17A. *Vodka cocktail often served with a sugared rim : LEMON DROP. Made with vodka, Triple Sec, simple syrup and fresh lemon juice. Pucker up.
60A. *Largely bygone penal colony : LABOR CAMP. A prison camp where hard labor is enforced.
3 D. *Store website feature : LOCATOR MAP. Here is the locator map for the restaurant where we had a wonderful lunch with some relatives yesterday.
8 D. *Shari Lewis puppet : LAMB CHOP.
3 D. *Store website feature : LOCATOR MAP. Here is the locator map for the restaurant where we had a wonderful lunch with some relatives yesterday.
8 D. *Shari Lewis puppet : LAMB CHOP.
30 D. *Totally drunk : LIQUORED UP. Self-explanatory, and no image needed.
39 D. *Light source with hypnotic bubbles : LAVA LAMP. Suitable illumination for nudism and getting high in a variety of ways.
And now the unifier -- 26 A. With 49-Across, it keeps repeating itself ... and, based on the first and last letters, an apt description of each answer to a starred clue : BROKEN.
49 A. See 26-Across : RECORD.
So, now we see that the wide split between the L and the P indicates that the RECORD has been BROKEN - but not in the sense of a historic feat of athleticism. In the old days, back in my yute, a phonograph record that was scratched or broken would catch the play-back stylus and keep repeating the same groove section on the recording surface, groove section on the recording surface, groove section on the recording surface. Very annoying. Hence, a person who repeated himself a lot would be compared to a BROKEN RECORD.
49 A. See 26-Across : RECORD.
So, now we see that the wide split between the L and the P indicates that the RECORD has been BROKEN - but not in the sense of a historic feat of athleticism. In the old days, back in my yute, a phonograph record that was scratched or broken would catch the play-back stylus and keep repeating the same groove section on the recording surface, groove section on the recording surface, groove section on the recording surface. Very annoying. Hence, a person who repeated himself a lot would be compared to a BROKEN RECORD.
Raising this up a notch, conceptually, is the fact that the unifier itself is broken. So we have a pinwheel formation of theme fill, that also includes the symmetrically placed two-part unifier. Very clever and unusual design!
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty. Let's see where our own hostess and travel guide C. C. takes on this trip.
Across
1. Fancy parties : GALAS.
6. [This is gonna be really bad!] : GULP. Nervous reaction, not a drink - though that also might help.
10. OutKast rapper Big __ : BOI. No idea.
13. Hi in Hawaii : ALOHA. Island greeting. Cuter clue would have been Hi, but not high, in HI.
14. Senior golfer Aoki : ISAO. [b 1942] He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
15. Lends support to : AIDS.
16. Likely to speak out : VOCAL. A band arrangement to accompany a singer is also called a VOCAL.
19. Text update from an Uber driver: Abbr. : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival. Not just for air ports any more.
20. Trippy '60s drug : LSD. Lysergic Acid Diethyl Amid. Never tried it. Then again, I never owned a LAVA LAMP.
22. Milked for all it's worth : BLED DRY. All used up.
23. Mai __: rum drinks : TAIS. For SIPS, not GULPS.
25. Post-CrossFit woes : ACHES. Exercisers' pains
28. "__-ching!" : CHA. Expression of triumph.
29. Down with the flu : ILL. Five days of misery.
32. NFLer again in 2016 : L.A. RAM. The RAMS started in Cleveland in 1936, moved to L. A. in 1946, to St. Louis in 1995, then back to L.A. in 2016. Goats do roam.
33. Early American furniture style : COLONIAL.
36. Casino cash source : ATM. Automatic Teller Machine. Why is this never paired with an Automatic Penn Machine?
37. Oft-injured knee part, for short : ACL. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. It prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, as well as provides rotational stability to the knee.
40. Bit of texting tact : PLS. Please, I assume.
41. Sine __ non : QUA. An essential condition, something that is absolutely necessary.
42. Interest-arousing promo : TEASER AD.
45. More accurate : TRUER. Some things are clearly true or false. Others have 50 shades of grey.
47. Mud bath offerer : SPA. For people. STY for swine.
48. Night before : EVE. Where was Adam the nighh before?
50. Burton of "Star Trek: TNG" : LEVAR.
52. Wild swine : BOAR. It might take a mud bath. Or just be dull and tedious.
53. Win out : PREVAIL. Overcome.
56. Tiny drink : SIP. Less than a GULP.
57. Go wrong : ERR. It's only human.
The CD I listen while working out.
62. "Paper Moon" girl : ADDIE. Played by Tatum O'Neal, with a cameo by her dad.
64. Notable times : ERAS.
65. Mideast dignitary : EMIR. Military commander or local chief.
66. Brownish gray : TAUPE. Hard to describe, but easy to use.
67. Susan of "L.A. Law" : DEY.
68. Fix, as a feline : SPAY. Neutering process.
69. Promoted heavily : HYPED.
Down
1. Conceded, with "up" : GAVE. Threw in the towel.
2. Tons : A LOT. Mucho.
4. "I thought so!" : AHA! Caught you red-handed!
5. Education financing company, familiarly : SALLIE MAE. SLM Corp, orignally Student Loan Marketing Association.
6. Coat, as jewelry : GILD. Cover with a thin layer of gold. My King 2B has a sterling silver bell section with a gilt inner surface.
My most prized possession
9. Place for a break? : POOL HALL. Clever! Each game of pool starts with an initial shot at the pool balls arrayed in a particular way. This shot breaks up the cluster.
10. Dove or robin : BIRD. Flighty critters.
11. Campfire attraction : ODOR. The aroma of burning wood.
12. Kids' game for car trips : I SPY. Do you see what I see?
15. Includes : ADDS IN.
18. Maiden name intro : NEE. From French, referring to the family name with which the bride was born.
21. Nine-digit ID : SSN. Social Security Number. Guard yours from identity thieves.
24. Wanted poster letters : AKA. Also Known As - referring to an alias.
25. Duke's conf. : ACC. Atlantic Coast Conference.
26. Cry from a sheep : BLAT. Or the sound of a bad trombonist. Not that I would know anything about it.
27. Motel postings : RATES. Charges for staying, by the night or by the hour.
31. "Today" co-host Matt : LAUER.
34. Manipulative health care practitioner : OSTEOPATH. Chiropractor doesn't fit.
35. Pie crust fat : LARD. Pig fat.
38. Mountain climber's piton spots : CREVICES. Narrow openings or fissures in the rock face.
43. Artillery bursts : SALVOS. Simultaneous discharge from several weapons.
44. Essen article : DER. "The" in German. This is the masculine form, since all German nouns have gender.
46. Electronics giant : RCA. Originally Radio Corporation of America.
49. Hitter's stat : RBI. Runs Batted In. We knew there had to be some baseball. Congrats to the Twins for getting to the wild card game. The Tigers are in for a long, dark tea time of the soul.
51. Sound-detecting organ : EAR. Listen up.
53. Claimed in court : PLED. To PLEAD or make a PLEA is to issue a formal statement by or on behalf of a defendant, stating guilt or innocence in response to a charge or allegation.
54. Hard to find : RARE.
55. "Buy It Now" site : EBAY. On line auction site that offers an opportunity to bypass the competitive bidding process and purchase an item for a set price. Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chances.
56. Agile : SPRY. Energetic or active. Almost always said of older people, if it is is unexpected.
58. Like orange or red persimmons : RIPE. Interested readers can learn about these exotic fruits here.
59. Marsh plant : REED. A grass species that grows 5 to 15 feet tall. Not to be confused with an oboe, which is about 25 1/2 inches long.
61. Athletes for Hope co-founder Hamm : MIA. [b 1972] Mariel Margaret Hamm- Garciaparra is a retired U.S. soccer player who won Olympic gold twice and is a two time FIFA Women's World Cup Champion. The mission of Athletes for Hope is "To educate, encourage and assist athletes in their efforts to contribute to community and charitable causes, to increase public awareness of those efforts, and to inspire others to do the same."
63. Calendar square : DAY.
That wraps up another Wenesday. Hope y'all had a fine time.
Cool regards!
JzB
51 comments:
Hi everyone!
Thanks to our fearless leader and Jazzbumpa!
Quite a few needed some perps. Too tired to list them.
Came in second in word game. Could NOT eke out the two more points that I needed. Drat!
Hope to see you all tomorrow!
Loved the puzzle and my FAV was the clue for POOL HALL since I have many trophies and plaques under my belt.
I loved Lamb Chop even as an adult with my kids.
BOI got me I have to admit, I had put in I SPY at first and it didn't look right so I changed it to ESPY.... WROOOONG.
When I HAD to turn on the red letters I seen my mistake ~!~!
Bon Matin From Cajun Country Mes Ami ~!~!
No problem with the puzzle (UHOH>GULP, CHIROPAST>OSTEOPATH and a few misspellings, but nothing serious) but didn't notice the *s, so was trying to parse COLONIAL & TEASER AD as themers until I gave in and read the reveal.
Running late, but will try to add a poem or two later today.
Good morning!
Even the reveal was "broken" in this one. Tried ESAI for ISAO -- I don't know my Aoki's from my Morales. Otherwise my grid is clean. Have to admit that I spent a minute or two trying to remember the first name of the LARAM guy. Thanx, C.C. and JzB.
Why do hotels/motels post rates and then charge something else? Does anybody ever pay the full posted rate?
Beginning next year the guvmint will be issuing new Medicare cards with a non-SSN number. Everybody will be getting a new card. Until then, I carry my card with all digits blacked out. It's never been a problem with medical providers.
Managed to squeeze out three more points. So I am now number one in world. (Wonder how long before he looks again and ties me!)
Now am really tired!!!
Two C.C. puzzles in a row! Yesterday's WSJ and today's LAT. Way to go 'girl'. When I saw the unifier clue at 26A, I avoided that area so that it wouldn't give the puzzle away.
With the exception of a couple of unknowns, PLS & BOI, this puzzle was in my wheelhouse today. LEMONDROP martini, OSTEOPATH, SALLIE MAE, LAMBCHOP- those long fills were gimmes.
DW just turned on the TV to watch the MONKEES, I mean the TODAY Show, with Matt LAUER and company masquerading as an actual news program. Not. The show's about them, not the news.
JZB- LA RAM- 'Goats do roam'??? I think it's a SHEEP, not a BILLY GOAT.
PLS- I have no idea what that is- perps to the rescue
OSTEOPATH- they also perform surgery
LABOR CAMP- where I grew up the sheriff's had one and it was called the PEA FARM. The prisoners had to grow vegetables.
RCA- I would clue it as 'former Electronics giant'
ATM at a casino? You get to lose it all gambling, the casino charges a fee, and the bank charges a fee for using some other bank's ATM. A LOSE, LOSE situation.
BooLuQ- a pool hustler? Pool is a dangerous game. Some guys don't take losing easily.
D-O, the hotel's 'Rates' are posted on the back of the door. That's so they can charge that much if they can get away with it.
ALOHA
Obscure theme; lame puzzle.
JzB, you have me puzzled. Either there is some hidden humor in referring to Ryan O'Neal's performance in Paper Moon as a "cameo" or perhaps you do not care for the man.
Anyway, as you so clearly explained in your write-up, this was another well-built puzzle loaded with fun. Particularly enjoyed 'LEMON DROP.'
Thanks for the puzzle C.C. Sorry about the quick exit for the Twins but the Yankees finished on a roll.
Anon at 7:23 - uninspired commentary, insipid whining.
Clever theme, neat puzzle, CC. JzB, intersting and amusing blog, as usual. The unknowns, BOI and LEVAR were all perps. LARAMS filled itself, but at least I recognize the fill. I wanted TATUM before ADDIE.
We call a person who repeats the same complaints over an over again a broken record.
My MIL used LARD for pie crusts. I like to make butter crusts.
TRUER. In college our psych exams featured the choices, true, more true than false, false, more false than true. Difficult to parse. The dictionary accepts truer, but it seems odd to me.
Ferm, congratulations. You are number 1 in many ways.
To me, milked and bled dry are pejorative, more then merely used up.
Alan is going back to work today. There is the possibility his problem was dehydration from all the meds he takes. He started to getting better when he began drinking more frequently, but who knows? He is still extremely tired in the AM, but not all day any more. Thanks for all your helpful thoughts and concern.
Hi gang -
Fun today, as the sensible people all agree.
Lemon - re: Ryan O'Neal - that was just typical JzB silliness. No deeper meaning.
Cool regards!
JzB
Good Morning:
CC comes up with such neat themes and this was one of them. Coincidentally, there were two reverse PL entries with Pool Hall and Prevail. I've never heard of Big Boi or a Lemon Drop cocktail. I was thinking Lemoncello but that wouldn't fit; besides, I don't even know what that is. Dewar's is my devil. 😈 I liked the long fill and seeing Spay~Spry and Addie~Adds in.
Thanks, CC, for a mid-week treat and thanks, JazB, for the detailed summary.
From last night:
TxMs ~ I have been going to this stylist for 6-7 years and I like her and her work. She is always talkative but never non-stop like yesterday. In retrospect, I think she was just frustrated and concerned about her mother's health and needed to vent. I saw no escape that wouldn't be rude, so I just suffered in silence. I survived and I came away unscathed, with a normal haircut, so, all is well. 😁
Swampcat, that was a scary episode and I was relieved to read that you were fine. And then I read your last sentence about having to pay for the brunch and I burst out laughing! I could almost hear you saying that in a "Can you believe that?" tone. 😂
Anon T, if I ever look like the person in your link, call the people in the white coats, please! 😩
TTP, nice to hear from you. I hope you weren't serious about "see you next month"! We miss your daily posts. 😉
Have a great day.
I enjoyed the puzzle, thanks CC. Any puzzle with LAVA LAMP and POOL HALL, I'm in. Fav clue was 9D: "place for a break". Note; my paper did not have clue for 29A...wondering if anyone else had that happen in their paper? 35D clue and entry makes me miss my mom and her homemade apple and strawberry rhubarb pies. Good day to all!
No real problems with the solution today. Perps took care of the unknowns. Good one C.C. and a good expo by JzB.
I didn't get the theme until JzB's expo, but I didn't look for it.
My Mother and all of her female siblings used lard to make pie crusts that were really flaky when I was younger. Then they switched to Crisco shortening(still good, but not as flaky). They were really good pies. Now DW uses a Betty Crocker or Pillsbury mix to make crusts. Not great, but I'm not complaining, cause if I did, there'd be no more pie.
Lard is made from pork fat and tallow is made from beef fat. Similar, but with different tastes and characteristics. Tallow was the secret ingredient in the deep frying oil that McDonald's used to make their french fries so good in the beginning. Then when the hue and cry about saturated fats went up, they reformulated their oil without the tallow. Their fries aren't as good anymore. Also, lard is still used in making Gibble's potato chips.
BTW Irish Miss, do you still order Gibble's?
It's national taco day. Enjoy a few.
Good morning everyone.
Nice puzzle today. Mostly easy enough, but it took a bit to cobble together the NE. Finally WAGged a couple fills (luckily correctly) and it was done. Favorite clue was for OSTEOPATH.
DER - Masculine (nominative) form as JzB said. Der is also the genitive and dative form for 'die' the feminine definite article. Der is also the genitive case of the plural article, 'die. Puzzlers usually seem to stick with the nominative form, and in German, the masculine gender. When it's clued, I wait for some crosses before entering the article.
Musings
-Six themers and rife with cleverness – Gotta love it!
-The most famous LABOR CAMP resident
-A LAVA LAMP will pique the interest of any JH kid
-That Uber ETA at D.C. rush hour is pointless
-Surely there was a GULP or two here
-Fortunately for the nomadic RAMS there is no city insignia on their helmets
-LEVAR appears to be looking through an oil filter
-One of Ken Burns’ documentaries is Empire Of The Air: The Men Who Made Radio and it shows RCA founder David Sarnoff as a ruthless entrepreneur who invented nothing
-Secret apple pie ingredient from TBBT (:12)
Good morning (ALOHA) all. Thanks for the fun C.C. and JzB.
Of course C.C. had some baseball (RBI). Our Toronto BlueJays are done.
Like YR, "The unknowns, BOI and LEVAR were all perps.... I wanted TATUM before ADDIE."
My sheep started to BAA- before BLAT.
Local TV station, CHCH, has a CH-CHing contest. That slowed me down looking for the A.
Yes d-otto, our Health Cards and private medical insurance numbers have not used SIN (Canadian equivalent of SSN) for years for privacy reasons. We are advised NOT to carry SIN card in wallet. There is enough identity theft without AIDS.
YR, glad to hear that Alan can return to work.
My no-fail pastry recipe is very specific about using shortening (not LARD) and I use Crisco only. I will be using it for my pumpkin pies for our upcoming Thanksgiving celebration.
fermatprime, you are having quite the contest!
Have a great day!
29A was part of the same
"sentence" as 28a in the
Balt. Sun.
oc4 - I think you are mistaken. When I worked at the Golden Arches (circa 1970) the box was clearly labeled "lard". At one time I could slice 50 pounds of potatoes in less than a minute. What really made the fries great was that they were soaked several times in clear, cold water to replace a lot of the starch with water, then blanched (cooked in lard at a low temperature) to replace the water with lard, cooled, then the final, quick frying.
Big Easy - Especially if you are a pool-shootin' boy named Willie McCoy (but back home they call you Slim).
I loved today's puzzle. Plenty of crunch for Wednesday. If we needed more golf cluing Rich could have used "President's Cup flop Jason" for Day.
Hand up for not knowing BOI or LEVAR. Erased sin for ERR, suED for PLED, claD for GeLD then GILD. One GeLDs horses.
Thanks CC and JzB for a fun morning while waiting for my tires to be rotated and balanced at Costco.
When sucking on a LEMON DROP
It's not advised to GULP A LOT!
The trachea's
Not stickiea
But VOCAL chords could still go BLAT!
~><~
Into the POOL HALL the new shark did swagger
"My name's LAMB CHOP, and I want a wager!"
SALLIE MAE looked up and down,
Said, "I think you're a clown,
So I'll take that offer to play ya, stranger!"
The balls were racked up, they all looked restless!
Within the triangle, the Lamb aimed for a CREVICE.
The cluster was BROKEN,
The orbs went rollin'
They meandered around to make a LAVE LAMP jealous!
Seven were in pockets by the challenger's turn!
Sal's SALVOS sank seven more, leaving just one to burn!
The Chop aimed her cue,
If her shot now were TRUE --
Well, for the movie, does this TEASER AD make you yearn?
{C-, B+.}
ALOHA! I did PREVAIL on C.C.'s latest masterpiece! And that was without knowing Big BOI and LEMONDROP. LARAM looked like a name so did not parse it. Thank you, JazzB!
Also thank you for explaining the theme. I got the BROKEN RECORD but didn't connect it with LP. Clever!
The clue for POOLHALL was my favorite and TEASERAD along with HYPED amused me.
fermatprime:
I agree. You are number one and not only in solitaire! Congratulations!
Have a fantastic DAY everyone! Yes, it's National Taco DAY and that's what we're having.
Hi Y'all! Really fun and fast puzzle today, C.C., thanks! Always well done, JzB.
Did anyone else notice the neat way the end words rhymed in the crossing theme entries LemonDROP/LambCHOP and LaborCAMP/LavaLAMP. I thought that was going to be the theme until the reveal.
YR: haven't you heard the old phrase "TRUER words were never spoken"?
I went thru this so fast there were a bunch of little fills where I missed reading the clues entirely until the blog. I usually go back and make sure I've read everything even if it is filled.
Thanks, C.C., for a fun Wednesday puzzle. Loved the theme. Fav clue was "Place for a Break". Also remember having a LEMONDROP or two, and they were really good..... almost too good!
Thanks, JzB, for another excellent write-up! Keep on tooting!
Jazz: Good job on the write-up.
C.C. Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle. Enjoyed your theme.
Fave today, of course, was 56-a, SIP ... the proper way to consume Scotch!
Cheers!
Hi everybody.
I have a Lava Lamp sitting on the counter top near me. I turn it on from time-to-time. It's near a Galilean thermometer. I enjoy them though they are both old and slow like me.
oc4beach @ 9:04 ~ Funny you should ask! I am expecting a delivery from Gibble's in the next day or so. I believe this is my 6th or 7th order so I guess that speaks for itself about how much I like their chips! I think of you every time I place an order! 😉
YR, I hope Alan continues to improve.
Where is our Misty? We miss you!
IM: Misty went to her reunion.
"Puzzling Thoughts":
Pretty straightforward Weds offering from our fearless leader, C.C., and our resident trombonist, JzB. Good job to both for an entertaining romp through the puzzle page today!
A few ink blots - ROOMS before RATES, ADD ON before ADD IN, and NIP before SIP. Filled those before checking the PERPS.
Obvious CSO to Jason w 17a; hard not to think of Tin in 30d (😜)!
I, too had not heard of Big BOI but it filled itself in, as did other clues. I had CHA from ACC, LAMB CHOP, and POOL HALL, so I never saw the clue for 28a until reading the recap!!
Today's theme-related limerick (with particular attention to meter) is:
Poet Charles would often eavesdrop
On his sister, who's planning a shop,
That serves tapas for lunch.
Where her diners can munch
On the dish: "Mary's Little Lamb Chop".
Moe
Greetings!
Hand up for not knowing Big BOI or LEMON DROP, and for loving the clue "Place for a break?" for POOL HALL. Thanks, C.C., for today's clever offering, and thank you, Jazzbumpa for the expo and links.
DO--I'm glad to hear that those of us on Medicare will be getting new cards without our SSN on them. I carry neither my Medicare card nor my Social Security card, and I've never had a problem in a medical office proving my coverage.
Speaking of pie crusts, many years ago someone posted a recipe here at The Corner for pie crust made with vodka instead of water. Jeannie maybe? Anyway, vodka purportedly produces a flakier crust. Does anyone else remember that, and has anyone tried it?
Enjoy the day!
PK @ 12:14 ~ Yes, thanks, I knew that but I thought she left Tuesday of last week and would be back by now. She really didn't say how long she was staying in PA, though, so I guess I shouldn't assume anything. 😉
Jinx: McD's may have used lard, but at one time they did use beef tallow to fry their fries in and then when they switched to a vegatable oil blend, beef fat was used as an ingredient in their French Fries. See the Food Safety Blog post.
MJ, that vodka pie crust was "invented" by America's Test Kitchen (Cook's Illustrated) a few years back. I found this recipe for it online: Vodka Pie Crust
I thought the campfire attraction was “smor” and had “aims” for lending support. Had no idea about BOI, so DNF. Lots of rappers I’ve never heard of.
HG: I can eat 50 eggs...
Nice puzzle. Like some of you, I didn't even see some of the down clues because I filled the across answers. Also liked the POOL HALL clue, and the answer too. Noticed DAY and DEY. Apart from what I feel were perhaps too many 3-letter abbreviations and acronyms (ETA, LSD, SSN, RBI, ACL, PLS, RCA, etc.) I liked this puzzle. Very cool theme and some nice fill such as the aforementioned POOL HALL, LOCATOR MAP, OSTEOPATH, SALLIE MAE, etc.
I think if I had to choose, I'd select lard over Crisco because Crisco is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil which is very bad for you. Yes, I know lard is animal fat, which is also not good to eat too much of. High-fructose corn syrup also plays hob with one's metabolism and can really confuse the mechanism for regulating glucose and insulin. I try very hard to avoid anything and everything that contains those ingredients. Also, as a diabetic, I avoid or minimize my consumption of foods that contain refined sugar or bleached flour. I wish I had followed these dietary guidelines years ago.
Congratulations, fermatprime. Best wishes to you all.
Entertaining puzzle and write-up. I also noticed the broken PL in 9-D and 53-A. Intentional, C.C.?
ALOHA is one of my favorite words, it seems to always be accompanied by a smile. To us Haoles on the mainland it can mean Hi or Bye. To native Hawaiians, however, it means more of a lifestyle or the daily practice of love, peace, and compassion. I still enjoy using it as a greeting or as a fond farewell. Thus, ALOHA for today!
oc4 - Difference could be timing, or labeling. Maybe they used lard before tallow, or it could be the fact that content labels weren't enforced in those days. The reason I remember so vividly is that I told the owner (within earshot of the customers) that we were running low on lard. He immediately pulled me aside and told me that we call it SHORTENING here.
No frozen fries or frozen burger patties in those days. Only the Filet-O-Fish patties (and later, hot apple pies) were frozen. We also didn't have Big Macs, the only franchise in the country to make that decision. Drove Corporate crazy.
Mahalo, GJ.
Hello, everybody--I'm back from my week in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, visiting my Dad and attending my 55th High School Reunion. The Reunion was wonderful, but Dad has some problems so the home visit had a bit of stress.
Anyway, wonderful to come home, and find a lovely C.C. puzzle in the paper the next morning. Loved the puzzle, but my jet lag was a bit too much for me to get a perfect score. I did get the LP theme, but although I got BROKEN I didn't get RECORD because for some reason I thought it would be R_WORD. This in turn led to my biggest embarrassment, putting RWA instead of RCA for the electronic giant. My dad worked for RCA in Lancaster for forty or fifty years, starting in 1955 when they were just getting color television into the living rooms. The sheep cry drove me a little crazy too--I kept thinking BAA, which comes up often in puzzles, but have never heard of BLAT. Still, totally delightful puzzle--many thanks, C.C., and JazzB.
Off to take a nap. Have a great day, everybody!
Half easy-peasy, half hard to chew = today's pzl from C.C. Well answered by JzB.
(Sigh) The grid made it impossible to start with my favored NW to SE diagonal. I got too far down the left side before I saw the only real route to a backward-slash diagonal would have been from 20A LSD up to the first 4 letters of 17A [LEMO]NDROP, then down 6 letters of 8D LA[MBCHOP] to 33A COLONIAL's connection to 34D OSTEOPATH.
A clumsy diagonal to be sure, but the best allowable route. Alas, I had already gone halfway down the west side, so threw in the towel - as far as my plan went.
I gotta Ta- DA! overall on the pzl. Minus one point for Googling ISAO. (Sorry, but I can never remember golfers after Slammin' Sammy Snead.)
There she is! Misty!, we have been waiting for your reunion report. Every day, your curiciverbal pals have been raising the cry.
Travel throws us off our game, so you needn't be bothered by any pzl errors. It's to be expected - and forgotten.
Re. BLAT: I didn't like it either. Figured it should have been BLEAT, but it must be old enough to have all kinds of spellings, no?
Glad to hear the reunion went well. Details, please! Pretty please. At least one good anecdote to feed our silly nosiness.
Sorry your dad isn't doing well. I hope whatever stress you experienced will be eased in short time.
Anyway, Welcome Back!
Jazzbumpa, that King trombone is gorgeous. Do you ever play it? Do you think you could get your wife to video you playing, say, "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (the Tommy Dorsey theme song) and share it with us for our listening pleasure?
Jinx: Whatever the fat was, it probably wasn't good for you.
I still have to laugh at the scene in the movie "My Cousin Vinnie" where the cook in the diner cooks the eggs in a big glob of lard.
Ol'Man Keith, what a sweet welcome-back message! No interesting or funny reunion anecdotes that I can think of, but I'll be sure to give you a little more information later or tomorrow. Thanks so much for asking!
Great puzzle, CC, again! And great review, JzB. Lava lamp article was really interesting. Never owned one but remember seeing the relaxing floating movement of the bubbles – maybe now’s the time to buy one. Less maintenance than a fish tank. Finally, got the Japanese golfer’s name without googling; now I remember phonetically: I-SAy-O; A-OK-I.
Fav, of course, POOL HALL! Love “billiards,” but I’m better after a second round of margaritas. Otherwise, I totally tank before . . . and after the third round.
Remember Daddy talking about “labor camps” – we had several penitentiaries (another dated term) in Brazoria County.
Welcome back, Misty! I’m very sorry about your Dad’s issues but hope things get better for him and your family.
For all you 'LEMON DROP martini' virgins (me included) out there, it's a fairly popular drink.
Some bars actually place a Luden's lemon drop in the martini and garnish it with a slice of lemon. Others squeeze some lemon juice in it and rub the lemon slice on the rim. I've seen it many ways.
I never noticed it was a CC until I came here. I was rushing and should have noticed it with POOLHALL.
The Twins got off to a good start but the Yankees big sluggers were too much. Speaking of...
Yes, TTP, that was the Pirates and the Waner brothers in '38. I read a lot of baseball in my 'ute, particularly the Connie Mack baseball book.
My friend Joe Dugan was thrilled when I told him that Mack had him as 3rd best all-time after the Pie-rates Trayner and Jimmy Collins.
Of course, that was before Brooks, Schmidt and (shudder)AROD*.
Misty, so good to see your post. All is well in Mudville, lovely Misty has dropped in**. Btw. I don't advise you to solve it unless you're at the dentist where you won't know the pain, but...
Last Saturday has a CSO to you and it's in the NW.
Yes, the international golfers could have used vintage AOKI- oops, it was ISAO today. The Mel OTT, Bobby ORR of xwords.
Well, I've BLED DRY my welcome and I'm becoming a bit of a BOAR.
Good night Mrs whatshername wherever you are
WC
* It's simply hard for a Redsox fan to type that name
** More baseball Misty in case you think I'm losing my mind like in the Mall parking lot when I exited the wrong door.
Security was so nice to me 😩
PS. Great l'icks all around. What do they call that meter, C-Moe? It's trickier than my iambic pentameter of "Casey".
JxB, great write-up. And...
YR, I'm glad to hear Alan is feeling better.
WC
Thank you, TX Ms, for the kind welcome, and Wilbur, I'll do what I can to figure out how to track the post you mentioned, but forgive me if it doesn't work--jet lag is really hard on little senior brains like mine.
Hi All!
I was about a 1/4 of the way done before I looked down to see C.C.'s byline. Whoot!
Fun puzzle with a well executed theme; much like JzB's expo. Thanks both of you. [LOL'd a Automated Penn Machine!]
WOs: BAA got me AL RAM at 1st [I knew LA RAM, but w/ the A already there I didn't 'see' that I was backwards (again)], L-MAR b/f LEVAR; I know Burton as Geordi La Forge, the Reading Rainbow guy, and Kunta Kinte.
ESP: BOI, ISAO, ACC
Fav: WEES, c/a for POOL HALL.
It took me forever to get... 6a and 14a were blank except for LAMBCHOP. I finally filled GeLD for 6d, which gave me GULP! (Good thing I knew LAMBCHOP o/w gasp!] and USE. Then I recalled what GeLD meant (ouch!), put in an I, and pen down.
{C+,B+} {Cute}
Lem, you're on a roll w/ CSOs in the last week... LEM, LEMONY, and LEMON DROP.
Tin - you missed Mai TAIs to SIP to get LIQUORED UP. //hey, I just noticed another Easter egg C.C. GAVE us Mai and MIA
Welcome back Misty!
IM - Nice catch on PLs. Play an LP backwards - "I heard it! Paul is dead!"
Cheers, -T
Anapest
Everything old/obsolete becomes "retro" so a new generation is enjoying the BROKEN RECORD phenomenon of LPs. Fun theme, but I did not get it until I was completely finished and remembered to go back to find it. It would have helped with some of those terms I don't know like LEMON DROP.
A bit too many sports terms. Hand up thinking LARAM is the name of some sports guy. Thanks for explaining. Hand up thinking ESAI before ISAO. No idea about either except here.
ADDIE also unknown and for some reason I got stuck thinking MAY was the calendar square. Hand up getting stuck a bit trying to figure out BOI/I SPY
I remember having a crush on Susan DEY when I was a child, even though she was way old for me. Glad to know she is still acting!
Agree with Big Easy that RCA was a FORMER electronics giant. Sad. You can't farm out manufacturing and expect to stay in the big economic game.
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