17-Across. Film with the song "Maniac" : FLASH DANCE. Memorable song and video. 4:00
24-Across. Film in which Garbo said, "I want to be alone" : GRAND HOTEL. Classic line. 0:10
54-Across. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author : RALPH NADER. Not just about the Corvair. But Holy Cow! The paperback sells on Amazon for $150?
63-Across. "That's news to me!" : I HAD NO IDEA. Really? $150?!?!
The reveal is situated smack dab in the middle of the grid:
38-Across. Private club ritual, and a hint to this puzzle's circles : SECRET HANDSHAKE. The SHAKE indicates that HAND will be mixed up in the other theme entries. Very clever! There was lots to like in this puzzle, so let's get started.
Across
1. Plenty : LOADS. I almost wanted "a ton," but it was too short.
6. Cologne scent : MUSK. I don't really like musky colognes. Or colognes, period.
10. "Now it makes sense!" : I SEE.
14. 2011 Cricket World Cup winner : INDIA. They beat out Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. (Sure, I knew that...)
15. Actress Gray of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" : ERIN. TV series 1979 - 81. Never saw it. And 37-Across. Buck Rogers portrayer __ Gerard : GIL.
16. Stores in rows : MALL. I was thinking of the racks of storage bins in our garage.
19. Formally proper : PRIM.
20. Philippine tongue : TAGALOG. Never trust Google translator. Especially with languages like TAGALOG!
21. Gillette Mach3 predecessor : ATRA.
23. Uintah and Ouray Reservation residents : UTES.
29. Annoyances : PESTS.
31. Spanish demonstrative : ESO.
32. __ Coast : IVORY.
33. Golfer nicknamed "The Big Easy" : ELS. Gimme.
35. Winter coat : HOAR.
43. Lines of praise : ODE.
44. One on a penny : UNUM. "E Pluribus UNUM." Weird: when I type E Pluribus Unum into Google translate, it gives me the English translation: "Grape." Huh?? More reliable sources assure me that it means "Out of many, one."
45. Scarfed down : ATE.
46. Like a new candle : UNLIT.
48. Showed the way : LED.
50. Treats, as an icy road : SALTS.
57. Real card : RIOT.
58. Desert formation : MESA.
59. Like monastic life : AUSTERE.
61. Non-PC purchase : iMAC.
66. Actress Tushingham : RITA. Should I know her?
67. Slimming option, for short : LIPO.suction.
68. __ position : FETAL.
69. Biz bigwig : EXEC.
70. Twirled : SPUN.
71. Easy paces : TROTS.
Down
1. Elate : LIFT UP.
2. Airing in the wee hours : ON LATE.
3. Words of wisdom : ADAGES.
4. Earthquake, perhaps : DISASTER.
5. Satirist Mort : SAHL.
6. Thin, on the Thames : MEAGRE. My least fav entry.
7. Coffee holder : URN.
8. [that's what it said] : SIC.
9. Massage : KNEAD.
10. "Whose Line Is It Anyway" technique : IMPROV. Drew Carey was the original host in the US. Now it's Aisha Tyler. The cast is more or less the same. Very funny!
11. 1777 battle site : SARATOGA. Gimme. I bet Argyle, Irish Miss and Spitzboov got this one right away.
12. Yalie : ELI.
13. Street of nightmares : ELM.
18. Husky, for one : DOG. Because "size" didn't fit.
22. Yearns : THIRSTS.
25. Embarrassed : ASHAMED.
26. It may follow eleven : NOON. Doesn't it always follow eleven?
27. Actor Estrada : ERIK.
28. Lovett of country : LYLE.
30. Spade and Hammer : SLEUTHS.
34. Subway map dot: Abbr. : STN.
36. Cavity filler's org. : ADA. American Dental Association.
38. Fermented, as milk : SOUR. So, how can you tell when sour cream has gone bad?
39. Novelist Ferber : EDNA.
40. Pen pal? : CELL MATE. Cute clue.
41. Island dance : HULA.
42. More nourishing : HEARTIER. CSO to me?
47. Medicinal syrup : IPECAC.
49. Precise : DEAD ON.
51. Didn't come clean with : LIED TO.
52. Clawed : TORE AT.
53. Advances a base, in a way : STEALS. Rickey Henderson was labeled "The Man of the Steal." (Sure, I knew that...)
55. Gets precisely : NAILS. Did you NAIL this one?
56. Appear in print : RUN.
60. Piano on a piano? : SOFT. My favorite clue.
61. Sore feeling : IRE.
62. Socialize : MIX.
64. With it : HIP.
65. "The Simpsons" shopkeeper : APU. Did everyone memorize my link to the Simpson's characters last week? I told you there would be a quiz!
I'm off to learn a cool SECRET HANDSHAKE. 0:46
Marti
Note from C.C.:
I mentioned yesterday that Bill's wife Barbara is an avid quilter. Bills sent me a few pictures. You can see more here. Love this bag. Very Vera Bradley.
57 comments:
A few false starts, PAID TV>ON LATE, MOTTOS>ADAGES, OTOS>UTES, CENT>UNUM, DUNE>MESA, I DIDNT KNOW>I HAD NO IDEA, ILL>IRE; but perps took care of them all in short order. Now we seem to be having Masonic/fraternal themes this week! Building construction Tuesday, Catholics (patrons of Knights Templar and Knights of Columbus) Wednesday, and now secret handshakes today. What next, Greek letter fraternities?
Thumbs just so and finger tips
Sure signs of the mystic grips.
Palms are greased
And weight increased
When eating oily wings and chips!
Recognition signs and tokens,
Cryptic sibboleths are spoken,
To thus assure
Intents are pure
When rooting for the team they've chosen!
That brotherhood that melds the souls
Of those pledged to like-minded goals
Normally are hid away,
Until that certain ritual day
When parties watch the Super Bowls!
Morning, all!
I was mostly on the constructor's wavelength today, except that my puzzle had no circles and I had no idea what the theme was all about. I remembered who played in "Buck Rogers" and knew both FLASH DANCE and GRAND HOTEL, which was nice.
-4 F outside right now, the heat doesn't seem to be working very well down here in the basement, and I'm really hoping I can get the car started this morning...
Nice to have a new Steve Blais puzzle to start our year. Simple theme and the long fill all was in my wheelhouse. We have done a lot of business in the Philippines so TAGALOG was easy, as were AUSTERE and SARATOGA.
Marti the bluish film on top is a good indication of bad sour cream. Pretty but not palatable.
Good morning!
No real problems with this one. Forgot to look at the circles until I'd already finished. Not sure why I remember RITA Tushingham, but I wrote her name immediately. I also remembered the Buck Rogers cast, but don't remember watching the show. My only writeover today was LOPES/TROTS. Easily remedied.
TAGALOG reminds me of olden times in the Navy. The on-base barbers in Olongapo spoke it. They were always laughing and carrying on. We thought they were probably making fun of us. When he'd finished, I'd say, "Salamat po" and get a weird look. Nothing bad, it just means "Thank you."
Rita was in some very popular movies like Doctor Zhivago which is why I remember her
Good morning,
Unlike previous posters, I had a lot of difficulty today, especially in the North. It came down to the NW and I nearly walked away, but when I remembered FLASH DANCE, the end started to appear. TAGALOG was a "newbie".
No circles and none were needed. Only discovered the theme by reading Marti's excellent write up.
RALPH NADER and I have the same home town. I don't think we knew each other, but I'd bet the farm my parents knew his parents.
This wasn't my fav puzzle for sure.......... too many clues in which I HAD NO IDEA even though it all worked out. I'm thinking tomorrow will be a total Friday wipe out.
It's -5 F here and our furnace is, thankfully, working fine. Stay warm.
Our blast of the Arctic air had us waking up to 57 degrees. Where did I put those corduroys?
Good morning everyone.
Not too hard for a Thursday. @ 7d, tried mug, then cup then URN. Easily got the theme fill with the grid spanner including the rearranged HAND letters.
SARATOGA - Grew up in the Town of Saratoga 2 miles North of the Battlefield. The Brit and Hessian retreat route crossed over what would in the 20th century be our front lawn. (The actual surrender took place a few weeks later, about 5 miles N of where we lived.)
-16º here at 0400.
Have a good day.
Good morning all !
Thank you Steve Blais and thank your Marti.
Not too much difficulty today. No circles. I HAD NO IDEA what the theme was when filling in the grid spanner, and then forgot to look for one as I had a brief stall in the SW corner. I HAD NO IDEA on RITA, and IRE and MIX didn't come to mind very easily. It was only after realizing non-PC meant Personal Computer and not Politically Correct. Should have had some coffee first.
Pen pal = CELL MATE was my favorite.
I also was thinking in terms of warehousing versus stores in a MALL.
Cent was a type over before UNUM.
I like those chips that were once known as SARATOGA chips. "Cheeps, no fries !"
My take would be that since other possibilities such as "twelve" exist for "It may follow eleven" "may" might be required by Rich in a Thursday level puzzle.
I have no idea why SOFT is correct for Piano on a Piano.
LIFT UP, and ON LATE in the NW corner, and LIED TO and TORE AT in the SE corner. What say you about that, Al Cyone ?
Running late again today. Time for a cup of coffee.
TTP, in music "piano" means soft and "forte" means loud. Then you get the mezzos -- mp = medium soft, mf = (not what you're thinking!) medium loud. Then they go crazy with the very soft (pp), very loud (ff), very-very soft (ppp) and very-very loud (fff).
Good Morning. Still below zero. Brrr!
Yup, I remember Rita Tushingham; I think her character had no name. Sometimes NOON follows eleven, sometimes midnight. ;)
Thanks Mr. Blais for the handshake. Thank you Marti for the run through.
Just curious: No school again. How is it kids can't get to school because it's too cold, but they can get to the malls and the sledding hills?
Stay cozy.
Madame Defarge, I (and, I think, many of the parents out there) had the same question about school closings today.
All I know is, baby it's coooold outside!
Pretty smooth run today. The only unknowns, the Garbo movie and the Tushingham actress, fell easily to perps. Thanks for a fun puzzle, Steve, and for an excellent expo, Marti.
Re: sour cream. Why does it have an expiration date? Are they afraid it going to go fresh?
Minor nit re. 71a: Whenever I've had the TROTS, I have never had the luxury of an "Easy pace"!
Wow! must be a tough puzzle if there are only 9 comments by the time I read the Blog!
I had a hard time not finishing this puzzle, probably because of my reading of the clues. For instance: 58A desert formation, I read as dessert information (why won't menu fit?)
38D when is the sour cream bad? (when it runs...)
Winter coat is not snow? *&^%$# dentists said so...
Like crosswords Improv often uses the Artic Tern, (@5:00) not to be confused with the lesser "Ern."
Erin Gray was hot
Obligatory for the ladies....
I am glad there are not more Simpsons clue/answers in crosswords...
The proper handshake is more of a fistbump....
Hmm, the Japanese may have something with the introductory bow... EEEWW!
Back in my ute I saw the temp go down to -40F (now let me see, what would that be in Celcius?). I lived just six blocks from the school and had to duck into a church to warm up on the way. But the school did not close due to the cold.
Finished early and quickly. RALPH NADER was a gimmee. Seeing the circles there, HNAD,helped me suss SECRET HANDSHAKE from just the S and E. With the theme and the circles I was off with great sledding all the way.
Whose Line Is It is one of my favorites. I especially liked it when it was hosted by Carey.
Our sour cream doesn't hang around long enough to go bad.
I just read an article advocating fist bumps as a much less germy alternative to handshakes.
We started the day at 0, with wind chill below 0, but schools are open. The home builders and road constructors worked yesterday (BRR), but not today. The garbage men and walking letter carriers have it tough.
Today I am preparing Alan's annual guardianship report. The government form is never compatible with my bank records and transposing them becomes a chore. (UGH!)
I HAD NO IDEA about most of this today, so even though I got it all in the end, most was WAGS. I had to take a break and do the Sudoku, to get unmarried to SOTO and try SOFT before the SE corner came out. Circles did help me get a couple of those out earlier.
DO--Minus 40 is where the two cross paths, but you probably knew that. her right now it's 2.5F. above on our digital, but the old analog thermometer has been stuck on about minus 2 for the last few days, so I can't trust it.
Mme Defarge and Marti,
I think it's so they don't get stuck outside waiting for buses that may be broken down somewhere. Also, those diesel buses can be awfully slow to start in the cold, so they may be an unsafe bet most of the time in winter. I think the bus strike in Sydney when I was teaching there in the 1970's was even stranger--the kids would walk past the school on their way to the beach, but used the strike as an excuse not to attend classes.
First time I nailed a Thursday in ages. No xwd dictionary lookups either.
66A: She was in a 60's film called "A Taste of Honey". We walked in late on a sneak preview and had no idea what we were watching.
"Puzzling thoughts":
Liked the theme; good toughness for a Thursday.
No real hang-ups; had a few ink blots in spaces where I tried filling the answer to a different clue into the wrong spot
I, too am a fan of Whose Line Is It Anyway; great IMPROV but I still think the cast gets a heads up on some of the "themes" they have to act out
Thanks Marti to the link to the Baby It's Cold Outside tune; it's one of my DW's faves
Lemony, did you see the email I sent you earlier in the week? If not check your spam folder. Gonna be close by first half of next week
Still no connection to the puzzle to two limericks I crafted awhile ago; and with yesterday's terrorist shootings in France I will probably have to shelve one of them as it (the limerick) involves, not intentionally, a sniper in Paris. I made these up a couple of weeks ago ...
Marti: Excellent write-up & links! Yeah, I thought of you at HEARTIER.
Steve: Thank you for a FUN Thursday puzzle.
From the Frozen Tampa Bay Area (it is below our freezing point of 51 degrees!) this was a hoot to solve.
OK, at first my 7-d, Coffee holder, was a mug before URN.
And my 56-d, Appear in print, was rAn before RUN ...
But otherwise I had a RIOT completing the grid.
Really enjoyed the SECRET HAND SHAKE theme.
Fave was THIRSTS since my yearns at Sunset are quenched by Scotch!
Cheers!
I love Barbara's needlework. The striped bag and orange flowered quilt were my faves. Was that a nasturtium?
Well, I guess I can't put off the accounting any longer.
Musings
-Some people think NADER killed the Corvair and cost Gore the presidency
-You’re my age if you know the show that had this actor with the last name of GRAY
-Very stylized “HANDSHAKES” at H.S. Basketball games (1:39)
-Trajan’s Market built in 100 A.D. is the oldest MALL with 150 shops and offices
-TAGALOG has taken some words from their former Spanish rulers
-The IVORY COAST is diligently trying to keep out Ebola that is devastating its neighbors
-Our new kitty scarfs down her Science Diet when I mix in a little tuna
-Road SALT is in short supply this winter
-Here’s what LIPO can make you look like
-Those paces ain’t easy if those TROTS are the backdoor type
-These hilarious bulletins needed a SIC notation
-What you RUN in print can get you killed these days
Good day, puzzlers.
I eased into the puzzle early this morning, finished, and went back to bed. Seeing four circles, I thought it would be scrambled letters then saw HAND. That helped to fill in some long ones.
I recall RITA Tushingham in the last scene of Dr. Zhivago when Alec spots her coming off the boat; she was the daughter of Dr. Z and Lara.
Bluehen:
LOL at your remark about TROTS.
Have a marvelous Thursday, everyone!
Nice puzzle today. And a very nice write-up, Marti.
Noon may follow 11, but so does Midnight.
Thanks to all of you for your comments each morning!
I started this puzzle and all I had in the NW was Mort SAHL. Then my brain woke up and I flew through this one. In spite of the unknowns ( INDIA, ERIN, UTES, ESO, GIL, & RITA) this puzzle was very easy. The only writeover was MEAGRE for MEAGER. As for the theme, I solved SECRET HANDSHAKE but would have never gotten it had it not been for the circles.
53A-Monastic life- I originally wrote SEXLESS but it wouldn't work and had to fill in AUSTERE.
IPECAC- I have a friend who once put some of it in his cousin's Coke as a joke ( back in 1968). He spent the night throwing up. He told him 10 years later.
What could be more fun than a Thursday speed run! Wonderful way to start the day--many thanks, Steve!
Had no trouble with anything, but just didn't get how RIOT was a REAL CARD, since I kept picturing a playing card. Should have asked myself how in the world a "real" card differed from a "fake" card? Finally got it when I came to the blog, even without a Marti explanation.
Bill, tell Barbara those are gorgeous quilts!
Have a great day, everybody!
Hi everybody! I plugged along slowly through this puzzle and was tempted to turn on red letters several times...but I didn't. I didn't have any circles on the Mensa site so I went to Cruciverb and found them. My last sticky place was the lower-right corner with HEARTIER, AUSTERE, RUN, etc. But I finished. Thanks Steve and Marti.
I agree with Marti that NOON always follows eleven. On the other hand, eleven isn't always followed by noon.
Misty and Yellowrocks, thanks for the comments about Barbara's quilting. I'll relay them. The orange flower is the state flower of California, a California poppy. The VW has the eventual color scheme of our restored old 1965 bug that I bought new for $1900.
If you didn't see the video I linked from late last night about sleepy kitties and puppies, you might enjoy going back to watch it. Very appealing I thought.
I hope you have a good day!
Hi gang -
Should I be ASHAMED that that was my last fill? HOAR and ESO slowed me down.
Great anagram theme, with a really clever and original grid-spanning unifier.
Yep - I'm impressed.
needed a lot of perp help all over the place, but narrowly avoided a 2nd straight DNF.
NOONER yesterday, NOON today. Hmmmm.
Otto - nice thorough explanation on the piano piano.
Freezing regards!
JzB [On days like this the LW's grandfather would look at the thermometer and say, "Zero? That's nothing!"]
Oh, yeah - the quilting is beautiful and artistic.
I'm impressed all over again.
Cheers!
JzB
Re: noon vis-à-vis 11. I was thinking of the logic of the clue. NOON always follows eleven. But that doesn't mean that everything that follows eleven is noon, as some of you have pointed out. Duh! (Note to self: quit trying to overanalyze each clue...)
BTW, for all you readers out there, I just finished "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion, and absolutely loved it. It came out a couple years ago, and I understand there is a sequel called "The Rosie Effect," which is now on my must-read list.
Bill G., I did see that kitty video - I can't go back and watch it again right now, because I have to finish work. I'm afraid I would take their cue and conk out. Very cute!
And I forgot to mention that I loved Barbara's quilting. Like C.C. I thought the purse looked very "Vera Bradley," but my fav was the CA poppy. So colorful!!
Echoing Chairman Moe,
I couldn't help thinking that PEN PAL and SATIRIST were oddly timed clues for today in view of world events yesterday.
Before checking on his Limerick challenge of 2 weeks ago, which I missed, here is some Math 101 in re °F and °C:
With regard the crossing point of temperature scales in °F and °C:
Recall that: T (in °F) = 32° + (9/5) * T (in °C)
At what point do temperatures in °F and °C coincide? When T (in °F) = T (in °C) = Tx
So substitute T(°F) = T(°C) = Tx: Tx = 32 + (9/5) * Tx
Make a common denominator for Tx: (5/5) * Tx = 32 + (9/5) * Tx
Rearrange: (5/5 * Tx) – (9/5 * Tx) = 32
Subtract your fractions: (-4/5) * Tx = 32
Rearrange: Tx = 32 * (-5/4)
Calculate: Tx = -40°
QED !
NC
Chairman Moe
Can you give me the date you posted in re "Still no connection to the puzzle to two limericks I crafted awhile ago".
NC
Thank you Steve and HeartRx.
I was stupefied when I first looked at the long answers and thought: "Oh, that's FLASHDANCE, that's SECRETHANDSHAKE, and this one here? That's RALPHNADER."
As I worked the rest of the puzzle I started to anguish over some of the 3 and 4 letter answers.
All turned out well, but man oh man...the irony that almost was. :-)
Good Afternoon:
Late to the dance due to the necessary evil of taking down the Christmas decorations and getting side-tracked by telephone calls.
Enjoyed the puzzle and saw the "shaken" hand almost immediately. Only write over was rime/hoar. Improv took a while because I thought the show was What's My Line? As Tin would say, go figure.
Thanks, Steve, for a fun offering and thanks, Heartier Marti, for a spot-on expo.
Owen, your muse is alive and well!
Bill G, enjoyed the sleepy pets link, although a few of them looked more tipsy than tired! Tell Barbara her handiwork is outstanding and very beautiful.
Don't know the temp but it's darn cold. Have a great day and stay warm.
No circles in Mensa so I didn't get the theme until coming here.
I must memorize those names from The Simpsons. I had SANDS before SALTS, DUNE before MESA, and I was in the wrong century with SAREJEVO before SARATOGA. I always must wait for perps to decide between STA or STN.
Like TTP, my favorite clue was PEN PAL = CELL MATE. I didn't mind MEAGRE= THIN ON THE THAMES as Thames indicates the British spelling.
ADA again today as I recover from my dental surgery. Good day to stay inside anyway as we are -8C (18F) and starting to get some blowing snow.
Enjoyed the puzzle. Fun solve. Loved the Piano on a piano clue.
CrossEyedDave, EEEWW indeed! There's a guy at work who has a chronic, wet-sounding cough. He assures me he is not ill and that everything is all right. He coughs into his right hand. I won't shake hands with him.
CanadianEh! You don't have to memorize every single character. Here are the ones that show up most frequently in crossword puzzles:
HOMER (father) and
MARGE Simpson, (Homer's wife and mother of)
BART (underachiever),
LISA (middle child) and
MAGGIE (the baby) Simpson.
MONA Simpson, Homer's mother.
ABE Simpson, Homer's father.
NED Flanders (neighbor).
APU Nahasapeemapetilon (Quik-E-Mart owner).
Disco STU.
MOE (the tavern owner).
And of course, Homer's favorite grunt: D'OH.
Just memorize those, and you'll probably never flinch at a "Simpsons" clue again.
Continuing on the constructor's theme, there are 7 further permutations of HAND that either start or end with H:
NADH NDAH ANDH DNAH HNDA HDNA DANH
Below are my offerings for the first 4:
Something to get you up in the morning....? = goNAD Hormone
…..at about a quarter to ten? Two-aND-A-Half
But why brag about it….? = AND How!
….About what, the mortal coil? = DNA Helix
NC
Hola Everyone,At first pass, I wasn't sure I would be able to finish this puzzle on my own. However, when Flash Dance went in with the anagram for Hand, I realized that the other circles would have a variation of Hand in them as well. This did help with the reveal. I had the theme in long before the rest of the puzzle was filled in.
I was stumped for a while with Loads. I wanted Lots, but that was too short. I didn't know the Cricket World Cup winner or Musa (new word for me) but the perps helped me out here. Healthier was too long but finally Heartier filled in.
All in all a hard puzzle for me, but satisfying, because I did get it all finished and it's a Thursday puzzle, too. Thanks Marti for the great writeup.
Bill G., I love your wife's quilting projects. They are really beautiful.
HG Isn't that Billy Gray, AKA "Bud" from Father Knows Best?
Greetings!
Thanks, Steve and Marti! Puzzle took less time than yesterday's. Sussed out the theme easily w/o the circles!
Loved clue for SOFT. RITA was a gimme to this old duck.
Cheers!
Musings 2
-Yes, Bill, that is Billy Gray playing Bud in this 50’s family show
-A quick weather story: It is so rare that a superintendent leaves the herd and makes an independent decision but the one in Wahoo, NE (Yes, Virginia, there is a Wahoo) did hold school when no one else did yesterday to mixed opinions.
Nice Cuppa:
Chairman Moe here (having a login issue, that's why I'm not "blue")
Regarding your post @ 12:19: I have NOT sent the limericks I created to this blog. I have been waiting for a word in the puzzle that helps me "connect" the limerick with the puzzle. I try, as does Owen, to always have a limerick that is "related" to a word or words in the crossword puzzle. In this case, I randomly created a couple of limericks and have been "waiting" for the right time to use them here. As I mentioned, one of the two limericks (which I created about two weeks ago) has a central character that happens to be a sniper in Paris. Since yesterday's news, I am reluctant to post it
Hope that explains it
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Steve Blais, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for a fine review.
Marti: Our book club read "The Rosie Project" in September. We really liked it. We gave it an Enjoyment Index of 7.7, out of 10. I especially liked the bartender portion of the book. It was a riot!
Bill G and Wife: Liked your quilt. I showed them to my wife. She is a quilter too and thought they were very good.
This puzzle really caught my eye when I caught the theme. I have been taught more SECRET HAND SHAKEs than Carter has Liver Pills with all the fraternal groups I belong to. As well as Grips and Passwords. I am sure I cannot remember them all, without being prompted. Anyhow, it is fun to me.
Puzzle was not easy but I did get it all.
Got a kick out of INDIA winning Cricket. The British taught them the game during the Raj. The Indians really took it to heart. Good for them.
Almost wrote in SNOW for 35A, but held off. HOAR became obvious.
Remember RALPH NADER well. I believe he is still around.
Got EPECAC. I asked my wife what it does to you. She said it makes you throw up. Sorry I asked.
SARATOGA was easy. I have been through there last year as I travelled through upstate New York. I was near Spitzboov.
Well, I just got summoned to get the stepladder out. Our daughter stopped by and is helping us take the tree down.
See you tomorrow. Hope it is warmer. It was -4 degrees this morning.
Abejo
( )
Thanks Marti. I will keep your list for future reference. I had Stu today because I remembered him from recent clues.
This was one tough cookie for me. The northwest refused to play nice. All I got was FLASH DANCE and TAGALOG (sounds like a Girl Scout cookie.) DNF today. Thanks for the challenge, Steve, and thanks for the explanations, Marti!
I saw the theme in the second set of circles so SECRET HAND SHAKE came easily.
I've retained enough music education that SOFT for piano on piano was a gimmee.
Bill G, your wife is very talented.
Woke up to 1* outside; we're up to 15*. It has to be at least 20* for me to take the dog for a walk, so we haven't been out for a couple days. Next week we should be in the 30's. That will be nice.
Have a nice evening.
Pat
Bill,
I'm sorry I forgot to praise your wife's quilting. I thought the individual squares with so much detail were particularly unique and impressive. I'm afraid I would never have enough patience!
Nice quilting work by Barbara, Bill G. Enjoyed seeing those items. You have to appreciate the work that goes into them. Very creative. Good hobby.
I always look forward to a Thursday puzzle as often being the most entertaining of the week. This was a nice puzzle, thanks Steve Blais. Very good write-up by Marti, thanks.
But it still somehow left me wanting more. I finished it in about nine minutes, fast for my lame brain. The only ones I needed perps for were RITA and IPECAC. Anyway, the extra time was well spent today. Looking forward to Friday... you watch, it'll likely be very tough !!! :O)
Almost 70 F. out now, beautiful. Good tennis, and good cycling day. Very hazy. Typical often in the San Joaquin/Sacramento valleys.
Stay warm and take good care.
BillG:
Barbara's bag and quilts are stunning! That is tedious work so I am doubly impressed.
I've been hesitant to post lately because as soon as I click on to the site an ad interrupts starting with " due to a long running script". Does anyone else have this problem? Once the ad starts I can cancel it but it's very annoying.
Marti:
Thanks for posting those Simpson's characters. I also shall save them for future reference. Thanks, too, for the book recommendation; that's alwys welcome.
Saw this on Facebook & just had to share it:
Chicago Bulls Kiss Cam FAIL - MASCOT STEPS IN || VIDEO
D-O,
Thank you for explaining piano on piano. That subject matter is obviously not my forte. My knowledge is kind of piano in that area.
Bill G, impressive works by your wife.
Madame Defarge, DW has taken up "Arm Knitting" lately. I might wear one if her scarves to go get the mail in a little bit !
CED - That Kiss Cam Fail video is one of the funniest I've ever seen! I wonder if that couple is still together? 😉
CED - Really enjoyed the Kiss cam video.
One has to believe it was staged, but so what. So is everything on television. It made me smile and that's the important part. Thanks for sharing. :-)
On the Kiss Cam video - I remember a 'fail' in those of those interminable 'fail shows', where a girlfriend (or wife ) got fedup with her 'busy-on-the-phone ' boyfriend (and wouldn't kiss her ) and she then dumped her coke on him.
Sad news in Paris. For what its worth, constructors have learnt 2 new french words, they can use in future puzzles :
1, Vichy weekly - Habdo ( as in 'Charlie Habdo' )
2. To be in Toulouse - (Je) Suis ( as in 'Je suis Charlie' - I am Charlie - )
--- the placards being carried by the sympathisers of those murdered editors.
CED, that Kiss Cam video is great! I like it so much that the first thing I thought of was posting it to my pals on CC's CW puzzle blog... I wonder how that couple is doing since then? (Aha, I see Irish Miss had the same question.) If it was staged, I don't care and I really don't want to know.
Lucina and others, thank you for the nice comments about Barbara's quilting. I've relayed them to her. Yes, she often spends most of a day at her sewing machine on one end of our kitchen table.
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