Theme: "And the Oscar goes to ..."
60A. Award to be announced February 28, previously won by the first words of 17-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across : BEST PICTURE
17A. Intensive study program : CRASH COURSE. Somewhat of a controversial winner for this 2004 release. The director, Paul Haggis, was quoted later as saying "Was this the best picture of the year? I don't think so".
23A. It's the opposite of a flying one : ROCKY START. Yo, Sylvester! This 1976 original in the franchise has been cropping up quite frequently in crosswords recently.
39A. Mighty clash : TITANIC STRUGGLE. Kate Winslet recently said of this 1997 tear-jerker "There was plenty of room for Jack".
51A. 2014 WNBA Finals runner-up : CHICAGO SKY. I got myself into a terrific mess down in this area when I decided that the movie title was GHOST. ON TOW seemed more natural than IN TOW, and AGAI berries sounded familiar. ETHOS got shoehorned in too. Never mind that "Ghost" never won Best Picture. The 2002 "Chicago" deservedly did.
Closing in on Oscar weekend with a C.C. movie boxed set. As I mentioned above, I made a huge mess of the SE section, and, rarely for me, had to walk away and come back to it later, at which point things finally fell into place. A nice challenge.
Across:
1. Beach tube letters : SPF
4. Tube in Paris : METRO. Here's the Anvers station entrance in Montmartre which I snapped on my visit in January. I love the art deco signage on some of the older stations.
9. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer : SHEA
13. Roofing sealant : TAR
14. Gem weight unit : CARAT. Carat is a unit of weight, karat is a unit of purity. Repeat until klear. I mean clear.
15. Home extension? : STEAD
16. __ standstill : AT A
19. Classic laundry soap : RINSO. Do they still make this stuff?
21. They're drunk at socials : TEAS. Not at my socials, they're not. But then again my socials are more commonly referred to as "happy hours".
22. Fish in hamo, a Japanese delicacy : EEL. Food! Hamo is the pike eel. If you want some zen-chill moments, check out the videos from three-star Michelin chef Seiji Yamamoto showing how to prep and serve the fish here.
26. Auto racer Busch : KYLE. If you just have the K you need to wait for the crosses - big brother Kurt is also in the same business.
27. "Uh-huh" : I SEE
28. Miscellany : OLIO. I always smile when I see this - C.C. was kind enough to explain the difference between OLIO and OLEO to me when I was a crossword puzzle rookie and confused on a daily basis.
30. Faux pas : SLIP
33. Certain king's pride : MANE. Nice wordplay on the lion's pride.
36. Nunavut people : INUIT
42. Simple type of question : YES/NO. Or a really difficult one - "The chicken came first. Yes or No?".
43. "Good one!" : HA HA
44. Dumped, perhaps : SOLD
45. Sister brand of the Sensor razor : ATRA. I joined Dollar Shave Club a couple of years ago and stopped spending crazy amounts of money on razor blades.
47. "You've found the right person" : I'M IT
49. D.C. bigwigs : POLS
57. Wood-scratching tool : AWL
58. Pakistani bread : NAAN. Food! It gets its traditional teardrop shape from hanging off the inside of the tandoor while it cooks.
59. Loosen, as laces : UNTIE
64. Cellular messenger : RNA
65. Take the helm : STEER. Aye, aye, Skipper.
66. Trees yielding caffeine-rich nuts : KOLAS
67. Staples of many websites : ADS
68. Giveaway bag : TOTE
69. One-for-one deals : SWAPS. Did people ever swap things at swap meets?
70. Touch gently : PAT. Could have been PET. Wasn't.
Down:
1. British Invasion drummer : STARR. RINGO went in. Then came out. Richard Starkey, MBE. Replaced the Fifth Beatle Pete Best as drummer. Wait, the Fifth Beatle was Stu Sutcliffe? See 9D.
2. Hibachi spot : PATIO. Somewhere to grill your hamo.
3. Mali money : FRANC
4. Real people? : McCOYS. Clue of the day for me. "The real McCoy".
5. Maestro's forte : EAR.
6. Refrain bit : TRA. La. La.
7. Many a reggae musician : RASTA. I'm reading Paul Theroux's book "Dark Star Safari" on my current trip, and discovered yesterday that Haile Selassie's birth name was Ras Tafari, hence the Rastafarians. Learning moment.
8. Additional : OTHER
9. "Fifth Beatle" Sutcliffe : STU. This might be a questionable clue for a Beatles purist. The original drummer, Pete Best, usually gets the "fifth Beatle" moniker. As far as recorded material was concerned, Billy Preston is commonly termed the "fifth Beatle" and played with the band at their final public appearance on the rooftop of Apple in 1969.
10. "Sure, take it!" : HERE YOU GO
11. Picasso supporter : EASEL
12. "Set Fire to the Rain" singer : ADELE
15. Call for help : .S.O.S.
18. "The Censor" of Rome : CATO. The Elder. Apparently a divisive character: "Cato was hated for his pedantic bigotry, but respected as an able politician and good orator." Difficult to reconcile those two.
20. Part of a winter suit : SKI PANTS
24. Penultimate contest, for its winner : SEMI. Ultimate contest for the loser.
25. Work with pupils : TEACH
26. Bob Marley Museum city : KINGSTON, Jamaica.
29. The Blackbirds of the NCAA's Northeast Conf. : LIU. Long Island University, Brooklyn as I'm sure we all knew :) Thank you, crosses.
30. Babe's pen : STY. Movie pig Babe.
31. Falsity : LIE. "I cannot tell one". Oh wait, I think I just did!
32. "Everything's ready to go!" : IT'S ALL SET
34. Surveillance org. : NSA
35. Moral principle : ETHIC. I forced ETHOS in here to work with my GHOST woes.
37. Not close to 100% : ILL
38. Texas senator Cruz : TED. Topical Ted.
40. Neither partner : NOR
41. Avatar of Vishnu : RAMA
46. Faddish berry in smoothies : ACAI. Not AGAI, Steve. Have a word with yourself.
48. Hesitant okay : I GUESS
49. Old Milwaukee maker : PABST
50. Have because of : OWE TO
52. Accesses illegally, in a way : HACKS
53. Hitched behind : IN TOW. I got fixated on the car-breakdown "ON TOW" usage and ignored the possibility of anything else for quite some time.
54. Camera holder : STRAP
55. In a way, slangily : KINDA
56. Old Milwaukee-making ingredient : YEAST. Both the maker and the means today.
58. "Morning Edition" airer : NPR
61. Links supporter : TEE
62. Suffix with form : ULA
63. Criticize : RAP. Tried RIP first, then couldn't make sense of KOLIS. Sanity prevailed. As I said, the SE corner was a whole slew of mess for me until I stepped away for a while (and a couple of glasses of wine, maybe that was the trick!)
Here's the grid, and have a good day!
Steve
60A. Award to be announced February 28, previously won by the first words of 17-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across : BEST PICTURE
17A. Intensive study program : CRASH COURSE. Somewhat of a controversial winner for this 2004 release. The director, Paul Haggis, was quoted later as saying "Was this the best picture of the year? I don't think so".
23A. It's the opposite of a flying one : ROCKY START. Yo, Sylvester! This 1976 original in the franchise has been cropping up quite frequently in crosswords recently.
39A. Mighty clash : TITANIC STRUGGLE. Kate Winslet recently said of this 1997 tear-jerker "There was plenty of room for Jack".
51A. 2014 WNBA Finals runner-up : CHICAGO SKY. I got myself into a terrific mess down in this area when I decided that the movie title was GHOST. ON TOW seemed more natural than IN TOW, and AGAI berries sounded familiar. ETHOS got shoehorned in too. Never mind that "Ghost" never won Best Picture. The 2002 "Chicago" deservedly did.
Closing in on Oscar weekend with a C.C. movie boxed set. As I mentioned above, I made a huge mess of the SE section, and, rarely for me, had to walk away and come back to it later, at which point things finally fell into place. A nice challenge.
Across:
1. Beach tube letters : SPF
4. Tube in Paris : METRO. Here's the Anvers station entrance in Montmartre which I snapped on my visit in January. I love the art deco signage on some of the older stations.
9. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer : SHEA
13. Roofing sealant : TAR
14. Gem weight unit : CARAT. Carat is a unit of weight, karat is a unit of purity. Repeat until klear. I mean clear.
15. Home extension? : STEAD
16. __ standstill : AT A
19. Classic laundry soap : RINSO. Do they still make this stuff?
21. They're drunk at socials : TEAS. Not at my socials, they're not. But then again my socials are more commonly referred to as "happy hours".
22. Fish in hamo, a Japanese delicacy : EEL. Food! Hamo is the pike eel. If you want some zen-chill moments, check out the videos from three-star Michelin chef Seiji Yamamoto showing how to prep and serve the fish here.
26. Auto racer Busch : KYLE. If you just have the K you need to wait for the crosses - big brother Kurt is also in the same business.
27. "Uh-huh" : I SEE
28. Miscellany : OLIO. I always smile when I see this - C.C. was kind enough to explain the difference between OLIO and OLEO to me when I was a crossword puzzle rookie and confused on a daily basis.
30. Faux pas : SLIP
33. Certain king's pride : MANE. Nice wordplay on the lion's pride.
36. Nunavut people : INUIT
42. Simple type of question : YES/NO. Or a really difficult one - "The chicken came first. Yes or No?".
43. "Good one!" : HA HA
44. Dumped, perhaps : SOLD
45. Sister brand of the Sensor razor : ATRA. I joined Dollar Shave Club a couple of years ago and stopped spending crazy amounts of money on razor blades.
47. "You've found the right person" : I'M IT
49. D.C. bigwigs : POLS
57. Wood-scratching tool : AWL
58. Pakistani bread : NAAN. Food! It gets its traditional teardrop shape from hanging off the inside of the tandoor while it cooks.
59. Loosen, as laces : UNTIE
64. Cellular messenger : RNA
65. Take the helm : STEER. Aye, aye, Skipper.
66. Trees yielding caffeine-rich nuts : KOLAS
67. Staples of many websites : ADS
68. Giveaway bag : TOTE
69. One-for-one deals : SWAPS. Did people ever swap things at swap meets?
70. Touch gently : PAT. Could have been PET. Wasn't.
Down:
1. British Invasion drummer : STARR. RINGO went in. Then came out. Richard Starkey, MBE. Replaced the Fifth Beatle Pete Best as drummer. Wait, the Fifth Beatle was Stu Sutcliffe? See 9D.
2. Hibachi spot : PATIO. Somewhere to grill your hamo.
3. Mali money : FRANC
4. Real people? : McCOYS. Clue of the day for me. "The real McCoy".
5. Maestro's forte : EAR.
6. Refrain bit : TRA. La. La.
7. Many a reggae musician : RASTA. I'm reading Paul Theroux's book "Dark Star Safari" on my current trip, and discovered yesterday that Haile Selassie's birth name was Ras Tafari, hence the Rastafarians. Learning moment.
8. Additional : OTHER
9. "Fifth Beatle" Sutcliffe : STU. This might be a questionable clue for a Beatles purist. The original drummer, Pete Best, usually gets the "fifth Beatle" moniker. As far as recorded material was concerned, Billy Preston is commonly termed the "fifth Beatle" and played with the band at their final public appearance on the rooftop of Apple in 1969.
10. "Sure, take it!" : HERE YOU GO
11. Picasso supporter : EASEL
12. "Set Fire to the Rain" singer : ADELE
15. Call for help : .S.O.S.
18. "The Censor" of Rome : CATO. The Elder. Apparently a divisive character: "Cato was hated for his pedantic bigotry, but respected as an able politician and good orator." Difficult to reconcile those two.
20. Part of a winter suit : SKI PANTS
24. Penultimate contest, for its winner : SEMI. Ultimate contest for the loser.
25. Work with pupils : TEACH
26. Bob Marley Museum city : KINGSTON, Jamaica.
29. The Blackbirds of the NCAA's Northeast Conf. : LIU. Long Island University, Brooklyn as I'm sure we all knew :) Thank you, crosses.
30. Babe's pen : STY. Movie pig Babe.
31. Falsity : LIE. "I cannot tell one". Oh wait, I think I just did!
32. "Everything's ready to go!" : IT'S ALL SET
34. Surveillance org. : NSA
35. Moral principle : ETHIC. I forced ETHOS in here to work with my GHOST woes.
37. Not close to 100% : ILL
38. Texas senator Cruz : TED. Topical Ted.
40. Neither partner : NOR
41. Avatar of Vishnu : RAMA
46. Faddish berry in smoothies : ACAI. Not AGAI, Steve. Have a word with yourself.
48. Hesitant okay : I GUESS
49. Old Milwaukee maker : PABST
50. Have because of : OWE TO
52. Accesses illegally, in a way : HACKS
53. Hitched behind : IN TOW. I got fixated on the car-breakdown "ON TOW" usage and ignored the possibility of anything else for quite some time.
55. In a way, slangily : KINDA
56. Old Milwaukee-making ingredient : YEAST. Both the maker and the means today.
58. "Morning Edition" airer : NPR
61. Links supporter : TEE
62. Suffix with form : ULA
63. Criticize : RAP. Tried RIP first, then couldn't make sense of KOLIS. Sanity prevailed. As I said, the SE corner was a whole slew of mess for me until I stepped away for a while (and a couple of glasses of wine, maybe that was the trick!)
Here's the grid, and have a good day!
Steve
Note from C.C.
JD is now vacationing in Hawaii. Here are two fantastic pictures she sent to me yesterday. I never heard of Mount Haleakalā before.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks for cool offering, CC! Swell expo, Steve!
Nice theme!
Only unknown was KYLE.
Went quickly!
Nice pic, JD!
Dentist appointment at 3. Awful trauma of removing mercury (and sometimes finding more cavities). Can't wail.
Cheers!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteBlew threw this one in near Monday time except for CHICAGO SKY, which was completely unknown and took a lot of perps to get through. I thought the clue was asking for a person at first, or else I would have guessed a city earlier. Still wouldn't have guessed SKY, though.
Cute theme, although I didn't pick up on it until I after I had filled in all the theme answers and got to the reveal.
I don't have any dogs in the race, but I am hoping Leo picks up a Best Actor Oscar.
About right for a Thursday. Got 'er done with only two write-overs: SENS became POLS, and DNA became RNA. Clue-of-the-day for me was PICASSO SUPPORTER. Couldn't fit PATRON, so eventually, with a few perps, EASEL appeared. Fun CW, thanx, C.C. Nice write-up, thanx, Steve. Guess I'll hafta come back later to get Owen's limericks.
ReplyDeleteClever, timely theme. I had rip before rap, but still finished in what would likely be a personal record for a Thursday puzzle if I actually recorded times.
ReplyDeleteWatching the sunrise through the darkness and clouds on Mt. Haleakala is the most beautiful sight on Earth, and probably in the top 5 for the galaxy.
I get annoyed about the Academy Awards when people start to treat them as if there is a definitive "best." Ask 10 of your friends what their favorite movie of the year it, and you'll probably get 4 different answers. Let's all remember that it's subjective/opinion, despite all the media coverage saying otherwise.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteNothing too difficult in this one, but I still managed a stumble or two. I wanted TITANIC boondoGGLE (too long) and SKI PArka (just right). I distinctly remember forgetting that there ever was a movie named CRASH.
NPR was a gimme; I catch Morning Edition most mornings.
Steve, I think IN TOW is the more common expression on this side of the pond. And I sure hope you worked the puzzle in the evening, and didn't need a couple of glasses of wine for breakfast.
C.C., I'll bet you'd recognize the mountain if you heard the name, rather than read it -- Holly-Ocka'-La.
Fermat, I had to snicker at your "Can't wail" typo.
Good puzzle .Had to look up Busch ,fell into place nicely after that .
ReplyDeleteI SEE that the BEST PICTURE nominees for this year's TITANIC Oscar struggle would require a significant SPF protector if they were to attend a cookout on a sun baked PATIO. I GUESS that this has caused quite a ROCKY reception among many from Hollywood to CHICAGO to the home of SHEA stadium. This Sunday night will prove to be the most partitioned broadcast on television. Shame on the Academy for proving to be the most hypocritical group in America by ignoring they're so-call ETHIC of diversity in film. Need proof? HERE YOU GO, this year's nominees! IT"S ALL SET to raise many eyebrows, but not to worry, they have selected a person of color to CRASH the party and entertain them. This guy!
ReplyDeleteSteve: Excellent, informative write-up. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteC.C. WOW ! Thank you for constructing a wonderful, timely themed, FUN Thursday puzzle.
This was such an enjoyable solve ... it is my new BEST Puzzle of the year.
With two (count'em, 2) Jamaica answers: RASTA & KINGSTON.
Then there was the familiar reference (as someone passed you something there): HERE-YOU-GO ... lol
Then you throw in PABST & YEAST ... you know I "KINDA" had a grin on my face entering the letters.
A few unknowns, easily gotten by the perps ... RAMA & LIU.
Whenever I don't know a songs singer, and it is 5 letters, ADELE is a good wag.
Cheers!
Yup fun puzzle. I tried to avoid the reveal, but it jumped out at me and did prove to be vey helpful since I've never heard of Chicago Sky. Thank you C.C. And Steve.
ReplyDeleteTin, I think you overlooked "EAR!!!" ;-)
Fun Oscar themed puzzle - minor wait for perps when I had CHICAGO but thought it was FIRE not SKY - I was remembering the MLS league soccer team from there. I notice that most of the new teams are animals or inanimate phenomena like Thunder and SKY and Wild, (panthers, pelicans, jaguars) so no one will get upset.
ReplyDeleteAlso accidentally put the SWAG in the SWAPS slot because I wasn't paying attention to the numbers! Doh!
Thanks, CC and Steve!
I agree that CRASH was not my best picture that year.
ReplyDeleteBest Picture
Crash
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich
Best Director
Ang Lee
Bennett Miller
Paul Haggis
George Clooney
Steven Spielberg
Anyway, thank you C.C. and Steve and JD for reminding us of Hawaii
So what is the best picture this year?
Ellen, very clever.
ReplyDeleteSHEA Stadium was in NYC in Flushing Meadow in Queens. It was demolished in 2009. I was sorry to see the old landmark go.
Thinking of SHEA butter was a big help in the NE corner. LIU and KYLE were unknowns. SORTA before KINDA.
D/O, I agree, we always say IN TOW, never ON TOW here.
I haven't heard of HAMO, but a three letter fish used by the Japanese could easily be EEL. UNAGI, a different kind of eel, is my favorite sushi when glazed. Yummy.
I don't see many movies in the theater, For many years, surprisingly, the best picture happened to be one I had seen. That doesn't happen these days. I don't go at all. Often I will see the best picture at home after it is announced. When i was dating the guy would mention all kinds of pictures he had seen and I hadn't, but I read the book. When i read the book and see a movie, I always prefer the book with one exception. I liked French Lieutenant's Woman better in the movie.
C.C. Mt. Haleakala is the one of the most popular tourist attractions in Maui. You go up in a van and you get to COAST DOWNHILL for 37 miles on a bicycle. I did I did it 20 years ago. The van picked us up at 2:00 am from our condo (rented) so we would be one of the first groups allowed to go down.
ReplyDeleteI was expecting an Oscar puzzle Sunday or Monday but our fearless leader got one in a few days early. Way to go. I did go to see ROCKY and TITANIC, didn't see CHICAGO, but never heard of CRASH.
I had a brain fart early thinking that 'British Invasion' was the name of a band and couldn't finish Ringo's stage name and for some reason, the Real McCOYS wouldn't come out, although I do remember Walter Brennan on the show, probably sponsored by RINSO detergent. After drinking a PBR for breakfast I had a V8 moment after BEST PICTURE filled and finished filling _OCK_START.
Steve- on the OLEO/OLIO difference. OLEO is a fake butter; OLIO is a word you will never see except in a crossword puzzle. Dollar Shave Club- I'm one better. I've always had a full beard and trim it once a week. Maybe I am a Quarter Shave Club member along with Argyle.
Team names are always wags for me, and today was no exception. But wags got me through it. The rest took some time, but that's expected on a Thursday.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics, JD! I was only ever once on Maui...back in 1971, when my cousin, who lives in Honolulu, now almost 90, took me there when I visited on my way back from that first trip to Europe all those years ago.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWhat a Thursday treat from CC and so timely, too. Had no clue on the theme until the reveal. Like YR, I don't go to the movies but see them, eventually, on Netflix.
I, too, never heard of Chicago Sky or hamo but perps were solid. Loved the clue for mane. Had ski parka/ski pants.
Thanks, CC, for a fun trip to the movies and thanks, Steve, for ushering us through so deftly.
Nice pictures, JD; enjoy your stay.
Barry, if one believes the hype and scuttlebutt, Leonard is a shoo in.
If our rainfall yesterday and today was snow, we'd be buried under a few feet! 50's today, 30's tomorrow, and 50's on Saturday! This has been the wackiest winter I can ever remember.
Have a great day.
After seeing the avatar clue this morning, I decided it was time for a new one, so this is a test.
ReplyDelete@Big Easy - you can't bike down from the summit anymore - the National Park Service closed the road to bicycles in 2007 because of the number of fatal accidents caused by out-of-control freewheelers. The tour bus operators still work the route, but you can't get on the bike until you descend beyond the National Park boundary at 6,500 feet (the top is over 10,000 feet).
ReplyDeleteDoh! The theme was staring me right in the face... Yes, a timely and fun puzzle with C.C.’s always clever touch coupled with Steve’s Michelin 3-Star review.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-OSCAR voters often show disdain for movies the hoi polloi really loved
-This was the first scene Leo and Kate filmed in TITANIC. To break the ice she flashed him before filming ever began.
-The 1862 HOMESTEAD Act helped settled most of my state
-Live TV Faux pas’s and all, here’s a 1955 RINSO pitch (1:53)
-Some POLS make an occasional faux pas and voice their real opinion
-C’mon, you wrote one of these YES/NO notes in your life, didn’t you?
-UNTIE? I may consider slip-on golf shoes for my next pair
-Garden tiller ADS started popping up on other sites after I searched for info on them once
-I wonder how many TOTE bags PBS has in stock
-After the piano mic fell into the piano on live TV ADELE knew she was off-key but soldiered on. (2:58)
-Some RAP stars always have their “posse” (read hangers-on) IN TOW
-The scenery and Judy are both lovely
-What TV REAL McCOY was also Ike Clanton in My Darling Clementine?
Hi Y'all! Great timely puzzle, C.C.! Great expo, Steve. Interesting about Ras Tafari.
ReplyDeleteIt's been long enough since we had SHEA butter that I had forgotten it and how to spell it.
As a descendent of homeSTEADing pioneers, I should have got it, but needed perps. I own part of my husband's grandfather's 160 acre homeSTEAD.
Kurt before KYLE. ADELE was a WAG -- never heard of the song.
SKI wasn't part of SKIrt. When SKIP showed up, I was really confused. I SKIPped it until other perps clued me in.
Ellen: Thanks for the post. Very telling about my lack of movie viewing is the fact that I didn't recognize any of the Oscar nominees in the picture except Leonardo. Wait, is that Lady Gaga in there? I don't care for award shows. The guy with the unique hairdo in the back row, sixth from left looked like his ancestors might have seen Africa. Some others had good tans but looked more Indian.
Okay, imagine this: Chris Rock decides to boycott the Oscars at the last moment without telling the powers that be. Knowing his love of wry repartee, he probably can't resist doing the gig and having a few choice things to say about the situation. Has a host ever been bodily dragged from the stage? Might be worth watching this year.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteNot especially hard for a Thus, but I had problems in the NW and SE corners.
Oh - THAT British invasion. FRANC not FRANK. McCOY was very, very slow to sink in.
Finally got through it all. Nicely done C.C.
Snowed in today. All the schools are closed.
Winter is here.
Cheers!
JzB
Hello, friends!
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle is a winner, too! It all came together nicely even though I've seen only two of the movies, CHICAGO and TITANIC. We had KYLE not too long ago and I didn't know there was Kurt as well. Good thing.
I liked the clue for MCCOYS, real people.
Great pics, JD. Haleakala stokes some fond memories for me.
Thank you, C.C. and Steve.
Have a lovely day, everyone! It's been glorious here.
ReplyDeleteAlways look forward to a CC puzzle and today was no exception. Fun offering with some clever cluing.
HERE YOU GO
A couple of never heard of's: 1A SPF, 9A SHEA. Stadium yes, butter, no. 18D CATO. Was thinking Nero.
Sort of remembered: 19A RINSO. 46D ACAI.
Wanted to spell TITANIC Titantic.
If I hadn't been sure of 58A NAAN, I would have entered Hocks for 52D. Seems more appropriate.
LIU was easy. If I remember correctly, the school was a major college basketball program in the late '40's, early '50's. It, along with one or two other NYC schools, got caught in a point shaving scheme. Heavy penalties followed and it never regained its national prestige.
Playing "pick up the sticks" today. Heavy winds last hight caused a lot of havoc in the State. All of our many trees are still standing, but several have fewer branches. Well at least it feels like spring has sprung.
No speed run but I did get the TADA.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got to Kings pride I looked at the downs and C went in for CIA and that stayed until Titanic struggle was not right then the I in CIA turned into a S then The V8 hit me.
I looked and looked at 55 down for 10 minutes then A S turned into ADS and KINDA fell in last.
Bon Matin from Cajun Country ~!~!
ReplyDeleteC.C.: Great puzzle today. There was enough difficulty to it but a doable puzzle even if you didn't get all the clues. Also, I really liked Steve's write-up. I wonder if the wine had any effect on his interpretation.
As usual there were enough footholds to let the perps fill in the unknowns. I did fall into some of the same traps that others did and some of my own making, like KARAT vs CARAT, RAP vs RIP, ETHOS vs ETHIC, and AHI vs EEL. I also tried to put in SMS instead of RNA because I thought the clue was referring to text messaging on a cell phone. I did, however, get KOLAS right today because we had it recently in Monday's puzzle.
At any rate it was an enjoyable run today.
As far as the Oscars go, I could(n't) care less. I don't watch the awards show and I've never seen most of the movies up for awards let alone even heard of. They seem to push movies released at the end of the year that have been seen by very few people, so, it appears that it's all about the money.
I would imagine that Chris Rock has an ironclad contract probably for a large amount of money, so backing out would cost him. Also, with his wit and command of language, the Academy can't control what he says. Should be interesting.
RINSO was the laundry soap (not detergent) that my Mother used when I was a kid in the 1940's. It was a sponsor of some radio serial shows in the 30's and 40's, hence the term "Soap Opera." It is still being made and distributed primarily in the Turkish, Asian and Central American markets. It can be found in some Dollar stores in the US. It also has been reformulated a few times as a detergent rather than a soap. So other than the name, the Rinso of old is not the same as today's Rinso.
I hope everyone has a great day
The Best Movie I saw this year was SPOTLIGHT
ReplyDeleteThe Best Actor IMHO was EDDIE REDMAYNE for Danish Girl
I did not see any of the movies in the BEST ACTRESS category
The Best Supporting Actor IMHO is Christian Bale for the Big Short
The Best Supporting Actress IMHO is Jennifer Jason Leigh for The Hateful Eight
Sens b/4 pols at 49A
ReplyDeletetenet b/4 ethic at 35D
but what screwed me up was thinking 26A was Lyle,
making Bob Marley city Langston?
The 1st letter of 29D could have been anything.
which left me with 28A = O?(maybe A)O
(What possible word could begin and end with O?)
I had to look up Bob Marley, which made the K obvious,
but I am still kicking myself for not getting Olio...
STeve, thanks for the Hamo/eel link!
I was not a big fish eater (afraid of bones.)
Until DW made me taste the Miso Cod at Nobu in London.
I didn't understand why all the cuts were necessary until I accessed one of the articles links.
I am definitely a more adventurous eater now, experimenting with octopus & sushi.
One thing I could not make sense of...
In the 1st video around the 3 minute mark,
after skimming the fat, he pours the boiling stock into into an icebath,
& then reboils the stock?
What could possibly be the purpose of that?
The Best Movie I saw was Star Wars: The Force Awakens ...
ReplyDeleteOf course, it was an easy choice ... since I believe it was the only movie I saw in a theatre ...
oops, wait-a-second ... Hmmm, OK, maybe it was that "Bond" movie Spectre.
(Dang, I actually went out-to-the-movies twice last year).
Oh well, since neither was nominated ... I guess neither will win. LOL
Go figure ... cheers!
Leonardo DiCaprio was outstanding in Revenant and if he wins the Oscar he certainly would deserve it.
ReplyDeleteFor those who do not wish to hear another CED story,
ReplyDeleteskip this post...
(P.S., Steve,I think that Beatles link is not the real McCoy...)
DW & I spent our Honeymoon in Maui, 30 years ago this year!
We got up at 2AM & took the rental car up Haleakala in the dark
to see the sunrise. I don't know what it is like today, but 30 years ago
there were no lights, and very few guardrails.
After climbing the switchbacks for what seemed like hours in pitch black,
the car started to sound funny. Me, always thinking the most technical possibilities
thought, "hmm, the carburetor must not be set for these altitudes!"
What it turned out to be, was that I had never driven a front wheel drive car before.
Even though down below, it was a tropical paradise, where we were the road had frozen over
& the front wheels of the car were spinning as we sat next to a 100 foot drop!
(hmm, must be the carburetor, better give it a little more gas!)
(idiot!)
Once we reached the top, at 10,000 feet, we saw a pristine sky so full of stars
that it took your breath away. You could see shooting stars wherever you looked it was so clear! Another thing that took your breath away was it was as cold as a witches tit, & we
were dressed in short sleeves!
So we ran the the shelter, passing a sign that said:
"Do not run at this altitude!"
It was not until we got in the heated shelter that we realized our hearts were
racing from lack of oxygen...
To make a long story shorter, after the sun came up, & I saw what I had driven up,
DW had to drive down, as I covered my eyes unable to look.
(I am still afraid of heights because of that trip to this day!)
Fun puzzle today. Thanks, CC. Great expo, Steve and thanks for the hamo link (and u2, CED). I can't imagine being that meticulous when cooking. Back to the puzzle: Only write over was senS before POLS. I confidently entered KYLE and didn't remember Kurt until I got to the blog. NASCAR just isn't my thing. CHICAGOSKY was a gimmie. I've following the career of DE native and UD alum Elena Delle Donne since she was in high school. Unbelievable talent.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all for the input on "energy vampires" yesterday. I have a self-imposed ignorance of electricity. You can't see it, you can't smell it, you can't hear it, and it can kill you. All of which are reasons to leave it alone.
TTFN
Cya!
Nice picture of the girls Kazie
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this puzzle although a had a few detours in the central area. Thanks for the fun, C.C. and Steve.
ReplyDeleteHand up for SENS before POLS, not knowing LIU, and smiling at KOLAS' second showing this week. We say IN TOW here. Favourite clue was 4D, real people=MCCOYS.
47A clue using the word "person" led me to I'm He before I'M IT.
Mensa clue for 37D was "not close to 100" (missing %) which misled me into thinking about age not health.
I saw another Oscar connection with 68A "giveaway bag". Apparently this year's "swag bag" is worth $232,000!
There were several Canadian connections today also. TED Cruz was born in Calgary which has caused some to question his eligibility to run for US president.
Nunavut is Canada's newest territory having been separated from North West Territories in 1999. Population as of October 2015 was 37,026, mostly INUIT.
We had heavy rain yesterday and a skim of snow today but have avoided the need to shovel!
Another "Oscar-worthy" effort from our tireless leader.
ReplyDeleteHad MATE and TSA instead of MANE and NSA. It made sense at the time. KINDA.
Steve @ 9:42 am: Coasting down from 6,500 feet is still quite a thrill and still quite cold enough to freeze your knuckles if you're not wearing gloves.
I hope JD is checking in on us: she should stock up on Sun Flare Maui's SHEA Body Butter. It seems to be in all the shops on Maui, and my wife swears it's the best skin treatment ever. And the Gardenia scent will always bring back fond memories of the islands.
I am enjoying the new Facebook Reactions with some other choices in addition to LIKE. There have been times when I have wished we had a LIKE button here on the blog and also a REPLY button where you could comment immediately below another blogger's post. Then readers who were not particularly interested in that topic could breeze on by while others who wished to add more comments would have an area to respond directly.
ReplyDeleteI am not a techie and don't know if the capability exists.
I am still obsessing about putting stock in an ice bath & reheating,
ReplyDelete& Steve hasn't replied yet, (I guess he has a life...)
So I went researching.
The closest thing I could find was this site,
with the following excerpt: [Update 8/24/2011: I should have clarified, provided that you boil it for at least several minutes, but, according to an article in today’s NYTimes by food science authority, even this is unwise. While simmering the stock will take care of bacteria, it does not kill spores, and it does not destabilize all toxins. So prudence suggests that if you leave the stock on the stove top to cool overnight, bring the stock to a simmer the next day, strain and cool it then.
Destabilize heat stable toxins?
(Where has this eel been?)
Delightful C.C. Oscar puzzle--I just loved it. I started out great but ran into trouble because I didn't know KYLE and so had trouble getting the Bob Marley town for the longest time. But my biggest problem, like others, came in the SE, where I finally had to semi-cheat by confirming that CHICAGO SKY was correct. That meant that YEAST was right, and it finally became clear that my word STAND for the camera holder was wrong and that it had to be STRAP, which made everything else fall into place. Yea! Yea!
ReplyDeleteWe hosted an Oscar party every year for decades, always printing up ballots for friends to fill out while the opening ceremonies were getting under way, and then sharing cheers and boos as the winners were announced. This year I'm totally out of it, having only seen "Brooklyn," which I liked very much. But I'll try to do better taking in the nominees next year and maybe try the party again. It was always a lot of fun.
JD, lovely Maui pics.
Fun expo, Steve.
Have a great day, everybody!
@CED - the ice bath is to cool the stock so it's not sitting around warm and breeding bacteria until you're ready for it. Making the stock would be part of the prep prior to service; you'd cook the fish to order.
ReplyDeleteI went through many of the same first steps as Steve, but never despaired while working this one out. I found it a nice solid construction from C.C., with a nice variety of one-word film titles. No complaints here over weird clues or disagreement with any answers. IN TOW seems perfectly fine, my first choice over ON TOW; ACAI is familiar as the latest yogurt flavor my wife prefers; NSA is lately more in the news for spying than CIA, etc. No speed record for me, but no need for cheats either. Nicely satisfying.
ReplyDeleteCEDave @ 12:26 - Enjoyed your tale of "altitude," which reminded me of the period when my wife and I were collecting "conquests." The photo record of our climbing ventures in Alaska + Peru might look pretty impressive. The truth is that we enjoyed a helicopter assist in the first (ascending Denver Glacier in Skagway, Alaska), and the old Geezer (me!) needed a final hand up in reaching the peak in of Machu Picchu in the second. We were warned about the altitude regularly in the Andes, but I felt fine and shrugged off the concerns. It was only when we got down to 3,000 feet lower that it hit me. I passed out on a Lima Street--and needed assistance to our hotel.
My experience at Mt. Haleakela was the unexpected freezing temperatures. Being young and not having much foresight, I wore a sundress with a circular skirt which when the wind gusted, flipped upwards around me and gave a free show to one and all. I quickly ran to the nearest gift shop and bought a jacket!
ReplyDeleteDelightful puzzle,CC. Interesting blog, Steve. What is that first set of pictures all about? JD, great pics. Looks like you are having fun.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like by not knowing HAMO I have not missed much. Bland, bony, painstaking to cook? I will take my glazed eel sushi any day.
My, my, all these interesting youthful adventures. I am KINDA sorry they are no longer on my bucket list.
This bout of illness with Alan lasted only 5 days. Sometimes it lasts for weeks and sometimes it is a precursor for something very serious.Maybe I over-reacted yesterday, but I cannot tell the difference. At the next occurrence I will check out hypothyroidism.
It seems we have checked every other possibility and specialty.
Ol'Man Keith,
ReplyDeleteInteresting that it didn't affect you until you got 3,000 feet lower.
I would love to see the Alaska + Peru pics, but I do not have access
to your Facebook page, & I am locked out. I have found that you can bypass
all of Facebooks passwords and link single pics to everyone if you click on the pic in question
until it is as big as it gets, & then right click, & choose copy image address.
You can then paste the pic into the HTML commands.
I often use Facebook to link single pics... (That's NYC in the background.)
Crash COurse? Obvious...
Rocky start? Didn't see that coming...
Well, it might have been a Titanic Struggle if it were a foot long...
Fun fact #2746!
ReplyDeleteBack to you, CEDave...
I wonder why it doesn't work for you. The instructions you offer are exactly the way I found the code for the single photo. Then of course I embedded it within our usual text code (you know, beginning with <a href=").
But let me try it this way, by posting the code without embedding it. Try this:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10103986962302441&l=26b6157524
Good luck!
PS. I never found out why the shift in O2 level affected me <i>after</i> I descended. I remember the sensation, though. I was on a bus when the world all seemed to start swinging to the left. I closed my eyes and opened them again and everything shifted left again, then repeated swaying leftwards as on a loop. It was my stop, so I held onto the seat tops as I made my way to the door, descended carefully. My legs buckled as I hit the pavement. Then a friend helped me to sit on the curb with my head down until the world stopped spinning.
Keith, if you were on a bus when the elevation problem started, I would wonder if there were carbon monoxide fumes mixed in with your oxygen depletion. Buses can be really fumey sometimes. Makes the most sense to me.
ReplyDeleteOl'Man Keith
ReplyDeleteI tried your "Try this" link ... and still couldn't see the pictures.
(same "facebook locked-out" explanation) ...
Sooooo, I will just assume they were wonderful pictures from somewhere a "wee-bit" more in altitude than my native Florida.
Hey, you get more than 345 feet above "Sea-Level" and you are "higher" than Florida.
... Maybe that is why I like Jamaica so much ...
Even at "Sea-Level" ... it is very easy to get "higher" than Florida ...
Cheers!
Ol'Man Keith,
ReplyDelete(& anyone else who might want to know)
The problem is your link address starts with "Facebook.com"
which automatically routes your link to a facebook sign on page.
(I cannot sign into your page, unless you friend me.)
If you could look at the link address of the pic I posted of myself from Facebook,
you would see the address begins with "HTTP//content"
which bypasses all the sign on pages & allows you to see just what is at the final address
indicated. (Your facebook acct is still secure, you can only see the one image listed.)
Anytime you right click on an image in Facebook, you will see an option
titled "copy link address." & everyone will be directed to a sign on page.
What you have to do is click on the picture normally (left click) so that it appears
on a seperate screen THAT IS NOT YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
When you now right click on this image, you will get an option "copy image address."
So, if you use copy LINK address, people will have to sign on to see yr pic
If you use copy IMAGE address, bingo, straight to the pic, no sign on needed.
Well, that's 5 posts.
Talk to you all tomorrow!
Yellowrocks, you "have checked every other possibility and specialty"? Please do check that Alan is not deficient in the vitamin B's, especially B12 which can be hard to absorb even if you are taking supplements. Lack of enough B12 can result in dizziness, lethargy, and precarious balance. Please do let us know the results, will you? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone, Hard, hard puzzle today. C.C. is at her best with this one. I had only about 80% completed, and had to rely on Steve's postings to find where I had gone wrong. Lots of places to err.
ReplyDeleteMy grid looked like a group of letters with white spaces all over in between!
JD--great pictures of Hawaii. I'm so jealous of your vacations.
We've had such a busy time here this past two weeks. Our 50 year old redwood came down on Monday and they ground the stump and HUGE roots out today. Now we have some redwood rounds for the garden, a large piece to make a table, and lots and lots of redwood chips. Our area is so open now the plants won't know how to act with all the light they have now. We were sad to see the tree go, but it was only about 5 feet from the house, and we feared for the foundation. Better safe than sorry.
Have a great evening, everyone.
Hi All!*
ReplyDeleteWhoot! A C.C. Thursdee! Timely w/ both the OSCARS Sunday and the debates tonight (w/ the POLS TED and Donald SWAP'ng jabs)
Thanks C.C.! And, Steve, you keep topping yourself w/ the write-ups.
WOs: coco b/f SHEA which took ESP. KYLE, CATO, & LIU were ESPs too.
Fav: HACKS! But, folks, a good HACK isn't always illegal (unless you take the DMCA and/or proposed TPP seriously).
Nominated as fun in the following categories:
LOL: 4d - MC COYS
Misdirection: 30d - STY
Straight forward: 4a (I was thinking what's French for tube?)
Mirror'd theme: PABST & YEAST
Suffix: STEAD
Pun: Dumped == SOLD (not as in left at a gas station - LOL CED)
Proximity: NPR & TOTE
Slang: KINDA liked that one...
Theme: Today's - one of the BEST
Pause in though: 21a - who else wanted sots b/f TEAS for just a moment
And....
New Clue for Cornerite Constructors: oc4's Cell message (Abriv.) == SMS
I've seen 3/4 of the movies - not CHICAGO. CRASH was good, ROCKY was fun, and TITANIC, DW dragged me to.
JD - Thanks for sharing the pictures from paradise.
Cheers, -T
*Especially TIN, apparently :-)
That Oscar nominees' luncheon picture was fun to scan. I saw Steven Speilberg and several other faces. They're just hard to recognize out of context. If you check this list and then scan(after clicking the enlarge icon) they are easier to spot.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Who is that guy just to our right of the statue, about four over, with the dark blue sport coat and gray tie. It's killing me!! I know him! I think it may be a grey tie.
@Yellowrocks - sorry to be so slow to reply. The pictures are a mock-up of how the pair of them in "Titanic" (the first picture is the original, the second is the re-enactment) could have happily shared the floating jetsam.
ReplyDeleteI love the card-playing (5) and the lounging around waiting (6).
Apparently James Cameron was not so amused, and claimed that the weight of the two would have been enough to submerge the raft, so he stuck by his cinematic story.
I thought his acceptance speech for Best Picture was a little overboard (pun intended). Waving a statuette over your head and proclaiming "I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD" just begs criticism.
anon @9:44 Bryan Cranston
ReplyDeletealso top left person #6 the weekend a person of color and talent
Anyone watch the debates? Not to get into politics, but I think Carson, after never getting to talk, had the funniest line of the night... "Can someone pick on me please?" Aparently the rules say you get to respond if your name is mentioned. Cruz cruised a SEMI through that loophole.
ReplyDeleteOur local "Joke's on Us" guy, Pradeep, quips in today's H. Chron:
I don't approve of political jokes... I've seen too many of them get elected.
Cheers, -T
CEDave et al,
ReplyDeleteCould it be that I need a translation for "right click"?" I used to have IBM style computers and mice that offered right clicks, but for several years I've been using Macs and mice w/o a right-click, so I can't make use of that option.
But F'book's own claim is that with that link (the one I posted above) I can "share this photo with anyone, even if they don't have a Facebook account." Seems they're making a false claim...
Kane. Thank you for pointing out the person of color. There is also an Asian wearing red standing in front left row.
ReplyDeleteYes, I watched the debates. Republicans should be so proud.
ReplyDelete