Theme: None
Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,X,Y)
Blocks: 30
Well
it's about time I smoked through a Saturday puzzle; I was starting to
wonder if the difficulty level was ever going to come down. I
recognized the constructor's name, and I sensed that I had struggled
with his grids in the past - but I was wrong. It has been over four
years since he last gave us a Saturday challenge, and that one was a fun
romp, too - my words. Six ten-letter answers in today's grid, with
triple 8- and 6-letter corners;
4. Some breaks in the NFL action : TV TIMEOUTS
20. Biting criticism : ACID TONGUE
12. Fruity chip go-with : MANGO SALSA
29. Contemporary "Be yourself" : KEEP IT REAL - I liked Dave
Chapelle's "when Keeping it Real goes wrong", but due to the "adult
content", I must refrain from posting it here :7))
50. Dark personification : GRIM REAPER
27. Goes wild : WHOOPS IT UP
ON❤ARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Robin on '60s TV : BURT WARD - oh so proud of myself for filling in SIDEKICK, and it worked well with my 15a, too
9. Mischievous kids : SCAMPS
15. What one taking a flight doesn't use? : ELEVATOR - a flight of stairs, and it didn't fool me
16. Mustang rival : CAMARO - I'll take the Mustang every day of the week, twice on Sunday
17. Abomination : ANATHEMA
18. Common soccer result : ONE-NIL - hockey games that end 1-0 are boring
19. Coach Eric Taylor's wife on "Friday Night Lights" : TAMI - perps
22. Hardboard brand : MASONITE - at first I was ashamed that I couldn't nail this one, but then when the crossings filled in, I realized I was thinking Homasote, and not Hardboard. Fake 6-panel doors are made with hardboard, and cheaper
24. William Donovan's WWII org. : OSS
25. Dropped jaws : WOWED 'EM
28. Computer media : DISKS - perps got me all but the "K", and I wondered if it might be "C"
30. Cold sound? : "ACHOO~!"
31. "Star Trek" rank: Abbr. : ENS. - the one I can think of is Ro, from The Next Generation
32. __ St. Louis : EAST - vague, but it's Saturday
35. Exodus pronoun : THOU - THEE or THOU~? Had to wait
36. Liquid diet component : BROTH - my liquid diet of some years ago did NOT consist of broth....
38. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI - Crosswordese
39. Traffic sound : TOOT - dah~! Not HONK
40. Jethro Tull frontman Anderson : IAN - I knew this - but I am not a fan; Iron Maiden covered Cross-eyed Mary
41. Big name in printers : EPSON - CANON~? XEROX~? Ugh. Had to wait
42. Library exchanges : PSSTs - BOOKS fit, but I doubted it was the answer; my last fill was the "S", tho I had "A" there first - hey PSATS sounded reasonable - but no ta-DA~!
44. Drea de Matteo's role on "The Sopranos" : ADRIANA - did not watch the show, filled via perps
46. Sources of remote power : AAs - TV remotes, etc.
48. Balderdash : UTTER ROT - ever play Balderdash~? Great board game
52. Speeds (up) : REVS
56. More affected, in a way : ARTIER
57. More than familiar with : INURED TO - my "SAGAS" at 49d. led me to GEARED TO
59. Arrive copiously : POUR IN
60. Some summer homes : COTTAGES
61. Toll road convenience : E-Z PASS - word is, NY State is going total E-Z Pass and unmanned booths; cameras will catch those who don't play well with others. I already have my tags
62. Site of Napoleon's last exile : St. HELENA
DOWN:
1. Overpower : BEAT
2. Radius neighbor : ULNA
3. Office quantity : REAM
5. Nursery noise : WAH - guitar noise, too, for those who know
6. Base command : AT EASE
7. "Think Like a Man Too," e.g. : ROM-COM
8. Exhaust : DRAIN
9. Terrier type : SCOTTISH
10. Participates in a camp activity : CANOES
11. Grace closing : AMEN
13. Hybrid hatchback : PRIUS
- there are two kinds of Prius owners - either the ones who drive so
slow that they never use the gasoline engine, or the other ones, who
should have never invested in a hybrid in the first place - a Mustang
would have been cheaper for these leadfoots
14. They may leave prints : SOLES
21. "We __ Start the Fire": Billy Joel : DIDN'T - great song; much of the history pre-dates me, and being the curious type, had to find out more
23. Shakespearean title word : ADO
25. Power eponym : WATT - James Watt, who made the first major improvement to the steam engine - the Wiki
26. Dos cubed : OCHO - 2³, in Spanish
31. Great spell : EON - spell as in stretch of time
33. "Are we there yet?" reply : SOON
9. Mischievous kids : SCAMPS
15. What one taking a flight doesn't use? : ELEVATOR - a flight of stairs, and it didn't fool me
16. Mustang rival : CAMARO - I'll take the Mustang every day of the week, twice on Sunday
17. Abomination : ANATHEMA
18. Common soccer result : ONE-NIL - hockey games that end 1-0 are boring
19. Coach Eric Taylor's wife on "Friday Night Lights" : TAMI - perps
22. Hardboard brand : MASONITE - at first I was ashamed that I couldn't nail this one, but then when the crossings filled in, I realized I was thinking Homasote, and not Hardboard. Fake 6-panel doors are made with hardboard, and cheaper
25. Dropped jaws : WOWED 'EM
28. Computer media : DISKS - perps got me all but the "K", and I wondered if it might be "C"
30. Cold sound? : "ACHOO~!"
31. "Star Trek" rank: Abbr. : ENS. - the one I can think of is Ro, from The Next Generation
32. __ St. Louis : EAST - vague, but it's Saturday
35. Exodus pronoun : THOU - THEE or THOU~? Had to wait
36. Liquid diet component : BROTH - my liquid diet of some years ago did NOT consist of broth....
38. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI - Crosswordese
39. Traffic sound : TOOT - dah~! Not HONK
40. Jethro Tull frontman Anderson : IAN - I knew this - but I am not a fan; Iron Maiden covered Cross-eyed Mary
Note the Grim Reaper on the card
42. Library exchanges : PSSTs - BOOKS fit, but I doubted it was the answer; my last fill was the "S", tho I had "A" there first - hey PSATS sounded reasonable - but no ta-DA~!
44. Drea de Matteo's role on "The Sopranos" : ADRIANA - did not watch the show, filled via perps
46. Sources of remote power : AAs - TV remotes, etc.
48. Balderdash : UTTER ROT - ever play Balderdash~? Great board game
52. Speeds (up) : REVS
56. More affected, in a way : ARTIER
Black & White - I'm getting "artier"
59. Arrive copiously : POUR IN
60. Some summer homes : COTTAGES
61. Toll road convenience : E-Z PASS - word is, NY State is going total E-Z Pass and unmanned booths; cameras will catch those who don't play well with others. I already have my tags
62. Site of Napoleon's last exile : St. HELENA
DOWN:
1. Overpower : BEAT
2. Radius neighbor : ULNA
3. Office quantity : REAM
5. Nursery noise : WAH - guitar noise, too, for those who know
6. Base command : AT EASE
7. "Think Like a Man Too," e.g. : ROM-COM
8. Exhaust : DRAIN
9. Terrier type : SCOTTISH
10. Participates in a camp activity : CANOES
11. Grace closing : AMEN
Amen~!
14. They may leave prints : SOLES
21. "We __ Start the Fire": Billy Joel : DIDN'T - great song; much of the history pre-dates me, and being the curious type, had to find out more
I arrived during "punk rock" @ 3:25
25. Power eponym : WATT - James Watt, who made the first major improvement to the steam engine - the Wiki
26. Dos cubed : OCHO - 2³, in Spanish
31. Great spell : EON - spell as in stretch of time
33. "Are we there yet?" reply : SOON
34. Brown of publishing : TINA - no clue, all perps and WAG
36. Marshland waders : BITTERNS - had some of the crossings, and this rose up from the depths of my mind
37. Dreaded figure? : RASTA
41. "__ e Leandro": Handel cantata : ERO
43. "Yup!" : "SURE IS~!" - followed by:
44. "Nope!" : "ARE NOT~!"
45. Longtime "Sexually Speaking" host : Dr. RUTH - had it, took it out with SAGAS being wrong
46. Catching flies, so to speak : AGAPE
47. Pollo partner : ARROZ - Chicken and rice
49. Sweeping stories : EPICS - SAGAS~? Bzzzt~!
51. "Look, amigo!" : "MIRA~!" - rockin' the Spanish today; I need to learn more - it's the dominant language in the kitchens where I work
53. One of a cube's dozen : EDGE - so proud of myself for figuring this out
43. "Yup!" : "SURE IS~!" - followed by:
44. "Nope!" : "ARE NOT~!"
45. Longtime "Sexually Speaking" host : Dr. RUTH - had it, took it out with SAGAS being wrong
46. Catching flies, so to speak : AGAPE
47. Pollo partner : ARROZ - Chicken and rice
49. Sweeping stories : EPICS - SAGAS~? Bzzzt~!
51. "Look, amigo!" : "MIRA~!" - rockin' the Spanish today; I need to learn more - it's the dominant language in the kitchens where I work
53. One of a cube's dozen : EDGE - so proud of myself for figuring this out
54. Engine with a lot of juice : V-TEN - pondered V-tec, from Honda, but V-10 makes more sense; popular in the Dodge Viper - check out this Viper~!
55. Slugger who began and ended his career as a Texas Ranger : SOSA - Good WAG for me
58. Hwy., e.g. : RTE
Splynter
58. Hwy., e.g. : RTE
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Our blog turns 9-year-old today! Among regulars, Argyle is probably with me the longest. Do you all still remember the first time you visited our blog?
Hi Y'all! Got in. So shocked I can't think of anything to say. Captcha must be asleep. Hard puzzle. Many unknowns.
ReplyDeleteHope the election hasn't started another fire. Great song.
Thanks Neville & Splynter
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Neville and Splynter!
Got almost all of it without cheats. It's late, though, and I am pooped!
CUBE was a gimme.
Have a great day!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI see the poli-trolls are up early this morning.
Neville, thanks for the softball! Only a couple of stumbles: ONE-ONE and TOMMYROT. Had trouble getting a Handel on ERO. Otherwise, it was a romp. POUR IN seemed awkward, but the long downs were very nice.
Splynter, I was there with you waiting to see if it'd be C or K. I knew it had to be THOU, though...immediately followed by Shalt.
Happy birthday, Blog, may your tribe increase!
I thought no politics was allowed on this site! If politics is allowed I have plenty to say; if it isn't, then political comments need to be deleted!
ReplyDeleteDone in by the SW. ARROZ was unknown, EZ PASS I vaguely recalled from former puzzles, since toll roads are unknown in the Western US where I've spent most of my life, and AGAPE, ARTIER, POUR IN were too loosely clued for me to suss.
ReplyDelete{C-, C+, C, B.}
There was a young fella from ST. HELENA
Who would sneeze at what MANGO was added ta!
What caused his ACHOO
Was the big WHOOP-de-do
That green SALSA was held as ANATHEMA!
When lovers learn to paddle CANOES
It's important to think of their shoes.
ROM-COM folderol
Has cost many a SOLE
When a WHOOPS has followed their woos!
The critic had an ACID TONGUE;
If he hated a show, tomatoes were flung!
But a show that WOWED
He GRIMLY allowed
Might REAP roses, if red plants were brung!
For this BROTH, I pray again
I wish some veggies would attend.
Some meat chunks, too,
Would make this stew.
Damn colonoscopies! AMEN.
ARE NOT?
ReplyDeletePersonal pet peeve is sportscasters saying NIL just because it's a soccer score. They'd never say nil for a shutout in baseball or hockey. You don't have to try to sound British when reporting what some still think of as a foreign game. This is 'murica, dammit! end rant
ReplyDelete(and a 1-0 hockey game is way more exciting than soccer)
The "T" got me started with DEATH for dreaded figure before crossing the GRIM REAPER
Good morning all!
ReplyDeleteNot too tough for a Saturday- thanks Neville and thanks for the expo, Splynter.
Bit of a slow start but perps and WAGs were my friends today. Didn't know BITTERNS.
Wanted sagas/EPICS and had Discs/DISKS
Favorite clues were for RASTA and ELEVATOR :)
Enjoyed the Spanish references and aswers: Pollo/ARROZ, SALSA, OCHO, MIRA
Happy birthday to the blog! Had no idea it's been around for nine years. I've been reading it for about three but as most of you know just started commenting recently. I have received a warm welcome and truly enjoy reading it everyday. However, I must say the political posts are not something I care for. One of the things I like about this blog is the rule of no political posts. I see enough of it through other social media. Such posts can bring out the ACIDTONGUE easily. I understand why people want to talk about it - I love discussing politics myself and am quite passionate about my views. This just isn't the place for it (Rant over)
Bill G- glad to read that Barbara is finished with her chemo. Best wishes to you both!
Have a great day everyone! DH and I plan to enjoy the 60 degree, rain free day. He may even take a ride on his motorcycle. I will work in the yard. Great cures for our cabin fever and need for Spring :)
🐇
Just for the record, my "poli-troll" comment was directed at a now-deleted comment. Ditto for unclefred.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bill on the soccer announcers. I enjoy watching soccer but find American announcers (esp in American leagues) saying things like "This side are leading the match one-nil" to be artier than I can become inured to.
ReplyDeleteI must be getting smarter....er or just luckier...to finish a Saturday puzzle and in record time. The few totally unknowns filled in with perps and verts.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Splynter - this Saturday wasn't as difficult as some. It helped to know BURT WARD right off the bat. Had to wait for perps on BROTH because I was thinking of a liquid weight loss diet like Opti-fast instead of liquid diet post op - Doh!! And BITTERNS came out of some recess of the brain once I realized the usual suspects egrets and herons were to short of letters.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember when I came to the blog but it's been a few years, first as an Anon, but they all get lumped together. I had first been following a blog by a young woman from the East coast- I don't remember the name of the site. But when she decided to stop (she did the blog every day), due to work conflicts, I think she had this site as an option to go to as an alternative. Anyway, I have enjoyed the site and the various contributors - thanks CC!
And thanks Splynter and Neville for today!
WOW! BAM! KAPOW! I actually knew 1A- BURT WARD from the 60s,with that IAN Anderson and MASONITE were two more gimmes. I knew both OSS and ST. HELENA but wasn't positive.
ReplyDeleteIt took me about 30 minutes to grind it out with TAMI, ADRIANA, ROMCOM, ERO, ARROZ, MIRA all being filled by perps- I was 'clueless'to who or what they were. DR. RUTH was a WAG and I was actually thinking GRIM REAPER for the 'Dreaded figure' before a RASTAfarian's hair appeared. I should have put on stronger reading glasses because the clue in the newspaper looked like 'Polio' instead of 'Pollo', but it wouldn't have mattered anyway as I didn't know ARROZ.
My PEACH SALSA became MANGO, my soccer score was ONE-ONE, TWO-TWO, ONE-ALL but I was not looking for ONE-NIL. Originally misspelling CAMARO as CAM-E-RO didn't help either. My SAGA became an EPIC.
I don't know if Mr. Fogarty knows it but the current contemporary meaning of KEEP IT REAL is to act like ghetto thug. I'm just KEEPING IT REAL.
Anon@9:51--- who is OMK?
ReplyDeleteGot it after a big hangup in the NW. BURT WARD was buried deeply and I didn't know TAMI.
ReplyDeleteI hesitated at RASTA as being un-PC, then I though of dread locks.
ACHOO is very appropriate for this blog these days.
I resisted signing on for EZ Pass because I seldom need it. But for driving out to Chicago occasionally or down the shore it surely is a blessing.
With the K, I thought of books but doubted it and waited. --SKS led to DISKS.
Splynter's Serenity prayer, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference" is useful for all of us. My failing is not having the wisdom to know the difference. I tend to think almost anything can be changed and frustratingly chase my tail. Once I realize what is and is not possible I can cope.
I think we finally have the answers for Alan. Knowing what we have to accept and put up with and what we can work on makes it easier. We are both far less anxious now.
I'm glad your chemo is over, Barbara. I wish you an uneventful recovery.
Happy anniversary to The Corner. A big thank you to CC and the weekly bloggers for your dedication and and guidance and to all of you for your friendship and contributions. This is a wonderful place.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeletePersonally, I found it extremely difficult to get any traction with this but once I got a foothold here and there, I finished w/o help, albeit in longer than usual time. It's funny how our solving experiences vary from one day to the next.
Thanks, Neville and Splynter, for a challenging and satisfying puzzle and review.
Congrats, CC, on the blog's birthday. I remember my first visit to the blog; it was in January, 2012, a few days before the anniversary date. (Today is also the Feast day of St. Agnes. 😇)
Bill G, I send my very best wishes and positive thoughts to you and Barbara.
Have a great day.
Too tough for me today, but I expect that on Saturdays. When I got stalled I marked everything I didn't know and that I could reasonably look up, and got BURT WARD (we only got NBC growing up), ROMCOM (never heard of the movie), ARROZ (I knew it was rice, but couldn't remember how to to spell it), and MIRA from Google. After that I got it all without error. I liked that SOSA was next to the "juice" clue. I didn't like WOWED 'EM - too tough of a puzzle for that contraction, IMO.
ReplyDeleteThanks Neville and Splynter for the workout.
I think I started working crosswords about 5 years ago, and probably found this site 2 years ago. Thanks to CC and supporting people who keep it going. Congrats on the 9th anniversary. Ignore the trolls - there are plenty of us who appreciate your dedication including many, I'm sure, that we never see contribute.
Musings
ReplyDelete-BITTERNS are real and so I’m good
-Kickoff, a kneel-down-touchback, TV TIME OUT. Yuk!
-200 kids watching BURT and Adam in the lounge is a college memory
-ONE-NIL on the pitch REVS up the AA’S in my remote
-Clark winds up in EAST ST LOUIS (2:18)
-Packer fans will POUR INTO Atlanta this weekend
-Are PRIUS owners snobs?
-Shoes that got recalled because of what prints the SOLES made
-Good luck, Barb. Just one more step on the road to recovery.
-I remember the first time I found this place but it took me a while to get a “feel” for the neighborhood – especially NO POLITICS no matter how thinly disguised!
C.C. Congratulations on your 9th Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteoc4beach: Got some more 80 degree, sunny weather I'm sending to you.
Big Easy @10:01 am, OMK is "Ol' Man Keith"
Man.U was getting beat "1 - Nil" until Wayne Rooney scored in "extra-time" to tie it 1-1.
Cheers!
'Dreaded figure' for Rasta is too easily confused as a negative put-down. Where are the editors in this puzzle, or is this reflective of their politics?
ReplyDeleteDread here refers to dreadlocks, the hairstyle of choice for Rastafarians. Followers of the FSM, on the other hand, wear a colander. Clever clue.
Delete"Pollo partner : ARROZ - Chicken and rice"
ReplyDeletetortura y asesinato
Good day to all!
ReplyDeleteMy hat is off to anyone who was able to complete today's puzzle unassisted. It took me many google searches to reach the end. Never-the-less, I enjoyed the challenge. Thanks for your usual fine expo, Splynter.
Bill G.--Good news about Barbara's final chemo. Best wishes to her, and you, for the future.
I believe I first found this blog site sometime in 2009, posting the first couple times as Anonymous before one of the regulars guided me through the process of "going blue".
Enjoy the day!
"negative put-down"
ReplyDeleteWorry more about your writing and less about others' politics.
Thanks, Neville for a relatively easy solve today, although FIW. BROTH was FROTH, and BITTERNS were FITTERNS.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Splynter, and all the other bloggers on this page. We all appreciate the work you do, day in and day out! Happy Anniversary!
I'm curious...how many of you work the puzzle online vs paper? The LA Times site is so slow due to loading ads. Maybe I just need another laptop. :)
ReplyDeleteI was stalled for a while in the NW by virtue of being unfamiliar with the three TV and movie answers there. Otherwise seemed like a typical Saturday. Loved the elevator clue!
ReplyDeleteTiger paw, I'm with you. When LAT changed the online format some weeks back, it became maddeningly slow. Some days I just don't even bother to do the puzzle.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteFirst, y'all check out CED's retrieved posts FLN. Fun links!
What OKL said re: the SW. I did get EZ PASS (in Houston, it's EZ TAG) but I had AGreE for 46d and 47d was ?. Are we talking about something that goes w/ chicken or who travels w/ Marco? [I looked it up; 'tis rice as mentioned (and Marco is only a ONE-L'd Explorer)].
Thanks Neville for "better than my average Sat" puzzle. Thanks Splynter for the expo (how are you not a fan of Tull?!? IAN is great (and what other band had a flautist front-man, I ask...)). I drew a cube to count sides and noted EDGE :-).
WO: Vsix b/f TEN; I almost had Darth Vader b/f GRIM REAPER. What amazes me, I only had the ending 'R' at the time. WOW!
ESPs: ADRIANA; TAMI; POUR IN would be one too had I finished that corner. I could only think of Carly Simon there (and BITTERNS are a bird I didn't know of).
Fav: KEEP IT REAL aka Keep it 100. [Tried to find the least poli-clip; Note - if you're not KEEPin' IT REAL he throws a tea-bag at you and says "Weak Tea." They bag'd him :-)]
Honorable mentions: ELEVATOR c/a; ANATHEMA is a fun word; RASTA c/a evoked a literal LOL. HG BEAT me to the punch on the Griswolds in E. STLO.
{C-,C,B+,B}
Bill G. Good news about Barbara! Ditto Re: Alan (and you!) YR.
T. Paw - always the paper and always in ink. If I'm on the road, I print the pzl from the Mensa site. I've tried once to do the puzzle on a computer... Me no likey; I can't "see" enough at once to bounce about as I'm prone.
Thank you C.C. For a fun, "safe" place to play! I also tip my hat to Argyle (he's "always on" monitoring the joint), JzB, Steve, MB, HG, Lem, and, of course, Splynter. Happy Anniversary!
Inanehiker - it was LA Crossword Confidential I think you're thinking of. I was a lurker on her blog b/f she quit. Then I found C.C.'s EPIC joint one Sat afternoon. I lurked for a year or two and, finally, anonymously with "-T" at the end, posted. At some point, OMK (BigE that's Keith, Ol' Man, 1ea.) called me "Anonymous -T." I liked it, made the avatar that week, and "went blue." I've been bothering these nice people since.
Cheers, -T
Yellowrocks said: "I resisted signing on for EZ Pass because I seldom need it. But for driving out to Chicago occasionally or down the shore it surely is a blessing."
ReplyDeleteYes, it's another thing to keep track of ... but going through the toll gate at 70+ MPH (when the waiting line for cash is half a mile and growing) lowers the stress a lot.
As for politics and snide comments on this blog, Jesus said it: "The poor you will always have with you."
Couldn't finish this puzzle without red letters, perfectly fine for a Saturday. At lease I knew BURT WARD right away. Loved the clue for ELEVATOR but not for ANATHEMA. Liked that there were plenty of longish answers, which again is usual for Saturday.
ReplyDeleteGotta go; more later.
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteNeeded much red letter help today to the extent it wasn't enjoyable. But using the time to better solving skills was hopefully worth it.
EZ PASS - We've had it for a long time. Very convenient for travel in the NE. Seems to be a well run entity.
Re: First time blogging. I think I became a lurker the Summer of 2009. My first post was around Sept or Oct of 2009. The vast kaleidoscope of characters has gradually changed, but some like Argyle, Jzb, Lemon, and Tinman soldier on.
I, too, came here from Crossword Confidential -- when she quit she recommended this site.
ReplyDeleteWOW--Nine Years! Congratulations. I came to this site when the Crossword Confidential closed and am glad I did. I tip toe in and find answers especially when there is a big brain lapse. It's great to find these marvelous explanations and the accompanying comments. Thank you all for your efforts here and with crossword construction. It's one of my favorite moments of the day when I head off with coffee, a pen and the newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be this late to the party but am always glad when it's due to a good night's sleep. Three-fourths of the puzzle was a romp for me, SW, SE, NE but the NW BEAT me badly as I DIDN'T know BURTWARD (remember, I was deeply sheltered in those years) so had to research it. I loved the ELEVATOR clue and don't understand what is wrong about ANATHEMA. It's a perfectly good word and means abomination.
ReplyDeleteBITTERN is my lesson for today and I see EZ-PASS when visiting in CA. We don't have toll roads in AZ; not yet, at least.
Owen:
I'm surprised that in New Mexico you don't know ARROZ con pollo.
And I've never seen the Sopranos but WAGGED ADRIEANE from perps and failed to change TINE to TINA. Drat!
Congratulations, C.C., on the 9 year anniversary! Like others, I am so grateful to have found this blog and have been here since 2010. It was when a knotty Saturday puzzle was defeating me.
Many thanks to Neville and Splynter for today's entertainment!
Best wishes to Barbara and Alan on their continued recovery efforts. Positive thoughts and prayers are going your way for future well being.
I hope you are all enjoying the blessings of a good day! We have had a downpour for two days now and more on the way. Yay! We need it.
It's always the newspaper for me, too. Coffee, clipboard with puzzle on it and a pencil. I love it!
ReplyDeleteMoved right along until I reached the "dreaded" and the entire southwest corner. I was proud of myself for getting "whoops it up" which fit with my only fill down SW with EZPASS. But I could have had all the reference books and Google and wikis in the world and never got the Spanish. I have a bit of six languages from Gramma (French Canadian), High School Latin, Vietnamese (wife) and work travel (Farsi, Arabic, German) but alas virtually no Spanish and I live in Southern California. Oh well better than the typical Saturday when I stare at a blank grid for twenty minutes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Blog ! Congrats on nine years !
I am also a transplant from the Crossword Confidential blog. Thank you to C.C. and the bloggers and all the commenters for one of the best parts of my day. I usually check in several times a day to read the latest comments.
ReplyDeleteHere's to another 9 years!
Pat
Took too long to get the NW, esspecially because I remember BURTWARD. I used my superpower (patience) to push it through.
ReplyDeleteI came on from crossword confidential as well. When did that blog end? I love the great explanations on the fills- helps me learn. I work it in pen from the Houston Chronicle right after my husband finishes the jumble and sudoku!
ReplyDelete1st, thanks for the shout out Anonymous T!
ReplyDelete2nd, apologies if I offended anyone.
I am not sure if the non political talk discussion
was directed at me,or some deleted Anon.
But my post yesterday was only to relay how my
daughters were overreacting to current events,
& that they should calm down.
The serenity prayer would have been a much better response,
thank you for posting it.
Anywho, I don't understand how anyone could even make a political
comment because the mere mention of just a name will get you dumped
into the spam filter...
Argyle, thanks for releasing it,
It would have been a lot of work to edit out stuff & repost just the links.
Ay me. Very tough today.
ReplyDeleteA DNF for me, unless you don't count the four look-ups I needed to make a literal finish. Even WAGs failed to produce their usual results. Gimmes were rare (only ULNA, MIRA, and AMEN for me), and most of the multi-word fills required perps to narrow the possibilities. A few words, like ANATHEMA, came through with just a couple of letters in place, but a real unknown like BITTERN relied on too many unstable perps for this old cruciverbalist to catch on.
I do appreciate Mr. Fogarty's efforts for showing me what I don't know, and Splynter of course for his time and care.
On another note, my thanks to Anonymous T for the unexpected naming credit.
I stumbled on The Corner about four years ago Googling probably for some obscure person (usually an actor from a movie or TV show ), town, or river that I had never heard of. After clicking on the site I saw great explanations for the answers to each clue, written by people who had actually solved the puzzle. That's better than just the completed puzzle grid that would show up in the following day's newspaper.
ReplyDeleteCED- some people live in 'La-La-Land' and really need to be occasionally offended to make them come back to planet earth. The sky is not falling just because an acorn hits somebody on the head. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, whether anybody agrees with them or not, no matter how reasonable, sane, ignorant or stupid those opinions sound.
ReplyDeleteL.A. Crossword [Confidential],
ReplyDeletePuzzleGirl's last post.
Bill G, I'm so glad Barbara is finished with her chemotherapy. I hope and trust she will be feeling much better in a week or two, maybe sooner. A few days ago you mentioned you couldn't get into the TV show Shetland and you asked me about the show Vera. Well, Bill, if you didn't care for the former you probably wouldn't like the latter, either. The main character, Vera, is a frumpy, grumpy, socially inept, but doggedly persevering police detective. It is set in northeastern England, with those scenic, expansive moors, and I always feel cold when we watch it. She has a propensity to call everyone "pet" or "luv."
ReplyDeleteI think I found this blog about 7 years ago when I was Googling some puzzle I was working then, and the page came up. Upon first reading this blog I was hooked. I don't remember the year or exact circumstances, but I clearly remember Lemonade asking me if my real name was Jason. Only later did I discover why that was of such special interest to him.
Best wishes to you all.
Happy Saturday and Happy Anniversary to everyone!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this Saturday puzzle, wouldn't call it a speed-run but got through it without too many hiccups. I groaned at the "dreaded figure?" as RASTA slowly appeared. That's the thing about Saturdays - they are generally full of bad jokes! I think I made every mistake mentioned so far. Enjoyed it all, nonetheless.
Like others, I don't have the patience for the LA Times site so I use the Mensa site unless I'm on the iPad because I haven't figured out a way to get Flash stuff to cooperate. I've read there is a way, but it's over my head. I like the uClick format so will search it out rather than use the LAT site...I prefer newspaper (with a pen) but am too frugal (read: cheap) to get the local (useless) paper just for the puzzle.
I started reading the blog at the end of 2012. I found it while googling a clue and have been hooked since! I don't remember when I started commenting. I remember being warmly welcomed by everyone and that hasn't changed. In conversation, I refer to you all as "my friends" even though we've never met. DH even knows several of you by name!
@Anon-T - Can't let CAMARO be in a puzzle without this classic...(language alert? no worse than prime time TV but I'm warning anyway).
Back to homework! Thanks for the distraction and congrats on nine whole years!
t.
PS - the NSFW link Master Splynter referred to Dave Chappelle
Lucina: My tastes were established in Oregon where I grew up, and I've never cared for any New Mexican cuisine aside from an occasional Taco Bell soft taco. In the Pacific Northwest, catsup is considered a daring condiment.
ReplyDeleteThe one-L Polo is worn on clothes
A two-L pollo is served with ARROZ
But I will bet a red, red rose
A three-L polllo no one knows!*
*The writer's attention is drawn to the 3 Apollo astronauts on every flight to the Moon. Pooh.
I must add my voice to those cheering the Corner's anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThree Hearty Cheers for the blog,
and three more for all the good folk who keep it alive --
to C.C. and Argyle and Splynter, to JzB and Lucina, HuskerG and Misty and Steve and desperO and OwenKL- and
and ...
I'm sorry I can't remember Everybody to give complete & proper thanks!
inanehiker: "It helped to know BURT WARD right off the bat." *GROAN*
ReplyDelete(BTW, I knew BURT WARD, but tried Robin 'Mork' WILLIAMS first.)
I only do the puzzle on 'puter any more. Usually the Cruciverb site, sometimes Mensa. Never the LAT site! Before the Net, I used to buy CW magazines, so no idea when I started working these puzzles. Ever since the criss-cross puzzles in grade school, I guess.
I wonder if PuzzleGirl ever shows up here, perhaps under some different moniker?
Did CC start this blog be herself, then others joined in? I am trying to remember when I first started watching it. I remember crying when it ended, but maybe I was paying attention to that other one, LA Confidential??
ReplyDeleteAnonymous G
Thanks for the write-up, Splynter. I love the "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong" sketch, and it's actually what made me put it in this puzzle. (Again, it's got some mature content, so please Google at your own peril.)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like most folks didn't find this to be the toughest Saturday outing, and I'm okay with that. Not every themeless puzzle should be a stumper, in my opinion. If you did have a hard time, I do hope you at least had fun and learned something.
Congratulations on nine years, C.C. & crew! I know that when I first started solving (around the same time!), I'd visit all the blogs to help me learn all of the crosswordese. Thank you for providing such a valuable service, and for letting me poke my head in every once in a while!
You're welcome here anytime you'd like to show up.
ReplyDeleteI used two different pens and pen #1 was EAST. Finally I got back and slowly, square by square inked along. Easy by no means. I thought there'd be groans galore.
ReplyDeleteSo, I take it, BURT WARD played Robin in the old Adam West Batman. I almost just threw in the towel but all of a sudden, tada.
Does he who is whom he is not get DREAD as in the locks of the Rastafarians?
Thx Splynter, the serenity prayer told me it was you. I rewrote the Lord's prayer for those who prefer non religious closings.
I'm at wc_breen@yahoo.com if anyone is interested.
Thank you, Neville. Happy anniversary to CC for this wonderful blog. Love all of you, yes including you.
Owen, your C's are rated a lot higher here. Hope that domestic issue got resolved.
WC who fell asleep posting earlier
Ps. Anyone else take COPIOUS Notes in college?
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteQuite late to the party. The LW just got back from the women's march in Boston, where the crowd was estimated well north of 100,000. Really interesting stories!
My hat is off to you, C.C., on this ninth year. Thank you for giving us a cyber place to come to each day!
@3:48 Another Houstonian? Come and play!
ReplyDeleteOMK - Yep, you da' Moniker Maker.
Thanks for the LA Crossord Confidential link Argyle. I noticed in the comments Ave Joe & Neville marked the day. Cheers, -T
Dang me - 2x in a row I mucked up. Tawnya - I nearly forgot about the Dead Milkmen! Fun song. Thanks. -T
ReplyDeleteFIR but there were some tough bits.
ReplyDeleteNo idea about TAMI or ADRIANA. Did not know ST HELENA either, but that is worth knowing.
Hand up for VSIX before VTEC before VTEN.
Did not know NIL is a sports score term.
Had tacos for lunch today with ARROZ and frijoles. Living in California it is common to hear words like these. And to hear children cry out "MIRA" to their parents excitedly to point something out.