55. Urban centers, and what this puzzle's circles represent : TOWN SQUARES.
7 randomly selected towns are formed into squares in the grid, as shown by the circled letters. God bless, if you didn't have the circles:
LIMA
OSLO
FLORENCE
PISA
RENO
BRASILIA
BUDAPEST
I am not sure if they qualify as towns - most of them are pretty big cities, IMO.
The grid shows right to left symmetry, but not top to bottom. Not much else stood out for me, which can be a good thing. Let' see where else Jeffrey takes us on his world tour.
Across
1. Popular : LIKED.
6. Scale syllables : LAs.
9. Drives away : SHOOS.
14. Simple-living sect : AMISH. It all began with a schism of Swiss and Alsatian Anabaptists let by Jakob Ammann. Which explains why they speak a form of German called Pennsylvania Dutch.
15. Guitar attachment? : IST. Guitarist.
16. Pope John Paul II's given name : KAROL. Karol Józef Wojtyła.
17. Warm-water ray : MANTA.
18. Ziegfeld with follies : FLO.
19. Donald Jr.'s mom : IVANA.
20. One of the deadly sins : ANGER. Along with pride, covetousness, lust, gluttony, envy, and sloth.
21. What a flap may cover : EAR.
22. Four-time Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series : LA LAW.
23. Longtime Lehrer partner : MACNEIL. They first teamed up to cover the Watergate hearings for PBS in 1973.
26. __ spoon : GREASY. Ah, so here's the GREASY fare I was looking for last week!
29. Coniferous secretions : RESINS.
33. "The imperious __ breed monsters": Shakespeare : SEAS. From "Cymbeline."
34. New England food fish : SCROD. In New England, the term is usually taken to mean "fresh catch of the day," and could be haddock, cod or other whitefish.
36. Goes bad : ROTS.
38. Edible pockets : PITAS.
40. Sign before Virgo : LEO.
41. Canadian bottle size : LITRE. Canadians spell it the same as the British do.
42. Computer text code : ASCII.
43. Sturdy tree : ELM.
44. Bond's car starter? : ASTON.-Martin.
45. Pi-sigma link : RHO.
46. "Life Is Good" rapper : NAS.
48. Pig's digs : STY.
50. Lacking a mate : ODD.
51. Broadway songwriting team __ and Ebb : KANDER. No clue. I should know them, though, because "Cabaret" and "Chicago" are two of my favorite musicals.
53. Starts from scratch : REDOES.
59. Start of a spell : ABRA.cadabra...
61. Dome openings : OCULI. Like this one in the Pantheon in Rome.
62. Melville's Billy : BUDD.
65. China neighbor : LAOS.
66. Fabric information spot : LABEL.
67. Ruse : TRAP.
68. 1953 Caron film : LILI.
69. Helps with the dishes : DRIES. I just throw them in the dishwasher.
70. Michaelmas mo. : SEPT. A celebration of the Archangel Michael, it occurs on September 29th.
Down
1. Priest from the East : LAMA.
2. Mogadishu-born model : IMAN. Thank you, Lucina. I now remember her name without hesitating!
3. Wenceslaus, e.g. : KING. Wenceslaus I was a duke, assassinated in a plot by his brother. He was elevated to sainthood and given the title of KING posthumously.
4. Acapulco-to-Oaxaca dirección : ESTE. OK, I totally blew my Spanish quiz last week, so here I'm given another chance. I'll guess: EAST? (I have a 1 in 4 chance of getting it right!)
5. Greg's sitcom wife : DHARMA. The sitcom ran from 1997-2002. Jenna Elfman is still acting, but not with her previous success on this show. Thomas Gibson has had a bit more success, and can be seen on "Criminal Minds."
6. Series of biological stages : LIFE CYCLES.
7. C.S. Lewis lion : ASLAN. In "The Chronicles of Narnia," Aslan is the only character to appear in all seven books.
8. Shelf-restocking sources : STOREROOMS.
9. Résumé essentials : SKILLS.
10. "__ Nagila" : HAVA.
11. Unwritten : ORAL.
12. Chaplin granddaughter : OONA.
13. Diner side : SLAW.
24. Animal in some of Aesop's fables : ASS.
25. Mil. roadside hazard : IED. Improvised Explosive Device.
26. Teahouse hostess : GEISHA.
27. Certain exterminator's concern : RAT CONTROL.
28. Morales of "La Bamba" : ESAI.
30. Pupil controller : IRIS.
31. Having second thoughts : NOT TOO SURE.
32. Took steps : STRODE.
33. Bit of inspiration : SPARK.
35. Baha'i, e.g.: Abbr. : REL.igion.
37. Ships : SENDS.
39. Strength : SINEW.
41. Cake section : LAYER.
47. Composer Schoenberg : ARNOLD. Here is a very good version of the orchestral prelude to his "Gurre-Lieder" by the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra.
49. Gets behind : TRAILS. And a semi-clecho at 54-Down. Results of getting behind : DEBTS.
52. "__ say!": parental warning : DO AS I. (..."not as I do!")
56. Dueling memento : SCAR.
57. Android media console brand : QUBI. I can honestly say that I have never...ever...seen this word before. It was a crowdfunded startup and was supposed to come out in 2013. But I don't see any current news for it. Does it actually exist?
58. 1997 Fonda role : ULEE.
59. The whole lot : ALL.
60. Chinese-born actress __ Ling : BAI. Her Chinese citizenship was revoked because of her role in "The Red Corner," since the film was critical of Human Rights abuses in China.
63. Fist bump : DAP.
64. Combo vaccine, for short : DPT. Diptheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. The MMR (Measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is making headlines lately.
That's it for this week!
Marti
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear LaLaLinda, who has not been active on the blog lately due to a health setback. Last month Linda also lost her beloved cat, who was a close companion to her for the past 16 years. (Edited later: the past 17 years) Let's send Linda our positive thoughts and make today extra special for her.
57 comments:
Tough one I had to resort to red letters on. Specifics were probably the same ones you got hung up on. No circles on the Mensa site, but from the reveal I guessed how I should hunt for 4
or 8 letter cities. I'm kicking myself for still not finding a one of them before reloading from the Cruciverb site to see just where the danged circles were! All I did find was CUBA in the south (Cuba, N.M., pop. 735) and TORONTO tangled up in the east (Jerome probably found that, too).
You can relax, I'm not going to try and do 8 limericks for 8 theme entries. Three should be a sufficient sampler.
There once was an actor from FLORENCE
Whom the critics all viewed with abhorrence.
His emoting was fine,
Where he got out of line
Was the tomatoes he threw each performance!
Once you've eaten the pizza in PISA
All others taste flat as dry PITA.
It's not the primavera,
Nor even marinara,
It's that special Italiano Velveeta!
Aladdin flew his carpet to RENO
With intent to clean out a casino.
Told his Jinn, "Make me hot
When I roll a craps shot."
And poof!, he was diced jalapeño!
Morning, all!
No circles for me, so the theme remained completely hidden from my view during (and after) the solve.
I did manage to get through unassisted, but man, there were a lot of obscure/unknown entries today! The only thing that saved me was that the crosses were, on the whole, fair (and I managed to remember some of the obscurities).
Unknowns included QUBI and KANDER. Obscurities included DAP, MACNEIL, KAROL, ARNOLD and ASLAN.
One big sticking spot was when I confidently entered STOCKROOM instead of STOREROOM and then couldn't figure out why nothing worked in the north central area. This mistake led me to initially enter SAC instead of EAR. I did eventually get the mess cleared, however.
Like OwenKL, I turned on the red letters when I had only one letter left to fill, the U in QUBI and OCULI. Never heard of ARNOLD (I'll never forget ol' whatzhisname). And no circles... in fact, I still haven't found all the towns. But I like the theme so much, I might go back and do it after the paper comes. Thanks, Jeffrey and Marti. Good job.
Happy Birthday, LaLaLinda. So sorry for the loss of your feline companion. Have a great day today.
Another trip into Jeffrey' s mind and his fun with visual grids. I think his continuing to do his puzzles manually gives him the inspiration to put all of the pictures in the grids.
I agree with Barry G. that there were some obscurities like KANDER and QUBI but the perps were fair. Karol Woylta received lots of press and McNeil Lehrer added a lasting impression during Watergate.
Speaking of lasting impressions this ACTRESS has left hers.
Thanks for another version of Marti and Jeffrey bring us Thursday.
Stay warm and safe
Good morning!
Stumbled her and there today, but managed to regain my balance. The biggest error was NOT CERTAIN for NOT TOO SURE. I knew DAP -- can't imagine why.
I always liked the MacNeil-Lehrer Report on PBS. I also liked MacNeil's book on the English language; that's where I learned about Gullah.
Happy Birthday, LaLaLinda. Hope you'll drop in and visit now and then. I miss your posts.
Good Morning, Marti and friends. I thought this was an easier Thursday than usual. I loved the theme and realized that I have visited 5 of the "Town Squares" hidden in the puzzle. I was in LIMA, Peru just last month.
The National Judicial College is in RENO, Nevada. I took some courses there a few years ago.
ESIA appeared recently. I can never remember his name, however.
My hubby and I watched LILI just a week or so ago. It was on TV.
IMAN is married to David Bowie.
Happy Birthday, LaLa Linda. Hope you are not too snowed in!
QOD: Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. ~ Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809 ~ Apr. 15, 1865)
Hands up if you wonder if Jeffrey tried for an eighth town in the center.
Today's challenge was tough for me due to the people and things that I have never heard of: MACNEIL, NAS, KANDER, ARNOLD, BAI, OCULI, QUBI coupled with other proper names that I was vaguely familiar with: FLO, KAROL, ULEE IVANA, LEO, DHARMA, ASTON, ESAI, BUDD, OONA. I don't read People Magazine or keep up with popular culture too much.
I couldn't get the theme until I filled the TOWN SQUARES and it was neat the way the puzzle was constructed. I always seem to have trouble with RESIN & ROSIN so I finally looked it up. Rosin is made from resin.
I hope you guys up north are not freezing too much.
Happy Birthday La La linda. Wish you well and hope you are back in good health real soon.
Hi all. Good morning.
Yesterday it was the Northeast. Today it was the Southeast.
Combo vaccine ? With all the news coverage, it had to be MMR, right ? Wrong. Bzzzt.
DElay looked fine for "Results of getting behind." Had no idea on "Melville's Billy", and with the incorrect aR in place for "Ruse", the only thing I could think of was artifice.
Had no circles so didn't see the city names, but it didn't detract from the challenge. Good cluing all around.
Interpreted "Took steps" figuratively, so I had STROVE rather than STRODE. I STROVE to fix that section because I was NOT TOO SURE it was entirely correct. ODD looked better than ODD looking OVD, and beyond that, actually made sense for the clue. I then figuratively STRODE to the southeast where I literally failed.
Hand up for never having heard of QUBI, and also BAI, but the perps were solid there.
30D could have been clued Rocker Donnie. Have I linked any Donnie IRIS songs lately ? The RAPPER ? AH LEAH ? PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC ?
Thank you Marti and thank you Jeffrey. Good stuff.
BTW, Marti and Barry, that boat that got stuck in the snow banks while being towed in Boston got a lot of TV coverage here.
La La Linda, I hope you'll be able to join us as soon as you can. Miss you. Happy Birthday !
YR from yesterday. Burping cloth. True. Thanks. I still can't think of why I associate swabby with something other than sailor.
Happy Birthday, LaLaLinda!
I can really sympathize over the loss of your cat. Hobbes (my current avatar) has been with me for 15 years and is at least 16 years old. Sadly, he is on his last legs and we don't expect him to survive more than a day or two (no energy, not eating, etc.). It's hard to explain to non animal people just how much our pets become part of our lives and members of our family, and it's always rough to say goodbye, even (especially?) when you have advance warning.
Great theme, although the circles were of no help in solving. I found all the towns right after the reveal. In the beginning I interpreted the first set of circles as an anagram, MAIL, which kept me from reading the letters in order clockwise. DUH! Wonderful expo as always, Marti.
Only unknowns were KANDER and QUBI, but they had good perps. I knew OCULI.
I liked to watch the MacNeil Lehrer Report. I will have to find Leherer's book, DO. That's right up my alley.
I am happy when someone DRIES the pots and pans.
Off to the gym for my quarter mile. The Y has a machine which I use at PT, so today I will try that.
Happy birthday La La Linda. I think of you often. I wish you improving health in the coming year. Condolences for the loss of your precious kitty.
Musings
-I saw FLORENCE and PISA first and thought this might be an all-Italian theme
-In Lancaster County we were told of an AMISH man who was great at repairing tractors but not allowed to drive one on his farm
-Fanny Brice never performed on roller skates or as a pregnant bride for FLO
-Watergate also brought these guys fame
-I’m surprised Marti didn’t mention SCROD rhymes with yard in her lovely write-up ;-)
-Some ASCII art
-STOREROOMS – We needed an A23 battery yesterday and a clerk scanned a bar code, which said they had 26 in the store, but no one could find any
-RAT (mouse) CONTROL – Good – Lily found a mouse in our garage. Bad – she brought it inside. I then blocked that entry point
-Pete Carroll claims he has no second thoughts (1:06)
-Fab limericks today, Owen!
-Congrats Linda on your BD. We are so glad that we got back into the kitty market after a 10-year absence and hope you will too.
Happy Birthday and best wishes for a very healthy year LaLa Linda; I was trying to come up with some encouragement from it also being Lincoln's birthday but my thoughts were not worth a penny.
JL your mind roams everywhere.
Good Morning:
I, too, thought this was an easier than usual Thursday. Did have a couple of missteps: tacos before pitas and of all the foolish mistakes, I thought Donald, Jr. referred to Donald Duck, so I ever-so-confidently filled in Daisy before I came to my senses and changed it to Ivana. Oh, the hubris! 😞
Thank you, Jeffrey, for the world tour and thank you, Marti, for being our amiable and knowledgeable guide.
Happy Birthday, Linda. I hope you will enjoy the day and that you feel better soon. Sorry to hear about your beloved kitty.
Also, a belated but heartfelt welcome back to Blue Iris. You have been missed so I hope you'll continue to join us often.
Great limericks, Owen; liked the third one best.
Barry, sorry to hear your bad news, also.
Honda, how are you doing?
Speaking of vaccines, I got the pneumococcal booster shot yesterday, plus some lab work so I felt like a pin cushion!
Have a great day. (We're in for some very frigid weather in the next few days; stay warm and safe everyone.)
Hello Puzzlers -
Impressive construction! As usual, I'm amazed at what creative minds can create, with enough patience.
Morning Marti, good to see your style! John Lampkin 7:07 - I didn't think of that, but you're probably quite right.
Happy Birthday, LaLaLinda, and all the best wishes for wellness. I hope you choose to find another kitty companion!
Barry G, I'm sorry to learn that Hobbes is failing. Ever since he became your avatar I've thought he looked like a very handsome and capable kitty.
@John L - yep, I think you're right.
Tough, but fair with the crosses. No missteps, but I'm not sure where I'd have been without the circles.
Learned "DAP" today. American English.
Good morning everyone.
Happy birthday LaLa Linda. And am sorry about your precious cat.
I don't even try to do Thursday puzzles, so no comments.
Cheers
Hello everyone,
Happy Birthday LaLa Linda.
Thanks, Marti.
The SW gave me the most trouble also. And-I wanted a Jane Fonda film. All else was pretty smooth after a couple of passes. The reveal was indeed. . . ! I have difficulty focusing on the theme and the entries at the same time. I liked this one. Thanks, Jeffery.
Stay cozy.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jeffrey Wechsler, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for a fine review.
This was quite a project. Got it done, but my paper is an inkblot.
Got TOWN SQUARES early on. Finally saw they were cities. That fact helped me with BUDAPEST.
Did not know KANDER and MACNEIL. Perps.
Remember the pope KAROL from Poland very well.
QUBI was unknown. Perps.
I have eaten in more GREASY spoons in my life than Carter has liver pills. Generally I like them.
Sitting in the waiting room at the hospital for my wife. Then I go on a treadmill.
Happy Birthday, LaLa Linda, and many more. We were pet people for years and years. Been without for two years.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
My stubborn side insisted on keeping "Gigi" for Leslie Caron's film. The date should have given it away.
I was able to do the puzzle in the paper using a pencil and eraser (not a pen). I had the same problem as others with the number of unknowns, (DAP, QUBI, KANDER, etc.). Never would have finished it without the perps, which were very reasonable.
I didn't even look at the circles to see the theme until after I read the great expo.
Happy Birthday LaLaLinda.
Snow flurries in Central PA today but nothing like the Northeast. Heading for a low temperature around zero tonight and sub-zero temperatures over the weekend. Enough already!
LaLaLinda--Happy Birthday!
Barry G.,
I can certainly sympathize. We lost our golden retriever Trudi January 13, and it's really left a hole in our hearts and our home. I don't even remember if I mentioned it here, as I was sick with the flu soon afterwards and that seems to have tampered with my memory.
Today was a DNF for me, even with circles, I didn't have enough of the city names to see the theme, even though I got the unifier out. Smart puzzle, but difficult.
Hello, stalwart puzzlers! You're welcome, Marti. I don't hesitate either.
And thank you, Jeffrey Wechsler. Your puzzles often cream me, but this was quite solvable and conveniently stacked in doable sections. The theme helped me only in the SE. BUDAPEST gave me DAP and DPT.
Of the cities noted I have been to RENO, PISA and FLORENCE.
Recently ASCII appeared in another puzzle so it was fresh in mind but QUBI??? Luckily OCULI, LABEL and DRIES filled the missing links.
Since my fourth graders read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, ASLAN was well known.
I used to really like Criminal Minds but last year the scenes and topics just horrified me so I stopped watching.
Happy birthday, LaLaLinda! I hope your health improves and you'll be back.
I'm so sorry about your Hobbes, Barry. It's been over 20 years since I lost my Menina, an adorable papillon I had for 17 years but I still miss her.
Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!
Brilliant puzzle, Jeffrey--many thanks. I was so lucky to have the circles and couldn't believe all the cities that turned up. It did feel like a little world tour! And I got the whole thing, even though I struggled in the middle and bottom with some of the same problems (QUBI, KANDER, etc.) as others. Great write-up, Marti, although I still don't understand DAP.
Owen, enjoyed your Aladdin limerick.
LaLaLinda hope you have a wonderful day. I too am sorry to hear about the loss of your kitty. And Barry, my thoughts will be with you too in the next few days.
I teach a class on James Joyce's 'Ulysses' at our local Senior Center this afternoon. Wish me luck.
Have a good Thursday, everybody!
OwenKL:
I really enjoyed today's limericks.
R.I.P. Bob Simon of CBS who died in a car accident. I always like him.
Fun puzzle and theme. I went to Cruciverb to discover the circles. Thanks Jeffrey and Marti.
Happy birthday Linda!
Linda and Barry, I'm sorry to hear about your pets. I miss our various cats and sheepdogs.
I had an excellent grapefruit, soft-boiled eggs and half an English muffin for breakfast. Dunno why but I really like soft-boiled eggs.
Yes, I'll miss Bob Simon too.
Thanks for the comments re Hobbes. I grew up in a house full of cats (at one point we had five all at the same time), but Hobbes is the first cat I have owned since living on my own (after a gap of many years). Which is to say, he is the first cat I have ever had that was "all mine".
When I first got him (and this was a few years before I got married), he was pretty aloof most of the time except that he would always jump up on the bed to snuggle the moment I crawled into bed and turned off the light. In recent years, he has become more affectionate, however. About 4 or 5 years ago he suddenly took to regularly jumping on my lap while I was working at my computer, and in the last year he has come down to the basement every night when I'm watching TV on the couch to put his head in my lap and be rubbed on his belly. I don't know if he was just growing senile or what, but I've always appreciated the companionship and will dearly miss him.
Right now I'm just hoping he will pass peacefully in his sleep and I don't have to bring him to the vet to put him down. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, just too weak to move much and no appetite.
My son is heartbroken as well. Rather than make up stories about Kitty Heaven, I've just talked about how Hobbes had had a very happy life with us (plenty of food, warmth, love, etc.) and has also given us a lot of love and companionship in return. He will be dearly missed, but he will also live on in our memories.
Misty, DAP used to be clued as "Skip across water, as stones" or "Drop bait lightly" (as in fly fishing). It is only in recent years that the word DAP has come to mean the elaborate fist-bumping rituals shown in this video.
Owen KL, great limericks today! I also liked the third one especially.
TTP, only in Boston will you see a yacht stuck in a downtown snowbank, LOL!! I think they were probably headed for the convention center, where they are having a big boat show this weekend.
Good Grief! I forgot to wish LaLaLinda a happy birthday! Sorry to hear about your cat - they do give so much enjoyment while they are with us, and sadness when they are gone.
Barry G., it's good that you are focusing on the bright points of your pet.
As the current owner of three cats who I've had since they were babies( 2 are 8..1 is 5) it seems that THEY are the masters and I serve them. Previously I also had 5 dogs including the cats, but my illness made it to difficult to take care of them all. At one time my home also had 10 parakeets, 2 lovebirds, 2 finches, 5 rabbits, 1 white rat, 4 hamsters and a guinea pig. Animals give love without reservation and ask so little in return. I've had ill pets that died and the pain is still felt. Just know that while they were here your life was made just that much better.
Todays puzzle was a real challege. Got the theme early, which helped with my filling in since I had the circles. I do it the old-fashioned way in the paper. Did not know MACNEIL, KANDER, OCULI, or ASCll. Never heard of Michaelmas. I'm learning a lot of new things. Let's see if I can retain any of it.
That's all from me today. Have a productive day.
Sorry for the spelling errors I.E. challenge and too. Also, today's...My grammar and spelling are usual checked first. Guess I'm a little lazy today.
A typical Thursday--over my head. I enjoyed what I could do and then enjoyed Marti's expo.
LaLaLinda, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I'm sorry for the loss of your pet. They give us so much love, affection and entertainment.
Kazie, I'm sorry for your loss of a beloved pet. No matter their size they leave a huge hole in our lives when they depart this world.
BarryG--my thoughts are with you as you face the end of Hobbes' life.
Mother Nature is in cahoots with Ol' Man Winter and I'm not a fan of what they've come up with: falling temps and wind.
Pat
coneyro: I've seen a poster that says"
Dogs have owners
Cats have staff
Pat
Wow! tough puzzle. I believe I only finished it because I had no time limit.
Learning moment: Brasilia
(That's one country capital that is going to be hard to forget...)
John Lampkin@7:07 Ack! Now it's a puzzle within a puzzle! (can it be done?)
Never heard "dap" in that context before...
Granddaughter of Chaplin, all I could think of was Oona. Even if the clue was Wife of Chaplin, all I could think of would be Oona...
50A lacking a mate = odd, how rude! As if life isn't hard enough, why treat people like socks! Er, whats that? you WERE talking about socks?
Oh, nevermind...
42A I had ASC-- & waited, because I always get confused with ASCAP.
HG, that ASCII link you posted, hit CTRL - enough times & it looks like a photograph!
Cont...
26A I always thought it would be funny to have a restaurant named The Greasy Spoon in French. But not knowing French my best translation was Le Gras Cuillere. (hmm still not very appetizing...) Today with the power of the internet, I just looked it up again. Hmm, I would eat at Boui Boui...
This town square thing is getting out of hand.
& it's spreading!
Well wadiya know... A round peg in a town square...
HBD LaLaLinda!
Oh, almost forgot I had this tab open. I always wondered what happens when it rains on the Pantheon. I did not know Roman Engineers sloped the floor toward drains for this purpose!
Barry G.
This month will be a year since I lost my cat, my sincere condolences.
Pls do not hesitate to take your cat to the Vet. When I took PK, they discovered her kidneys had failed & she was in extreme pain, but for a reasonable fee, they gave her an injection that eased her pain, & injected water under her skin to hydrate her. & for the next day she was almost back to normal while we waited the results of her blood tests.
CrossEyedDave:
I appreciate the advice, but my personal preference is to not go as long as he is not in any apparent pain or distress. The last time I had to take a very old cat to the vet (my mother's cat), the cat freaked out the entire way there and then died in my arms in the waiting room.
I realize this is more about my feelings than his, but i just can't bear to go through that again unless I absolutely have to.
Here's a nice song from the "younger generation" that the older folks here on the blog haven't had the pleasure of hearing.
BUDAPEST
Hi gang -
LaLaLinda - HBD. Hope your well enough to join us again soon.
My condolences to all the pet owners and/or ownees on the impending or past posses of their companions.
We're not pet people, but all four of our kids are or have been, and I see how attached people become to the animals in their lives.
Did the puzzle in the paper today, so the circles were there. After I caught onto the theme, the circled letters were a big help.
Pretty clever, and some fresh verticals.
Cool regards!
JzB
Good afternoon everyone.
Happyiorthday to Lala Linda. Nice shoutout at 6a.
I agree with Marti, Towns in the circles were hardly towns. But it was fun; first to solve the cw and then to suss the 'towns' . Jeffrey does not disappoint and I look forward to his creations.
KAROL - Means Charles in Polish. Dutch is Karel, German Karl. Karl der Große - Charlemagne.
ODD - I kind of like a Canadian usage meaning something like an outlier, or something irregular, but nuanced. In Winter in describing Niagara river ice conditions, My Canadian counterparts might use the term " and odd piece of ice here and there (meaning: But mostly clear.)
Dear OwenKL:
Your cleverness astounds!
Your rhymes and word play know no bounds.
I'm amazed that you come up with these every day -
so I tip my hat with the respect I pay!
Well, I didn't even notice the circles. I have been to all of these cities, except BRASILIA, but I don't think finding them would have helped me with this tough pzl.
I too (like Ray o sunshine) was hung up with GIGI for a long while, but eventually realized the error of my ways...
Marti, many thanks for explaining DAP to me. Would never have understood it without that.
Ah, pets--what a wonderful gift. Dusty and Misty Jr. send their love to all of you pet owners.
Taking a much needed break to enjoy the comments. Spent the better part of the day making split pea/ham soup and French Onion soup. The former is already apportioned and in the freezer while the latter is simmering away, filling the house with its tantalizing aroma.
I think I was spurred on to make these after hearing the regular temps (single digit for highs) and wind chill temps of anywhere from -20 to -30 or -40. Not to cast any blame, but I think this is coming from our northern neighbor, if you get my drift!
I have a question: Would the cold cause a suction cup to lose its hold? I had a beautiful Kelly green shamrock sun catcher on a door pane and while I was making the soup, I heard a crash and turned around to
see it on the floor in smithereens. (What an odd word,
but a fitting one!). It was hanging there for quite awhile
and that's why I think it might have been the cold. Any thoughts?
Spitz 1:34 - that's my favorite use of odd as well.
Barry 11:36 - I understand your point of view. It's hard enough to lose a pet without having also to suffer the voyage to the vet.
IrishMiss:
The suction cup falling may well be due to the cold, but I believe they dry out over time. Some I've had just drop after a few years and since it's extremely dry here, that seems logical.
Thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes. They are very much appreciated, especially since I've been pretty much MIA for so long! (Loved the kitty cake, CED)
I've been dealing with some tough times, physically and emotionally but certainly nothing more than what others of you are going through. You've been in my thoughts. I admire the strength of those who are going through difficulties and yet are still able to carry on. I seem to struggle with this.
Losing my 17 year old cat has been very hard, even though I knew it was inevitable after she was diagnosed with lymphoma almost three years ago. She did really well with meds until her last few days. Barry, I'm sorry for what you're now dealing with ~ the memory is still fresh. I do still have two cats - but they can't replace the one I've lost. My cats are my kids ~ I guess it just takes time.
I've had a quiet, but good day ~ getting ready for a feast of lobster and birthday cannoli.
I haven't felt up to "talking"/posting, but hope to be back on a regular basis sometime soon. Thank you for your kind thoughts!
Barry G @ 1:11
I understand.
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Daughter #1 had brought her cat Nelson with her on Sunday for me to take care of while she had her wisdom teeth out. (since postponed)
She adopted this 4 year old cat instead of a kitten because she was afraid no one would want an older cat. He is very scared most of the time, & spent the week in my basement hiding in the deepest, darkest hole he could find.
I asked her if Nelson was better now that he is back home, & she sent me this picture.
John Lampkin @ 0707 - I hadn't noticed it but starting at 40a and reversing @ 43a, I get 'Lome' , capital of Togo. Good call.
Greetings!
Thanks, Jeffrey and Marti! Easier for me than usual Thursday.
Did not know KANDER and QUBI. Perps to the rescue. Took a while to give up Gigi!
Happy birthday, Linda! Feel better soon!!!
Barry: so sorry about Hobbes.
Cheers!
Lucina @ 3:56 - I should have been more specific about the length of time the suction cup had been in use; it was several weeks. Thanks for your comment, though.
Linda, so sorry for your loss, on top of your health issues. I hope you enjoyed the birthday lobster!
Barry G. We had to put our 17 year old down in June. We found a few vets here that for a little extra fee would come to the house to perform the deed, it was a lot easier for all concerned. You may want to make a few phone calls.
CED -
Aww, the kitty looks happy again!
Barry G: My cat is 21 years old and is getting rather frail. She has to take pills every morning for her kidneys, but is otherwise health. There are times when she runs around like a kitten, then other times when I am afraid to touch her for fear she will be cold.
Hi all!
OOOF - I don't think I had it ALL together working on this today; Jeffrey got me good... I finally TITT and came to copy off of Marti's paper.
HBD LaLaLinda! Mmm, cannoli.
Fav - ASCII. I once had it and EBCIDIC memorized (use it or loose it).
More
ASCII ART for Star Wars fans.
Cheers, -T
Bought the paper yesterday and I came here and of course because of the time difference today's puzzle hasn't been blogged yet. I couldn't get SCROD, IED, OCULI, QUBI, ULEE, BUDD or DPT.
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