google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, July 4, 2017 James P. Sharp

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Jul 4, 2017

Tuesday, July 4, 2017 James P. Sharp

Theme: Bumps in the night - or daylight. Some words that can be placed ahead of BUMP.

18A. Vodka brand with flying birds on the bottle: GREY GOOSE. Goosebump.

23A. Racing bike: TEN SPEED. Speed bump. Only ten speeds on a racing bike, how quaint.

35A. One "there on the sand," in a 1974 hit by The First Class: BEACH BABY*. Baby bump, an expression for showing a pregnancy.

49A. Symbol of absolute rule: IRON FIST. Fist bump, handshake for germaphobes?

55A. Disagree ... or, literally, what the last words of 18-, 23-, 35-, and 49-Across can be: BUMP HEADS. The last words can head up a BUMP phrase.

Argyle here with a debut from Mr. Sharp He debuted in NYT in 2002 and has numerous puzzles in compilation books. He has done some punny work in the past but this is a straight forward "word goes with word" puzzle. Sorry, nothing to do with Independence Day.

Across:

1. Crowd noises: ROARS. "Oohs and aahs" could have been fitting crowd noises for tonight's fireworks.

6. "Is that __?": "No kidding?": A FACT

11. Fat meas.: BMI. (Body Mass Index)

14. __ sanctum: INNER

15. Jar Jar Binks' planet: NABOO. from Star Wars.

16. Olive product: OIL

17. __ Park: San Diego Padres' home: PETCO. Pet supplies retailer Petco is based in San Diego.

20. "__-haw!": YEE

21. Link with: TIE TO

22. Dol. parts: CTs. $ & ¢

25. Muse of comedy: THALIA. The eighth-born of the nine Muses.


28. Dodge City's state: KANSAS

29. "Pop goes" critters: WEASELS

30. Man-mouse connector: OR A

31. "Melrose __": PLACE. Seven seasons on Fox.

34. Jason of "How I Met Your Mother": SEGEL. His role was Marshall Eriksen.



37. Groucho's smoke: CIGAR

40. Waste maker, per a proverb: HASTE. "Haste makes waste"

41. Santa __, Calif.: ANA

44. Art exhibition site: GALLERY

46. Learn about: HEAR OF

48. Tristan's beloved: ISOLDE. Extensive Wiki article.

51. Dallas home of the NCAA's Mustangs: SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

52. Second rock from the sun: VENUS

54. Barrister's practice: LAW

57. "Water Lilies" painter Claude: MONET


59. Mrs., to Claude: MME. French abbreviation for Madame.

60. Jazz great Shaw: ARTIE

61. Hawaiian veranda: LANAI

62. Take the plunge, in a way: WED

63. Small plateaus: MESAs

64. Sports data: STATs

Down:

1. "Let 'er __!": "Fire away!": RIP

2. Subscription period: ONE YEAR

3. Cell reception aid: ANTENNA

4. Schoolyard playtime: RECESS

5. "No more seats" Broadway sign: SRO. (standing-room only)

6. Actress Dickinson: ANGIE. Remember her?

7. Managed: FARED

8. Aid in crime: ABET

9. Road Runner's pursuer: COYOTE

10. Dress fancily, with "up": TOG

11. Illegal, like movies on file-sharing sites: BOOTLEG. Odd clue.

12. Rocket, for one: MISSILE

13. Suffix with percent or project: ILE

19. Irish playwright Sean: O'CASEY. 1880 – 1964 (seems obscure)

21. Maker of the first electric sports car: TESLA

23. Fight ender, briefly: TKO.(technical knockout)

24. Covered decoratively, as walls: PAPERED

26. One whose star has faded: HAS BEEN

27. Comm. for the hearing-impaired: ASL. (American Sign Language) Comm. can be an abbreviation of communication.

29. Complex patterns: WEBs

32. "__ Breaky Heart": ACHY. Popular song by Billy Ray Cyrus.

33. Half a dance: CHA

35. Shape, as dough: BALL UP

36. A Musketeer: ATHOS. "D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Porthos"


37. Movie SFX: CGI. (special effects/computer-generated imagery)

38. "It seems to me ... ": "I ASSUME ... "

39. Latched (onto): GLOMMED

41. Journalist Huffington: ARIANNA. She was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, which is now owned by AOL.

42. "Piece of cake": "NO SWEAT"

43. Rearward, on board: AFT

45. Midnight rider Paul: REVERE

47. On the water: AFLOAT

49. Nepal neighbor: INDIA

50. Ploys: RUSES

53. Has a bite: EATS

55. 7 Series automaker: BMW


56. Hawaiian-style pizza topping: HAM

57. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. (Major League Soccer)

58. Apt "it's" anagram: 'TIS
*



Argyle

56 comments:

OwenKL said...

{B, A, A-, A.}

Searching for fame, a rider left KANSAS
To prove she could CHA-cha-cha with the bestest!
She showed a showman
She could do a can-can --
She won a part on the strength of her can's ass!

[Well what did you 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 she rode her can out of Kansas on?]

Erato and THALIA are sisters of note!
They have a TIE TO the words they invoke!
Take an old witticism,
They'll add on a rhythm,
And like a CIGAR, that poem will smoke!

For kids, a coffee-break's known as RECESS.
Ah, how we long to those days to regress!
To ride our old TEN-SPEED,
Or stalk the wild centipede,
Or hop in mud-puddles to just make a mess!

There was an alien from VENUS
Who had (this is just between us!)
An exceptional pose
He could strike with his nose --
For erectile dysfunction it's ingenious!

tawnya said...

Good Morning all!

Really I'm about to say "Good night!" but wanted to stop in and wish you all a very safe and enjoyable 4th!

Nice puzzle today but I was sad it wasn't holiday-esque. I got hung up on GLOMMED and SMU - didn't know either. Otherwise, straight-forward and enjoyable Tuesday puzzle. Thanks for the write-up, Argyle - especially the video of Beach Baby. Didn't know it until it got to the chorus and remembered that I never liked it LOL.

No way I would ever let a Paul Revere reference go by without linking Beastie Boys

Of course, there's always Paul REVERE and the Raiders

And, FWIW, I did not like "Fat meas." for BMI. BMI is just a height to weight ratio - not truly a measure of body fat. For instance, you can have two people of equal height and weight therefore having the same BMI. However, if one is an athlete and the other is a couch potato - the BMI does not reflect the difference in body fat percentage. I could ramble on, but I will stop and hope that that clue doesn't make an appearance again.

Anyway, enjoy the holiday - however you will be spending it!

Good night :)

t.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Enjoyed James' sharp puzzle. Thanks, Argyle!

IDK (all perps): BMI, BMW, NABOO, PETCO (they have a stadium? Doggonit!), THALIA, SEGAL, OCASEY. Despite that, I gotter done.

My husband and I loved to dance to "ACHY Breaky Heart". Unique first notes sounded, I leapt up and yanked him to the dance floor. We weren't good, but we were enthusiastic.

Owen: as a dancer from Kansas, I am off-ended!

Happy 4th everybody!

desper-otto said...

Ka-Boom! Happy 4th, all.

There were a few stumbles, but I didn't fall flat on Mr. Sharp's puzzle. I even managed to read the full reveal clue...and misinterpreted it. I figured the first word of the theme answers went with "head." Worked with Grey Head and Beach Head. The others, not so much.

Argyle, my "racing bike" is a one-speed cruiser w/coaster brake. I once had it up to eighteen MPH...going downhill with a tailwind.

I thought it might be time to give up on the Star Wars franchise. Then Jar Jar Binks came along, and I was certain.

Our little town will have its traditional fireworks show tonight. It'll still be 90°+ at that time, so I may pass on it. Forty-five miles to the south, Houston will have a massive outdoor show. I heard on TV that no beverages may be brought in, but they'll be happy to sell you a $3 bottle of water. Seems cruel.

thehondohurricane said...

BMI. NABOO, YEE (not wee?), THALIA, MME, ARIANA, SEGEL. Wondered if I had slept thru Tue, Wed, & Thur? Sure could use the shut eye, but I'm pretty sure it is only the fourth.

And it took awhile for BOOTLEG to enter my mind.

Overall, a tough, but fun puzzle for Hondo. Still feeling AWFUL, been a week now, so back to the MD again tomorrow. I know I'm sick, but I am also sick and tired of being sick. Hope the blood work tomorrow unravels an explanation. I'm ready to let GREY GOOSE have a chance to make me feel better.

Been sitting in front of the TV a lot lately. Anyone ever watch the TV show Blue Bloods? What do you think? It was run twice last week from 11:00AM til midnight. I really like the show even though it is some far out fiction.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but had to guess at my two Naticks (NABOO x TOG and THALIA x OCASEY). I remembered BEACH BABY from the clues and still think it was a second-class beach Boys ripoff. Tawnya is much nicer than am I.

He was not just any COYOTE - he was Wile E. COYOTE. I can still watch those episodes over and over.

10-speed seemed quaint to me too. But Santa, I'll take one for Christmas. I'm a cruiser, not a racer.

Achy Breaky Heart was performed by a man most recognized as Miley's dad.

I still like my original answer for "fat meas.", BTU. 1,000 calories is about 4 BTUs. I also erased TCU for SMU - I worked in Dallas (next door to the course that hosted the Byron Nelson golf tournament), and the Mustangs were well covered by the media. Should have known better.

Thanks Santa and James for a no-pushover start to Independence Day. I got a bang out of it.

billocohoes said...

Not knowing Hawai'ian cuisine I briefly had yAM as a pizza topping.

Yellowrocks said...

Happy Independence Day. We are staying home by ourselves and will have a picnic either on the patio or indoors if the weather doesn't hold.
This puzzle seemed more Wednesday-like to me, needing quite a few perps, but the only unfamiliar fill was NABOO. I am not into Star Wars. For OCASEY and SEGEL I needed a few perps to jog my memory.
I do not care for HAWAIIAN PIZZA at all. It is not really Hawaiian cuisine. Wikipedia says, “Greek-Canadian Sam Panopoulos claimed that he created the first Hawaiian pizza at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, Canada in 1962.” A survey said that it was among the favorites in Oz and the UK and near the bottom of the list in the USA. I suspect that it has moved up since then. It is sold in every pizzeria here.
Inner Sanctum immediately brought to mind the 1940’s eerie radio show, The Inner Sanctum Mystery. The show opened and closed with a creaking door sound. Who remembers? Another eerie radio show was The Shadow. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" For a time Orson Welles played Lamont Cranston.
HH, so sorry you feel sick for so long. I am sending healing thoughts your way.
Enjoy your holiday.

Argyle said...

Say, do you remember an old TV show (B&W) that opened going up a long flight of stairs and at the top, a sinister voice says, "Lights out". We would be watching at our Grandmother's house at that was the signal to turn off the set and run home to our house. I learned to run fast in the dark! :~o

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A fun puzzle with just enough names for SPEED BUMPS
-Handshake reconnaissance – is the other person’s fingers pointed toward me, up in the air or closed in a fist?
-A wonderful song (4:28) from a different ROAR event
-A BMI controversy in Nebraska schools
-Shakespearean Edmund Kean on his deathbed – “Dying is easy, comedy is hard”
-Do you remember the premise for this Groucho remark?
-It figures – I had M_NET first
-HR STATS are way up this year. Is the ball “juiced”?
-A lot of real life education goes on at RECESS
-My not-particularly-scientific niece named her daughter TESLA
-“Has” in the clue for “HAS BEEN”?
-Billy Ray had one hit song and a money-making daughter
-Longfellow’s poem, written on the eve of the American Civil War, used much literary license to glorify a relatively obscure man named Paul REVERE
-Relevant to previous musing

BunnyM said...

Good morning all!

This was NO SWEAT but did need the reveal to get the theme. No issues really and I liked the fresh clues/fills - thanks James and thanks Argyle for back to back tours. TIS always nice to have you at the helm :)

A couple w/o's : tried Hee for YEE and Can for CHA.
Perps: BEACHBABY, SMU, MLS and THALIA

Jar Jar Binks from NABOO was the product of CGI (and not one of George Lucas' best ideas) Interesting interview with the actor who payed him. Possible HASBEEN?

SEGEL reminded me of how much I miss "How I Met Your Mother"
BMW- we leased a 3 series for a couple of years. Loved it but it was nerve wracking worrying about scratches, dents, etc. We are happy with our Hyundais- Tucson for DH and Elantra for me but we do miss the "ultimate driving machine".
I have a print of MONET's "Water Lilies" in the bedroom- lovely to look at every day :)

CSO to me with ANGIE since that's my real name (short for Angela but no one ever calls me that)

Jinx- I enjoyed your comments yesterday. I grew up in SE Kentucky- the Corbin/Keavy/London area. My Dad's family still lives there. My Mom's family is from Owsley County(Booneville area). I understand what you mean about higher education in that area. My uncle (Dad's brother) was the first to go to college- med school and became a dentist. Kudos to you and your sisters. Those are impressive accomplishments. I've spent most of my life in Ohio but KY still feels like "home" in many ways. I used to spend every summer there after we moved north and I really do miss it!

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸 I was also hoping for an Independence Day theme. I guess the closest we got was Paul REVERE. Thanks for the Beastie Boys link, Tawnya ;)

Hope everyone has a safe, happy, wonderful holiday!

Lemonade714 said...

Hondo, being house bound while recovering, I binge watched Blue Bloods and enjoyed it. Many od the plots and actions are not realistic but Tom Selleck is still worth watching.

I wonder if this Sharp is related to Michael?

YamPizza? Yuk.

desper-otto said...

Great story, Argyle. Thanks for sharing.

Northwest Runner said...

Solvers of a certain age will remember the thrill of their first ten speed bike as well as their first bootleg LP, a pressing of the performance of a (typically) a well-known artist under dubious circumstances with equipment of varying sophistication.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I enjoyed this easy romp and was totally in the dark, theme-wise, until the reveal. My kind of puzzle! Hand up for Hee/Yee and for needing perps for Naboo and Thalia and Beach Baby. Otherwise, smooth sailing.

Thanks, James, for a fun run and thanks, Argyle for the neato write-up. Yes, I remember "Lights Out" but nothing else about the show.

Hondo, sorry to hear of your on-going illness and hope you get some answers tomorrow. "Blue Bloods" is one of my favorite shows and I have been watching it faithfully since the very first episode. Granted, some story lines go too far afield but, by and large, the ensemble cast, led by Mr. Selleck, and the strong messages of family and honor and duty more than make up for any shortcomings. That, of course, is my own personal opinion.

YR, I, too, thought of the "Inner Sanctum" and that creaking door. And I remember "The Shadow", as well. There were a lot of good radio shows back then, before the television revolution. Remember Fibber McGee's closet?

Have a very happy and safe Independence Day, everyone! 🇺🇸


Big Easy said...

Happy Fourth to all. But this Tuesday puzzle had a few crunchy unknowns that filled by perps. I've heard of the company PETCO but had no idea about the ball park. But NABOO, SEGEL, and both the band and song- BEACH BABY- I'd never heard of. I looked it up on YouTube, listened to it, my wife listened to it; never heard the totally forgettable song before.

TEN SPEED bikes- haven't seen one in years. My Trek has SIXTEEN 'GEARS', not SPEEDS. Two sprockets in front and eight in back. 2X8=16 GEARS.

BOOTLEG- a couple of years ago I found out that my mother's brother ( been dead since 1971) was a moonshiner and BOOTLEGger. What a BAPTIST church deacon supposed to do in the Depression.

I live at Melrose DRIVE but PLACE was the show.
SMU- one my best friends was the running back coach there when Eric Dickerson and Craig James were the running backs. But the alumni paying the players absolutely ruined the place.

Time for this WEASEL to pop out of here.

Anonymous said...

I ASSUME is a step beyond (or before) "It seems to me." We might err by assumption by jumping to a conclusion before taking perception into account.

In many crossword puzzles CHA is only one-third of a dance.

Here's another Paul Revere song (sung by his horse).

Lucina said...

Happy Independence Day!

Thank you, James P. Sharp and Argyle! I actually got the theme, too!

I'm not a Star Wars fan so NABOO had to be filled by perps. And try as I might, except for Erato, those muses elude me so THALIA also was perped.

For many years my aunt and her son and family lived in KANSAS near Dodge City so visiting there was on the agenda.

Yes, I recall The Shadow, INNER Sanctum and all those radio shoes of yesteryear when imagination conjured the scenes.

Where are Dudley and Hahtoolah, I wonder? I miss them. Montana, too.

Have an enjoyable but safe holiday, everyone!

Lucina said...

Oops. Shows, not shoes.

TTP said...


Good morning. Thank you James and Argyle.

Happy Fourth !

Quick solve at 3 AM. Then back to sleep.

Me too Big Easy. Can't help but thinking of the Pony Express with Dickerson and James and McIlhenny. I was spending a lot of time in Atlanta that season of 82, so Herschel Walker was the phenom I was paying the most attention to. But Dickerson was from Sealy Texas, just west of where I lived, so I paid attention to his highlights and stats, and Dan Marino was lighting up the skies at Pitt, and Elway at Stanford. Great college football season. Then yeah, SMU got the NCAA "death penalty".

DW has a Raleigh Record 10 speed. I have a John Deere.

Argyle, I sure don't remember that program.

Tawnya, this is my favorite Paul Revere and the Raiders song :Kicks

C6D6 Peg said...

Nice puzzle and debut for James. Got the theme quickly, and finished with no problems.

Would have liked to see an Independence Day theme, however.

Nice write-up, Argyle. Loved the water lilies!

Have a Happy and safe 4th to all!

AnonymousPVX said...

Pretty typical Tuesday puzzle, IMO.

Bill G said...

Hi everybody. Happy 4th!

My parents gave me a really good-quality 3-speed bike for a Christmas present. I loved it until it got stolen after moving here. Then I bought a 10-speed. It was better only for climbing hills. There is a big long hill from the ocean back to my house. I used to tackle it (and win!) in my younger days. Now, I go for a ride every day but no hills. The bike path is nice and level. I don't need any fancy gearing at all. I would be delighted to have my old 3-speed back. I have a bike rack on the back of my old car in order to manage the big hill back home.

Lucina, I bought the Auel book you recommended for my Nook. I haven't started it yet but I am looking forward to it. I am reading "Count Down" that somebody here recommended. I can't remember who but whoever it was, thank you. I am really enjoying it.

Yellowrocks said...

IM, I remember Fiber McGee and Molly. Fiber McGee packed too much haphazardly into his closet. In every episode he opened the door and we could hear it all come crashing down. My mother always called a disorderly, stuffed closet, Fiber McGee's closet.

Tawnya, I agree with your BMI nit. Body mass includes bone and muscle, as well as fat. It is very rare that an error like this which can be refuted based on logic and usage gets past the editors. Many other nits are based on mere assumptions or prejudices.

I like Blue Blodds, but have decided I prefer to watch it only once or twice a week so that it does not begin to feel formulaic. I like it for the same reasons IM cited.
I loved Auel's Earth's Children series, starting with Clan of the Cave Bear.The saga was riveting and moving. The Ice Age setting was fascinating. However, by the six and last book, I was tired of it. Ayla and Jondular were just too, too unbelievably creative all the time. The story seemed repetitious. There are only one or two series in which I liked the last book as well as the first.

Yellowrocks said...

Blue Bloods, not Blue Blodds.

One definition of ASSUME is "suppose to be the case, without proof." IMO, IT SEEMS TO ME matches ASSUME.

At first, I wanted BUTT HEADS which seems much more common than BUMP HEADS, but it didn't fit 35D and 39D, nor did it fit the the theme.
Those two butt heads every time they meet, just like billy goats.

"Guys and Dolls"
I got the horse right here
His name is Paul Revere
And here's a guy who says if the weather's clear
Can do, can do
This guy says the horse can do
If he says the horse can do, can do, can do.

desper-otto said...

Are you all enjoying your purfuit of happineff today?

Bill G, I'm not sure which Auel book you've got, but if you're going to read that series, I recommend you start with the first book...the one YR mentioned above.

CanadianEh! said...

Some crunch for a Tuesday but perps to the rescue. Thanks for the fun James and Argyle.
We got CANADA DAY in Saturday's CW but no Independance Day today! You Americans were shortchanged.

Like YR, I wanted Butt HEADS but BUMP revealed the theme.
FIW because of having Seger instead of SEGEL. I thought Comm. meant committee and assumed it was some American organization that I did not know. ASL was a lightbulb moment.

GLOMMED was all perps as it is not familiar to me with the meaning of "latched onto" in a literal physical sense. I think of it as figuring out an idea which I guess could be seen as latching onto.

We had Hawaiian pizza and veranda today.
Canadians have no CTS any more!

Happy July 4 to all my American friends.
Enjoy the day.

Bluehen said...

HG, that Groucho comment was prompted by a guest on his You Bet Your Life quiz program, a woman who had an extraordinary number of children. When Groucho asked why so many, she replied that she really loved her husband, which prompted Groucho's retort. BTW, as ornery as he is said to have been, I'm surprised he didn't start by asking her "What got into you?"

Jayce said...

I enjoyed this puzzle. Having solved GREY GOOSE and BEACH BABY I thought the gimmick was alliterative words. Nope. Actually a better gimmick than that.
Frankly I thought "Achy Breaky Heart" was a pretty mediocre song sung in a pretty mediocre way.
I also like the show Blue Bloods.
I loved my one-speed bike with coaster brake; I went so many places on it. When I eventually got a three-speed I was in bike heaven.
Get well, Hondo.

Misty said...

Almost a Tuesday speed run, although it took a bit of work to get a few of the spots, and I goofed a little in the end when I got THALIE--thinking it was ESL (English Sign Language) instead of ASL. But totally enjoyable with a fun theme, once the reveal made it clear. So, many thanks, James. And great pictures, Argyle, including the water lilies, Thalia, and the Four Musketeers!

Take good care of yourself, Hondo, and I hope you feel better soon.

REVERE brought back the entire Longfellow poem, which I had to memorize in sixth grade when my English was still poor. It came to mind when I wondered about the date (was it July 4th?) and then remembered "on the eighteenth of April, in seventy-five, hardly a man is now alive, who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friends, if the British march, by land or by sea from the town tonight, hang a lantern aloft in the Old North Church, . . . . . as a signal light. One if by land and two if by sea, and I on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and to spread the alarm through every Middlesex (is that right?) village and farm, for the country folk to get up and to arm." And so on and so forth--not a perfect memory, but not bad after sixty years.

A good day to remember how happy I am to be living in this country!

Have a wonderful fourth, everybody!

Anonymous T said...

In my HASTE to finish the pzl before my morning ride [Specialzed 20-SPEED*], I FIW. 'TIS A FACT that IAmSUrE 38d is wrong. Thanks James for the HEAD scratcher.

Thanks Argyle for fixing my two bad blocks and the expo.

WOs: BEACH BABe, ORU b/f SMU (oops, wrong state - we're not in KANSAS any more).
ESPs: NABOO/TOG, THALIA, SEGEL, ATHOS, ImOLDE [sic], ARTIE, LANAI [yeah, I know we had it 2 weeks ago, but this GREY beard learns new things slowly :-)]

Fav: REVERE - fit's The 4th! Here's Ween's version of The Shot Heard Round the World.

WEASLE reminded me of the HAS BEEN Pauly Shore. He was a Butt HEAD to DW when she tried to interview him for NLU's TV College News in '91.

The Grateful Dead encouraged BOOT LEGs. Oh, you wanted music? Here's Truckin' from '72

{B+, A, A}

Thanks for the early morning tunes Tawnya!

Hondo - this has been lingering too long. I hope your physician can figure it out.

HG - how do they propose to deal with the football players? My nephew would probably flunk the BMI test (and looks fat) but the kid is built like a brick shit-house.

I've got the deviled eggs done, hamburgers seasoned & ready to grill, and $$$ in fireworks to illuminate the golf course. Folks will be here at 6-ish - nap time!

Happy 4th!
-T
*er, gears. BigEasy is right on that. Mine's 2 front sprockets X 10 in the back.
DO - The fastest I ever went on a bike (and scared the hell out of myself) was ~48mph on a long down-hill in my 1st MS150. This was dumb and before I saw folks life-flighted out of the event.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Ta-DA!
A good, solid entry--well-honed!--from the aptly named Mr. Sharp. Not too easy, not too hard, but ju-ust right.

I didn't catch the theme until after the grid was completed, but then I saw the wit that was hiding behind today's fairly anodyne word pool. THALIA was perhaps the most interesting reach. As for contemporary usage, I guess BOOTLEG (vb. & adj.) and GLOMMED (vb.) were worth a gander. Certainly GREY GOOSE (n.) took a prize in its own category. Too bad we lacked a duck to respond to the reference to Groucho ... ("Say the secret woid, and the duck will come down.")

Happy Fourth, everyone! I guess our refreshened desire to return to England has been worked to death, so you won't hear me touting it. Still, I am reminded of Mark Twain's observation:
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time,
And your government when it deserves it."

Unknown said...

TOG UP ??? anyone anywhere ever hear that phrase ?
Missiles and rockets are near and dear to my heart. My favorite moment in thirty plus years of work was in a bull pen with other scientists and engineers. We had a difficult problem with a feedback loop controlling the missile when one of the older engineers leading the team yelled at us "C'mon, this isn't rocket science"...the only young woman engineer in the group said much more quietly..."yes it is !". Funny ? I guess you had to be there.

A bike for me and my friends growing up had to be tough and reliable. No 10 speeds. In fact a kid riding a ten speed meant daddy was rich and perfect target for "guided Missiles" (snowballs in the winter crab, apples in the summer)

Hungry Mother said...

Nice to know another Muse now. Not too many TENSPEEDs in the triathlons that I've done (mostly none, I guess).

Unknown said...

Oh and Detroit, Michigan is directly south of Windsor, Ontario.

But that Canada day thing was driving me crazy. I had to back to find "ehs' comment. I left the area in 75 so I missed the name change. Since my Dad had the good sense to be born in Bathurst New Brunswick I found I was eligible for citizenship. I am just one tweet away from reclaiming my heritage...GO HABS ( Dad was French Canadian)

Anonymous T said...

Finishing my pre-nap beer & CIGAR says:

OMK - Great Twain quote. NPR had a call-in last week on what patriotism means. I ASSURE you it's not supporting the gov't! I say it's standing by our fellow country-men (and women) and others (Hi C, Eh!) who espouse the ideal of By the People FOR the People with Equality under law for all.

ChuckL - RE: TOG UP. Nope, never HEARd OF it either. Re: Bikes. My 1st was a BMX 1 speed. I got a TEN SPEED with my paper-route money and discovered you can't TIE TO the ram-horn'd handle-bars the papers' bag. D'Oh!

Cheers, -T

Anonymous T said...

Dang it ChuckL, you're ruining my nap :-)

Your Rocket Scientist story made me go look for this BI article about JPL's parking lot and find the BUMPer sticker I saw at JSC ~7 years ago when I consulted for NASA [not cool stuff, just cybersecurity]. IIRC, it said "Actually, It is Rocket Science" and had the NASA logo similar to this sticker; the closest I found.

Both of my entry-level calc profs (husband & wife at LaTech in '89) were in the Rocket Racket (as she called it) @ Los Alamos post-war. You get (got?) to play with trajectory? So what do you do (did?)?

Cheers, -T

desper-otto said...

ChuckL, what kind of map are you lookin' at? Windsor is south of Detroit on my map.

Anon-T, that 18 MPH is on my current bike -- the one I pedal through the 'hood on weekends. We don't have hills that amount to anything, though you can't convince my legs of that when they're trying to climb 'em.

Abejo said...

Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, James P. Sharp, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.

This seemed a little sticky for a Tuesday. Got through it.

Theme worked.

Tried GRABBED before GLOMMED seemed right.

I did remember ISOLDE. Amazing.

I enjoyed the Groucho Marx show and his cigars. He had a lot of talent.

NABOO was all perps.

Well, we are heading to the fireworks. Spent all day in three parades with the Brass Band. Niles, Skokie, and Morton Grove. Weather was great.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Yellowrocks said...

Monet's house and gardens at Giverny have been on my bucket list a long time. I think the overseas part of by bucket list has kicked the bucket.Last year I had a calendar featuring 12 Monet paintings.I have a print of Lady with an Umbrella in my living room. I love the impressionists.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the fun start to my day, James S. and Argyle. There were a few sticking points but perps set me on the straight and narrow.

Happy a4th of July. It's evening now and people are setting off fireworks. I hate them. It's a tradition I'd like to see die out.

Yellowrocks, I also had a print of Lady with an Umbrella. It matched my living room decor. One of my nieces LOVES Monet so I decided that, if I ever replaced the picture, I would give it to her. Several years ago I found a Renoir print at a thrift shop. He is my favorite artist so that picture went above the fireplace. I gave the Monet to my niece as a college graduation gift. She was delighted with it.

PK said...

YR: I love the impressionists too. Renoir's Girl with a Watering Can looks just like my younger daughter at that age. I had even made her a blue velveteen dress with wide white lace down the front similar to the painting before I ever saw the painting. A print hung in the girls' bedroom on the farm. Now it is in her home bedroom. People used to ask who painted Amy's picture when they saw it. Uncanny!

Jayce: I thought "Achy Breaky Heart" was a stupid song, but the wacky beat compelled me to get up and move my carcass. We sure had fun to it and a lot of laughs. 21 years after DH's death, it's fun to be reminded of the good times. We went to 13 wedding dances in the two years that was popular. Don't rain on my parade!

Wilbur Charles said...

Pretty smooth going. I looked for the and got it despite BABY BUMP being a new one. Argyle, your links kept me busy until "nap time".
I knew Tristan and Isolde but not all those traditions.
Then I found myself at nihilism, speaking of my Dostoevsky comment which of course led me to Misty and Neitzche, the poster child of European nihilism.

Then came jar jar binks. 1999, I remember going to that fourth in the series. Allegorical I opined. Jar jar was comic relief - yes, I get it. R word.

But, Anikan baiting and trashing an 8 year old. I'll repeat what I said at the time: Jake Lloyd was the first and best actor in the entire series.

I'm used to living in an alternative universe.

Owen, I see left KANSAS'S a long time ago. What's the next muse after ERATO and THALIA?

Good night Groucho*

WC

* I remember seeing all those old pictures with my gang in the 70s. A Night at the Opera was the best we voted.

Wilbur Charles said...

Ok. Everybody's in bed. Re. Paul Revere's ride. Misty, outstanding 6th grade ESL performance. You must have had a cute accent.
Yes. Middlesex county. From the opposite shore, Revere rode through Cambridge (NW) and arrived in Arlington. Others joined him in the ride to Lexington and Concord. Paul was captured

WC

Misty said...

Thank you, Wilbur. Glad my 6th grade memory didn't totally goof up "Paul Revere's Ride."

TX Ms said...

Anon-T, again, re your chickpea salad. Wow! (Cornerites, please disregard the following if you so desire.) After chopping the cuke, onion (yellow, not green, used what I had on hand), parsley, why not add a clove of chopped garlic as my Czech mom (devout Catholic), excellent cook, considered the Holy Trinity of cooking: onion, parsley and garlic. After mixing in the olives, I actually could smell the amazing aroma of the Mediterranean diet I’ve been reading about. Found an almost-identical recipe on-line using only a 15 oz can of chickpeas* – best suited for this one-person household. Thanks, Tony! Mucho healthier (protein/vitamin-packed) substitute for potato salad – summer’s bearing down on us.
* Could only find garbanzo beans in HEB. Wasted ½ hr googling – they’re from the same plant genus – just different etymology – sheesh! But your chickpea salad will be a staple - need to incorporate healthier foods other than M&M's in my diet.

Jayce said...

PK, I apologize. I did not mean to rain on your parade.

CrossEyedDave said...

okay, wait, what!?

CanadianEh! said...

Chuck L- if you decide to reclaim your heritage, you can be CanadianEhTwo! or CanadianEhToo! We need more Canadians on the blog; I am getting lonely LOL.
(And it is a wonder that no American commented on my misspelling of Independence.)

Bill G said...

In a suburban area such as this, there are probably 20 or more big fireworks displays within earshot. I can see parts of some of them and can hear many of them added together. It sounds as if we're under attack. Our dog used to get really upset. Happy birthday USA!

Anonymous T said...

Ah what fun! We had friends over for burgers, dogs, and other yummies. At dusk, most of the block drifted to the bayou at the end of our cul-de-sac to watch us light fireworks.
Pat, (you're raining on my parade :-)) we were visited by the local fire marshal to remind us that, as we are formally incorporated into the city of Sugar Land, we can't shoot off pyrotechnics next year. :-(. The tradition is dying. [The fire marshal also gave all the kids (with sparklers and Roman Candles in their hands) stickers - felt Mayberryish]

DO - Yeah, I "trained" for the MS150 in the flats of Missouri City. Imagine my legs' surprise when I hit the foot-hills in Austin! I had to walk a few hills the 1st year.

YR, Pat, & PK - DW had a Water Lilies print in our college apt. I remember one time at a party we hosted, a friend-of-a-friend commented to her on it -- something akin to "Monet is OK but your taste will mature - like you like Red wine now but will learn to appreciate Whites." Pretty f-ing smug for a 20yro don'tcha think? [I still love looking at Impressionism].

C, Eh! on misspelling - duh, we don't even know geography; no wonder ChuckL wants out :-)

CED - how's the sunburn? If you're still in pain get a bottle of aloe lotion (the green-slime); worked for me.

TXMs - I should have known I was talking to a fellow Texan and said Garbanzo. Sorry for the lost 1/2-hour on Google but glad you liked the recipe. It's a versatile salad that's big on protein and cool for the summer. [oooh, garlic - good idea... next time!]

Things still going boom in the 'hood but I have work in the AM (donno why, 70% of the office is on vacation). Happy 4th!

Cheers, -T

PK said...

Jayce: of course, you are forgiven. It was a joke. LOL!

After four hours of constant barrage and cinders hitting my roof, the insane fireworks display at the country club golf course a block away plus several other aerial displays surrounding our close-packed tree-lined neighborhood, things are down to an occasional bang. After the most intense firings, several fire trucks went screaming by at the end of our block. Don't know where they went. Now I'll be up awhile, hoping nothing is smoldering in the eaves troughs. Thank goodness it rained earlier.

Bill G said...

I don't know if this will work or not. It's a photo from Bonnie's (daughter's) facebook page. NEW GRANDDAUGHTER BELLA She's about five weeks old.

Lucina said...

Bill:
No. The link went to my own Facebook log in. I wonder if anyone else could open it.

Bill G said...

Aw crap. I figured it couldn't be that easy.



Picard said...

I was traveling around the time of this puzzle so getting to it way late.

Learning moment that BEACH BABY was NOT a Beach Boys song!

The crossing of OCASEY, THALIA, SEGEL seemed unfair. But I did WAG it correctly.

Only know MLS abbreviation from these puzzles.

Hand up for HEE before YEE.

Fun theme!