Theme: "Hanging Around in the Dark" - Seven BATs are hanging upside down in a cave where the down-hanging STALACTITE meets the upward STALAGMITE at E.
2D. *Lots opposite : NOT A BIT. Crossing 18. Terrible turnout : NO ONE. Tiny dupe.
5D. *Be blessed by Lady Luck : GET A BREAK
13D. *Traveled to Europe, say : WENT ABROAD
38D. *Annual postseason game played in Arizona : FIESTA BOWL. Three *TA B* break pattern.
43D. *Go all in : BET A BUNDLE
73D. *"Sweet Love" R&B singer : ANITA BAKER
81D. *Middle Eastern staple : PITA BREAD
93D. Hangout for the Dark Knight, and for creatures in the answers to starred clues : BAT CAVE Symmetrically placed against 2D.
In the middle, we have:
In the middle, we have:
20D. Rock formations that often meet in dark places, as illustrated here : STALACTITE TIMGALATS. Stalagmite goes upward.
If
the middle E is not shared in 20D, the theme entries will be 20-letter
long, impossible to be placed in the middle of a 21*21 grid. This is
such a brilliant maneuver.
Ed is known for his always creative themes. No words that precede/follow type from him. Most of his puzzles have a unique twist. This one is good example.
Ed is known for his always creative themes. No words that precede/follow type from him. Most of his puzzles have a unique twist. This one is good example.
Across:
1. Disguised, for short : INCOG. Common gimmick in old Chinese novels. The emperors or other big shots often traveled incognito.
6. "I see" : AH SO
10. Pipe material : COB
13. Ham's response : WILCO
19. Spice holders : RACKS. I bet our Steve makes his own curry powder mixture/paste.
21. Yoko from Tokyo : ONO
22. Often harmful bacteria : E. COLI
23. Auto suspension component : STRUT. This is new to me.
24. Dresses down : CHASTISES
26. Type of air passage : NASAL
27. Like "Et tu, Brute?" : CAESAREAN. I use CESAREAN spelling.
29. Close : ALMOST THERE. What a great entry!
31. NYC dance company : ABT
32. Garden plot : BED
33. Explorer Ponce __ : DE LEON
35. Demagogue, e.g. : RANTER
36. Liquid measures : LITERS
38. Eponymous electrical units : FARADS. Got via crosses.
39. Tease : RIB
40. Decisive parts of some NFL games : OTs
41. Floor in la maison : ETAGE. Just French for "floor".
42. Color named for a flower : LILAC
43. Louts : BOORS
45. Space fillers? : GASSES. Fun clue.
47. Track official : TIMER. We just had "Kitchen counter" yesterday, hence the new clue angle.
50. __ nerve : OPTIC
54. Some audio books : CDs
57. Korean imports : KIAs
58. "Baseball is __ percent mental. The other half is physical": Yogi Berra : NINETY
59. Caribbean destination : ARUBA
60. Lascivious look : LEER. Not OGLE today.
62. '40s Giant manager : OTT
63. __ Sketch : ETCH-A
64. "Mercury" coins : DIMES
65. Where Tibet is : ASIA
66. U.S. global monitor : NSA. This gave me the N in SION (46. "The Da Vinci Code" priory).
67. Fried rice veggie : PEA. My grandma's version is very simple: green onions, egg and cold rice. Everything tastes better with green onions.
68. Hunk's pride : BOD. 79. Lacrosse position : GOALIE. Thought of our own goalie Splynter.
71. Young __: political reformer : TURK
72. Turtle of comics and film : NINJA
74. Mouthy munchkins : BRATS. Alliteration.
76. The Rams of the Atlantic 10 Conf. : URI (University of Rhode Island)
77. Author Wiesel : ELIE
78. Gather bit by bit : GLEAN. Saw this painting in Musée d'Orsay.
80. Half-moon tide : NEAP
82. Skin coloring, briefly? : TAT (Tattoo)
83. Raw fish dish : SUSHI. I never had raw fish in sushi rolls. SASHIMI is for raw fish.
84. Capriciously, with "on" : A WHIM
85. Aphrodite's love : ADONIS
87. One way to sit : STILL
89. Clothing store section : GIRLS
91. Poitier title role : TIBBS (Mister). Also 86. Title in a Poitier title : SIR. Also 96. Fruit in a Poitier title : RAISIN. Fantastic clue echo.
95. Shapiro of NPR : ARI. "All Things Considered" host.
98. Consumed : ATE
99. "Oh gee" : DEAR ME
101. Big name in gaming : HARRAH. Oh now I see how Harrah's got its name. It's huge.
102. Strauss waltz subject : DANUBE
104. Portraitist Charles and his artist sons : PEALEs
105. Mars or Venus : ORB
106. Residential ending : ITE. I guess it's like Wisconsinite.
107. Title awarded only once to a New Englander (Connecticut, 1933) : MISS AMERICA. Surprising trivia. See here. Minnesota has 3.
109. Last check, maybe : SEVERANCE. Also got via crosses. I was not in the money direction.
112. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK
113. Shoulder neighbor : RIGHT LANE. Nice clue/fill also.
115. Knighted composer : ELGAR Sir Edward Elgar.
116. Hint of color : TINGE. Not TINCT.
117. DDE's VP : RMN. Nixon was/is high respected in China.
118. 122-Across user : SALON. 122. Lock fixers : GELs. Filled in without any hesitation. Advantage of being a constructor who has to clue GEL/GELS all the time.
119. Vibrant : ALIVE
120. Scornful look : SNEER
121. Distress letters : SOS. Look at what these folks went through. Can you imagine living without salt for a day?
123. Alice's workplace : DINER
Down:
1. Like architectural drawings : IN SCALE
3. Big name in civil rights : CORETTA. She'd be sad to see the estate fight.
4. Burden : ONUS
6. Like the flight of a boomerang : ARCED
7. "Very funny" : HA HA
8. Muckrakers' subjects : SCANDALS. Sparkly.
9. Thumbs-ups : OKs
10. "All that is or ever was or ever will be": Sagan : COSMOS
11. Result of a leadoff single : ONE ON
12. Order : BOSS. Oh, as in "Boss around".
14. Former TWA owner : ICAHN. I did not know this.
15. Get fewer votes than : LOSE TO
16. Red choice : CLARET
17. Edmonton skaters : OILERS
25. TV classic "__ Three Lives" : I LED
28. Court matter : RES. So glad we did not have Latin in school.
30. Little pigs, e.g. : TRIO
34. Hurler's stat : ERA
37. Future tweeter : EGG. This clue makes me smile.
39. 2016 FedExCup winner McIlroy : RORY
42. Trials for aspiring D.A.'s : LSATs
44. Lemon-lime drink : SPRITE
48. To be safe : IN CASE
49. "Doesn't do much for me" : MEH
51. Chaotic situation : TUMULT. I saw TUMULTS the other day, D-Otto, You can't pluralize TUMULT, can you?
52. Spanish airline : IBERIA
53. Vampire's daybed : CASKET
54. Alarm sounds : CLANGS
55. Arnaz-Ball collaboration : DESILU
56. Fishing nets : SEINES
58. Sherpa, usually : NEPALI. They had a strike last year. Such a dangerous job.
61. Indian dignitaries : RAJAHs
69. Former Uh-Oh! cookies, now called Golden : OREOs. The fillings are different in China. Some has green tea cream.
70. Sigourney's "Gorillas in the Mist" role : DIAN. Guessable.
75. Stadium cheer : RAH
79. Strong wind : GALE
85. Marketing of pieces? : ARMS SALE. This "Piece/Pieces" clue gets me all the time.
88. Tabloid twosome : ITEM
90. Spleen : IRE
92. Earn : BRING IN
94. More diaphanous : SHEERER. Diaphanous is a new word to me.
95. Comes clean about : ADMITS
97. Half-baked : INSANE. I sent to Rich plenty of half-baked puzzles. Mostly SANE when I hit the Send button.
99. Condescends : DEIGNS
100. Per person : EACH
101. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : HRE
103. Grammar subject : USAGE. RetFizz, you were correct, C.C. stands for Chou Chin, Cantonese spelling of Zhouqin.
104. First-class : PRIMO
105. Places to raise dough : OVENS. I've been enjoying almond butter-stuffed apples lately.
108. Does as humans do? : ERRS
110. Carbon compound : ENOL
111. "__ want for Christmas ... " : ALL I. Our high today is only -8, but warming up next week.
114. Fall behind : LAG
C.C.
C.C.
45 comments:
Greetings!
Thanks Ed, CC! Great puzzle!
Didn't get the theme but everything filled in OK anyway.
ABT and RANTER were perped, as were PEALES and ARI.
Got a real kick out of EGG!
Have a great day!
FIR! I was expecting the bottom words to be spelled backwards, but that really didn't slow me down any. Also expected the words below FIESTA BOWL & BET A BUNDLE to be *ed, instead of just hanging there in mid air. Addenda: didn't see the sTAB until I came here! Thought it was just the STALACTITES hanging down!
{A, C-, B, B-, B.}
Said the STALAGMITE to the STALACTITE, "I think you're a drip!"
Said the STALACTITE to the STALAGMITE, "You belong in the pit!"
As eons passed through,
The pair older grew,
Drew closer together, to became ONE as they kissed!
To catch many fish, through the ocean we strain
The water goes through, fish stay in the SEINE.
To use hook and line
We'd catch one at a time.
To feed our whole country? That would be INSANE!
There once was a BRATTY young TURK,
Who all agreed was a jerk!
He was not just a BOOR,
But oh, so much more --
He considered our dislike a perk!
A haughty new cook from IBERIA
Got lost outside the cafeteria.
Said, "At home in Spain
The route is so plain,
So the food here must be far inferia!"
As the vampire slept away in his CASKET,
Red Riding Hood came by with her basket.
Saw no Werewolf around,
Just the Count sleeping sound,
Cried, "DEAR ME, it's the wrong story, blast it!"
Brrrrrr! It's 40 degrees colder than yesterday -- but at least it's still above freezing...for another few hours.
I liked Ed's puzzle. Even with several missteps (ABS/BOD, UNDONE/INSANE, ARM STORE/ARMS SALE) the train came into the station on time. My worst fox pass was misreading 122 as 120. That made 118a SNEER user -- ELVIS. D'oh! I never snapped to the ascending STALAGMITE and wondered what the heck TIMGALATS were -- that L was a WAG after an alphabet run. Double-D'oh!
C.C., a riot could be called a TUMULT, so I guess multiple riots could be TUMULTS. Seems eminently plurable to me.
I finished this in surprisingly good time as most of the fill was either well known or easily guessed. Thank you, Ed Sessa; I usually enjoy your puzzles including this one although I did not get the "hang" of it.
In the NW corner tiredness overcame me as I awoke at 4 and started this. Finally I just went to Google when my brain suddenly shut down.
Thank you, C.C. for your illuminating review. I would not have known about the hanging bats.
Have an excellent day, everyone!
A very nicely created grid and theme. The fill was appropriate for Sunday. I particularly loved the STALACTITETIMGALATS and SEVERANCE as courses. Ed is a consummate pro.
Thanks Ed and love your write ups C.C. that involve the Corner and a peek into your life in China.
Counting down..86 here today
Good Morning:
Well, do I feel like a ninny for not understanding the center Stalactite/Stalagmite union! Not knowing Peales added to my confusion. I did, however, see the hanging bats. As CC pointed out, there were lots of fresh and fun clues and fill which made for an enjoyable solve, though a DNF because of Mr. Peale and Sons. Also, I spelled Isaak with a C and never noticed that Anita Bacer was incorrect. For some unknown reason, I always want Ira instead of Ari for the NPR person.
Thanks, Ed, for a challenging Sunday exercise and thanks, CC, for the informative write-up. That article about the family in Siberia was both fascinating and horrifying. I think I'll be reminded of them every time I use the salt shaker!
Almost all of yesterdays snowfall has disappeared but the temps are going to plummet later today and then icy surfaces will be a problem.
Have a great day.
Loved the stalactite and stalagmite meeting and the upside down bats. Terrific!
I had an etagere with open shelves for displaying objects. With the E---G- I wagged etage for floor. I spelled ISAAK with a C and did not notice that the K was needed for BAKER. Duh! Simple. One wrong cell.
Long ago when I had a used (excuse me, preowned) car I had my STRUTs replaced.
I have always pronounced TUMULT with the same beginning sound as TOOL. The dictionary agrees. Recently I have heard news readers use the short U as in TUMMY. I believe that in certain instances TUMULT can have the S plural.
About yesterday's pinafore, I have found recipes for pinafore cakes, both layer cakes and small ones like petit fours, so it must be legit, but unusual. Pin-afore was named so because it was pinned to the front of the dress.
I eat a lot of sushi. Some modern sushi has avocado, cucumber, cooked shrimp, eel, crab or egg in place of raw fish. Most, but not all sushi uses raw fish, even the rolls. Alan loves spicy tuna rolls (raw). Sashimi always uses raw fish and has no rice.
I used to like I Led Three Lives.
Owen, great poems, A- B A A A. I loved #1 but KNIT would have rhymed better than KISSED
I agree that this was brilliant construction but I could not finish the center because I didn't know the PEALES and had A WHI_ for 84A. The "Oh gee' answer- DEAR ME makes no sense to me. I would equate 'Oh gee' with 'big deal' or something inconsequential. The upside down STALAGMITE would never appear because I wasn't looking for a word spelled upside down. The upside down BATs were not noticed even though I filled the cells.
I didn't know Chris ISAAK (initially ISAAC) but luckily ANITA BAKER corrected that. Other unknowns were ETAGE, ABT, & SION. Carl ICAHN bought TWA when it was on its deathbed about 30 years ago. I'm sure he lost money before it shut down.
Diaphanous-SHEER- C.C. I've heard the word but had no idea what it meant and will soon forget.
DIAN- my wife-DIANE-has that spelling on her birth certificate. It was one of those handwritten types and the clerk left off the E. She never knew it and I noticed it when we applied for a marriage license.
When is a Sherpa NOT a NEPALI?
Sherpa are an ethnic group in Nepal. All Nepali are not Sherpa, but almost all Sherpa are Nepali. I tend to use Sherpa as a worker descriptor for the guides and burden bearers in the Himalayas, almost all of whom are of the Sherpa tribe, but technically it refers to the tribe. I think an exceedingly few of these guides are non-ethnic Sherpa,
I use either DEAR ME and GEE WHIZ to show both disappointment and excitement, with DEAR ME mostly negative. GEE WHIZ was almost always used to show awe or excitement. In the shortened form as GEE it is now used negatively and positively. It is another minced oath with WHIZ replacing the last syllable. Some think DEAR ME is replaces DEAR G--.
Gee whiz, I am going to be late.
Dear me, I am going to be late.
Gotta go! Bye!
"An Act for preventing TUMULTS and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters" was the actual title of The Riot Act (1715-1967) giving local authorities power to break up unruly gatherings. "Read him the riot act" is still in the language as a severe reprimand.
Good morning all!
Really enjoyed the theme today - so creative with the stalactite and stalagmite going up and down. And thank you CC for the write up, I love reading about your Chinese upbringing (green tea oreos sound yummy if they are like the ice cream!). I like to tell DH what food you mention so he can make it for me. I followed your rabbit trail about the Lykov family and was astounded to see that one daughter still remained in the beginning of 2016. (BTW - just signed up for the NYT puzzle subscription and found it fitting that you were my first Saturday puzzle. Well done!)
And I really like BATS. A few years ago I decided we needed a bat house in the yard, so DH got one and put it up for me. Not the easiest of tasks as they have specific requirements like what direction they should face, how high up they should be, etc. Last year we had two bats and this year we had four bats in our bat house! Adorable little creatures that eat 100% of their weight in bugs every night (about 1,200 insects) so I'm more than happy to keep them around.
Don't think it's fair to clue Chris Isaak without sharing the video. Black and white but gorgeous scenery for all to enjoy ;)
Yogi Berra always said it exactly right even if he was wrong.
It was 50 degrees yesterday morning, then dropped to 30 by noon. The drizzle turned to ice, then it sleeted (I don't know these wintery terms) and snowed. MODOT said to stay off the roads so I'm staying inside. It's 4 degrees out and the dogs have decided they can hold it until spring.
Does anyone else get a Giant Crossword in their Thanksgiving paper? There is no constructor or editor listed. Finally finished it yesterday. It takes hours and is mostly easy fill but has some off-the-wall clueing as well. And several duplicates.
Happy Sunday everyone!
t.
Hello Puzzlers -
What a brilliant puzzle! Having the stalactite meeting the stalagmite was clever enough, but then sprinkling the cave roof with bats really iced the cake. Well done, Ed the Master!
Morning, C.C., I bet apples baked with almond butter are dee-lish.
First Sunday effort in some time, but because of two incorrect letters an FIW. 53D/ 82D were spelled casken/tan & 46D/68A were spelled siot/tsa. I'm not a fan of The Da Vinci code and tan seemed good so I never looked back.
I was surprised that I nailed 20D, but I did....have checked the spelling three times
Many Yogisms were the creation of imaginative sports writers. He never said them.
I did not realize, other then being wed to Martin, that CORETTA was big in the Civil Rights movement. If it is fact, good for her.
Dang it........... first line 82D s/b 82A. Sorry.
Tawnya, The AZ Republic has that puzzle. I finished a few days ago. When I looked at the answers that were published on Sunday, they didn't;t match the puzzle. No big deal. Really liked the puzzle.
Kerry in Carefree
Tawnya 11:19 -
So pleased to hear you're a sensible supporter of bats. The poor little creatures have been misunderstood for ages. For many years I've been responsible for maintaining the clock in our 1847 church steeple, and of necessity I've come to know a little about bats. Here at home we plan to mount a modern bat house like yours as soon as that part of the property is ready.
About the Chris Isaak video: I'm puzzled. The time-lapse sequences of clouds in the background appear to be genuine atmospheric clouds, as they appear at altitude; if that's correct, how did the camera manage to stay in one place long enough to capture those images? I suppose one explanation is that there might have been a mountaintop camera somewhere on just the right day...
CC, glad to hear I guessed right about the derivation of your initials! I always wondered why Chou En-Lai was so informal, not using his full name Joseph En-Lai. Ouch! Sorry. Thanks for doing your usual excellent job of explaining. After letters from a few perps I saw the upside down stalagmite. Very clever, but I missed the even more clever upside down bats-tabs. Got farad right away (my profession); fill went pretty fast but when I finished I got no TaDa. I started checking all my answers–horizontals looked okay but I got tired checking verticals before I got to Anita Bacer and turned on red letters and saw, along with others before me, that she needed a K instead of a C. Oh well.
I had run across the Taiga story before. Really amazing.
Fermatprime, I think I know where you taught math, and I wonder if you knew my old Caltech math TA, the late Don Potts. We all had to run track, and Don also “tutored” me in running the 440 and managed to get my time down to just a little over… 60 seconds, huffing and puffing all the way.
Dudley....what clouds?
Good point!
:-)
Good day to all!
Super puzzle from Ed today. Great trio of clechos for Sidney Poitier. SION was 100% perpped, with the "N" being the last cell to fill. Thought "Shoulder neighbor" for RIGHT LANE was trickily clever. Thanks for the tour today, C.C., and as others have commented, I enjoy your sharing insight into Chinese culture and your roots. Fascinating Taiga story, as well.
I've been AWOL a lot lately dealing with my mother's health situation. Many days I didn't get to the puzzle at all. After Mom's hospitalization I helped her get settled into a skilled nursing facility for further rehab. Then early this week I helped get her situated in an assisted living facility. She is 95, and the family believes this should be a permanent move, but she would only commit to staying 30 days. To say she is strong-willed is an understatement. :)
Enjoy the day!
The Daily Mail's Lady Diana Spencer, of diaphanous fame
Sherpa is also used to describe policy wonks at economic summits.
Wikipedia
No love for Rod Stewart's Young TURK?
Or her STRUT?
Or John Mcenroe's Patty Smyth's The SCANDALS?
Or any of a Trio* of songs by the BOSS
*I also considered "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "Nebraska"
btw, I'm aware is just SCANDAL, but I was trying to be cute with the esses.
Musings
-How long can a science teacher look at STALACTITETIMGALATS and not see what is going on? I got it but, AAARRRGGGHHH, it took a long, wonderful time. The correct orientations and great cluing - WOW!!
-On Undercover Boss this boss went INCOG with a shaved head and mustache
-Both R’s and D’s have demagogues/RANTERs
-A l FARAD capacitor could really zap you if you don’t discharge it first
-Outer SPACE has no fillers
-Electronic TIMERS instead of handheld add about.24 to a 100M time
-How do Kindergarten teachers get them to SIT STILL?
-The SEVERANCE (early out) package at my school had to get much less generous
-___ will LOSE TO ___ after 538 electors meet tomorrow
-Here’s a tee shot RORY would like to forget (:59)
-IN CASE – An auxiliary generator in this extreme cold can be life saving
-CLANG in song (2:43)
-UNL athletic teams BRING IN over $100M in revenue, which covers all athletic teams with NO tax money needed
What a fun Sunday Ed Sessa puzzle! I found it a bit of a toughie at first, but it filled in pretty steadily from the bottom up until only the north corners gave me a little trouble. In the end I got everything without any cheating, except for W_LCO, Ham's response. Never heard of WILCO, and still don't understand either the clue or the answer. But I did get the theme half-way through, and found those upside down little BATs, well, TABs, a total delight. So, many thanks, Ed, and as always, I loved your pics, C.C.
Have a great Sunday, everybody!
Husker, your video of RORY has me longing for that magical time in early April!
Speaking of young TURKs, has anyone noticed today's Google Doodle?
RIP BIKO
WILCO means will comply to aviators and CBers.
Just some pics I found while hanging around
Goodbye cruel world!
Sponsor an orphan today!
Thank you, Yellowrocks, it's good to have WILCO explained.
YR & Misty: "WILCO means will comply to aviators and CBers." ........and ham radio operators, hence the clue.
I loved this puzzle; it's so clever! I'm still bonking my forehead for not seeing the STALAGMITE extending upwards. I like Ed Sessa's work.
The answer to one of my secret questions is Green Tea. (What is your favorite ice cream?) I'm not going to tell you the last name of my favorite elementary school teacher.
Best wishes to you all.
Maybe it's because I live in Austin (home of one of the largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats in N. America), but this was one of my FAVORITE puzzles of ALL TIME!! Just. so. clever.
Jayce, you may still be bonking your forehead for not seeing STALAGMITE extending upwards, but I'm still bonking mine for trying too long to figure out what a TIMGALATS was, and wondering why I never heard or read the word before.
Thank you Ed and CC.
CC, amazing how that family survived in those conditions.
Also, I noted that the same young woman from Ohio won Miss America in back to back years, and came in 1st runner-up the third year. Because of that, they changed the rules the so that you could only win once.
Here's my STRUT story. A year and a half or two ago, I took our van to Midas for a brake job. They called me to tell me that I also needed two new struts. They were shot. It was going to be something like $800 or $900. It seemed to be too much. Told them to just do the brakes.
A week or so later, I called and spoke to the owner and lead mechanic of a small shop and asked him for an estimate to replace the struts. He asked me to hold for a minute.
He came back on the line and said he was almost certain before looking, but did verify that my van did not have struts. It had shocks, and his charge to replace them would be about $140. Done deal. I've been back to him three times for other work since then.
Couldn't hurry this one. Then I should have done the alphabet run for PEALE but I spied an embedded BAT with PEABE. And of course, apres Ca, le reveal.
Extremely clever and well constructed. Liked all of O's licks. When CC does the write-up, I'm surprised what she's unfamiliar with then on her XW s I'm amazed at what she is familiar with. Millennial slang fe.
I had ROGER, ELI and ELTON. And I wanted YEGGman and FELON. I just never saw STALAGMITE.
The Prieure de Sion of HBHG fame was supposedly, discredited, but all the research was entertaining. DaVinci code was merely a wholesale theft of the copyright.
Along with Coretta was my favorite heroine, Rachel Robinson.
I think Yogi actually said 'Fat Lady..." but he was an afternoon TV junkie and the show ended with Moon Comes Over the Mountain. He surely wasn't talking about opera.
Grantland Rice wrote THE TUMULT AND THE SHOUTING. I always pronounced it TUM ULT.
Goodnight Irene
WC
MJ, good luck for you and your mother. I remember flying from California back to Virginia to try to talk my parents into moving into Assisted Living. Also involved were my brother, their church friends, relatives, etc. It was a real struggle but they finally moved. Once they got used to it for a few days, things began to go more smoothly. They older I get and the closer all of that looms for us, the more I understand their reluctance.
Best wishes for you and for her.
Sunday lurk say:
Holy cruciverbalist BATman!
Ed, this is a brilliant concept [I'm jealous] and well executed. I read C.C.s expo and reviewed the grid in total awe. I'm going to print this and play next week after I forgot everything I learnt :-)
{A- [what YR said], A,A,B+,A+}
S. Mom in Austin - While in your fair city [love Austin - Keep it Weird], we (the fam) went to watch the BATs emerge from under the Congress St. bridge. We waited in the cool air >2 hours before giving up and climbing the hill for warmth and a pint. I think the bats were too comfy under the bridge that night. I hope to see the swarm one day.
YR - I've always understood WILCO as a bit more... It is "I understand [the order] and will comply." That's why, "Roger* WILCO" is redundant. Though, my E-8 Bro says they say ROGER WILCO oft - esp. when playing Call of Duty.
Yogi-isms? Or just shit my grandpa said? There's not a lot of difference: "You don't want that; everyone else got one, borrow your own" or "Pet the bee. It won't sting you unless it does." //yes, it's true, and we never got stung stroking bumble-bees in the garden
Cheers, -T
*Roger =I understand
Misty:
Thank you for your question about WILCO; after reading your post I recalled that this morning (at about 4) I had wondered about that and meant to inquire it of C.C. but by the time I went to post had forgotten and returned to bed afterwards. Now that along with (radio) ham makes sense.
And having had time to study the puzzle in detail I realize how brilliantly constructed it is.
I believe the Roger part is I understand or message received. In the old Morse code days a simple R stood for message received. When spoken it became Roger from the WWII alphabet.The WILCO is a shortened will comply. So Roger WILCO is not redundant.
Roger I understand
Wilcox I will comply
YR - right, but the point is how do you comply if you don't understand? That's what the Drill Sgt drilled into me anyway. The Morse R bit is interesting tho, another rabbit to chase down the hole. Thx. C, -T
billocohoes said...
"An Act for preventing TUMULTS and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters" was the actual title of The Riot Act (1715-1967) giving local authorities power to break up unruly gatherings. "Read him the riot act" is still in the language as a severe reprimand.
If I remember English law correctly, it had to be READ to the rioters in order to put the Act and its punishments into effect.
What the heck... Roger that. Over. -T
Anonymous T, Charlie charlie,WILCO, Over and Out.
Sushi is not a raw fish dish. It is a rice dish. Sashimi is raw fish.
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