Theme: Split P's Soup - The clues form the theme with a vowel progression between the two P's
17A. Pap : MUSHY FOOD. About as appetizing as it sounds.
24A. Pep : GET UP AND GO. Nice phrase, difficult to parse from a partially-completed grid.
38A. Pip : DIE SPOT. I tried ONE SPOT first, but TEO'S and GERN at 31D and 24D respectively nudged me that something was amiss.
49A. Pop : MUSIC GENRE. "Pop" is often used derogatively, but there's something about a good pop song that lifts the soul.
60A. Pup : YOUNG SEAL. Had YOUNGSTER until nothing would work in the SW corner.
Good Morning from 39,000 feet!. It's cold outside, as the in-flight website shows:
I never cease to be amazed by technology. This wireless internet caper at this altitude is nothing more than dark magic and hocus-pocus to me.
Anyway, back to the puzzle. A nice alphabet progression from Morton, and four of the five theme entries are new to all the major puzzles which makes for a nice fresh feel to the grid.
Let's see what else catches the eye:
Across:
1. WC : LAV Common term in the UK, from whence I just returned. I can stop talking like Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins" now.
4. Cardiff-born : WELSH
9. Many Dickens kids : WAIFS
14. Action film gun : UZI
15. Kauai greeting : ALOHA. Greeting and farewell. Handy word.
16. Northern home : IGLOO
19. Like hardened mud on boots : CAKED
20. Asks too many questions : PRIES
21. Central points : FOCI. Some prefer "focuses", but that's the verb, not the noun.
23. Mountain legend : YETI
30. Getting-started instruction : STEP ONE. Self-assembly furniture, the bane of modern life, usually starts with counting the screws, washers and what-not and finding yourself one short of something.
32. 1976 Dylan song about his first wife : SARA. I'd not heard this track before. When I listened to it, I would have sworn it was Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler if I didn't know it was Bob.
33. Like FM radio, typically : IN STEREO
36. Old lab heaters : ETNAS. We used Bunsen burners in school. Handy for setting fire to just about anything within reach, including your classmate's tie. I'm surprised we survived school sometimes. One of my friends once went home unawares with a flask of sulphuric acid in his overcoat pocket, slipped in there by another chum.
37. Playa __ Rey: L.A. community : DEL. Between the Marina and the airport. It's pretty peaceful in spite of the proximity to LAX.
41. Biol. or chem. : SCI.
42. Places to find stacks : IHOPS. And blue roofs.
44. Some DVD bonus tracks : OUTTAKES. Some of the best parts of Pixer's movies are the specially-created "outtakes" that they run with the credits at the end of the film. The animators have a lot of fun with those.
46. Little dipper? : OREO We take Oreos by popular request to the UK when we visit. For some reason they're rather expensive over there. Also, the more unusual M&M flavors, Lawry's garlic salt and bean dip. It always fascinates the TSA guys when they open the bag.
47. Lovey-dovey : AMOROUS
51. Sounds of activity : HUMS
55. __ beer : NEAR. And pretty much pointless, in my humble opinion. Also known as "small beer." There's a tombstone in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral in England which serves as a dire warning against drinking this stuff. I was just there the other day.
56. Legendary moralist : AESOP
57. Angiogram image : AORTA
64. Counterintelligence targets : SPIES
65. The life of Paris? : LA VIE
66. Tre meno due : UNA. 3-2=1 in any language.
67. Disconcerting gaze : STARE. I get uncomfortable when cats stare at me. I know they're plotting something dire.
68. Stingray kin : SKATE
69. Salary : PAY
Down:
1. Like poorly made Cream of Wheat : LUMPY. Is this also pap?
2. Clear blue : AZURE
3. Stay and catch up : VISIT
4. Techniques : WAYS
5. "The Hobbit" being : ELF. "E" and wait for the crosses.
6. WC : LOO
7. "Homeland" channel, for short : SHO. Showtime.
8. Enjoyed themselves : HAD FUN
9. Contemporary pagan religion : WICCA
10. In contact with : AGAINST
11. Kind : ILK
12. A Capulet, to a Montague : FOE. Romeo and Juliet.
13. Cover for a bald spot? : SOD
18. Art theft, e.g. : HEIST. Art and bank vault robberies always seemed to be "heists". Everything else is plain old larceny.
22. Unlatch, poetically : OPE'
24. "Deadwood" actress Jewell : GERI
25. Fencing sword : EPÉE
26. "Should I have waited?" : TOO SOON? Often the question comes after a joke in bad taste regarding a recent tragic event.
27. Lenox china brand : DANSK. Crosses all the way.
28. Word with period or note : GRACE. One of these little notes on the stave. They're barely played before a quick segue into the note following.
29. It might be a mirage : OASIS
31. Koppel and others : TEDS
33. By the seat of one's pants, e.g. : IDIOM
34. Indira Gandhi's father : NEHRU. A lot of people think Mahatma Gandhi was Indira's father. Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India following independence from British rule.
35. Plumlike fruits : SLOES. Take a bottle of gin, a generous handful of sloes, prick the berries all over with a needle, steep in the gin for a few days or longer - voila, sloe gin.
36. Classic accusation : ET TU?
39. Be catty? : PURR
40. Missouri River native : OTOE
43. Laser device : POINTER. I've got one on my PowerPoint remote clicker for presentations. Dogs love chasing the red dot around the room.
45. Clambake leftovers : ASHES
47. Ottoman honorific : AGA
48. Ice dancing Olympic gold medalist Davis and Oscar winner Streep : MERYLS. I knew the actress, not the dancer.
50. Pull the plug on : CEASE
52. Run through : USE UP
53. 2016 Disney film set in the South Seas : MOANA. I think I saw film. By the fact I "think" I saw it probably means it wasn't a Disney classic.
54. Spread apart : SPLAY
56. Tommie of '60s-'70s baseball : AGEE. Nailed it! Thanks to many crosswords under my belt.
57. Hee-hawing animal : ASS
58. Choose : OPT
59. Narrow inlet : RIA
61. Barrel wood : OAK
62. The Cavaliers of the ACC : UVA. University of Virginia, naturally.
63. It may be picked : NIT. But never, ever here at the Corner.
That about rounds it off. I'll leave you with this cloudscape in London last Sunday, and the grid. The iPhone really does take pretty good photos sometimes!
Steve
17A. Pap : MUSHY FOOD. About as appetizing as it sounds.
24A. Pep : GET UP AND GO. Nice phrase, difficult to parse from a partially-completed grid.
38A. Pip : DIE SPOT. I tried ONE SPOT first, but TEO'S and GERN at 31D and 24D respectively nudged me that something was amiss.
49A. Pop : MUSIC GENRE. "Pop" is often used derogatively, but there's something about a good pop song that lifts the soul.
60A. Pup : YOUNG SEAL. Had YOUNGSTER until nothing would work in the SW corner.
Good Morning from 39,000 feet!. It's cold outside, as the in-flight website shows:
I never cease to be amazed by technology. This wireless internet caper at this altitude is nothing more than dark magic and hocus-pocus to me.
Anyway, back to the puzzle. A nice alphabet progression from Morton, and four of the five theme entries are new to all the major puzzles which makes for a nice fresh feel to the grid.
Let's see what else catches the eye:
Across:
1. WC : LAV Common term in the UK, from whence I just returned. I can stop talking like Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins" now.
4. Cardiff-born : WELSH
9. Many Dickens kids : WAIFS
14. Action film gun : UZI
15. Kauai greeting : ALOHA. Greeting and farewell. Handy word.
16. Northern home : IGLOO
19. Like hardened mud on boots : CAKED
20. Asks too many questions : PRIES
21. Central points : FOCI. Some prefer "focuses", but that's the verb, not the noun.
23. Mountain legend : YETI
30. Getting-started instruction : STEP ONE. Self-assembly furniture, the bane of modern life, usually starts with counting the screws, washers and what-not and finding yourself one short of something.
32. 1976 Dylan song about his first wife : SARA. I'd not heard this track before. When I listened to it, I would have sworn it was Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler if I didn't know it was Bob.
33. Like FM radio, typically : IN STEREO
36. Old lab heaters : ETNAS. We used Bunsen burners in school. Handy for setting fire to just about anything within reach, including your classmate's tie. I'm surprised we survived school sometimes. One of my friends once went home unawares with a flask of sulphuric acid in his overcoat pocket, slipped in there by another chum.
37. Playa __ Rey: L.A. community : DEL. Between the Marina and the airport. It's pretty peaceful in spite of the proximity to LAX.
41. Biol. or chem. : SCI.
42. Places to find stacks : IHOPS. And blue roofs.
44. Some DVD bonus tracks : OUTTAKES. Some of the best parts of Pixer's movies are the specially-created "outtakes" that they run with the credits at the end of the film. The animators have a lot of fun with those.
46. Little dipper? : OREO We take Oreos by popular request to the UK when we visit. For some reason they're rather expensive over there. Also, the more unusual M&M flavors, Lawry's garlic salt and bean dip. It always fascinates the TSA guys when they open the bag.
47. Lovey-dovey : AMOROUS
51. Sounds of activity : HUMS
55. __ beer : NEAR. And pretty much pointless, in my humble opinion. Also known as "small beer." There's a tombstone in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral in England which serves as a dire warning against drinking this stuff. I was just there the other day.
56. Legendary moralist : AESOP
57. Angiogram image : AORTA
64. Counterintelligence targets : SPIES
65. The life of Paris? : LA VIE
66. Tre meno due : UNA. 3-2=1 in any language.
67. Disconcerting gaze : STARE. I get uncomfortable when cats stare at me. I know they're plotting something dire.
68. Stingray kin : SKATE
69. Salary : PAY
Down:
1. Like poorly made Cream of Wheat : LUMPY. Is this also pap?
2. Clear blue : AZURE
3. Stay and catch up : VISIT
4. Techniques : WAYS
5. "The Hobbit" being : ELF. "E" and wait for the crosses.
6. WC : LOO
7. "Homeland" channel, for short : SHO. Showtime.
8. Enjoyed themselves : HAD FUN
9. Contemporary pagan religion : WICCA
10. In contact with : AGAINST
11. Kind : ILK
12. A Capulet, to a Montague : FOE. Romeo and Juliet.
13. Cover for a bald spot? : SOD
18. Art theft, e.g. : HEIST. Art and bank vault robberies always seemed to be "heists". Everything else is plain old larceny.
22. Unlatch, poetically : OPE'
24. "Deadwood" actress Jewell : GERI
25. Fencing sword : EPÉE
26. "Should I have waited?" : TOO SOON? Often the question comes after a joke in bad taste regarding a recent tragic event.
27. Lenox china brand : DANSK. Crosses all the way.
28. Word with period or note : GRACE. One of these little notes on the stave. They're barely played before a quick segue into the note following.
29. It might be a mirage : OASIS
31. Koppel and others : TEDS
33. By the seat of one's pants, e.g. : IDIOM
34. Indira Gandhi's father : NEHRU. A lot of people think Mahatma Gandhi was Indira's father. Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India following independence from British rule.
35. Plumlike fruits : SLOES. Take a bottle of gin, a generous handful of sloes, prick the berries all over with a needle, steep in the gin for a few days or longer - voila, sloe gin.
36. Classic accusation : ET TU?
39. Be catty? : PURR
40. Missouri River native : OTOE
43. Laser device : POINTER. I've got one on my PowerPoint remote clicker for presentations. Dogs love chasing the red dot around the room.
45. Clambake leftovers : ASHES
47. Ottoman honorific : AGA
48. Ice dancing Olympic gold medalist Davis and Oscar winner Streep : MERYLS. I knew the actress, not the dancer.
50. Pull the plug on : CEASE
52. Run through : USE UP
53. 2016 Disney film set in the South Seas : MOANA. I think I saw film. By the fact I "think" I saw it probably means it wasn't a Disney classic.
54. Spread apart : SPLAY
56. Tommie of '60s-'70s baseball : AGEE. Nailed it! Thanks to many crosswords under my belt.
57. Hee-hawing animal : ASS
58. Choose : OPT
59. Narrow inlet : RIA
61. Barrel wood : OAK
62. The Cavaliers of the ACC : UVA. University of Virginia, naturally.
63. It may be picked : NIT. But never, ever here at the Corner.
That about rounds it off. I'll leave you with this cloudscape in London last Sunday, and the grid. The iPhone really does take pretty good photos sometimes!
Steve
FLN Bill G1035P & Anon T1040P alluded to Rudolph which provides a perfect segue for me to invite you to return to my post on Tue. 11-28 at 541A with words of explanation at 149P. Yesterday's puzzle was a masterpiece which was a labor of love for the creators.
ReplyDelete-The "Randy Report" was my equivalent, flowing effortlessly thru my fingers to the screen. I was inspired. There are plays on words in almost every sentence. Randy's mother singing a "Doet" with her sister is worth the price of admission by itself.
-The reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh have beautiful full antlers which is why they are female. Male reindeer lose their antlers before December.
-When you can contain yourself once again, I would like you to meet Sophia at 11-28, 416P. This is my first successful link. CSO to Argyle for his guidance.
-On Thu. 11-23, Anon836A showed concern for Native Americans. You may find how many live in your state at
Native Americans
-Kentucky is home to Cherokees.
Dave
Picard216P on 11-20
ReplyDelete-"A LUCID dream is one where you know you are dreaming in the dream." I listened to each of your presentations, and appreciate your study. I know I am dreaming when every sensation is in picture form. When I wake, and the pictures stop and thoughts replace them, I want to go back. The detail in them is exquisite with full color and dialogue.
-I used to have nightmares about work where I could never get "It" done or correct. Now I have grand adventures. I would rather dream than watch TV any day.
- -QOD "There are two worlds: the world we can measure with line and rule, and the world that we feel with our hearts and imagination," James Henry Leigh Hunt (1784-1859, author of "Abou Ben Adhem")
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Morton and irrepressible Steve!
Managed to get it done without problems, although the cough and cold slow my brain down quite a bit. (I contributed to the blog very late yesterday.
Get to see cardiac specialist tomorrow if Harvey is well enuf to drag me there. (He stayed in bed today, evidently.)
I knocked over a burner in chem lab in college. The prof. acted fast. No harm done to anything, or my grade, fortunately.)
Hope to see you all tomorrow!
Where is everyone else? Ferm: Good to see you posting and sorry you aren't well. Feel better.
ReplyDeleteThank you, MJM, for a good challenge today. I finally managed to jump on his wave length though it took many erasures. LAV and LOO didn't fool me. My STUNGUN morphed into POINTER when I-HOP and OREO emerged thanks to IDIOM.
LA VIE appeared to finish UVA since Cavaliers mean nothing to me. My GETUPANDGO went quite a while ago. Like Steve, I know the actress, MERYL but not the skater. The AGEE I know is a playwright.
Didn't know Dylan's wife, SARA, but it perped. I remember ETNAS.
Fine work from Mr. Mendelson. And excellent reporting from our high-flying Steve!
Have a grand Thursday, everyone! Back to bed. Allergies are playing havoc with me.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteWhoosh! That was the theme going over my head. Didn't need it for the solve, though. Had I read the full clue for 48D, MERYLS would have been obvious. Instead, the Y and L were my final fills. Thanx, MJM and Steve.
Back in the early '70s I was responsible for converting our mono FM station to STEREO. For weeks We had to broadcast from our production studio while the main control room was being rewired with a new console and lots and lots of new 600-ohm balanced circuits. The biggest "trick" was getting a matched pair of equalized phone lines, running through the same trunks all the way from the studios to the transmitter site. That was to ensure that the left and right channel audio arrived in-phase. Fun times. Not so fun that I'd want to tackle it again, though.
Steve, why so impressed with the in-the-air internet caper? Should be a snap. You're already in the Cloud!
Cockneys hated Van Dyke’s accent, because the studio gave him an Irishman for a voice coach.
ReplyDeleteSmall beer was a common drink for the entire family before water purification; it has just enough alcohol to kill bacteria
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw Pep, I knew what was going on. I like this type of puzzle if it's done well, which this was. I immediately put in Loo for Lav and then Loo shows up later! Had Loci/Foci, Lite/Near, and Uno/Una. The only unknown was Geri (Jewell). Seemed on the easy side for a Thursday.
Thanks, Morton, for a fun solve and thanks, Steve, for your "soaring" summary.
Our weather has been fairly mild but extremely windy which negates the moderate temps. Oh well, at least the white stuff is staying away. (For now, anyway.)
Have a great day.
Better late than never, so they say. So, thank you, Argyle, for Tuesday's write-up. Sorry for forgetting! 😔
ReplyDeleteWIMS. This seemed very easy, the only unknown was GERI Jewell, but we should know this amazing ACTOR . I knew Meryl Davis from the Olympics and DWTS, where she won the mirror ball with Max. VIDEO . Interesting that we have a WC clecho on Steve's day to blog. I forgot that I forgot Dylan's SARA and I think MOANA IS a Disney classic.
ReplyDeleteFavorite fill: Cover for a bald spot? : SOD
Thank you MJM and Steve. It is amazing that Oreos are dear in GB, but I learned on my trip to Thailand, some things from America are cheaper but some are much more expensive.
Starting with Cream of Wheat and mushy food! UGH! I will have toast and coffee for breakfast. Or maybe eggs. I consider all the hot cereals pap.
ReplyDeleteFavorite clue was "cover for a bald spot"/SOD. Easy puzzle.
I was looking for the theme in the fill, not in the clues, so I missed it.
I knew today's Disney film. I am not so up on them now that my grandson is 19 and in college.
I have been very busy this month, which has increased my get up and go. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to stay at rest.
So I must get up and go now.
TA TA.
Thanks, MJM and Steve.
Musings
ReplyDelete-I had a very fun vowel movement
-I don’t know the MUSIC GENRE or identity of these Grammy Best New Artists nominees
-Iglu (IGLOO) is simply the Inuit word for house. You’re welcome.
-When an interviewer PRIES too much, some people GET UP AND GO
-Water will boil very quickly at the FOCI of this device
-I actually started at STEP ONE setting up my new blue tooth speaker yesterday
-A visit from my dad to CATCH UP was never over 15 minutes
-A very famous art HEIST that greatly enhanced the value of the piece
-Our National Anthem seems to invite the insertion of random GRACE NOTES
-Indira Ghandi – How do you pronounce her dad’s first name – Jawaharlal NEHRU
I found this one difficult, though I got the theme early. But it's the type I enjoy - OK, just do as much as I can, then look something up. OK, what about this section? And this one? Oh, it's done? FIR w/o help before I knew I was even getting close.
ReplyDeleteUVA was easy; here you either a Hokie (VA Tech) fan or a Cav fan (except for me - Go UK Wildcats).
NEAR beer can't be sold in Georgia groceries on Sunday because it has a tiny bit of alcohol.
SARA would have been easier for me if clued "Starship title lady" or "Jinx's granddaughter". Didn't know the Dylan song. Also didn't know LAVIE (oh, LA VIE), Hobit ELF, Capulet, GERI Jewell, MOANA, and what the heck is a GRACE note?
Erased nibs for FOCI, UNe for UNA, and ad lib for IDIOM.
The best radio station in these parts has a low-power mono FM signal. WFOS (for our schools). Oldies all day until early afternoon, then classic blues. If I ever hit the lottery they will have stereo and funding for higher power if they want it. I wonder if their equipment was donated after a commercial station's STEREO upgrade.
Like Steve said, Playa del Rey is next to Marina del Rey, the largest small-boat harbor in the world. It almost didn't get built. People against it said it was just welfare for rich boat owners, and would be a financial boondoggle. IRL it has been wildly successful, with all debts repaid in 1/4 of the forecasted time. It continues to be a cash cow for the area. The only problem is that little black specks of jet fuel ash accumulate all over the boats, but it washes right out with a little elbow grease.
Thanks to MJM for a fine Thursday challenge, and to Steve for anpther interesting tour.
"Musings-I had a very fun vowel movement" It hurts to groan and laugh at the same time. Good one, HG.
ReplyDeleteHey, I haven't had breakfast yet!
ReplyDeleteAnother quick solve today. Thanks Morton and Steve. (You must be getting jet-lagged with all your travels.) But I missed the theme until I came here.
ReplyDeleteHand up for LOO at 1A and then having it fill in at 6D. LAV finally appeared.
I changed Vivre to LA VIE, Alou to AGEE, Uno to UNA (feminine today!).
My cat said Meow before it PURRed.
Cavaliers brings Cle to my mind since they are the nemesis of our Tor Raptors. But it was ACC which I don't follow. Perps were needed for UVA.
My Pap was Baby FOOD before MUSHY filled the spot properly. There is nothing worse than LUMPY Cream of Wheat!
I am not an English major but something seems to be wrong with 50D. CEASE and pull the plug do not seem to be exactly equivalent to me ("cause to cease"=pull the plug in my mind).
Can anyone clarify?? (But I see that cease is listed as a synonym to stop, disengage, so maybe it is just me. But "I pull the plug on it" seems equivalent to "I stop it" but NOT to "I cease it".)
I smiled when SOD appeared (I originally wanted Rug but knew I needed an S from the plural kids). Great clue.
Enjoy the day.
Enjoy the day.
Ah, near beer. Brings back memories of crossing the Ohio to go into Cincy for a few cold ones with my 18 year old friends. Different time, different place. Don’t drink much beer at all these days...too filling. A little bourbon with a cube of ice a couple times a week is more my style now. Anyway, puzzle was fun and just enough challenging to require some effort. JINX@8:54: How ‘bout dem CATS? Hope all have a pleasant Thursday.
ReplyDelete"Puzzling thoughts":
ReplyDeleteFirst off, a SO to our Crossword Corner poster Wilbur Charles - aka, WC - in not UNA, but due clues. I had LOO > LAV in 1a, and things just went down the toilet from there
WYRS ---> I too detest pap in any form. Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, Maypo, Grits, Mush - you can have 'em. Gimme bacon and eggs or cold cereal (mini shredded wheat is my fave) any day of the week. Sausage biscuits and gravy with poached eggs works, too. Maybe, once in awhile, a Belgian waffle
Having a vowel movement - nice!
SARA clip sounded like Bob Dylan. I tried getting Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler but couldn't connect
I really didn't notice the vowel progression between the P's. I also didn't finish the puzzle, as I got stuck in "Orlando", as the USE UP, MOANA, and YOUNG SEAL were incomplete. Several WO's, too.
Noticed IDIOM again - and for a brief moment I thought INTEL would go into 64a
Needed ESP for GERI & DANSK. I had YOUNGSTER - YOUNG SOUL for 60a
Moe-ku du jour:
Tommy retired.
Started an arch molding biz
Called: AGEE's Ogees
ReplyDeletePretty much WIMS (IM @ 7:07am.) I didn't get the theme, but I was able to solve it with the perps. Interesting puzzle by Morton and the high flying write-up by Steve was definitely over the top.
I also had RUG before SOD.
Unlike some, I still like Cream of Wheat and Oatmeal for breakfast (in the winter). Especially with brown sugar and some fruit. Brings back childhood memories. Of course I like bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, eggs and definitely scrapple for breakfast also. DW will not eat scrapple because she grew up on a farm and said that all of the meat(?) in scrapple is what they threw away when they butchered hogs. She doesn't understand what good is.
I liked the clue for IHOP. Great place for pancakes along with Perkins, Denny's and a local diner in Logan, Utah (I don't remember the name, but it's on Main Street) with whole wheat and buckwheat pancakes that melt in your mouth. DW also won't eat pancakes, because she said she had them every day as a kid for breakfast. (I doubt that it was every day.)
I'm making myself hungry. Think I'll take DW out for lunch.
Enjoy your day, everyone.
Hi everybody. Cream of Wheat? Yummy with a little brown sugar and half-and-half. Never lumpy. Scrapple? I love it though it sometimes falls apart in the skillet. (Is there a secret?)
ReplyDeleteThanks Morton and Steve.
Vowel movement? Good one Gary.
Matt Lauer? And now Garrison Keillor? I never would have guessed. Who next? Mr. Rogers??
Cream of Wheat and scrapple discussions have made me hungry. Alas, no scrapple in the house. Off for a little breakfast anyway.
Bill G, Alan and I like scrapple rather thinly sliced and fried until it is crispy. I learned that from my mil. My mom used thicker slices and dusted them with flour before frying them on high heat to get a brown crust on them. Hers did not fall apart and were still soft on the inside.
ReplyDeleteWell, this toughie gave me a rough morning. Had to cheat about 3/4 through and even then goofed up a few items. Sudoku also too tough--thank goodness for an easy Kenken and Jumble or this would be a disastrous Thursday for me. I too put LOO in right away and had to change it seconds later when I ran into the second WC. Glad that didn't turn out to be the theme. Still, some interesting items throughout, and I loved your high-in-the-sky write-up, Steve. On my Tuesday plane trip, I kept wondering what all those folks were doing on their laptops, and it's fascinating to think of you writing up your puzzle commentary up there! Many thanks, for that.
ReplyDeleteFermatprime, I hope your cold gets better soon. And I wish you relief from your allergies too, Lucina.
CanadianEh, I had the same question about CEASE. I would think CEASE is usually followed by another verb, "I had to CEASE playing," or "I had to CEASE annoying people." But I suppose one can just stop whatever one is doing--"I finally had to CEASE." Still doesn't sound great, does it?
Anyway, I'd better CEASE and get on with my day. Have a good one, everybody!
Hi Y'all! Thanks, Morton & Steve (seems like you're always up in the air. Our corner resident jet-setter.)
ReplyDeleteDidn't get the theme. Didn't think there was one. Duh! I'm not a PUP any more and have no PEP -- too pooped to POP. Well, PIP PIP and talley-ho! If I can HoIST the bod, away I'll go! Or maybe not.
Natick: "V" in UVA/LA VIE cross. I was concentrating on UVA because the only Cavs I know were NBA. When I finally looked more at LA VIE clue, I got it.
Didn't know GERI. Did know the elegant MERYL Davis, one of my favorites. I love ice dancing.
NEHRU: I could see his face and the famous jacket, but the name was slow to come. Duh! He or the jacket was big in the news at one time.
In contact with = AGAINST didn't make sense to me for awhile. I was thinking communicating not getting physical.
Gary: "vowel movement". Too funny!
The harassment situation is almost getting ridiculous. Who next? Santa Claus? After all he sneaks around and gains access to houses, doesn't he? Sounds pretty suspicious.
I'm suffering from cornetitis. That's an inflammation of my corner cornet because you don't seem to give a toot. On 11-28 I anxiously read each post after "The Randy Report," and "Sophia" to read what people wrote about them. The answer was "Nothing." Today you wrote spirited comments about solving the puzzle, and points that earlier people made including several W??Ss. I held out hope today as I read until Bill G1049A. His name in bold print is the first thing he would have seen on the comments section today.
ReplyDeleteWhen Anon injected her or his venom on 11-24, 632P, the message was clear. This person does not like me. You are also providing a powerful nonverbal message that appears to parallel that of Anon. Why?
"PT2":
ReplyDeleteFeeding off of HG's pun today . . .
I won't have loose, or
Irregular vowel movement;
By hook or by crook
I hope this brings a small grin to our grammarians!
Remember Click and Clack's Sexual Harassment Intervention Counselor Pat McCann? Herr's the whole motley crew.
ReplyDeleteD4E4H: Don't expect everyone to comment on anything or everything you write, please. There are a lot of great comments made by a lot of people that get no feedback. If you are just contributing in hopes of getting your ego stroked, we may be a great disappointment to you. Be calm and cool and just be confident that we may be quietly enjoying your work, dear man.
ReplyDeleteWell, Lav & Loo had me going for a while, wasn't sure where to put which?
ReplyDeleteBut in the end, done in by the French!
62d, I don't know Cavaliers & ACC from a hole in the wall.
Which left me 65a, The life of Paris?
(I thought Lazy,,, Oh boy, am I gonna get hate mail....)
So I put "Lazie."
How would I know I should have put "Paresseux"
I think, Jeez, this is harder than English...)
From late last night: Window Sill/Door Sill?
I don't know to much about anything, but if the thing on
the bottom of a window opening is the sill,
isn't the thing on the bottom of a door opening a saddle?
HG, Vowel Movement, Thank you, Thank you.
I had completely run out of ideas for silly links for this type of puzzle!
You just opened up a whole new avenue...
Normally I would try to add silly links for each of the theme entries,
but today i just do not have the Pep!
Which brings me to near beer...
I am reminded of a camping trip over Labor Day Weekend in which
we ascended a (mountain) that involved a 750 foot climb, straight up,
to visit a shelter on the top.
At the shelter we discover two 30 packs, (one nearly full)
of Coors Lite beer left by (Kids?)
I am actually horrified by this,
what is wrong with the next generation!
If you are going to carry 40 pounds of beer 750 feet straight up,
why on earth would you carry "lite beer"!!!
Well said, PK.
ReplyDeleteGreetings!
ReplyDeleteLovely vowel progression today. Thanks, MJM. And great up-in-the-sky tour, Steve. Beautiful London photo.
PK--Well said.
Fermatprime--I hope you feel better soon.
Enjoy the day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Morton. Thanks Steve.
I picked a NuT, not a NIT. C'est LA VUE. Especially in Paris, where you can get an eyeful from the Eiffel.
ReplyDeleteGrumpy Cat won't like this, but did we really need scientific proof ? Wasn't it already self-evident ?
I enjoyed this puzzle. Of course I was looking for a theme in the answers, not in the clues, so didn't notice it until I had almost finished. I don't like MUSHY FOOD but did very much like it as fresh fill and a just plain cool phrase. Like many of you I put LOO in at 1a and later had to change it. TOO LATE had to change to TOO SOON and seeing the EO as the last 2 letters of 33a gave me fits until the light bulb clicked on. Like CanadianEh! my cat said Meow before it PURRed.
ReplyDeleteGary, good one!
Good wishes to you all.
Welcome back Misty (and Wilbur C, I see last night).
ReplyDeleteD4E4H - PK said it well. We don't always take the time (or we don't remember after reading all of the blog) to comment on everything. Unfortunately, the blog is not set up like Facebook where we could just press "LIKE" (or another emoji) after every comment. Don't take it personally; we are reading your posts.
TTP@1:10
ReplyDeleteWell, you KNOW I am going to take this bait...
& is the number of neurons really the gauge of intelligence?
Look at the Raven, a tool using (animal?)
(Hmm, bad choice, Ravens have more Neurons than both Cats and Dogs...)
Oh well, maybe the question should be...
Had LOO before LAV...which made 6D easy...SHARK before SKATE....and that was it. Kind of an easy Thursday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI never expect anyone to comment on my entries, thus I am never disappointed.
CED (David 1) you are out of control with your wit today- great.
ReplyDeleteD4E4H (David 2) those of us who blog the puzzles take between 1.5 and 5 hours to solve and write up each puzzle. Thousands of people around the world read this. We get all kinds of comments ranging from 30 to 100 per day. Yet is clear that many of those who make those posts have not read the write-up. We often see them repeat the links we used or the topics we discussed. Most that read the write-up do not comment. Such is life is in the big city.
PK, you are amazing.
PVX we comment on your comments often.
ReplyDeleteTa-
ReplyDeleteDA!
A bit of a challenge from the talented Mr. Mendelson, but nothing that P+P couldn't overcome in reasonable time.
I enjoyed Steve's write-up, with a special appreciation for the UK photos. I am partly English and nearly 100% British in my genes, and as I get older (and less likely to return to the mother country) I find I've become more and more nostalgic when faced with visions of the Isles.
My slowest point with today's pzl was in the center, at the crossing of TOO SOON and DIE SPOT. Something about the unusual "look" of those fills kept me from grokking till late in the game - with all the attendant hesitations among their perps.
This being Thursday I tried (as usual) to do my first row of solving in a direct diagonal from 1A through 69A. I managed to bring it off but am sorry to report that the grid pattern forces breaks in two places, at the black squares just before 24A and 51A.
I understand pzl creators are not in the business of protecting a clear, clean line for Ol' Keith's solving method, but I do appreciate being able to lay a straightedge from the first through very last squares and see nothing but white.
That uninterrupted diagonal - a pure snowy slant! - is for me the sine qua non of cruciverbal aesthetics.
Just sayin'.
Thought I FIR but I was wrong. UNO/SPLOY vs UNA/SPLAY. Otherwise I found it a fairly smooth, fun ride! Learning moment for that meaning of PAP. Hand up for LOO before LAV at 1A. Hand up for YOUNGSTER before YOUNG SEAL.
ReplyDeleteWe spent Thanksgiving Weekend in San Francisco and had many enjoyable adventures.
No YOUNG SEALS, but we did see these Sea Lions at Pier 39. Not sure if this was play or mild battle between males.
Unknowns: DANSK, SARA, UVA, AGEE, OTOE, GERI.
Thank you for the update on your LUCID dreaming experience D4E4H. Thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my two talks! I am not quite sure if I understand, though. A LUCID dream is not lucid just because "every sensation is in picture form". You have to have the meta-awareness that you are dreaming while you are in the dream. Are you saying that you have that meta-awareness when "every sensation is in picture form"?
From Yesterday:
Thank you Wilbur Charles for the hearty encouragement to continue my posts! I agree with the comment by CanadianEh that a "Like" button would be handy in this blog! Probably not easy to implement and maybe Facebook has patented it!
Thank you AnonymousT for the kind words about my NADER and DELOREAN photos! My first experience with NADER was during his 2000 campaign and he got annoyed when people took too many photos while he was speaking. He is very thoughtful and I think he wanted people to focus on what he was saying, not on his being famous.
The photo yesterday was from a 2007 cruise with the Nation Magazine, which is the oldest magazine in the US, dating back to the Civil War! NADER was generous with his time for that entire week. He has to keep a personal space to stay sane, but he does not act superior.
He offers a positive contrast to the all-too common life here: Endless meaningless consumption that leaves people feeling empty and unsatisfied... and seeking more consumption to fill the void.
NADER's values in many ways are quite traditional and very similar to my own upbringing. He values civic engagement above all else. He sees the real heroes in our society as those who take the time to understand the issues and the facts. To debate how to solve problems. And to go to meetings and take action. He wants every single citizen to be such a hero. I agree!
CED, touché. ��
ReplyDeleteCED -- Letter-Rip! Bravo! Best laugh I've had today ... especially when all the other news is about moral implosions or another ally we've repulsed, or another administration personage about to get axed.
ReplyDeleteSome of the thing about comments, is that by the time some of us read them, everything has already been said, and all that is left is just repeating. For example, I also started with LOO instead of LAV -- but so did everyone else, it seems -- so to post this fact is just to acknowledge that crossworders think alike, which we already knew.
Pull the plug on/cease
ReplyDeleteI will have to pull the plug on allowing you stay out past midnight
I will have to cease allowing you to stay out past midnight.
Threshold/saddle /door sill
When I had the tracks and a sliding door between my living room and my glassed-in sun room removed to open up the space, I received many compliments. The carpenter replaced the track area with a saddle or door sill. The two words are six of one and a half dozen of the other. Some call the door sill a threshold which is equally correct. I use threshold more metaphorically.
I believe we need a more nuanced reaction to the current rash of harassment charges. We distinguish between petty larceny and armed robbery with different penalties. Involuntary manslaughter is not he same as murder one. Copping a feel or ass pinching, while wrong and humiliating to the victim , is not equal to rape. Let the punishment fit the crime.
However, we do need to change the way some men perceive women. It seems many men feel they are God's gift to women, as we disparagingly called them in college. There is an attitude that says, "I am such a great lover that you can't really mean no when you turn me down." Hubris, power, entitlement, and lust lead to advantage taking.,
Since these attitudes have not been routinely condemned they have become part of the culture. Lotharios, women don't always perceive you the way you perceive yourself.
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteStarted with LOO and then had to move LOO and insert LAV. Did not see the clue P-P progression, but, no matter, got 'er done anyway. No searches needed. Fav. was the cluing of IHOPS.
PAP - I cook my old fashioned Oatmeal exactly the way Quaker Oats instructs on the box. So you get nice tender oat flakes with a slight nut-like taste which are not-at-all mushy. A little blackstrap molasses and voilà, a taste to dream about when arising.
Jinx:
ReplyDeleteA GRACE note is an ornamental note (or a series of notes) that may be heard as a pleasant addition to the melody but are not essential to the harmony or main line of a musical piece.
You hear a lot of GRACE notes from singers at ball games when they're trying to find their way to the final note of the national anthem.
Misty,
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you back at the ol' water cooler!
And yes, we still must have our live tree. We have a couple of fake ones that sometimes pop up in other rooms, but for the living room it must be real. In my defense I point to Aroma and Irregularity, two invariable signs of life. (Too much irregularity means I have to get out the saw and do what I can to approach symmetry. Crazy, no?)
Our only concession these past couple of years is to stand our tree up on a small table.
This way we can still position the top star at the right place in our upper fan window without having to buy more than 6.5 feet of tree.
Practicality does matter.
Spitz, I moved to Cedar Rapids in the early '70s. Upon arising on my first morning in that city I immediately asked, "What is that awful stink?" I was informed that it was the smell of money coming from the Quaker Oats plant. Never liked it, never got used to it, and never figured out why a cereal company should emit such a foul smell. It was quite the industrial (rust-belt) city back then. I wonder what's keeping it alive today.
ReplyDeleteD-O Probably not a good idea to move near any factory. I have a special fondness for oats, so oatmeal works for me.
ReplyDeleteI like oatmeal. Cream of Wheat, too. Grits also, for that matter. And a particular favorite of mine is rice "congee," or gruel, what the Chinese call zhou (pronounced like "Joe").
ReplyDeletePK, you sure are articulate. I enjoy reading what you have to say.
The Thai call it soup rice, same thing as zhou. It is part of the breakfast daily.
ReplyDeleteD4E4H - Sorry about your cornetitis. As we used to say: "Take 2 APC's and call me in the morning."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation Steve. I kept thinking there would be more WC clues and never even noticed the vowel progression of the Split P's. Just like I.M. and many others, I stated with LOO before LAV straightened out the LUMPY start in the NE. The theme answers were very easy, so easy that I filled MUSHY FOOD from perps without seeing the 17A clue. But it took a couple of WAGs to correctly finish the puzzle. Never heard of SARA, DANSK CHINA, GERI Jewell (or Jewell GERI?), or the Disney film MOANA.
ReplyDeleteThe SE had me puzzled as I knew UN (A,E,I,O,or U) for 66A and had filled SPLIT for SPLAY so UNI seemed okay. MOANA was a complete unknown and the P_T fill for 'Salary' couldn't get it. I also had CLE Cavaliers in place before UVA moved it out. It took a couple of minutes to work it out.
AMOUROUS adventures seem to VISIT the airwaves lately.
oc4beach- I also like Cream of Wheat but my wife likes grits (why I don't know).
Bill G- Mr. Rogers? You can accuse anybody in the grave with NO legal consequences.
Jinx- I like the other Car Talk Counselor better- NATASHA DIAZ. PAT McCANN sounds like an invitation to 'pat my can' instead of 'no toucha de ass'.
D-O, when I went to college n Durham, NC, the first thing I noticed was the stink! There were ...well more than one....tobacco factories in town that overwhelmed the air. I never did get used to it, but I loved going to school there, otherwise. Factories of any kind seem to be stinky.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle was fun, I got the theme and appreciated it. Steve, I'm amazed and awed by your dedication and knowledge. Thanks for all you do!
Is it appropriate to state here that we are here to discuss the crossword puzzles that we have worked?
A66: Tre meno due is UNO. Una is the female single indefinite article in Italian & Spanish
ReplyDeleteWell, you're reminding me to start getting ready for the holiday, Ol'Man Keith! Enjoy your lovely tree!
ReplyDeleteSwampCat, my sentiments exactly ! Those with an agenda should go elsewhere !
ReplyDeleteI was missing our favorite Anon(604) then he pops in with the funniest post of the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the CSO Uncle Morton and C-Moe, btw I liked that Moe-ku that I could get. I didn't get the vowels movement one. Did YR?
I had a pretty smooth run. Yes I was sure of LOO at 1A but tried 2D first to save the inkblot. Then when LAVIE perped in I never grokked it until I got here. This from the former French teacher.
So Steve, you ponied up the 8 bucks for airline WiFi. I had my old NYT xword so I passed. Phil, my son, wouldn't dream of a three hour flight with no gaming.
Breakfast. Across from Bay Pines VA is DoDoes Diner. I'm a big home fries guy and Do does'em 👌
Lucina, so sorry to hear about your allergies and likewise Ferma T your bronchial problems. I used to have a bronchial condition that was just like asthma. There's a story there but only upon request.
Tommy Agee got traded to the Mets sometime prior to the 1969 miracle. He, along with Ron Swoboda had a great defensive series. How'd I know? Stars and Stripes from Chu-Lai.
WC
Ouch! For a moment I thought this blog had been hijacked, then I got to the comments that discussed the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHow amusing to have LAV and LOO in a Vowel Movement puzzle!!!
Anonymous at 6:04PM could you be more specific about what "agenda" you have seen here?
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI had the same solving experience as Jinx... "Crap, I'm going to have to resort to Google" and then no. No I didn't and a FIR 100% [sometimes I cut myself slack on vowels just 'cuz who knows how they move anyway :-) ].
So thank you MJM for the perfect balance of WTF?!? and WAGables with enough OMK's P+P [see: AG(E?)E etc.] I almost thought you were really going outside the grid w/ a theme in the 'little' answers [mostly perp'd before I caught onto what WC meant - no LOO @1a for this dummy] w/ the WC clecho.
Steve - wonderful job again mate. Thanks for parsing LAVIE for me - didn't get it 'till I got here.
WOs: Steve said "enter E wait for the crosses" - nope, ENT b/f ELF. NosEs b/f PLIES, MyR... Streep [see: what I said about not knowing where vowels go]; NEHRo.
ESPs: GERI and many others were close. DANSK was one-ish - I kind of knew it but could only dredge it from the little-grey-cells just enough to not be worried as --NSK formed upwards.
Fav: New clue for OREO!. MJM I hope that wasn't Patti/Rich's clue and you can take the bow.
{} {cute, ?}
Fermatprime- get well soon. ++Vibes to you!
HG - LOL VM; CED - that was a little too much. [thanks!]
OMK - crap. I'll have to re-work the grid I'm noodling with to conform to your aesthetics :-). //BTW - my admiration of C.C. grew even morer and morer as I've been trying to grid my own idea [once in a row]. Holy Cow!, this is not easy. Mind you I've the software, read the books and everything - it's just hard to make it "nice." [like today's offering is]
I was going to link Aerosmith's Sweet Emotions for "GET UP AND GO must'a got up and went" lyrics - but in the current political climate...
You just get SPIES Like Us trailer.
Cheers, -T
"PT 3":
ReplyDeleteTo WC and -T
The "pun" regarding the "irregular vowel movement" was maybe too cryptic! I was trying to use the "irregular vowels" in the words loose (where the oo is pronounced "ooh") and the words hook and crook (where the oo is pronounced "uh"). See this link ---> phonics on the web
So my "punny" meaning was to insert 3 words with "irregular vowels", and tie it into what would've been a play on words to "irregular bowel movement" - e.g., a "loose" BM. The phrase "by hook or by crook" essentially meant, that in anyway possible, I was trying to avoid having one . . .
I'll try to keep my puns more "sopho-MOE-ric" from now on!! ;^)
Thanks, ya'll. I just hope D4 feels a little better.
ReplyDeleteI guess it’s just me, but if anyone is still reading these comments, can you please explain what is meant by WC for the answers LAV and LOO?
ReplyDeleteMark, WC is the abbr for "Water Closet". Aka, loo and lav (as in lavatory)
DeleteMark: WC stands for Water Closet. A British term for bathroom, also known as a LAV,
ReplyDeleteOr lavatory, or LOO.
As you followed my reply, shouldn't your moniker be "QE, too"?! 😜
Delete