google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday July 26th, 2017 Ed Sessa

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Jul 26, 2017

Wednesday July 26th, 2017 Ed Sessa

Theme: Garbage Collection - The last words are all synonyms of "garbage"

18A. "Too bad we have to throw out this uneaten food" : WHAT A WASTE

60A. Hurls competitive insults : TALKS TRASH

4D. Pet product also used for tire traction : KITTY LITTER

27D. Taiwan Strait vessel : CHINESE JUNK

Reveal:

40A. Muppet who loves this puzzle's four longest answers? : OSCAR


Boomer here.  This famous intro was borrowed by me from Alan Seuss when he appeared on Rowan and Martin's "Laugh In".  I used to enjoy slapstick, however now I admit to CNN.  However - the only fake news I hear is when the commentator says "We'll be back after a 'Quick Break' ". 

Averaged 212 in an 8 game tournament Sunday and cashed for my entry fee back.  So I bowled 8 games free, not counting the 8 bucks worth of gas to get to the bowling center. Our Twins are playing the Dodgers this week - I wonder if any of them solved this puzzle.  They sure can't solve the Dodgers.

Across:  

1. Understand, in slang : GROK - I am G rok, I am G island!

5. Greek liqueur : OUZO - I never drank in a Greek bar.  I will take the constructor's word for this.

9. Time-traveling TV character : DR WHO

14. Strauss of denim : LEVI - I think his wife's name was Jean

15. Hair salon sound : SNIP

16. Setting for much of "Moana" : OCEAN - Or Danny's last name (George Clooney)

17. Final bio : OBIT

20. Asian noodle dish : PAD THAI - Could this be an LPGA golfer ??

22. Bro kin : SIS - Too easy of a clue when even I get it.

23. Earl Grey, e.g. : TEA

24. Shrill barks : YELPS - So sad to hear when someone steps on a dog's paw.

26. Word with room or center : REC - Short for recreation which does not mean to create something again.

28. Storied : FABLED

31. They may need breaking in : NEW SHOES - Absolutely !  Has anyone tried the jelly filled inserts?

36. Bitter-tasting : ACRID- Sounds like a city in Ohio.

37. Sioux City state : IOWA - Great State!  I have many shirttail relations in Cresco.  However Minnesotans created Iowa jokes when the Polish people had had enough.

38. Doing nothing : IDLE - Except when the engine is running in your car it is not doing nothing, it is wasting gas - (or getting warmed up in January in MN.)

39. Small IOU : CHIT
 
41. Astronaut Armstrong : NEIL - July 1969.  I was serving in the US Army when he said "One small step for man, one giant step for mankind".

42. With perfection : TO A T - This is hard to parse. 

43. Blueprint : PLAN

44. Chevy muscle car : VETTE - If you own one, I guarantee the insurance company will muscle you out of a month's pay.  Once years ago, Rod Carew bowled in a league that I was in.  He was not as good of a bowler as he was a hitter, but he had the only Vette in the parking lot on those nights.

45. Condition caused by 31-Across, at times : SORE FEET - Not if you get those jelly filled things to put in the shoe.  I learned that during the fake news quick break.

47. Snake warnings : HISSES - Oh a warning?  I thought it was when two snakes put their lips together.

48. Darling of baseball : RON - He was pretty good.  I think he is a play by play guy now for one of the New York teams.


49. Holey kitchen gadget : SIEVE - Colander nor strainer did not fit.

51. Rooter for the Bulldogs : ELI 

54. Bro or sis : SIB

56. Bennie's band, in an Elton John hit : THE JETS - Okay but I think there could be a Broadway Joe Namath clue in there somewhere.

63. D-Day beach : UTAH - Not too many men who hit the beach that day are still around.  I respect them all.

64. "I swear!" : NO LIE - There's a comment available, but I cannot print it here.

65. Lotion additive : ALOE - Has there ever been a puzzle without a four letter word containing three vowels?

66. One of Emeril's New Orleans eateries : NOLA - Acronym for New Orleans, LA, home of Mardi Gras.

67. Test one's metal : ASSAY

68. Many a Punjabi : SIKH

69. Was positive : KNEW
  
Down:
  
1. Yucky guck : GLOP - Oh I don't know, I might put a glop of syrup on the pancakes.

2. First name in country music : REBA - She also had her own sitcom.

3. Roman poet exiled by Augustus : OVID - I thought Augustus exiled him because of too many poetry leaks.

5. Disney's Lucky Rabbit : OSWALD - I never heard of Disney's rabbit, but I have bristled at this name ever since November 22, 1963.

6. Behind the times : UNHIP - "For a long time now, I've been aware- that I'm so hip the rest of the world is square.  But I tell you baby, and just take my tip. It doesn't pay to be too hip." (Words to live by from "The Hip Song" by the Chad Mitchell Trio.)

7. New Mexico tribe with a Sun symbol : ZIA


8. Goes (for) : OPTS - Normally on the puzzle page of the paper, I OPT for the Soduko.  Sorry.

9. Searches for water : DOWSES - Search?  I thought dowsing was dumping a bucket full on someone or something.

10. Color TV pioneer : RCA - Do you remember the picture of the dog by the horn o' plenty shaped speaker on the phonograph listening for his master's voice.??

11. Way to go, per Horace Greeley : WEST - Yeah, but only if you were a young man.  I have reached the age where you only go west if that's where the bathroom toilet is.

12. More than dislike : HATE

13. Draft category : ONE A - I don't think they have a draft anymore, but I remember being ONE A.  I did my time and now I am a 9C - Going to the VA Clinic today.  Thank you Uncle Sam.

19. Conflict with planes : AIR WAR

21. Listen to : HEED

25. Ski resort vehicles : SNO-CATS - I believe these were made by Arctic in Minnesota.  They were big and ugly, not like the sleek snowmobiles of today.

 28. Trivia quiz fodder : FACTS - So if you are a little older, you may remember when these were sought by Sergeant Joe Friday.

29. Blessing preceder : ACHOO - These always seem to come in threes.  So if you sneeze for a fourth time is that a mistake or just the start of the next threesome.

30. Prickly shrub : BRIAR - "Song of the South" - Please Please Pleeeease don't throw me into the Briar patch.

32. McGregor of TV's "Fargo" : EWAN

33. "Golden Boy" playwright : ODETS - First name Clifford.  Before my time.  (ha ha, and you thought nothing was before my time.)

34. A-listers : ELITE

35. Tennis great Monica : SELES - Very famous.  She was World #1 tennis player  about 20 year ago when she was stabbed during a match in Germany.  She was never the same after that.

37. Iona, for one : ISLE - Isle is a city in Minnesota on the south shore of Mille Lacs lake.  Home of Fiddlestix golf course.  (I played there once).

40. Christmas encouragement : OPEN IT

44. "__ la France!" : VIVE - This must be the Francais spelling.  I always spelled it VIVA.

46. "Woman in the Mists" subject Dian : FOSSEY

47. [Snicker] : HEH HEH - Sort of makes you hungry for a candy bar.

50. "There, there" : IT'S OK

51. Sicilian World Heritage Site : ETNA - Wow, a four letter word with only two vowel!

52. Mekong River land : LAOS - Ditto

53. Misfortunes : ILLS - Put a "B" in front of that and you have a real misfortune.

55. Bikini tops : BRAS

57. Kind of collar or jacket : ETON

58. Story : TALE

59. "Pygmalion" playwright : SHAW - George Bernhard - Died in 1950 at the age of 94,  a longevity that was unheard of in those days.

61. Bicycle maker turned automotive giant : KIA - Born in South Korea.  Not too impressed with the Sportage, but they do make a nice looking van. 

62. __ Baba : ALI - "The Greatest"

Boomer


54 comments:

  1. Greetings!

    Thanks to Ed and Boomer!

    Didn't know RON, THE JETS, OSWALD, NOLA and ZIA. But filled in nicely anyway.

    Hope to see you all tomorrow!

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  2. Thanks Ed. Favorite clue today was "blessing preceder" for ACHOO. Boomer, this was one of the funniest write-ups I have read on this blog. Well done.

    Erased usso for OUZO, Rex for RON Darling, HEar for HEED and VIVa for VIVE. Didn't know DR WHO, Moana, PAD THAI, ODETS, ZIA, or OSWALD associated with Disney. I guess there are other Bulldogs other than UGA, but I don't know why.

    Oscar the Grouch was easy for me. In my PBS affiliate days I had to watch two Sesame Street episodes every working day. One a taped rerun right after sign on, and the other mid-morning from the network feed. I never got tired of them, and also liked the Electric Company. Never warmed up to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, though. My favorite was the short-lived Aviation Weather.

    I'll be camping through Monday, but I hope to chime in if I have connectivity.

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  3. Hi Y'all! Cute one, Ed! Boomer, you always are rated ONE A on the HEH HEH meter here! Thanks.

    I caught the OSCAR theme, but the words "four longest clues" didn't sink in at first. I spent some time trying to figure out how NEW SHOES and SORE FEET fit in with a footless Muppet. DUH! Thought having those two phrases holding down the section was amusing.

    Thought this was easier than the last two days. But maybe I was just grouchy, too. HOT continues here.

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  4. Good morning!

    I enjoyed this walk in the grid, even though I stumbled here and there: Hear/HEED, OPEN Me/IT, HEe Hee/HEH HEH. CSO to Abejo with "Earl Grey." Thanx, Ed.

    Boomer, you were in fine fittle this morning. I was also honored(?) with a ONE A draft classification. I was on military leave in '69, and watched NEIL Armstrong on the TV in my Tokyo hotel room. I tuned a radio to AFN-Tokyo for an English language soundtrack.

    There's quite a furor following the BBC announcement that the new DR WHO will be female. Misogyny in media land? Gall in Gallifrey?

    Robert Heinlein was one of the favorite authors of my ute. He invented the term GROK in Stranger In A Strange Land back in the '60s. Cute Paul Simon play on it, Boomer.

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  5. That shoulda been fine fEttle. I knew better, but my fingers didn't listen.

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  6. I always remember the year of the moon walk because I was just beginning to realize I was pregnant with our planned 1st son and 3rd child. Watched the excitement on my cousin's TV with a little excitement of my own I wasn't telling yet.

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  7. Not a slam dunk but I did manage to GROK thru and nailed it...TO A T. The NY JETS, unlike Bennies JETS, look like they are in for a long season. Sport prognosticators are suggesting a 1 win, 15 loss record is a strong possibility. Hope it doesn't rub off on the Giants.

    Never knew there was an isle called IONA. Early in my career I worked for IONA manufacturing, a privately held company that produced kitchen products..Blenders, mixers, etc. Wasn't there long, poorly managed by ownership.

    This is my last post for a couple of weeks. Tomorrow we button up the homestead and leave Friday on the Queen Mary to England and back. One day in England...I will visit Stone Henge and check out all that Druid architecture. I'm a cruise freak because I can really enjoy the trip knowing that the arthritis will not spoil it or limit my activities.

    Hopefully when I get back the Yankees will have replaced the Sox in first place.

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  8. Easy today. KITTY LITTER gave me early TRACTION on this puzzle.
    Alan watches episodes of the REBA sitcom endlessly, especially one episode in particular.
    As kids we were fascinated by my grandmother's old fashioned gramophone with a cone shaped speaker. It played one sided, very heavy records. The dog was named Nipper.
    I was a waitress in several non-Greek restaurants that had bars. They all had OUZO, an anise flavored liquor from Greece.
    HH, enjoy your cruise. I missed seeing England and Stonehenge during the mad cow scare. My scheduled tour was not allowed to visit the countryside, so I cancelled. I have been to Scotland and Ireland. Wonderful tours.
    Jinx enjoy your camping. Our camping trips were among our best vacations.
    No HHH just now, fortunately. We are enjoying ideal weather today, CCC, clear, cool and comfortable.

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  9. Bon voyage, Hondo! I envy you on that cruise. I don't envy the wardrobe you're required to sport. I don't think my "dress" blue jeans would fit in.

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  10. Thanks Ed for a fun (and quick) puzzle and Boomer for a fun write-up. I used to enjoy watching tennis until - Monica Seles started with all the grunting on each stroke. A hot one on tap here in Chicago. Hope yours is a great day! JB2

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  11. Good Morning.

    Another enjoyable solve. I am wondering if, in addition to a fine design by Ed, I am enjoying being back on paper rather than the computer. Astonishing to me. I even found the theme today, which is indeed a rare occurrence.

    I, too, enjoyed ACHOO! Got a kick out of NEW SHOES and SORE FEET--wanted blisters first. Teaching has many facts unrelated to academic content. I used to warn the gals about breaking in shoes before prom, especially roughing up the soles. At the end of my teaching career the young ladies rarely wore what I would consider dress shoes, although some did wear Converse high tops to Prom.

    Thanks, Ed and Boomer for a fine mid-week trip.

    Tomorrow we are having the breaker panel replaced, so no power for a good part of the day. Good thing I went back to paper. I'll try to check in eventually. I hate missing all the wit and wisdom here. Have a sunny day.

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  12. Always thought Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon on my 19th birthday, but technically it was July 21 - the moon is not in the Eastern Time Zone, so the official date is in GMT.

    The late NC State coach Jim Valvano previously coached the Gaels in New Rochelle, NY. He'd introduce himself with "Hi, I'm Jim Valvano, Iona College" to see who'd respond "Boy, you're pretty young to be rich enough to own your own college."

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  13. The trash theme was an easy one to see, with my only slowdown at the top- never heard of either OSWALD or the ZIA tribe. "Moana' and its setting OCEAN were both unknowns to me. DR WHO is known only because it shows up in crossword puzzles. The rest of the puzzle filled as fast as I could get the ink on the paper. NO LIE. How's that for some TRASH TALK.

    HEH HEH- that Uh Uh as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I once heard it in a cartoon but that about it. All perps. NOLA restaurant in the Vieux Carre (French Quarter); never ate there because I rarely go to the Quarter. But Antoine's started advertising a $20 lunch special ( with 25 cent martinis) and I'm tempted.

    I see Rich missed the SIS answer at 22A and 'Sis' clue at 54A.

    KITTY LITTER is also good for oil spills.

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  14. Good morning all!

    Nice offering from Ed and much easier for me than yesterday. Cute TRASH theme.

    Thanks, Boomer for an excellent write up that had me laughing out loud 😂

    Am I UNHIP because I didn't know GROK? I'll chalk it up as a learning moment as well as OSWALD the duck and the fact that KIA was a bicycle maker.

    I tried Hee Hee / HEH HEH and my feet were WIDE before they were SORE.

    Other perps were RON, NOLA, ZIA and ODETS.

    Fun to read what others were doing during NEIL Armstrong's walk on the moon. PK, you're story is very sweet. My Mom was about five months pregnant with me at the time. Little did she know I would be a month late in my arrival, so she had almost another five months to go!

    Irish Miss- I glanced at yesterday's comments and was glad to see you back. You're still in my thoughts ❤️

    Wishing everyone a lovely day!

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  15. Hello Puzzlers -

    Zoomed right through. What a nice surprise to see our old blog friend Grok in the grid today, haven't seen that one as much over the last few years at the Corner.

    For those who depend on Cruciverb: it's too soon to tell, but I think some repair may have taken place. The LAT puzzle archive page has filled in all the missing July puzzles up to yesterday's, but for some reason, today's isn't there yet. Fingers crossed.

    Morning, Boomer, I related to your story about the lone standout automobile in the parking lot. In a nearby town, there is a small airport I sometimes visit. It's a modest place. Back in the 80's, however, Bill Cosby used to do some business there, and those were the only times when a highly polished bright red Porsche appeared in the lot.

    Hondo you lucky rascal, Bon Voyage! Enjoy yourself mightily.

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  16. Good Morning:

    I find Ed Sessa's puzzles delightful, even when they're about "trash." This was a fun theme that I didn't "grok" until the Oscar clue. My only w/o was Hear before Heed. Thought of Abejo at Earl Grey and Tin at Ouzo. Ouzo made me shudder as I abhor licorice flavoring. (No offense, Lucina!)

    Thanks, Mr. Ed, for a mid-week treat and thanks, Boomer, for your witty and wise write-up. Congrats on doing so well in the tournament.

    Happy camping, Jinx and happy sailing, Hondo.

    I worked for an RCA distributor and one Christmas, RCA had a sales promotion featuring a 3 foot tall stuffed Nipper. I bought several for my nieces and nephews. The building where I worked is a designated Albany landmark featuring a 20-30 foot high replica of Nipper. He even has a cautionary light in his cocked ear.

    Thanks for all your kind words.

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  17. About the moon walk: I don't remember the live event, occurring as it did in the wee hours Eastern time. I was 9, and I lost the fight to stay awake, despite all the excitement.

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  18. "Nipper" sculptures for the "Downtown is Pawsome" exhibit. Albany

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  19. My DW occasionally likes to read a "Trashy" novel, so I got her to do today's puzzle from Mr. Sessa. I got a groan from her when she finished and saw the theme. Good write-up from Boomer also.

    I seemed to sail right through it even without knowing GROK, DRWHO, ODETS and ZIA. The phrase TO A T really had me wondering what kind of thing a TOAT was (V-8 can head slap here). I did remember Benny and THEJETS though.

    A common misattributed catchphrase to Joe Friday is "Just the facts, ma'am". In fact, Friday never actually said this in an episode, but it was featured in Stan Freberg's works parodying Dragnet. (from WikiPedia) As kids, my sister and I would bargain with our parents to let us stay up past 9:00 o'clock to watch Dragnet. Sometimes we would volunteer to do the dishes for the favor. We really hated doing the dishes.

    During my early aerospace career, I was a structural designer on the Lunar Module and designed parts of the Ascent Stage. At the time of the landing I was no longer working on manned spacecraft, so I wasn't able to watch the landing in the Mission Control Center or any of the auxiliary viewing sites they had set up for those who were still working on the program. I watched it on my father-in-law's snowy TV set on a farm in the mountains of PA. It was still exciting.

    It's only supposed to be about 80° today, so it should be enjoyable compared to the 98° we had last week. Enjoy.

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  20. When my younger son was around three, I looked out the window and saw him sitting in the sandpile with a can in his lap. I didn't recognize the can, but I saw him dip in his fingers and put a handful in his mouth. I went out yelling, "Don't swallow that." He spit it out but had a rim around his mouth of beigy gray stuff. The can said "Rat poison" in bright red letters. I jerked him up and took him to town to the emergency room. Nurse called Denver poison hotline, put on hold. Doctors not in the hospital. I held down the kid who didn't want to drink ipecac. Nurse poured it in. Kid vomited all over nurse. About that time, my husband walked in. Older kid had called him. He took one look at the can and said, "It's KITTY LITTER, not rat poison." The can had been empty and he'd put the K.L. in to pour over the oil spills in his farm shop.

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  21. I remember watching the moon walk on live TV (10:56 EDT). Everyone was fascinated and excited except my eight year old elder son. When we told him, he pooh-poohed it as something ordinary and taken for granted, like a routine landing at the airport.
    I had a teacher in the 1950's who said we would never land on the moon because God didn't intend for us to go there.
    Many of us Cornerites used to announce that we "grokked the theme," or not. Nice to see that word again.
    I had a friend who said,"heh heh," to show mild amusement. I have heard it used sarcastically, as in "You thought THAT was funny?"
    Billocohoes, Iona College, LOL (stronger than heh heh).
    A LAT puzzle used MOANA not long ago.
    We have had several discussions about Pad Thai here. Yummy.
    Still sorting and thinning my home office paper work. BOOORING! Off to the salt mines.

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  22. Interesting, I'd never thought about the actual "time" of that original moonwalk. It was mid-morning in Tokyo. So, I guess I saw it "live," a day later than most of you.

    PK, that's a great story! (heh heh) At least it had a warm, fuzzy ending.

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  23. Wonderful write-up Boomer!

    Ed: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle. Enjoyed the theme.

    Living in Tarpon Springs, FL ... my fave today. of course, was OUZO.

    D-O ... I was in Paris (with my Dad) and we watched it around 4:00 am.

    A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
    Cheers!

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  24. "One small step for man, one giant step for mankind". I hate to be pedantic, but it was a giant "leap" for mankind.
    However, the quote may also be, "One small step for A man, one giant leap for mankind." Due to new technology (2006), he may have said "a man", but even that's disputed.

    https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong



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  25. A big fight commenced with our first daughter,
    Over present her father had bought her;
    She just couldn’t forgive
    That he got her a SIEVE
    His apologies just won’t hold water

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  26. Musings
    -Engaging write-up, Boomer. Ever TALK TRASH on the lanes?
    -Rhonda Rousey TALKS TRASH, gets beaten but still makes millions
    -Jacob Davis told LEVI about using copper rivets to strengthen denim pants. LEVI got the patent and made millions
    -My desired OBIT – “He did the best he could with what he had”
    -When I help my DW make the bed, it has to be done TO A T!
    -My NEW golf SHOES are soft sided without cleats and cause no SORE FEET
    -THE JETS with “jazz hands”. Name that movie!
    -Anyone else connect NOLA and (Clay) SHAW in the SE corner?
    -The city had my friend use this DOWSING technique to find old graves in a city park
    -Sgt Friday never said “JUST THE FACTS MAAM” nor did Bogie ever say “Play it again Sam”
    -Speaking of Bogie, this wonderful scene has a stirring VIVE La France at the end
    -An inch and a half or rain last night has made farmers ecstatic here and golf impossible
    -Gotta go play Wits and Wagers with grandkids who spent the night. It’s very cool when they are 12 and 15 and still want to play.

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  27. I decided not to use the "actual" uses for kitty litter because the backing music was awful, and went with this one instead...

    And, of course, today's puzzle honoree.

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  28. Argyle @ 9:23 ~ Thanks so much for the "Pawsome" link. I knew nothing about this project so it was came as a complete surprise to see these nifty "Nippers"! Also enjoyed seeing the real Nipper overlooking Broadway. He greeted me warmly every working morning for almost 17 years, so, for me, this clip evoked many fond memories.

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  29. Gary, that looks like West Side Story.

    My father had a large RCA console radio/record player. It played 78s, got AM and several shortwave bands. I remember lying in front of it and looking at it while I listened to a few afternoon dramas and the Jack Benny show on Sunday evenings. It ran on vacuum tubes.

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  30. Good day to all!

    A number of unknowns today--RON Darling, "Moana", OSWALD the Disney rabbit, and DR.WHO, but an enjoyable puzzle nonetheless. Thanks for the witty write-up Boomer.

    Enjoy the day!

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  31. Sailed through. The West held me up until FABLED fell in. Augustus was Octavian, not a nice guy despite the new name.

    Hondo, bon voyage. It may not be the Redsox to be worried about. It's all about pitching.

    We all smirked at Mr Rogers but the kids loved him.

    Ron Darling is on one of the network baseball shows. T think he was on that'86 Mets team. The stab in the heart that inspired the curse*.

    Oswald was a comic book character of my yute. The ladies tennis"Grunt" is like basketball's flop. Taught by coaches who don't respect their sport. Much like Dean Smith's four corners.

    I was trying to fit Ga. into that Bulldogs clue. Of course, the Eli preceded them.

    Then there's Geico's"Running of the Bulldogs"

    WC early for a change

    * If you believe in curses there's a much more relevant cause. Ask me ànd I'll post it. It wouldn't have had anything to do with trading Babe Ruth

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  32. Hello, everyone! It's wonderful to be home even though I left 73 degrees in exchange for 93! But I slept in my own bed. Not that any were uncomfortable, just different.

    After reading the comments I see that you are still the light hearted group I left a week ago. You, too, Boomer; you're the bees' knees!

    Today's puzzle was fun, thanks to Ed Sessa and thanks for including OUZO, a favorite. I thought of you, Irish Miss, and KNEW you'd wince and Tinbeni would love it.

    I also love PAD THAI, did not know DR. WHO and wasn't sure about OSWALD. I also recall the one from 1963, sadly. UTAH and IOWA together again. Cute clue for SIEVE.

    During the walk on the moon, July 20, 1969, we were at the home of my aunt Sophia (R.I.P.) celebrating her birthday and I was newly out of the convent.

    It's great to be among you again and I have a lot of catching up to do.

    I hope your week has been fabulous and enjoy a fine day, today!

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  33. Gotta quibble about the television time traveler - "Dr. Who" is the name of the programme, but the lead character is known simply as "the Doctor". Never revealing his (or her) actual name is one of the show's traditions.

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  34. I thought I had nailed this fun Ed Sessa puzzle, but 'twas not to be. Didn't know THE JETS and had HEEHEE and VIVA for the downs, giving me TEA JETS, a somewhat silly name for a band, I thought. Oh well. Still enjoyed the puzzle, although I didn't get the theme until Boomer's delightful write-up. You're getting wittier each time, Boomer. So, thank you both.

    My dad got a job at RCA in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1955, when they were expanding because of color TV production. Stayed with the job for decades until RCA sold out to another company.

    Feeling a little glum this morning because the biopsy on the little spot on my upper lip turned out to be basal cell carcinoma--the second one in that spot. Wish I could have my skin cancers elsewhere, and not in the middle of my face. Oh well, there are far more worrisome health issues, so this is still pretty small potatoes.

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  35. Fun puzzle. Liked the theme. Oscar the Grouch was our son's favorite character when he was little. Actually LW and I liked him, too.

    Sure enough, I wondered for far too long what a TOAT is.

    I guess REC is a word.

    Is it SEIVE or SIEVE, NEIL or NIEL? I usually have to think twice to get it right.

    "It's HIP to be Square!" So sang Huey Lewis and the News.

    The KIA Sorento has very good reviews. Sometimes LW and I, when we're joking around, will look at each other and chant, "K-K-K-Kia!" for no good reason.

    Had a very fruitful visit with a cardiologist yesterday. I feel so much more encouraged and confident in dealing with my recently-diagnosed a-fib.

    Misty, I hope you can be successfully treated.

    Lucina, welcome back.

    Good wishes to you all.

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  36. A fast, fun puzzle from Mr. Sessa, and an entertaining expo from Boomer. My favorite puzzle/blog in some time. Thanks to both of you.

    Boomer, there may not be a reference to Joe Willie in THEJETS, but when Vinnie Testaverde was their quarterback some wags referred to the team as "Vinnie and the Jets".

    Cya!

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  37. Hello everyone.

    No particular issues solving today except that I did not grok GROK. SIGH. Good theme and basically a fun solve.
    NOLA - BH and I have dined there. A super experience. Great food and super service.

    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    I am running a new IMac (2 mos. old) with all the latest hardware and up-to-date software. Recently, when leaving the computer on with Safari loaded, and it goes into sleep mode, it seems to 'forget' that it is connected to the internet when 'wakened'. After a few minutes of linking to different bookmarks, the 'connection' comes back to life. If I QUIT Safari first, and, say, leave Mail and ITunes loaded, the issue goes away.

    1. My seller claims he has the same issue with his own and the store's Safari browsers. Has anyone here run into this issue?

    2. He recommended I try Firefox or Chrome. Is there a clear preference? I've always liked Safari for banking and bill-paying.

    3. I will call an Apple tech when I get a chance, since it's all under warranty.

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  38. Boomer: were you thinking of "dousing"? Not the same as DOWSING.

    My Grandpa had a 4' tall Nipper, along with the horn. We inherited them somehow. They were made of papier-mâché and had been part of a store window display. We have many years' worth of pictures of our boys standing by the "puppy" (the first few were taken with the boy standing under the dog's head).

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  39. Ta- DA!!
    Perps to the rescue! I needed perp help sideways and vertically, but they brought me through in fine shape.
    My thanks to Mr. Sessa and to C.C. for their excellent work.
    My only reservation is that Mr. G.B. SHAW would certainly have taken issue with the Germanic "h" inserted into his middle name. He was quite fussy about matters of orthography. Also, he usually dropped his first name, "George," and "Bernard" is the proper spelling of the name he preferred going by.
    Cheers!

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  40. Your laugh of the day: today's LA Times reports that California ski resorts (Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley) are closing up shop and finally ending their winter season. Imagine that: it's 97 today, 102 tomorrow, and there is skiing within a 2.5 hour drive. Ah, California!

    For unnamed at 2:35 -- I'd suggest having only the minimum number of programs loaded: one is best. I've found with my latest iMac that memory is dicier the more it has to deal with. Pointers get tromped on, programs freeze or turn non-responsive, some programs mysteriously don't get along, etc. (If you are curious, check "Activity Monitor" in "Applications: Utilities" and you will see how much goes on 'behind the scenes' in a Mac. It's pretty stable for all that, but sometimes, rarely, quirky.)

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  41. I'm not a puzzle constructor, and the Constructor isn't a car guy:

    (1) there is no "Vette". It's a Corvette, plus

    (2) it isn't nor has it ever been a Muscle car. The Corvette is a sports car and there is a big difference. Muscle cars were known for having a big engine in a mid sized body, they were very fast in a straight line and not good handlers at all, nor did they brake that well. Any Corvette owner would take immediate offense. Muscle cars were cars like the GTO, 442, Chargers and the like.

    For what it's worth, Mustangs, Camaros/Firebirds and Challenger/Barracudas were Pony cars. Just in case any puzzle constructors are reading and care.

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  42. There is no "Chevy". It's a Chevrolet.

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  43. No Xwd or pzl, but crossword and puzzle. For goodness' sake let us be ever formal.

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  44. I forgot to give kudos to one of my favs: Ed Sessa. And to the detailed write-up by Boomer. Btw, were you referring to West Side Story with that Jets reference?

    Misty, sorry to hear about that issue. I visit a dermatologist twice a year and he freezes spots on me. I had to go through the purple death on one visit.

    WC

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  45. Btw, re. The "Curse". Slate.com has an article on the infamous, sham tryout of Jackie Robinson and two negro league ballplayers on April 15, 1945. If there's such a things as curses, and Redsox history from that date until 2004 give credibility to same, this would be it.
    Note the citing of "Get those f*ing n*ers
    off the field" shout. Possibly by the owner Yawkey.
    The next year Enos Slaughter scored from first on a single as Johnny Pesky "held the ball". And a litany of cursed events followed.

    WC

    PS. One of those players, Sam Jethroe, integrated the Boston Braves in 1950

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  46. As a Detroiter I totally agree that the Vette was absolutely not a muscle car. The Chevelle was the closest thing chevy offered in that category.
    No TADA for me as "northern California" was doomed when I inked in HEAR instead of heed for 21d. :(( cant even blame proper noun.

    As far as the moon landing date I was working 60hrs a week in a huge commercial bakery to afford a return to school for my Sophomore year studying physics. I was totally inspired by the space program and wanted to work for NASA. I was senior before I learned that NASA was mostly bureaucrats and companies like Boeing, Northrop and Hughes Aircraft did the real science and engineering. Movies all show us as the villains ! (LOL).

    When JFK said we would go to the moon I was an inspired 10 year old cub scout or maybe a weblow by then. I never knew a scientist or an engineer but I wanted to be one. Our boyscout troop was lower middle class so we never had the money for the national jamboree but I would have loved to go. We're the scouts there yesterday inspired to become real estate tycoons and yacht owners ? Just wondering ???

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  47. DO @ 8:17 AM

    The day the company I retired from was sold I went home and tossed a majority of my work clothes into the trash or collection boxes, and burned the rest except for two ties. One for weddings and the other for funerals. some of my duds.... dress shirts or dress pants have not bee worn since April 1, 1996 the date to the company sale.

    Needless to say, I've had to invest a small sum into some into new duds for this trip, but the upside is my better half is VERY happy. My usual daily dress is shorts, jeans, tees or sweatshirts.

    But I do really enjoy a cruise so....SHIP AHOY!

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  48. Thank you for the kind wishes, Jayce and Wilbur. I have worrisome spots frozen on my scalp every so often, but the last tiny basal cell thing on my face required actual surgery, and so will this one when I go in in two weeks. Thank goodness they're very tiny. Hope it goes well.

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  49. Hi All!

    Took me a while today to GROK the pzl but I finally got it done when I changed HEar to HEED (Hi Chuck L). Thanks ED for a fun theme'd puzzle; loved OSCAR but my fav was The Count.

    Great expo Boomer; laughed out loud at recreation.

    WOs: I HATe WASTE; HEar b/f HEED; EWAn; HEeHEe; VIVa!
    ESPs: ZIA, OVID, FOSSY, EWAN, OUZO (WAG'd the Z), OSWALD

    Fav: B-B-B-Bennie and THE JETS.
    Runner-up: DR. WHO. Eldest is into it now too!
    Learning: OSWALD looks like an early Mickey
    Google'd what a JUNK is 'cuz I thought it disparaging to call their boats Junk. The theme helped there.

    {hehe Larrylim}

    Enjoy the cruise Hondo; Enjoy camping Jinx.

    Sorry to hear about the basal Misty.

    Jayce - K-K-K-Kia; like Ch-Cha-Chia :-)

    Re: NEIL Armstrong... Like Bunny M, I wasn't around for that yet. Heck, I wasn't even a twinkle in Pop's eye; I was born the following July.

    Cheers, -T

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  50. I just realized I called OSWALD a duck. Silly Bunny, he's a rabbit ! ;) I had to Google him and agree with AnonT- he looks like early Mickey.

    Misty- so sorry about the basal diagnosis. You'll be in my thoughts- wishing you success with the upcoming surgery.

    Welcome back, Lucina!

    Safe and happy travels to Jinx and Hondo!

    See you all tomorrow...

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  51. Thank you for the welcome, Bunny M and Jayce. It's good to be blogging again.

    Misty, I'm sorry about your diagnosis and hopeful the surgery will eliminate all trace of cancer.

    Hondo: Bon voyage! Have a wonderful time! Take pictures.

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  52. Thank you, BunnyM and Lucina. It's scheduled two weeks from now, and I'll let you know how it went when the time comes. But I really appreciate everyone's caring!

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  53. Good Thursday morning, folks. Thank you, Ed Sessa, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.

    Yes, Irish Miss, my favorite answer was TEA at 23A. I am a died in the wool Earl Greyer.

    Fine theme. I had kind of forgotten about Oscar and Trash.

    I can never remember how to spell SIKH. Thanks for the Perps.

    Tried ST LO for 63A. Changed that to UTAH.

    ACHOO at 29D was clever.

    Spelled DOWSES wrong at first pass. DOUSES. Fixed it.

    Tried HEAR at 21D. HEED won that battle.

    Since I am a day late, I will leave now. See you Friday.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  54. Surprised there are people over 60 who don't know the Elton John song Bennie and THE JETS. Surprised anyone has not had PAD THAI. I always ask for mine with broccoli on it.

    I only have a vague knowledge of Muppets characters but after finishing the whole puzzle I do have a hazy image of a character in a trash can. I don't understand where that idea arose. But then I was able to figure out the theme.

    Hand up for briefly assuming the theme answers were Across.

    Learning moment about UTAH Beach. Know Omaha. My father had uncles who landed there. I only recently learned of the huge effort made to create fake D-Day forces at other locations to confuse the Nazi commanders.

    Learning moment about KIA. Of course the Wright Brothers turned their bicycle business into an aircraft business.

    Have been to New Mexico, but never heard of ZIA tribe.

    Unknowns: RON, ODETS

    ReplyDelete

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