google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday, Apr 30th, 2016, Derek Bowman

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Apr 30, 2016

Saturday, Apr 30th, 2016, Derek Bowman

Theme: 15x16 Triple-stack Debut~!(?)

Words: 75 (Pangram~!)

Blocks: 38

  Quite an effort for a debut (at least a debut for the LA Times).  I did not recognize the author's name, and I do not see his name on the blog list of constructors.  I dove right in and didn't see the triple-stack in the center, but I did sense that the grid was slightly w-i-d-e-r than our normal fare.  And a pangram, to boot~!  I finished under my personal time, but I have to confess two Google look-ups; both proper names.  Oh well, still a good solve, and a fun puzzle as well.  Just a tad too many proper names, I thought.  The triple-stack;

34. Capital near Las Vegas : SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - it fit, so I went with it, and it was a good guess

41. Popular software for gamers : ADOBE FLASH PLAYER - a bit deceptive, since I am not a gamer, but I need the software to view certain YouTube videos

42. Variety show on which "The Honeymooners" began as a skit : CAVALCADE OF STARS - my house mate Garry was standing over my shoulder while I was solving, and at 69 years old, didn't know this one - until I told him the answer later.  It filled via perp(endicular)s

ACROSS:

1. Protests by not taking any courses? : FASTS - I tried SIT IN, as in students who audit classes, but don't "take" them

6. Floorboard hardware item : BRAD - as a carpenter, I end up using brads in most finishing work

10. Cloaks : VEILS

15. Top dog : ALPHA - my supervisor at UPS is a mere 21 years old, but he's got a need to prove he's the "alpha" male on the line; it's not working for him

16. Western city with an annual balloon race : RENO - filled via perps

17. She slugged a sheriff in "Selma" : OPRAH

18. Pick up : LEARN

19. Big story : EPIC - dah~! Not SAGA

20. With 13-Down, "Unfaithful" Oscar nominee : DIANE; 13. See 20-Across : LANE


21. Waits on hand and foot : CATERS TO - I pondered this, but waited

23. "Pity" : TSK

25. Proof letters : Q.E.D.

26. Not much power : ONE WATT - Garry owned "Go Solar" before retiring; everything is about watts and volts in his business

27. "Never Cry Wolf" author Farley __ : MOWAT - cheat #1; I had MO_AT

29. "__ tree falls ... " : IF A - if a man speaks, and there's no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong~?

30. Significant period : ERA

31. __ moment : A-HA

43. Buddy : MAC - argh~! Not PAL

44. Former court gp. : ABA - American Bar Association; I looked on Wiki, but couldn't find out why it is "former"

45. Big name in outdoor gear : REI - this has become a popular crossword clue/answer

46. Pope John Paul II's given name : KAROL

48. "Ready for business" sign : NOW OPEN

52. Toon that debuted in the 1954 cartoon "Devil May Hare" : TAZmanian Devil


55. "Hyde Park on Hudson" subj. : FDR - the movie starred Bill Murray

56. Peak : HIGH NOTE

57. Hardly warm : ALOOF

59. Comet competitor : AJAX

61. Secretary of war under Teddy : ELIHU - look up #2

62. Language that gives us "mako" : MAORI

63. Accept : TAKE

64. Tears down, in 65-Across : RASES - the British version of RaZes

65. North Sea county : ESSEX - when it's at the bottom of the grid, it's a safe guess to go with ESSEX, which is letter-friendly

66. Inspected : EYED - I'm a licensed Home Inspector, and a free-lance leg inspector....


67. Decorative pitchers : EWERS - another letter-friendly bottom answer

DOWN:

1. Gandolfini's TV wife : FALCO - "The Sopranos", which I didn't watch, but I knew the stars; made me change my NW across answers

2. "Yond Cassius has __ and hungry look" : A LEAN

3. Sudden rush : SPATE

4. Obeyed a fishing regulation : THREW IT BACK

5. Marin County seat : SAN RAFAEL

6. Football's Favre : BRETT

7. Tow job, for short : REPO

8. Singer DiFranco : ANI

9. BBC hero since 1963 : DOCTOR WHO

10. Screwdriver part : VODKA - I went with "BLADE" - the tool, not the drink. 

11. Commercial prefix with Pen : EPI - EPIpen


12. Big oil exporter : IRAQ

14. Lose : SHED - like pounds; today I'm at 180, about the lowest I've been in 25 years - lost the long hair, too

22. It may be swiped at work : STAFF CARD - I have an ID card to get on the UPS property, but I don't swipe it

24. Lowland amphibian : SWAMP FROG

27. 1980s attorney general : MEESE

28. Attorney's specialty : TAXATION LAW

32. Simple greeting : "HI-YA~!"

33. Big name in PCs : ACER

34. Ink __ : SAC - took too long to dawn on me

35. Actor Driver of "Girls" : ADAM - my mind was stuck on Minnie

36. Salmon choice : NOVA

37. Involved : ELABORATE - the adjective; this is an involved construction

38. Athlete known as "The King of Clay" : NADAL - I knew we were looking for a tennis star, but I don't watch enough to know which one is the 'king of clay'

39. Absent : ELSEWHERE

40. Logical operators : ORs

47. Pin, say : AFFIX - the verb

48. Rejected : NIXED

49. Self-confidence : POISE

50. Wild blue yonder : ETHER

51. City across the Rhine from Düsseldorf : NEUSS

52. Hardly boundary-pushing : TAME

53. "Poor me!" : ALAS

54. Places with exhibits : ZOOS

56. Cod relative : HAKE

58. Mt. Hood setting : OREgon


60. Colorful flier : JAY

Splynter
 

Note from C.C.:

I can't believe Splynter's transformation. Here he is a few years ago.
 
 

Here is the 180-pound Splynter. Click to enlarge. New face. New hair. What's the logo on your shirt, Splynter?





46 comments:

OwenKL said...

FIW. And I was so close! The crossing of NADAL and ABA (I hope the expo will explain "former") was a WAG, but I got it right. DIANE LANE was all perps and WAGs. But I got them right. But my guess of IRAn was wrong, and I'm ashamed that for 25a I fixated on alcoholic proof (VSO?) instead of mathematics! :(

BTW, Las Vegas, NM, is about 45 minute drive from Santa Fe. I used to drive it frequently to bring my LW over there to play piano at their Eastern Star meetings. The Masonic Lodge there boasts the first elevator in the region!

My home is in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO,
Where there's little rain, so the tumbleweeds grow!
Hit one on the road
You'll see it explode!
That's summertime fun in NEW MEXICO!

OwenKL said...

Looked it up
"The original American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major-league professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976."

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Definitely a challenge today, but not necessarily a pleasant one. There were some totally unknown names, such as MOWAT, ELIHU, SAN RAFAEL and ADAM (and even OPRAH as clued), but I guess that's to be expected on a Saturday. But there were also some really awkward answers, such as SWAMP FROG, TAXATION LAW (as opposed to simply TAX LAW) and STAFF CARD (as opposed to simply ID CARD). And don't get me started on the cluing for ADOBE FLASH PLAYER...

And then, of course, there were the places where I shot myself in the foot. Had FALDO instead of FALCO for the longest time, despite knowing who she was. I also had CALVACADE instead of CAVALCADE, which really made a mess of things until I finally nuked that whole section and started again from scratch with fresh eyes.

Ah well, I managed to get through it in the end unassisted, so no harm, no foul. I guess. Still... STAFF CARD?

TTP said...

Good morning all. Thank you Derek and thank you Splynter.

Rather TAME for a Saturday, don't you think ? It wasn't entirely easy, but for me, anything under 40 on a Saturday without look ups or red letters is relatively easy.

Getting grid spanners SANTA FE NEW MEXICO and CAVALCADE OF STARS early helped make for a short solve. Never have been an online gamer, so it took more than a few letters to see ADOBE FLASH PLAYER, and then I had a simultaneous AHA D'OH moment.

Buddy ? Not pal or man, but MAC. No idea on ELIHU but most of it perped in. The U was an easy wag. NEUSS ? Perps. I just looked on a map. It was a few hundred klicks north of where I was stationed

"IF A tree falls..." ? Ha! Splynter, I wrote that same old line in my notes ! I know it as, "If a man is all alone in the woods and says something, is he still wrong ?" It seems more consistent with the original...

As Owen said, ABA for the old American Basketball Association. Not DOCTOR WHO, but Dr. J. Also Moses Malone, Dan Issel, Rick Barry, and "The Iceman" George Gervin, among others. Issel is from nearby Batavia, IL.

Hungry Mother said...

Lots of write-overs, but I got it. Amazing that SAUSALITO fit when SANRAFAEL was correct. That threw me off for a while.

TTP said...

Hi Barry,

Go to MSN Games, AOL Games, USA Today Games, Yahoo Games etc. You will see that they pretty much all require (the latest) Adobe Flash Player software.

If you are doing the puzzle online, it is more likely than not that you are using the same software.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Nice debut puzzle, Derek! That center section almost got me...but I finally prevailed. Splynter, I was right with ya on those drivers -- Blade and Minnie. Wanted Albuquerque for the city with balloon races, but couldn't manage to fit it into 4 spaces. Finished in good time, but seriously depleted my Wite-Out supplies.

Barry, lots of people confuse cavalry with Calvary, but calvacade and cavalcade?

Splynter, how does one get to be a UPS supervisor at 21? Doesn't seem right, somehow.

billocohoes said...

Cavalcade of Stars was only on the DuMont Network until 1952, before becoming the Jackie Gleason Show on CBS.

Agree on TAXATION LAW, I worked for the New York Dept. of Taxation and Finance, but can't remember anyone saying anything other than "Tax & Finance"

TTP, since the original I knew was "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear, does it still make a sound?", I think Splynter's version follows the sentence structure better.

Anonymous said...

LAXCrossword.com --a good alternative to anyone who would rather not tolerate the misogyny on this Saturday blog. I would hope that means most everyone. Love Sunday thru Friday. Sad really

Avg Joe said...

Top? Pretty easy. Center? Not a chance. Bottom? Not as easy as the top, but better than center. Slow and steady did win the race, however, so it worked out. Great debut!!

Had to go into wag mode right from the start, but most panned out, such as Fasts, Alpha, Doctor Who and Oprah. Wanted shaft instead of blade, but basically the same error on the screwdriver. Mowat was downright cruel, but what else could it be? Final fill was the I at the cross of REI and Taxation. That was pretty cruel too, but it did finally dawn. Had a lot of trouble with High Note as well, since I wanted Point, but sanity prevailed there. Good thing I remembered Hake.

All in all, prolly as tough as yesterday, but with fewer time constraints it didn't seem as brutal. Thank you Derek and Splynter.

Madame Defarge said...

Greetings all.

I have been in Dallas with 5 grandsons and about 2,000 athletic events--or so it seems. No time for puzzles or the Corner, so I did all this week's Thursday to prepare for yesterday and today. It worked! When I try a Saturday without "warming up," I usually find myself at a loss.

I found today fell into place rather smoothly. If I wasn't sure I waited for a few perps and found many of my first guesses to be spot on. I really think Diane Lane is an underrated actress. I like her with Richard Gere. Unfaithful, while a bit strong, had some really gritty moral choices and implications. The dual endings were particularly interesting.

Thanks Derek. And Splynter: Glad you've survived hockey to spend time with us on Saturday.

Have a good weekend. A seder and Easter all in the same weekend--just as it all began. I hope the sun is still out there somewhere!

Yellowrocks said...

The top and bottom worked out fairly easily for a Saturday. The three grid spanners took a lot of time. I could not recall NM's capital for a long while which slowed me down. I looked up the O in KAROL, otherwise no help was used. Splynter looked one up, also, so I don't feel that down about it. Names galore.
ANONYMOUS @ 8:48, I am sensitive to real misogyny, but this is just goodhearted joshing. I feel respected here. If it bothers you that much you could take your own advice to look ELSEWHERE.

Lemonade714 said...

I found this to be an easy/hard puzzle with big sections filling quickly and certain fill very elusive, as mentioned by others. I could not find any earlier LAT by Derek but he has 7 NYT publications. He is a Canadian and gave this interesting INTERVIEW

When I see references to Karol Wojtyla I am reminded of the professor who asked his class if they knew who Madonna was; they did. He asked if they knew O.J. Simpson; they did. He asked if they knew Karol Wojtyla, they did not.

Husker Gary said...

A steady rain, a large cup of coffee and a wonderful puzzle. Life is good. A grid spanning triple stack with such disparate fill amazes me to no end even though SANTA FE was a gimme.

Musings
-Bottom up solve again even though FASTS went in immediately. Why does that happen?
-Some teachers north of 40 refuse to LEARN new techniques. I PICKED UP one yesterday!
-CATERS TO – We have this kitty…
-The answer to “IF A man speaks…” is yes if he’s smart. He can be right OR be with someone who is Hardly Warm
-It took an AHA moment for me to see ABA as Dr. J’s former league
-AJAX The Foaming Cleanser, (1:06) bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
-Veteran NFL players during the current draft, “That draftee has A LEAN and hungry look and is after my job.
-This South Carolina woman smashed the windows on her car and bit the REPO man
-TAXATION LAW – 1913 – 27 pages. 2015 – 9,000 pages
-The Sting in The Sting? ELABORATE!
-Boundary pushing TV of the 70’s looks pretty TAME today

Magilla Go-Rilla said...

2nd attempt to post this comment. A slip of the finger on my iPhone and all was lost.

First off this was a typical Saturday DNF for me. Now, down to business.

44A: I had ABA but with basketball in mind. The ABA eventually merged with the NBA.

35D: I too thought of Minnie. BTW - It's a little known fact that her last name was originally Van Driver. She dropped the Van portion because she would always be known as a mini-van driver (groan).

oc4beach said...


Fits and starts today with Red Letters but no look-ups needed. Perps were today's savior. Still officially a DNF. Nice Debut puzzle Derek. Good write-up Splynter.

There were some nice misdirections in the clues today. With respect to the ABA clue one had to think Zebra instead of Horse today. Former was the modifier. I also tried MOUNTAIN before HIGHNOTE for peak. Another Zebra.

I agree with others on STAFFCARD. I've never heard an ID CARD referred to that way. I was wondering if he was trying to make a play on words with staff car. But I don't think so.

MAC didn't seem to fit as a Buddy. PAL seemed more appropriate. To me MAC is what you might call someone you don't know.

Time to go hunting and gathering.

Have a great day everyone.


Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Two Saturday puzzles in a row where I was on the constructor's wave length. In fact, I think I shaved a few minutes off last week's time, not that that is important, but it is a barometer of difficulty. Enjoyed the major CSO to Owen with the city and state, to boot. I am familiar with Farley Mowat so no hang up there. It took awhile but Cavalcade of Stars surfaced which opened up that area nicely. Staff card and Taxation Law were a little awkward but, overall, it was an enjoyable solve.

Thanks, Derek, for a nice ending to the "Cruelest" month and thanks, Splynter, for your commentary and observations.

Bill G, I hope Barbara is on her way to a speedy recovery and much deserved peace of mind. Now, maybe you can relax a bit and stop worrying.

Lemony, good luck being "one-armed" for awhile as I know how difficult it is. I hope you're not in any pain.

Madame Defarge, I agree with you about Diane Lane and also, Unfaithful. That was a very intense movie. I was sad when Lane and Josh Brolin divorced as I thought they were a special couple. C'est la vie!

Anonymous @ 8:48, I believe misogyny, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I haven't seen any misogyny but I certainly have seen a fair amount of pettiness and self-righteousness from a few who prefer to keep their identities unknown, but not their opinions.

Have a great day.

Yellowrocks said...

Is it only me (I)? I am finding much of the material on the computer frustrating after all these years. I am beginning to be impatient with clicking through slide shows. Why can't they just let us scroll though all the material. The process gets in my way.I enjoy reading without interruption. I find myself abandoning the site after a few slides, no matter how interesting.

desper-otto said...

YR, I hear you. I hate those sites with "extras" down both sides. When trying to read a simple text article, the page jumps around like a fart in a mitten. Oops, back up. No down. Where was I? Then a video suddenly cranks up in the middle of the page. Location of the "X" to close it is variable -- top left, click it. Now it's at the top right. Click that, and I'm redirected to the "gotta buy this thing" site. My four-letter vocabulary gets quite the workout!

Unknown said...

With all of the unknowns and proper names, I couldn't finish with pencil and paper. I finished on the computer with the red letter cheats. CARSON CITY NEVADA also fit, but, as I found out later, it was just a stumbling block. Fun puzzle, though,

Nice Cuppa said...

The OED still prefers -IZE endings but seems to be fighting a losing battle. It certainly did not help that the British version of Microsoft Word by default flags -ize endings of verbs as incorrect.

As a Brit who studied at Oxford in the 1970s and has spent most of the last 30 years in the U.S., the -ise ending strikes me as foreign and weak – justified neither on etymological nor pronunciation grounds.

However, I still prefer ANALYSE over ANALYZE, as the word is a back-form of ANALYSIS. I am waiting for the next logical step –change it to ANALIZE. Now that WOULD scrape the bottom of the barrel (pun intended).

NC

Spitzboov said...

Good Morning everyone.

Cobbled together the solve eventually. Not so bad for a Saturday. Liked the grid-spanning triple stacks. How do they do that?
Nice misdirection on ABA. SWAMP FROG - really?
TAXATION LAW - Have always heard it referred to as just Tax Law.
ELIHU - Root Glen Gardens near Hamilton College in nearby Clinton are worth a visit.
KAROL - Polish for Charles
Karel - Dutch and Czech
Karl - German. Karl der Große: Charlemagne
Carolus - Latin

Lucina said...

So much fun today it should be illegal! Thank you, Derek Bowman and Splynter!

It started slowly by jumping around much like a SWAMPFROG but as more and more fill appeared, I was able to connect the words and ay Chihuaha, it was done. KAROL was, of course, the first fill then I erred with LENDL which held up the capital for too long.

One of my BFFs lives in SANRAFAEL and I visit frequently. With western cities you can count on SAN or SANTA for starters as those Franciscans called upon their vast litany of saints to name them.

I vaguely recall CAVALCADE OF STARS but with a few letters it emerged. Count me in for thinking tool instead of drink at VODKA. I have no problem with TAXATION especially if that is the official designation.

Did anyone else join Peter Gordon's puzzle group? The first test puzzle arrived yesterday and I can't wait to solve it.

Have a fabulous day, everyone! Our gorgeous spring weather is holding on today.

AnonymousPVX said...

Unlike most, I think this puzzle has some of the WORST clueing I have seen as of late.

Capital near Las Vegas? Santa Fe? It's over 600 miles away, that's not near in any scale.

Lowland amphibian? Swamp Frog? Where? Oh, South America or Australia, really?

Does anybody call their ID a Staff Card? Where?

Never heard of taxation law. Adobe Flash is not just for gamers. And I thought Nova salmon is a dish, not a fish.

Really disappointed in this puzzle, yet another example of poor construction where the idea is to stump the solver.

Jerome said...

Santa Fe - Holy Faith, in Spanish. Its original name was La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis. The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi.

Info from OneLook

Jerome said...

In fact, Las Vegas is near Santa Fe.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Great pix of Splynter!
Thanks, OwenKL for explaining the ABA clue.
This was a sneaky job, lulling me in the first (upper) half into thinking it a pushover, then dropping the hammer in the bottom half.
It was my own fault, however, that I couldn't seal it at the end. It just took me forever to read TAXATION LAW properly. I kept seeing it as three or four words: TAX something-something LAW, usually reading it as TAX AT something LAW. Grrr. I hate when that happens!

Ol' Man Keith said...

CAVALCADE OF STARS was a gimme. I watched it every week. In junior high talent shows I did my imitation of Reggie van Gleason to much critical acclaim. I'm sure I could read the room well; it was perfectly suited to jr-high taste.
Mmmm-BOY!

CanadianEh! said...

I don't always have time to attempt the Saturday CW but was glad I started this one on my ACER computer. Quick completion time for a Saturday and lots of fun. Thanks Derek (congrats to a fellow Canadian on your LAT debut) and Splynter. (Thanks Lemonade for the link to the interview with Derek.)

Hand up for PAL and wanting Minnie Driver. I was misdirected with Peak, Comet, and Screwdriver, and had Safe before TAME until my AHA moment.

Thanks OwenKL for explaining the "former court gp." as basketball. Toronto Raptors collapsed in second half of last night's game and now are forced to beat the Pacers in the 7th game on Sunday night.

60D JAY could have been clued as a Toronto baseball player. (At least the Jays beat Tampa last night after a slow start to the season.)

My fish knowledge must be faulty since I am not familiar with HAKE or NOVA salmon (even though the term originally referred to Nova Scotia salmon per Wikipedia).

Farley Mowat was a given for this Canadian. Among other honours, Mowat was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) in 1981.
Farley is also the namesake of the lovable sheepdog in the comic strip by Lynn Johnston, For Better or For Worse. Johnston and Mowat were long-time friends.

RASES/Razes is similar to Vise/Vice American vs British usage that was discussed the other day.

Off to enjoy this beautiful day.

Splynter said...

Hi again~!

Thanks to C.C. for the 'comparison' pictures. I have mostly been complimented on the new hair style, though today I finally heard the comment about a light socket.... Har-har. Actually, I call it my "Ancient Aliens" do. The shirt has a picture of a dragon on it, nothing specific.

I am going to PEN a new word for the comment section - misBLogynist. I believe it's defined as a cowardly individual who remains unnamed, and has only negative words to add to the blog posts. What do you think~? I like it.

I guess I've gotten used to the vague cluing for Saturdays - looking over the comments, I agree that 'TAXATION' does seem a bit of a stretch, and STAFF CARD, too.

Oh, and I never considered basketball for A B A - and should've known to think outside the court of law to a court of hardwood, but as you can see, I am much more interested in the Stanley Cup than baskets.

Splynter

Yellowrocks said...

It seems to me that STAFF CARDS are used at universities. "On joining the University of Sydney you will be issued a Staff Card, if you are eligible. You should carry it at all times when on University property." There are Internet ads for staff cards.

As has been pointed out ADOBE FLASH PLAYER is important software for gamers, as well as for other users. But, on a Saturday, it seems fair enough, the way the clue phrases it.

I am happy to become acquainted with the SWAMP FROG.

Rather than being the strict guardian of the English language, as some seem to think of me, I am all for being broad minded and accepting of all kinds of variations in the language and all kinds of new ideas. I constantly argue here for more open mindedness. I rail against the idea of there being only one correct way to use English, in much the same way you don't wear blue jeans to a ball or a tuxedo to mow the lawn.

Anonymous said...

If a tree falls on a man named Forest, does he make a sound?

desper-otto said...

You shouldn't wear blue jeans to a ball? Who knew? Not even dress jeans (still blue, not faded)?

tawnya said...

Hi all!

Happy Saturday :) I really enjoyed the puzzle today and actually finished it in under average time. There were some things I got stuck on but overall I learned a lot and still had a good time.

Santa Fe is about 600 miles from Vegas but since Vegas is in the middle of absolutely nowhere - Santa Fe is actually pretty close! My parents retired to Henderson a few years ago and they love it. We are planning a move to Flagstaff in a few years to be closer to them and the rest of my family. I'm not a fan of the summer heat and DH has always wanted to live in the mountains so this seems like a good compromise.

@Splynter - I love the hair! Totally bet you could compete with @itswilwheaton on Instagram for best bed-head

Saw a dog named Fenway today, the owner was super excited when I started talking baseball to him. Of course, he was kind enough to rub in the Dodger's five game losing streak. Nice guy, I guess??

Hope you all have a great day!

t.

PS - now (instead of studying) I am going to take on the Fireball Newsflash puzzle that came in my email yesterday, wish me luck!

Avg Joe said...

DO, in our world those would be Sunday jeans. But in keeping with the "if a man speaks in the forest" theme, the question isn't whether you can go to the ball in jeans, it's whether you go to the ball or not if jeans aren't allowed. I'm in the not camp.

Misblogynist. Love it.

As for Las Vegas, that comment is another misblogyny. Kinda like Cairo, or Paris, there's always another one that is less obvious. It's Saturday. As far as I know there is only one David City and one Winnetoon. All others need not apply.

Yellowrocks said...

The flip side of "If a tree falls..." is "When I met Mr. RIGHT I didn't realize his first name was Always." Somehow that reminds me of my ex.

..

NYC Bagel Lover said...


It isn't exactly Nova Salmon. It's Nova Lox. If you've ever had a bagel in NYC you may have had it with Nova Lox. The clue is a bit of a stretch, but you can get there with it.

Lox is a fillet of brined salmon that is not cooked. Traditionally, lox is served on a bagel with cream cheese, and is usually garnished with tomato, sliced red onion, and sometimes capers.

Nova or Nova Scotia salmon, called Nova lox, is cured with a milder brine and then cold-smoked. The name dates from a time when much of the salmon in New York City came from Nova Scotia. Today, however, the name refers to the milder brining, as compared to regular lox (or belly lox), and the fish may come from other waters or even be raised on farms.

Of course IMHO the best bagels come from New York. With or without Lox.

Argyle said...

Syracuse is near Mexico.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Well, another Saturday learning session for me to slog through. I filled it with the help of red letters. Thanks, Derek!

Splynter: Courageous in hairdos as well as taking on the Saturday puzzle. Bravo!

Misogyny here? Where, where? What am I missing?

I knew the right ABA and ELIHU Root & MEESE. I am so proud. Didn't know much else the first time thru. A letter here & there helped.

Knew SAN RAFAEL. Sis lived in Marin Co. Those SAN & SANTA towns along the California Coast and elsewhere started out as Catholic Missions which were located a day's walk or ride apart for the founding priests.

Gary, what do those CARDS signify that the kids are holding in your link?

At his wedding my son and his groomsmen wore new jeans with a tuxedo shirt & jacket for him, casual sport coats for his guys. Went better with their personalities than monkey suits. (I wasn't told about this before the day of the hitching.) I was scrolling through local newspaper photos of prom-goers recently. Several guys wore jeans & sneakers with nice shirts, vests or jackets & ties. A couple of guys wore only vests & ties hung around their necks. The girls were in fancy dress though. Fashion seems pretty much do-it-your-way among the young here. The vest & tie thing looked only fair for guys since the girls were mostly bare-shouldered on a warm night with strenuous dancing.

Avg Joe said...

Ooh! Argyle! That's a perfect city as an example in this case. Imagine the clue "Capitol near Syracuse". Albany is not that far, but Lincoln is a lot closer. Of course the letter count doesn't fit as nicely as it did today with Carson City and Santa Fe, but it's still a great example of a Saturday level misdirect.

Jayce said...

Pretty much WEES. I solved this puzzle more quickly than I expected to; surprised myself. I know nothing of Diane Lane's personality, but she sure looks classy.

We watched the live stream of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting for about 4 hours today. Fascinating! That Warren Buffet has more good common sense than anybody I have ever seen, and he sure has a knack for explaining things. His partner, Charles Munger, has a strange, dry, sense of humor and, unlike Warren, is a man of very few words. His pithy statements are almost KOANic in their denseness. I know there's a lot of wisdom in what he says but you have work hard and listen carefully to get it.

Best wishes to you all. The 13th is Friday next month.

Anonymous said...

While my knowledge of American vernacular is pretty minimal it seems to me that both Buddy and Mac could be used to address someone you don't know:

Hey buddy can you spare a dime?
Hey mac could I get a light?

CrossEyedDave said...

Yellowrocks, Re: Annoying slides

These is a new word for that, where they give you a slideshow
and the next button keeps moving around under your curser
to make you click on an ad by mistake.

"It's called Clickbait!"

& I refuse to bite...

Yellowrocks said...

@2:25 I obscured my point by tapping in to men's aversion to dressing up. I had an inkling this would happen. A better anology would have been a girl wearing jeans to her prom and a ball gown to mow the lawn. I shot myself in the foot.

TinoTechie said...

Las Vegas, NM, on I-25, is about 40 miles east of Santa Fe, NM as the crow flies. I think that was the Las Vegas of the clue. Another misdirection.

Husker Gary said...

-PK, those kids orient those cards to show their answer choice as A, B, C or D and the teacher scans those cards with an app on his cell phone. This system is called Plickers
-BTW, we just got back from the movie Mother’s Day of which a reviewer correctly said - Mother’s Day: A Treacly CAVALCADE of Horror. It stinks to High Heavens!!!