SC
Well I am back, two weeks have passed and Jeffrey Wechsler is back as well. This is a traditional letter substitution puzzle where the letter "T" following an "S" is removed from a common phrase and replaced with a "C" to create an amusing image, clued with humor. The first three have the change in the first word, the last two the last word. I love much of the fill, with only 69 words and an average length in excess of 5 letters, this is more of challenge. He puts many letters into the theme, also 69 (hmmm) which gives the puzzle an interesting look leaving little room for long down answers. He does have some so so fill but there are ALBINO, DOES SO, LOUVER, MOLSON, MOSEYS, OPEN BY, SPEARS, TRYSTS, TUGS AT, WOOLLY, ANTLERS, DESIGNS, DRUM SOLO, MRS. SMITH, NOBLESSE, TRAINEES all worth the effort to uncover. The theme generated some chuckles for me, you?
16A. Imperfect produce? : SCUFFED CABBAGE (14). Stuffed cabbage was a regular meal growing up, and the image of a damaged head of cabbage is cute.
23A. Nocturnal picket-line crosser? : SCAB IN THE DARK (13). Stab in the dark sounds ominous. For me this was the most tortured themer, but it works.
34A. Reconnaissance team? : SCOUTHEARTED MEN (15). Stouthearted men for some reason makes me think of Mel Brooks' Men in Tights.
48A. Result of a London tea cart mishap? : ROLLING SCONES (13). The picture of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards etc. watching their scones roll away is precious.
57A. Feature of a taped hardcore punk performance? : VIDEO SCREAMING (14). Video streaming is hot, but I think of other bands as the screamers.
Okay let's unwrap this baby:
Across:
1. 17th-century privateer : KIDD. All you wanted to know about WILLIAM who is not to be confused with the 15th Century pirate William Kyd.
5. Rock worth unearthing : ORE.
8. Military groups : UNITS. This took longer than it should.
13. About : IN RE. A gimme for those who studied Latin or the law.
14. Downtime for Mars? : PAX. Latin for peace, certainly a rest time for a war god.
15. Absorb : SOP UP. What the bread is for at the end of a really good meal.
19. Rob's "West Wing" role : SAM. Sam SEABORN. (2:24).
20. Domestic tearjerker : ONION. Tricky, but just cut them under water and you can stem the tears.
21. "__ Wedding": "The Simpsons" episode involving a fortune-teller : LISA'S. Easy to guess but the clue was not helpful.
26. Wild partner : WOOLLY. According to phrase finder. "This expression is of American origin and came into being to describe the 'wild' west of the country sometime after the Californian Gold Rush era of the 1850s."
28. __ Alamos : LOS. We had this test site recently.
29. Screening gp. : TSA. Transportation Security Administration.
30. Woodstock performer before Joan : ARLO. he was booed off the stage for refusing to sing Alice's Restaurant, Ms. Baez was wonderful, and then the rains came.
31. Kid's comeback : DOES SO. Does not!!!
40. Romance novel features : TRYSTS. A lovely old fashioned word that makes cheating sound okay.
41. 1963 role for Shirley : IRMA. La DOUCE (2:15).
42. In the same way as : A LA. Some French for Splynter.
45. Defensive question : AM I? Your ami?
46. It merged with Coors in 2005 : MOLSON. They are all in trouble in the wake of the craft beer revolution.
52. __ Blades, Latin jazz star : RUBEN. No idea; what do you think?
53. Oater omen : NOOSE. Hang 'em High.
54. Uma's "Pulp Fiction" role : MIA. This movie always generates lots of differing opinions, I hated it, then I loved it.
60. Stage direction : ENTER.
61. Vital : KEY.
62. Relative of -ule : ETTE. french diminutive suffixes; tough clue, reversed I would not have gotten it.
63. Ruled quarters? : ROOST.
64. '60s campus org. : SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.
65. Their Christmas feast included roast beast : WHOS. Jeffrey must love this family, as I had Cindy Lou Who two weeks ago.
Down:
1. Petruchio's request of Kate : KISS.
2. Empire whose last stronghold was conquered in 1572 : INCA. I missed the anniversary.
3. Ginger Baker specialty : DRUM SOLO. For Bruce, the late Teddy Mueller and all the others who have provided a beat to my life. WATCH (3:38)and listen.
4. Dict. entry : DEFinition. I slipped up on this for a while.
5. Ready for business no later than : OPEN BY.
6. Pizza cuts, essentially : RADII. Literally.
7. Halfway house resident : EX-CON.
8. Flash drive letters : USB. Universal Serial Bus.
9. Roi et reine, par exemple : NOBLESSE oblige. The Nobility.
10. "The drinks were on me" : I PAID. Not I-Pad.
11. Affects, as one's heartstrings : TUGS AT. Perry Como?
12. Divers' weapons : SPEARS.
17. Future yearling : FOAL. Newborn horsey.
18. Hunting lodge decoration : ANTLERS. From a dead deer.
22. Jamaican genre : SKA. Music.
24. Influence : CLOUT.
25. One taking coats, perhaps : HOST. So easy, in retrospect.
26. Used to be : WAS.
27. Tolkien terror : ORC.
31. Chanel creations : DESIGNS. From a time when hot Coco meant something.
32. Grain generally pluralized : OAT. Nobody can eat just one?
33. Ballet's Black Swan : ODILE.
35. Green workers : TRAINEES. Oh, than meaning of GREEN.
36. "Amazing Grace," e.g. : HYMN. We had a memorial service at my reunion with ended with this old stand-by.
37. Big name in pies : MRS. SMITH. What is your favorite?
38. Comic Philips : EMO.
39. Indian flatbread : NAN. 1 A or 2?
42. LAX stat : ARRival.
43. Adjustable door feature : LOUVER. We have lots of these and windows in SoFla.
44. Spooner of Spoonerism fame, for one : ALBINO. I did not know this, I went to school with two albinos, one in grammar school and one in college.
46. Walks unhurriedly : MOSEYS. Exactly my pace for solving puzzles.
47. Most fit to serve : ONE-A. The opposite of 4-F.
49. Engendered : LED TO.
50. Subjects of washday mysteries : SOCKS. What dryers live on.
51. Hollowed out : CORED.
55. Delighted by : IN TO. I am really in to JW's puzzles, I wonder if he will be back in two weeks again?
56. Quite a long time : AGES.
58. Scrap : ORT. A single oat? Not to be confused with Orc.
59. Copy cats : MEW. This is all CED needs for an hour's worth of cute kittens; enjoy all; have great holiday, be careful with the fireworks and remember to honor those who both made us free and keep us free.
It was great to be gone, see old friends and relatives, show my wife my childhood home, meet marti in person etc. but it is good to be back. Lemonade out.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeffrey and Lemonade! Took quite a while, but NO cheats!
Amusing theme.
Scratched head over ALBINO. (Mostly perped.) Took a long time to get PAX. Felt stupid. MEW was cute. DRUM SOLO mostly perped. SAM was three perps.
Haven't been here for a few days due to dentist. Feel like I have been run over by a truck.
Have a good holiday, everyone. (I shall spend it alone again. Bummer.)
Cheers!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteStarted off badly with absolutely no traction whatsoever in the NW corner. Didn't know SAM, didn't know/remember KIDD, couldn't decide if it was DEF or SYN, had no idea who Ginger Baker was, etc. Wanted KISS ME for 1D, but it didn't fit. Couldn't decide if it was FOAL or COLT. And I always thought the word was spelled WOOLY and not WOOLLY.
Anyway, once I abandoned the NW entirely, the rest of the grid fell pretty quickly. I got the theme at SCAB IN THE DARK and confirmed it with SCOUT-HEARTED MEN. Very amusing, I thought. Had trouble remembering ODILE at first (wanted ODETTE and, when it didn't fit, actually tried ODETE), but the perps took care of her. Learned that Spooner was an ALBINO, so that was the fun fact of the day for me.
Anywyay, finally went back into the NW corner. By this time I had ____SOLO and WOOLLY and FOAL, but the actual corner was still completely blank. I finally decided to go with DEF, which instantly got me SCUFFED CABBAGE, and I was then able to guess at the rest. DRUM, SAM, KIDD, INCA, INRE, done! And here I was thinking I was gonna have to take a DNF...
Horrid performance today! I got the entire top half, but fewer than half the words on the bottom. Turned on red letters, and every single word in the SW quarter, and all but 2 in the SE, was wrong! For one thing, since the first three theme phrases started with SC, I had confidently put SC as the starts of the last two. Bzzt. Missteps: fixed on Shirley "Hazel" Booth instead of MacLaine. Thought Ginger Baker was on Gilligan's Island. Thought the word was spelt WOOLEY.
ReplyDeleteIN RE dict. DEF -- Husker asked yesterday about references, and I haven't used a print one in AGES. My search bar on my browser has at the moment 41 different search sites, a few I've gotten from this blog. I was going to list them, but that's too many, and a few I've only used once or twice. Ones I use often: Google, Google news, Google images, The Free Dictionary, Wikipedia, 2 rhymers, 2 thesauruses, 2 slang dict.s, Online Etymology Dict., BibleGateway, Snopes, Amazon, YouTube, IMDb. Also 5 wordplay sites, and 6 standard dictionaries.
Too bummed out for any limericks.
It is an accepted convention that puzzles get harder Monday through Saturday and I get to talk about Friday which is usually a pretty challenging effort. Like Barry G. my learning moment was Spooner being an albino. I really like learning stuff even on those days where I cannot finish a puzzle. But sometimes we get so many complaints about hard a Friday is, which suggests people do not like the system.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I recall JD compiling her own word list as she learned New things. I also like the wit in some Fridays which parallels the wit of all the poems from Owen and Moe
I have been doing this for a while but always ready to listen.
Good Morning, Lemonade and friends. I had fun with this theme. Plus, it's always good when I get 1-Across on the first pass on a Friday puzzle. SCAB IN THE DARK was my Rosetta Stone for deciphering the theme answers.
ReplyDeleteDown time for Mars = PAX was my favorite clue.
Domestic tearjerker = ONION was another good clue, as was Screening Gp = TSA.
I was thinking of Shirley Knight instead of Shirley MacLaine, not that I could come up with any role that Ms. Knight might have played in 1963.
I wanted Why instead of AM I? for the Defensive Question, but the appearance of the WHO'S Christmas feast made me see the error of my ways.
Happy Fourth of July!
QOD: Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. ~ Dave Barry (b. July 3, 1947)
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteJW and I are seldom on the same wavelength, and today was no exception. I thought the "privateer" was the ship, not the person, and tried HIND a century too late, "one taking coats" was a WALL and the "copy cats" were EDS (Editors). Perps corrected all of those. Florida was slow going, but finally fell.
It's DW's birthday, and she hasn't informed me where we're going, so I'm prepared to be surprised. And to pay.
Tough puzzle to finish this am. Got the theme at SCUFF & SCAB but had trouble with unknowns and Frawnch. I knew Roi & Reine, figured NOBLE but the SSE in the NE just looked strange.
ReplyDeleteWHOS, ODILE, MIA, LISA, SAM, ALBINO were all perps as I don't watch TV shows and rarely go to the movies. Kiss me KATE was a WAG as was rule the ROOST and INCA. I was thinking RYE for OAT and was initially thinking LETTUCE after SCUFFED but never wrote it down.
Ginger Baker was a gimme; was in the Cream with Eric Clapton but I had a mental block on MRS ____ even though I knew it. Initially wrote PIGS for WHOS and EONS for AGES and not knowing MIA the SE gave me some trouble. After remembering SMITH ( we always buy EDWARDS frozen pies), that corner finally fell and the puzzle was completed. I then Googled 'WHOS' and saw that it was Dr. Seuss.
Favorite clue- "partner of wild" and as for the craft beer industry I've tried many and some of these guys should have kept their day jobs. Plus they try to charge premium prices for mediocre products.
While I am not a beer drinker and I can agree there are over-priced unpalatable beers being sold, the market is growing and the quality improving. BEER GROWTH
ReplyDeleteFunny theme kept this interesting and helped the solving. Unknowns: SAM, RUBEN, MIA, NAN (I've only seen it with 2 A's. But guessable.) Wrote AONE rather than ONEA, which messed up that section for a while. I'm with Hahtoolah: favorite clues were for PAX and ONION the best. Like many (all?), learned Spooner was an ALBINO. As well as some facts about Capt. KIDD.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lemonade, for the writeup and music links. Especially liked KISS Me Kate, which I saw at a local community theater a couple of months ago.
Fun fun fun puzzle..but, yes, hard hard hard! I struggled, but loved every minute of it. Lots of clever clues. Ruled Quarters comes to mind. Also, Domestic Tearjerker.
ReplyDeleteLemonade, I think we all just accept that Fridays are hard. But as you said, they often are witty, too. I can't imagine changing the progression from Monday to Friday, though I guess anything can change. It does seem that the puzzles overall are getting harder.
Happy Fourth. Stay safe!
Good Morning. I am so glad to be back in the game. My computer had a virus and spent a bit of time with my tech guy. That work, a new air-conditioning system, and a burned Main breaker have put a NOOSE around my July budget!! I missed being here. I haven't learned anything new in three days! (Well. . .except for TMI on EPA approved refrigerants, and why electricity "arcs".)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeff for the fun Friday. I wanted posse for NOOSE since they usually show up riding in over that hill. I especially liked RADII and PAX along with "Domestic tearjerker." I found the substitute C on the second run across with most of CABBAGE in place. Then the rest were easy to fill.
Thanks, Lemonade, for the wonderful expo. As always, great commentary and links. I agree that there is also great fun in the learning if the solving isn't going my way. I'm glad you so enjoyed your reunion. Nice.
Three cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!
Happy July 3rd ... or should we say "July 4th Eve" ???
ReplyDeleteFave clue today was MEW for "Copy cats?" at 59-d.
I agree with Big Easy @7:19 many "Craft Beer Brewers" should have kept their day-jobs ... there are many (unfortunately) that produce a product that doesn't deserve their "Premium Price."
Luckily, We have many, many (and growing) Craft Beer brewers in the Tampa Bay Area that are producing a Superior Product.
Another nice puzzle by JW. Favorite theme entry was ROLLINGSCONES. Like Lemonade, the visual is just too funny.
ReplyDeleteI do like the progression of easy to hard, but especially like the W/T/F/S puzzles the best. I love challenging my brain, and love the TA-DA when an entry comes to mind.
Thanks Lemonade, for your expo, and welcome back! Glad your trip was good!
"puzzling thoughts":
ReplyDelete**where to begin . . . great write-up, Lemon; enjoyed the Ginger Baker DRUM SOLO as I was a big fan of Cream (Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce) - White Room was my favorite.
**I had SCUFFED PEPPERS in 16a and that slowed me down considerably, especially when I had ELK HEAD in 18d; also, I had MILLER in 46a and ARE TOO in 31a - again, words that kept me from solving sooner - lots of ink blots today
**WEES about today being a learning experience: ALBINO, in particular for Spooner
**favorite was 48a - ROLLING SCONES; the Rolling STONES are "on a roll", doing their Zip Code Tour across the US, and ending in Canada where the name will change to Postal Code Tour! ;^)
**Tinbeni @ 9:32 ---> my favorite micro brew in your area is Cigar City Brewing, hands down. Their Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale was one of the first of theirs I tried about 5 years ago, and the Jai Alai IPA is a classic
Since Owen isn't offering, I will provide a limerick today; not of my hand (Kirk Miller is the author), but appropriate for the weekend ahead:
When some fireworks go off, they will start
With a boom or a bang and impart
Pretty colors up high
In the black, nighttime sky.
That is why they are known as pop art.
I loved the Dave Barry QOD about hydrogen and oxygen being useful chemicals. (Hahtoolah, @ 7:02) Water is good too, but not according to this web site
ReplyDeleteFacts about Dihydrogen Monoxide
(I first was read about DHMO in the book, “What Color is Your Parachute: Job-Hunting Online, 6th ed.”)
To OwenKL @6:38, I also thought of Shirley Booth first for 41A, but couldn’t remember the name of the maid she played.
Fun solve with most of the across answers Perped with the much easier Downs. Except for ALBINO 44D and for some reason I was slow to see DESIGNS for 31D. I kept thinking it was a perfume fragrance, My Signs?, etc.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWhile this wasn't a speed run, I finished w/o help but needed perps in many areas. I thought Ginger Baker specialty was calling for some sort of confectionary goodie! Learning moment was Spooner being an albino. (I don't think I have ever seen an albino.). Liked the clue for onion and green workers. I'm sure Mr. Meow purred at Copy cats=Mew! 😈 Very clever play on words with all the theme answers.
Thanks, JW, and thanks, Lemony for a Friday fun-fest.
Have a great day.
Happy 3rd of July, everyone!
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking that today is Saturday, so I wondered why there was a theme. DUH!!!
Great write-up. I also liked ROLLING SCONES the best. Too funny!! I had never heard of RUBEN Blade, so thanks for that introduction, Lemony! The sound is nice, but I have no clue what he is saying. Maybe someone can translate for me?
I really enjoyed the puzzle, and was totally on JW's wavelength today. But then again, I am on the side of liking the challenge of Thurs-Sat puzzles.
Thanks for sharing the fun limerick , Chairman Moe. Have a great weekend everyone!
A toughie. I admit to three lookups. On tough days I try to reserve lookups for confirmations only, but when they turn up a different answer I have to call them cheats.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know William Archibald Spooner was albino. Xwds introduce me to so much trivia that they must join the Daily Show as one of my top information sources.
Whew...This one was rough.
ReplyDeleteGot SCUFFEDCABBAGE and SCABINTHEDARK right away. The top half was a breeze but then I crashed starting at 46A.
Never heard of MOLSON. Not a drinker per se. Other unknowns were RUBEN, ETTE, ALBINOS, WHOS. These caused me a DNF.
Whenever I see the SDS entry, it brings me back to my early '60's college days. I remember being asked to join. Not political minded, neither a dove nor a hawk, I declined. This group was very influential on my campus, but they sort of scared me. That era was such a contradiction of war and peace.
I love the word TRYST. It sounds so sexy.
Speaking of RUBEN....Best deli sandwich ever! Kosher corned beef, piled high on seeded rye bread, with sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing or dark deli mustard on top. Some people add cheese, but it's not allowed by Jewish dietary laws. Add a sour pickle on the side, and yum...pure heaven.
The ANTLERS entry made me think of the new tv show, "Zoo". Did anyone watch it? Imagine if animals decided they'd had enough and humans became the prey. Food for thought.
Honor those this weekend whose visions turned into this great country we live in today. We may not be perfect, but compared to much of the world, we're golden.
Happy 4th people.
I'm reminded of the old question: Do blind Venetians make better louvers?
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July Eve! I enjoyed today's puzzle, probably because I was on JW's wavelength.
ReplyDeleteRuben Blades (pronounced Blah-days) had been around the latin music scene for years. I remember sometime in the '90's he ran for president of Panama. Quite a controversial fellow.
The area last to fall for me was MEW/WHOS. You never know when a Dr. Seuss reference will show up. Lots of fun clues and a theme I actually got!
Thanks J.W. and Lemonade.
Keep it safe and sane this weekend.
After enjoying these comments vicariously for several years, I finally join the crowd. And like most of you, I enjoyed today’s theme and managed to complete the puzzle without cheating, difficult though it was. Ruben Blades (also a film and TV actor) and Arlo Guthrie got me started. The Molson/mosey confluence helped me find the scones and suss the theme. . . .Shirley MacLaine was the third Shirley I thought of, after Jones and Booth. . . .Knew Ginger Baker was a drummer, but still needed perps. . . . I often find myself chiding y’all for the things you don’t know, but I didn’t get Mrs. Smith until I saw the label photo. . . .I like Chairman Moe’s limericks, because they actually scan. . . .Fighting Words? Yes, I actually write about boxing. . . .I'll add a photo to my I.D. when I figure out how.
ReplyDeleteThe sandwich is a Reuben, not a RUBEN.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI almost made up for yesterday's disaster, but 1 lookup (52a) and an E not I in block 41 gives me a DNF. But I did have fun Jeffrey and my best Friday in a while. Cute theme - Thanks.
Thanks to Lem for the write-up and 'splain' PAX. I kept trying to come up w/ a 3-letter solar-panels-are-dusty or some such... Most the rest of my errors are what C. Moe said.
W/os - What Moe said + moi? at 45a, MOSieS (what happened to y->ie b/f s?), and TUGged b/f I read the s in the clue; otherwise the west was easy. OPEN at b/f BY.
Total WAG - KIDD, but not of "Billy the" fame... WHOS knew? Oh,... Lem did.
ESPs - 9d, 33d, & 58d.
Fav - ROLLING S(C|t)ONES. TRYSTS is (are) a runner up just 'cuz it's a fun word.
Other fav - Kiss me KATE; I say that to DW all the time (it is her name-ETTE). Sometimes she complies and we do the TRYST...
Lem - from last night. I'll be in Denver in the fall; Station 56 is now on my list. Thanks for the FYI.
OMK - What will we do w/o Jon?!?
ARLO's Thanksgiving Day Mass-a-cre (18:15m + ads) to counter SDS.
Cheers, -T
Mr. Google - The best ReUBEN in Houston. Kenny & Ziggy's is across the street from my office. @$20 for lunch, it's only a treat, but it will knock your SOCKS off. C, -T
ReplyDeleteHello, friends!
ReplyDeleteI'm so late to the party because I overslept! Hey, it's better than insomnia.
Yea, Jeffrey Wechsler! I was on his wave length almost immediately with KIDD and KISS then just MOSEYed along chuckling as I hit on the theme. My mom made wonderful StUFFED CABBAGE. In fact, I've been thinking for several days that I'd like to make some. Hmm. Wonder if I was channeling JW?
I encountered no problems in the northern hemisphere but the southern gave me fits. Finally I parsed SCREAMING VIDEO from the few scattered letters there. Although it's a disadvantage to never have seen not only The Simpsons but Pulp Fiction as well, I managed good guesses on both LISA'S and MIA which has become a popular girl's name lately.
I had MRS. SMITH before MRS. WHITE because she makes pies as well.
NOBLESSE was a pure guess from relating it to NOBLESSE oblige. Never knew Spooner was an ALBINO. Once while working in the yard I saw one walking by and remember being startled.
Have a free and independent 4th of July weekend, everyone!
Oh. I had no idea Ruben Blades was a jazz star. I know him only from movies and TV.
ReplyDeleteGarlic GAl:
ReplyDeleteThank you for that info about Ruben Blades and you're right about the pronunciation of his name.
Also, thank you, Lemonade, for a full and complete explanation especially of those vague (to me) references. And no, I would not wish the range of puzzles to change. If anything, I would prefer more days of difficult ones. But I know that's just me. I find my challenges elsewhere.
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteFiendishly clever puzzle from JW today. First pasS, got LOS, ARLO, KIDD, KISS, and SDS, and that's about it. Almost threw in the towel, but returned a couple hours later, like a moth to a flame, and finished it. Sussed the T ⇒ C shift which helped get SCUFFED CABBAGE and ROLLING SCONES.
Loved the cluing for ROOST, PAX, and quite a few others
Great intro, Lemon. Thank you.
Anon T here is their link STAION 26
ReplyDeleteHi everybody. I really enjoyed this one though it was on the border of being too hard for me. I figured out most of the clues/answers but Copy cats : MEW still doesn't really make much sense for me. Thanks Jeffrey and Lemon.
ReplyDeleteConeyro, I agree about Reuben sandwiches. They're hard to beat.
Count me among those who didn't care for Pulp Fiction. For me to enjoy a movie, I have to have a rooting interest; some character/s that I care about. Everybody in Pulp Fiction seemed hateful. That's in spite of getting to know Quentin Tarantino. He and Roger Avary worked at the local video store and enjoyed giving movie advice to customers.
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never be sure if they are genuine."
~ Abraham Lincoln
Rubén Blades' surname is of English origin and is pronounced accordingly. But it can also be pronounced as if it were of Spanish origin. So it all depends on the context (i.e. "when in Rome"). He talks about it in this video (beginning at about the 7:00 mark). It's quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteBill G.: If you want to copy (i.e. imitate) cats, you MEW.
ReplyDeleteLem - Doh! Station 26. Must commit to memory... 26, even, by 2... 13 is prime - 7th prime x 2. Got it... wait; um... I'll ask again in the fall. :-)
ReplyDeleteLucina - I can't say that I want every weekday to be a harder pzl - I gotta feel smart sometimes...
As things get harder/bends the brain through the week, it is not only a point of pride that I can nail a Thurs/Fri, but I learn stuff too (even from a massive DNF [see yesterday]). Sat. is still beyond me. Though, I do get one every once-in-a-WOOLLY-while that mostly EES thought was too easy. You Lucky, Lucky....(Python)
I do think Rich stacks puzzles through the week so that if we recall/learned a bit of something from Tuesday, it will be in a Fri but clued opposite; like today's UMA's MIA role (nope, didn't see Pulp Fiction; don't like violence - right Bill G?). C.C. insight? Rich, care to chime in?
If everyday was a Mon. pzl, people may look in awe that I'm doing it in ink, but then I can't get no Satisfaction knowing this is easy (YMP*).
Have a safe 4th! Remember - "Here, hold my beer" is the last thing you may say before checking on a 42-round mortar...
Cheers, -T
*Yet More Python
Likely to overpost said Quote...
ReplyDelete"A penny saved is a penny earned... If you want to make real money - make an App for That" - Benjamin Franklin.
C, -T
Ta very much, Lemonade and Jeffrey.
ReplyDeleteIn re 50D "SOCKS": in or around about '87 or '88 (soon after moving to the U.S.) I recall reading Bill Griffith's comic strip, "ZIPPY THE PINHEAD".
One phrase I (thought I) recalled from Zippy was:
"I FEEL LIKE A LOST SOCK IN THE LAUNDROMAT OF OBLIVION"
I have (felt it and) used this phrase often since, and attributed it to Griffith. Can anyone confirm that this is the original citation of the phrase?
Ta and tata for now.
NC
Nice Cuppa, good to see you.
ReplyDeleteAccording to TRIPOD the saying is not attributable to anyone. Perhaps our legion can learn otherwise
P.S.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else notice a theme of Rock bands and musical genres, mostly clued differently?
Here is my list - I'm sure I missed some.
[Johnny] KIDD [and the pirates]
ARLO [Guthrie]
ROLLING STONES
CREAM (Ginger baker) and hidden in 57A.
[The] SOCKS
[The] WHO
[The] UNITS
[Son of] SAM
PAX
[The] ONION [band]
[The] SPEARS, SPEARS [of Destiny]
KISS
[Big] MOSEY
ALBINO[!]
MEW
[A band of] ORCS
[Skeleton] KEY
[Mr. and] MRS. SMITH [band]
ETTE
AGES
And 2 musical genres (I will leave HYMN out of this]:
EMO
SKA
You left out Britney Spears
ReplyDeleteDon't forget 1d: Kiss. A partial at 4d: Def (leppard). And in combination, 5a and 56d: Rock (of) Ages. (The Band).
ReplyDeleteUnregard Kiss. Missed that on the first read.
ReplyDeleteBut there's also a partial at 26a: Woolly (Bully) Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
Loved this puzzle. Great cluing, terrific fill, witty theme, and opportunities to learn useful information. Wanted ARCHIE instead of ALBINO, and wanted to squeeze MARIE CALLENDER into MRS SMITH's space. Knew RUBEN right away. Laughed out loud at the clue for ROOST. Took me a long time to realize "Copy" in "Copy cats" is a verb. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteBill G. Our dinner menu is Windsor Loin, beet greens with baby beets, and new potatoes (vastly superior to used potatoes). If you hurry, you might get here in time....
ReplyDeleteI discovered that my Iphone works very well with the LATimes site (After an Ad) except that they do not give you the constructors name, and the keyboard is so tiny that fingers are all thumbs... However it did save me from the boredom of sitting on the beach for 4 hours each day. (Yes, I am sunburned...) but 4 hours is enough to solve ANY puzzle :)
ReplyDeleteExcept for today...
While waiting to take off for Newark, I used 4G to access to puzzle. Once above 10,000 feet I discovered that United WIFI cost $4.99. But I was pleasantly surprised that the 4G I accessed on the tarmac remained saved mid puzzle. (No Ad) So i spent 2 hours (in airplane mode, didn't want the plane to crash...) doing the puzzle until I was completely stuck at childs retort versus Chanel creations.
(Oh Crap! Just now in looking up the Chanel clue I finally parsed Designs instead of De Signs. Doh!)
Anywho, after 2 hours I turned on my Iphones 4G & clicked on the red letters. Well the plane didn't crash, but my Iphone did! (Could not access server, & lost the puzzle!) Rats!
I did manage to finish the puzzle at home, because the site saves your progress. One of the better adaptations of Iphone apps...
ReplyDeleteBill G, I LOVED your Abraham Lincoln quote! Heheheheheheeee Who knew?
ReplyDeleteAnon T, I just noticed your Ben Franklin quote.. Heheheheheeeee Good one!
Sorry to disappoint any cat video enthusiasts out there, but I could not fathom copy cats = mew... I stared at this clue/answer, I read the write up, & it was not until 3/4 way thru the Blog that it began to coalesce. My nit is not with the puzzle, I feel that The Dictionary needs correction...
ReplyDeleteCats meow, Kittens Mew.
Of course the clue "copy kittens" would be too easy, but I have to say that the answer to "copy cats" has to be meow!
(Mr Meow has spoken!!!)
Imperfect Produce is in the eye of the beholder...
Stab in the dark?
Reconnaissance team?
The Rolling Scones!
No cats were harmed in the making if this Screaming Video!
SwampCat, I'm glad you liked it. Avg Joe, what a memory you have, and what a menu! Rats! I think I'm gonna be too late.
ReplyDeleteKittens are cats just as children are humans.
ReplyDeleteGive it up CED.
Nice Cuppa - Very astute observation. Nice add'n Ave Joe. Lem, we can leave out Britney ;-)
ReplyDeleteI found HEART (Dog & Butterfly).
Welcome back CED! You picked up right where you left off... Funny links. Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of your kind comments yesterday. I really don't like the work at all, but I am grateful just to be working. I keep that in mind whenever the toil tries to get the best of me.
Today's puzzle was a godsend. It took me (on and off) the entire day to complete in its entirety. It was the perfect diversion for an otherwise empty day. Looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.
anon you are one persistent exhortionist.
ReplyDelete