Theme: Scrambles are not anagrams, or are they? If you listen to MONTY PYTHON, the new words do not have to be words.
This is an anagram,
oops, a scrambled letter puzzle in which the letters in the word FEAST
are shuffled inside other theme answers. This is a very common theme,
but with a lovely unifier. This is John's second LAT, both this month.
The puzzle does not really feel like a Friday with too many 3 and 4
letter words, but there is much originality and challenge such as EFFLUENT, POTATO GUN, STUNT KITE, EMULATION and in the theme TASTEFUL JOKE, GWEN STEFANI, MOVEABLE FEAST, and OFFICE STAFF.
We begin with the reveal:
35A. Pentecost, e.g., and what can literally be found in this puzzle's four other longest answers : MOVEABLE FEAST (13). This clue was very difficult for me. while I have studied Christianity, the existence of these 25+ feast days was beyond my ken, and Barbie was no help either. My thought was of the memoirs of HEMINGWAY. Once filled, I loved this new way to tell us the puzzle has anagrams scrambled letters.
17A. Annual Christmas party group : OFFICE STAFF.
(11) When I worked with big companies, the competition to look great
among the staff was entertaining, and troublesome, and often not
tasteful.
29A. Humor that won't offend : TASTEFUL JOKE. (12)
"There is this guy driving down the road. He’s got 17 penguins in his
car. This cop sees him, stops him, and says, “I don’t know what’s going
on here. But you’ve got to take these penguins to the zoo.” The guy’s
like, “OK.” The next day the guy is driving and he has the same 17
penguins in the car. The same cop pulls him over and says, “Look, man, I
stopped you yesterday and I told you to take these penguins to the
zoo.” The guy says, “I took them to the zoo. Today we’re going to the
beach.”
43A. Exercised caution : PLAYED IT SAFE. (12)
57A. Singer with the debut solo album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." : GWEN STEFANI. (11). LISTEN. (3:30).
On to the rest...
Across:
1. Chess ploy : GAMBIT.
This term is used by most mystery writers to explain a plot twist, I
will defer to the chess players out there, but I note chess has been
central in the plot of two TV mystery/detective shows recently.
Thoughts?
7. Antique cane topper : KNOB. I was looking for something more esoteric like WOLF.
11. Home of the N.Y. Rangers : MSG. Madison Square Garden.
14. Fund-raising targets : ALUMNI. The requests never stop.
15. Wrath, in a hymn : IRAE. Not to confuse, 41A. "This American Life" host Glass : IRA.
16. Scarfed down : ATE
19. Small group : DUO. Three's a crowd, two is a duo? More numbers, 24A. Thrice due : SEI. Italian for 6. (3x2).
20. Brightened, with "up" : LIT. Her eyes lit up whenever George Clooney came into the room.
21. Bible book : RUTH. The story of Ruth and Boaz is important in understanding kindness and conversion. To which we all say....
22. "Let it be so!" : AMEN.
25. Wetlands protection org. : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. ???????????
26. "Driving Miss Daisy" setting : ATLANTA. The other Georgia.
31. Long poem : EPOS.
33. One of two Pauline epistles: Abbr. : CORinthians.
34. "__ for Innocent": Grafton novel : I IS.
I recently was rereading some of her early work to see where she went
wrong, and was reminded that her next door neighbor, Henry Pitts, the
retired baker also constructed crossword puzzles. Her 'clues' were not
great.
40. Same old thing : RUT. I assume for the wagon wheels. To get out, sometimes you must....
42. Run : FLEE.
48. Theatergoer's option : MATINEE.
49. Fla. NBA team : ORLando Magic, having lost Shaq years ago and Dwight Howard more recently, this is a tough place to coach.
50. Maker of "3 Series" cars : BMW. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. 4D. ASCAP rival : BMI. Broadcast Music, Inc. Aren't you glad we already discussed this company?
53. "Beloved" author Morrison : TONI.
54. Fromage hue : BLEU. Fromage = Cheese, in French; Bleu = Blue an anagram?
55. Yay relative : RAH. I believe they are cousins.
56. Part of a disguise : WIG.
61. Loan letters : IOU. Cute.
62. Lisa's title : MONA. Do you think of Mona as Lisa's title? Really means like Madam Lisa.
63. Passes : ENACTS.
64. Relaxing retreat : INN. Or better yet, this LINK.
65. Against : ANTI.
66. Winning run, perhaps : STREAK.
Down:
1. Pens for Dickens? : GAOLS.
Nice two level trickery, as we first must see the 'pen' to mean
penitentiary, not what CD wrote with. Then recalling the British term
GAOL is needed to solve.
2. Caine title role : ALFIE. What's it all about?
3. Civilian garb : MUFTI. Since it is casual FRIDAY.
5. Grow : INCREASE.
6. Jams : TIE UPS. Traffic.
7. Social group : KITH. KIN you believe it, it is back so soon!
8. Org. co-founded by Gen. George Wingate : NRA. National Rifle Association. HISTORY. Did not know this fact. I wonder if this covers 32D. Relative of a T-shirt launcher : POTATO GUN. See it Believe IT.
9. Knucklehead : OAF.
10. Happen to : BEFALL. Not what it is when Summer ends....
11. Got some attention : MADE NOISE. Used by TV commenters ad nauseam.
12. Flier that may have four lines : STUNT KITE. So much I do not know about KITES. I did read The Kite Runner.
13. Prefix with thermal : GEO.
18. "Right away!" : STAT.
23. Key abbr. : MAJ. And a related (?) 46D. Fifths on a staff : SOLS. Music people can explain why this means G Major, but with STAFF in a theme fill, I am surprised to see staff in a clue.
26. "He makes no friends who never made __": Tennyson : A FOE. Not to be confused with the author of Robinson Crusoe.
27. Grass-and-roots layer : TURF. Unlike a BG mistake here.
28. '50s Dem. presidential hopeful : AES. Adlai Ewing Stevenson, II, son of the vice-president under Grover Cleveland.
29. Good, in Hebrew : TOV. Mazel Tov all.
30. Brilliance : ECLAT.
31. Effort to equal others : EMULATION.
36. Hill worker : AIDE. Capitol Hill.
37. Creamy spread : BRIE. More soft cheese.
38. Flowing out : EFFLUENT. The Latin stem "E" from, "AD" to.
39. Tankard contents : ALE. yeah Beer.
40. Tach no. : RPM. Revolutions Per Minute.
44. Dark side : YIN. More from Lao Tse. LINK.
45. It's hard to untangle : ENIGMA. Wrapped in a mastery, hidden in a puzzle.
47. Knifelike ridges : ARETES. A word I know solely from solving puzzles.
50. Support : BRACE.
51. __ ray : MANTA.
52. Chef's tool : WHISK. Not my first thought.
54. __ B'rith : BNAI. Children of the Covenant. The first covenant, circumcision on the 8th day.
56. Nintendo's __ mini : WII. Not to be confused with WWI.
58. Finished on top : WON.
59. Dr.'s specialty : ENT. Ear, Nose, Throat.
60. Distant : FAR.
On
a personal note, as we approach the 5th Anniversary of the switch to
the LA Times puzzle (March 23, 2009) I want to extend a special thanks
to Rich Norris and his staff, not only for providing us with so many fun
challenges, but also for encouraging our own C.C and marti who have
become such accomplished constructors in their own right.
Happy
Spring all and I hope we entertained and informed, Lemonade signing off
with a poem I happened across. (Not to usurp Owen, but it was so
coincidental). See you next time.
Do you know a teacher you think may be a cheater
If you shop at ‘Harrods’ are you considered posh
If your car breaks down, do you call the RAC.
When you play pool or polo do you go round in a loop
If you prick your hand on a rose thorn is it rather sore.
Is life all doom and gloom and you get in a mood.
Do you live in a world you think is vile or evil
Does your alarm emit a bleep at a set time
Do you dare to pick up a dear book to read
Do you head for the toilets when you want to read T S Eliot
Jan Allison
28th Feb 2014
The date oF EASTer depends on the moon
ReplyDeleteThat pilgrims might travel by gibbous lune.
The date will swing
With the start of spring,
When the earliEST FAuns play a pan-pipe tune!
ThE STAFf Of Life Bakery had a truck that they leased
To deliver their breads to the west and ofF EAST.
It held chairs and a table
So that they were able
To host Pentecost dinner as a MOVABLE FEAST!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteI've heard the phrase MOVEABLE FEAST before, but had no idea it was associated with Pentecost. Fortunately, I was able to get it with a little help from the perps and didn't need to know it to get the other theme answers.
Didn't get EFFLUENT at first and actually tried EFFUSIVE which seemed to work until it didn't. Never heard of a STUNT KITE before, but it certainly sounds like a real thing.
Not sure why KNOB is only associated with antique canes, since I've seen them on plenty of modern canes as well.
A few weeks ago lemony would have called this an anagram puzzle. But an anon has taught him otherwise. Still seems bitter about it though.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteI really thought this one was headed for a DNF. Found difficult going after shooting myself in the foot multiple times: CSA/NRA, LUKE/RUTH, OLE/RAH, SPA/INN, BALCONY/MATINEE. But, finally got 'er done.
Never heard of a t-shirt launcher. Potato gun, yes.
Why is pentecost called a "moveable feast?" Is it because it's somehow tied to Easter, and the date of Easter moves around? Dunno.
D-O if you read the 25+ link it explains the term.
ReplyDeleteHere at Marlin' s baseball games they use the t-shirt gun to distribute during the games.Anyone else seen them at games?
desper-otto --
ReplyDeleteYes, you are exactly right. Pentecost is tied to Easter, and Easter moves around, so Pentecost moves accordingly.
Thank you for the excellent review, Lemonade.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle did me in. After my normal Friday - Saturday time, I still had a sea of white, no ideas, no WAGS, no patience. I turned on red letter help, removed the red letters, and finished in 6 minutes.
I normally enjoy solving a puzzle, but not today. So I will stop there and go with Thumper.
This was a definite DNF for me this morning. Solving the bottom half happened slowly and the theme came out easily. But I got stuck on many clues TIES UP instead of TIE UPS and ASAP instead of STAT. GEORGIA instead of ATLANTA. I couldn't get started in th NW with just ALFIE (What,s it all about). I wasn't thinking in Italian to get SEI. I have never heard of an EPOS or POTATO GUN.
ReplyDeleteSometimes my brain is thinking in one direction and cannot go another way. My winning run was a single, double, or triple; not the successful STREAK. KITH BEFALLing twice in one week is NOT A TASTEFUL JOKE being played on me.
Wanted Ducks Unlimited for 25a. I would tell you about what I think of the effectiveness of the EPA, but that would violate the rules of this blog.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everybody.
ReplyDeleteTough but doable - just as a Friday puzzle should be.
A few words stumped me, including: EFFLUENT, EPOS, MUFTI, STUNT KITE, and ARETES.
I had difficulty placing GWEN STEFANI and the other theme clues together, but I knew I'd find the answer here.
It should be around 60 degrees today in the Chicago suburbs. Unfortunatly, I won't be out to enjoy it.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.
Lemonade, I loved your blog. Great puzzle which I finished without help in three sittings of 10-15-10 minutes due to family commitments. I tend to do better when a difficult puzzle has my full concentration all in one sitting.
ReplyDeleteI read Kite Runner and saw the movie, both of which were excellent. It is amazing what can be done with kites. It was a touching story.
Pauline looks like a feminine name, but it is not in this context. The suffix -ine means relating to and changes a noun to an adjective. Saturn/Saturnine
In studies of the Bible we speak of Pauline/relating to Paul, Johannine, relating to John, and Petrine, relating to Peter.
My biggest hang up was ALABAMA before ATLANTA. CASTLE soon changed to GAMBIT.
Hemmingway popularized Moveable Feast, otherwise it would likely be unknown outside of church circles.
Flocks of robins were enjoying a moveable feast this morning on the newly thawed and snow free lawns.
KITH
ReplyDeleteUsed by 3 different constructors within a week.
Coincidence?
~Conspiracy Theorist, John
Thanks for the fun comments. Original did not have the black squares between 24/25 across and 49/50 across (for 6 less three-letter answers) but never could get the fill right with Rich Norris. Many other grid patterns had already proven unworkable. In fact, if not for a lot of off-database searching to come up with STUNT KITE, and a recent POTATO GUN shooting contest that nearly ended in a trip to the emergency room, I might have had to bust up one of the long downs too. I wish I could have kept it a 74-worder rather than a 76-worder, but I hoped the long downs would redeem the 3-letter trash. Anyway, have a great day all. PS, I came in second place at over 1,000ft. Folks, do not use propane in your potato guns. It turns PVC into shrapnel!
ReplyDeleteGot off on the right foot with GAMBIT and PERPed (and WAGged) my way around without much trouble. I guess it seemed more like a Thursday than a Friday.
ReplyDeleteLast fill was the "S" in GAOLS and SEI. I had read "due" as "owed" (not the Italian number) and thought "Pens for Dickens?" was very clever (though, when filled, I misread it as GOALS and scratched my head).
I watched Syracuse win (as expected) yesterday afternoon. They play Dayton tomorrow night. I wonder how far Harvard can go.
[9:11]
Good morning, folks. Thank you, John Guzzetta, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Lemonade, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteThis one took me 2 1/2 hours. About right for a Friday, for me.
I confidently wrote CASTLE for 1A. That loused up the NW for a large portion of this puzzle. Then with perps I arrived a GAMBIT. So much for confidence.
Got all the theme answers and then MOVEABLE FEAST last, but could never figure out the theme until I came here. I should have studied it harder.
POTATO GUN took me a while.
BLEU was a wild___guess. Since I did not know what fromage was.
TOV was easy once I thought about it.
ENIGMA came easily. We have had that word quite a bit recently.
SE corner was a piece of cake.
EFFLUENT is a new word for me.
Anyhow, off to my day. Tons to do.
See you tomorrow from Evanston, IL. I will take my IPad with me and hopefully will get to work the puzzle.
Abejo
(96 49622824)
Haven't done the puzzle yet. I just read last nights comments & was smiling ear to ear at Manacs links. (I must be burning out if I didn't even look for those great pics manac!)
ReplyDeleteAnywho, here is my titmouse pic, (prudes look away...) what's yours?
I agree that I have not been up to par in my posting of late, (losing a cat is a sobering experience.) But on the other hand, I am totally exhausted trying to take care of my neighbors Dalmatian puppy. What a bundle of inexhaustible energy!
Yellowrocks: OK, I just read yesterday's comments and saw your answer to me question. Thank you. I believe I have never been exposed to that sort of puzzle. I don't get out much.
ReplyDeleteThanks again.
Abejo
(99634433 1083)
This puzzle was apiece of "hits".
ReplyDeleteUnscramble that last word.
Good morning Lemonade, C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of a POTATO GUN, so thanks for linking that video, Lemony. I'm sure others will thank you, for different reasons...
I had "castle" as my chess ploy. But that was quickly replaced when ALFIE, MUFTI and BMI appeared. I also wondered why a KNOB was particular to antique canes. Then I was puzzled why the NY Rangers would choose to live in MonoSodium Glutamate... Oh well, I finished in about a Wednesday time, so it's all good.
TGIF!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI finished w/o help but it took me longer than usual for a Friday. Didn't catch the theme until the unifier. Never heard of a potato gun or a stunt kite.
Thanks, John G. for the puzzle and for stopping by, and thanks to Lemony for the sparkling expo.
Have a great day.
CED, you are amazing. I love manac's links, but your link today may be the most awesome yet.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 9:45, that would be an anagram.
Interesting puzzle with some different words and clues. It took some effort, but I was able to finish the puzzle eventually. Definitely a good doable Friday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteBMI is a repeat from other puzzles recently. However, ALOE and ERA, along with many other standard words, didn't show up this time. I wonder, do constructors scour other puzzles to come up with words to beat to death. Sometimes it seems that I see a new word and then other constructors use the same word ad nauseum. I realize that it is difficult to come up with completely fresh puzzles every day and some words need to be repeated. I'm not complaining, just an observation.
JG: I enjoyed your puzzle and Lemon's expo.
The Madness has just begun. Enjoy March basketball.
John G. thanks for stopping by, come on back and tell us more about yourself. We are a curious bunch in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteJonsneverhome, it has been a while. good to see you also. We see the cornerites as our kith, so maybe it is time for the word.
ReplyDeleteHello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Yellowrocks put in Alabama before Atlanta, 'cause that means I wasn't the only one to try it! Sure bollixed that region for a while. Otherwise, it went along fairly snappily for a Friday. Hand up for failing to see the connection to MSG. Potato gun went right in, I might have fired a spud or two in the past...though never with propane. Glad you avoided the hospital, John G!
All in all a clever puzzle. I enjoyed the fresh fill, and the super unifier. My bible knowledge is skimpy, but I was able to piece it together.
Speaking of Madison Square Garden: I was unaware until recently the sports arena was built upon the grave of the real Penn Station. This must surely be America's saddest architectural loss, no doubt motivated by some very ugly greed and dirty politics. It is especially galling to me that Penn Station was smashed to rubble, rather than dismantled. For shame.
Friday level puzzle today that required red letter help. Thanks John G for the challenge.
ReplyDeleteWanted SPA before INN and like Elmer @ 7:45, I thought of Ducks Unlimited before EPA.
ALE for Tinbeni today and KITH again!
I thought outflowing would be a better clue for EFFLUENT than flowing out as I was confused between verb/noun/adjective.
I haven't heard of POTATO GUN but it reminds me of Royal Canadian Air Farce Chicken Cannon. Hilarious!
Chicken Cannon
This started as a complete ENIGMA.... hard to get started. Having APR for IOU and SPA for INN didn't help much. Got Gwen Stefani off the bat after the downs, but didn't help figure out the theme until I was all done.
ReplyDeleteThanks John G for a great challenge and nice theme.
Lemonade - great write-up!
Oh bother! Once again I have totally messed up the Friday theme concept... Unfortunate, because I felt on the constructors wavelength by getting every 3 letter fill. But after John Gs post @ 8:28 I am not sure who's wavelength I was on? To make a long story shorter, I saw "moveable feast," & had "Gwen Stefani." Without waiting for more long answers I immediately saw that Gwen Stefani contained the word "Stew" & thought "I guess it could be moveable, how boring, I don't have time for this..." (Another classic CED screwup...)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks Lemonade for the Gaols & mufti explanations. Totally out my my wheelhouse...
Speaking of out of my wheelhouse, tasteful joke? Not really my bailiwick, but I'll give it a try...
Aquanet Hairspray? Hmm, interesting, (I used to use lighter fluid.) Another thing I must give a try, but it's been a lot of years since I have been that stupid. (or has it?) Anyway I am too old for such highjinks these days. However stunt kites look like some safe fun. Hmm, Hmm, wait a sec... If we used potato guns to shoot down the stunt kites, it could be a whole new sport. Good enough to make the porn stars optional!
I enjoyed the puzzle and the write-up. Thanks John and Lemon.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Fallon was able to create a very listenable four-part doo-wop song with Billy Joel using an iPad app. I was impressed. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Dudley@10:22: Click here for a very good documentary on the rise and fall of Penn Station.
ReplyDeleteI did it, I did it! After messing up several of the earlier and easier puzzles this week, I can't believe I actually go this Friday one--using Marti's P & P advice (Patience and Perseverance). Thank you, John, and thank you, Lemonade, for explaining the scrambled FEASTs, which I, of course, didn't see until your expo. What a great way to end the week!
ReplyDeleteLemonade and Owen: many thanks for the bonus poems! Both of them were fun, I thought.
Marti, a belated congratulations on your award!
Onward with endless boring chores today, e.g. trying to figure out how to get the batteries in our portable Uniden phones replace, etc. etc. But at least the early morning was fun.
Have a good one, everybody!
Lemon; I have seen t-shirt guns at San Jose shark games and at golden state warrior games.
ReplyDeleteBuckeye Bob; I saw on the evening news last night what happened to aroldis chapman. Made me sick. Hopefully for him and the reds he can recover quickly.
Here is a different kind of rebus, sometimes called a frame game. If you have the answers please hold them back for a couple of hours so others may try. If you can't wait that long, please email me. Those of you who have experience will find this to be he a piece of cake. First timers, not so easy. Position has a lot to do with the riddles.
ReplyDeleteExamples:
STA4NCE
4 in "stance" Answer is for instance
M
R
A
W the word warm written going up, warm up
1. KNEE
UR FULL OF
2. WINEEE
3. HEAD
HEELS
4. JOBINJOB
5. TAILR
RIALT
AIRTL
TLRIA
Lemon: Thank you for a very informative write-up explaining my Rorschach Ink Blot.
ReplyDeleteDNF ... not even close ... and using a Red Ink Pen provided "No Help" either.
Fave today, of course, was ALE ... time to wander over to the Pub (my "Relaxing retreat").
Cheers!!!
One of the times I'm glad I didn't try to figure out the theme. Anagram themes really turn me off.
ReplyDeleteFirst time posting but have been reading for awhile. I actually completed this which was exciting, particularly since, when I was casting around for what I knew about Pentecost, I came up with 'tongues of fire'--and it fit!! Was very curious to see what the theme answers would be with that till I got back on track. Great puzzle, John and great blog and discussions. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteToday's pzl gave me only a short pause at 98%, but after remembering that SOL (46D) is the same as SO, I soared to 100%--with no cheats, not even one re-write. I continue to be impressed by my ever-growing solving abilities. Bletchley Park, here I come!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that keeps my head on straight nowadays is the occasional Saturday Xwd and the amazing ability of the good folk who can construct these things. I have made a couple of lame attempts at making one up, and I embarrass even the paper that I practice on.
Wow, this was tough - it took me almost an hour and it's only because I'm stubborn that I didn't just throw up my hands and concede defeat. It's amazing that if you stare at white space for long enough eventually some lightbulbs start to go off. Good stuff, John.
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up, Lemonade - the poem must be from England with the Harrod's and RAC (Royal Automobile Club) references.
Am I the only one who has an issue with BRIE being clued as "creamy spread"? It's not a spread, it's a cheese, and it's not even soft unless you leave it to ripen. Boo to that clue.
Speaking of poems, you outdid yourself Owen including the scrambled word in your work.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of scrambled, each of the two other blogs of the LAT puzzle refer to this as an anagram puzzle. But who really cares?
Steve, I agree that brie clue seemed a bit off. I was going to respond with a funny brie cartoon, but what came up makes me want to reexamine that clue?
ReplyDeletestunt kite tutorial #1
stunt kite tutorial #2
Hmm, now I know I have seen a tutorial somewhere on how to build that potato gun. Lemon, I'll bring the Aqua Net if you can bring a porn star!
Hi Y'all! I filled this puzzle and found the long theme fills easy, but didn't have a clue what the theme meant. Thank you, Lemon, for solving that mystery. A challenge that I did enjoy, John G. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePens for Dickens: why "quill", of course. Nope, GAOL. I also thought of "cote" but decided Dickens wasn't that pastoral.
Our old friend KITH seems to be Rich's "word of the week". I saw it in another paper's puzzle too.
Lemonade: Is that cozy little INN you linked where you stayed for the wedding in Jamaica?
Having expended so much energy growing a garden and preserving the produce, a POTATO GUN is annoyingly wasteful in my books. Slap some butter and chives or sour cream on that baby and stop splattering things with it.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Lemon’s summation worked for me too
-Easter is a moveable feast too. It is the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox. This year the equinox was yesterday March 20, the next full moon after that will be April 15 and the next Sunday after the full moon is Easter – April 20th. See wasn’t that easy.
-Gotta get back to my 5th graders!
HG:
ReplyDeleteCan the porn star be retired ?
PK, yes that was the wedding situs. Thumbs up for Sandals and the Jamaican people.
Based on the oddities of the Jewish calendar, all of our holidays are moveable, with only Easter being close to Passover every year.
CED,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with your brie? It must be con brio!
Steve, thanks for stopping by, where in the world are you today?
ReplyDeleteYes, I assumed Jan Allison was British; I found her work HERE . I was unable to learn anything about her, though I imagine CED or Manac must know her shoe size by now.
Lemon 7:29 - As you know, I'm no sports fan, but I did avail myself of some free tickets to a Diamondbacks game at the then-new Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. That's where I first saw a T-shirt cannon firing articles of clothing into the crowd (looked like a fun job!), and a mini zeppelin easing its way around the arena, and a mini helicopter of some sort carrying a crowd cam. That stuff was way more interesting than the ball game. Did you know they charge $8 for a beer? :-)
ReplyDeleteDudley, ball parks across the country are all the same, and while I have not been to any of the new ones out west, the absurd concession prices make you feel at home wherever you are. HD and 60 inch screens seem more attractive all the time.
ReplyDeleteAfternoon folks,
ReplyDeleteChallenging Fri. puzzle. Got the Anagram Feast early on but still took forever to bring it all together.
I still have a Potato Gun in the basement that my son and his friend built years ago. (That was when they also learned how to make Dry Ice bombs. The 12 ounce ones were ok but the 2 liter ones shook the whole house ) But I digress. Aqua Net was not the preferred propellent as it left too much residue. Suave or a no name spray worked much better. Your on your own with the porn star as I know nothing about them.
Dave. You called my hand, Sooo....
Titmouse ( If anyone is
Al Cyone 11:42 - I saw that PBS documentary recently. That's how I learned of the original station. It cleared up a mystery for me: I've heard references of hordes of people, particularly soldiers, passing through Penn Station each day during the war years, marveling at the vaulted spaces and so on. The present day station is a miserable warren of dingy underground passages, and I had no idea where the vaulted spaces were.
ReplyDeleteThe development of that wretched Garden is a crime against all civility.
Lemony - I'm actually sat at my desk at home today!
ReplyDeleteCED - your brie link is awesome!
Dudley, at least some parts of the old Penn Station live on…
ReplyDeleteEverywhere brie is described as a creamy cheese. Brie is not creamy when cold. It is meant to be served at room temperature or above. When I find hard cold brie on a cheese plate it turns me off. After I while away the time eating other hors d'oeuvres (and drinking cab or merlot) the brie becomes its creamy self which I thoroughly enjoy. Yumm!
ReplyDeleteLink creamy brie
And baked or warmed brie is even better. Are there no other brie aficionados out there?
YR: Sorry, I've never tasted or even seen any Brie. But then I've lived a very sheltered unsophisticated life. I shall try to correct that by looking for BRIE next time I shop and will know to let it warm up, thanks to you.
ReplyDeleteHello everybody. As I was solving, or working on solving, this puzzle today, there were many times that my response to filling an entry was to shake my head, frown, and mumble "Jeeez." Subjective, I know, but I just didn't like much of this puzzle, for the same reasons raised in Lemon's writeup. I understand the point is that an entry often can be "almost anything," as my filling in ESTH instead of RUTH, EPIC instead of EPOS, OLEO instead of BRIE (which I agree is not a spread), and LOAM instead of TURF prove. I did learn some things, not the least of which is that MONA is a title, not her name, and that there is such a thing as a T-shirt launcher.
ReplyDeleteI remember feeling awe at the architecture of Penn Station back in 1961 when I used to take the train on weekends from New Haven to Grand Central, the subway from there to Penn Station, and another train out to the Philadelphia "Main Line." I had no idea that it would cease to exist in two years.
The old Reading Terminal in Philadelphia is also long gone, and is now a big "farmer's market" sort of place. The fabulous Wanamaker's store across the street from there, with it's magnificent pipe organ and water fountains, is also gone. No more meetings "at the eagle."
Effusive best wishes to you all.
4 line kites (quad line) seem to be a whole different sport.
ReplyDeleteI love Brie, it goes great with a glass of wine, (& perhaps some pate')but I have never been able to serve it baked, wrapped in puff pastry. It always leaks everywhere. (even when I follow the directions.)Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?
Breaking News!
retired lineman 12:03 PM –
ReplyDeleteYes, the shot that Aroldis Chapman took to the head was shocking. If a pitcher throws a 99 mph fastball and the hitter hits it back to the pitcher’s head, how fast is the ball traveling when it hits him? Maybe Bill G knows, but I don’t know. Anyway, it’s darn fast.
The news reports say he has two fractures, his nose and above the left eye. The doctors placed a metal plate in his head to stabilize the injury. Not good, but it could have been worse.
The reports say he will be ready to throw on flat ground in 10-14 days and off a mound in 4-6 weeks. Simply amazing, to me. I hope that is true, but I also hope they don’t rush him.
What it means to the Reds and their bullpen isn’t known yet. The pitching staff has a number of unanswered questions. But they do have two other pitchers with closing experience, so I think it will work out.
It reminded me of a shot that Cleveland Indians’ pitcher Herb Score took off the bat of the Yankees’ Gil McDougald in 1957. Score missed nearly 2 years and was never the same, although he said his pitching problems stemmed from something else.
Chapman Injury
LW and I love Brie. However, it does take at least an hour to warm up to room temperature and get soft, at least in our house. We love it on baguette bread, and often buy a baguette and a wedge of Brie at the same time. I've been known to cook a slab 'o' beef with Brie melted on top of it. It's pretty versatile, but it's not a "spread."
ReplyDeleteMost recipes say baked brie should be thoroughly melted when done. So, CED, you are correct. Let it cool and harden just a tad and it is spreadable.
ReplyDeleteJust to add a vote, I like my Brie almost completely melted--runny. I'll leave it in the sun, or if alone and impatient, heat it in a warm oven. Yes, it can get a little too runny, but that's okay because it begins to stiffen as soon as you stop warming it.
ReplyDeleteWho else enjoys it with slivered almonds?
I wouldn't have called it a spread myself, but it is in fact quite spreadable & so I had no hesitation filling it in at 37D.
Maniac you and CED have forever changed my mental picture of a titmouse. You'are both amazing
ReplyDeleteI thought this was appropriate for some of us after this year's winter.
ReplyDeleteWinter
I can hardly wait for
Summer
Manac I grew up in a small Connecticut town that was usually only made the tv news for how much snow fell. However in one August week in 1955 we were hit by two (2) hurricanes with the second c a using a great flood which destroyed half the town. So snow and hurricanes can coexist.
ReplyDeleteI think I will go watch NOAH
Ant takers on the quiz @12:06? I guess all have had sufficient chance to loo at it.
ReplyDeleteYR, I'm still waiting for the answers ...
ReplyDeleteLemon @2:36
Why did you ask HG "Can the porn star be retired?"
Jayce @4:18
I totally agree ... when answers are followed by a mumbled "Jeeez" ... the puzzle loses a lot of its FUN factor.
Buckeye Bob, since you brought it up, here is my quickly thought-out opinion. No pitcher I've ever heard of can throw a ball from home plate into the center field stands. But most batters can do it if they are able to hit a home run. So with only that information, a batted ball goes faster than a ball thrown by a good pitcher (maybe twice as fast). Several years back, a batted ball bounced off a Dodgers pitcher's head and went into the stands behind first base. Hiroki Kuroda I think. That was terrifying to watch. He missed a few games but ended up being OK.
ReplyDeleteOK, I've got a couple of them.
3. HEAD OVER HEELS
4. IN BETWEEN JOBS
5. WINDING TRAIL??
Lemony is just trying to create as many comments as he can.
ReplyDeleteHey, lemony! Of all the LAT puzzle reviewers i've read today, you're the only one that correctly identified today's puzzle as a 'scramble of letters' puzzle and not an 'anagram' puzzle. Congrats.
ReplyDelete1. KNEE
UR FULL OF
Say "U R FULL OF BELOW KNEE" You are full of baloney
2. WINEEE
Say "win with e's" Win with ease.
3. HEAD
HEELS
Head over heels
4. JOBINJOB
"in" between "jobs"
5. TAILR
RIALT
AIRTL
TLRIA
Answer: trail mix
btw, I'm ashamed of my man Gareth incorrectly claiming this puzzle had "theme entries have four anagrams of FEAST somewhere within them". Um, no they didn't. Attention to all!!! Anagrams are REAL words!
ReplyDeleteI expected to read a lot of comments about how easy this puzzle was, since I finished it in about 15 minutes. Fridays usually take 45+, if I'm even able to finish. Anyway, I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood the animosity toward the EPA, which continues to this day in my state. In the 60's I came out every morning to find my car (and presumably everything else) covered in ash from the power plants east and west of my home. Driving along the Ohio River chemical plants at night the smokestacks emitted a kaleidoscope of colors, and the river was deemed unsafe for swimming. Acid rain was killing the eastern forests. All this has changed (though there still are problems) thanks to the regulatory agencies created in the 70's.
YR, good ones!
ReplyDeleteWhat about these?
1) DOTHEPE
2) AGB
3) WHEATHER (My favorite)
Anon at 7:56, do you think I get paid by the comment? Funny.
ReplyDeleteTinman, I have done legal work for some retired porn actresses and their websites so if CED needs one....
Lemon @8:27
ReplyDeleteI saw the CED comment @11:24
"Good enough to make the porn stars optional!"
But @2:36 you wrote:
"HG:
Can the porn star be retired ?"
Am I missing something???
I'm with you Windhover. I've lived in two major metro areas, both during the 70s, and both had serious issues with air quality. Ultimately, thatbdrove me from both because I would not live with smog so thick that visibility was less than a mile or two.
ReplyDeleteIt's gotten a great deal better since then, and the EPA gets most of the credit. And for the naysayers that predicted doom, the green economy has done quite well, thank you.
I'd prefer we have no more Cuyahoga incidents, and don't believe we need to tolerate them in the name of progress. The EPA may not be perfect, but it beats the crap out of the alternative.
Avg. Joe - Well said! It's a shame that an advanced nation needs to be policed just so it doesn't poison itself, but experience has shown the need.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy!
ReplyDeleteWhere have all you puzzlers been? Obviously not attending Jimmy Buffett concerts!LOL. They've been "launching" T-shirts for years. (I've been going since the early '80's.)
ReplyDeleteFinished the puzzle and figured out the "feast" theme. I thought it was pretty clever.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Nighty-night.