google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 Kevin Christian

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Mar 21, 2017

Tuesday, March 21, 2017 Kevin Christian

Theme: Kevin Christian - An initial puzzle.

17. *Home of baseball's Royals: KANSAS CITY

24. *Diagonally: KITTY CORNER

34. *Large venomous snake: KING COBRA

51. *Hang out (with): KEEP COMPANY

60. *Martial arts move: KARATE CHOP

67. Strikeout victim of poetry, and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues: CASEY (K C)

Argyle here. A pleasant Tuesday.

Across:

1. __ torch: party light: TIKI


5. Gone from one's plate: EATEN

10. "Eleni" author Nicholas: GAGE


14. Nailed, as a test: ACED

15. Carne __: taco filling: ASADA. We have had it here at the corner before but I haven't had any personally. Ranchero Platter (for 2 persons) Carne asada (grilled shell steak), 2 carnitas (pork), chorizo, guacamole, refried beans, corn tortillas - $25.00 - at our local restaurant.

16. Loads (of): A TON. The amount of food that come with the Ranchero Platter.

19. Online journal: BLOG. Somebody asked me the meaning the other day and I couldn't tell them. "The definition of BLOG is "Web-log, online diary".

20. Terminate: END

21. Sign light: NEON

22. Dutch cheese: GOUDA. The five letter Dutch cheese.

23. Federal hush-hush org.: NSA. (No Such Agency)

27. Lament: BEMOAN

29. Clod: OAF

30. "Silk Stockings" actress Charisse: CYD



31. Wine collector's datum: YEAR

32. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA

33. Laugh half: HEE

39. Young fellow: LAD

42. Opposite of spicy: MILD

43. Nile wading bird: IBIS

47. Here, in Haiti: ICI. French.

48. Santa __ winds: ANA

49. GI's mess work: KP DUTY. We had ON KP Saturday.

55. X, in old Rome: TEN

56. Cultural spirit: ETHOS

57. Not on base when req.: AWOL. (Absent Without Leave)

58. Org. whose awards ceremony Vince Gill hosted or co-hosted from 1992-2003: CMA. (Country Music Association)

59. Indian bread: NAAN

63. Raison d'__: ÊTRE

64. Exchange suggestive glances, say: FLIRT. Some people's raison d'être.

65. Cub scout units: DENs

66. Marries: WEDS

68. Canadian tribe: CREE

Down:

1. Impressed with: TAKEN BY

2. Words when the blindfold comes off: "I CAN SEE!"

3. Japanese ball-and-cups toy: KENDAMA



4. Passports, e.g.: IDs

5. Enter slowly: EASE IN

6. Foppish neckwear: ASCOT. Not foppish if you got the panache.


7. Besmirch: TAINT

8. Summer hrs. at Yankee Stadium: EDT. (Eastern Daylight Time)

9. Thumbs-down vote: NAY

10. Eva or Zsa Zsa: GABOR, or Magda.

11. Out for a midday meal: AT LUNCH


12. The one without the patch, for Bazooka Joe: GOOD EYE


13. Dueler's cry: "EN GARDE!"

18. "Puppy Love" singer Paul: ANKA

22. Excel in one's career: GO FAR. Paul Anka did.

25. Ono from Tokyo: YOKO. She did too, in her own way.

26. Low-__ diet: CARB

28. Mork's planet: ORK

32. Med. condition that may involve excessive hand-washing: OCD. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth. Clip(4:33)

35. Apple desktops: i-MACS

36. Bogotá boy: NIÑO

37. Glittery rock genre: GLAM

38. Help: AID

39. Refurbished: LIKE NEW

40. Protective plastic film: ACETATE

41. Fanatically devoted: DIE HARD. The "Die Hard" franchise has been very good to Bruce Willis.

44. Cleaver user: BUTCHER

45. Agenda start: ITEM ONE

46. Neural transmission point: SYNAPSE

49. __ pine: paneling wood: KNOTTY

50. Gomer of TV: PYLE. "Shazam!"

52. Corn breads: PONEs

53. "Les Misérables" city: PARIS

54. Not clueless: AWARE

60. Col. Sanders' chain: KFC. (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

61. __ carte: À LA

62. Atlanta-based public health org.: CDC. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)


Argyle

43 comments:

OwenKL said...

{A, B, B-, C+, ...}

Should some LAD, a mischievous rascal
Prank a BUTCHER, it could be a hassle.
To swipe his chopper,
The big old whapper,
Well, a CLEAVER USER sounds like Eddie Haskell!

We like to KEEP COMPANY, at the Crossword Corner,
With folks from all over, U.S. or foreigner.
We're like Dodge community,
That frontier KANSAS CITY
Where Gunsmoke was filmed at the KITTY CORNER!

The Eye in the Pyramid, are you AWARE why
This symbol of the All-Seeing Eye in the Sky
Is pictured only in unity?
The best explanation I CAN SEE
Is God's got poor vision, that's His only GOOD EYE!

The MILD gorilla liked visits from Ono.
They shared a string toy, but she had FAR to GO.
Paparazzi, a bunch,
Caught them AT LUNCH!
The caption read "Oh, No, Yoyo, YOKO, Koko!"

OwenKL said...

{..., A-, B+, B-, B-.}

The TIKI TORCH sat next to the NEON bar light.
Told him, "I admire your GLAM look so bright!"
Said NEON, "Let's be clear,
I'm a DIEHARD for beer;
But you line garden paths to trysts of delight!"

KING COBRA BEMOANED, "I'll ne'er wear an ASCOT
I have enough problem with a Windsor KNOT!
Besides that, I'm good
My LIKE NEW cowl as hood --
EN GARDE! Let me demo my KARATE CHOP!"

CASEY at K.F.C. was TAKEN BY her FLIRT,
The TAINT of naughtiness in the length of her skirt!
But while about her he wrote
In a nerdy BLOG post,
She was whisked off to PARIS by an OAF in T-shirt!

Imagine meeting mavens of sound, sight, and smell! Oh!
One performing art while another played on his cello!
And the air in the room
A LA the lady's Parfum!
Introductions are in order: Yoyo, YOKO, Coco!

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Thanks to Kevin and Santa. Didn't know KENDAMA. Otherwise easy. Nice theme.

Have a great day!

fermatprime said...

Happy Belated Birthday, John!

Thanks again for good wishes. Am going to try Mucinex. Does it work?

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I made far too many missteps for a Tuesday: BEWAIL/BEMOAN, I SEE NOW/I CAN SEE. What a mess I made. Some folks say KITTY CORNER, some say CATTY CORNER; I'm in the former cohort. Managed to get the theme as soon as I read the reveal. D'oh! Thanks, Kevin.

Argyle, I'd be wary of a Mexican restaurant in New York, but there are some really great ones around here. Of course, they're Tex-Mex, not true Mexican cuisine.

Fermat, to paraphrase the doctor of my ute, Mucinex will clear things up in 14 days. Other treatments (or none at all) will take two weeks to work their magic. Feel better soon.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Greetings from D.C.
-We had an incredible night tour of the D.C. monuments. We HIGHLY recommend it. You will definitely be TAKEN BY the grandeur in the night
-Kevin’s nice Monday puzzle was a pleasant romp whose gimmick stood out like baseball in a punch bowl
-Casey At The Bat is a favorite of mine which I recited in a college speech class and got a B+
-I have watched the KC Royals at Kaufman stadium and KC A’s in Municipal Stadium in KANSAS CITY
-Joann showed her ID at the gate but her Gummy Bears forced them to rescan her carry-on
-The bus is here!

Lemonade714 said...

Were the bears HARIBO HG? How fun to have a constructor present a self-referential puzzle. Reminded me of C.C.'s KG.

The book ELENI was a great true story, but MR GAGE is quite an interesting man.

Feel better Fermat. Thanks Argyle and Kevin.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

I don't generally keep track of my solve times, but this one went especially fast, about 6 minutes. Kendama was all perps.

Morning, Argyle, loved the Cyd Charisse sample! I don't know much about the actress, being before my time, but it's obvious she could make motion beautiful.

CartBoy said...

Theme seems uber-egotistical. Constructor - Kevin Christian (KC). Theme - Casey (KC). Match!

MJ said...

Good day to all!

Fun having a KC-themed puzzle from Kevin Christian. I had the same solving experience as Dudley--a speed run with KENDAMA filled 100% by perps. I have seen children playing with the toy, but did not know what it was called. Thanks for today's entertainment, Kevin, and thanks for the expo, Argyle. Cyd Charisse certainly had fluidity in her movement.

Feel better soon, Fermatprime.

Enjoy the day!

Madame Defarge said...

Good Morning,

Thanks, Kevin and Argyle, for some Tuesday fun. I saw the K's right away, but it took me a bit to put it all together. I enjoyed this.

I remember the first time I was in the KANSAS CITY airport on a layover to Dallas. (Don't ever go there expecting to find someplace decent to eat, unless it's changed.) I asked the person at the newsstand--feeling a bit like Dorothy--"Am I in Kansas or Missouri?" She didn't know either. Wonder how she gets to work. . . .

Gotta get a move on here. I need to be ready to fly to Dallas early Thursday. Going to see our daughter, her hub, two grandsons and three step-grandsons. The boys are all the same ages, including a set of twins. They always provided for a wild and woolly weekend. One of my new grandsons called me and begged me to judge a middle school debate tournament; his team couldn't go unless they found a volunteer judge. Of course, I said yes. I've done science fairs, Chicago Metro History Fairs--both projects and research papers, but I've never done a debate tourney. Just like Gary's quote from John Wooden yesterday--"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts" I'll be spending some time in Dallas learning new stuff. Yay!

Have a very fine day. It's sunny here; I hope it is where you are.

BunnyM said...

Good morning all
I thought the "initials" theme was very clever and got a kick out of seeing that the constructor Kevin had used his own. Actually had me thinking what clues/fills I could use with mine (AM are my married initials; AA my maiden name ones) so perhaps CartBoy would find me to be egotistical,too. But I could never be a CW constructor, so hats off to Kevin!

Thanks Argyle for your fun expo. KENDAMA was unknown and I had to laugh at the kid in the video. It's always nice to see Cary Grant (panache, indeed!). I used to chew ATON of Bazooka Joe but GOODEYE was still unknown.

ASADA, GAGE and SYNAPSE were also perps.

KINGCOBRA was a stand up rollercoaster that I used to love at Kings Island. I'm sure my coaster riding days contributed to my spinal issues but I do miss the thrills.

KFC - my Grandfather was an acquaintance of Col.Sanders. when he lived in Corbin, KY. My Father grew up in nearby Keavy and used to tell me about going to the Sanders house and how nice Mrs. Sanders was. Evidently she was the second wife (and previous mistress!) He led an interesting life

Misty- I couldn't find any info regarding Julie Andrews and the new Mary Poppins other than she gave her blessing regarding Emily Blunt playing the lead. Would be nice if she has a cameo :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Yellowrocks said...

Kevin Christian, how clever to make a puzzle based on your initials and Casey at the Bat.
We place our monograms on towels, clothing, glassware, luggage, other leather goods and so much more, why not puzzles?
The KC was obvious from the start. I was eager to see what you would do with Casey as a reveal.
Fermatprime, feel better soon. That pneumonia is a persistent bear of an ailment.
Madame Defarge, enjoy your Dallas family and the debate judging. I wish we had had forensics in high and college. I thoroughly enjoy a logical discussion of opposing points of view. We can learn so much that way. I hate talking points, slams and non sequitur replies. Most political discussions seem to have descended to this these days-all heat and no light.
Time for my biopsy. See you soon.

Tinbeni said...

Kevin: Thank You for a FUN Tuesday puzzle. Enjoyed the CASEY (K.C.) theme.

Learning moment was the KENDAMA ball-and-cups toy ... and I will forget about it by noon.

A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!

Hungry Mother said...

I got the theme quickly. Never heard of KENDAMA; strangely placed in this puzzle. Maybe OK for a Saturday.

CanadianEh! said...

Monday speed-run on a Tuesday. Thanks Kevin (KC) and Argyle.
OwenKL, you are in rare form today.

Moved from A Lot to A TON (just like the other day), from Tee to HEE.
Hand up for the unknown KENDAMA filling in with perps.

Carne ASADA CSO for Lucina.
CREE and ANKA CSO for me.

I'm in the KITTY CORNER cohort, d-o.

Thanks for the Judi Dench, Lady Macbeth clip, Argyle. DH and I saw Macbeth at Stratford last summer; magnificent performance by Ian Lake. HD movie filmed during a live performance just opened in theatres last weekend.
Macbeth

Madame Defarge, enjoy your family time and good luck with judging at the debate tournament. I have judged at Science Fairs but not debates. Learning experience for sure!

YR, best wishes for good biopsy results.

fermatprime, have you tried good old hot lemon & honey?

Have a great day.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Loved the theme. Grew up with KITTY CORNER. KENDAMA was a learning; perps were precise. No searches or erasures were needed.
KNOTTY - Normally the K is not pronounced in words like KNOT; but in its German cognates it is. German Knoten (also, like in English used for describing nautical speed). L. German Knütt, Dutch knot.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was a nice, breezy Tuesday with a only a hiccup or two (Kendama). The KC theme was evident early and the Casey reveal was the cherry on top. My only mixup was not remembering Joe Palooka with an eyepatch. Who is Bazooka Joe, may I ask? (I'm trying to decide if it's my eyes or my head that needs examined!)

Thanks, Kevin, for a fun solve and thanks, Argyle, for the fun expo. Thanks, also, for brightening my day with the picture of the incomparable Cary Grant. [Sigh and Swoon!]

Feel better, Ferm.

YR, good luck.

Madame Defarge, have a great family visit.

Have a great day.

VirginiaSycamore said...

Thank you KC for a nice easy Tuesday puzzle. And Argyle for the interesting write-ups and clips.

WEES for the puzzle itself. There used to be a KNOTTY PINE bar near my home. It ended up with an AA club across the street. Members were warned not to park in its parking lot when they went to AA meetings. But I knew a woman who told me she paid for so many drinks there that she had permanent parking permission from the owners!

Spitzbov, thanks for the info on pronunciation for knot. The Harry Potter wizards have bronze knuts for coins. I think they pronounce the k sound also.

Live Well and Prosper,
VS

SwampCat said...

I couldn't decide if this one was easy or hard. I'd speed along and then hit a brick wall, like that Japanee ball toy, whose name I've already forgotten how to spell. But CASEY made it all worth while. One of my special favorites . Loved the theme, Kevin, and the guided tour was fun, Argyle.

Owen, I loved them all today - and so many to enjoy! - but the last one was my favorite. Keep us smiling!

Fermatprime, Mucinex works for me. Hope it works for you, too.

CrossEyedDave said...

The names always get me,
(I thought is was Cid...)
10a = Gale left me with 12d = Loodeie???
(I knew it was wrong, but...)
Imagine my groan when I finally saw "Goodeye" on the Blog.

(Hmm, methinks I have my patch over the wrongeye...)

Notes from Kitty Corner...

Kevin Christian said...

Hi, this is KevinC, I constructed today's puzzle. Thanks for solving and thanks for your comments.

My original version of this puzzle was different than this version that got published in two ways. It had CASEY at 13-Down, which intersected with KANSAS CITY at the letter Y. Rich (the editor) asked me to move CASEY to the bottom of the puzzle, or no higher than the middle, because he didn't like having the reveal at the top. It also had six theme answers, including KNOCK COLD. When I revised it to move CASEY to the bottom of the puzzle, I couldn't get clean fill with six theme answers, so I reduced it to five. I dropped KNOCK COLD because I felt it was the odd man out because the K in that expression is silent. From an alliteration point of view, it seemed better to have all five theme answers with the K not silent. Also, dropping KNOCK COLD allowed me to put KING COBRA across the middle, which allowed me to have twelve length 7 fill answers in the corners, which I love. I was especially happy to get KENDAMA and GOOD EYE in there. Both of those got me kudos from my 15-year old son. He's not a KENDAMA expert, but he knows what it is, so he thought it was cool that I was the first person to use KENDAMA as an answer in a crossword puzzle. Also, he plays baseball, so he liked GOOD EYE, which is something the crowd yells to a batter if he doesn't swing at a bad pitch.

See ya! - KevinC

Chairman Moe said...

"puzzling thoughts":

KC does a KC - kute [sic]

Just a quick visit before I'm AT LUNCH

Only misteak [sic] was putting A LOT > A TON in 16a; otherwise this was a fun speed run. Well done, KC & Argyle.

Owen certainly wasn't on KP DUTY today, what with 8 poems. Lots of good words and pun possibilities. But I went a different route, trying to see if I could come with a positive for my punchline. Sadly, no, as I researched Wikipedia and several baseball pages to confirm that this never occurred. I'm sure HG would know, being the big fan that he is ...

After solving this puzzle, I see,
And did you know it too, or just me?
Neither the Royals nor A's,
Had an occasion to say,
"Here's CASEY at the bat for K.C.!"

Lucina said...

Wow! Thank you, Kevin, for not only stopping by but with a full explanation of your construction method. This was a superb puzzle! I like that you used your initials.

My time wasn't as speedy as Dudley's but close. I love a speed run when the fill is also clever and this was.

Ferm, I hope you feel better soon.

Have a delightful day, everyone!

Wilbur Charles said...

Great xword and great commentary from Kevin. Owen, I liked #4 the best. All YOKO refs are instant comedy

Mme D. How about knitting during the debate and presenting the creation as a prize. I remember my 9th grade Ancient history teacher having a debate: Hannibal or Alexander the Great as general. I chose the Hannibal side. I like underdogs.

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Patriot team that night
Their record in Miami was an 'orrid orange blight
From Grogan at the Helm by Wilbur Charles(1986)*
Great stuff from Virginia and Santa on the same day
Re. Knew the Col. DW once casually mentioned that she knew Bobby McGee before Janis
Finally. If there's Nae rum, there's Nae Toddy

WC

* If there's an overwhelming demand for it, I'll try to dig it up

CrossEyedDave said...

What CBS thinks of Kansas City?

King Cobra? (Looks like a prince to me...)

Strange Bedfellows

Alternative link to "KeepsCompany..."

PLs note, I did not use the pic where he hits a dog...

&, of course, no Casey puzzle would be complete without the oft posted...

But, in case you are nostalgic, Here's the original from 1946.

WikWak said...

@IRISH MISS at 9:53 -- Bazooka is (was?) a brand of bubble gum back when I wore a younger man's clothes. No idea whether it still exists. Every piece came wrapped in on of those comics, printed on a waxy paper so it wouldn't stick to the gum. I could not understand why the lead character always wore his shirt with the neck pulled up over his mouth.

Speed run today; under 10 minutes, and that included a short call from my doctor's office.

AnonymousPVX said...

Easyish Tuesday puzzle with KENDAMA the only not known (silent K) clue (KC!). Sorry, haha. Easily solved with crosses.

VirginiaSycamore, I thought it was "live long and prosper", or have you just adapted it for your own use?

Argyle said...

Bazooka Joe and Joe Palooka are two very different characters.

Misty said...

Fun Tuesday speed-run, many thanks, KC. And you too, Santa, for the fun expo. I loved being able to get all the names without any trouble--GAGE, CYD, PYLE, GABOR, ANKA. And the theme answers just filled in quickly and smoothly, and I got the KCs even without relating them to CASEY. Never heard of KENDAMA, but thank goodness for perps.

BunnyM, many thanks for checking the new Mary Poppins for me. I do look forward to it, with or without Julie Andrews.

Good luck with your biopsy, Yellowrocks, and with your meds, Fermatprime.

Have a great day, everybody!

Ol' Man Keith said...

Nice work, Kevin! You're going on a picnic, I see, and you're going to bring ...___!!

Thanks, Argyle, for the Silk Stockings clip. I had a junior high crush on Cyd Charisse.

And thanks for the Lady Macbeth clip of Dame Judi. What a scream! I have great admiration - but no crush.

Big Easy said...

The KC by K.C. was fairly obvious after the KITTY (CATTY down south) CORNER. KENDAMA, GAGE, and GOODEYE were total unknowns. Bazooka Joe is a comic I'm not familiar with. Is it a comic that wrapped Bazooka Gum?

K.C., I agree that the reveal shouldn't be at the top, although in this case it was easily guessed. The only other KNOTTY problem was confusing NIH with CDC.

Wilbur Charles said...

C-Moe

Actually, Casey Stengel played for the Kansas City Blues.

Damon Runyon had a famous "poem" about Casey"running his [inside the park]home run home" to win a world series game for the NY Giants, circa 1921.

Back when sportswriters wrote.

Anon-T, yep YAO and DRJ. And HOWE and HULL for Hockey.

WC

Irish Miss said...

WikWak @ 12:39 - I vaguely remember Bazooka bubble gum but not the comics or the character.

Argyle @ 1:59 - That is precisely why I said my eyes or head need to be examined, not sure which! 🙃

Bill G. said...

Yellowrocks, I'm hoping for all good news.

Kevin, thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed your comments.

Get well Fermatprime.

Irish Miss: Well, I don't swoon but I've always liked Cary Grant too.

CED, I enjoyed your links as always.

No wallet or Nook. I've given up hoping they will be returned. I got to the gas station today. Luckily, I had thought ahead of time about having enough cash with me since I usually use a credit card. I need to buy a new wallet and another Nook. Then things will be closer to normal. I find that disruption in my habits involving credit cards, cash, Nook, etc. are very disconcerting. I never realized how much I'm a creature used to relying on old habits.

Lemonade714 said...

Thank you for stopping by Kevin. I guess Rich does earn his pay. I like the puzzle as it is presented better than with the six themers. Not to knock knock, but the silent K would not fit.

Jayce said...

Good puzzle.

Lucina said...

Argyle:
I also thank you for the Cary Grant photo and I also swoon and sigh!

Bill G:
On Saturday I didn't post so wasn't aware of the loss of your valuable possessions. That's a shame and it's so much trouble to replace license, credit cards and all other vital documents we carry.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

WEES - a speed run that I won't BEMOAN 'cuz I was TAKEN BY all the sparkly fill and the cool learning moment. Gotsta get me one of those KENDAMA things.

Thanks K.C. for the fun puzzle and providing some inside baseball; Rich is right, the silent K woulda been a nit. Dropping in GOOD EYE (I think I got the most walks in little league :-)) was nice to see esp. tying it to the gum...

Argyle on (KP?) DUTY BLOG'n' again today. Thanks for the expo and the link for KENDAMA [I was thinking of just one cup] and the selected Bazooka Joe comic -- I ate A TON of that playing BBall.

WO: N/A
ESPs: KENDAMA, GAGE, CYD, ICI, ASADA (again! - at least I recalled PONE w/only 1 perp)

Fav: KPDUTY xing PYLE xing AWOL. COMPANY halt!

{A,B+,B,B-...A,B,A-,B+ (whew!)} {nice}

HG - Cool at night, right? Did you see Abe too (and use the elevator?)
MadameD. - Have fun in TX!
VS - Funny: AA KITTY CORNER the bar.
All y'all get well soon! Let's get back to MILD maladies.

C,Eh! I didn't know ANKA was Canadian - I only know him from Girl's Town [13m of MST3K]

No love today for KC and the Sunshine Band? I don't think they're eligible for a CMA :-)

The big cheese was meant to GO FAR
But lost the duel, EN GUARDE!
His GOOD EYE to the defender
He BEMOAN'd, "GOUDA been a contender."

//I'll see myself out..

Cheers, -T

Anonymous T said...

//Sorry Argyle - Every time I'd try to preview/edit/return, I ENDed up posted... Finally went to Notes and cut/paste to post. -T

Chairman Moe said...

-T @ 7:44

{cute} ;^)

Wilbur Charles said...

Bill G. So sorry about the lost wallet. Shudder. I've been patting my back pocket all day

Anon-T, I liked your poem. Reminded me of Brando's desire to be a big cheese: "I GOUDA been a contender"

Between the two of us I think we've permanently cured Owen's depression

WC

Anonymous T said...

Thanks C. Moe & WC re: my cheesy pun.

WC - let's hope. OKL has been providing his delightful prose for >3 year now - a day's not the same w/o.

Nite. -T