google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Daniel Nierenberg

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Jan 8, 2014

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Daniel Nierenberg

Theme: Thicker than water.  The first word of each starred entry can follow the word BLOOD to yield a recognizable in-the-language phrase.

17A.  *Marlin, for one : SPORT FISH.  A fish prized for the sport of catching it. Contrast minnows. BLOOD SPORT is a sport in which blood is shed, such as hunting or cock fighting.

25A.  *Source of endless funds : MONEY TREE.  As in: "He sure knows how to shake the MONEY TREE."  BLOOD MONEY has two quite different meanings. 1) money paid as compensation to a family for the loss of kin [Anglo-Saxon weregeld], and 2) money gained at the cost of another's life or livelihood.

30A.  *Common Milky Way star : RED DWARF.   These relatively cool stars are, in fact, the most common in our region of the galaxy, but because they are so dim, none can be seen from earth with the naked eye. BLOOD RED is simply a descriptor for a deep red shade.

44A.  *Billiards maneuver : BANK SHOT.  A shot in billiards which causes the cue ball or the object ball to rebound off a cushion before finding its target. Also a basketball shot that rebounds off the backboard. A BLOOD BANK is a storage facility for supplies of blood or plasma to be used in transfusions.

50A.  *Part of a uniform : WORK SHIRT.  A heavy-duty shirt worn for manual or physical work. BLOOD WORK is laboratory analysis of blood for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

11D. *Chocolate overdose consequence : SUGAR RUSH.  Hyperactivity caused by excessive sugar consumption.  BLOOD SUGAR is the concentration of glucose in the BLOOD stream, presumably elevated in a SUGAR RUSH.

32D.  *What a driver's license may serve as : DONOR CARD. A card that authorizes the use of your organs for transplants, after you've passed on.  A BLOOD DONOR is one who contributes blood for transfusion.

And the unifier:  62. A. Family relations, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues can have : BLOOD TIES.  Indicating an actual genetic relationship.  I have BLOOD TIES to 5 of the grandchildren, and Gloria has them to the other 6.  I'll leave sorting that out as an exercise for the interested reader. [They're all a year and a half older now.]

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, hoping today's thickly-themed puzzle doesn't leave us too battered and bloody.  I'm feeling sanguine, so let's give it a shot. It looks like this is Daniel's first L.A. Times appearance since the start of this blog

Across:

1. __-loading: endurance strategy : CARB.  Eating low glycemic index high carbohydrate foods in advance of an endurance event, such as a marathon, to maximize glycogen storage in the muscles.

5. Chance : RISK.  Wanna bet?

9. Shocking weapon : TASER.  Well known to all by this time.

14. Worker protection org. : OSHAOccupational Safety and Health Administration. 

15. Singer from County Donegal : ENYA.  I must have some sort of karmic connection with Eithne Ní Bhraonáin.  It seems as if the only time she shows up on my days.






16. Sky hue : AZURE.  We had that crystal blue hue here for a while on Tuesday, but not much temperature to go along with it.

19. Prepare to make an electronic payment, say : LOG ON.  To your computer or tablet or phone.

20. Halves of fifths : TENTHS.  Go metric.

21. Breaking wave feature : CURL.  Prized by surfers.





23. Drink for a hot day : ADE.  You can be abetted by a fruity concoction.

24. Nasty expression : SNEER.  I was thinking verbal, not facial.  SNARK fits.

27. "You're dreaming" : NOPE.  I'm not dreaming?

29. Hate : ABHOR.

34. Gallery baddies : ROGUES.  This stumped me for a while, then the AHA! moment.

37. Yoko of Tokyo : ONO.  Oh, yes!

38. Rodeo rope : REATA. A looped lariat, AKA lasso.

40. __-cone : SNO.  A confection made of shaved ice.  I'll wait until August, thank you.

41. Mount McKinley's national park : DENALI.  The tallest mountain in the North America located in the Alaskan interior.

47. Where the floor is always wet : OCEAN. Obvious in retrospect, but for the longest time I was thinking: water you talking about?

49. Banking regulatory agcy. : FDICFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

53. Latish wake-up time : TEN A.MA diller, a dollar  .  .  .

57. Curve : ARC.

58. "Woe __!" : IS ME.   This expression of dismay goes back to The Old Testament, where it shows up several times.

59. "Gracias" reply : DE NADA.  Thank you, and the Spanish equivalent of "You're welcome," meaning literally "of nothing."

60. Spanish American grassland : LLANO.  Speaking of nothing, this is a large expanse of treeless plain.

64. Frequent Mastroianni co-star : LOREN.  Sophia.




65. Edger's target : LAWN.  Only at the margin

66. Spacewalks, for short : EVA'sExtra-Vehicular Activities.



67. Range with chinchillas : ANDES.  Their natural mountain habitat.

68. Former partners : EXES.  The less said, the better.

69. Take out : DELE.  Instruction to delete.

Down:

1. Profit factors : COSTS.  Subtracted from revenues.

2. Rockies skiing destination : ASPEN.  Marti?

3. Avignon's river : RHONE.



4. Work at a saloon : BARTEND.

5. They may cry foul : REFS.  I wanted UMPS.

6. Pasta ending : -INI.  RotINI, TortellINI, but, please no appletINI.

7. Big name in food distribution : SYSCO.

8. Aloha State big shot : KAHUNA. Originally, a "priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession."  Now any would be big shot who claims the title.

9. "There's the fox!" : TALLY HO.  This phrase, which might go back to the 13th century, is derived from sounds used with dogs.

10. Nitrogenous dye : AZO.

12. Undermine : ERODE.

13. Actress Zellweger : RENEE.  Not everyone here shares my enthusiasm for this versatile star.



18. Lose on purpose : THROW.

22. Give a new commercial name to : RE-BRAND. This seems right, but most of the examples I could find had to do with reworking the logo or a new marketing scheme rather than a new commercial name.

25. Mademoiselle's matriarch : MERE.  Mother in French, I presume.

26. Dress to the nines, with "up" : TOG.  Not a phrase I'm familiar with.

28. Shunned ones : PARIAHS.  A word of Tamil origin applied by Europeans and Hindus to the lowest social casts.

30. "Maggie May" singer Stewart : ROD.  Do you think he's sexy?

31. Cincinnati-to-N.Y.C. direction : ENE.

33. "Swell!" : FAB. Slang terms for copacetic.

35. Eclectic musician Brian : ENO.  Not ONO.

36. Lush : SOT.  A drunkard.  I was thinking adjective, not noun.

39. First president to throw a ceremonial opening day pitch : TAFT.  Baseball - Only about 85 more days away.  On April 14th, 1910, President William Howard Taft threw the ceremonial first pitch as the Washington Senators took on the Philadelphia Athletics.  The A's Frank "Home Run" Baker lined a foul ball off Secretary of State Charles Bennet's head, but he was OK and the game went on. Walter Johnson threw a one-hitter that day to give the Senators a 3-0 victory.  Thus was a tradition born, and every president since has thrown a ceremonial first pitch at some time during his term.

42. Cry from Cathy of comics : ACK.  Not a happy sound.

43. Skin wounds : LESIONS.  ACK!

45. Passed, as rubber checks : KITED.

46. Like aromatherapy products : SCENTED.  Ever the romantic, Cathy sent Ted a scented handkerchief.

48. Quick and light : NIMBLE.  Agile. Fleet of foot.

50. Half a Northwest city : WALLA.  In the State of Wash. I've heard you can get the best cous in WALLA.  Bur beware, lest you are bitten by a tse. 

51. Sock synthetic : ORLON.  Acrylic

52. Take a load off : RELAX.

54. Credulous : NAIVE.  Easily gulled.

55. Words after cut or close : A DEAL

56. Pool stroke : MASSE.  Per The Free Dictionary, "a stroke made by hitting the cue ball off centre with the cue held nearly vertically, esp so as to make the ball move in a curve around another ball before hitting the object ball."

59. Mafia bigwigs : DONS.  Crime Kahunas, if you will.

61. Maiden name intro : NEE.  Literally indicating her birth name.

63. Have to thank (for) : OWE.

Well - there you you have it.  A bloody good puzzle, with excursions to France and outer space, some music and a couple of lovely movie stars.  Not bad for a Wednesday.

Cool regards!
JzB

71 comments:

OwenKL said...

The Red Cross isn't asking a lot.
You go in and lie down on a cot.
The needle may look scary,
But it doesn't hurt, well, not very.
Then they give you some juice, a BLOOD BANK SHOT!

The first time that I gave it was hard.
The Red Cross had their tent in a yard.
The nurse asked, "do you know
If you're type A, B, or O?"
Now it's typed on my BLOOD DONOR CARD!

OwenKL said...

With his spear-gun, girls say he's a dish.
But in his wetsuit, my brother goes "squish."
He's not fishing, per se,
He's hunting in the sea.
Where he'll bag a good-size BLOOD SPORT FISH!

In our yard we pick currants for free.
Daddy calls them our "currency."
In fall, leaves turn yellow
Then amber, so mellow,
Then red on Daddy's BLOOD MONEY TREE!

To make sweetener, first the plant they must crush.
It might be either cane or beet mush.
Beet juice is bleached white,
'Cause beet red just ain't right.
Stores would never see a BLOOD SUGAR RUSH!

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Definitely played like a Wednesday today. Nothing too obscure, but the cluing definitely kept me on my toes.

I desperately wanted SUGAR COMA for 11D, but the perps robbed me of that joy.

The only real sticking point today was the crossing of REATA/MERE. I had RIATA by mistake and couldn't figure out what the heck MERI was supposed to be for awhile. And then I figured it out. *TADA*

OwenKL said...

Middle Earth was embroiled in a war of
Sauron's orcs, who other races must thwart.
Legolas shoots from bows;
Dosen't sully his clothes.
But axman Gimli was a BLOODy RED DWARF.

The painter had an aversion to dirt,
And to paint tubes that sometimes would squirt.
When he'd paint a war scene
He just couldn't keep clean.
His red smock was his preferred BLOOD WORK SHIRT!

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Thanks for interesting puzzle, Daniel and fine expo, Jazz! Impressive theme.

No problems but a few write-overs.

Wishing the best for you, Dennis!

New avatar is my sweet new dog, Millie! She loves the big cushion that a friend gave me for Christmas!

Cheers!

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Daniel Nierenberg, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for the fine review.

Got most of the NW corner, but made an error which it took me a while to figure out. Had SWORDFISH for 17A and DIVES for 18D. They meshed so I thought I was good. No cigar. Not much else worked around there, so eventually I figured it out. SPORTFISH and THROW.

RED DWARF and MERE took perps.

My DONOR CARD when I give blood is my fingerprint. I just put it on the reader and I am logged in. Then they stick a barcode on me and scan me when they do certain actions.

BAR TEND was easy after I got SPORTFISH. I usually refer to that job as TEND BAR.

WALLA WALLA also has great sweet onions. They rival Vidalias.

Theme was fine. I had the asterisks on the IPad.

Only -5 degrees this morning. Things are looking up. I think my home town is getting pounded today with snow. As of a couple weeks ago Erie, PA, was the snow capital of the nation so far this year.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(risklyh school)

Abejo said...

Fermatprime: Like your dog. Have fun.

Abejo

desper-otto said...

Not bad at all, for a Wednesday. My MONEY bags turned into a MONEY TREE. I know what a MERE is, but I was so intent that it was going to be an abbreviation, that I couldn't see it for what it was. D'oh!

Had to make an emergency run to the dentist yesterday to get a scrip for antibiotics. My "Marianas Trench" was clogged up. Once it clears up, that tooth on it's edge is probably going to have to go. Sigh.

thehondohurricane said...

Greetings to all,

I found today's effort a fairly easy go except for 25D & 27A. Began with Noma for 27A & Mare for 25D. I caught my error in 28D and changed Mariahs to PARIAHS. Nopa didm;t look as good as NOPE and MERE looked a lot better than Mare. So a couple of Scientific Wags gave me a happy Hump Day.

For 69A began with Date, but DELE came about thanks to perps.

I also wanted Umps before REFS. Other then the UConn teams, especially the gals, not much of a hoops fan.

Other then that, a walk in the frozen tundra today.

Jazz, thanks for the enjoyable & enlightening write up.

TTP said...

Thank you Daniel Nierenberg and thank you Jazzbumpa.

JzB, thanks for not linking that "Don't Tase me bro!" video.

Don't know why I typed BARKEEP rather than BARTEND. I think BARKEEP is another name for bartender. Had SUGAR HIGH before SUGAR RUSH. Both were easily corrected.

REBRAND. Remember New Coke ? Not just a new name, but also a new taste !

Did not know of variant REATA. Thus another fail that was found by switching back to regular. I only had the slightest (MERE) idea of the answer to Mademoiselle's matriarch, so I let MERi stand with RiATA.

I like Renee Zellweger. There's just something about her that I find attractive and I think she's a fine actress.

TAFT and Walter Johnson - Big Train was more memorable to me, even though I've only read of him. Wonder where he would fit in on that Tigers staff ? Could he be an ACE in this era ?

Along with Vidalias, I like the Texas 1015 Supersweets. Be sure to check out the recipes link at that page.

Fermat, nice looking doggie. Bet she's a great companion !

Desper-otto, yep. Bridge work in my future. Heading to the dentist later this morning for an impression.

See all y'all later n'at !

Mari said...

Good morning everybody! Good puzzle today with a couple of learning moments, including MERI.

I got hung up in the SE corner, which lead me to a DNF. I missed DE NADA and EVAS. I also had DATE instead of DELE for Take Out.

Does anybody ever say TOG UP or FAB? I've never heard either of these in conversation.

The boss had us work from home Monday and Tuesday due to the extreme cold. I'm back at my desk now, so I'll be checking your comments throughout the day.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Al Cyone said...

I, too, had DATE before DELE and UMPS before REFS. AZO was, I think, the only unknown (though I suspect it might be a crossword staple).

It got down to 3.4°F this morning in the beautiful mid-Hudson Valley but has already bounced back (?) to 7°F and might get as high as 20°F today, with temps back above freezing by Friday.

Hands up for being a BLOOD DONOR. Give the gift of life.

[8:14]

Yellowrocks said...

Good morning, friends. I had COSTCO early on for 4D and made an inkblot when nothing fit. I moved on and, with the mess,I didn't notice I hadn't finished. So I didn't go back. DNF. Although, I didn't know SYSCO it would have been quite perpable.
I have seen MONEY TREE used in this way, but a gift tree covered with money comes to mind first. There is also a plant called a money tree.

Link Money tree gift

Very informative write up, JzzB.
Irish Miss, thanks for asking. My shoulder is getting better and more functional every day, although I still can't raise my arm above 90 degrees. Just yesterday I went from taking Ibuprofen every three hours to taking it every six hours. I doubt I will need surgery, but will keep my MRI appointment tomorrow.
Have you fully recovered?

Phyllis Tamres said...

I can't get over how clever you all are. Not just to get the answers, which I could do by Googling, but your asides and videos and pix and history lessons. I wish I could meet you all in person. Have any of you guys met in person??
I love those poems, btw.
Phyllis (GGma, to my great grandson)

Martin said...

I had LUCK instead of RISK and SPORTS ISH instead of SPORT FISH. (I was working on SPORT TEAM.) I thus ended up with LESS instead of REFS, UNI instead of INI and CYSCO instead of SYSCO.

Martin

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Hopefully Dennis’s BLOOD WORK revealed something easily remedied
-Oh, it’s not riatA/merA. Put me down for one bad cell. I need a vowel movement
-My 67-year-old friend just celebrated his 5th anniversary of receiving a pancreas and kidney from a 30-year-old woman and emailed all his friends to urge us to fill out a DONOR CARD
-We will soon get 3 new grandchildren with whom we have no BLOOD TIES
-Yeah, I eat all those potato chips, French fries, hash browns etc to CARB load
-Most would say 1/2 of 1/10 is 1/5. Tain’t so Magee, it’s 1/20
-Beachboys’ Brain Wilson produced this forgettable female group singing Shoot The Curl
-Cubs win the pennant? “You’re dreaming” Sorry Mari, Abejo, et al
-Sophia was the Sofia Vergara of her day. Hubba, hubba!
-Bruce McCandless performed the first untethered EVA using an MMU
-NFL REFS have had a bad year
-What wonderful movie contains Marlon Brando’s lament that he had to THROW a fight?

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was a FIW, due to reata vs riata. Totally avoidable because I know mere is French for mother. A great big ACK.

Congrats, Daniel N. for a challenging Wednesday offering, and thanks JazzB for your stellar review.

Ferm, Millie looks like a champion. Sorry for referring to her yesterday as Mollie.

YR, I hope your MRI shows that surgery is not necessary and that you can get back to normal through PT and exercise. I get my stitches out tomorrow. The knee is still sore and stiff but a lot better than it was even a week ago. Now to get through the pitfalls of winter without further mishaps!

Still quite cold but sunny and calm. I think the "Polar Vortex" is heading north. Watch out, Canadian Eh.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Got the BLOOD theme in due course, but didn't need it for the solve. Mid-week difficulty. Didn't like ACK. Favorite fill was TALLY HO.

We are told the Polar Vortex is leaving today.

Have a great day.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Oops, rEata/merE.
-Mari, I agree, FAB to me is a laundry detergent and the FAB Four
-Tin, Bill and I kicked around “best movie themes” last night and mentioned The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Goldfinger, Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001 A Space Odyssey) and The Entertainer (The Sting)” You got a dog in this fight?
-More impending wedding info on daughter’s second marriage – We had a Pacific Northwest Tour all planned yesterday and then she called and said she wants a “destination wedding”. We’re on hold. It’s what you do for BLOOD relatives.
-A very funny BARTENDING (3:01) scene

CanadianEh! said...

Tough work today and required red letter help to finish. Hand up for Sugar HIGH, REFS, UMPS, REATA.

Wanted NYLON before ORLON.

Got EVAS immediately after Christmas reading of Chris Hadfield, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.

Don't need any ADE for a hot day here. Currently -10C (wind chill -18). But we were spared the blizzard that Buffalo received. Even the NHL game was postponed there. Mild weather forecast for the weekend and new concern over flooding and logjam on the Niagara River. Quite the winter!

thehondohurricane said...


My 2 cents from last nights discussions:

Fav movie.... The Sting is up there, but ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is my all time favorite. Yeah, it's a spaghetti western, but it has a great cast, an ok plot, and some of the best background music ever.

Lucina said...

Good day, puzzlers! How nice to see you, Jazzbumpa, and thanks for your witty analysis.

I liked this BLOOD-filled puzzle and sashayed right along until the Natick of EVAS/MASSE. That was cruel.

Our constructor, Daniel, I suspect is a pool player having two related fill, BANKSHOT and MASSE. Very obscure to me. I had to research the latter.

LASSO was my first fill before REATA and TAFT's THROW is something I've learned doing crosswords. AZO is another.

I really chuckled at 47D, where the floor is always wet, OCEAN.

Yesterday I discovered my passport is missing from it's usual place so I'll have to get a rush on a new one. The old one expires in July anyway.

Please stay warm and safe, everyone in the path of the polar vortex which I heard moved farther south than normal,ironically, because of climate warming.

Have wondrous Wednesday, everyone!



Qli said...

Hand up for RiATA, MERi and DATE before DELE. otherwise a nice way to start the day.

I have a relatively uncommon blood type, so used to get called in when they needed it. Got the scars to prove it...

Do you pronounce Enya N-ya or Awn-ya?

Lovely dog, fermatprime!

Dennis said...

Good morning, gang - clever theme, nicely done puzzle today. RED DWARF had me stuck for a while, but otherwise a smooth solve. Great write-up, Jazz; always informative and entertaining.

So I went to the urologist today greeted me by INVADING ME FROM THE REAR. Evidently all's well in that area, although I was offended that I didn't even get a kiss. Other than that wonderful experience, he just asked a bunch of questions and scheduled me for a blood work followed by a CAT scan to check my kidneys. If that's clear, then the next step.....I'm scrunching into a ball just typing this.....is THIS THING WHERE THEY STICK A THING IN YOUR THING and take a look at your bladder. Almost makes me hope it's a kidney problem...

Anyway, I'm scheduled to go back to him on the 27th to go over stuff and hopefully get an ok. The TSA allows 90 days to rectify any problems before they drop you from the process, but I may have lost my shot at the current openings.

Thanks for all the positive thoughts - I feel the same way, except for THE THING WHERE THEY STICK A THING IN YOUR THING.

Lucina said...

OOh! Dennis, I cringe at the thought. It sounds much like the catheter they used on me after a C-section. 36 years later I still feel it.

And, hooray, I found my passport. Apparently and for some unknown reason I made a new file for it that I promptly forgot about. Old age, as they say, is not for sissies!

Father of the bride said...

Husker Gary, wait a minute, jus hold on one gol darned minute ....

Its your daughter's second marriage --- and you'll still be paying for it ??? ---and she gets to choose an exotic destination from eternity and baaaack ?

I haf daughters too, and they better count themselves lucky, I an even paying , partly - mind you, -,for their first and only wedding. Second weddings, if any, are strictly their own business.

Paying for a wedding, is way down on the list of parental responsibilities. Parents who give in to their children's wish lists, ruin it for the rest of us, who try to hold the line. Nuff said.

Bill G. said...

I enjoyed the puzzle. Thanks Daniel and JzB. I also wanted Ump instead of REF and Lasso instead of REATA.

I know you and Millie will enjoy each other. Say Hi for me.

HG, that would be "On the Waterfront" where Brando lamented, "I coulda been a contender!"

Dennis, years ago after surgery, they stuck a thing up my thing. Turns out it was no big deal.
As with many things, worrying about it was more traumatic than the actual occurrence.

Misty said...

I feel like an idiot this morning because I got everything except ROGUES, BANKSHOT (had BANKSEAT) and SUGAR RUSH (had SUGAR RISE). So dumb. The answer were totally obvious when I saw them. Oh well, not your fault, Daniel--thanks for a great puzzle, anyway. And JazzB, your SANGUINE hopes cracked me up.

Never heard of KITED, but then my checks aren't rubber.

We used to visit friends with a pool table--lots of fun to play billiards. (Are pool and billiards the same thing?). Gotta have a large family room to house that thing.

Fermatprime, how nice that you've got Millie!

Yellowrocks, good luck with your appointment tomorrow.

Dennis, uh, uh, well, good luck.

Have a great Wednesday, everybody!

Husker Gary said...

Musings 3
-Father of the Bride, NOPE, I paid for one four-year college education and one wedding per daughter. The only holdup on our trip was WHEN Missy was getting married and how much it will cost for US to go. She and Brendon are paying for all their expenses. Now we just got a note 10 minutes ago that looks like the nuptials will be in KC which is a three hour drive from Fremont and so we will probably head out for the Seattle to San Francisco trip. Anybody available to meet me in SF?
-KC ain’t exotic but we will take grandchildren back home post-wedding while Missy and Brendon fly out of KCI to a truly exotic place for a second honeymoon for both
-FOB, loosen up your undies and dispense advice where it affects you. You know what ASSUME makes out of U and ME.
-Sure, Bill, it was On The Waterfront. It’s a noble but dirty, gritty movie and it was on TCM last night.
-Dennis, I have an interview to start subbing in my last school district in West Omaha. I hope there are no instruments being inserted in any of my orifices as a result!

desper-otto said...

Careful how you say "it's no big deal," Bill G.

Misty, no, billiards and pool are not the same thing. A pool table has six pockets. A billiards table doesn't have any. It takes a lot of balls to play pool, only three to play billiards. But, some people call the various games of pool "pocket billiards." That's probably the source of the confusion.

JD said...

Good morning JzBumpa, C.C., and all,

It took me awhile to complete the SE corner, not knowing either masse or EVAs. I refused to fill the v in naive for awhile because I just didn't see it fitting the clue.Sugar high had to evolve into sugar rush .

I ABC'd my way thru _ited..no luck there, but finally filled banK. In fact I also ABC's my way thru toG to complete roGues.

Learned that chinchillas are from the Andes.. one of the many forgotten facts.

Fermat, so glad you have a new dog. Millie is lovely!

Gary, when will you be in SF?

Welcome Phyllis, yes, many of our bloggers have gotten together when traveling , and there are some areas, like FL and No.CA where several bloggers live and get together. Gary put together a map that shows where many of us live.

Dennis, still wishing good thoughts.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! This was a fun & fast one for me. Hope to see you again soon Daniel Nierenberg. Jzbmp, thanks for the expo & especially the ENYA clip.

The only unknowns were EVAS and "credulous" which I thought meant the opposite of what it does. Perps to the rescue.

I saw a satellite photo of snow cover in the USA on TV last night. Much of the country is essentially a huge SNO-cone except a brown area in which my wheat fields are located. My little wheat plants could have used a nice drink and SNO-blanket as protection from the polar temperatures.

I quit signing my DONOR CARD because at my age my parts don't work well enough that someone else would want to inherit them.

Tinbeni said...

fermatprime: Millie as your Avatar is perfect!

Husker @9:47 you said: Tin ”You got a dog in this fight?" ...
Well I was the one who posted the James Bond 007 theme yesterday.
And IT has been used in 23 movies. Just sayin' ...

DNF / FIW due to RiATA instead of REATA. So I guess I missed MERE with MERi too.
Also had to change DATE to DELE @69-A.

Been a BLOOD DONOR since my 18th birthday ... every 2 months, rain or shine, it's an obsession with me.

Jazz: Wonderful, informative write-up & links. Thank you!

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

Lucina said...

desper-otto:
Thank you. I, too, appreciate that information as I was under the mistaken impression that pool and billiards are the same thing.

Re: movie music
Although I like the ones you all have linked or mentioned, my all time favorite is Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago by Maurice Jarre. Also some parts of A Walk in the Clouds, coincidentally, also composed by Mr. Jarre.

Avg Joe said...

I fell into the Riata/Meri trap to take a DNF by FIW as well. Too bad the paper doesn't come with a little chip like those singing birthday cards that goes "tada" so I could avoid the shame of it all. Ah well. c'est la vie!

I hope the results continue to be good Dennis.

Great pic of the pooch, Fermat.

Movie music? One of many by the master of scores

Argyle said...

Tinbeni, who you trying to fool? One pint less blood = more room for Pinch.

Lemonade714 said...

A fine first puzzle, with an ambitious 6 theme answers plus a unifier. 79 spaces of theme. Still packed some nice long fill like KAHUNA and SCENTED, welcome Daniel, thanks for the mini (ADE) shout out.

d-o what does "My "Marianas Trench" was clogged up."" mean?

Hey Phyllis, welcome also, where are you from? Come join in the verbal victuals...

Tinbeni said...

Argyle, THAT has been my "well-oiled" plan for 43+ years.

Plus, think about the 250+ "lucky" recipients ...
They get a transfusion AND a buzz ...
What-A-DEAL!

River Doc said...

Happy Wednesday everybody!

Hands up for UMP, RiATA, and BAR KEEP. The lack of a Ta-Da led me to WAG the E in REATA / MERE, so a DF (did finish) for Da Doc today....

Although.... I've always heard it referred to as carbO loading....

I made sure to include the pool table in my offer for the house here, so now I have no excuse not to practice BANK and MASSE SHOTS....

No bloody clue as to why anyone with better than 20/200 vision would think that ROD Stewart is sexy.... Can you say.... NOPE!

JzB - enjoyed your thought process re: SNARK....

HG - "vowel movement" had me Laughing, but not OL (trying to be considerate of others here at work....)

D-O and TTP, count me in as the third in the Crew to visit the dentist today. My reason was to re-glue a crown that popped off last night while eating pizza....

Finally, congrats Fermatprime on your new companion Millie...!

River Doc said...

Tin / Argyle we used to refer to that phenomenon as having too much blood in the alcohol stream....

CrossEyedDave said...

Oh Bother!

(I had rIata also...)

Bloody Hell!

Blood Ties.

PK said...

Tinbeni's little bag of blood gets a proof rating written on it everytime he donates. Known for its antiseptic properties, his gift is highly sought after.

Lucina said...

Here's a hint for the RiATA/REATA dilemma. It is pronounced REY / AH / TA and if you can remember that, the e instead of i will prevail.

PK said...

Dennis, maybe you passed a little kidney stone unbeknownst. Hope it was the onliest one. I never thought catheters were painful. I asked for one on a couple of occasions when trying to get up to go was too painful because of back injuries. A big tough ex-Marine shouldn't mind one at all.

Lucina, "Lara's Theme" gets my vote too for most haunting and memorable movie theme.

TTP said...

Lemonade,
A dental pocket that got abscessed.

River Doc, yea, like the interstate highway system, I have bridge work in my future.

Dennis, best wishes on both fronts.

Yo Adrian, what about "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky and "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky III ?, For your consideration, Rocky Balboa

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Great puzzle today, with hardly any nits.

I don't disagree with any of the movie music recommendations and will throw in Henry's Mancini's score for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Moon River is the least of it.

Also Howard Shore's sound tracks from the Lord of the Rings movies. And as a blast from the past, Erich Korngold's score for Robin Hood, a 1938 Errol Flynn Classic.

Cool regards!
JzB

OwenKL said...

Seemed like 3 Monday puzzles to me so far this week. Usually use red letter mode from the start Wed-Sun, but tried it without, and only tripped up on RiATA/MERi, an easy WAG once red letters were on, so I still claim a win. I thought French for mother was MAMA, and so figured MERI was a French version of Madonna for Mary.
Also started with SUGAR HIGH instead of RUSH, and wanted some form of LACERATE before LESIONS, but perps solved those quickly enough.
MASSE was in a LAT puzzle less than 3 months ago (Oct.12 Silky), so I'm puzzled why it puzzled so many.
British sitcoms may not be common knowledge, but I thought Ab FAB would be better known.

Phyllis Tamres: thanks for the kind words. Do come again!

I used to give blood until they found hepatitis antibodies in it (I was never aware of having the disease) and told me I couldn't donate again. keep checking the donor box. Major organs wear out, but some minor things like skin and corneas IIRC can still be harvested at any age.

All: Sorry my poems were so long and minimally funny this morning. Tighter verses tend to be better verses.

Dennis said...

PK, a catheter's one thing...and a nasty one at that, but this is a frigging camera!

All I can picture is them trying to shove some big 'ol Bell & Howell up there...

Argyle said...

A ballad from a B movie.

Link

desper-otto said...

Lemon, what TTP said. Periodontists love people with deep pockets. They find me unresistable. At my last cleaning the technician said, "Wow, that's deeper than my probe can measure!" Not sure that's something to be proud of. I'm going to visit a lady periodontist next week who uses a laser treatment. I expect that a) it's not appropriate in my case or b) it's appropriate, but you need really deep pockets to afford it. Either way, I think the offending tooth is history.

Avg Joe said...

I'd echo PK's sentiment, Dennis. A catheter isn't the most pleasant thing to undergo, but it beats the hell out of getting out of bed with a broken back. A ureteroscope might be slightly larger than a catheter, but I doubt it. Ureteroscope But I can also appreciate your apprehension as well as laugh at the B&H reference.

Owen, I've also got that antibody. They called it a "false marker" in my case. I've never had hepatitis, and even donated once without problem, but on the second visit, they restricted me to nothing other than self-donation, (which I've benefited from).

Since we're broadening the horizons on movie themes, I'd offer this bit of silliness: 500 Miles

CrossEyedDave said...

Speaking of movie themes,

It may not be the most memorable, but my favorite is the Howard Shore version of Heart & Soul at the end of the movie Big.

It drives me crazy when I watch the whole movie just to hear this song over the end credits, & the cut it off for promos, or commercials.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Yes, a good hump day pzl! I enjoyed it. It also helped my procrastination. Today is the last day for undecorating our Christmas Tannenbaum, a chore I hate to do, as it is the action of destroying one's own happy mood.
We always keep the tree up past Twelfth Night. Some trees don't last well, but we kept this guy well watered, and he has been a real winner--holding onto his needles, staying full, and serving as the life of the party for our guests last Sunday on 12th Night Eve.
And for those who were interested in the recipe for Yule Glögg a couple of weeks ago, I am happy to report that it was once again a great success, with six litres consumed. And (lucky me!) I have nearly two litres of it left. (It only gets better re-heated each evening....)

Freud for docs ... said...

Thanks avg. Joe for the link to WebMD.

I also downloaded the free magazine APP from the apple Tunes store, for my IPad .


But, the girl on the cover, is ..... All covered up ??? Maybe she's trying to model maternity dresses ?

Are docs supposed to be have a different set of visual turn ons ?

Or is she "the trophy wife".

Don said...

Two Cents worth:
The theme from the movie "Witness" is about as moving as any.
"A young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder; policeman John Book goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial."

Surfer Girl said...

That was a nice surf video, but check this "CURL" out!
100 FOOT WAVE

TTP said...

Irish Miss and Spitzboov, I'm glad the Polar Vortex is leaving too !

I was sent this image earlier today:
Using Old Socks as Seat Warmers

Misty said...

Thanks for explaining the difference between pool and billiards to me, Desper-otto. I clearly played pool, back in the day.

Don, "Witness" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I grew up partly in Amish country (Lancaster, PA). When people heard a film was being made there, we all worried that it would malign or trash or otherwise dishonor the Amish. The film was both a relief and a pleasant surprise to us in its sensitive treatment of the sect. In retrospect, all of Peter Weir's films are thoughtful and sensitive, so we shouldn't have worried. Anyway, I loved the film.

Aaargh. I will never get this captcha.

JD said...

Misty and Don, Witness was also one of my favorites... which made me think..Friendly Persuasion, another beautifully done film with a lovely movie theme.Actually, it was my 1st record album. I have to agree with Lucina, nothing can come close to Lara's Theme, although it only was #15 on this fellow's link.

I really enjoy hearing old songs, like My Girl put into movies.The 1st Land Before Time has a lovely song sung by Diana Ross, If we Hold on Together.

JD said...

Oops.. this is the link where Lara's Theme was #15.

HUTCH said...

9I hope someone can clue me in about Spanish vowels I was taught that Spanish 'I' was pronounced--'eye' as in English 'eye'--also that Spanish 'I' was pronounced as in English 'machine'. That would make riata correct and reata [rayata] incorrect.

fermatprime said...

Nope. I is eee.

PK said...

Dennis, honey, you really need to practice some deep breathing and relaxation techniques to make the whole process go easier. If you tense up, it will hurt. I realized that probably the tube and camera will have to travel further for you than for some men, but they really are teeny and flexible. But men usually get to live a long time without fear of invasion of their bodies. Now you know how a women dreads some invasions. Good luck!

Lemonade714 said...

Dennis just think fiber optics, but I think they are overreacting. I have had blood in my urine twice and peed blood once. Nothing serious, just scary.

I only know CARBloading


Thanks for the dental.lesson guys

Lucina said...

Hutch:
Fermat is correct. The i is pronounced ee. See my post at 2:55. You must have been absent for that lesson.

JD:
That is a great list of 50 top musical scores. However, music is so subjective. I would have placed The Mission and Exodus much higher.

JD said...

Here's a great list of the 100 best movie songs. And you are right Lucina,everyone has a different opinion.DH just got a big kick out of hearing "Thunder Road".LOL!

Argyle said...

That is a great list but some surprise misses. No Godfather, no Lara's theme or Tara's theme!

Anonymous T said...

Late to the party...

WEES said about this fine easy for a Wed. offering. Thanks JzB for the writeup and every one for the fun links and info.

YR - I'm glad you're feeling better. IM keep off the ice even after stitches are out! Best wishes.

I don't want to go into my time as a phlebotomist in the army during Desert Strom (I didn't have issues with needles before I poked people), but Tin, numbness with transfusion is sought!

I'm only posting because no one has mentioned RED DWARF a BBC programme in the 80's(?). This clip is apt considering Dudley's challenge. To set up the clip - they are on a backwards planet.

Dudley, all kidding asside, I'm w/ D-O don't let them make the problems worse with tests because the wallet is fat. God Speed.

Cheers, -T
My ABO - B Pos. :-)

Anonymous T said...

Ha! I was reading the comics before bed and there was this BLOOD BANK Close to Home...

C, -T

Spitzboov said...

I wonder where Thunder Road came from:

Mommy, I've gotta pee. (Danish)

fermatprime said...

The Eddy/Macdonald movies had some great songs, yet none are mentioned. Sweethearts for example.