google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Gareth Bain

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May 21, 2014

Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: Four-Pack - "pack" can follow the first word of each of the four theme answers.

Guten Morgen! Steve here with Gareth's latest and a fun solve it was. A few unknowns for me, but these were taken care of by the crossings so no complaints at all. I had a couple of corrections as I went; for example SWEET led me to SWEETHEART at first but that didn't stay wrong for too long, the same for APEX and EARRINGS.

I did think the face pack/powder entry was somewhat the odd man out as the two different items are somewhat similar, and there's no such similarity with the other theme entries. Let's take a look.

17A. Barbra Streisand's "Funny Girl" role : FANNY BRICE. Fanny packs are called "bum bags" in England due to the fact that "fanny" is slang for a quite different part of the anatomy.

24A. "The Situation Room" host : WOLF BLITZER.

Uh-oh

38A. 1964 Shangri-Las hit ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme found in 17-, 24-, 47- and 59-Across : LEADER OF THE PACK. Spectacularly awful lip-syncing, acting and dancing can be found here.

47A. Like reptiles and amphibians : COLD BLOODED. I'd rather have a cold six-pack.

59A. Shine-minimizing makeup layer : FACE POWDER.

Cucumbers appear to be compulsory with a face-pack

Across:

1. National Museum of Afghanistan city : KABUL

6. High point : ACME

10. Hit : SWAT

14. Greek market : AGORA. This word is now finally part of my puzzle vocabulary. Only took mumble-mumble years.

15. Really good, in '90s slang : PHAT

16. Salary : WAGE. I don't personally see these as synonyms. The wiki entry also makes the distinction.

19. Flair : ELAN

20. Nanny's charge : KID

21. Singer India.__ : ARIE. Crossing help needed here, but the crosses were solid.

22. Short fight : SET TO

23. Comeback: Abbr. : ANS.

27. Dick Tracy has a square one : JAW

Also the inventor of the Apple iWatch

28. Daughter of Lyndon : LUCI. Another unknown for me. Thank you crosses!

29. Permanent UN Security Council member, familiarly : THE UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a bit of a mouthful.

32. Some CNBC interviewees : CEO'S. There seem to be more and more Chief "something" Officers. I encountered my first CCXO recently, CX standing for "Customer Experience". I hope every company gets one and then we can start using the abbreviation in crosswords!

34. K thru 12 : EL-HI

41. Drink quickly : CHUG. Where's my cold six-pack?

42. Sinusitis docs : E.N.T.S. I'd love to find a Dr. Treebeard who's an ENT.

43. Supermarket division : AISLE

44. "Zounds!" : EGAD. Gadzooks and foresooth! We just had this recently! Huzzah!

46. Ante- kin : PRE-

52. "Not on a __" : BET. Not a phrase I'd heard before.

55. Password creators : USERS

56. Palmist, e.g. : SEER

57. "__ Been Thinking About You": 1991 Londonbeat chart-topper : I'VE. And I've never heard of either the song or the band before. If you've got the Shangri-La's stuck in in your head then maybe this will stop the agony.

58. Was charitable : GAVE

62. Kept in a vat, say : AGED. Then bottled "under Government supervision" and shipped to Tinbeni.

Cheers!

63. Lab medium : AGAR

64. House of Lords members : PEERS. The UK parliament's upper house comprising Peers of the Realm. Legislation passed by House of Commons must be ratified by the Lords before the Queen rubber-stamps it.

65. Angry, with "off" : TEED. With 'EED' my first thought wasn't a T.

66. Yawner : BORE

67. Feel : SENSE

Down:

1. "Metamorphosis" author : KAFKA. Relentlessly upbeat tale (!) about a man who wakes up to find himself transformed into a "monstrous vermin".

2. One more time : AGAIN

3. Connects emotionally : BONDS

4. Buffet table server : URN

5. Suffered from insomnia : LAY AWAKE. Kafka's chap probably did this often.

6. Earth Day month : APRIL

7. Top cop : CHIEF

8. Bub : MAC

9. Parisian summer : ÉTÉ

10. Honey : SWEETIE PIE

11. Ballroom dance : WALTZ. A friend and I took beginner's ballroom dancing classes once. We obviously weren't very good because we weren't allowed to graduate up to intermediate. We still laugh about it.

12. Quartz variety : AGATE

13. Voice above baritone : TENOR

18. It may be knitted : BROW. Are brows ever anything but knitted or furrowed?

22. [Not my mistake] : SIC.

That's sic!

25. Absorbs with a towel : BLOTS

26. Verdant : LUSH

27. 1995 Stallone film : JUDGE DREDD

29. Treatment from Dr. Mom : TLC

30. Sneaky laugh : HEH

31. __ de Cologne : EAU. I never get why we have to use the French term for this stuff when the German original is perfectly serviceable. What's wrong with Kölnisch Wasser? I also get the sniggers when I hear that "English is the lingua franca of international trade".

32. Homebuyer's option : CONDO. Other options are HOU or TOWNH.

33. Little newt : EFT

35. Vegas intro? : LAS

36. Stomach acid, chemically : HCL. Hydrochloric Acid. Good job the stomach lining is usually up to the job.

37. Well-liked prez : IKE

39. Very : REAL

40. Dangling jewelry : EAR DROPS. EAR RINGS first. I thought ear drops were to help with infections and what-not.

45. "Pygmalion" playwright's monogram : G.B.S. Inspiration for the musical "My Fair Lady".

46. Hatchery sound : PEEP

47. Bandleader Xavier : CUGAT. No clue, thank you crosses. That's four new names for me today.

48. Missouri tributary : OSAGE

49. River barrier : LEVEE

50. Witty Wilde : OSCAR. Famously turned up for his indecency trial wearing a green carnation in his lapel, which didn't exactly endear him to the judge.

51. "It's __ Season": agricultural supply slogan : DEERE. Because "International Harvesters" wouldn't quite fit.

52. Longtime Delaware senator : BIDEN

53. '50s-'60s civil rights leader : EVERS



54. Hardly talkative : TERSE

59. British Invasion adjective : FAB

60. In the past : AGO

61. Like a bairn : WEE. Bairns are always wee. Big bairns are adults behaving like babies.

And that, mes amis, est cette.

Steve


51 comments:

  1. There was an old man with the knacks
    For spending good money in stacks.
    'Twasn't his -- no matter,
    There was more on the platter,
    Compliments of his rich super-PACs!

    There once was a woman who'd race
    When she traveled to get any place.
    Then she got proficient
    At preparations, efficient;
    Now she teaches how to PACK a suitcase!

    There was a young man of the guards,
    Held the king in the highest regards.
    He owed the royals his fortune
    In no small proportion
    (That, and his shuffling of the PACK of cards!)

    Once on the far side of the track
    A young miss earned her way on her back.
    Don't judge her too quick;
    The engines she'd fix,
    And that's how the bearings she'd PACK!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Morning, all!

    A bit of a struggle getting started this morning (I know KABUL but just couldn't think of it), but once I started getting the theme answers things picked up. The theme itself was fine, except that I have no idea what a FACE PACK is and FACE POWDER isn't something I'm familiar with either (although it was certainly inferrable).

    In fact, that whole SE section gave me fits. Never heard of "I'VE Been Thinking About You," didn't know EVERS, wasn't familiar with EAR DROPS (as clued), and went with EARLS instead of PEERS initially. Fortunately, there were enough things I did know in that section to give me a foothold and I eventually got it all sorted out.

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  3. Good morning all.

    Thank you Gareth and thank you Steve.

    Yea ! I figured out the theme, although I'm not familiar with FACE PACK.

    I had a type over with EAR hooPS, but SEER led the way to that correction.

    I don't know why I keyed in hAt for "Dick Tracy had a square one", but that was easily corrected with the J from JUDGE DREDD.

    The intersecting R in ARIE and BROW was my last fill. Oh yea, "knitted BROW."

    Ditto on CUGAT Steve.

    Speaking of COLD BLOODED

    Shout out to Hondo's wife LUCI (sic).

    Time to go make coffee for my bride. Early start again today. Golf league is at 3...

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  4. Not to be too nit-picky - OK, it IS nit-picky - but shouldn't it be something more like "et ça, mes amis, ça y est?"

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  5. Greetings!

    Thanks for groovy puzzle, Gareth, and cool write-up, Steve!

    Liked everything except EAR DROPS and FACE pack.
    No problems though!

    Watched one of my favorite shows Death in Paradise. Like it better now with Chris Marshall replacing Ben Miller (who did not like the tropics and whose character was killed off).

    Cheers!

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  6. My experience was similar to what Steve said in his fine write-up

    Musings
    -FACE PACK and EAR DROPS?
    -FANNY’s SWEETIE PIE, Nick Arnstein, done (SIC) her wrong
    -PHAT? I remember when being bad was deemed, er, to be good
    -Roger Miller wanted to holler “Heidi Ho” while CHUG-a-lugging
    -I looked at the signs at the end of the AISLES and tried to figure out where water chestnuts would be
    -I wonder, “What was the last big action the Queen took before being issued her rubber stamp?”
    -I taught next to a woman who made posters and marched kids on Earth Day (after calling the newspaper) but never did one constructive thing about it.
    -Beautiful marriage of a wonderful 1968 space scene and the world’s most famous WALTZ (5:34). Yeah, Otto, I know you know what it is before opening the link! ;-)
    -Kölnisch Wasser sure beats what EAU de Toilet literally means. Is Fido thirsty?
    -Omeprazole has made me immune to HCl. Bring on the pepperoni!
    - 60-year-old CUGAT marrying 20-year-old Charo reminds me of fictional Jay and Gloria on Modern Family. Coochie, coochie!
    -At Gettysburg, Edward Everett was verbose and Abraham Lincoln was TERSE. We don’t memorize Everett’s 2 hour oratory.

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  7. Hello everybody,

    Nice puzzle & write up. Thank you Gareth & Steve.

    As is my norm, never figured out the theme, but it did not slow me down. Had no serious hold ups.

    Took a while to remember LUCI. Weren't the sisters Linda Bird & LUCI Bird? And the Misses Lady Bird?

    Only other area of minor confusion was remembering if it was DREDD or Dread, but AGED took care of my dilemma.

    Happy hump day to one and all.








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  8. Just a note to say hello from Providence, RI. We were without the Times crosswords for a long time until Wayne Robert Williams had so many errors that the Providence Journal decided to switch. They weren't too bad but they were very predictable and a bit boring.
    Today's puzzle was semi-tough for me, especially the EAR RING to EAR DROPS mistake and then I can never spell all that well and messed up on CUGAT's name (Kugot?) so 62 across wasn't AGED but oged.
    Rick Papazian

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  9. Good morning!

    I got the theme on this one....once Steve 'splained it. So, is a FACE PACK like a mud pack? Never heard the expression "sniggers" before. I think it's too close to another word to catch on here.

    I read "Palmist" as "Psalmist" and inked in POET. Bzzzzt! JUDGE DREDD is one of those films that always appears near the top of the "Ten Worst" list.

    Hondo, Linda Bird is correct, but it was Luci Baines. And the beagles were Him and Her. Lyndon lifted 'em by their ears, and great was the tumult thereof.

    Yes, HG, I know exactly which movie scene you've linked. I got to see that film in a brand new 70mm theater. It was an awesome experience. Oh, and I also take my daily dose of Omeprazole. Cheapskate that I am, I got my doctor to prescribe it, so my drug plan pays for it. No copay.

    I'll bet Gareth also never knew of Xavier Cugat, but found him in some reference book when trying to fill that xwd space.

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  10. Good morning, everyone!

    This was a typical Wednesday-level puzzle for me, but with what is becoming an irritating trend. I finished the puzzle in normal Wednesday time, but no ta-da. I re-read my Across answers and found no typos. I re-read my Down answers and changed LUCY / SWEETYE PIE to LUCI / SWEETIE PIE and ta-da! Argh!

    I had MAN before MAC and EARRINGS before EARDROPS, but the perps fixed them.

    Hand up for not liking EARDROPS. They are a liquid medication you put in your ears when you have an earache, not jewelry, to me. Yes, I know EARDROPS has a legitimate definition of “pendant earrings”.

    Hand up for I remember Xavier Cugat and Charo. Cuchi cuchi! Although I have no idea what that means, if anything. Lucina?

    Charo

    The Mensa site is down for the second day. I am using the Chicago Tribune site. Ad is ugh! but livable.

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  11. Hondo and desper-otto --

    Actually it was Lynda Bird and Luci Baines. Just picking a nit... :)

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  12. Straight forward easy puzzle, no snags or hangups, except that I read short flight instead of fight for a while.
    ARIE was all perps.
    We frequently say NOT ON A BET or not on your life.
    FACE PACKS are sold on the Internet in the USA, but the term face mask or masque is more common.
    I thought of EAR DROPS right away, but drop earrings is a more common term. I like when constructors use less common terms.
    Remember the days of ladies' compacts, from real life or the old movies? They contained FACE POWDER and a little mirror.
    Whenever I hear Xavier Cugat, I think of Charo.
    Fun puzzle, Gareth, great bloggging, Steve. and funny limericks, Owen, especially the last one.

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  13. Delightful! EARRINGS instead of EARDROPS goofed me up for a while, but finally got fixed. Isn't that a more European or British term? like FACEPACK?

    I read "bairn" as "balm" thanks to my allergy eyes, so WEE didn't make any sense till I got here.

    Husker, I always thought of it as "Hi De Ho", but Heidi Ho takes that song to a whole other place!

    Did both Johnson girls get married while their Dad was the President?

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  14. Good morning everyone.

    Enjoyed Gareth's offering. Easy for a Wednesday I thought. White-out of only one square needed - had earrings before EAR DROPS. Also wanted sweetiheart but held off on the last 5 letters because of LUCI. Perps confirmed SWEETIE PIE.
    No searches needed.

    Have a good day.

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  15. Good morning, folks. Thank you, Gareth Bain, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for a fine review.

    Did this from Pennsylvania on the IPad. Puzzle was pretty easy for me. Got through it with only a few hitches which were solved with perps.

    Did not know India-ARIE. Perped it.

    Did not know KAFKA. It appeared with crosses.

    Never saw the movie JUDGE DREDD. Most Stallone movies I have seen were pretty good.

    CUGAT was easy. I remember him well, plus I remember Charo even weller! (someone could write SIC) for that word I used.

    G.B.S. was easy.

    Theme was good and all the answers came easily.

    We are getting a thunderstorm, BIG TIME, in PA right now and all last night as well. My basement is flooded. At least I got to see where it is coming in. I have a lot of work to do.

    My cell phone died. Major discomfort for me. I use it constantly, not for talking, but for a calendar and Internet access.

    See you tomorrow from PA, and hopefully not storming.

    Abejo

    (488434 258)

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  16. This was easy for Wednesday and probably my easiest Gareth Bain puzzle. Thanks!

    Steve, I'm with you on EARrings/EARDROP and SWEETheart/SWEETIEPIE. I had MAn for 8D so ended up with FANNY BRInE. Using pen on paper doesn't give a ta-da so I didn't realize my mistake until Steve pointed it out. FIW today.

    Enjoyed the poems, OKL!

    Happy Hump Day!

    Pat

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  17. Batting a thousand so far this week, but tomorrow will probably break my streak.
    Two missteps quickly corrected today: CFO/CEO and EARRINGS/DROPS.

    Et cela, c'est ça, mes amis!

    Steve,
    Love the irony of your Kafka comment. That was almost as bad as reading about ebola in Tom Clancy's "Executive Orders" which I've been wading through for the last two months!

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  18. At Qli –

    Yes.

    Lynda Bird married Chuck Robb on December 9, 1967 in the East Room of the White House.

    Luci Baines married Pat Nugent on August 6, 1966 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

    LBJ was president 1963 – 1969.

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  19. I've been thinking about an alternate meaning for COLD BLOODED:

    Deciding to end the relationship with your fiancee AFTER sending out wedding invitations. I SENSE that Caroline Wozniacki was TEED off at her former SWEETIE PIE, Rory McIlroy. She must LAY AWAKE at night wondering if their BONDS were actually a bad APRIL fools joke instead of dreaming about the walk down the AISLE on the way to their first WALTZ.

    What a putz for telling this to PACK her bags.

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  20. I may be mistaken, but after some research, I believe that EAR DROPS is more American than British and that FACE PACK is both American and British. They are not as common as drop earrings and face mask.
    A face pack or face mask is a cosmetic preparation that is applied to the face and allowed to dry before being removed, used especially for cleansing and tightening the skin.

    I discovered that SNIGGER is the British variant pronunciation and spelling of snicker which means:
    n.
    1. to laugh in a half-suppressed, indecorous or disrespectful manner.
    v.t.
    2. to utter with a snicker.
    n.
    3. a snickering laugh.
    I always heard SNICKER, but I frequently common across SNIGGER in novels.

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  21. Good Morning:

    This was a fun romp with only a hiccup or two, but no real hangups. Never heard face pack, only face mask and ear drops only in the medicinal sense.

    Nice job, Gareth, and cheery expo, Steve.

    Nice and sunny right now but rain expected tonight into tomorrow. The roller coaster weather continues.

    I made French Onion Soup yesterday which I'm going to have for dinner this evening with my sister, Eileen. Still have to decide what else to have. Maybe an appetizer of Clams Casino? Of course, pre-dinner libations are in order, wine for Sis and Dewar's on _ _ _ (sorry Tin!) for me. Cheers.

    Happy Wednesday to all

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  22. This felt more like a Thursday or a Friday puzzle to me--well, it is a Gareth Bain. But although it was tough, I liked it--so, many thanks, Gareth. And always like your write-up, Steve.

    Took me a while to figure out how the theme worked. And thank goodness, I got KAFKA right away. WOLF BLITZER took longer, and I too wondered whether it was LUCI or LUCI. But it all worked out.

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  23. I was almost ready to call foul over 1d. Oops! KAFKA wrote Metamorphosis and Ovid wrote Metamorphoses. What a difference one letter makes.

    The (Chad) Mitchell Trio (Chad had already left) did a sendup of Luci Baines:
    (To the tune of the Yellow Rose of Texas)
    "Oh those TV towers of Texas,
    Belong to mom and me.
    You'll find no Texas real estate
    In the name of Lyndon B.
    (The eyes of Bishop Pike are upon you.)
    (To the tune of Deep In The Heart of Texas)
    Pop said, 'Tut tut!'
    We'll have to cut
    [clap-clap-clap-clap]
    deep in the heart of taxes."
    As I recall, there was quite a hoohah when she was baptized a Catholic at age 18. The Episcopalians took umbrage at the re-baptism. It became a major news story.

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  24. Greetings, puzzlers! Cheerio, Steve. Nice write-up, thank you.

    And thank you, Gareth Bain. So often GB stumps me but this was an easy romp among the PACK.

    Hand up for EARRINGS before EARDROPS which must be a regional term. To me that is an entirely different product used to clean out the ears.

    Xavier CUGAT was actually an excellent musician but has been out dazzled by his more famous wife.

    Buckeye Bob:
    I believe cuchi, cuchi is an invented word which means just exactly what it sounds like.

    And I can't forget LUCI Baines Johnson as her name is half of mine. I also remember all the hoopla when those weddings took place.

    It's also hard to forget the very tragic demise of Medger EVERS.

    On that note I'll say, adios!
    Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

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  25. @Rick from Providence - welcome back to the LAT puzzle and thanks for stopping by!

    @Anon 6:10 - just a tongue-in-cheek sign off today; the puzzle often mixes in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese amongst others.

    @Desper-otto - wow, I was totally blind to those six letters after the "s" - I'm going to stick to the US spelling from now on.

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  26. Steve: Outstanding write-up. Sorry there was "No-Food" for you to munch on.
    (Though, I'm now wondering what part of the anatomy "FANNY" refers to in England).

    Gareth: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle.

    Only needed "every-single-perp" to get Singer India-ARIE. (who I'VE already forgotten)

    Had the same problem as Qli ... bairn looked like balm in my newspaper.
    WEE filled in by perps before I saw the clue.

    My fave today, of course, was AGED. Nice picture of the Dimple Pinch bottle.

    Irish Miss: No Problem! I know you like your Dewar's on the ... "Rocks" ...

    Cheers!!!

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  27. Hi gang -

    Yes, EARRINGS, SWEETHEART, and LUCY, which sadly stood uncorrected, along with several mishaps in the SE corner.

    Finally made it through except for that pesky Y.

    Owen - your boundless creativity amazes me.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  28. Snigger, is not to be confused with SNIGGLE, which is eel fishing with a hook in a hole.


    Then there is HILLBILLY FISHING.
    A local teen caught a huge carp HILLBILLY FISHING on a rain filled street in front of his house in N. Royalton OH. [with his bare hands)
    http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/northeast-ohio/2014/05/13/north-royalton-river-monster-caught-on-camera/9037611/

    ReplyDelete
  29. Fermatprime:
    Was Death in Paradise aired on PBS in your area? I love that show but it wasn't on last night.

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  30. VirginiaSycamore: Down here in the southland folks fish for catfish with their bare hands. It's called "Noodling." I was thinking it was called "Noogling," but I was surprised at what Google thought of that. :)

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  31. This puzzle was a gareth bain in my @$$. Nice write-up though.

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  32. Tin - if a woman were to swivel her fanny pack 180 degrees around and wear it slung low, you'd be in the right vicinity.

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  33. Hi Y'all! Charo's full-bodied shimmy with arms raised accompanied by "cuchi, cuchi" was more memorable than her musical ability. Oh yeah, she did sometimes hold a guitar and even played it well. I forgot that. I read that she was really 13 when she married Cugat. But she didn't look 13.

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  34. Luncina, Unfortunately, I believe the Death in Paradise last week was the season finale and we will have to wait to see if they do another series.

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  35. What a great pairing, GB and Steve.

    Probably the easiest GB that I recall, not that it was without challenges, which you all have chronicled.

    I am surprised at hesitancy about Mr. Cugat who had two entertaining wives, Charo (wife #4) and Abbe Lane (#4) who was a gorgeous woman.

    Charo was a classically trained guitarist who studied under Segovia. As noted in the ARTICLE she was Guitar Player Magazines top flamenco guitarist on many occasions.

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  36. Musings 2
    -Liza’s admonition about SNIGGERING from GBS’s Pygmalion and My Fair Lady which was based on that work
    - Mrs. Eynsford-Hill: But it can't have been right for your father to be pouring spirits down her throat like that, it could have killed her.
    Eliza Doolittle: Not her, gin was mother's milk to her. Besides he poured so much down his own throat, he knew the good of it.
    Lord Boxington: Do you mean he drank?
    Eliza Doolittle: Drank? My word, something chronic.
    [responding to Freddy's laughter]
    Eliza Doolittle: Here! What are you SNIGGERING at?
    Freddy Eynsford-Hill: The new small talk, you do it so awfully well.
    Eliza Doolittle: Well, if I was doing it proper, what was you SNIGGERING at? Have I said anything I oughtn't?
    Mrs. Higgins: No, my dear.

    -Yeah, Charo was a classically trained guitarist, but she knew what paid the rent!

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  37. Hello everybody. I liked this puzzle. Steve, I liked your comments very much. Best wishes to you all.

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  38. Fun puzzle. Thank you Gareth Bain, and thank you Steve for the write up.

    I had two write-overs. I had LUCY before LUCI and EVERT before EVERS.

    YR, I also read flight instead of fight for the longest time but finally realized my mistake.

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  39. WSS (What Steve Said)

    Especially enjoyed the write up today, but I am having a little trouble finding visuals. I tried to find a pic (or listing) of an E.N.T. named Dr Treebeard without success. (Good one Steve!)

    I remember distinctly (I think it was on Merv Griffen) Charo stating her real name, María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza... In explaining why she uses "Charo" instead. (She said her name so fast, yet it was still long...) However I could not find the clip, This is what came up under her real name.

    Here are the rest of today's lame visuals:

    Fanny Pack

    Wolf PAck?

    Cold Pack reminded me of yesterday's Otter Pop. With apologies to Tinbeni...

    Face Pack (Sigh...) I tried to find a better visual...

    I aint no Leader Of The Pack!

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  40. Whenever Charo said "Kutchy Kutchy" I couldn't help but think "Kitchy Kitchy". I'd forgotten that she actually was talented at the guitar....If I ever knew. That said, I am impressed. I also can't help but think of Charo when I watch "Two Broke Girls" when that character, Sophie IIRC, enters.

    And I couldn't help but think about a spoof on the theme today that came out a year or so later....The Leader of the...

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  41. I came across the newest Lone Ranger movie on cable. I like parts of it but I think the thing that bothers me the most is that it's caught somewhere between a traditional oater and a farce and the director can't seem to make up his mind. So even though I'm going to watch it through to the end, I can't give it a thumbs up.

    It's hard to know what to make of Fargo too. It's very dark in parts and very odd.

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  42. Hmm, speaking of "The Pack," combined with today's conversation thread, "Charo," it would be wise to check the Mother before dating the Daughter... (9:09)

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  43. Puzzle was a breeze today.

    To Bill G.
    There are 2 things that I never understood from the moment I walked in 'til the moment I walked out:


    1. Geometry
    2. Fargo (Movie or TV Show… take tour pick)

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  44. TinoTech:
    Thank you. I guess our PBS station opted not to show Death in Paradise. A letter to them is called for at this time.

    Instead we have the very lame Father Brown series.

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  45. Hi all!

    I've not read everything yet; so, so sorry.

    FACEPlant... Today's a DNF. I took the P from FANNYpRICE (I got Brice after all) and dropped it in at 56a. My only wrong square. :-(

    I still don't get SET TO for short fight but, like I said, I've not read all the comments yet.

    I'll KID with everyone later when I'VE finished work.

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  46. 56 [SIC] is 65... but I BET you got it.... C, -T

    ReplyDelete
  47. Just some random thoughts,

    (Almost) Two cans shy of a six pack

    No jokes allowed in Jr. High

    Gratuitous Dog Link

    Sic

    Gump

    !st Place

    And now that Summer is near

    ReplyDelete
  48. Death in Paradise is on next week here. There are four seasons so far. We are only on the third one!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Late to the party today so WEES. We don't use the FACE PACK term here in Canada (we use face mask).

    YR and I had a discussion about FANNY PACKs in early April.

    GBS was a given. Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake had very successful run of My Fair Lady in 2011. Since it was based on Shaw's Pygmalion it met their criteria for eligible plays.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Have I said how much I like the new Jeopardy champion? When she first came on, she seemed like a very pleasant young woman who wouldn't be able to keep up the with aggressive brainiacs who often end up being the big winners. Shows you how much I know. She still seems like a very pleasant person with a fast trigger finger and who knows a LOT of stuff.

    JJM, I agree with you about the TV version of Fargo but I didn't have any trouble understanding the movie version. It got a little quirky and unpleasant in parts but I really enjoyed the Minnesota characterizations, especially that by Frances MacDormand.

    ReplyDelete
  51. BillG:
    Ditto about the Jeopardy champion, Julia and the movie, Fargo. I've never seen the TV version.

    ReplyDelete

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