Theme: None
Words: 70 (missing J,Q,W,X,Z)
Blocks: 28
Our last Saturday puzzle from Mr. Fludzinski was over a year ago,
though he did drop in with a couple of Wednesday grids for the
LA Times in between. I filled in 1-across straight away ( wrongly, I
might add ), and thought we might do alright today - especially when
some of the longer fill went right in. Sort of a strange solving style
for me today; I seemed to switch back and forth between across and down;
one letter giving me enough to work with 'orthogonally'. This one moved along at a brisk pace, so when I got stumped in the NW, I didn't hesitate and
just cheated - ah, Wisconsin. 10-letter fill all over the
place;
33a. 1996 Richard Gere thriller : PRIMAL FEAR - I managed to see the last 5mins of the movie, so I pretty much failed my own 19across....
38a. Premium Scotch choice : SINGLE MALT
6d. Percussion staples : SNARE DRUMS - I have one, it's steel, and I'd like a wood one
29d. Detect vulnerability : SMELL BLOOD
ON
NW
WA
AR
RD
D~!
ACROSS:
1. Splitting target : ATOM - Well, OK then, it's not "HAIR"; semi-clecho with 14a.
5. Taqueria adjective : ASADA
10. Heavy wind? : TUBA - I sensed the misdirection, but "BASSOON" was all I could think of; also semi-clecho with; 49d. High wind? : OBOE
14. Splitting : BREAKING UP
16. Author Blyton : ENID - I knew this proper name
17. Degree seekers : CANDIDATES
18. Hendrix hairdo : AFRO - I'm a lefty guitar player - four of mine are still upside down righties
5. Taqueria adjective : ASADA
10. Heavy wind? : TUBA - I sensed the misdirection, but "BASSOON" was all I could think of; also semi-clecho with; 49d. High wind? : OBOE
14. Splitting : BREAKING UP
16. Author Blyton : ENID - I knew this proper name
17. Degree seekers : CANDIDATES
18. Hendrix hairdo : AFRO - I'm a lefty guitar player - four of mine are still upside down righties
19. Alert follower, perhaps : SPOILER
20. They may be spilled : SECRETS - BEANS and GUTS weren't long enough
22. Reason for many a school absence : STREP
24. "In __, I know not why I am so sad": "The Merchant of Venice" : SOOTH
25. '90s Philippine president Fidel : RAMOS - WAGed the vowels
28. JAMA subscribers : DRs
30. It merged with SAG in 2012 : AFTRA - I knew this one, too
32. Cal's "East of Eden" brother : ARON
35. Nigerian native : IBO - the Wiki
36. Some vents : LOUVERS
37. GPS suggestion : RTE
40. Enthusiastic : KEEN - ah, not AVID - but I am keen on this
20. They may be spilled : SECRETS - BEANS and GUTS weren't long enough
22. Reason for many a school absence : STREP
24. "In __, I know not why I am so sad": "The Merchant of Venice" : SOOTH
25. '90s Philippine president Fidel : RAMOS - WAGed the vowels
28. JAMA subscribers : DRs
30. It merged with SAG in 2012 : AFTRA - I knew this one, too
32. Cal's "East of Eden" brother : ARON
35. Nigerian native : IBO - the Wiki
36. Some vents : LOUVERS
37. GPS suggestion : RTE
40. Enthusiastic : KEEN - ah, not AVID - but I am keen on this
I'm an "avid" reader, too~!
41. Flummoxed : AT SEA
42. Blues with sticks: Abbr. : STL - hockey reference; the St. Louis Blues
43. Performed, in Shakespeare : DIDST
44. __ scheme : RHYME - dah~! Not PONZI
46. "The Other Side of Oz" autobiographer : EBSEN
48. Buddy : PAISANO
50. Sticks around : LINGERS - not REMAINS
54. Eclectic magazine : UTNE
55. Hardly a light six-pack? : ABS OF STEEL
57. Staple in 48-Down : BEER - circumreferential to; 48d. 57-Across sellers : PUBS
58. NYC saloon featured in a 2000 film : COYOTE UGLY
59. The Stans were among them: Abbr. : SSRs
60. Ministers : TENDS
61. Chinese menu possessive : TSO'S
DOWN:
1. Essentials : ABCs
2. Corner : TRAP
3. Santa Ynez Valley prefix : OENO - "wine"; we have a burgeoning wine country on the North Fork of LI, too
4. Badger State city : MADISON - here's why the state got the nickname
5. Help, in Le Havre : AIDER - Frawnche
7. G-man : AGT - dah~! Not FED
8. Union requirement : DUES - I know this firsthand
9. Church areas : APSES
10. Detach, in a way : TEAR OFF
11. Free : UNFETTERED - nailed it
12. Demographers' concerns : BIRTH RATES
13. Flaps : ADOS
15. Highland attire : KILTS
There can be only one
21. Barbecue supply : COALS - dah~! Not SAUCE, MEATS, or CLAMS
23. Like much property : PRIVATE
25. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA
26. Resolves, as a contract dispute : ARBITRATES
27. Still runner : MOONSHINER
31. Isn't for you? : AREN'T
33. Baltimore bard : POE
34. Wall adornment : ART - I have this print - I think it's awesome
Gargoyles - Michael Parkes
36. Beast of burden : LLAMA
39. Springs with steam : GEYSERS
40. 18th-dynasty Egyptian pharaoh : KING TUT
43. Crowded : DENSE
45. Make official : ENACT
47. Goes through carefully : SIFTS
51. Lines of thought? : EEGs - har-har
52. Pull up stakes, informally : RELOcate
53. Stone and others : SLYs
56. Preserves, for keeps: Abbr. : SYNonym
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear Tony (Anon-T), our always caring & attentive friend. Is your mother-in-law visiting today, Tony?
Happy Birthday to dear Tony (Anon-T), our always caring & attentive friend. Is your mother-in-law visiting today, Tony?
45 comments:
DNF. Most of the S+SW was still empty when I gave up and turned on the red. Still, I didst get the rest of the grid without errors after only 2 or 3 passes. SYN was a complete mystery, but the rest I MIGHT have gotten by just letting it go and letting my subconscious mull on it for a couple hours.
I notice BIRTH RATES & ARBITRATES are just one letter away from being anagrams.
First poem today is serious, but the rest are normal.
{B-, B, A-, A.}
Waiting in Lodge to learn their DEGREE
Stand the CANDIDATES, one, two, three.
Gathered this night
To experience the rite
That will give them their fraternal key!
An ATOM smasher is a big ADO,
Millions of bucks and a humongous crew.
For the SECRETS of science
They should turn for guidance
To Neil Sedaka's BREAKING UP is hard to do!
To some, a SINGLE MALT SCOTCH is dear,
And being without it a PRIMAL FEAR!
But for the SCOTCH
It's only a notch
Worse than having no KILT to cover your rear!
The MOONSHINER's daughter was out for a thrill!
She was COYOTE UGLY, but the boys chased her still!
Now she only flutters
'Bout the guy who makes shutters.
They entwine together, as LOUVERS will!
Morning, all (and a Happy Birthday to Anonymous-T, a.k.a. Tony)!
Mostly straightforward solve for a Saturday. Needed the perps to get ARON and had to dig deep for RAMOS and IBO. Completely missed the hockey reference at 42A, so had no idea why STL was clued with reference to sticks, but still got it because of the reference to what I thought was blues music.
Minor missteps such as LOITERS before LINGERS and TROTH before SOOTH (don't ask), but that was about it.
Good morning!
Looked daunting, but turned out to be a quick solve. Hand up for HAIR and FED, Splynter. Also tried MDS for the "JAMA" answer. TUBA was a CSO to Abejo, and RHYME to OKL. MADISON was a gimme. Thank you for a fun romp, Pawel.
Primal Fear is on my NetFlix list as something for a lazy afternoon. Unfortunately, by the time I get around to watching movies on my list, they've usually been removed from the roster.
Buddy EBSEN was supposed to be the Tin Man. He was allergic to the makeup.
In the UK "GEYSERS" is pronounced the way DW refers to me -- geezer.
High school sweetheart's last name was Fetter, so when we broke up I was....
Happy birthday, Anon-T. Hope you're planning something indoors; it's gonna be brutal again this afternoon.
I also started it wrong, splitting HAIR, and the NW was the last to fall this morning with AREA becoming TRAP and HAIR becoming ATOM. The cross of the unknown Spanish-French ASADA-AIDER was my last fill and luckily I guessed correctly.
Other than the NW, I found it easy for a Saturday but the gimmes were few- AFRO, RAISA, IBO, KING TUT, and GEYSERS were my only ones. SOOTH & DIDST- it's always a guess for Shakespeare's words. I remember when the rulers of Nigeria were trying to starve the IBO people in Biafra.
Keep up the 'legwork' Splynter and I won't LINGER around and bore you any longer because of my PRIMAL FEAR that you guys will SMELL BLOOD and TEAR OFF my head. I DIDST not pay my union DUES this month.
Thank you Pawel and thank you Splynter.
ATOM went in at first thought and promptly proved it with ABCS, Turn, Ojai and MADISON.
That made 14A start as BUJA, 17A start as CRAD and 19A start as SNII. That was enough to make me erase turn for "corner" (not too much of a stretch ?), and Ojai.
Exactly 100 miles from my house to Madison.
Clues like "Preserves, for keeps" and "Isn't for you" don't TRAP or SNARE me as they once did. Getting better at testing clues in both verb and noun forms. Still seem to struggle the most with proper names. No problems with RAISA though. Memorable name and very crossword friendly.
Ascap was wrong. GEYSERS ruled out Ponzi scheme. Tuba and Erie always evoke a "Hi Abejo !"
SINGLE MALT because Glenlivet was too short and Glenfiddich was too long. Are there any Scotch drinkers at the Corner ?
I'd used the words arbiter and arbitrator interchangeably, until I was corrected.
Happy Birthday -T ! What is your birthday wish ?
Desper-otto, unchained ?
Speaking of Fetters, anyone else remember Fretters ?
Happy birthday Tony; thanks Pawel and Splynter.
Lots of nice long fill, like BIRTH RATES and ARBIT RATES, UNFETTERED, MOONSHINER, COYOTE UGLY, ABS OF STEEL, PRIMAL FEAR, SMELL BLOOD
WEES
Good morning everyone.
Thanks Dr. Fludzinski for a good Saturday romp.
Particularly liked the long downs as well as the acrosses. WAGS helped a lot - AFTRA, COALS, SOOTH corner especially. I guess TUBA is a wind - I think of it as a brass. Maybe JazzB will weigh in. And I don't know how we get high out of OBOE. its pitch range is relatively low to my ear.
Had fun with KING TUT - first wanted some pharaoh's name I couldn't spell - KH__f__ something or other.
CSO to Tinman with SINGLE MALT, and Spitz with BEER.
The lack of Frawnche brought the cultural level into question, but I did have Louvres before LOUVERS
Drei mal hoch to Anon -T. Love your stories.
" I'd used the words arbiter and arbitrator interchangeably, until I was corrected."
Something I have thought about....
Happy Birthday Tony
Well I don't always solve on Saturday ... but today has my favorite answer of the year.
Hmmm, Tin, what could that be ... but of course, SINGLE MALT as in Scotch.
(I know, I know ... you are all very surprised at my selection). LOL
That gives me an idea ... and "It is 5 O'clock Somewhere" ...
Cheers!
A piece of Saturday cake as it all fell out quickly
Musings
-Futility in a marching band? Playing a flute next to a SNARE DRUM
-I was a real jerk when BREAKING UP with my first girl friend
-SPOILER ALERT – Rhett does finally walk out on Scarlet
-My wife is the worst SECRET keeper in the world
-LOUVERS/LOUVRES worked itself out. Are they functional here?
-We have a stable of AABBA RHYME SCHEMER bards here headed up by Owen
-Ministers are to TEND their flock and occasionally shear them
-The guy in gold SMELLS BLOOD as he has the other guy AT SEA and TRAPPED in the corner
-Teacher DUES in Nebr. have to support local, state and national unions even if you despise one of them
-World wide BIRTH RATES
-ARBITRATORS settle many teacher negotiations which give school boards cover
-Is 1% of construction costs a sufficient allowance for ART in a new building?
-We cat owners do some SIFTING every day.
-Who knew the pharaoh would be the one we all know
-What “LINGERED there to touch your hair” in a great Sinatra song?
-Happy Birthday Tony!!
Happy birthday, Tony. Enjoy your day.
This was very fast, so I was disappointed to be felled by the Y in SYN. I never heard of COYOTE UGLY. It doesn't sound like a saloon. I only got the G by making an alphabet run for EE-. I should have done an ABC run for COYOTE.
I enjoy spicy General Tso's chicken. I know it is not really Chinese. I haven't had it in a while since watching my weight.
The SW was really a big CSO for Tinman. The Scotch was less inexpensive than beer when I was in Scotland. I like Scotch but usually have Merlot instead. Sipping Merlot lasts longer than sipping Scotch on the rocks (Sorry, Tin.). I can't have much of ether these days. "Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening," said Alexander Wolcott. (or unhealthy)
Lots of fun fill today, Pawel, and interesting blog, Splynter.
Good Morning:
This was an enjoyable offering from Mr. F, with just the right amount of bite for a Saturday. I started off slowly but, as usual, filling in several of the long fill really speeds up the solve. Single malt just jumped right out (right, Tin?), and moonshiners, unfettered, and smell blood did the same. (DO, don't put off seeing Primal Fear; Edward Furlong's performance is jaw-dropping!)
TTP, I may be "mis-remembering", as they say, but are Fretters those corn-muffiny things that you put in the toaster?
Thanks, Pawel, for a Saturday stumper and thanks, Splynter, for summing it all up.
Happy Birthday, Tony, hope it is extra specia! 🎂 🎉 🎊 🎈 🎁
"Puzzling Thoughts":
HB PAISANO! (aka Tony, -T, et al) 🎂🎂
TTP - Well, you know Tin drinks scotch (in a PINCH); Irish Miss is a Dewar's fan, and I'm switching now between Talisker and Islay Mist, although I switch to gin and tonic during the summer months - too hot to drink most "brown" Liquors
HG - why it's Witchcraft, I believe ...
As for today's puzzle, I had little trouble with the north, although I had TAKE OFF before TEAR; and CARD before DUES. Moving southwest, I had ALAN before ARON and ELLE before UTNE. The southeast was my last to fall as I "smelled" a lot of things, other than BLOOD; I at first wrote PORES for SIFTS, and had ACTED for DIDST; once I got AREN'T, it was corrected. I ultimately had to google COYOTE UGLY to finish the puzzle. No "red letters" on the newspaper version!!
A sort of SO to Owen - and me, too, every once in awhile - with RHYME.
Thanks Splynter and Pawel for an entertaining puzzle. Off to do a couple wine tastings this afternoon! 🍷🍷
Too easy.
Disappointing.
oops, forgot to add ...
Splynter: Wonderful, informative write-up and links.
Pawel: Thank You for a FUN Saturday puzzle.
OK, SINGLE MALT crossing MOONSHINER crossing BEER crossing PUBS ...
All-in-all ... nothing disappointing about this one.
Cheers!
Typical Saturday -first not thinking I can get any right answers and then slowly but surely piecing it together.
I had TRUTH before SOOTH, but perps straightened me out. Since SOOTH is an archaic form of "truth" I was at least on track as to the meaning of the quote.
Solved the puzzle while watching the Wimbledon women's final - nice to see Serena win her 22nd Grand Slam tying with Steffi Graf in the Open Era (another recent crossword answer). It was a very well played match.
Thanks Pawel and Splynter! Happy birthday Tony!
Happy birthday, Tony!!!!
This puzzle was amazingly easy for a Saturday but welcome just the same. Thank you Pawel Fludzinski.
Like others, I was on the constructors wave length almost immediately as the words just spilled off my pencil and the entire eastern seaboard was completed before I knew it. Carne ASADA, yum! COYOTEUGLY seems unlikely for a NY saloon so had to look that one up. I, too, should have done an alphabet run as I had all but the Y and G.
Thank you, PF and Splynter. It's always fun to have to dig a little deeper for fill.
Have a super Saturday, everyone!
-The Sinatra song that told of what LINGERED to touch your hair. (3:01) Wayne Newton recorded it first but Ol’ Blue Eyes had the big hit.
Smooth sailing today. Probably the fastest Saturday solve in a very long time! Thank you Pawel!
Nice write-up, Splynter, as usual. Thanks for the link to Wisconsin data, as that was my home for my first 26 years!
I was feeling big because, compared to rest of the week, this was a bit of a Saturday romp.
Not so much now, it seems almost everyone thought this a bit of a gift. Oh well, after the toughies this is not disappointing at all.
See you Monday.
I was tempted to cheat several times but I finally got the TADA with no cheats.
Shouldn't the clue for SPOILER be ALERT PRECEDER instead of ALERT FOLLOWER?
It looks as if Silk was the author of yesterday's NYT puzzle. I was almost afraid something had befallen him. It's been months since I recall seeing him here though. What's it going to take to get him back?
I had birth dates instead of birth rates with no knowledge of the cross org name. Sigh.
I enjoyed this more than most Saturday puzzles. I thought 56 Down: Preserves, for keeps: Abbr. : SYNonym was clever and tricky. Well done. You got me (at first). Thanks Pawel and Splynter.
Happy birthday Tony. I enjoy being in touch with you.
Gary, I'm sure those car rear window louvers don't move but I think they are functional in blocking out the overhead sun but allowing vision through in a rearward direction. (But I'll bet you already knew that.)
Hi All:
Normal Saturday Crash & Burn for me. It started off easy and I finished the North and most of the East. 25a & 25d needed a Google to keep going. That gave me ARBITRATES but I didn't get the misdirection at 27d (very nice).
29d I had SMELLs fear which a) I thought was fun w/ 33a and b) gave me TSAR for 60a (Orwellian ministers). Combs for 47d didn't help. A big waste of ink and, after Car Talk & Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, I TITT. Thanks Pawel for the fun. Thanks Splynter for the answers and great writeup - It will live forever; it has legs [insert SNARE DRUM rim-shot here].
PAISANO [<-that's a link and if you've never seen So I Married an Axe Murder, queue it] would be my fave, but I didn't ink it. Tin took SINGLE MALT (duh!)... TSO'S was a fun misnomer, but, SPOILER, I'll go w/ UNFETTERED. Not only is it a fun word, but I was listening to Car Talk and completely unencumbered by the Thought Process as I filled. Priceless.
{B, A+,A, B+}
C.C., and everyone else, thanks for the birthday wishes - One day closer to death (Time - Floyd). I know that seems POE-macabre, but it's not; it impels me to relish every day and do something fun - like make pizza, drive the Alfa just to get Eldest from school, or create puzzles w/ C.C. The sage Ferris Bueller said it best.
Spitz - I love your stories too. An ERA b/f me but the greatest generation in, well, everyone's humble opinion.
C.C. yes, MIL is coming over at 6p w/ Italian sausage and peppers (my Fav!). Then, TTP, my SECRET birthday wish is in-laws take the kids home w/ 'em and DW & I hit the pool au naturel. :-))))!!
So, yes, DO I will be (and am currently) outdoors. I setup my computers in the the garage. I have an 8' workbench for 3 monitors + iPad, sat radio, newspapers and notepads so I have room to work/play. Plus, the BEER fridge is out here so it's a no brainer.
HG - Thanks for Frank - it puts me back in Pop's kitchen makin' the sauce. I'll be back there in two weeks and the tomatoes should be getting ripe.
Y'all have a great day!
Cheers, -T(ony)
Hi Y'all! Another tricky puzzle! Some pretty obscure answers. Red-lettered all the way to level the playing field. Pawel's areas of knowledge & experience are not the same as mine. Thanks for a workout. Thanks, Splynter!
I resisted TUBA until I couldn't any longer. A TUBA is a brass instrument. Reed instruments are "winds". As for the OBOE, it seems like a really high wind. I had a roommate during band camp who played OBOE. The sound is akin to bagpipes.
Proud to have immediately entered SOOTH. Am I getting cultured.
Well, dunno about cultured. I also knew COYOTE UGLY. Years ago watched part of the movie, being intrigued by the name. Shocked to learn here that it started in NY. I thought the movie was about a bar in Texas. Nothing I would want my daughters to do.
Very happy birthday, now-non-anon Tony!
When I started this puzzle early this morning, I had almost nothing. Did some chores, and when I got back to it, it practically filled itself in. Go figure.
Thanks Pawel and Splynter. Fun puzzle, great expo as usual.
Enjoy the day!
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Pawel Fludzinski, for a fine puzzle. Thank you Splynter, for a fine review.
Wow! This was probably the easiest Saturday puzzle I have ever done. Piece of cake. Took me about 45 minutes. Now that I have said that, Sunday's will probably be the toughest puzzle ever. Well, we will see.
My first answer was TUBA (of course). Thank you, D-O and TTP, for remembering.
There were lots of long answers and they all just filled in after a couple of tickler letters.
I knew Tinbeni would like this puzzle, with SINGLE MALT. Here's to you!
Someone told me that MOON SHINE is now legal to make in certain places. I guess all you have to do is pay the taxes if you sell it. That was always the problem, the revenuers were not getting their revenue.
OENO took some perps.
UNFETTERED was an easy answer for me. Had the U in TUBA and just filled in the rest.
AT SEA is crosswordese.
We have had SSR and SSRS more times than Carter has Liver Pills. But, that is OK.
It is 90 miles from my house to MADISON. Assuming TTP is correct, since he lives about 10 miles from me.
Well, I was trimming trees at church this morning. Now I have to get back into my garden. Mexican food tonight at JC's in Bartlett.
Happy Birthday, Anon-T, and many more!
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
This was a tale of two puzzles. On the first two passes through, I just flew through it. I'm thinking, "This is too easy. Gimme a Saturday Silkie anytime." Then I hit a brick wall. Hardly anything came to mind for the remaining answers, and those that I tried to pick out of left field obviously didn't work. I reluctantly turned on red letters and behold, half of my lead pipe cinch answers from the first pass through for low hanging fruit were wrong. Every misdirection Splynter mentioned, and every one else for that matter, were red. So also were a couple of others I'm too embarrassed to detail. Managed to complete an accurate fill, but only because of red letters. Well done, Mr. Fludzinski and Splynter.
Happy Birthday, Anon T. and many happy returns. Hope you get your wish tonight. But damn you for that link to Pink Floyd. Between that and the sidebars, I wasted a major portion of the afternoon. Who am I trying to kid. That's not a waste. Thanks.
After reading Northwest Runner's comments I glanced and saw that I, too, had BIRTHDATES. Drat!
I learned in grammar school that a wind instrument is any instrument, such as a clarinet, trumpet, or harmonica, in which sound is produced by the movement of an enclosed column of air, especially the breath, and excluding keyboard instruments such as the organ or accordion. Woodwind and brass instruments are both types of wind instruments. So this type of clue never raises a nit with me.
I now see that informally a wind instrument could be considered to be a woodwind instrument, as opposed to a brass instrument.
Again the argument is whether we are being technical or informal, as is true with many other nits. I say both are correct, and so both are acceptable in crosswords. I'm open minded.
Excellent puzzle; I enjoyed it a lot. I thought I was being so smart by entering DEEP WATERS at 27D, then I remembered the phrase actually is "Still waters run deep." At least I wasn't fooled by TUBA and OBOE. I had BIRTH DATES and left it that way because I didn't know AFT_A. Got EBSEN but didn't know why, but did notice the next clue was "Buddy."
I'm a red wine drinker and am familiar with the Santa Ynez Valley, but felt that OENO was strangely clued, perhaps because I interpreted the clue as meaning a prefix to the words Santa Ynez Valley. As for hard liquor I usually go for Russian Standard vodka, but will not turn down a Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, or The Macallen scotch. A friend of ours gave my wife a gift of a couple of bottles of Chardonnay that he bought a case of the last time he was in the Fresno area; he says he paid $0.50, yes 50 cents!, per bottle for it. Guess what -- yep, it was bad! I mean really awful! We had to throw it away. We still don't know if our friend ever tried any of it.
Best wishes to you all.
Like Robert I'm struggling with 19A. I get that a clue of the form 'xxx follower' is usually solved by a word that forms a common phrase when appended to (or following) xxx but why does adding 'perhaps' to the clue invert that convention?
Perps filled in SYN for me but I never got it. I had to come to the Corner to be enlightened (as is so often the case).
No time for the puzzle today, rushing to catch a plane.
Just wanted to wish Anonymous T a Happy Birthday!
Super puzzle today! The kind that looks at first to be impossible, but each toehold brought more confidence - all the way up to the final Ta-Dah!
I can't count the number of "Beasts of burden" I tried before hitting on the right answer-- LLAMA, of course! These are such graceful creatures. When we were in Peru back in December of '08, I marveled at how good-natured they were (contrary to their camel-like reputation!), and how they'd follow children like ponies or large dogs on leashes.
Here is a favorite photo. I shot this of a baby llama, only two hours old and just getting to its feet in the main courtyard at Machu Picchu.
(Happy Birthday, Tony!)
CED: the phallic symbolism in Tony's cake is too hilarious, especially considering what his birthday hopes are. LOL!
YR: You're sounding like a school marm pedant again. In-Formally, schmormally! Have you ever played in bands or orchestras? I"m just curious. I had a mother and four siblings who have been professional musicians. I played brass early in life. I am aware that air passes through most horns. But I have only heard brass instruments as opposed to winds as reed instruments or flutes when speaking of big bands & orchestras and their music parts. You seem bound to contradict anything I say. Who cares if my experiences delayed my entering TUBA?
At one college where I spent some time, the band conductor had a running feud with the vocal instructor who he called an "air" musician, implying a lesser-skilled musician than a person who could play a horn, etc. We who were close to him all thought this was funny because the "air" musician had a magnificent tenor voice much in demand as a paid vocalist. Jealousy is a terrible thing.
That is what I was taught when I was young. It was also taught to my students by their music teacher where I was employed. It was not directed at you personally. Others said what you said. No attack intended. I guess there cannot be any other point of view.
Wrong guess on my part; thanks for the link. I guess I'd better pay more attention to the lyrics when I sing Karaoke! 😜🎤
PK re CED cake posting - too funny! But I do hope Anon-T's birthday wishes come true.
PK @ 8:15
Not taking sides here; an orchestra (as I've been informed) consists of winds, strings and percussion instruments. So in the "grand scheme", a TUBA is a wind instrument. But I too balked at filling TUBA until I couldn't think of another 4 letter, "bass" wind instrument to use. In fairness, the clue was a bit misleading, but then again, it was a Saturday-level puzzle, so perhaps the constructor/editor felt the clue needed more "brass"! 🎶
Yellowrocks- pk is no more than a gnat whose only purpose in living is to bug people.
What you said was a learning moment and interesting. Thanks.
At first I agreed with Robert and Anon 5:04 about 19A - SPOILER ALERT. But that's because I was thinking of the missing word as completing a phrase. Pondering further, however, it could be read as the SPOILER itself coming after the warning word ALERT. (I hope that explanation makes sense.)
Was I the only one bugged by KING TUT with no qualifiers that it was informal or an abbreviation?
It may be Dash Tee's birthday, but I didn't take it off. I have been laboring all day. It was perfect mid-70's weather. Great day to be outside. Transplanting and dividing hostas. Walking my boy. Visting with my neighbors. Grilling chicken on the Weber for fajitas. OK, not that much laboring.
Irish Miss, Fretters was a regional electronics and appliance store here in the midwest. It does sound like a goof toaster treat. Fretters often had good deals but couldn't compete on the price points for the exact same goods when Circuit City and Best Buy came into the area. I figured that Abejo, M. DeFarge, JzB, JJM, and possibly our birthday honoree might recall them. Their name always made me chuckle. Fret. Anxious. Worried. Fretters. Anxious and worried people that sold electronics and appliances.
Chairman Moe, yes, it was a tongue in cheek comment. The 10 Most Expensive Bottles of Scotch in the World.
Anon - T, Here's to your wish coming true. Girlfriend and I climbed over the security fence around the pool area at my apartment complex off Hammerly Blvd late one night (ok, early AM) and did the same back in the early 80s. All was going swimmingly until the security guard heard us and turned on the lights. Swimming buck naked in the pool surrounded by all of the courtyard apartments at a large complex didn't turn out to be the greatest idea, but it was fun while it lasted. The apartment complex management had motion sensor lights installed in the pool area shortly thereafter. We took a lot of kidding for that faux pas.
PK, just to set your mind at ease I wrote that post at 10:00 AM way before you posted. The computer "swallowed" it and I didn't have a chance to repost it until this afternoon.
On the "Winds, Brass, Woodwinds discussion:
I had always assumed that brass and woodwinds were a subset of wind instruments. I knew, for instance, that Stravinsky wrote a Symphony for Wind Instruments, so I looked it up. Turns out the title is slightly different, but here's the relevant part of the program note for the LAPhil's scheduled performance next year:
Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Composed: 1920, rev. 1947
Length: 12 minutes
Orchestration: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons (3rd = contrabassoon),
4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, and tuba
Wind ensembles also occasionally include a double bass (don't ask). Here's a link to a Swedish wind group image:
http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0000/981/MI0000981679.jpg?partner=allrovi.com
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