Words: 70 (missing Q,W)
Blocks: 26
Well,
I figured it was time for a beating from a Barry Silk puzzle, and he
did not disappoint. This one took me my full personal time, plus I
needed red-letter help to see where I went horribly wrong. Some very
clever mis-direction, plus a solid set of shady Saturday clues that
drained my brain - but I loved it~! Triple 10-letter pinwheel, with two
sets of 6/7/8-letter stacks and a low block count made this one
enjoyable - but I will admit to a cringe moment. Some of the longer
answers;
11a. Key of Brahms' Symphony No. 4 : E min - so I threw in the "M" and waited; the second part is typically 'MAJ' or 'MIN', and the first part is A,B,C,D,E,F, or G - easy, right?
11a. Key of Brahms' Symphony No. 4 : E min - so I threw in the "M" and waited; the second part is typically 'MAJ' or 'MIN', and the first part is A,B,C,D,E,F, or G - easy, right?
13d. At all : IN THE LEAST - oh, so vague
55a. Device used in WWII pilot training : TRAMPOLINE - I just learned that this man was the inventor
28. Psychic : MIND READER - I had the reader part, but wanted PALM, CARD, etc.
ACROSS:
1. Emergency beeper : SMOKE ALARM - Dah~! I was stuck in volunteer fire-fighter mode - I have a buddy of mine who carries an emergency beeper with him at all times
15. Former Lagos-based carrier : AIR NIGERIA - I went with ---- AIR, and I was in the right frame of thinking, but bass-ackwards
16. "__ Girl": 2012 best-seller : GONE - took too long to remember this
17. Item on a therapist's office table, maybe : KLEENEX BOX - vague, but a good one
18. Airing : ON TV - I got it, but "phew"
19. Coin feature : EDGE - head, tail, face
20. Xi preceders : NUs
21. Cuthbert of "Happy Endings" : ELISHA
23. Florida pros : BUCs - ah, the football team; I should have known better with the abbr of pros; I was thinking RAYS
25. Like cockatoos : CRESTED - the original "mohawk"
26. Plain : HOMELY
29. Smoke shop choice : PANATELA - Cigars are measured by length and ring size; I smoke these, which measure 4 x 30 (cigarillos)
15. Former Lagos-based carrier : AIR NIGERIA - I went with ---- AIR, and I was in the right frame of thinking, but bass-ackwards
16. "__ Girl": 2012 best-seller : GONE - took too long to remember this
17. Item on a therapist's office table, maybe : KLEENEX BOX - vague, but a good one
18. Airing : ON TV - I got it, but "phew"
19. Coin feature : EDGE - head, tail, face
20. Xi preceders : NUs
21. Cuthbert of "Happy Endings" : ELISHA
23. Florida pros : BUCs - ah, the football team; I should have known better with the abbr of pros; I was thinking RAYS
25. Like cockatoos : CRESTED - the original "mohawk"
29. Smoke shop choice : PANATELA - Cigars are measured by length and ring size; I smoke these, which measure 4 x 30 (cigarillos)
30. Term coined by Dior : A-LINE - dress shape, and I did not know this
31. Capital of Belarus : MINSK - I had the M and K in place, and so I took an educated WAG
32. __ room : REC
33. Zest : RIND - ah, the part of the fruit, not the enthusiasm definition - I went with ELAN
34. Sole piece : FILET - ARGH~! I was so stuck on shoes and sneakers, I never caught onto the 'fish' concept
35. Starbucks offering : CHAI - OK, their tea
36. Commonly rented item : DVD - ah, not "CAR" - seemed common enough
37. Nook reads : ZINES - Meh. In fact, meh again. I went with EBOOK, which did not jive with the plural of the clue, and then EMAGS, and that makes more sense than ZINES
38. Raise : HOIST
39. Nightingale and others : HEROINES - referring to Florence, not the bird
41. Full of grime : SMUTTY - I tried FILTHY, but we're looking for the grime more commonly found in, say, Hustler
42. Discharged : EGESTED
43. Ultra Set Trap maker : d-CON - 4 letters and a "trap"~? Try d-CON
32. __ room : REC
33. Zest : RIND - ah, the part of the fruit, not the enthusiasm definition - I went with ELAN
34. Sole piece : FILET - ARGH~! I was so stuck on shoes and sneakers, I never caught onto the 'fish' concept
35. Starbucks offering : CHAI - OK, their tea
36. Commonly rented item : DVD - ah, not "CAR" - seemed common enough
37. Nook reads : ZINES - Meh. In fact, meh again. I went with EBOOK, which did not jive with the plural of the clue, and then EMAGS, and that makes more sense than ZINES
38. Raise : HOIST
39. Nightingale and others : HEROINES - referring to Florence, not the bird
41. Full of grime : SMUTTY - I tried FILTHY, but we're looking for the grime more commonly found in, say, Hustler
42. Discharged : EGESTED
43. Ultra Set Trap maker : d-CON - 4 letters and a "trap"~? Try d-CON
44. Qatar locale : ARABIA
45. Word after Premier or Grand : CRU - Winery term; the Wiki
46. Like roulette wheels : SPUN - ah, very clever
50. Extinct dove relative : DODO
51. Food fit for a queen bee : ROYAL JELLY - learning moment for me; the Wiki
54. At any time : EVER
56. "Nebraska" Oscar nominee : DERN - Bruce, and he won "Best Actor" for his role at the Cannes Film festival
57. Hill prize : SENATE SEAT
DOWN:
1. Benefit : SAKE - as in "for the --- of...."
2. Not so hot : MILD - not WARM, not COLD, more like the spice of your sauce
3. Wash. neighbor : OREGon - see Onward~!
4. Calisthenics exercise : KNEE BEND
5. Article for Nietzsche : EIN - not "DER"
6. Bureau : AGENCY - I started the Castle Home Inspection AGENCY, but it's not a bureau - the FBI is a better example
7. F Sport maker : LEXUS - I was stuck in "FORD" mode, since their trucks are F-series
8. Wall St. figures : ARBS - arbitrators
9. __ Negro: Amazon tributary : RIO - WAG
10. "Castor and Pollution" artist : MAX ERNST - nice play on the constellation Gemini and the twins, Castor & Pollux
11. Not exactly the modest type : EGOIST
12. Smash : MONSTER HIT
14. California Gold Rush town : NEVADA CITY - and a semi-clecho 31d. Worked in a rush? : MINED
22. Intelligence failure : LEAK
24. Diminutive suffix : ULE - um, like miniscule~?
25. Rabologist's collection : CANES - another vague reference; some Pinterest
26. Stubborn : HARD-HEADED
27. Oil producer : OLIVE GROVE
29. A lot : PILES - vague
34. Certain master's area : FINE ARTS
35. Advises : COUNSELS
37. Ristorante order : ZITI
38. Ins. plan : HMO
40. "South Pacific" screenwriter Paul : OSBORN
41. Carve : SCULPT
43. Play, maybe : DRAMA - vague; could have been the "fun" definition of play
45. Color in the four-color process : CYAN
47. Barre move : PLIE
48. It's out on a limb : ULNA - very clever; the bone in your arm (limb)
49. Duma vote : NYET - Россия
52. Source of iron : ORE
53. Louis in a ring : JOE
12. Smash : MONSTER HIT
14. California Gold Rush town : NEVADA CITY - and a semi-clecho 31d. Worked in a rush? : MINED
22. Intelligence failure : LEAK
24. Diminutive suffix : ULE - um, like miniscule~?
25. Rabologist's collection : CANES - another vague reference; some Pinterest
26. Stubborn : HARD-HEADED
27. Oil producer : OLIVE GROVE
29. A lot : PILES - vague
34. Certain master's area : FINE ARTS
35. Advises : COUNSELS
37. Ristorante order : ZITI
38. Ins. plan : HMO
40. "South Pacific" screenwriter Paul : OSBORN
41. Carve : SCULPT
43. Play, maybe : DRAMA - vague; could have been the "fun" definition of play
45. Color in the four-color process : CYAN
47. Barre move : PLIE
48. It's out on a limb : ULNA - very clever; the bone in your arm (limb)
49. Duma vote : NYET - Россия
52. Source of iron : ORE
53. Louis in a ring : JOE
Splynter
Ouch!
ReplyDeleteShot myself in the foot early on
and just kept shooting.
Never recovered but enjoyed the challenge.
Off to work, have a great weekend everyone.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteWell, I managed to get through this one unassisted, but it was touch and go there for awhile. I made slow but steady progress in the NW, the NE and the SE (in that order), but got really stuck in the center and the SW.
With CAN__in place at 25D, I finally guessed that a Rabologist might collect CANES. Then it was a leap of faith that one could read ZINES on a Nook and that working in a "rush" had something to do with MINEs. Still don't know what that means, but it ended up being correct.
Is ARABIA an actual place name, or just a nickname for the whole region? Either way, I was hesitant to put it in at first. I felt pretty good about EMITTED at 42A, which kept most of the rest of the SW hidden from view until I finally removed it when I realized that 28D was MIND READER. Once I put EGESTED in place I was able to get GROVE, which lead to OLIVE, and that broke open the whole rest of the corner for me.
31d. Worked in a rush? : MINED
ReplyDeleteI put in CANED, as in a chair seat, and thought it oh so clever. Slowed me up big time. Didn't understand MINED until afterwards when I found rush was like the Gold Rush.
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteSince it's Saturday, I expect that there would be some vague clues, and answers that aren't the obvious ones. That's fine with me, as long as there aren't too many obscure clues or proper names, especially when they intersect.
For me, an LA Times Saturday puzzle requires testing plenty of fill just to get the necessary toeholds. And just keep building from there.
Actually filled the top and entire west fairly quickly. Then started climbing the middle until I got to --NES and P-NA---A. Then I stalled.
So I stopped and did a couple of other puzzles.
Came back to this one and CRESTED came to mind, and I took a stab with ELISHA with the starting E and ending A (who ?, and of what ?) But the character count worked, and they didn't have consonant conflicts with CRESTED below and ON TV above. Then LEAK was easy as was EGOIST.
So that area was then pretty quickly solved. It helped to "walk away." I quit thinking of destructive words and terms for "Smash", such as obliterate or crush to pieces.
E MIN would be obscure (to me). Why would I know that ? I wouldn't think that would be very common knowledge, except maybe to (certain) musicians, and (certain) music lovers, and maybe crossword puzzlers.
Southward, CHAI was unknown, and SMUTTY took me off guard.
Failed at the bottom by forgetting CR-. I entered SCALPT instead of SCULPT for some unknown reason.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI was in the zone this morning, and everything seemed to click. Hand up for palm READER at first and NEVADA Flat. Otherwise this one went pretty fast. FILET, smack dab in the center, was the last to fill.
I've been watching reruns of 24 on Audience Network. ELISHA Cuthbert played Jack Bauer's daughter in the first few seasons, so that was a gimme.
Nice shoutout to DODO. Anybody heard from her lately?
To cold to bike. It's gonna be a marching day.
4/4
Good morning, friends!
ReplyDeleteThis seemed way too easy for Saturday's grid although it was slow starting. I saw the movie, GONE Girl, never read the book. That gave me EGOIST, knew MINSK from a long ago visit, and ROYAL JELLY is a form of beauty cream claiming to be made from bee products.
Great new cluing for ULNA, out on a limb.
Words and phrases just spilled out for this one though ELAN preceded RIND and I thought surely FLORENCE was the Nightingale but the plural wouldn't fit. Have never seen MAX ERNST spelled out completely.
BOON gave way to SAKE with KLEENEX BOX then SMOKE ALARM emerged. And so it went.
Thank you, Barry Silk and Splynter.
Everyone, have a joyful Saturday!
desper-otto:
ReplyDeleteI called DODO on her birthday a few weeks ago and she is still chipper at 89. Her computer isn't doing as well as she is so she doesn't blog.
I was too muleheaded to enter hardheaded. DVD finally put me on the right track. A nice Saturday puzzle to get one's brain around.
ReplyDeleteFunny how we all react to the Saturday Silkies.
ReplyDeleteNeverheard of Rabology but it filled by perps and I did not know OSBORN had trouble relating to SENATE SEAT and never thought about ILE as a suffix.
Thanks
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up, Splynter, with some really interesting links. I did not know about the TRAMPOLINE being used for pilot training. And my learning moment today was “rabologist.” I’ll have to store that little treasure for the future.
I also threw in the “M” at 11-A. Not much to go one, but it did finally let me get MONSTER HIT after a few more perps. The first pass on Saturday always leaves a sea of white, but a few little words that are sure bets will always lead to patterns for the long entries.
So I finished unaided, in ten minutes under my typical Saturday time. So thank you Mr. Silk, for another great start to the weekend!
Good morninbg everyone.
ReplyDeleteRIO and MINSK became early anchors. Got the SE, NE, and center early on. Assumed NIGERIA would be the last part of 15a; narrowing German article at 5d to EIN or 'die'. SMOKE ALARM nailed it.
Had to remember not to over think the puzzle.
Assumed ……HEADED and ……READER for 26d and 28d, respectively, and got DODO and DERN, and was able to perp OSBORN. Grove gave me the aha moment - OLIVE GROVE, RIND fit and it was done.
Favorite clue was for MINED.
Have a great day.
Slow and steady Silkie, start out with little toeholds here and there and it gradually comes together.
ReplyDeleteWEES about the ZINES answer.
I got slowed down in the SW when I had the second VE of OLIVE GROVE first and wanted the answer to be some type of olive. ____OLIVE.
I had heard of the the diminutive ULE mostly in anatomic terms - like a small vein is called a venule.
Thanks for the write-up, Splynter! I thought of you when reading a recent article in the Dec.2014 Reader's Digest: "Confessions of a UPS Handler"
We are still very cold here, but very sunshiny so it's easier to take
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteA typical Saturday Silkie: challenging, but with lots of P and P, doable and satisfying. I don't keep track of time spent on a solve, but I have noticed that I'm finishing Barry's offerings more quickly than I used to. He is one of my favorite constructors.
Many thanks, Mr. S. for an end-of-the-week treat and thanks to Splynter for bringing it all together.
Ferm, I watched Elementary last night and thoroughly enjoyed the Math theme, even though I'm such a math-a-phobe that Bill G's quizzes made my eyes cross and my head ache.
Very cold here but sunshine galore. Have a great day.
First pass I had these adn only these:
ReplyDeleteMINSK
ROYAL JELLY
RIO
JOE
CYAN
ARABIA
NYET
I was thinking DNF but started grinding it out. 15A had to have NIGERIA in it somewhere and Washington state is only bordered by Idaho, Oregon, & B.C. so I gave me OREG as the only answer and with 5D being DER DIE DAS or EIN I finished the NW.
In the SW DODO and EVER led me to _____GROVE and MULEHEADED but MULE became HARD after my rental choices in 36A were only TUX CAR or DVD. A-LINE and OSBORN were complete unknowns.
The cross of ROYAL JELLY with CYAN and NYET solved the SE and the Hill prize of the SENATE SEAT I will get to vote on in a couple of weeks, and it will NOT be Mary.
Just like Splynter, I know 11A would have M for the second letter. My wife dragged me to the movies two weeks ago to see GONE Girl. I would have left the Gone Girl in a New York second after she tried to frame for HER fake murder.
I found this to be a solvable Saturday but it took some different thinking, WAGS, and perps to finish.
IMO Mr.Silk always seems to lighten up in the SE. Starting there and solving clockwise seems to help me finish these enjoyable constructions.
ReplyDeleteAs a long-time lurker, I would like to say I appreciate the time and effort spent on this blog by CC and her friends. I look forward to visiting every day.
Don
I don't think we often "see" Hahtoolah on the weekend, but I think she would like this. I'll put it here. Hope someone remembers to tell her about it.
ReplyDelete39 Reasons Living In Maine Ruins You For Life
Barry’s fabulous puzzle was a testament to doggedness. My opening was in the far SE corner with SENATE SEAT and fun and learning ensued.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Soccer? Not interested IN THE LEAST
-Marital MIND READING ;-)
-AL_R_ had me looking for this product not ALARM at first
-A KLEENEX BOX for our bibliophiles
-The odds of a nickel landing on its EDGE is 6,000:1 according to NASA Astrophysics Data System
-Kingston lament about HOMELY sister Sarah (2:41)
-MINSK not RUBLE, SMUTTY and not FOULED unlocked last corner, HARD not BULLHEADED
-Does anyone go out to rent a DVD anymore?
-The most famous ROULETTE SPIN (1:48) in moviedom
-KNEE BENDS hurt? Put this on the end of your putter
-Do Edward Snowden’s LEAKS make him a hero?
-Good administrators COUNSEL some people out of teaching
-Plié y relevé (:20) on TBBT
Very slooow start on this Silkie, except for the SE, as ANON said. I had to leave the puzzle to go to the gym. I returned with revived brain cells and moved along at normal Saturday speed.
ReplyDeleteI knew CYAN because I worked on the electron guns for TVs in the 60's, I formed the wire supports for the heaters. I worked second shift earning the down payment for our first house while hubby babysat.
Our diner had placemats advertising ROYAL JELLY and other bee products.
38A reminds me that my toddler said he didn't need his trike seat lowered, he needed it "highered."
ZINES is okay by me. We had it before. I tried EBOOK and EMAGS first.
I thought of tissue box before KLEENEX BOX.
I think like Splynter when the clue asks for a musical key. It helps.
I'm off to dinner with my son, DIL and grandson and then to watch Kenny act in the school play, Twelve Angry Men.
TTP, I enjoyed your Maine link. I've been there several times and have good memories.
ReplyDeleteGary, I liked your links too. I always do. Thanks.
Splynter, what was cringe-worthy?
I have to report how surprised I was that this one fell into my lap. Some days one's PZL-ESP seems to be in top working order, and this was one of those days for moi.
ReplyDeleteI mean, at first glance I thought I'd have hardly a prayer--not with a Silkie and all those long fills at top, bottom, and sideways.
But all it took was PLIE as a 1st WAG in the SE corner to open the whole sector. I grokked SPUN next, instantly, and then NYET, and that was enough to give me SENATE SEAT along the bottom. The rest is history, with my one-letter WAGs all turning into primo answers.
Ahhh... if only it could always be...
ReplyDeleteWell, of course my heart sank when I saw it was a Saturday Silkie, and I feared I would get nothing at all until I hit the bottom. There some small items filled in, EVER, DODO, ORE, ULNA, NYET, and soon I had the bottom filled in and then the middle and then the SE. Yay! Only the SW eluded me because I had DER and CEO or CFO and I finally had to cheat just a little to get that corner. Kept thinking TISSUE BOX for the thing on the therapist's text but never thought of putting KLEENEX.
My biggest embarrassment: I actually have a whole chapter on the art of Max Ernst in an early book I wrote, but I never saw the picture of "Castor and Pollution" and so didn't get him as the artist. Many thanks for posting the pic, Splynter, and thanks for a/n (almost) doable puzzle, Barry.
Hi Don, nice to see you check in.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Happy Saturday everybody!
ReplyDeleteWell, close, but no PANATELA....
My undoing was the middle west coast. MULE, CARD, PALM, ÉLAN, FLORENCE, EMITTED, and so on....
I've grown to really enjoy the Silkie experience. Start off with practically zilch, then a WAG here, a V8 can moment there, and before you know it, you're done...!
I'll have to ask my Dad about the TRAMPOLINE....
NEVADA CITY, ARABIA, and RIO were, of course, gimmes since my monikers are always based on my various places of residence....
Doc out....
Hello everybody. I went through the same process that you did, Splynter, in getting ZINES: first filling EBOOK which, as you say, did not jive with the plural of the clue, and then trying EMAGS.
ReplyDeleteThe first area I solved was the southeast; it must have been ROYAL JELLY that opened that area up for me, which in turn was revealed by PLIE, NYET, ULNA, and ORE.
I had to look up Paul OSBORN, whom I had never heard of, and Bruce DERN, whom I have seen and admired in many movies.
Believe it or not, FILET was the first answer I filled in.
Altogether a pleasure to solve and a lovely way to spend Saturday morning.
I was too bull headed to get HARD HEADED, especially since I thought the commonly rented item surely would be TUX.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanations of what the heck MINED had to do with a rush.
I always try to do the LAT puzzles in the newspaper in ink. Late in the week I allow myself to Google actors, authors, etc.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I finished a Silkie for the first time. I agree that its best to start with the long answers in the South.
Can't really comment of the puzzle, as I had to cheat like mad to get thru it.
ReplyDeleteBut just trying to get thru it creates questions that always make the Blog an enjoyable read. Sometimes I never know where I will end up, for instance, Yellowrocks mentioned heaters for electron guns which led me to a homemade particle accelerator in a wine bottle. Which led me to How a CRT works. (12:13) which was so much more informative than the old technical manuals...
OK, where to next...?
I love the write ups and comments. The only thing I would like added is timings. Is it possible for the blogger of the day to indicate how long s/he took to finish the puzzle that day?
ReplyDeleteJacquet
Splynter: From One-Hockey-Fan-To-Another, living in the Tampa Bay Lightning area ... I think 23-a, Florida Pros, should have definitely been BOLTs.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, the BUCS are 1 -8 (playing like amateurs) and the RAYS missed the Playoffs this year.
OK, I usually skip the Sat.& Sun. LAT puzzles ... but my FALL CLEANING OCD has taken over ... so during a break I decided that maybe ... just maybe ... I could solve a Barry C. Silk puzzle.
TA-DA !!! Like John28man I got-er-done ... on newsprint, in black ink, without a single write-over. Yeah!
Fave today was 56-a, Nebraska, DERN, as a CSO to Husker, Avg.Joe and Ergo.
Also liked 25-d, CANES ... the somewhat CSO(?) to the "Other-Big-Game" tonight ...
Miami-HurriCANES over FSWHO ...
It was below "Florida Freezing" (thats 49 degrees here) at 6:00 am ...
But it has warmed up nicely to 72 ... setting up another perfect Sunset.
Toasts will be made at Honeymoon Island Beach.
Cheers!
CED, I always enjoy your links. They reminded me of a science project in high school. My buddy and I went to the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC and they helped us make a cathode ray tube. It was built in a flask with a phosphor deposited on the big end, a tungsten cathode glued into the other end and a nice vacuum in between. We used an old TV to get high voltage. We got a nice spot on the face, about the size of a dime which we could move around with a magnet. Fun.
ReplyDeleteHey puzzle pals...
ReplyDeleteTwo days in a row I had to TITT. Steve's puzzle really messed with my head as a dyslexic trying to rember how words are spelled. Total evil.
Today's had the similar blanks on the east coast. If I EVER get a Sat. Silkie, look out NL Central - Cubs will win!
Yesterday I wanted to link JOLIET Jake, but I guess today's SOLE may support it :-)
Cheers to the constructors and the posters (Splynter & LEM) for keeping me MILD against the constructors' EVER maddening puzzles. -T
//oh, thanks Luncia for updating us on DODO.
Jacquet@1:48 PM
ReplyDeleteMy time wouldn't mean anything; I do it during commercials while watching TV.
CED - Your video reminded me of Dr. Richard Feynman's talk on light here.. If you (or anyone interested in Life, the Universe, and Everything*) have never read his books at least check out Surely Your Joking... C, -T
ReplyDeleteJacquet@1:4:48 - I can tell you it takes me way longer than most of the bloggers to suss out a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThe write-ups do take time - I recall JzB said it takes him more than 4hrs to do the writeup; I assume he can do the puzzle in 10 min or so. That's why I appreciate what Marti, Argyle, Splynter, et.al. (I'm stopping here before forgetting some one) do for us. My Wed takes a day on-and-off - glances while I think about other stuff whilst working.
Don't be down or up about your time, just enjoy the AHA's as they (as for me) slowly come about. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Just enjoy. That's what it's there for. Cheers, -T
Easiest Saturday Silkie I've ever encountered, altho I initially had some of Splynter's starts: car, filthy, etc.
ReplyDeleteHi again~!
ReplyDeleteBill G., it was a toss-up between ZINES and FILET, one for being 'meh', and the other for my complete lack of open-mindedness.
Jaquet; I set my "personal solve time" at 30mins for Saturday; anything over that and I feel defeated by the puzzle. As for today's write-up, I spent about 3hrs including the solve time - but to be fair, I spend WAY too much time looking for the perfect picture/link, and sometimes can get off on a tangent just like CED mentioned
Splynter
My excuse: "filet" refers to steak, "fillet" refers to fish.
ReplyDeleteSo glad for this blog.
Gary, assuming I heard the football results on the car radio correctly, my condolences.
ReplyDeleteI have downloaded a new book on my Nook and am enjoying it so far (at about the halfway point). It's Calico Joe by John Grisham, a fictional story about a phenomenal baseball rookie and a young boy's father, a jerk of a family man and a mediocre big league pitcher. We'll see what happens next.
Then there's a sad case of a homeless woman who sometimes hangs out at the coffee shop that I frequent. She seems to have all of her possessions in a child's stroller and writes lots of nonsensical notes to herself. She asked me for money a couple of months back and I helped her out. Now she picks me out especially since she had success with me before. On one hand, I am beginning to try to avoid making eye contact in order to avoid her completely. On the other hand, I know her self-esteem must be at rock bottom in order to ask a stranger for a handout and so I want to help her out in some small fashion. Geez...
I went to the JOLIET Jake link I posted earlier for dinner creation (Potato soup, yum!) background music and it was the Thursday song for TIN. Doh! Here's the FILET-man link I intended.
ReplyDeleteBill G. I recall a guy asking me for $0.69 for the Mc'D's special. He saw my ashtray full of parking change, reached across me, and proceeded to dump it in his shirt. I was in awe and suddenly jaded. I try not to let that color my world view, and still like to help, but... Cheers, -T
This is perhaps the sorriest puzzle of the year. By the numbers:
ReplyDelete20A "Xi preceders" are "MU" and "NU" (and more), not "NUS." NU is merely one xi preceder.
33A "Zest" is not a part of a fruit. A RIND is.
36A A DVD may be a "commonly rented item," but DVD is an acronym for "digital video disk"; and the clue did not ask for an abbreviated answer.
39A Florence "Nightingale" may have been one of a number of HEROINES, but the clue is loosey-goosey. Why not "Eve"? Or Peggy "Lee"? Loose, lazy, stupid clue.
38D "Ins. plan" = HMO? An HMO is not a "plan"; it is a health maintenance organization. A health ins. plan is a POL (for policy).
Mr. Silk, you suck. The abbreviation for Oregon is OR, not OREG?
ReplyDeleteOfficial, older, variable length US Government abbreviations: Oreg.
ReplyDeleteSo was the clue: 3. Wash. neighbor
Anon@9:18 - Have you not added zest of lemon or orange to a recipe? I would contend that is the RIND. C, -T
ReplyDeleteAnonT, I agree. But what do you expect from a whinger with no name? Anon (9:18), turn blue with a name and you can whinge a BLUE streak. BTW, the more I do these puzzles and read stuff from the constructors, the less I find I have to complain about.
ReplyDelete