Theme: C.C.C.W.~!!!
Words: 72 (missing H,J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 33
Another Saturday offering from our prolific blog hostess, C.C. By my
count, this is her 23rd puzzle ( some with contributors ) for the LA
Times this year. The last Saturday grid was back in February, and I
went back and looked it over - that one went fairly easy, and today's
was about the same. I did not have much in the way of answers for the long fill,
but some of the shorter ones gave me some traction, and it went from
there. Just one crummy cell which would not cooperate. Triple 10s
across, nearly triple 9s in the down;
1a. One who may start a rally : LEAD-OFF MAN - no good C.C. puzzle
could "lead off" with anything less than a baseball clue. As for hockey, we're down to one,
perhaps two more games ( I hope ) before the Stanley Cup is awarded, and
then it's a tough wait until October
54a. Persevere : GRIND IT OUT
11. Luxury resort amenity : SWIM-UP BAR
Never got the chance - see 42d.
29. Comparative Web traffic statistic : ALEXA RANK - I have
Alexa (Echo), and I think it's the coolest thing I own which I only use about
10% effectively - I see there's a book for getting the most out of Alexa. As
far as the "RANK" is concerned, more here
I was looking for some video clips, but every time the host in the clip asked his Alexa something, my
Alexa answered. So I said "Alexa, surely you can't be serious", to
which she responded "I am always serious, and don't call me Shirley"
ONWARD technology~!
ACROSS:
11. Borg's land: Abbr. : SWEden - Did think Star Trek:TNG at first ("computer, is your great grandmother Alexa~?"), but decided it was much more Earthly, so I went with GERmany, recognizing that it was a "town" title, but pondered DENmark, etc., too.
14. Crunchy chocolate-covered candy brand : ALMOND ROCA - huh, never heard of it
15. Pull : SWAY - similar clue last week, and my first thought "YANK" did not "play" well with others
16. Meets expectations : MEASURES UP
17. Reference : CITE
18. Golf course units : ACRES - I tried HOLES first
19. AutoZone brand : STP
20. "Hannibal" co-screenwriter David : MAMET - filled via perps
21. Chateau __ Michelle winery : STE - WAG on the "E"
22. Luge medium : ICE
23. Put in stitches : SUTURE - not the humorous definition
24. Gmail lifesaver : UNDO SEND - undo delete is all I use - undo send sounds potentially hazardous
27. Network debut of 1970 : PBS - well, the "B" was there, and I figured CbS was wrong, maybe BBC; naw, TBS~? Oh, PBS.
28. Group of experts : PANEL - my first thought, but I hesitated
30. Expedia shopper's plan : TRIP
31. Took the worm : BIT
32. Banned : ILLEGAL
34. Online game figures : AVATARS
36. Miss identification? : NÉE
37. Fivers : ABES - oops, not FINS
39. Jacquie Lawson online offering : eCARD
40. Office fixture : FAX
41. Addresses capped at 18 minutes : TED TALKS - I had an idea what this referred to, but waited for some perps
43. Fashion house founder Marant : ISABEL - an "all perps" fill
45. Golf's "Big Easy" : ELS - professional golfer Ernie Els - crossword staple
46. Parisian pronoun : SEs - Frawnche for "himself"
49. __ Circus: ancient Roman arena : NERO'S - the "R" was my last fill, and the crossing had me baffled
50. Beach top : BRA - with a cross-reference at; 9d. Small 50-Across size : A-CUP
51. Seasonal temp : SANTA - argh, this one gets me all the time. A temporary employee, at the mall, say
53. "My word!" : "I SAY~!"
56. Mint holders : TINS - because PILLOWS didn't fit
57. Preliminary research procedure : PILOT STUDY - always makes me think of the second scene in Pulp Fiction where Jules tries to explain a "pilot" TV show to Vincent
58. Bug big-time : IRK
59. "I'm with you, girl!" : "AMEN, SISTER~!"
DOWN:
1. Monastery figures : LAMAS - MONKS seemed too easy for Saturday
2. Choose : ELECT
3. Italian love infinitive : AMARE - oops, not amOre
4. Healthy amount? : DOSE
5. Heavy load : ONUS
6. Coin profile since 1946 : FDR
7. Work on a ceiling : FRESCO - the noun, not the verb
8. Top hostess' asset? : MOSTEST - Dammit, I could not find a usable clip of Bobbi Flekman from Spinal Tap for this clue - I even tried to make a meme, but that didn't work, either.
8. Top hostess' asset? : MOSTEST - Dammit, I could not find a usable clip of Bobbi Flekman from Spinal Tap for this clue - I even tried to make a meme, but that didn't work, either.
10. One may be taken under a tree : NAP
- I take one every day - but not under a tree - my day is two shifts,
both starting at 3 o'clock; first in the AM, then in the PM
12. Crane, e.g. : WATERBIRD
13. Some licensing requirements : EYE TESTS
15. ''Shoo!'' : SCAT
20. Facial treatment : MUDPACK
22. Avery product : ID LABEL -I use their business cards for making my game play cards in demos, and their iron-on transfers to make my own T-shirts
23. Relatives of whimpers : SNIVELS
24. Article in Vogue Paris : UNE - more Frawnche
25. Cancels out : NEGATES
26. Stalin __ : ERA
28. Start of a Dickensian request : PLEASE, SIR - may I have some more~?
12. Crane, e.g. : WATERBIRD
13. Some licensing requirements : EYE TESTS
15. ''Shoo!'' : SCAT
20. Facial treatment : MUDPACK
22. Avery product : ID LABEL -I use their business cards for making my game play cards in demos, and their iron-on transfers to make my own T-shirts
Poker night shirt - good distraction
24. Article in Vogue Paris : UNE - more Frawnche
25. Cancels out : NEGATES
26. Stalin __ : ERA
28. Start of a Dickensian request : PLEASE, SIR - may I have some more~?
32. Q50, e.g. : INFINITI - I recognized this car model right away
33. Took control : LED
35. UCLA aides : TAs
38. Unproductive : STERILE - ah, that kind of unproductive
42. 12-step offshoot : AL-ANON - two "self-help" references in today's grid; this one paired next to; 55d. Rehab woe : DTs - personally, they happened in detox, not rehab. I spent 13 months in a sober house, got the state of NY to pay for my AA ( no joke ) degree in AutoCAD drafting
44. Blue-clad youngsters? : BOYS - as opposed to the 'pink-clad' girls
46. Babe feature : SNOUT
- Babe, the famous pig. I like the babe's feature above - BTW, I have
not "missed a week" - I merely threw deception into the mix when I posted a pantyhose legs pic on May 27th, but directed your attention to back dimples....
47. Practice piece : ETUDE
48. Pan pal : SATYR - clever clue
50. Panama border? : BRIM - the hat, not the country/canal
51. "Certainly, señor!" : "SI, SI~!" - A si si for C. C.~!?!?
52. "The Good Wife" figs. : ATTorneyS - never watched the show
54. Coll. admissions criterion : GPA
47. Practice piece : ETUDE
48. Pan pal : SATYR - clever clue
50. Panama border? : BRIM - the hat, not the country/canal
51. "Certainly, señor!" : "SI, SI~!" - A si si for C. C.~!?!?
52. "The Good Wife" figs. : ATTorneyS - never watched the show
54. Coll. admissions criterion : GPA
If anyone thought you "missed" a week, they also missed the start of the "Hell Hole" video. Outstanding!
ReplyDelete18. Golf course units : ACRES - I tried YARDS, HOLES, SHOTS first, ACRES never came to mind and I doubt it ever will.
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteStraightforward solve today, but a few names needed perp help (Isabel, I'm looking at you). Hand up for Yards long before Acres.
Morning, Splynter, the coffee pun is cute, but it's based on a misspelling. Steam-extracted coffee is "espresso" in Italian.
Good morning, I guess.
ReplyDeleteYa got me, C.C. I read "Reference" as "Reverence." D'oh! The only thing I felt sure of in the SW was PLEASE SIR, but I couldn't make it work, so Wite-Out, please. After INFINITI came to mind, I put it back in. MAXIMUS was too long for that circus, and I figured it was named after a place, so it wound up as NEBOS. ALEXA BANK made as much sense to me as ALEXA RANK, which is to say, none. DNF! [sob] At least I failed quickly, that's something.
I just noticed that we've got MEASURES UP and SWIM UP BAR. What's up with that?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteGood morning. Thank you CC and Splynter.
I liked all of the triple stacked 10s.
The SW corner had me stumped for the longest time compared to other areas, mostly because I thought Q50 was an Audi model. I also didn't know ALEXA RANK, although I did get the RANK part from the perps, which gave me the NITI. Oh, INFINITI. DOH !
I thought Miss identification was a wonderful clue for NEE.
Hand up for HOLES first, but then got enough letters to see ALMOND and then MEASURE, so LAMAS and ACRES it was.
Wouldn't have got AMARE without the A from MEASURES UP.
ECARD. Nailed it. I get seasonal Jacquie Lawson cards from a neighbor. Real works of art. Most are interactive. The Thanksgiving and Christmas cards are special.
Had DRIVELS where SNIVELS belonged but UNDO SEND and -UTURES made me change that.
Work on a ceiling. The noun, not the verb. Didn't fool me for long, but I still don't get "Top hostess' asset ? = MOSTEST. Can I get some help please ?
Compliment to the hostess = "you're the hostess with the mostest!"
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the quibble about golf course units. Never heard anyone brag about their golf course acreage. My husband helped me think of several "units" ... acres never came up.
I had to resort to running through letters of the alphabet in the SW ... that slowly gave me the X and R of Alexa rank (and we have 3 of them in the house) which then gave me infiniti. No idea Q50 was a car model, as I was thinking of something scientific (a la LD50, or lethal dose 50%).
Only a few red letter cheats, fewer than many Saturdays!
~spencer
Slogged through it in almost an hour. Still no idea what "te talks" are.
ReplyDeleteTed talks, just looked it up. New to me.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't in the mood for a Saturday puzzle, but stopped by the LAT web site for a glance. When I saw it was a CCer I decided to give it a try. FIW, but had a great time. My one bad cell was ALEXiRANK. I guess I misheard "her" name in the TV commercials, and had never heard of ISABEL Marant. I have only heard "hostess with the MOSTEST" voiced by Siri to Lilly on those AT&T ads (don't tell Alexa).
ReplyDeleteHand up for holes before ACRES, and had grovels before snivels, SNL before PBS and road TEST before EYE TESTS.
Other unknowns were (almond) ROCA, Borg, MAMET, NEROS Circus, AMARE, and PLEASE SIR. I knew TED TALKS from CWs, but had no idea their durations are capped.
CSO to Argyle @ 51A. I stayed in Argyllite, KY on my recent trip to Indiana's Amish Country to get my RV fridge fixed.
The Tropicana casino in Vegas has (or at least had) swim-up blackjack tables. I never played them - something about gamblers and alcohol in a setting where no one would know if one pees ones pants gave me pause.
Thanks CC for an unexpected fun Saturday puzzle. And thanks to Splynter for another stimulating review.
I felt so encouraged getting most of this puzzle, MOSTEST, TED TALKS, MAMET, ISABEL, AMARE, ACRES (makes sense as a golf course measurement, not as a term used in the game).
ReplyDeleteThe SW did me in. I had no idea Q50 is a car. Then I finally had INIFINIT- and didn't know to add the I, still thinking it might be a math term. ALEXARANK was totally unknown. I needed 5 red letters for SW corner. Besides those 2 long fills, I missed NEROS, IRK and FAX. But it was a fun puzzle.
I accepted UP in measures up and swim up bar, because they are different meanings of up.
We visited a swim up bar in Costa Rica. It was great on a very hot, relaxing afternoon.
I learned TED TALKS in the LAT just recently and now I notice it in more places.
Splynter, your hours must interfere with your sleep and your social life. I hated working split shift when I was young.
The original "hostess with the mostest" was Perle Mesta 1889 – 1975.Per Wikipedia,
"Mesta was known as the "hostess with the mostest" for her lavish parties featuring the brightest stars of Washington, D.C., society, including artists, entertainers and many top-level national political figures."
I used to read about her in the Society pages of the newspaper.
Musings
ReplyDelete-A fun Saturday solve where I started with the 13 colonies – East side filled and the west empty
-GRIND IT OUT – LeBron last night in Cleveland
-Your SWAY in D.C. is proportional to what you PAY
-David MAMET’S Master Class ad has become one of those annoyances that pop up all over the web these days
-IM does not allow you to UNDO SEND
-Our FAX machine is an iPhone picture attached to an email
-My son-in-law is a good guy but always has a TIN of Altoids and never offers me one
-FDR’s founding of the March of Dimes led to his being so pictured
-The world’s most famous FRESCO
-Half the corn plants in a seed field are STERILE, produce no pollen and therefore do not have to be detasseled.
-Off to watch grandson play baseball in Lincoln in 100˚F heat. Does this mean he has to come visit me in the old teacher’s home?
Nice steady puzzle for a Saturday. I had FAN before FAX for office equipment - probably because of all the menopausal women in my office - they all have little fans on their desks!
ReplyDeleteThe SNL skit about Amazon's Alexa Echo Silver for seniors is hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvT_gqs5ETk
We had such a gorgeous week - really not looking forward to today's hot day!
Thanks Splynter and CC!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAlways a treat to see CC's byline, especially on a Saturday theme-less. Despite some tricky areas, I finished in below average time. Took awhile to get Infiniti and Alexa Rank but perps were helpful there and with other unknowns. Nice CSO to Santa and to Tin(s). Never knew the Ted Talks were capped at 18 minutes but I suppose they have to have a time limit. Mostest was the easiest fill as I immediately thought of Perle Mesta who held that title for years, as YR mentioned.
Thanks, CC, for a challenging and satisfying solve and thanks, Splynter, for your faithful guidance.
I was up until 3:30 this morning as I was drawn into watching "Good Fellas." It's a wonder I was able to sleep after watching the maniacal, murderous character played by Joe Pesci. What a life those people led!
Have a great day.
Have you ever said "Let's play 72 acres today?" or arrive at the first tee and see that the hole is 3.5 acres long? Yards, holes, meters, yes. Acres? Uh-uh.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! Thanks, C.C.! Thanks, Splynter!
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle had much of which I had never heard. WEES. Q50? ALEXA RANK? TED TALKS? Makes me feel so obsolete! I filled the grid using a number of red-letter runs then sat looking at what came up black. Whaaat? Managed to do this in only 30 minutes because I was too impatient at midnight to fool around when I obviously didn't know so many things.
Stayed up until 3 a.m. reading John Grisham's new book, "Camino Island".
My back yard is destroyed with piles of dirt, gravel, a big hole, a Bobcat Excavator and various attachments for it. All of this on my best grass. I would feel better about a new sewer main going in if I didn't suspect it is being "improved" just so the retirement complex up the street can build new "villas" for which you must pay $184,000 to move into. You can get a portion of your investment back prorated up to five years if you "move out" a/k/a DIE. After 5 yrs. you can continue to live there but have no equity that can be sold. Since the retirement complex is gobbling up one end of our neighborhood, I'm tempted to trade them my abode for one of their units and let them deal with the chawed up back yard. I'm too tired to plant grass again. (However, I suspect the trade for my house would just get me a one-room efficiency apartment on the fourth floor.) They have used my yard as a "staging area" because I'm the only one on the block without a back fence and am in the middle of the block. The other yards just have a strip going through them so far. Mine has three times the destruction. Sob!
ALMONDROCA was perps, ALEXARANK completely unknown, and Q50 brought nothing to mind, a function of cars being given meaningless random characters for model IDs, unlike our old friends Edsel or Impala.
ReplyDelete"The Hostess with the Mostes' on the Ball" was sung by Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam, which was based on Perle Mesta.
Yay!
ReplyDeleteI got a Saturday without cheating!
One thing lead to another,and ended with the "R"in Neros
just like Splynter said!
Hmm, except I had the red letters on...
Oh nuts!
Inane Hikers link!
"The size of 18-hole golf courses can vary, sometimes drastically, but most courses are between 5,000 and 7,000 yards. But that's just the distance from hole to hole. It takes a large area when you factor in the rough, fairways, tee areas, clubhouse, driving range and practice greens. Most golf courses are spread across 110 to 190 acres. The number of of acres required was determined during a February 2001 survey by the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America." from Golf Week.
ReplyDeletePK, sorry about your yard. In our town when they have projects like that, the town restores the lawn. Please ask.
WEES about the SW. The rest was pretty much a walk in the park but that side contained the park's alligator pond. Haven't heard the term ALEXARANK and stll not sure exactly what it is that's being ranked (I do know Alexa, though).
ReplyDeleteI continue to be surprised at the number of people who don't know TED TALKS. YouTube has dozens and dozens of them. They cover so many subjects that there are bound to be some for everyone. The 18 minute limit keeps them from rambling on.
PK, how did you like "Camino Island"? I am most of the way through "The Whistler" and I don't care much for it yet.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I mentioned to DH that we hadn't had a CC puzzle all week, and maybe it would be a CC today, and to my pleasure, it was! Took longer than I wanted, with the last fill being ALEXARANK, but FIR! Thanks, C.C. and a great non-themer.
ReplyDeleteNice job, Splynter. Sorry you have two shifts.... you're way too nice to keep on doing these Saturday write-ups with that workload! Keep up the great work!
Can't talk, gotta run. Splynter I think the main CSO was to you.
ReplyDeleteRemember HALT
WC
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteCrunchy for me today but eventually got it with some red letter help in the SW corner. Favorite clue was for FRESCO.
ACRES - Tend to agree with GJ's comment, YR's explanation notwithstanding. Probably important for tax purposes.
SES - The plural noun possessive of his or her. The noun modified can be either gender.
TED TALKS - A learning for me. Does anyone here look at their stuff?
ABES - I wanted 'fin', too.
ReplyDeleteHOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST ON THE BALL
Holy cow, what a masterful puzzle this was. There is so much I did not know. Like PK, I felt a little bit obsolete. I kept thinking Q50 was a highway in Canada. When I finally solved the whole thing I still didn't get the tada; it turns out I made a stupid typo at UNDO SEND, where I must have hit the O key instead of the U key. Had to turn on red letters to spot it. Dang.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous T, from last night, thanks for the link to that Trevor Noah monologue about the Comey hearing. It was hilarious.
Good wishes to you all.
Fun puzzle but kinda easy for a Saturday in my mind. Great write up Splynter as always. Favorite clue - miss identification for nee. Least favorite - agree with others - golf course units for acres. Heat wave starts today! Hope everyone has a great weekend. JB2
ReplyDeleteSpitzboov: I frequently watch both TED and TEDx talks. Some don't interest me and I quit without finishing, but far more often I find them quite interesting and enjoyable. Some are funny, some are serious, and nearly always I end up learning something new. They may be available elsewhere too, but I always watch them on YouTube. Just search for TED or TEDx there.
ReplyDeleteWow! Couldn't believe we were going to have a C.C. Saturday puzzle with what looked like an impossible grid. The only thing I got on my first run-through was SI SI, which wasn't much help. But I stayed with it and slowly, slowly the south filled in! After getting I SAY, TINS, and IRK, NEROS and ISABEL sort off fell into place, even though I'd never heard of them, and after guessing ALANON and DTs, the other bottom half filled in too. I wondered about ALEXA RANK, but I had heard about something called ALEXA which I guess is a version of SIRI, so I stayed with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd so it went until I got to the top. I had wanted to put in ALMOND JOY but it needed another letter. However, the ELECT and AMORE (I spelled it wrong the first time) sort of got me ACRES. My biggest headache was that Monastery figure. Raised Catholic, I of course wanted MONKS which wasn't going to work, and I couldn't think of any nuns or priests whose titles ended in the A of ACRES. But in the end it all filled in with two cheats I didn't really need (SWE--I figured he was Scandinavian-- and MAMET which I had guessed and turned out to be correct).
Anyway, C.C. a great Saturday treat--many thanks! My favorite clue was "Seasonal temp" for SANTA. And thanks for the always great expo, Splynter.
PK, so sorry to hear about your heartbreaking yard problem.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
I agree with YR, the weekly intro on GOLF usually mentions the acreage.
ReplyDeleteI LEAD OFF Flying today, rounded first and there was QUILTS and QUIVERS. Apres ca, la Messe.
But I guessed Oliver Twist was hungry but I forgot"SIR". But a few WAGS later I was back to the NE.
I had to do a pkup so I turned the conversation to cruciverbing and lo and behold I had SWIMUPBAR. I had to change TBS to PBS and TADA.
Except for FAN. I would have preferred: "Almost as 'obsolete' as USPS" as the clue for FAX.
And my scribbling is bad enough without a sea of ink. Perhaps I should invest in wite-out.
A great CC xword, so doable and entertaining. By my calculations Splynter is fast asleep but if he drops by, merci beaucoup, tres bien.
Chuckle, he loves all the Fwanche he can get
WC nee Guillaume
For the record, BORG referred to Bjorn Borg. Epic Wimbledon battles vs McEnroe
ReplyDeleteWC
Rather weak clueing for a constructor who is obviously respected.
ReplyDeleteAcres for golf course units is a stretch, but isn't what Saturday puzzles are about ? Maybe not for a golfer but the number of acres is the key unit for the golf course architect.
ReplyDeleteI had no chance for a TADA myself. Although I knew Ted Talks, I had never heard of Avery Labels, Nero's Circus or what a "Marant" is. If you WIKI Marant you come up with a commune ? Must not be a very good designer. Spent a good deal of time trying to make the end of 29 down "Click". Oh well
I should have gotten Please Sir as " may I have some more" was my first thought. Why I didn't come up with the predecessor line is a mystery of brain function.
I am really getting tired of 5-6 foreign words per grid especially French. I thought une meant one not "a". Tried to make "les" fit. Never heard of undosend and gmail is my primary email. And in 66 years on the planet never heard "Abe" as a synonym for a five dollar bill.
I'll be today's nay-sayer. Hated this slog. Gave up after an hour of frustration. Not fun when you don't even understand the answers (i.e. ALEXA RANK, TEDTALKS). Maybe I shouldn't waste my time on Saturday grids?? Please don't suggest sites where puzzles are "easier" I've been solving since before many of you were born. I'm just frustrated with the "campiness" of today's puzzle!
ReplyDeleteI think our problem with ACRE as a golf measurement is that words can have varying meanings and connotations.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you all are correct when you see the meaning of COURSE as Merriam Webster sees it. “An area of land laid out for golf with a series of 9 or 18 holes each including tee, fairway, and putting green and often one or more natural or artificial hazards “ That is the part of the land used in just the playing of golf.
As a non–golfer I was thinking of the whole shebang. Dictionary.com sees it my way.
“The ground or course over which golf is played. A standard full-scale golf course has 125 to 175 acres (51 to 71 hectares), usually with 18 holes
varying from 100 to 650 yards (91 to 594 meters) in length from tee to cup”.
I call this discussion a draw. If you remember, I usually see gray where others see black and white.
PK, As I research it, I find that legal claims against utilities for property damage have spotty results. But "a squeaky wheel gets the grease." Many times utilities have responded to homeowners complaints out of good will. Go for it! And don't forget to complain to your local municipality. Best of luck for a restored lawn without your own sweat equity.
Anonymous PVC, please link a puzzle you actually like. Will it appeal to the majority of us puzzlers?
Always impressed by C.C.'s contributions! And grateful. Thanks to you too, Splynter!
ReplyDeleteThis was one of those feel-good Saturday jobs. Chewy enough, but filled with long words and phrases that one can grok instantly with only one letter.
Examples:
I caught onto WATER BIRD at 12D with only a tentative "W" as the first letter.
But my fave was sussing PLEASE SIR at 29D with only the second letter ("L") in place.
What is it with the marvelous human brain?!
Ta-DA!!
PS. BTW, Splynter, I had HOLES before ACRES too.
Bobbi - On Saturdays, I just give it a glance on the off chance it looks doable by my limited abilities. If it looks too hard I just pass it by. No point in getting aggravated at the start of the day. I've actually attempted most Saturday puzzles recently, but I sometimes go weeks without even trying. I just throw in an extra diabolical Sudoku for my brain exercise if I don't attempt the LAT CW.
ReplyDeleteConsider that these Saturday CWs are well within the capabilities of a lot of the folks here, and many enjoy a stiff challenge. If you have been doing the weekday versions you have been exposed to TED TALKS several times. And there are enough TV commercials demonstrating ALEXA that most folks should be familiar with that Siri wannabe just by osmosis.
Thanx for the "condolences" . I had an extremely busy week and looked forward to my regular Sat. Morning three cups of fresh ground java and my LAT solving session. Didn't need the angst.
DeleteThanks WikWak. I will look into it.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Golf unit clue for ACRES was a great misdirection. It wasn't a normal Monday or Tuesday level fill, and it is legit.
ReplyDeleteAs Chuck said, it is a first consideration for any golf architect. How to create an enjoyable course given the available acreage and natural topography. Of course these days, the build crews can move mountains if necessary, but there are most certainly minimum acreage requirements to build a course.
For players, especially less skilled players, acreage is one of those factors that goes unregistered while playing. A less skilled player slices and hooks more, hits the ball off the toe of the club, and generally tends to spray the ball all over the place.
A less skilled player will feel more at ease on a course with wide fairways and plenty of "rough" between adjacent fairways. The reason is simple. On a tight course, all of those errant shots are going to end up on or near the fairways, or near the teeboxes and greens of holes they aren't playing. Not exactly endearing to other golfers... FORE !
Chairman Moe and I played the same course near here many times, albeit years apart. I ran a league on it, playing 22 to 24 times a year for 8 or 9 years.
It's a resort course, but don't think of one of the big sprawling luxury resorts and spas. The common joke around here is that they squeezed 18 holes of golf onto 40 acres of ground. Very tight fairways, with the majority of the holes just going back and forth against each other. So easy to have a shot land in another fairway.
As a convention center, they tend to get a lot of "first timers" that have watched golf on TV, think about how easy the pros make it look, and think they'll rent a set of clubs and give it a go... FORE !!
The course is very well maintained. The deep green grass, the flowered areas, the ponds, the tree lined fairways, and the asphalt cart paths - looking like walking paths - are too inviting for some of the resort guests to resist. There are warning signs, but it wasn't unusual to have resort guests just wandering about the course during league play. FORE !!!
PK - If they don't have an easement. they owe you big time. If they do, it depends on the terms of the easement, but restoration is usually an integral part of such an agreement. I would contact a good tort or litigation attorney, and see what can be done.
ReplyDeleteHi everybody. I'm not a big fan of themeless puzzles but I liked this better than most due to some tricky/clever/original cluing. I was especially fond of "Work on a ceiling" >> FRESCO. I'm curious, CC, how much did Rich influence your original clues? Anyway, thanks CC. Rich and Splynter.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who have been missing my lunch adventures, here's an update from today. A new restaurant opened up about a mile from me. It's not fine dining but it is an excellent upscale fast food place to eat well. Everything is really good. We've had the Lechon Cubano, the Pork Belly Knockout, the Sustainable Steelhead, the tacos and the Soup of the Day. Everything ranged from good to great. The rice and the vegetables are surprisingly well prepared. High marks from me! Here's a menu. RUBANO
Spitzboov, I meant to comment, NPR also had TED Radio Hour...
ReplyDeletegspent and others, thanks for the info on "Hostess' with the MOSTEST" meaning. Wasn't at all familiar with that saying...
This coming Friday I'll be playing in a charity golf outing for Ronald McDonald House. It's at another tight course that meanders through a planned community, with nowhere near the necessary distance needed to protect the houses that line the course from errant tee shots. When you stand on the first tee box, you can see all of the dents in the siding of the houses along the right fairway. And, as typical of these type of outings, there will be an overabundance of those once or twice a year golfers that will be putting more dents in siding or breaking windows...
Spitz, I've stumbled across links to several Ted Talks. I don't always watch the whole thing but are they uniformly good. The subject matter is interesting and the speakers are knowledgeable. I recommend them.
ReplyDeleteBillG: I get drawn into any book by John Grisham with his straight forward march narrative. I must have liked it to some degree to stay with it until I was yawning with watery eyes and could no longer see to read. LOL! I read "The Whistler" when it first came out and don't remember what it was about. "Like" isn't a word I associate with Grisham. I am "compelled" to keep reading and feel I learn a lot about people & situations from him. Usually no softening love stories that make you like a character.
ReplyDeleteYR: Thank you for your encouragement. I worked with the female partner in the excavating company to make contact with neighbors. She assures me that they RESEED the grassy areas. Problem #1: they dig down six to ten feet of dirt so the bottom clay mixes in with top soil and is not a good seed bed. Took me five years after I replaced the sewer line to the house to get a decent stand of grass. The project was to start in early May but weather and problems obtaining permissions delayed them. Problem #2: weather is hot & dry here in June & July and baby grass won't grow unless you water it daily. The yard is large enough that I need at least four changes of hose & sprinkler position to keep the seed bed moist. Access to the place needing water is a steeply slanted hill that is hard for me to walk up and down. I'm going to try rain dancing on the upper level. LOL!
Spitz: I signed a permission for them to cross my property. Part of the work is on the utility right of way. However, in reality, I have to maintain the right-of-way. My son ran an excavation company for years and I was his bookkeeper, so I have some sympathy for them. I think that's one reason they are using my yard as a staging area. The excavation operators have been very careful & skilled. But they are not going to come back and water that seed or work compost into the soil. I just needed to rant, I guess. I'll see how it looks after they pull out and whether my sewage drains properly. That's the important thing.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteIf I'd not thunk
Monk
But, instead, the one-L'd
Lama
Then, maybe, I'd'a gotta
The NE of C.C.'s puzzling
Diagram'ma.
{D-}
Thanks C.C. for your Sat. Stumper. I spent two hours off-and-on playing and got most of your devilish cluing. What office still has a FAX?, I ask. No I didn't fully fill the SW right either. PLEASE SIR was a gimme; IRK or IRE @58? led to 'Ad revenue' -- not 29d [nor a plea for Web donations - PBS is done asking for $$; time to shake the CUP at the Corner*? :-)].
I had ---D[dose for 4d]i{IKE was right out}FfAN thinking some FAN lead a rally and the hostess' best assets [not boobs] was faSTEST.
Thanks Splynter for stopping the madness that raged from the PANEL of voices in my head trying to pull SWAY on fill. Oh, and what a fun expo to mop up this ink/paper-massacre.
Fun Stuff: c/a for NEE; I didn't get it but it's a Brilliant c/a. 14a had nothing to do with Oreo-k-RACA [hey, there could be an Oreo Cracka; tho' us cracka's is white :-)]
Funny how wrong-fill gets you something right and then corrects the wrong fill. Pols (52d) got me AMEN SISTER, which fed SI SI, thus SANTA, then (back to 52d again) ATTS. #FUN
And props for c/a @ BRIM; that made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me go D'Oh!
Nailed TED TALKS w/ the D, A, and S in place. Never heard them? Com'on I linked Billy Collins' TED on dogs 2 months ago.
Bill G. Nice lunch update. IIRC, you're far south of SFO but do you know of good spots between Monterey and Napa? We're flying out next-next-week and, until hooking up w/ DW's Aunt on Wed, we're on our own. Not our 1st trip to SFO, but we don't want touristy stuff on our TRIP. Anyone in the Bay Area's ACRES with ideas for good eats?
Well, 9 14yro girls just left Youngest's pool party... Time for a NAP!
Cheers, -T
*That reminds me...
ReplyDeletePK, stand your ground. It should be at least as good as, if not better, when they leave.
I have a new question. Perhaps it has been discussed before. I don't know. Is there a real problem making deviled eggs from organic eggs, or is that just myth ? I've always heard that freshly laid eggs don't do well for making deviled eggs.
But DW tried to make deviled eggs with organic eggs this morning, and they wouldn't peel without taking chunks of the egg white. And the yolks seemed to cook quicker with the organic eggs, so they had that ring around the cooked yolk.
We bought regular white eggs at the grocery later in the day, and she made the deviled eggs using the same cooking method without any peeling problems.
Supposedly the shell of the organic eggs isn't the same, so like very freshly laid eggs, they just cook quicker ?
For the record, I used to skip the weekend, Thursday was my day. Discovering this blog made a big difference.
ReplyDeleteI would wrestle with a xword all day and perhaps all week. I finally discovered two things: two parts of the brain work on a xword. The normal, straight thinking part and the deep part of the brain that will keep churning.
Secondly I stopped giving up and refused to google. Today for fun I posed the SWIM UP Question to a customer.
Like our blog MC I no longer drink so what the BAR denizens do is lost on me.
Ironically, I used to skip Monday and Tuesday but I have fun with them knowing I can kick a few clues around in here.
WC
TTP - 3 years, I think (when I was on WKRP kick - like I still ain't :-)) ago round-about Thanksgiving we discussed peeling eggs [sorry, my Google-Fu is on break; but I'm sure you can find a CITE for this]. Older eggs are easier to peel because the pores in the shell lets air escape and the membrane surrounding the white adheres to the shell instead of the white. Any store-bought egg is older than a farmer's-market egg. Also, don't drop cool eggs into boiling water; let the water and eggs come up to temp together. Just one more thing I learnt at the Corner. Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteOy Here we go again. Just crack the end and blow on them. |-)
ReplyDeleteAnd a silly shit-eating-grin crosses my face. Good to see your 'ASS-VATAR' back in these parts Ave Joe. We've missed you. Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteThis was too tough for me today. I filled the EAST but I had never heard of ALMOND ROCA, ALEXA RANK, UNDO SEND, AMARE, or TED TALKS (I did fill it by perps), had no idea what Q50 or the Dickensian request were, took a NUT instead of a NAP from under the tree.
ReplyDeleteUnder no circumstances could I GRIND IT OUT or MEASURE UP today. I did get ELS.
Rats - I should have known Infiniti (we have bucoos of them in the Houston area). I had the i--i(n?)iti - duh. I agree with billocohoes - stupid model names - guess it's a European thing.
ReplyDeleteInanehiker - thanks for the hilarious SNL clip - I can identify.
Anon-T, thanks for the ComeDy clip FLN - hilarious, and also Pradeep's joke (which I too always enjoy). Didn't understand it yesterday a.m. when I read it, still didn't understand your explanation (FLN) until I read it twice more. Another duh (groan)! Unlike the Cornerites here, I still have one foot in the cave.
To all who are anticipating unseasonal temps and humidity - we Texans can certainly empathize. But I'm hoping your heat waves will soon give way to regular weather. All of us have to thank, per Wiki: "Willis Haviland Carrier (November 26, 1876 – October 7, 1950) was an American engineer, best known for inventing modern air conditioning."
Oh, I left out that I had never heard of ISABEL Marant or NERO'S circus either. Just more salt to rub in my wounds that C.C. inflicted today.
ReplyDeleteFirst - I was thinkin' Gettysburg @ 41 but Ken Burns said it was a short (<3m) TALK and Lincoln only said it once... And no one had video...
ReplyDeleteB) PK. Whos you kiddin'? You love yous some men out in the ditch :-). And AMEN SISTER!
[off the record?... You crack me up; MIL has bomb-shells she'll drop in a conversation (told Eldest how she'd hang outside the Marine Base in NYC awaiting BOYS (eldest isn't interested that way). However, MIL did hook FIL (USMC-RIP)). You ever get down South look up MIL; you two would have a hoot.
3) TX MS - Gotta give credit-due (or I get a DUN?) - OMK came up with Comey being a 'D' away from comedy. I just rode his coat-tails to slide into that ENNY-joke bit.
Other than last Monday, the humidity has been fine. DW likes it cold-to-me (<73F) but I'm fine w/ 90F even with humidity.
IV) I went to a buddy's house this afternoon for his daughters' Grad party [why I was so late to the Corner]. He had a special, and quite nice, video montage of his kid with a Joe Cocker song overlay.
Ever feel like a suck dad? Esp when YR is a rock-star mom? CED might be too much (love it!), Bill G & HG seem just about normal. [how's Jordan Bill?]
I didn't do a montage for Eldest... Hell, I didn't even think HS graduation was a big deal (get your degree and then we'll talk accomplishment) until DW knock'd sense into me. [she didn't win; I still will be most proud when we sit at OU for Eldest's graduation]
I'm hook'd on Beatles. I've been listening to SIRUIS*(XM)-18 for hours and can't stop! Someone call CPS! I'm sure my girls are NEGlected by now. [that's humour - they're fine throwing WATERBalloons at each other.]
Splynter - MOSTEST Hostess in action. Smell the glove mate. No, not if you don't want to; but it's too sexy? No 'Sexist'. Will the BOYS learn? What's one more than ELEVEN?
Cheers, -T
*Thursday, right WC?
AnonT, yeah, I seem just about normal to me too. I hit a few high spots in parenting but I tend to remember most of the low spots.
ReplyDeleteJordan is mostly doing well. I helped him with some math from time-to-time without causing him to bristle. He seemed to enjoy the feeling that came with better understanding. And I told everybody here I have a new granddaughter didn't I? She's a sweetie but she hasn't got much of a personality at three weeks old...
Thanks Wilbur Charles for explaining Borg. I lived in Denmark as a child and many city names ended in "borg". I did also think of Star Trek!
ReplyDeletePan Pal really confused me as I kept mis-reading as Pen Pal. But I got it with crosses.
Amazed I FIR, but that is CC's skill. You think her puzzle is impossible, but you are wrong. Certainly plenty of unknowns: ISABEL, ALEXA RANK, Q50. ACRES did seem a bit of a stretch. HOLES or YARDS certainly are measures most would think of. Only know ELS from CC's puzzles.
We had TED TALKS recently. I urge everyone to watch a few. We got rid of our cable TV and TED TALKS are one of the best replacements ever. TV leaves you feeling you wasted time. TED TALKS leave you feeling you have gained new insights. And they are indeed short!