google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, March 28, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

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Mar 28, 2018

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: What happened to the Pope?   Let's start with the unifier.  It will make all clear.

54. Minister or imam, say ... and, in two ways, a hint to words hidden in 17-, 29- and 38-Across : RELIGIOUS LEADER.  The titles of RELIGIOUSly ministerial people are indicated at the beginning of each theme answer - thus LEADing the way in.  Let's see how that works.

17. Secondhand wave of excitement : VICARIOUS THRILL.  This is an imagined experience based on the actions or feelings of someone else.  The position of VICAR varies among different Christian denominations, but always involves some level of LEADERship responibiity.

29. Place to get delivery instructions? : LAMAZE CLASS.  This teaches a method of preparation for natural childbirth.  A LAMA is a teacher of the Dhamma, a principle of cosmic order, in Tibetan Buddhism.

38. Hare care site : RABBIT HUTCH.  Clever clue for a place where bunnies are nurtured [not the Playboy Mansion.]   In the Jewish faith, A RABBI is a teacher in Jewish law who also provides pastoral counseling and represents the community.

With two grid-spanners and two more entries of 11 letters each, this is quite rich for a 4-part theme.  Also, I found this to be a bit on the tough side for a Wednesday.  But, it's Jeffery, who we usually see on Fridays, so that might explain it.  In fact, word count, length and freshness are all in the Thursday- Friday range.

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here to guide you on this pilgrimage.  Remember, religion is off-topic here, so we'll make our excursion secular and apolitical.

Down

1. Touch, e.g. : SENSE.  Along with sight, smell, taste, taste and hearing, the typical 5 SENSES.    Modern thinking identifies a longer list.

6. Model in a bottle : SHIP.



10. SALT weaponry : ABMS.  Strategic Arms Limitation Talks/Treaties concerned Ballistic Missiles and Anti Ballistic Missiles [ground to air] designed to defend against them.

14. "Ta-ta, mon ami" : ADIEU.  French word of departure.

15. Students' lunchroom : CAFETERIA.

19. Surprised cries : EEKS.  Responses to rodent sightings.

20. Court plea, briefly : NOLO contendere, in full.  A plea that neither admits guilt nor claims innocence.

21. Bridal path : AISLE.  Not a horse trail, but the route a bride takes to the altar.

22. "Uh-uh--however ... " : NO BUT.  Always, an objection.

24. They may be raised in casinos : STAKES.  Betting levels.  Are you in or out?

25. Saudi neighbors : OMANISMiddle-eastern geography.

27. Google Apps component : G-MAIL.  21st century communication device.

31. Pro bono TV ad : Public Service Announcement.

34. "Hamilton" climax : DUEL.  I'm not familiar with the ending of the musical - but this event ended Alexander Hamilton's life.  After missing with his first shot, Hamilton was struck by Burr's shot, and died the following day from the wound.

35. 27-Across alternative : AOL.  An internet service provider.

36. Has second thoughts about : RUES.  This rather understates what would be better defined as "bitter regret."

37. Member of the fam : SIS.  I have one.  No bro, though.

42. Thick : DENSE.  Figuratively speaking, a not particularly bright person can be called dense.  In more physical terms, these words refer to a linear dimension and relative heaviness, respectively.

43. Off the beaten path : REMOTE. Or, alternatively, far away.

44. Arcade activity : GAMING.  Generally of video or pin ball varieties.

47. Welcome words to a hitchhiker : HOP IN.  Feel free to enter the vehicle.



48. Kicking partner? : ALIVE.  Words that go together in a vernacular phrase.

49. Ancient France : GAUL. A vast region of Western Europe north of Iberia inhabited by Celtic peoples, that includes parts of several other modern countries.

51. St. Petersburg's river : NEVA. In Russia, not Florida, therefore remote.

57. Jaguar's jaguar, e.g. : TRADEMARK.  A word, phrase or symbol that is registered or established by use to represent a company or product.

58. Clarence Odbody in "It's a Wonderful Life," e.g. : ANGEL.  Specifically, a 2nd class angel, who after 200 years, had still not earned his wings.  Sad.

59. Give a finer edge to : HONE.  Sharpen on a whetstone, or figuratively, refine one's skills.

60. Word with bill or ball : PLAY.  "PLAY ball" announces the start of a baseball game.  A PLAYbill is a poster announcing a theatrical performance.  Here is my lovely wife, Gloria,  admiring a recent PLAYbill featuring granddaughter Amanda.





1. In __: unborn : UTERO.  Still in the uterus.

Down

1. Hockey announcer's cry : SAVE.  The average NHL goalie's save percentage has been .913 to .915 for the last 5 seasons.

2. Actress Falco : EDIE.  Nurse Jackie, and before that Carmela Soprano.







3. The Sultan of Swat and The Splendid Splinter : NICKNAMES.  I've had a few.  Didn't like most of them.  The ones listed here refer to baseball legends George Herman "Babe" Ruth and Ted Williams, respectively.

4. Like produce at farm-to-table restaurants : SEASONAL.  Fresh and locally produced, unlike strawberries in Michigan in March.

5. The Danube's cont. : EUR. The continent of Europe.  Note abrv. in cl. & ans.

6. "Run along now" : SCOOT.  Get a move on.

7. Pull with effort : HAUL.  Schlep.

8. "Assuming it's true ... " : IF SO.  Conditional.

9. Guinea pig, e.g. : PET.  A domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or amusement.

10. Taken from above, as photos : AERIAL.  Formerly from a plane, now probably from a drone.

11. Invigorating : BRISK.  Like a cool breeze or cup of hot tea.

12. Jacque's thousand : MILLE.  French number.

13. Cyber Monday events : SALES.  Along with Black Friday, President's Day, the 4th of July and Boxing Day.  All designed to separate you from your money.

16. "To clarify ... " : THAT IS.  What I meant to say  .  .  .

18. Operating : IN USE. Verb form used as a modifier.  Some grammarian help me with the vocabulary.

23. Show __ : BIZ.  There's no BIZ like it.

24. Copenhagen carrier : SAS.  Scandinavian Airlines.

25. Former GM division : OLDS.  It WAS your father's Oldsmobile.

26. Haleakala National Park locale : MAUI.  Oahu would have been my 2nd guess.  It includes both mountainous and coastal regions.

27. Round Earth map : GLOBE.

28. Landlocked African nation : MALI.  South of Algeria, west of Niger.  Chad also fits - it is east of Niger and south of Libya.

30. Airport lineup : CABS.  Taxis.  Alternate definition: red wine line up.

31. Made tense : PUT ON EDGE.  What puts you on edge?

32. Doctrinal faction : SECT.  Another tilt in the direction of religion.  I was going to join my carpenter friend's church, until I found out it was a splinter group.

33. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE.  In the early 80's Ashe is believed to have contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion he received during heart surgery.  He died at age 49 in 1993.

36. Cud-chewing mammal : RUMINANT.  A hoofed animal with a rumen - an extra stomach where plant matter is digested with the aid of bacteria.   Includes cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer and giraffes.

38. Go back (on) : RENEGE.  Fail to honor a promise or contract.

39. Director Lee : ANG.  [b 1953] Also screenwriter and producer whose often emotionally charged works explore cultural and personal conflicts.

40. Disruptive forum visitor : TROLL.  One whose comments serve to cause dissension and conflict for its own sake rather than move the conversation along in a rational manner.

41. With it, once : HEP.  What once was HEP became hip, then rad.  I don't what it is now.

42. Cut into parts : DIVIDE.

44. Brooks with two Grammys : GARTH.  Counrty singer

45. Last 25-Down model : ALERO.  It was built in Lansing, MI from 1998 until 2004.

46. Italian fashion city : MILAN.  The capital of Lombardy and 2nd most populous city in Italy.  It is also a leader in the arts, commerce, education, research and tourism.

47. Iditarod runner : HUSKY.   Sled dog.



49. Hockey announcer's cry : GOAL.  Average number of goals against this year is 2.77, up from 2.59 last year and 2.51 the year before.  Average shots against per game have been 31.8, 30.1 and 29.6, respectively.  More shooting --> more scoring.

50. Pervasive glow : AURA.

52. Turn sharply : VEER.  Suddenly change direction.

53. Guthrie who sang about Alice : ARLO.  Here, for you listening enjoyment, if you have 18 spare minutes.



55. Little trickster : IMP.

56. Seine filler : EAU.  Water in a French river.  A purse seine filler would be poisson, on a good day.

Eau que, that wraps things up for another Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Cool regards!
JzB

45 comments:

  1. Greetings!

    Thank you, Jeffrey and Jazz!

    Easy theme!

    No problems!

    Hope to see you all tomorrow!

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  2. Good morning!

    Busy day yesterday. So busy that I had to check my nametag to make sure I wasn't Abejo! Busy again today, but not too much. When you're retired a little activity goes a long way toward busyness.

    Enjoyed this outing from JW. Guess who missed the reveal? Guess who didn't get the theme? Yep! But I did zip right through this one with nary a slip. Nice.

    JzB, nice photo of Gloria and Amanda. (BTW, I think any Millennial would say that GMAIL was a 20th century phenomenon.) Sounds like Facebook is well on it's way to becoming a "was."

    I've noticed online that more and more real estate photo "galleries" now include drone-shot AERIAL photos of the properties for sale.

    RE Religious Leader: My college lit professor commented that Mark Twain always liked to have a preacher in the audience -- he claimed it added "zest" to his swearing.

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  3. By the time I got to the reveal, the puzzle was solved. Easy Wednesday.

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  4. How nice to see a JW with a JzB write-up. I had fun with the theme and the CSO to some of our 'favorite' poster - the TROLLS! I also liked seeing HAUL and GAUL in the same puzzle.

    Jazz, you almost tricked me with your mixed language comment EAU (O in French) and QUE (K in Latin). Well done.

    Finally, I took the challenge and suggest I'M A MONKEY's UNCLE as the missing piece.

    Thanks, guys.

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  5. My favorite of the week so far. Thanks, Jeffrey. I especially liked the cluing for AISLE and LAMAZE CLASS. I even got the theme for a change.

    Having raced many times in NOOD (pronounced "nude", but really National Offshore One Design) sailing regattas out of St. Pete Yacht Club, I was trying to remember the river that runs through it. Oh, THAT St. Petersburg.

    In my ute I got a VICARIOUS THRILL every time John Derek got married. Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, then Bo Derek. A more impressive resume than even Billy Joel.

    Thanks yo JazzB for another fun tour. I also didn't know any details about the play Hamilton, but I'm so old that we actually studied history in high school and college.

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  6. "Ta-ta" is closer to AU REVOIR than to ADIEU. And "Jacque" is a misspelling of "Jacques" (it takes an s).

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  7. I did it! I beat ya, Jeffrey!! Ok, so it's only Wednesday but it was not lacking in fun or misdirection. So many great clues/fills.

    NICKNAMES nearly got me. I wanted the names of those particular individuals. Clever. RUMINANT is a good word but was a stumbling block for a long time. Cow wouldn't fit. Loved LAMAZE CLASS. And TRADEMARK. I wanted hood ornament or something like that. So much fun. Thanks!

    And thanks, JzB for walking us through. I got the reveal but didn't see the VICARs and LAMAs and RABBIs until you told me where to look.

    I see our TROLL is back with his misinformation. ...sigh...

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  8. An easy fill today with very few proper names, EDIE, ARLO, GARTH, ASHE, that are crossword regulars. I didn't notice the LEADERS in the theme answers. No unknowns.

    I think the clue for GLOBE in 27D should have been "Spherical" instead of "Round Earth map".

    HEP-HIP. Maybe it's where I have lived but I've only heard HEP ever used except in "HEP Cat". HIP, I guess maybe it's the root of hippies. Who knows.

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  9. Musings
    -After the W’s of yesterday, we have a Wednesday Wex
    -It’s so fun when the theme words are not stand-alone entries but start other unrelated words!
    -For my MacBook Pro I need to TOUCH the mousepad while Joann’s iPad requires TOUCHING the screen. It’s confusing when we switch
    -You haven’t lived until you’ve had CAFETERIA duty with 200 JH kids
    -A western Nebraska rancher sat down at a Las Vegas poker table thinking the STAKES were $5, $10 and $20 chips. After winning big, he discovered those chip values had two more zeroes
    -Off the beaten path? That reminds me I will be playing golf today!
    -Crying SAVE? NO, BUT crying GOAL seems more common
    -Going to the capital of MALI seems like quite a journey for this
    -Scroll down one page to see the name of a pretty specific SECT
    -GARTH sold out six shows in one weekend in Omaha three years ago (90,000 tix)
    -I loved the picture and your erudite write-up Jazz!

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  10. Good morning everyone.

    Jeff's puzzle played in the easier Wednesday slot today but much of his character was evident. Many great clues; favorite was for EAU - Seine filler. Had ICBM before ABMS - messed up MILLE.
    GAUL - Other locations having the same root, implying 'Celtic,' include Galicia, a region in NW Spain, and Galatia, in Asia Minor.
    HAUL - I guess HAULing in a loaded fishing net would qualify per the clue. Many Canadian trucking firms seem to use the word HAULAGE for their businesses.

    JzB - Nice puzzle lead-in.

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  11. Wow (or WooHoo as Misty would say!), a Wednesday Wechsler workout. Thanks for the fun, Jeffrey and JazzB.
    I agree that this was not the usual Wednesday fare but with some P&P I finished and even got the theme!

    Get In changed to HOP IN (I LOLed to see this below the RABBIT HUTCH! and suitable for Easter also).
    I also changed Scram to SCOOT, Hip to HEP, tried to fit Sled before HUSKY, and prenatal before LAMAZE.
    Like SwampCat, I was trying to figure out a last name for NICK. I was close - it was plural NAMES. Another LOL.
    DH gave me OLDS but I got ALERO on my own.

    Like HuskerG, this Canadian did not like the clues for SAVE and GOAL. Foster Hewitt cried "He shoots, he scores" or "Great SAVE".

    Anon@8:45 - French is not my first language but I have always considered Au Revoir to be more formal than Adieu, ie. Good Bye vs. TATA. Any French speakers here to weigh in.
    You must have an eagle eye to notice Jacque's. There is a feminine name Jacque but JACQUES is more common. I believe the apostrophe is misplaced. Perhaps Rich should hire you!

    JazzB, re SEASONAL strawberries: we now have the choice of greenhouse berries from Leamington instead of those from Mexico or Florida. Price is higher but flavour is more like the SEASONAL ones.
    GreenhouseStrawberries

    Sparkle today - RUMINANT, RENEGE, VICARIOUS, BRISK, ALIVE & kicking.
    Thanks for explaining NOLO, JazzB (and great photo of Gloria and Amanda).

    Enjoy the day.

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  12. I love it! I love it! Third day in a row and I'm loving these puzzles.

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  13. Welcome back, JW! We haven't seen you in a while and a Wednesday Wechsler is a joy.

    I shuddered when I saw the Sultan of Swat and the Splendid Splinter thinking it would be proper names but NICKNAMES emerged nicely. The NEVA was a given but only because I have seen it or it might have been a Natick. And though I haven't seen the play, Hamilton, I do know that he died in a DUAL with Aaron Burr. The wrong man died, IMHO.

    ANGEL also filled quickly. I love It's a Wonderful Life. Initially, only the consonants appeared in RUMINANT and PUT ON EDGE so the vowels jumped in to fill the spaces.

    Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for your witty summary. I, too, liked your French take on EAU QUE.

    It's a very busy week here, too. Spring cleaning is almost done.

    Have a joyful day, everyone!

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  14. Good Morning:

    I hereby nominate Jeffrey Wechsler for Word Play Wizard of the Crossword Community. This puzzle is brimming with so many aural-centric entries, it practically sings; Haul/Gaul, Goal/Troll, Sense/Dense and Tense in a clue, and, almost, Maui/Mali. Then we have the outstanding duos of Imp/Angel, Utero/Lamaze, AOL/gmail, Hop in/Rabbit hutch, etc. But the best part, for me, was hiding the theme answers in plain sight without signaling the reveal in any way. I, too, had ICBM before ABMs and my learning moment was that Ruminant is an animal. My favorite C/A was Hare care site=Rabbit Hutch. This was a truly enjoyable solve.

    Bravo, Jeffrey W, for never disappointing and always delighting us with your imaginative craftsmanship and thanks, JzB, for your detailed and enlightening expos and the subtle repartee!

    I finally bit the bullet yesterday and did my taxes. Surprisingly, I'm getting a refund so I'll have to think of something to splurge on.

    My brother, Jack, was discharged yesterday. He is still on oxygen but that's not permanent. I'm sure he'll be anxious to start cooking some favorite foods after 2 1/2 weeks of institutional fare. No date yet for the valve surgery.

    Have a great day.

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  15. Woohoo! Woohoo! (thanks, CanadianEh!) I got a Wednesday Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle without a single error or cheating! Thank you, Jeff, for a clever puzzle and a great mid-week gift. Of course, I didn't see the theme words until the grid-spanning reveal, and there they were. Irish Miss has already detailed all the delightful formal nuances of the answers. I was most surprised by two baby references--LAMAZECLASS and IN UTERO. It was also a pleasure to get so many people's names without any problems. Lots of fun and very rewarding. And thanks for the great journey, JazzB, and the sweet picture of Gloria and Amanda.

    So glad Jack is home, Irish Miss.

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  16. Irish Miss, I second the nomination! JW certainly is a Word Play Wizard! You caught all of today's mastery!

    So glad Jack is home.

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  17. Hi Y'all! No trite in Jeffrey's vocabulary, is there! Fun one! Thanks. Very clever, JzB.

    I got the theme with the reveal, but didn't read the clue numbers so tried to find the RELIGIOUS LEADER in CAFETERIA & TRADEMARK too. No luck! Did find the real theme words with no problem after going back and rereading the clue.

    After NEVA River which had to perp in, I was trying to think of a Seine tributary. Oh, EAU!

    "Get" IN before HOP IN. I don't pick up hitchhikers and certainly not any HOPpers. No sir! Tried DIssect with one "s" before DIVIDE.

    RUMINANT: There is an experimental farm at the state agriculture college where they used to have cows with picture windows installed in their sides to see stomach action. You could see the cows lined up at the feeder near the road. My cattle-raising husband always wanted to climb the fence and see what there was to see.

    LAMAZE CLASS: I went to the first one ever held in my home county. I wasn't pregnant, just doing a story on this up-to-date (then) trend. Fun to do then follow up when the babies were born.

    Jinx: Always thought John Derek married the same woman three times in just a younger version. They looked pretty interchangeable to me: gorgeous with blah personalities. I know, who needs personality when you look like that?

    IM: Yay, Jack!

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  18. Speaking of red wine and fish.. Poisson,sans boisson est poison

    IM said it for us . I almost forgot to fix the NE I misspelled cafeteria.

    One account has Hamilton deliberately missing on his first shot as was the custom. Gore Vidal wrote "Burr" (as well as "Lincoln" which I'm reading now).

    I was trying to squeeze in AU REVOIR too.

    Thx Wesh and JzB

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  19. JzB,
    Amanda must be a top dancer to be featured so prominently - and beautifully - on that bill! Cool.

    Ta- DA! - I'm not sure I would have done so well with a Wechsler if I hadn't been helped by the theme. I don't usually find themes to be so useful, but this one guided me to fill in the ministerial roles with only one or two letters in place. A big boost!

    ____________
    Diagonal Report: Four total. Just the one center line on the first side (Nw to SE), but a full 3-way on the mirror side (NE to SW).

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  20. Hello Puzzlers -

    Thoroughly enjoyable Jeff Wex today. Thanks JzB.

    A few of you have written of the loss of dear pets over the years. It was my turn today. Our little calico cat had been worsening, and we felt putting her to sleep was the most merciful thing to do. We are weighed down with sadness.

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  21. Dudley,
    So sorry to read of your loss. The only real consolation is sweet memories - and maybe the realization that our pets' lives are shorter so they don't have to face losing us. We bear the grief so they don't have to.

    Sending more good wishes to Argyle, hoping the best for you through recovery & rehab!

    While I'm thinking of it, Yellowrocks, did you ever read my answer to the question you posted to me yesterday?

    Jinx, I just read your reference to sailing races and must own up to my jealousy. Of all the ventures I wish I had taken more seriously, sailing is at the top of my list. I assisted on a friend's yacht years ago - somewhere off Virginia Beach - but never took the time to follow up.
    Life's too damn short.

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  22. -Fine puzzle and write up. No hang-ups other than writing one answer in the wrong cells. Perks to the rescue. Thanks for the fun, Jeff and JzB.
    Seine filler/eau. OTOH a fishing seine, a drag net, holds NO water.
    -Ta-ta, au revoir, and adieu have crossed into English. They are considered near synonyms. Crosswords frequently use near synonyms as opposed to exact synonyms.
    -ta-ta in dictionary:
    EXCLAMATION: BRITISH informal, goodbye.
    synonyms: farewell · adieu · hooray · check you · au revoir · ciao · auf Wiedersehen · adios · sayonara · vale · bye · bye-bye · so long · see you · see you later · [more]
    -Technically auf wiedersehn, au revoir and hasta la vista are closer to until we meet again, see you later, but crosswords are not that exacting.
    -Welcome home, Jack. May your recovery progress well.
    -OMK, yes I did. I was being diplomatic in not answering. I think I discounted it because it boggles my mind. It leaves you with extremely cold winters and extremely hot summers. My thought would be to agree not to touch the heat until it goes below a negotiated floor and not to touch the AC until it goes above a negotiated ceiling. I know, MYOB, but you asked.
    -So sorry to hear of the loss of your dear cat, Dudley. So sad.
    -Have a pleasant evening, friends.

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  23. I've always had a soft spot for calico cats. Condolences Dudley...

    I've always like the idea of sailing. Unfortunately, that pleasure is often accompanied by motion-sickness. That feeling of nausea is near the top of my list of unpleasant sensations. I would pay lots of money for an instant cure when it strikes. If I remember ahead of time, Marazine seems to ward off its onset very well.

    I was driving home from the supermarket earlier. I was crossing an intersection on a green light when I was hit by a driver coming from my left. Her info was somewhat disorganized but she seemed honest and admitted her fault. Neither of us was hurt. My car is driveable. AAA suggested which local body shop to use. They won't take me until next Monday. I am shaken up emotionally but no great harm done.

    If you are in the market for car insurance, AAA's rates are very good and their customer service is excellent.

    With our new furnaces and A/C, we are happy campers. When we added a second story to our existing house years ago, we had a second furnace for the new upstairs. So now we have both an upstairs and a downstairs furnace and A/C. Barbara spends most of her time downstairs, my tutoring and TV-watching is mostly upstairs. No temperature conflicts for us these days. I love the new A/C

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  24. Everything Irish Miss said so eloquently expresses what I thought about today's puzzle, about Mr. Wechsler, and about Jazzbumpa's write-up. All good!

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  25. Bill G, so glad neither of you was hurt!

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  26. Dudley, even us dog people know the heartache you are feeling. You did right by your kitty.

    IM - Glad your bro is home.

    OMK - Sailing is very relaxing and a great way to commune with nature. Sailboat racing is demanding and hectic, at least for an owner. Scheduling crew, managing and performing maintenance, studying appeals decisions, reading strategic books and articles, learning more about weather and plenty of other stuff can be a full time job. I raced for more than 30 years and still felt like I wasn't an expert in any of the important topics except check writing. I loved it.

    Bill G - I was OK above decks, but going below, especially in rough seas, made me seasick. They actually make a prescription in suppository form for use when nothing stays down.

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  27. CanadianEh! and YellowRockhead: "AU REVOIR" is literally "until the re-seeing"; "ADIEU" is "good-bye (forever)." That's why AU REVOIR is closer to "Ta-ta."

    And, yeah, I'll go with misplaced apostrophe in "Jacque's."

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  28. Anon, are you allergic to dictionaries? LIU. Name calling is a sign your argument is weak and your facts are thin.

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  29. My heart goes out to you, Dudley. Yes, it's best to give them a peaceful end--but still heartbreaking. My dachshund Misty was taken out by a coyote three years ago, and her litter-mate Dusty is going to be 15 this summer. He's still in good shape, but it will be heartbreaking when the end comes. So I feel for you.

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  30. YellowRocks,
    That's okay - no need to be "diplomatic." In our case, what's painful for one is a gift of comfort to the other.
    We have our way, and you're free to object.

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  31. BillG: so glad you weren't hurt during the fender bender. Being shaken up is understandable. My daughter was driving when we were struck by a red-light runner 20 years ago. I still cannot drive thru that intersection without a near-panic attack.

    Dudley: Condolences on having to put your kitty to "sleep". It was the right thing to do.

    Keith: I use a small electric heater within a few feet of my recliner to keep toasty in cold weather. Nothing worse than feeling the cold creep up from your feet making you miserable. I have a good new furnace but this cold spot is near my big windows. The good things about living alone are having control of the thermostat & TV remote. Otherwise I don't recommend it.

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  32. Dudley, may your pain be eased by knowing you did the right thing, hard as it was.

    Bill G, glad you're okay, if a little shaken.

    Jayce, flattery will get you everywhere! 😇

    Thanks for all the good wishes concerning Jack's homecoming.

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  33. Wechsler used to scare me. I am impressed that he can tone it down and make a breezy Wednesday puzzle like this! Fun theme! Hand up with Lucina: I did not know NICK NAMES Sultan of Swat and the Splendid Splinter. Learning moment.

    At first had HIP and amused it crossed HOP. HEP was before my time. NEVA the only unknown. Don't know EDIE, but she indeed is a regular in these puzzles. Interesting that RUE crossed RUMINANT. Some depressed people suffer because they are constantly RUMINAting on what they RUE.

    Here my grandparents arrived down the SAS stairs to visit us in COPENHAGEN. But they actually were arriving on Air France.

    Thanks to CC for suggesting I can share photos this way via Google Photos. It is a poor substitute for having my web site back. But I am grateful to have this option. I think Yahoo Small Business is a dead end. A web designer friend recommends the hosting service she uses and I spent time with them on the phone. They were a bit too hard sell trying to get me to pay for a high end service for three years up front. We are about to go away for a bit, so I probably won't do anything until we return.

    Dudley: Sorry that you had to put your beloved cat to sleep. I wish we humans had this option more widely for ourselves (we do now in California and in neighboring Oregon). It is often the kindest option.

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  34. Thanks, PK,
    I do the same. I have one space heater in the bathroom, just for when I need it, and another under my desk. I use the latter most of the time in winter days and even now in early springtime.
    It is almost the solution - except of course when my feet and lower legs have had enough! Then I either turn it off or back my chair up a couple of feet so I can feel the main thrust getting a tad cooler and a bit of heat spreading to my lap.
    There's a real art in balancing intensity and spread.

    To balance things out, my wife gets to aim a couple of power fans at her TV chair in the summer.

    And, yes, on (rare) occasions, we agree to touch the thermostat.
    We are that civilized.

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  35. ADIEU - Low German seems to have borrowed it in "Adjüüs"; perhaps during the Hanseatic era? German "auf wiedersehen" seems unrelated. The Hamburgers also say a related "Tschüüß".

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  36. Hi All!

    What IM said so well. Great puzzle in both theme-execution & Sparkle with a fantastic expo chaser. Thanks JW & JzB [does your daughter take after you and dance Jazz?]

    WOs: hand up for ICBM, tAxi b/f CABS and 23d was Show_ OFF b/f BIZ.
    ESP: RUMIvANT [sic] for the FIW. //Like an Elephant(?) vENA sounded Russian.

    Fav: c/a for TRADE MARK. Fortunately it was almost filled and I never thought of what a jaguar's mate is called :-)

    Dudley - what was her name? My condolences. [OMK, re: pet's life/grief: that's so sweet]

    Bill G - Yikes! Glad you're OK.

    Good news :re Jack IM.

    Time to listen to ARLO while I PLAY, er, work (shhh, don't tell my boss how much fun I have working).

    Cheers, -T

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  37. Thanks everyone for your kind words. The loss of our little kitty has darkened this day. We did learn a little, though: this time we chose to hire a vet who specializes in at-home euthanasia. It’s more costly, of course, but we found it to be the most gentle way.

    Picard: we agree. To us, it seems closed-minded not to accept the easing of passage in humans.

    -T: the cat’s name was a little vague. When we rescued her from a shelter, the documents had various similar names, Mischa, Micah, Mycah. We didn’t establish a name of our own, for some reason, and in any case names don’t seem to matter much to cats. We used Micah from then on because at least it had historical roots.

    Bill G: so glad there was no injury. Hang in there!

    Jinx and OMK: I was a sailing instructor in college, and eventually I took a job as mate on a ketch sailing around the Mediterranean. What a lifestyle that was! It wasn’t racing, but it was wind, water, and sail.

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  38. Dudley, yes....wind, water, and sail are what it's all about. I lived aboard for a time with my husband and found it to be all Jinx has said......relaxing, calming , but also a lot of work. (No one mentions that!). What fun you must have had on the Mediterranean!

    Condolences on your kitty.

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  39. GDay Mates,

    Way late to the party. WEES on the CW. My thanks for those getting better, and my prayers for those still on the mend.

    Thank you Mr. Jeffrey Wechsler for this fine Wednesday CW which I FIR.

    Thank you Jazzbumpa for you fine review.

    It's a slow review of the review when I get to "53D if you have 18 spare minutes" before commenting. They were the best 18 minutes of my life. Thank you Arlo.

    Dudley at 2:39 PM

    I share your grief over losing your little calico cat. When we would take ours to the vet they would exclaim "She's sweet." Apparently Calicos can be mean.
    I have euthanized Callie, her brother Romeo who shares my avatar, and Coco, a poodle. It is a shame that this relieving practice is not allowed for humans.

    Bill G at 5:15 PM

    I'm glad you weren't hurt. Cars can be replaced, but you can't.

    Interesting HVAC discussion today. I live in a two story house with only one furnace. In AC time, the upstairs is hot. My room on the second floor has a window AC, and I have a small heater so I can keep the temp. to my taste.

    Jinx in Norfolk at 5:56 PM

    My Dr. prescribed that suppository for my mal de mere. When I saw him next, he asked how well it worked. I said "For all the good it did me, I might as well have shoved it up my ass."

    Today's Paraproseandpoetry is: "We have met the enemy, and he is us." Pogo

    Ðave

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  40. Eau! Eau! Eau! I'm away from the Blog and look at what I missed, Dudley's kitty, Bill's accident and Jack's homecoming.

    Bill, what a blessing that you were not hurt and only your car needs repairs.

    Dudley, I'm so very sorry for your loss. It's so painful to end a pet's life.

    IM, that's wonderful to hear Jack is home.

    It's been a really busy day for me. Besides the cleaning I went grocery shopping to avoid the Easter crowd later in the week. The store was blessedly uncrowded. Then I went on an errand of mercy. I don't know if I've mentioned here before but there is an elderly gentleman from church who I've been transporting, home from church and to the grocery store. He bought some medicine and was unable to open it so he called me. I suggested he ask a neighbor but for some reason he would not. It was one of those press-with-two fingers type of cap which I was able to open by applying some force which he obviously could not. It made me realize what I'm in for in a few more years.

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  41. Picard - posts before refresh says... nice pix. Gphotos are slower and a PITA but at least we can see through your eye.

    Speaking of which - has anyone seen the movie 'Get Out' by Jordan Peele? We watched it last weekend and, OMG, trippy and really good (IMHO). It's a horror flic w/ a touch of science-fiction and a heavy dose of "think about it." While I couldn't sit still through it (I pace during thrillers), I really enjoyed everything, every little detail, Peele did in that.

    Lucina - You can take the Sister out of the Convent but not the Nun out of the Sister. Good on you in your mercy errand; your tardiness is excused :-)

    Wait a secon... Hey, Lem, NUNchucks[9] could be a spiritual leader too.

    Cheers, -T

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  42. It being so late, I guess I can ramble a bit...the missus and I are getting ready to turn in, and the loss is felt again, because the bed-space between us would normally have been occupied by our little cat. So many times, I slid carefully under the covers so as not to disturb her resting self.

    Four years ago, when we moved from old house to new, I worried that the transition would be upsetting to the cat. I needn’t have worried. In the new place, I opened the door of her carrier...she poked her head out, spotted the fire in the nearby wood stove, and within 30 seconds made herself right at home.

    So begins a different chapter. We will adapt, but there will be lots of memories. All in all, I think it’s worth it.

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  43. Dudly - feel free to get it out and share your grief; you're among friends here. -T

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