Not a tall, but A↠ TO↠ LL. Well, we continue adjusting, and I am comforted by the task of unraveling one of our dear leader's creations. I do not get to blog C.C. often, but this puzzle is a perfect example of why C.C. has become an Icon of modern crossword construction. While seeing the great reveal, ATOLL being reparsed as A TO LL was impressive; finding four meaningful phrases that would make sense when the ending "A" in the first word of the phrase was replaced with "LL" was awesome. The rest of the fill was chock full of sparkle - ARSENAL EDAMAME, SALT COD, SPUMONI, TROTSKY, VERTIGO, DESOLATE, GET ANTSY, IDRIS ELBA, and LET ME KNOW. And the cultural references for a non-US born person highlights how much C.C. has incorporated into her mental database. "Nuff said, enjoy.
18A. Spread served in concave pasta?: SHELL BUTTER (11). SHEA Butter has nothing to do with the Mets old ballpark.
32A. Laid-back cats and dogs?: CHILL PETS (9). CHIA pets are hanging in as an absurd gift.
44A. Revealing sweat remover at the poker table?: TELL TOWEL (9). TEA Towel may not be a phrase to which you are familiar; mine are all linen.
59A. What Royal Caribbean reps do?: SELL CRUISES (11). SEA cruises can be distinguished from river cruises.
And the reveal:
53D. Island ring ... or, in three parts, a hint to 18-, 32-, 44- and 59-Across: ATOLL.(5).
Across:
1. Cow, for one: SHE. The old simple misdirection. DUH!
4. Cancel, in a way: ABORT. The space race gave this old word new meaning.
9. Food fight noise: SPLAT.
14. "U R 2 funny!": LOL. Textspeak Laugh Out Loud (or Lagh ot lod?).
15. "On the Media" medium: RADIO. A podcast from our friends at NPR.
16. Michelangelo carved it from a single slab of marble: PIETA. I did not know this fact. I am in...
17. Circus reaction: AWE.
20. Statuette site: NICHE.
22. Sushi bar appetizer: EDAMAME.
23. Start to pace, say: GET ANTSY. This word has followed me recently.
26. Stood: ROSE.
27. Polite address: MA'AM.
28. "We'll Meet Again" host Curry: ANN.
29. Documentarian Burns: KEN. A very prolific and important documentary filmmaker. His body of WORK.
36. Ancient Aegean region: IONIA. You should brush up on this HISTORY.
38. Teased: RODE.
39. Word of welcome: ALOHA. Where did all of our Hawaiian cornerites go?
41. 1993 Literature Nobelist Morrison: TONI.
42. Law school subject: TORTS. One of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries was solved when Wolfe asked a suspect who was talking about his experience in law school if he had learned drafting torts.
46. Sliding runner: SKI.
47. Sounds of contentment: AHS.
49. Name associated with the Gateway Arch: EERO. We see this DESIGNER often thanks to the three vowels.
50. Only: SOLE. I think these two words may have a common bond.
52. Like ghost towns: DESOLATE.
56. Hitchcock classic set in San Francisco: VERTIGO. The inspiration for Mel Brooks' High Anxiety.
58. Colorful tank addition: TETRA. Sometimes called neon this is a small tropical freshwater fish that is typically brightly colored. Native to Africa and America, many tetras are popular in aquariums.
62. Move on a lake: OAR. ?
63. Forbidden: TABOO.
64. For fun, with "on": A LARK. Or an old cigarette brand.
65. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN. He is very busy these days.
66. Spiral-horned creature: ELAND.
67. Sinatra standard: MY WAY. This VERSION.
68. Sgt.'s superiors: LTS.
Down:
1. Urban Dictionary focus: SLANG.
2. Mandel of "Deal or No Deal": HOWIE. A bald germaphobe comedian who has made his mark in reality TV, with this show that once had princess to BE as a suitcase girl. (damn, i really need some new eyes!)
3. Give a seat to: ELECT.
4. Premier League powerhouse: ARSENAL. the FOOTBALL CLUB.
5. "Humph!": BAH.
6. Celebratory work: ODE.
7. One with an easy life: RILEY. A memory from my early years, this SITCOM was Mr. Bendix' starring role.
8. Spilled the beans: TOLD.
9. Layered ice cream: SPUMONI.
10. Deli pockets: PITAS.
11. "I'll be waiting to hear from you": LET ME KNOW. LMK, a favorite phrase.
12. Suit to __: A TEE.
13. Street cover: TAR.
19. Raised building?: BARN. A New England TRADITION.
21. Play with a ghost: HAMLET. Ah, play WITH, not play with.
24. Taberna tidbit: TAPA. Simple Spanish.
25. Refines, as ore: SMELTS.
28. "Pieces of Me" singer Simpson: ASHLEE. Jessica's sister.
30. Bonn article: EINE.
31. Polish target: NAIL.
32. Older PC screens: CRTS. Cathode Ray Tubes.
33. Errant golf shot, usually: HOOK.
34. "Luther" star: IDRIS ELBA. I know the actor, but not the SERIES.
35. Golf club part: TOE.
37. "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969) star: O'TOOLE. Peter.
40. Taproom array: ALES.
43. Dried fish used in brandade: SALT COD. Not familiar with this DISH or Portuguese cooking in general.
45. October Revolution leader: TROTSKY. Do you know this HISTORY?
48. Next in line: HEIR.
51. Wrinkle-resistant fabric: ORLON.
52. Lacy table mat: DOILY. Hmm, a small ornamental mat made of lace or paper with a lace pattern, typically placed on a plate under a cake or other sweet foods.
54. Black hair, e.g.: TRAIT.
55. Deserves: EARNS.
56. Saltimbocca meat: VEAL. This is Italian for jumps in the mouth, and you can make it at HOME.
57. Largest of the Mariana Islands: GUAM.
59. Sault __ Marie: STE.
60. Tool with teeth: SAW.
61. Cy Young Award stat: ERA. The award for best major league pitcher.
Wow, that was fun. I am bit worn out from all the links I followed, inspired by this puzzle. Thank you Zhouqin and all of you who read, write and make the Corner strong with words and love. Lemonade out.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to C. C. and Lemon!
Great puzzle!
Did not know: ANN, LIN, ARSENAL and SALT COD. But its allele together nicely!
Hope to see you tomorrow!
18a I wanted marinara (too short) or marinara sauce (too long), then tomato paste (perps wouldn't line up), so I was left with _HELL_UTTER. 32a the double-L in CHILL suggested where the gimmick was, and once I knew that, going back to 18a was easy. Although only because I'd learned about SHEA BUTTER from earlier crossword puzzle research.
ReplyDeleteThere was never a Captain named HOOK
Who was KNOWN as a pirate and crook.
Though once in a while
A ticked crocodile
Was known to have eaten a cook!
An ELAND was in AWE of A LARK.
He followed her all thru the park.
He said, "I've been TOLD
That her beautiful ODE
Can be played with my horns as bass part!"
A Las Vegas tart, name of ROSE,
Would only turn tricks on her TOES!
SHE EARNS a good fee
For her specialty --
Moves only a high-roller KNOWS!
Actor Keith, one time on a bet
LET an entire small town on a set
To act out a play
In a Shakespearian way:
The HAM LET the HAMLET do HAMLET!
{B, B-, B+, A-.}
Good Thursday morning.
ReplyDelete- - The hardest day of the CW week is here. Whew! C.C. really tested the limit of my thought ability. That's ok, C.C., I still love you.
I had white holes in most cells. I went round, and round, and somehow found a letter to start a word to fill a cell. I FIR in 45:43.
- - Lemonade, You have outdone yourself today. I haven't time for links, but "I loved them."
Sheldor AFK.
Ðave
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThe theme totally blew past me (surprise, surprise!), but after you pointed it out, Lemonade, I'm impressed. This was a quick solve for a Friday.
GUAM: I'll take a CSO on that one. I spent a two-year, all-expenses-paid vacation there back in the '60s courtesy of Uncle Sam. I hated to leave; the next two years were much less fun.
with the faa to design then install a radar on mt santa rosa. 60 days turned into a year. loved every minute of it. went back several times. you woyld not recognize it AT ALL.
DeleteFIR, but twern't easy. Only two erasures (ruin-->BARN and shoe-->NAIL), but LOTS of unknowns and perp rescues. I wasn't even up to Lemonade's level - I still don't understand the phrase "...with this show that once had princess to as a suitcase girl." I used to play golf with a vendor who told jokes that had punch lines like that phrase. I always laughed because he picked up the tab.
ReplyDeleteGolfers at the skill lever of Lemonade and Boomer are likely to hit errant shots that are HOOKS, but poor golfers are far more likely to hit slices. There are a LOT more poor golfers than accomplished golfers. As a whole, most golfers (anecdotally 80-90%) will never break 90, and statistically almost none will ever break 80.
Thanks to CC for another gem. "Word of welcome" for ALOHA was my favorite. And thanks to Lemonade for the solid review.
Very much easier than yesterday. A few unknowns were resolved by the perps. As usual for me, I never caught on to the theme.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation, couldn't parse the reveal even after solving it.
ReplyDeleteStarted with Jimmy Stewart's HArvEy before HAMLET
Jinx, I assume that's a typo, Lemonade meant "had a princess-to-be as a" girl who carried the suitcase that revealed the prize.
A lot more golfers would break 90 if they admitted their actual skill level and used the proper tee box. I'm still resisting the senior tees but they feel less like cheating every year.
Jinx, you've gotta learn to read the words that aren't there. :) I'm pretty sure Lemonade meant to write "the princess-to-be."
ReplyDeleteYes princess-to-be was what my mind saw. I have made the correction. I m glad none of you notice I had left the "A" out of May.
ReplyDeleteWow, A Saturday puzzle on a Thursday and a Wednesday puzzle on a Friday! With the second themer I saw the A was changed to LL. Please, no Shea butter on my pasta. LOL
ReplyDeleteATOLL was the perfect reveal. Great puzzle, CC and interesting expo, Lemonade.
ASHLEE was the only truly unknown, but perpable. I have heard of IDRIS ELBA and LIN, but needed many perps to jog my memory. I know an IDRIS who is a woman.
We used to enjoy "The Life of Riley" on TV. In my youth it became a saying for the easy life.
Unfortunately the circus is in decline in The USA. We used to attend every May. I miss it. People are no longer in AWE of much of anything.
My mom called them TEA TOWELS, my ex called them dish towels which I became in the habit of saying.
My grandmother tatted and crocheted doilies, not to be placed under food, kinda sloppy use of a beautiful delicate handmade article. We used paper doilies for that. Hers were used on tables, dressers and furniture.
Sometimes we have only 7 dancers for a square that needs eight. If all 7 of us are proficient we enlist an imaginary ghost. We have to remember where the ghost is at all times as we move around the square and pretend to interact with him. Everyone keeps pointing to the ghost so we don't lose track. Challenging and fun. Not for bewildered newbies.
Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, C. C.! Fun & doable. Great expo, Lemonade!
ReplyDeleteI got the A TO LL theme when all were filled except CHILL PETS, then was able to go back and fill CHILL. However, ATOLL filled in and I never read the clue until coming here.
The W Central block gave me fits. Couldn't come up with CRTS, HOOK, IDRIS, SKI or LET with HAMLET. Duh! Finally put an "L" on ARSENAL thinking it would be wrong, but it wasn't. Who knew what an English Football Club was called? I had to red-letter CRTS & then the rest came to mind.
Didn't know a golf club had a TOE. Didn't know what brandade is so SALT COD was a WAG.
D-O: I have a friend who went to GUAM as a military bride about the ERA you were there. She's a hairdresser and saved her pennies to buy a faux fur leopard-"skin" coat so she would look jazzy getting off the plane. She laughs and says she never put it on her body again. She has fond memories of her time in GUAM despite later divorcing the husband.
Jinx: in other words, Prince Harry's Meghan Markle was a working model on "Let's Make a Deal". If you've never seen it, you
might not know about all the ladies carrying suitcases with the cash amounts inside.
Dang! I thought the puzzle in my newspaper was a little strange for a Friday because there was no theme. Very tough, especially in the NW. But I finished it and came to this blog to check answers and realized it was a different puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThey printed SATURDAY'S puzzle a day early. I guess I'll go to the LA Times website and print a Friday puzzle out.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteIf there ever were any doubts about the breadth of CC's creativity and craftsmanship, this offering dispels them, in spades. The only hint I had was all of the LLs but was completely in the dark until I filled in Atoll and, even then, it took a minute or so to parse it as A TO LL. I went back and visually inserted the A and saw the gimmick with Shea, Tea, Sea, and Chia. Brava, CC. I had two miscues at David/Pieta and Ashlee with a Y. It was nice to see Mr. Elba's full name; I knew a female who spelled it Edris. And, speaking of doubts, I no longer have any about Ronan Farrow's lineage. Watching the Frank Sinatra clip, I saw features and angles that mirror those of RF, who is very much in the news lately, reporting on the latest scandal involving New York State government officials.
Thanks, CC, for a fun Friday frolic and thanks, Lemony, for your always steady and spot-on expo.
Have a great day.
It is always interesting to see who finds a puzzle easy at the same time others find it very difficult. PK, the show with Howie Mandel was Deal or No Deal, not related to the old Monty Hall Let's Make a Deal.
ReplyDeleteHi gang -
ReplyDeleteImpressive outing from C.C. today. No nits, lots of sparkle, and I am in awe of the theme. My brain cannot work that way.
I found it to be challenging, but not as difficult as yesterday's. Got IDRIS, but stumbled over Mr. Elba's last name. perps to the rescue.
Discovered long ago that the quality of my life is in direct proportion to my distance from golf, and now lead a happy existence. Yes, I had an unpredictable slice.
Amanda is somewhere over the Pacific. Due to crossing the date line, she will have no Friday, May 11. But on returning, gets two Saturdays - one in the air and on one the ground. I think she leaves Sydney at about 7:00 a.m., and arrives in LA at about 7:00 a.m.
Concert tonight, but I don't play much. In one selection I have 4 notes.
But they're REALLY important!
Beethoven Symphony, I have zero notes.
Cool regards!
JzB
And I agree with Lemonade's "?" I've never heard OAR used as a verb, even if Wiktionary lists it as such.
ReplyDeleteJzB, if you find it too strenuous and nerve-wracking, I'll sub for you on the Beethoven Symphony.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAmazing Friday puzzle from C.C. that I was able fill in with only one look up.
I didn't get the theme until Lemon 'splained it. But I didn't need the theme to solve the puzzle because the perps were enough to fill in the LL's and a few other unknowns. I did have to look up LIN since I haven't seen Hamilton or ever heard of its creator.
I did have to erase a few words because I had BETTA before TETRA, SOLO before SOLE and DESERTED before DESOLATE. Perps to the rescue. All in All, a good solve today.
FYI: Today is National Eat What You Want Day, so I guess junk food is OK today.
Have a great one everyone.
Woohoo! Woohoo! I got a C.C. puzzle perfectly, without errors or cheating, on a Friday! Yay! Thank you, thank you, C.C. for this lovely gift. I totally enjoyed all the various mis-directions, like ELECT for "give a seat to." For some reason, I got ALOHA instantly. And I loved seeing a reference to VERTIGO--my favorite Hitchcock movie. Anyway, a wonderful puzzle and a great write-up, Lemonade. No, I would not have figured out the theme without your help.
ReplyDeleteAnother favorite reference was the one to "The Life of Riley." I lived in an apartment over a bar with my folks when I was 10 or 11 years old. We didn't have a television at the time, so every Friday evening we went to church, and then had dinner in the bar where we were able to watch "The Life of Riley." A wonderful memory!
Owen, I liked your Hamlet limerick.
Have a good weekend coming up, everybody!
This was a fast Friday finish! Thank you, C.C., though I have to say without Lem's review I would not have parsed the theme. Clever!
ReplyDeleteSome of the phrases are a mystery to me: TELL TOWEL? Is this a real thing? ARSENAL, premier league powerhouse? And I see a blank cell where errant golf shot and sliding runner meet! I'll have to check on that later.
I do know that the PIETA was carved from one slab as were most of if not all of Michelangelo's masterpieces.
My mother crocheted many a DOILY which I still have but hate to use in our dust-ridden environment as they require constant washing.
Time to go. I have to bake cupcakes for my daughter's birthday party tonight and go to the NAIL salon. Mani-pedi day! I'll read comments later.
Have yourselves a beautiful day, everyone!
Well, I got the correct puzzle to comment on. Congratulations C.C. I didn't really notice the A to LL switch until IDRIS EABA ( ELBA and 'Luther' both unknowns and looked strange) crossed my SEAL CRUISES. Changed A to L and changed my SHELL BATTER to BUTTER and SPAMONI to SPUMONI (both are correct spellings) and batter can fill a 'concave pasta' just as well as butter. But SHEA 'BATTER' wouldn't get it.
ReplyDeleteHOOK- my curse on the golf course.
What a wonderful offering from CC! I finally finished but it took forever. Thanks for the workout. Lemonade, without your guidance I would never have understood the theme. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOwen, I loved all of the 'l'icks but the HAMLET one was best of all times!
Big E, the Picayune is weird. In addition to the wrong CW, they also ran Saturday's comics today. And we should trust them to tell us the news??
I have never thought a TEA TOWEL is the same as a dish towel. Tea towels are dainty things, made of linen or fine cotton, used to dry glassware or fine china with no lint. DIsh towels are all purpose, rough, absorbent things used to sop up as much water as possible. They are usually made of terry cloth, or now microfiber.
According to the dictionary tea towels and dish towels have the same definition. The type of material does not distinguish them. They both can be made of any absorbent material. In my childhood home, they were all called tea towels. They did not have to be dainty or high quality. In other places absorbent dish drying towels of any material or quality are called dish towels. In ads I notice the terms are interchangeable.
ReplyDeleteLucina, I believe the theme answers are whimsical, not literal
Shell butter, chill pets, tell towels, sell cruises are not really in the language phrases. The original phrases are real: She butter, Chia pets, tea towels, and sea cruises.
Tell is a poker term for a change in a player's demeanor that gives away info about his hand. One of his tells could be wiping the sweat on his brow with a towel.
Well this was so much easier than yesterday, at least for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you’re missing contributors from Hawaii, just send me, I’ll go. But not to the big island, things are running too hot there.
On to Saturday and after this mixed up week, who knows what awaits?
Dear C.C.,
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to say you certainly made this Friday pzl easy for us - right up until we had to grasp the secret of your theme's changed letters! Along the way we encountered some of the finest clues I have seen in a long while, from "Play with a Ghost" to "Sliding runner."
I finally managed to reach my Ta- DA! moment, but without understanding how the theme was working - until I checked in with Lemonade, who set me straight.
My, how cunning your mind is! Switching "A" to "double-L" indeed! The switcheroo led to some of the more obscure terms of the entire pzl, including CHI(A) PETS and SHE(A) BUTTER.
Brilliant!
Thank you for a delightful start to our Friday!
____________
Diagonal Report: Happy to announce that we are back in regular business today, with two solid diagonals, the main lines on both sides. Note how they cross in the word of Welcome, ALOHA!
But no hidden messages.
Otto -
ReplyDeleteThank you. please arrive at Royal Oak Middle School at 7:00, on stage and ready to not play.
Cheers!
JzB
Lemonade: Of course, it is "Deal or No Deal". I can't believe I made that mistake. I never even watched that other show. I have watched DOND some, but don't really like it. Much prefer quiz shows on which I can guess the trivia.
ReplyDeleteJzB: gee, four notes is hardly worth getting dressed up for, is it? This morning I got to watch on YouTube my eldest grandson playing trombone in a concert held last night at his high school. So good they don't sound like high school kids.
Gary, I have been wondering about ChefWen. So tell us, is she on Oahu and has she had to evacuate or if she lost anything? Don't just tantalize us by saying you heard from her and not about her situation. Please!
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle from C.C. today. BZ. Very clever theme and brilliant choice for the reveal. To me the theme fill had the feel of a rebus about it. Just to come up with phrases that would work with A TO LL seems very difficult.
Did not KNOW IDRIS ELBA, but perps were ample.
Never heard of SHELL BUTTER but I'll take your word for it.
NAIL - First thought Polish target might be something like Gdansk or Gdynia, but didn't fit. Nice deception to Nails.
@12:33 I intended to say Shea butter was the original phrase. I am using Shea Butter body wash these days. So refreshing.
ReplyDeleteSpitz,there is no shell butter or any of the other theme phrases. They are all whimsical and part of the gimmick. The real phrase is
ReplyDeleteShea butter.
Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, C.C. and Lemonade.
ReplyDeleteJust a few inkblots today. I got the theme with SHELL BUTTER and wrote LL=A on the margin of my newspaper page. That helped fill in some double Ls in the theme answers; but it still took me a minute to parse A TO LL.
Irish Miss and I were really on the same wavelength, because I also entered David before perps force PIETA. (I still think David would also be a correct answer for the clue.)
Ashley changed to ASHLEE. I had the -LON and waited for perps to decide between ORLON or nylon.
My law school subject was a Torte until I realized that it might be plural and not a European cake.
Favourite today was sliding runner=SKI.
I smiled at the cross of PIETA and PITA, as well as SALT COD crossing SOLE.
I hope this is not considered political but I LOLed a few weeks ago at an ad on an American TV station for CHIA presidents. Maybe we Canadians need a CHIA Trudeau!
This Canadian calls them Tea Towels. (Might be the British influence.)
I also have some beautiful DOILies passed down from various relatives. Crocheting and tatting are lost arts it seems. I have no talent for either (or knitting).
Enjoy the day.
Arsenal a powerhouse? They finished 6th this year WTF!!!!! I put Man City cause they finished 1st then Chelsea cause they are in the top 5. My gosh!!!!
ReplyDeletehi all
ReplyDeleteDNF - I didn't have the heart to continue the fun when I got the news...
//long (and depressing) story - skip it if you don't wanna downer.
I was chatting on-line w/ a mate late last night [why the hell is he online at that hour-- he's upper-management :-)]. He said he was still up because of word our office-mate was in the hospital; motor-cycle accident. The latent Catholic in me said a prayer and made the sign of the Cross. //Even if you don't believe; can't houit...
This morning, we got the message that our office-mate had passed. He was a grandfather (didn't look it!), into Heavy Metal, spoke "Mexican" fluently,... Just an all around Cool Cat...
e.g.: He came up with "gang" signs to signify he was Support Desk* and CyberSec best stay CHILL. Most every time he'd step out of his office, he'd look into mine and flash the "gang" signal with a "Wha? WHa!" , "Shi..."
It was silly fun and disturbingly absent today. Damn good it was our 1/2 day Friday - no one wanted / could focus; we were quite the dower 9th... [even the two Marines on our floor couldn't fathom it]
C.C.-- I See what you did there and very creative. How many times have we seen ATOLL in a puzzle and never parsed it A -> LL. Wow!
Thanks Lem for filling the East; I knew IONIA somewhere but I had a polished NOSE for too long [talk about your Corporate Ladder]; I changed that to NAIL but didn't think hard enough for TONI/ EINE to perp out. RODE was sans D because I wouldn't commit to the 'D' (I think of RODE more nagging than teasing) but was going to WAG it after all the other blocks filled. Expo was enlightening link-wise.
Have a good Friday and say "I Love You Man" to those in your life. -T
*Tier 3+; he was good and knew his shit. And always willing to help...
Anonymous T, my heartfelt condolences on losing your office mate.
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle a lot. Such imagination! I think this puzzle deserves (has EARNed) a star on the Walk Of Crosswordism.
ReplyDeleteI finished the puzzle but couldn't make sense of the theme, even with the ATOLL reveal. I think I was looking for the LL to join up with an 'A' somehow, not replace an 'A'. Lemon's explanation made sense of it all finally. I don't know why I can't figure these things out for myself. Rats!
ReplyDeleteAnonT, I feel sad for you and his other friends and family. Best wishes for you all...
AnonT So sorry for your loss. We've been visiting the Funeral Home all to regularly lately and this afternoon we laid to rest a favorite uncle. Heart aches are an indication that the departed was well loved.
ReplyDeleteAnonT:
ReplyDeleteMy condolences on the loss of your office mate/friend. I dread seeing riders on motorcycles. To me they seem like death wishes and there is at least one a week here. I'm sad for you.
YR:
Thank you. I get that the theme phrases are whimsical. It's some of the others that seemed strange but then I'm not into poker, sports and a lot of the current culture.
Also, I've been very distracted from having a long to do list today preparing for my daughter's birthday, go to nail salon, and washing, packing for a trip next week, etc.
Lemmon: 15A. "On the Media" medium: RADIO. A podcast from our friends at NPR.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually an excellent weekly radio program produced by WNYC and distributed by NPR. Like a lot of their programs, it is also podcast. Thanks for calling them "our friends" - they're definitely mine - I spend most of most days listening.
39A. Word of welcome: ALOHA. Where did all of our Hawaiian cornerites go?
I'm still here. I've been doing the puzzle and reading the blog for around 5 yrs but don't post very much. 7pm here is midnight CDT.
62A OAR ?
I agree with you and billocohoes @1022 - I'm pretty sure it's only used as a verb in crossword puzzles. Say it out loud, it just sounds so wrong - "I think I'll OAR the boat over there."
67A. Sinatra standard: MY WAY
Thanks for this - very nice. My favorite albums are Sinatra Sings, Basie Swings (or maybe it's the other way around) and Sinatra and Swingin' Brass. Great stuff.
Thanks for the great writeup, Lemmon.
I've heard of tea towels but never thought to find out what they are, so appreciate explanations from SwampCat @ 1135 and Yellowrocks @ 1233.
And speaking of YR - your comments @ 1233 "Shell butter, chill pets, tell towels, sell cruises are not really in the language phrases" and
1450 "there is no shell butter or any of the other theme phrases. They are all whimsical and part of the gimmick".
Actually I think Royal Caribbean reps probably do sell cruises.
PK @ 1411: four notes is hardly worth getting dressed up for, is it?
I guess it depends on how much you love playing in the symphony, or maybe if you're getting paid. I had the great honor and pleasure, even occasionally thrill of doing it for 30 yrs in the Tucson Symphony. There were a lot of wonderful, musically gratifying times, even though, as the tuba player, I had even less to play than JazzB does on trombone. But it was (almost) always worth the wait.
Re: Hawaii - see next post.
-T @ 1609 So sorry for the tragic loss of your friend. I loved riding for years, but always had that bit of fear giving it an edge.
Anon T...prayers from here for your loss. My kids rode and I cringed. Hang in there my friend.
ReplyDeleteSorry that was so long - on the rare occasions I post it's because I have a lot to say. One more to wrap it up.
ReplyDeleteD4E4H - I wonder how you got my non g email? Not that I mind - I never think to check my gmail in box anyway.
And for PK @ 1411 (continued) "I have been wondering about ChefWen. So tell us, is she on Oahu and has she had to evacuate or if she lost anything?" I don't know about Chef Wen - if she is on Oahu (location of the state capitol, Honolulu), I don't think she's affected - though they may get some of the SO2 if the winds are wrong. I'm on the island of Hawaii (they call it the Big Island; I don't like that - it has a name). It's shaped sort of like a pear, stem end down. We're just a bit up from the bottom on the E. side. The peak of Kilauea is about 45-50 mi. up the coast, and all the vents that are opening and spewing into the residential areas are on the E. and NE. flanks. Over 1,000 people evacuated, hundreds of houses inundated, thankfully no deaths that we've heard of. Relief centers are set up, multiple agencies and many volunteers assisting, donating food and supplies.
I did feel my first earthquake in 73+ yrs of life last week - I was outside and thought I was back at sea, the way the ground was moving. It's a scary, helpless feeling. It could have been much worse - the house could have come down, and you're totally helpless. Horrible feeling.
AnonT: so sorry for the loss of your friend. Seems like so many motorcycle riders that lose their lives are grandpas around here. A friend said it is because you have to wait until that age to have enough money to indulge that dream of owning one.
ReplyDeleteOAS: so sorry for the loss of your uncle.
Mike Sherline: Thank you for your report on Hawaii. I've never had the privilege of visiting your state and am not very clear on the subject. The news reports are so scary and sometimes confusing. Glad to hear you are safe for now. Keep us posted.
Hi Husker G. By the time I get around to the puzzle everyone else has their Dr. Dentons on and are 10 toes up in bed. I’m goining to start doing the puzzle the night before so I can partake in the fun and games here.
ReplyDeletePK, I am alive, well and far away from the volcano. We’re on the Island of Kauai. No threat from the volcano but still walking around with fish in our boots after our torrential rains. 50 inches in a 24 hour period.
Mahalo for your fine puzzle C.C.
ALOHA
Yeah, sell cruises should have been more of a pun.
ReplyDeleteMike S., thank you for your input today. Anon. T., s I have mentioned, I was in college with my two brothers. We drove other people's motorcycles and decided by pooling our money we could by one to share. We had a friend who had a classic BSA MOTORCYCLE for sale. We agreed to buy it and he agreed to bring it to where we were -19 miles away. He crashed on his way to our house. We took that as a sign, and none of us ever bought one. Very sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteChefwen- 50 inches of rain in 24 hours. Wow! Thank you for reassuring us.
ReplyDeleteAnonT- so sorry to hear of the tragic accident and loss of your friend. Deepest sympathy.
ReplyDeleteOas- sorry for the loss of your uncle. May your memories be sweet even in your grief.
MikeS and chefwen - glad to hear that you are safe. Take care.
Chefwen: so glad to hear you are okay. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteFor any missing Jeffrey Wechsler on Friday, he built the puzzle for the new PuzzleScoiety being edited by David Steinberg.
ReplyDeleteThanks you all for the kindness expressed. This is certainly cheaper than therapy :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm in shock as, well shit -- he was just here. Not sick, not something we were worried about... Just.
And no one got to say good-bye; just "Check ya later Biiitch." With a "Yep YEP" in reply.
Youngest and I went to dinner and I apologized to her too for being a downer.
She asked, "Did you know him that well?"
"No, not really. It's not like we went for drinks and stuff... But he was always..."
And I thought about his office....
I mean, how does that work? Does the building come and clean it out and box it up like when folks are sac'd? Am I going to have to go through his data-storagey things to make sure it's all personal data? [I'm going to get some good music :-)*]
And then I though of...
In this guy's office, is a big plastic rubber-plant. In that plant is a Bigfoot-face on a stick. The Bigfoot is just peeking out of the plant -- It takes you aback every time you see it - funny.
And that is the kind of fun he was.
Made a Christmas wreath out of white, red, & green Cat-6 network cables, too, he did.
PK - I couldn't help but LOL about finally affording the dream... Thank you.
Chefwan - that's Houston Harvey-level rains. Glad you're OK and not in the path of lava. Good to hear from you.
cheers, -T
*I'm kidding
Oh dear, I just got caught up on all the messages today and what sad news! Anon T, so sorry to hear about the loss of your office-mate--particularly sad because it was a road accident. And Oas, so sorry that you lost a beloved uncle. My goodness, losses of people close to us are devastating, aren't they? My heart goes out to both you.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle from CC! I had completely solved it before I figured out the A TO LL theme. Hand up never heard of a TEA TOWEL. Only know SHEA BUTTER from these puzzles. ARSENAL totally unknown. I was sure it was wrong. I was wrong. FIR. Hand up with Lucina I thought all of Michelangelo's pieces were carved from a single slab. Hand up DAVID first.
ReplyDeleteHere is my photo of the PIETA from the 90s. I also have a photo of DAVID. Different city.
This is officially an AWE-inspiring painting in the Sierras.
One of my lab mates is researching AWE and he uses this painting for the purpose. It is by Albert Bierstadt and it's called Among the Sierra Nevada.
AnonT: My deepest condolences on the loss of your friend.
Today was the start of a busy weekend for me.
"Puzzling Thoughts":
ReplyDeleteObviously, very late to the party, but wanted to drop by and check in. Very doable puzzle from our "CiC"; agree with many others that this was not a typical tough, Friday offering, yet I needed ESP to certainly get IDRIS ELBA. As our good friend Tin would say, "will be forgotten by tomorrow".
I got the "theme" - sorta - when I saw CHILL PETS. I knew there had to be some sort of conversion from "LL" to "A"; CC's clever parsing of ATOLL as A -> LL was brilliant
Nice job Lemony of recapping everything, despite a typo - autocorrect - etc. $hit happens
I'm in N Ohio visiting my Mom and Sister for a little family gathering/Mothers Day celebration. Went to the Rock n Roll HOF today; could've used 2-3 days if you really wanted to spend time looking at each exhibit for more than a few moments. Heard lots of great music, of course, and saw a ton of cool guitars.
-T, tough news about your co-worker. Hope he has family to come and recover the items from the office. I had a few co-workers pass away suddenly, so I know how you feel. Especially the part where you really never got to "say goodbye". I guess this just continues to confirm our mortality. But it's still a bummer ... peace, mi amigo.
My lame Moe-ku du jour:
In Hawaii, they
Cancelled "Deal or No Deal", 'cause
HOWIE's a haole
Moe - yeah; you NAIL'd it... BTW, I just got the automated report of user-accounts removed today (I get this for security monitoring) and Frogs! if the machinery hadn't already put his name on the list...
ReplyDeleteOAS - Somehow [no Avatar?] I missed your post about your Uncle. I feel a bit silly now; when someone so close to someone else --- I wish GodSpeed to you and your family. -T
SwampCat @ 11:35 --
ReplyDelete"Big E, the Picayune is weird. In addition to the wrong CW, they also ran Saturday's comics today. And we should trust them to tell us the news??"
Sure, and the slogan is ... "Tomorrow's News Today!" (Be sure to check the business page, and see if your ship has come in.)
I'm with Chef Wen on the timing problem: sometimes I don't get to the Corner until midnight PDT -- 0200 CDT-- and there's nothing left to say (except "WEES", but everyone has said that already, so silence is all that's left).
ReplyDeleteMichael at 2:19 am there is always something to say; many just use the puzzle to introduce themselves and their life. You can explain about what you know and do not know and why. Or just mind ramble like some of do all the time. Keep reading and writing, people do read. Generally after a write up is published we have thousands of readers that day, but we usually get 1000 to 1500 more in the next week.
ReplyDeleteRepost of Gary's Musings (May 11, 2018 at 11:38 AM)
ReplyDelete-JH English today. I am still threatening the teacher I am going to teach this which I loved
-Wonderful C.C. puzzle as they all are
-A colleague of mine required all kids to RISE when she entered the room. She also had the kids memorize all the presidents from Washington to the current day.
-I have watched this KEN Burns documentary several times on Netflix. A lot of tragedy!
-I’ve heard from our ChefWen Hawaiian privately but can’t talk her into blogging again
-I guess H A _ _ _ _ ghost wasn’t HARVEY
-Back when you had TV’s repaired they had CRT’s and many other tubes
-Golf instructors will tell you a HOOK is much easier to fix than a slice
-Lunch!!