google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, February 19, 2018 ~ Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

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Feb 19, 2018

Monday, February 19, 2018 ~ Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime? - Synonyms for living the dream.

20A. Inquiry meant to entrap: LOADED QUESTION

35A. Nonfluctuating method of doing things: SET FORMULA

40A. Impressionist once labeled "The Man of a Thousand Voices": RICH LITTLE

52A. Wealthy, and a hint to the first word of 20-, 35- and 40-Across: ROLLING IN DOUGH

Argyle here. The Monday mavens have struck again.

Across:

1. Android downloads: APPs

5. Array around a surge protector: WIRES. I would have said plugs.

10. Words after deal or count: ME IN. Or, as one word, my take-out order.

14. Bridges of Hollywood: BEAU

(left to right) Jeff, Beau and Lloyd Bridges.














15. Part of a sports complex: ARENA

16. Enveloping glow: AURA

17. "NBA Friday" channel: ESPN. (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network)

18. Peachy: DANDY

19. Dental exam image: X-RAY

23. Right-angled shape: ELL

24. Per __: daily: DIEM

25. Freebies with a bowl of soup: CRACKERS

30. Mud __: type of wasp: DAUBER. Learn more here.

34. Sharp-eyed flier: HAWK

37. Org. supporting flossing: ADA. (American Dental Association)

38. Freelancer's encl.: SAE. (stamped addressed envelope or self-addressed envelope:)

39. QB scores: TD's. Touchdowns.

45. Pedometer unit: STEP

46. "Already?": "SO SOON?"

47. First-stringers: STARTERS

49. Honorary legal degs.: LLDs. Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. Wikipedia

51. Ipanema's city: RIO. Ipanema is a neighborhood located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro.



59. Pop music's "hottest spot north of Havana": COPA. While your already dancing ....



60. Shut down: CEASE. What the heck; let's make it drei.



61. Three, in Germany: DREI

62. Baking chamber: OVEN

63. Makes docile: TAMES

64. Folklore brute: OGRE

65. Remain up in the air: PEND

66. Sport with clay disks: SKEET

67. Can't live without: NEED. Crosswords.

Down:

1. Brother of Cain: ABEL

2. Cuban currency: PESO

3. Respected Smurf: PAPA

4. Basking locale on a cruise ship: SUNDECK. On your way to Rio.


5. Walks like a duck: WADDLES. "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck." Add, "Walks like a duck."

6. Baghdad's country: IRAQ

7. Eye care solution brand: RENU

8. Pulled the plug on: ENDED

9. Ties the knot: SAYS, "I DO"

10. Largest amount: MAXIMUM

11. Money in Malta: EURO

12. Mideast nation in a 2015 nuclear deal: IRAN

13. Vote against: NAY

21. Lodge logo animal: ELK. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

22. Hazmat suit hazard: TEAR. Hazmat is an abbreviation for “hazardous materials”.

25. Seals in the juices of: CHARS

26. Traffic report source: RADIO

27. Spy plane acronym: AWACS. (airborne warning and control system)

28. Sit for a bit: REST

29. ERA and RBI, e.g.: STATS. Statistics for earned run average and run batted in.

31. Montana city: BUTTE


32. Tribal leader: ELDER

33. Talks hoarsely: RASPS

36. Stetson hat material: FELT

41. The Netherlands, informally: HOLLAND

42. Lounge around: LOLL

43. Formally accuses of, with "for": INDICTS

44. Heart-to-heart: EARNEST

45. Used to change a ceiling light bulb, as a chair: STOOD ON. Not a good idea.

48. Relieved (of): RID

50. Move on tiptoe, say: SNEAK

52. Wander: ROVE

53. Take the lid off: OPEN

54. It usually has a set of rules: GAME

55. "That makes sense": "I SEE"

56. Hard-to-resist feeling: URGE

57. Actor Richard: GERE

58. Moved quickly, old-style: HIED

59. Squad car driver: COP. Car 54, where are you?

I shall stand not upon the order of my going, but go at once. I won't stand on a chair either.


Argyle

53 comments:

  1. Greetings!

    Thanks to. Gail, Bruce and Santa!

    Think that I have had a small stroke. Things more difficult. Whom do I see?

    Otherwise OK here.

    Hope to see you all tomorrow!


    ReplyDelete
  2. FLN Misty & Lucina --I'm also following Murdock, and just got to see when he SAYS I DO about a hour ago -- they show it here at 1:30 A.M.!

    If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck -- you're drunk! Ducks don't talk!

    How I wish that I were ROLLING IN the DOUGH!
    What would I do with it? How would I know?
    I never have been LOADED,
    My every scheme exploded!
    The only way that I'd get RICH is as a maraschino!

    Once there was a SHARP-EYED FLIER who tried to be a COP.
    At first they laughed at him, because he was a HAWK.
    But he was known thru-out the hood
    For getting back one's stolen goods!
    He knew all the fences, as they all worked at hock-shops!

    {C, B-.}

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good morning!

    Wow, Argyle, quoting Shakespeare before sunup! TEAR as a hazard did not come to me immediately. The only mistakes today resulted from mis-readng the clues. Thanx, GG and BV.

    So I guess that a "Legum Doctor" is a doctor of vegetables?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fermat, were I you I would be in the ER stat. I hope it's nothing to worry about.

    Nice easy start to the week. Only unknown was DREI. One nit - an AWACS isn't a spy plane. Think of it as an airborne FAA control tower, including its own radar. Our current spy planes (at least the ones that we know about) are drones. Our best were the U2, which let us know about the Cuban missile buildup, and the fabulous SR-71. Gary Powers got shot down flying a U2 over the USSR, was traded for their spies, then was killed in a helicopter crash as a traffic reporter in LA. The SR-71 was never shot down, but a few were lost because of mechanical problems. Satellites and budget cuts grounded those incredible machines.

    Thanks to Gail and Bruce for a fun Monday wakeup exercise. And thanks to Santa for another solid tour.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good Morning to you who have a Corner on the CW market.

    Ol' Man Keith where are you? You posted last on Fri 2-16, 540p. I want you to know that I noticed a double diagonal in today's CW, and filled in the letters all except 20A / 10D, and 52A / 45D. It was good fun, and looks impressive.

    OwenKL, There are lots of good letters for you to decode.

    Thank you Ms. Gail Grabowski, and Mr. Bruce Venzke for this enjoyable Monday CW. The last square to fill was at 49A / 43D. I had to wag the "D" in LLDS. I did FIR.

    Thank you Argyle for drei videos etc. Excellent review.

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning everyone.

    No problems with today's solve. Theme came easily, but was not needed to solve.
    HOLLAND - Informal yes, but I think the Dutch prefer Nederlandse. But it still seems to be heavily ingrained into English usage.
    DAUBER was a character in "Coach".
    Had DREI and MEIN today. A childrens song states:
    "Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken,
    Drei Ecken hat mein Hut,
    Und hätt er nicht drei Ecken,
    So wär es nicht mein Hut."(Melody from Carnival of Venice)


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In our German class in Jr HS we would add as the final line:

      "Ach du lieber Augustine! Dass ist mein Hut."

      Delete
  7. After yesterday's difficult mash-up of unknown names, today's puzzle was a breeze. No unfamiliar fill. I guessed AWACS from the AW---. Sometimes not having having the exact knowledge like Jinx does helps. Thanks for the info, Jinx. I needed the reveal to suss the theme.
    My elder sister, whom I dearly love, has a non fluctuating method of doing almost everything, a set formula. She is tolerant of other methods used by me or others, but is very uncomfortable when she herself has to deviate.
    At mud dauber, I checked to see whether John Lampkin was the constructor.
    Fermat, I worry about you. I agree with Jinx about visitng the ER.
    It is so confusing for young students, Holland, Netherlands, Dutch.
    Holland is a part of the Netherlands, but is sometimes used to indicate the whole country, "similar to the tendency to refer to the United Kingdom as "England", and developed due to Holland becoming the dominant province and thus having the majority of political and economic interactions with other countries." Wikipedia

    Dutch is a West Germanic language. The West Germanic branch is divided into English, Frisian, German and Dutch. It is why Dutch is very much like English in its vocabulary and grammar, though it resembles German more than English does.
    It is also spoken in the northern half of Belgium (the region called Flanders), and in the South American country of Suriname. About 22 million people around the world speak Dutch.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jinx in Norfolk 701a
    Wrote "Fermat, were I you I would be in the ER stat. I hope it's nothing to worry about."

    I called and left a voice message for her seconding your advice. Time is critical with a stroke.

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good Morning.

    This was fun. I worked it with pen in the newspaper. Yeah, yeah. . . we still get one of those. I work slower on paper, so perhaps the smooth solve is a result. Thanks, Gail and Bruce for a pleasant start to the week.

    Nice work, Argyle. Your closing is a testament to your good humor today. ROLLING IN DOUGH was the name of a pizza spot here. I don't think the name applied to the owners as it closed.

    FLN, I think. . . Misty, yes QE II has/had corgis. I think she has stopped breeding them because she doesn't want to leave them alone if they outlive her. Mine only thought she was a Royal. ;>)

    Anon -T: The Teachers as sports figures video was HIGH-larious. We loved it. Merci! Or rather Grazie!

    The rain clouds are so low I'm about to bump my head on them. I wish they'd hurry up and get to work--a good cleansing is in order here.

    Hope it's sunny where you are.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good Morning:

    I sincerely hope that by now Ferm is getting medical attention.

    It was nice to see Bruce back so soon and with his puzzler in crime, Gail, to boot! The puzzle was easy peasy but I did have three w/os: Erne/Hawk, Radar/Radio (misread the clue ala DO's penchant) and Plugs/Wires (Hi, Argyle). Nice CSO to Montana at Butte. The reveal was well hidden and a welcome surprise.

    Thanks, G and B, for giving us so much enjoyment and thanks, Argyle, for being so a witty and warm host!

    CanadianEh ~ Congratulations on Tessa and Scott's performance. They were outstanding and I think they are a shoo-in for Gold. I don't recall the women's outfits being as skimpy and edgy as most of those I've seen so far, but they are sure flirting with "wardrobe malfunctions"; actually, there have been at least three dicey situations that I know of already. I'm still not happy with the majority of the music but, as I said before, that's a generational gap.

    Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. "Such a witty and warm host." Proofread, proofread, proofread!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Greetings!

    Thanks to Gail and Bruce for some easy Monday fun, and thank you Argyle for being our host and guide today.

    Fermatprime--Please go to the ER as others have recommended, or at the very least contact your primary care provider right away!

    Enjoy the day!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Musings
    -Great write-up and musical selections, Argyle!
    -Freezing rain has put down a sheet of ice and therefore I have no Omaha paper and had to do this online. I find it is easier to make/overlook mistakes there.
    -Here are some LOADED QUESTIONS
    -SET FORMULA – If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you always get
    -I downloaded an APP to factor quadratics rather that “trial and error” all day last week
    -One ARENA too many in Omaha
    -Good human vision – 20:20, HAWKS – 20:2
    -Trying to be “native” I asked for DREI waters while holding up two fingers in Berlin
    -If you think you are going to go...
    -NY Judge Sol Wachtler coined the phrase “A grand jury can INDICT a ham sandwich”
    -Granddaughter knows and enforces the rules when we play with her
    -I have had several coaches who told us, “Don’t get your DAUBER down” when we got behind.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Montana Musings
    -Speaking of Montana in today’s puzzle, our own blogger Montana has asked me to post this article about the state’s effort to protect waterfowl in her stead and I am happy to do so.

    ReplyDelete

  15. A really fun run through the grid this morning. Thanks Gail and Bruce. Argyle, as always, was the consummate tour guide today.

    Only one little hitch along the way, CORDS vs WIRES. Around here we would say unplug the CORD(S) not WIRES. Every area has it's own colloquialisms and here in PA THERE ARE MANY UNIQUE WORDS AND SAYINGS. Also, I think Pennsylvanians are the only ones to refer to their state by it's initials - PA. Of course there is O-HI-O and I-O-WA(y).

    Stay warm and dry everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy President's Day all. Fermat - better safe than sorry - go get checked ASAP.
    Argyle, after all this time with two puzzles a week under your belt, your write-ups continue to get better. This was one of your best. Thank you.

    GG and BV always deliver, than you all as well.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have Sunday's xword still in the can .I've been running around in the van a lot. Fighting this cold; now I know what cc was talking about with the persistent cough.

    I forgot there was a brother named Beau. I had INDITE before INDICT and ROAM before ROVE .

    I went right by Shakespeare on Argyle's write-up . I don't suppose the old Blogspot software could be reinstalled? That space before the period and no space after is ??? Ok. Unnerving

    Back when I do Sunday

    WC

    ReplyDelete
  18. fermatprime reminds me of the saying, "when the going gets tough..."
    (Sheesh, i'd be freakin out over a hangnail...)

    Rolling in the dough, Grampa style...

    Obligatory silliness...

    And this is a test, normally TheMetaPicture pics are copyrighted,
    but I wnted to see if this new Google procedure circumvents that...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks, Husker, for linking the article on the Berkeley Pit. In 2016, over 10,000 snow geese died in the water. 50 survived and flew on.
    Still a problem.

    Montana

    ReplyDelete
  20. Fermatprime, call 911 and explain the situation to them. They will probably send a team to check you out and decide the best course of action for you. I think it would be good if you didn't drive to the ER on your own after your experience. Please let us know how it goes.

    A great Monday puzzle from Gail and Bruce--thank you both, so much. I had some early erasures because I put MARRIED before SAYS I DO until I realized the 8 down had to be IRAQ since the 12 down was IRAN. So it all worked out fine and I got the whole thing without cheating--Yay!

    Loved the photo of all three Bridges fellows, Argyle.

    Madame Defarge, thanks for confirming Queen Elizabeth's corgis.

    Owen, so glad you got to see the happy Murdoch moment.

    Have a good day, everybody.

    ReplyDelete
  21. oc4beach, thanks for the PA vocabulary. I lived in PA until I was married at 22. I was born in Wilkes-Barre and my son went to King's College there. We pronounced it Wilkes Bara, like Cara or Tara.
    I can relate hoagie, dippy eggs, Mummer, onion snow, and needs washed to PA. Buggy and gum bands must be from the Pittsburgh area. We didn't say them. Djeetyet or just djeet is said in NJ, too. I used to think of WAWA stores as PA stores, but now they are found in NJ,DE MD, VA, DC, and FL, as well. We pronounced water with an AW sound. Gesundheit is said upon sneezing wherever there is a German influence.
    My mom said something that sounded like Gesundheit, once nunner bleibt. (I can't remember perfectly.) That's the gist of it. A toast at a drinking fest, not for a a sneeze. It means good health, if it stays down.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Breezy Monday (I agree with YR). Thanks for the fun, Bruce and Gail, and Argyle (you were in fine form today!).

    A few changes today to get the Tada. (It is Family Day holiday here and no paper was published.)
    My "nonfluctuating method" started as Status Quo (too short), changed to Set Format (still too short) and finally to SET FORMULA.
    My generational bias was showing with my first choice of Lloyd Bridges but I shortened to BEAU.
    Loaf changed to LOLL with perps, and Hornet to DAUBER.

    I noted ENDED and CEASE clecho.
    APPS can be found on IOS and Android.
    My first thought for 67A "can't live without" was NEEDs but I NEEDed to drop the S.

    RICH Little was born in Ottawa (1938) and is apparently still performing in Vegas. His impressions are hilarious.

    FLN & today - How many (?) are needed to change a (Ceiling) LIGHT BULB if they STOOD ON a chair?

    How appropriate after my questions FLN re American Presidents that today is your President's Day. Washington I can remember!

    fermatprime, WEES re calling 911 and getting to the hospital. Please let us know whenever possible that you are OK.
    IM - I was up late watching Tessa and Scott. Hoping for a gold tonight. And yes, those wardrobe malfunctions must be unnerving.

    Enjoy the day everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  23. "Puzzling Thoughts":

    Great puzzle, Gail and Bruce; and echoing Lemony, I think this ranks among the top recaps from Argyle.

    CED @ 10:45 ---> enjoyed your obligatory silliness. Glad you had the "onions" to post it! 😜

    WC ---> I, too had ROAM>ROVE, and continued the wrong perps by adding OAST>OVEN. The COP in 59d arrested me for attempting to kiln something ...

    Other WO's included: SKYDECK>SUNDECK & SEARS>CHARS. Should've known it's only SEARS before ROEBUCK ...

    Was kind of expecting a POTUS themed puzzle today. But no worries; this one had the MAXIMUM amount of fun I could want

    WEES, Fermat, I do hope you've gotten medical attention - hope you're ok

    My Moe-ku du joir:

    Three-year old German
    Toddler is now potty-trained.
    Says, "How DREI I am"

    And a limerick follow-up from the other day:

    A flamboyant hairdresser named Chuck,
    Has dollar bill on his wall, for good luck.
    If you let him (allow)
    To clip hair from your brow,
    It will give him more BANGs for his buck.

    Happy POTUS Day

    ReplyDelete
  24. Late, late for a very important date! But I finally got some sleep.

    Thank you, Gail and Bruce, for another fine puzzle LOADED with RICH offerings. It was mostly a sashay, amusing to see both IRAQ and IRAN.

    DAUBER wasps used to reside in one of my wind chimes shaped like a small house and when I finally got rid of it, they still circled around looking for it.

    Just thinking of RICH LITTLE makes me laugh; he was funny and could imitate any voice.

    CSO to Montana at BUTTE.

    Fermatprime: call 911 now!!

    Needed all perps for AWACS.

    Thank you, Argyle; you are in great form today!

    Have a fine Presidents' Day, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  25. oc4beach @ 10:11 ~ I enjoyed your link of Pennsylvania's colloquialisms. I was familiar with many of them as I knew a Florida "snowbird" from the Pittsburgh area. But all those years I thought she was saying "ret up" and now I see it is "red up." Re "wooder" for water, that distinct, regional pronounciation by one of his staff led the lead investigator on the Unibomber case to explore the language, usage, and format of the Manifesto which eventually homed in on Ted Kacyznski. Of course, it was Kaczynski's brother who ultimately led the FBI to him. (At least this is how it was depicted in the TV series I saw last year.)

    ReplyDelete
  26. PT2:

    As a fellow Pennsylvanian, I can relate to many of the phrases listed by oc4beach. I know that in York (my "home" town) there was a lot of German (Pennsylvania Dutch) influence in the language. One of my favorites was the frequency of people starting a sentence with a dangling participle. For example: "Throw me down the stairs the dirty laundry." In German, the correct "grammar" is to state it as such: "Wirf mir die schmutzige Wäsche die Treppe hinunter."

    I know that when I left York to attend college in Pittsburgh, I had to "learn" an entire new set of phrases. Pittsburghese is alive and well.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Fermat - For ****'s-sake! call 911 stat!

    Happy President's Day!

    Or, for C, Eh!, Happy Family Day. It's Family Day here at Casa -T; I took a floating-holiday to spend the day w/ Youngest. I'm going to make her help prep the garden for Spring 'cuz I'm evil.

    Thanks Gail & Bruce for another offering from your fount; think 'Rich' was bias on theme acceptance? :-)

    Great Expo Argyle - a plethora of music to enjoy while reading.

    WOs: Roam, I put URGE in GAME's spot, and RADar b/f RADIO
    ESP: LLDS
    Fav: DAUBER - just a fun word.

    {B, A-} {ha!, groan :-)}

    Oc4 & YR - Never heard it but I like "Read Things Up." It's better than look-it up 'cuz, I infer, 'don't just get an answer, read about it'. Wadda think?, change LIU to RTU? :-)

    Fav light-bulb joke? This one calls-out the EEs in the room [they're the only ones that laugh]
    Q. How many electrical engineers does it take to change a light-bulb?
    A. Only one... But he has to do it in the Frequency-domain.

    Trust me, it's a killer at HKN meetings.

    If that doesn't work... RICH LITTLE shows how Johnny escapes a bad joke.

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  28. Back in the dorm I remember being amused by a sign posted in the restroom: Out of order the toilet. Speaking of Pennsylvania Dutch, didn't Patti Page have a hit song with Throw mama from the train a kiss?" Similar to Throw the cow over the fence some hay.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Misty:
    FLN, please don't fret about giving it away. In last week's preview they showed the wedding scene so I knew it would happen and I look forward to viewing the rest of the story. It's always intriguing.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Not sure why a person intelligent enough to do crosswords would come to a crossword blog to say they think they had a stroke and ask what to do. Is this a joke?

    You call 911, right away. But why the need to ask? Very confusing.

    As to the puzzle, a nice Monday outing, not much to add.

    ReplyDelete
  31. PVX - it's been hours since her post. I'm not sure what to think at this point. Fermat is a very accomplished Math'r and I'm sure, sans issue, she'd know what to do. D4, you said you called; any word? -T

    ReplyDelete
  32. Nice Gail and Bruce puzzle. Enjoyed it. Enjoyed your recap, too, Argyle. Happy Monday.

    Man oh man, I sure am familiar with being asked loaded questions. It has taken me decades to learn how to avoid being entrapped by them.

    Jinx in Norfolk, thanks for your comments about the function of the AWACS aircraft and about the SR-71.

    Best wishes to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Youngest has a friend over (they're making some elixir for Spanish Class (theme'n it The Emporor's New Groove) and her buddy is, apparently, NOT more labor for garden chores.

    Sigh, Y'all's stuck w/ me until DW gets home from AZ and we celebrate our 30th "church"-wedding. [we 'loped in Sept. after HS/Basic but our families wanted us bless'd ... like the cheese-makers]

    HG - think a dozen roses ++salmon LOADED w/ saffron rice will work? Too much? :-)

    Here is, I'm fairly certain, the work of a DAUBER on my seldom-used 5lb-sledge.

    Daubers are blue-ish and, like us -- who are decidedly not blue in colour* -- are ranked in the Galaxy as mostly-harmless.**
    I try not to bother them and let them take care of other pests.

    Red-wasps, however, I hunt-down with vengeance; They're aggressive little bastards with little appreciation for poetry.

    -T
    *chokers excepted - um, help 'em.
    ** RTU.
    //Ever stop a moment and think, The Wiki-P is, in fact, THHGTTG made real?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anon T and Dave, I too am getting scared about fermatprime. C.C., I don't suppose you have any additional contact information for her? I understand perfectly why she would first consult the blog--I did the same thing the day I had that weird heart bumping. It's a good place to get feedback, and I just hope she heeded ours and called for help.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I e-mailed ferm but received no answer.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Ta- DA!
    A nice one from the Grabowski/Venzke team!
    In the old days this would have been a Wednesday-grade pzl at the least. But now that overly easy Mondays are a thing of the past, I can actually look forward to opening my Times on Monday mornings.

    Argyle, thanks for the quote from the Scottish play! Tapadh leat!

    I just read the string re. fermatprime. If I read the time signature correctly, she wrote at 3:56am (around 2am PST) and has not posted since. I'm hoping she also contacted family or a nearby friend and that she is now being looked after.


    ____________
    Diagonal Report: A total of four! A recto 3-way followed by a single verso. No hidden messages.

    ReplyDelete
  37. D4E4H,
    Thanks for keeping tabs on me. It's good to know I was missed.
    Just to play catch-up, I'll say that FDR was the first president I remember.
    I got on the bad side of my folks once when we were attending a nighttime political rally & parade on Chestnut Street (San Francisco) & I picked up a "Dewey" sticker and waved it about.
    Horrors! You'd have thought I'd be disinherited. Luckily, they decided I didn't know what I was doing. But, Oho, I knew. The kid next door had told me Roosevelt was fat and wanted us to go to school on Saturdays!
    But I was very sad when FDR died.

    As for today's diagonals, you are right. But check my report (above) and you'll see that in addition to the two center line diags (the back- and forward slashes), we have two sub-diagonals on the NW to SE side. By that, I mean the two extra flanking lines that are each one square shorter than the center line they sandwich.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Gail & Bruce: Thank you for a FUN Monday puzzle.

    Fave today was that "Basking locale on a cruise ship" ... SUN-DECK.

    Looking forward to the Women's Gold-Metal hockey game in a few days.

    A "Toast-to-All" at Sunset.
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  39. My first prez was HST . In fact Big Brother Bob Emory had a "Toast to the President" during his Noon show. Replaced by Ike of course .

    And the song about the green,green grass in the other fellows yard. BBTE then had the daily Popeye cartoon which ended at 1255. I then had fifteen minutes to get to JH School.

    The key was taking the shortcut through Smokey's back yard. A ferocious pit bull who's chain extended a foot from the path.

    I'd get a week detention for each late and they'd pileup.

    WC

    ReplyDelete
  40. Subject: fermatprime

    AnonymousPVX 1215p
    You would know to call 911, but a stroke may alter her thinking ability such that she no longer knows what to do. However writing to the Corner is hard wired into her.

    Anonymous T 139p
    Wrote "D4, you said you called; any word? -T"

    No word, nor do I expect any directly. She will reply to the Corner if she is able to do so.

    I will check with C.C. about comparing our contact info for fermatprime.

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  41. HST was the first president I was aware of. A far cry from our present CIC.

    PVX, I was going to comment but I decided to use the Thumper approach instead...

    I just got a call in the middle of this holiday afternoon from a guy with a decided Indian accent telling me their technical department showed a serious malfunction with my PC. He said to turn my computer off immediately. I said I didn't think I needed to do that. He said I might lose everything. "Oh no," said I. So we continued a bit longer. Finally he said to look at the computer and tell me what I saw. I described the desktop in general terms and then I added in passing that I also saw a little apple at the bottom. He said, "An apple?" I said yes. He said, "You fuc*ing idiot!"

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  42. Very unusual weather for this area. It's about 50 degrees with lots of wind. I've cancelled my bike ride and espresso run. Though, for you Minnesotans, it probably would seem like shirt-sleeve temperatures. Right?

    I sometimes watch Ellen in the afternoons. I'm becoming disenchanted lately. She is into constant self-promotion for her new clothing line and TV game show. Now it's more back patting for her recent over-the-top birthday party. It's getting tedious and annoying, for me anyway...

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  43. I avoid posting late in the day 'cause I might miss the first shift. FLN at 543p I wrote an invitation to tell your first POTUS memory.

    Ol' Man Keith 357p was the first to respond with FDR. Congrats OMK you win an all expense paid trip for two to Irvine, CA including fair air fare, and partly cloudy. Now try to collect.

    A very close second goes to Wilbur Charles 444p, who can only remember back to HST., just a child. Your prize is either a Pop or a Soda, but not a Soda Pop.

    Bill G 456p also votes for HST. Sorry, the surprise closet is empty.

    What's in your POTUS wallet?

    Dave

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  44. As Jinx said the Awaacs is NOT a spy plane any more than an army recon patrol are a bunch of spies. The AWAACS is a Command and Control Aircraft although there are some modes that can be used for limited intelligence gathering. Drones turn out to be the best thing yet for "spy" missions, even better than billions dollar satellites. They also make the best Bombers, fighters and probably even cargo planes but the Air Force is run by pilots who won't listen to anything that takes away from their precious flight hours. Pilots are basically useless lumps of flesh except when helping SW AI creators define possible scenarios.

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  45. Good to see you today OMK.

    ChuckL - tell us how you really FELT about the USAF :-). BTW, SIGINT is real and AWACS play a part.

    D4 - you're going to be sorely disappointed in my answer. The 1st prez I 'remember' is Ford but that's 'cuz Chevy Chase was on the air when I was 5.

    I kinda remember Carter's days but Reagan (elected when I was 10) had the biggest influence on my seeing the political world. From then on, I shan't comment.... TOO SOON.

    Cheers, -T

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  46. JFK the Cuban crisis and the assassination of JFK .

    PVX on a different note, I keep thinking you're an author and I've read and own 3 of your books ./?

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  47. Misty and OwenKL:
    I just finished watching last night's Murdoch Mysteries and I loved it! What a perfect way for that pair to enter in their marriage!

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  48. Just saw the president question...I had a year of Ike to start off life with, but my memory of that time is a little fuzzy. I’m pretty sure he didn’t use Twitter.

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  49. Lucina, so glad you liked to Murdoch wedding!

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  50. D4E4H, Wow!
    Thanks a lot! Shucks, this is the first contest I ever won.

    But allow me to be modest in victory & assign my prize to one of the I-Like-Ikers. How about Dudley out in my old stomping grounds of western MA?
    Yeah, that' ll do!
    That's the ticket!

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  51. Catching up on this two days later now that we have returned.

    Fermatprime: Scary. but good to know you are doing better now.

    Fun en-RICH-ing theme!

    Stuck in NW with JEFF Bridges who lives in our little town. He is a very good person. Just saw his latest film "Living in the Future's Past" which is a must-see.

    The first photos here show my walk from my RIO hotel in COPAcabana to IPANEMA.

    I had some scary awful things happen there, but it is probably the most naturally beautiful city I have ever seen. If they ever clean up the crime, I would love to go back. Most of the people are wonderful.

    Argyle: Thanks for the music links and learning moment about LLDS! And a belated Happy Birthday to you!

    Not sure anyone will see this late entry!

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