Theme: "Cereal Boxes"- Different grains bookend each theme entry.
25A *Lids for a fancy box? : OPERA HATS. Oats. English is strange. Oats are always plural, but not other grains.
27A. *Easy order for a mixologist : WHISKEY NEAT. Wheat.
39A. *Ceremonious choreography : RITUAL DANCE. Rice. Have any of you cumin rice?
42A. *Lothario's organ : ROVING EYE. Rye.
65. *Ring leaders : BARNUM AND BAILEY. Barley.
88A. *Joe may come from one : COFFEE URN. Corn.
91A. *Moved like a crowd : MILLED ABOUT. Millet. I just mentioned to TTP yesterday that no matter how I try, my millet porridge is never as good as my grandma's.
106A. *Significant other : MAIN SQUEEZE. Maize. Isn't it the same as corn?
Reveal:
110. Deep-rooted ... and what the uncircled letters of the answers to starred clues are? : INGRAINED
John's set is close to complete. Sorghum is unworkable, hence its absence. It's actually gluten-free, like oats, millet, corn & rice. I never had it, but many of the pricey liquors in China are made of Sorghum.
John broke with the convention and started his themers in Row 4 rather than Row 3. I'm guessing he tried Row 3 but did not like the result.
Lots of playful clues/fill, PYROMANIAC (73D. One who remembers old flames with fondness) is my favorite. It sums up John's style perfectly.
Across:
1. Hunk : GLOB. Thought of STUD.
5. Tortilla-wrapped serving : FAJITA. You won't like this if you don't like cumin.
11. Hardly a haymaker : JAB. Boxing punch.
14. Pulled up a chair : SAT
17. Whom Samwise accompanied to Rivendell : FRODO
18. Backspace key, often : ERASER
19. One who might err on the safe side? : UMP. Nailed it.
20. __ dixit: assertion without proof : IPSE
21. Add zing to : LIVEN. 29. Zing : PEP
22. Berate : RANT AT
23. "Heavens!" : GOODNESS!
25A *Lids for a fancy box? : OPERA HATS. Oats. English is strange. Oats are always plural, but not other grains.
27A. *Easy order for a mixologist : WHISKEY NEAT. Wheat.
39A. *Ceremonious choreography : RITUAL DANCE. Rice. Have any of you cumin rice?
42A. *Lothario's organ : ROVING EYE. Rye.
65. *Ring leaders : BARNUM AND BAILEY. Barley.
88A. *Joe may come from one : COFFEE URN. Corn.
91A. *Moved like a crowd : MILLED ABOUT. Millet. I just mentioned to TTP yesterday that no matter how I try, my millet porridge is never as good as my grandma's.
106A. *Significant other : MAIN SQUEEZE. Maize. Isn't it the same as corn?
Reveal:
110. Deep-rooted ... and what the uncircled letters of the answers to starred clues are? : INGRAINED
John's set is close to complete. Sorghum is unworkable, hence its absence. It's actually gluten-free, like oats, millet, corn & rice. I never had it, but many of the pricey liquors in China are made of Sorghum.
John broke with the convention and started his themers in Row 4 rather than Row 3. I'm guessing he tried Row 3 but did not like the result.
Lots of playful clues/fill, PYROMANIAC (73D. One who remembers old flames with fondness) is my favorite. It sums up John's style perfectly.
Across:
1. Hunk : GLOB. Thought of STUD.
5. Tortilla-wrapped serving : FAJITA. You won't like this if you don't like cumin.
11. Hardly a haymaker : JAB. Boxing punch.
14. Pulled up a chair : SAT
17. Whom Samwise accompanied to Rivendell : FRODO
18. Backspace key, often : ERASER
19. One who might err on the safe side? : UMP. Nailed it.
20. __ dixit: assertion without proof : IPSE
21. Add zing to : LIVEN. 29. Zing : PEP
22. Berate : RANT AT
23. "Heavens!" : GOODNESS!
30. Donizetti aria "Regnava __ silenzio" : NEL. This is clued as [First word in Dante's "Inferno"] last Sunday.
31. Bee bunch : SWARM
33. Watergate figure with a radio talk show : LIDDY. G. Gordon Liddy.
34. Exude : OOZE. It's great to see your previous avatar, Yellowrocks!
36. Learn : HEAR OF
37. Giant __, world's largest antelope : ELAND. Learning moment for me. Hello!
46. Bearded blossom : IRIS
47. G, in the key of C : SOL. Got via crosses.
48. Adjust, as a chronometer : RESET
49. Tat misreadable as WOW : MOM. Tattoo.
50. Honey : TOOTS. Chinese are quite reserved, not many "sweet" words. "Respect" trumps all.
52. Tweaks : MODIFIES
56. "Is this some kind of __?" : A JOKE
58. New England cape : ANN
59. __ chi : TAI
61. Biting : ACID
62. "Good-bye, cruel world!," in Westerns : I'M A GONER
68. Worldwide anticrime gp. : INTERPOL. Currently headed by a Chinese.
72. Author Deighton : LEN
73. Bench press muscle : PEC
76. Ethel on "I Love Lucy" : MERTZ. So many "I Love Lucy" collectibles at the flea market.
77. Produce a steady stream of : CHURN OUT
80. Words with remember or forget : TRY TO. We also have 48. Word with debt or guilt : RIDDEN. 56. Bond or bonding follower : AGENT. Playfulness & originality!
82. Bon __: Comet rival : AMI
83. "__ the loneliest number" : ONE IS
85. "Argo" org. : CIA
87. Fine __ : ARTS
95. Crease-resistant fabric : ORLON
96. Estefan with Grammys : GLORIA
98. Consider to be : DEEM
99. Steel, e.g. : ALLOY. Not METAL.We also have 40. Metal that's pumped : IRON
101. Form opener : LINE A
102. Key preposition : O'ER. Francis Scott Key
103. Boxer with feats of Clay? : ALI. Cute.
113. Rank people? : AMATEURS. Another great clue.
114. Swab's assent : AYE SIR. Normally with two Ayes, right?
116. Blink of an eye : TRICE
117. D.C. pros : NATS
119. Fix, as a pump : RE-SOLE
120. Former Midwest territorial capital : OMAHA. Another learning moment for me, Gary!
121. Is for you : ARE
122. Steely __ : DAN
123. Airborne camera holders : DRONES. Used by quite a few YouTubers.
124. Many a competition : RACE
Down:
1. Bone to pick : GRIPE
2. Fictional turn-on : LOVE POTION. Hey, this is even organic.
3. Smelly-sounding German river? : ODER. Odor.
4. Windfall : BONANZA. Great word.
5. Wild : FERAL
6. Smell __ : A RAT
7. Fugitive portrayer before Ford : JANSSEN (David). I've only seen Harrison Ford's movie.
8. Believer's suffix : IST
9. Pots, cups, etc. : TEAWARE
10. Prefix with -pod : ARTHRO. Prefix for "Joint".
11. Handled containers : JUGS
12. Every which way : AMOK
13. Fraternal initials : BPOE
14. Leadfoot : SPEED DEMON. So what's the plural for "Leadfoot"? Leadfoots or Leadfeet?
15. Syrian president : ASSAD
16. Touchy : TESTY
17. Bomb : FLOP
20. Baseball unit with distinct halves : INNING
24. Musician with a Nobel Prize : DYLAN. Pride of Minnesota. I had a lovely walk around Lake Harriet with Andrea Carla Michaels last week. Another Pride of Minnesota. Then another long walk with Boomer in our favorite trail on June 30, D-Otto, followed by buying a rice bowl like this in our local Asian store. I think I want one more. Really like the dragon at the bottom.
26. Bread butts : HEELS
28. The Who classic : I'M FREE. Got via crosses.
32. Female in WWII : WAC. Women's Army Corps. Do you still remember Southern Belle? She was a WAC during the Korean War. She used to comment regularly.
35. Boot from power : OUST
36. Heavenly topper : HALO
37. Original sinner : EVE
38. Fired up : LIT
39. Dexter's wife in "Dexter" : RITA. Easily obtainable,
41. __ effect : DOMINO. Not RIPPLE.
43. Alternate version, in scores : OSSIA. Unknown to me. You'd think it's related to bone.
44. Farm connection : YOKE. Farm animal.
45. ER part: Abbr. : EMER
51. HBO rival : STARZ
53. Beaver's work : DAM
54. Victim of hot wings? : ICARUS. Another great clue/fill.
55. More classy : FINER
57. Delight : JOY. I linked Amy at Costco clip a years ago when "Call Me Maybe" was hot. Which song do you like the best?
60. Dada daddy? : ARP (Jean). Dada co-founder.
63. "Uncle" of old TV : MILTIE
64. Flagon filler : ALE. I did not know this is called "Flagon".
65. Risk : BET
66. Peptic problem : ULCER
67. Rain-__ gum : BLO
68. Apple computer : iMAC
69. Nautilus captain : NEMO
70. Like poison ivy : TRIFOLIATE. Having three leaves. Also a new word to me.
74. Shocked accusation : ET TU
75. Outlay : COST
78. Actor Pat of Batman films : HINGLE. Never heard of him.
81. Broccoli __ : RABE
83. LBJ's antipoverty agcy. : OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity
84. "The Sound of Music" extra : NUN
86. Calculating snake? : ADDER. Amazing clue.
89. Leads, as a band : FRONTS
90. "Family Ties" mom : ELYSE
91. Ancient Roman currency minter : MONEYER. Guessable.
92. Anger : IRE
93. Go-between : LIAISON
94. Bubbler : AERATOR
97. Gecko, for one : LIZARD. John sent me this fun picture. He said "Costa Rica's Jesus Christ Lizard is supposed to be able to walk on water. This one failed miserably and can’t even open a can of soda without spilling it."
99. Dryer brand : AMANA
100. Texas university in Beaumont : LAMAR
102. Fairy tale baddies : OGRES
104. Café con __ : LECHE. Not fond of putting milk in coffee or tea.
105. Thought : IDEA
107. Campus area : QUAD
108. Heavenly bear : URSA
109. "Monday Night Football" channel : ESPN
111. Shade of green : NILE
112. Hogwarts librarian __ Pince : IRMA. Gimme for Santa.
115. That thing in Tijuana : ESO
Happy Birthday to dear Tony (AnonT), who's always been so kind and caring to everyone on our blog. He's also a foodie. This picture cracks me up.
At Wit's End near Carmel on Father's Day 2017
45 comments:
FIR!
{B+.}
Bond is a secret AGENT of her majesty, the Queen!
Epoxy glue is a bonding AGENT for whatever it's between!
But AGENT doesn't follow Bond
(Unless he wants to lead one on!)
"Bond or bonding follower" needs an Oxford comma to keep clean!
C.C., you continue to amaze with your insights. It is wonderful to be understood by a friend and master blogger! Yes, I started on row four because starting on row three limits the location of blocks on rows one and two and indeed, in this case I didn't like those options. I actually created six different grids for this one and this layout gave the liveliest fill.
And yes, I'll take credit for the PYROMANIAC clue. My fave also.
Happy solving, solvers!
Good morning!
Guess who didn't read the puzzle title....again? Didn't matter, I didn't need the theme or the circles to complete John's a-MAIZEing puzzle. As usual with a Lampkin puzzle, there was plenty to chuckle at. ROVING EYE, because the obvious answer was too short. I saw "G in the key of C" a few days ago in that other puzzle. Yes, I fell into the AYE-AYE trap. TRIFOLIATE and ARTHRO are signature Lampkin fill. It all came together quickly, and after finishing, I checked the circles and found all the little grains strewn there. Nice.
Happy Birthday, Tony. We had to abort our weekend bike ride yesterday, victims of another flat tire. Repairs completed, we'll give it another shot this morning. We've got nothing so fancy as that bike Tony's riding in the photo. Do you remember Witt's End from the old computer text game, Adventure? If you accidentally wound up at Witt's End, you had to go East, repeatedly, to get back out again.
Good morning. Thank you John and thank you CC.
Happy Birthday Tony !
Argh ! Fun puzzle, got the theme and each of the grains, but not the TADA. Did not know HINGLE and MONEYER, and couldn't see LINE A. I was looking for a prefix with the "form opener" clue, like we often see. e.g. Trooper leader. PARA...
Oh well, still very enjoyable. Me too on PYROMANIAC especially after "...old flames with fondness" first led me to --ROMANTIC.
Also first had TKO since a haymaker result would be a KO. Then started with CUPS down before changing it to MUGS, and almost left MAB in my haste as I completed AMOK and BPOE.
I too had AYE AYE at first, but changed it to SIR when I filled in LIME green, only to change LIME to NILE a minute later.
My nickname for my SIL is Leadfoot Linda. I would say leadfoots when speaking about a group of speed demons. "The leadfoots in the left lane passed by in a flurry." I might then say that "they all had leadfeet" to group them with a common characteristic.
Because I am also a letter pattern solver sometimes, and having -I-UALDANCE in place, I momentarily entered VISUAL before taking more than a causal glance at the clue. RITUAL made sense.
Time to make a pot of coffee. I'll have mine con leche.
Hi Y'all! No circles, but I read the title & the reveal and still couldn't see any grain. Didn't need the theme to finish. Thanks, John. Thanks, C.C.
Happy birthday, Tony!
Lothario's organ? Good grief! I don't think of an EYE as an organ, but the ROVING EYE was a cute fill.
RABE? I researched after finishing and couldn't find a satisfying answer to this. RABE doesn't stand alone. Always Broccoli RABE or RAAB. I guess it is a type of the vegetable, but I'm still not sure.
Couldn't think of David JANSSEN without half the perps. I betcha we watched every episode of that TV series at least twice. Really liked JANSSEN in the part. One of our favorite shows at the time.
Liked "victim of hot wings" = ICARUS.
Country stuff in this puzzle: BARN, CHURN, MILL, GRAIN had me looking for a theme in those. Speaking of grain, My wheat is harvested. My farmer has planted much less wheat the last two years which, I guess, is a trend. Maybe because of low price and gluten-free demand.
C.C., I didn't know people ate millet. I thought it was bird seed. I've only seen it growing wild.
TEAWARE not a term I'd heard. TEA "sets" turned red.
Poison Ivy: tried "three leafs" then TRIFOLIAgE then put a "T" in. "Leaflets three, let it be!" is the rhyme to remember. I've fought poison ivy most years I've lived here. Virginia creeper looks similar until I count leaflets. Spray usually gets it until the next year.
A very fun John Lampkin and a drop by to boot!
John left a CSO to Tinbeni with his WHISKEY NEAT. TTP mentioned a speed solver tactic of letter patterns, which I used to do when I solved on paper.
LOTHARIO had a big week in the LAT.
I appreciate the acting versatility of PAY HINGLE and his unique voice. As a character actor he never had the spotlight but he has 199 acting credits which is pretty amazing.
Thank you John and C.C.
Four blondes, a priest, a minister and a rabbi, two Irishmen, a horse, a man and his dog walk into a bar. The bartender says ... 56A clue and answer
I liked this one, even though I wan't quite up to the challenge. Looked up FRODO and MONEYER and STILL missed STARs/MERTs and had dIvISION instead of LIAISON. Thanks for the challenge and for checking in, John. CC, of course you nailed UMP. Another fine tour.
PK - I was also thinking of another Lothario's organ. I also thought that "handled containers" for JUGS provided another eyebrow-raising moment. Maybe I've been watching too much Big Brother on TV. Tons of hormones running through the house this season. Hand up for AYEAYE.
I eat fajitas frequently, but use a fork with the tortilla being only a pusher. What can I say - I also put mustard, not ketchup, on my fries.
HBDTY Anon-T.
Cute theme. The grains were easy to see with the circles.
MILLET is a staple in the diets of about a third of the world's population, especially Asia and Africa.
Maize is the name for the corn we use in the USA. Corn actually means the common local grain. In the UK it can mean oats or barley. In the USA corn came to be the term for maize which is common in North America.The PA Dutch when speaking English call sweet corn Welsh corn.
Iris is my favorite flower.
Do you remember the Bon AMi ad with a newly hatched chick and the slogan,"hasn't scratched yet"?
I have seen most of Janssen's Fugitive episodes. Pat Hingle was a great character actor in 100's of TV shows. We watch the old reruns and see him frequently.
The dictionary gives leadfoots or leadfeet as the plural. I have never seen the plural used. I see, "He has a leadfoot," or "He is a leadfoot."
Nun, CSO to Lucina.
My first thought for Lothartio's organ was also DF.
OSSIA is new to me.
Happy birthday, Tony. I appreciate all your encouragement and advice. Thanks. Have a good one.
I am going to a dance this afternoon, so I should be moving along.
Good Morning:
I never met a JL puzzle that I didn't like and I still haven't! This one was a fun romp and catching on to the theme early helped greatly with the solve. (The title was catchy, too.) As CC noted, John gave us lots of clever clues and answers. I wanted Doppler before Domino but it was one letter too long. I guess I had Sheldon on my mind. I avoided the Aye Aye trap by checking the down fill. David Janssen was one of my favorite TV actors; he had such a distinctive voice. I also liked Pat Hingle; he played a mean villain so convincingly!
Thanks, John, for a lovely Sunday offering and comically-captioned picture and thanks, CC, for your clear and illuminating summary and asides.
Happy Birthday, Tony, hope it is fun-filled! 🎂🎁🎉🎈🍾
There is a store in our area called Wits End that started as a gift shop but has grown into a mini department store for women's clothing and accessories. (I don't think they sell any men's wear but I haven't been there in years.)
PK, I hope you can get back to a normal sleeping cycle soon!
Don't forget, the last episode of Prime Suspect is on tonight.
Have a great day.
Thanks to C.C. for your informative (as usual) commentary and to John Lampkin for a clever puzzle and for writing in.
"Pyromaniac" was also my favorite.
Have a lovely day everyone!
Good Morning!
As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed this JL creation. Hands up for PYROMANIAC being my favorite! And getting UMP right away. Well done, John, and thank you for stopping by. Thank you, C.C., for the write-up.
In SLO, CA we had poison OAK - didn't see poison IVY until I got to Missouri. Same rash, same three leaves rule...
The Who I'M FREE
Lot's of extra NUNS in this song
HBTY Anon-T - one standard and one funny :)
Happy Sunday!
t.
Happy birthday Tony, and good day to all!
What a great puzzle from John Lampkin. No circles, but didn't need them. Pat HINGLE, FRODO, IRMA Pince, and Dexter's wife RITA all arrived via perps. Also, the term "haymaker" is new to me, so JAB was perpped as well. Favorite clue/answers were "Victim of hot wings?" for ICARUS and "Calculating snake?" for ADDER, and the clue for PYROMANIAC was over the top fantastic. Thanks for the thorough expo, C.C.. Those fajitas look yummy!
Enjoy the day!
Thanks, John Lampkin, for a great Sunday solve. Yes, PYROMANIAC clue was the best, but others were great as well.
Thanks, C.C. for the write-up. Janssen played the Fugitive on the old TV series from the 60's I believe.
Have a great week ahead to all!
A very happy birthday, Tony! I hope you have a fantastic celebration!
Thank you, John Lampkin, for an amusing solve and for stopping at the Corner. I loved this puzzle! Not only PYROMANIAC, but ADDER (calculating snake)and ICARUS (victim of hot wings)made me laugh loudly.
MAIZE is the anglicized version of maiz (mah-eez)which is CORN in Spanish.
I love FAJITAS but I never use cumin, don't even have it in the house; it's too sharp. I prefer a smooth, hot taste.
Oh drat, in my haste and because the print is so small, I didn't realize I had REVENGYE instead of ROVING EYE. I also had to look up FRODO since I had no IDEA about Samwise or Rivendell????? That opened the NW but DEL in place of NEL held me up for a while.
David JANSSEN was a wonderful actor and died too young of a heart attack. it was shocking at the time because he was so admired.
YR: thank you for the CSO.
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
Greetings!
Thanks to John and CC for a swell puzzle and recap!
I did not work this at my usual time, as those of you who know I exist may have noticed. The DWP facility in Northridge was somehow set on fire! Much of the valley was w/o power for a long time. In my case, it was 13 hours! You may know that is hotter than Hades here! I have been awake all through the night! Had no dinner either. So, after I scrambled around in my wheelchair and reset my router, I am back in business. Decided to do the puzzle at the WaPo site as I somehow lost my effort at the puzzle site after a while. (Head pretty foggy.) Wow, what a delight to have circles! (Would do it there always except it does not arrive soon enough.)
My only hangups were OSSIA and the LBJ thing. Loved ICARUS, PYROMANIAC and the other one. (No, I am too tired to go back to look things up.)
Have a lovely birthday, Anon T!
Have a great day everyone!
Thanks John and CC. If you want to know my opinions about most of this puzzle, read what Irish Miss had to say. Ditto, except that she (and others0 seemed to like David Janssen more than I did. He seemed to belong to the dramatic school of acting that taught that you had to look and act miserable all of the time. Even a guy who was being pursued should be able to find an occasion to look and act pleasant once in a while.
Happy birthday Tony! I always enjoy your e-mails.
Ooh, I just thought of another always-unhappy-looking actor like David Janssen. It's David Tennant. I've always liked him but in Broadchurch, he looks dour all the time. I guess it's a signal to us that he's involved in a really serious crime. Plue there's that scruffy-looking beard. If I were Ellie, I'd be asking for a new partner.
So great to see John Lampkin checking in with C.C. and us right away this morning! Many thanks for both the visit, and for a great puzzle, John! This was really fun, and I got about fourth-fifths of it before I had to cheat a little. The circles really helped me figure out the theme pretty early, so that was fun too. I also just loved the ICARUS and the ADDER clues--so clever and funny. Another favorite of mine was RESOLE as the answer to FIX, AS A PUMP--I totally forgot that a pump could also be a shoe. And C.C., I might never have understood KEY OPENER and FORM OPENER without your help, even though I got them (what's a LINEA?).
Anyway, great start to a warm, sunny Sunday--many thanks, John and C.C.
Fermatprime, so sorry to hear about the fire--what a terrible night you've had. I hope you get some sleep today.
And have a wonderful birthday, Anon T!
Best wishes for a great Sunday, everybody!
Musings
-Only ¾ done by the time I had to leave for Sunday snoozefest (no attempt to LIVEN anything). With time to think, I thought sure the gimmick was “Cracked” oats, corn, wheat, but not so.
-John’s fun cluing always make for a great puzzle!
-Is this a JOKE, in Deutsch no less?
-The tribute to Lucy at Universal Florida has been closed and replaced with a Hello Kitty shop
-This guy had to CHURN OUT a lot of anonymous dreck to pay the bills after he was blacklisted
-Why do I have to fill out those FORMS in longhand everytime at the Dr’s office?
-A disastrous wedding DRONE (2:00)
-David JANSSEN’S The Fugitive was “must see” 60’s TV
-Seinfeld went from a FLOP to a major hit
-He worked with Uncle MILTIE when his career was down
-Those pesky NUNS pulled the distributor out of the Nazi’s car
-Happy Birthday, Tony. I like your musings as well!
Happy birthday, Tony!
I loved this puzzle and laughed out loud at the imaginative, funny clues. It took me a while to change ESA to ESO and LIAISER to LIAISON, which finally allowed me to get DRONE. Great puzzle, John; thank you for it.
I remember being very impressed with Pat Hingle's performance in the movie Splendor in the Grass. Actually I was deeply impressed by the whole movie. Zohra Lampert was magnificent in the small part she played so well at the end of the movie.
I guess RABE is sorta like CRAN.
Yes, fermatprime, lots of wildfires wreaking havoc! Stay safe.
Best wishes to you all.
BunnyM, and other dog lovers: is anybody watching "Downward Dog" on TV? That lead dog is turning out to be one of my favorite TV characters! I love the way his dialog is written and delivered.
Sunday Lurk say...
Hi All!
First, JL, I didn't play today; I only read C.C.'s expo of your offering. WOW! Beautiful grid construction with the themers in the same rows. Whimsical cluing too --PYROMANIAC is LOL. Very nice. (and 'neat' Lizard pic too!)
Thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes. I'm sure I shared the story of the broken-rental-bike and us walking the hills for a mile or so on our ride from Monterey to Carmel [before a van-cab magically came along]. Everyone was moaning* (me included), so, yeah, I was at wit's end :-)
Fermat - that's awful but you must eat, Ludwig (I think I got that comma right :-)). Do take care Prime.
Tawnya - a special thanks for TMBG. I know (and love) the song but never saw the video. HA!
It is funny (peculiar and HaHa) as I was binging on Penn & Teller last night and saw This time stop act; Synchronicity (I) (that's two different links over there) [Copeland is an amazing drummer and I noticed he has the traditional grip that Peart picked up... RUSH's Peart (a god in the drum-kit too) is/was a Police fan].
Where was I? Oh, right, sometimes you want time to stand still and smell the Rose.
I hope everyone has a great day. I'm going finish chores, rest and then, using today as a ruse, celebrate MIL's birthday - she was medically unavailable for hers and totally won't expect it today (muwahahahaha). And it the salve she needs before knee surgery Wednesday. She's apprehensive (rightly so) about the procedure but I knows she'll be fine. Say a little intention for her.
Cheers, -T
*actually, Eldest got the gold-star for most positivity; she was positive I was going to die. :-) [I'm kidding, she was so in awe of the Coast and nothing phased her - she was a happy-camper all 17(-1.2) miles of the ride]
A bit of a slog, just as the Tour is today. It's nice to be able to enjoy both concurrently. Easy theme helped a lot. Fun stuff.
Plenty of ink blots today. Thanks for the fun John and C.C.
I got the theme and found the grains. Clever theme, reveal and title.
Hand up for AyeAye which held up that area for a long time. Like Misty, I forgot that pump could refer to a shoe and was fixated on a machine. My green was neon before NILE. LIAISON was slow to fill into that very messy area.
Another hand up for favourite clues for PYROMANIAC, ADDER and ICARUS.
I too saw the CSO to Lucina and the obvious one to Tin.
My cups moved to mugs and never got to JUGS which gives me a FIW with Mab.
I am more familiar E with bread crusts than HEELS.
Happy Birthday Tony. I hope somebody cooks you a great meal.
Fermatprime, that must have been a scary night. Stay safe.
Enjoy this beautiful day.
Bill G @ 1:37 ~ "The Fugitive" role is my only reference for David Janssen and I think I was too mesmerized by his voice and good looks to be bothered by his brooding facade. Being falsely accused of murdering your wife tends to dampen one's spirit, I guess! 😉. As far as David Tennant's perpetual scowl and gruff demeanor, I chalk that up to his frustration with not realizing or accepting that no one can understand a word he says! (Tongue firmly in cheek, BTW!) The scruffy beard is another matter altogether. Despite his appearance and indecipherable Scottish Burr, I enjoy the show very much.
Misty @ 2:19 ~ I haven't seen the dog show but I do know it has not been renewed, nor has "Chicago Justice" which comes as no surprise, to me, anyway. Unlike the other three Chicago series, IMO, this was shaky from the get go because of weak scripts, exaggerated plots, and a "vanilla" cast. It needed a Hank Voight-type to grab your interest.
Ooh, I forgot to thank your C.C. for your indefatigable analyses and asides about your homeland which I find endearing.
I, too, saw the CSO To Tin and I suppose since WHISKEY is mentioned, also to Irish Miss though we know it's on the rocks for her.
Total agreement about Janssen's good looks and penetrating voice. Nothing else about him bothered me, Bill.
you, not your. drat!
Oh dear, Irish Miss. I will really miss that sweet dog "Martin".
For over 40 years the LA Times crosswords have been my Sunday afternoon passion, with two cups of freshly ground coffee. As I have said here often, I'm a wordaholic, the thesauruses being my Bible. Over the past several months I've been unable to decipher about half the clues without looking at the answer, to me, the most demeaning thing to do. The ONLY reason I subscribe to the Sunday LAT is for their puzzles. Should I continue to be frustrated and humiliated and waste my failing eyes on these puzzles? Should I cancel my LAT subscription? I just don't care for the jargon that these newer constructors seem to be enamored with (misplaced preposition). HELP! My failing eyes are pleading for a respite!
Well, I need ask no more about WIN 10. I received a notice, “Updates available. This will take a while.” I clicked accept. If it meant Win 10, I thought I would be charged, and so I would be made aware. Apparently it was neither specifically announced nor charged, and I now have Win 10. There is no significant difference so far, but I have not used word processing, which is vitally important to me.
MacAfee tells me I have web threats and need to buy their Security Scan Plus. My Norton 360 says I have no problems. I receive all the Microsoft updates. Do I need MacAfee?
Yellowrocks, I would remove either McAfee or Norton. Keep the one you prefer. Having two anti-virus programs seems to me to be less of an advantage than having just one, as I suspect they could be stepping on each others' toes, thus preventing each other from operating optimally. Also, some programs that worked fine in Windows 7 don't work properly, if at all, in Windows 10, which redoing their setups and configurations, albeit a pain in the neck, often fixes. The good thing is that Microsoft Office, and therefore Microsoft Word, and Outlook which I use extensively, had no problems at all, at least in my experience.
Fermatprime--How dreadful! And on the hottest weekend of the year. I hope you are able to get some much needed rest, and that you have no further ill effects from the experience.
YR - No, you don't need to pony up for Macafee. Windows defender (built in) in close enough. One day, Cylance will release a home edition of their tool and I will shout from the mountain's top to get it. Until then, Defender is good enough considering you're not visiting dodgy [read porn & drugs] web sites. -T
Sorry for the delay, late to the party due to
serious side linkage into the YouTubezone...
I figure i better wish Anonymous T a Happy Birthday
before I get lost...
(Currently in Carol Burnett/Johnny Carson clips...)
Hmm, I am trying to remember what started this...
(I think it was missing those old variety shows...)
Oh yeah! Cher is up next!
Happy Birthday, Tony! Loved the pic - remembered your funny California travelogue from a coupla weeks ago; I'm assuming Wit's End was the end of your uphill battle.
Favorite fun clues among many: for "pyromaniac" (I too thought it was going to include romance since I had r-o-m-a-n), and also for "agent." Bond and bonding follower - great clue!
I saw a Jesus Christ lizard on Christmas Eve in Costa Rica years ago while on a river trip. Actually it skips along, upright, on the water's surface. Amazing wildlife in this world.
Thanks so much, C.C.! - I always look forward to your Sunday review; very entertaining and educational. And thanks, John Lampkin, for stopping by. Few constructors do this, but maybe it's because they don't know when their puzzles might be published on any given day? IM and others have mentioned that their puzzles have been kept in cold-storage for periods of time.
Have a good week - stay cool, dry, or out of harm's way.
Finally went to sleep for 2 hours today! I was pretty sleepy working the NYT puzzle. Took eons. A real corker, but no cheats.
TXMs - A hoot out there for sure -- CA's coast is something everyone should see and Yosemite is off the charts; Pure beauty more lovely than [how does my mistress' eyes thing go? :-)].
Changing tracks: I'm not a real veteran of the xword world as C.C. took me gently by the hand to publication. Let's say I got a glimpse of the big leagues. Patti (Rich's right hand it seems) is gracious enough to tell constructors the date a puzzle will print. Some may see constructing as a Day Job but I believe most see it for the fun it is. John seems to fall in the latter's camp. [no, I don't know him; he just seems like a cool dude w/ interesting hobbies]. Anyway, it's a long slog from idea to print but a rookie-constructor (hand up! [John's not in that cam!]) is giddy awaiting print. Other's know best but that was my glimpse behind the curtain.
I can't call out all the Cornerites for my thanks on BD wishes; I can just say thanks to everyone for making every day a bit more special with your musings / posts [sappy, I know, but there you is].
Someone has to respond to @5:07p - Dude, time moves forward. I''m fighting getting old / +1 specs and curse a clue that summons a 30's movie (HTFDIK?). I Dig. I do wish Time Stand Still sometimes. It don't. Keep growing by looking at the children who shape our new world. [we did teach them well, no?]
Going farther afield (it's late on so only Picard will read this)... Drummers amaze me because they control time. Moon, Bonham, Peart, White; the greatest in measure. I can play with time a bit when I juggle (and screw with a teen's head) but nothing like Freddie Gruber does [You thought I was going to link Rush and you're 1/2 right :-)]
-T
Meant to post in my earlier comment re Bon-Ami. Thirty years ago I discovered Barkeeper's Friend which is amazing. Doesn't scratch porcelain sinks, but does remove any scratches caused by pots while being scrubbed in the sink. Use it on my chrome fixtures and my tarnished brass and copper pots (flower and kitchen). Much cheaper!
AnonT, you're calling me Picard now for some reason?
Bill G. LOL! Too Funny! -T
Wow! Did anyone else watch Prime Suspect? Talk about going out with a bang! That one did. It was bit disappointing in the end, but they got the job done.
Luckily I recorded it because phone calls took my attention away so I just now finished it.
Somehow I'm wide awake. HBD Tony. I'm starting to figure people out in here.
I had trouble in the top but FERAL was solid. And the SE as I too had PYROMANTIC.
Misty, I never sussed SOLE for Pump until your post. We know Murphy's law; What's the law that says when we like something the PtB* take it away. Re. Popular culture, I believe it's this canned audience that the money people have invented to gauge whether a show will sell.
I looked at the constructor first and said: Wilbur this will be fun and DOABLE
I really need to buy an ERASAble pen though.
CC, I really enjoyed your write-up and
Owen, your l'icks. Keep'em com'n - you have an audience of 😁f at least two.
* The Powers that Be
Good night Tony, g'nite Steve
WC
Fun puzzle with some challenges.
CC, do you understand SOL now?
The scale: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti
Got the theme early, but at first I thought the un-circled letters meant something, given the reveal.
Hand up for thinking it was AYE AYE.
Hand up that RABE was unknown. Any explanation?
Never heard of NILE green. Got with ESP. Other unknowns: OSSIA, MONEYER, TEAWARE, MERTZ, ELYSE, LAMAR, IRMA.
TRIFOLIATE was new, but I knew to think of something that represented three leaflets. Makes sense. Yes, Tawnya, for some reason in CA it is called poison oak. It is the same plant. Actually, collection of several species with that form and poison. When I lead hikes it is the first thing I point out to new hikers.
Thanks for the shout out Anonymous T! Yes, I am indeed usually the last one to the party. I usually work the puzzle when I wake up during the night the day after it is published.
Admittedly these puzzles are way beyond my ability. I was confused because the clue 110A asked what the uncircled letters mean...but the answers are the circled letters. Bill Lee
The uncircled letters mean nothing except they are INGRAINED, meaning they are what we call "bookended" by different types of grain. So 'oving e' is in the grain, R YE.
I hope that helps.
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