23. Mailroom device : POSTAGE METER. Pate.
37. Sandstone, for one : SEDIMENTARY ROCK. Mayo. Impressive - can you think of any other phrase in which to hide MAYO?
49. Old West reward seeker : BOUNTY HUNTER. Butter.
61. Enthusiastic smorgasbord words ... and hint to this puzzle's circled letters : WHAT A SPREAD
Mostly a quick solve with a few exceptions. If it weren't for the circles I would never have found the hidden "spreads." Very cleverly done.
Melissa here. I am playing ketchup after being out of town for girls weekend (I relish the thought). I apologize to olive you, these are the wurst puns ever. Surely you can do butter than this.
Across
1. Barroom fisticuffs : BRAWL
6. Triangular pelvic bones : SACRA. Tricky plural form unless you've seen it recently.
11. Soldier under Stonewall Jackson : REB. "Johnny Reb" was the term for the rank-and-file confederate soldier.
15. Code of conduct : ETHIC
16. Hustle and bustle : ADO
19. Spiky plant part that sticks to your clothes : BUR. To dogs, too. Interesting story about the inspiration of Velcro.
20. Pilfers : STEALS
21. Pen filler : INK
22. Clock front : FACE
26. "Yay!" : YIPPEE
28. Beaver's structure : DAM
29. Old Opry network : TNN. Grand 'Ole Opry stage.
30. Minimum-range tide : NEAP
33. Uses lidocaine on : NUMBS
41. Damaged layer : OZONE
42. Dreamcast game console developer : SEGA
43. Questionnaire choice, in Bordeaux : OUI. Yes.
44. Swiss landscape feature : ALP. Next girls weekend?
46. B-flat equivalent : A SHARP
54. Frosty coating : RIME. Who knew there was a rime festival?
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55. Back-row bowling pin : TEN
56. Nome home : ALASKA. I was thinking gnome at first. That's different.
60. Mass vestment : ALB
63. Neckline shape : VEE
64. Driver's invitation : HOP IN
65. Canada's official tree : MAPLE
66. Be human, so they say : ERR
67. Initial appearance : ONSET
68. Plural diminutive suffix : ETTES
Down
1. Brand of skivvies : BVD'S
2. Civil uprising : RIOT
3. Both players in unison, musically : ADUE. Needed perps. Italian word, pronounced ah doo-ey. Literally meaning "by two." In French, it is à deux.
4. Program running in a browser, informally : WEB APP
5. Lounge about, in British dialect : LOLLOP. Umm ... what? Okay this is my new favorite word. Listen to the British vs. American pronunciation.
6. "Be with you in a __" : SEC. Later. As soon as I finish lolloping.
7. Sun-brightened lobbies : ATRIA
8. Cheech's buddy : CHONG
9. Took a chance on : RISKED
10. Bldg. coolers : AC'S.
11. Capital of Morocco : RABAT. I never remember this.
12. Bring out : EDUCE. Or this.
13. Hole-making insect : BORER. One who bores. I know a few.
18. Reputed Dead Sea Scrolls writer : ESSENE. Such a fascinating discovery (scroll down page to see pictures of the ruins).
22. Longest human bone : FEMUR
24. Cold temperatures : TEENS
25. Loads of : MANY.
26. Santa __ Valley: wine region in which "Sideways" was set : YNEZ. Only a few Santa _ _ _ _ possibilities.
27. Prefix with European : INDO
29. Chinese menu general : TSO
31. Had breakfast : ATE
32. Missionary's concern : PAGAN. Nice clue.
34. Keep from floating away : MOOR. Perps, please.
35. Bra size : B CUP
36. Glide on snow : SKI
38. Foolish : INANE
39. Soften, as sorbet : MELT
40. Dreadlocks wearers : RASTAS. No dreads, but if you close your eyes ...
45. "Monty __ and the Holy Grail" : PYTHON. Just a flesh wound.
47. "I need another pair of hands, please" : HELP ME. See above.
48. Where Noah landed : ARARAT. Turkey.
49. Gutsy : BRAVE. I read gusty. That's different.
50. Petroleum transporter : OILER
51. "Raw" pigment : UMBER
52. Jalopies : HEAPS
53. Set free : UNTIE. I guess. I will set free my shoes at the end of the day.
57. Pennant race mo. : SEPT. Baseball, I presume.
58. Leafy green : KALE
59. Fruity drinks : ADES
61. Investigator's pronoun : WHO
62. Tiny tunneler : ANT. Cute.
Melissa
Notes from C.C.:
1) Please click here for a few pictures from Melissa's Girls Weekend outing in Bodega Bay, the city where
hitchcock's "the birds" was filmed. Melissa further said that "... our limo driver stopped on the way
back from our winery tours to see the church and schoolhouse used in the
movie. The gentleman on the steps of the church was on holiday from the
UK, crossing off landmarks to see from his 'bucket list.'"
2) Victor Barocas, the talented NYT/LAT constructor and the self-effacing editor behind our annual Minnesota Crossword Tournament, has launched a Kickstarter to "write a series of mysteries in which the detective gets help from
solving a series of crosswords, and the solver does the crosswords along
with the detective". Please click here for details on Victor's Ada Cross, Crossword Detective. I hope you can back his project.
37 comments:
The puzzle went better than yesterday, but sussing the theme wasn't so hot. No circles on the Mensa site, which I didn't realize was a problem until I got to the reveal. Meanwhile, I'd already spent a frustrating time trying to figure out what CROSS, METER, ROCK, and HUNTER had in common. (ACROSS & AMMETER seemed like a start). Even after the reveal, I wasted time looking for MAYO or CHEESE embedded somewhere in the grid (but all in one piece). Learning moment: I thought BURR was always spelt with a double R. Checked the dictionary, and both spelling seem to be acceptable.
New Yorker cartoon
Strange story, this was the original version, but most copies of it on the net cut off the right 1/3rd of the picture, and add the caption "An unexpected guest completes the weekend crossword." I don't understand what was supposed to be amusing about the cropped version.
For her, men lined up way down the hall,
A pro, she SPREAD her legs for them all.
"I don't mind the men,
But now and again
My portrait camera's tripod threatens to fall!"
You wouldn't make sandwiches of jelly and MAYO,
Or cook French cuisine with bargain-brand OLEO.
Your guests would all mutter
If you didn't use BUTTER --
But not peanut-BUTTER on hot baked potato!
A cat-lady gave a party one day,
With hors d'oeuvres of crackers topped with PÂTÉ
In dismay she near dropped:
Cat and human food swapped --
But the cats spurned their meal, so it turned out okay!
Morning, all!
Pretty smooth solve today, but the theme remained completely hidden due to a lack of circles and I had to take a leap of faith that LOLLOP was a thing. The perps were solid, but I still wasn't 100% convinced that it was right. Almost the same thing with YNEZ, except that it did finally ring a bell after I stared at it for awhile.
I saw BUR in another puzzle the other day, but it was clued as "Var." Of course, that puzzle also regularly clues TSAR as "Var.," so what does it know?
Melissa: Wonderful write-up. I enjoyed the "Girl's Weekend" pictures, too.
Needed ESP to get ESSENE otherwise this was a speed-run solve. Thanks Daniel.
LOLLOP is my "New Favorite Word" ... and describes my "Goals and Aspiration!"
YIPPEE !
Good Morning, Melissa Bee and friends. Interesting Tuesday puzzle with a bit of a challenge. I got a bit hung up in the middle west, as, despite having seen Sideways, I had no idea of the wine Valley YNEZ. YN just didn't seem right.
Nice shout out to our Marti with the ALP and SKI.
I had to wait for a perp to determine if the Bordeaux questionnaire choice was OUI or Non.
With temps at or near 100F, the A/Cs at home and in the office are working overtime!
QOD: What’s right is what’s left if you do everything else wrong. ~ Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 ~ Aug. 11, 2014)
Good Morning,
Thanks Daniel for a puzzle more interesting than I knew at the time. I also worked it on the Mensa site. I missed the clever spreads. Nicely done.
Thanks, Melissa, for the sharp write up and links. Oddly, I heard the Tah Dah before I realized I was done! My favorite: EDUCE. As a (former) teacher, I find the root for "education" important. It's not to tell, but to draw out: the grand fun of the Socratic/inquiry approach to teaching. Sometimes, I miss those eureka moments--but never grading all the essays and exams! ;-)
Have a lovely day. Stay cool. That's both a temperature and your usual Corner demeanor!
Good morning!
Melissa, I'd forgotten what great pics you always included with your posts. Thanks for reminding me! I also read it as "Gusty."
Learning moment: There really is a Bodega Bay -- I thought Hitchcock made that up.
I was all set to carp that it's a "postage scale" not a PACKAGE METER" -- D'oh, it's a POSTAGE METER! OK, I'll let that slide. I've got a digital postal scale on my desk.
PAGAN reminds me of some friends who took a tramp steamer through Micronesia back in the 70's. On one island the native women were going topless, so the local missionaries provided them with tee shirts to make them more presentable. The women wore tham "religiously." Those that were nursing mothers cut holes in them. You get the picture...
I've usually seen BURR rather than BUR. I can attest that they also get stuck in cat fur. I have a few things (orbital sander and walking shoes come to mind) that use "hook and loop" fasteners. I guess by phrasing it that way, they aren't violating Velcro's trademark.
YNEZ just doesn't seem Tuesday-friendly. I think Rich is trying to make use smarter.
I can't call this a walk in the park today, but eventually got it done. Found the central portion a bit dicey mainly because I was thinking sedentary, not SEDIMENTARY. YNEZ was all perps. Initially entered Cruz. I too thought it was Burr, not BUR.
Never thought I would forget, but is BCUP for the well endowed, not so well endowed, or average? I imagine we all have our own definition of the different sizes.
Back in the day, I spent time in the bars, but was a never involved in or can I remember a bar room BRAWL.
Three H's leave today as temps for the rest of the week are forecast to be very pleasant.
Good morning all. Thanks DN and MB.
Actually got ADUE from the clue.
Was pretty certain that gusty was going to be blowy after getting the gimme BOUNTY HUNTER. Then thought gusty must be brisk when frosty coating would be RIME before hoar. But then none of the last three crosses could prove brisk. BRAVE ? Doh! The clue was gutsy. And besides, brisk isn't synonymous with gusty.
I couldn't get a feel for what size cup it was going to be. Then I remembered lidocaine was an anesthetic. How numb of me.
YIPPEE saved me from near certain failure. Otherwise, I was clueless with ESSENE, LOLLOP and YNEZ.
You know you've been doing puzzles for awhile when the following are true: You are not a gamer. You don't know any gamers. The clue is Dreamcast (something), and the answer has 4 spaces, so you automatically enter SEGA.
PYTHON. I wonder if that will EDUCE any VIDEOs today ?
ESSENE and YNEZ were speed bumps in Daniel’s fun puzzle. Melissa’s write-up and pictures also added to the day!
Musings
-Old TV BOUNTY HUNTER
-The head REBS on Stone Mt. and in the news recently as some want them sandblasted off the mountain.
-Getting sand BURS in your socks is a downside to field work
-“He’s got more FACES than a clock shop”
-I’ll bet Boomer doesn’t leave many 10 pins
-Musical interlude with TAKE A CHANCE (4:07) A real “toe tapper”
-Morocco’s other capital is the Dirham ($1 = 9.87 Dirhams)
-That FEMUR’s marrow makes a lot of blood cells
-Gotta run! FORE on beautiful 80˚F day
Walk in the park today. Even faster than Monday's puzzle. No unknowns. Just a few took perps, but I have met them all before: YNEZ, LOLLOP, ESSENE.
YNEZ is memorable because of the YN.
I have seen this puzzle's meaning of LOLLOP, but not the British pronunciation. I am more familiar with this other meaning, "move in an ungainly way in a series of clumsy paces or bounds." The goofy, large dog lolloped down the path.
Visiting Qumran to see the Essene community where the Dead Sea Scrolls were stored was fascinating. Lucina, did you visit there? Melissa, your pics brought it all back to me.
Clever theme. Interesting write-up. Nice to see you blogging, Melissa.
TTP, really? "I couldn't get a feel for what size cup... "
Madame Defarge, I. too, favored the Socratic approach to educaton.
In our teens my friends and I surfed at Bodega Bay every chance we got. I've spent hundreds of days there... nights on the beach, too... always with jugs of Red Mountain wine, Mexican grass, a camp fire and total, heavenly ribaldry. We ate chili at the Tides restaurant (a diner then)... 30 cents for a large bowl heaped with onions and cheese. All you can drink coffee... 10 cents. Now I can't afford to eat there. All of Sonoma County is a giant, money sucking, frau-frau, limo laden, wine industry tourist trap.
Yellowrocks, it's true ! I was searching blindly and uncertainly for the correct answer. You might say I was groping.
I thought I just heard a groan.
Today is my first day of retirement. First impression ? Pretty doggone nice. Nice lazy morning so far. Just finished watching Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep in their 1984 movie "Falling in Love."
I'd better get moving. Time to feed my boy and get my lawn done. The sun is out, there's a light breeze, and it's going up to 80 degrees later today.
TTP, congratulations on your retirement! I'm still a year or so away myself.
Is it as uplifting as I hope?
TTP, I'm in my 19th year of retirement and it sure beats working. Just make sure you keep yourself busy and all weill be fine.
Good morning everyone.
Condolences to Misty on the loss of your dear Rowland. My Deepest Sympathies.
Nice puzzle today from Daniel. A little chewy but got it done without aid. Had the circles, but they were not needed for the solve. The long acrosses were easy, too
.
Lounge about - LOLLOP - A new learning. Once, while I was serving in a NATO command center, our group was tracking an amphibious exercise off Norway. There were many ships about to deploy their landing forces. A Brit admiral came in to be briefed about the progress. At one point he motioned to a group of ships and asked "What are they doing, just hanging about?"
Good Morning:
This was a fun, speedy solve with the theme showing up very early with the circles. Wasn't sure what the reveal was going to be but knew it had something to do with what you put on bread or crackers. Fav is pâté! Yum.
Thanks Daniel and Melissa for a lovely Tuesday treat.
As Hondo said, the 3 H's leave today and, then, some beautiful summer weather for several days.
Congrats, TTP. Enjoy every moment!
Have a great day.
A breeze run today.
No literary artsy clues or obscure references made this easy work.
I had the circles, so it took no time for everything to become clear after the second long fill. Then I just raced through at top speed.
Melissa.... very nice pics.
Owen...You're getting more naughty. I blushed at your first limerick.
Retirement is less money and more spouse. What a tradeoff.
Nothing left to say, so see ya tomorrow.
Yeah Jerome, its a shame they don't allow packs of teenagers to sleep on the beach drinking wine, smoking weed and having sex.
Fun puzzle and theme. Thanks. When I learn there are circles, I open the LAT puzzle on Cruciverb just so I can locate the missing circles. Then I finish on the Mensa site as usual.
Did you see the recent NOVA about the attempted escape from Colvitz prison, the Nazi Alcatraz? They tried to build a two-man glider in the attic and launch it off the roof. The war ended before they could try it but the folks on Nova recreated it. Stirring!
TTP, congrats! This getting paid for not working is an excellent plan. I wish I'd tumbled to it sooner. (Joking!) I loved teaching and I now love not teaching but tutoring.
No circles, but I enjoyed the puzzle without them. After reading your explanation, Melissa, I appreciated the puzzle even more. And thanks for the Bodega Bat photos.
I did not know LOLLOP at all, but now I sort of do.
For some reason I put in PACKAGE METER, just as desper-otto did. Soon it became obvious it was not quite right.
Congratulations on becoming retired, TTP. As coneyro said, it's less money and more spouse. Thehondohurricane is right: "Just make sure you keep yourself busy and all will be fine."
Thanks Daniel and Melissa B (I like your pink sweater)
I found some crunch with LOLLOP YNEZ AND ESSENE not Tuesday typical
But it all filled
HG, your juxtaposed image Dr Steve McQueen and Reb brought to mind this contemporary TV HERO
For you Gary, what famous good guy played the villain in episode 1?
LOLLOP was my discovery word today. Still not sure how it is used. Can it stand by itself w/o a preposition as a variation of "to LOLL," or does it need to be accompanied, as in "to LOLLOP about"? Can it be used as a gerund, as in "LOLLOPing"?
The American mind boggles.
Hmm, fun puzzle today. But I am not yet sure how to praise it...
The beginning.
Actually, about 18 hours..
The End???
-----------
Did you know that Burdock can be a Vegan smorgasbord? (3:43)
But they say Thistle is better... (10:57)
Lemon – I was very surprised to see who the villain was in episode #1 of Wanted Dead Or Alive. That actor had a bonanza of a career playing a left-handed good son later in his career. It appears Nick Adams (The Rebel) played the villain’s brother in McQueen’s first episode.
-Of course, Steve McQueen also played a more contemporary BOUNTY HUNTER in this 1980 movie
Good morning all,
Only a few sticky spots today, like Essene...will go back and read the article, Melissa... looks interesting.I put lollys because I had heard lollygagging and knew it had to be close. Just realized that Nome was NOT gnome, as I put garden before Alaska appeared. Had no idea about TNN...good perps. Fun puzzle Daniel... thanks, And Melissa, you always add so much. Loved The Redemption Song... what a voice! The invention of velcro was also interesting.
Had coffee with Chickie this morning and a "lurker" who lives very close to us. Maybe one of these days she (Judy2) will write a line or two. It has been fun meeting others who love this blog. Thanks C.C.
(not sure how to praise this puzzle, part II)
I was looking for funny oleo pics with all the faith, reason, & hope i could muster, when I came across this pic & was not sure if it referred to oleo, or olio...
Pate?
(Ok, ok, it's a slow day at CED Central...)
It could be worse, i could spreading around Mayo jokes...
Which brings us to Butter. What's so funny about Butter?
It's like misunderstanding the lyrics...
OK, that's pretty funny...
Oh wait, it just got worse again...
Hmm, interesting...
Whoa! Made out of Butter?
All I can say is...
Things just filled in nicely today except for the cross of TNN and YNEZ. But it was fun. Thanks Daniel and Melissa.
LOLLOP is one British word that hasn't made it into Canadian usage. Hand up for wanting BURR.
CSO with MAPLE trees.
Canadian Eh, I thought of you at Maple trees. How nice.
Easy day for me. I even got the theme...not always a given for me!
Thanks, Daniel and Melissa.
Owen, it's nice to be naughty!!
Yellowrocks; Yes, it was a delight to watch kids discover based on all the data they had. It worked for me in History and English. History especially, and Literature to be sure. That part of teaching was grand fun. I learned so much from my students ideas! In the US, it all came out of BSCS Biology, but it sure worked for my natural and crazy inquiring mind. Just ask my DH who often says of my MANY questions, Who cares but you!!
TTP- Yay for you. It will be grand. Enjoy every day!
CanadianEh, the flag was a gimme--a beauty at that. It beats the old one, for sure. Not to mention a spectacular anthem sung before it!
Thanks all. We Canadians tend not to be very showy about our patriotism but we do like our Maple leaf and anthem.
Greetings!
Thanks, Daniel and melissa!
No circles. No problem. LOLLOP was perped.
Misty: so sorry to hear about the death of Rowland. Hope you have people around.
Cheers!
LOLLOP????
New one for me. Didn't know YNEZ either, even though I saw the movie. The only thing I remember is the motorcycle riding girl beating the crap out of the groom-to-be.
Had no idea what the reveal would have been without the circles. But it was a very easy Tuesday speed run.
HowardW, thank you. Based on one day of experience, retirement IS all it is cracked up to be.
Hondo, I have to tell you that I received that same sage advice to stay busy from my doctor when I told him I would be retiring, and also from a good friend at work. She also said, "Stay busy, but whatever you do, do not organize your wife's stuff. Hands off !"
Irish Miss, thank you. If it weren't for all of the mosquitoes, I would be enjoying every single moment. Other than that, so far, so good. And as an aside, thank you to the makers of Bite Relief and AfterBite ! And Off and Cutters and Avon Skin So Soft....
Coneyro, less money and more spouse is AOK with me, but she wants to work a couple of more years. Don't know why. So it'll be me and the boy (my avatar) for awhile, BAU, but there's now an expectation about dinner being on the table shortly after she gets home. Not sure where that expectation came from... Guess I shouldn't have made all those jokes about Beef Wellington.
Bill G, I know, right ? Excellent ! (I think that's what all of the young people say these days.)
Jayce, thank you too ! You were the first to welcome me to this blog a few years ago, and made me feel welcome as a newbie. Now that I have more time on my hands, you'll probably rue the day. "Won't that guy ever shut up ?"
Thank you Madame Defarge. Yay ! YIPPEE ! I will enjoy every day !
Hi All!
Big Easy just said it all for me :-) SACRA was an ESP too.
Late to the party. Eldest had friend over for dinner. Good thing I had extra NY strips to grill and DW didn't want a potato (huge Texas roasters they sell 4 to a pack).
No W/Os today, just a few pauses waiting on perps for a vowel or two (FEM(E|U)R, SED(A|I)MENTARY, e.g.) before I INK'd it in.
Thanks Daniel for a fun puzzle and Melissa for a great recap. The hot-tub looks like a great way to MELT in the ALPs (BURr).
Thought on 41a - that c/a seems dated now with the OZONE hole closed since we stopped dumping HEAPS of CFCs... Y'all recall that ADO?
TTP - Groping at 35d... teehehe... DAM funny. Congrats on joining the good-life. If my NUMBers work out, I can get my goat farm in 14 more years.
OK, who put out the BOUNTY on PYTHON? I've RISKED the ONSET of MANY INANE laughing fits. HELP ME!
OUI(8:32 - @5:07ish)
For our MAPLE-leaf friends, a lumberjack in a B-CUP
The Knights Who Say NEAP(?) //ducking...
And now, for something completely different. Here's a story I heard on NPR about a New Zealander winning the French Scrabble Title. Thing is, he doesn't speak French. Quoi?
Cheers, -T
//last sentence contains 2 links split by . C, -T
I'm very late to the party today. But I wanted to tell Misty that I'm so sorry to hear about Rowland's passing. My thoughts are with you and yours today.
I don't have anything new to add to the comments today, other than I thought today's puzzle was so much easier than yesterday's. More like a Monday puzzle for me.
TTP, You will wonder how you ever had time to go to work once you've been retired for a while. I've been retired for over 20 years and I am busier than ever!!!
I had coffee today with JD and met another "Lurker" on the blog. We have friends in common. This is truly a small world. Garlic Gal couldn't make it today, as the Garlic Festival is this weekend and she was swamped with things to get done before the start of the festival.
Take care, everyone, and tell those close to you that you love them!
Coneyro & SwampCat: I do hope you realized the first limerick was about a woman professional yearbook/ID badge photographer.
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