google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, February 21 2018, Amy Johnson

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Feb 21, 2018

Wednesday, February 21 2018, Amy Johnson

Theme: COWBOY UP

17. Like a cowboy in denial? : WEARING BLINDERS

26. Like an eager cowboy? : CHAFING AT THE BIT

44. Like a cowboy out of retirement? : BACK IN THE SADDLE

59. Like a cowboy in charge? : HOLDING THE REINS 

Howdy Pardners! Melissa here. Four grid-spanning theme answers. High-falutin' impressive, ain't it? I reckon let's giddy up! 🤠

Across:

1. Your business is her business : YENTA. Fun clue.

6. Tiny cut : SNIP. Not SLIT.

10. Jeans line : SEAM

15. Comes to the rescue of : AIDS

16. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI. From Wiki:
In H. G. Wells's The Time Machine. By the year AD 802,701, humanity has evolved into two separate species: the Eloi and the Morlocks, whereof the Eloi live a banal life of ease on the surface of the earth, while the Morlocks live underground, tending machinery and providing food, clothing, and inventory for the Eloi.


20. Emotional wound : SCAR

21. "At __, soldier!" : EASE

22. Quartet in "Whose woods these are I think I know" : IAMBS

23. Fodder for Forbes, initially : IPO

25. Play a part : ACT

35. Riveting icon : ROSIE. Great clue.




36. Overplay a part : EMOTE



 
37. Mission lead-in : ON A

38. Potentially offensive, for short : UNPC

39. Tends to the sauce : STIRS

40. Nerve : GUTS

41. Early 16th-century date : MDI

42. Earthquake : SEISM

43. "Impression, Sunrise" painter : MONET 


 
47. Ky. neighbor : IND

48. Show stoppers : ADS. Love this clue.

49. Limoges product : CHINA. For them there city slickers.

52. Entertainment show VIP : HOST

55. Builder's map : PLAT

62. Area behind an altar : APSE

63. Wonder Woman's friend __ Candy : ETTA 


 
64. Temporary tattoo dye : HENNA 


 
65. Get weepy, with "up" : TEAR

66. State openly : AVOW

67. More curious : ODDER

Down:

1. Trees that sound like sheep : YEWS. Nice clue.

2. Corporate VIP : EXEC

3. Final Four letters : NCAA

4. Marvelous : TERRIFIC

5. "Hidden Figures" actor Mahershala __ : ALI.
He plays Taraji P. Henson's love interest.

 
6. Epic tale : SAGA

7. They may be fine points : NIBS

8. Sit in traffic : IDLE

9. Tire gauge no. : PSI. Pounds per square inch.

10. Tranquil : SEDATE

11. Periodic table listing: Abbr. : ELEM(ent).

12. Limited choice : A OR B

13. Fail to see : MISS

18. Vegas illuminator : NEON

19. Nook or cranny : NICHE

24. Peach dessert : PIE

25. Many "Suits" characters: Abbr. : ATTS. Attorneys. Suits is a TV legal drama on USA Network, about a law firm in Manhattan.

26. Busser's target : CRUMB

27. Maker of Clarity alternative fuel cars : HONDA

28. Jelly made from meat stock : ASPIC

29. "Capisce?" : GET IT

30. Anabaptist descendants : AMISH. Meet the Amish.
 
31. Velvet-voiced Mel : TORME

32. Like most books : BOUND

33. Recon goal : INTEL

34. Palate : TASTE

39. FedEx, say : SEND. Verb, not noun. Sneaky.

40. "Safe travels!" : GODSPEED.
Happy Trails!

42. Egyptian peninsula : SINAI

43. Satiric magazine since 1952 : MAD

45. Less harsh : KINDER

46. Fill and then some : SATE

49. Converse : CHAT

50. Partner of pray : HOPE

51. Ingrid's "Casablanca" role : ILSA

52. "Tiny House Hunters" cable channel : HGTV

53. Bart and Lisa's bus driver : OTTO

54. Professor Higgins' creator : SHAW 


 
  
56. Swedish soprano Jenny : LIND. Wikipedia.

57. Hathaway of "The Intern" (2015) : ANNE

58. Winter Palace resident : TSAR

60. Org. for teachers : NEA. National Education Association.

61. 17th Greek letter : RHO 

That's it y'all - time to skedaddle.

48 comments:

  1. Greetings!

    Happy belated birthday to our dear Scott!

    Thanks to Amy and mb!

    Nice puzzle with a few hangups for me. They were: ETTA, ALI and IAMBS.

    Feeling better today. Thank you for all of your concern and good wishes! Feeling quite a bit better today!

    Wonder if Suits will survive without Meghan Markle, the young man star's lady love. (She is marrying Prince Harry!)

    Harv took my new Epson 3750 printer back to Costco today and exchanged it for another. It got stuck in the same installation loop.) Really need a working printer. (Called Epson about the previous one and had to pay $39 for supposed expert, who discontinued chat at his bedtime evidently. So ordered something entirely different from Amazon (but must wait until Friday).

    Hope to see you all tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I always confuse Monet and Manet; got it right this time. Yea!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The subject of our SAGA seems remote.
    A stage-struck bit of dust who would EMOTE.
    But he settled on electronics
    Which prevented his histrionics,
    He couldn't ACT because he was an E-MOTE!

    'Twas a fateful day MISS ROSIE met His NIBS!
    He was too chubby for to see his ribs.
    Yet he ate up every crumb,
    And demanded more to come,
    While as his nanny she tied on his bib!

    {B, B-.}

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  4. Good morning!

    Tried SLIT, SERENE and TABLE during my mosey to the corral. Quickly fixed, and I managed not to step in anything. Thanx, Amy and Melissa Bee.

    AMISH: We have an Amish cubic sofa in the family room. It's over ten years old. Last year we spruced it up with new cushions.

    Splynter would've caught hell for that henna illustration.

    CSO to moi at 53D. Thanx, Amy, though I'm sure you were unaware of it.

    Gotta run...

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  5. Good Morning fermatprime. To heck with the rest of you. Fermy is better!

    Lucina FLN 1129p

    Thanks for the first post about fermy.

    Picard FLN 1154P
    Thanks for PICS of Harper's Ferry.

    On to today's CW.

    Dave

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  6. Glad you are feeling better, Fermat. I had a rough day yesterday but it is never too late to wish Argyle the happiest of birthdays and a great year ahead. JL, it is always a pleasure to unravel what your mind ravels.

    "Hidden Figures" actor Mahershala _ _: ALI. was unknown to me but easy to suss, the rest of today was fairly straightforward. Thank you, Amy and melissa.

    The WSJ yesterday was fun but left out the CSO to my dear Oo who once again took care of me. You all know of the O-ring!

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  7. I enjoyed the henna art and look forward to the movie. Hey Splynter.

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  8. Thanx Amy and M B. Good xword with a few hiccups. CHAFING AT THE BIT seemed off but the perps ruled. Bussing clue took longer to click than it should have. Changed nits to NIBS and the rest filled ok except for PLAT . Not familiar with that term. Spring is struggling to emerge . May have to take time off and travel to warmer dryer climes.

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  9. Good Morning to the rest of you Cornerate/ors.

    Natick Alert!

    Thank you Ms. Amy Johnson for this CW, that appeared to be hard on first pass. The entire North was pure snow. P & P prevailed, and the cowboy lines filled easily once I caught on to them. I did FIR after my Natick. There I was at the Natick of 16A EL_I & 12D A_RB. A vowel run brought the "O." Down is now "A or B" but what is an ELOI?

    The ELOI are one of the fictional two post-human races in H. G. Wells' 1895 novel The Time Machine.Huh?

    Thanks in advance of reading your review, melissa bee. I know it will be wonderful!

    I just read your review of the ELOI. Thanks.

    A tribute toMr. Mel TORME with lots of Scat.

    Dave

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  10. Good Morning.

    Quick check in. I'm late on my To-Do list already this morning. No NIBS for me this morning, I mean nits!! Thanks, Amy, for some early morning fun. I won't hold you responsible for get my lack on focus on my prep to leave for Dallas early tomorrow.

    Melissa, Thanks for shepherding today. Yee Ha!

    Maybe I'll be able to check in while we're in Dallas, but with those five grands, it's unlikely. My eldest (12 and 11/12ths as he says) called yesterday and said he's the only one off school on Friday. He begged me to take him to the Perot Museum--he's the scientist and loves it. Gramma, of course said YES! A real perk of my Museum of Science and Industry membership, visiting other science museums just like a native!

    Stay well everyone!

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  11. A nice puzzle for midweek. Thanks Amy & Melissa.
    Happy to see post from Fermat again.

    Montana

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  12. Like OAS I had PLAn, but unlike OAS I didn't fix it. I used all of my P&P in the northwest, and when I filled that all in I didn't check the rest of the fill. TSAR is better than NSAR, and I should have caught it. I did catch caCHE for NICHE and, like OAS and Mme D. I had NItS before NIBS.

    Like Melissa b I really liked YENTA, and my other favorites were "trees that sound like sheep" for YEWS (ewes) and FEDEX as a verb for SEND.

    Didn't know Mahershala whatshisname, Clarity cars, ANY Swedish sopranos, nor anabaptist. We drove to Amish country in northern IND last May. Our quiet, calm greyhound Zoe saw the horse-drawn buggies and went NUTS, jumping around and barking like crazy. We were there for three days, and by the time we left she would just quietly growl at them.

    Nice to be reading your comments today, Ferm. Much relief here.

    Thanks Amy Johnson and Melissa b for a fun Wednesday.

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  13. Really love the LA Times crosswords... for the most part. As a science / computer guy, though, there's just too many humanities clues. Actors, directors, authors, artists. Yes, I acquire some interesting information. But wish there were more science / math oriented clues.

    Don't get me wrong - I'm not a one-trick pony. I'm also a musician and teacher. But if anyone could take what I've said into consideration, I'd appreciate it!

    Thanks!
    Andy

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  14. No real problems with just a few unknowns. I'll be a little UNPC. Other than English teachers in love with poetry, does anybody really care about an IAMB? ETTA Candy, NIBS (I had NITS originally), Clarity alternative fuels ( I do know HONDA) were the unknowns today.

    Adios

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  15. Hi Y'all! A chuckle-worthy endeavor from Amy, thanks! Thanks for herding us through this, Melissa.

    The NW was tricky with YEWS and YENTA being the cornerstone. Didn't get the "Y's" until almost last. I was proud to fill in NCAA at once. NW was snowy until I shoveled it out last. Couldn't even get SEAM and I was once a pretty good SEAMstress.

    Never heard of ETTA Candy or ALI. Snoop before ODDER perped in. Hand up for NItS before NIBS.

    My mind thinks of PLAT as more a city planner-developer term than a builder clue. Tried PLAn first. I've studied many city PLATs in my career which show plots, blocks and subdivisions rather than individual house plans for builders.

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  16. Our travels to Los Angeles went well. We went to see the band Chicago perform. Has anyone else seen them in concert?

    A special unexpected treat: This photo with the entire Chicago band!

    They gave a memorable performance. An hour performing their entire "Chicago Two" album. A short break. Then a second hour of their Greatest Hits. It was all carried out with flawless precision.

    Here I have merged a few short video clips I made.

    As for the puzzle, it was a fun ride today! I kept expecting a deeper level of meaning, but the COWBOY puns were good enough!

    A few unknowns: HGTV, ANNE, LIND, PLAT, LIMOGES, ALI

    If you have not yet seen HIDDEN FIGURES, I highly recommend it! Excellent history and an acknowledgment of the women "calculators" who made our space success possible. They were way more than just "calculators".

    D4E4H: Thank you for the kind words about my HARPER'S FERRY photos from late last night! Glad someone got to see them!

    Melissa Bee: Thanks for the interesting story of the AMISH

    Fermatprime: I know I am unusual and this is one more way: I abhor ink jet printers. I love my Hewlett Packard laser printer. The cartridges cost more in the short run, but they are cheaper in the long run. Printing is almost instant. If your latest attempt runs into trouble, I offer an alternative to love!

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  17. Good Morning:

    First, off, I'm happy to see Ferm up and running on all cylinders, based on her post. Ferm, you scared us but you seem fine now. Yes?

    This was a fun and fresh offering that caused a few hiccups, but nothing major. Had slit/snip, serene/sedate, and gall/guts. Liked the new clue for Etta even though I've never heard of Etta Candy. Parsing A or B took me forever and my first thought for the busses clue was cheek. (Buss, as in kiss.) My only nit and it's a personal one is UNPC. I don't care much for plain, old PC, either. Nice Texas-sized CSO to DO!

    Thanks, Amy, for a mid-week meander or, as Lucina would say, sashay and thanks, Melissa B, for your playful presentation.

    CanadianEh, we're certainly seeing some beautiful skating, aren't we. I even got to hear some music that I was familiar with and enjoyed. I am most impressed by the 15 years old Russian skater. When I was 15, I didn't know enough to come in out of the rain! Anyway, good luck to all of the lovely and talented young ladies.

    Safe journey, Madame Defarge.

    Thanks to all who liked our WSJ puzzle yesterday. Apologies to Oo, Lemony, for her (O)mission.

    Have a great day.

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  18. Musings
    -M _ NET and AV _ _? It seems to work out that way!
    -CHOMPING AT THE BIT is more familiar to me
    -Duh, Gary! There is no quartet of LAMBS in Stopping By Woods!
    -OVEREMOTING Jim Carrey is not my cup of Darjeeling!
    -Recent Yellowstone SEISMS
    =Another NETFLIX perk – No stoppage for ADS!
    -I wonder how many will soon wish their tattoos were temporary
    -I also wonder how many work hrs are spent watching The Final Four. It’s FAR more than if there was no money riding on the outcome!
    -The Hidden Figures story shocked this NASA educator!
    -A OR B choices in the optometrist’s chair get harder
    -NICH or NEECHE for you?
    -Busser = Kisser or school conveyance Driver? Nope, table cleaner
    -GODSPEED! (:17)
    -This is what is being PLATTED just across the road from me that has some neighbors uneasy

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  19. Thank you, Amy Johnson! I gather you have been watching Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers lately.

    This was a quick gallop across the grid. I loved the clues for YENTA and YEWS. Because it was so fast I never looked back so didn't change SLIT/TSI. Drat!

    d-OTTO, I saw that CSO.

    I thought LIND would be unfamiliar to the younger set here and it appears so.

    Big Easy:
    I hate to tell you but I don't care about NCAA or anything else to do with sports, but it's part of the CW world and I accept it.

    Thank you, Melissa, for your excellent commentary.

    Fermatprime: it's really good to hear from you and know that you are better.

    Have a sensational day, everyone!

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  20. Gary:
    It looks from the PLAT that you'll soon be joined by MANY neighbors!

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  21. YeeHaw (rather than WhooHoo) today. Thanks for the fun, Amy and melissa bee.

    This CW filled in steadily today. Hand up for Slit before SNIP, debating Manet or MONET (hi KS), having a lightbulb moment sussing A OR B (hi D4E4H) but ELOI was in my CW memory bank (as was PLAT).
    I agree with Melissa about favourite clues for ROSIE, ADS, YEWS.

    I was looking for a quartet of Os or Ws before IAMBS in that quote.
    We had SAY yesterday and AVOW today (after my comment).
    I was thinking of "curioser" in the sense of a nosy YENTA before ODDER filled the spot.
    My Bussers were more interested in dishes than CRUMBS.

    I ordered tickets the other day for SHAW Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake this summer. No Pygmalion this year.
    Will the performers ACT or EMOTE?

    AMISH was timely as I am reading Down a Dark Road by Linda Costillo. Good read so far.

    I had HENNA pattern (Mehndi) done on my hands at shower for DIL. The lady who did the artistry was very talented. The bride's creation even had the groom's initials woven into the pattern on the left ring finger. The better the HENNA application dries (it takes hours) before you wash off the dried surface mixture, the deeper the dye colour and the longer it lasts (several weeks).

    IM, yes that young Russian skater has a promising future.
    fermatprime, glad to hear that you are feeling better.

    Best wishes to all our Cornerites.

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  22. Picard 921a

    How did you get the entire Chicago band to hold still long enough for a PIC?

    In the video I noticed at 0:41, and 2:20 members singing into the mike on their instruments, trombone, sax and trumpet.

    I studied Harpers Ferry just now, and noticed the Chesapeake, and Ohio Canal running parallel to the Potomac River so I had to learn about it also.

    Husker Gary 958a
    You have raised a sleeping giant with your "Recent Yellowstone SEISMS." Please visit for the reason for the Yellowstone in the first place.
    to make sense of the pictures you will have to return to the Introduction. Please take the time to see the impressive evidence of a planet in formation.

    Dave

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  23. Fun Wednesday puzzle--thanks, Amy--but I'm afraid I had to cheat because I just couldn't get Y__T_. 'YENTA' just never came to me, even though I had YEWS and TERRIBLE. YEWS troubled me also because I kept thinking it should be BAAs--the sound that sheep make--not what they are, EWES. Tricky, tricky cluing, all around, And I still didn't get how a Busser's target could be a CRUMB until Husker Gary's post--oh bus boy, not kisser. Aaarrgh. Clever and fun, but a bit of challenge. Great write-up, Melissa, many thanks.

    Glad you're feeling better today, Fermatprime. I finally got a decent night's sleep last night after taking-- (sorry--Ol'Man Keith)--one of my old 2015 Zolpidem (Ambien) tablets. Thank goodness, because I'm teaching my class today and need to feel okay.

    Have a good day, everybody.

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  24. Picard:
    Great photo with the band and my question, too, is how did you manage that? They must be very accommodating to their fans.

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  25. Amy, thanks for the fast gallop today and mb, thanks for all the illustrations.
    Misty, Lemon, and Firmat, I am glad you all are feeling better today.
    Lucina @ 10:45, I agree. The puzzles are eclectic, having topics from many fields. I think that's what makes them interesting. I like to learn things outside my wheelhouse.
    Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightengale, was before my time, too, 1820-1887, but I have often heard of her.
    Some of the Amish came from Germany, as well as Switzerland.
    Chafing at the bit, chomping at the bit, champing at the bit, all are used. When I was a kid we would say, six of one and a half dozen of the others. Macht nichts.

    Alan has been well and happy since early November, so I have been able to begin the process of finding a group home for him. I understand it is a disaster to wait until I die or can no longer cope. Under time pressure he might be assigned a very undesirable place and I would have no input in his care. He seems to be very accepting of this and is adding up the pluses and minuses. I do not rue all the years we spent together. He is very special to me. He will be able to come home frequently for day visits and sometimes for overnight. We will save the overnights for traveling on vacations.

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  26. Yellowrocks, how thoughtful of you to think ahead about Alan's future. I hope you find a very comfortable and accommodating place for him and that he will be happy there. Keep us posted on how things go.

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  27. OAS, I just saw your long message to me yesterday about having trouble sleeping. Thank you especially for sharing your own story, and for the incredibly kind and encouraging words. Ironically, my own recent insomnia problems appear not be caused by any particular anxieties, which is why they're so puzzling. And I did need a sleep aid to help me finally get a good night's rest last night. But I will remember your kind advice and be very careful in the future.

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  28. Yellowrocks:
    What a sweet and thoughtful mother you are to Alan, but we knew that already. Thinking of and planning for his future is a truly wonderful thing though, I'm sure, you do it with a heavy heart. Like Misty, I also hope you find a place that will be comfortable for him and treat him with the kindness to which he is accustomed.

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  29. Yee haw and boy howdy, what a TERRIFIC puzzle this was today. Lossa fun to solve, with some chuckle-inducing clues to boot. YEW can't ask for more'n'at. Thanks, Amy Johnson.

    Very glad you are feeling better, fermatprime. Sorry about the printer hassle.

    Loved the beautiful skating Alina Zagitova graced us with last night. Evgenia Medvedeva was no slouch, either.

    Good wishes to you all.

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  30. Lucina and D4E4H: Glad you enjoyed the photo with Chicago. It was professionally taken, but surprisingly easy to arrange. They had a guy at a little table set up in the lobby where you could sign up. Most people were walking right by. People are often in such a rush to do what they think is important, they walk right past an opportunity.

    D4E4H: Yes, the instrument microphones often doubled for vocal microphones. The band members clearly enjoy their work. I highly recommend going to see them if they come your way!

    Glad you learned some new geography about HARPER'S FERRY! The history is about John Brown's effort to help runaway slaves and abolish slavery.

    Regarding the puzzle today, I should add a hand up, never heard of that ETTA. And YEWS had a tricky clue.

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  31. HG: The image of the PLAT immediately conjured up these lyrics,
    "Little boxes on the hillside
    Little boxes made of ticky tacky
    Little boxes
    Little boxes
    Little boxes all the same..."

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  32. While reviewing 2-13 I noticed in the picture at "16A South Pacific region : OCEANIA" the Andesite line. This led to more geological research showing that this line is at the boundary of the Pacific Plate and other plates. It is tied closely to the "Ring of Fire," volcanoes.

    Yellowrocks today, 1221p
    Wrote "The puzzles are eclectic, having topics from many fields. I think that's what makes them interesting. I like to learn things outside my wheelhouse." That echos, echos, echos my thoughts from earlier today. I have learned more in the last three, count them 3 months than any period in my life. If you want to LIU, you will likely find what you want. In this way, this is a good time to be alive.

    I notice that several Cornerwriters routinely use the word "Wheelhouse" to mean their area of interest. This is what I envision, an area of a ship.

    And now for the Weather Report. Little Old Louisville, KY broke the high temperature record for 2-20, and the month of February with 82 deg.

    Dave

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  33. No need to apologize, Misty!
    I'm glad for your sake that Ambien didn't impact you in the same way it did me. Obviously the feds wouldn't allow it to be marketed if everyone responded as I did.

    We're all delighted, fermatprime, that you are back - and feeling healthy! We read your alarms with real concern & (speaking for at least one) wished we hadn't felt quite so helpless.

    Today's pzl from Ms. Johnson was near perfect for a Wednesday. Chewy but digestible. Among the several tricky clues, my favorite was for 22A, IAMBS. I was wracking the Ol' Walnut for connections to Robt. Frost, thinking all the while that the "Quartet" hint would be more appropriate for TS Eliot. It took me far too long, prompted by perps, to get around to simply counting out the beats.
    But I got there in the end, and that's what counts: Ta- DA!


    ____________
    Diagonal Report: Four, consisting of the two center diagonals plus two sub-diags on the mirror side. No hidden messages.

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  34. Like Irish Miss and HuskerG, et alios, I first understood "Busser" as a kisser, and figured that his or her "target" had to be CHEEK or MOUTH.
    LIPS was too short.
    The problem worsened for me when my perps were giving me _RUM_.
    Arrgh. You can see where my mind was heading.

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  35. KS @6:13 AM: It's the other one. It's always the other one.

    ReplyDelete
  36. This Wednesday puzzle seemed easy, IMO. Not a bit of crunch..on to Thursday.

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  37. Plat?

    If this is what happens when you piss off an architect,
    just imagine what happens when you piss off a crossword solver...

    To be continued...

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  38. Picard, This may be your Wheelhouse, a theatrical performance that occurs within a circular rolling structure.

    Anonymous T, This Wheelhouse may rotate your tires.

    From 2-14, "39D Winged steed of myth : PEGASUS" He is the mascot/icon of the Louisville International Airport. A wire replica weighing only 21 lbs hangs in a rotunda in the lobby. At one time the domed windows above him sprung a leak. You guessed it, right at his rear. The poor equine was incontinent. I suggested that some wire "Road apples" be placed below his haunches, but my crop failed.

    Dave

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  39. I was going to continue with the Thumper clip,
    (not having anything nice to say)

    But this came up...

    Somehow, watching Bambi go "Plat" instead of me made me feel better...

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  40. Hi All!

    Amy really EXCEL'd at cluing today; some fun and some down-right diabolical (IAMBS!). Thanks Amy for swell Wed. puzzle.

    And thanks to you, the HOST, mb, for a TERRIFIC expo. The picture of ETTA was handy as I've never heard of her (I don't remember a Candy in the Justice League).

    WOs: Hand-up: NItS (the B was last letter for the finish); I started writing alcove @NICHE
    ESPs: ANNE, LIND, ILSA, ATTS, SHAW, IAMBS, ETTA
    Fav:: c/a for 1a. Not that there wasn't plenty of sparkle to choose from today.

    {A-, B-}

    Nice to see you in finer spirits Fermat. GOD SPEED! //I do agree with Picard on laser unless you must have colour.
    How'd the class go w/ a full night's sleep Misty?

    C, Eh! The girls would get mehndi every year for Diwali when at Montessori. Sometimes, they'll still hook up w/ their Indian-friends and get tat'd (UNPC? :-))

    Andy @9:09 - I agree on more math & science. Too many names turns in to perp & WAG feasts :-). //If I didn't know OTTO or HENNA, today could have become a DNF. But, as other's said - I like to expand my wheelhouse.

    D4 - that wheelhouse looks interesting. Most guys I ride with, though, would prefer it were a pub ;-)

    MDE Defarge - we look forward to having you in Texas! Have a wonderful trip.

    BigE asked: "Other Thant English teachers,...does anyone really care about an IAMB?"
    Um, Popeye? IAMB what IAMB...

    Cheers, -T

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  41. Misty and Lucina, thanks for understanding the sense of relief I am experiencing and also the great sense of loss, a new time of life for both of us.

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  42. Anonymous T, your Popeye answer to Big E was molto clever.
    But to reply on a serious plane, IAMBs are most certainly of importance to at least two other professions than English Teacher.
    I imagine he has had enough time to re-think his own question - and can fill in the blanks for himself.

    The first needful profession, naturally, is Poet. Now, I grant that not many can earn a living writing the stuff any more (if ever they did), but anybody dedicated to the art knows he/she must develop skill at detecting IAMBs, as well as dactyls, trochees, anapests, and the lot. I'm sure OwenKL knows what he wants when he needs a certain type of metrical foot to fix the rhythm of a line.

    The other profession needing such knowledge is the Actor. Not just any old actor, but one trained as a Classical Actor. Shakespeare's lines don't just fall into place.
    I suppose a beginning player can get by by imitating a good coach (Ah! another profession!) or a veteran performer, but sooner or later the serious actor will come across passages that have to be scanned afresh. And sometimes whole speeches that have alternate rhythmic possibilities, requiring personal judgment as to where to place the beat for best sense, so the critics (yet another!!) won't laugh the performance off stage.

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  43. Fascinating account of poetry, Ol'Man Keith--thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

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  44. No! No! Not more math & science! You math-science nerds aren't the only people on this blog! There are some of us wordsmiths who can't get more technical. Maybe one of the tech magazines could have the type of crosswords you crave.

    Yellowrocks, Hope you can find a place for Alan in which he will flourish. I bet he will enjoy a group home. I had a dear little friend with Downs Syndrome whose mother died. She is an affectionate people person and just loves the group home she went to. So many more people for her to hug each day. Every time I saw her after that she was telling me about her "new boyfriend", a different one every time, about on a middle-school-type level. She is probably in her 60's now and her aunt tells me she is doing well. I haven't had contact with her since moving to the city. She also was on a higher skill level than some others and enjoyed helping "the little kids", some of whom were older than she. I know you will probably miss Alan while he is having new experiences, but you deserve a breather.

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  45. Thanks OMK on furthering my understanding of the Art of ACTing.

    PK - Not to worry; Rich wouldn't let that fly. Today we got two Greeks and neither ψ (PSI @ 9d) nor ρ (RHO @61d) were clue'd with respect to a) wave functions in Quantum Mechanics nor b) resistivity and/or density, respectively :-)

    Cheers, -T

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  46. OMK:
    Thank you for speaking out in defense of poetry and poetry lovers with such eloquence and depth. Most of us know that art and literature open our eyes to the world in a way different from science and technology. We need both to keep a balanced view.

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  47. This post is just some love for CED... G'Nite and 'PLAT. -T

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  48. I was with PVX about fermat' the other day. I realize she's frail, and never says much, but to not acknowledge the multitude of questions she raised was rude. Even now, days later, we don't know if she ever did see a doctor or get any treatment! PVX's whining about themes sometimes grates, since I consider the theme the real puzzle, and the crossword just the means to that end. But I do hope they're still around, and not chased off by the disapproval aimed at them!

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