His defining feature of course was his distinctive speech that is very difficult to imitate. One of my grade school classmates could do it perfectly and we who couldn't were in awe of him when he said something in that hilarious voice. Can you do it? Go ahead, give it a shot!
I had a Greg Johnson puzzle the day before Mother's Day this year but this one today fell much faster although my first real toehold was in the SE corner which filled in a hurry with ADESTE, NO DEAR, PYRE, ERODE and MEAT. Sigh, any port in a storm.
Then like the Phoenix I rose and finished with SCARES, META, etc. The entire experience was very satisfying.
Now eschewing Donald's "fowl" attitude, let's see what else Greg has for us:
Across:
1. Exercise activity: SWIM - If sinking counts as exercise, count me in
5. Foolish: DIPPY - In describing Major Burns' time in command, Hawkeye offers three adjectives and then Radar adds a fourth as an aside
10. Dance term literally meaning "thrown": JETE and a prime display of 16. Stylish energy: ELAN.
14. Officer's verb: CITE - I have been CITED for speeding three times by three different officer's
15. "That's so sweet!": OH YOU.
17. Exec's hire, perhaps: ASST - An advert by the British Lancashire County Council was looking for a "temporary part-time libraries North-West inter-library loan business unit administration ASSistanT."
18. Unlikely to become a decorator: COLOR BLIND - A test for red/green color blindness. And the number is...
20. ESPN.com post: RECAP.
22. Theoretical parallel world access: PORTAL - Mom is trying stop Carolyn from being drawn into a PORTAL in Poltergeist
24. Debt securities: LIENS.
26. Source of ancient wisdom: TORAH.
30. In order to: SO THAT.
32. Muffin topper: PAT
34. Full-body animal costume: APE.
35. Part of a gift that needs to be returned: CASSEROLE DISH - One way to remind people of the origin of a casserole
39. "I figured as much": WHAT A SURPRISE - Gee, Gary has a kitty picture below in his write-up! Sarcasm par excellence.
40. Skeptical words: THIS I GOTTA SEE.
41. It may look like a great deal: CON - You can't CON this kitty
42. It folds for easy storage: COT.
43. Textron Aviation brand: CESSNA = Kansas farm boy Clyde CESSNA started his company to build this cantilevered winged aircraft in 1927 that "could carry a half-ton load at 100 mph on a 110 hp engine"
46. __ touch: MAGIC - Any day is improved with the Platters
48. Bacon output: ESSAY - Aroma didn't cut it
51. User-created video game alteration: MOD - A mod (short for "modification") is an alteration that changes some aspects or one aspect of a video game, such as how it looks or behaves. Mods may range from small changes and tweaks to complete overhauls, and can extend the replay value and interest of the game. You're Welcome.
52. River rat: NUTRIA - A poor man's ermine
56. Kids may use them to make turkeys: HAND PRINTS.
60. Wad embellishers: ONES - The "Wad" inside could well be only ONES
61. Skin-healing aid: ALOE.
62. Get 'em all right: ACE IT - Some Nebraska honor students with the Governor
63. Good source of protein: MEAT.
64. It followed a postwar boom: GEN-X
65. Noticeably bored: YAWNY - I see lots of "teachers" in front of children that elicit this "gluey" response
66. Ceremonial pile: PYRE - "And our love become a fun'ral PYRE, C'mon baby light my fire"
Down:
1. Halloween inevitabilities: SCARES - Noun not verb. why do we seek these out?
2. Not tricked by: WISE TO.
3. Comment about contagion: IT'S CATCHING - My siblings and I went through the mumps and measles as a unit!
4. Like a movie about filmmakers making a movie: META - Okay
5. Animated miner: DOC - Which shirt would best represent you?
6. Longing words: I HOPE.
7. Aviation guide: PYLON - Racing markers or a structural component. The second PYLON might be 36. Things few understand: ESOTERICA.
8. One unlikely to shake hands: POOR SPORT - This losing MLS soccer coach was upset about the other team's play and refused to shake hands
9. Nomadic shelter: YURT - Here are some YURTS in Ulan Bato
10. Kraft Foods trademark: JELLO.
11. Fan of the Bulldogs: ELI.
12. Summer vacation "souvenir": TAN
13. Extreme: END.
19. Dark background that makes a pitched baseball easier to see: BATTER'S EYE - This one in Wrigley field is made up of juniper bushes
21. Party holder: PLASTIC CUP - I once needed some ping pong balls for my physics lab and was so surprised to be told they were over by the PLASTIC CUPS!
25. "We've got clearance": IT'S A GO - Var. - After the meteorologists gave him clearance on June 5, 1944 by saying the weather had broken, Ike said "OK,, Let's Go" for June 6
27. Holds a benefit, say: RAISES MONEY - On GoFundMe.com you can request money for your cause. I wonder how many thought this was a worthy cause.
28. Basilica recess: APSE.
29. Chuckle bit: HEH - HEH, HEH, HEH!
31. PGA Tour Champions golfer Jay: HAAS.
33. Wool source: ALPACA - Let's leave a little for cuteness. p.s. I thought ALPACA had two "C's"
37. Evidence of frequent travel: RUT.
38. Injection molding inventory: DIES - Can you even imagine how many DIES LEGO uses?
39. Stop on the trail: WHOA.
40. "Silent Sunday Nights" network: TCM - The director could shout at them all he wanted during shooting
44. Affectionate turndown: NO DEAR.
45. Holiday hymn opener: ADESTE - ADESTE, fideles, Laeti triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem!
47. Organize, in a way: INDEX - Rapid "unindexing" and any librarian's nightmare
49. Strength: SINEW.
50. Prom gown material: SATIN - Some today are using much less material than they used to!
53. Lunch __: TRAY - An alternate use
56. Witch: HAG.
57. Maugham's "Cakes and __": ALE - Same book with two different publishers who had two different ideas about how to sell it. Title comes from a Shakespeare line in Twelfth Night.
58. Exclusion prefix: NON.
59. Place for a mud bath: STY.
I'm batching it for a few days. The LW flew out yesterday for a weekend high school reunion in Charlestown, IN.
ReplyDeleteTHIS I GOTTA SEE with my eyes!
He didn't ACE IT? WHAT A SURPRISE!
Give the ball a PAT
With a club, SO THAT
Where a golfer hits it is where he lies!
To give a cat a pill may require much
Of a MAGIC force to get it in her gut!
A pellet in her maw
In and out, may seesaw --
It SCARES her to fly from your YURT or hutch!
A flu is like a hunter's snare
That hoists a beast up in the air.
The way in which the two are matching?
One can say of both, "IT'S CATCHING"!
If you want to go for a ROMP of a SWIM
You first may dip your DIPPY-toe in.
If it's too cold, the sport may be poor,
So you shouldn't be tagged a POOR SPORT to demur.
{C, B+, B, B.}
I managed to finish at the cross of PAT and BATTERS EYE. I wanted OAT but that wouldn't allow the POOR SPORT to fill. Never heard of BATTERS EYE. Putting a PAT of butter on a calorie-laden muffin? Fat on fat. MOD, META- no idea about either and filled by perps; YAWNY I did get but really, is that a real word?
ReplyDeleteJELL-O, I guess Kraft got it from General Foods; didn't know.
NUTRIA- way too many of them down here.
Which do you choose? TENT or YURT; LORAN or PYLON; MIDAS or MAGIC; BONDS or LIENS: TIPS or DIES; ROUT or ROMP; SPA or STY
HG- we have so many CASSEROLE DISHes, I wish some of them would NOT come back.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteHooray for Wite-Out! On my first pass I had only MAP (foldable), BONDS (debt), MIDAS (touch) and SPA (mud bath). All wrong. Like Husker, I finally got a toehold in the southeast and was able to spread out from there. Thanx, Greg. Husker, I suppose you're going to tell me there was a number in that circle.
MOD: I always heard 'em called Hacks...at least I think they're the same thing.
FIR. Woo hoo!
ReplyDeleteOne of twelve men has some degree of color blindness (1/200 women.) I recently heard of a company called Enchroma that makes glasses that optically compensate for the light frequencies that are confused by the eye. Anybody hear of them? I may try them after I see my optician and get a new prescription next month.
ReplyDeleteIn HG's example I could tell there's a pattern there, but thought it might be a 3. My bride tells me it's a 5.
Took a while to break thru this puzzle, esp. starting with POOR loser instead of SPORT
How about a puzzle for the nonmenses once in awhile?
ReplyDeleteAnon@8:44, try it on Monday. The puzzles start easy on Monday and get trickier as the week progresses, culminating in a Saturday stumper. Sundays are only Wednesday difficulty, but they're bigger.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteThought I was not going to get much of it today, but then nibbled around the edges and got a nucleus going in the SE. Made some bold WAGs and very gradually got all the fill. FIR. Much fresh, bright fill so it was fun to suss out the answers. Teasing alternative fill like 'pilot' or PYLON. A well-crafted Saturday opus.
CESSNA - Used to fly around the eastern end of L. Erie in one each winter/springto assess the ice remaining in the Lake.
ERODE - Refer to Gary's picture showing the crest recession at Niagara Falls. In the last 60 years, as a result of the 1950 Treaty with Canada, the Niagara flow diversions for hydro-power have been significantly increased. The long term average flow in the River is about 205000 cfs. (Instantaneous flows have been as high as 360000 and as low as 90000 cfs.). The minimum flow remaining to go over the Falls is 50000 cfs during non-tourist season and 100000 cfs during the tourist season. The diversions for power are equally divided between the two countries. Additionally the Treaty requires that an unbroken crestline be maintained along the entire Falls width. If gouging were to occur in places; stealing water from adjacent crest zones, the crest is restored to continue the unbroken effect. As a result the rate of erosion has been significantly reduced since the mid 1900's.
I cried, "Uncle!" and turned on the red letters when my patience failed me. For the few red letters that popped up, my second choices worked and let me move on. I still enjoyed the puzzle. We grow by stretching. A DO said there are varying puzzles throughout the week from easy to challenging. Challenges give us something to aspire to. I don't visit puzzle sites that are super easy seven days a week.
ReplyDeleteJete comes from the same root as jettison, to toss overboard. Plie come from a root that means bend or fold.
OKL, I loved "A flu is like a hunter's snare
That hoists a beast up in the air." Catchy rhythm.
Gary, I had the same surprise finding ping pong balls with the plastic cups. I knew the kids play beer pong down the shore, but still I was surprised.
Lynn was in the emergency room last night with pneumonia.
I brought a casserole dish with flowers on it to a pot luck. It was taken home by someone else. I came home with the same exact type of dish sans flowers. No one ever returned my original dish.
How about a puzzle without obscure TV/Movie names and stretched slangy expressions every so often...
ReplyDeleteNutria, proof that Cajuns can make anything taste good! In the 90's when the Nutria population in the Achafalya was exploding, the state sponsored a Nutria recepe contest. I had some very tasty Nutria Gumbo.
ReplyDeleteIn my 35-year career as a tool and die maker I never heard the term die applied to the pieces produced by injection molding. Dies are the tooling used to cut, pierce, bend, form or shape material (usually metal but can be others) into a finished configuration. Injection molding is used to form and set liquified (molten) plastic into the desired parts. Molten metal is generally die cast which is a different process than injection molding. However, one aspect of my career that I liked was that every day or job was a learning experience. So, not saying the answer is wrong just that I never heard it applied in this fashion.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe difficulty I had was getting some traction with the long fill. Once I got those areas opened up, I was able to get my Tada. I thought the cluing was very tricky which lead me astray in several areas: Hee/Hah, Mysteries/Esoterica, Plane/Erode, Paints/Prints, and Lady/Tray. I have never heard of Batter's Eye and thought it referred to the black stuff under some athlete's eyes. I guess that means I'll take the Dopey shirt, HG! Nose wrinkle at Yawny. Big CSO to DO at Color Blind and Dudley at Cessna.
Thanks, Greg, for a tough but doable Saturday and thanks, HG, for your superb summary and the many learning moments.
billocohoes @ 8:10 ~ Channel 13 recently had a segment one those glasses and, based on the color blind reporter and others who used the glasses, they all had a very positive experience.
YR, sorry to hear about your BIL's relapse.
FLN
Wilbur, I think you're thinking of dearth.
Lucina, I still cannot believe that Anthony Bourdain took his own life. So sad that a person sees no other option.
Have a great day.
Ouch! YR, you’re not alone in finally running for the red letters. After the first complete pass-through there were only a few lonely fills. The SE finally filled in and things got easier from there. ITS CATCHING finally opened the way to the FIR. I always seem to have difficulty getting a foothold in Greg's puzzles. Makes the solve, when it finally comes, just that much sweeter.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend, all!
Well I didn't "solve" the puzzle ...
ReplyDeletebut I sure did appreciate the Husker Gary write-up.
Cheers!
Good job KS; anon at 8:44am - it is called Monday; anon at 10:33am - either Monday or the puzzles in other newspapers or online like THIS PUZZLE SITE .
ReplyDeleteIt is so simple if you do not like being poked in the eye, move.
Thanks for a fun review with plenty of cool images, Husker Gary!
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough one for me! Words like YAWNY and GOTTA seem like a stretch, no? Our music group performed that AD ESTE song at Christmas, but I only know the English words. Never heard of a BATTERS EYE. Learning moment, but it really slowed me down. Last to fall was NW with META to FIR!
Ironically, I work in the META Lab at UC Santa Barbara! Yes, that is me in a cave for my lab member photo!
Here are my photos of the Burning Man PYRE. Do people know about this?
I have made many exotic travels, but Burning Man is one of the most exotic experiences I have ever had. I have many more photos than just of the PYRE. Many are at least R-rated.
From yesterday:
Sorry that my post about vegetables was so unclear to create such controversy. Interestingly, it all started with NUTRIA! The radio doctor Dean Edell was talking about how good it would be if Americans would eat NUTRIA as they are a bit of a pest and it would be a win-win if more people would eat them
He went on to say in general how hard it is to get Americans to eat an animal or even a plant that they did not grow up eating. He went on to claim that there was a study showing that Americans eat fewer kinds of plants and animals than people of most other countries. It was quite a few years ago and I do not know where to find the study now. Anyway, that was the context of my muddled post yesterday!
I had no patience with this puzzle. I thought the clues were rather lacking.
ReplyDeleteHad a hard time getting a toehold today. Pure guesswork led me to enter AIDE at 17a and SCORE at 20a. I wanted TREATS at 1d but the aforementioned guesses prevented that. Anyway, eventually I turned red letters on and my aforementioned entries got the big red SCARE. Among other things, I learned that Greg wanted I HOPE instead of I WISH, LIENS instead of BONDS, and ROMP instead of ROUT. I also learned that the exercise activity did not end with an S, as in REPS or LAPS. Such is the nature of crossword puzzle misdirection and ambiguity. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThe "Happy" T-shirt would probably best fit me. Some days, though, maybe the "Grumpy" one.
I can see the 5 in the circle but our son can't.
Cheers to you, Tinbeni, and good wishes to you all.
Hi Y'all! Thanks for a challenge, Greg. Great expo, Husker! After trying the puzzle it would seem like a number of us could have sounded like Donald Duck having a tantrum.
ReplyDeleteYep, red-letters were a necessity for me too. But I managed to finish in 26 minutes to my surprise for a Sat. Not "yoga", but SWIM. Neither tricks or treats at Halloween but SCARES.
Husker: sometimes I need the Sneezy shirt or the Sleepy shirt. Most often need Grumpy.
"One most unlikely to shake hands": I wanted to put in "Cavaliers" or LeBron James, after last night's NBA final in which the Warriors badly outclassed them on the Cleveland home court in a very silent arena. LeBron gave up and sat down with several minutes left to play. The fans cheered him because he had put in a lot of minutes and did his part scoring.
My son-in-law is COLOR BLIND, tone deaf and has little sense of humor. Pretty nice helpful guy otherwise.
When my husband was a pilot, we mostly flew a CESSNA with the high wing. For some reason I got air sick more often with the cockpit hanging beneath the wings than I did in a Piper with the wing below.
YR: Oh poor Lynn! Prayer for him.
xtulmkr: I also thought DIES made no sense for injection molding. But I looked it up and apparently it is correct. A learning moment.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else think GERMPHOBE before POOR SPORT for one who avoids shaking hands?
Picard: We had a Mexican exchange student in our home one summer who was amazed at the wildlife in our yard: deer, rabbits, racoons, possums, etc. A veterinary student, he got especially excited at the neighbor's buffalo herd. He said, if any of those animals had shown up around people in his native Yucatan, they would be chased, killed and eaten. Very little wildlife remaining except in more remote wooded areas -- certainly not traipsing through the yard.
ReplyDeleteHand up for thinking DIES didn't fit the clue.
Picard: hand up for GERMAPHOBE. Also never heard of the BATTERS EYE.
ReplyDelete-WW
Afternoon folks,
ReplyDeleteThanks to Mr. Greg Johnson, for this Saturday trial from which I had to BAIL several times to get the cue to proceed.
Thanks to Husker Gary for your enjoyable review.
21A - Party holder: PLASTIC CUP - I believe Toby Keith said it best with Red Solo Cup.
Ðave
This tough puzzle took a very long time, way past my two CUPS of coffee. My experience paralleled Jayce's in the choice of wrong entries. But my trusty eraser did yeoman work today. And like Gary, my strongest toehold was in the SE where ADESTE/PYRE provided the start and led to RAISEMONEY.
ReplyDeleteAt the bottom, SPA held me hostage for too long then erased it to find ACE IT and YAWN but STS seemed a likely place to get a mud bath in some places.
ESOTERICA went in, went out then in again which helped to hook the three long phrases in the center. I laughed at PLASTIC CUP because I was looking for a host or hostess for a party!
ALOE has, of course, been exceedingly helpful in my recuperation after my fall. The areas where I didn't use it, right hand and left leg, are still bruised but my face is clear.
This was great fun and a mighty challenge and to those who found it frustrating I recommend, as others have, to solve Monday through Wednesday. Even the obscure fill which often gives me fits helps me to learn. It's a slow process.
META seemed wrong but had to be so thank you, Gary, for confirming it. Thank you for your colorful commentary as well.
I'm still reeling about Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade's death is also sad but she didn't impact me as he did.
Have a sunny day, everyone! I'm sending you some AZ warmth.
Owen:
ReplyDeleteI loved your poetry!
billocohoes, I can find no reference to PAWKY in any existing puzzle database to which I have access.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it’ll come in handy to a xword creator someday. The Holmes collection is one of the few places I’ve seen “outre” used more than once.
DeletePlugged away, but couldn’t get the NW corner....was a toughie....
ReplyDeleteIt seems that when faced with truly tough pzls of late I have opted to cheat early on, citing either my busy schedule for that day or a temporary lack of patience.
ReplyDeleteToday, again, my patience is thin, so after working my way through 50% of Mr. Johnson's opus, I chose to cheat to hasten my finish.
So now I am beginning to question my motives. Was I truly short on patience today, or did I just want to skip out on a labor-intensive project?
Picard, I would at least try NUTRIA. My wife is still mad at me for eating ALPACA in Peru.
Do you know of a restaurant or fast food joint that has it on offer?
~ OMK
___________
Diagonal Report: Two today, one on either side.
What Tinbeni said...
ReplyDeleteThanks Greg but you beat me up but good. North Central required cribbing copiously from HG's grid (thanks for putting it at the top! :-)). 5a, -I--Y, was not silly nor was 5d one of the characters from Antz / A Bug's Life. 56a wasn't HAND tRaces...
Thanks HG for the delightfully Ducky expo.
-1d couldn't be tricks 'cuz that was in 2d's clue. Must be treat, right? Bzzt (Hi Jayce!)
-A geRmaphobe didn't fit for 8d... (Hi Picard!). PK, I'll accept your answer :-)
-RUT?!? - oh, crap. I was looking for ink, as in, ink STAMP'd in your passport.
-Not SPA @59d :-( //thanks again HG for my POOR-man's red-letters.
JETÉ again? ... Nailed it!
I also got META and MOD off the BAT/ 1st pass. //D-O: Mods are hardware modifications; hacks are in the software.
{A, C, B+, B}
I see 5 and will pick Sleepy //nap (not @53d (Lunch)) Time!
[Who else thinks 53d is green-paint? - How about Canteen weapon of death? #moreLegos
YR - Sorry to hear of all the turmoil; we're here...
xtulmkr - I suppose you inject into a DIE or mould.
Jayce - LOL Grumpy!
D4 - you beat me to Red Solo Cup...
Jay Green - BIL, as a kid in the sticks in N. LA, used to hunt NUTRIA for their pelt. I don't know if he ever ate one though.
Picard - we know about Burning Man and kinda wish we didn't :-). It seems a little P.A.G.A.N. :-)
Ode Upon a Grecian META:
Think of your stoner-buddies
meditating on
the atoms in the smoke
"There's a whole universe in there man
Maybe our universe
We could be in God's bong"
#META #Platypus
Cheers, -T
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteLots of jumping around to get the solve accomplished today.
Textron now owns both Cessna and the once-powerful competitor Beechcraft, which was already tied to the aging Hawker. That’s a whole lot of aviation in one company’s hands, and some of us doubt that’s good for the future. Prices for parts have crept up from shockingly high to downright insane, for one thing. For those not familiar, the orange airplane in my avatar photo is a Cessna 172.
Howdy Husker, good work!
ReplyDeleteFinally after 47 minutes I got it done. I got stuck in most of the places that others did. Thanks Gary for today's tour through the grid.
SPA before STY, DIZZY, DITZY and DOPEY before DIPPY, BONDS before LIENS, AIDE before ASST, (Jet) LAG before RUT and OUTOF before MAGIC to name a few early mistakes. Perps are my savior again.
I don't see any numbers at all in the Color Blindness test. That is the reason that I was unable to be a pilot in the Air Force. When DW tries to give me a rough time about my color combinations I tell her that I see the colors I want to see. So there.
Have a great day everyone.
ReplyDeleteAnon -T FLN: I would try the Home Style Gibbles chips first. I'm not sure where IM gets her chips, but I think you can get them cheaper than AMAZON if you go to the Gibbles Website and click on the buy online tab which should take you to a site where you can order them. I think it is the ShipMyChips site.
I hope you enjoy them.
Oc4 - Thank you. IM emailed me off-blog and she agreed - ShipMyChips was the goto. I have a shipment on the way and will report back when my Chip Ship comes in.
ReplyDeleteObtuse Man says...
#Platypus was reference to Williams' (RIP) bit. Yeah, I stole it; steal from the best, eh? :-)
Have a great Saturday all, -T
Last night I once again attended a performance by Detour, a company of disabled people, all adults in their interpretation of School of Rock. It was a riot! And considering the performers, quite amazing. I believe I've mentioned before that it's a group in Scottsdale headed by a most generous and talented woman who I'm sure is destined for sainthood. She and her husband formed the group over 20 years ago for their own disabled son to participate and it's been a rousing success.
ReplyDeleteThe two hours long performance is the longest they've ever presented; a guest actor (not disabled) took the part of the conniving substitute teacher. For me it's a humbling experience seeing them sing and dance their hearts out and for them, I'm sure, it's nothing short of euphoric. A lenthy standing ovation followed the performance.
Lucina, glad you saw and enjoyed the performance by Detour. I'm happy to see you are very favorably impressed and came away euphoric.
ReplyDeleteI'll toss this technical question out there to anyone who might be able to shed light on the matter. I have extensively researched on line but have found nothing helpful. Here's the issue: it seems Windows 10, which communicates a LOT and seemingly continuously with a system or systems unknown out there in the internet, sometimes locks up all access to the internet via our DSL connection. I have a very strong suspicion that somehow whatever data and messages Windows is sending and/or receiving is causing a router, switch, or other machine at the AT&T central office to lock up. The result is that the AT&T-supplied Netgear gateway (or modem or whatever you want to call it) in our house also locks up, presumably in an infinite loop while it waits for some response from the central office which it never gets. Windows displays this as a good connection via Wifi between the computer and the modem, but no connection between the modem and the internet. Has any of you had a similar problem? Could Windows be sending a string of data that one of the routers, etc., is interpreting as an "escape sequence"? The only solution for me here is to unplug our modem, wait a minute, and plug it back in. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Lucina, er, I should have said came away humbled. It was the performers you were sure were euphoric.
ReplyDeleteLucina, what a wonderful time the performers must have had. Alan's workshop sponsored an acapella men's group as a fund raiser. They asked for some of the clients to join them at one point. They were delighted and Alan thought his colleagues were the best part of the show.
ReplyDeleteJayce, how frustrating. I have no answers, though.
I have been thinking of Misty all day, hoping she got her glasses before her trip.
PK, we were in a WV State Park which bragged about its wildlife. We see more wild life in our back yard:many types of birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, turkeys, a fox a bear. Who said NJ is mostly tank farms?
Very hard puzzle, as is typical for Sat. I could only get a start with red letters confirming 17a-ASST. I thought 5d might refer to a video or computer game for which I've had to work to avoid ads - Minecraft. My 1st choice for 8d was GERMOPHOBE, but when that wouldn't fit, I didn't consider leaving out the 1st O (and it is an O, not an A). Jete - again, already. 46a-I tried Midas touch.
ReplyDeleteAs hard as it was, I appreciated the lack of actors, directors, pop stars and sports terms/people. Even on the few shows & movies I like, I rarely know the names of the actors, much less directors (sorry, OMK). Though I think I do appreciate good acting, maybe my taste is immature, i.e. I think Penny on TBBT is a fine physical comedian, though I'm aware this opinion is not shared among the cognoscenti of theater arts.
Picard - have read a fair amount about Burning Man, but not until I was way past the age of being willing to camp in the desert.
Anon-T: the Paganistic aspect is one of the things I like about it. Also in your post @1508 - what does a lunch tray (53d) have to do w/green-paint? And why the - ? Sometimes you ARE obtuse, man, but thanks for the Platypus-Robin Williams link - excellent!
YR: Misty posted a paragraph yesterday evening at 9:33 to say Lenscrafters had brought her new glasses to her house. She said she can see normally now.
ReplyDeletePK: Thanks for the amusing story about the Mexican exchange student and the wildlife. I think that is common in many cultures: Wildlife is seen as either a resource to exploit or as a threat.
ReplyDeleteWikWak and others: Glad I was not the only one thinking of GERMS rather than POOR SPORT. Yes, GERMOPHOBE would be the correct term, but with the other sloppy language in the puzzle GERMPHOBE seemed possible.
OMKeith: Glad you would be willing to try NUTRIA. I dislike eating fat. I am happy to eat exotic animals as long as they are lean and as long as they are not endangered species. I ate some kind of big rodent in Costa Rica and enjoyed it.
AnonT: Are you being funny about wishing you did not know about Burning Man?
I have more photos at Burning Man that are at least R-Rated. Happy to dig them out if people show interest.
And the P.A.G.A.N. video indeed was hilarious. It claimed to be from Dragnet. Was it supposed to be serious?
MikeSherline: I was surprised at the age diversity at Burning Man. People from little children on into their 80s. Yes, it is a harsh environment. I would say it is like camping on the Moon, but the Moon does not have dust tornadoes. I did it with my then-girlfriend who was kind of a Survivor type. And we were part of a (most interesting...) theme camp which provided some key support.
One more learning moment today: I had no idea that DOC was a miner! Was this new for anyone else?
Misty: Glad to hear you have glasses and can see well now! So, all is well now with your eyes?
I have eaten nutria, and alligator and possum. How gauche and prejudiced to think Americans don’t eat “strange” things.
ReplyDeleteMikeS - I tried to find the green-paint reference C.C. pointed me to while guiding me on construction but I only found this explanation (1/2 down). It was, IIRC, originally coin'd by Will Shortz to describe a clue that could describe, well, anything.
ReplyDeletePicard - '87 Dragnet[trailer]. I was being cute-by-half; Burning looks like fun for a younger man.
Swamp - they said American not CoonAss :-) //Gator is yummy - tastes like sweet chicken.
Cheers, -T
About Burning Man: I don’t know much about the whole event, but I do know that it’s a matter of pride that a sort of city emerges on a hostile landscape, exists for a week or so, and then disappears with nary a trace. That includes an airport. Those in the know lay out at least one temporary runway, off to the side of the “city”, and offer at least a little support to those who wish to fly in. As with all the rest of the place, the airport returns to dust soon after.
ReplyDeleteFLN, thx-T. Of course a hen is not a Tom. But a Tom is a HE. Btw, I found my problem. I need to share not download.
ReplyDeleteThen copy to clipboard.
Oh SNAP. I had TASTE not TA SEE. As Dad loved to say "Stupid, stupid, stupid"
I actually got ESOTERICA with a couple of letters. I was called"Esoteric" by a teacher. I guess I can be a tad quirky.
I had no clue what BATTER's EYE meant.Still don't.
Only one proper moun and it was a gimme. Jay Haas. His son plays on the regular tour and one
won the FedEx Cup on a shot out of the water. Once they have the ten $mil+ in the bank they relax. Like Jordan Speith.
I never agree with Owen's grades. I liked#1 best.
IM, eureka. Not DIRTH indeed. I'm losing it. Thx for spotting that. Days of dearth. I think that's Tolkien
Mike S., I'm with you on Penny(Kelly). I must admit I liked the early years.
Btw. I thought the consensus would be "relatively easy" for a Saturday. Again I could only find Jay HAAS among names of people.
I got about 1/2 done, left it, came back and finished. I do it in pen(&ink) so I had a write-over on MIDAS. Also MILK/MEAT and ELASTIC until I finally sobered up .
On the other hand , missing DIES because I didn't recheck the Downs will kill me until I get the tada tomorrow. Btw, I don't find Sunday easy at all
Also, I have a 5/27 NYT that I may have to Google to finish. A simple Spanish word (you) and the "21" that crosses it have me perplexed.
WC
-T Green paint - ok; applies to a lot of clues AND answers, no?
ReplyDeletePicard, Dudley - yeah, I do remember reading, probably in "Flying" magazine, about Burning Man and the landing strip w/ersatz "tower", etc., and the fact that everything was all cleaned up at the end. Most impressive.
MikeS. Yes BUT. A good/fair clue will direct the solver ever so subtly. Take yesterday's 'Bog fuel' for instance: Fuel alone could have been coal, food, etc but Samuel made it more fair/specific by adding 'Bog.'
ReplyDeleteOr today's 'Stop on the trail' (39d) was a fair clue; I was just too dense and entered Camp thinking where I stop not the 'order' to stop on the dogie trail.
Or the best misdirection clue today: "Bacon output." I mean, who doesn't love bacon? [Gaffigan - it's cute, not funny, just cute]. //Give a pig a worthless fruit, like an apple, AND it makes bacon out of it.
Two perps and you bend-your brain out of breakfast to Francis.
Anyway, Lunch__ was "green-paint" to me. Time? Ables? [think Oscar Mayer], meat?, pack?, club?.
Cluing for fiend-ness is easy; cluing for the solvers pleasure is an art that I'm getting OK at. Gridding? - I still suck (I've got 4 going and they all END with me painting myself into meaningless letter-pattern corners)
Jayce - I'm still noodling on your issue. Double-check that you've updated the firmware on your modem/router. YR posted the other day about the rebooting it bit encouraged by the FBI. Take a few more steps and make sure your firmware is uptodate and you've changed the default password. (send me some of the IPs you see off-line; I like a good puzzle #couterhack).
Some of you know this already but NPR just informed me Justify is 13th Triple-Crown winner. I smells me a clue :-)
Cheers, -T
I’ve been doing these puzzles for the last fifteen years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Never commented before, but probably should have. Read the blog almost every day and feel like I know most of the constructors and reviewers. It’s been a fun time. However the puzzle today (June 9, 2018) was one of the worst puzzles I have ever seen. Most of the difficult puzzles are clever. This one is just goofy.
ReplyDeleteWilbur C.:
ReplyDeleteYou in Spanish could be tu, tus, usted, ustedes, vos, vosotros.
-T - I see what you mean. That could easily apply to 5a (I wanted inane), 1a and 1d, and lots of others, at least until you have a cross or 2. Re 38d - I thought the clue was TOO obtuse - should have been "Stop" on the trail or Stop, on the trail, but guess that would have made it too easy for Sat.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was wrong earlier - there is a sports person who of course I've never heard of, 31d Haas, but was able to get the crosses.
WEES, I add "Amen" to.
ReplyDeleteOn 19d, if a batter lets a junk pitch go by, s/he has a "good eye." The idiom has nothing to do with any "dark background that makes a pitched baseball easier to see." If there is any background that a batter can see as a ball comes in, it will be the field, the stands, etc. It is not anything intrinsic to the batter.
I confused two T.S.Eliot types of cats -- Jellicle and Gumbie -- to use Jumblie Cats the other day as Jumble aficionados. Can any of you Jumblies tell why I liked my second l'ick today the best?
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/AuWM9JBNW6E
ReplyDeleteThe above is "Days of Dearth" by Threshold. The expression is indeed from Tolkien.
ReplyDeleteWC