google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Richard Monsaythe and C. C. Burnikel

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Aug 9, 2017

Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Richard Monsaythe and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: CATCH of the day.  The last word of 2 or 3-word theme entries is something that can be CAUGHT.  There are a couple of sports references in the grid, but inexplicably, nothing about baseball.  What's up with that?  But, fortunately, that deficiency is correctable.  Here's an outstanding CATCH from last Friday's excellent game between the Tigers and the Orioles.



All Jonathon Schoop [pronounced "Scope"] could do is smile.  Maybe you'll get a smile or two as we proceed.

17 A. *One may follow the wedding dress : BRIDAL TRAIN.  This is the long back portion of a dress that trails behind the wearer.  One can also CATCH a TRAIN, but that is a different matter, so don't get off track


39 A. *Avant-garde : NEW WAVE.  Referring to a new movement or trend in literature music or the visual arts.  I remember the NEW WAVE science fiction of the 1960's, which is now old hat.  To CATCH a WAVE is to latch onto an opportunity.  The source of the phrase should be obvious.



10 D. *Westminster's top canine : BEST IN SHOW.   An award bestowed upon the top dog [so to speak] at the annual competitions presented by the Westminster Kennel Club.  I've already said more than I know about it.  To CATCH a SHOW is to attend a performance, or perhaps watch one on TV. There is an implication of preference, suggesting that you'd rather do this than some other pass time.

29 D. *Harsh and wintry : BITTER COLD.  This is weather that is so COLD that exposure would be unpleasant, or even painful.  But if you bundle up properly, you can revel in it.   Careful, though, so you don't CATCH a COLD; or if you do, keep the tissues handy, drink plenty of fluids and take vitamin C.



63 A. Familiar slogan ... or, based on its last word, what each answer to a starred clue is? : CATCH PHRASE.   A well known phrase, often associated with a particular famous person. Hope you were able to CATCH on to this theme.

Hi Gang, JzB here.  Today we have a puzzle co-constructed by a lady we all know and our Corner companion, Splynter, making his LAT debut.  Congrats to both, and a hat tip to C. C. for her continuing enormous care and generosity. Nice word association theme, and a pinwheel theme entry arrangement, with a central horizontal entry.  Its vertical cross, DRAWS ON, might also have been a theme entry, if you CATCH ON, but it lacked the necessary *.  Also, though CATCH ON is an in-the-language phrase, it doesn't quite fit the pattern, since the other entries are verb - object, and CATCH ON is a verb phrase.  Still, a nice touch.  What other smiles can we CATCH ON to?

Across

1. Heckler's array : JEERS.  Boo and hiss companions.

6. Slender woodwind : OBOE.   It goes like this.



10. Crony : BUD.  Pal.  Homey. Bro.

13. Taxpayer's dread : AUDIT.  An examination of one's tax return by the IRS to assure completeness and accuracy.

14. With 24-Across, Chilean poet with a Nobel Prize : PABLO.

And 24. See 14-Across : NERUDA.  Nobel prize in literature, awarded in 1971 for "for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams".

16. Suffix with Vietnam : -ESE.  Usable with many, though not all nationalities.

19. Total : SUM.  It all adds up.

20. Drunk : SOT. Toper.

21. Pontiac that was Motor Trend's 1968 Car of the Year : GTO.  Gran Turismo Omologato - Grand Touring Homologated.

22. Orchestra overseer : MAESTRO.  The conductor.

26. Places for holsters : HIPS.  On a gun belt.

27. Swedish pop quartet : ABBA.



30. Arnold's crime : TREASON.   Benedict.  He was not a good egg.

33. Stand for a photo? : TRIPOD.  Three-legged camera support.

36. Evaluation for a would-be painter : ART TEST.  Like this.

38. Got together : MET.

41. "The guy over there" : HIM.

43. Makes harmonious : ATTUNES.

45. Frightens : SPOOKS.

47. "Whoa, bro!" : EASY NOW.  Take a deep breath.  Cool your jets.

49. Tiny branch : TWIG.

50. Feudal drudge : SERF.

52. Low-risk govt. securities : T-NOTES are fixed income securities having maturities of 1 to 10 years, backed by the full faith and credit of the U. S Treasury.  Could also have been its companions T-BONDS [20 year] or T-BILLS [52 weeks or less.]  Needed perp help.

55. Strategy : TACTICS.  Well, here is my nit.  These are not equivalent.  A strategy is a large-scale plan, which may involve complex organizational patterns; while a tactic is a short-term, focused measure that might aim to achieve one of a strategy's operational goals.

58. Granola morsel : OAT.

59. 27-Down user's need : PIN. Personal Identification Number.

62. Master : PRO. Ace.

66. Every one : ALL.

67. Poetry Muse : ERATO.  Who is the muse of erotic poetry?

68. __ Hebrides : INNER. An archipelago of 35 inhabited and 44 uninhabited islands off the west coast of Scotland, south of the Outer Hebrides.


69. Knight who played a newsman : TED.  Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore show, played by Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka.



70. Food-growing prefix : AGRO-.  Sometimes with culture.

71. Checked out before a heist : CASED.

Down

1. Quick punches : JABS.

2. Currency since 1999 : EURO.  In Europe, believe it or not.

3. Cut and paste, e.g. : EDIT.  Word processing activities.

4. Freed (of) : RID.  B-Bye.

5. Put on, as a play : STAGE.

6. Decide not to join : OPT OUT.

7. Trivia night locale : BAR.  Locale for drinking games.

8. The Affordable Care Act became law during it : OBAMA ERA.  Barak OBAMA's presidential term.

9. "On the Waterfront" director Kazan : ELIA.

11. Take by force : USURP.  Or to take without legal right.

12. Floor models : DEMOS.

15. __ of a kind : ONE.  I'm unique - just like everybody else.

18. P.O. box item : LTR.  Letter - a communication on paper, composed of words, which are composed of letters.

23. Horse's hoof protection : SHOE.  I have SHOES to protect my feet, even when I'm not horsing around..

24. Afternoon rest : NAP.

25. Makes use of, as experience : DRAWS ON.

27. Bread box? : ATM. Automatic Teller Machine - a cash dispensing device.

28. La __ Tar Pits : BREA.  Located within metropolitan Los Angeles.

31. Off-rd. transports : ATVS.  All-Terrain Vehicles.

32. Pedometer unit : STEP.  Keeps track of your motion, but not your emotions.

34. Taxing task : ONUS. A daunting chore.

35. Reject as false : DENY.  

37. Luau torch type : TIKI.



40. Attended without a partner : WENT STAG.  Attending an event without a companion of the opposite gender, and can be used by or with regard to either gender.

42. Chinese menu abbr. : MSG.  Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer.

44. Heaviest U.S. president : TAFT.  William Howard, the 27th president of the U. S., serving from 1909 to 1913.   His weight peaked at 335 to 340 pounds during this term.  He was also the 10th Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, serving from 1921 to 1930.   His health was failing as he joined the court, and he undertook a physical fitness campaign that reduced his weight to 244 lbs. in 1929.

46. Extra NBA periods : OTS. Overtimes.  

48. Joyful shout : WOO-HOO.  Yippee!

50. Mar. 17 figure : ST. PAT.  Bring on the shamrocks and Guinness!

51. "Guitar Town" rocker Steve : EARLE.


53. Strike gently : TAP.  Or PAT, depending on which way you are facing.

54. Guiding principle : ETHIC.

56. Zamboni's milieu : ICE.  It's a vehicle used to smooth and freshen the surface in a ice arena.  But riding on one can also be a romantic adventure.


57. "Fame"-ous Irene : CARA.


59. Harsh reviews : PANS.

60. "That makes sense" : I SEE.

61. Stereotypical Geek Squad employee : NERD.

64. WNBA position : CTR.  Center.

65. Genetics lab subject : RNA.  RiboNucleic Acid, a polymeric molecule vital in several intracellular genetic processes.

There you have it.  Hope you were able to catch a grin or two.

Cool regards!

JzB

Note from C.C.: 

As Jazzbumpa mentioned earlier, Richard is our own Splynter, who has been our Saturday Sherpa since March 2011. Congratulations on your debut, Splynter!


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1c/ac/62/1cac62a7927bde4a26d2f4d8452ca9df.jpg
Splynter

43 comments:

  1. Hi everyone!

    Great job, C. C., Splynter and JzB!

    No problems at all with this one!

    Score of 643 in Word Solitaire yesterday. Ninth in the universe when I last checked. (Expect to be beaten before time period is over, but don't care!)

    Hope to see you all tomorrow!

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  2. Hi Friends!

    Sorry for the quiet - been peeking in every now and then but haven't had a chance to say hello. Hoping all is well in Cornerville! Knew I was in for a treat this morning (really it's tonight - I'm off to bed in a minute) when I saw C.C. and a name I didn't recognize. Congrats, Splynter!! Very well done! I enjoyed it all and hope to see more from you. I looked for a "Congrats" picture that involved fish nets and stilettos but came up with nothing. I had good intentions though.

    BEST IN SHOW is such a funny movie! I hope you take the time to enjoy it! While it is technically a mockumentary, I can tell you that people like that definitely exist and it is based in fact.

    NEW WAVE is right up my alley! Here's the first video ever played on MTV that is a classic. Honestly, I just can't get enough of New Wave. But I will stop...

    Off to bed and some much needed sleep. I'll try to check in later to see how you all are doing.

    t.

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  3. A baby-proofing company was in a quandary
    To advertise their latches to future mom and daddy.
    What they needed was a slogan,
    A jingle that would grow on.
    They needed for their catches a CATCH PHRASE that was catchy!

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  4. Good morning!

    Congrats, Splynter! I enjoyed your premiere outing. And I'll bet C.C. could be in Guiness for the number of collaborators she's mentored. Well done, both of you. Stumbled with PAL/BUD and PEON/SERF, but not enough to require Wite-Out. It must've been a clever theme, because I successfully didn't get it.

    JzB, no grins, but you did evoke several smiles this morning.

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  5. Congratualations C.C. & Splynter. I didn't notice the theme but the fills were easy with only one writeover, PAL to BUD. Didn't know PABLO NERUDA, so he was perped.

    The muses of erotic poetry you ask? The people who write all over bathroom stalls.

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  6. Fun quickie today. Agree with JazzB about strategy and tactics. "No war was ever won according to plan, but no war was ever won without a plan." The plan is strategy, the inevitable adaptations after the first shot are tactics.

    Erased TBonds and ELIe and should have gotten both. Didn't know NERUDA, any kind of Hebrides or Irene CARA. I also wonder if anyone ever failed an "ART TEST". My guess is that if your check clears, you have GREAT potential. Kind of like those model talent "scouts" that take over hotel ballrooms, and golf teachers. "Sorry, you have no potential to be a model" or "sorry, you will never be a decent golfer" are phrases that likely have never been spoken.

    I liked seeing Zamboni again. Just fun to say. If Tin ever changes his mind about chilling his beverages, these machines can provide him with a slightly used lifetime supply of frozen water.

    I second Tawnya's review of BEST IN SHOW. I do miss Joe Garagiola on the real show. Fred Willard KILLS IT in the movie. We watch Westminster from Florida every year, and re-watch the hound group judging thanks to Genie.

    We get GTO again. A few days ago in the Corner we lamented the passing of muscle cars. I saw a new one on TV today. The Dodge Demon has only seat, barely legal tires and 840 HP. Does the quarter in under 10 seconds. Take THAT GTO, Charger, Road Runner, Chevelle and the other wannabes.

    Thanks and congrats to Splynter on your debut. And thanks to CC for your supporting role. And thanks, JazzB, for another fun commentary.

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  7. What a great Wednesday!

    Our own Splynter with a debut puzzle, along with our MAESTRO, C. C.. Nicely done!! I really enjoyed this one. CATCHy theme, but of course, I missed it, as usual. After JzB's expo, it seems so obvious.

    Off to a busy day. My 12 Year-old grandson is coming from Dallas on Friday for a week. I need to get to the grocery store to stock up on goods that have not been in this house in ages. He's 5'9" and wears an 11 1/2 shoe. It takes a lot of food to fill those shoes!

    Thanks, C. C.. Congratulations, Splynter!!! JzB, it's nice to see you back again; I feel it's been a bit since we've heard from our Trombone Man. Have a great day, everyone.

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  8. Madame D -

    I do a lot of trombonerizing in July, with a park concert every week, and the MI Jazz fest on the 3rd sunday. Then we have our week at the lake. I'm back to blogging twice per month in August.

    Fun puzzle. Glad you all are enjoying it.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  9. Good morning, folks. Thank you, Richard Monsaythe and C.C., for a fine puzzle. thank you, Jazzbumpa, for a fine review.

    Wow! Congratulations, Splynter, on your debut. Great job!

    Puzzle went fine. Theme appeared after I was finished.

    Did not know PABLO NERUDA. Perped.

    Almost wrote in WAAHOO, but held off. Got WOOHOO without and inkblot.

    Gran Turismo Omologato ---- GTO

    Have to run to finish making my lunch for this evening. Have an 11 1/2 hour shift tonight.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  10. Good morning all!

    Another C.C. collaboration and this time with Splynter? WOOHOO! Great theme and lots of fun, crunchy fill. Thanks to both and congratulations on your impressive debut, Splynter!

    Thanks, JzB for a fantastic review- it definitely made me smile :)

    I didn't PABLO NERUDA
    W/O's : Pal/BUD, DNA/RNA and SUVs/ATVS

    Tawnya- I also thought of the movie BEST IN SHOW. I love that film :) "God loves a terrier!"

    My wedding dress was tea length, so no BRIDAL TRAIN for me. We were definitely on a budget- my Mom bought my dress for $100 out of the JC Penney catalog. But it was a lovely A-line and perfect for me. I'm amazed at what some dresses cost. Sticker shock, indeed!

    Another gorgeous day here! One that makes me wish it were always like this (sunny, clear sky, low humidity and a nice little breeze) and makes dread the BITTERCOLD of Winter.

    Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

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  11. Good Morning:

    What a nice, midweek treat to have CC and Splynter headline the puzzle. The theme was certainly "catchy" and well-hidden until the reveal. Only w/o was Pal/Bud. I didn't realize Ted Knight died so young. I think Ed Asner is well into his 90's, as is Betty White.

    Thanks, CC and Splynter, for a winning collaboration and thanks, JzB, for your jazzy, snazzy summary.

    Tawnya, are you on that shift permanently or will you rotate? It must be difficult to adjust to your sleeping schedule.

    Ferm, congrats on that day 643 score. (I must be missing some strategy (or tactics!) as my highest score is only 400+.)

    RIP Barbara Cook and Glen Campbell.

    Have a great day.

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  12. WOOHOO (Hello Misty!) I was able to CATCH On to this great CW. Thanks for the fun Splynter (congrats on your debut), C.C. and JazzB.

    Actually a FIW because my would-be painter was being evaluated in an ArtFest. I couldn't figure out SFEP for my pedometer. D'uh!

    Hand up for TBills before NOTES and needing perps for NERUDA and CARA.
    DNA changed to RNA (I think genetic labs deal more often with DNA!). Scares changed to SPOOKS and Enact to STAGE.

    NERDS again!
    I think it is Lucina who likes to watch the Westminster Dog Show.
    We have an ABBA concert in the park this week. There should be a large crowd.
    I agree about STRATEGY. I also had a small issue with the singular/plural with Tactics but perhaps STRATEGY could encompass Tactics.

    Enjoy another beautiful day.

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  13. Ignore day before 643 score; the gremlins are at it again.

    I forgot to congratulate Splynter on his debut, so big Congrats, Richard.

    And a big CSO to our Misty at Woo Hoo!

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  14. Musings
    -Great to see Splynter and C.C. co-op a fun puzzle! Jazz, ABBA and Beach Boys sweetened the pot!
    -The ad before Jazz’s Catch A Wave was about women who CAUGHT A TRAIN
    -Movies worth CATCHING are few and far between for us
    -Many post-war VIETNAMESE came here in the 70’s but have mostly moved on
    -The holster I wear on my HIP (very unhip to kids)
    -Redundancy – PIN Number and ATM Machine
    -I compose and EDIT on Word before I cut and paste here
    -We used this to RID our yard of Japanese Beetles
    -We were offered a slightly discounted DEMO TV but I said I wanted one “out of the box”
    -Why I hate ATV/UTV’s. This devastated the school where I sub

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  15. Congrats to Splynter on his debut, and C.C. for her ever-there support. Nice theme and puzzle overall!

    Thanks, JzB, for a fun write-up. Always love to hear the musical links you provide!

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  16. Good day to all!

    Fun "catching" theme today. Favorite clue/answer was "Bread box?" for ATM. Thank you Splynter and C.C. for an enjoyable puzzle, and congrats Splynter on your LAT debut!

    Nice to see you back at the helm today, Jazzbumpa. Cool ice band. Is that lovely oboist a granddaughter?

    Enjoy the day!

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  17. MJ -

    Nope. Just a vid I found on YouTube. Our only musician granddaughter plays clarinet - the other slender woodwind.

    Cheers!

    JzB

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  18. Yest, Did not post, as I just could not find anything I thought was funny.

    Today, lots of fun, but of course I totally missed how the theme worked...
    However, no baseball? Hmm, I am tempted to go back and see if I can find a shapely leg...

    Happy Birthday Barbara! Before my diet, I made it a point to taste every Key Lime Pie offered anywhere. And no two were ever the same! (except delicious...)

    Silly link? No, I think I am still off my game...

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  19. Woohoo! Woohoo! I have my skin cancer surgery on my face this afternoon, so woke up feeling anxious and not great. But got coffee, read the paper with Dusty at my side, then the funnies and then looked at the puzzle. Woohoo! A Richard and C.C. puzzle! My morning already looked brighter. Started on the puzzle which was a Wednesday speed run for me, worked the acrosses, then the downs, and all of a sudden there it was: Woohoo! Had to be a shout out to me--just had to be! Many thanks, Splynter and C.C., and CanadianEh and Irish Miss for noting it too! My not-so-great morning had just turned into a total delight, and I'll be heading off to my surgery in two hours in great spirits! I love the blog--and this is why!

    Nice to see a reference to TED Knight, and thanks for the link to his history, Splynter. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was my favorite TV program for ages.

    Have a terrific day, everybody!

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  20. Hope it all goes well this afternoon, Misty.

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  21. Jazz: Outstanding write-up!

    Richard & C.C. Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle.

    Fave today, of course, was the CSO to me at SOT. LOL

    Misty: Good luck this afternoon.

    Cheers!

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  22. I have to mention it, WOOHOO! and CSO to Misty. Good luck today, Misty, and let us know how it goes.

    Congratulations, Splynter, on your LAT debut! And more kudos to C.C. for her generous mentoring yet again.

    No love for PABLO NERUDA? Yet, we've seen him several times in the past. There is a charming movie about him, Il Postino, in Italian with dubbed translation. Though it's an oldie, it is worth watching to know how much he was admired.

    I liked EDIT/AUDIT crossing and also like to say Zamboni.

    Thank you, Jzb, for making me smile.

    Have a spectacular day, everyone!

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  23. Misty, best wishes for a successful surgery outcome!

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  24. You two did a beautiful job on this puzzle, Splynter and C.C. Nifty theme, no drek, and nice cluing (except for Strategy/TACTICS.) Thanks to you both.

    Enjoyed your write-up, as always, Jazzb. Thanks.

    May your surgery be successful, Misty.

    Best wishes to you all.

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  25. Congratulations, Splynter, on your crossword puzzle debut! Excellent job! Thank you, C.C., for mentoring another Cornerite!

    I had the pal/BUD error, also had EASYman/EASYNOW. Other than that, a smooth fill.

    My daughters Doberman had a leg amputated due to bone cancer, so I always think of dogs at TRIPOD. TRIPawD is also used.

    CED: if you're willing to do some work, Emeril's No=Bake Key Lime Cheesecake is excellent!

    Misty, best wishes for good news today!

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  26. Hello everyone.

    Congrats on the puzzle debut. Neat theme. Saw WOOHOO and thought of Misty. Good luck on your surgery. Had Outer before INNER. 2 kinds of Hebrides and I picked the wrong one. But perps were firm. No Frawnche or leggy fill today; that I noticed.

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  27. Writeovers with BRIDleTRAIN and ERATa, but perps fixed me up quickly. Smooth solve today.

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  28. Misty, I love and admire your upbeat approach. I wish I could do half as well. Best wishes and good luck headed your way!

    Love, Bill G

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  29. Pat @ 1:27, how did you know I had an aversion to work?
    (hmm, must have been all the hammock photos...)

    There has never been a Key Lime (pie/cake/whatever) that I did not like,
    but now I am severely restricted by my diet. (must lose 50 lbs)

    1 pound of cream cheese?
    2 cups of sugar?
    plus a cup of syrup?

    Ack! I would only be able to eat about a tablespoon! That would be torture!

    Luckily, I am able to enjoy the substitute of tart for sweet.
    Which is why I like Key Lime Pie so much!
    (Don't get me started on Lemon Meringue)

    But, if I haven't tasted it, I must try it. & therein lies the problem...

    Oooh! Another one I haven't tasted!

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  30. Wishing you well with your surgery this afternoon, Misty. Please keep us posted on how it goes.

    Bill Graham--Please convey birthday greeting to Barbara!

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  31. My thanks to C.C. and to Splynter masquerading as Mr. Monsaythe - for a very nice, even "choice" pzl today.
    The sort of pzl that appears tough on the surface, but yields with grace as the solver persists. All pzls should be so crisp on the outside and soft in the center.

    Misty, the best of luck to you. I had the same surgery two months ago, and I am sorry to say the scar has almost completely vanished. Maybe I'm being sexist, but I believe women prefer such scar-less results, while I confess to having wanted my beautiful scar to stay. It was a clean diagonal down my right cheek and looked for all the world like a dueling Schmisse, the so-called "badge of honor" of the old German fraternities.

    Keep calm & Fear Not! With today's dermatologists, the results are sure to be as smooth as a baby's ...

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  32. Bill G ~ Please wish Barbara a very Happy Birthday from me, also! πŸŽ‚πŸŽ‰πŸŽπŸΎπŸŽˆ

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  33. Good morning!

    @Misty - good luck today! Keeping you in our thoughts...

    @Pat - I have a tri-pawed dog named Trace and he's wonderful. He was born without a front leg so he knows nothing different. He loves to play ball and lay in his puppy pool. When I got him from a rescue four years ago he was an anxious hot-mess of a pup. Today he's mellow and sweet and perfectly content! My most favorite cat ever had three legs and climbed fences and trees. And I also had a dog that lost a rear leg to bone cancer - he adapted quite well and we got to keep him for another year after diagnosis!

    @IM - The first ~20 weeks I'm an "intern" so I follow the schedule of my preceptor (3p to 3a, three days a week). I'm not sure what my schedule will be when I'm finished. I don't mind this shift, but switching back and forth to accommodate classroom days is exhausting. I will keep you posted!

    Enjoy the rest of the day, folks!

    t.

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  34. I echo IM on those best wishes to Misty. I too had entered WAHHOO and thought of Misty and lo and behold it was the real thing.

    At that point I shouted AUTHOR, AUTHOR and it was CC. Of course. And I come here and find that RM is brother Splynter.

    In fact, speaking of.. I was at a mtg and the chair was a California Professor. But not Irvine so no Joyce talk.

    ARTTEST. 3rd grade, draw a horse. Ok, it needed some daubing and dabbing. Turn them in!? Ok. So Sister Kevin outs my horse with the square head.

    I vowed and have kept the vow never to put brush to canvas again. Being left-handed was one strike but that horse convinced Sister K that I was of the 😈

    To much work for that key lime pie. Tin, how's that Key Lime place in Tarpon?

    Owen, thx for the CATCHY l'ick today.

    Oh, and jazzB thanks for the Mikey Mahtouk link. He had a great call up to the Rays in 2015 then slumped. So the Rays ditched him like they did Tim Beckham.

    And of course the two are flowering while the Rays flounder. I try to like the local team..if they'd just let me run it.

    WC

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  35. Good Luck to you Misty!

    Happy Birthday, Barbara!

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  36. Hi Y'all! I'm very late after a busy day today! Great puzzle & congrats, Splynter and C.C.! Great expo, JzB! Lots of fun guys!

    I did CATCH the theme but only after the reveal and some study. Finally CATCH COLD sunk in and I got the others. Funny!

    Misty, hope your surgery is over and you are healing well.

    Happy Birthday, Barbara. You deserve a big celebration after your ordeal.

    I've been leery about these new cars that drive themselves and stop for you, etc. Now I am even more skeptical. OnStar has been telling me that I need an oil change on my new car that I bought last mid-Oct. Then my car had a message on the screen to change oil right away. I only had 352 miles on it. No puddles of oil on the garage floor. So I took it into the dealer today. Service manager said it was probably set wrong at the factory, sat in my driver's seat and played with some buttons on the steering column and reset the thing. No more oil change message. He didn't bother to even check the oil.

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  37. CED-just trying to help with the options. Maybe next year when you've met your goal?

    Tawnya, it's amazing how animals adjust to the loss of a limb. It took Stanley a couple weeks of recovery/rehab after his amputation to adjust, but he did just fine. They see it as "Thank goodness the pain is GONE!" They don't feel sorry for themselves.

    Happy Birthday, Barbara!

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  38. Hi All!

    Very nice Splynter. Good job with the theme and the clueing... It started off in the NW as a Monday easy, hit Tuesday at PABLO (xref? WTF? - getting close to Wed...). NE - *whew* BEST IN SHOW saved that corner. By the time I got to the south I was thinking Thursday? Congrats BUD.

    Of course, a Tip o' the Hat to C.C. for bringing up another constructor; her kind and honest generosity will keep us in puzzles for the foreseeable future.

    JzB - good to see you back at the keyboard. I knew you were playing the Bumpa all summer but your expos were missed by The -T (not to take anything away from HG!). Thanks for the EARLE clip and praises heaped for the MTM TED Baxter clip... The original Les Nessman :-)

    WOs: N/A
    ESPs: PABLO NERUSA, CARA, INNER as clue'd.

    Fav: Original clue for ATM - LOL! If I didn't know ABBA, I'd have never sussed. TRIPOD was pretty cute too.

    {B+}

    Hand up - Misty came to mind at WOOHOO! Hope all went well today Misty.

    Nice NEW WAVE selections Tawnya! I clicked "Video Killed..." earlier today and caught the 1st bar b/f closing my browser-tab 'cuz I was at the office. Still, with one bar, I got the earworm the rest of the day. Oh, and if I lose a limb, I'm calling you or Pat re: adoption :-)

    Arnold's crime couldda been a clecho @ 63a's CATCH PHRASE [I couldn't watch more than @51 :-)]

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  39. PK, re: car

    You said "the service mgr did not even check the oil?"

    This bothers me greatly.
    Tomorrow morning take the car to the nearest gas station and have them check the oil level.

    Yes, with only 352 miles on it, it is hard to imagine you could be low on oil,
    but check anyway! Why? because, like I said yesterday, you can't fix stupid...
    A simple thing like a loose oil plug is something you cannot see unless you look.

    On the other hand, what started out as a very simple device, with yearly improvements,
    quickly becomes a very complicated piece of machinery. after 100+ years of improvements,
    our car engines have become very complicated indeed.

    Why do I rant about this?

    Because my Honda Odyssey minivan had the strange habit of flashing the "D" on the transmission indicator, which meant a problem with the transmission. However, it was not
    a transmission problem, but a lack of power. This only happened after driving from Washington DC to New Jersey to pick up Daughter #2 from College. When it happened the next year, at the exact same place on the Jersey Turnpike as before, I had the dealer check everything to no avail. Just lots of expensive checks...

    It was a low oil pressure light that finally alerted me to the problem.

    The mystery was solved when they could not find the missing oil!

    Turns out it was being burned by the engine, causing pollution, and creating a burnt mess inside the the cylinders! A simple look at the spark plug fouling revealed that at the
    factory, they assembled the engine with the wrong size oil rings, and the oil was slipping by the pistons and being burned by the engine combustion at an excessive rate.

    Moral, you can't fix stupid! (well, in this case they rebuilt the entire engine under warrantee) But you can always look for it before it gets out of hand...

    ReplyDelete
  40. Rant continued...

    Yearly improvements keep adding up to one very complicated beast indeed!

    Case in point:

    Simple thing like checking your oil, want to know why you can't get the
    hood open? Yearly improvements!

    You pull the hood latch (if you can find it...)
    The hood pops, but doesn't open!

    Why?

    Because when this simple cable mechanism breaks, and you are doing 55 on the highway,
    the hood flies open in your face and you cannot see where you are going, with serious consequences.

    So they added a 2nd back up spring loaded latch to catch the open hood before it
    flies up from the wind. And it has to be released by hand.

    Have your gas station open it, and look at the dang thingie.
    it is slightly different in every style car. The only way to know
    for sure how yours work is to have the guy show it to you.

    While your at it, have him show you the oil dipstick also.

    End of rant...

    ReplyDelete
  41. It was fun to have the constructors stop by and give us an inside look at the process of building this puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  42. La BREA Tar Pits used to be one of my favorite stops in LA. Now they charge for it!

    La BREA means "tar" so the name is unnecessarily redundant(!)

    PABLO NERUDA is one of the most famous Spanish language poets in history. He was also probably murdered as part of the CIA coup that overthrew the government of Chile in 1973. I hope people will remember his name now.

    Never heard of Irene CARA, but I see from the link she is worth remembering. Thanks for the learning moment.

    Never heard of Steve EARLE either. Probably won't remember that one.

    Had SOLO before STAG. Anyone else?

    Thanks for the fun puzzle, Splynter and CC!

    ReplyDelete

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