TITLE: LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN. The last time we saw Alex was a 11/16/16 puzzle blogged by Melissa who indicated that that puzzle appeared to be Alex's LA Times debut.
Let's start with Alex's reveal in this fabulous midweek puzzle:
61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORD CHAIN
Exposing Alex's devious theme required me to put the grid upfront and then color code the WORD CHAIN he formed. The matching colors below tie the last word in one fill to the first word in a succeeding fill with a starred clue and that action generates yet another word or phrase. The pièce de résistance is that the last fill with a starred clue circles back to link to the first one and, as my title suggests, keeps the circle/chain unbroken. WOW!!
Husker Gary today showing you Alex's WORD CHAINS:
17. *TV screen film format : LETTERBOX and 24. *At-your-desk assignment : SEATWORK that chain together to make BOXSEAT. These BOXSEATS behind the Cubs dugout for Game 7 of the World Series went for $15,000 each.
24. *At-your-desk assignment : SEATWORK now chains with 37. *Summertime destination for kids : DAYCAMP to make WORKDAY whose hours were the title of this movie
37. *Summertime destination for kids : DAYCAMP now chains with 50. *Building inspector's concern : FIRECODE to make CAMPFIRE - Everybody know the words to Kumbaya?
50. *Building inspector's concern : FIRECODE now chains with the reveal 61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORDCHAIN - to make CODEWORD - which is what Tom Hanks was seeking in The Da Vinci Code to open this cryptex. Do you remember what the CODE WORD was?
61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORD CHAIN now links up with the first starred fill of 17. *TV screen film format : LETTERBOX to complete our chain and form the phrase CHAIN LETTER - A 21st century annoyance
The puzzle and the theme made for a very pleasant solving experience.
Across
1. Host who says, "Solve or spin" : SAJAK - A game show success and talk show failure
6. Possibilities : IF'S - If IF'S and but's were candy and nuts...
9. Apple remains : CORES - This gets right to the CORE of the matter
14. The Quakers of the Ivy League, briefly : U PENN
15. __-mo replay : SLO - Accuracy and game times both increase
16. Hairbrush target : SNARL
19. Biology dish eponym : PETRI - The PETRI dish in which Sir Alex Fleming saw bacteria being killed near a penicillium mold that grows on bread which of course led to the most used antibiotic in the world
20. __ Enterprise : USS
21. Very long periods : EONS
22. It may be carried in a boardroom : MOTION - I move we order doughnuts!
23. Sit-up targets : ABS
26. Out : ASLEEP - The definitive book about last week's memorial whose 6. Card catalog ID : ISBN is 13: 978-0140157345
29. Any'tizers Boneless Chicken Wyngz maker : TYSON
30. Ben who plays an economics teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" : STEIN
31. Mata __ : HARI
33. Put on the cloud, say : SAVE
36. Luv : HON
40. Cut of lamb : LEG
41. Redheaded sitcom kid : OPIE - Ronnie Howard found more success behind the camera - including aforementioned The Da Vinci Code
43. Pre-owned : USED
44. Have credit from : OWE TO - "I OWE my soul TO the Company Store"
46. Shaped like a kiwi : OVATE
48. Sun Bowl city : EL PASO
53. Braz. neighbor : ARG
54. Says "Hi, sailor" to, say : FLIRTS - Get ready...
55. One-named Irish singer : BONO
57. Canonized Fr. female : STE - Catholic Online lists STE Joan of Arc as #23
60. Lo-cal brews : LITES
63. Japanese dog : AKITA
64. Plot device? : HOE
65. Hard-to-understand "South Park" character : KENNY
66. Exams : TESTS
67. Gives the nod : OK'S
68. "Later!" : SEE YA - "Wouldn't wanna BE YA!"
Down
1. "Star Trek" role for Cho : SULU
2. Mirrors : APES - Remember this scene?
3. New York team that plays home games in New Jersey : JETS
4. Carpenter __ : ANT
5. Plié, for one : KNEE BEND
7. Oral-B Glide, e.g. : FLOSS
8. Name on a Chicago cap : SOX
9. Big bills, slangily : C-SPOTS - With many security features
10. Boxing combos : ONE TWOS
11. Bases : RATIONALES
12. "Oops!" inciter : ERROR - Personal advice - "Don't keep your throat spray next to your computer screen cleaner spray"
13. Sneak (away), as in shame : SLINK
18. Wine choice : ROSE'
22. Actress __ Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory" : MAYIM - She plays brilliant and plain Amy Farah Fowler
23. "Aladdin" hero : ALI
25. Online investment service : E-TRADE
26. At the summit : ATOP
27. Ailment similar to spring fever : SENIORITIS - Hey, they're 18 and know everything!
28. Course of action? : PHYS ED - Clever
30. "Shameless" airer, briefly : SHO
32. Versatile blackjack card : ACE
34. Presidential no : VETO
35. Swelled head : EGO
38. VW and BMW : AUTOS
39. Fizzy candy : POP ROCKS
42. '50s-'60s Illinois senator Dirksen : EVERETT - It's easy to spend other people's money
45. Tail movement : WAG
47. Steps in for : ACTS AS
49. Touch down : LAND
50. E equivalent, in music : F FLAT
51. "Looking good!" : I LIKE
52. Reader's download : E-BOOK - Here's Julius Caesar in said format
56. Mined finds : ORES
57. Of sound mind : SANE
58. Teensy-weensy : TINY
59. One-named Irish singer : ENYA
61. "__ cares?" : WHO
62. Half a giggle : HEE
There are no CHAIN OF FOOLS here and so I look forward to their comments:
51 comments:
Greetings!
Thanks to Alex and Gary!
No nits or other problems. ELPASO was guessed after a few letters.
Didn't spend enough time to get the theme. After all, it's buddy-bye time!
Have a great day!
The pretty woman on Jeopardy Tuesday was dying of cancer and never got to see her performance. Extremely sad.
A difficult one for me, only because of a cluster of near-naticks in the west: A💀LEE💀, HO💀, 💀E💀IORITIS, & 💀HYSED. I had all but given up, and was trying to decide which I could look up when HON hit me, and the rest were dominoes! SENIORITIS was a new word for me, but infer-able; "out" has so many meanings; and PHYS.ED., which should have had an abbreviation indicator, needed ESP not only because of a well-crafted riddle clue, but also because it was impossible to parse as whole words!
The theme escaped me until I read the reveal, but it was also well crafted. The only pair that seemed contrived was SEAT WORK, and since that wasn't one of the camouflaged ones, it didn't interfere.
HG: Beautiful grid today!
{B-, A-, B+, A.}
Don't worry, HON, about your TESTS,
HomeWORK, PHYS. ED., or all the rest!
Soon all worry-free
Your future will be! --
That's the delusion of SENIORITIS!
The grave-digger's tool-shed included a slot
For HOE and shovel, and manuscript LETTER BOX!
When not making a hole
For a body sans soul.
He wrote mysteries, preparing another grave PLOT!
There in the PETRI dish, fresh from the ocean
TINY animalcules, teeming with MOTION!
Might our race, some day
To their offspring give way?
Not these! Soon as lab slides they'll lack locomotion!
KENNY was warned, was told of the shocks,
IF he continued his addiction to munching POP ROCKS!
But his EGO was vain,
With a SNARL, claimed, "I'm SANE!" --
After the explosion, we found only his SOX!
Good morning!
Never got the theme until Husker laid it out for me, but didn't need it for the solve. Interesting to see BONO and ENYA together. Also interesting to see unusual letter combinations: CS and FF. I find many mundane things interesting. SEATWORK? That's a new one for me. Thanx, Alex.
EBOOK -- the only kind I read on my trusty Kindle.
Ben STEIN was once a presidential speechwriter. Later on I enjoyed his TV show Win Ben Stein's Money. He's no dummy. Anyone? Anyone?
Thank you Alex, and thank you Gary.
Don't know whether it was here or another venue, but I've solved WORD CHAINS before, so after the reveal it was easy to put two and two together. I too liked how CHAIN wrapped back to LETTER.
Tending to recall the other was daily game, like Seven Little Words, but it's not coming to me at the moment.
No problems to speak of, although I did have POP tarts before POP ROCKS. Oh yeah, C notes before C SPOTS.
Thought PHYS ED / Course of action was particularly clever.
No clue on MAYIM, but perps to the rescue. Found that I can usually watch about ten minutes before the laygh tracks start detracting from the sometimes witty humor.
Didn't recall EVERETT Dirksen but have heard the "real money" quote. Don't remember ever hearing C SPOTS but familiar with C-notes. Started quickly but slowed down some. Got through it fine.
As usual, never got the theme until I came here. Extremely clever CW, and a fun solve, thanx, Alex! Had CNOTES first which slowed me down quite a bit in the NE. Never heard the term SENIORITIS, and when I got it with perps, thought it referred to old farts like me; then still couldn't figure it out. Terrific write-up, as usual, thanx, HG! Gonna hafta get me one of those apple corers! Owen, amazing, ur a straight A student today: A,A,A,A!! Loved them all!
Good Morning!
Great Wednesday fun. Alex, thanks for a fabulous theme. Not that I saw it initially, but I do so appreciate it. I wanted ENYA for BONO, so when the clue showed a second time, it was a gimme. I also like PHYS ED as a course of action. Perped it though. I always like seeing UPENN. I've earned it. Sent my youngest there to play football--no athletic scholarships in the Ivies! It was worth it; he's a fine young man who spends a lot of time doing pro bono law work for his firm.
Gary, thanks for another magical tour. Nicely done!
Have a cozy day.
Another hand up for Cnotes. Have heard five-spots and ten-spots, but not C-SPOTS
Could theChef of the Future use the Handy Housewife Helper to CORE a apple?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_dE9aY0phE
Husker: Wonderful, informative write-up and links. Good Job!
Alex: Thank You for a FUN Wednesday level puzzle.
Hand-Up for wanting C-Notes before C-SPOTS but that hair SNARL set me straight.
Not a fan of the answer HON for the clue at 36-a, LUV.
Fave today was 54-a, Says "Hi, sailor" to say, FLIRTS. Clever clue/answer. JMHO
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!
Did it easily without the theme. I always thought a word chain was something like: "bore", "more", "mote", "mate", "mats".
The game I was trying to recall was Up And Down Words. Another fun little diversion for those that like word games.
Here's billocohoes' link:
Could the Chef of the Future use the Handy Housewife Helper to CORE a apple?
Seeing the reveal, word chain, helped me go back and fix my sticking points. I have seen this device before. It was clever the way it circled back to the start. I think this puzzle would have been a Thursday level without this help.
The P gave me C SPOTS.
Most of the elementary teachers here must be very familiar with SEAT WORK. While I met with the different reading groups, the other students did seatwork. Senioritis is also familiar. I taught in a K-5 school, so the fifth graders had something akin to senioritis the last two months of school.
HG, always informative and fun. You remind me that when I bought a new deodorant in a blue can, a new color for me, I placed it next to my blue hairspray can in the drawer. Yep! I hairsprayed my underarms. Yuck! I had to stand arms akimbo like a scarecrow.
For a while I had trouble with the S and P in ASLEEP and with -HYSED, plus I had a silly misspelling. Finally I thought of Senioritis, asleep, and phys ed. MAYIM was all perps. Otherwise very smooth.
Lovely, pleasant December day to enjoy while it lasts. Tomorrow we will be in the deep freeze. Brrr.
I used theme solving as a double-check after getting all but one cell filled. I hoped that the distraction might give me a fresh outlook, and I did realize that ArI was probably not the Alladin hero, but could not think of ALI (Babba) until I fired up the red-letter generator and got the V8 moment. The clever cluing for PHYS ED kept me from seeing the error without help.
I too thought CSPOT was odd, but my least favorite was SEAT WORK. I was a desk jockey for more than 20 years and never heard the term. My favorite was the cross of SULU with USS Enterprise. I didn't know Cho - SULU will always be George Takei to me. In real life, George was sent to an internment camp during WWII, and is a very deep and interesting man.
Thanks to Alex for a great puzzle, and to Husker Gary for a great reveal. Gary - how did you know that Alex is a "he"? I saw him listed as male on an Ultimate Disc site - ironic for a WD employee. Alex is on my list of gender-neutral names I use when writing training exercises for my corporate training sometimes-business.
YR - I never thought about child SEAT WORK. Alex - I take it back; I don't have a least-favorite today.
I found the continual loop of words a nice novelty but I had some trouble filling the links in the chain. Namely, I an not familiar with the term LETTER BOX nor have I ever of heard SEAT WORK. The NE gave me trouble because PITRE is a common name in S. Louisiana, where $100 bills are commonly called 'Croakers' ( a type of fish). TYSON was just a WAG and since I worked in a microbiology lab in college growing and destroying various cultures in agar in PETRI dishes, I remembered the correct spelling.
In keeping with the E equivalent F-FLAT, C-NOTES would be B-SHARPS but that didn't work in this puzzle so C-SPOT ( an new word for me) filled the squares.
The rest of the puzzle filled rapidly but without the perps SENIORITIS would not have appeared as it (and SHO, MAYIM) was unknown.
PHYSED, aka P.E., was filled by perps before the V8 moment hit me. PHYS ED. I think the clue should have had an abbr.
VETO- unless Congress passes something the president can't veto it and the only thing Congress seems to pass is gas.
ISBN- Dewey Decimal wouldn't fit.
HG- your 9-5 poster would never get it at our place. We worked 7-5. If I were at work for only 8 hours with time off for lunch and breaks, it would have felt very strange.
Good Morning:
This theme was not only cleverly executed but was also a nice change of pace. I saw the theme but needed Gary's eagle eye to see the Chain going back to Letter to complete the "Chain." Well done, Alex. Had Urg before Arg and Enya before Bono but Enya showed up later, to my surprise! CSpots struck a chord because several arrests have been made recently based on "funny" $100.00 bills being used. Favorite clue was for PhysEd. Seat Work jarred a little but YR's explanation made it more palatable.
Thank you, Alex, for a most enjoyable challenge and solve and thanks, HG, for your humor, visuals, and enlightening commentary.
Owen, you were in the zone today. Bravo.
Stay warm everyone and have a great day!
Good Morning Everyone!
Today is the first day of my FIVE - count them - FIVE week break from school! Suffering from a bad case of SENIORITIS myself, I will be using this break to recover and regroup for my last semester. I do not have any plans beyond reading, crossword puzzles, Christmas, and a few extra work days. I'm hope to be bored before too long!
The puzzle was a great experience for me, I must be on Alex's wavelength. I made it through in record speed and in one pass, like a Monday. Nice job, Alex. And great write-up HG, I appreciated all the links! I'm considering getting the Pearl Harbor book as a gift for my FIL, sounds fascinating.
@Owen - great job today!
SEATWORK is the same as desk work to me...didn't have a problem with it.
I follow MAYIM on Instagram and read her blog. She is a very interesting person and advocates for several groups. And she has a PhD in Neuroscience!
AKITAs have been in the news recently. Gorgeous dogs. Always ask if they are friendly before you go trying to cuddle one though!
Once a month, this local theater shows old movies on the big screen. DH got conned into taking me to see Ferris Bueller last year and it was so fun! Everyone was our age or older and started laughing before the funny parts happened. We had a blast!
Lastly, I cannot ever see the Aladdin clue without singing Prince Ali, fabulous he...
Happiest of Wednesdays to you all!
t.
Good day to all!
GREAT puzzle today. MAYIM Bialik was a complete unknown, but filled easily via perps. Loved the clue "Course of action?" for PHYS ED. Thanks for the puzzle, Alex, and thanks for the expo, Husker Gary.
Enjoy the day!
Good morning everyone.
Nice chunky Wednesday puzzle. Needed help with MAYIM spelling, but otherwise, solved w/o mishap. Thanks for the intro, Gary.
The picture @ 54 a, for FLIRTS is of the USS John C. Stennis CVN-74 entering San Diego Harbor. You can see at the bow there is hardly any way on so it is probably maintaining bare steerage way while awaiting arrival of the pilot tugs to assist in mooring.
Big Easy, LETTERBOX is the 16:9 aspect screen as was used in Cinemascope wide-screen movies, compared to the 4:3 ratio of "standard" movies and older TVs. When high-def television came in they could show the full picture of the wide movies without cutting off the sides.
Musings
-My day seems incomplete as I do not get to solve an LA Times puzzle that daily incorporates the work of our top drawer constructors coupled with Rich’s fine editing.
-My blogging days evoke, invoke, adduce, arouse, awaken (and probably more of our fill verbs here) feelings that I probably ERRED somewhere and will receive either a kind or sarcastic correction.
-I would think most of us current and former educators here in Crosswordville, know about SEAT WORK as YR (“Rocas amarillas” in español) mentioned.
-My contract WORK DAY was 7:45 – 3:45 but I was always there before 7 and stayed until at least 4. I was a) Very dedicated, or b) Very inefficient.
-Guilty as charged by assuming gender vis-à-vis the androgynous name of Alex. I found one such person on the web in a tech job in California but even that gave no personal data. That info is certainly not germane to the excellence of this puzzle.
-LETTERBOX on the right
The comments about Work-Day remind me why I enjoy Retirement so much.
Back in the day my "normal" work-day was something like 7:30 am until 7:30 pm.
Though, during "Tax Season" those hours were expanded ...
and Saturday became a "normal 8-hour" day.
On occasion I was accused of being "A Workaholic" ...
Naaah! ... just liked numbers ... lol
Cheers!
Today's puzzle by Alex was a great one for stretching the gray matter. I really enjoyed it along with HG's Ring around the Rosy tour. The theme escaped me until I read HG's write up.
Around here (Central PA) the University of Pennsylvania is referred to as just PENN with the U dropped or implied. The same for the University of Pittsburgh which is just PITT.
I didn't know LETTERBOX, SEATWORK or KENNY (never watched South Park.) Needed ESP to fill them in. Also, I had OVOID before OVATE.
I really liked the Plot Device clue. It kept me busy for awhile trying to come up with a 3 letter word for a story plot device like a TWIST, RED HERRING, FLASH BACK or FLASH FORWARD, etc. I had the wrong kind of plot.
Today is National Yoga Day. For those who are limber enough should try it. Just don't get into a position that you can't get out of.
Enjoy the warm temperatures (mid 20s here) before the Arctic Blast hits.
Thank you, Alex, for a fine puzzle with plenty of amusement.
SEATWORK is also well known to me; in my early years of teaching I had two grade levels in my class, 5th and 6th together. Half the day I taught one class, gave them SEATWORK for the next half while I taught the other grade who did their SEATWORK the following morning. Apparently it didn't ruin them as I've had feedback from some satisfied former students.
PHYS ED was cleverly clued. And does anyone remember MAYIM as Blossom when she had her own show?
Thanks, Gary, for explaining the theme. It was too early so I returned to bed without looking for it.
KENNY was a pure guess. BONO posed no problem as EBOOK was in place.
Have an excellent day, everyone! SEEYA! Beutiful day here today.
What a treat! A new and different puzzle from Alex, and a fascinating and educational tour from HG!
Owen, you were also a treat today! I loved them all.
Hello Puzzlers -
Superb grid design today, lots of craftiness in there. I missed the link between the first and last entries, so thanks for the enlightenment Husker!
I have never seen in person that Navy practice of outlining an entire ship with uniformed sailors. I'll bet it's impressive. I'm pretty sure that (a) I'd feel proud to be American, and (b) I'd get a little verklempt. Thanks again Husker.
Lucina, I thought our school system was the only modern one that mixed grades in classrooms. One year our building had 30+ first graders and 30+ second graders, so there was one first grade, one second grade and a first/second grade mix which I taught. I was expected to teach both grades every day with three 1st gr. reading groups and three 2nd gr. reading groups and two math groups for each grade with no aide. It was a rat race, the hardest I ever worked. As mom says, "Busier than a one armed paper hanger." They gave me a student teacher to "help out," but I didn't have adequate time to work with her. She was just one more big responsibility. It seems the students made out just fine, but I found it stressful, especially with first graders who hadn't learned to read before Sept.
I am sure you were a very dedicated teacher, HG. It frosts me when teachers are accused of working short hours only 180 days a year. Many teachers I knew came early and stayed late and spent many evenings, weekends and school holidays correcting papers and making lesson plans. We came to school a week early to set up besides doing some prep in the summer. We were expected to participate in continuing ed. on our own time. My son in management does work more hours and days, but far surpassed me in earnings in a few short years, and I had a Master's degree with 30 credits beyond.
Regulars know I hate gimmick puzzles. But not this one - this one was both clever and well clued and constructed. The Gimmick in no way interfered with the clueing or the solve. Which I was able to do.
Very enjoyable actually, so I guess I have to modify my opinion of the Gimmick puzzle. Heck, if they were all like this, I'd have no complaint.
I have heard of a 5-spot and a 10-spot, but never a C-spot in money, sounds more like a sex thing, haha. Google it…
AnonymousPVX, you're thinking of a G-Spot.
Dudley, it's called "manning the rails." I served on USS Bon Homme Richard back in the early 70's, and we manned the rails when we returned to San Diego following a WestPac cruise. We flew a banner proclaiming "Bonnie Dick is not a social disease."
Late today because I was informed when I awoke the Xmas card duty was the top priority today. And I thought I was boss of the house?
Anyways, I never picked up on the theme until Husker explained it, but I still managed to get it done.
The North was a slow go, so I finished off the Central & Southern sections first. 17A & 24A were both WAGS. SEATWORK???????? Gimme a break. LETTER BOX, as clued?
I did forget the Nets now play in Brooklyn until I wondered what is or who is SAnAK. Finally woke up and changed the N tp a J.
Liked 26A out/ASLEEP. Wanted SLuNK for 13D, but PETRu did not look right. Saw the colorized Dick Van Dike episodes Sunday evening so I decided PETRI was correct. Still like SLuNK better but I don't want to upset Laura.
Time to get Casey at doggy day care. SEE YA.
Tin - I once asked my boss if I could work a 4 day, ten hours per day work week, M-Th 7 to 6. He said "Sure, but only work 8 on Friday - I don't want you burning out."
HG - Please don't take my question about Alex's gender as criticism - I thought you might know him or have some other "inside" info. I agree, of course, about his gender not being germane (a fill from a couple of days ago).
Fun puzzle, with a few sticky spots,
just enough to make it interesting.
Wees, C Note b/4 spots.
Seatwork was a little strange, but it made me think of Bill Cosby
"SeatDancing." Strange that I could not find a video of it,
probably just as well, as poor old Bill is not very PC these days...
Ditto with trying to find a suitable funny word chain,
(I will leave that up to OwenKL & Chairman Moe.)
So, that only leaves me with a few things I discovered today:
Sympathy for our Anons...
The real reason it is called port & starboard...
Always read the small print...
& for Yellowrocks, & all you other Teachers out there.
I found this ten minutes fascinating...
As a former geocacher, I know LETTER BOX in an entirely different context!
Well, I almost despaired trying to work my way through this Wednesday toughie, but lo and behold, in the end I almost got the whole thing--with only one small goof-up (GNARL instead of SNARL, and I forgot to check the down to correct C-SPOTS). But otherwise I got everything even though I've never heard of most of the names in the puzzle (except BONO and ENYA--I guess I know my Irish singers). So, many thanks, Alex, and you too, Husker Gary.
It was great to open the puzzle with Pat SAJAK since I watch "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" after the news every night. I still don't get the connection between OVATE and kiwi. And a small nit: we didn't know that OPIE was a redhead until he was a teenager, did we? I remember all those Andy Griffith shows being in black and white.
Have a great day, everybody!
Dave of the CROSS EYES issued a challenge
Keeping EYES RIGHT, finding a word melange!
It's a contest thing,
As in a boxing ring,
Where you win with a RIGHT CROSS to the other guy's melon!
A GREAT explanatory blog by Husker G! One of the best we've seen in a while.
A solid humpday pzl from Mr. Eaton-Salners. Fairly easy to solve, although I missed the theme entirely. I need to go back now and re-see it to appreciate it.
CE Dave, fascinating science demo. Great teaching technique for scientific method. As an ever curious student and as I teacher I need to ask why. Any one of you know why there are two colors and why they change from position to position? Not I. Please reply. I see so many "gee whiz" science demos that never answer this question. Rather than leaving me in awe they leave me frustrated. The teacher next door was greatly valued by students and the admin. for her fabulous demos but never got to "why." Always the nerd, I ask my students,"What did we learn before that would help to answer to this question?" Tying new knowledge to previous knowledge is key. I detect a lack of depth and analysis in today's schooling and in today's population at large. Witness politics today. Our learning and thinking is a mile wide and a millimeter thick.
During my fellowship in Japan we saw yet another "gee whiz" science lesson that was applauded by Americans and Japanese alike. There were flaws in the lesson's logic. My American comrades thought that the flaws didn't matter. The young students would not know the difference. The "gee whiz" factor was more important. I am still aghast almost 20 years later. Please forgive this nerd's observations.
I always drape garlands and bows on my stairway as my first decorating act after Thanksgiving. Today I have been deep in the weeds of medical insurance and finding specialists so this is now the last thing to do. Maybe tomorrow. I do have appointments with three new specialists , so this was a productive day.
Went back and followed the WORD CHAIN through. Excellent! Not only do the chain words link up wonderfully well, but the pzl offered many extra beauties.
Husker-G pointed out how the theme references one of my favorite hymns, but in illustrating APES he chooses a scene that happens to be one of my fondest memories from the black-and-white TV of yore! Lovely Lucy and Harpo drilled that scene like the old pros they were!
Another old pro was EVERETT Dirksen, who took time out from his busy senatorial career to become the memorable voice of Eeyore. Who can't remember & APE that delightfully morose & melancholy moan?
Lest we forget, that is how the good senator sounded all the time!
Couldn't work on the puzzle until late, but solved it.
Try as I might, I could not figure out the theme. Thanks, Husker, for the explanation & visual.
The last few years I taught, I prepared videos like CE Dave's, for the sub to use.
Each took lots of time.
Montana
Finished fast but didn't get the wordplay till now... or understand what "physed" meant.
Me too Ray. Physic just wouldn't work.
Great puzzle, I was down to the SE and didn't want to perp. My son Phil dropped by and quickly supplied KENNY and explained POPROCKS.
It seems that Pop Rocks are not to be taken with Coke. Too much fizz.
So now came the reveal which I can never get. He showed me how LETTER completed the CHAIN.
I'm late because I finally finished my tape of the Monday night Pats game.
Gary, I join the throng who greatly appreciate your write-up. Owen, as usual I liked your first best. I liked your 'R' yesterday.
Does that Pearl Harbor book mention the German spy family. That's the key to everything WWII.
I still can't recall the Tiger pitcher who walked the Browns midget, Eddie Gaedel. I refuse to Google it; it'll come to me.
Probably while I'm driving, as usual.
I taught for a year. Hardest thing I ever did. French.
WC hoping Hondo drops by after Xmas carding to see my EG answer. I'll check yesterday's.
Wow. I just visited Tuesday's blog. Thx Hondo for remembering Bob Cain, a reasonably good '46-60 era pitcher.
I'd love to read your paper on Eddie. I recall Veeck telling him that if he swung the bat, he'd kill him.
Misty, you sweet, lovable gal. The Doxy was not canine and not so sweet, and was oft heard saying things like "HELLO SAILOR".
And of course, as was Rex Stout's won't, a corpse. Not one of his best. He wrote a bunch for the old Sat evening Post.
But they were illustrated and Archie had a buzz cut the same color as OPIE.
WC
Though most schools have classes from about 8:15-9:00 to 3:30 or 4:00, all teachers I know and have known, including myself, work hours beyond that. I usually left my house at 6:45 A.M., started class preparations as soon as I arrived at school and rarely left before 5:00. Usually I took extra work home to finish later at night and on weekends there was always work to carry home. My friends who still teach have an even greater burden these days because of governmental requirements.
YR:
Even these days classes are often doubled so it's not unusual to find two grade levels in one classroom.
Tip 'o the hat Alex. Nice and very well done. I noticed the wrap-around CHAIN and just grinned. HG - informative fun writeup. I like the grid at the top so I can check early if a WAG was G'd right. [today's: HAR? xing MAY?M]
WOs: Hand-up: CNOTES; SLeeK b/f SLINK
ESP: MAYIM
On the plus side; I knew all the other names.
Fav: What Jinx said, SULU xing USS Enterprise.
{B+,A-,B+,A}
TTP - Thanks for Billo's link. I probably would have been to lazy to go back and type it and would have missed Chef of the Future!
D-O: LOL re: STEIN comment; OMK - didn't know that re: Eeyore. Thanks.
9-5? Ha! I start when I get up and end when I end. I'm in the office 8-ish and try to leave by 4:30p to beat the traffic. Then log back in and keep working (will little breaks like this tossed in). I finish around 10 or 11p and then read the paper. Bed by 1a or 2a.
But that's not why I'm so late today. Tawnya's MAYIM link sent me down the rabbit-hole and I found her (MAYIM's) Weird Al posts - Respect++;
And then CED had the cool scientific method video.
KENNY dies in (almost) every episode. Wilber, it was Coke and POP ROCKS that killed Mikey (or so it was rumor'd when I was a kid).
Eldest is president of HS Psych club. Each club/team setup a Christmas tree in the halls of the school. Psych's had ornaments of Rorschach ink-blots and and others w/ little jokes written on them:
Q. Why is Pavlov's dog's hair so soft?
A. Classical conditioning.
Cheers, -T
Q: Does the name "Pavlov" ring a bell?
Pavlov's dog and Schrodinger's cat
Side by side on the table sat.
The dog was drooling to be fed
The poor cat looked to be half dead.
Dog and cat, they would have fought
But along came Rorschach with his blot!
What the animals saw in the ink
Was -- well, what do you think?
Tawnya: :-( I Need a Facebook account to post to MAYIM's blog. I don't use FB 'cuz their security policy changes on a whim. I wonder if she knows she made the LAT? BTW, her fav Weird Al song, Midnight Star, is mine too!
Bill G - that was another 'joke' ornament on the tree. Eldest showed me and I drooled while thinking about TMBG.
OKL - {A++}. Bringing in quantum mechanics earned you an extra +. [They all just like butterflies to me... :-)]
Time to go ASLEEP - do it again in 4 hours... Cheers, -T
They all just look like butterflies... It must really be bedtime. Nite. -T
Brilliant theme construction!
But I missed the capstone loop back of CHAIN LETTER. Thanks, Husker Gary!
Never heard of Mayim Bialik but I see she doesn't just have a neuroscience PhD. She is a genuine published neuroscientist.
So I missed an A for a Y somewhere in 37A. I still don't know why, theme be damned.
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