Theme: None
Words: 68 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 25
From
no Saturdays this year to two months in a row for Mr. Sessa, again with
a triple-axis symmetrical construction, and for the second week in a
row, we have a hashtag pattern of 15-letter spanners and climbers
crossing the grid. I believe this might be the second hardest crossword
grid to work; although there are plenty of words that connect the
corners together, the chunky 7x7 corners are unforgiving if you have
nothing to work with. I was stumped in the North until I was able to
solve the two climbers - which I had an inkling about, but not enough
to commit to filling them in. The 4 big clues/answers;
17a. Evidential standard : REASONABLE DOUBT - hear it all the time on Law & Order
3d. Happy way to end : ON A POSITIVE NOTE
A positive note~? Is that a B+, or a B#~?
54a. Foil-wrapped treats : CHOCOLATE KISSES - started to put Klondike Ice Cream in, but it didn't fit.
ACROSS:
1. Buy in quantity : STOCK UP - "shop at BJs/Costco" didn't fit
8. Places of rapid growth : HOTBEDS
15. Commiserate : CONDOLE - one cel from my "ta-DA~!" was the "L" here; I had condone, and I knew it was not working with6d.
16. One taking the prize : AWARDEE
19. Old Egyptian symbol of royalty : ASP
20. Former Defense secretary who wrote "Worthy Fights" : PANETTA - filled via perps
21. __ scan : CAT - CAT~? or PET~?; had to wait
22. Pronoun not heard as often as it should be : WHOM - for whom the bell tolls
24. 2016 presidential candidate : RUBIO - I thought it was rubiN, and that was close enough
25. British art house : TATE
26. Player over 21, perhaps : LOSER - cards, and blackjack; I took $135 at poker last week
28. Common base : TEN
29. __ Hebrides : OUTER
30. Large beer mugs : SEIDELS - this filled via perps, and I had to go to Google to see if it was right; oddly, it also led to a reference about an EYE TEST, also in the puzzle, below
32. Ones in their 40s, e.g. : GEN-XERS - guess that's me
34. Crime scene barrier : TAPE - huh; filled this in, and never noticed it was correct until now
35. Squeezed (out) : EKED
36. Greet warmly : SMILE AT
39. One convinced by a drive : PLEDGER - my first thought was cars, then it was golf, and then I got it; public broadcasting TV
42. Chekov's first name on "Star Trek" : PAVEL - I typed in ANTON, and knew that was not right - I kept recalling this scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (P.S., ironically, the "new" guy who plays Chekov is named Anton Yelchin, but I can't get into the new characters)
8. Places of rapid growth : HOTBEDS
15. Commiserate : CONDOLE - one cel from my "ta-DA~!" was the "L" here; I had condone, and I knew it was not working with6d.
16. One taking the prize : AWARDEE
19. Old Egyptian symbol of royalty : ASP
20. Former Defense secretary who wrote "Worthy Fights" : PANETTA - filled via perps
21. __ scan : CAT - CAT~? or PET~?; had to wait
22. Pronoun not heard as often as it should be : WHOM - for whom the bell tolls
24. 2016 presidential candidate : RUBIO - I thought it was rubiN, and that was close enough
25. British art house : TATE
26. Player over 21, perhaps : LOSER - cards, and blackjack; I took $135 at poker last week
28. Common base : TEN
29. __ Hebrides : OUTER
30. Large beer mugs : SEIDELS - this filled via perps, and I had to go to Google to see if it was right; oddly, it also led to a reference about an EYE TEST, also in the puzzle, below
32. Ones in their 40s, e.g. : GEN-XERS - guess that's me
34. Crime scene barrier : TAPE - huh; filled this in, and never noticed it was correct until now
35. Squeezed (out) : EKED
36. Greet warmly : SMILE AT
39. One convinced by a drive : PLEDGER - my first thought was cars, then it was golf, and then I got it; public broadcasting TV
42. Chekov's first name on "Star Trek" : PAVEL - I typed in ANTON, and knew that was not right - I kept recalling this scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (P.S., ironically, the "new" guy who plays Chekov is named Anton Yelchin, but I can't get into the new characters)
"...rank, Admiral" @ 1:45
43. #4 at Boston Garden : ORR - hockey great
45. "__ Got Mail" : YOU'VE
46. Said yes to : OK'ED
47. Monty Python product : SPOOF - I pondered SKITS, which could work with the singular/plural of 'product'
49. Trickle : SEEP
50. Kricfalusi cartoon canine : REN - I had no clue about the name, but three-letter cartoon dog is usually REN - the Wiki
51. Taking away : REMOVAL
53. Sign at a popular play : SRO
57. Winner of the Breaking News Reporting Pulitzer for 2016, briefly : LA TIMES - hey~!! A group shout-out~!
58. Most loaded : RICHEST - the owner of the winery might have the dollars, but not a lot of sense
59. Exam involving reading letters : EYE TEST - and for the second week in a row, we will hear from Zed in Men In Black
60. Chicken requests : BREASTS
DOWN:
1. Hard-to-read words : SCRAWLS
2. Ballerina's footwear : TOE SHOE
4. IRA options : CDs
5. Surgeon general under Reagan : KOOP - I could picture the guy's face (you can't forget it, really), but it took the "-OO-" before I could recall his name - C. Everett
6. __ nerve : ULNAR
7. A toy piano is often seen in it : PEANUTS - Schroeder
8. Uncertain : HALTING
9. Have because of : OWE TO
10. Cry with a flourish : "Ta-DA"~! - I did not get my "ta-DA~!" once the grid filled
11. Main man : BRO - I tried C E O
13. Con, half the time : DEBATER - as opposed to "pro"
14. They may be Irish : SETTERS
18. Neuwirth of "Cheers" : BEBE - one of the only proper names I actually knew
23. Got the gold, say : MEDALED
25. Black-tie wear : TUXEDOS
27. Turn back : REPEL - like the bad guys in a James Bond movie
29. In tune : ON KEY
31. Pastoral expanse : LEA
33. Sea scavenger : EEL - did not know they were scavengers; three letters and one "E" was already there
36. Trivia quiz website : SPORCLE - never heard of it, and it looked funny in the grid; the website is here - I played the "mis-matched movies" game, and missed one - only because I got too itchy with the mouse finger
37. What some do while the sun shines? : MAKE HAY
38. Rigging support : TOPMAST
39. Words of wisdom : PROVERB
40. Hillary's conquest : EVEREST - not the politician aiming for the presidency
41. Announces again, in a way : REPOSTS - the 21st century way - although I am not on Facebook
44. Heart : ROOT
47. Two-time US Open winner : SELES - I had just the last "S", so it was not EVERT
48. Hindu ascetic : FAKIR - filled via perps
51. Cooking apple named for an Ohio township : ROME - oops, I had POME
52. Minute parasites : LICE
55. Op. __ : CIT - the period made this clear that it would not be "ART"; instead the Latin 'opere citato', the "work already cited", found in footnotes
56. Doo-wop syllable : SHA
Splynter
45. "__ Got Mail" : YOU'VE
46. Said yes to : OK'ED
47. Monty Python product : SPOOF - I pondered SKITS, which could work with the singular/plural of 'product'
49. Trickle : SEEP
50. Kricfalusi cartoon canine : REN - I had no clue about the name, but three-letter cartoon dog is usually REN - the Wiki
51. Taking away : REMOVAL
53. Sign at a popular play : SRO
57. Winner of the Breaking News Reporting Pulitzer for 2016, briefly : LA TIMES - hey~!! A group shout-out~!
58. Most loaded : RICHEST - the owner of the winery might have the dollars, but not a lot of sense
59. Exam involving reading letters : EYE TEST - and for the second week in a row, we will hear from Zed in Men In Black
DOWN:
1. Hard-to-read words : SCRAWLS
2. Ballerina's footwear : TOE SHOE
5. Surgeon general under Reagan : KOOP - I could picture the guy's face (you can't forget it, really), but it took the "-OO-" before I could recall his name - C. Everett
6. __ nerve : ULNAR
7. A toy piano is often seen in it : PEANUTS - Schroeder
9. Have because of : OWE TO
10. Cry with a flourish : "Ta-DA"~! - I did not get my "ta-DA~!" once the grid filled
11. Main man : BRO - I tried C E O
13. Con, half the time : DEBATER - as opposed to "pro"
14. They may be Irish : SETTERS
18. Neuwirth of "Cheers" : BEBE - one of the only proper names I actually knew
23. Got the gold, say : MEDALED
25. Black-tie wear : TUXEDOS
29. In tune : ON KEY
31. Pastoral expanse : LEA
33. Sea scavenger : EEL - did not know they were scavengers; three letters and one "E" was already there
36. Trivia quiz website : SPORCLE - never heard of it, and it looked funny in the grid; the website is here - I played the "mis-matched movies" game, and missed one - only because I got too itchy with the mouse finger
37. What some do while the sun shines? : MAKE HAY
38. Rigging support : TOPMAST
39. Words of wisdom : PROVERB
40. Hillary's conquest : EVEREST - not the politician aiming for the presidency
41. Announces again, in a way : REPOSTS - the 21st century way - although I am not on Facebook
44. Heart : ROOT
47. Two-time US Open winner : SELES - I had just the last "S", so it was not EVERT
48. Hindu ascetic : FAKIR - filled via perps
51. Cooking apple named for an Ohio township : ROME - oops, I had POME
52. Minute parasites : LICE
55. Op. __ : CIT - the period made this clear that it would not be "ART"; instead the Latin 'opere citato', the "work already cited", found in footnotes
56. Doo-wop syllable : SHA
Splynter
To quote myself from last week,
ReplyDelete"Good morning all !
No real problems, and no errors or help."
Thanks Ed, thanks Splynter.
Last Saturday was under 30, but today added 9 minutes. Have to say that I really enjoyed this one, and the pattern made it a pleasure to solve.Started in the center, and worked my way outward. Fun.
SEIDEL was new to me, but after looking it up, I have a few of those types of beer mugs. A couple are souvenirs from Germany, and the other is a Bass Ale one that my wife sometimes drinks tea out of.
Strike while the iron's hot and MAKE HAY while the sun shines. They may not be PROVERBs, but they are words of wisdom. Get 'er done !
Splynter, Metallica ?
Madame Defarge (FLN), I thought that must have been the place !
FIW¡ Never heard CONDOLE as a verb, so had CONsOLE, erasing the D in CDS to put it in. The area I had trouble with was below that -- had tHOu > WHOM, SCRAtch > SCRAWLS, and never heard of SEIDELS, so those all took a long time to sort out.
ReplyDeletePEANUTS & PAVEL were gimmes for me, tho! And EDUCATED GUESSES was an EWAG without a single perp!
MAKE HAY while the sun shines, save your nights for sowing wild oats!
An apple grower and baker, from ROME, OHIO
Decided to give his orchard the hi-ho!
He sold it, TA-DA,
Then waved it ta-ta,
Now he's Cajun, and cooks jambalayo!
EDUCATED GUESSES can help solve a puzzle
Once your brain has dealt it a tussle!
It's OKAY to take out
If there's REASONABLE DOUBT,
But when guessing won't help, then maybe a cuss'll!
{B, C+.}
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteOnce I changed OPTIC to ULNAR this one came together quickly. Do you suppose Ed included LA TIMES as additional reason to get this one accepted? SCRAWL reminded me of this comic strip -- that's how things work chez D-O. Thanx for the challenge, Ed, and for the expo, Splynter.
I redeemed my one LIU from Friday. I still can't believe I missed the point which would have made yesterday's puzzle so easy. Today was Thursday easy and fast. I started in the SE and worked west and north from there. There were no unfamiliar words, but memory failed and I needed ESP for SEIDELS and PAVEL. V-8 can moment after it dawned on me that I have heard them before.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the Oktoberfest pictures of waitresses carrying 6 or 8 of these big seidels at one time?
In a condo I can't store most of the Costco deals, so the membership is not worth it.
I have seen condole used as a verb, usually condole with someone.
Busy, busy day. Ciao.
FIR, but WAGed the "P" at the Natick of SPORCLE x PAVEL. Perps to the rescue at CONDOLE, SEIDELS and REN. Like DO I saw optic nerve belonging, but held out and avoided the erasure. I did erase them for WHOM, and drip for SEEP. Thread drift - Dick Trickle is the best pro sports name ever, but my dad's favorite was Roosevelt Leaks.
ReplyDeleteMy only nit is 38D - a TOPMAST doesn't support rigging, rigging supports a TOPMAST. Maybe "rigging supportee"?
I'll lay off the cluing for 60A BREASTS. Too easy, even for my basal tastes.
I hope Anon-PVX likes this one much better than yesterday's puzzle. I certainly did. Thanks, Ed Sessa. And thanks to Splynter for another fine Saturday write-up and another fine "leg" picture.
At Oktoberfest in Munich, the waitresses often heft six or eight 1 liter mugs (like these) of bier to the patrons.
ReplyDeleteThat's what we see in Chicago and Milwaukee at the German fests as well. I still have a couple of those 1 liter mugs. And a couple of tankards and decorated steins. Unfortunately, my only bierboot from Germany was broken along the way somewhere, but I got a replacement at Germanfest in Milwaukee.
From aleheads.com, "The Mug: Some beer glass primers will describe a fourth type of pint glass…the jug. The jug looks a like dimpled hand grenade with a handle. The handle limits the warmth transferred from your hand to the glass which keeps the beer colder. The thick, dimple pattern on the glass also strengthens the vessel which allows for more vigorous toasting and clinking of glasses (always a good time). While jugs do indeed hold a pint of liquid, they’re so different from the other three pint glasses, that I prefer to think of them as a different class entirely: the handled glass, or mug.
In addition to the jug, the mug class also contains the ever-popular Oktoberfest glass which is basically a straight-sided, dimpled jug that holds one liter of beer. The seidel glass is a tall, smooth-sided (no dimples) mug that holds a half-liter of brew. The tankard is a squatter mug with a flared, heavy base…often made of pewter. And the classic stein is a stone mug with a hinged lid on top ..."
I learned today that the seidel is the name for a specific type of beer mug.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteInitially daunting , the grid spanner downs and acrosses turned out surprisingly easy with well known phrases; once one had a little to work with. SEITELS, SPORCLE, and PAVEL came from perps. Considered swami before FAKIR became obvious. WHOM was an early fill. Had 'due to' before OWE TO. Never cared for METALED as a verb.
LICE - German Läuse, Low German Lüüs. Polite Germans would say 'Einwohner' (inhabitants).
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI broke my Saturday record by finishing this in 20 minutes flat. I neither rush nor time myself, so I was surprised when that time showed up. I attribute the speediness to those four long answers filling in so readily. My unknowns were Pavel and Seidels. W/os were Pet/Cat and They>Them>Whom. Condole is a tad awkward, IMO. Big learning moment: Rome, Ohio NOT Rome, New York! I liked seeing Peanuts (edible kind) and chocolate kisses. Seeing Bebe again prompted me to question why she left "Madame Secretary" so abruptly. I checked several websites but no reasons were given. On a sad note, Anton Yelchin was killed not too long ago by his own car slipping out of gear and pinning him against a fence on his property; he was only in his late 20's.
Thanks, Ed Sessa, for a pleasant Saturday solve and thanks, Splynter, for the detailed summary.
At the wake I went to the other night, there was a floral arrangement from a nephew of the deceased with a clear vase containing hundreds of Hershey Kisses instead of water beneath the flowers. It seems that every time this aunt saw him, she said, "Give me a kiss, Billy!"
PK, FLN, I checked out Wegman's (I did have the correct name) paintings and they are mostly of his own Weimaraners in human clothing and circumstances. I still lean toward the poker-playing pups!
Have a great day.
I forgot to link the picture of a seidel beer mug.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Somehow OJ’s dream team of lawyers established REASONABLE DOUBT
-We’re going to make a maiden voyage to Costco today
-Kids always thought 20:20 on an EYE TEST meant perfect vision not normal
-Oh right, Splynter is a leg not a BREAST man! :-)
-My SCRAWL is worse than usual when I use these machines
-Granddaughter’s boyfriend is a champion debater at UNL
-This was a perfect summer to MAKE a lot of HAY in Nebraska
-I learned about these big beer holders when we were in Seattle
-Sir Edmund Hillary meets Hillary Clinton by chance in Nepal
ReplyDeleteA good Sessa Saturday puzzle. Challenging but ultimately doable. There were enough perps to fill in the unknowns with the occasional WAG. Splynter's write-up was great.
I vaguely remember SPORCLE from a CW earlier this year, but was not sure how to spell it. A few perps and a WAG filled it in.
I tried HERSHEY KISSES, but it wasn't long enough. I don't think I've ever used the term "chocolate kisses." If it was a KISS, it was always a Hershey Kiss, especially in Pennsylvania.
Also, I wanted CONSOLE for Commiserate. At a funeral we offered Condolences but I never heard of anyone going to Condole at a funeral. Just doesn't sound right.
WINNER before AWARDEE, OOZE before SEEP and HUMOR before SPOOF. Perps set me straight.
Very heavy rain here today and with the temperature at 33° we are close to a change to snow. Hopefully the temperature will rise a bit.
Stay warm and dry everyone.
TTP - Oh, so that's a SEIDEL. I've got one or two, but I thought they were called 'beer mugs'. Funny, it looks large, but the German word Seidel means the equivalent of a half-pint.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of Sporcle.
ReplyDeleteI made an error that hung me up for a bit. I read the clue for 57 across as going for 59 across, so NY Times seemed good, but nothing else worked. Once I saw my error *doh!* it made for a messy overwrite. I hate it when that happens! Otherwise, once a few answers started filling in, it all came together nicely.
@Irish Miss @9:33 - the story about the nephew and the Hershey Kisses was sweet.
who are these people that finish in 20 and some in 30 minutes?
ReplyDeleteI just cannot imagine!
Tossed the dead tree version and went straight to red letters when
ReplyDeleteI saw Ed Sessa today, after the 1st across and down, I was surprised to see
about 50% filled!
Easiest Saturday for me ever, except there were 2 or 3
that I never would have gotten without the red letters...
Splynter! Excellent choice of legs! Very pretty!
And a Ballerina! (The Prigs can't complain about that one...)
Ah yes, "Pickles." I cut the 11/16 comic out for my Daughter to read.
Toy Piano, I knew how to play the main theme from Linus and Lucy because
I eked out every note by ear. All the sheet music I had found was just plain wrong.
But I have to go back and learn how to do the Jazz Improv parts later in the piece.
I have trouble keeping up with some of those Guitar Hero type Youtube lessons,
and found this guy very helpful.
TTP, interesting comment on seidels and beer mugs. I have several of those barrel shaped dimpled mugs. I know the Brits would be horrified but I keep these mugs in the freezer so that they ice up. In Ireland they were dismayed that I had Jameson whiskey over rocks.
ReplyDeleteI found countless quotes using CONDOLE and CONDOLED as a verb in novels. Seems normal to me.
"Several of the great towns were prepared to send their delegates to condole with the monarch under his affliction." Prescott, William Hickling
"I have been to condole with Rachel's father, as he sat mourning upon the ground Zangwill, Israel
"The neighbours hastened to condole with us, for the shouts of the soldiers had been heard a mile off." Yerta, Gabrielle
Finally after all the construction my house is almost back to normal. I will give it a good cleaning today and tomorrow and next week have the carpets shampooed. I am hosting the family Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanks, Ed, for a nice challenge this am. Once SCRATCH was changed to SCRAWLS, got it all figured out! Loved the toy piano clue!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Splynter, for another fine write-up.
Thank you, Ed Sessa, for an easy Saturday solve!
ReplyDeleteSeeing enough white to blind me, I jumped around picking at the low hanging fruit, but then, enough emerged to connect them and there it was! Finito! WHOM was my first fill. Not only is it rarely used, I believe it's out of the language now.
EDUCATED GUESS was my favorite fill followed by ONAPOSITIVENOTE. I am an optimist and always try to see the good side of things though in the present political atmosphere, it's almost impossible to find any good.
KOOP is one of those unforgettable names and faces but CONDOLE did me in. I know I've seen it and read it but CONsOLE went in and I never looked back.
Two nights ago I happened upon a channel I had never watched. It featured Secrets of the Very Rich. Talk about loaded!! Those were lavish in the extreme, houses, hotels, and cars all valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of the homes measured upwards of 20,000 square feet and included every amenity you could think of: bowling alleys, tennis courts, Olympic sized pools, complete spas, etc. One would never have to leave and have entertainment available.
Congratulations to the LATIMES! I had no idea it won the Pulitzer Prize.
SPORCLE is a new one for me but every perp confirmed it and though I didn't know PAVEL it seemed like the only possibility.
This was fun and thank you, Splynter, for adding to the entertainment.
Have a fantastic day, everyone! Perfect weather here for walking.
"Puzzling Thoughts":
ReplyDeleteUnlike others, I struggled a bit with this Ed Sessa sample. It took all I could do to not cheat. And I didn't. But I also FIW, as my left coast had multiple errors. In the NW, I had CDS for 4d, but CONDOLE didn't look right, so I penned CONSOLE instead. Now looking back, condolences is the word I should've thought of, to prove CONDOLE was correct.
I had SCRAWLS and TOPSHOE, but for some reason I couldn't get WHOM as the pronoun. I also miffed on SEIDELS/MEDALED, and the PAVEL/SPORCLE crossing was a Natick. I had _AVEL, but even an alphabet run wouldn't convince me that the P belonged
Other WO's included: ROSS > ROME; SWAMI > FAKIR; OKAY > OKED. I oddly enough solved all 4 grid spanners
I tried coming up with a limerick for 60a, but decided a "Moe-ku" would be mo' fun! So to Jinx in Norfolk, and everyone else, here goes:
Book-writing rooster
Saw a young chicken's BREASTS. Was
His Pullet Surprise
Exactly as Lucina did, I went for the low hanging fruit first, which gave me enough of a foothold to solve the rest. I liked this puzzle very much. The grid is pretty, and daunting, what with all that white space. I chuckled mightily at the clue for MAKE HAY. The clue for PEANUTS was good, too. Mis-spelling Ms. Neuwirth's name as BIBI caused me problems in the center for a while, but TEN and PANETTA it had to be, so BEBE at had to be. (BIBI is Mr. Netanyahu.) Hand up for choking at CONDOLE, even though CDS made more sense than CSS. Excellent puzzle, Mr. Sessa!
ReplyDeleteFrieden und Ruhe
By the way, I asked an Indian colleague of mine how to pronounce FAKIR. Well, I won't write it here; suffice it to say it often follows "mother" in some rap lyrics and cop movies. Makes sense, since the letter "a" in many words in many of the Indian languages is pronounced "uh." (Many are also pronounced "ah" as in maharaja.")
ReplyDeleteGood Day,
ReplyDeleteI started this one early, and rather unSUCCESSfully. We left to take two of my grands to the Museum of Science and Industry to an opening breakfast for the 75th Anniversary (yay--something is older than I am) of Trees Around the World. Great fun to learn about the various Christmas traditions. There are also glass cases featuring Winter and Fall celebrations among non-christian countries or belief groups. The kids liked it, and then spent some time in the weather science section. When we returned, I came back to the puzzle and TAH DAH!!
Great puzzle design, Ed. Plenty of doable challenges. I really liked the long fill--eventually. My fave: WHOM. I've finally overcome my need to correct people using "who" instead.
TTP--maybe we should gather area Cornerites for lunch near you and Abejo. . . . I really liked hearing about working this puzzle from the inside out. That makes me think I should try different approaches to my attack.
Splynter, thanks for another fine Saturday tour. This one seemed especially difficult and probably time-consuming for you. I appreciate your effort.
Have a sunny day even in the rain!
As Jinx in Norfolk predicted....I liked this puzzle today....”No Theme”...at last. Makes the solve so much more satisfying for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso had to change OPTIC to ULNAR. SPORCLE was an unknown, I also had to look up CONDOLE....it still doesn’t look right, haha.
I just loved seeing the beautiful grid on this Ed Sessa puzzle even before I started working it. I figured it would be a toughie but actually found it easier than yesterday's, and got well over half done before the cheating started. Unfortunately I still goofed on SEIDELS and SPORCLE, two words I've never encountered. But I really enjoyed the puzzle, and was delighted to see the LA TIMES in the my LA TIMES--Yay! I like CHOCOLATE KISSES so much I don't mind if we forget to call them Hershey Kisses, even though I'm from Pennsylvania. Anyway, delightful Saturday puzzle--many thanks, Ed. And great pictures, Splynter.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbor Rome serves as a docent at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, just a bit south of us near Dana Point. Two friends and I joined his tour yesterday, and loved hearing the fascinating history of the Mission and seeing the paintings and art work that have recently been installed there. With lunch afterwards, I ended up never getting on the blog--very rare for me--but I did do the puzzle and had a great day.
Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!
From Jinx's No World Dictionary:
ReplyDeleteSporcle, sporkle. v, t. To transfer food or other substances from one container to another using a hybrid utensil. "Jinx sporcled the ice cream from the Edy's tub into his gaping maw until he experienced a brain freeze."
HG - DW and I made our maiden voyages to Sams today. We have been Costco members for years, but there isn't one near Ocala where we're staying this winter.
Chairman Moe - Great Moe-ku. Far beyond my abilities, which peak at "there once was a girl from Nantucket".
Jayce - Newcomers to Norfolk tend to blush when learning how the locals pronounce the city. We say NAW-f**k.
Looking at all that solid white looked challenging, but it came together bit by bit. I actually tried VAGUS NERVE first because I had just heard a talk on the subject. I like that this puzzle required thought rather than knowledge of obscure names and words. Loved the clue for LOSER!
ReplyDeleteMy mother had an original Believe it or Not book that I read as a child that was full of stories of FAKIR feats. I often wondered if they were real or "fake-ers". Learning moment about ROME apples. Hand up that CONDOLE seemed wrong, but apparently we were wrong. Other unknowns: SEIDELS, KRICFALUSI. Yes, three letter dog seemed to be REN.
Anyone else try EMBRACE before SMILE AT? PAVEL a gimme for this Trek fan. Learning moment they are called TOE SHOES. Thanks, Splynter, for the photo that shows how to learn to use them
Learning moment that HILLARY Clinton was not in fact named for the EVEREST climber. The story was told in various degrees of truth over the years. The version I might believe is that Clinton's mother told her she was named for the climber to inspire her to greatness. But the climber did not become famous until 1953 and Clinton was born in 1947.
Thanks Ed and Splynter. I did OK on most of it but got stuck at CONDOLE. I guess that's where condolences comes from.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the little-used pronoun. Which is correct? I'll give the leftovers to WHOEVER/WHOMEVER wants them.
Another unrelated English quiz: I was glad to see the bad guy get his just DESERTS/DESSERTS.
C M @ 11:44 Pleasant groans after reading the Moe-ku. I hear he really crowed about his award. Moe- (ku-p) them coming, in English, "Moe, keep them coming." I translated because when I reread "Moe-ku-p" it didn't make any sense even to me, the writer.
ReplyDeleteWEES on solution of this excellent Ed S. puzzle.
I have a Splynter under my skin from his penetrating review. It feels so good, I am going to let it fester.
When you hit your "Funny bone" and it hurts so much, you have irritated the ulnar nerve as it passes the elbow on it's way to half the ring finger, and the pinkie. The Median nerve serves the rest of the hand, and it is pinched in the carpal tunnel for one place. The third arm nerve, the Radial stops in the forearm.
Class dismissed,
Dave
ReplyDeleteB G @1:15 Re. leftovers neither of your suggested recipients is correct. Give them to me.
DESSERTS is the opposite of "Stressed." Eat dessert first while there still is some.
I'm hungrey, looks like my hair got in my mouth, I'm also hungry.
I can type @ 90 errors per minute.
Dave
To WHOM it may (or may not) concern: What did I have to do this morning? Peel 10 pound of shrimp. Help erect tents for a fundraiser. Take car to tire shop for a slow leak, which allowed time to work on the puzzle. But enough of that BS. The X-word gods did SMILE AT me today and it took quite a few EDUCATED GUESSES. ON A POSITIVE NOTE, there was REASONABLE DOUBT about my ability to complete the puzzle correctly but I did it.
ReplyDeleteI had to change GNAT to FLEA to LICE, CONDOLE to CONSOLE and back TO CONDOLE, TAR to BRO, DUE TO to OWE TO, SKITS to SPOOF, SWAMI to FAKIR, and TAKE OFF to MAKE HAY while the sun was shining. SEIDELS was an unknown and though I've heard of ROME apples, I had no knowledge of how they acquired their names. I've never seen 'Cheers' or 'Star Trek', so BEBE Neuwirth and PAVEL Chekov were total unknowns and crossing the unknown PAVEL and SPORCLE was a WAG.
Hillary's Conquest was definitely not the White House. I've owned four sailboats but TOP MAST was a new word for me, along with TOE SHOE. But the were easy guesses. But it was....TADA this morning. And got it done before the tire was repaired. Slow leak with a very small nail.
D-O- I also wanted OPTIC and was thinking STACK ON for STOCK UP.
Jinx- your Natick and WAG was my last fill.
oc4beach- I agree with you on the HERSHEY KISSES.
C-E-D, there are no RED LETTERS in the dead tree versions. I prefer to suffer.
The people down the block are having some tree work done. Over the past several hours, the constant whining of the chain saws is grating on my nerves.
ReplyDelete~ I don't mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and get really excited.
Loved this puzzle more than yesterday’s. Thanks Ed Sessa for an enjoyable challenge. Sporcle, Fakir, Tate, Seidel, and Ren were unknowns but filled via perps. Console before condole. But cds had to be the answer instead of css. Great expo Splynter.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Mark
Nope, it didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty sure my luck would expire today, esp. when I saw Mr. Sessa's name on the credit line.
But in the end my P+P paid off. So chalk up another Ta- DA! to the Ol' Geezer's credit.
Today's word that I didn't know but-actually-did-now-that-I-remember-it: SEIDELS. (And, yes, like Irish Miss, Yellowrocks, Spitzboov, and a hundred other colleagues, I have a sizeable collection of these oversized steins myself).
My favorite SEIDEL slogan:
"Im Wein liegt die Wahrheit.
Im Bier gibt es Stärke.
Im Wasser gibt es Keime."
Today's word-that-I-truly-did-not-know: SPORCLE (And do I feel better now that I have been illuminated?
"En-Oh spells No.")
Misty, I've been to San Juan Capistrano many times - such a lovely vestige of Old California! - but never had the benefit of a docent's perspective. You make it sound most appealing.
For what I hope will be the last inconvenience from our reno, I picked up a nail in a tire and had a slow leak. I had it fixed this afternoon for $20. This was an unfortunate break in my stride in the middle of a busy day. AARGH! It's hard to get up to speed again. I will arise at 6:00 AM tomorrow and finish today's work.
ReplyDeleteBill G. LOL "I have a Splynter under my skin from his penetrating review. It feels so good, I am going to let it fester." So true.
As Lucina said, I believe whom is on the way to becoming extinct. It is probably still used in extremely academic circles. My grandson will likely never see it.
DESSSERT is only used for the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal. I am always amused that the Brits call dessert pudding, whether cake, pie, pudding, ice cream, whatever.
Any other meaning uses DESERT. Just deserts comes from deserve. Just what you rightly deserve.
D4E4H, Dave, are you a medical person? I immediately thought of funny bone, too.
Most kisses are chocolate and most chocolate kisses are Hershey's, but some kisses are meringue or molasses without any chocolate.
"Im Wein liegt die Wahrheit.
ReplyDeleteIm Bier gibt es Stärke.
Im Wasser gibt es Keime."
In wine lies truth
In beer is given strength
In water (you get) germs.
ReplyDeleteYR @ 3:02 I wasn't going to edit your comment, but you asked me a question. If you look at B G @1:15 you will see my ID as I state my Splynter injury. I'm enjoying it so much that I wish it could fester FASTER.
Am I a medical person? I was a Physical Therapist from 1995 - 2004. I must use the past tense as I gave up my license because I wasn't planning to work as a PT any longer.
As I scrolled thru today's comments I noticed that B E @2:06 and I are without the red square with a white B in it. At the top of this page is the symbol followed by the word "Blogger." Each blogger also has a picture or symbol on the right. Should I aspire to have the same? How does one do it?
Festermos,
Dave
Hi Y'all! Thanks, Ed, very interesting challenge.Thanks, Splynter.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else notice how many words ended in ER? I counted six in the top nine lines. Then add to that ULNAR & FAKIR...
Lot of EDUCATED GUESSES to fill this and I had REASONABLE DOUBT about a few. Darn, I didn't get any CHOCOLATE KISSES with TADA!
REASONABLE DOUBT: Gary, I always wondered why no one in that courtroom seemed to know that leather gloves shrink badly after being wet. Acquit?
IM: The kiss story is so neat. My mother always kept cookies and Kool-aid for all the little kids in the neighborhood. When she died one of the mothers got the kids together to make a wreath with glued-on cookies. It was the centerpiece by her casket at the funeral.
Sorry, Dave, I really did have you in mind.
ReplyDelete@Big Easy: I don't usually have to take my car to a tire shop to get a slow leak--I can get one right in my own driveway even. :)
ReplyDeleteI filled fairly quickly for a Saturday until I got to the West. I tried the same stuff for SCRAWL as the others including SCRIPT. Lots of ink there.
ReplyDeleteWhen the black man got his head pounded on film by LAPD, it wasn't hard to predict an acquittal for OJ. And I did, a year prior.
Nice to get the TADAs on the hard ones to make up for the FIW earlier in the week.
WC
Thought I'd share this tidbit from Bank of America's latest email re my non-existent account:
ReplyDeleteSubject Line: VERIFY YOUR INFORMATIONS!
PK @ 5:16 ~ What a thoughtful and touching tribute to your mother.
Slow and steady fill today after first feeling daunted. Always a good feeling!
ReplyDeleteBiggest gimme today for me was SPORCLE - as my daughter works for the website in Seattle! It's kind of like crosswords -- all the quizzes come from contributers and then the editors and curators decide which ones to publish on their page each day (usually about ten on a variety of topics) She was jazzed when I told her it was a LAT answer! Last time it was - I believe CC used it in one of her puzzles!
Lots of big football games today- only watched snippets here and there as we were at my mom's in KC and then drove back late afternoon.
Thanks Splynter and Ed!
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteThought I finished a Sat until reading Splynter's fine expo and saw LA TIMES(?) I thought, what clue was that? As soon as I read it I knew my fill, LATINAS, was right out. FIW. [one of those times were you make an EDUCATED GUESS based on letter patterns and forget to check the clue - D'Oh!]. Other FIW was MEtALED.
Thanks Ed for a fun puzzle. I really liked the grid and the common-phrase Spanners.
{B,B+}
Those were some very touching KISSES stories - thanks IM & PK for sharing.
FLN - YP - after brunch, the Girls and I went to some "antique shops." We saw a lot of avocado-green. I made the mistake of saying, "I had that when I was a kid" a few times... The girls said dad, "Sounds like you belong in this store." Ouch!
Cheers, -T
Tough puzzle but I'm glad I stuck with it. Didn't use red letters but had to work out what was wrong once everything was filled in. Started with "farce" and "Faldo" for a Monty Python product that starts with the same letter as a US Open winner, but now I've learned that Nick never won the US Open (3 Masters and 3 British Open wins though).
ReplyDeleteIrishMiss:
ReplyDelete"Informations"? Using the plural on a non-pluralized word is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It's a good thing you're astute although the fact that you don't have an account there is also a giveaway.
Ed gave us typical Ed Sessa. Same, same for Splynter. Nice pic of the TOE.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what 50s song gave us SHA(na na). I thought it was Still of the Night. Nope. I LIU'Ed it. SotN gave us the other oldies moniker.
And of course any xword with the immortal ORR is a great xword. Boy was he good. We had IRVING (Kyrie) a few weeks ago. He's becoming a Celtic hero.
I'll be back in the morning with the oldies trivia answers. They'd make good SPORKLE questions.
WC
Irish Miss, I assume you know the message from "Bank of America" was not from Bank of America.
ReplyDeleteThis article explains why spammers deliberately use bad grammar and have implausible stories.
Yes, Lucina, the mis-spelling is a dead giveaway to us. The spammers are interested in targets who don't know such things. They are the ones who will fall for their bait.
Picard - Thank you! - I was looking for that article. Yes, when casting a wide-net the phisher-man will make those obvious errors to "catch" the dumbest among us. The real fun comes in spear-Phishing (targeting someone with a well crafted phish) or Whaleing (the same but targeting an exec). These are hard to spot unless you dig inside the meta-data of the email.
ReplyDeleteAn example that's been in practice for a few years... Steal a vendor's logo/letter-head and know something about the Account Receivables Dept and their customers. Send the target an email saying "this is our new bank-routing number" from what looks like the vendor. The "target" changes the routing info and doesn't know they've been paying to the wrong account until they get a "90-day past due" notice. I've personally witnessed millions scammed this way.
Our company's protocol is to ring the vendor based on information we have on file (not what the email says) to confirm a change. We had a change routing number notification recently where I called the vendor in attempt to verify... "Yeah, we've had about 50 calls about that today - it's real, we changed our account." [note this is oil & gas - invoices from this vendor are typically $1/2 million or so]
I inquired ('cuz I'm a curious sort) "How many of these notification emails did you send out?" "About 800" was the reply.
Think about that - only about 50/800 companies actually checked to see if the new routing info was legit. Oy!
-T
Big box store story -- Sam's Club is the only one in town, and for various reasons I've never tried it out. Their membership fee is higher than what I'd anticipate saving on the few items we'd buy in quantity. A little under a year ago, I got a coupon including some special offers that enticed me to try it. Now, thanks to their go-karts, I can do the shopping at a couple local supermarkets despite my handicaps, which is good, since Watson (my LW) hates -- I mean really hates -- shopping. But since I didn't know the layout in the box, or if they had the go-karts (they do), I sent LW in to check it out while I waited in the car. Now, I love her dearly, but she's not the sharpest crayon in the crayolas. After talking with them, she went ahead and signed up. But they wouldn't honor the coupon, so she paid full fee with no sign-up gifts. And they wouldn't let her sign up in my name, only her own, so we can only buy anything there if she comes along to do the shopping. We've shopped there twice so far, and I've learned a couple store-brand items I don't like. We will not be renewing.
ReplyDeleteOk. In case anyone drops by before going to Sunday's blog...
ReplyDeleteThe Still of the Night gave us DooWop. Get a Job gave us ShaNaNa.
IMO. "50s" music should be Bill Haley to John Lennon eg. 1954-1964. The rest of the music decades accordingly.
WC