google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, June 5, 2014 C.W. Stewart

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Jun 5, 2014

Thursday, June 5, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: "D.I.Y. Network"

In-the-language terms are transformed into renovation tips from people in the field.

20. Ballplayer's home renovation advice about the bare hallway floor? : PUT A RUNNER OUT.

27. Tech's home renovation advice about a dark basement? : INSTALL WINDOWS.

44. Housekeeper's home renovation advice about a cheap fourposter offer? : TURN DOWN THE BED.

54. Bartender's home renovation advice about the tiny kitchen sink? : MAKE IT A DOUBLE.
My favorite entry. A double drink becomes a double sink!

This was by far the easiest Thursday puzzle I can remember. I think I finished it in under 10 minutes.

Across

1. Email for the spam folder, probably : SCAM. I can't help thinking of this clip every time I hear the word "spam." 3:19

5. Comparable : AKIN.

9. Indy participant : RACER. I had to check perps to be sure we were not looking for a specific one, like "Unser."

14. __ socks : TUBE. Had to leave this one for a couple perps, too.  All I could come up with at first was "Argyle."

15. Fiddling emperor : NERO. The violin wasn't invented until 1500 years after Nero.

16. Drop names, maybe? : ERASE.

17. Flightless flock : EMUS.

18. Swarm member : GNAT.

19. Nodding off at a meeting, say : BORED.

23. Caution to drivers : SLO.

24. Flamenco cheer : OLE.

25. "... but I could be wrong" : OR NOT.

32. Bygone TV control : HOR.izontal. I wonder if NERO used to fiddle with this knob?

33. Reef denizen : EEL.

34. Small drink : NIP.

35. Autumn bloom : ASTER.

38. Nursery rhyme fiddler : CAT. CATs can't really fiddle - they don't have opposable thumbs.

39. Pleasing to the palate : TASTY. Yumm!

41. Luau bowlful : POI. Yuck!

42. Wheels : CAR.

43. Limit : CAP.

50. Joyous hymn : PAEAN.

51. Lee follower : REB. General Robert E. Lee, and his REBel army.

52. Cold War jet : MiG. Named after the two inventors Mikoyan and Gurevich. The "i" is small because it is the Russian word for "and."

58. Capital on the 30th parallel : CAIRO.

60. Mill site : POND. I would venture to say that the mill was usually sited on a stream. Ponds don't move water wheels very well.

61. Sticky stuff : GLUE.

62. Day one : ONSET.

63. Aquatic predator : ORCA.

64. Catches : GETS. "Catch my drift?" "Get it?"

65. Mild cheese : GOUDA.

66. Bucks, perhaps : DEER.

67. Hook's right hand : SMEE.


Down

1. Mother May I? movements : STEPS. Did any of you play this game as children?

2. Fluffy clouds : CUMULI.

3. Lie alongside : ABUT ON. OK, Grammar Nazis.  Is it proper to say ABUT ON, or just "abut?"

4. Monument Valley sight : MESA.

5. Sharp-cornered : ANGULAR.

6. Boxer's hotel : KENNEL. I had "dog spa" at first, which gave me fits with the first theme entry.

7. Caspian Sea land : IRAN.

8. Sticky writing? : NOTE. We just had "Yellow sticky, often" for NOTE TO SELF last Saturday, so this was a gimme.

9. Energized anew : REBORN.

10. In the vicinity : AROUND.

11. They may be political : CARTOONS. I've linked Daumier before, so this time I'll go with Nast.

12. Chicago-to-D.C. dir. : ESE.

13. Former Riverfront Stadium player : RED. Home of the Cincinnati Reds (baseball), it was later renamed "Cinergy Field" until it was demolished in 2001.

21. Chopper topper : ROTOR.  I was off on a whole different tangent...

22. Provoke : ROIL.

26. Flibbertigibbet : TWIT. Love the word "flibbertigibbet," but I would have had a tough time coming up with the correct spelling. Now I know!

28. Ewe or doe : SHE.

29. Pay attention in class : LEARN.

30. Drizzly : WET.

31. Many a character in TV's "The Americans" : SPY. Never saw the show.

35. Quick on the uptake : APT. As in, "He was an apt student."

36. Opposite of nuts? : SOUP.

37. Italian dessert : TIRAMISU.

38. Raucous call : CAW.

39. Popular exercise regimen : TAE BO. TAE BO  is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing. Total body fitness, really intense. I will stick to t'ai chi, thank you very much.

40. LAPD alert : APB. All points bulletin. It may also be a BOLO: "Be On the Lookout." Or an ATL: "Attempt to locate."

42. Cold Stone Creamery purchase : CONE. Last week we had A&P, which is a local chain in the Northeast, and now we have Cold Stone Creamery, which only has locations in MA, CT and RI.  I guess Häagen-Dazs would be too easy for a Thursday? [Update: Cold Stone Creamery is nationwide.]

43. It may be extra sharp : CHEDDAR. "That's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it!"

45. Came closer to : NEARED.

46. Territory divided in 1889 : DAKOTA.

47. Spell : TRANCE.

48. Infiniti's infinity symbol, e.g. : EMBLEM. Oh, so that's what it's supposed to be!  I always thought it was an Alp...

49. Weaken : DILUTE. Scotch and soda, anyone?

53. Formation fliers : GEESE.

55. Apple product : iPOD.

56. Zoomed : TORE.

57. Fleece-lined boot brand : UGGS. So named because of their ugliness.

58. Gear tooth : COG.

59. Mayo to mayo : ANO. Spanish May to May, and year.

Hasta la próxima semana!

Marti


Note from C.C.:

1) Happy 20th wedding anniversary to our sweet Misty and her husband Rowland! What's the special planning today, Misty? (Sorry I goofed, Irish Miss.)

Misty & Rowland 2009 (15th Anniversary Party)

2) Happy Birthday to dear TTP (Took The Plunge), the unsung hero of our blog. TTP patiently guided me through each trouble this blog faced the past few years and is always there when I'm in need. He's one of the very few regulars that I've talked on the phone. Don't know if he hooks or slices on the golf course, but he used to be a good bowler until he hurt his back. He served Uncle Sam as well.


50 comments:

  1. As usual, I enjoyed Marti's writeup. Does the similarity of SPAM and SCAM suggest a Schrodinger puzzle theme?

    Switching gears, tomorrow (6/6/2014) marks a significant historic anniversary that Kurtis Scaletta and I celebrate with Covert Operations. We hope you like it and tell your friends about it!

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  2. There once was a ballplayer down south
    (In truth, somewhat of a lout)
    Who was wont to complain;
    To his wife, was a pain,
    Till as HOME IMPROVEMENT, she threw the lout out!

    There once was a fan of Star Trek
    Whose house was filled with high-tech.
    He had wall-size TV,
    Showed movies 3-D,
    But he still wanted a real holodeck.

    Her husband was a lazy old thing
    In his hammock all day he would swing,
    Till the chance did afford
    To rehang with bungee cord,
    The she watched as into action he'd spring!

    The snobbish wife, to put on airs
    Had ordered some Chippendale chairs.
    But when they arrived
    She was horrified --
    They dance shirtless as her book club all stares!

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  3. Greetings!

    Kudos to CW Stewart for a painless Thursday puzzle! Great expo, as usual, Marti!

    Just finished working both Thursday and Wednesday. No problems. Really liked the Thursday theme!

    Happy anniversary to Misty!

    Happy birthday to TTP! I get a bang out of your posts!

    Time for sleep, I hope!

    Cheers!

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  4. Morning, all (and Happy Birthday, TTP)!

    Mostly smooth solve for me today. Had EWES instead of EMUS at first, which held me up a bit in the NW corner. Also had trouble accepting that TWIT was a synonym for flibbertigibbet. I remember flibbertigibbet as a term used to describe Maria in "The Sound of Music" and I certainly wouldn't call her a TWIT.

    I liked the clue for INSTALL WINDOWS. The clues for the rest of the theme answers didn't really do much for me, to be honest.

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  5. A mill pond is created by a mill dam over which spills a mill stream to turn the mill wheel.
    Dictionary.com says abut is usually followed by upon, on or against.
    Fun puzzle, easy for a Thursday. Fun blog, too.
    Yellowrocks

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  6. I wouldn't say this was easy, but I did manage to finish it without needing any red letters or look-ups. Started out poorly, with JUNK > SCAM and LIKE > AKIN. Further on, SANE>SOUP. Some chances for clechos passed up: 28a Ewe or doe, 66a Bucks; 65a Mild cheese, 43d It may be extra sharp; 19a BORED and either 29d Pay attention in class or 47d TRANCE; 63a Aquatic predator, 33a Reef denizen; 17a Flightless flock, 53d Formation fliers. 11d could have been Where the elephant and donkey started, 48d What the elephant or donkey is now.

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  7. Good Morning, Marti and friends. I had fun with today's puzzle, but it did seem a tad easier than the standard Thursday fare.

    Drop Names = ERASE was my favorite clue. I also liked the Lee Followers = REBS.

    I tried Knee Socks before the TUBE Socks.

    I also tried Sip before NIP.

    The Mill Pond is the reservoir that supplies the running stream for the mill. Seeing the clue, however, made me think of this very old movie.

    Happy Anniversary, Misty. Will you be attending the Joyce conference?

    Happy Birthday, TTP.

    QOD: What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? ~ Adam Smith (June 5, 1723 ~ July 17, 1790)

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  8. Good morning, everyone!

    I agree, this was easy for a Thursday, even just a little less time than yesterday. But I cannot imagine doing it in under 10 minutes. Marti rocks!

    I had a number of unknowns, but was able to perp and WAG through them.

    Favorite clue / answer was 13D Former Riverfront Stadium player: RED.

    Happy anniversary, Misty!

    Happy, happy birthday, TTP!

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  9. Happy Anniversary, Misty!! 20 years of married bliss is worth celebrating, and I guess you will do it in style!
    ¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫

    Happy Birthday TTP!! You add so much to this blog, both in your comments and in your behind-the-scenes support. Thank you!!
    ¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫

    OwenKL, I fixed the Infiniti logo, thanks. I loved your poems today, but really got a chuckle out of the last one! My book club would be thrilled if I ordered Chippendales for one of our meeting!!!

    Anon @ 6:09, OK, I'll go with those: mill ponds are formed by mill streams, and abut is usu. followed by a prep.

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  10. Just a heads-up for Marti: Cold Stone Creameries are nation-wide.

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  11. Good morning, group!

    Got the theme with the first entry, and was able to fill in the other three near-spanners off the top of my head (over which the theme usually flies).

    Yup, the mill in my home town had a pond. The ice was usually 4-inches thick by Thanksgiving, and we could skate on it.

    Perhaps it was because Nero diddled as Rome burned,and the prissy historians changed it.

    Not too many people remember that the Astros were supposed to be playing at Enron Field. Oops! That got changed in a hurry.

    Congrats, Misty and HBD, TTP. Have some TIRAMISU -- and why does that dessert always remind me of Rob Reiner? Was he in a scene about it?

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  12. Anon @ 6:55, thanks for the heads up. I hate google locator. When I asked for locations of Coldstone Creamery on the map, it only showed the ones in my local area. This time I did not let it use my current location, and it shows them all over the US!

    Marti

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  13. Good morning everybody!

    Fun puzzle today. Some of the theme answers took a minute for me to figure out, but once I had MAKE IT A DOUBLE I was on my way.

    Cute clues today:
    6D: Boxer's hotel: KENNEL
    8D: Sticky writing? NOTE

    If I'm not mistaken, when TTP joined the Blog he started as a guest (not a "blue name"), and counted his posts. As I recall, TTP stood for Twentieth Time Poster. But Took The Plunge sounds good too!

    Have a great day - enjoy the weather!

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  14. PS: Love the word Flibbertigbbet. Now if I could just figure out how to pronounce it!

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  15. We have Coldstone Creamery ice cream here, although the nearest store went out of business. Coldstine Ice Cream has more calories than most and is quite expensive. No thanks.

    "Flibbertigibbet, flighty person, somebody who is regarded as silly, irresponsible, or scatterbrained, especially one who chatters or gossips."
    I knew the flighty, scatterbrained sense, but not the gossipy part.

    Wiki: In the song "Maria" from the 1959 musical The Sound of Music, Maria is referred to by the nuns as "A flibbertigibbet, a will-'o-the-wisp, a clown".

    Happy birthday TTP, thank you for all your technical help to keep this blog going and for your interesting contributions.

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  16. Happy anniversary, Misty.
    Happy Birthday, TTP!

    I agree that this puzzle seemed easier than a typical Thursday one. After doing all the Across answers I could, I only had 6 Down clues to fill in and they were easy.

    Thanks for the expo, Marti.
    I thought of you yesterday. As I drove over Lookout Pass (between MT & ID) I saw two symbols on the sign. One was a gas pump but the other looked like a tipped helicopter. I wondered if it meant emergency medical care is near. Looked it up when I stopped. It is the symbol for a SKI AREA!! I've never noticed that symbol before. Bet you would have known immediately, what it stood for!

    Have a good day, everybody,

    Montana

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  17. This met all my criteria for a fun day at the puzzle! I was north of 10 minutes, Marti, but that was because of going down some blind alleys causing me to ERASE – TUBE not Wind socks, BORED not Dozed, NIP not Sip, PAEAN not Psalm, ad nauseum

    Musings
    -A shortstop can PUT A RUNNER OUT on a double play if he is AROUND and not necessarily on second base to avoid this. Fav fill!
    -The media are warning recent storm victims not to fall for repair SCAMs
    -I can remember using HOR/Vert/Color/Tint/Cont/Bright knobs on TV’s. Some on the back!
    -Fun melodic WHEELS (1:57)
    -Amusing encounter with a MIG (2:42) in Top Gun with an alternative “salute”
    -Elvis said he would “stick like glue” because he was Stuck on You
    -My friend paid big Bucks for a fence to keep DEER out of her garden
    -Mother May I, Kick the Can, Simon Says, Plum Tackle Plum Touch? You bet!
    -Clouds here on Tuesday night weren’t fluffy, they were menacing
    -Angelina Jolie has some lovely ANGULAR and, uh, not so ANGULAR features
    -We recently discussed that Maria was A flibbertigibbet, a will-'o-the-wisp, a clown for WISP
    -Congrats Misty and TTP!

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  18. Good morning, folks. Thank you, C. W. Stewart, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for a fine review.

    Happy Birthday, TTP, and many more.

    Happy Anniversary, Misty, and also many more.

    SCAM for 1A reminds me to be ever vigilant while using the Internet. I got hacked once. Hopefully never again.

    I remember well the HOR and Vert controls on TVs.

    Tried PSALM for 50A. PAEAN appeared later. I kind of remember that word.

    Interesting fact about CAIRO and the 30th parallel. I wonder which came first?

    The theme was very good. Liked it.

    Just passed into Iowa. We are stopping for breakfast at the Crackerbarrel. See you tomorrow from Illinois.

    Abejo

    (too blurry)

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  19. Good morning all.

    Thank you CW Stewart for this puzzle that challenged my slow moving mind this morning.

    Thank you for the fine write up Marti. I had the opposite of you. Slow to fill and slower yet to find and correct my errors. At 24A, I locked in on KNEE socks. Then at 8D, I entered MEMO instead of NOTE, and then entered SPUR rather than ROIL at 22D. My joyous hymn was PSALM, and Day One was START.

    Misty, Congratulations to you and Rowland !

    CC, thank you for all the kind words but I am hardly a hero. Glad that I was able to help. I love this blog.

    As to golf, I am really enjoying being back in the league. Lost consistency after a couple of years of not playing, so I am slicing and hooking and flubbing and hitting the occasional work burner. OTOH, I am getting a few shots in here and there. Last night I was lucky enough to win the money hole.

    Mari, you are correct ! I was counting my posts and entering them as you described. It was the ever clever Marti that suggested Took The Plunge.

    Thank you all for the Happy Birthday wishes. My day is already much brighter. I think I shall take the day off.

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  20. Oops, that should have been "...worm burner." It's a golf shot that (very) unintentionally never gets more than a few inches off the ground.

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  21. Hi Y'all! Fun & fast puzzle, C.W.! (His name is CrossWord?)(Is Rich playing around again?) Thanks, Marti!

    I got held up in the SW. Couldn't remember UGGS for a minute. Had to red-letter run for the "U" which also gave me DOUBLE then the rest was easy.

    I always forget IRAN is on the Caspian.

    Happy Anniversary, Misty! Happy Birthday, TTP, and thanks for your help in keeping us going! Today is my oldest child's birthday, born on 6-5-65. Are you twins, TTP?

    Woke up early with thunder crashing. Sounded so ominous, I dressed and put on shoes. Now we just have steady rain and I'm thinking of going back to bed.

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  22. I must not have been on the right wave length with this one. It took quite a bit longer than a typical Thursday. Got it done, but with many of the issues already mentioned and numerous erasures. Had the most trouble in the SE with Smee being the only solid fill for a while. Oh well. Alls well that ends.

    Happy Birthday, TTP!
    and Happy Anniversary Misty!

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  23. Solved the puzzle in pencil and paper, but it took a while.

    Mari @ 7:44 am: Here is how one dictionary website pronounces flibbertigibbet

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  24. Hi gang -

    Like Avg Joe, I had all sorts of trouble with this one. Even for a Thus, it took a long time.

    Worst trouble was in the NW corner and south central.

    After I sussed the theme, that provided many helpful perps.

    PAEAN always looks wrong.

    Sunny here, but cool.

    The LW made some TASTY berry muffins this morning.

    Now she has plans that sadly involve me getting off my duff.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  25. Good morning everyone.

    Happy anniversary to Misty and her husband.

    Happy birthday TTP. Thanks for your yeoman support in keeping the wheels of this bolg greased.

    Fun solve today. Worked it mostly from the bottom up. CAIRO latitude seemed right once the perps gave their hints. NW was last to fall. Got ……RUNNER OUT easily, but had a block against the verb. With CUMULI and ABUT ON, PUT seemed right.
    In hindsight, what Marti said, it was relatively easy.

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  26. I just learned an interesting factoid about the Infiniti emblem. The logo represents the concept of the open road, and traveling towards infinity. But, it also suggests Mt. Fuji, which is near the Infiniti plant in Japan. So my "Alp" guess was pretty close to the truth...

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  27. Good Morning:

    Another enjoyable offering that I found easier than the usual Thursday. Immediately thought of Tin at "Make it a double!". Fav clue was Boxer's hotel=kennel. Thanks, CW, and thanks, Marti, for a fun expo.

    Happy 20th Anniversary to Misty and Rowland; I hope you enjoyed your celebrations. Best wishes for many more. (CC, no harm done. Early is better than late!)

    Happy Birthday to TTP who has enhanced this blog with his contributions of words and technical wisdom. Hope you have a super day.

    Enjoy the day everyone.

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  28. Good morning All. Happy A to Misty and Rowland. Have a great birthday TTP!

    So here is the report from the CA Coven re: "Chickie, J.D. and GarlicGal's Most Excellent Adventure"! After a quick 1hr. and 45 min. drive the Beamer arrived in Stockton at Dodo's joint. We joyfully reuned with Dodo as well as our fellow cruciverbalist Lucina and friend Kathy. They had arrived in CA the day before from Arizona.

    I guess we reuned a little to joyfully because we were "86'd" from the Lobby! Oops... Didn't matter, we just carried on in the dining room! Wine, lunch, dessert, conversation was all delightful.

    For those of you who remember her, Dodo is doing well. She's quite a character. And as always, our visits with Lucina are as interesting and fun as her blog comments.

    Once again, thank you C.C. for creating and maintaining this Blog. Without it I would have never met these fabulous women!

    And yes we made it home and didn't even need to call out The Jaws of Life to get J.D. out of the back seat! (If you have ever ridden in the back seat of a 325 you'll appreciated that.)

    Over and out!

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  29. Well, I wasn't going to let our anniversary keep me from doing a delightful Thursday puzzle and checking into the Corner, was I? So glad I did! Thank you all for the lovely wishes, and especially you, dear C.C., for posting our 15th Anniversary photo. I wish we still looked that good! We're having a little party later on today and think it will be great, given what a wonderful morning I've already had!

    Hahtoolah, I'll have to miss the Utrecht Joyce conference this year since I don't like to leave Rowland for a trip. But I'll get posts and photos on Facebook.

    TTP, have a fabulous, fabulous birthday and many thanks for all your help with the blog!

    Garlic Gal, loved your account of the Coven meeting, which was clearly a delight!

    Marti, thanks for 'splaining HOR and UGGS.

    Loved being reminded of "Maria" in "The Sound of Music."

    Finally, your last limerick was a hoot, Owen.

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  30. Do you like Barbershop Quartets? Here is Down by the Old Mill Stream sung by a quartet of only one man.

    Link Barbershop

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  31. Misty: Hope you have a wonderful 20th Anniversary.
    TTP: HBD ... it's an initial thing.

    Am I the only one who thought, 1-a, Email for the spam folder, was gonna be CRAP?
    MESA showed me it was SCAM ... but really ...

    C.W. Thank you for a FUN Thursday puzzle.

    Opposite of nuts? SOUP ... what a clever answer.
    Makes me wonder why the expression: "From SOUP to nuts?"

    For the record, I was sailing along when the last theme "MAKE IT A DOUBLE" sounded like an instruction.

    This is my "ALL-TIME" favorite theme answer!
    Reminded me it was time for a NIP (or two, or three, lol).

    Cheers!!!

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  32. Tin --

    I did too. so here it is. Plus a bonus.

    Per Wiki: "From soup to nuts" is also a common phrase referring to the courses of a meal; having a soup course before the salad and a nut plate after dessert indicates "the complete treatment," above and beyond the ordinary.


    Soup To Nutst

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  33. buckeye bob
    Thanks for the info.
    After I posted I did a "google search" ...
    Gee, how easy! Just highlight the words and the answer is always at your finger-tips.

    Your "I did too." made me think you also had to "MAKE IT A DOUBLE" when you got that theme answer.

    Cheers!!!

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  34. Soup to nuts. I think it refers to a complete meal of all courses, starting with the first course of soup and ending with the last course of nuts.

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  35. Happy anniversary Misty and happy birthday TTP. We really appreciated your help during the dark days of the blog.

    Loved the Chippendale poem OKL

    Make it a double was really cute, and I do not understand why they need to drop the "W" from SLOW. Does it save money?

    It really went fast, thanks CW and m.

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  36. Fun puzzle, thanks for the write-up, Marti.

    This is what would happen if cats had opposable thumbs!

    Happy Anniversary Misty, and birthday felicitations, TTP!

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  37. Enjoyed this puzzle, which was easier than a typical Thursday. Solved it in ink and paper with no write-overs.

    Happy birthday TTP and happy anniversary Misty.

    I especially liked your last limerick, Owen. Coincidentally, I'm having our book club meeting at my house tonight. Should be fun, but, alas, no Chippendales.

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  38. I had a tough time with this puzzle. Working from the bottom, it slowly filled like a tall glass of (insert yr libation here...)

    The top however remained stubbornly empty. I had Nero & racer,,, that's it! A nap revealed rotor, mesa & emus. But I was totally stuck on sticky writing? what the hell is that supposed to mean? It wasn't until I went from ink to red letters that note appeared, & the rest agonizingly slowly appeared...

    Marti! 10 minutes? (must have been all the home renovation knowledge...)

    Happy 20th Misty & Rowland!

    Happy Birthday TTP, & thanks for all your help!

    I don't know if Nero fiddled, or diddled, but he was into the Cithara!

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  39. Enjoyable theme today and only the NW caused me to SLO. SCAM seemed too similar to SPAM for me to accept. I was misdirected on the BOXER clue but smiled when I realized it was a dog.

    Tim Hortons in Canada stopped their association with Cold Stone Creamery last February (it took too long for staff to make the cones!).

    Best TIRAMISU I've had was at an Italian restaurant in Nairobi!

    Happy Anniversary Misty and HBD TTP.

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  40. Our anniversary party starts in an hour, and I'm all ready with a minute to check the blog. So many wishes from everyone--thank you so much! And even a lovely cake from CrossEyedDave! Doesn't get any better than that!

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  41. (Sigh!) Harder than the puzzle, was trying to find some funny pics for today's theme. (It's tough trying to be a part time comedian...)

    Anyway, during my search, I did find a couple of honorable mentions:

    Put a runner out? (I dunno, he looks safe to me...)

    Install windows in a dark basement?

    would you turn down this bed?

    I had a lot of trouble with "make it a double," but I did like this double granny knot.

    & while not under make it a double, I found this under install windows...

    Yes, make it a double gave me a lot of trouble...

    Here, this is all I've got for do it yourself. This subject is a social nightmare. If you want to pick a funny "do it yourself" pic, you will have to do it yourself!

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  42. If someone actuall took the time to make the Tennyson Technologies Computer Cake, I am impressed.

    CED, you da man

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  43. Off topic, but amusing, at least to me.

    Today, for the first time I can recall in thousands of reports I've written, I had occasion to use the word "nevertheless" in a report. Details are unimportant, but it was pretty much required in the context of the comment.

    I would dare anyone here that has ever seen "The African Queen" (and I know you are legion) to say, or even think that word without inflicting a Katherine Hepburn accent upon it. It can't be done! Nevah happen GI.

    Just try it. Let it roll off your tongue. See? I told you so!

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  44. Hi all:

    No time to read everything tonight - we are playing "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" trying to get to Heathrow.

    I finally had to throw in the towel. North of the 30th parallel (above 27a) was sparse in the NW & NE corners. Instead of SCAM, I had UCBM (unsolicited commercial bulk mail).... Awww SOUP!

    Cheers, I hope to heck we get out of here and our scheme doesn't back fire.

    Cheers, -T

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  45. Avg Joe, I tried to find the "NeverTheLess" scene, but wound up watching the whole movie. (plus the Trailer, which I had never (theless) seen before...

    Here is where I left off...

    (Tinbeni, don't watch the dry ship scene!)

    P.S. Never The Less scene is at the end, when the German Captain exclaims what they had done is impossible...

    (I highly recommend this film, CED 5 stars *****)

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  46. Doh! HA - Misty & HBD TTP!

    TTP - we must be in the same line of work.

    Gotta run (literally!)

    Cheers, -T

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  47. CED, loved the Bogart bloopers! Who knew, that he ever had any??? Nevuh-thuh-laiesss… (I can just hear Katherine saying that…)

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  48. Good evening all,

    Happy anniversary Misty and Rowland...hope the party is filled with fun and laughter.

    Happy birthday TTP. You have been such a necessary part of this blog for a long time and we all thank you for keeping the corner running smoothly.

    Loved the SPAM, Marti. Got a big kick out of the clip, and thanks for shedding some light on infinity... had no idea.

    Loved many of the clever clues and the theme today ..delightful puzzle, and much quicker than a usual Thursday.

    Garlic Gal is to commended for her driving skills weaving speedily thru the many trucks that fill our freeways, AND for her constant humor that keeps us all laughing. We had a delightful time...picture on its way.

    ReplyDelete
  49. C.E.D. you outdid yourself today.

    And, just for you - a wild, wild bike ride.

    I dont know how I got into this site - must have been something you did.

    Well, here it is.

    Have fun. and thanks for the ball.

    ' You're a great comedian, after all.

    Best wishes and good night.

    ReplyDelete

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