Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 30
I
figured it was Silkie time, and there you have it~! This one started
off well, went blank, then with just the minimum of crossings (perps) it
filled in nicely, and well inside my personal time allotment. No
fun-sponge proper names, vague references or any other clues that would
normally force me into cheating, red-letters and Google. Makes for a
pleasant start to the weekend~! Triple 10-letter corners across, and
almost triple 9's in the down, with one spanner;
35. With "The," Massachusetts license plate slogan :
SPIRIT OF AMERICA - I can think of a couple of blog members who knew this one outright; I had no clue
SPIRIT OF AMERICA - I can think of a couple of blog members who knew this one outright; I had no clue
ACROSS:
1. Game with a Bad Piggies spin-off : ANGRY BIRDS - can you believe I have never played this~?
11. Pi preceder? : OCTO - octopi, more than one octoPUS
15. Modem interface : SERIAL PORT
16. Fizzle : FLOP
17. Westminster attraction : CLOCK TOWER - "Save the clock tower~!"
18. 17-Across display : TIME
19. Plant with tubular flowers : ALOE - always looking for a fresh way to clue this age-old crossword answer
20. Inside job : DECOR
22. "Willy and the Poor Boys" band, familiarly : CCR - Creedence Clearwater Revival
23. Poe title stowaway : PYM
24. Grain beard : AWN - could not remember this; the "W" was my second-to-last fill
26. Type of sandwich? : KNUCKLE
28. 2009 Emmy co-winner for Outstanding Talk Show Host : BEHAR - not ELLEN or OPRAH
30. Try to get : GRAB AT
31. Gateway Arch architect : SAARINEN - had it, spelled it correctly, took it out; I should trust my architectural instincts
34. Puff : PANT
38. Neophyte : TYRO
39. Calm : SERENITY - my mantra -
40. Key of Grieg's Piano Concerto : A MINOR - as always, start with - M - - OR, and go from there
43. Sturdy carts : DRAYS
44. Cork's province : MUNSTER - mostly perps, and the "U" was a WAG
46. Menu term : A LA
47. Consumer protection org. : BBB - Better Business Bureau
50. Calif. setting : PST
51. Described in letters : SPELT - Massachusetts; how do you spell it~? " I - T "
53. Wells creation : ELOI - H.G., the author, and one the Time Machine races
54. Play group : TEAM - oh, OK. I was thinking "play" as in actors on stage; ergo, troupe was not going to work
56. Cell warning : EMAIL ALERT - was not sure on the first pass if this was "cellular" or cell like those found in prison
59. Arctic fliers : AUKS - huh, I filled this in and forgot about it
60. Like some protests : NON-VIOLENT - I could have sworn we just had this clue/answer
61. Marvel Comics superheroes : X-MEN
62. "Through the Looking-Glass" brother : TWEEDLE DEE - I'm sure you're familiar with his twin, Tweedledum
DOWN:
1. Recording acronym : ASCAP
2. "M.O." rapper : NELLY - a WAG off the "N"
3. Stable employee : GROOM - women would like their GROOM to be STABLE, I would think
4. 2003 College World Series winner : RICE - all perps
5. Jaw : YAK
6. Short order? : BLT - Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato sa'mich order
7. Apple products : iPOD NANOS - did you hear that Apple is now coming out with sound-proof drywall panels~? It's called "iRock"
8. 1930s-'40s pitcher "Schoolboy" __ : ROWE - again, all perps
9. Worthless trash : DRECK
10. Solid : STRONG - I pondered STURDY, but that appears at 43a.
11. "... the apparel __ proclaims the man": "Hamlet" : OFT
12. Provocative and frequently misleading link : CLICKBAIT - we had this last month (36-Across)
13. "The Sum of All Fears" author : TOM CLANCY - I knew this one, so it made me change my " - - - STATE" pre-answer for 35a.
14. Victor Herbert work : OPERETTA - if Mr. Silk says so. Again, mostly perps
21. Influential sci-fi drama : R.U.R.- which added "robot" to the English language
24. Atmosphere: Pref. : AERI
25. Scintilla : WHIT - not IOTA
27. Warm-weather pants : CAPRIs
28. Industrial bigwigs : BARONS
29. Put another quarter in, as a parking meter : RE-FED
31. "Trust No One" Washington attraction : SPY MUSEUM - The X-Files; I own the DVD set
32. Internal combustion engine system : AIR INTAKE - I have to remove the air intake plenum on my Dodge Stratus in order to change out three of my six spark plugs. I had a frozen brake caliper, and this week I finally wore off the pad and got down to raw metal, so I changed it today, along with the pads and rotor. I figure I better do the other side before I grind those pads down to raw steel, too
33. Tale : NARRATIVE
35. 1765 levy repealed in 1766 : STAMP TAX
36. Board part : MEAL - as in Room & Board
37. New Age superstar : ENYA - new age~? Four letters~? = ENYA
41. Causes of "60 Minutes" delays, briefly : OTs - my mother hates it when Sunday football throws the TV sked off
42. Feel sorry for : REPENT
45. Do more lawn work : REMOW
47. Run : BLEED - ah, that "RUN". My dictionary has 15 (subdivided) definitions of the verb run, 15 for the verb transitive, and 12 for the noun; 11a is this kind;
11. Pi preceder? : OCTO - octopi, more than one octoPUS
15. Modem interface : SERIAL PORT
16. Fizzle : FLOP
17. Westminster attraction : CLOCK TOWER - "Save the clock tower~!"
19. Plant with tubular flowers : ALOE - always looking for a fresh way to clue this age-old crossword answer
20. Inside job : DECOR
22. "Willy and the Poor Boys" band, familiarly : CCR - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Down On The Corner
23. Poe title stowaway : PYM
24. Grain beard : AWN - could not remember this; the "W" was my second-to-last fill
26. Type of sandwich? : KNUCKLE
28. 2009 Emmy co-winner for Outstanding Talk Show Host : BEHAR - not ELLEN or OPRAH
30. Try to get : GRAB AT
31. Gateway Arch architect : SAARINEN - had it, spelled it correctly, took it out; I should trust my architectural instincts
34. Puff : PANT
38. Neophyte : TYRO
39. Calm : SERENITY - my mantra -
43. Sturdy carts : DRAYS
44. Cork's province : MUNSTER - mostly perps, and the "U" was a WAG
46. Menu term : A LA
47. Consumer protection org. : BBB - Better Business Bureau
50. Calif. setting : PST
51. Described in letters : SPELT - Massachusetts; how do you spell it~? " I - T "
53. Wells creation : ELOI - H.G., the author, and one the Time Machine races
54. Play group : TEAM - oh, OK. I was thinking "play" as in actors on stage; ergo, troupe was not going to work
56. Cell warning : EMAIL ALERT - was not sure on the first pass if this was "cellular" or cell like those found in prison
59. Arctic fliers : AUKS - huh, I filled this in and forgot about it
60. Like some protests : NON-VIOLENT - I could have sworn we just had this clue/answer
61. Marvel Comics superheroes : X-MEN
62. "Through the Looking-Glass" brother : TWEEDLE DEE - I'm sure you're familiar with his twin, Tweedledum
DOWN:
1. Recording acronym : ASCAP
2. "M.O." rapper : NELLY - a WAG off the "N"
3. Stable employee : GROOM - women would like their GROOM to be STABLE, I would think
4. 2003 College World Series winner : RICE - all perps
5. Jaw : YAK
6. Short order? : BLT - Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato sa'mich order
7. Apple products : iPOD NANOS - did you hear that Apple is now coming out with sound-proof drywall panels~? It's called "iRock"
8. 1930s-'40s pitcher "Schoolboy" __ : ROWE - again, all perps
9. Worthless trash : DRECK
10. Solid : STRONG - I pondered STURDY, but that appears at 43a.
11. "... the apparel __ proclaims the man": "Hamlet" : OFT
12. Provocative and frequently misleading link : CLICKBAIT - we had this last month (36-Across)
13. "The Sum of All Fears" author : TOM CLANCY - I knew this one, so it made me change my " - - - STATE" pre-answer for 35a.
14. Victor Herbert work : OPERETTA - if Mr. Silk says so. Again, mostly perps
21. Influential sci-fi drama : R.U.R.- which added "robot" to the English language
24. Atmosphere: Pref. : AERI
25. Scintilla : WHIT - not IOTA
27. Warm-weather pants : CAPRIs
28. Industrial bigwigs : BARONS
29. Put another quarter in, as a parking meter : RE-FED
31. "Trust No One" Washington attraction : SPY MUSEUM - The X-Files; I own the DVD set
32. Internal combustion engine system : AIR INTAKE - I have to remove the air intake plenum on my Dodge Stratus in order to change out three of my six spark plugs. I had a frozen brake caliper, and this week I finally wore off the pad and got down to raw metal, so I changed it today, along with the pads and rotor. I figure I better do the other side before I grind those pads down to raw steel, too
33. Tale : NARRATIVE
35. 1765 levy repealed in 1766 : STAMP TAX
36. Board part : MEAL - as in Room & Board
37. New Age superstar : ENYA - new age~? Four letters~? = ENYA
41. Causes of "60 Minutes" delays, briefly : OTs - my mother hates it when Sunday football throws the TV sked off
42. Feel sorry for : REPENT
45. Do more lawn work : REMOW
47. Run : BLEED - ah, that "RUN". My dictionary has 15 (subdivided) definitions of the verb run, 15 for the verb transitive, and 12 for the noun; 11a is this kind;
48. Supported : BORNE
49. Polite word, in Potsdam : BITTE - "Thanks", if I'm not mistaken
52. Pool division : LANE
53. Women's issue : ELLE - magazine issue
55. ISP choice : MSN - and a genuine clecho; 58. ISP choice : AOL
57. Top : LID - CAP~? HAT~? decisions, decisions....
49. Polite word, in Potsdam : BITTE - "Thanks", if I'm not mistaken
52. Pool division : LANE
53. Women's issue : ELLE - magazine issue
55. ISP choice : MSN - and a genuine clecho; 58. ISP choice : AOL
57. Top : LID - CAP~? HAT~? decisions, decisions....
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Today we celebrate the birthday of
our quick-witted friend & foodie Steve, who has traveled around the
word to taste every global cuisine. How many people on our blog knows
Shamoji? Amazing. Steve hikes to the Hollywood sign regularly and he's
an avid runner as well.
After Thursday, I'm pleased to report that, following a lengthy tussle, I defeated today's munster without even using reds!
ReplyDeleteIs it octopuses or OCTOPI?
Are you unsure? Well so am I!
In the Antipodes
Is it octopodes?
Go ask some hippopotami!
If your sister, being naughty
Dropped six iPods in the potty
And you lost two iPOD NANOS
That got crushed by rogue pianos,
Would the devastation be an OCTOPODI?
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barry S and Splynter! Thanks for early blog!
Took a while but got 'er done with no cheats!
And, since it is very late at night here and reasonably cool, Safari was working. Friday I blogged after everyone else.
Had enough letters in ANGRY BIRDS and SPIRIT OF AMERICA to eventually make WAGs. Slow going, though.
Happy Birthday, Steve!!
Cheers!
Dear Mr. Silk,
ReplyDeleteYour puzzles make my head spin... Always so clever and WAY over my head. One of these days... Maybe...I will complete one of your masterpieces. thank you
Morning, All (And Happy Birthday, Steve)!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a challenge today, but fair, fun and ultimately doable. A few long gimmes (SPIRIT OF AMERICA, ANGRY BIRDS, SAARINEN, SPY MUSEUM), but lots of other stuff that took a lot of thought and guesses. Had DREGS instead of DRECK for the longest time, which really held me up, and I was pretty sure that OPRAH had to be right instead of the lesser known BEHAR. MUNSTER and ROWE were complete unknowns. But, as I said, I got through it unscathed at the end and had fun doing it.
No one knows everything, well, except for Barry Silk, but anyway, I tell my grandchildren it is not cheating to look things up. It's called learning.
ReplyDeleteLike Splynter, I finished this one in better-than-average time. A few mis-steps such as STAMP ACT rather than STAMP TAX, AERo for AERI, REsOd for REMOW, and spEED for BLEED. NARRATIon (briefly) before NARRATIVE. I knew Schoolboy ROWE but not BEHAR, MUNSTER, or PYM. 62A was easy: Enter TWEEDLED-- and wait for one of the last two letters to fill.
ReplyDeleteA fun challenge, thanks Mr. Silk. And as always, thanks to Splynter for the summary. I especially liked the picture for CLOCK TOWER.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI managed to make all the same missteps as HowardW. It looked daunting, but turned out to be pretty easy.
4-letter university -- UCLA or ELON. Nope, the one just down the road.
I'm pretty sure Cork's province was named for Herman.
Splynter, I'm with your mother in hating how OT's screw up the late-night TV schedule. I forget to add an hour to the "posted" end times and wind up with lots of program fragments on the DVR. They know they're gonna run late -- they always do -- so why not schedule 'em that way? Oh, and I've never played ANGRY BIRDS, either.
Happy Birthday, Steve.
Odd solve. Easily described as "plodding", but in reality quite a bit quicker than normal for a Silkie. And I've learned with him that wags are an essential, so I was in that gear from the get go. Started with PiM (later corrected), giving me ASCAP and Groom. Angry Birds looked plausible, so that confirmed Yak instead of gab. And so it went throughout the grid. Lots of unknowns, but with friendly perps, and several unknowns. But it all worked out nicely.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful Birthday Steve! And thanks for all you do here.
Stumped on top but roared up from the bottom. Barry brings out the best in my limited skills! We are off on our annual pilgrimage to wonderful place where we will get our own edible 7. Down Apple products. Blog ‘ya later. Happy Birthday Steve.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Steve!
ReplyDeleteI only had A MINOR--a guess that stuck, and SAARINEN on the first pass. I have learned to be patient with a Saturday Silkie and keep working away. I thought it was taking forever, but indeed actually less time than in the past. I find the clues very reasonable once it all starts to click. Favorite: Inside job--DECOR. Ha!! I've seen loads of Mass plates since we travel to New England often, but I never noticed the motto. It must be under a lot of fancy plate holders. Besides, I would have assumed it to be "I Don't Use Turn Signals." ;-) Who can complain though? Ours in Illinois should read, "Where Our Governors Make Our License Plates." :-O
Thanks for a great Saturday run, Barry and Splynter.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone! When I went to the pool to swim laps the guy on the desk told me that I now qualify for the Senior's discount. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but two bucks is two bucks! :) C.C. - I don't run so much any more - my knees don't thank me for it. If I did a triathlon these days it would be Swim, Bike & Plod.
ReplyDeleteBreeze-through solve today - I don't really pay attention to my times but when I can fill in 1A on a Barry Silk Saturday without pausing for thought it's a good omen. Finished up in less than 15 minutes which is good going for me.
Today was surprisingly a speed run for a Silkie - but had the same hang-ups as everyone else with BEHAR instead of Oprah and Ellen.
ReplyDeleteI think in German BITTE has many meanings but more often means "please", "you're welcome"(in response to the other person's thanks), "may I help you?", "pardon?". It's a great word to have when you're traveling and only know a few words in German, because even if you use it wrong it always is a polite, nice thing to say :)!
Thanks Splynter for the write-up
Happy Birthday, Steve! My added layer of the puzzle on Wednesday is to guess as I'm reading the blog whether Steve or JazzB wrote it without looking!
My take on the senior discounts being near the end of the Baby Boom - they just keep moving the age up most places because there are too many of us. It used to be (and still is for some things) 55, it has moved up to 62 and 65 for many places. By the time I'm those ages they will probably move it up to 70! Hy-Vee grocery stores has it down to 50 on Tues and Wednesdays though.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a typical Silkie, so with lots of patience and perseverance, I finished w/o help in normal Silkie time, not 15 minutes ala Steve, though. Had Regis before Behar, danke/bitte, shorts/capris, and Stamp Act/Tax, which almost did me in. I don't understand Cork's province=Munster.
Thanks, Mr. Silk, for your usual brain-teaser and thanks, Splynter, for the fun expo.
Happy Birthday, Steve; I hope your day is filled with food, fun, and frolicking! 🎂 🎈 💝
Have a great day.
Irish Miss, check a map of Ireland.
ReplyDeleteThe provinces of Ireland serve no administrative or political purposes, but function as historical and cultural entities.
ReplyDeleteThe provinces were supplanted by the present system of counties after the Norman invasion.
Munster
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Steve.
A Saturday Silkie. Alas, I did not experience the Nirvana and ecstasy usually encountered in these instances.
Got the bottom two-thirds without too much hassle, but too many unknowns in the NW required too many WAGS for my taste.
Did not like cell warning E-MAIL ALERT, either.
DRECK - German - means the same
DO, Argyle, and Mr. Google: Thanks for the enlightening info. I was completely unaware of this classification and couldn't imagine a Munster - Irish connection. Live and learn, eh?
ReplyDelete"Cell warning : EMAIL ALERT - was not sure on the first pass if this was "cellular" or cell like those found in prison"
ReplyDeleteStill don't get it.
"Do more lawn work : REMOW"
Hmm ...
I guess I'm an elitist, but any puzzle that requires me to know a rapper and a talk show host gets two strikes right there. "Plodder" really describes this for me. Really slow going but I was able to keep chipping away till I had all but the brutal, completely empty top except for GROOM. Last fill was the Natick AWN/WHIT. Had to run the alphabet for a W I should have figured out. But after 70 minutes, in the wee hours, insomnia raging, I weakened.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteMr. Silk, you win... Again! But I enjoyed the battle so much I don't mind defeat.
Splynter, thanks for 'splaining it all for us.
Owen, Octopodi will be part of my vocabulary from now on! Great job today.
Steve, HB!
A very happy birthday Steve and welcome to the OTH Gang.
ReplyDeleteUnwrapping a Silkie is like Christmas
Greetings, friends!
ReplyDeleteLemonade said it well, "Unwrapping a Silkie is like Christmas."
I love the way I it unfolds slowly but surely, one quadrant after another. It takes much thought but suddenly a light turns on. For me, the SW filled first though SPY took longer than it should have.
In the NE GAY TALESE held me back for a very long time as I was sure he was the author. Imagine my surprise when nothing else worked and the eraser took over. TIME was my first indication that something was amiss.
So much fun! Thank you, Barry Silk and Splynter. All of your links showed up blank.
Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone!
Happy birthday, Steve! I hope it's a wonderful celebration.
ReplyDeleteI was pretry tweedleDUMB on this puzzle
ReplyDeleteEmail alert - when your phone vibrates or whatever when you get an email.
ReplyDeleteHad Dregs for Dreck, OttoCycle for AirIntake, Gab for Yak, Shorts for Capris, and Iota for Whit before crosses cleaned them up.
Also - always replace brakes by the axle, if you do one side of the front (or rear) do the other as well.
You know you're getting better at puzzles when you see it's a Silkie and you think "Oh Boy!" and not "Oh No!".
I'm a big tennis fan and I'm just going to say it, Serena choked big time. Completely unlike her, but there it is.
Hand up for OttoCycle before AirIntake.
ReplyDelete(Just kidding!)
Are there other examples of erroneous plurals of the OCTOPI variety that have almost attained "correct" status through frequent use/mass ignorance (in this case of Latin vis-à-vis Greek)? I just wonder whether this one is a lost cause or whether a critical mass of influential writers, including, Mr. Silk, could save our OCTOPUSES/OCTOPODES through positive example; failing that, we may have to try mock plurals, as Owen suggests.
ReplyDeleteMan oh man, I like Barry Silk puzzles. Anonymous PVX said it so well. But I do think "Oh No!" when I see a Jeff Chen Friday or Saturday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Steve.
Happy day-after-your-birthday, Gary.
Best wishes to you all.
Yup. One of the easier Silkies. I started my fills at the very end, with TWEEDLE, and the obvious answer to 49D (BITTE) gave me DEE. From then on, as they say, it was history.
ReplyDeleteThe old OCTOPI/OCTOPODI/OCTOPUSES debate leaves us today, after centuries of argument, with three fair choices. You really can't go wrong according to most grammarians (although I doubt most folk would buy the "podi" or "podes" endings). If the original adopters of the word from the Greek wanted to warn people away from "pi," shouldn't they have used the singular Greek ending and spelled it "Octopos"?
Nice Cuppa -
ReplyDeleteOwen has another example in "hippopotami". Oxford Dictionaries calls this "either funny or absurdly pedantic". [An example of funny is "A regular army/of hippopotami" in Flanders & Swann's "The Hippopotamus Song".]
A friend of mine likes to talk about "Prii" but thankfully that's not in common use.
All righty then!
ReplyDeleteAnd here we are once again at the Oxford comma! :-)
Happy Birthday Steve! I always love your expos and look for a few more clues to exactly what you do for money :-) You seem like a very interesting chap.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe I got a Silkie 1a off-the-bat. I was doing OK for a spell, w/ the SW in place but 24a holding things up (I was feeling my OATs?) - I had to look up AWN; still unknown to me...
That finally cleared everything except the South. Nemo for 53 and DSL (since MSN was used) stayed and I ate the KNUCKLE sandwich (great c/a!) there. That's my NARRATIon and DNF.
SPY MUSEUM was easy - Eldest & I went there over the summer.
Of course my fav: SERIAL PORT. RS232 is universal!
Cheers, -T
Too bad computers don't have serial ports on them any more. When my old computer died and had to be replaced, it rendered all my old RS-232 engineering equipment unusable.
ReplyDeleteJayce: Check out USB to RS232. I can still talk directly to routers/firewalls and other toys. Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteNot making the "through the looking glass" connection made the the SE corner the last I cheated on...
ReplyDeleteHBD Steve!
Or if you prefer, you can stick your shamoji in this...
Also, you can play Angry Birds online Free, just do not be tricked into clicking on anything that says "download."
Hmm, Ottocycle. Great Crossword fodder that would elicit lots of angry comments, but how to clue it?
Why don't the Crosswor editors catch the error "octopi". Other correct plural is: octopuses or octopodes. The same error was in the Sunday L.A. Times crossword (8/6/15). Just wondering ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous T, thank you for that reference. The "rub" is to trick my old software into believing it is communicating through a COM port, as it did on my old computer. I think maybe this one has the right chip set and OS drivers to do the trick. I think I'll try it out. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteBack from a great day at the orchard on a flawless Nebr. fall day!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-CCR produced incredible music but had a bitter split up
-Didja know the Ventures played Grieg in A MINOR too?
-Joann is signed up for EMAIL weather ALERTS
-Hilarious twist on X-MEN (:21)
-The College World Series is a marquee Omaha event and tickets are getting tougher to get
-I knew SCHOOLBOY ROWE and Preacher Roe
-In The Longest Day a GI says, “Hey Sarge, what does BITTE mean?” after he had shot a German soldier who was begging him to please not shoot him.
Alas! After bravely doing Thursday and Friday with almost no help I was forced to concede to red-lettering, the training-wheels of crosswords.
ReplyDeleteI had gotten about a dozen answers, but with no confidence in their correctness when I turned on the reds. I was right, about half were wrong. Along with talk show hosts I consider College Football champs and most sports figures too obscure to know. I did guess TWEEDLED-- but needed the reds to see if it was DEE or DUM.
I read the PYM book about a year ago and commented on it to some friends, yet I didn't recall if it was I or Y in the middle. I think it is Poe's only novel.
Thanks for all the informative comments, especially those that cleared up the Provence of MUNSTER.
When does the Jewish New Year start? My pocket calendar says Sunday at sunset but I noticed there were Happy New Year wishes earlier in the week.
VS
VS -
ReplyDeleteYour pocket calendar is correct, Sunday at sunset. But I don't think anyone objects to early good wishes.
HG's "hey Sarge, what does Bitte mean?" comes at 8:30 into this 9:09 clip
ReplyDeleteI must confess I did not know what it meant until today either...
All I can say about this Silkie is that I completed it over a 12 hour span; 10 minutes at 6 am, 10 hours at a tennis tournament, and about 20 minutes to complete. Unknowns aplenty: DRECK, ANGRY BIRDS, PYM, BEHAR, SPIRIT OF AMERICA, TWEEDLEDEE, X-MEN, MUNSTER, NELLY, SAARINEN. Seen the words before and they worked out, but never heard of DRECK.
ReplyDeleteAt about 6:10 I had RUR, KNUCKLE, BBB, AWN, DRAYS, and nothing else. After I got home and looked at it, things started to fall into place with many false starts. TOM CLANCY fell, then OCTO and OFT.
A SHARP became A MINOR and PITIES turned into REPENT (which makes no sense to me), RESOD or REMOW, MSN & AOL were both correct, but where to place them. I wanted LSU ( we've won a few college world series) but needed 4 letters, so it was UCLA or RICE. CLICK HERE eventually became CLICK BAIT. The long downs in the SW were unknown but they made sense after the crosses.
Nice work Steve, and as usual, curse you Silk for beating up my brain but I like tough puzzles that I can complete; thanks.
Sorry Splynter, I was looking at Steve's picture and congratulated him.
ReplyDeleteHello gang.
ReplyDeleteLike HG (Happy belated Birthday by the way), this
solved from the bottom up.
Had no idea what Angry Birds was.
First I thought is was
singular Angry Bird
But no, it was plural Angry Birds
Now I come here to find out its
Just a game
And before I forget, A HB to Steve also
CED: Thanks for the link, I've long wanted to play Angy Birds but never have. Sadly, I got through the first steps as far as "Loading..." and it just went on loading until my patience ran out, and I became an angry bird.
ReplyDeleteBig Easy said..."PITIES turned into REPENT (which makes no sense to me)"
Feel sorry for [someone] is how I read that clue at first too.
Feel sorry for [what you have done] is the reading that leads to the answer.
Does antipodes rhyme with octopodes?
Happy birthday to Gary and Steve. Thanks for your interesting blogs.
ReplyDeleteThis was a red letter day for me, but, even so, the puzzle was still a lot of fun. I came upon several red letters, but still needed to do much thinking, so it was enjoyable. The top third was the toughest. I was distracted and in a hurry. We returned from down the shore at Wildwood Crest, NJ yesterday and had to shop and prepare a birthday dinner for my DIL today.
I baked an apple pie this AM, no birthday cakes in our family. I made chicken Marsala, twice baked potatoes, local grown corn and spinach salad. We had a great day.
My grandson who is working on his Eagle Scout project has just gotten his driver's permit, and is in the midst of applying to colleges. What an exciting time for the toddler I used to babysit. I am so pleased that my ADD grandson, a very bright young man, has been able to work around his challenges.
ReplyDeleteOCTOPI? As Bob Dylan said, "The times they are achanging." Octopi is already correct in all but the must formal circumstances. Octopodes is difficult to find in most American dictionaries. Spell Check flags it. OCTOPI and OCTOPUSES are common plurals in most dictionaries. If your basis for judging correctness is common sense or use in the original language, much of today's accepted English would go down the tubes.
The ad says, "It's not your grandfather's Buick." Also, it's not your grandfather's English.
Jayce - I can see how that adapter will work for you on an iBox,
ReplyDeleteAnon @whenever re: OCTOpi - Like M.O. NELLY, 'tis the lexicon.
BITTE - one of the few words I knew in Germany... hold up thumb, say 'BITTE', get beer.
If you held up a the index finger, they'd give you two beers. That was fine - it wasn't like they'd get any warmer.
Cheers, -T
Mr Silk needs a grammar lesson. Calm should be serene not serenity. Bout time Silkie got the boot.
ReplyDelete