Theme: GG double double spanners
Words: 68 (missing J,K,Q,V,Z)
Blocks: 25
This
one from Gail was a bear - and I am better off for the challenge. While
I did find some of the clues to be a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h, all in
all, it was a healthy brain buster that took me over my personal
allotted time and into red-letter cheating, but I did manage to stay
away from Google. Lowest block count I have ever seen, 26 being the
previous low, and the structure of the puzzle lent itself to that most
cruel feature of all crosswords, the "I can't get there from here"
dilemma; I could not get into the mid-east section from "-FRIEND" to
"REPOT" without some real Wild-Ass Guesses. Two double-stack spanners;
15. Classic dessert : COCONUT CREAM PIE
- I was looking to get ICE cream in there and then chocolate, since I
am not a fan of coconut (don't like the texture) - but this is what fit
17. Childhood playmate, perhaps : IMAGINARY FRIEND - my first guess, but I can't say why I didn't fill it in
46. Find another way : ALTER ONE'S COURSE - I had LEAVE - -, which screwed that corner up until I went red-letter, and the SW lit up like we were on high alert
50. Least accessible areas : DEEPEST RECESSES - I had DARKEST - that's 4/7ths correct
Get it~?
ACROSS:
1. Chaotic : IN A MESS - tough way to start the puzzle, with a phrase, and one that just didn't quite 'click' for me with the clue
8. Wunderkinds : PHENOMS
18. Gave up : CEDED
19. Carnival follower : LENT - Mardi Gras and the religious period after - I did not know the celebration was referred to as a "carnival"
20. Long of "In Too Deep" : NIA - perps
21. Rested : LAIN - I had laiD
22. First AFL-CIO president : MEANY - had MEA--, tried MEADE
23. Beat : BEST
24. Projection in the sky, briefly : ETA - dah~! Not etS, as in aliens - I can't wait to see the new Alien movie, "Covenant", even though I think it's going to be nothing more than a "remake" of the 1979 classic
25. Contractual arrangement : LEASE
26. One of the Visayan Islands : LEYTE - filled via perps; the "Y" was my last fill
27. Fields with multiple "Ed Sullivan Show" appearances : TOTIE - figured it was not "SALLY", and the crossings took care of most of it; her Wiki
28. Sushi fish : SEA EEL - total WAG, and a total cringe moment
29. Household current : AC POWER - meh. Never "called" it that.
32. Becomes unproductive : RUNS DRY
33. Body shop convenience : LOANER
34. Provide room for growth, in a way : REPOT - if you have to send another message over the telegraph, is that remorse~?
35. Vaulted alcoves : APSES - NOOKS~? bzzt. NAVES~? bzzt. Eventually....
36. Its site has tracking tools : FedEx - the "other" guys. Self-promoting advertisement
37. "So there!" : HAH - DAH~!! Not A-HA; is that 100% zero correct~? I had the right letters....
40. Cons : NAYS - ah, the votes, not the artists
41. Families : CLANS
42. It was founded to build engines for The Bull Tractor Company : TORO - learning moment. And then when I read it again, "duh." Toro = bull....
43. Garage sale buys : LPs
44. Adriatic resort : LIDO
45. Express __ : TRAIN - too easy, I left it out the first few passes
51. Suit goal : DAMAGES
52. Minority legal filing : DISSENT
8. Wunderkinds : PHENOMS
18. Gave up : CEDED
19. Carnival follower : LENT - Mardi Gras and the religious period after - I did not know the celebration was referred to as a "carnival"
20. Long of "In Too Deep" : NIA - perps
21. Rested : LAIN - I had laiD
22. First AFL-CIO president : MEANY - had MEA--, tried MEADE
23. Beat : BEST
24. Projection in the sky, briefly : ETA - dah~! Not etS, as in aliens - I can't wait to see the new Alien movie, "Covenant", even though I think it's going to be nothing more than a "remake" of the 1979 classic
26. One of the Visayan Islands : LEYTE - filled via perps; the "Y" was my last fill
27. Fields with multiple "Ed Sullivan Show" appearances : TOTIE - figured it was not "SALLY", and the crossings took care of most of it; her Wiki
28. Sushi fish : SEA EEL - total WAG, and a total cringe moment
29. Household current : AC POWER - meh. Never "called" it that.
32. Becomes unproductive : RUNS DRY
33. Body shop convenience : LOANER
34. Provide room for growth, in a way : REPOT - if you have to send another message over the telegraph, is that remorse~?
35. Vaulted alcoves : APSES - NOOKS~? bzzt. NAVES~? bzzt. Eventually....
36. Its site has tracking tools : FedEx - the "other" guys. Self-promoting advertisement
In my case, UPS is usually the 'down' side....
40. Cons : NAYS - ah, the votes, not the artists
41. Families : CLANS
42. It was founded to build engines for The Bull Tractor Company : TORO - learning moment. And then when I read it again, "duh." Toro = bull....
43. Garage sale buys : LPs
44. Adriatic resort : LIDO
45. Express __ : TRAIN - too easy, I left it out the first few passes
51. Suit goal : DAMAGES
52. Minority legal filing : DISSENT
DOWN:
1. Frozen formation : ICICLE - ugh, I put in ice CAP
2. Dietary restriction : NO MEAT
3. National park SE of Bangor : ACADIA
4. Jewish star : MOGEN - I knew it as the Star of David; more from Wiki
5. City near Vance Air Force Base : ENID - a WAG
6. Word with block or screen : SUN - sunblock, sunscreen
7. Result of poor ventilation : STALE AIR
8. Hawthorne heroine : PRYNNE - dammit - I went with HESTER, and was right, but totally wrong
9. Substantial : HEFTY
10. Stirrup site : EAR - the little bones....
11. Feature of a two-ltr. monogram : NMI - No Middle Initial
12. Alert : OPEN-EYED - ah. Not sure if it was the noun, or the verb - turned out to be the adjective
13. Service provider : MINISTER - ah. That kind of service
14. With equanimity : SEDATELY
16. Pleat feature : CREASE
22. Monthly reading : METER
23. Brute : BEAST
25. The Home Depot rival : LOWES - I avoid shopping there at all costs - I'm a Home Depot guy
26. Service provider? : LENOX - got me. That kind of service
27. Shades : TONES
28. Some caretakers, for short : SUPES - like building superintendents
29. "Two Years Before the Mast" star : ALAN LADD - oh man....I tried ALAN ALDA, and was again so right, with all the letters in the wrong places....
30. Get off easy, perhaps : COP A PLEA
31. Message medium : P.A. SYSTEM - I so could not parse this in the down - I had PA-T ST--, and could not make anything out of it
32. Descriptor akin to shiny, in song : RED-NOSED - that reindeer with the shiny nose
34. One involved in a plot? : READER - my latest book is 'Prague Fatale' from Philip Kerr; I found him through a book called "The Grid", which had a totally different writing style and feel
36. Spark producers : FLINTS
37. Husky : HOARSE
38. Off one's rocker? : ARISEN - har-har
39. Frank : HONEST
41. Confined, as quarters : CLOSE
42. Bind : TRUSS
45. Ring sites : TOES
47. Org. concerned with climate change : EPA
48. Short rule? : REGency - I learned more here
49. LXVII x III : CCI - Roman 67 x 3 = 201
2. Dietary restriction : NO MEAT
3. National park SE of Bangor : ACADIA
4. Jewish star : MOGEN - I knew it as the Star of David; more from Wiki
5. City near Vance Air Force Base : ENID - a WAG
6. Word with block or screen : SUN - sunblock, sunscreen
7. Result of poor ventilation : STALE AIR
8. Hawthorne heroine : PRYNNE - dammit - I went with HESTER, and was right, but totally wrong
9. Substantial : HEFTY
10. Stirrup site : EAR - the little bones....
11. Feature of a two-ltr. monogram : NMI - No Middle Initial
12. Alert : OPEN-EYED - ah. Not sure if it was the noun, or the verb - turned out to be the adjective
13. Service provider : MINISTER - ah. That kind of service
14. With equanimity : SEDATELY
16. Pleat feature : CREASE
23. Brute : BEAST
25. The Home Depot rival : LOWES - I avoid shopping there at all costs - I'm a Home Depot guy
26. Service provider? : LENOX - got me. That kind of service
28. Some caretakers, for short : SUPES - like building superintendents
29. "Two Years Before the Mast" star : ALAN LADD - oh man....I tried ALAN ALDA, and was again so right, with all the letters in the wrong places....
30. Get off easy, perhaps : COP A PLEA
31. Message medium : P.A. SYSTEM - I so could not parse this in the down - I had PA-T ST--, and could not make anything out of it
32. Descriptor akin to shiny, in song : RED-NOSED - that reindeer with the shiny nose
34. One involved in a plot? : READER - my latest book is 'Prague Fatale' from Philip Kerr; I found him through a book called "The Grid", which had a totally different writing style and feel
36. Spark producers : FLINTS
37. Husky : HOARSE
38. Off one's rocker? : ARISEN - har-har
39. Frank : HONEST
41. Confined, as quarters : CLOSE
42. Bind : TRUSS
45. Ring sites : TOES
47. Org. concerned with climate change : EPA
48. Short rule? : REGency - I learned more here
49. LXVII x III : CCI - Roman 67 x 3 = 201
Splynter
For PASYSTEM I had PASY____ and really couldn't figure that out!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of REGulation.
Proud of filling in IMAGINARYFRIEND straight off, as well as seeing the "bull" and going with TORO straight away. :)
I had to red letter at the end, too. The "service provider" clues got me.
Great puzzle!
I was no PHENOM this morning and I left the SW IN A MESS. I couldn't decide it it would be COP A DEAL or PLEA, DARKEST or DEEPEST RECESSES, had never heard of the movie and incorrectly guessed ALAN ALDA instead of LADD, which lead to LEAVE instead of ALTER ONE'S COURSE. There are no red letters in the newspaper. My brain didn't get the 'message' that PA SYSTEM would be a 'medium'. xxx
ReplyDeleteSplynter- Mardi Gras is called 'Carnival' in Rio.
ETA- I got it but I still don't 'get it'. What is it?
MOGEN, DISSENT, & LEYTE were perps. I knew of the wine and island but not the legal term.
Then there was the sloppy mess around SEA EEL, SUPES, LENOX, FEDEX, and READER. SEA EEL- will 'sea FISH' show up in some puzzle in the future? LEADER of the plot was all I could think of. Sometimes the mind RUNS DRY and mine did. DNF.
H-D vs. LOWES- I find the DEPOT is appeals to men while LOWES appeals to women. H-D is always cheaper.
My wife supplied the first letter of PRYNNE and I got the rest, so I almost solved this one. This was a very crunchy, well-made puzzle.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteSplynter your writeup was sparkly this morning with Onward and remorse. Chuckled at both of 'em. I agree with Gespenst that REG was probably short for regulation. I know, you PLEAT for REGent.
Started off immediately with ICE CAP and NO SALT. D'oh! My IMAGINARY FRIEND fixed that mess. MOGEN made sense when I thought of Mogen David wine. With LE in place, LEYTE was the only island that came to mind -- lucky guess. Finished a little ahead of normal Saturday time. Thanks for the workout, Gail.
Big Easy, the pilot "projects" the ETA of the flight.
In the zone this morning. Did not have the trouble with the long fills that I anticipated. Enjoyed the twists on service as well as repot and reader. Good challenge with morning coffee.
ReplyDeleteDNF. I got a lot of it, but the center/SE did me in. 26,28,32,37 down and 28,36,42 across had blanks when I went to red letters, and goeSDRY > RUNSDRY, planT > REPOT, plAnER > READER, erNEST > HONEST. Even with red letters, I couldn't get hAH + hOARSE.
ReplyDeleteOther w/os I corrected on my own from perps: hoffa>MEANY, corpse>READER
Projection in the sky, briefly : ETA. When you're flying the pilot may make a projection on the estimated time of arrival.
ERNEST/HONEST reminds me of the line from The Long Kiss Goodnight (which is not a romantic movie). Samuel L. Jackson claims he's always frank and earnest with women -- "in New York I'm Frank, in Chicago, Ernest."
ReplyDeletePerhaps that EPA clue should be updated to "Org. unconcerned with climate change."
Shaking off the rust. Very crunchy.
ReplyDeleteTook me forever to get MINISTER. Had MINI---R and couldn't get minibar out of my head. Finally got the S from BEST and it was done.
Rejected REhem and tried REsew, then REdig and finally REPOT.
NMI evoked NLN (no last name). Worked for a short time in a support center early in my career. Occasionally a customers didn't give their last name when requesting callback support, and the calls were sometimes logged as (name) NLN. Still get a chuckle thinking about a very earnest newbie coworker (Ron) calling a customer and asking for (name) Neln, and the ensuing discussion with the switchboard operator at the company requesting service.
Hi, may I speak to Dave Neln ?
We have no one here by that name.
But that's what it says.
We have a Dave.
Does he work in IT ?
He does.
May I speak to him ?
The funniest part was that he did it on four or five callbacks before he finally caught on. His gaffe became part of the stuff of support center lore.
48-Down. Short rule? : REGency
ReplyDeleteI believe REG is short for REGulation.
29-Across. Household current : AC POWER
I was looking for something like 1 TWENTY (ITWENTY- 120) and had the W but not in the right spot. ITWENTY has been used before but as a Bingo call.
Very crunchy today. I filled 2/3 in average Saturday time. The rest was difficult for me. I needed red letters in the central part of the east. I did not know the Visayan Islands were in the Philippines. Runs dry and repot were hard.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of a religious service, but with MINI I was lead astray, until MINISTER arose.
I never had an imaginary friend. With dolls, paper dolls, and just us sibs we enacted many complicated fantasies, though.
Favorite was "one involved in a plot/reader." I suspect this was a CSO to the majority of us word nerds.
TTP, LOL Dave Neln.
CHAOTIC/IN A MESS = Government
I hope HOARSE no longer refers to IM.
It seems all constructors think of when they need to clue eel is sushi.
I found Home Depots vary widely in helpfulness. The one nearest me is great. Another one is terrible. They told me they could not hire enough help, forget about competent help, because most of the applicants could not pass the drug test, here in our "innocent" seeming suburbs. This woman prefers Home Depot to Lowes.
ReplyDeleteGail, you really came up with some tough ones today. But it is Saturday and I'm not sure we're expected to be able to finish today without cheating.
Some were really obtuse, like ETA, PASYSTEM, REPOT, ARISEN, and READER to name a few.
LENOX took a long time to fill in and even then I was scratching my head until I read Splynter's write up (which was really good.) I have a Lenox furnace which I have serviced each year. Didn't make any sense. I guess I should be using the devious side of my brain on Saturday puzzles.
Lowes and Home Depot are across the street from each other here in PA. I've also seen it in other places in Maryland, Virginia and Florida. Probably other states as well. I wonder which one usually opens a store first and which one moves nearby. Is it always Lowes first or Home Depot? Or if one opens will the other soon follow. It does make it convenient when comparison shopping or when one doesn't have what you are looking for. As far as prices go, it seems to be a wash, with neither store having a distinct advantage over the other, especially when they say they will price match.
I agree with gaspenst, D-O and Argyle that REGulation is a short rule.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteOnce again Splynter does Yeoman duty. Thank you. Agree with him on AC POWER and SEA EEL. Got most of the greater NW early, then the SE followed by the NE. Last was the right center with the SUPES & LENOX conundrum. Had goesDRY before RUNS DRY. Had Alda before LADD Tried Remo and Bari before LIDO. Needed help with READER; had 'leader first'. LEYTE came easily, however.
MOGEN makes sense if you think of MOGEN David wine.
16 d - Splynter, which CREASE were you referring to?
At first I thought this was going to be a long slog - but some of the long answers were some of the first to come to mind and ended up finishing quicker than usual. LEYTE came from the DEEP RECESSES of my brain as I used to read a lot about WWII history.
ReplyDeleteLOWES is 5 minutes away and HOME DEPOT is 30+, so unless it is for something I have researched for a better deal I'm usually at LOWES of the two. Actually next to me is Menards which is a large regional chain (started in Wisconsin, but has reached to Missouri on its southern end and goes from Ohio to Wyoming - east to west) which I like better than either of the other two.
Good day to stay in - big thunderstorms and rains this morning- happy I didn't have to get out early to work!
Thanks Splynter and Gail!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWell, I sped through the upper half like gangbusters and thought I'd set a new record for a Saturday but I got my comeuppance with the lower half. I foolishly entered Al Pacino based only on the Al. Perps corrected that in a hurry. The cluing was tricky, and it's supposed to be, but it was fair, IMO. I liked the two Service Provider answers. Even with the hiccups, I finished in normal Saturday time.
Thanks, Gail, for the enjoyable challenge and thanks, Splynter, for the informative review.
YR, no hoarseness, just cough fatigue.
Have a great day.
Good day all. I always visit this blog to check my puzzle finish, but rarely leave a message. Splinter, I like your write ups. This week, I think was the first time I completed a crossword that you had to red letter. Maybe I'm getting better at this. Leyte/Lenox was only wag, and I wagged correctly.
ReplyDeleteIcecap/icicle messed me up for a long time, once I fixed that it fell into place.
Thanks for the write up.
I knew "Two Years Before the Mast" was an old 1940's movie, actually 1946. ALAN ALDA, born in 1936, was about ten years old then. So with having ALAN, it had to be LADD. In the 60's my ex and I used to watch all the old 40's movies in reruns on the TV.
ReplyDeleteThe first wine I ever tasted, except for tiny swallows of Communion wine in church, was Mogen David. My MIL used to serve it with her cream cheese pie. I never cared for its sweetness. I much prefer Cab and Merlot.
I am having trouble concentrating and have been putting off any detailed work for weeks.
I surprised myself with completing this puzzle with just a little red letter help. That rarely happens on a Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI perped some answers I didn't understand until Splynter explained, like NMI and LENOX.
Home Depot is my only choice now. In my previous home, we would drive to ND to Menards if buying a truck full of materials. HD was 200 miles away, Menards was 300 but the price savings was worth a trip.
8 pelicans out on the river today. Took binoculars out to watch them. Drove to dinner last night and saw a big wild turkey along the road.
I'm loving my new home.
Have a nice weekend,
Montana
Musings
ReplyDelete-The puzzle went by quickly with gettable long fills but my eraser wore out at SEAEEL/LENOX/REPOT/SUPES et al and I’ll take 4 bad cells. Very fair and challenging.
-Archduke Ferdinand’s driver ALTERED HIS COURSE by taking a wrong turn. Gavrilo Princip saw his opportunity and ALTERED the COURSE of history
-He is often said to be the biggest PHENOM bust in MLB history. Too much, too soon.
-Make it 5 bad cells, laiN/mogeN (Duh!) not laiD/mogeD (?)
-Johnny Carson was amazed that TOTIE was as tall sitting as standing
-AC POWER – Their big contest that TAE lost
-Yesterday I thought a girl was using AC power to charge her phone. Nope, she was charging the battery on her house arrest ankle bracelet.
-Judge Judy will award DAMAGES but not emotional distress
-She was so helpful, with so much power to aid and to sympathize, that many refused to recognize the A for its original meaning. They said that it stood for “able,” so strong a woman was Hester PRYNNE.”
-Our LOWES has a fabulous nursery area
-TV’s most famous SUPE?
-My daughter’s Down’s student is brutally HONEST. “Sister Mary, you are a chatterbox!”
Hi Y'all! Tax season is supposedly over, but Gail certainly taxed my brain with this. I'm just never quite in Gail's wave length, but the challenge is sometimes rewarding. Hey, I got George MEANY, ALAN LADD & TOTIE Fields. Sometimes being old helps.
ReplyDeleteRight away I got COCONUT CREAM PIE & IMAGINARY FRIEND and was encouraged. (My IMAGINARY FRIEND at age 3 was Karen. Only had a baby sister and no playmates. Karen stayed at the old house when we moved.) I did well on the entire left side, then had to red-letter run at least two cells of every word on the right side. Aaaagh!
Off one's rocker kept me stymied the longest. I kept trying to find the right word for "nutty".
NO MEAT, not salt. My granddaughter is vegan. Drives me nuts.
Never heard of the Visayan Islands, but when LEY perped in I confidently tried TE. Surprised that didn't turn red.
Only time I ever saw MOGEN was while pouring wine over my delicious fruit cakes in November which then steeped in the freezer until Christmas.
I usually go to Home Depot because it is easier to get to than Lowes. HD had the best price on a new washer last year. I hate it but it's not HD's fault. I've had a gift card for Lowes for over a year. Got to get out there for something.
Gary: found the "power struggle" very interesting. I'd never heard of Tesla before doing crosswords.
YR: from last night. Didn't know there was no prep for Endoscopy. Never had one without colonoscopy also. I've had four "combos" in the last 30 years.
"Carnival" Latin for "the meat goes" in preparation for Lent with "No meat" (another answer) meals.
ReplyDeleteTough tough tough - so crunchy, surprised to get the solve. Toughest puzzle in a while, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Argyle on "REG". And with anyone who thought "SEA EEL" was cringe-worthy.
But - and I'm so happy - NO STUPID THEME OR GIMMICK!!!!! Yay!!! Extra points for that.
Happy Saturday Cornerites!
ReplyDeleteWhat A MESS! I couldn't get the diagonal swath from under the END of FRIEND down (and to the left) of ALTER [one's/your?] COURSE. It didn't help I put extra letters in UNA[I]GI and had my caretaker be an UNDER... Too in the SW I couldn't get past wanting Psychic?? for Message Medium [get it? I do, but didn't]
Thanks Gail for a fun side-project whilst I listed to Car Talk and Wait, Wait...
Thanks Splynter for ending the DAMAGES I was doing to the grid. What DO said re: Expo - Very Good... It took a nsec in the intro: Ward!, Burt, 1ea. LOL. I also enjoy'd the shameless plug for UPS :-)
Fav: 39d c/a just 'cuz it made me think of Herb Tarlek of WKRP. "Can I be Frank...?" That always made me laugh because he IS Frank Bonner. [too meta this early? :-)]
BTW, as Big Easy pointed out, in Rio, Mardi Gras is called Carnival. And Ray O' Sun just learned me on Latin - NO MEAT. Thanks Ray.
Inanehiker - Pop has a Menard's in SPI and likes it. Though he's agnostic between the chains - he knows who has what doo-dad for a project. Aside: my uncle, a carpenter, rocked [sheet-rock installation] the APSES at the SPI Menard's.
PK - yep, being old woulda helped... :-) Other than ALAN LADD I didn't know any of the names [MEANY, TOTIE] you listed [and had no idea what the clue for Ladd meant either - book/TV/Movie?]. Too, I kept trying to stuff Hoffa into 22a but perps wouldn't let me.
Y'all have a great day! Cheers, -T
//nerd TRAIN cometh...
TTP - More IT lore. This really happened:
The gas-traders wanted a color laser printer so they could see their charts better. This was back in the day when color printers were NOT cheap. The appropriate AFEs were let and the printer came in. We got it all setup and had the head of trading test it. My buddy, I'll call him Rob, picked the paper off the printer...
"Well, it does OK, but I'm afraid it prints upside-down," Rob said as he presented the color-page.
The trader dressed him down something fierce... "This is unacceptable. We paid thousands for this and you can't get it to F*-ing print right? Fix this F*-ing think NOW! Or, I'll have you fired."
"OK," replied Rob. He turned the page right-side up and walked away.
True story.
Nice puzzle, took awhile but doable. Some clues would appear easier for us older folk.
ReplyDeleteNever made it to the blog yesterday--had friends come for lunch and didn't finish the puzzle till late, with lots of cheating. Today's was ever harder, but brilliant--I don't know how you do a puzzle with four grid-spanners, Gail--amazing. And thanks for the helpful write-up, Splynter--a relief that you found it crunchy too.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, lots of cheating, but at least I got PRYNNE and ALAN LADD, and LIDO. I also got SEDATELY and HONEST early one, which helped a lot. Tells you something about my personality, I hope.
Have a great day, everybody, and I'm already looking forward to the Sunday puzzle.
Our equipment can run on battery power or on AC power.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gail on SEA EEL. Most sushi restaurants offer two types of eel; sea eel and river eel.
ReplyDeleteSometimes referred to as saltwater eel (anago) and fresh water eel (unagi). Fresh water eel is more popular (and, IMHO, more tasty).
ReplyDeleteSo many red letters I flamed out on this one but not without cringing once I got things filled in. Except for Leyte I made it through the proper names. Was interested to learn the bull-Toro connection, I'll call my unaided answer there a conclusion not a guess. Yellow cards on sea eel and especially site tracking. Vinyl is cool (and new) again, so garage sales aren't the only place to buy LPs, so a hipper clue might have worked here. OK enough of my dissent.
ReplyDeleteKayUUJay, thanks for pointing out that the SEA EEL fill is not a cringe moment. Sea eel sushi, called anago, is still common, especially in Japan. Perfectly legit. Fresh water eel sushi, unagi, is one of my favorites. Unfortunately now this eel is on the endangered list in Japan. All types of eel sushi are served cooked or grilled. We used to buy grilled fresh water eel for sushi in packets. I mourn its passing.
ReplyDeleteLike Splynter I had second and third thoughts about COCONUT CREAM PIE. Not that I share his distaste for coconut. Now that I think of it, it happens to be one of my choice desserts. It's just that I don't think of it as one of the most popular on the menu. But then both he and I were in error for thinking it has to be either popular or one of our own faves. Gail Grabowski's clue only claims that it be a "Classic." And it certainly passes that test. No?
ReplyDeleteToday's major challenge lay in the clues. This was the kind of pzl where the clues seem to offer no way in. There were simply too many possible ways to go. But isn't this what we love about a good Xwd? The clues make no sense at all until you hit upon the answer, and Click! - there was really no other possibility!
For this one I had to resort to my Plan C. This is where I allow myself to look up all the name recognitions. It's cheating, and then again it isn't. There was always a chance that I knew - or might or should have known - the names anyway. Turns out I did remember TOTIE Fields, but I was wrong in thinking Lewis rather than MEANY was the first AFL-CIO pres. With Plan C I just pretend my memory is better.
The ol' walnut is stretched enough by a tough pzl; this just levels the you-know-what.
Sigh, I really miss Calvin and Hobbes...
ReplyDelete(And I really liked the pleat feature...)
I wasn't going to post today,
Fell asleep at 8:30, woke up at 2 A.M. & could not get back to sleep.
What to do? I know, I'll do the Saturday puzzle online before the dead tree version arrives!
Learned 2 things, the Blog rolls over to the next day somewhere between 2 & 3 AM EST...
And, even with red letters on, this puzzle was a B****
I was hitting "solve" so much that I accidentally hit "Solve All" by mistake
just as I was (nearing completion?)
Went back to bed @4:30, woke up again at 8am.
thought, must try the dead tree version, should be easy now...
Dang it if I still wasn't looking at a sea of white boxes!
HG, LOL at Carson/totie comment. I could visualize that right way!
Went looking for the clip without success,but found this instead:
The irrepressible Totie Fields...
Oh, being awake with the grave shift wasn't a complete loss,
I got to see the last half of a TV show I had been meaning to watch.
This (to me) was fascinating.
Apparently, they have found the remains of The Tower of Babel!
This show was presented in such a way,that I really believe they found the real tower of Babel!
(or it could have been sleep deprivation, I have to watch it again...)
For those of you who need a laugh...
ReplyDeleteI was surfing around Totie Fields (no pun intended)
when I came across this:
With age,comes wisdom. So true,so true...
I'm with Splynter on REGency. It filled with perps so I didn't give it a thought until people started with alternative solutions. But then, I used to belong to a REGency dance group.
ReplyDeleteRobin's alter-ego was always referred to as Bruce Wayne's "ward".
I like the way carne vall is pronounced, different from carnival, accent on both the first and last syllable.
Mogen David [from entymonline.com]
1904, "star of David," six-pointed star, symbol of Judaism or Zionism, from Hebrew maghen Dawidh, "shield of David," king of Judah and Israel, died c. 973 B.C.E.
Also, if you can sleep, this clip will exhaust you (20:00)
ReplyDeleteI don't know where to start to explain this link...
I did this square by square starting with the roman numerals. I had REDRESS before DAMAGES forced it's way in. Finally, I got to the Mideast.
ReplyDeleteJust in time I dropped FODOR for FEDEX but I missed REPOT. I had RELET and thought perhaps JULES was a valet brother of Jeeves.
VONEX would have worked but didn't perp. I don't feel so bad, Gail gave us an old fashioned stumper with cluing described well earlier.
Lots of laughs from Splynter and our posters.
C-Moe, I'm not sure about the anapest for limericks. It seems that the classic 'lick was iambic pentameter for the AA BB and similar but shorter for CC As in the old classic:
A brilliant Brazilian named Bruno
Said this much about love I do know
A woman, she fine
A sheep is divine
But a llama is Numéro Uno
But then again that was 8th grade and ee cummings said we could relax the rules.
WC
Good grief, Wilbur, you naughty boy! As are a couple others I could name!
ReplyDeleteForgot to add: LOL!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone been watching "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Sacks" about a black woman whose cells were used for scientific research? It stars Oprah Winfrey, but I must say her performance is so good you totally forget it's Oprah and just get into her character. My sweet late husband Rowland was a molecular biologist, and I bet he would have enjoyed seeing this.
ReplyDeleteMisty - I've not seen the show but heard about Ms. Lacks on NPR's Fresh AIR. Very interesting and I'm sure Oprah is brilliant in the role as she was in The Colour Purple.
ReplyDeleteCED - Yes, re: Calvin and Hobbs... Two brilliant philosophers. :-)
Re: 20min TopTen... I didn't have a clue who some of the guests were (like the guy in the green shirt). But #1... LOL. Andy Kaufman's one of the best. Of course we all know his work on
Taxi, and SNL - but did you know R.E.M. gave him an SO too? [@:30]. I still can't figure out if Andy was genius, stoned, or just bat-shit crazy. But, boy, was he funny. Cheers, -T
April 29, 2017 at 11:15 PM
PK, at least it wasn't The Maid from France. I heard those two as a 16 year old lobster shucker on the docks of Boston.
ReplyDeleteMisty, HONEST sans doute, but SEDATE? I do see Equanimity. I questioned this clue. Calling Yellowrocks...
Btw C-Moe, did you catch earlier the off colour, WC connection?
The real WC
Just now! PwD++
DeleteTry to fix one thing and mess up another... Misty - the link to Ms. Lacks' story on NPR's Fresh AIR. Cheers, -T
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating account on the link you send me, Anon T--thank you so much. And what a nice possible response, Wilbur--thank you for that.
See you on Sunday!
The real WC? You mean water closet a/k/a Loo?
ReplyDelete3 things before I turn in...
ReplyDelete1. PK - enough with the potty humour :-)
2. CED - So it's pronounced Babe-L not Babb-le. Learned me.... yeah, I just found your link...
3. Is that the same Nebekenezer that summoned folk for the big Garden? Prolific wank that King N. [No, I'm not spelling it 2x]
TATA -T
Curiosity probably killed Schrodenger's Cat [or not]...
ReplyDeleteCED - It was the same King N. Jr. that built the Garden! Who'd a thunk?. -T
Tried to google "Maid from France", but couldn't find anything of quality, so wrote my own.
ReplyDelete'Tis told there's a fine maid in France
Just the sight of her alters men's pants!
And for enough coin
She'll consent to conjoin,
Then 'tis you who's been "made in France!"
BTW, C.Moe, that high coo haiku a couple days ago was exquisite! I even cross-posted it to a Facebook punners group, with proper credit cited!
BUT, this may seem ironic, since I've been cited for impropriety myself in the past, but a couple of yours have neared a RED LINE. Lims have a reputation for being bawdy, if it's in the service of a good joke or pun. But if it's just vulgar for the sake of being dirty, I'd rather not read it. You've done some great poems in the past, now keep the storytelling foremost to keep the quality high!
WC, your lims have been circumsized, uh, circumspect enough to pass mustard.
Maybe it's time to put the bad limericks back in the Water Closet!
DeleteThanks for the "coo-doughs"
Interesting learning moment about REGency. But I also think it was short for REGulation.
ReplyDeleteMy fiancee is from the Visayas, so I know many of the island names. There are thousands of Visayan Islands and I have been to quite a few, but LEYTE was not one. It is famous, though, because it is where MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return.
I have been to LIDO, though. Just the right size to explore by rental bicycle.
I watched the Ed Sullivan show with my parents as a child, but I did not remember the name TOTIE Fields.
MEANY was head of the AFL/CIO at around that time, but I did not realize he was the first president.
Thanks for explaining NMI. In computer engineering it stands for Non-Maskable Interrupt.
I enjoy both SEA EEL as well as the freshwater eel. If you have never had it, I recommend it.
The SW was the last to fall for me. But MOGEd/LAId had me FIW in the end. It was a tossup between D and N and I lost the toss.