google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, April 8, 2015 D. Scott Nichols & C.C. Burnikel

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Apr 8, 2015

Wednesday, April 8, 2015 D. Scott Nichols & C.C. Burnikel

Theme - THE WEARIN' O' THE GREEN.  Nope - nothing to do with St. Pat - that was last month. In fact, this puzzle, for reasons that will soon become clear, is much more timely than that.  The theme refers to the iconic item of apparel given to the winner of a sporting event which will be identified shortly.

17 A. Hold banned in amateur wrestling : FULL NELSON.  This hold is more easily pictured than described.


Byron NELSON was the winner of the subject event in 1937 and 1942, the latter in a playoff with Ben Hogan - before my time.

24 A. Premier League athlete : SOCCER PLAYER.  The English Premier League is where professionals play a sport known as "football" most everyplace except here in the U.S.  Gary PLAYER, from South Africa was the winner in 1961, 1974 and 1978.

40 A. Innocents : BABES IN THE WOODS.  This is the title of a gruesome traditional children's tale, first published in 1595, then passed into every-day speech to indicate any inexperienced or unwary persons thrust into hazardous situations.  Tiger WOODS is perhaps more famous now for his adventurous personal life that his sporting feats; but he once dominated his sport, and won the subject event in 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005. Looks like he will participate this year.

52. Influential teams : POWER COUPLES.  From the Urban Dictionary: "A couple who seems to have a fairy tale romance. Also, both parties involved in the power couple have tremendous influence over people around them because of their devastating good looks* and seemingly perfect relationship with their significant other. 

*the most common type of power couple is between a male athlete and an actress and/or singer."

Fred COUPLES, the only one-time winner in the puzzle, took the prize in 1992.

It should be obvious by now that the the sport is golf, and the unifier gives us the event.  65A. April golf tournament, four of whose winners appear in 17-, 24-, 40- and 52-Across : THE MASTERS tournament, an event held every April at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.  It is the first of golf's four major championships held in 2015.   Each year the winner is awarded the iconic green blazer.



This year's MASTERS starts tomorrow, so the puzzle is right on time. And did you notice the constructors?  Our own fearless leader and prolific puzzle maven C.C. along with Monday-Tuesday blogging stalwart, Santa Baby.  More feathers in the corner cap.   Yay team!

Let's see if our friends have given us a rough time or treated us in a fair way.

Across

1. Victorian : PRIM.  As in prim and proper - what the Victorians would have you believe about their behavior.  I have my doubts.

5. Like much 67-Down : ON TAP.  [patience, we'll get there.]

10. Bay of Bengal setting : ASIA.  Broadly speaking.

14. Extinct pigeon relative : DODO.  Flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius, last seen in 1662.  It was destroyed by sailors, their pets, and invasive species.

15. First name in puppetry : SHARI.  Last name LEWIS.  Real name Sonia Phyllis Hurwitz (January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998)



16. __ jar: lab glass : BELL.  Wikipedia says it is an approximately BELL-shaped vessel used to contain vacuum.  There's something oddly oxymoronic about that concept.  Also, a semi-biographical novel by Sylvia Plath.

19. Take one's leave : EXIT.  Don't let the door hit you.

20. Make sure of : SEE TO.  

21. Stretched to the max : TAUT.  Not necessarily to the max, but without slack.

23. Reggae cousin : SKA.  


A sampler

28. Apply gently : DAB.  What does Miss Piggy DAB onto her sunburn?   Oinkment.

31. CBS-owned cable sta. : SHOwtime.

32. Pond gunk : SCUM.  A type of green algae which could be a leading food source in the future.  Yum!

33. Prefix with footprint : ECO-.  The ECOfootoprint is a standardized measure of human demand on the planet's ecosystem.

34. Pulls down : EARNS, as income.

37. Winter pick-me-up? : T-BAR.  Excellent misdirection.  I was looking for something like a hot toddy, not a ski-lift.

44. Mite-sized : TINY.  Even more wee than bite-sized.

45. "Tut-tut!" : SHAME.  Expressions of disapproval.

46. Actress Tyler : LIV.  Daughter of Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler.




47. Important stretches : ERAS.   Of time, not yoga.   Or so I've been TAUT.

50. Beef cut : RIB.  Roast.   More tasty than algae, I'm guessing.

51. Maple syrup source : SAP.  You have to boil it down.

57. Louisville Slugger wood : ASH.   Not exclusively anymore.  The emerald borer has severely damaged the ash population.  You can still find ash bats, but oak, birch and maple are also being used.

58. Comfy footwear : MOCS.  Moccasins. 




59. Jewish scholar : RABBI.  I will leave the explanation to those who understand it better.

63. Swindle : SCAM.

68. Movie plantation : TARA.   Abode of the O'Haras from Gone With the Wind.

69. Sea-born jewelry material : CORAL.

70. "Right now!" : ASAP.  ASoon APossible.

71. Song and dance : ARTS.  Along with painting, sculpture, architcture and literature.


Probably not Elrond

72. Urgency : HASTE.

73. Snoopy : NOSY.

Down


1. Sharable digital docs : PDFs.  Portable Document Format files can be shared across platforms.

2. Libertine : ROUE.  From 19th century French, literally "broken on a wheel" referring to the instrument of torture torture that this one's behavior deserved.  Usage of the word peaked around 1850

3. Onetime Palin collaborator : IDLE.  Eric IDLE and Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus.  Surely, you weren't mislead? 

4. Feathers one's nest, in a way : MOLTS.   Birds of a feather losing their plumage at home.

5. Full of: Suff. : -OSE.  Examples: grandiose - full of affected grandeur; verbose - full of verbs.

6. Gp. with Sharks and Penguins : NHL.  San Jose and Pittsburgh teams in the National Hockey League.

7. Decorator's asset : TASTE.  More so than for a chef?

8. Cheering like crazy : AROAR.  Was the crowd AROAR at your favorite team's opener?  It was for my Tigers.

9. Hangers in lockers? : PINUPS.  Pictures of models pinned up in lockers and various other places.  The practice started in WW II.   Twentieth Century Fox provided over 5 million copies of this iconic picture of Betty Grable - the No. 1 pin up girl of her [and possibly any] era.



10. Justice Fortas : ABE.  A Johnson appointee who served on the court form 1965 to 1969.

11. Figures in 9-Down : SEX SYMBOLS.   No explanation needed.

12. "Very nice!" : I LIKE.   Vide supra.

13. A proposal may ultimately lead to one : ALTAR.  Wedding venue, and a clever clue.

18. Lasso loops : NOOSES.  For someone on a wanted poster, no noose was good news.

22. Dr. Mom's forte :  TLCTender Loving Care.

25. Spiced tea brewed in milk : CHAI.

26. Toe woes : CORNS.  Painful areas of thickened skin resulting from pressure or abrasion.

27. Mustang, for one : AUTO.  Did anybody else enter FORD and then get perplexed by the perps?

28. Chapter 11 factor : DEBT.  Bankruptcy law.

29. Berry in faddish supplements : ACAI.   About which there is actually nothing special

30. Star of a classic sitcom set at a Vermont inn : BOB NEWHART.  Aired from 1982 to 1990, the program was simply called Newhart.

35. Imprecise degree : NTH.   But generally considered to be a very high degree.

36. Like provolone piccante : SHARP.  Piccante means strong or spicy.

38. 1998 Sarah McLachlan ballad : ADIA.  I had this recently and still couldn't remember it.

39. Initial request for an answer? : RSVP.  The initial letters of Répondez S'il Vous Plaît - or, Please Respond - typical request to an invitee.  I have no idea why we do this in French.

41. Brontë heroine : EYRE.  Jane, the governess of Thornfield Hall, and eponym of the Charlotte Brontë novel which describes her life and times.

42. German actor Jannings : EMIL. A little bit of a mini-theme here with 53 D, since Jannings  (23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) received the first one ever awarded in 1929, as best actor in The Way of All Flesh and The LastCommand.  He later went on to appear in a number of Nazi propaganda films.

43. Some outdoor grills : WEBERS.   Brand name.

48. Slot machine part : ARM.  



49. __ tape : SCOTCH.   Magic mending tape.  Is another clue possible?

52. Macaroni Grill selection : PASTA.  Decent Italian chain restaurant, and partial clecho.

53. Acting honor : OSCAR.  A statue awarded or movies, not stage performance.  

54. Golfer Lorena : OCHOA.   Staying with the golf theme, from Mexico.


55. AOLers, e.g. : USERS.

56. "Paradise Lost" figure : SATAN.  The Devil, you say!

60. Spanish smooch : BESO.   Like this.


61. Lingerie catalog buys : BRAS.  Last time I had stockings.



62. Car trip game : I SPY.  A game in which players attempt to guess what the spy is spying on.  The spy starts by giving a hint such as the color of the object or the letter it starts with.

64. Some advanced degs. : M.A.'sMasters of Arts.

66. Floor pad : MAT.

67. Part of IPA : ALE India Pale ALE is brewed with an abundance of hops, because that stabilized the product for the long sea voyage from England to India.   The thing ON TAP in 5a. And it provides a fitting ending, because after a hot game of golf, a nice cold beer is just the thing.

That completes this round.  Right on par for a Wednesday, I'd say, with nothing to be teed off about, and not a bogey on the course.

Cool regards!
JzB



Note from C.C.:

As Jazzbumpa mentioned, D. Scott Nichols is Argyle, our dear Santa, who came up with this lovely idea. Here are two recent pictures of our sweet Santa, the real Master.





58 comments:

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Congrats to Argyle for being published, and congrats to C.C. for the double-whammy today (she's also in today's NYT).

As for the puzzle, well, it's all about golf. Which is to say I had no idea what was going on with the theme and almost crashed and burned with OCHOA. I've at least heard of Tiger WOODS and (I think) Fred COUPLES, so that was nice, but not the other two.

Mostly smooth sailing otherwise. Yes, I was mislead by the "Palin" clue, but the perps soon got me back on the right track. Learned that DODOs are related to pigeons and that there is something called the Macaroni Grill. Enjoyed the clues for MOLTS and EXIT.

unclefred said...

Fun puzzle today, and about right for a Wednesday. A little trouble in the middle, but if soon fell into place. Didn't understand "tbar" as a "Winter pick-me-up" until I read it here. (DOH!!) For once, I got the theme early.

Big Easy said...

Well, my version of the Masters went horrible yesterday. Didn't make a single put outside of six feet, had three three-putt bogeys ( or is it bogies?),and two snowmen ( 8)on the way to a horrible 95. The puzzle was easily filled but I didn't catch the theme until I read the clue for 65A.

PALIN, ADIA, & BESO were solved by the crosses- seen them before but don't remember them. BOB NEWHART filled in from the crosses, never having looked at the clues. This was definitely a speed run this morning.

Lorena OCHOA- she's smart. Got to the top, saved her money, and quit. Being on the tour is a grind and wears you out.

And for you 'gophers' out there it is always advertized as Scotch BRAND cellophane tape. 3M lost the name 'cellophane' in a court battle years ago and won't repeat that mistake.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Jazzbumpa and friends. Fund speed-run this morning even for someone who doesn't follow Golfing. I knew the names of three of the four golfers, and Mr. Nelson easily came to me as I knew FULL NELSON. I noticed each of the 4 golfers came from different eras.

Nice shout-out to our friend DODO. Has anyone heard from her?

QOD: It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time. ~ Barbara Kingsolver (b. Apr. 8, 1955)

Lemonade714 said...

What a fun and timely puzzle. Noticing that some of the winners have names that have other meanings was great. Maybe a Sunday puzzle could have included Doug FORD, Art WALL (I played a round of golf with him in a Champion's Tour Pro-Am) and the wonderfully named Gay BREWER.

I am not sure if it was coincidence or planned, but RABBI literally is "my master" in the sense of master being the teacher. Because there is no temple, there are no working priests in Judaism, only those who study and teach the Torah. Many are bird to run services but that is a sideline.

It is great to see another puzzle from Scott who continues to contribute so much to the Corner.

The recent Idle/Palin clue from Jeffrey W. made this time easy.

I got what I saw as the theme in C.C.'s NYT but not what Amy wrote about.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

"Noticing that some of the winners have names that have other meanings"

Only 'some'? So, are you suggesting that the theme answers are not consistent?

Jerome said...

Wow... how titilating. How did you guys get this past Rich?

PIN UPS, SEX SYMBOLS, BABES and WOODS in the same phrase, BRAS, COUPLES, all mixed in with ALE and SCOTCH and SATAN and SHAME and a Spanish kiss even. Not to mention the ROUE who is unrestrained by morality, and topping it off with Argyle smooching his putter! I feel like taking a cold shower for god's sake!

Kidding aside, this is a wonderfully done puzzle... neat idea and a lot of theme without having any dreck. Very hard to do.

And speaking of golfers, Lorena's sneeze is an OCHOA ACHOO.

John Daly said...

Any predictions for who will win the tourney this weekend at Augusta National?

Bubba Watson? Rory McIlroy? Woods, Mickleson, Garcia? Poor Jason Dufner whose wife finally realized he had overshot the green when he bagged her? The hot hand, Jordan Spieth? Colorful Ricky Fowler? Lately I've been rooting for the elder statesman Freddy Couples, but he always fades out on Sunday. Maybe he can go to bed early on Saturday night and drink some 5 Hour Energy drinks on Sunday and pull off a sentimental win for the old guard!

inanehiker said...

Fun and timely puzzle, thanks Argyle and CC -- as well as JB for the write-up. It was very punny

Anonymous said...

I'm pulling for Jason Dufner. I always thought they were a fun couple. But now I'm suspicious that she was in it only for the attention and internet fame.

Bronx Boy said...

Shari Lewis' mother, Mrs. Hurwitz, was a music teacher at my elementary school, P.S.106.

Tinbeni said...

Jazz: Outstanding write-up. I especially enjoyed the SKA link.

Argyle & C.C. THANK YOU for a FUN & timely Wednesday puzzle.

Fave today & a CSO was SCOTCH ... but I would have clued it as "Perfect Sunset Toasting beverage, NEAT!" of course.

I'll go out on-a-limb ... SCOTCH will probably be my "Favorite Crossword Answer of the Year!"

Congrats to the Ladies of U-Conn on their 10th Championship win last night in Tampa.

Cheers!

Madame Defarge said...

Thanks C.C. and Argyle for a perfectly timed puzzle. Nice write up JazzB. I had fun with this one even with a slow start. First entry was SKA and second would have been BABES IN THE WOODS, but I didn't trust myself until I had some perps. Just like the Tortoise, I ran the race slow and steady. Learning moment: DODOs and pigeons share a kinship--other than avian-sorts, I assume.

I have an autographed visor from the Senior Open at Medinah. Gary Player and Bob Charles signed it. I'm not much for interrupting for autographs, but it was a slow play-off day and they offered. Glad I took my kids, it was a nice way to attend a pro tournament without all the crowds. Player won. I really liked Player when I was a kid; my brother and I went to the Western Open twice at Tam O'Shanter. (NOW you know how old is really old!)

SwampCat said...

Thanks JazzB for your insight...and thanks CC and Argyle for a timely and interesting puzzle! It had just enough crunch but was doable...and the theme was perfect.

I was amazed that I knew all the golfers and even got the theme early on. Lots of good misdirection. Idle and Pinups were my favorites, and, yes, I put Ford before Auto.

Hahtoolah said...

JazzB: the heading of your puzzle is a month off. We are in April, not March.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Great intro, today, JzB, as is befitting the A-Team collaboration cobbling together a crossword commemorating the up-coming Master's event.

My brain was not the sharpest knife in the drawer this morning, so I had 'fun' in spots. Wanted pearl for CORAL, but perps ruled. PLAYER and COUPLES actually helped me get a good hold on the NE and S. Only look-up was for LIV because of the ADIA cross.
BZ to C.C. and Argyle for a very fine opus.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

What a pleasant way to start the day: A fun, timely puzzle from two Corner friends and a scintillating summary from another.

I picked up the theme of golf as I filled in Babes In The Woods. The reveal was easy to discern, then.

My fav, like Tin, was Scotch, even though the clue wasn't for our favorite liquid. At least there was no _ _ _lurking anywhere!v.

Thanks CC, Argyle, and JazzB for a wonderful Wednesday workout. Jazz, your expos are always a delight, but today's is outstanding.

Have a great day.

kazie said...

Very well done puzzle--even with my total lack of sports knowledge I was able to suss it all out without stress or errors, using only perps and wags. I did however not take time to notice that names were in the theme answers, and really didn't need them to get the unifier out.

Getting here late though because of earlier distractions today. leaving again now to get ready for yoga today.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Congrats on another collaboration, Argyle. And C.C., congrats on your twofer today. WJS (J being Jerome) about the BABES, PINUPS, SEX SYMBOLS, ROUE and WOODS. No inkblots today, so you two didn't lead me too far astray.

I was AWOL yesterday, fighting the software wars. [Rant Alert!] I hate it when software expires and you're forced to accept automatic renewal before you're allowed to purchase a new license, and later you have to jump through hoops to cancel the auto-renewal feature. I really hate it when, after purchasing a two-year license, the Geek Squad automagically charges a different credit card for an additional, concurrent one-year license. I absolutely detest it when you can't find a phone number to complain to those #%#*@(&#@s. After only a few short hours, four in all, the problem was successfully resolved. [Flame off]

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

What Kazie said. My lack of golf awareness didn't hold me back from solving this nicely crafted project. Thanks, Argyle and C.C.!

Hand up for Pearl before Coral. Adia was a complete unknown, even though we've (apparently) had it before.

Morning JzB, thanks for elucidating. Do you have any remarks about pedal tones as applied to trombones?

Husker Gary said...

What a fun and timely puzzle! Those names jumped off the page quickly. The Masters is my fav tournament because of the time of year, the beauty of Augusta National and the fact all the good players are in it.

Musings
-Our own POWER COUPLE did very well today!
-The most amazing golf shot (2:13) I have ever seen was by WOODS in the 2005 Masters!
-SHERI not SHARI was a temporary dip in the road
-Can you see the mistake in this EXIT line? (:05)
-As I’ve linked before, Kim defines the word TAUT
-Some ECO footprint scolds burn a lotta dirty fuel
-We’ve never had good RIBS at Famous Dave’s where daughter likes to go
-Honus Wagner liked Hillerich’s (Pre-Bradsby) ASH Louisville Sluggers and became the first player to endorse a bat
-I wonder how many fell for this SCAM?
-The non-religious wedding we attended in Minneapolis had a bike for an ALTAR (works for me)
-The final Newhart scene may best ending of any sitcom ever (2:39)
-In what famous 1970 movie does a general rip down a PIN UP and exclaim, “This is a barracks, not a bordello!”?

C6D6 Peg said...

Really enjoyed the puzzle today, Argyle and C.C. The cluing was sometimes misleading, and didn't start out great, but things fell into place after THE MASTERS was filled in. Was a Full Nelson of Half Nelson? Had to work on the NE as the last to fall.

Thanks JzB for a fun write-up.... not sure of the puns, har-har!

Tinbeni said...

Husker
That would be Patton.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hatoolah -

Date is fixerated. Somebody behind the scenes took care of it.

People my age often live in the past . . .

Cool regards!
JzB

Jazzbumpa said...

Dudley -

Pedal tones are notes below the fundamental of the instrument, which on trombone is a low Bb. Here's wiki write up that i don't really understand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedal_tone

Even on by bass, I can't get below the G, and would never want to try to perform that note. Ab isn;t very solid either.

Some players can hit those pedals on a small bore tenor. Very humbling.

Cheers!
JzB

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Argyle and C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for a fine review.

Could not get started up North, so i headed South. Just kind of filled that in and rose to the North. Worked.

Liked the theme. Knew all those names.

Liked MOLTS for 4D. IDLE for 3d was slow in coming since I was thinking of Sarah Palin.

ROUE was easy after FULL NELSON.

BOB NEWHART show was always good. Larry Darrell, and Darrell.

Of course, I had PEARL first. Nothing worked with that so CORAL emerged.

Had no idea that spiced tea brewed in milk was CHAI. I have seen CHAI in crosswords for years. Never knew the recipe. Have never drank it here either. CHAI in Iran is just plain black tea, which they all drink daily. They do not put sugar in their tea, they put sugar cubes in their mouths and drink the tea, which then melts the sugar in their mouths. Just the way it is.

Anyhow, lots to do today.

I slept good last night after a 16 hour stretch with the election polls.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

JD said...

Good morning all,

To our 2 masters, THANKS! No bogeys here. For me it was a bump and run, with some extra chips. Not smooth all the way thru, but got to the finish.
Thanks Bumpa for all the time you put into adding some great links and explanations. I knew 3 out of the 4 golfers, but didn't put it all together until filling in the Masters.

PINUPS: as kids, we all collected used playing cards , putting them into categories and trading them. Lassie at the gate and Pinkie and Blue Boy were my favs. I wasn't enamored of Betty and the others in that category.

Gary, scam= acai... What a rip off that was.

looking forward to the beauty of those August Dogwoods in bloom.

Haven't heard from Dodo in a few months. hope all is well. She just hasn't gotten used to her computer.

Lucina said...

Hola!

What fun! A puzzle composed by our corner POWER COUPLE and trumpeted by another corner comrade, Jzb, is truly a delight. And I'm with Kazie and Dudley about the solving without benefit of sports knowledge.

My only write over was CORAL after CONCH which MAT and ALE nixed.

I also wonder why we use RSVP. Other than its brevity I see no reason for it mostly because in my experience people don't respond to it. I get more response with "head count needed."

Thank you, Santa Baby and C.C. as well as JazzB.

Have a marvelous day, everyone!

Ergo said...

Thank you Jazz, C.C. and Santa.

Fun puzzle. I must confess that on BABESINTHEWOODS, I keyed in on the name "BABE" and totally ignored "WOODS." I was sure that there was an old time golfer named Babe, and tis true. Although Babe is a first name, is female, and never won THEMASTERS.

Sakes... :-)

Dudley said...

JzB 11:35 - Thanks. While I've never played brass, I do get the idea that really low frequencies (as determined by the horn) are a bear to sound.

Bluehen said...

What an entertaining puzzle. Thank you Argyle and CC. Another bright expo as always, JazzBumpa.
Very nearly a speed run today. The first pass through for the LHF left only the Northwest corner
incomplete. For some reason MOLT eluded me and had to be filled in with ESP. And this by the same guy who filled CORAL without even thinking of "pearl". Go figure. Thank goodness I knew all of the golfers, even if some by reputation only.

Congratulations on your double-whammy, CC.

Oh, and WJS.

Cya.

coneyro said...

Even though I am not a sports maven, as soon as WOODS appeared, the tournament referred to was apparent. It's a shame though, that his legacy will be more about his skills in the boudoir, than on the links. I was not familiar with the other golf names, so my husband pointed them out, and told me their stories.

Growing up, I loved watching Shari Lewis on her morning TV show. Charley Horse and Lambchop were adorable hand puppets. She was a tiny lady with a hugh talent. So sad that a horrific illness cut her life short.

When we think of the word RABBI in modern terms, it's as a spiritual leader and/or head of a synagogue.
Actually in ancient times Jewish heads were called PRIESTS, and later on the Christians adopted this term as their own. RABBI connotates a learned one or teacher. In fact, this is what Christ's disciples referred to him as, in respect. My favorite unrelated "misnomer" is the word GHETTO, which was the Jewish quarter in Europe, before being known as the bad-ass neighborhood of the minorities. No disrespect intended.

The rest fell into place easily. Learning moment..CBS owns SHO, who knew? No offence, but every time I have to enter the answer to 32A, and it has been in several puzzles, I feel yucky. Do not like to say it. Won't even type it in. Some words are just "UGH.

Well, my midweek commentary is at an end. Hasta mañana amigos.

Jayce said...

Very cool puzzle. Thank you Scott and C.C.

Misty said...

Whew! I always love C.C. puzzles, with or without partners, and so was very excited to see this one this morning. But although I got almost all of it readily enough, I got stuck in the top left corner and worried that I'd be a DNF. My problem was thinking of the wrong PALIN, and putting INFO instead of PDFS. But at some point it clicked and Yay! I did it--even though I don't play, and know zip, about golf. At least I've heard of Tiger WOODS, and even knew from the LA TIMES sports section that he'll be playing in the MASTERS. So thank you, C.C. and Argyle, and JazzB for fun pics. A challenging but ultimately fun way to start a Wednesday.

Abejo, loved your reminding us of the Darrells on the Bob NEWHART show!

Have a great one, everybody!

Steve said...

Fun puzzle, and thanks for the write-up, JzB. I solved this while watching the par-3 tournament which preceeds the Masters proper tomorrow.

Famously, no-one who won the Wednesday warm-up has gone on to win the main event, so some superstitious golfers won't play in it.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Scott & C.C. hit this one right down the fairway and onto the green! What fun! Bouncing around trying to find a toe-hold, THE MASTERS was one of my first entries. I thought, "Oh boy!" and kept trying to work Bubba into it.

The NW corner was a definite rough until the very last when I managed to chip that out. I had no idea what "Sharable digital docs" were & "Victorian" didn't signal PRIM until I had the last three letters from perps.

Forgot about Byron NELSON although I'd often heard the name since I sorta follow golf. I decided the golfer in that was ELS, Ernie. Duh! We have him a lot.

I'd lay money on Jordan Spieth to win the MASTERS. He is on a roll and wanting to be the World's Best. If Tiger Woods is winning, I always turn it off. Haven't had to do that lately.

Ergo: Babe Didrikson Zaharias is probably the golfer you're thinking of. She died in 1956, but has at least one golf course named for her.

JzB, you scored an eagle with your expo! Fun!

I remembered ADIA because the last time we had that someone posted a song link. I sat there trying to get ADIA out of the spoken name which didn't sound anything like that is spelled.

desper-otto said...

The only Nelsons I'm familar with are Ozzie, Harriet, David, Ricky, Mike (as played by Lloyd Bridges), and Baby Face, the criminal.

Ergo, the next time you're in Beaumont you can visit the Babe Museum. It's right on I-10 as you drive through. Small, though, so it's easy to miss. BTW, congrats on rejoining the ranks of the gainfully employed.

John Daly said...

Thank you PK for playing along.

I know there is anti-non blue sentiment here down on the corner but jeeesh, I was surprised no one offered up any prognostications.

Btw, did y'all here what Phil said re: Tiger is/isn't back? "But I do believe that the easiest fix is short game. I think that's the easiest thing to fix, and so his short game has always been astoundingly good. He's won numerous tournaments because of his short game. I just don't think it's a hard thing to get back. He hit a few good chips, he hit them close, all of a sudden your confidence is back. It's just not that hard of a thing to get right. Whereas when your golf swing goes south and the ball is flying everywhere, that could take a little while.

He seems to be striking the ball very well. He played in front of me today, and I saw him hit some shots and it looked impressive. His speed is up, the ball is flying long and straight, and it looks like he's swinging free without any type of manipulation. It looks really good."

Can't wait for the coverage to begin. I hope Chris Berman keeps his big yap shut during ESPN's airtime.

HeartRx said...

It seems that we have had an average of one puzzle a year from our own sweet Santa. I hope this isn't the only 2015 offering we'll see from the two of you!?! And congrats on the double whammy today, C.C.!! I really loved your NYT puzzle - how clever! I wonder if this was your inspiration for that one??

I haven't had any time at all today to read the comments...maybe after dinner (if I don't fall asleep on the couch, that is!).

Avg Joe said...

Had a busy day here, but did work the puzzle bright and early, and enjoyed it a lot, and the write up as well. Couldn't figure out the theme with the first 2 answers in place, then picked up enough speed in the lower half to stop looking until the reveal made it all clear. Well done by all. Thanks.

Danelaw said...

Macaroni Grill is a fun Italian-style franchise that doesn't look, act, or taste like a franchise. Try one if you find one. James

Lemonade714 said...

One year when Tiger was playing the par 3, he reached the 9th hole 6 under. Mysteriously he hit two balls in the water on 9. Superstition? HA!

Anonymous said...

Thanks C.C., Argyle and JzB. this was fun; I got the theme for a change.

The top third of this puzzle was a challenge. India/ON TAP, SHeRI/SHARI, half NELSON/FULL NELSON, alga/SCUM and nacre/CORAL. I had to come here to find out my mistakes and take a DNF.

A thunderstorm is ready to roll in. Could be severe, but hope not.

Have a good evening.

Pat

Rainman said...

Sincere congratulations to Argyle. Very nice accomplishment.

Waytogo, C.C., for having a double. I look forward to tackling the NYT one.

As always, an entertaining and great review by JzB. Thanks.

I enjoyed the solve and made it through with only a few slow-downs, particularly the NW. Could not come up with PRIM, I had PRIG instead, and had a few learning moments, such as with DODO being a relative to an extinct pigeon. Stuck with it and finally prevailed after guessing at ROUE.

I read something once about the dodo and the auk and how the auk was one of the few species to go extinct and be documented at the precise time of extinction. Alarming and sad, so no details.

And lastly, speaking of MOCS (moccasins), I recall I completed a new post office project once at Moccasin, CA, when Dianne Feinstein was still mayor of SF. The City owned the property, part of the Hetch Hetchy water project.

What day izzit? :O)

Fact Checker said...

Auks are not extinct. The Great Auk is extinct (July, 1844).

The last known passenger pigeon died on September 1, 1914.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Many thanks, Santa, CC and Jazz!

Enjoyed NYT also, CC!

Know zip about golf, so theme was lost on me. However, managed to fill everything in correctly.

Met with re-fi person again today. It will be a looong haul!

Cheers!

TTP said...

Great puzzle CC and D.Scott Nichols. Great writeup JzB.

One of the 2 greatest golfers of all time had a hole-in-one today in the par 3 contests.

The 2nd greatest (IMO) was from Virginia, and still holds the record for most PGA Tour victories.

Where is Hondo ? Did I miss something ? Congrats to your fave UCONN Huskies and Geno...

TTP said...

BTW, I just read yesterday's comments.

H-G, you may want to rethink that Wrigley Tour until they get the facilities "in order."

They've had to bring in 70 ? port-a-potties after the opening day fiasco.

Anonymous T said...

Hi all!

I'm no MASTER at golf (BIL gives me a gentleman's 8 on each hole) but I LIKE this one. Thanks Argyle and C.C. You EARNS da applause.

WOs - AcTS b/f ARTS @71 and spelling 15a SHeRI. Good TASTE fixed that. 42d, 54d, 60d - ESP.

Did anyone else try to think of the "real" name of a BELL jar before the V-8 hit? Just me?

Favs - where to start... WJS and then JzB throwing not so PRIM Victoria's BRAS in for giggles. I also liked SCAM and the SCUM who pull them. Funny video on those who fall for SCAMs.* PASTA made me hungry.

SHAME that C.C. didn't use a baseball clue for ERAS. TINY nit ;-)

HG - I agree about best ending ever in NEWHART. I never saw my dad laugh so hard.

Cheers, -T
*Sorry if I linked it before.

Occasional Lurker said...

Very nice and charming puzzle by CC and Santa. Very nice blog by JazzB.

What's Argyle doing while kissing his putter - aboard his yacht /ship/boat ? Is there something called water golf ? This is not meant sarcastically - I honestly can't see what a putter could do aboard a boat - besides waylaying the Capt'n ...

Anyway, I am glad Santa is in good health and seems to be enjoying himself. Long live.

Lucina said...

Rainman@2:16
The AUK extinct? I believe not. In 2006 we took a tour through Newfoundland which included whale watching and a short cruise to the island inhabited by at least one million AUKS. I plan to look it up, but I believe your research was incorrect about it.

Argyle said...

I was on a deck but a far cry from a yacht...or any water either.

Fact Checker took care of the Auk/Great Auk question right after Rainman's post.

Anon@7:21 AM. Lemon was correct but since no one seemed to know exactly who (or what) Nelson stood for, we let it ride.

Anonymous said...

Amongst boys I know, a NELSON is sometimes applied.

Anonymous said...

"Put 'em in a Nelson!"

Maci45 said...

Had a rough time with this one. Nowhere

Maci45 said...

Had a rough time with this one, not being a golf efficianado. The non-golf ones were fun. It's difficult for me on Sports Days because football is about the best I can do, and even that doesn't even go well sometimes.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Marti,
You're very observant. Indeed, Argyle's record is one puzzle per year. But this year he worked extra hard, we have another one coming up in a few months.

I can't remember exactly how IT'S A TRAP came to me. Too long ago. But I've never watched "The Big Bang Theory".

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Thanks for the sweet comments, every one. It's such a comfort to read your posts this morning.

I checked our original submission. The clues for MOLTS, IDLE & EXIT are all Rich's.