the usual Monday. Or, maybe I was just too tired.
Downton Abbeywas certainly more exciting than last week. Dame Kiri has become very old (I should talk).
Cheers!
aka thelma, just to warn you--the ending of last night's episode of "Downton Abbey" is a real shocker. And it promises some painful plot complications in the next few weeks. Since it involves two of my favorite characters, I'm almost more worried than excited about what's to come.
Misty:
I'm sure that Julian Fellowes has a suitable resolution to the problem In fact, I like Dudley's idea.
C.C.:
From late last night. The biggest problem with chicken is overcooking it. If you're going to cook it in the slow cooker, I would suggest a low setting and with enough liquid to last the set time. Two hours maximum on low.
JD @ 11:10
One theory is that the lack of rain is due to the pacific decadal oscillation, and it's keeping the jet stream to a more northerly shift.
My niece and nephew live there and they would like to see rain as well. I had never heard of the PDO until the CBS news had a feature story on the lack of rain there.
Thank you mr. Still man, for a nice and easy puzzle. I was a little confused at Th. D. But now, I'll remember it.
Thank you argyle, for insisting that the almond is nut-like but not a nut. It's a drupe, as Argyle pointed out, early on, like a peach or plum.
So, if Almond JOY is a nut(?), with cchocolate (bean), oconut (seed), and almond (seed).
And goobers, peanuts are not nuts, ....... But legumes, like peas and such. This could be worth a Fruday puzzle, all by itself.
Thanks CED for your funny nuts and seeds.
This whole Downton Abbey has me going up in a tizzy.
It's so shocking to see the direction the series is going.
First, it's all this. a--l s-x. Between the various almost aristocrats.
Then the outright embezzlement of government funds, stolen right under the noses if the veterans themselves.
Plus The Lord of the Manor, himself, has been involved. And he's struggling with all these HIV issues, that he picked up through his footman. When will this ever end. ? I'm sure there will be a cover up since the Duchess has been having those abhorrent goings on and taboo relations with the family mastiff. Well, I never ! Even Dallas was so much tamer than this. I think PBS should fund an alternate program. Even Darwin would have shocked.
Downton follower, your attempt at humor is pathetic.
Don't give up your job at the toll booth.
Thanks Lucina. I saw Season 4 Episode 1 but was out last night and missed Episode 2. I didn't know it would be repeated before Episode 3 next Sunday but it is listed on my Buffalo PBS so I'll tune in earlier. I was going to try streaming it from the PBS website but it is restricted to US only. =(
Irish Miss,
Maybe this will turn that growl into a smile :)
Late one night, a burglar broke into a house that he thought was empty. He tiptoed through the living room but suddenly he froze in his tracks when he heard a loud voice say; “Jesus is watching you.”
Silence returned to the house, so the burglar crept forward again. “Jesus is watching you,” the voice boomed again.
The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. He was frightened. Frantically, he looked all around the room. In a dark corner, he spotted a bird cage and in the cage was a parrot. He asked the parrot: “Was that you who said Jesus is watching me?”
“Yes,” Said the parrot.
The burglar breathed a sigh of relief, then asked the parrot: “What is your name?”
“Clarence,” said the bird.
“That is a dumb name for a parrot,” sneered the burglar. “What idiot named you Clarence?”
The parrot said, “The same idiot who named the rottweiler Jesus.”
Manac @ 9:47 - not only did your story turn a growl into a smile, it illicited a hearty laugh-out-loud! Thanks. (-:
Hi all!
Easy-as-Monday-morning puzzle (name that song [sic]?). Thanks Jeff for a fun run after the dismal Friday I had. Argyle - you beat me to WKRP. I just talked about that show with a buddy today (ref'd Les's hog reports (topic: McRib's release is based on pork prices). Buddy likes McRib - I think its nasty).
Fav: TWINE - it's a fun word and is such a useful product. WIFI would be ok if it didn't OOZE security issues...
I wanted my favorite go-juice for 50a, Maxwell House, but it was one square short. I double-checked the clue for a plural :-)
Montana - my iPad does that too! This is a re-post. After I went to find the Maxwell House link, my draft was gone. Gone I say!
LEM - I love Freakonomics. I have both books and listen to the podcast when my phone reminds me it is there.
All the talk of ALMONDS is what's nuts! I actually started eating them after the 2-handfuls cure everything. In 18 months they'll tell us it causes cancer or some such.
I have no STOCKOPTIONS, just pure stock 2x a year. It won't vest for a while though.
Hondo - SEXTing was in the news when congressman A. Weiner Tweeted his aptronym anatomy.
Cheers, -T
Misty,
Thanx for the warning.... :) they surprised me enough at the end of last season... this should be interesting... :)
thelma
AnonT:
Are you referring to "Easy as Sunday Morning" by Lionel Richie and the Commodores? Boy, do I have good memories of that song which my late DH also loved.
Lucina - Yes. Every now and again that song rolls through my head; my head has a weird playlist.
The song reminds me of easing by the fireplace listening to NPR w/ DW while we were both in grad-school and PK (pre-kids). It wasn't on the radio then, but when my brain plays it - that's where I go.
I'm glad it evokes good memories for you too.
Cheers, -T
This was a good puzzle. You just been spoiled lately by some very good ones, so this might appear flat to you after doing those.
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