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First word starts with a F, middle word starts with an A, and last word starts with a T.
18. Eternally : FOR ALL TIME
31A. "Let's move on to something else" : "FORGET ABOUT THAT"
37A. Building safety procedure : FIRE ALARM TEST
44A. Some studio-based educators : FINE ART TEACHERS
59A. What 3/4/2014 is, and a hint to 18-, 31-, 37- and 44-Across : FAT TUESDAY
Argyle here. Throw me some beads. A timely puzzle with two grid spanners and some interesting fill. Not much trouble.
Across:
1. American Revolution supporter : WHIG. "Early activists in the colonies called themselves "Whigs", seeing themselves as in alliance with the political in Britain, until they turned to independence and started emphasizing the label Patriots." - Wikipedia
5. Cracked fixture across from Independence Hall : BELL
9. Suitor : SWAIN. Most dictionaries show a reference to Old Norse.
14. Loser in a fable : HARE
15. Ice formation : FLOE
16. Garden violet : PANSY
17. Big name in door-to-door sales : AVON
20. Moral precept : TENET
22. Arctic inhabitant : INUIT. The preferred term for Eskimo.
23. Suffix with Manhattan : ITE
24. In the know : HIP
27. Soak up some rays : TAN
28. URL letters : WWW
35. Davis of "Do the Right Thing" : OSSIE. Directed by Spike Lee. (1989)
36. Geologic periods : EONs
42. Obstruct : CLOG
43. Paper tray unit : SHEET
51. Brief missions? : OPs. (operations)
52. Drill sergeant's address : "SIR!"
53. Barbecue residue : ASH
54. On the __ vive: alert : QUI. (literally: long live who?)
55. Debate focus : ISSUE
57. Took a cut : SWUNG. Baseball.
64. Ill-considered : RASH
65. Word before circle or child : INNER
66. Shore phenomenon : TIDE
67. Attacking the task : AT IT
68. Reply to "Who wants to clean up this mess?" : "NOT ME!"
69. Cry of pain : [YEOW!]
70. Ballpoints : PENs
Down:
1. "Consider this scenario ..." : "WHAT IF ..."
2. Must : HAVE TO
3. One with pressing chores? : IRONER
4. One in a pool : GENE. On another day, it might be STENO.
5. Pal 4 life : BFF. (Best Friends Forever)
6. "Xanadu" band : ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra)
7. Loughlin of "Full House" : LORI. Full House was a hugely popular ABC sitcom which ran for 192 episodes. Link
8. Crude shed : LEAN-TO
9. Support for a broken digit : SPLINT
10. Power unit : WATT
11. "Give me __!": start of a Hawkeye's cheer : AN I. (Iowa Hawkeyes)
12. Philosophy suffix : ISM
13. Bill, the "Science Guy" : NYE
19. Waikiki feast : LUAU
21. This and this : THESE
25. "__ miracle!" : IT'S A
26. Beach bucket : PAIL
28. Villagers below the Grinch's cave : WHOs
29. Have a yen for : WANT
30. Oz. and kg. : WTs. & 40D. Oz. or kg. : MEAS. (Dept. of Weights and Measures)
32. Steep-walled canyon : GORGE. Interesting usage for this word. Dict.
33. Creature : BEAST
34. Pearly whites : TEETH
37. Turn, as pancakes : FLIP. Today is National Pancake Day at IHOP. Get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes.
38. Electrical particles : IONs
39. "Cheers" actress Perlman : RHEA. She met her match when she met Lilith's mother.
41. Geek Squad pros : TECHs
42. Money VIP : CFO. (chief financial officer)
45. Guarantee : ASSURE
46. Go up : RISE
47. Unlikely to disappoint : TRUSTY
48. Compare apples to apples? : EQUATE
49. Takes to jail : RUNS IN
50. Tourist attractions : SIGHTS
55. News piece : ITEM
56. Actress Falco : EDIE. IMDb bio.
58. Food truck offering : WRAP
59. Snorkeling aid : FIN
60. Year, south of the border : AÑO
61. Tunneler's explosive : T-N-T
62. Ruckus : ADO
Argyle
Hi to my friends at C.C.’s Crossword Corner. I hope to meet some of you in person a few days from now in NYC at the ACPT. Meanwhile, you might appreciate Sea Change and Who’s Got the Last Laugh Now?, constructed respectively with Michael Hanko and Amelia Rosner. The first of these puzzles was inspired by an e-mail typo, and might make you laugh. The second puzzle is a timely tribute to an inspiring pianist, and might make you laugh or cry – in short, feel human. That puzzle’s subject brought back memories of my own parents’ life experiences, as you can read in materials linked to on the cited webpage.
ReplyDeleteMorning, all!
ReplyDeleteSmooth solve today with no memorable speed bumps along the way that can't be attributed solely to bleary eyes and fumble fingers.
Had no idea what was going on with the theme until it was all done, and even then I needed to start at the puzzle for awhile before getting it. Today is Tuesday, and all the theme answers follow a F-A-T pattern. Sure, why not?
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteBreeze easy solve, with a tiny speed bump at Swung. I couldn't correlate that to "took a cut". Argyle says it's a baseball clue, so of course I didn't get it. Very nice theme symmetry today, and two grid spanners! Well done.
I think they say, taking a cut, because it looks like a man felling a tree with an ax.
ReplyDeleteToday is the day to MARCH FOURTH
ReplyDeleteTo meet all our goals in force!
It's not a day to be quiet
No, we live it or diet,
For tomorrow, lettuce set a fresh course!
A LUAU is where we'll spend our eve,
With our TEETH, the pig we will cleave.
We'll GORGE at THESE parties,
We'll CLOG up our arteries,
For our FAT GENE we'll be on the QUI VIVE!
There once was a SWAIN who danced
Whose grace all the ladies entranced.
But then he grew lazy,
Then just grew -- like crazy!
But he's not FAT, just circumferentially enhanced!
A nice sugar-sweet start-of-the-week cakewalk. Or saccharine, if you want to EQUATE that with a MEASure of Equal™. Nice twists: a BEAST with TEETH, LEAN TO parallel to HAVE TO, forms of TRUST and ASSURance by each other, opposites TAN and PAIL near one another. Well homonym of an antonym anyway. Pale as the ASH left over from the LUAU.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteI liked the puzzle, though I didn't get the theme until Argyle 'splained it. I also didn't get "Took a cut" = SWUNG without Argyle's help.
There's a Royal Gorge in Colorado.
Cold and sleety this morning. The power went off about an hour and a half ago; glad I've got that generator. It seemed like an extravagance when I bought it. Not on days like today.
Wonder if it'll be a taxing day or if the game will be rained/sleeted out.
Good day everyone,
ReplyDeleteNot too much of a problem solve today, only three issues where I tried alternatives. Gotta keep the eraser in shape. My miscues were 16A Peony/PANSY; 36A Ages, eras/EONS. (Still think either of the initial two are more appropriate) & 47D Trusts/TRUSTY.
Cold again, warming supposed to come in toward the weekend which is good. Lucy has an opening Saturday in NYC, her Big Apple debut. Family really excited for her.
Good morning everyone!
ReplyDeleteGood luck staying warm today - it is only 36* in NOLA today. Brrrr…I feel bad for those scantily clad girls on the floats!
Great video of Doreen Ketchens, Argyle. I think I'll make that my theme song for today. And thanks for explaining SWUNG for "Took a cut." Like Dudley, baseball clues just don't sink into this old noggin!
The rest of the puzzle filled easily, and the theme was really tight. I thought it was cute to see ASH in the grid, since FAT TUESDAY is the celebration leading into ASH Wednesday, and the start of Lent.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!
I really enjoyed this puzzle, and breezed right thru it until the SE corner, which took a WAG or two. What I really liked was that I got the theme!! Very unusual for me, I usually have to read this blog to finally see the theme. BTW, thanks you everyone for this blog. I read it every day after the puzzle, and really enjoy it and the comments section. I do the CW in bed, and when I grab my iPhone and try to post a comment I find the blog is not very iPhone friendly in that it will never accept my proof that I am not a robot. Today I enjoyed the puzzle and the comments so much I went to my home office to my PC to finally have my lazy butt post a comment and a big "Thank You" to everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteLucy, you go girl! Best of luck in New York.
ReplyDeleteSuper easy today. Only write-over was QUE to QUI.
I thought peony,but it is not very violte-like, so I waited. Pansies are related to violets.
I had to stare a SWUNG a bit to suss its baseball meaning. Cute.
I didn't see the connection to Fat
Tuesday until Argle explained it. Each clue has F---A---T---.
Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday. Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of Lent. The tradition on this Tuesday before Lent was to empty the larder of fat, butter and all rich foods for the Lenten fast.
My German ancestors called it Fastnacht, eve of the fast. My mom made Fastnachts, raised doughnuts cooked in fat. My sister's Lutheran church has begun making and selling them again.
I am now Episcopalian. The Anglican/English tradition is to make pancakes. Our churches have pancake dinner. IMHO Fastnachts are much tastier.
The average high temp for Marh 4 here is 47. We have set a near record low for this AM.
I take exception to the clue for 52A. When I was in basic training many years ago drill sergeants detested being called "Sir". Their response always was, "Don't call me Sir. I work for a living." I don't believe this has changed. Officers are addressed as Sir. Drill sergeants are addressed as "Sergeant" or "Drill Sergeant"
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteWES. Got most of it without a hassle. I liked the SWUNG cluing. Wanted eras for EONS but the perps didn't. Finally tried EONS, saw WANT, settled on WWW, and voilà, it was done. I usually look forward to Jeffrey's puzzles so it all worked out.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
I have no problem with it. In our boot camp, the first AND last word was Sir when speaking to anybody that wasn't a recruit. Sir, yes Sir!
ReplyDeleteFDun Tuesday puzzle and good comments fro Argyle. It was 3 degrees when I got up today. It is now 13. A March heatwave. I am looking forward to July when it is off to Cape Cod to work on a TAN.
ReplyDeleteArgyle thanks for explaining the theme. I didn't see it.
Being a baseball fan a "caught" SWUNG early and lined it to the outfield.
DesperOtto there is a Grande GORGE in upstate New York.
Time to refill my bird feeders.
I would have enjoyed "this" puzzle ... but my Tampa Bay Times printed tomorrows (3/5/14) puzzle instead ...
ReplyDeletetears ...
Yellowrocks, I loved hearing other traditions for Fat Tuesday. To French Catholics here in New Orleans it is really just the feast before the fast of Lent . The Bouef Gras (literally fatted bull) is symbolic of feasting on meat before giving it up for Lent. Happy Mardi Gras !
ReplyDeleteGood morning everybody! Nice easy puzzle today - perfect for a Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteI liked 3D: One with pressing chores? IRONER.
One doesn't hear the word SWAIN much these days. And who is OSSIE Davis?
Have a great day - don't over do it on the sweets and treats!
Musings
ReplyDelete-What Argyle said. Fun theme came from him as well.
-Soft spoken TV FINE ARTS TEACHER
-Would you have been a WHIG or a Tory?
-Warren Buffet got rich being a financial Tortoise not a HARE
-“If you’re ever in Alaska, stop and see, my cute little INUIT”. Huh?
-I’ll never know up to the minute fashion like this HIP Project Runway crew
-Competitive swimmer TAN lines
-How’d NBC’s RASH decision to fire Jay and hire Conan ever work out?
-Kids always have a BALL POINT but no pencils we math and science people prefer
-Full time residents here – ELO, EMO, ENO, EGO, EEO, EOO
-My friend is selling his house on historic, prestigious NYE Avenue in our town
-Horton’s hearing could detect WHO’s much better than my lousy ears
-RHEA traded smart, funny Cheers for this schlocky mess. Hey, it’s a payday.
-The TECHS didn’t fix my laptop problem last month but got rid of a bunch of junk for $200
-I agree Fred, you can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd or get to this blog on an iPhone
I got all the theme answers, but I really struggled with this Tuesday puzzle. As I read the blog, I don't know what my difficulty was, but a big DNF without assistance.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, for whatever reason, the YouTube showed up on my iPad today. I didn't need to click on Link below a big white space to see what you were showing the group. Again, thanks for putting Links in for us tablet users.
Above zero this morning, but 3 days of snow predicted. When will it end?
Montana
Hi All ~~
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be seeing more and more of Jeffrey Wechsler ~ I really enjoy his puzzles. No problems today, just a couple of write-overs: Ages before EONS and Those before THESE - somehow I read 21D as 'This and that.'
~ I needed the unifier to see the theme - a good one for today. Thanks for all the added info in your write-up, Argyle.
~ I may have read the word SWAIN in books, but have never heard it used.
~ I had the G from SIGHTS, so 'Took a cut' / SWUNG came easily. I'm looking forward to Opening Day, March 31st!
~ 33D - Creature, made me think of our own from the Corner ~ hope she's doing well.
~ On this day I am always reminded of a former principal who would always wish us a Happy Parade Day!
Like Barry G, completed the puzzle and still had no idea about the theme. Had to stare at it for a while. Otherwise, nice puzzle, and pretty much a smooth run.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeffrey and Argyle!
Anon at 8:33
ReplyDeleteI agree. Non-coms are addressed by rank.
Don
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteA Tuesday romp but with a little bite. Write overs galore: eras/eons, taco/wrap, berg/floe, nerds/techs, and gulch/gorge. (There is a gorge across the road from my house and when the wind blows in a certain direction, the howling sounds are like something from a horror movie.)
I caught the F A T sequence by the second-last clue and then got the unifier. Clever and timely theme, Jeffrey, and nice expo, Argyle.
Hondo, good luck to Lucy in The Big Apple.
Have a Fun and "Fat" Tuesday.
It took a while staring at the completed puzzle, but I did eventually see the Fat...
ReplyDeleteArgyle! Your pic of Lori Loughlin has everyone in the Full House cast except her!
(I always wanted to see more of her. :)
Re: Mardi Gras, I never understood the "beads" references. However while i was looking for pics I kept coming across Beads. I finally looked it up on Wiki, & suddenly this pic made sense...
Well, my final comment on fat...
A sergeant is not addressed as SIR!!!! The only correct answer to this question is "APO" but of course that does not fit.
ReplyDeleteOssie Davis was married to Ruby Dee. He had many credits on stage, screen, and TV. Ossie and Ruby were active in the civil rights movement, as well. Ossie was juror #2 in 1997 TV version of 12 Angry Men. He was the bait shop owner in the movie, Grumpy Old Men. He also was active on the Broadway stage. He was Officer Anderson in Car 54 Where Are You on TV.
ReplyDeleteLaLa Linda, I have SWAIN used only jocularly to refer to a beau, never seriously, except in books.
Question...
ReplyDelete21D This & this, I had "those" before these. In looking at it on the Blog, I wonder if "this & this" is always "these." My question is would you have to clue it as "this & That" for the answer to equal "those?"
Flying through a Gorge. (Plane? We don't need no stinkin' plane...)
These new camera drones are providing interesting views, check out these/those whales.
A drill instructor at boot camp on Parris Island most certainly is addressed as Sir by recruits. I don't know about the other namby-pamby services.
ReplyDeleteJohnr(@8:46) has been released from spam prison again. John, you should change your name a bit; something about it the spam filter doesn't like.
Question of the Day - What is the plural of Mardi Gras?
ReplyDeleteIt was used on Drudge today and I'm not sure they are correct. I think Mardi Gras is less officious sounding than Mardis Gras.
I had problems with, first, the SE which was only a temporary snag, then with 45D where I first had INSSURE, then, ESSURE, until I got to ASSURE. As I typed this I recognized how incorrect the first two were.
ReplyDeleteJohnr,
ReplyDeleteChanging name might not help. Try to change your browser. Last year Misty was trapped in the Spam folder despite various name changes.
Mardi just means Tuesday, so Mardis is more than one Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteLori's pics are creepy.
I loved that each theme fill has three words.
I wonder what the cows thought?
C.C. always so nice to see you here at your creation. I agree Mr. Wechsler is now a regular and an entertaining one.
ReplyDeleteAfter the success Betty White and her cast mates had, it was inevitable we will get more recycled sitcom stars doing recycled plots. Where else would Rhea ever work?
Lemonade, The fact that each theme answer had three words WAS the theme! How could one spell FAT with only two words? Or four?
ReplyDeleteGood morning all,
ReplyDeleteWell, we'd all be lost without Argyle's explanations and clarifications.I never saw the FAT when finished, but I was able to fill Fat Tuesday with a little effort. I wanted "its Tuesday", but already had the TNT.
Like a few others I had to work back and forth to fill the SE corner: swung, rash, and runs in didn't fill quickly.Fun puzzle Jeffrey- thanks.
I don't know about all of you, but I wear 2 fins when I snorkel.
YR, thanks for all those Fat Tues. traditions.I had forgotten that it was Mardi Gras time.
Keep warm wherever you are.
CC, I love your new picture.
ReplyDeleteA Tuesday speed run following a Monday speed run--it doesn't get any better than this! Many thanks, Jeff! And you too, Argyle, as always.
ReplyDeleteI thought the theme was going to be FOR words at first, and had to really study the theme words before the F A T pattern finally became clear. Very clever, Jeff.
Yellowrocks, thanks for the helpful explanation about the meaning of FAT Tuesday. I always wondered why it was called that, and now I know!
Uncle fred, how nice of you to check in. Hope your phone starts letting you comment more often.
Have a great day, everybody, and start your diet!
lemony, are you saying Rhea's only employable attribute is acting in bad sitcoms? I doubt that is true.
ReplyDeleteAll fairly easy, logical, with a couple of challenges. I had a little trouble, as did others, in the SE corner, and in a few other places. SWUNG, even with its BB definition, still doesn't feel as right as STUNG to me (but the perp TRAP wouldn't fly), and 37A feels awkward to someone who has spent years working with FINE ART(s) TEACHERS.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Mr Wechsler I now know today is Mardi Gras! Laissez les bon temps rouler!
For all us Brits, it's Shrove Tuesday! Flip those cakes!
Lemon, the cows were udderly speechless! BTW, "Otto Undercover" wasn't me.
ReplyDeletePower is still off in my neighborhood. I think some of the neighbors are probably getting sick of this. The local grade school shut down at 1 after losing power at 10.
YR @ 0744 - I had some Fastnacht Kuegels for lunch today. Some had been coated in maple syrup.
ReplyDeleteOSSIE Davis was a regular on "Evening Shade" twenty years ago.
Hi Y'all! Another fun puzzle from Jeffrey! Fun expo from Argyle! I did get the theme after determined study.
ReplyDeleteI got hung up on the SWUNG/WRAP cross "W". I'm still country enough to think any food coming off a truck is wheat from the field which was one letter too long. I also forget that a WRAP is a food and not something put on a package.
No unknowns today except QUI.
C.C.: Thinking of you, I was excited to see the contestants on "The Amazing Race" were in Guangzhou the last two Sunday nights. Fun to see.
The Columbia GORGE in Washington state is spectacular to drive along. The Snake River Gorge looks like the gates of hell.
Sunday's snow is melting today, always a cheering drip, drip, drip... from the eaves.
Actually, the Colombia River Gorge is the border between Oregon and Washington for most of the way. The spectacular drive we made was on the Oregon side on US 84. We did this in 1995 so it took a while for the facts to slither back into my brain.
ReplyDeleteHere is our old-time PA Dutch (German) tradition. The doughnuts were made with yeast and mashed potatoes, as well as flour. We ate ours with butter and sweet molasses. The last family member to arise was indeed called the Fastnacht, butt of joking.
ReplyDeleteLink PA DUTCH traditions
Spitz, I have never heard of Fastnacht Kuegel. I would love to taste one.
I find it interesting that all religions find ways around the rules. If your butter, lard, and other rich goodies were tied up in Fastnachts, you could continue to eat the Shrove Tuesday goodies all through Lent. If you had a serious fast on Good Friday and could not eat meat, but only fish or seafood, you could have a delicious, expensive seafood dinner on Good Friday. When these rules began fish was the food of poor people and meat was a rare treat. BTW Carnival comes from carne vale, goodbye to meat, all during Lent.
It is 30 degrees now a relative heat wave. My winter coat felt hot. By dawn we will be back to single digits.
New River Gorge Days is a festival in West Virginia where crazies jump off the bridge and descend into the New River Gorge.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful?
Too many to link
Southeast corner had me totally blanked out. Thought TACO, EQUAL, wasn't even close on SWUNG. Had to come here for the final ones. I hear Mardi Gras is being rained on today, but that doesn't stop the festive spirit of New Orleans! Wish I was back there to enjoy the Krewes! My cousin is in the Sirens which marched in several parades.
ReplyDeleteIn our house we all give up something for Lent (i.e., chocolate) and we all do one positive thing (help the needy etc.)
ReplyDeleteQOD: Winning too often is as disastrous as losing too often. Both get the same results - the falling off of the public's enthusiasm. ~ Knute Rockne (March 4, 1888 – March 31, 1931)
ReplyDeleteDear Sweet Santa, I'll throw you some beads...but you've got to earn them first!
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss:
ReplyDeleteCould the wailing from your GORGE be the
cry of the Banshee?
Johnr @ 4:29 - There are no Banshees here, only Little Leprechauns!
ReplyDeletePK@2:36/3:09 Your comment about the spectacular drive made me want to see if I could enjoy it thru a YouTube video.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if this was the stretch you traveled, but my 1st attempt (@9:25) was not relaxing at all... In fact, the music should have been Radar Love (drivin' all night, my hands wet on the wheel...) I found it an exhausting white knuckle experience that left me saying, scenery? What scenery!..
But being stubborn, I tried it again, & even though it was a little bit longer (@9:34) all I could say was, aaaaah! This is more my speed...
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Jeffrey Wechsler, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteZipped through this pretty quickly while on break at my gardening class today. Caught the theme FAT TUESDAY early on.
Tonight our brass quartet is playing some appropriate songs at our church's FAT TUESDAY celebration tonight.
Not sure i heard of SWAIN before. Learning moment.
Took a while to get SWUNG. Makes sense.
I like LUAUs.
Like WTS and MEAS, same clue.
Only two classes in my gardening class. Then i will be a Master Gardener Trainee.
Have to grab my tuba and head to church.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(26484583 18)
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting puzzle, Jeffrey, and cool expo, Argyle!
No problems, but took quite a bit longer than Monday. Monday was a speed record for me. (Somehow I ended up blogging on the Sunday site by mistake.)
Nice and sunny here today!
Cheers!
Husker,
ReplyDeleteBegging to differ; the iPhone is the only way I ever "get here".
But you're right, it ain't easy.
CEDave, enjoyed the jaunt up the Columbia R. Gorge....thanks!
ReplyDeletePK, thanks for the Heads-up about The Amazing Race. I had no idea it was back on.Comcast failed me; it usually automatically tapes programs that I have watched in the previous season.
Happy Mardi Gras! We call it Shrove Tuesday here also (the British influence I guess) but I knew the Fat Tuesday name.
ReplyDeleteStraightforward puzzle today and I got the theme early. Hand up for ERAS before EONS and ensure before ASSURE.
Smiled at GENE pool.
After this winter, we all feel like ARCTIC INHABITANTs!
CED, Barbara and I have visited our son, DIL and two grandchildren in Portland, OR, taken that exact drive and stopped at those exact waterfalls. Really scenic. You would enjoy that drive for sure.
ReplyDeleteTESTING
ReplyDeleteBecause of the the earlier posts, I thought I'd try one via an iPhone. Windy's right, this ain't that easy, and I haven't tried Captcha yet.
Hola Everyone, Well, my post disappeared, so I'll just say WEES! JD said it for me in the SE corner. I had Split instead of Swung, so the eraser was busy today.
ReplyDeleteMardi Gras in NOLA is a fun time. Our foster daughter marches in NOLA parades with a group called Pussyfooters. They raise funds throughout the year for Cancer survivors. The marching is strenuous, but she loves the dressing up and helping while having fun.
Have a great evening, everyone.
Hi Puzzle Pals...
ReplyDeleteFun romp through Mr. Wechsier's offering and great write-up Argyle.
Anon @8:33 - Yep, SIR works for a living - at least in '88 when I went to basic. Argyle, yes, that was the Army.
Spitz - would that me Mardi Gras-ases? Speaking of which, DW took two king-cakes to daughter's 5th grade today and taught them the history of Mardi Gras (including the serfs getting flat-cakes). She threw beads and doubloons to the kids - the kids loved it. Even though DW's from N. LA (and Catholic-light, er... Episcopalian), she loves Mardi Gras.
WWW (28a) was fun. I just like it 'cuz it's an anti-abriv.; that is World Wide Web is faster to say than Double-U x3. OPS was cute too.
WEES in the SE. 67a was onIT before ATIT and I was stuck with W?OP. Food trucks haven't been full of Italians for a while now :-)
Cheers, -T
AnonT, I liked what you said about WWW. It is hard to say. Also, almost nobody pronounces 'W' carefully. It most often comes out 'Dubbaya.'
ReplyDeleteCED: Thanks for posting the Columbia Gorge link. Have you driven in the west at all? I'm meaning Colorado, Wyoming and them thar parts on west. A lot of it is white knuckle driving but much prettier from the passenger seat. We didn't see the falls that I remember. We did stop and take a steam paddle wheeler boat ride just east of Bonneville Dam. Lovely day with the windsurfers flitting around the water.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't seen the Rocky Mountains and the scenic western states, you have missed a great experience.
My daughter went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and was horrified with what went on. I can't figure out how I raised such prudes for daughters. My mother was too. I think it must skip a generation.
ReplyDeleteBill G.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have to pronounce a URL I say "H-T-T-P-colon-,*whack-whack,-wah-wah-wah-dot-whatever-dot-com" Unless its a bank, then its H-T-T-P-S-....
G'Night, -T
*anyone remember using the "," for dial-up pauses?**
** Oh modems... You were lucky. When I was young we had pigeons*** - packet loss was great.
***for real nerds see RFC 1149
2x Cheers, -T
-T - RFC 1149 is a hoot! I didn't know there was such fun going on behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteThe real-world sneakernet example on Wiki was interesting. I'm referring to the use of avian data carriage by rafting companies, who have presumably little WiFi access out there on those rough rivers. It raises some interesting questions, such as: how does the data originator duplicate files in situ, to guard against data loss? What happens when the avian carrier arrives at the wrong address? Where is the carrier stored during the rafting expedition? How does weather affect data transfer rates? It's a complex world out there.
The answer to 52-Across is just dead wrong. If you are a green recruit, you won't call a Drill Sergeant "Sir" more than one time. He will say, "Do you see these stripes on my sleeve? I earned those. I WORK for a living. You call me 'Drill Sergeant," and don't EVER call me 'Sir'." When creating crossword puzzles, it is best to stay away from areas about which you know nothing.
ReplyDeleteObviously you are not a Marine and know nothing about Marine Corps boot camp. Stay away from things you only know a little about.
ReplyDeleteI have to stand down. Marine Corps has drill instructors, not drill sergeants. Only the Army calls them drill sergeants although even the air force says sir to their TI's
ReplyDelete