Theme: Crank Up the AC - Add A C to some words starting with C and clue appropriately.
20A. Rudely confront espionage supervisors?: ACCOST CONTROLS. (cost controls)
34A. Agreement on the ratio of innies to outies?: UMBILICAL ACCORD. (umbilical cord)
40A. Ones meekly entering debits and credits?: ACCOUNTING SHEEP. (counting sheep)
51A. High praise at a carousel?: BAGGAGE ACCLAIM. (baggage claim)
Argyle here today. I hope nothing's wrong with Lemonade. update: He is okay.
Across:
1. Song one can't perform?: DUET
5. Walk through puddles: SLOSH
10. Mosul's home: IRAQ
14. On the water: ASEA
15. Princess Toadstool's rescuer: MARIO
16. Run into, maybe: DENT
17. Online gaming tyro: NOOB
18. Salem residents: OREGONIANS
22. OPEC member: UAE
23. Guzzler: SOT
24. Holy verse: PSALM
27. Letters by the shore: SPF
30. __ wave: TIDAL
37. Quote from a goat: MAA
38. Absent: NOT IN
39. "O Sole __": MIO
45. Embezzles: SKIMS
46. Trike rider: TOT
47. Big name in electric cars: TESLA
48. Somerhalder of "The Vampire Diaries": IAN
50. Org. that helps you find a way: AAA
59. Pinpoints: ZEROES IN ON
60. Apple talker: SIRI
61. Seeks: ASKS
62. With no other: ALONE
63. Noodle variety: UDON
64. Upscale: POSH
65. Cut with a beam: LASED
66. Await a decision: PEND
Down:
1. Ultimate Fighting Championship president White: DANA
2. Biennial games org.: USOC
3. Fair-hiring agcy.: EEOC
4. Mediterranean salad: TABOULI. Parsley and bulgur wheat salad.
5. Hit hard: SMOTE
6. Prix de __ de Triomphe: annual horse race: L'ARC
7. Oft-twisted cookie: OREO
8. Leo, for one: SIGN
9. Hilarious sorts: HOOTS
10. More than silly: IDIOTIC
11. Down-to-earth: REAL
12. Coulter and Curry: ANNs
13. Liq. measures: QTs
19. Campus org. for future ensigns: NROTC. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.
21. Cousin of Dan'l?: SAM'L
24. Adidas alternatives: PUMAs
25. More than a peck: SMACK
26. Old counters: ABACI. Plural of abacus.
27. Great guy?: SCOTT
28. Chaise place: PATIO
29. Fire starter: FLINT
31. Common state capital features: DOMEs
32. Moon of Uranus: ARIEL
33. Parkinson's drug: L-DOPA
35. Rustic stop: INN
36. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG
41. "Wow!": "O MI GOSH!"
42. Grammarian's concern: USAGE
43. Legato's opposite, in mus.: STAC
44. Closes, as a wound: HEALS UP
49. Like some cold symptoms: NASAL
50. Pimply: ACNED
51. Indicación de afecto: BESO
52. Sacred chests: ARKS
53. Arizona river: GILA
54. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy: ENOS
55. Top-shelf: AONE
56. Support staff member: AIDE
57. Monopoly token replaced by a cat in 2013: IRON
58. Object to: MIND
59. Nuke: ZAP
Argyle
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Sam and Santa!
(Hope all is well with Lemonade!)
Only a few problems: MARIO, NOOB, DANA, TABOULI (spelling was the problem), L'ARC and ENOS. Worked out OK in the end.
Hope to see you all tomorrow!
Many thanks for the kind comments about Millie!
ReplyDeleteShe has a TrackR on her collar now. But I can't see how she got out. Caregiver is adamant that she locked the door in the gate!
There was a doc from the GILA
ReplyDeleteWho had a reputation as a HEALƏ
But his wife had CONTROL
When they went for a stroll --
She called him her own faithful heelə!
{C.}
I am fine,except a bit overly optimistic about my stamina. I worked in the office a few hours and became ridiculously tired and fell asleep without uploading my blog of the puzzle. Sorry Scott about the extra work.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the puzzle, it had a nice tight and consistent theme which I found timely in light of Bill's a/c stories.
Happy Friday and thank you Sam and Argyle.
If we can, we will swap my minimal post for Lemon's undoubtedly more meaty offering.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteThe toughest area (at least pour moi) was the NW with an unknown name, two abbreviations and a salad I only vaguely recognize. Our puzzle creator included his own shoutout at 21d. Thanx, SAD, and thanx Argyle for a last minute fill-in.
I caught the theme at UMBILICAL ACCORD, which enabled the NW to be completed. DANA, NOOB, and TABOULI were never heard of unknowns. Online gaming and Ultimate Fighting are not my cup of tea. No other problems with BESO, L'ARC, and IAN being solved by perps.
ReplyDeleteSCOTT or SCOT? I always thought that people from Scotland were SCOTs, not SCOTTs.
ENOS- Boss Hogg's incompetent brother-in-law. With all the PC lunacy running around I guess that wherever reruns of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' will not be shown anymore. A Dodge Charger named 'The General Lee' with a Confederate flag on top.
NOOB isn't necessarily gaming, just any rookie: Newcomer > Newbie > NOOB
ReplyDeleteThe "L" in "L'ARC" threw me for a while
Big E, you do old ENOS wrong; it was the sheriff who was the thew b-i-l.
ReplyDeleteWBES. Erased LASEr and riOTS. I wanted "Dolly Parton" for "sacred chest" but they wouldn't fit. I would have never been able to finish without the gimmick, which I got early.
ReplyDeleteI play golf with a Scot and a Scott. We call them "1 Tee" and "2 Tee" respectively.
Great classes this week. Only one student had trouble, struggling with Microsoft Project. Teaching again next week to prepare a few of this week's students for their Professional Project Manager exam. If I get SMOTE down tomorrow and Sunday, I'll check in after next week. (YR, did I misuse the word?)
Thanks Sam and Santa for a rare successful Friday completion and a good reveal.
Good day to all!
ReplyDeleteDANA White and NOOB were unknown in the NW. Clever theme, which was readily apparent. Thanks to Samuel for the puzzle and Argyle for pinch hitting for the blog.
Enjoy the day!
Good morning all!
ReplyDeleteOH MI GOSH, I must have been on SAML's wavelength today. I got through this quicker than most Friday puzzles and enjoyed the clever theme. Thanks Mr. Donaldson and thanks to Argyle for pinch hitting. Glad to know Lemonade is ok (easy to over do it- take care of yourself!)
I had some early WAGs with UMBILICALACCORD and ACCOUNTINGSHEEP which helped tremendously and boosted my confidence :)
The toughest was the NW corner. Didn't know DANA, wanted Newb to work for NOOB and TABOULI took a long time to dredge up from my memory. That was my last section to fill.
ARIEL was a perp and I thought ZEROES IN ON would be Zones In On but wouldn't fit.
Favorite clever clue (other than the theme answers, which were delightful) was "Song one can't perform?"/DUET
I thought of Bill G with the A/C theme. We don't need ours here today. I'm actually cold sitting on the deck with the CW and coffee.
Fermatprime- glad Millie is safe and sound. I've had instances with my dogs over the years where their escapes were total mysteries!
Hope that all in the path of Harvey are safe.
Spitzboov- enjoyed your story about anchoring at South Manitou island. DH and I ferried over there years ago for a self guided day tour. We hiked around, had a picnic at Lake Florence and climbed to the top of the lighthouse. The views from up there were incredible! One of my favorite things we've ever done on vacation.
Busy day- preparing for my brother's surprise birthday party tomorrow. Hard to believe he's 50! I don't think he has an inkling about the plan, so it will be fun to see his reaction :)
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Musings
ReplyDelete-I sped through this fun puzzle where the gimmick was very helpful
-A lot of hard hitting in Genesis - And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and SMOTE the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim
-Many artists sing both a melody and harmony track and overdub for a “DUET”
-Lost luggage in Honolulu and Berlin yielded no BAGGAGE ACCLAIM for us.
-I passed many hours with MARIO on this 1980 version
-We are SLOSHING through 2” of rain this morning but our Texas friends are getting 2’ of it as Harvey ZEROES IN on them
-My friend’s body shop’s slogan was, “May we have the next DENTS?”
-It’s hard to stump SIRI
-SMACK and BESO today – bilingual kissing!
-We had no luck with TrackR but this does the job for us
"Seek" and "ask" are not synonyms.
ReplyDeleteHusker, your Genesis quotation is reminiscent of "Twas brillig, and the slithy toves. Did gyre and gimble..."
ReplyDeleteThought of our blog leader several times today!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteArgyle, thanks for pinch hitting. Glad to see Lemon checked in and is OK.
Bunny, interesting story. Thanks for sharing.
Puzzle seemed to want to yield in the NE first. Completed the E side and began to see the AC gimmick. SLOSHed around and it gradually gave itself up. with the theme being a big help. Kept thinking of the MA Salem but finally remembered the other one and planted OREGONIANS. NOOB was a WAG, but we've had tyro before, so it worked out. No searches or erasures for a Friday, which is rare for me. Starting to like Sam's puzzles more.
Have a good day.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteA fun Friday from SAD. Theme was readily evident and the theme answers were grin-inducing. Dana and Mario were unknowns but I knew Tabouli, so just had to figure out which spelling variation I needed; I see it more often as Taboolah. If made properly, it's delicious.
Thanks, Samuel, for a pleasant puzzle and thanks, Argyle, for pinch-hitting. Lemony, glad you're okay.
Hope everyone stays safe and secure throughout Harvey's havoc.
BunnyM, good luck with your party plans for big brother! 🎈🎉🎁
Have a great day.
Big Easy, the expression "Great Scott!" indicates surprise or amazement or fittingly today, OMIGOSH. One origination is in reference to Scot author Sir Walter Scott. I think of the "Back To The Future" films where "Great Scott!" is the oft repeated catch phrase of Christopher Lloyds' character "Doc Brown".
ReplyDeleteI believe that get smote needs the past participle like get eaten.The pp is either smote or smitten. Definitions of smite:
ReplyDelete1. to strike or hit hard, with or as if with the hand, a stick, or other weapon.
2. to deliver or deal (a blow) by striking hard.
3. to strike down, injure, or slay.
4. to afflict or attack with deadly or disastrous effect: smitten by polio.
5. to affect mentally, morally, or emotionally with a strong and sudden feeling: They were smitten with terror.
6. to impress favorably; enamor: He was smitten by her charms.
Smitten usually is used for definitions for 3 through 6,and is common. I would suggest get smote or, more smoothly be smote, for be hit hard, but because both sound too old fashioned, I would choose a different verb.
Friday fun today. Thanks SAM'L and Argyle for pinch-hitting. Glad Lemonade is OK.
ReplyDeleteI was one letter short of completing this CW but cross of NOOB (I should have figured this out) and USOC (unknown to me) was my Natick.
We have BESO frequently but usually from the Anka song Eso Beso. LOL HuskerG re bilingual kissing!
Big Easy@7:45 - 27D "Great guy" refers to the expression "Great Scott" (expressing surprise or amazement). Oops, I see others have already clarified while I was writing.
I smiled at Peck=SMACK and nothing to do with QTS.
Also smiled at POSH crossing GOSH. I had MY before MI giving me Yan before IAN.
My Leo was a Pope before a SIGN.
I had Insaner before IDIOTIC, and Meet before DENT.
I wanted to Splash through the puddles but it was too long.
Stay safe in Texas. Hope there are no TIDAL waves.
No AC required here either. We are cool but sunny.
Enjoy the day.
Get smote needs the past participle like get eaten.The pp is either smote or smitten. Definitions of smite:
ReplyDelete1. to strike or hit hard, with or as if with the hand, a stick, or other weapon.
2. to deliver or deal (a blow) by striking hard.
3. to strike down, injure, or slay.
4. to afflict or attack with deadly or disastrous effect: smitten by polio.
5. to affect mentally, morally, or emotionally with a strong and sudden feeling: They were smitten with terror.
6. to impress favorably; enamor: He was smitten by her charms.
Smitten usually refers to definitions for 3 through 6,and is common. I would use get smote or, more smoothly be smote, for be hit hard, but both sound too old fashioned.
AAH! Good to be back online.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle. Quick for a Friday.
My CPA son is no meek accountant.
BOOB was new to me with all good perps. I easily wagged USOC. We call tyro square dancers newbies. I think that is common in other instances, too. I see on the Internet that NOOB is often associated with poker sites on the web.
Thesaurus says, “ASK: synonyms- request · demand · solicit · SEEK · crave · apply for · petition for · call for · appeal for · beg (for) · sue for
Great Scoot; interjection of surprise, amazement or dismay.
Wikipedia: "An explicit connection of Sir Walter Scott's name with the by-then familiar exclamation is found in a poem published 15 August 1871, on the centenary anniversary of Scott's birth:
Whose wild free charms, he chanted forth Great Scott! ... When shall we see thy like again? Great Scott! "
I’ve had tabouli. I’ll pass. Not a fan of bulgar.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteGot a smile when I thought this was a C. C. theme. Close.
Catching on to the *ACC* made getting the other theme entries easier, and that supplied a lot of perps.
With that help, this was a little easier than the typical Friday.
Really feel beaten down and tired today. Definitely going to soft peddle it.
Happy weekend everyone.
Cool regards
ERTE the deuce
Sometimes a puzzle that would ordinarily be difficult for me falls into place due to a series of inspired WAGs on my part. Such is the case today. I'm still not quite sure how I solved Mr. Donaldson's construction but I'll put it in the win column.
ReplyDeleteDon
I dumped my post because I had Great Scoot, instead of Great Scott.Then I posted the same error again @ 10:27. Sheesh! Great Scott!
ReplyDeleteFor RUN INTO I first wrote MEET before DENT. That reminds me, while driving on an icy day I signaled a left turn and the wheels slid straight ahead. A woman following too close tried to loop around me because I was turning and then pull back ahead of me. We collided. Years later I was introduced to her at some gathering. I said, "We ran into each other before."She did not find it funny.
Haven't expressed myself here in a long time. Not that I haven't looked in often for my mistakes and near misses around the crossword corners. I've been quite busy "raising parents" and it's a huge second job. My one relaxer is coming here and grinning at the explanations and having the slap on forehead "duh" moments before starting in on some long days. Thank you all for continuing this corner. Don't know what I'd do without it, as the "plain old crossword solvers" are boring.
ReplyDeleteA nice breezy puzzle without too many difficult sections. Theme has been seen more times then can be counted so the best you can hope for are some mildly humorous phrases (your mileage may vary). An entry like SAM'L feels unforgiveable.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mr. Donaldson, for a fun Friday. Caught the theme early with AC in several long answers, and that helped in the solve.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Argyle, for filling in, and nice job. Lemonade, hope you are doing better.
Stay safe to all in Harvey's wake. We are only supposed to get a lot of rain and some wind. Hopefully, it won't stall too long. Grocery store lines are way too long... and thankfully we went on Wednesday!
Thank you, SAM'L for a real stumper. The NW SMOTE me and I had to search for DANA, NOOB, MARIO and L'ARC none of which I knew or could dredge up.
ReplyDeleteAll the rest, however, fell in place. Once I saw the ACC theme that helped. For Leo I debated between POPE and LION, settled for LION but MARIO disabused that. ACNED? Really? It sounds odd.
Lemonade, I'm glad you are all right. Please rest and feel well soon.
Argyle, thank you for stepping up. We know you ARE GREAT, SCOTT!
To those in Harvey's path, please stay safe and dry.
Have a stupendous day, everyone!
This went very fast. Thx Argyle for the PH. Lemonade, something's going around that has that acute fatigue symptom.
ReplyDeleteOwen, when you make me laugh you get a W. Anyone remember the Mario Bros nemesis in the movie: hint, We just had it as an answer. Or how they were neutralized. Hint: Boris
WC
Ta- DA!!
ReplyDeleteThe kind of pzl that makes you feel good for sticking it out and solving it. Thanks to Mr. Donaldson and Argyle for a happy morning.
Also, thanks to the plastic surgeon I met this a.m. who, contrary to his own financial interest, advised that I won't need reconstructive surgery on my ear. (I reckon he does enough business offering Botox treatments and breast "enhancements" from his well-positioned office in Fashion Island, Newport Beach CA.
Ya think?)
My fave word today was NOOB. Took me a while to reconcile myself to the phonetic spelling... (My next favorite was Yellowrocks' @10:27: "Great SCOOT"!)
Great Friday puzzle, SAML, many thanks! UMBILICAL ACCORD was the first theme entry I got, and it cracked me up. But I just couldn't get that ACCOUNTING _HEE_, and I also didn't know NOOB (kept wanting NEWBIE but it wouldn't fit). But those were my only goof-ups, so that's pretty good for me for a Friday puzzle. I too wondered about the double T in SCOTT, but finally realized it was from "Great Scott!"--although I didn't know it came from Sir Walter Scott. The things you learn on this blog! I'm afraid I still don't understand SPF as Letters by the shore. And I don't know BESO, so kept wanting to put PESO, but it had to be BAGGAGE, so that took care of that. Anyway, fun way to start a Friday morning, and thank you too, Argyle for subbing for Lemonade (great you're okay, and get some rest).
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, everybody!
Misty, SPF (sun protection factor) is the rating system for suntan lotions which you'd probably use by the shore.
ReplyDeleteOl'Man Keith, my fave in that misspelled post by me is BOOB for NOOB.
ReplyDelete"Bésame Mucho" ("Kiss me a lot") is a song written in 1940 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez.
BESO is kiss in Spanish.
I like Paul Anka's lyrics.
Eso Beso
Paul Anka
Mm, eso beso, ooh that kiss
Aah, eso beso, ooh your kiss
It's got something, don't know what
But whatever it's got, it's got a lot.
Lemony, I worry aboiut you. I hope all is well.
The condo association has had our windows and siding removed in the front, insulation and waterproofing added, and the windows reinstalled.I had to move my computer for several days making it inoperable and had to box up all my paper work. What a horror! Next week the back of the house will be done, laundry room, two bedrooms requiring moving entertainment systems, and a solid wall of windows two stories high on the sun porch. I am accustomed to dealing with my own contractors, even in the condo. This brings on a helpless, lack of control feeling. The new siding is not pretty, no choice offered.
Thank you, desper-otto! You are my blog encyclopedia!
ReplyDeleteNifty puzzle. I thought DUET was brilliantly clued.
ReplyDeletetiptoethru said:
ReplyDelete"I've been quite busy "raising parents" and it's a huge second job."
It's just as hard being the "raisee" here. I can see stuff coming my way from my kids the I'd love to avoid, but age and such make it necessary.
Robert Browning: “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, 'A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!”
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteThank you #SAD; you made me happy that I nailed a Friday! OK, so the gimmick helped but at least I saw it :-). Like Spitz, the NE yielded 1st and I had some really good "1st thoughts" (TM) @ 24a/d, 1a & 2&3d, and 23a. I can't believe my IDIOTIC self was able to ZERO IN ON right answers the 1st time.
Thank you our 'Great SCOTT' for subbing today. Sparse but thorough; the TABOULI looked good. Glad you checked in Lem; get some rest mate.
WOs: I put ANG @35d, sEALS UP before the SHEEPle bean-counters HEAL'd it; spelt it TABbULI. Uropa [sic] was right-out for ARIEL.
ESPs: ARIEL; MIO. The latter was a total wag as I had the M-- and was thinking there was a Z in the Parkinson's drug. I thought Mia and then went with MIO; don't know why.
Fav: I loved the c/a for Great SCOTT and then to have Argyle sub... Priceless.
Runner up: Princess Toadstool (aka Princess Peach). I knew I knew of her and kept going for Shrek but the cusp of LEO kept me in my moon. [SIGN was another "Good First Thought" (TM)]
{B for creative use of the schwa)
FLN - TxMs. I don't know if you got the message but I got an email from the Chron; there may be no paper delivered this weekend.
D-O, LOL Jabberwocky Genesis.
YR - thanks for connecting Smitten & SMOTE. I never thought of the two as related; now I understand losing arguments w/ DW :-)
Text from Pop: Everyone ok? Looks like you're getting some pretty bad weather. Stay Safe. Love.
Reply: Hasn't hit land yet / will be rain-not wind- event of Biblical proportions. Heard 20-30"
Pop: Start collecting twos and determine the dimensions of a cubit.
Cheers, -T
I just noticed that I had CONTROLE as in Maxwell Smarts ?? Foe?, Bosses? I forgot I needed plural for the ANNS. DRAT.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know if YR noticed it but "Hit hard" can be past tense ergo SMOTE.
No Mario Bros trivia people eh? The nemeses were the COOPERs and to neutralize them one needed to only play Lara's theme from (Boris Pasternak's) "Dr Zhivago".
Ok. You had to be there. I loved both that movie and Conan I. Especially the Tree of Life scene. Some of you cornerites really dig this stuff though our erudite sisters may have skipped the two movies.
WC wondering if Saturday will be a Willie*
WC who was often called Willie as in a real ...
* Xword wise I'd describe it as convoluted. c synonyms
No issues with this Friday puzzle. The only thing that made me stop for a movement was 21D, I have no idea how or why SAM'L is related to DAN'L. Crosses got the fill, but still wondering.
ReplyDeleteAnon -T - Re: Pop's advice - - And hie to Home Depot and buy the requisite amount of gopher wood.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous PVX, I may have taken it too simply, but I figured DAN'L was a contraction of the name DANIEL, and SAM'L, would therefore be a contraction for the name SAMUEL, the name of our constructor today. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteWC, yes, I noticed that smote is the past tense of hit hard, smite, but you do not want past tense. Do you use past tense to say all the cake got ate? Or do you use the past participle, all the cake got eaten. The question is what is the past past participle of smite. Mostly it is smitten in the senses I detailed this AM., but in the sense of hit hard, smitten can be misunderstood. Think of love smitten. So, in this case you could use the past participle, smote. Caught is past tense in I caught you and past participle in I got caught. Similarly, smote can be both, past and past participle. Saying I will get smote sounds awkward. Saying I will be smote is a little better. I will be smitten is too ambiguous. I would find a different verb. I would never say I will get smote or I will get smitten to mean hit hard. I can't find references to that construction.
ReplyDeleteCrazy day and week; I worked for the first time since January this week and I obviously overdid it.
ReplyDeleteMy write up was not much different; I did point out noob: Contemporary use can particularly refer to a beginner or new user of computers, often concerning Internet activity, such as online gaming or Linux use. Wiki
I had a musical interlude with O Sole Mio Pavorotti
I think it was the fickle finger of fate which had me miss today, as the reference to Scott (our own great Scott - Argyle) led me to this LINK .
I had the exact same picture of Tabouli, which seems amazing considering how many pics there were to choose from.
Finally I remarked on the L'Arc de Triomphe being the most lasting legacy of Napoleon - the first - not Solo or Dynamite.
I guess I need a vacation.
Spitz - I thought you said go-for wood :-). ...No, you know of what you speak. Want to put that uniform back on from NROTC and Cap'n the ARK?
ReplyDeleteYR - Harvey is will have been bringing it's SMOTE upon us tonight. :-)
If you can, look at the RADAR profile of Harvey, this f*'er is HUGE!
And to anon (whom I won't bother going back to find the time), ASKS is to SEEK. There's so much about to know - Be a Seeker [the Who]; so ASK. [Yet another 1st thought! (tm)]
Lem - Yeah, NOOB is any newbie who's clumsy compared the the ol' salts in any group's endeavor. I was a total NOOB at the Corner a bit back [hell, compared to some, I still am!] but got the feel for it. Very much not unlike CONTROLS for MARIO saving P. Toadstool.
Cheers, -T
From yesterday, thanks to all wishing us safety down here. Anon-T, yep, received two emails from the Chron today. D-O, the only preparations I made was to stock up on Chardonnay (I figure the wine will numb my fear like it did during Hurricane Ike) and found my Sony Walkman from the 80's - still works! Main concern is flooding - my street didn't flood during Ike, but since Ike the damn contractors have been tearing down bungalows in my neighborhood and putting up McMansions, cutting down trees and taking up pervious lawns. My idiotic neighbors put in a practically fence-to-fence pool. Neighborhood's around 30% McMansions. Was without power for 13 days after Ike, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteD-O (meant to add) Boy, you are prepared to the max! Were you a Boy Scout? :)
ReplyDeleteI drove down to the beach with my old clunker bicycle on a bike rack on the trunk of my old Camry. I parked and was just about to take my bike off the car when a young fellow (20ish) on a skateboard stopped and asked if he could help me. I started to say "No thanks. I got it," as I have done in the past. But this time I said "Sure. That would be nice." I figured it would make my day a little bit easier and it would give him the good feeling of having done a good deed.
ReplyDeleteJordan, Barbara and I unloaded Jordan's piggy bank. We sorted the coins and rolled them for the bank. I took the leftovers to the local supermarket where they have a coin counting machine. The machine took its 10 percent and I got a chit for the rest.
I hope all of you in the path of Harvey do OK. We are out of the path of hurricanes and tornadoes, too far from the shore and too high for tsunamis, out of the area of brushfires. No worries, eh? Well right up until a big earthquake decides to smite us.
Hi Y'all! Very late today! Easier than most Friday's but not boring. Thanks, Sam'l. Thanks, Argyle, for coming to the rescue.
ReplyDeleteLast to fill was NW where I was completely ASEA with no other fills. I had gotten the theme which allowed me a toe-hold there after musing over it awhile. Found the theme amusing.
YR: and then there is "smit" which turns up only in cw world.
Wilbur: you said, "Something is going around that has that acute fatigue". Yeah, at my house it's called "old age". Seriously, I can't drive any distance anymore because I fall asleep. Watching my favorite TV shows, I fall asleep. Lay down in bed at night and I am wide awake.
My daughters finally got back to me to say that freshman orientation for my granddaughter at Loyola in NOLA included Hurricane Training 101. The student had to submit an evacuation plan for approval. Her new roommate was living in NOLA when Katrina smote the city. Her family has since moved to Baton Rouge to which the girls would evacuate in case... My daughters get mad at me for getting upset because they don't tell me the things I need to know so I won't get upset.
Fermatprime: I'm so glad Millie was returned. I wonder if she has any border collie in her. We had a couple who would be up and over a four-foot high fence like a flash. Especially if left alone and they decided to go find us. Never had a dog who couldn't get out if they were determined enough and we all cried over the results of their folly. Or could someone unlock the gate from the outside?
ReplyDeleteTiptoethru: bear up and realize you are a hero for ''raising parents" instead of walking away. Just hope any children you have will notice your sacrifice and reward you by doing the same for you.
She was just seventeen(you know what I mean)*
ReplyDeleteCupid SMOTE me (She hit hard)
Hit is the verb that covers the grammatical circuit imo. Did anybody catch the Frank Longo xword today? It's in the Tampa Bay Tribune which now is part of TBTimes
I think we've had Frank here. After cluing USAGE it wanted to know the usage of LIE. IRRegular?
I think I was better at French grammar
PK, I know you were kidding but I've known some "youngsters"** with that sudden fatigue syndrome.
WC
Oops.
ReplyDelete* Or as Pete Rose said "16"
** Youngster= Under 50
WC
PK, I'm so glad Loyola provided Hurricane 101! They do a great job of protecting their charges! Baton Rouge is a good place to evacuate to, if needed. All should be well in your land.
ReplyDeleteTexans, hang in there! It should have hit by now and who knows what else will happen. We're watching you here in LA.
This puzzle pleased me. Didn't really "get" the theme until our own Great Scott's explanation but it filled in easily enough and with some chuckles. Thanks to all.
Owen, I laughed!
TxMs....Chardonnay will get you through most things. Good thinking!
ReplyDeleteLate trivia question:
ReplyDeleteRe: Great Scott, whose catchphrase was "Great Caesar's Ghost!"
Late Trivia answer
ReplyDeletePerry White, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Planet
Bound to be up all night said...
ReplyDeleteWC - Oranges and Apples: Saw her standing there and You're 16. [hum, the latter seems a little creepy now - I thought it was a great song when I was 7]. Ringo will be in Sugar Land 11/2.
Great Caesar's Ghost and more White (not Dana) bawling out Clark OKL.
Great SCOTT! you can find everything on the interwebs.
PK - No worries yet for NOLA; she's safe there.
Tornadoes 12mi south and -T is on Harvey night watch. Stay up and play!
Cheers, -T
Luckily, only .6" of rain today (North Loop area). The main event will happen when Harvey starts doubling back south and toward the east - maybe Sunday or Monday, depending on which meteorologists I watch and their interpretations of the "models." Ironically, my brother's name is Harvey, and this storm affected the Yucatan (Isla de Mujeres) and Texas (where he was born and raised), his two fav spots in the world. Figures ... he lives in Iowa, and Isla and TX are both hot climates.
ReplyDeleteTXMs... Don't forget Eric Berger's Blog for sanity and a touch of levity. Tornado warning just ended for Greatwood so I'll resign my post for 45min of shut-eye. Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteAnon-T - thank you for the link! I've always enjoyed Eric's report in the Chronicle and wondered whatever happened to him. His post was channeling your sense of humor - loved it, and I've bookmarked the link. Now I can go to sleep and just wait for his update tomorrow. I'm so over reporters, from Corpus to Galveston, standing in extreme rain/wind events being televised. This has been happening though for over a decade. So tiresome and idiotic.
ReplyDeleteSo... Is SAM'L a reference to the constructor? Hand up for not getting who is DAN'L or SAM'L? Or is it just a generic reference to that kind of contraction?
ReplyDeleteGot the theme early, but I am still wondering exactly what C to ACC means?
We were OREGONIANS for the past week in our successful quest to experience the total eclipse. Memorably mind-blowing. Nothing like a partial eclipse at all.
No idea about DANA or Ultimate Fighting. Huh?
Surprised some people have never even heard of TABOULI. Hand up for being unsure of the spelling. There are variants. A bit too bitter for my taste, but I do eat it on occasion.
Rode a bicycle around L'ARC de Triomphe a few years ago. Very scary with so many circles of heavy traffic, but still glad I did it! Never heard of this horse race, but apparently it is very famous. And apparently it is not at L'ARC. Any idea why it is called that?