google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, April 4 2018, David Poole

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Apr 4, 2018

Wednesday, April 4 2018, David Poole

Theme: BOXED IN- Four different scrambles of AMEN is placed in each corner.

1. Whirlpool brand : AMANA

10. Italian smoker : ETNA

63. __ Domini : ANNO

65. 2014 film set in Alabama : SELMA

52. Exciting section of 37-Across, familiarly ... and a configuration found in four apt places in this puzzle : AMEN CORNER

Melissa here. The theme was subtle (each corner square contains the letter A), and I had to solve the whole puzzle before it clicked. Kept looking for something more obvious, like the word AMEN hidden in each answer, or something about golf because of  two golf-themed long answers. I'm guessing David Poole is a sports fan, and possibly French Canadian. Note: I was right!

(Thanks for the correction, Brian!)

Across              

6. "M*A*S*H" actor Jamie : FARR. He played Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger. More here.

14. Saint Kitts neighbor : NEVIS. Complete unknown to me.

  
15. Drink with a polar bear mascot : ICEE


16. Overflow (with) : TEEM

17. Civil rights org. : NAACP

18. Alum : GRAD

19. End of a Basque ball game? : ALAI

20. She walked into Rick's gin joint : ILSA

21. Tournament that awards a green jacket : THE MASTERS. Ten facts about the green jacket. And one more.


23. Springsteen's __ Band : E STREET

25. Speech therapy subject : LISP

26. Museum collection : ART

27. Show of strength? : FLEX

29. Montreal Canadien, to hockey fans : HAB. I had questions! Never noted that spelling of Canadien before - it is the French spelling. According to Wikipedia: "The "H" stands for "hockey", not "Habitants," a popular misconception. According to NHL.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard, owner of the Madison Square Garden, in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants."

32. Wolfgang Puck restaurant chain : SPAGO

35. Litigant : SUER

36. Golfer's target : HOLE

37. Home of 21-Across : AUGUSTA NATIONAL. Anyone's guess this year.

40. Real estate measure : AREA

41. Quizzes : ASKS. Verb, not noun.


42. Colgate rival : CREST

43. "Full Frontal" host Samantha : BEE

44. Website with a "Craft Supplies & Tools" section : ETSY

45. Fenway team: Abbr. : BOS. Boston Red Sox.


46. Totally at sea : LOST

48. Actress Redgrave : VANESSA

56. Rating unit : STAR

57. Tennis score : LOVE. This sounds right, from Quora: "The word Love (for zero score) comes from French word l'oeuf - which means egg which is the shape of zero. The word Tennis itself originated from the French word tenez - which means to receive."

58. Granola grain : OATS

59. Skinny South American country : CHILE

60. Swimming event : MEET

61. Formerly, formerly : ERST

62. Songwriter Leonard : COHEN. Trivia - You Want It Darker came out days before Cohen died when he was in ill health. His son Adam brought recording equipment into his house and recorded his voice right into a laptop.

64. Ball belles : DEBS

Down

1. Miss Hannigan's charge : ANNIE


2. Board, in "room and board" : MEALS

3. Sailor's "Halt!" : AVAST

4. Central American nation : NICARAGUA

5. Egyptian viper : ASP

6. Argue : FIGHT

7. Farm field unit : ACRE

8. Paper order : REAM

9. Emergency status : RED ALERT

10. Les __-Unis : ETATS. More French, "The United States."


11. Whispering party game : TELEPHONE

12. Warm, in a game : NEAR

13. French friends : AMIS. Encore une fois avec français!

21. Asian New Year : TET

22. Joe Torre's retired Yankee uniform number : SIX

24. God with a bow : EROS

27. Musty-smelling : FUNKY

28. Grazing grounds : LEAS

30. "What a shame!" : ALAS

31. Karate skill award : BELT

32. Swedish auto : SAAB

33. Unadulterated : PURE

34. Anna Paquin won her Oscar for "The Piano" at it : AGE ELEVEN. So tricky.


35. Insolence : SASS

36. Good luck symbol : HORSESHOE

38. Drew on? : TATTOOED

39. Tapped symbol : ICON

44. PC bailout key : ESC

45. "Cheers" setting : BAR


47. "You're __ talk!" : ONE TO. Meaning, 'You're not one to talk!'

48. Three-piece pieces : VESTS

49. Chain saw brand : STIHL

50. Western state capital : SALEM. Oregon.

51. Toronto's Rogers Centre, for one : ARENA

52. __ mater : ALMA

53. Faucet brand : MOEN

54. Few and far between : RARE

55. Accident investigation agcy. : NTSB

59. Dosage amts. : CCS


Notes from C.C.:

The Saratoga Hospital turned out to be a cold place. They returned Agnes' card to Argyle due to lack of room number. We also cannot locate a package D-Otto sent. If any of you lives in that area, can you email me crosswordc@gmail.com? (Edited later: No need. Package was found. Thank you,  Spitzboov, for giving me the crucial contact person!)

I suspect some of you might have received bounced mail also. Argyle is now in a new place. The address is below. He'll be here for quite some time. He's doing OK. He has a phone and a tablet. Let's hope he can be on line soon.

D. Scott Nichols

Room #219
Wesley Health Care Center
131 Lawrence St.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

60 comments:

  1. Each corner has MAN -- 4 MANS = A MEN!

    The Devil tried to sell time-shares
         NEAR his Lava Sea.
    On Shark Tank he LOST out to
         a better form of ICEE!
    And so he sought THE MASTER,
    ASKED how to avert disaster?
    God said, to garner TEEMING sales,
         Heaven goes to ETSY!

    A GOLFER from Managua
    Declared in NICARAGUA
    The courses felt
    Like grass-green felt,
    And water HOLES were agua!

    There was a young GRAD from CHILE
    Who thought that all games were silly!
    In Basque JAI ALAI
    The balls whiz by,
    In GOLF, they sit there stilly!

    {B+, B, B.}

    ReplyDelete
  2. Greetings!

    Thanks to David and mb!

    Didn't see the theme.

    Things that were puzzling: HAB, ANNIE, SIX, FUNKY and STIHL.

    Things have been going wrong here all day. Really depressed.

    Have a good day!

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  3. There is an "AMEN" hidden in each corner. Start at the corner "A" and go clockwise to spell AMEN. An added part of the theme "AMEN CORNER".

    Brian

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  4. See yesterday for greeting.

    Thank you Mr. David Poole for this Easy Peasy Wednesday CW. I FIR in 23:36.

    Melissa, Thanks for your excellent review. I wish to be of help to you. Start with the "A" in each corner. Move to the other three squares in the corner, in a clockwise manner, and voila AMEN.

    For those needing an Argyle fix, I transport thee to his last review, March 12, where I note no PICs or links.

    His reviews on 3-5, a C.C. CW, and 3-6 were normal. His last post "Rabbit, rabbit." speaks volumes in retrospect.

    I pray for your successful recovery A+, AKA Santa, and, Oh yeah, Argyle, and Scott.

    Ðave

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  5. Good morning!

    Got a late start, but finished early in under 8. HAB was the only total unknown. Thanx, David and Melissa. Desper-otto, master of crossword themes, once again failed to see the theme corners. Some old dogs just can't be taught.

    Busy day, gotta run...

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  6. mb I guess you are not a golfer because I am certain that 21A. THE MASTERS and 37A. AUGUSTA NATIONAL, are all part of the theme of this very clever tribute to the first golf major of the year which starts tomorrow. The symmetry of 21A and 54A show this is what David Poole was thinking. I loved it, though it is on the easy side for a Wednesday.

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  7. OwenKL at 3:41 AM
    - - Those were each A+ l'icks. The first one may be the best l'ick ever.

    - - The last line "Heaven goes to ETSY!" sounds like the expression "Heavens to Betsy." This is not to be confused with the ever popular "Heavens to Murgatroyd."

    fermatprime at 3:43 AM
    - - Wrote "Things have been going wrong here all day. Really depressed." May the wrong be righted and you become sanguine.

    Brian at 3:48 AM
    - - Please move one block up to "Name/URL" when you post, so we can know it's you. Thanks.

    Ðave

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  8. Fremat, I hope things turn around for you soon. I continue to send recovery thoughts Santa's way, although I don't remember to write that fact sometimes.

    FLN, I think that if the tree is sturdy enough, pulling against it and another, equal truck are equally likely to break the rope. Kind of like the fallacy that two cars hitting each other head on at 60 MPH is like one of them hitting a brick wall at 120 MPH. No, it's like hitting a brick wall at 60 MPH. Neither give. Now if I hit a Prius with my 16-ton RV it will be a different outcome.

    I LOVED today's theme, and the puzzle overall. I've played Amen Corner, although not at Augusta National. There is a golf course in Dallas called Tour 18 that stole the design of the best holes on the PGA tour and duplicated them on one course. Amen Corner was a dead ringer for the real one, down to the distinctive scoreboard. They were sued and I think they agreed to make a few changes, but I played it before the suit was settled.

    Off tomorrow on a four-round Myrtle Beach golf outing with three other coots. I think this is our 12th year doing this, always on Masters weekend.

    Stihl makes chain saws in neighboring Virginia Beach, and their NA HQ is there as well. Great power equipment. Pronounced "steel".

    I erased sox for BOS, and AGUSTA for AUGUSTA. Bad spellers of the world UNTIE!

    Thanks to David Poole and Melissa B for today's fun outing.

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  9. Hats off to Sir David Poole for this ingenious construct.
    FIR but had to google “The Piano” to familiarize myself with Anna Paquin. Not sure of Samantha BEE or Bea but after giving up on a place where Paquin won her oscar , saw AGE ELEVEN for the last fill.
    Did’t see the AMENS in the corners until I came to the blog corner.
    All the amens remind me of a radio program in the ‘60s. I forget the name of it but the main speaker had a side kick called AMEN CHARLIE. Used to cruise the country roads listening to the radio for entertainment. Ahh the Goog Old Days.

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  10. A speed run to the bottom today, possibly spurred on by the fact that THE MASTERS is, by far, my favourite sporting event of the year. Thanks, David, for a very apropos puzzle today, the day before the tournament starts, and to Mel B for the review.

    Very slightly slowed down by 32A, probably because I'm much more of a gourmand than a gourmet (unfortunately!), and by 34D, which didn't parse for me at first. Caught the AMEN CORNERs early, which greatly aided a very smooth solve.

    Have been to AUGUSTA NATIONAL once, in 2006 when Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket, and can attest that the property is every bit as gorgeous as it appears on TV. Was thinking of asking #1 son for the loan of his 4K TV just for the weekend, but haven't worked up the nerve yet. I figure I've probably already overused the "after all I've done for you!" plea in his lifetime, so I've got to find another angle. ;-) Ah, well, only one more day until the telecast starts, and those most beautiful words are heard: "It's the Masters."

    A great day, all....

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  11. The three theme answers were gimmes but just like the pros, I struggled to find the AMENs in the CORNERs.

    HAB-total unknown, as was "Anna Paquin"- AGE ELEVEN was perped.
    CCS-cubic centimeter was replaced by "ml" in the medical business many years ago.

    MOEN- currently waiting for a "Bearing washer kit" for my kitchen faucet, which has a small leak. They replaced the part free but since it's a discontinued model and with three holes cut in the granite that wouldn't accommodate and standard faucet, I hope it works. And for my HORSE SHOE (good luck) insurance, I searched Google Images until I found mine, got the model number, and Lowes had four of the same model in their warehouse. Ordered one in case the repair doesn't work. If the repair works, cost is $ZERO; if not; $415 plus whatever the plumber charges.

    Jinx- I know about the course in Dallas. I remember a writer who played them and he said that his score on the Par 3 hole was "one over par------squared" ( a 10 for non-golfers).

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  12. Hi Y'all! Since I always watch THE MASTERS at AUGUSTA NATIONAL, I was excited to recognize this as today's theme. I thought, "All we need is AMEN CORNER" and there it was, followed by AMEN in all four corners. Neato! David Poole (your name could sub for the water hazards.) AMEN CORNER is the 2nd half of the 11th HOLE, all of the 12th HOLE, and the first half of the 13th HOLE. This is a tough stretch where many a good golfer prays their way thru which often doesn't help. I've never played a round of golf in my life and won't, but I like to watch them. Thanks, Melissa, for carrying the "bag" today.

    My kids vacationed on NEVIS one year, so knew that. They just got back from the Yucatan, Mexico where they stayed in a resort just 25 miles from where that tourist couple and their 2 kids got asphyxiated from a faulty water heater. I heard about the deaths and was "slightly anxious" until my son called to say they were home. He had heard about the tragedy and knows his Mom. All right, I lied -- no "slightly" about it.

    I got a little STIHL chain saw one year for my birthday as requested. I was up in a big old pear tree sawing away and heard someone whimpering. Realized it was me, tears running down my cheeks, terrified of the heavy saw. I never used it again, but at least I could coax my man into using it since it was mine and didn't leave my place like the company saws always did.

    Didn't know ICEE had a bear logo. I tried "coke".

    Fermat: thinking you a hug and some good times in your immediate future!

    Hang in there, Argyle! Hope you have a good cheerleader for all the little rehab challenges. One day at a time, sweet Santa.

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  13. The Masters - America's most self-important golf tournament (I'd rather watch the Ryder Cup)

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  14. Great puzzle theme especially since I'm heading to Augusta tomorrow. Not for golf but for a concert. Unfortunately because of tourney couldn't find a room under $350 a night within 100 miles of Augusta. So making long trek home after show. Such is life.

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  15. An entertaining puzzle, David Poole. I liked the way each amen started in the corner and ran clockwise. Lemonade @ 6:49, my thoughts exactly.
    HAB was the only unknown. Is it commonly used in the US?
    I have heard of SPAGO, but it took a while to dredge it up.
    Interesting article about the Green Jacket, mb.
    I had heard the LOVE comes from the French, l'oeuf, meaning egg. Very apt. We used to call a zero score in anything a goose egg.
    Ferm, I hope things are looking up for you as the day goes along.
    Scott, I hope you are now online. My thoughts are with you as you spend your days recovering. Miss you. We are your Amen Corner, pulling for you all the way.
    During our trip to Costa Rico, I spent a minute in Nicaragua. Our small boat excursion passed the border with Nicaragua. The guide let us go ashore where we walked a few feet and stepped a foot under the fence on the border to have our pictures taken in Nicaragua.
    From yesterday, in case you were wondering, a tractor pulling contest does not have the tractors tied to each other. The tractors pull a heavy machine called a sled. The tractor which goes the farthest wins.
    per Wikipedia

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  16. Good morning. Thank you David and thank you Melissa.

    Fun puzzle. Great timing on the publishing date Rich, so thank you too.

    Augusta Georgia did not fit, but Augusta National did.

    The only true unknown was AGE ELEVEN, but it was filled in.


    FLN, I guess I should have added a link for the Sci-fi tractor beam.

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  17. Good Morning.

    Thank you, David. This was a perfect puzzle for Masters Week. I enjoyed the fill and didn't struggle too much. I certainly didn't see AMEN corner until I came here. Desper-Otto and I must operate with some of the same missing fuses.

    Melissa, thanks for the wonderful tour and informative links. Nicely done!

    I'm off to PT today. Nothing on the scales of Argyle's, for sure. I'm going to do some work to strengthen my knees. I have two hip replacements; I don't want to have to do my knees. Downfield blocking. I am prepared to do whatever I need to in order to avoid that. I'm already bionic enough. Arthritis is a bear.

    The sun is out here in Evanston, Illinois. Perhaps he'll melt all this bit of snow in one day. Have a sunny one wherever you are.

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  18. Being a golfer, this was an easy puzzle for me. AMEN in each corner was very clever! I agree with one of the other posts - the most nauseating event of the year. All my golfing buddies love it, but give me the US and British Open anytime, and they are more historic than the self-proclaimed Masters. There, my sports rant in a crossword blog...lol...

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  19. Musings
    -It’s a record 15˚F here but THE MASTERS starts tomorrow so spring is here!
    -I had never noticed the H before
    -Philanthropic Aksarben Foundation (Nebraska backwards) has decided to end its somewhat creepy tradition of selecting a 60 something king and a 20 something DEB queen.
    -Granting forgiveness after a FIGHT is as important as asking for it
    -A hilarious game of TELEPHONE (1:18)
    -The SAAB is the only car I know that makes a 5-cylinder engine
    -What the Huskers touch on the way to the field
    -Subbing for welding class next period!

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  20. Good Morning:

    Well, I breezed through this timely gem with nary a hiccup. The only unknown was Hab and that just fell into place. It took me a minute or so to see the various Amens "cornered" and that brought an Aha! The theme answers were very obvious and contributed to an easier than normal Wednesday solve.

    Thanks, David, for a fun and relevant offering and thanks, Melissa, for a pleasant tour.

    Ferm, sending best wishes for happier days.

    Jinx, have fun on your golf outing. I imagine Miss Zoe isn't too happy about being left behind! 😔

    If anyone else's card to Argyle is returned, would you please mention it? I blame the Post Office, not the hospital, because the return sticker said "undeliverable as addressed." As far as I could determine, the address was correct and I don't know why the PO would care that there was no room number. Then again, .i don't know what their protocol is.

    We have another cold, windy, gloomy day. As Cathy would say, ACK!!!

    Have a great day.

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  21. Fairly quick Wednesday - I didn't appreciate all the AMENs until the blog as I had not read the full clue for AMEN CORNER and we already had the Masters theme.
    What PK said about COKE before ICEE. I had started with SKILL before STIHL, but then remembered that brand was just spelled SKIL.

    Thanks David for the creative puzzle and Melissa for the blog.

    Thanks CC for giving us the new address for Scott/Argyle- the initial "ado" has calmed down- but this is the part where encouragement is so important. Before the person is passively receiving treatment - but now it's on the patient to work hard to recover well and having a group of people cheering you on can make all the difference! So time for TEAM ARGYLE to kick it up a notch!!

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  22. Good morning, folks. Thank you, David Poole, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Melissa Bee, for a fine review.

    Well, this is two days in a row for me at the Blog. I have been so busy I could not log in, even though I have been doing the puzzles.

    This went easier than usual for a Wednesday, in my opinion. Not complaining at all.

    Liked the theme. AMEN

    NEVIS was unknown, perps. As was HAB.

    AGE ELEVEN came after I had most of it with crosses.

    See you tomorrow, Irish Miss.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  23. Thank you so much, inanehiker, you summed up Argyle's situation so well. He just has to face the harsh reality.

    I love your TEAM ARGYLE idea.

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  24. Sometimes the postal delivery people sort too fast. Someone sent me a thank you note that was returned "undeliverable as addressed." Later she handed it to me personally. It was properly addressed in beautiful, readable handwriting.
    We have long been the only family in our condo development with our house number. Several years ago the association opened up a new street that has the same house numbers as ours and our next door neighbors', only these two numbers are duplicates. I constantly get the other family's mail. When I drop the letters in the mail, sometimes they come back to me a second time.
    I used to get their UPS deliveries, too, before UPS wised up. One time near the start up of the new section UPS dropped a huge heavy crate in the driveway next to mine. It was about 8feet x 8 feet x 8feet. It had my house number, but not my street. I had to call UPS to pick it up.
    For a few months, unknown to me, my condo dues were credited to the other family and I was notified I was 3 months in arrears. That was quickly resolved and the fines forgiven.
    My card to Scott has not been returned. From my experience if cards arrive at the hospital after the patient has left, they do not get forwarded for a couple of weeks. Alan got cards long after he was home.

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  25. I know almost nothing about golf, but perps saved the day.
    Thanks for a 'not too difficult' Wednesday puzzle and expo.
    Happy to hear news of Argyle.

    Montana

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  26. "Puzzling Thoughts":

    I, too was excited to see today's puzzle theme involve the first of golf's four, major tournaments, THE MASTERS. I know that it was THE golfing event, that provided me the love for the game I still embrace. I was a huge Arnold Palmer fan, and recall "meeting" him (well, me waving to him, and being acknowledged by a return glance and wave from The King) in the summer of 1962, shortly after he had won his third green jacket. I first walked on to the hallowed grounds of Augusta Natl during a practice round in 1992; and then attended the event as a patron in 1997 - the year in which TW won his first green jacket, and shot a record score for the tournament. As others have said, Augusta Natl is unlike any other golfing venue; it is totally surreal ...

    Thanks David Poole for your Masters-themed puzzle, and good save, MB, for your recap. I'm sure you weren't expecting a golf puzzle when it was "your turn to bat" ... (Using another, sports metaphor)

    I had no problem with this, and agree that it may have been too easy for a Weds puzzle. But glad to see it used today, regardless of difficulty. Oddly, I never saw the "AMENs" in the four corners until visiting the blog!

    I'm sure one of our Canadian/Canadien bloggers will clarify whether the H on the Montreal team's hockey sweater stands for "Hockey", or as I thought, Les HABitants.

    A couple of goofy Moe-kus for the puzzle pieces:

    Re: 29a ---> (in 5/5/7 format)

    Les HABs Monsieurs were
    Given to ennui.
    "Can you give me an EH, MEN"?

    48d --->

    Why do bankers wear
    Three-piece suits? It's because they
    Just want to, in-VEST.

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  27. I’ve had difficulty posting the last couple days. I also couldn’t remember my password, but today no problems. I have no idea why I could post today but I was happy to visit the corner.

    Montana

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  28. Yay, we located the package D-Otto sent to Argyle. Another tablet is being delivered to Argyle's new place at this moment.

    Thank you, Spitzboov, for giving me the crucial contact person. You're just amazing.

    Thank you, D-Otto, TTP, Anon T, Agnes, Dave, Dudley and a few others for guiding me through this maze. That congresswoman can enjoy her few precious moments of quietness.

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  29. Hi everybody. I really enjoyed this theme, especially the clever corners.

    There were no correct answers to the tractor/rope question from last night.

    I have sent my good wishes along to Argyle several times but I have no idea what for. Could CC (or somebody) e-mail me at: bill_graham@swiftnet.org and let me know what's going on. (My e-mail address changed about six months ago.) It must be more serious than I was aware of. Thanks.

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  30. YR, yes I've seen the Montreal hockey team referred to as HABS, usually in headlines (for brevity), and possibly not as often as years ago.

    To Francophones, does "Les Habitants" essentially now mean "the home team?" Wiki says use of the term to self-describe Quebec farmers declined over 100 years ago, as it referred back to peasantry renting and working the nobles' land.

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  31. thanks brian and dave for pointing out what i missed. lemon you're right - just not tuned in to golf and totally missed the AMENs. really, really clever.

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  32. After I posted at 408A there was no activity till 646A, but once it started it just kept going.

    Jinx in Norfolk at 7:38 AM
    - - Your bad speller reminds me of the dyslexic agnostic carrying this sign: THERE IS NO DOG!"

    Oas at 7:59 AM
    - - Wrote "Ahh the Goog Old Days." I giggled when I Googled "Goog." Pleas join Jinx above.

    Montana at 10:25 AM
    - - Glad to see you in blue. Welcome back to the Corner.

    Chairman Moe at 10:29 AM
    - - Those were so Moe=¡"Kute!" Grooaan.

    C.C. Burnikel at 10:49 AM
    - - Thanks for "Wrapping" the package.

    Bill G at 10:50 AM
    - - When you wrote "There were no correct answers to the tractor/rope question from last night," I was crestfallen. I was certain you would award me the prize, as were the two tractor people. To read between your lines, are you telling us:
    A. There is another answer which is the correct one
    B. Neither answer would be correct for some reason
    - - I beg you for a more complete and satisfying reply.

    billocohoes at 10:57 AM
    - - Your allusion to HABs in headlines reminds me of the headline one day in the paper for Ashland, KY. A town nearby, Sandy Hook held a basketball tourny., calling it an "Invitational Tournament." The headline read "ABC Team Wins S H I T"

    ¡Whew! The posting has taken a break. No Ðave do no refresh.

    Ðave

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  33. Woohoo! Woohoo! I got a David Poole sports puzzle without a single bit of cheating! Woohoo! I've never played golf--and the one time I walked on a golf course just to enjoy the scenery, a cart came by and told me to go back or I'd get hit on the head with a ball. But I guess I must register things you hear on the news or read in the paper because even AUGUSTA NATIONAL fell into place without any problem for me. And I did read an article about Tiger Woods in the paper this morning (first time I've ever read anything in the Sports page of the LA Times) so that might have helped too. I was a little nervous about whether MOEN was correct, and I didn't get the AMEN corners of the puzzle, even though I got the reveal. But it all worked out terrifically. Thank you, David, for constructing a sports puzzle that even a non-sport mind like mine could get. And thank you, Melissa, for marking the corners in blue, so that I finally got the AMEN corners, thanks to you. And thank you for explaining what the word LOVE had to do with tennis. I've always wondered about that.

    Argyle, if you're able to start reading the blog again, you'll see how much you were missed by everyone, and how thrilled we are to have you back.

    Fermatprime, so sorry to hear about your depressing day. I'll hope that things get better soon and that you'll have a good day tomorrow and be able to go back to your cheerful self.

    Madame Defarge, take good care of your knees. Hope they'll be okay without much treatment.

    Great poems this morning, Owen and Chairman Moe--many thanks!

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  34. Dave (and others): Since the rope isn't moving, the forces on each end must be balanced or equal. The tree is completely taking the place of a second tractor. According to one of Newton's Laws of Motion, for every force, there's an equal and opposite reaction force. If the rope is pulling against the tree with a force of 100 pounds, the tree is pulling against the rope with a reaction force of 100 pounds, again taking the place of a second tractor. The rope is equally likely to break whether it's two tractors pulling in opposite directions or one tractor pulling against a rope tied to some big immovable object like a huge tree. (What a bright guy that Newton was. I don't know if he was a nice guy or not but he was one of the giants of math and science.)

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  35. So Bill G, how was mine wrong except I didn't use as many words (and added a superfluous discussion).

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  36. AMEN CORNER
    Free dictionary
    -place in a church reserved for persons leading congregational responses.
    -a group of ardent worshipers in a church.
    - Informal A group of uncritical supporters of a leader, party, or policy, especially a controversial one.

    Another use of Amen Corner from Wikipedia:
    Amen Corner
    The Fifth Avenue Hotel was known as a stronghold of the Republican Party. From a corner nook in one of the public rooms, which he dubbed his "Amen Corner", Republican political boss Thomas Collier Platt controlled patronage in New York City and State for a few years in the 1890s; here he held his "Sunday School", where projects did not go forward until they had his "amen".

    This is an account of the naming of the Amen Corner at Augusta. I suspect Amen Corner was used in churches before it was used in preaching at this street corner in NYC mentioned here.
    Amen Corner

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  37. Hello Everyone,

    Good News - BH had her stitches removed today . So far hip replacement recovery is staying on the glide path. PT will begin Friday.

    Bill G. - Agree with your rope answer.

    Puzzle solve was straightforward. No issues. Exposed to plenty of AVASTing over the years. Never uttered it myself, though.
    As I write this, I see the four little AMENS tucked away in the corners, to be read clockwise.

    Have a great day.

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  38. Abejo, indeed!

    CC, that's great news about the tablet being found! You are as tenacious as you are talented!

    As part of a TEAM ARGYLE effort, I plan to send Argyle cards on a regular schedule just to let him know I'm thinking of him and wishing him well. Everyone loves to receive cards, IMO.

    In the meantime, aren't we lucky to have such talented and dedicated back-up bloggers: Boomer and TTP. Their time and efforts are greatly appreciated.

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  39. Well, C-eh might slip in whilst I'm posting but I'm claiming firsties . HAB is indeed an abbreviation of (Les) Habitants. The "H"? It's from the words on the Montreal Canadians jersey:CH . Which means Club de Hockey.

    As it is so often, Wikipedia is WRONG!!!

    I've been running late, posting late or not at all. Owen I haven't seen anything less than A lately and straight W's for C-Moe . Unfortunately, C- for Wilbur.

    I forgot to Grok the themes two days in a row . The themes saved me Sunday .

    Speaking of LOVE and Golf: allegedly the term for "Caddies" comes from "Les Cadets" that Mary Queen of Scots employed while playing her favorite sport while in exile at the court of France.

    HG, I thought you were subbing for wedding class . Speaking of.. I was impressed that one of our teachers taught Economics. My major after failing Calculus.

    I'm familiar with Orphan Annie from the comics . She had a mysterious benefactor, "The Asp" . There must be an annotated Annie around . The strip seems allegorical to me .

    I shared a cab with a professional football player to Quantico who wore a sweatshirt and jeans with a gym bag. I wore a three piece suit, complete with VEST* and TOTEd a suitcase . One of us was disastrously wrong .

    WC

    *I had discarded the watch fob and pipe

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  40. How many of you guys have actual experience with a tractor, a tree and a rope? You can talk theory all you want to, but my son & husband had tractors & moved a lot of trees with and without ropes. BillG: tractors pulling against each other would more likely break the rope. A tractor pulling a rope tied to a tree would likely pull the tree over on the tractor. Trees aren't rooted as deep as one would think. In reality, a lot depends on the size & kind of tree, the type of soil and moisture content in the earth around the tree, the size and type of tractor. Newton was smart but he didn't have a tractor. LOL

    Actually if the rope broke, it would probably whack or wrap around something it shouldn't. Don't dismiss my knowledge because it is learned in the field and I'm (gasp) a girl.

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  41. Then there was our neighbor who tried to pull over a tall tile silo with a rope tied to the bottom bung tied to a tractor. Good thing the silo did a slo-mo dive and the neighbor and his helper were still young enough to run like blazes when the tractor stalled. Think Murphy's law was involved somehow.

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  42. I agree the tractor might pull the tree and roots right out of the ground. You are adding in factors that weren't intended in the problem. I meant a big tree as an unmovable object. So let's get rid of the tree and hook one end of the rope to a huge hunk of cement or to a metal girder that's part of a huge building. Then what?

    Or here's a related thought experiment. Take a big rubber band and pull on each end with a certain amount of force. The rubber band will stretch a certain amount. Then let go of the rubber band with your left hand and tie it to a door knob. If you pull with your right hand with the same amount of force as before, the rubber band will stretch exactly the same amount. The door knob exactly replaces your left hand.

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  43. Excellent write-up Melissa.

    David: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle.

    Yup! I will be watching THE MASTERS over the next four days, starting tomorrow.

    Fave today, of course, was 45-d, "Cheers" setting, BAR.
    I've been known to frequent those places. LOL

    CHEERS!

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  44. Too esoteric for me. I will stick with PK's real life experience and the real tractor pulling contests. We country people are realists.


    ry people have something to add

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  45. Wonderful Wednesday (with Canadian content no less!). Thanks David and melissa bee.
    Straight-forward solve today.

    I saw the Masters theme and the AMENs in the four corners. Clever! Plus we had 36A "golfer's target=HOLE". (Diagonals for OMK also)

    Unknowns SPAGO, NTSB, filled in with perps.
    New clue for an old favourite (that we haven't seen for awhile), ALAI.
    We had LOST today, not the usual At Sea.
    We had some numbers today with ONE TO, SIX, and AGE ELEVEN.

    SELMA and SALEM anagram. SELMA was appropriate today on the anniversary of MLK's assassination.

    On to the Canadian content! Yes WilburC, you beat me to it. The name HABs comes from the French, Les Habitants, referring to the French settlers in New France. But apparently,(who knew?!), the C and H on the logo comes from "le Club de hockey Canadien". So the H may stand for Hockey as per Wikipedia. (Wikipedia does correctly state in the 1st paragraph that "The team is frequently referred to in English and French as the Habs . . . and Les Habitants (from which "Habs" is derived)." It would appear that Tex Rickard was the one who gave out incorrect information.

    LOL CMoe re Eh Men!
    More Canadian content with Leonard COHEN.

    But a big nit with Rogers Centre being an ARENA!!! Rogers Centre (formerly Sky Dome with its fully retractable roof) is best known as the home of the Blue Jays. It is a domed stadium. Any local will tell you that the Toronto ARENA is the Air Canada Centre where the Maple Leafs and Raptors play. Mr. Poole could have linked with HABs and clued Bell Centre for ARENA (but that probably would have been more obscure).

    Enjoy the day. Windy and trying to snow here.
    Hope things improve for you, fermatprime.
    Madame D, take care of those knees.
    Glad to hear good report on Betty's healing, Spitzboov.
    Go Team Argyle!

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  46. Good news about locating Argyle's lost package and tracking his new address!

    Ta- DA!
    David Poole's pzl offered a pleasantly smooth workout. Nothing to slow me down anywhere. I didn't notice the very clever theme until reading Melissa Bee's write-up - for which I am very grateful.

    I also appreciate the explanation of tennis' LOVE! Thanks for that, MB; I just took that odd use of the word for granted.

    ____________
    Diagonal Report: We have four diagonals today, the two main lines plus the paired sub-diags on the mirror side. No hidden messages.

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  47. Husker G - lots of 5 cylinders cars, Audi, Acura, MB, VW among others.

    Madame D - my late Mom had both hips done, then both knees. She had a replacement knee done again....when she was 92. If you did the hip, the knee is easy, according to what Mom said. At any rate, the pain is temporary and the relief permanent.

    Kind of an easy puzzle today, well clued, no issues.

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  48. The intersection of BE_ and AGE_LEVEN was two unknowns: my WAG meant I FIW.

    Never heard of HABS for le Club de Hockey Canadien.

    The "green jacket" reference was familiar, but I couldn't fit AUGUSTA Georgia into either answer. (Hate golf.)

    I've seen enough "corner" clues that I found the AMENs as soon as I got AMEN CORNER. I suppose that if I followed the links, I'd find the connection of AMEN CORNER to the stupid tournament.

    Guess I'll have to go to yesterday's blog for the beginning of the discussion on TRACTORs and ropes.

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  49. Hello Puzzlers -

    A bit late to the party. Remember my story of the restored street clock in the Northampton park? Well, today I was called upon to oversee a small repair the clock needed. I’m honored to have been asked. It’s a beautiful old thing.

    A real zoom-fest today, even in the absence of real golf knowledge. I’m at least aware of the Masters, and have some idea where it is played. You see, I was visiting the John Deere factory in Augusta in 1999, and sometime during that trip I encountered the most ferocious traffic. I had no idea I’d driven right into the thick of some big golf-do. They had to tell me it was the Masters.

    Evening MBee, and thanks!

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  50. Hi All!

    Tee'd off with the wind at my back for this one. Thanks David for a timely puzzle -- not that I golf, more like take a stroll with an occasional whack at a ball until it goes in a HOLE. //BigE - all my scores are par-squared.

    Thanks mb for the expo and parsing AGE EL' EVEN for me :-). I stopped to question BEE (I knew that was correct, I love her comedy!) And considered AGE AL' EVEN for a second :-)

    Everything I know about golf is due to BIL; he loves it, talks about it incessantly, and occasionally drags me along for 'bonding.' Golf is OK but takes too long and costs too much - I'd rather spend that kinda $$ on an Astro's game.

    Theme helped finish off the grid. I misread @1d and misspelt @20a as eLSA. Finishing AMEN in the NW helped me fix my one WO.

    ESPs: AGE ELEVEN & HAB. [HG - I thought the 'H' on the uniform was the French spelling of Eh?, right C, Eh! :-)]

    Fav: FUNKY - just a fun word.
    c/a for Lisp was cute too.

    {A, B, B+} {LOL!, groan :-)}

    C.C. - That's great news about DO's pkg. Stay strong Argyle!

    Jay - what band are you seeing in AUGUSTA?

    Roy - I know the song and enjoy'd your "baited breath" FLN - just ran out of lines to say it.

    C, Eh! - thanks for the extra layers (SELMA/SALEM, etc.) and the French.

    CED - LOL! Tractor v. Tree QED.

    Cheers, -T

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  51. " billocohoes said...
    The Masters - America's most self-important golf tournament" YOU ARE CORRECT- SELF IMPORTANT, but other than that it probably has a weaker field than any PGATour Tournament except the one that was held while the MatchPlay was being held in Austin two weeks ago. Masters has the Top 50 pros but the TPC has the top 144 pros.

    jfromvt said...
    " All my golfing buddies love it, but give me the US and British Open anytime," AGREED. Since it is played on the same course every time, I would definitely rank behind the Tournament Players Championship-TPC- which has the strongest field. The Grand Slam- US & British Opens, Masters, and the PGA leave spots open for amateurs and past winners, who usually can't even make the cut. But the US Open definitely has the toughest courses. Augusta- they mow the rough so short that I wouldn't even call it 'rough'. I've been there.

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  52. BillG: I hold you in the highest esteem, enjoy your posts, and appreciate your dedication to education. I'm just in a contrary mood, I guess. My reality answer to your question about hooking the rope to a cement chunk or metal girder: I'm not dumb enough to do this unless I wanted to pull the rear end out of the tractor.

    CED: loved the tree whapping the guy video. Perfect example. The epitome of perseverance.

    Yay, Betty!

    The thing I like best about the Masters is the azaleas. They were past blooming last year, sigh! I think to play in the Masters Tournament golfers must have won a tournament.

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  53. Jordan Speith said something about"driving range" courses vis a vis the Masters. There's some kind of advanced statistics that would show that the toughest tournament to pick a winner would be something like last week's Houston open with 15 assorted golfers fighting it out on the last nine holes. Some of them web.com fodder.

    I agree with Big Easy that picking a Master's winner probably comes from a dozen golfers . Btw, I'll take the aforementioned Jordan Speith.

    Did I hear right? Tiger Woods is the favorite? Btw. TW belongs to Tom Watson.


    MB, nice write-up .

    WC

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  54. BillG: I know the guys like your math puzzles. I won't give you grief again. I promise.

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  55. All this golf-talk and no mention of Chi Chi Rodriguez? [:30s poor quality]

    PK - I think we all had fun w/ BillG's posit and responses :-) Cheers, -T

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  56. Bill G at 11:55 AM
    - - So the correct answer is "All the above."

    CrossEyedDave at 2:47 PM
    - - Each link was right on point. Funny

    Ðave

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  57. Golfer, hockey fan and even dealt with the dreaded NTSB a time or two...this one was solved as fast as I could write but anyone that finished this without being into golf and a little hockey has my respect !

    Puzzle motivated me to a 84 today ! best round of my retirement.

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