google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday April 30th, 2014 Steve Blais

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Apr 30, 2014

Wednesday April 30th, 2014 Steve Blais

Theme: Multiple Meltdowns. Each theme entry features some form of personal crisis.

17A. What an angry mermaid might do? : GO OFF THE DEEP END

26A. What an angry Santa might do? : HIT THE ROOF

46A. What an angry Humpty Dumpty might do? : GO TO PIECES

59A. What an angry witch might do? : FLY OFF THE HANDLE

Good morning everyone - Steve here with Mr. Blais' latest. Four solid theme entries and one possible unifier hidden away at 57D. I enjoyed the cluing style for the theme, and I had a couple of missteps here and there but nothing too dramatic. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Minor error : LAPSE

6. Catcall : JEER. Sports fans are prone to do this after a 1A.

10. Vishnu incarnation : RAMA. Just one of his ten avatars.

14. "This Old House" carpenter Norm : ABRAM

15. Like many a shoppe : OLDE. Often seen with "Ye" and "Gifte" also.

16. Color of Death's dart, in "Venus and Adonis" : EBON. Nice clue for the poetic "black". I didn't realize that Shakespeare wrote the poem.

20. Not many : SOME

21. Pop's bro : UNC. Do you cry "Uncle" if he's got you in a headlock?

22. Hard to figure out : KNOTTY

23. "Baseball Tonight" airer : ESPN. Originally the "Entertainment and Sports Programming Network". Pretty much just sports now.

25. Not good : POOR

30. Frozen dessert franchise : TCBY. All crosses, I'd never heard of this chain.


34. Part of NCAA: Abbr. : ATH. From the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

35. Don't exist : AREN'T

36. Pong developer : ATARI

37. Supermodel Cheryl : TIEGS. Multiple cover appearances for Sports Illustrated and Time magazines.


39. 1860s govt. for four years : CSA. This was my last fill in the grid - I had CIA for no good reason at first, and then saw that ONIET wasn't going to cut it.

40. Still in bed : NOT UP

41. Accustom : ENURE

42. Western Wyoming county : TETON. Home of the Grand Teton National Park.

44. __-Foy, Quebec : STE

45. Tabula __: blank slate : RASA

48. Opportunity, metaphorically : DOOR. "As one door closes another opens".

50. Backside : REAR

51. Verdict challenge : APPEAL

54. Spot for a facial : SPA

56. Pool float : RAFT

62. Undecided : TORN

63. Smallest Great Lake by volume : ERIE. Lake Ontario is the smallest by area.

64. Where subs are assembled : DELIS. Because "Naval Shipyards" doesn't fit.

65. __' Pea : SWEE

Scooner Seawell Georgia Washenting Christiffer Columbia Daniel Boom
66. Actress Meg : RYAN

67. Skilled : ADEPT

Down:

1. Internet connectivity frustrations : LAGS

2. Peek-__ : ABOO

3. Titan who gave fire to humans : PROMETHEUS. Zeus was annoyed about this, and shackled him to a rock to have his liver eaten anew each day by a raven. Not one to be trifled with, that Zeus fellow.

4. Least risky : SAFEST

5. "Unbelievable" techno-funk band : EMF. This was their first single and topped the charts in many countries including the USA, but not their native UK.

6. Philosopher Locke : JOHN

7. Gas alternative: Abbr. : ELEC

8. Former "Tonight Show" announcer Hall : EDD

9. Be strongly pervaded with : REEK OF. Usually in a bad way.

10. Keep apprised of one's activities, as a superior : REPORT TO

11. Assist with a crime : ABET

12. Chamonix peak : MONT. I confidently filled in ALPE first. I've skied Mont Blanc from Chamonix. The village is pretty.


13. Garcia of "Ocean's Eleven" : ANDY

18. Pitch-changing pro : TUNER. I was thinking baseball for the longest time. Nice misdirection.

19. Brian who produced or co-produced several Talking Heads albums : ENO. Brian's been popular in recent puzzles.

24. Terrible twos, one hopes : PHASE

25. Chips-to-be : POTATO

26. Fan's opposite : HATER. Plenty of the anti-Lakers variety here in Los Angeles.

27. Turner memoir : I, TINA

28. Parish head : RECTOR

29. First stage : ONSET

31. String-pulling game : CAT'S CRADLE. It's been a long time since I played this game - I'd almost forgotten about it.


32. Ogre : BRUTE

33. "Holy mackerel!" : YIPES

36. Lennox of the Eurythmics : ANNIE. The foodie anthem: "Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to dis a Brie? I Cheddar the world and the Feta cheese. Everybody's looking for Stilton"

38. Elementary level : GRADE ONE. Hmmm - not sure about this one as clued. Wouldn't "First Grade" be more correct? I think of "grade one" as "of the best quality".

43. Book club leader for 15 years : OPRAH

46. One following a course : GOLFER. Following very approximately in my case. I've seen parts of golf courses rarely visited by humans. I once had to climb down a cliff in Wales to retrieve my driver from the rocks below - my hands were so cold it flew out of my grip when I teed off. We repaired to the clubhouse for medicinal whisky and a fireside seat shortly afterwards.

47. Worked for : EARNED

49. Big ape : OAF

51. Times to call, in ads : AFTS. Afternoons.

52. Field machine : PLOW

53. Flammable pile : PYRE

54. Branch of Islam : SHIA

55. Hammer part : PEEN

57. Lose one's cool : FLIP. This could be the theme unifier, but it's not noted as such. I'm going to call it anyway.

58. Quiz : TEST

60. Do one's best : TRY

61. Aquafresh tube letters : ADA. Toothy smiles all round.

And with that, I'm done!

Steve.


Note from C.C.:

Here are a few beautiful photos from JD's Puerto Rico trip. (Correction: Costa Rica trip.)  Please click here for more pictures and her notes. She made a whole album of 97 brightly-colored pictures.

 

 





57 comments:

  1. There once was a MERMAID, who despite her tail end
    Was a hitman by trade, on whom gangsters depend.
    A football game fix
    Required her nix.
    She was hired by the bookie to GO OFF THE DEEP END!

    There once was a reindeer, with antler and hoof
    Who applied to fly SANTA, but his flight was a goof
    For a roll in the skies
    Caused the sleigh to capsize,
    And that was how the toys and Claus HIT THE ROOF!

    ReplyDelete
  2. HUMPTY DUMPTY, when working for Reeses,
    Stayed calm till the fan was hit by the feces.
    The conveyer belt shattered,
    Egg-shaped candies all scattered,
    To retrieve them POOR Humpty had to GO TO PIECES!

    A WITCH there once was, with bell, book, and candle,
    Who sang in the choir, and caused quite a scandal.
    As they sang the Messiah
    She'd go higher and highah,
    And with the last Hallelujah she'd FLY OFF THE HANDEL!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Morning, all!

    This one didn't put up too much resistance for me. I have to say that I usually think of GO TO PIECES referring to having a nervous breakdown and not getting angry, but whatever. Everything else was pretty much smooth sailing, so no complaints.

    Loved the last verse in your poetry today, Owen!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello all,

    I had a lot of difficulty today with Steve's clever offering. Eventually, I got through (almost) successfully. I unintentionally left two squares blank, the first A & the M for ABRAM. Never caught my omission, therefore a DNF.

    46D, GOLFER & 64A GO TO PIECES were my favs. HG, do you follow the course or tend to "rough" it?

    Every time SWEE PEA appears I begin with Swea.

    22a KNOTTY an apt description for this puzzle.

    Hand up for never having heard of TCBY.

    I hope all our Southern & Midwestern residents have not suffered from the horrendous tornadoes. Tears for those unfortunate folks who have.

    These changing weather systems can't all be blamed on Global Warming, can they?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good Morning, Steve and friends. I didn't FLIP and Lose My Cool over today's puzzle!

    I wanted Bouy instead of RAFT for the Pool Float. I think of a Raft as being on a larger body of water, like a pond or a river, whereas the Bouys can mark of lanes in a swimming pool.

    If the "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt" chain merged with TCBY, would the new company's name be "I Can't Believe It's The Country's Best Yogurt"?

    A Parish Head in Louisiana would be the President of the Police Jury.

    My favorite clue was Where Subs are Assembled = DELIS.

    I initially tried Suni before settling on the Shia.

    Nice photos, JD.

    QOD: I visual a time when we will be to robots what dogs are to humans, and I’m rooting for the machines. ~ Claude Shannon (Apr. 30, 1916 ~ Jan. 24, 2001)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning Steve, C.C. et al.

    Thanks for the entertaining write-up, Steve. I had to chuckle at the image of you crawling down a cliff in Wales. And I loved your take on “Sweet Dreams.” You may have ruined one of my favorite Annie Lenox songs forever, though…

    It seemed like a pretty easy puzzle for a Wednesday, but not without a stumble. Hand up for confidently filling in “Alpe” instead of MONT, which held up the NE for a while.

    I agree with Barry G. about GO TO PIECES. And I really wish FLIP had been clued as something to do with a fry cook. Other than those bits, it was a pleasant ride to the finish.

    Great pictures, JD! Costa Rica is on my bucket list, too.

    Happy Prince Spaghetti Day, everyone! 0:32

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for the puzzle, Steve Blais. Thank you for the informative review, Steve.

    I thought this puzzle was just right for a Wednesday. It was a little harder than Monday – Tuesday, but not a lot.

    I did not know STE-Foy, but the perps directed me. I need to check that out.

    Lake ERIE was a gimme for Ohioans. It is the shallowest Great Lake.

    I think we’ve had TETON before. We drove through the Grand Teton National Park in August, 1982. Beautiful scenery!

    I did not know SWEE’Pea’s real name (Thanks, Steve!) or his back story, even though I used to watch Popeye cartoons many years ago.

    Swee Pea Wiki

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks Steve, oh and thanks Steve. Very enjoyable midweek effort and always fun to see JD' s travels.

    I also appreciated seeing Cheryl Tiegs and her grand Tetons.

    Happy humping

    ReplyDelete
  9. Marti that Prince spaghetti commercial brings back memories of my childhood...Thanks

    I also never knew Swee Pea' s complete name.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good morning!

    This was an enjoyable Steve-to-the-second-power romp. I enjoyed the cheesy humor, even if it was a bit Stiltoned.

    I got Cheryl TIEGS right off. That alone is proof certain that she can no longer be a cover girl.

    Norm ABRAM was a gimme; I watch that show quite often. It used to grate on me when Tommy Silva would say "masonary" rather than "masonry." He finally reformed himself, but now Kevin O'Connor says it.

    I thought the pitch-changer might have been MOOG or something similar. TCBY is comeuppance for those of you who find EDYS familiar.

    Nice pix, JD.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good morning everybody,

    Cute theme today, and I had no problems with the fill.

    27D had me stummped for a bit. I filled in ITI_A and was scratching my head. When I hear "Turner" I always think of Ted Turner. It took me a moment to see it was I TINA.

    Have a wonderful Wednesday. Last day of the month.

    ReplyDelete
  12. A nit and an observation.
    The name of the group is "Eurythmics." Neither Annie nor Dave is a Eurythmic.

    The idea of the mind as a tabula rasa may be found in the writings of John Locke.

    ReplyDelete

  13. Good morning all.

    Loved your golf story Steve !

    I wasn't certain of the TADA on this one. I thought the game was CAT N CRADLE, but STE-FOY seemed much better than nTE-FOY. And in the southwest, time to call = AFTS made no sense to me but it fit.

    At Chamoix peak, I first thought Blanc, as part of Mont Blanc... Every once in a while we get Monch, so I thought we might be looking for the proper name.

    JEER, REEK OF and KNOTTY were the last to fall. Part of the issue was that I had JEE and could think of a last letter that would fit catchall, and I couldn't derive pervade. I'm not one that would JEER (typically), and pervade is simply not part of my lexicon.

    No more messing around. Gotta get to work. Later sports fans !

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great write up Steve and a great puzzle for a hump day.

    TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt) or (This Can't Be Yogurt) I have heard of this chain they were the original soft serve frozen yogurt chain it was sort of like a dairy queen as the servers did everything for you. they started in the 1980's and a good portion of them closed before 1999, not sure why. There used to be stores all over the place then they sort of disappeared. Looks like I have 2 near me but they are about 15 miles away. I think they change the model so they are more like other Fro Yo shops which are self serve.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good morning everyone.

    Congrats to the 2 Steves; great job.

    Thought this was a little KNOTTIER than usual for a Wednesday. Had at least 4 WAGs; PROMETHEUS, ATARI, I TINA, and ANNIE, but they were all good ones. First long down was CAT'S CRADLE.
    Also had pastor before RECTOR. But no searches were needed and only a soupçon of white-out was used.

    CED - Forgot to mention; that was a great picture you posted a couple days ago of yourself in Harriman Park with the NYC skyline as a distant backdrop. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello, super solvers! Love your amusing commentary, Steve, especially the cheesy one and apparently you have spawned a shadow in the form of desper-otto.
    Very entertaining, you two.

    I cottoned onto Steve's wave length with only a few LAPSES at STE, INURE then ENURE and had to perp all of RAMA. I guess I should learn all ten of those incarnations.

    I nearly Flipped when the theme became apparent. Very clever.

    Tabula RASA originated with Aristotle then Thomas Aquinas picked up on it, if memory serves me right. It's been eons since philosophy 101.

    TETON seemed logical for western Wyoming. My sisters and I visited Yellowstone in 2012 as part of our grand tour of the USA. Twelve states to go.

    Wonderful pictures, JD, that bring back memories.

    I hope you have a wondrous Wednesday, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good morning Steve, CC and all,
    A very enjoyable CW, but had trouble at first getting started.Didnt see the theme, but were all easily filled with great clues.
    I thought Cat's Cradle was just one of many string games, like Jacob's Ladder. What fun they were and only a piece of string needed.

    Meg Ryan is going lend her voice to a spin off of How I Met Your Mother. Odd...her voice sounds like she is or was a heavy smoker. I miss her romantic comedies.

    All of a sudden we are having summer weather, and some of you are still bathed in snow. I bet the arriving birds are not happy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Musings
    - My only delay was trying to connect TED Turner with I TINA. YIPES/YIKES!
    -Students know they “have you” if you do any of these theme activities. My motto for all newbie’s was this 80’s ad slogan.
    -I’ll take a JEER or two for $10M/yr.
    -A very worthy sentiment about SOME at our courthouse
    -Nirvana for my lovely bride – Shop at Kohl’s and TCBY on the way home
    -Cheryl TIEGS - still lovely at 66
    -Every kid is a Tabula RASA in August
    -HATER Donald Sterling could APPEAL for a long time. He has before.
    -Have we gotten to where a 10 second LAG on the computer can send us OFF THE DEEP END?
    -A NO brainer, Brian ENO, I NO longer think that, Yoko ONO, UNO has a reverse card
    -It struck me when I saw POTATO was a singular fill for a plural clue. I’m easily entertained.
    -I see you’re getting great distance with your driver, Steve ;-)
    -Minimum tillage is keeping PLOWS in the shed on lots of farms around here
    -Did Jim Morrison sing the most popular song with PYRE in the lyric?
    -Hondo, I usually hit the fairway, but it isn’t always the one I’m playing!
    -Great pix, JD. I’m still sad we won’t see you in SF this summer

    ReplyDelete
  19. Loved this puzzle. Theme answers brought a smile. Love it when a puzzle can entertain as well as challenge. Thanks Steve!

    Steve, loved your "cheesy" take on "Sweet Dreams". And a very nice write-up.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Good Morning:

    Thanks to Steve B. for a clever and fun challenge and thanks to "our" Steve for an entertaining expo, as usual. (I can't imagine our Serene Santa hitting the roof, though.)

    A couple of KNOTTY areas but perps saved the day. Only write-over was reported/report to.

    Beautiful photos, JD. Loved the monkey.

    My mail yesterday contained a summons for Jury Duty, the week of May 12th. I have to call each night to see if I have to actually report. I don't mind serving, but there is little or no parking close to the Court House and nowhere to eat close by, either. We shall see.

    Prayers go to those unfortunate victims of the horrific tornados.

    Have a nice, safe day.

    ReplyDelete
  21. JD,
    Beautiful photos--thanks so much for sharing. I think I have to add P.R. to my bucket list!

    I'm surprised to see so few comments today, since I am rather late to the party. I had to struggle here and there, but got it all in the end. So many unknowns, but the fun theme answers opened up a lot of spots for easy WAGs.

    I'm mainly busy now with other things, so although I got to the laptop earlier, I didn't get here until now.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi gang -

    Love this theme, but it took some effort and a lot of perps to crack it.

    Lots of hunting and pecking along the way.

    Haven't seen a TCBY in many years.

    One POTATO can yield many chips.

    Sterling is probably angry about recent events. Does that make him a mad HATER?

    Cool regards!
    JzB

    ReplyDelete
  23. We have a little problem. Little typo that could cause a BIG snafu.

    JD went to Costa Rica, not Puerto Rico. World of difference, I believe.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Delightful theme--many thanks, Steve. And nice pix of Cheryl and SWEE PEA, Steve. Also enjoyed your fun poems, Owen. Great way to begin a Wednesday.

    It helped getting PROMETHEUS right off the bat. But I had to guess at E_F. Thank goodness ABRAM was correct.

    JD, that looks like a wonderful vacation with great photography!

    Have a great day, everybody.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nice write-up & puzzle; Steve's x 2.

    Fave today, for the second day in-a-row, ANDY. My first name.

    Also, no-booze in the grid (Again!).
    I'm a HATER of "Puzzle Prohibition."
    tears ...

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks Steve to the second power. I had a good time with the theme.

    The normally cool sea breeze has deserted us and the temperatures are way hotter than I like it. I hope there aren't any severe brush fires.

    I can't say I was pleased with AFTS for afternoons but if that's what it took to generate an otherwise excellent puzzle, I'm happy.

    Mark Twain: You go to heaven for the climate, to hell for the company.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hola Everyone, Almost a DNF for me as I put in Hit the Road at first for an Angry Santa. That made Reek of and Potato stay in the obscure zone. Reeked seemed ok, so I left it until the very last.

    I wanted a plural for Chips to be. Taters fit, but nothing else made sense. Then the light bulb went off.

    Too many proper names for me today. I didn't know Annie Lennox, Rama, Abram, and I Tina.

    It is going to be in the 90's today, so I've closed up the house to keep as cool as possible.

    Have a great day, everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello everybody. Loved this puzzle. So much about it made me smile and laugh. So very imaginative.

    About buffer overflow (from last night's discussion), I am always shocked and dismayed that a buffer overflow can ever happen. Clearly defining the boundaries of a buffer and preventing overflow are techniques one learns in first-year programming. Maybe there's more to it than I can imagine, but to me any programmer who allows a buffer to overflow is lazy and sloppy, and someone I sure would not hire, especially for mission-critical projects.

    JD, love your photography. Thank you for sharing.

    Best wishes to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Congratulations Zhouqin on your NYT puzzle publication today.

    ReplyDelete
  30. 63a: Smallest Great Lake by volume

    With only 4 spots in the grid, they may have well clued it:
    Smallest Great Lake by letter count

    And the chips-to-be answer is wrong.
    It should be POTATOE. Everybody knows that.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Could you provide us with any insights on the differences in submitting a puzzle to the LAT versus the NYT?

    Are the changes in cluing by the editors similar?

    Is one process more formal than the other?

    Etc.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anon, you are in fine form today.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks to the two Steves. This was a great Wednesday puzzle, a little difficult but doable. Never heard of TCBY and EMF, but got them with perps.

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos JD.

    Fun verses OwenKL, especially the last one.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Argyle, something is definitely going on anonwise. This anon asked some thoughtful questions in a pleasant manner. Either it's a different anon or our regular anon has come down with a serious case of something...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Gee, I'm hoping Anon will initiate another vigorous, robust, discussion about the sign-in captcha.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hello Puzzlers -

    The first theme fill was guessable with a few perps, so that pretty well sped up the solve. Just a few unknowns, such as Rector, a word I haven't needed much over the years. All in all a smooth ride.

    I remember Cat's Cradle, and its jumbo-sized cousin Chinese Jumprope, from my playground days.

    Howdy Steve, loved the driver story!

    ReplyDelete
  37. From yesterday. YR, I'm not finished with "War Brides" yet (about 100 pages to go), but I also love it. Marti, I highly recommend reading it. I read "Where'd You Go Bernadette" when it first came out.

    One of the requirements for our book club is that the person who chooses the book has to have read it. It's my turn to choose next month, and I'm still trying to find a good book, so I've been thinking about choosing "Bernadette" if I can't come up with something better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nancy - I read a lot on my work trips - I never watch TV on airplanes - if you'd like some ideas I'd love to offer up some candidates - my email is on my profile!

      Delete
  38. OK, I zipped through C.C.'s NYT puzzle (I even got a shoutout and Tin got some SAUCE), but can somebody 'splain the theme? I looked for it, but it was nowhere to be found.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Very enjoyable solve today. Thanks Steve for the expo. I agree that Chamonix is a very pretty village. Owen you outdid yourself today. I loved the witch flying off the Handel!

    My first response for 1A minor error was nit. No, too short. LOL!

    I was totally wanting pot/ante for the chips to be and smiled when POTATO filled in.

    ERIE was the only 4 letter Great Lake that fit. Different clue for a change.

    I have learned TCBY (and EDYS) from doing crosswords.

    Thanks for the photos JD.

    Anon @1:30 - I believe that it is POTATO in the singular and then you add the E and S to make it plural. And I don't think that it is "only in Canada". Now we may not all agree on how to pronounce it!

    STE. FOY is now part of Quebec City. If you visit, be sure to see the Lower Town, Old Town, Chateau Frontenac. Go in February for Carnivale!

    ReplyDelete
  40. DOh - Did you solve the 37a clue?

    ReplyDelete
  41. FIW today because I put Raja for 10A Vishnu Incarnation, I have long ago given up having a meltdown due to French in English puzzles, so 12D did not get my nose out of jont...

    I think Ariel has always been a little off the deep end...

    How the heck?

    & conversely, What the heck? (there is something fishy about that link...)

    Figuratively Vs Literally

    Go to pieces, or not, it's up to you...

    Speaking of flying off the handle, don't try that 737 maneuver I mentioned yesterday...

    & finally, don't have a meltdown when you can just leave a 2 cent tip...

    ReplyDelete
  42. Pretty straightforward-- as attested to by others. 100% with no hesitations, no re-writes.

    And no surprises, except for my resounding "Aha!" when I filled 17A with only one F, an E, and the final D in place...

    ReplyDelete
  43. The answer grid for NYT with circles and the reveal in the center.

    Grid

    ReplyDelete
  44. D-Otto and Argyle,
    Amy Reynaldo & George Barany pointed to me this fantastic drawing of the NYT puzzle today. I'm in awe.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous @1:30pm,
    Both editors makes lots of clue changes. In terms of submissions, Rich only accepts emails. Will Shortz only accepts snail mail. Pls visit Cruciverb's website if you want detailed guidelines.

    ReplyDelete
  46. C.C., I loved the cartoon from "Across and Down." Fantastic! As was your NYT puzzle. I just don't have the patience to wait for Will Shortz' replies. When did you submit this one?

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anon@3:01 and Argyle -- Thanks. I have to do the NYT via Shortyz on my tablet. I get circles if it's the LAT puzzle, but no circles for the NYT. Go figure. With the circles, it becomes obvious. C.C., I enjoyed that cartoon, too.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Owen, you're getting better - must be all that practice - as today was really good. LOL (That's "lots")
    To Hahtoolah, today's "parish" is religious rather than political.
    TCBY has also disappeared out here in the West.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Greetings!

    Good work, Steve and Steve!

    Took twice Tuesday time, as I only put in things that I am sure of at first. Never heard of TCBY. Care giver not coming for a while, so I am starving to death. (Dr. Mercola would be pleased!) Did have a good swim!

    Really cold wind today.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Jayce:
    FYI: In today's Arizona Republic letters to the Editor, someone wrote a rave review of Les Miz at the Phoenix Theatre, applauding the actors, music and overall production. It sounds like a winner and one I'm eagerly anticipating to see. My daughter's schedule is tight, too, so have to wait.

    C.C.:
    What a fantastic comic and tribute to you!

    OwenKL:
    You have really got the "Handel" on poetry!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Here is an interesting article:


    MRSA.

    My CA desert tortoise died yesterday. Appears to have been a broken egg inside her. (All those years and I couldn't find a male for her. She laid eggs every year.) Whenever one went out to visit her she would come over to the edge of her enclosure. Very friendly.

    My captchas have been horrible.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Lucina, thanks for the info.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Good evening, folks. Thank you, Steve Blais, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for a fine review.

    Had a busy day and could not start this until the early evening. It went pretty easily.

    The theme answer all made sense. A couple long ones, to boot.

    Hey, my home town lake again, ERIE, wow!

    Did not know PROMETHEUS, but a bunch of letters I made a good guess. Worked out.

    Got SHI'A. Sometimes it is spelled SHI'ITE. Either way. Interesting controversy, SHI'A versus SUNNI.

    CAT'S CRADLE was easy after a few letters, even though I have never made one of those. I remember my sister doing that, a long time ago.

    Liked the cartoon on C.C's puzzle. Pretty clever, the cartoon and the puzzle.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    (not ldsirde)
    (ldonrte the)
    (school eothre)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hi all...

    WEES. This puzzle was fun because of the challenge. Thanks Steve and Steve!

    Fav was 32d just 'cuz ogre is usually the fill!

    Steve - I hope I can remember the curd-version the next time someone mentions Sweet Creams... LOL!

    CC I wish I knew you had an NYT today - I'd have stopped and picked up the local edition on my way home.

    IIRC TCBY is HQ'd in Little Rock. I first encountered it living in north Louisiana.

    Jayce - In my day coding most buffer-overflows stemmed from assuming /0 ended a string in strcpy. strcpy in modern code is NOTUP to par.

    @1:30p Anon - POTATOE didn't help Quayle in the classroom :-)

    Nancy - are all the books fiction or does non-fiction fit the bill? An interesting short book is Bryson's Shakespeare. I read it in two sittings.

    Cheers, -T

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  55. CC, I loved your puzzle and the accompanying cartoon.

    FP, I'm sure sorry about your tortoise.

    The hot weather here is really unpleasant for me. As I feared, there is at least one bad fire threatening homes east of here.

    I sure do like the new Jeopardy champion of the last week or so. I never would have guessed she would be so successful but I'm delighted she is. Keep it up a while longer!

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  56. Marti,
    I sent out the puzzle at the end of 2012 and it was accepted at the end of June 2013. So a long wait.

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For custom-made birthday, anniversary or special occasion puzzles from C.C., please email crosswordc@gmail.com

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