Theme: None
Words: 72 (missing F,J,Y,Z)
Blocks: 34
Two constructors in a row named Bruce - a
little over one year since our last Bruce Venzke Saturday puzzle, and another
tough start to for me, but with only one cheat, I was able to get it
finished, and within my personal allotted time. Got deceived by the
"easy" four-letter NW corner, and was unable to get any traction there -
though I did have an inkling about what 1a was supposed to be. My down
run in the NE was quick, and that helped open up the grid. Just the
triple 10-letter corners and two 8-letter fills for the long answers
today;
18a. Sharper : SCAM ARTIST - ah, new definition for me
25a. Showman named Phineas : P.T. BARNUM
47a. Disgruntled fans, slangily : BOO BIRDS
ahh, hockey fans....
65. Windows alternatives : AISLE SEATS
- ah, planes, not computers. Firefox has dropped support for Windows
XP, which is tragic, since I think it was the best version of the
software - now I have to buy a new computer....
onwarDE~!
ACROSS:
1. Cleaning up a mess? : ON K.P. - I was thinking KP, but duty, not the other way around
5. Overcomes, as adversity : RISES ABOVE
15. River to the Laptev Sea : LENA
16. Beset by dire circumstances : IN EXTREMIS
17. Reach new heights : GROW - I am in Delaware this weekend to work out the details of getting three board games into production with my buddy's games company - I hope to reach new heights with them
19. Publication for pitchers? : ADWEEK
21. Paid : REMITTED
22. "I have a lady in the balcony" old radio/TV quiz show : Dr. I.Q. - the Wiki
24. Binge-watcher's aid : TiVO
29. Butterflies : NERVES
33. __ room : CHAT
34. Largest Italian lake : GARDA - my cheat
5. Overcomes, as adversity : RISES ABOVE
15. River to the Laptev Sea : LENA
16. Beset by dire circumstances : IN EXTREMIS
17. Reach new heights : GROW - I am in Delaware this weekend to work out the details of getting three board games into production with my buddy's games company - I hope to reach new heights with them
19. Publication for pitchers? : ADWEEK
21. Paid : REMITTED
22. "I have a lady in the balcony" old radio/TV quiz show : Dr. I.Q. - the Wiki
24. Binge-watcher's aid : TiVO
29. Butterflies : NERVES
33. __ room : CHAT
34. Largest Italian lake : GARDA - my cheat
36. __ Valley, Calif. : SIMI - or NAPA~?
37. Court judgment : LET - tennis, not legal
38. Metaphorical social barrier : ICE - yeah, I need some work on my "ice breakers"
39. Salon substance : GEL - or DYE~? had to wait
40. They might be about nothing : ADOs
42. Gather in a mass : CLUMP
44. Self-named 1954 or 1964 jazz album : MONK - good WAG. Thelonious
45. Expel : BANISH
49. Novelist O'Flaherty : LIAM
51. X-Ray __: U.K. punk band : SPEX
52. Socrates or Plato : ATHENIAN
56. Meditative discipline : TAI CHI
60. Agenda : THINGS TO DO - my list of 'things to do' is way too long - and I still haven't had the chance to wash and wax the new caravan~!
62. Kennebunk-based personal care products brand, familiarly : TOM'S - new to me; here's the website
63. Old crate : RATTLETRAP
64. Noodle bar order : UDON - filled via perps
66. Shady time, for some : PAST - mine contains 15 years of "wreckage": W. Charles - I know what the L.E.B.F.T. stands for~!
DOWN:
1. Wife of Igor of Kiev : OLGA - yeah, not too vague....
2. Socially awkward type : NERD
3. Recognize : KNOW
4. Handled carelessly : PAWED AT
5. Putting in jeopardy : RISKING
6. Like many beginners' piano pieces : IN C - all white keys, no sharps or flats
37. Court judgment : LET - tennis, not legal
38. Metaphorical social barrier : ICE - yeah, I need some work on my "ice breakers"
39. Salon substance : GEL - or DYE~? had to wait
40. They might be about nothing : ADOs
42. Gather in a mass : CLUMP
44. Self-named 1954 or 1964 jazz album : MONK - good WAG. Thelonious
45. Expel : BANISH
49. Novelist O'Flaherty : LIAM
51. X-Ray __: U.K. punk band : SPEX
52. Socrates or Plato : ATHENIAN
56. Meditative discipline : TAI CHI
60. Agenda : THINGS TO DO - my list of 'things to do' is way too long - and I still haven't had the chance to wash and wax the new caravan~!
62. Kennebunk-based personal care products brand, familiarly : TOM'S - new to me; here's the website
63. Old crate : RATTLETRAP
64. Noodle bar order : UDON - filled via perps
66. Shady time, for some : PAST - mine contains 15 years of "wreckage": W. Charles - I know what the L.E.B.F.T. stands for~!
DOWN:
1. Wife of Igor of Kiev : OLGA - yeah, not too vague....
2. Socially awkward type : NERD
3. Recognize : KNOW
4. Handled carelessly : PAWED AT
5. Putting in jeopardy : RISKING
6. Like many beginners' piano pieces : IN C - all white keys, no sharps or flats
7. Burn slightly : SEAR
8. Keith Hernandez, e.g. : EX-MET - this one was in my wheelhouse
9. Marathoner's need : STAMINA
10. Succeed big-time : ARRIVE
11. Pool habitués : BETTORS - like football boxes, not swimming
12. Leave off : OMIT
13. It has two jaws : VISE
8. Keith Hernandez, e.g. : EX-MET - this one was in my wheelhouse
9. Marathoner's need : STAMINA
10. Succeed big-time : ARRIVE
11. Pool habitués : BETTORS - like football boxes, not swimming
12. Leave off : OMIT
13. It has two jaws : VISE
14. Storefront sign abbr. : EST'D
20. Miss an easy spare, say : ERR - ah, bowling....
23. Bobwhite, e.g. : QUAIL - a gimme once the "Q" appeared
25. Classroom with mice : PC LAB - computer mouse, that is
26. Old-time screen vamp Bara : THEDA
27. Track bar : BATON
28. Ernie Banks' sobriquet : Mr. CUB
30. Intensity : VIGOR
31. Fix, as copy : EMEND
32. Track apparel : SILKS - horse racing; I was thinking about running - sweats or sneak(er)s
35. Teaching methods : DEMOS
41. A quarter of a half? : SILENT L - clever
42. Some recliners : CHAISES - another kind of "recliner"
20. Miss an easy spare, say : ERR - ah, bowling....
23. Bobwhite, e.g. : QUAIL - a gimme once the "Q" appeared
25. Classroom with mice : PC LAB - computer mouse, that is
26. Old-time screen vamp Bara : THEDA
27. Track bar : BATON
28. Ernie Banks' sobriquet : Mr. CUB
30. Intensity : VIGOR
31. Fix, as copy : EMEND
32. Track apparel : SILKS - horse racing; I was thinking about running - sweats or sneak(er)s
35. Teaching methods : DEMOS
41. A quarter of a half? : SILENT L - clever
42. Some recliners : CHAISES - another kind of "recliner"
43. Beer openers : POP-TOPS
44. Scrap : MIX IT UP - ah, the fighting and not recycling kind of scrap
46. One of Pete Rose's record 3,215 : SINGLE
48. '80s-'90s co-star with Betty, Rue and Estelle : BEA
50. Far from shiny : MATTE - I refinished the floors at one of the restaurants - in gloss, not matte - came out great, but need to go back and do a buff and re-coat this coming week
44. Scrap : MIX IT UP - ah, the fighting and not recycling kind of scrap
46. One of Pete Rose's record 3,215 : SINGLE
48. '80s-'90s co-star with Betty, Rue and Estelle : BEA
50. Far from shiny : MATTE - I refinished the floors at one of the restaurants - in gloss, not matte - came out great, but need to go back and do a buff and re-coat this coming week
52. First razor with a pivoting head : ATRA
53. Chiang Mai native : THAI - semi dupe with "Tai-Chi"
54. Battleship goals : HITS - "you sank my battleship~!"
55. Myrna's role in "The Thin Man" : NORA
57. Musical closing : CODA - and the title of Led Zeppelin's last album
53. Chiang Mai native : THAI - semi dupe with "Tai-Chi"
54. Battleship goals : HITS - "you sank my battleship~!"
55. Myrna's role in "The Thin Man" : NORA
57. Musical closing : CODA - and the title of Led Zeppelin's last album
58. Managed care gps. : HMOs
59. Exists no more : ISN'T
61. Brooklynese pronoun : DAT - oops, not "DEM"
59. Exists no more : ISN'T
61. Brooklynese pronoun : DAT - oops, not "DEM"
Splynter
FIR! Had problems, took a nap, and when I got up saw ON KP, GROW, DEMOS, which gave perps for unknown GARDA, BOO BIRDS. Corrected MR.IQ to DR.IQ, helped get the final phrase, but the clue just didn't suggest PAWED AT to me. And LENA was a natick.
ReplyDeleteNit: Phineas included in P.T.BARNUM.
{C, C+, C.}
A private there was who got stuck ON K.P.
IN EXTREMIS, he was the worst cook that could be!
His mashed potatoes wouldn't CLUMP!
Even his ICE, just a watery lump! --
He got a medal for enhancing STAMINA duty!
Said PHINEAS T. BARNUM to Thelonious MONK,
"Why don't you give up on those CODAS and junk?
If you come with me
You'll play calliope!"
Monk's response, IN C, made P.T. go *thunk*!
The BOO-BIRDS of harpiness are arena trolls
Getting on players' NERVES are their goals!
Those who the sport love
Each RISES ABOVE --
(Ticket prices trolls REMITTED make millionaire souls!)
Uff Da!
ReplyDeleteI was beaten and Bruced. Succeeded in the corners, but that center section was still white when I threw in the towel. The name Ernie Banks was somewhat familiar, but I had no idea who he was -- writer, politician, athlete? Didn't recognize that Italian lake, even after Splynter identified it. And I don't recall hearing BOO BIRDS before. The immensity of my ignorance was just too much for the perps to overcome. Congrats in advance to those who report a success.
Managed to solve the whole thing but was still shaking my head over SCRAP and MIXITUP until Splynter's "ah" explanation.
ReplyDeleteGood morning to all. Thank you Bruce and thank you Splynter.
ReplyDelete10 minutes longer than yesterday. Some of the answers look so easy now, but like Ernie back peddling for a deep popup, I was often in left field with my first thoughts.
To wit, I was doing the math on SILENT L. Track bar had me thinking of the horse rail. For track apparel I wanted something akin to shorts or sweats. Swimming pool ? Billiards players ? Gene pool ? Office pool. Betting pool. Yeah, it was like that.
RIGOR or VIGOR, AMEND or EMEND ? D'oh ! Either way, I know unease isn't correct for butterflies.
That old radio / TV show ? Clueless. You might as well ask to name a river to the Leptev sea or the first name of novelist O'Flaherty . Thinking Groucho for the show. Thank you perps. On all accounts.
The D in GARDA, and the S and X in SPEX were my last fills. DEMOS was the AHA moment, and it should have been seen earlier. Ditto with that X. Was looking for a compound word for scrap, not three words. Did think of Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner there. He would MIX IT UP if challenged.
SEAR or char ? Would have entered thRIVE, but had RISES ABOVE. With A-RIVE in place...
There were a number of clues that didn't need proof or took short proof. BEA, THEDA, SINGLE, MR CUB and TOMS for the prior, and UDON, EX MET and NERD as examples of the latter. Wasn't sure if it would be dork or NERD. Again, thank you perps. And again, thank you Bruce. I enjoyed it.
Backpedaling.
DeleteHoly Cow!!!
ReplyDeleteA royal DNF; I couldn't even finish it wrong! Some clues were so easy for me, but because they were short answers, I never made much headway. Unlike Pete Rose, I never reached first base. MR CUB wouldn't even think this was a great day for two! Yes, TTP, left field is correct I was out there with you. Yet, Bruce, this is well-done. I simply couldn't see it. Lots of Ah Ha moments for me.
Thanks, Splynter. Certainly a necessary explication for me. I am however disappointed that yesterday FISHNETs didn't who up today. ;-)
Have a fine finish to this St Patrick's Day weekend. I still have work to do here, we are celebrating today.
Musings
ReplyDelete-A wonderful Saturday challenge with the emphasis on the last word!
-The mess was military, the pitchers weren’t on a mound, the butterflies had no wings, the crate was not a container, the windows were not on a PC, the pool had no water, scrap was not waste, the court had no judges… Wow!!
-Some athletes give an inelegant, digital salute back to BOO BIRDS
-We will use UBER in D.C. next week for the first time. This will detail REMITTANCE
-Amazon.com is feeding my current binging on this show
-Splynter ICE breaker, “Hey, give me a chance and I’ll deliver!”
-UDON – What’s the record for seeing something and not remembering it?
-Now I KNOW who married IGOR I of Kievan Rus’ around 902 A.D. Get in line with UDON, OLGA
-I don’t get into any March Madness pools or other kind of pools in March
-I ran a computer lab for Kindergartners on Wednesday and was told these kids have to learn how to run a PC Mouse because they grew up with touch screens. State testing runs on computers with a mouse. Back to the future!
This was a slow slog but finally got 'er done. Had that Silkie feeling of finally piecing together what looked like it was a big fail.
ReplyDeleteBig hold up and learning moment was SCAM ARTIST for Sharper clue. I had the I for OMIT - so thought the answer would have to end in IER. BZZT!
I wanted to put NY MET but knew that was wrong because the clue wasn't abbreviated- but it took IN EXTREMIS to switch to EX MET.
We'll eat our way through today- pancake breakfast for Young Life to help send kids to camp this summer, then a funeral with lunch afterwards, and evening dinner with friends that got postponed from a Friday night fish fry due to the visitation for the funeral today. So will end the day in a carb coma watching basketball most likely.
Thanks Splynter and Bruce!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWell, this was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde experience for me. Half practically filled itself in, but the other half resisted mightily. W/o's included Aral (good old standby), for Lena (unknown as clued), Ella/Monk, Thrive/Arrive, Out/Let, Apex/Spex, and Die Hards/Boo Birds. Garda and Olga were unknowns as well, but Mr. Cub, Theda, and P.T Barnum were gimmes. No _ _ _ breaker needed, eh, Tin? 😉 I finished in a tad over normal Saturday time.
Thanks, Bruce, for a challenging but doable offering and thanks, Splynter, for the grand tour. Good luck with your board games venture.
Wilbur C, I hope your son is okay.
Have a great day.
This one did me in! You win, Bruce! Thanks for 'splainin' it Splynter .
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else noticed our dreaded Oxford commas have been in the news lately? One was a court case that hung on a list of exceptions. With no Oxford comma to clarify, were the last two items in the list a single entity? Or was the final item a separate thing? Hmmmm....
My own recent experience involved the children's book, Green Eggs and Ham. Is it Green Eggs, and Ham? Or Green.....EggsAndHam? Does the green modify the ham or not? Is the Ham green? Ahhh, it all depends on the Oxford Comma! So much in life does.
I deal in such important matters.....
Good morning all
ReplyDeleteOof- this offering from Bruce V beat me up pretty good. After a few times across and down, still mostly a white wasteland with only a few good wags : ADWEEK, MRCUB, RISESABOVE, MONK and ATHENIAN.
My pattern of the NW corner stumping me continued. KP never came to mind and LENA was unknown.
I had In extremEs/ INEXTREMIS so Vese (VISE) had me scratching my head. Other hiccups: had Coat for CHAT room, Lazyboy/CHAISES and Homers for SINGLE ( overlooked that the clue wasn't plural) What a mess I had going on.
I finally cheated to get PTBARNUM, GARDA, SPEX, TOMS and RATTLETRAP. I really don't like to cheat but stubbornness about finishing prevailed.
Have never heard of BOOBIRDS and "Sharper"/ SCAMARTIST. Thanks for 'splainin, Splynter! And for your great write up. Good luck with your board games! BTW, I also thought of Led Zeppelin with CODA.
Favorite clever clues were "Windows alternative" AISLESEATS and "Shady time, for some" PAST
Hope everyone has a great Saturday and Wilbur C- hope your son is OK :)
I gave up after stagnating at 80% fill Some interesting and clever clues. Question using the "P" in "PTBARNUM" when the clue "Phineas" already contains a "P". The mountains of snow are slowly melting. Hope my sump pump doesn't burn out
ReplyDeleteSmooth Saturday for me. I recognized all of the names for a change, which helped a lot.
ReplyDeleteA real challenge. I got 3/4 of it in good time except for the M in MONK and MIX. I never thought of the fighting kind of scrap.
ReplyDeleteBut the NE quarter was a disaster. I red lettered it. The morning is slipping by. Gotta run. See ya.
I didn't finish a puzzle all week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHopefully, next week will be better (as in easier)
'Easy' NW corner- not for me. But I did finish in faster than normal Saturday time. Didn't know OLGA OR LENA so I moved on and it was still all white until the P.T. BARNUM and THEDA Bara gimmes showed up. Those toeholds got me going in the south, with GARDA, SPEX, DR. IQ, and LIAM being total unknowns. But the unknown that was the hardest to fill was IN EXTREMIS. I had the hardest time filling the SILENT-L before the light came on, as I knew RATTLETRAP & AISLE SEATS had to be correct.
ReplyDeleteThe use of 'Scrap' as a verb meaning to fight is a new one for me. Live and learn.
Finally! A Saturday Stumper that was easier than Fridays.
ReplyDelete(doesn't mean I didn't cheat...)
But at least I got a good foothold,& hung on til the end...
Funny how I seem to have matured as time goes by.
My favorite part of a Saturday Puzzle is now looking
at indecipherable clues, and admiring there relationship to the answer.
Old Crate? (not a clue)
Rattletrap=old crate (of course! Makes perfect sense now!)
& things like Windows alternative = aisle seats. Great stuff!
(& I always look forward to Splynters write up...)
Good day to all!
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience as Irish Miss--half the puzzle practically filled itself in, while the other half trickled in. Learning moment was SCAM ARTIST for "Sharper" which will, as Tinbeni often says, most likely be forgotten by noon. Favorite clue/answers were "A quarter of a half?" for SILENT L, and "Cleaning up a mess?" for ON K.P. Thanks for the enjoyable puzzle, Bruce, and thanks, Splynter, for your faithful Saturday guidance. Good luck with the board games.
Enjoy the day!
Splynter, the Tai from Tai-chi and the Thai have nothing in common except being homonyms. The puzzle could also have included TIE and TYE with no conflict.
ReplyDeleteBeing married to a Thai woman and being curious I have learned that the Thai were an offshoot from India not China. The language comes from Sanksrit not Chinese.
Enjoyed the puzzle. Thanks Bruce and Splynter.
Obviously over time, the Chinese have has a tremendous effect on modern Thailand; I did not mean to ignore that fact. I was speaking more about linguistic history. There is so much information available on the internet. It is hard to know what is an ultimate truth. For example, the speculation that the indigenous Americans are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel and the early European settlors met tribesman who spoke a variation of Hebrew. LINK .
ReplyDeleteDamn it Sanskrit. I transpose typing on such a regular basis. If you look at the Sanskrit alphabet and the THAI alphabet is suggestive.
ReplyDelete"puzzling thoughts":
ReplyDeleteAlmost Word for Word, what TTP said. Seriously, re-read what he posted, and I'll save the bandwidth by not repeating it! 😜
I surprised myself by not having to cheat, and was thrilled when I read Splynter's scintillating recap, and discovered that I had filled in everything correctly!
I wanted the word eighth for 41 down, but as I filled in the perps, I knew it couldn't be; I spelled vise "vice", but corrected it when I got scam artist in 18 across. I had pop tabs for 43 down, but it, too, corrected itself when 60 across and 63 across revealed.
Almost 100% of my wags were correct! In fact, I probably had more wags than answers I knew!
And a limerick for one of our "regulars". Since he doesn't show up on Saturday I think I'm safe to post this ... 😜
Tinbeni just called a matchmaker,
To hire a female caretaker.
But her bartending stinks,
As she failed with his drinks;
That shouldn't have been her ICE breaker".
Lemonade @ 12:13 --->
ReplyDeleteHere is living proof that the Sioux are descendants of the Jews! 😜 The "reveal" comes about a minute or so into the clip ... probably my all time favorite comedies.
Yeah, I'd never heard of TOM'S either. Are crosswords the road to brand recognition these days...?
ReplyDeleteI thought the wife of Igor was ELSA, maybe ILYA, or ALMA. Wait! No! Mightn't it be LILI or MARA? The guy's a damned bigamist!
Mr. Venzke's powerful Saturday pzl was a pleasant enough challenge at the start. I began pecking away at it in the center-western sector, with 25A and 26D my first points of entry. Things began falling my way faster and faster - until they stopped suddenly at 75% of completion. I began cheating then, first just to confirm my WAGs, then to help break ICE in the upper east, and finally to just, oh, say, what the hell!
Nice, serviceable write-up by Splynter!
Super tough Saturday, finally finished. Tough time in both the NW and the middle. Misleading but very fair clueing as noted above.
ReplyDeleteAnd no Gimmick!!! One of the best hard to solve puzzles for just that reason alone.
Phil is OK, his catscan came up negative.
ReplyDeleteI've had a bad week and even getting this beaut 99.98%(I needed to verify the X in SPEX which led to the SE finish.)
But what put me in the AISLESEAT was Splynter getting my L E B T F. OK. In what step does the baseball game break out?
C-Moe, I misspelled VIC/SE too. And I wanted Taoism. As noted Bruce is a master of misdirection.
I was in either UDON or Ubon in 1970. And I'm in left field when the music starts.
WC
Ps It was 15 years of carnage for me too
WC ---> recently ---> glad to hear your son "passed" the catscan. I always hate to comment about a catscan of the brain/head coming up "negative", as it congers up a bad joke! Happy news for you.
ReplyDeleteOk, I've obviously missed the thread/comments relating to L E B T F. Can you enlighten me or shall I stay in the dark?! 😎 If the answer is too embarrassing to post here feel free to email me. My email address is in my profile. Thanks!
Moe
Took a friend to an AAUW Literary Luncheon today, but I did work on this toughie of a Saturday puzzle earlier in the morning. Got only part of the middle and bottom before I had to start cheating. At least I got THEDA, BEA, NORA (I guess I know actresses if their names are relatively short). I guessed ATRA and that, amazingly, helped me get ATHENIANS, so I was on my way. I too was a little ticked that the Phineas got included in PT BARNUM, because that stumped me for a bit. But in the end, still a fun puzzle, especially with that AISLE SEATS and RATTLETRAP set of clues. So, many thanks, Bruce, and you too, Splynter, for your always helpful expo.
ReplyDeleteWilbur, what a relief that your son is okay.
Have a great rest of the day, everybody!
C-Moe, no, it's ok.
ReplyDeleteLive and let live
Easy does it
But for the grace of God
Think, Think
First things first
There's an old joke: I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out
I was studying early Christian history and the author presented an article on Tony Conigliaro's beaning.
WC
Great news wc
ReplyDeleteNice reference Moe
Oops. His intention was to analyse human behavior under trauma.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm here: I graded Owen much higher than C's. And I always get a chuckle from C-Moe's 'licks.
Cheers, WC
Wilbur Charles, I'm glad to hear the good news about the Catscan. I'm hopeful the good news continues. I know these must be stressful times. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteStressful times for me include losing my billfold and Nook Thursday. I set them on the trunk of the car while loading my bike onto the bike rack. I noticed them missing when I got to the beach. Retracing my drive didn't help. Rats...
I see where Chuck Berry has died. RIP.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteWell put me on KP. I still have room to GROW as a solver... NEPOI.
Thanks Bruce for a fun puzzle that I finally TITT [Eldest sang at Rodeo and MIL needed her car battery changed... That's my IN EXTREMIST excusist and I'm stickin' w/ DAT.
Nice expo Splynter. Those non-MATTE floors look a' real nice-a.
My best corner is the NE. Got it all 'cept VIcE. I tried to con myself; sca-mar-tict as the pronunciation. D'oh!
I knew BARNUM but tried to spell it BArraNUM just to fill the squares. Finally PC LAB fixed that.
Hey, C. Moe - I got my Reuben (spelt correctly today) last night. DD&D [1st bit; my office building is behind Guy @0:02]. Here's the beef. If you can find S7E6 you'll have the full segment [I kept getting sent to DirectTV...]
{A, A-, thunk}
WC - good news re: your son. My heart sank when I read your FLN post.
Swamp - I heard / read the Oxford comma story on NPR and then read it in the paper. I love how they have to remind us what it is :-)
HG - LOL re: mouse training. Back in the late '80s @ DOD we'd give the elderly [at the time anyone over 40 - I was 24, ok?] clerks Solitaire so they could practice their mad mice skillz.
D-O - Brilliant QOD. [paraphrased...] "Not enough perps to overcome ignorance." I think you just added to olio... NEPOI.
Cheers, -T
Wait - I was at DOD in early '90s. LETs just say I'm over 40 now. :-) -T
ReplyDelete-T ---> I take it you're in that high rise office bldg?
ReplyDeleteKenny and Ziggys looks cool - probably got a similar menu to Flakowitz although his corned beef sandwich looked thicker. 10 oz is a lot of meat! I had my Reuben last night with a side of onion rings and slaw. Could barely finish the sandwich and I had the sides as a mid afternoon snack.
What, no "grade" for Moe's Timbeni limerick today?! No "nice" or "cute"?! 😜 😜😀
Well, this one beat me, too, but I clearly recognize and appreciate the masterful skill that Bruce put into constructing it. As AnonymousPVX said, the clues were misleading but very fair. Frankly, I feel clues such as "Scrap," "Cleaning up a mess," "Butterflies," "Track bar," and "A quarter of a half" border on genius.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, thanks again for your explication. I get the feeling you had far less difficulty than I did solving this puzzle.
One answer gave me pause for a while, and that was the idea that a vise has two jaws. I had always conceived of a "jaw" as something that bites or grips, comprising both mating parts, e.g. a mandible alone isn't a jaw, only half a jaw, requiring the mating maxilla. But then I looked it up and sure enough, in the case of a vise anyway, each half of the gripper is considered a jaw, which seems weird to me but that's how it is. So, does mt Crescent wrench have 2 jaws? How about my Vice-Grip pliers? As a matter of fact, how about my regular pliers?
Bill G, sorry you lost your wallet and Nook. I imagine it is a massive pain to have to cancel and replace all your credit cards, not to speak of having to get a new driver's license and other important documents that most people carry in their wallets. Oh wait, you said billfold; I hope that means you only lost some money. Anyway, it sucks that that happened to you.
Best wishes to you all.
WC ---> thanks for 'splaining the acronym. My warped mind was thinking the first three letters meant Left Enough Baggage... !!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the 'lick ...
Jayce ---> agree with your comment that today's clues bordered on genius. The clue for 1 across was my favorite
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, to your question about all pliers, vise grips, et al, having "jaws". I'm not what you'd call a "wrench", but I do recall hearing that term applied. I got it right away but forgot how to spell it correctly!
D'Oh, C. Moe: {Too true to real life?:-)} I did enjoy the 'lick but was so drunk on Reuben (and spelling it right) I done did forget.
ReplyDeleteYes the high-rise (gettin' lower and lower in that 'hood [8 apt buildings in the last 2 years eclipse us]) is the joint I keep haxorz at bay. If / when / ever you come to H-Town... I'll treat. Cheers, -T
Saturdays get way too much for me, however I got "chat" I very often do, "Garda" I've vacationed there, and "Simi" I live in L.A, those I got immediately so thought I might be able to finish but no luck.
ReplyDeleteRoll on Monday for an easier CWP.
Bet to all.
-T ---> my thoughts (about Tin) as well!! With all of the "ICE" words in the xword puzzles, I'm surprised that I hadn't done one in Tin's honor before today! ;^)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your invite to H-Town; hope it's open-ended! I'll let you buy the first round, but when I come, there might be a nice bottle of wine packed in my checked bag. Do you imbibe the fermented juice of the grape??
Sharper? Never heard of it used as a noun before, so I googled after completion, but the site didn't offer the etymology. Never heard of Dr. IQ. First thought of computers, re Windows alternative, as I'm having trouble with mine. Perps for Garda, and they helped with the longer answers. Finally WAG'd "M"onk (kinda remembered the name), to give me "mix it up - huh? Thanks, Splynter, for 'splaining, but still "huh?"
ReplyDeleteAlso, Splynter, as a homeowner always in need of skilled craftsmen, I've enjoyed all your "tada" pictures of your projects over the years. You killed it with your floor-refinishing! UPS does have great benefits, but maybe you should look forward to starting your home remodeling company? Just a thought.
Favorite c|a: In extremis. Have we ever had that one before?
ReplyDeleteOwen, I thought yesterday's offering was better....but today's was definitely a B+ or A-! Made me smile!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJayce, maybe I shoulda said wallet. Yep, it's all gone; driver's license, credit cards, money, insurance ID, etc. Crap.
ReplyDeleteBill G.
ReplyDeleteI hope a good Samaritan finds your wallet, and returns it to you...
I have done that, It's payback time...
TxMs. - I may be off base but I'm thinking of it as a card-sharp [which I always thought was a "shark" until xwords]
ReplyDeleteC.Moe - open invite. I've been known to drink of the good grape.
Bill G. CED's right. Karma owes you one. Hopefully, the phone will ring in the morning.
Matrix II is on AMC - it's getting to the good bits. Cheers, -T
Thank you all for the caring posts re. my son Phil. Concussion has to be watched. I grieve for those fballers who continued playing with their bell rung.
ReplyDeleteRe. Bruce's xword. The baseball clues helped me get a foothold. Of course the 'Pitcher' clue had nothing to do with R-H-SOs-Walks. Speaking of...
Here's an old LL line. 0-0-9-11. Yes, incredibly, no runs, no hits, 9 walks, 11 Strikeouts. In six innings. Oh, the days of YUTE.
WC
Anon-T, thanks. But I'm an oldster ... card-sharK, pool-sharK, in my day. Maybe I need to have Urban Dictionary bookmarked as a handy reference.
ReplyDeleteWilbur Charles, I had no idea as to your son's injuries! Unfortunately, I missed the last few days' blogs. Healing thoughts coming Phil's way! Keep us posted, please.
This was tough, but I FIR.
ReplyDeleteHand up that Sharper as SCAM ARTIST was a total unknown and a big obstacle. The last area to fall for me.
And I never heard of BOO BIRDS. Second to last area to fall.
I have been to Lake GARDA, but I did not realize it is the largest lake in Italy. I have friends at nearby Lake Como.
Lots of unknown proper names. NORA, THEDA, OLGA, DR IQ. Learning moment that PT BARNUM's name was Phineas.