Husker Gary here acting as a literary Sherpa for our crossword mistress. This Sunday, C.C. had made an AMAZING (hence the title) puzzle by scrambling the word GRACE inside some two or three word phrases and situated those scrambled letters such that they span the words in the phrases. Fun!
I am showing the grid early to help those of you who did not have the circles in your paper or electronic grid.
I saw the gimmick and struggled to see what could go with GRACE for the gimmick. However, for the payoff, C.C. substitutes the word BLESSING for GRACE to generate this reveal (not MIXED GRACES):
121. It's not all good ... and it's literally found in this puzzle's circles : MIXED BLESSING. Cool! I have always considered cell phones as a MIXED BLESSING
22. Tehran tinderbox for 14-plus months : HOSTAGE CRISIS - They were released just minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration
34. Making the Guinness Book, say : SETTING A RECORD - Ozzie set the record for "Dog Rope Walking" by going 11.4' in 14 seconds
55. World Cup events : SOCCER GAMES - I am not a SOCCER FAN and this is the ONLY image I remember from the sport - Brandi Chastain in 1999
84. Recycling center item : BEVERAGE CAN - They can really add up
101. Log holder : FIREPLACE GRATE - This feels pretty good at this this time of year on the Great Plains
16. What a Facebook post might draw : STRONG REACTIONS - I posed what I thought was a very innocent question on FB last election season and I was bombarded by STRONG REACTIONS. To quote Edgar Allen's famous bird - NEVERMORE!!
43. Violet Crawley's title in "Downton Abbey" : DOWAGER COUNTESS - Hearing Maggie Smith wield her acid tongue in this role is well worth viewing!
Now let's what other AMAZING BLESSINGS C.C. is bestowing on us today
Across
1. /, on some score sheets : SPARE - The bottom score here is known as a Dutch 200 where you get that score by alternating spares (/) and strikes (X) for ten frames. Boomer doesn't bother with /'s all that often! 😏
6. Herbal tea : TISANE, 1. Teahouse treat : SCONE and 80. "Unexpected blends" tea brand : TAZO provide a mini theme by tea connoisseur C.C.
12. Premier League powerhouse : CHELSEA - More Soccer19. Ascended : SCALED
20. Calligraphy container : INKPOT
21. Top-seller : HOT ITEM
24. Getting on in years : ELDERLY - Hey! I resemble that adjective!
25. Asthmatic's device : INHALER - It got my brother through his childhood
26. Super, slangily : UBER - Today's use of that word is much better than what is was used for two generations before.
27. Batman after Michael : VAL - Can you find Mr. Kilmer?
28. Google : Android :: Apple : __ : IOS - This Operating System keeps my iPhone going
29. Got the word : HEARD
30. It borders three oceans : ASIA
32. Resort near Boston : CAPE ANN - I picked the wrong one at first38. Wander (about) : GAD - My lovely bride doesn't care for the fact that I do this constantly when we are shopping
41. Took charge of : LED
44. Long stretches : AEONS
45. Netflix alternative : HULU - I'm a NETFLIXer
46. Down tune : DIRGE -These Volga boatmen have a famous one named after them.
48. Ocean rings : ATOLLS
50. Earned : WON
51. Some charges : USER FEES - It's better to use them than to 49. Impose, as a tax : LEVY
54. Investment firm T. __ Price : ROWE
60. Plummeted : SANK
61. Ne'er-do-well : KNAVE
63. Catch of the day, perhaps : SEA BASS - $30 on this menu for Misoyaki SEA BASS64. Inc., in Toronto : LTD
66. Euro divs. : CTS - It takes 100 €0.01 to make €1.00
67. Workout addicts : GYM RATS - Our YMCA has them of all ages and sizes
69. "That's no kidding" : I MEAN IT
72. Sault __ Marie : STE
74. Pull : TUG - Her trademark
75. Jerry-rigged, in a way : TAPED ON - Oh, like this?
79. Ekberg of "La Dolce Vita" : ANITA
82. Crime scene figure : PERP - PERP (prep) SCHOOL was our first silly, Sunday answer last week87. Stable baby : FOAL
88. National summer sport of Canada : LACROSSE - Hmmm... A sport that only requires two months. 😜 Sorry Canadian Eh!
91. Mourning on the court : ALONZO - A 6'10" former NBA player
93. Distant : ALOOF
94. Sudden attack : RAID - Look out refrigerator!
96. Dish alternative : CABLE
99. Lush : SOT
100. Lady Tigers' sch. : TSU - The Tennessee State University Lady Tigers play just north of where the Vanderbilt University Lady Commodores play in Nashville
106. More offensive : NASTIER - Campaigns race to see who can be NASTIER
108. Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA (not our Born Free lioness) and 86. Film lioness : NALA (a different lioness)
109. Lackluster finish : MATTE
113. And the like: Abbr. : ETC - Yul Brynner sang/spoke it in The King and I114. Sweetie : HON - This appellation may not be very welcome today
115. Mother of Castor : LEDA - Castor's twin Pollux had a different father. It's a long story...
117. Choice word : WHETHER
119. Get going, as an oven : PRE-HEAT
123. Roll call discovery : ABSENCE - A big requirement in schools these days
124. Figure of speech? : ORATOR - A clever clue for one of the best ORATORS of modern times
125. Oddball : WEIRDO
126. Agreement often reluctant but still respectful : YES DEAR - What to say if my lovely bride is right or wrong
127. Mischief-makers : DEMONS
128. Thrills : SENDS - A great song using this 50's slang by one of the best R 'n B singers ever
Down
2. Lara's husband in "Doctor Zhivago" : PASHA - Later in the book, this laughter prone prankster changed - "[PASHA] knew that rumor had nicknamed him Rasstrelnikov, 'the Executioner.' He took it in stride, he feared nothing"
3. Wedding settings : ALTARS
4. Genuine article : REAL DEAL
5. Barely beat (out) : EDGE
6. It may be nervous : TIC - If Inspector Clouseau worked for you...
7. Reduced to rubble : IN RUINS - The Roman Colosseum is magnificent even in this state
8. Aspen traveler's item : SKI BAG
9. Cathedral recess : APSE
10. Detective fiction genre : NOIR - Bogie was the film master
11. Movie makeup dept. creations : ETS - Such as in my favorite Sci-Fi movie Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
12. Inferior : CHEAPO
13. Cry out loud : HOLLER
15. '60s protest : LIE IN - When your "Sit In" just wasn't gettin' it done
17. Fish trapped in pots : EELS - I'd try them at C.C.'s house if she offered them...
18. Adams of "Her" : AMY
19. __ Tzu : SHIH - Most take great pains to pronounce this breed carefully
23. Sister of Clio : ERATO - One of the muses who frequent our little word stand here
27. Space devoid of matter : VACUUM - Here's a kitty trying to figure out a VACUUM here on Earth
31. Lust, e.g. : SIN
32. Dopey frame, e.g. : CEL - In this CEL frame, he is gettin' down with Snow White
33. Short lines at the post office? : ADDR - ADDRess
35. Hardy's "Pure Woman" : TESS - She and Yoko both are frequent fliers here
36. Now, in Nicaragua : AHORA and 53. This, to Picasso : ESTA - Aquí ESTÁ la respuesta AHORA (Here is the answer now)
37. Climbing aids : RUNGS
39. Mole, perhaps : AGENT
40. Classroom array : DESKS - These DESKS have only way to be arrayed
41. Shenanigan : LARK - Or a more beautiful use of the word from a musical we all know
42. School since 1440 : ETON - The ETON Cricket team will tour Sri Lanka next spring
47. Uncertainties : IFS - If IFS and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas
50. Bug catcher : WEB - Our lush landscape invites many of these spider constructions
52. One-named Tejano pop star : SELENA - I subbed for a Spanish teachers for two days and I showed half of this film of her too-short life each day
56. Plains folks? : OSAGES
57. Belgium winter hrs. : CET
58. Social division : CASTE
 |
| ...but so is high school |
62. Pro with a siren : EMT
65. Paternity test letters : DNA - Blood tests could only tell a man he wasn't the father or that he could be
68. Uses elbow grease on : RUBS
70. Comfy slip-on : MOC
71. Skinny : INFO
72. Impact sound : SPLAT - Spaghetti's done!
73. Dabbling ducks : TEALS - New use of Dabble for me
76. Thin as __ : A RAIL and 121. Like Twiggy's style : MOD - 5'6" 90lbs
77. Important animal in '70s U.S.-China diplomacy : PANDA - Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing
78. Future chicken : EGG
81. Heaps : A LOT
83. Golf course figure : PRO -
85. Ben of "Roots" : VEREEN - Chicken George
89. Send-__: farewells : OFFS
92. "Hmm … " : LET ME SEE - Did I find all my errors or will I have to count on my friends to find them?
95. What "4" may mean: Abbr. : APR - Uncle Sam gets my last tax money as late as possible on 4/15
96. Porcelain with a pale green glaze : CELADON - Beautiful green pottery first made in China but named in England
97. Justice Dept. bigwigs : AGS - Attorneys General (A'S G?)
98. Beaning aftermath, sometimes : BRAWL
 |
| BASEBRAWL |
103. Revolting sort? : RIOTER
104. Formally give : CEDE TO
105. Takes courses at home? : EATS IN
107. Felt the pain : ACHED
110. "Hot corner" base : THIRD - So called because hit balls get there very quickly, that's why all that play THIRD base should wear these
111. Ministers : TENDS
112. Cartesian connection : ERGO
113. Kathryn of HBO's "Oz" : ERBE - Google it if you're interested
115. Old Parmesan bread : LIRE - A euphemism for old money in Parma, Italy
116. Eye __ : EXAM - My 95-year-old MIL passed her eye EXAM and now her driver's license is now good until she is 100
118. Adheres (to) : HEWS - So this is where that comes from
119. Settle up : PAY
120. Biloxi-to-Mobile dir. : ENE -ESE would work for this famous song lyric "From Natchez To Mobile"
122. Places to crash, in ads : BRS - One of our 3 B(ed)R(nooms)S got converted to a computer room/office 20 minutes after on daughter got a job and moved to Lincoln.
Now how 'bout some MIXED BLESSINGS from the peanut gallery (Man, I'm old!)
Gary
Notes from C.C.:
Here is a picture from our local crossword constructors get-together last Sunday Dec 3, 2017. Chris is based in Iowa. Drove a long way. Quite a few are our LAT constructors. Kathy made her LAT debut earlier this year.
I recall Will Shortz mentioned a while ago that after New York and California, Minnesota has the most constructors.
Thanks for organizing the event, Tom, you're the best!
 |
| Dec 3, 2017 Sunday |
Seated, L to R: C.C. Burnikel, Theresa Horan (Teedmn), Kathy Jaschke
Standing:
George Barany, Tariq Samad (Cryptics constructor), Stew Lelievr (been
to the ACPT for about 20 years straight), Andrew Sand, Amy Bemis, Jay
Kaskel, David Hanson (Rosebud), Marcia Brott, Christopher Adams, Victor
Barocas and Tom Pepper
35 comments:
Sunday Blessings Cornerwriters,
Boo LuQuette FLN 752P
-He said, "Could these be the ANONS coming out the closet?" I'm new, but I have not been anon. I stand with the Cornerwriters who want to make this a place of fun.
SwampCat FLN 828P
-She said, "We do have a few new names who are still suspect!" Please help me escape from the "Still suspect!" status. Thank you.
Misty FLN 1036P
-She was "Watching 'Mary Poppins' tonight" I am happy that you loved ever second. I'm a DDR which is one who has watched "Dirty Dancing" soo many times. I even have it on DVD. Then there is "Pretty woman," same love level but no DVD. The clips for the award winning movie "La La Land" have yet to persuade me to view it.
Today
The human mind amazes me. I wish I had one. I looked at the circled letters. I used them to fill in the empty circles of each long answer and yet I did not see GRACE. Isn't that amazing. After much musing I was able to FIR sans BAV. My final natick was 115A L EDA who has a thing for swans, and 115D LIRE which I could use to buy bread coated with parmesan cheese.
Shame on you C.C. for making such a deliciously difficult CW. I loved it! HG, you have outdone yourself today!
Dave 2
FIR today. The gimmick was blah, but the reveal was cute.
There was a chap we'll call ALONZO
Caused some folks to call him a WEIRD-O.
On his FIREPLACE GRATE
He cooked EGGS by the crate --
They were wholesale, and he was el CHEAP-O!
VAL was SETTING A RECORD for some doin's
In his mouth had INHALERS accruin'!
Even two was absurd,
But he fit in a THIRD --
They worked! But his lungs are IN RUINS!
A LARK was in love with a TEAL!
The ACHE declared this the REAL DEAL!
But nonplussed was the duck.
She said, "He's out of luck.
Why, I'd rather have sex with an EEL!"
SOCCER GAMES and ORATORS
Turn normal folks to RIOTERS!
One wrong call
Can start a BRAWL,
You'd think they still wore diapers!
Hrump. I thought increasing the quantity would help the quality, but doesn't look like it. Not even a B in the bunch. {C-, C+, C, C.}
Hi Y'all! Enjoyed the challenge of this really thought provoking exercise, C.C.! You certainly were busy, setting all this up, Gary, thanks!
Owen, I beg to differ. Nothing C.C. does is "blah". Shame on you.
Never knew what HULU was until now. I had _U_U so WAGd it. I haven't done movies in a long while. I go to sleep in the middle.
ALONZO Mourning was my favorite basketball player when he was active in his career. He played for the Heat. He emancipated from his parents at a young age and asked the judge to put him in foster care because his parents were bad examples. He was placed with a very wise and loving foster mother. Remarkable success story.
HON: I treated two of my brothers, their wives, two of my kids and a son-in-law to breakfast yesterday. I was rewarded by AMAZING hugs. A very small but mighty waitress made two trips and one-hand carried in two big trays with platters of breakfasts which I probably could not have carried at all. When she saw I'd added a 30% tip, she patted my shoulder and said, "Thank you, HON." I didn't mind being called that at all.
Good Morning, Gary and friends. Interesting puzzle with lots of misleading clues.
Hand up for Cape Cod before CAPE ANN. I also wanted Fell in lieu of SANK.
I confidently wrote in LSU for the Lady Tigers.
I learned that the movie lioness is NALA and not Elsa.
I learned of the OSAGE people recently after having read Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann. I highly recommend it.
We recently visited the PANDA Reserve in Chengdu, China. I could have stayed all day watching these beautiful creatures.
I never saw OZ, but remember Kathryn ERBE from one of the Law and Order shows.
As many of you know, I go computer-free on Saturdays, so don't read the blog on that day. I peeked this morning, though. Thank you all for the birthday wishes. It meant a lot to me. CED: your cake made me laugh! This leads me into today's QOD ...
QOD: Morning without you is a dwindled dawn. ~ Emily Dickinson (Dec. 10, 1830 ~ May 15, 1886)
Good morning. Thank you CC and thank you Gary.
UBER fun filling the grid this morning. Didn't know TISANE and TAZO, but they PERPed in easily enough.
Also didn't know CET, even though I lived in that timezone for three years. Army beat Navy yesterday for the second year in a row. Navy won the fourteen prior matchups.
A Canada mini theme too. National summer sport, Incorporated in, and loosely, because Toronto FC beat Seattle for the MLS Championship. SOCCER GAMES.
No idea on Violet Crowley or her title, but didn't need to. It was filled entirely by the perps. I did have LSU for the Lady Tigers, but SPLAL made no sense for the "impact sound" clue.
I temporarily TAPED ON the plinth blocks and rosettes while fitting the casing around the new interior door. Looks so much better than the old exterior door it replaced, but even after two coats of semigloss, I now feel a MATTE or EGGshell finish might have been a better option. The addition I put on the house will finally be done after I install the doorknob today.
Crossed the Mississippi at LACROSSE / Onalaska many times. Scenic drive.
Marvin Gaye HEARD it through the grapevine.
IOS - It's in the Aegean Sea. One of the Cyclades. Learned from crosswords.
Good morning!
You know that guy who often fails to read the puzzle title? Well, today he also forgot to look at the circles. Didn't cause a problem with the solve, though. Hand up for CAPE COD and LSU (should've remembered Pat Summitt). Tried LATE FEES at first. Husker, thanx for 'splainin' ALONZO. Lucina, you'd have been proud of me -- I immediately inked in AHORA. Thanx for the outing, C.C.
Every couple of months I take my saved up BEVERAGE CANS to the recyclers. Usually get $20-$30 for the effort.
Husker's toll gate photo reminded me that every new highway construction project around here is a toll road. The newest, the Grand Parkway, isn't grand and isn't a parkway. With an EZTag you can go speeding through the toll gates at 70+ mph.
Anyone who read Agathe Christie books about Hercule Poirot found TISANE a gimme.
HG, where is Batman Ben Affleck?
CELADON was my unknown, perps were fine. I enjoyed having the ELSA/NALA different cluing but could see a clecho waiting to come out.
Impressive Minnesota array. Thank you C.C. and HG. It was 48 degrees here when we awoke, the first time in the 40s since January 2016.
Completed the grid but could not unscramble AGECR, never could do Jumbles. Also had Alonso. BAH!
Thanks Gary and C.C.
For the longest time I mused over "cager." How is that amazing except perhaps to the parents of hoopsters? Then the light bulb went on and I found myself amazed at the cleverness of the cluing.
It's also cold here in Florida - 44 degrees early this morning. No snow in the forecast - yet.
FIR, a bonus for this fun CC offering. Hand up for most erasures - fell, sit IN, devils, ADDs, Par, EsE, and lSU. (D-O, you are going to awaken the haters, especially the fans of the Oklahoma Cowboys, Oklahoma State Sooners, Florida State Gators and Florida Seminoles. Pat Summitt coached the UT Lady Vols, not at TSU.)
I had the "You Send Me" ear worm before Gary's reveal. Thanks, HG, for a nice tour. I thought we would see Boomer today with the SPARE fill right off the bat. Favorite today was "takes courses at home" for EAT IN. Thanks, CC, for your very imaginative challenge.
I have a lot of last-minute prep for teaching next week. These classes make me appreciate elementary school teachers. Just the stress on the vocal cords from talking six hours a day makes this endeavor challenging.
Good Morning:
Had to chuckle at 1A SPARE, CC's nod to Boomer! Thought of Steve at Scone and Chelsea, Lucina at Ahora, and Canadian Eh at the Lacrosse clue. Unknowns were Tisane and Tazo but I knew Alonzo, so no problems. I had Ella/Elsa (again!) Neither/Whether, and Par/Pro. I saw Grace right off the bat and, of course, the title was a hint, but the reveal, Mixed Blessings, was a surprising AHA.
Thanks, CC, for a pleasant and smooth solve and for sharing the group photo and thanks, HG, for the always amusing and articulate write-up.
We got only 4-5 inches of snow yesterday/last night but it was the kind that makes the roads very slippery. The plunging temps exacerbated the driving conditions and caused a lot of skidding and accidents. Frigid weather (20's daytime) due Tuesday and Wednesday, plus more snow mid-week and Friday. Winter is here. (I sound like Al Roker!)
Have a great day.
Thanks for all your work, Gary and CC...I enjoyed this puzzle. The NE corner was the last to fall...HOLLER just wasn’t coming to mind.
There once was a guy from CAPE ANN
Who really was a KNAVE of a man
He always drank ALOT
ERGO, became a big SOT
In his hand always a BEVERAGE CAN
Jinx, sports has never been (and never will be) my long suit. I accept your chastisement. In '79, shortly after moving to Houston, I was making a sales call with a guy named Al Jamison. He asked me if I was a football fan. I asked him if there was a local team. Bad move.
Sunday puzzles always take me a bit longer but they are worth it! Thank you, C.C. You are a GRACE to us but never a MIXEDBLESSING.
I even recalled ALONZO Mourning just from listening to the sports section in the news. Most of the time I tune it out but some names just stay with me. The markings in bowling, however, are alien to me so / meant nothing. Then I thought Lara's husband was SASHA so FIW there. Technology also escapes me, ERGO, IOS never found its way in. Thank you, Gary, for filling in that bit. And thank you for all the nice graphics. Yes, where is BEN? He was my first fill before VAL.
AHORA, ESTA posed no problems and thank you for the CSO. Actually ELDERLY is one, too, I'm sorry to say.
Who, if you watched Downton Abbey, could forget the DOWAGERCOUNTESS? Maggie Smith rocked that role!
I also immediately wrote ELSA before NALA but then she appeared later.
Thank you, again, C.C. and Gary. This was fun.
I awoke with a raspy and sore throat but I have to take a gift for the name I chose on the tree at church. Then I'll come home and tomorrow there is a funeral for a dear friend, the husband of one of our ex-nun group. So I have to feel well!
Have a grand Sunday, everyone, even if you're homebound from the snow!
Grace...
Happy Birthday (belatedly) to Hahtoolah, and greetings to all!
I never finished yesterday's puzzle, and never made it to the Corner. So I am saddened upon reading Saturday's blog and comments this morning to learn that Splynter has resigned his regular Saturday commission. I hope he'll keep in touch.
Without circles (Mensa site), I didn't see "Amazing GRACE" until getting to the reveal. My favorite clue/answer was "Dopey frame" for CEL. Even though the answer was obvious, I still thought it was cute. Thanks for today's challenge, C.C., and thanks for the grand write-up, Husker Gary.
Enjoy the day!
D-O, the chastisement was meant to be gentle and tongue-in-cheek. All the other pairs I mentioned are ass-backward as well. I once called a New Zealander friend of mine an Aussie. For the rest of the time I knew him he called me Canuck. People can be SOOO sensitive.
I liked this puzzle. Lots of fun and satisfaction. Clever clues and some terrific fill. Good stuff!
The fire is on the move again here. More power failures have delayed my ability to solve and post.
For now I will just share this PANDA video I took at the San Diego Zoo in June!
There is nothing better than waking up on a Sunday morning and finding a big C.C. puzzle in the paper. Yay! And this one was a delight because I was able to work my way, slowly, slowly, through nearly all of it except a bit of the southeast corner, and a few empty letters sprinkled here and there. But stupidly, I never looked at the title and so never got the theme until I came to the blog. I think I was just so entranced with the solving, not a bad thing. So, thank you, thank you, C.C. I don't know how you do it--watching over our blog, doing the write-ups regularly, and then solving not only daily crosswords but brilliant Sundays, like this one. You are totally AMAZING!
Husker Gary, thank you for lots of helpful explanations and pictures. A delight to see Yul Brynner shouting his ETCs, and your cartoon explained "Dopey" in relation to the CEL. But I was a little disappointed that you didn't explain that weird "Mourning on the court" clue. I had ALONSO, but didn't realize it was a name (with a different spelling) until PK's post. What a sad name, "Mourning." Just remembered to thank you for posting the fun picture of the group, C.C.
I loved "Downton Abbey," and so got DOWAGER COUNTESS early on. Like others, I put CAPE COD first before I realized it had to be CAPE ANN. Rowland and I had some lovely vacations on Cape Cod, in our day.
Dave, I too liked "Dirty Dancing."
Lucina, take good care of your cold.
Have a great Sunday, everybody!
Greetings Corner Family!
Not many things can make me as happy as a CC Sunday puzzle! Full of sports references, punnies, and a few learning moments - I'm thankful for all of it. And for the wonderful write-up as well!
I didn't finish yesterday's puzzle and am heartbroken to read that Splynter is leaving us. If you read this, please know that you will be missed and I will think of you often. We will be singing DIRGES in the dark MOURNING your absence. One last Hot Legs link in your honor. Good luck, my on-line friend.
Happy Sunday to you all -
t.
Sunday Lurk say...
Nice Expo HG - let's see if I remember the name of the green vase this week... I know Rich will use it again :-)
{C+,B, A-, A} [Nice Coach J!]
Jinx - OK State is the Cowboys and OU* is the Soone... Ha! LOL!
Tawnya - D'Oh! I'm kicking myself for not linking Rod Stewart for Splynter's Bon Voyage. Well played, t, well played.
Cheers, -T
*University of Oklahoma - abbreviating it OU is dyslexic-friendly :-)
Tawnya, very fitting musical selections -- a/k/a leg show. LOL! The anti-leg troll may have a conniption.
Our power is back on again for now, but it is hell outside. Severe health warning not to go outside from the ash and smoke. The Thomas Fire just expanded further in our direction. Still not too close, but close enough. We actually got a break yesterday by travelling toward the fire to Oxnard's harbor. Scary to see so much burned along Highway 101. We could see the flames from there, but the wind was blowing the smoke away from the harbor.
This CC puzzle seemed more challenging than usual, but maybe our situation has lowered my IQ a bit for now. I was sure it was DIE IN, but CHEDSEA seemed wrong. Decided to go with LIE IN even though I never heard that term before. That was last to fall to FIR.
Last year I got to meet Michael Westmore who creates some of these amazing and famous ETS
The woman with the orange top and red hair is his wife June Westmore. She is the one who does the actual artistry of applying the creations to the humans underneath. The second photo of Westmore at the top is with Dilling Yang, wife of chancellor Henry Yang of our UC campus in Santa Barbara.
Learning moment there is a person named ALONZO MOURNING. Had no idea what to make of that clue! Learning moment about TISANE. Apparently they are technically not teas.
I remember TWIGGY, but only remember the term MOD from the Beatles in the "Hard Day's Night" movie. Ringo was asked if he was a MOD or a ROCKER. "No. I'm a Mocker!"
Gotta love YouTube. Here is that six second clip with Ringo!
Hand up for ELSA before NALA which I only know from these puzzles. I know how much CC loves EELS so 17 was an easy WAG! I used to get grilled EELS at a Korean restaurant in Oxnard. But they stopped serving it. Apparently it got too hard to obtain. But then the restaurant closed.
Unknowns ERBE, AMY, PASHA.
I had two posts last week involving NICARAGUA, so I will refrain from more for now.
Amusings
-I'd better publish soon before everyone develops "Hot Legs" like Anon T and PK have.
tawnya 240P
-Your dirge link was so powerful, I stayed for 2 more gigs. "Hot Legs" really were, and she could sing also. I feel that Splyter will appreciate your send off.
Picard 346P
-Your quote from Ringo "No. I'm a Mocker!" reminds me to explain that I am not a stand up comedian, I am a "Sit down commodian!"
Dave 2
Well, I'm starting to feel better and I don't believe it's really a cold though I'm not sure what this is. Fortunately, nothing aches.
I remember Kathryn ERBE from Law and Order, CI. Wow! Tina Turner can move and sing!
My daughter and granddaughter love any of the movies with dancing. DIRTY Dancing is at the top of list along with Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Some of those they know all the words in the dialogue. Both studied dancing for several years and appeared in many school performances.
Wednesday for my birthday I went out to dinner at the Salt Cellar (do you know it, Jayce?) and the halibut cost $44!
Depending on who's saying it I don't mind being called HON.
Off to cook dinner.
I'm baaacck. I never got the Fri newspaper out of it's sheaf. I was going to try to get Fri and Saturday done yesterday. No newspaper at my house.
I would have bought one but the idea of knocking off PC,'s toughie in short order proved to be a long order. I got'er done, nufsed
Except this. Owen graded#1 as A. So there was more to it than met the eye. I looked up OREAD and grokked the mountains aspect. But who's RORY?
So, I need an annotated Owen, again. Btw, I enjoyed all four of today's l'icks as well as CoachJ's. I liked hearing about the EEL slipping into the LARK's lovelife.
And now today. Oops, a note to our previous Saturday blogger. Wilbur-here will sadly miss you Splynter.
CC's moniker always means D&D. Doable but Difficult. It so taxed my dwindling brain power that given the _ A_B_L_E I couldn't fill CABLE for Dish. As Misty would say AARRGGHH!!
Loved the write-up Gary. That was Ferris making the ASIDE I'm guessing. ALONZO was a HOYA, btw. I'm sure playing for John Thompson provided the fatherly mentoring he needed.
I see that Massachusetts map had Norwood* in it if NOT NATICK. I needed those circles badly to finish. My wife called and I asked about Downton Abbey and the countess. She mumbled something and tada there was DOWAGER.
I see I had a note, MAGGIE? Mae?, Drawers? I'll come back later.
WC
* Class of '62
Picard, scary that you are so close to the fire. Stay safe and good luck!
Fun puzzle, CC. Always fine write up, Gary.
I will surely miss your Sat. Expos, Splynter. Best wishes in your future endavors.
Happy belated birthday, Hatoolah and Jazz B.
Dave, please explain your emai!. I am mystified.
Wilbur (re Dec8 l'ick) : Rory was just pulled out of the air because I needed a name that ended in that syllable (one of Dr.Who's companions was named Rory). I couldn't recall any Greek nymph names -- Wiki said there were ~62 of them -- but Rory seemed as likely as Laurie. I gave it an A because it had a coherent plot and I thought the rhythm and rhymes really rolled!
Where oh where can I find all the “lingo” you folks use; i.e., perp, Wag, etc. I read the blog every week and would love to more clued in. Thanks. Wendybird
The lingo is under Olio, on the right side of the blog.
Wendybird (and all other lurkers) Crucial cruciverbal vocabulary. There's so much stuff in that right-hand column finding this particular lexicon is difficult.
I reread that l'ick. I got it. It does flow nicely - OREAD-Rory had. There's an Irish golfer named RORY McIlroy who dated a professional tennis player(Carolyn Wozniaki).
It didn't work out
WC
Hello Puzzlers -
Late to the party. Finished with perp help in a few places - Celadon I’m looking at you. Guess I never read that particular Poirot tale.
Husker, thanks for filling in. It’s good practice for Saturdays.
Anon -T from last night - yup! That’s the Python sketch! Not only did I learn that tidbit about Lenin, I also found out that Coventry City had never won the FA cup. A few short years later, 1983, I found myself on a bus tour in Coventry; as a gag I asked the tour guide in what year the local team had won the cup. He knew the answer...
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