Theme: Epistles - Two across, two down, and one reveal.
17A. *Seeks shelter: TAKES COVER. Cover letter.
38A. *Bob Marley togetherness classic: ONE LOVE. Love letter.
11D. *System that gets goods to customers: SUPPLY CHAIN. Chain letter.
25D. *Major golf tournament won five times by Tom Watson: BRITISH OPEN. Open letter.
61A. Stationery that may include a company logo ... or what the ends of answers to the starred clues can be?: LETTERHEAD
Argyle here. C.C. puts us back on the path to crossword normalcy.
Across:
1. Like some benefit golf tournaments: PRO-AM
6. Baby bed: CRIB
10. Deadly snakes in hieroglyphics: ASPs
14. "It matters to me": "I CARE"
15. Italian money until 2002: LIRA
16. Tackle box item: LURE
19. Samoa's capital: APIA
20. "__ side are you on?": WHOSE
21. Not up to snuff: SUBPAR. But subpar might be good in the British Open.
23. Pierced ear part: LOBE
26. Actor Jared: LETO. Busy man. IMDb
28. Conceals in one's hand: PALMS
29. Tactical advancements: INROADS. Did You Know? Inroad is a combination of in and road, both of which are pretty mundane, as far as words go. But the first-and oldest-meaning of inroad hints at a meaning of road other than the "way for traveling" one. Beginning back in the days of Old English, road referred to an armed hostile incursion made on horseback. (Raid comes from this use of road and also formerly specified incursions on horseback.) Road has lost all of its former violent connotations, and inroad is shedding its as well. While inroads are often made at the expense of someone or something, they are at times simply advances, as when an artist is said to be making inroads into a community. ~ Merriam-Webster
31. Like slugs: SLIMY
33. Jellyfish bites: STINGS
34. Thrilla in Manila boxer: ALI
35. Stop stalling: ACT
37. Wee one: TOT
41. Mag mogul often seen in pj's: HEF. Hugh Hefner.
43. Letters in geometry: PIs. Pi for breakfast?
45. Duracell size: AAA
46. Ritzy spread: ESTATE. Oater for ranch.
48. Ivory and Coast, for two: SOAPS. Get it? Ivory Coast.
50. Tom Brady, notably: PATRIOT. Quarterback for the New England Patriots.
51. Garden bug: APHID
53. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL
55. "The Piano" actress Paquin: ANNA. (11 years old in the Piano, 1994)
56. "Just my luck!": "POOR ME!". Alas and alack.
58. La Scala solos: ARIAs
60. Prime for picking: RIPE
66. "Got it": "I SEE"
67. Dole (out): METE
68. Chill-inducing: EERIE
69. Camera part: LENS
70. Toboggan, e.g.: SLED
71. Second or sixth president: ADAMS. John Adams or John Quincy Adams.
Down:
1. Mango discard: PIT
2. Color TV pioneer: RCA
3. Sturdy furniture wood: OAK
4. "Is it a go for tonight?": "ARE WE ON?"
5. Sports jersey material: MESH
6. Wraps up: CLOSES
7. Fastener for Rosie: RIVET
8. Rancor: IRE
9. Pub crawl stops: BARS
10. Montgomery's home: ALABAMA. The state's capital; tricky clue.
12. Trojan War king: PRIAM. Whose side? Troy. (Hi, Agnes)
13. Chars: SEARS
18. Reason for a heating bill spike: COLD SNAP
22. Wire service org.: UPI. (United Press International)
23. Most wanted __: LIST
24. In the lead: ON TOP
27. Nobel Institute city: OSLO
30. Back in the day: AGO
32. Habitually misrepresent one's true self: LIVE A LIE
34. Pie __ mode: À LA
36. Wyoming's Grand __ National Park: TETON
39. Lighten (up): EASE
40. Md. winter hours: EST. Maryland/Eastern Standard Time
42. Spanakopita cheese: FETA
44. Evening affairs: SOIRÉEs
47. Seriously vandalized: TRASHED
49. USN bigwig: ADM. Navy Admiral
50. Took different paths: PARTED. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost
51. Month with showers: APRIL
52. Composure: POISE
54. Foamy pick-me-up: LATTE
57. Tall shade trees: ELMs
59. Environs: AREA
62. Slender swimmer: EEL
63. Pitcher's stat: ERA. (earned run average)
64. Asset at the archery range: AIM
65. __ Moines: DES
Argyle
59 comments:
Greetings!
Thanks C.C. and Santa! Delightful!
Didn't know PATRIOT but otherwise pretty rapid!
Would love to get rid of cough!
Have a great day!
{A, A, B, B+, C+.}
I sent my LOVE a LETTER, which was meant to catch her eye.
If such a thing is foreign now, 'tis a loss that I decry!
Its AREA told how I CARE for her,
The encircling LURE that she'll stir.
And yet she spurned my missive, the transcendent LETTER PI !
On Heaven's LETTERHEAD, direct from God to ADAM,
A COVER LETTER to explain the latest lease addendum:
You forfeited Eden ESTATE
When RIPE forbidden fruit you ate,
But I'll allow you PALM leaves, to COVER you and Madam!
Alas, the INROADS Fate has TAKEN on POOR ME¡
He is a SLIMY master of what he METES, I SEE¡
Just because I LIVE A LIE
My CRIB's a PIT, and here I sigh¡
The way a bad choice CLOSES doors, it's EERIE¡
There was a hayseed from ALABAMA
Went to court his sweetheart ANNA
When he asked, "ARE WE ON?"
She told him, "Dear John,
I'm off to see HEF in his PAJAMA!"
The ELM and OAK are sturdy blokes,
The APHID doesn't scare such folks.
But when he's ON TOP
Of a flower or crop
He'll drink them dry like LATTES or cokes!
Easier than usual Tuesday, but fun to solve.
Fermatprime, I hope that lingering bug goes away soon.
Loved this puzzle and the reveal - thanks CC and Santa. I especially liked both the majestic ELM and OAK appearing in the fill. No erasures today, but my personal Natick was APIA x PRIAM. Somehow I was fairly sure it had to be an "I", so I got it right. Only other unknown was LETO Jared. My first thought was that he eats at Subway, but that must be a different Jared. I first thought of Field Marshal Montgomery before the perps evoked the wonderful song "Angel From Montgomery" by John Prine. I got PATRIOT after "deflater" wouldn't fit for Tom Brady.
Only us New World denizens say BRITISH OPEN. It is correctly known as The Open Championship.
Today is the last day of spring training. Just couldn't get motivated to go to a game during my two months in Florida. I guess that once the flame goes out, it is out permanently. Pity - I used to love the game.
Good morning!
Thanx, C.C., for bringing things back to early-week difficulty. Once again, I failed to read the entire reveal clue. Once again I failed to get the theme. Some things never change. Thanx for the tour, Argyle.
Do any of you use TuneIn for streaming radio? I've found it to be really handy until this past weekend when it started dropping out...4 or 5 times per minute for about 5 seconds each time. Very irritating. Anybody else experiencing that? I've checked my internet speed, and it's fine...well maybe not fine, but it's just as fast as it's sold to be.
PI is a number in geometry, not a letter.
I get the theme, but the reveal clue is poorly worded: I don't see how a LETTERHEAD can be a COVER, LOVE, a CHAIN or OPEN. Some form of "when combined with" is needed.
Anon 7:39, LETTERHEAD in crossword speak tells you that these words are attached to the head of LETTER. Wordplay is what puzzles are all about. Uncovering hidden things is the game.
I hope APIA sticks in my mind.
Thanks C.C. and Argyle.
That's very interesting about the origin of ROADS, Argyle, thank you. And as usual, C.C., provides us with some fun fill in her grid. I also liked seeing both ELM and OAK as well as King PRIAM.
Even without "combined" I saw OPEN LETTER, CHAIN LETTER, LOVE LETTER and COVER LETTER. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. There is such a thing as being too literal and PI is, in fact, a Greek letter.
I am surprised, though, that we also see Pie A LA mode as a clue as well as PI in the puzzle.
Thank you, Argyle and C.C. It's a good way to start the day.
Have a terrific day, everyone!
Hello Puzzlers -
Smooth sailing today. Even though I can't abide football, I knew Tom Brady - living in Massachusetts will do that. Admired the pinwheel symmetry in this nice, crisp grid!
About Rosie the Riveter: WWII was a bit before my time, but I imagine that it was an enlivening time for the nation, particularly for all those women who showed up in factories for their first-ever jobs. With all the airplanes being built, and with each one having tens of thousands of rivets, there was a huge demand for riveters, and women proved to be superb at the task. In many cases the job requires a team of two, and they have to coordinate their efforts with care - often while unable to see each other. In a noisy environment. It's amazing, really.
An easy fill today with the two actors, LETO and ANNA, and king-PRIAM- being the only unknowns solved by perps. The BRITISH OPEN is now referred to as 'THE' OPEN and Wimbledon is now referred to as 'THE' CHAMPIONSHIPS- at least by the commentators ( but nobody else)
54D- "Foamy pick me up"- LA was in place and I would much rather have a LAGER than a LATTE (I don't drink coffee) but it didn't fit the puzzle.
"Pierced ear part"- they don't stick to LOBEs. 63D & 64D- A pitcher's ERA is definitely related to his AIM. C.C.'s baseball moments today.
Good morning all!
I enjoyed this cleverly clued (and much easier than yesterday) puzzle from C.C. and the tour from Argyle- thanks to both of you for a fun Tuesday :)
Jinx- I also was thinking that APIA/Priam was my personal Natick for today. And I had to Lol at your Tom Brady> deflater comment!
No other issues and finished in my usual time while enjoying my morning LATTE.
I often find personal coincidences in the puzzles and today was no exception. Sadly, it is the sixth anniversary of the loss my dearest cousin's granddaughter. The sweet TOT was only three years old and her passing was a staggering blow to our family. She loved music, especially Bob Marley. I can't hear "Three Little Birds" and ONELOVE (which were played at her funeral) without thinking of her and the huge impact she had on all that knew her in her short lifetime.
Not trying to be a downer but this was all heavy on my mind this morning. Then when I saw those references in the puzzle, it was too coincidental not to share.
On a happier note: our dinner last night with daughter #1's new boyfriend was a huge success! "The firefighter" passed inspection and earned everyone's approval! He even picked the restaurant - a nearby place we didn't know existed which turned out to be fantastic. Great food, craft beer and a fun time was had by all :)
Rain, rain and more rain here but the birds are chirping and my hyacinths survived the threatening COLDSNAP from a couple of weeks ago and are blooming nicely :)
fermatprime- hope that nagging cough goes away soo. My goodness, you've had that for a long time.
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Good morning all. Thank you CC and thank you Argyle.
Nice puzzle. Unfortunately for me, I was so intent on avoiding the reveal clue that I got the TADA without reading it. Now I see the beauty of it.
Desper-otto, Bandwidth, Jitter, Bottlenecking and Noise.
1) Are you overdriving the bandwidth ? Turn off two or three of your other computers and internet connected devices and see if streaming improves.
2) Ping a few urls including Tunein and see if you have any packet loss.
3) Tracert to the Tunein url and see how many hops you are taking. Stop and restart the service and see if you get fewer hops and service improves, or vice-versa.
4) Open your router's browser window and check the s/n ratios.
5) Reseat your cable connections.
6) Call you service provider and ask them to run a signal test and check quality.
Good morning everyone.
Nifty puzzle from C.C. today. No problems solving, but had to change 'which' to WHOSE. Noted that SLIMY and EEL were in the same puzzle. Lots of trees, today: OAK, ELMS, PALMS. EERIE instead of our usual Erie came out today.
OSLO - Only the Peace Prize is given in Oslo. The other Nobel awards are given out in Stockholm.
OAK - Latin Quercus, German Eiche, L German Eek.
ELM - Latin Ulmus, German Ulme.
Good Morning:
It's always a pleasure to see CC's byline and know you're in for a treat. I really appreciate CC's knack for hiding the theme so well that you have no idea where the themers will lead you. (At least this is my experience.). Did not know that Greek spinach pies had cheese in them. No bumps in this smooth as silk offering but lots of enjoyment.
Thanks, CC, for another gem and thanks, Argyle, for the erudite expo; you were in fine form this morning. Thanks, also, for that Troy CSO.
Bunny M, how terribly sad you must feel today. All the best to Daughter #1 and the firefighter. One of my brothers was a firefighter for over 30 years; he was the tillerman on the hook and ladder.
Expecting more rain this afternoon but sun tomorrow, though it'll be short-lived as more rain is due Friday. Go figure (Tin), Sheesh (Jayce), and ............... (Thumper!)
Thank you.............thank you..............thank you.............
I loved the puzzle...............I feel smart, again!
Good day to all!
Fun puzzle today. Only unknown was Jared LETO. Would not have gotten the theme without the reveal. Thanks C.C. for a fine Tuesday offering, and thanks, Argyle , for the expo. Interesting history of the term INROADS.
BunnyM--Sorry to hear of your family's loss.
Fermatprime--Feel better soon.
Enjoy the day!
Nice write-up Argyle. Good Job, very informative.
C.C. Thank you for a FUN Tuesday puzzle. ONE LOVE was my favorite theme.
OK, I admit I needed ESP (Every-Single-Perp) to get the unknown LETO and PRIAM.
Fave today, of course, was 9-d, Pub crawl stops, BARS ... I do enjoy Pub crawl stops. Go figure ... LOL
Hmmm, that gives me an idea of "What to do" today.
Cheers!
Blogger Yellowrocks said...
I liked the theme to this easy puzzle. Only LETO was unfamiliar.
I read a very interesting novel based on The Trojan Wars. Priam and his son Paris were included.
I was looking for some kind of pate for ritzy spread, but got ESTATE from the perps.
I love spanakopita with its spinach and cheese filling. It is available in most Greek restaurants. The last time I ordered it I was disappointed that the phyllo dough was too soggy. It must have sat around too long. I have hesitated to order spanakopita since then. I miss it. I suppose I could take a chance on it and send it back if it is soggy. I rarely send anything back if I don't like it.
Bunny, how sad for you and your family.
Ferm, I hope your cough goes away soon.
Spitz, your comment led me to study slimy eels.
The letter PI is used in GEOMETRY as well as the number it represents. You see the letter in formulas.
I was sure my planner was on my bedside table last night. I can't find it. So frustrating and inconvenient!
I breezed through today's puzzle. Thanks, as yesterday's was rather difficult for me.
Bunny, so sad to hear of your loss.
Off now to sing with 35 women. The theme is 'California Dreamin' One of my favorites, "Hurray For Hollywood"
Hard to remember all the words as you get older, about 8 songs.
Whew! A fun puzzle at last! Thanks, C.C. And thanks to you, also, Argyle for the enlightening tour.
I'll never understand why these uninformed Anons have to take up space. As several people have said, Pi is a Greek LETTER representing a NUMBER. What so hard about that?
Owen, I loved the first two today! But they all brought out a smile.
Jinx, I tried "deflater" at 50 A also!
BunnyM:
That is so sad and I send my condolences to you and your family.
Ferm:
Have you consulted your doctor about the cough? I hope you can shake it soon.
Dudley:
One of my aunts was a riveter in Goodyear, AZ where a factory was established during the war. She was so tiny, 4'10", and had such small hands her job was to rivet the nose cone where no one else could fit. I'm sure she was proud of her job.
Fermatprime,
I once had a cough that went on for months.
a follow up visit to my Doctor revealed that it was
a side effect of a type of blood pressure medicine he prescribed me.
When I asked him why he would prescribe such an awful RX,
he said it works well for most people, but some react to it that way.
Ask your Doctor to check combined meds/side effects...
Being a CC puzzle makes me look closer at its formation.
Case in point: Apia crossing Priam
(I can only imagine this must have been the last fill...)
Of the 25 other letters, can "you" make any of them work?
(play Jeopardy theme here...)
Hmm, methinks they have a Monopoly...
Letterhead humor?
An interesting use of a letterhead...
So yesterday was today and today was yesterday. Now it all becomes clear. Thanks CC, every puzzle is a pleasure.
AnonymousT, re:late last nite
Thank you for the frequency domain link, I watched the whole thing
and found it fascinating. I learned so much!
Chief of which is that thanks to the time domain signal,
the Sinusoid is not extinct.
I can't wait to watch Part Two
to see if any other prehistoric creatures have been saved!
Wait a sec!
Oh No!
Part II starts with a correction to part I,
the Sinusiods may not have been saved after all!
(This is fascinating stuff!)
"Puzzling Thoughts":
I was definitely SUB PAR (as in, UNDER PAR) this morning, if let's say, having 3 mistakes would be considered "Par" (using golf-speak for a crossword puzzle). I had ZERO errors / omissions / write-overs / cheats. Used perps when needed, but no WAG's. Well, maybe PRIAM was a WAG but I was 99% sure that APIA was correct. More Monday-like, but very enjoyable. Thanks CC and Argyle.
I started penning LAGER into the "foamy pick-me-up" spot, but stopped at LA when I read the perps. Knew that the "beer foam" was not the pick me up CC was after. Though like some others, I would certainly choose a LAGER over a LATTE any day of the week!
48a was my favorite clue / solve. Wonder if the clueing for both words would read: African Nation named for two soaps?
Owen ---> at some ungodly hour this morning ---> #2 was cute
Didn't try to use any words from today's puzzle to form a limerick. I have several in the "bullpen" (ones I've written and saved) so I am choosing one of those today to share:
At the caviar plant, workers fussed
Over whether arrest was unjust.
Seems a worker they knew
Robbed the 'fridge of a few
Eggs. Got caught. Was this a just "roe-bust"?
Nice Tuesday puzzle…not a gimmick but a theme, nice. Great clueing as well. Everybody likes that, especially me, haha.
Hi All!
WEES, a normal puzzle fitting the day-o'-the week.
Thank you C.C. for the puzzle HEADed in the right direction.
Thanks Argyle for the Expo. I liked the π ALA-formula pic and INROAD etymology*... Between INROAD's c/a and PARTED... WHO else couldn't not think of Yogi Berra's "When you come to a fork in the road, take it" during solve?
WO: N/A
ESPs: LETO, APIA, PRIAM (hand-up Jinx the I was a WAG)
Fav: c/a Ivory and Coast == SOAPS. Brilliant.
{A+,A+,B+,C,B+}. {groan :-)}
BunnyM - sorry to hear about your loss.
Fermat - What CED said. Or, the advice D-O METE'd last week... By my calculation you have 3π more days w/ the cough if he's right. Get better soon.
CED - that Oval Office LETTER HEAD link is too funny... Everything I got is a SUB PAR... Just face PALMS --which I'm now doing realizing someone else spent 12 min watching Fourier transforms explained :-)
Cheers, -T
*as opposed to entomology- that's APHID's expo :-)
Musings
-Done and done. I was correct and even saw the HEAD part of the theme. Bonus – All the words were in English!
-Yup, I took part in this TAKE COVER drill
-Once Grant got south of Lee and cut off his SUPPLY CHAIN, it was a fait accompli
-McClelland of course got replaced because he wouldn’t ACT
-Famous OPEN LETTERS
-When did “I couldn’t CARE less” equal “I could CARE less”?
-Everyone anxiously waits for their tomatoes to get RIPE around here and then when they are, people can’t give them away.
-These MESH practice jerseys are called “pinnies” short for pinafores but my girls called pennies
-Name the Mamas and Papas song with this lyric – “Every time I see that girl, You know I want to lay down and die, But I really need that girl, Don't know why I'm LIVIN’ A LIE, It makes me want to cry”
-More kids coming in!
I agree that Monday came on Tuesday. I was doing it in my head at Village Inn but inking it in was a bit too rude.
Speaking of cartoons: Bizarro was good today.
Bunny, I'll say a prayer for that little girl.
I had the nagging cough for a month or so. Fortunately, the Florida heat arrived. Allergies may be a cause.
Dudley, is that Dudley Mass? Out where no one are*
I missed spring training games for my 10th year. But there's some cool aloe growing in the back yard.
Whenever 60s UCLA games are mentioned it's Alcindor not Jabbar. And speaking of Watson and deflate-gate; the former once accused Gary Player of cheating because of the way he mismarked his ball on the green eg. Colossal nits, both of them
Speaking of nitpicking. The king always gets the attention he craves. Oops, I'm now guilty too.
How do you pronounce Spanatiko?
Loved the 'licks today. I agree with the A's but the others were excellent too. C-Moe, I there are no horrible puns.
* Paraphrase of a LOTR poem about Boromir's journey. The Winds.
WC
That would be the Mamas and Papas song with stop...restart part. I'd love to know the story behind that.
HG - this?. [Don't click it may be a spoiler]. C, -T
CED - I've been on medicine like that. Zestril, WHOSE generic is Lisinoprol. Coughing is one of the main side effects. I read once that the drug was adapted from the venom of a S. American snake. EERIE.
YR - Catadromous EELS used to frequent the Upper Hudson. When fisher men/women would inadvertently catch eels they would give them to my Dad who would laugh because he got fish without having to wait for them to bite. My Mom would fry them up and my parents would be in Heaven. Strangely they never sought out smoked eel (Räucheraal). L. Ger. (Rökeraal), which is popular in the North Sea littoral.
Bunny - Thanks for sharing your remembrance of your family's sad loss.
Hope the firefighter thing works out for your daughter. Sounds like a hoot.
I love seeing a C.C. puzzle on any morning, and this one was a delight. I sailed through it with almost no erasures and no cheating--Yay! And I very much enjoyed your write-up, Argyle. So, many thanks, C.C. and Santa, for getting this Tuesday off to a great start!
Loved the PI/PIE picture.
Kept thinking that the Ritzy spread would be caviar or something like that. Took forever to finally get ESTATE. Also couldn't figure out the IVORY COAST, for a while, I guess because I've heard of IVORY soap, but not COAST soap.
Loved the clue for RCA. My dad got a job at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania RCA plant in 1955 because they were beginning to produce color TV and so were hiring. He worked there for decades until it finally closed.
Bunny, what a sad story about that sweet little girl, but so glad the new boyfriend seems like a gem.
Fermatprime, take good care of yourself and hope your cough gets better soon.
Have a great day, everybody!
I was impressed with the example Argyle used for the area of a circle is pi * r2. (I don't know how to imsert pi in a document.) I suppose this is how math is taught to children and they wouldn't understand X to mean multiplication. I wonder why the powers that be, probably Microsoft, didn'y use "altX" or "ctrlX".
John28 - π == 3.1415, er π. -T
Wrong song, Anon T. "The song with the famous "false start" in the middle that sounded so good, they left it in."
Anonymous T:
Of course that will work. Why didn't I think of that. My comment was more that my great-grandchildren probably know more about computer stuff than I do.
I may know π to a thousand places; I do HTML for my dog... But I'm flummoxed on HG's Mama & Papa's song. I'll look forward to you your further expo t'nite. C, -T
Misty, after the Oxford comma we now have the California "Or". Did you mean to say"Almost no cheating"? Unless it was PRIAM/APIA where the "I" was in doubt.
Then again we had PROAM. Speaking of PRIAM, I'd think AENEUS and AENIAD would be great cross-words.
Then again those horses long since left the barn.
WC
Ps
Argyle, was that a Beach Boys Song?
I recall them screwing up Barbara Ann and continuing
HG - Was the title "I Saw Her Again" or "Last Night", or "I Saw Her Again Last Night"?
I found my thin planner under a magazine. Whew! It contains so many important hard to replace items, including my appointments. My mother used to call hers her "brains."
Spitz, my Grandpa used to go eeling and Grandma used to cook his catch, so I heard. I was never there to sample it.
One of my favorite sushi dishes is unagi, grilled glazed eel. I just now read that Japan has added freshwater eel to the endangered list. The Japanese must be upset. I wonder if I will ever taste grilled eel again.
HG, I remember those duck and cover days in the 60's as a teacher. Do you think duck and cover would help in case of a nuclear bomb attack!! I also remember the type of desk in your picture. In the 40's as a student I remember the blackouts and air raid wardens.
Alan took three rounds of antibiotics to quell his pneumonia last spring. He was fine while taking the medicine but symptoms returned as soon as he stopped taking it. So the extra rounds controlled it and finally cured it.
I found my thin planner under a magazine. Whew! It contains so many important hard to replace items, including my appointments. My mother used to call hers her "brains."
Spitz, my Grandpa used to go eeling and Grandma used to cook his catch, so I heard. I was never there to sample it.
One of my favorite sushi dishes is unagi, grilled glazed eel. I just now read that Japan has added freshwater eel to the endangered list. The Japanese must be upset. I wonder if I will ever taste grilled eel again.
HG, I remember those duck and cover days, both in the 40's as a student and in the 60's as a teacher. Do you think duck and cover would help in case of a nuclear bomb attack!! I also remember that type of desk in schools.
Alan took three rounds of antibiotics to quell his pneumonia last spring. He was fine while taking the medicine but symptoms returned as soon as he stopped taking it. So the extra rounds controlled it. Finally he was clear.
Could care less or couldn't care less?
The Oxford dictionary already recognizes “could care less” as an American colloquialism. Many people, however, regard it as incorrect since it makes no logical sense (if you “could care less” it means that you care at least a bit).
So I like the old "couldn't care less." I care as little as it is possible to care.
Bound to overpost says...
YR - Could care less - See FLN Weird Al Word Crimes link :-) Good to hear you found "the book." I feel you - if it's not on my sticky-note or in Outlook, it doesn't exist and I walk around like an idiot.
Louis Black on TAKE COVER [MA-L]. I was lucky to hit the end of the COLD war SNAP when I was 13-ish. I recall duck-n-cover more for tornadoes / in an ironic way. C, -T
I had a prostitute turn me down because she knew I wouldn't pay. She said I'd always be owen' to her.
I thought that was a whore-able pun.
The Alarm
Late signing on today - because we had a flooding emergency. The regulator to our outside water supply broke down, and water was gushing throughout our garden. The drains couldn't carry it away fast enough, and it was threatening to come into our family room from the north patio.
AT first we couldn't remember where the cutoff was located, and once we found it, we couldn't get it to close properly. We contacted our home insurance emergency service, our neighborhood association, and our plumber - who told us to call the water company.
The quickest to respond?
Our fire department. Bless 'em. Our panic was instantly allayed by the boys in blue.
The sequel? A visit from a company that specializes in fire and water damage & phone calls from appraisers who offer evaluations. We waved them off because the problem was stopped before it reached the disaster level.
Fortunately!
Our fear is that a similar problem could strike when we're sleeping or away from home.
The Pzl
It was pleasant and most reassuring to settle in for C.C.'s Tuesday Xwd. Of all the gratifications we take from our daily cruciverbal exercise, we may not give enough credit to the simple comfort afforded by our brain-teasing routine. This habit combining engrossment and familiarity keeps us in our heads - and away from threats to our bodies. Is it too much to put on a humble pzl - that it secures us in solvable cerebration & keeps us focused away from quotidian ups & downs?
Have a good, safe day, everybody!
I edited my comment about duck and cover, but published the original. Sorry. There was no such thing in the 40's. We had black outs and air raid wardens,kinda scary for a kid, especially when planes went over during a black out. I even dreamed of enemies in the hill behind my house. I was in the primary grades at the time.
Yellowrocks,
You remind me of the great Japanese attack on San Francisco. I must have been four or five when they struck. It was nighttime when we heard the sirens, and we first thought it was a drill. My Dad was a warden, so he grabbed his helmet and flashlight left my Mom and me. We made sure the blackout curtains were closed tight, then started to go up the back stairs to share the "drill" with the family that lived in the flat above us.
I remember it was while we were on the stairs that the bombs started to fall. Ka-BAM, ka-bam! We hurried so fast I tripped, and my Mom had to hurry me along. When we reached the upstairs family, the woman who was their mother was under the kitchen table. She was crying, I remember, and I think praying. The explosions were getting closer. Ka-BAM! Other people were whispering things between the bomb bursts, and some were crouching or under furniture. Maybe I was under something with my Mom, or my memory could be tricking me because I was so short.
It wasn't till my Dad came home that we learned that the Coast Guard had chosen that night to detonate old mines in the bay. Our home was close enough to the harbor that we could feel the vibrations of the explosions. We all learned that it wasn't a real attack, but to this day the experience was as close as I ever want to come to a full-on air assault.
After a week of internet issues and a new modem, I'm back online! No longer does it take 5-10 minutes to download a page!
Like others I think the puzzles were on the wrong days. Today was much easier then yesterday, but I still enjoyed them. Kudos to constructors and Argyle!
Didn't get the theme, but what else is new? No problems with this one.
She won't make it to the IVORY COAST, but favorite daughter is in the air right now, going from Cape Town, S.A., a quick stop in Johannesburg, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, then to Nairobi, Kenya. A cousin is at a camp in the Maasai Mara, near the Tanzanian border, studying hyenas with a Michigan State Univ. group. Liz gets to hang out at the camp for 3 days, doing who knows what. This trip has already taken her to Munich, Ger. She gets home late Sunday evening.
I'm sorry for your loss, Bunny M.
Ferm, I hope you get better soon.
Have a great evening.
Pat
OMK:
Lucky you that the troops arrived on time! Here at our complex we have the problem of residents, primarily renters, not leaving a contact number when they are gone and if a water or other emergency occurs, there is no way to shut it off. This has happened more than once even though they are constantly encouraged to provide an emergency number.
YR:
Good news about finding your planner! What a loss when they are truly mislaid.
Wilbur, I think I meant to say that I erased a few letters, but I didn't google anything or look anything up. Did I say it incorrectly? I may be a retired English professor, but that doesn't make my grammar is perfect, I realize.
Ol' Man Keith, what a troublesome flooding emergency. What a relief that it could be stopped before getting into your house.
Musings
-I Saw Her Again was certainly the song I had in mind.
-Couldn’t CARE less is the one that makes sense to this literal mind
-That “duck and cover” maneuver seems like it would be useless against a nuclear attack. The alternative was to bend over and kiss an intimate part of your anatomy good-bye.
Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, C.C.! Great expo, Argyle!
My only real problem with the puzzle was having all but the "P" in Paris turn red. Had to ESP PRIAM. Don't know why I can't remember that guy. He seems new every time.
Fermatprime: Seems to me an on-going cough with pneumonia means there is matter needing to be expelled. I got so I'd bend over as far as I could when a coughing spell started as sort of a Heimlich maneuver so the diaphram would help propel that junk upward. If your mucinex is loosening that stuff, you have to get it out or it will take forever to get well. Last pneumonia I had, doctor started me on a Zpac. Ten days after medicine was gone, I had to have a different antibiotic then a third kind ten days after that was gone. Hot shower on the chest along with breathing the steam sometimes helps release the junk.
C.C. was kind enough to thank everyone for my birthday greetings last week. I want to add my further thanks. Made for a cheerier day than I otherwise would have had since my festivities with my kids had to be postponed until the weekend. My only outing on my birthday was rolling my trash can to the curb. However, I did have a bunch of nice cards, phone calls and emails. The only real bummer was a lady who came to my door and wanted my signature on a document allowing her company to come on my property to install a new city sewer main through my backyard. Waaa! I told her I had just got the grass to grow back there after having the house-to-main clay sewer line replaced about 5 years ago. I signed never-the-less since I know several neighbors down hill have had sewer main problems. I even helped her locate a couple landlords she couldn't find.
PK, good to have you back online.
OMK, I can readily imagine your experience during the so called bombing raid. Those who in later years were so frightened about the nuclear threat during the cold war had no idea what we experienced at home during WW II. I think it made us more stoic. Also these days, I am glad you dodged the flooding bullet. Lucinca, our condo has the same problem.
Misty, I was kidding of course. So. You actually erase. I'm a write-over guy. It can get messy but a guy told me there's A MAGNUM OPUS about changing letters to new letters. An obvious one is F to E.
Doing the math there's 26*25 or 650 possibilities. Maybe Rich knows the system.
I often say, this blog is to prevent us from losing friends by talking xword. And I just took xword-ese to it's NADIR.
I know that word was clued recently. Btw. It's dark and I can't watch grass grow so I've got a Redsox spring training game on TV.
The most boring man in the room
Ps. Someone had a post too long and boring last night and someone responded "It's after 930, post away"
PK - Good to read you again! You too Pat!
OMK - the irony: the guys who dump water to put out a fire also put out water :-). Good to know no damage.
YR, OMK, HG, and others that have "real" memories of duck-and-cover... My only reference is 1941 (movie trailer). When I got to Earth the Beatles were already a Big Thing.
HG - I've been schooled; never heard that Mama's & Papa's song before. Thank you.
OKL @3:13 - A pun is the lowest form of wit; hence it's wit's foundation. Love'd it.
WC - It's better to have permanent income than to be fascinating [Wilde] :-)
Cheers, -T
Good Wednesday evening, folks. Thank you,C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
Did the puzzle yesterday, but was not home to log in. I was an Election Judge all morning and early afternoon, and then went to my afternoon evening job at Amazon. So, here I am.
Theme was fine. As always, clever.
Tried COLD YEAR at 18D. Fixed that later to COLD SNAP. Tried RENE at 55A. Fixed that to ANNA. Those are my only write-overs/inkblots.
Anyhow, have to run. See you Thursday.
Abejo
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