google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 David Poole

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Jan 21, 2014

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 David Poole

Theme: I think I saw something?! - While two of these elusive critters remain hidden, the head of a jackalope may be found mounted on walls in bars all cross this land.

17A. Sighting in the Scottish Highlands : LOCH NESS MONSTER

33A. Sighting in Douglas, Wyoming : JACKALOPE

38A. Sighting in the Pacific Northwest : SASQUATCH

53A. One studying this puzzle's sightings : CRYPTOZOOLOGIST

Argyle here. How's this for a theme? Some fun and the fill isn't half bad either. (Not sure what that phrase actually means.)

Across:

1. Speeder's undoing : RADAR

6. TiVo ancestor : VCR

9. Wherewithal : MEANS

14. Erie Canal city : UTICA. A shout-out to our locals.

15. Letters for debtors : IOU

16. Big name in computer chips : INTEL

20. Accident scene fig. : EMT. (emergency medical technician)

21. Gallop or canter : GAIT

22. "By Jove!" : "ZOUNDS!". "Egads!"

23. Cream of the crop : BEST

24. Like plugs vis-à-vis outlets : MALE

                        "Get the picture?"

25. Using only ones and zeros : BINARY

28. __-cheap: for a song : DIRT

29. Recipe amt. : TSP. (teaspoon)

32. Air freshener targets : ODORS

35. Belgrade citizen : SERB

36. Singer Horne and actress Olin : LENAs

37. Continental coin : EURO

40. Grammy winner Carpenter : KAREN. Tragic loss.

41. Pub brew : ALE

42. Christie's "Death on the __" : NILE

43. Large crowds : MASSES

44. Mani's salon go-with : PEDI. (manicure/pedicure)

45. Uncovered : BARE

46. Find a new table for : RESEAT

49. Gaucho's weapon : BOLA. A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of an interconnected cord.

50. "__ the season ..." : 'TIS

56. "Je __, donc je suis": Descartes : PENSE (French), "Cogito, ergo sum" (Latin), "I think, therefore I am" (English)

57. Corn unit : EAR

58. Shade of green from Ireland : KELLY

59. Promotional ploy : TIE-IN

60. Skid row affliction : DTs

61. Lauder of cosmetics : ESTÉE

Down:

1. Run the kingdom : RULE

2. Electron home : ATOM

3. Webster's, e.g.: Abbr. : DICT.

4. Essen exclamation : "ACH!"

5. Madison Square Garden hockey team : RANGERS

6. Drop in on : VISIT

7. What you pay : COST

8. Piña colada liquor : RUM

9. Konica __: Japanese conglomerate : MINOLTA. 13D. Camera types, for short : SLRs

10. Happen next : ENSUE

11. Business letter abbr. : ATTN.

12. On a __-to-know basis : NEED

18. "A snap!" : "EASY!"

19. Missouri range : OZARKS

23. Potato chip flavor, briefly : BAR-B-Q

24. Prophet whose name sounds like a mineral : MICAH. (mica)

25. __ nova: Brazilian music genre : BOSSA. A lyrical fusion of samba and jazz.

                              LINK

26. Exemplary : IDEAL

27. Viking language : NORSE

28. Hula or hora : DANCE

29. Travels with the band : TOURS

30. Binge : SPREE

31. Lowly laborers : PEONS

33. Beijing-born martial arts actor : JET LI

34. Apartment contract : LEASE

36. Stopped the ship, in nautical lingo : LAID TO

39. Still on the plate : UNEATEN

40. Bar sing-along : KARAOKE

43. Expanse near the Capitol, with "the" : MALL

44. Coke competitor : PEPSI

45. Churlish types : BOORS

46. Sales slip: Abbr. : RCPT.

47. "... __ saw Elba" : ERE I. Palindrome, "Able was I ere I saw Elba".

48. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE

49. Tub toy : BOAT

50. Pinball foul : TILT

51. __ of Wight : ISLE. "Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight
If it's not too dear"

52. Eye sore : STYE

54. Last letter, in Leeds : ZED or the Isle of Wight.

55. Some refrigerators : GEs


Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy 6-year anniversary to our blog! Thanks for making us part of your daily routine.

A special "Xie Xie" to my blogging team: Argyle, Jazzbumpa, Steve, Melissa, Marti, Lemonade & Splynter. Thank you for your hard work, commitment and your always quick & solid advice when I'm in trouble.

I also want to thank our regular commenters. This blog thrives because of your honest & respectful feedback about LA Times Daily Crosswords, your daily poems, funny cat/dog/animal track links, potato dumpling recipes, grandkids photos, expert tips on how to solve a computer glitch, thoughtful musings or just random observations.

Thanks for being here!

90 comments:

OwenKL said...

The ad read, "One LOCH NESS MONSTER
Is desirous of finding a sponsor.
Could serve as a mascot
For swimsuits or whatnot
Plus-size only, 'cause beauty is bigger!

The JACKALOPE's a wily beast
Like jackrabbit, quick on his feet
Sometimes he'll join campers,
And using his antlers
Roast marshmallows for campfire treats!

OwenKL said...

If you would see a SASQUATCH
While in the forest on night watch,
The best way, it's been found
Is passing around
A bottle of very cheap scotch!

Pity the poor CRYPTOZOOLOGIST
By other scientists he's curtly dismissed.
They say he's deluded,
So he's firmly excluded
On the basis that no cryptos exist!

Lemonade714 said...

Happy Anniversary C.C.

This was as close to speed run as I get even not knowing the term for this science. I was amazed by how many unproven animals we chase LINK and how often words and phrases have 15 letters. For the puzzle scholars, how did the 15 by 15 grid become the norm.

Again many years of joy, thank you C.C.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

And congrats to C.C. for six years and still going strong. And thanks to all of you who do the daily writeups and explain the theme that I missed.

I liked this one. Thought it had an interesting "twist." I've seen many a JACKALOPE, but then I've seen the inside of many a redneck bar.

Learning moment: I don't know how to spell KARAOKE -- that second A was an I at first.

When I was about 9 I went across the street to the appliance store and told the guy I wanted to buy a phone jack. He produced one, and I said, "No, I want the thing that plugs into that." He said I wanted a plug not a jack. A jack was female and a plug was MALE. When I asked why that was, he said he wasn't sure. Maybe my dad would know.

And was it Hamilton or Franklin who first voiced the opinion that the MASSES are asses?

Montana said...

Thank you, CC, for this blog. It is a wonderful Corner to hang around on!

Montana

Argyle said...

D-O...LOL

Avg Joe said...

A quick romp today. Only stumbling block was filling BOLo, which made the always difficult Karaoke hard to remember. But it all fell into place with that one erasure. Fun puzzle.

Congratulations on the 6th Anniversary, C.C. It's an enjoyable place.

On a darker note, I heard this morning that a fine singer-songwriter, Steven Fromholz, died over the weekend. The Man With the Big Hat has gone silent. :-(

Mari said...

Happy 6 Year Anniversary! You guys do a great job keeping us entertained and knowledgable. I appreciate the daily brain challenge and interesting answers.

Today's puzzle filled in pretty easily for me. I have no complaints here, and I loved seeing the word ZOUNDS!

Loch Ness Monster, Jackaloupe and Sasquatch - three interesting characters. There are a lot of TV shows about groups trying to proove these elusive creatures exist.

I was sitting at a restaurant cafe on an Arizona golf course one evening with my co-workers. The course was heavily populated with rabbits and at one point a co-worker blurted out "There goes a jackaloupe!" Of course, he meant "rabbit", but it sent roars of laughter across our table.

Have a great day. Frigid January is more than half way over! :)

thehondohurricane said...


Good morning to everyone,

CC, congrats on six years. Your efforts makes each day a little bit better in this corner of the Nutmeg State. Many thanks.

Today's puzzle was a cross between easy and difficult for me because of one or two unknowns. The J for JACKALOPE & JETLI was a big time wag. Never heard of either, but the J seemed to fit even though I have no logical reason for saying that.

What D-O said about KARAOKE.

I started out with Binery until BARBQ corrected it to BINARY.

KAREN Carpenter was indeed a tragic loss and much too soon.

Always like Astrud Gilberto. I thought her singing was/is enchanting.

Winter arrives again today in the form of snow. low temps and big winds. Fun, fun. fun.



Anonymous said...

fun run that made me smile at the theme answers.
Didn't track it all down, but looked like it might have been a pangram.

Congrats, CC on 6 years!

LaLaLinda said...

Hi Everyone ~~

Congratulations, C.C. on the 6th anniversary of this wonderful Corner! Many thanks to you and your team who do so much to brighten our mornings and add to our puzzle enjoyment. It was a lucky day when I stumbled upon you almost four years ago.

I was zipping through the puzzle and thought it would be a "half-a-mugger," but I was slowed down in a couple of places. I have to admit, I did not know of a JACKALOPE and JETLI was all perps.

For 46 D - Sales slip, abbr. - Rect before RCPT caused problems in that area. All in all, fast and fun.

Thanks for a great write-up, Argyle. You always get our Monday and Tuesday mornings off to an enjoyable start with your facts, and observations, and links.

Another snowstorm headed our way today ~ enjoy your day!

kazie said...

C.C. Congratulations! ...and a huge thank you for all the dilemmas this blog has helped us through in our solving these past six years. I can remember when you were doing all the blogging on your own, so another big thanks must go to our now regular helpers that save your sanity! Otherwise the blog may not have been able to survive. We appreciate every bit of it!

BOLE/BOLA was my only hesitation today because of misspelling KAREOKE/KARAOKE

Lemonade714 said...

Knowing the time involved,I would like to add my thanks for all the effort Argyle puts in here, not only blogging two days but monitoring daily.

To remember Karaoke, realize it is the transliteration of two Japanese words with KARA the same word meaning empty as in KARA TE, empty hands. I will let YR give more accurate info but it makes KARA OKE easy for me.

HeartRx said...

Good morning everyone!

And congratulations on 6 years, C.C.!! It speaks volumes that you have so many regulars who have been here since the beginning. You are truly an inspiration!

Loved the puzzle today and didn't see a lot of the answers until I read Argyle's write-up. But I really enjoyed the unusual theme. The unifier was a million dollar word, if you ask me! I'm amazed that I was able to remember (and spell!) it.

LaLaLinda, the hondohurricane and Barry - I think you guys are all in for more snow than we are here in Central Mass. But I never trust the meteorologists...

Anonymous said...

Zounds is a corruption of God's wounds.

JD said...

Good morning all,

Congratulations and thanks to you C.C.for keeping us educated and entertained for these past 6 years. It was very inciteful of you to create your daily team to help out. We did have a hard time with that change, only because we missed you, but I look forward to reading Argyle, Jzbumpa, Steve, Marti, Lemonade, Splynter and Melissa's days too... even when I can't finish the C/W. I'm hoping you all continue to be here in the next 6 years.

Enjoyed the theme, and only had a few hesitations.The zoo in cryptzoologist was a surprise, but then cryptologist really didn't fit.Last May,DH and I scanned the Loch for a Nessie sighting. Silly us.Thanks for the WIKI link, Lemon.
Hand up for boli before bola. Jet li and laid to were all perps.

Argyle, liked the male link.
Enjoyed clue for Micah.

Spitzboov said...

Happy Anniversary to C.C. and the LAT blog family. By dint of hard work and avid participation by many, a wonderful thing has been accomplished. BZ

Liked David's puzzle and the whimsical theme. I have owned an SLR MINOLTA since the early 70's. I literally look down on UTICA from where I sit (400' below me in elevation.) Favorite fill words were ZOUNDS and SASQUATCH. No look-ups or strikethroughs were needed.

Have a great day.

Verna LaBounty said...

Happy Anniversary to the blog! I love it even though I seldom comment. I enjoy the poems and musings - they are a friendly chat every morning when I check the puzzle answers. They warm my heart on these cold wintry ND mornings. It's well below zero here today, but I'm heading out to do errands later.
Keep well and warm everyone.

buckeye bob said...

Thank you for a very fun puzzle, David. Thank you for an excellent expo, Argyle.

Congratulations on the 6 year anniversary of the blog, C.C. You are an amazing person, and an inspiration to us all. Your dedication and perseverance have kept this blog going a long time. Thank you to the regular commenters who devote the time to provide their insight to the themes and answers. And thank you to the bloggers who offer their comments on the puzzle, share their experiences. I learn from all of you.

There are a lot of comments early today. I think that is an indication of how many people value this blog, C.C.

This puzzle was a breeze. I completed it in slightly less time than my usual Tuesday time, but no ta-da! I re-read all my answers and found no typos. Then what LaLaLinda said, I realized I had RECT instead of RCPT. I changed it and ta-da!

I think this was a very fun theme. I have seen CRYPTOZOOLOGIST before, but the RECT / RCPT mistake gave me a word I didn’t recognize and initially thought might be right. Also, didn’t know PENSE. I know the English and Latin phrases, but not the French. After I changed it to RCPT, both made much more sense and got the ta-da!

Husker Gary said...

CRYPTOZOOLOGIST? Okay, “Whack Job” doesn’t fit and so no harm, no foul.

Musings
-A guy on Pawn Stars wanted thousands for Sammy Davis’s VCR tapes. Rick offered him $0
-I gotta get this BINARY t-shirt
-At $11,000/acre, DIRT CHEAP is a misnomer around here
-My favorite Poirot? This guy in Death on the Nile
-MASSES in Europe do not attract MASSES of worshipers, only tourists
-Worst movie TIE INS
-Queen Elizabeth doesn’t really RULE anything but is a delightful anachronism
-We called a hard hit baseball that goes right into a fielder’s glove an “ATOM” because you hit it right at ‘em.
-When was the last time you used a printed DICT?
-I’m going back to an SLR, I don’t like looking at this
-Lucy gets a job pitching alcohol-laden Vitameatavegamin (3:56). Hilarity ENSUES.
-I’m on a NEED TO KNOW basis around here. Just tell when to be ready.
-Blame it on the Boss’s Sofa. Wait a minute…
-Don’t let IDEAL get in the way of possible
-Along with Linda, I celebrate the day I found CC’s wonderful site replete with so many puzzling friends.

klilly said...

Thanks for all the great write ups. I enjoy this blog everyday and don't like to miss it.

Kathryn

C6D6 Peg said...

Thanks to C.C. and all the gang! Congratulations on 6 years. It's a fun place to read and get additional insight into the puzzles.

TinoTechie said...

I have learned so much from the solvers and posters at this blog.! Thanks CC and everyone else for starting my days off with a smile.
Greg

Yellowrocks said...

CC, you are amazing. Thank you so much for keeping up this wonderful blog for 6 years and thanks to all the regular bloggers who do the write ups and the posters.
The Corner makes my day!

This was a quick Tuesday sashay. The only unknown was JETLI, all perps. Knowing JACKALOPE was helpful.

I am sure you would rather have a BOLO wrapped around your neck than a BOLA. Many of the male square dancers wear BOLOS.
Link BOLA
Link BOLO

KARAOKE is a combination of the Japanese word KARA meaning empty and a shortening of the word OKESUTORA (orchestra) borrowed from English, hence “empty orchestra,” an orchestra without a lead singer in front of it.
The Japanese shorten many of their borrowed words. Air conditioner becomes EACON, roughly pronounced ee ay con.

JimmyB said...

C.C.

Congrats on six years of being my safe harbor in a sea of perps, WAGs, and unshared wavelengths. You and your adroit helpers and commenters always help to demystify my morning crossword ritual, with the bonus of usually leaving me with a smile on my face. Best of all, it seems like "family" here. Thanks. You are an inspiration.

Lemonade714 said...

HG:

I always appreciate your comments, and I think Peter Ustinov was a wonderful actor but IMO, the picture of Hercule painted by Ms. Christie was of a diminutive, fussy little man and none has ever done it better than David Suchet. The exaggerated waxing of the mustache and the prissy mannerisms brought the character to life for me over the many years of the BBC series running on PBS.
The last season has already run in England and I am quite curious how they ended, knowing Agatha's choice.

CrossEyedDave said...

Ok, it is going to take some time to get CC's 6th Anniversary Cake ready, so bear with me...

While we are waiting, here are some pics I found.

Big Foot & Nessie!

What happens when the big boys find your tub toys...

How does a Pinball machine know when you are trying to cheat?

Hmm, that cakes not ready yet, so here's a lesson in throwing Bola!

What,,, the cakes not ready yet! (Stall for time...)

Whenever I hear Karen Carpenter on the radio, I never have to touch that dial again till the songs over. But did you know she was multi-talented.


OK! It's ready!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I thought this a tad crunchy but finished w/o help. Bolo before bola, and rect. before rcpt., otherwise A-Okay. Thanks, David Poole, for a clever and fresh theme, and thanks to Argyle for the always informative expo.

Congratulations, CC, on the sixth anniversary of this wonderful Cozy Corner. We all know and appreciate how much you do to make this blog a fun, friendly, and informative place that gives so much joy, each day. Thank you, CC, and thanks also to Argyle, Steve, JazzB, Melissa, Marti, Lemonade, and Splynter for their commitment and dedication, not to mention their entertaining commentary.

One of my captchas is "spring.". How's that for a poke in the eye; today's high is going to be a balmy 12 degrees. So much for Spring!

Stay safe and warm everyone.

Lemonade714 said...

Anon 8:04

The puzzle does have z,q and J but still lacks F,W or X.

The Konica Minolta BizHub SwingVision which is used by the tv golf analysts explaining why every swing is great if it works, is where my awareness of that merger came.

Lucina said...

Happy anniversary, C.C.! And profound thanks to the daily bloggers who keep us informed and entertained. My day wouldn't be complete without you all.

I loved this quick romp around the mythic ZOO and knew all the MONSTERs. JETLI was the only unknown but all else solidly confirmed it.

BOLA with an A-ending means ball and BOLO is the official neckwear of Arizona.

HG:
My Webster's Dictionary is never far from me to use when I'm hesitant about some word. In fact. just Sunday I looked for confirmation of a word in the puzzle.

Lack of W prevents this from being a pangram.

I still have a VCR to use with, right, VCR tapes which are too expensive to replace. Most are Disney ones. Maybe when the youngest granddaughter is older I'll reconsider.

Have a fantastic Tuesday, everyone!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations C.C. This is a fantastic blog.
JB in VA

Lucina said...

Lemonade, I agree with you on the choice of Peter Suchet as Poirot. He personifies what Agatha Christie described, IMHO. Peter Ustinov always seemed too aggressive for the part.

Zcarguy said...

Happy 6th anniversary !

Misty said...

Not a speed run for me this morning, but the theme was a lot of fun, and I agree that the reveal was awesome. Had to guess at JACKALOPE and JET LI. And goofed slightly with KARIOKE and BOLI. But other than that, lots of fun, and Argyle, your images of the critters were great!

I agree with Lemonade and Lucina about Peter Suchet's delightful performance as Hercule Poirot.

C.C. we can never thank you enough for founding and maintaining this wonderful site for us. My husband's 2008 stroke no longer allows us to travel, and as a result I've become a bit isolated for the first time in my life. It's online communities--especially the Corner and Facebook that have helped tremendously to alleviate this. When my computer crashed yesterday (I am using Rowland's now) my first thought was oh no, I can't read the puzzle blog! What a relief that I didn't miss our 6th anniversary! Thank you, C.C., again, and thank you, everybody!

Al Cyone said...

Not much to say about the puzzle today but I wanted to add my congratulations, and thanks, on the occasion of the blog's 6th anniversary.

It looks like we might be just north of the snowstorm but the beautiful mid-Hudson valley is looking at an extended period of lows in the single digits and highs below freezing. Which means a few sleepless nights worrying about frozen pipes. But it's not a total loss as I leave the radio on, tuned to BBC World Service.

Tinbeni said...

Argyle: Wonderful write-up & links (Esp. the critter pics!).

Happy 6th Anniversary C.C.
I like the fact that "this blog" is about "How much FUN we all enjoy solving the LAT puzzles!"

I have a friend who is a SASQUATCH, but they won't give me the $10 million since he has little feet.
(tears ... he is NOT a BIG FOOT!)

Faves today (of course) were RUM and ALE ... and the fact I will never suffer the D.T.'S. lol

Cheers!!!

Montana said...

CED: You are an incredible resident on this Corner!

Montana

Qli said...

Happy 6th Anniversary, C.C. and everyone! So glad I logged on today.

I am spending ten fun-filled days in AZ dog-sitting with my MN sister while sister who winters here and her hubby go to HI. It's tough duty, but we're hanging in there! No WiFi where we are staying, so I haven't been keeping up with the puzzle or the blog. I would really miss you all if you weren't here, though.

Husker, our son owns that binary shirt! and I'm a David-Suchet-as-Poirot fan; gotta love that moustache! (or mustache, amazing no matter how you spell it)

Qli said...


PS: Verna LB, my heart goes out to you, up there in the cold. My husband is still up in ND shivering (he's not a dog fan, poor man, so didn't want to come!)

Tinbeni said...

FWIW ...
I prefer Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot in the movie "Murder on the Orient Express" in 1974.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Speed run today, everything just clicked.

I first heard of jackalopes as a kid when, on a family vacation, I saw one on a postcard at a campground store. The concept seemed pretty stupid then, and it hasn't become endearing with time either.

Hand up for David Suchet as Poirot. I have no other portrayals in memory to compare to, but he is convincing.

Happy Anniversary C.C. and the Corner Crew! Your hand-made community is a delight. We are fortunate & grateful.

Anonymous said...

Happy 6th Anniversary, C.C.! I've been enjoying the blog for 3 1/2 years and I've learned a lot. Thanks also to all the bloggers who help me with my crossword education.

Pretty easy puzzle today. I've had the same problems as others, but perps corrected them.

It looks like we got 5" of snow last night and today it's blowing so I've got to go shovel again. At least it's warmer here than at Irish Miss'; we have 15*

Happy Tuesday. Stay warm.

Pat

GarlicGal said...

What Everybody Else Said about EVERYTHING!

Love crosswords, love The Corner. Thanks to one and all involved in keeping this site fresh and entertaining.

Best Wishes

PS - Blue Jasmine finally made it to the Redbox for all you movie goers.

Bill G. said...

Hi everybody. This was easier than I would expect, even for a Tuesday, with the exception of where I ground to a halt for a while at PENSE, JET LI, RCPT. Otherwise, WEES.

My favorite Agatha Christie movie is "Murder on the Orient Express." It's a fun story and with beautiful scenery of the train, its steam engine and the scenery as the tracks wend their way to the eventual destination. Some great snowy scenes along the route! BTW, I would enjoy visiting some of your snowy scenery today. Big storm I see. I'd even help with a little of the shoveling...

It goes without saying (though I'll say it anyway.) I enjoy this blog very much, partly for the CW discussions and mostly for the camaraderie. What a great group of friends I've found!

Razz said...

Hi CC, Thank you for being our hostess with the mostest for the last 6 years. It has been a blast.

David - Enjoyed the Xword

Argyle - Good write-up as usual

WEES

TTP said...

Nice puzzle David !

I also appreciate the Corner, CC, the puzzle Bloggers and the daily posters.

River Doc said...

Happy Tuesday everybody!

Hands up for the RECT / BOLO glitch, otherwise a straightforward solve....

Not that I'm bitter or anything, but my first thought for a sighting in the Pacific Northwest was along the lines of an incredibly unsportsmanlike post-game interview. Justin Verlander's tweet said it all - if he was a baseball player, the next pitch he'd see would be a high, hard fastball. Okay, maybe just a little bitter....

I know it was most likely just one yahoo, but what was even more galling was the sight of things being thrown at Navarro Bowman as he was being carted off the field....

Finally, and on a much happier note, congrats to C.C. and her merry band of bloggers for six years of The Corner...! Only wish I had discovered it four years earlier...!

Ol' Man Keith said...

I had the same spelling dilemma as Kazie @8:10.
I'm never sure of KARAOKE and couldn't think beyond BOLO (the neck tie) to reach BOLA (the weapon), and
∴ a DNF.
I guess it's another one of those English-language peculiarities, that we say "CARE-ee-Okie," but spell the second syllable with an "A."

Ol' Man Keith said...

Gotta love the gap twixt English spelling & pronunciation - esp. in Ol' Blighty herself. They say Clark for Clerk, Barkley for Berkeley, etc. But on both sides of the Pond we use "gh" for "f" (cough, rough, etc.). And "o" for "i" (women), and "ti" for "sh" (attention). This is why Shaw (or was it Twain?) once proposed we spell "fish" as "ghoti."

They don't do any heavy lifting. I remember as a kid being told to pronounce "worcestershire sauce" as "worstersheer," but then finding out when I went as a student to England, they don't even bother with the third syllable - just "wooster sauce."

kjinkc said...

CC - I'm so glad to have found this blog a few months back. A well-deserved congratulations on this 6th anniversary. This is one of my big enjoyments of the day.

Lots of connections for me today in the very clever puzzle - Of course, there's the Ozarks in the southern part of my state, Utica, which is just down the road on I-90 along the Mohawk River from Albany where I lived for 10 years (which reminded me of my favorite local ice cream called "Crumbs Along the Mohawk"...anyone else ever eat that?), EMT for which I was licensed back in the '80's when I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up; Binary, which meant a lot in debugging Assembler programs: Kelly, my maiden name: Rangers, my grandsons favorite NHL team, in particular, Lundquist; a great old tune "Blame it on the Bossa Nova"; oh well, you get the pic...I truly enjoyed this puzzle today and look forward to many more.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, David Poole! It was fun and two minutes faster than Monday's. Only unknown was PENSE. Great blog, Argyle!

Congratulations and thank you to C.C. and all those who make the blog an interesting connection to a bigger world. It fills a void since I rarely leave my house.

I have a great nephew named Micah that I rarely see because he lives in India.

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, First, a very hearty congratulations to C.C. on this the 6th anniversary of her wonderful crossword Corner blog. I have made this a part of my daily routine, and don't know what I would do without my morning (or afternoon) read.

I've met some wonderful friends via this medium and wonder what I did without them.

As for the crossword today. To start with crypto zoologist is not a run of the mill Tuesday word.

Jet Li is not a known figure to me, so had to wait for perps to fill that in. Also, Bola was not my first entry. I didn't spell Karaoke correct, so Bola came out Boli. Plural of Bola? LOL.

Boors was spelled boars at first so zoologist didn't appear right away. I know better.

But, the boars in our neighborhood have torn up our front lawn, and on my way to the store I saw two enormous adults and about 8 or 9 babies rooting up an area near our corner. They can be very dangerous if confronted and they were rooting up the area right behind the bus stop bench. Luckily no one was there waiting for the bus at the time. So Boars, not boors it is for me.

Have a great day everyone. I'm off for a Pedi.

Lucina said...

Chickie:
Very funny commentary! I am astonished that you have boars roaming around your neighborhood!

Keith:
Also too funny!

Avg Joe said...

I'm amazed at that too, Chickie. Sure, there's plenty of rumors and even the occasional confirmed feral hog population in largely rural areas. But in your area is mind boggling. Evidently even they know the way to San Jose. It must be for the weather.

kjinkc said...

Just finished reading comments and have to also say-
CED: Where do you get your cake recipes? They are always so spot-on. Amazing!

And, I also have a connect with Karen Carpenter, as my first name is Karen AND I wanted to take drums but my dad said, 'girls don't play drums', so I ended up with a trumpet, like that was way more feminine, ha.

Yellowrocks said...

KARAOKE
The Japanese pronounce it somewhat like KAH RAH O KEH .
A as in father
O as in rope
E as in set
The tongue taps the roof of the mouth for the R sound.

I have found many different English pronunciations for the vowel in the second syllable, RA
1.A as in father
2.Long e as in reel
3.Short i as in it
4.Schwa ə, like the a in about, or the e in item, or the u in circus
I usually say: kah rə o kee

Anonymous said...

I always thought it was pronounced Idiots-That-Can't-Sing

Yellowrocks said...

Well, y'all were right. I do have a full tear in my rotator cuff and will probably have surgery on Feb. 5. It will mean not using the arm for 6 weeks while the stitches heal. I will be able to use the fingers, but no carrying anything and no driving. Then comes months of PT.
So far, I have been able to do many things with that arm because my other muscles have taken over for the rotator cuff, but I will never get full function without surgery.
Does anyone know what kind of top I can get into without moving my arm? I haven't been wearing a bra since New Year's Eve. The "girls" get cold when I go out.
I suppose I will have to find a temporary fix for my knees in the meantime. I dread the helplessness after knee replacement which is likely coming next.

Avg Joe said...

YR, I'm sorry to hear that diagnosis. As best I can recall, the only top I could come up with was liberally cutting old sweatshirts in a way that allowed the cut areas to be pinned together after slipping it on. Nothing worked very well, but that got me through...and it was also in mid winter so the problems were similar to what you'll face.

The biggest issue I'd caution you about is the home exercise regimen while you heal. Make sure your surgeon advises you on keeping enough movement during the recovery period such that your shoulder doesn't freeze. If you fail at that your PT will become your worst enemy during therapy. I speak from experience, but I did get through it.

Best of luck in the next few months. It won't be easy, but you will get past it, and it will be worth it.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen the movie "Murder on the Orient Express", but it reminded me of a trip DH and I took. We visited National Parks of the West via the American Orient Express. We slept on the train as it traveled from one park to the next. We traveled from the train to the park via tour busses. Most meals were served on the train and it was 5 star fare.

YR: before I had my knee replaced I used a knee strap. It wraps around your knee below the knee cap and keeps the knee cap from rubbing on the tibia. I got mine at Meijer and 10 years ago it was $10. Maybe it would help you. Good luck with your shoulder.

Pat

HeartRx said...

Keith Fowler @ 3:05, funny you should mention "Worcestershire Sauce." Our friend from NOLA visited us recently, and as we passed through WORCESTER, I said "Ahh, 'wis-tah' - we're almost home." He was dumbfounded at how I could get "wis-tah" from WOR-CES-TER…

YR @ 4:33, so sorry to hear the news about your shoulder! But, it sounds like, with surgery, you will be good as new after PT, so you need to go for it! BTW, I say "Go bra-less all the time!!" Who needs em? So maybe a nice cashmere muffler to keep 'em warm? Or, just get a cat to drape over your shoulders. Hey! It would give two benefits - keeps the ta-tas warm, and provides an extra massage for the shoulder when they purrrrrrrr...

Lemonade714 said...

Well I guess marti is busy tearing down or building up, or whatever renovators do, so I will say she lives close to Worcester (pronounced wooster, or woostah) Massachusetts. I lived near Pontefract (pronounced pomfret) but they changed the spelling there. If you read Martha Grimes you know Melrose's butler Ruthven, is pronounced rivven. So many more, but you need to recall KARA OKE is not an English word and it is properly said as YR says above KAH RAH O KEH, which makes the spelling of the transliteration easy.

Lemonade714 said...

i should have waited, night all

Barry G. said...

Evening, all!

Made it as far as Atlanta before all flights to Boston got cancelled. Managed to snag a room at a nice hotel on the company business account, so at least I don't need to spend the night on a bench at the airport. Gonna try fly home tomorrow if the storm lets up by then.

Did the puzzle in the paper today. Found it very easy and very fun.

Happy sixth anniversary!

-- Barry

Java Mama said...

Good evening, everyone. Pretty much all has been said about today’s puzzle, but I did want to stop by and wish C.C. a Happy 6th Blog-a-versary. Many, many thanks to you and the Blogging Team for all the enjoyment you provide us puzzle hounds.

FWIW, I vote with the David-Suchet-as-Poirot crowd.

Stay warm, stay safe, all!

HeartRx said...

Lemony, you are always on my wavelength!!

Manac said...

Evening all,
Congrats to C.C. for six years.
This blog makes solving the puzzle all the more enjoyable.

Same trip ups in the SW, Gosh darn French!

A little puppy humor for you all.
#1

#2

#3

And

#4

Have a great evening all.. Temps are dropping fast here.

LaurieRo said...

YR-- I had a complete rotator cuff tear too and had arthroscopic surgery a few years ago. My surgeon had me using my shoulder after two weeks with simple home exercises, then PT within a month. I wore a sling for less than two weeks. My shoulder is better than ever and the whole experience was not near as bad as I had heard. I was able to get in and out of stretchy T-shirts without too much trouble-- I was never completely immobilized. My hubby was happy to help me with my bra and getting my pants up and down. What I remember being difficult was washing my hair and putting it in a ponytail. It'll be over before you know it and you'll be glad to have that pain in your past!

Congrats and thank you to CC!

aka thelma said...

C.C.,
Thank you and happy anniversary. I, too, am glad I found this site and I really have nothing to add since it all has been said so much better than I could.

And thank you to each and every person, present and past, who helps, or has helped, to keep this blog alive. The time and effort you all expend is amazing.... thank you again.

And of course I thoroughly enjoy all the posts each day even if I don't comment often.

Enjoyed today's puzzle... especially the monsters... :)

Have a wonderful evening all......

thelma

mtnest995 said...

C.E.D., Manac just one-upped you - hilarious! Waiting for your response.

WEES about the puzzle. Thoroughly enjoyable and the right fit for this very special day.

My thanks to C.C. and her fabulous crew who do such a wonderful job keeping us on our toes and steering us in the right direction when we get "lost" along the way.

I've enjoyed crosswords for a very long time, but didn't know what I was missing about themes and pangrams and all the rest until I found this site, purely by accident. Oh what joy you have brought to my world in oh so many ways.

Keep warm, all of you in the path of the storm. Please pray for rain for us in the Central Valley.

Martha

Yellowrocks said...

Laurie Ro, Ave Joe, pje, and Marti thanks for your kind thoughts and advice.
Marti, a cat sounds like a good idea. It makes me think of Kahlua,my all time favorite cat who died some years ago.I didn't have the heart to replace him.
Ave. Joe, I gather you had a frozen shoulder.Poor guy! I understand they are terribly painful and that the PT is H*LL.
Laurie Ro, i am glad to hear of your positive experience. I want to keep moving, too, so that my shoulder doesn't freeze.
pje, I will have to look into a knee strap.
I feel better already. You all are such great friends.

TTP said...

Manac,

Pic # 1. How did you get a picture of my boy ?

YR, this too shall pass.

So many great comments today.

So many that could be quoted, but I would like to highlight the two that captures my thoughts so much better than I ever could:

From Thelma "...thank you to each and every person, present and past, who helps, or has helped, to keep this blog alive. The time and effort you all expend is amazing.... thank you again."

And from Martha, "...but didn't know what I was missing about themes and pangrams and all the rest..."

Thank you CC !!!

Irish Miss said...

Manac @ 6:34 - Your "pups" brought a warm, fuzzy feeling, much appreciated on this frigid evening. Thanks. (-:

CrossEyedDave said...

mtnest995@7:10

Manac one upped-me?

Pish tosh,,,

However, if you feel it requires a response, I will put my thinking cap on...

Actually, I have been thinking that CC's support team is especially deserving of a cake, but I have not been able to find something appropriate yet. Plus, I am still having trouble pronouncing Xie Xie! (It's not Zee Zee???)

And I did not know how to respond to YR rotator cuff issue, however I can sympathize, as I have had shoulder problems myself. You know that ball & socket joint connecting the arm to the shoulder? Well I cracked the ball in half! (long story.) & after a year of therapy ended up having them knock me out to mechanically break up the scar tissue that caused the joint to freeze.

Today I am fine, except I have to use the other hand to part my hair...

Manac one-upped me? Pish, tosh... (its an English expression...)

Anonymous said...

Is that what they are calling THAT these days? Parting the hair....hmmmm.

Ol' Man Keith said...

YellowR - very sorry to read about the rotator cuff & your coming surgery. After years of getting by with no surgeries, I faced the first of a series of (abdominal and spinal) surgeries with marvelous insouciance. The idea of being healed allowed me to enter the ORs eagerly. It was only after the 4th or 5th round that I began to factor in all the down time that comes with healing. You are wise to plan ahead, to do now or postpone to a better date whatever you won't be able to do for the six post-op weeks. Yes, in the long run, you'll be healed! For the short run, plan to ENJOY the enforced limits (no heavy lifting, driving in traffic!) and look forward to massages at PT sessions. Oh, and be grateful your fingers will be available. That made an enormous difference to me while I was mending after my surgery for Dupuytrens.

Today I got my first spinal brace! It took a few fittings to find the heavy duty one I will need. After two spine surgeries, scoliosis still keeps me from walking as straight as I want. I have discovered that a large part of human dignity is tied to an erect posture. This will take some practice...

CanadianEh! said...

Late to the party today but I did want to say congratulations to C.C. on this 6 year anniversary and thanks to all the commenters and bloggers who make this such a fun place.

WEES about today's puzzle. I had never heard of a Jackalope. We don't have them here.
Favourite clue was LAST LETTER IN LEEDS = ZED. Last letter in Canada also!!

Polar vortex is returning here. Currently -16C (3F) and -25 windchill (-13F) and colder to come. What a winter!

Bill G. said...

YR, good luck with all of that. I can be empathetic after experiencing Barbara's recovery from knee replacement.

For some reason, today's troubles with KARAOKE remind me of a puzzle a couple of years ago with UKELELE. It bothered me that it was misspelled without mention of a Var. Others just seemed to view it as an alternate spelling. It seems as if KAREOKE would fall into the same category.

UTICA reminds me of where I went to college in Ithaca. It's a beautiful part of the country. I wonder how much snow they have had?

So I had trouble today spelling KARAOKE. Then trouble spelling Camaraderie.

Then I came across this puzzle on Car Talk. There a grammatical error in the following news story.
"A recent space shuttle mission almost ended in disaster. While the shuttle and the international space station were engaged in their docking operation, the two crafts almost collided. A quick thinking crew member saved the day."

What's the error?

Anonymous T said...

Hi everyone!

I already congratulated C.C. last night, so.... :-;

Heck, I'll do it again and include Argyle, Steve, Splynter, and LEM. Thanks to all of you and the fun folks on this blog.

WEES re: Mr. Poole's fine puzzle.

I love the CRYPTOZOOLOGISTs on Art Bell's C2CAM. They always come up with their schemes to track a big foot, the photos of Nessie (on the raidio!), and DNA evidence, etc. Even years after hearing all the "evidence," for some reason its not published outside of selected "scientific journals" :-)

Only the UFOlogists are more fun.

With ALOPE in place I almost opted for basseLOPE.

A BINARY INTEL MALE chip goes in the socket of a RADAR kit. That's all I got OWENKL.

YR - Heal quickly after the 5th, we'll all be pulling for you. IM, I guess your fall didn't take the same toll, thank goodness.

Cheers, -T

Spitzboov said...

BillG - Should be no 's' on craft.

plural usually craft
a : a boat especially of small size
b : aircraft
c : spacecraft

HUTCH said...

Attn: Chickie! Your comment about the boars struck home with me. Three days ago we came home and saw that a diesel truck had torn up our circular driveway.Or so I thought! My neighbor came over with pictures on his telephone of a sow pig with six babies! A first for Puyallup, Washington. First feral pigs around here!

Manac said...

Oh, What the heck....

Dogs rule

mtnest995 said...

Besides all the wonderful things I learn on this blog about crosswords, definitions and all that go along with all of it, I think I enjoy the somewhat childish banter, links, and creations ala C.E.D. And Manac. You guys crack me up. Please don't stop.

Thanks to all of you for enriching my life in so many ways. Maybe one of these days we will all meet like the CA Coven.

Martha

Blue Iris said...

I hate to interrupt CED and Manac's anniversary cat vs dog feud...Happy Anniversary, CC! I joined the blog 2 years ago and have been amazed at the talented personalities and the community I've found here. Thanks to all who contribute and sacrifice to keep this a daily destination.

SASQUATCH immediately reminded me of the movie "Harry and the Henderson's", a quirky movie that my family enjoyed.

Anonymous T said...

Blue Iris - I enjoyed Harry & the Hendersons too especially because of John Lithgow.

Here's the TIEIN - one Sunday AM while listening to NPR, I heard him call in to provide the solution to the previous week's puzzle (with Puzzle Master Will Shortz!). He didn't say who he was, just John, but everyone recognized his voice and he confessed that he was Lithgow.

Oh, he got the answer right too...

Cheers, -T

Bill G. said...

On my bike ride today, I noticed bigger-than-usual waves but I didn't notice this. Two kinds of surfers

Usually late at night, I sometimes find spammers here posting who are advertising. I can't understand what they hope to achieve. For me, I would go out of my way to avoid patronizing their business.

Irish Miss said...

Anonymous T @ 9:09 - You're right. My fall could have been so much worse, a broken knee cap, for example. Coincidentally, it was 5 years ago today that I fell on the same knee, on concrete, and ended up getting 10 stitches. And to add insult to injury, it was on the Feast of St. Agnes.

Anonymous T said...

So, I was just reading the biz section and saw a snipet of this article in the paper.

I think it was PK or TTP that had to deal with the Target breach. Anyone think we'll see anything like what the Korean officials did from the Target or Neiman execs? How 'bout just KARAOKE of Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry"?

IM - Hummm.... St. Agnes, then Christmas ... I'd stay home on Fat Tuesday and/or St. Pat's day. These come in 3 you know :-)* I'm glad you're OK.

Blue Iris- If you wonder why I say IM but not BI - I won't abbreviate you - BI means Buisness Intellegence to me - an oxymoron in my book - and I won't be that mean.

-T
*The only two traffic accidents I've had happened on a Fri 13. I didn't look at the calendar the next Fri 13 so fate didn't know I knew :-)

kjinkc said...

Anon T - I believe you're a Techie, as was I. Not sure about your experience, but for mine, I don't remember even ONCE where someone made a mistake and offered to resign, of course many weren't to the enormous extent in the article.

My experience with mistake makers is they almost never owned up to it and were pointing fingers at others.

A definite difference in cultures.

Irish Miss said...

Anonymous T @ 11:22 - Now that I have finally stopped laughing, I must say that being as Irish as Paddy's Pig, there is no way I would stay home on St. Patrick's Day. But, I will concede that I'll be as careful as I can to stay upright. (-: