Theme: Turning Circles - Take a word, rearrange the letters one at a time, moving the first one to the last one
18. Jamaican term for hot chocolate: COCOA TEA
22. Greek salad ingredient: GOAT CHEESE
34. Car accessory that may be faux leather: SEAT COVER
50. Glowing barbecue lump: RED HOT COAL
55. Traitor, and a literal hint to this puzzle's circles: TURNCOAT
Argyle here with Pari's third offering in LATland. Tinbeni will be happy.
Across:
1. Champagne cocktail: MIMOSA
7. Wrist-to-elbow bone: ULNA
11. Young newt: EFT
14. Prepared (oneself), as for a shock: BRACED
15. Be unsuccessful: FAIL
16. The "A" in 59-Across: ALE. 59A. Hoppy beer, for short: IPA. (India pale ale)
17. Dogs from Japan: AKITAs
20. Suffix with hip or tip: STER
21. Stormy weather sound: THUNDER
26. Board game cubes: DICE
27. French friend: AMI
28. "__-ho!": "Everybody lift together!": HEAVE
29. Scrutinized, with "over": PORED
30. __ majesty: high treason: LESE. Lèse-majesté: from Latin laesa majestas ‘injured sovereignty.’
32. Letter before omega: PSI
33. Leftover food bits: ORTS
38. Actor Brad: PITT
40. __ kwon do: TAE
41. Start of a magical chant: ABRA. ABRAcadabra.
45. Longed (for): PINED
46. Minor fight: SET-TO
48. Tyrannosaurus __: REX
49. Norwegian patron saint: OLAF
52. Records again: RETAPES
54. Wolf's cry: HOWL
57. Ex-Soviet leader Brezhnev: LEONID
.jpg/220px-Leonid_Brezhnev_Portrait_(1).jpg)
60. Use a stopwatch for: TIME
61. Painter or sculptor: ARTIST
62. Cleopatra killer: ASP
63. Winter coaster: SLED
64. Balance sheet items: ASSETS
Down:
1. Management deg.: MBA. (Master of Business Administration)
2. Annoying: IRKSOME
3. Rum cocktails: MAI TAIs
4. Two foursomes: OCTET
5. Look online: SEARCH
6. App interruptions: ADs
7. Mixed martial arts org.: UFC. (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
8. "Tao Te Ching" philosopher: LAO TSE
9. Specialized market segment: NICHE
10. Baseball's Felipe or Moises: ALOU
11. Humbly accept blame: EAT DIRT
12. Swindles: FLEECES
13. Got emotional, with "up": TEARED
19. Republic between Spain and France: ANDORRA. Their web site.
22. __ pal: GAL
23. Air filter acronym: HEPA. (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
24. Sunrise direction: EAST
25. Kicked out: EVICTED
29. Poet for whom the Edgar Awards are named: POE
31. Miami Sound Machine singer Gloria: ESTEFAN
35. Scheduled leaving hr.: ETD
36. Pledge: OATH
37. White House no: VETO
38. Multi-car collisions: PILE-UPs
39. Ensnared: IN A TRAP
42. Chocolate treat: BROWNIE
43. Practical thinker: REALIST
44. Rock singer Rose: AXL
45. "The Merchant of Venice" heiress: PORTIA
46. Opening word for Ali Baba: SESAME. Not the first word spoken but the word that got the
cave to open.
47. Unlisted stuff: OTHERS
50. Lubricate again: REOIL
51. Codgers: COOTS
53. Cuts for agts.: PCTs. %
56. Danson of "The Good Place": TED. Cheers!
57. Anaheim MLB team, in crawl lines: LAA. (Los Angeles Angels)
58. Souse's woe: DTs. (Delirium Tremens) When the pink elephants come to dance with you.
Note from C.C.:
Many regulars are aware that D-Otto and his wife make potato dumplings every Christmas. You can see his recipe here. Quite a challenging project.
Here is a great picture of D-Otto working on the dumplings yesterday. He said below. I was amazed that he still has the original box.
"The grinding is finished and the roast is in the oven. We're in a brief window before the mixing/boiling stage has to begin. Here's me with at the controls of the Shred-O-Mat (in glorious Harvest Gold), attired in the official dumpling uniform of the day -- blue jeans, sacrificial tee and no watch."
 |
| D-Otto (Tom) |
REX was an AKITA, from Japan
ReplyDeletePORTIA a Shar Pei from China's land.
They were pals who shared their play
Till Rex bragged in an IRKSOME way.
So a race was on! And Rex was off!
And the shar pei plodded on.
BRACED for the run, Rex to FAIL did scoff!
And the shar pei plodded on.
Rex's COAT was groomed, with a jaunty coif!
And the shar pei plodded on.
Rex ran like THUNDER over ridge and trough!
And the shar pei plodded on.
Breath did HEAVE, Rex gave a cough!
And the shar pei plodded on.
Turn aside at a stream for a cooling quaff.
And the shar pei plodded on.
A race for fun, could that GAL be lost?
And the shar pei plodded on.
Backtrack to SEARCH the trail across.
And the shar pei plodded on.
Rex paused to raise a HOWL aloft!
And the shar pei plodded on.
Rex spied her, as the goal she crossed!
And the shar pei plodded on.
Was this the hare and tortoise again?
Not quite, the attitudes' are germane.
Rex was playing, win or lose the same.
But Portia cared -- she had some skin in the game!
Just to help Anon-T: I wanna reach out and grab ya
ReplyDeleteThose dumplings sound like it would take a few tries to get it right. Don't try to make 'em for a dinner party on your first attempt! Guinea pigs and beer sounds like a better idea.
Hi Y'all! Fun & fast puzzle (unlike D-O's potato dumpling process). Thanks, Mr. Bhat! Thanks, Argyle!
ReplyDeleteAnon at 4:06, be careful who you "reach out and grab" these days. Used to be, you might get slapped. Now you might get slapped with a suit. I know, I know, I listened to the song. Just sayin'.
No circles but I got the theme anyway. COAT is much needed these days. I've been freezing and wished I'd stowed away in my brother's camper headed for Florida.
Forgot ANDORRA had two "R's" so had to wait on the last two letters for perps. Wanted an "i" not "e" on LAO TSE.
Didn't remember PORTIA, but got enough perps to WAG.
Codgers had _ _ _TS and resisted a smelly fill.
Can anyone tell me, if it is NOON in London on Jan. 1 what time on what date is it in the U.S. Central Daylight Time? Two of my grandsons are marching with their HS band in a parade in London and it will be televised. They flew out this morning.
London Eng is Gmt which is 6 hrs ahead of central time . If London is on standard time and you are on daylight it is only 5 hours ahead
ReplyDeleteIf it is televised live check your TV at 6:00Am jan I to be safe
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteThis old COOT is glad he totally missed the clue for LAA; it was already filled in. Sounds like one of the teletubbies. I ACHED before I PINED, but otherwise this was a smooth Tuesday solve.
Those dumplings turned out great -- seventeen in all. They'll be even better sliced and sautéed in butter. Mmmmmmm. (Voice of experience: When squeezing out the excess water, press against the side of the sink, not the bottom. It won't affect the dumplings, but it prevents the under-hung sink from breaking loose from its moorings. Expensive lesson from a few years ago.)
PK, London is 6 hours ahead. That parade should be on at 7 AM CST (not CDT).
Must beg to differ That parade should be on at 6:00 A M cst or 7:00 cdt
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Argyle and friends. Although I am not keen on circle puzzles, this one was fun. I got the TURN COAT before I had filled in the other theme clues, so I knew what letters were needed for the circles. I really wanted Feta CHEESE before getting the GOAT CHEESE.
ReplyDeleteA shout-out to Timbini and his GAL Pal.
Quite cold here but at least no snow. Stay safe everyone in the snow zone.
How exciting PK to have your grandsons in a London Parade. Hope the snow storms don't affect their travel.
QOD: I haven’t got the slightest idea how to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out. ~ David Sedaris (b. Dec. 26, 1956)
Put your tv on at 6 and wait; you don't need to do the math. If you have cable check your guide, or call your provider to confirm.
ReplyDeleteBhat is the currency in Thailand if I have not mentioned.
I had forgotten about Andorra, but the rest filled and the rotating COAT appeared early.
Thank you, Argyle and Parikshit.
Yes, you're correct. I saw that 1 in Jan 1, and my weirdo brain determined the parade was on at 1pm in London. So 6am is the correct answer. And why would anybody start a parade at noon?
ReplyDeleteGood Morning,
ReplyDeleteA tad chilly today in Evanston, IL. -2 when I took out the trash. That's probably lake effect warm. How's it out west TTP and Abejo?
Thanks, Pari, for a warm run. I needed a COAT to take the trash out, but I didn't have the circles so I worked without one. I, too, wanted feta before goat. I always thought feta was sheep's milk, which gives it the sharp taste like Romano cheese. I do know there are myriad fetas out there, so that makes plenty of sense to me.
Thanks for the tour, Santa. The cliche used by the Olympics announcers is "little" ANDORRA.
OMK: FLN> Thanks for the visual, that's how I pictured your instructions for the diagonal solve. I'm a sensory learner so I liked seeing that.
D-O: I have a pasta "machine" of the same vintage--mine has no color; I'm judging from the "Harvest Gold." ;-)
Yesterday, my grandson in Dallas revealed, "It's freezing here! It's like 45 degrees!" Ah, relativity at its best. Do stay cozy today regardless of your local temperature.
I had to EAT crow before I ate DIRT, and had to fix ESTaFAN when PINED became obvious. Isn't PORTIA Pig's girlfriend in "Pearls Before Swine"? I hadn't heard of "Tao Te Ching" or ANDORRA, but perps served.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember seeing circle answers that imply unscrambling ( the "turn" in "turncoat"), then the first fill isn't scrambled (coCOA Tea). I don't have any problem with it, it just caught my attention. Since I'm relatively new, I wonder if this is unusual. Veteran Cornorites?
PK - I suspect that if one is familiar enough with the subject of one's ardor to know of her "black panties and an angel's face", one can feel empowered to "reach out and grab ya".
Great story today, OKL. Fine on its own, and with the characters being dogs I grade up a letter.
Thanks to CC for the picture of D-O at work. Those dumplings sound fantastic with butter, but I'm trying to live with my borderline A1C without being officially diagnosed with diabetes. I try to minimize bread and potatoes, but if I was at your table I'm sure I would backslide.
Thanks, PSB, for a fun Tuesday puzzle. And thanks to Santa for the fun tour.
Happy Boxing Day everyone.
ReplyDeleteEasy enough solve today. Only white-out was I had 'eat crow' before EAT DIRT. Sigh. Also did not know PSI. Sigh.
D-Otto - Thanks for sharing your dumpling passion.
German for dumpling is Knödel, or Kloß. L. German is Klümp or Klüten. My favorite dumpling dish is Flederbeer Supp mit Klümp - Elderberry Soup with Dumplings. (Usually have a bowl or two in September if we can find any elderberries.)
Musings
ReplyDelete-I can TURN my COAT to orange if I want to
-Don’t most people call one die DICE anyway?
-Have you ever PORED over these agreements before blithely agreeing to it?
-Many an athletic trainer has had to RETAPE an ankle during a game
-After Wooly Bully, this group had a hit with this song (2:36) that features several HOWLs
-Is pronouncing ARTIST as ARTEEST a little snobbish?
-I play several APPS for free that come with ADS after every game
-Our friend Tinbeni will certainly love MIMOSA and GAL PAL
-D-Otto, I loved the pic of you and the product box
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAnother early-week speed run which practically filled itself. The circles make the solve less challenging but, I suppose, are necessary for a Tuesday-level puzzle. Cute theme and reveal, though.
Thanks, Mr. Bhat, for a Tuesday treat and thanks, Santa, for guiding us along.
We're in for some frigid weather this week, daytime teen temps and single digit, maybe 0 or below nighttime. Brrr!
Looking forward to a yummy turkey sandwich for lunch, accompanied by some Gibble's potato chips (Hi oc4beach) and a Clausson dill pickle (Hi Anon T).
Have a great day and stay warm!
Good morning. Thank you Parikshit S. Bhat, and thank you Argyle.
ReplyDeleteFun and quick puzzle. OOPS, I failed to open it up at the LA Times website to see the circles. I missed out on solving the second layer.
Desper-otto, my MIL made potato dumplings. They were excellent. I was never a dumpling fan until I had hers. Here's one recipe for potato dumplings. I can ask my wife later if she has her mom's recipe.
Madame DeFarge, it IS cold out here. I had the driveway nice and clean, and the snowplow came through this morning and threw snow all over the end of it. It's clean again. My $4.99 thermometer indicates -8. The readout on my electronic weather station with the bells and whistles is reporting 0.6. My brother used to live in West Dundee, but has lived in Central Texas for over 30 years. His weather comment yesterday ? "It's only going to get up to 50 something today."
Gotta run for now. See all y'all later n'at !
Oh great! Christmas is passed. Now what are we going to do?
ReplyDeleteThanks to Parkshit S. Bhat, A+, and C.C. for each of your inputs. I have yet to read the review or previous comments so here is my CW day. Nice easy Teesday with one catch at 18A / 10D "O." That was a double natick if there can be such a thing. I am not a sports fan so alOu escaped me even though I used lots of guess letters. Once I bought the O, cocOatea came to me. I fin. in 22 min.
You were there today when I stopped referring to FIR when I BAV.
Dave 2
I drove the shuttle Christmas day so I never got to Monday until Tuesday. And I just knocked this one off.
ReplyDeleteOf course I missed the HBDs. HBD YR and Ferma-T. Moe my wine is limited to a little sip of communion wine. The bouquet? Eau de vinegar.
My Mon-TUE quirk is to try to get the long fills sans perps. However, I've foundered on sloppy perps in the past plus I'm a P&P man so the sloppy can get literal quickly.
I had a Saturday not long ago in which the NW was all black. I had to recreate the squares.
Thanks for reminding me of my short Thailand trip in 1970, Mr Bhat.
Owen, that was a most excellent Aesopian rewrite.
I'll probably venture back later.
WC
Nice easy puzzle for Boxing Day (yes that is our Canadian holiday today!). Thanks for the fun Pari and Argyle.
ReplyDeleteNo cirles on Mensa but not needed for the solve.
I waited in vain for the Tada when I entered my last letter; review showed that I had Olav/Estevan. A change to F corrected it.
Hand up for Feta in my Greek salad before GOAT CHEESE.
I filled in LEON and waited for ID to appear.
Yes, I noted MIMOSA, IPA (ALE) and GAL Pal for Tin.
Great work today OwenKL.
Those dumplings look great d-otto.
We definitely need a COAT here today (Parka would be even better). Current temperature is -13C (8.6F for you Americans) but feels like -23C (-9.4F).
Enjoy the day.
Hi everybody. I hope you had a great Christmas and I also hope that a couple of you had great birthdays with a further great upcoming year!
ReplyDeleteIsn't there another COAT in the middle of COCOATEA?
I found the turning COATS even without any circles at Mensa.
Thank you, P. S. Bhat! It was a quick and easy Tuesday tour on the grid.
ReplyDeleteI noted the CSOs to Tin at MIMOSA, MAITAI and ALE. But what about the TDS?
I've never heard it called COCOATEA.
CSO also to snowed in people who might need a SLED. A few days ago an AKITA turned on its handler and mauled her to death.
GOATCHEESE filled in quickly. It's one of the cheeses I don't care for. Give my gruyere, Havarti, Cotswold, etc. any time.
Argyle, you're in good form considering what you had to go through two nights ago!
OwenKL:
Well done!
d-otto:
Good to see you grinding away.
Have a happy Tuesday, everyone! I know. It's a letdown.
TTP wrote, "His weather comment yesterday ? 'It's only going to get up to 50 something today.'" I can verify that temperature is a relative thing. As kids in Wisconsin we were used to below zero temps. I remember walking to school one morning at -40°. It was no big deal. This morning we made our usual 3-mile march through the 'hood. It was cloudy, damp and 47°. We both were bundled up in our heaviest winter coats and were both bitching about the cold before we got back home. I guess it all depends on what your body "expects."
ReplyDeleteFlorida cold is not an oxymoron
ReplyDeleteMisty, I can't do those sudokus and jumbles for beans.
Maybe with some sleep
WC
ReplyDeleteFor some reason today feels like a Monday, because yesterday was obviously a Sunday. The trouble with being retired sometimes means days do not register as what they are. Today's puzzle was a nice easy Monday-ish run even without the circles (Mensa site).
The form of government of Andorra is a Parliamentary Principality. Technically not a republic according to the official website of Andorra but that could be just semantics.
When I got to the down clues, 51d (COOTS) had already been filled in by the across clues, so I didn't notice it at first. I'm not sure when Codger-dom or Coot-dom first occurs, but I think I've long since reached that stage. This Pickles Comic strip is an example of that stage, and BTW I was 42 the first time it happened to me.
Irish Miss your lunch sounds good. I will probably have the same thing, but since I'm out of Gibbles I'll have it with Middleswarth chips (another good PA Dutch brand but not cooked in lard). Do you also like scrapple?
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and my wish is that everyone has a great New Year.
I love circles so was excited to begin this fun puzzle. The COATs all filled in rapidly and the reveal was a delight. So, many thanks, Pari! And you too, Santa, for hanging in there with us over this busy holiday season. I did have a tiny goof-up though, like CanadianEh, putting OLAV instead of OLAF because I couldn't remember how to spell ESTEFAN. Since I don't have red letters, didn't have a chance to fix it. I hate goofing up before Thursday or Friday, but hey, no big deal and doesn't spoil the fun.
ReplyDeleteImpressive dumpling-making, D-otto.
Interesting new poem, Owen.
Wilbur, both the Sudoku and the Jumble were toughies this morning. I got the Sudoku after a long slog, but am still not sure my Jumble is correct. Hope you get a nap.
Have a great Boxing day, everybody, even if you're not in Canada.
MIMOSA being crossed by MAI-TAIS ... ALE and IPA ...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I enjoyed this puzzle!
Hope everyone had a visit from Santa and a Merry Christmas!
Cheers!
I haven't had scrapple but I finished off a bowl of scrabble mix my sister sent me in two days.
ReplyDeleteTin will also enjoy that old crossword favorite, 3-D Mai Tais.
Hah, he found it already. I should have known. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteoc4beach @ 11:09 ~ I have never had scrapple but have a vague idea of what it consists of. I'm a pretty adventuresome eater, so I would give it a try if it was offered. (I draw the line at oysters, however, as I can't get beyond their appearance. I'm sure I'm missing out, though, as so many people devour them so eagerly!)
ReplyDeleteFinally read the comments ...
ReplyDeleteHusker, you are right ... GAL-PAL is my way of describing Kris.
After 33 plus years of "fooling around" ... we have never thought about getting married.
Oh, we have "thought about it" ... but realize that would kill our romance.
If only they allowed you to me "Married 3 days a week" it would work.
But GAL-PAL and I realize that "7 days a week" thingy would lead to death. LOL
I have always associated TURNCOAT with the American revolution and the drastic difference between the REDCOATS and the rebels. But reading dictionary definitions and wiki I see they say the word is much older and the first written use of the term Turncoat meaning traitor was by J. Foxe in Actes & Monumentes in 1570: "One who changes his principles or party; a renegade; an apostate." Cited 1571*[1]
ReplyDelete"Turncoat" could also have a more literal origin. According to the Rotuli Chartarum 1199–1216 two barons changed fealty from William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke,[2] to King John. In other words, they turned their coats (of arms) from one lord to another, hence turncoat.
Coat = coat of arms...hmmmm.
Lemonade@11:37
ReplyDeleteThe second origin is the one I'm familiar with. Thank you for a further and older meaning.
IM:
What is special about Gibble's potato chips?
Thank you, AnonymousT, for the welcome back yesterday!
ReplyDeleteGot the theme right away! Count me as one who enjoys themes and circles, so this was a good one for me.
Here is a cute NEWT
A herpetologist friend led a tour of the Arroyo Hondo Preserve and this was one of many beautiful creatures we found.
Anyone else try BE A PAL or PEN PAL before GAL PAL?
Has anyone ever heard ORTS used in normal English? I only know it from these puzzles.
Unknowns: UFC, SET-TO, PORTIA
Does anyone remember a movie line where someone asks why a woman named PORTIA was named after a car?
ReplyDeletePicard @ 11:55am - I believe the quote was from "A Fish Called Wanda" spoken by Otto.
Lucina @ 11:46 ~ A while back, oc4beach mentioned Gibble's chips and how good they were so I, being a potato chip junkie, decided to order some online and was so pleased that I'm on my seventh shipment. They are head and shoulders above the standard brands that are available in my area, I.e., Wise, Lays, Cape Cod, etc. I also like the 1.5 oz size, rather than a large bag that tends to end up going stale.
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle, but was fooled by the first COAT actually being an un-turned COAT. That led me to expect the theme must have something to do with TACO. In no way did my misunderstanding detract from my enjoyment in solving.
ReplyDeleteOAS & D-O: Thanks for the London time info. That's what my DIL said, but it didn't sound right to me. I thought surely someone among the Corner's world travelers could tell me. DIL has never been out of the CST zone. The parade will be on the internet not cable here, Lemony, so I will watch on my computer -- if I can stay awake.
ReplyDeleteJinx: I suspect that any man who feels empowered by familiarity and love can use more finesse than "reach out & grab ya". My beloved husband knew better than that. LOL! Not that he wasn't above an occasional "honk" or two. But he expected to get lovingly swatted afterward.
I always figured turncoat had to do with exchanging different colored uniform coats belonging to different armies. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI found the clueing a bit odd / vague which made for a crunchy Tuesday puzzle. Thanks Parikshit, the clues made me think a bit and the fill had some fun words (HEAVE & FLEECES among them; COOTS is really fun).
Thanks Argyle. Like Jayce I was thinking TACO; TURN COAT fixed that but I didn't notice the literal letter turns.
WO: Hand-up, looked to Feta to top my Greek salad (and a pear salad too, right Misty?)
ESPs: ANDORRA [my Geo-learning for today], PORTIA, LEONID, LESE.
Fav: I'm going w/ Tin... There's Booze in here for the whole day! Start with a MIMOSA, move to ALE (IPAs are good), and knock yourself out with a MAI TAI. Smells like Mardi Gras :-)
{A+, great cadence}
Lem - thanks for that bit on COAT of Arms... I can't wait to share that with DW.
Oc4 - I believe it was Wanda making fun of Otto re: PORTIA
D-O: Awesome! Not only the recipe but having the old-school box. I like old machines, they just work. [And a schadenfreude LOL at the thought of your sink, sorry, but that's funny!]
Ok, Y'all,... I'm thinkin' I'm cold now @53F (11.7C) but I know I'll be really cold Thursday in SPI, IL where the high?!? will be 13F (-10C, Eh!). Can't wait to see Pop & Fam!
@4:06 took ABRAcadabra so I'll go w/ Two Cellos doing THUNDER Struck.
Cheers, -T
IrishMiss:
ReplyDeleteThank you for the info on Gibble's. I envy you that you can eat them! It's among so many foods I love and from which I now must abstain.
Oh, Michael FLN, I almost forgot - The Panama Flag bit for our Santa is a joke based on this little known fact. [BBC]. If you're not familiar with Randall Munroe, check him out at at his about page. A smart/funny guy who regularly goes super-meta in his comics. -T
ReplyDeleteMadame Defarge,
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. Glad it helped!
Today we have another wide diagonal! They are coming one after another, fast-and-furious now. Thank you, Parikshit S. Bhat for giving us another 3-way!
For anybody following our game, you can see that squares 1, 2, and 16 can be connected as three side-by-side diagonals right down to squares 225, 210, and 224.
(BTW, these must always be the squares involved with a standard 15x15 Xwd grid.)
Misty, thanks for your Boxing Day salute, which I happily return to you! I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the UK name for St. Stephen's Day.
I learned of Boxing Day during my first student year in England. I also heard most of the explanations as to why it is called "Boxing Day," none of which I believe were ever officially sanctioned.
Mainly, it was happily rec'd by workers of all stripes as one more day off!
As for Saint Stephen - well, his is another story.
Today's pzl provided just a small degree of challenge, but I am happy to report that the circled theme actually helped me this time. I usually find I have finished my work before noticing the theme, so I am glad when I can move along at the expected, or nominal, pace.
Owen, I bow my head in awe at the epic ambition of today's poem! I think it will be quite a long time before I let go of that stirring refrain,
"And the shar pei plodded on"!
My god, what a glorious ear worm!
Anon-T --
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's what Greenland needs to do -- flags of convenience -- so we can rescue Santa from the Panamanian Maritime people!
And speaking of temperatures, we haven't come close to how cold it can get. My favorite Siberian city for exiling people to, is Yakutsk, where today's high is -41ª, and the low is -45ª, not counting wind chill. At that level, it doesn't much matter if it's Farenheit or Centigrade.
Argyle,
ReplyDeleteIn case you missed it, I posted a belated acknowledgment of your "eagle-eye" - your perspicacity in spotting the bonus "mirror" in yesterday's Christmas grid. Many thanks!
'Tis the season for naming and appreciating all Men of Good Will!
Tony, I was afraid the one cellist wasn't going to have enough horsehair left in his bow to finish the piece. Mercy!
ReplyDeleteWe've had several slow-running drains and small leaks. All fixed now thanks to Alfonso and his band of Mexican plumbers. It's not cut-rate but still, money well-spent sez me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ol'Man Keith. It was actually CanadianEh who reminded me of Boxing Day. And I can't believe I forgot about St. Stephen--what's happening to my Catholic heritage?
ReplyDeleteThank you, oc4beach and AnonymousT, for the reference to PORTIA being named after a car. I remembered the line, but had no memory of where it came from. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLucina @ 4:02 ~ I salute you for your will power and adherence to your dietary restrictions.
ReplyDeleteAnon T @ 3:37 ~ I never heard of 2Cellos but after listening to your link (quite impressive), I Googled for further information. Interestingly, their first 2018 engagement is on January 16 at Jones Hall in Houston. Have you ever seen them perform?
Our high tomorrow is going to be a balmy 15. 😎
IM - “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” Jonathan Swift 11/30/1667 - 10/19/1745
ReplyDeleteFunny.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it took so long, but I just now realized that I use my code letters, my fave mantra, "P+P," in two places - with two entirely different meanings.
My cruciverbal pals will recognize that "P+P," in the context of this corner, means "patience and persistence."
But in the evening, right now - about 5:00pm - after our three dogs finish their chow, we fling open the patio doors and order them out, yelling, "It's P+P time!"
I don't s'pose I need translate ...
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Parikshit S. Bhat, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteMadame DeFarge and TTP: I had -5 this morning. Right now it is -4. Dog does not stay out for long. Neither do I. My home town, Erie, made national news with the snow. Well over 4 1/2 in a day. I remember that as a youth growing up and shoveling it.
Got through the puzzle easily. Theme appeared and I was able to get the COAT in all the circles, which means I had the correct words.
Liked 59A and 16A. And, I do like IPA's.
I love GOAT CHEESE. Also called FETA, which is what I wrote in first. Big inkblot there.
Aha, another ASP. Favorite Crossword word lately.
Anyhow, my leftovers for supper are now ready. So, I am off the eat. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
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Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteLate to the party. I see that the prevailing cold is very much a topic. Yeah, it’s effing cold around here...New Year’s Eve is not expected to be above 17° or so at midday. The outdoor festivities are likely to be less well attended.
Easy breeze puzzle today. Race to the bottom.
Jinx 7:04 - smiled right out loud at the Swift quote!
This Portia/Porsche thing can go both ways. A year or so ago I stopped into a Stop N Rob in a small town to buy some provisions and there were 2 clerks behind the counter. They were giving each other quite a bit of good natured grief, and through this, the younger of them was identified as being named Portia. She was maybe 20-25', had quite a bit of ink, and enough metal/piercings to set off the alarms at a TSA outpost.
ReplyDeleteI commented that her name was a bit unusual for someone her age and asked if her mother was a Shakespeare fan. "Nope! It was just her dream car!" Was the reply.
True story.
Cold here too......zero.
Enjoyed today's puzzle although I didn't get to it until 4 pm. My get up and go is gone. In 48 hours I have entertained 4 of my kids, 6 of my grandchildren, one great granddaughter, two of their friends, a puppy, and a cockatiel. I'm done.
ReplyDeleteI had PEN PAL and PAY PAL before GAL PAL. I always forget EFT. Never heard of IPA. Liked the circles.
Got to experience snow when I travelled to New Orleans 3 weeks ago to visit family. It's been a long time since I have actually seen snow fall. I've seen it on the ground in the spring in Yosemite.
Jinx @ 7:04 ~ He was a bold man, indeed. I think I shall remain cowardly! 😉
ReplyDeleteSince it's quite late and not everyone will read this and weep I can tell you that our prevailing temperatures this week will be in the mid 70s. Yup. 75 tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIM:
Every once in while I cheat, especially this weekend!
Lucina; WAAAAAAAA!
ReplyDeleteYou're a mean one, Senora Grinch.
ReplyDelete