Theme: Being in Agreement. Common expressions indicating agreement are reimagined as being delivered by their most amusingly appropriate sources. And, impressively, they are all grid spanners. Rather an unusual approach. Let's have a look.
17 A. Yes, to a cowboy? : YOU BET YOUR BOOTS. Evidently, this expression goes back to the old west, where a good pair of boots was as important as a reliable horse. These days, they also make a fashion statement.
27 A. Yes, to an architect? : SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN. Bit of wordplay here, equating a plan of action with a design drawing of a proposed structure.
43 A. Yes, to a traffic court judge? : SUITS ME JUST FINE. The traffic court judge is likely to issue a FINE, but there are other possibilities with this one. Law SUITS are also settled in court, or one might obtain a SUIT of clothes from a haberdasher, and thus become SUITED in a FINE way.
Judges' suits are rather drab
54. Yes, to the Magic 8 Ball : IT IS DECIDEDLY SO. The Magic 8 Ball has been available since the 1950's and is manufactured by Mattel. It provides one of 20 possible answers to yes/no type questions. IT IS DECIDEDLY SO is one of the 10 positive answers that the Ball might provide. The other 10 responses are evenly divided between negative and non-committal.
Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here, and in an agreeable frame of mind. My last Blog outing at the Corner was a hair raising experience, coincidentally, also with Bruce. Our stars also aligned back in January, so this is getting to be a bit of a habit. Let's see if we can have positive responses to all of today's crossword questions.
Across
1. Vanna's cohort : PAT. Sajak, not my sister PAT. Cohort, originally a Roman military unit of 6 centuries, a 10th of a legion; hence, any group of people banded together; even more hence a supporter or companion.
4. Smidgens : IOTAS. Tiny quantities.
9. Thicket : COPSE. Originally a stand of small trees intended for cutting, presumably coming into English from the Latin colpaticum, via Old French copeiz, a cut over forest.
14. Boston Marathon mo. : APR. In APRil, always on Patriot's Day, this year falling on the 18th.
15. Meat and greet patio party? : BAR-B-Q. Another pun. Say hello to your animal part entree, cooked out of doors. Not especially vegan friendly.
16. Skylit courtyards : ATRIA. Generally having a glass roof.
20. Sunday service providers : CLERGY. Another nice word play. I'm starting to like this.
21. Switz. neighbor : AUStria. European geography.
22. Pollen carrier : BEE. Threatened by commercial pesticides. If the BEEs go, they'll take us with them.
23. "M*A*S*H" Emmy winner for acting, writing and directing : ALDA. Alan.
24. German autos : BMWs. Vehicles provided by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
26. Women's undergarment, briefly : CAMI. Shortened form of CAMISOLE, a sleeveless top, usually with thin straps and extending to about the waist. Not all are undergarments these days.
31. __ joint : HIP. Where the leg attaches to the torso; or possibly a very cool, up to date and popular club.
32. Cracker with a scalloped edge : RITZ.
33. [uh-oh] : GULP. Cartoonish display of dismay or fear.
34. Provides with a soundtrack : DUBS. Meshes the audio with the video.
35. Components of many tips : ONES. Dollar bills. It's been recommended to round up to the nearest five.
37. Give in to wanderlust : ROAM. It's the journey, not the destination.
39. Shakespeare's river : AVON. In the English midlands. Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of some guy named Will.
40. Stockholm carrier : SAS. Formerly Scandinavian Airline System.
47. Author Rice : ANNE. Vampire stories. Who knew they'd be so popular?
48. Final, e.g. : EXAM. Test of learned knowledge at the end of the school term.
49. Medicine Hat's prov. : ALTA. Alberta. Somewhere up north and west.
50. Shoot the breeze : YAK. Gab.
51. Org. for docs : AMA. American Medical Association.
52. Exited quickly, in slang : BAILED. This is an old word with some alternate meanings. I associate this sense of it with making a parachute jump.
58. "Divine Comedy" poet : DANTE Alighieri.
59. "Fun, Fun, Fun" car in 1960s hit : T-BIRD.
60. Make faces for the camera : MUG.
61. Labor day doc : OBGYN. Obstetrician - gynecologist - a medical specialist in the care of specifically female body parts, also charged with the delivery of new born infants. Another pun, if you like that sort of thing. [I do!]
62. Church chorus : AMENS. The response from the crowd, not the choir in the loft. Bruce is a man after my own heart.
63. Mini-albums, briefly : EPs. Extended Play recordings, either CD or vinyl, having more than one song, but fewer than a regular album.
Down
1. Choose paper over plastic? : PAY CASH. Use folding currency instead of a credit card. Who does that any more? Though we always leave a paper tip, rather than charge it.
2. Ill-fated 1967 moon mission : APOLLO I. The mission never occurred. A fire in a launch rehearsal destroyed the Command Module and took the lives of the three crew members.
3. Made even, to a carpenter : TRUED UP. On the level, as it were. Also see 28 D for a partial clecho.
4. "__ your pardon" : I BEG. Words spoken by somebody who elbows you. I always respond with, "I pardon your beggin'."
5. Cheerios descriptor : OATY. Whole grain goodness.
6. "Give it a go" : TRY. Make the effort.
7. Blood-typing letters : A-B-O. Based on the presence or absence of certain antibodies in the plasma and antigens in the red blood cells.
8. Kick up a fuss : SQUAWK. Sound like an ungreased wheel.
9. Uber competitors : CABS. Urban vehicular transportation.
10. Platte River tribe : OTO. The Platte is in Nebraska, a tributary of the Missouri River. The OTO [or OTOE] were a semi-nomadic people living in the Missouri basin, in what are now the states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
11. The majors : PRO BALL. For baseball players -- and here we are with opening day coming up on Monday - finally. For men's professional golf, The Majors are a series of 4 tournaments: The Masters, in April at the Augusta National Golf Club; The U. S. Open,played at various U. S. locations in June; the Open Championship, played at one of 10 locations in the U. K. in July, and the PGA Championship, played at various U. S. locations in August.
12. Online guide : SITE MAP. Key to navigating a web site.
13. Enter gradually : EASE IN. As opposed to barging or crashing.
18. Muffin mix additive : BRAN. Might be OATY.
19. Con job : RUSE. A deceptive trick, usually to separate someone from their money.
24. Orders with mayo : BLTS. Tasty, crunchy sandwiches of Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. Yum! I like mine on whole wheat toast, and prefer Miracle Whip to Mayo.
25. "Les __": musical nickname : MIZ. Les Miserables, based on the novel by Victor Hugo.
26. PCs' "brains" : CPUs. Central Processing Units
28. Karen Carpenter's instrument : DRUMS. She was actually quite good. It's TRUE.
29. Member of the fam : SIB. SIBling = brother or sister, as Richard to Karen. I only have the one.
30. One who helps you find a part? : AGENT. For an actor, in this case.
34. Prom partner : DATE. Oh, my, that was a long time ago.
35. Fallopian tube traveler : OVUM. Part of the reproductive process. It's complicated.
36. Rejections : NOs. Words from those who were not your prom partners.
37. Drink on credit : RUN A TAB.
38. Noise from a 55-Down : OINKING. Porcine pronouncements.
39. Multi-platinum Steely Dan album : AJA. Pronounced "Asia." Don't ask me why. Here's the title track. [8:00 minutes]
40. "I was so foolish!" : SILLY ME. But have you ever known me to be silly? Seriously?
41. Pays for cards : ANTES UP. Puts in the initial bet for a poker hand.
42. Old salts : SEA DOGS. Grizzled old sea-faring veterans.
43. Get hitched : SAY I DO. Make a marriage vow.
44. Viral Internet phenomenon : MEME. An idea, behavior, or style that spreads through a culture. The internet makes it happen more quickly and frequently.
45. Two-horse wager : EXACTA. To win, the better must predict the first and second place finishers, in the correct order.
46. Go up in smoke : FAIL. Or down in flames. I love the English language.
51. Yemeni port : ADEN. Located near the south-west tip of the Arabian peninsula, on the Gulf of Aden.
52. Capital near Zurich : BERN. Back to the AUS neighbor, Switz.
53. Supplements, with "to" : ADDS.
55. Type of pen : STY. Home to hogs and sows.
56. Tech giant : IBM.
57. Cube that rolls : DIE. In Las Vegas, for example. There is a dodecahedral icosahedral [thanks, Howard] one inside the Magic 8 Ball.
Which takes us full circle. Or some polyhedral solid approximation thereof. I've never taken an inventory of multiple-word answers. There certainly were a lot of them here. And no nits. This was great fun, as I hope you'll all agree.
Cool regards!
JzB
Notes from C.C.:
Which takes us full circle. Or some polyhedral solid approximation thereof. I've never taken an inventory of multiple-word answers. There certainly were a lot of them here. And no nits. This was great fun, as I hope you'll all agree.
Cool regards!
JzB
Notes from C.C.:
1) I've
been enjoying Peter Gordon's Newsflash Crosswords the past few years.
His entries and clues are super current and full of fun trivia.
MERRICK GARLAND appeared in Peter's grid two days after he was nominated for
the Justice post. Please click here and back his project if you love crosswords and news. You'll love each handcrafted gem from him.
2) Husker Gary is updating our Crossword Corner map. Regulars who want to add their name to the map, please email Gary (gschlapfer@gmail.com).
Please also let him know if you want to drop your name from the map.
Gary will publish an update map next Wednesday.
83 comments:
There was a SILLY young fellow from BERN
Whose grill gave his guests all a turn!
First he tried B-B-Que
And that wouldn't do,
But when he tried BAR-B-Q, meat would BURN!
Another nice Bruce puzzle with lots,of wit and some fine misdirection. PAY CASH was my favorite. I also noticed all the multi-word fill. We are seeing more and more of that.
Thanks BH and JzB
Morning, all!
Fine, straightforward puzzle today. Got the theme right off the bat and enjoyed getting the theme answers. IT IS DECIDEDLY SO seemed a bit of an outlier to me, though, since it is literally something "said" by a Magic 8 Ball and not just something that would be punnily appropriate.
Out of curiosity, how common is BARBQ? I tend to either write out Barbecue in full or abbreviate BBQ, but that's probably just me. Maybe it's more of a Southern/Western thing where there are more BBQ restaurants and not just folks like me grilling burgers on the patio?
Good morning!
No big problems this morning; SIS to SIB was the only overwrite. Jazz, you were in fine form today. Enjoyed the Alda link. I did notice a lot of multi-word answers -- in the four corner stacks, only OINKING isn't multi-word. Planned, Bruce?
Gotta run. Another busy day...
Morning
After my Monday & Tuesday struggles this week, today was a welcomed walk in the park. Like D-O, only write over was the Sis/SIB fill. Initially thought Barby might be the 15A fill, but eyeballing the down clues, SQUAWK corrected my thinking.
RITZ crackers have been my favorites for as long as I can remember. Adding PB & J makes them even better.
PRO BALL 1s a lot more then majors, especially in baseball. Minor leaguers are pro's too although they are hoping to make the majors.
When I was at the U, my roommate had a T BIRD. I was always the passenger...no one but my roomie drove that car.
Rumors has it we will have a couple of days of Spring weather so the yard gets attacked. Forecasts for the weekend are WINTER returns. That stinks!
Jazz- I've read your puzzle reviews and posts for years and have always thought of you as a sometimes brilliant and always interesting person. But now after reading what you wrote this morning I'm beginning to question your ethics and values. I know this sounds harsh, and perhaps it is way out of line. It even exposes my lack of ability to let pass a flaw in someone I admired. That's on me, but I certainly will never entertain the thought of saying I'm sorry about it.
That you have the formed the opinion that Miracle Whip is edible and a suitable replacement for Mayo is in poor taste in the extreme. Literally.
Great Day!
This was a delightful puzzle and a grand write up. Grandma duty today. Glad I was able to get this in first.
Enjoy the day.
After Jerome's comment, I'm certainly not going to admit to using Miracle Whip Lite...
I want to add that Bruce's puzzle today was a pangram as well as a pleasure to solve.
Oh, and one nit, Jazz. You mention that a magic 8-ball has 20 possible answers, and then say for the final cue that it contains a dodecahedral die. A 20-sided die is actually icosahedral; a dodecahedron has 12 sides. But that didn't spoil a wonderful column -- like d-o, I enjoyed the Alda interview, not to mention the other tangents.
Enjoyed today's offering, despite a few challenges. I also had the SIS/SIB overwrite. I've never heard of the magic 8 ball, but that's just one of my many cultural lacks. The style was noticeably inventive, which made it all the more fun.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Bruce Haight, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for a fine review.
Just for the record, BLT's are my favorite sandwiches. I never put mayo or Miracle Whip on them, nor on any other sandwich. Just me.
Was was very good. I went through it fairly easily, but with a few bumps.
Had OATS and CLERGS for a short while. Plugged in the Y later.
Tried SAILORS for 42D. That whole corner was messed up so I wrote in SEA DOGS. Fixed everything.
Never knew Karen Carpenter played the DRUMS. I may have known that years ago, but forgot. She was a great singer. I think from Downey, CA. I worked in that area when she was still around.
Took me a while to get EXACTA. I am not a race track maven.
Did not know AJA. Perped.
Off to my day. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Good Morning:
Enjoyed this mid-week treat and had no problems at all. I, too, noticed the many multiple word answers.
Thanks, Bruce, and thanks, JzB, for the witty and wise write-up.
I haven't heard from my mechanic yet about my car but I'm sure I will be getting a call at some point.
Lots of sunshine, no wind, but a tad chilly. Spring may be here by the calendar, but not by the thermometer! 🌺 🌸 🌼 🌷
Have a great day.
Hello Puzzlers -
Impressive grid today, with its four balanced grid spanners.
Squawk is a fun word. It's used two ways in aviation: as a verb it means use the transponder to transmit an assigned numeric code, and as a noun it's the word for a written report of an equipment problem.
Morning JzB, I didn't realize there were 20 possible answers in a Magic Eight Ball. Haven't had one since the 60's, and that one didn't survive because I caved in to the desire to tear it apart to see what was inside. A lot of my toys went that way...
Weighing in on Miracle Whip: I seem to recall preferring mayo, but it's hazy. I've used neither for decades.
Forgot to mention Steely Dan's Aja album, a beautifully polished collection of studio work. The first CD I bought back in the 80's was Aja, and I still listen to it. Marvelous!
Thank you Bruce and JzB. Superlatives are in order. Outstanding from start to finish.
I'd better study my Canadian cities, provinces, and abbrs. I had Medicine Hat in ONTA.
Had a bit of a snarl that mangled the SW. Changing gAb to YAK cleared up that jam.
First thought of LYFT, but LYFT would be wrong because the clue was Uber competitors not Uber's competitor, and I was absolutely certain of COPSE. Reminds me of that 5 letter fill for "Woods often seen in front of the field" clue. Anyone ?
One who helps you find a part ? Anon-T, my Bunn-o-Matic had a small leak so I took it apart and found that a specialty washer needed to be replaced. Went online to find the part number. There was a recall. Might want to check yours.
Yes, my SIB was initially SIs.
Abejo I remembered your "BLT hold the mayo" preference from a comment you made a year or so ago, and thought that you might react to that clue. BTW, I also had SailorS before SEADOGS.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have every state represented on H-G's map ?
Howard -
Thanks for the catch. My little brain fade for the day - and no day is complete without one.
Jerome - You're like the crowd at the Lawyers Guns and Money blog, railing against katsup - though I do agree with them about vodka. Lots of people cannot distinguish between Miracle Whip and Mayo. I've always found the taste of Mayo to be distinctly wrong, while Miracle Whip is quite palatable. I'm not sure what the difference is, but it's real. As I age, though, my taste buds have become less discerning, and mayo is now tolerable - but just barely.
We're off to lunch with the four available grandchildren.
Cool regards!
JzB
Good morning everyone.
Enjoyed today's puzzle and chortled through much of JzB's intro. Thank you both.
No lookups or erasures needed. Wanted sailors before SEA DOGS became clear from the ALTA cross.
Thought of Dudley with the SQUAWK fill.
In addition to going down in flames, something can go up in flames, also; also resulting in a FAIL.
I did not know MEME, but perps were solid.
Have a great day.
I went through this like Sherman through Atlanta and had a good time.
Musings
-PAT is the beige of TV hosts but it works at his position
-That Marathon goes through a town we reference often here
-An artist’s rendering of the Minnesota Vikings new ATRIA
-Agricultural spraying here is hurting BEES and Grapevines
-GULP - a candidate’s reaction to an unanticipated question
-Dr. “Ben Dover” administered my least favorite EXAM. GULP!
-Husker FB has recently BAILED on three coaches after having Dr. Tom Osborne for decades
-Girl-shy Rajesh replying to a suggestion of becoming a OBYGYN like his dad on Big Bang, “I can’t even look a woman in the eye, let alone there!”
-Launch Pad 34 where the APOLLO 1 fire took place is now a stark reminder of that horrible day
-My friend could have played PRO BALL for the Indians if he could have hit a curve ball
-When did your state EASE IN a state sales tax?
-The school where I subbed yesterday now has 4 computers for every 3 students and no evidence it helps learning
-Tootsie’s AGENT couldn’t get him work and so…
-Today – I DO means I MIGHT
-I’m with the trombone player on Miracle Whip. It was a food group when I grew up.
-I added Oklahoma to the map last week and hope to hear from some more. Iowa, where are you?
Husker said:
"The school where I subbed yesterday now has 4 computers for every 3 students and no evidence it helps learning"
Just the fact that the computers are there has to help. New technology that is ubiquitous these days requires a specialized knowledge that the older generations are lacking. Confusing remotes, incorrect clocks, home theaters with 4 HDMI inputs, smartphones, routers, Netflix, iTunes and self checkout lanes got you down? Call in your local 8 year old to show you the ropes. However, their fast as lightning fix will probably leave your head spinning and needing help again the next time DST ends and you can't remember how to reset that clock on your car's dashboard. Fear not, the future engineers coming out of 3rd grade will no doubt make it easier for you by programming the clock to use its GPS signal to change the time automatically as you drive through different times zones. (you're welcome Arizona gambling junkies.)
Lament, if you will, that they will not be able to write 'abacus' or 'slide-rule' in cursive, but do they really need to?
Husker,
I may be wrong on this, but wasn't Bob Devaney the coach that began the Husker's dominance and Osborne the coach who orchestrated it's continuance? I highly respected both, but when the U was playing an Osborne coached team I trembled until the result was in. Anyhow, I think of them both as Husker all time greats.
Fun puzzle, Bruce. Always enjoyable write up, JzB.
My parents and my ex used nothing but Miracle Whip. It's just tolerable to me. As soon as I was on my own I switched to mayo lite and/or mayo which I love. Maybe if I stuck with Miracle Whip I would use less of it and not have to be so careful of calories.
I upgraded to Windows 10 today. I am doing fairly well with it. I will have my tech in for a check up soon and will also have him run down why I have had no sound at all for a few weeks. I followed tips from you all. Thanks, but till no sound.
Anon @ 10:19. Help! I need an 8 year old. I can't find where to click to shut the dang thing down!
Fun puzzle today. Only erasures were Sis for SIB and Sask for ALTA. The themers were easy enough to guess without too many perps and everything fell into place pretty easily.
My parents used Miracle Whip. I never even tasted mayo until I was around 19. Once I did, I've never gone back. But I don't think any less of anyone that leans that direction :-)
Another fun CW today. Thanks Bruce and JzB.
Hand up for Sis before SIB. I wavered between ROAM and Rove until perps filled it in. I had Gab before YAK and Choir before AMENS.
ALTA was a given. We must have more Canadians lurking here to put on Husker G's map!
Stratford, Ontario has Avon River and Shakespeare productions also.
Anon@10:19 - you don't have to wait for those Gr. 3 kids to grow up. When I was reading the manual for our new van to see how to change the clock for DST, I noted that there is a function that can be set so that the clock adjusts automatically through the GPS as you change time zones.
Beautiful day here. Sunny and warming up nicely.
Oh yes - one more hand up for Miracle Whip on the BLT!
Thank you, Bruce Haight, for another fun and quick romp today! COPSE appears in many British novels so it's familiar to me.
BARBQ seemed forced but fit, so that's ok. Ditto for SIS before SIB and BURN then FAIL. I knew Medicine Hat was somewhere west, either BC or ALBTA so waited for the perps to confirm it.
As the Beach Boys said, this was Fun! Fun! Fun! It's the second time this week I've seen the TBIRD clue, not in the LAT but another site.
Thank you, Jazz, for today's fanciful tour and I must tell you I cringed at the mention of Miracle Whip. Mayo is my preference.
Have a stupendous day, everyone!
I got the theme after two of the grid spanners but IT IS DECIDEDLY SO is an expression that I've never heard. But I never had a magic 8-Ball either. But it's not magic if you sink the 8-ball and scratch with the cue ball while playing pool. Not familiar with the mini-albums known as EPs and didn't know Karen Carpenter played the drums, just Richard of the piano. Watched the You-Tube and learned something.
I had a little trouble filling the middle before I changed SQUEAL to SQUAWK, SIS to SIB, and CPU (put in wrong space) to MIZ. ANNE Rice-we have a little dinner club with four couples and one of my friends was one of ANNE's only friends back in elementary school; he said she was weird then. But to this day she still invites him to parties ( although she moved away)
HowardW, Jerome- I don't like MAYO, Mayo-lite, or Miracle-Whip; all three remind me of 'white slime'. JzB- I hate all three so I don't know the difference. I agree with Bruce Willis' comment in 'The Whole Nine Yards' regarding those condiments.
PRO BALL- The Masters may be considered one of the 'majors' but as most golfers know, it doesn't have the best players. Old players, amateurs, and champions of minor foreign tournaments; most of these players don't have a chance of making the cut after Friday, much less winning. If you have been to Augusta National you will notice that there is really no rough. Just tricky greens.
What's next... The Miracle Whip Clinic... Cinco de Miracle Whip
Miracle Whip's Litte Red Book!
Oh the humanity!!
Canadien eh?
You help to make my point. Those 3rd graders usually need no manual to navigate most computerized interfaces. It's just second nature to them.
Manuals?!? They don't need no stinking manuals!
Hi everybody. This was a very pleasant solving experience. I ran into difficulties in several places and seemed stuck. But rather than get some red-letter help or Google some unknown, I persevered and depending on getting some more crossing letters. It all finally paid off and came together with no help; unusual for me in a later-week puzzle. Yeah me!
The silly/stupid side of me was apprehensive yesterday about going to the doctor for a physical. I guess I'm always afraid of the unknown and the possibility of getting bad news. But my doctor is very competent and nice; a young Chinese woman. She even made the prostrate exam not too unpleasant. Everything went OK and my worst fears seem silly in retrospect. That doesn't mean they won't reoccur next time though. I'm hopeless... Today, Barbara has something similar because of abnormal cells in her urine. I'm hoping it will all be resolved with no bad news.
JzB asked who uses folding money instead of a credit card these days? I do, that's who. My tutoring gets paid for in cash and I use the cash at the supermarket or for all other non-major purchases. It makes me feel good to earn cash and to pay for things with real money. I know it's an anachronism but it suits me...
I've seldom had Miracle Whip but I like it OK. My preference is Mayo, especially since I found Lite Mayo (Best Foods, I think). I can't tell the difference and it assuages my guilt about the fat content.
Puhlease! Someone tell me where the shut down, restart button is in Windows 10. I wasn't kidding.
very enjoyable puzzle, and writeup.
This puzzle took me a while, lots of unknowns,
but I was able to puzzle it out.
(my favorite kind of puzzle...)
(Ute b/4 Oto etc...)
Jzb, my Mcafee didn't like the rum cake link!
(nuts! I really wanted to know about the rum cake incident.)
Also, today's Rhymes with Orange made me think of somebody.
Re:Karen Carpenter,
Is it really a drum solo if she plays a duet with herself?
re: Mayo vs Miracle Whip?
I dunno, I never tasted the stuff!
I always thought it was fake mayo, like margarine is to butter.
Why not just go with the real thing. (just less of it...)
It always surprises me how different people taste the same thing differently.
(take cilantro, awesome herb that some people say tastes like soap!)
which brings up the question, are you sure the color red you see is
the color red other people see?
TTP, you took yr Bunn O Matic apart? How?
I have a combo coffee/expresso make that gave up the ghost & I figured,
oh well, it's already broken, I can't make it worse.
But it has these idiot proof screws that stop people like me from bypassing
the safety fuses that make it die instead of burning the house down...
Modern Gadgets?
I remember when one button did one thing!
Now I don't know whether to click, double click, hold, use two fingers, spread apart, come together, side swipe, tap in some invisible corner, or just throw the dang thingie in the garbage!
Nuts! now I have got myself all upset ranting about these puzzles!
(I am going to have to look for silly pics to calm myself down...)
Sorry YR, all my tech supporters are still at daycare. I'll have then help you when the bus drops them off...ttyl. lol.
Yellowrocks, I have windows 8.1, so I do not know.
But in mine,if you hold the mouse curser in the lower right corner for 3 seconds,
a sidebar pops up with all sorts of power options.
Yellowrocks,
I thought you were kidding.
Left click the Start button (the windows icon) on the task bar, then select power and then select shut down. Or right click that same windows icon and then select "shut down or sign out"
You can also get to that same menu by pressing and holding the windows key and concurrently pressing the x key.
CED, the Bunn o Matic I took apart has Phillips head screws
Hmm, what would I do if I found a pair of boots?
You bet your boots!
Maybe he should have gone with plan B...
I think fines have become revenue producing overkill...
It is decidedly so true...
SpongeBob did an entire episode on his version of the Magic 8 Ball,
Very funny 1/2 hour. Due to copyright, only 19 seconds are available on YouTube.
TTP, my coffemaker screws look like this...
I enjoyed this puzzle, which seemed easier than yesterday's and Monday's. I entered PIG at 55D "A type of pen" before DANTE showed me it was STY. Why do we call so many artists by their first names anyway? I was almost 20 before I realized Dante is his first name and what his last name is. Same thing with Rembrandt.
To me Miracle Whip tastes sour while mayonnaise tastes rich and eggy.
Yellowrocks, when our son upgraded to Windows 10 he lost the sound on all his computers. Ha had to wait until the manufacturer of the sound card in his computers came out with a new sound driver, and then he had to update the driver manually. I hope your tech guy can do that for you. You're not the only one whose computer went mute after going to Windows 10.
Have you seen the price of a T-bird today? Unrealistically expensive.
Best wishes to you all.
Yellowrocks, click on the Window icon at the lower left of your screen, then click on "Power" then click "Shut down" or "Restart."
This is a good week so far! Monday was a speed run, Tuesday was just crunchy enough for the day and today starts off with a S/O to me--Pat! Thanks, Bruce, for the fun puzzle. Great expo, JzB?
4D: my first thought: I Beg Your Pardon
Hand up for SIs/SIB.
I like both Miracle Whip and mayo, however Miracle Whip contains sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I'm trying to eat more healthyly (is that a word?), so I try not to consume HFCS.
We are getting some wonderful spring weather. Usually we seem to go from winter to summer and nothing in between.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Pat
YR:
As Jayce said, the lower left but on mine I have to right click.
Terrific puzzle this morning--many thanks, Bruce! I can't believe I got a puzzle with four grid-spanners without having to look up anything, and without too much trouble. And it was fun to start the puzzle a reference to "Wheel of Fortune," one of my nightly guilty pleasures. So a great way to start the day, along with JazzB's always fun expo.
I'm so grateful to get these warnings about Window 10. I get a pop-up nearly every day asking me to download it, both on my desk computer and on my lap-top, and I'm always hesitant. Now I'm clear that I'm not going to do it.
My most recent book, "The Value of James Joyce" just came out from Cambridge University Press. It's aimed at students and ordinary readers so will probably not get great critical reviews. But I sure had fun writing it.
Have a great Wednesday, everybody!
Misty, congratulations on your new book. The fact that you had fun writing it very likely contributes favorably to its quality.
There you go Yellowrocks. No answer at first and now 3 in relative minutes.
Jayce, Yellowrocks didn't have sound before her Windows 10 update. Dave and others gave her some suggestions for checking user settings then.
I lost sound when I updated to Win 10. There were 2 minor problems that took just a few minutes to solve. 1) The setting got changed to headphones rather than speakers. 2) The sound "card" typically defaults to a standard sound driver. I had to search "Windows 10 Sound Lenovo" to get the updated driver from Lenovo. No big deal.
CED, you can either drill out the heads and uses a screw extractor, or get a tamper proof tool set such as this:
http://www.tamperproof.com/products/tamperproof-screw-driver-kit-w-1-driver.html
Misty, congratulations. I'm sure you will get favorable reviews.
Thanks to all you friends who helped. I had the proper button, but just tapped it like I used to do. Holding it down with left click works. And holding it down with right click is even better. CE Dave @12:22, your post expresses my frustration exactly. Jayce, I am suspecting a sound card problem.
I bought this computer when Windows 8 just came out but thankfully I ordered Windows 7. There was a learning curve from XP to 7. With this update from 7 to 10 the learning curve for what I usually need is not that steep, but there are many new features I never used before. They're not critical so I can explore at will.
BTW, my son whom I always thought was extremely computer literate asks his son, my grandson, for advice about the new complicated cable remote control.
If you Google BARBQ you will find that some sites spell it that way. I don't see it on a regular basis.
Hand up for Jayce who said, "To me Miracle Whip tastes sour while mayonnaise tastes rich and eggy." Yes!!
A smooth Mittwoch pzl from Mr. Haight, one that I enjoyed from start to finish. The theme phrases were of the same order of familiarity to bind them and give the whole grid a feeling of unity.
The reference to the Magic 8-Ball was a pleasant reminder of that old "decider device"--and it was especially fun to read HowardW's learned explication of the mathematical possibilities of that fortune-telling toy.
I didn't comment before on HuskerG's map, so I'll add my two cents and thank him for it, and offer my praise for a useful, informative display!
We have so many English experts around here, I thought I'd pose this question.
Isn't it correct to precede a gerund (ing verb) with a possessive pronoun? As in, "Do you like MY singing?" instead of "Do you like ME singing?" Or, "YOUR texting while driving is not OK." rather than "YOU testing while driving is not OK." On TV these days I seem to hear it said the second way rather than the first way. Do I remember the guideline incorrectly or has the writing just gotten sloppy?
Another example might be, "All child safety seats must be properly installed to reduce the risk of a child being injured. "It should be "...the risk of a child's being injured" shouldn't it?
Bill G, my gut instinct is MY and YOUR. No rationale, no rules.
In my last post I thought I should say,"My son WHO I thought was extremely computer literate.." Then I second guessed myself to say WHOM. Now I am third guessing myself back to WHO. I find many people who trust their gut instincts are incorrect. On the other hand, many people who apply the rules too rigidly are also incorrect. That is why I frequently resort to looking things up. People in the field should know more than I do. Today I am just going by my instincts, right or wrong. I am I losing it?
Bill G, you answered the question yourself with the key words "possessive pronoun." "Me" "you" are not possessive pronouns, and "child" is a noun.
Misty, Congratulations on your latest publication! How excited you must be, rightfully so!
Jazz: Nice write-up ... but as for PRO BALL and "opening day" coming up on Monday ...
I guess I'll just have to tell Gal-Pal (and the "other 33,000") who will be at "The Trop" at 4:05 pm,
THIS SUNDAY that the game between the Rays-v-Jays has been cancelled. LOL
Personally, I thought the theme was "Expressions to describe the Scotch at Villa Incognito ...
1) Is that 15 year old Pinch? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS
2) Can I have another? SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN
3) Is it poured into the glass NEAT? SUITS ME JUST FINE !!!
4) So there isn't any (certain 3-letter word)? IT IS DECIDEDLY SO ...
And IT IS FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE ...
Cheers!
Yellowrocks, you should be seeing two different menus when you select the windows icon on the Task Bar. One menu for left click and a different menu for right click. Make sure you left click and check Settings and then Privacy. Then review the settings to make sure they are consistent with how you want to share (or not share) info.
Am surprised that no one has responded to: 5 letter fill for "Woods often seen in front of the field" clue.
Hint: It is not COPSE, which was my first thought when I first read the clue.
TTP - Tiger? As that was a clue in a recent USA Today c/w
TTP - PS I still think it's strange, as Tiger Woods plays on a golf course - well, I guess there might be fields beyond.
TTP, the problem is I would probably bypass the thermal fuse just to make a cup of coffee.
Which is a really bad idea.
So, even tho I am a pack rat, I am going to throw the dang thingie out rather than get
a tamper screwdriver set..
You don't want to end up like this guy!
note: his Bunn was unaltered, off the shelf.
P.S. note the side links for more coffee makers that are better at making fires than coffee...
Musings 2
-Hondo, Bob Devaney did restart Nebraska’s FB glory days in1961 when he replaced a man who was a good recruiter but a lousy coach. Dr. Tom took over after Bob but after his retirement it has been “fruit basket upset!”
-Computers vs test scores
-Real Mayo tastes heavy to me but I never had any until I was an adult. I was really wondering where Jerome was going when he started in on Jazz! ☺
-Virginia Miracle Whip sounds like a stripper not a blonde film sex siren! Zach Miracle Whip in An Officer And A Gentleman?
-CED, in Shawshank Redmeption, Andy did have to crawl thorough 100’s of yards of that stuff in his breakout.
-Misty, congrats on the publication of this book!! It’s probably way over my head but I may give it a shot.
-It’s been a beautiful week for golf here on the prairie!
Tx Ms, the answer was Tiger. Very good. The "field" the players in the tournament. I couldn't remember what puzzle venue I saw that in as I typically do 5 or 6 a day now.
CED, how sad for that family. Yes, unless you are skilled, it's probably better to not mess around with trying to fix appliances and such. In the case of Bunn, we had that particular coffee maker for 12 years w/o issue, even though it was among those that were in the CPSC's recall.
I guess it would always be wise to always mail in the product registration card so that companies would notify you in case of a recall, safety or otherwise.
I didn't. When I had the failed washer, I needed a part number. Keying in the model number brought up the CPSCs recall notice.
Just google search for Consumer Product Safety Commission and enter a product brand in the search field at their website.
Maybe your coffee maker brand had a recall and you too can get a replacement. Like I said, mine was 12 years old.
Hi Everyone!
I really enjoyed today's puzzle but SILLY ME got stuck in that corner (never played with an 8 ball while sober, so really don't know what the options are). Finally sussed it out and got the TA-DA!
@Jerome - LMAO! I almost believed you for a second! I would hate to be on your bad side ;) (And FTR: Miracle Whip IS ickey!)
And since my mom didn't listen to the Carpenters most of what I know is from punk covers. Here's Top of the World by my one of my favorite bands Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
Back to the books! Only 14 months left before I get to sleep again...
tawnya
PS - I'm so excited I'm on the map! I'm a real girl!
I went to Windows 10 with no issues. Computer came as W8 but I immediately upgraded to W8.1.
After upgrading to W10 I went to print something, it printed fine except it never cleared the printer Q, showed as deleting. Had to reboot every time to clear.
Called Lexmark, $79 later all was well. So even if it's free, there still may be fallout.
Steely Dan is a GREAT band.
Oh yes, the puzzle - no issues at all, nicely constructed and well clued.
YR, I vote for 'WHO.' If you leave out 'I thought,' you have "My son WHO was extremely computer literate.." "Who was computer literate" is an independent clause and has to have a subject. At least that's my take on your question.
I did figure the Woods clue including the idea of the field being golfers but I see TX Ms and TTP already provided the answer. Rats!
With no research, I've bought two bottom-of-the-line Mr. Coffee drip brewers. I've been pleased with their performance.
I hear a helicopter hovering off in the distance. I wonder what it's found to hover over?
The Goodyear Blimp is a common sight locally. They often cover important events. When I see them over the bike path, I wonder how they know I'm out for a ride? :>) They used to let common folks call in and reserve a sight-seeing ride. I got a lot of busy signals but one morning I got through. Then they cancelled due to windy conditions. The next week they stopped serving we common folks altogether. Rats again!
so i've whipped up a
condiment controversy
which white glop is best
alternate last line
which white glop is worse
Off to rehearsal.
Had a great time with the kids at lunch. The only white glop was sour cream.
Jerome - If I were to eat Mayo, I'd probably end up at the Miracle Whip clinic.
Cool regards!
JzB
I've got to admit I had a few misgivings about the direction Jerome was taking this morning as well. "All in good fun" is certainly the best route.
And while we're on the topic of Mayo (and the ancillary tangents that might occur to a sick mind), does anyone remember Fat Freddie from The Furry Freak Brothers, featured in The National Lampoon back in the early days? At one point, Fat Freddie claimed that not only could his cat talk, but it could answer questions. To prove this, he asked the cat "Who's the leader of the Peoples Republic of China?" Then he yanked on the cat's tail and got the response: "MAOW!!!"
As you were. I'll show myself out.....
Bill G - child being injured is correct.
YR - Just diagram the sentence. Since you get "who was ……literate", it is the nominative case and hence, WHO. Also, since the verb was in intransitive, you get a double assist, because no direct object can exist.
Re mayo - for me personally it is a good purgative. Probably TMI.
tawnya- I have no "bad side". All my life I've been nothing less than a sweet, cuddly little angel.
Misty- Beautiful! Congratulations! Having your book published is an immense accomplishment. I'm curious, who are your favorite contemporary writers and what writers do you read for the guilty pleasure?
Misty:
Congratulations on your latest book being published! I'm not sure if I'll read it but I shall put it on my list just in case I come across it at the bookstore.
Bill:
Your take on WHO over WHOM is correct, but "They stopped serving WE common people"? Think, "serving us"
My goodness, thank you for such kinds words,Jayce, TTP, Irish Miss, Jerome, and Lucina--you've made my day!
Jerome, I wish I could say I read for pleasure but for that I go to television and film, I'm afraid. But I do keep some Agatha Christie novels handy for the odd plane trip. Today I started looking into a new project on the poems D. H. Lawrence wrote about animals, including the mosquito, the bat, and tortoises. That should be fun, don't you think?
Again, many thanks, everybody!
Lucina: Geez, I usually notice that mistake when somebody else makes it. (Thanks for the heads-up.) Now I've made it. Double rats!!
Greetings!
Thanks, Bruce, Jazz!
No nits.
Roofers still waking me up at an ungodly hour. Noise still terrible today at this hour. Falling asleep nonetheless.
Will read blog later!
Cheers!
For all you 'English majors' arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, to paraphrase Mick Jagger, 'You cain't get no Satisfaction', although it's written 'can't' it sure sounds like (improper use of like) he's singing 'cain't'. 'And the man talks on the radio Keep telling me more and more about that USELESS INFORMATION'.
Freshman English was back in the 60s and I put my 'Harbrace College Handbook' in the recycle bin years ago.
And I still hate Mayonnaise.
I always thought test scores were overrated. Too bad teachers and related administration don't get. Most of the the most successful and admired among us didn't give a hoot about test scores. Thankfully. I know many unemployed dean's list honorees. Give me a hardworking honorable offspring and I'll be proud poppa.
Avg. Joe 5:13 - I remember Fat Freddie's cat!
There was one episode in which the Cat maintained his right to be a cat, complete with toughness, in verse: "...and a lot of cats wouldn't, and a lot of cats couldn't hand a lickin' to a chicken or a razzin' to a rat, after they finished messin' 'round with Fat Freddie's Cat!"
Ah, misspent youth.
In a quick late review of today's postings, I see Bill G's posting (take that as either an active verb or a gerund noun) has stirred some response. I may have missed a chapter in my too-boring and overly thorough ElHi English sequence, but I don't believe any of the examples is incorrect.
And Yes! - MISTY! Hearty Congratulations on publishing your book on Joyce!
Normally I would NOT comment on a blogger's use or misuse of English grammar but I believe I have a friendly connection with BillG who is usually very correct in his language usage. My comment was teasingly friendly. I believe he took it that way. Right, Bill?
BillG:
Prostate has one 'r'
Husker, from yesterday:
We both listened to Dick Biondi on WLS, not WGN.
Miracle Whip, margarine, and Spam were staples in the home where I grew up. I've never consumed any of them since the day I left to go to college. If I crawled out of the desert after a week without food and those 3 items were there, I'd keep crawling.
I've been in a puzzle desert since the Irish totaled her car on the way home last Wednesday. Finally caught up with this one.
She's fine except for seat belt rash and air bag bruises. The car, not so much.
Lucina, absolutely! I try to use words correctly though I'm no expert. I had no issue with your teasing. Good catch! I'll try to do weller in the future.
I like it when I can see (and teach) the way math fits together and makes sense. I like learning how words fit together too. It's interesting how some people maintain that the important thing is for people to be able to communicate and that that certain grammar rules are pedantic. Yet almost nobody here ever makes a post that doesn't make use of the rules of good grammar usage. I think CC once said something like that she thought good use of written language was to be expected on a blog devoted to words.
Hi all!
Boy did I miss the party today...
Thank you Bruce & JzB. Both wonderful efforts. WEES - fast for a Wed. My biggest slow down was in the SE. SEA DOGS broke it up after MUGin'. I enjoyed the puzzle and the wordplay.
Like Abejo, I had CLERGs... 1st thought: "What a clunker Bruce / Rich." 2nd thought: "SILLY ME, it's OATY."
No other WOs and only 52d was ESP. I see Rich slipped APR in there again; at least had nothing to do w/ a 1040.
Fav: Lunch! BAR-B-Q, BLT w/ MAYO (SUITS ME JUST FINE), & RITZ on the side. GULP. Leave ONES as a tip.
I've seen BBQ, Bar-B-Q (I want to say in Memphis), and, then fav _ joint uses Bar-B-Que. Luling's is about a mile from the office and a bi-monthly destination. Note, in Texas, back-yard at the grill is not BBQ, that's just grillin'-out. Gotta have wood smoke and time (low & slow) for real BBQ.
Jerome - I echo other's comments; It was a mean-dark path I was traveling... Nicely executed. :-)
TTP - thanks for the info on the Bunn. CED, I had to stop the vid. when he started talking about his Dog pics. I'm sure you'da done the same if it was his cat.
Miracle Whip may-o be a Midwest thing. I grew up on the Whip in IL - never had MAYO. Upon moving to Louisiana - Hellman's ever since.
Tawnya - yet another great music pick for today's DRUMmer.
Congrats Misty! I'll tell DW about it.
Cheers, -T
BillG: 'whatever'....
I think sometimes u guys make 2 much of the fancy rules of the road. English is ever morphing and with the death of the dead tree being imminent, u better get used 2 the nu ways or 4 ever being left bhind. U and others remind me of those who said Elvis and the Beatles were going to ruin society.
And b4 u tell me that elvis and the Beatles did ndeed ruin society just realize that we have cleaning up the mess u guys gave us with ur dirty air and water. At least our rivers have fish in them and do not catch fire anymore. Every generation thinks they r the best and all following r going to be the end of the gud ol days. Get over yourselves.
Oh yeah and whatta bout the debt? Yeah the debt. Who do u think u r? Get a grip on ur selves and stop worrying about Grammer and start being responsible 4 giving us a decent America. Geeeeez
*grammar
I hate when that happens!
But, still.....get off the tall equine.
Anons; You've convinced me of the errors of my ways. It's so good to get your thoughtful input.
Bill G: yes, most thoughtful; and so well put.
Guess we all might as well just start walking out on the ice......
While there's still some left.
Amen Sherlune, crazy kids!
I'm so thankful for the current economic climate the current state had provided for me now. It's a godsend to have to be sarcastic
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