google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, July 18, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

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Jul 18, 2018

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: The Great Park Adventure.  The Theme answers in this unusual grid can be combined with the word PARK to yield a meaningful phrase.  The brilliant aspect to it is that the sense of the word PARK is different in each instance.  Let's have a look.

1 D. *It may be political: SCIENCE.  Political SCIENCE is a field of study.  Whether it is an actual SCIENCE is a debate I will not engage at this time.  And politics is outside the limits of discussion on this blog, so caution is advised.  A SCIENCE PARK or RESEARCH PARK is a location where organizations devoted to the study of various aspects of SCIENCE are clustered.

6 D. *Period in the Age of Reptiles: JURASSIC.  This period lasted 46 million years, from 201 to 145 million years ago, when it was succeeded by the Cretaceous Period.  It began with a major extinction event which wiped out over half of all species known to have existed at that time. Two additional, but less severe, mass extinctions happened during the period. JURASSIC PARK is a science fiction movie, based on a book of the same title by Michael Crichton, in which dinosaurs are cloned from the DNA in fossilized remains, and much mayhem ensues.  There are several sequels in the franchise.  The subject PARK is a cross between a theme PARK and a nature PARK, but since it's used as a fiction title, I'll grant it it's own category.

11 D. *New Orleans time zone: CENTRAL.  The continental U.S. has 4 time zones, Eastern, CENTRAL, Mountain and Pacific.  This zone contains all of 9 states, and parts of 6 others.  CENTRAL PARK is located in Manhattan, New York City.  I'm sure it's the best known of New York's municipal PARKS, and was surprised to learn it is only the 5th largest.  It was established in 1857 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962.  I also went to CENTRAL Catholic High School in Toledo many decades ago, but that's off topic.

13 D. *Deep __: SOUTH.  This is a geographic and cultural region of the southern United States, not necessarily defined by state boundaries.  Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas are generally included, along with all or parts of other neighboring states.  SOUTH PARK is an animated TV show for adults, set in the fictional eponymous city, that features satire via dark, surreal humor on a variety of mature topics.

15 D. *Main idea: THEME.  The major topic of a talk, written work or exhibition.  A THEME PARK is an amusement park with a unifying idea or setting.  The Disney PARKS spring to mind. 

And, of course, the unifier -- 54A. Completes a road test maneuver ... or the answers to starred clues, as arranged: PARALLEL PARKS.  This is a parking maneuver in which the vehicle ends up parallel to the street edge or curb.  I used to be pretty good at this, but cannot remember having done it in many, many years.  In this uniquely designed grid, all the above mentioned PARKS are oriented vertically and parallel to each other.  And, as a no-extra-charge bonus, the puzzle is also a pangram, with 6 letters occurring one time each.  IMHO, this is quite stellar.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa in the driver's seat.  Let's take a cruise through the rest of this puzzle.

Across:

1. Moo __ pork: SHU.  Sounds like it should be beef, and actually can also be either that or chicken.  This is a northern Chinese dish of stir fried meat, onions and eggs, wrapped in thin pancakes and served over rice.

4. Low-level employment: MCJOB.  Had this entry the last time I blogged.  A lousy job with low pay and limited prospects.

9. Starz competitor: TMCThe Movie Channel.  These are cable channels featuring movies as regular programming.

12. Police: COPS. Slangily.

14. Sweet text: I LUV U.  Because I LOVE YOU has way too many letters.  Possibly influenced by the 1965 Tony Award winning play and resulting 1967 movie romantic comedy LUV.  Or maybe not.

15. "No argument": TRUE.  I agree; amen brother.

16. "Don't make __ hard!": IT SO.  Somehow, I always manage to avoid the easy way.

17. Drew (in): LURED. Was attracted to.

18. Backwoods possessive: HIS'N.  Well, y'all, I ain't so sure 'bout this'n.

19. "__, Brute?": ET TU.  Big Julie's lament, when he was done in by his friends for being too ambitious.

20. Some ski lifts: T-BARS. These are devices which push the skier up the slope by providing a bar on which to sit or lean.

21. "It is the __, and Juliet is the sun": Romeo: EAST.  In this bright metaphor, Romeo refers not only to Juliets's beauty, but also suggests that her affection has relieved the darkness of his rejection by Rosaline.

22. "How cool!": NEATO.  Well done, Will!

24. Former JFK lander: SST. Super Sonic Transport - commercial passenger aircraft that traveled faster than the speed of sound.  The last flight was in 2003.

25. "Burnt" pigment: UMBER.  Raw UMBER is a brown earth pigment containing oxides of iron and manganese.   Heat transforms this into the more richly colored red-brown burnt UMBER by dehydrating the iron oxide.

26. Comic strip woman who married Irving: CATHY.



27. Baja bear: OSO. Spanish is spoken in Baja California.

28. Mac: FELLA.  Just some guy.

29. Language suffix: -ESE.  Englandese, Germanese, Francese.  This isn't working.

30. Prefaced: LED INTO.  Preceded whatever ensued.

33. Au pair's subj.: ESL.  A foreign person who provides housework and/or baby sitting services in exchange for room and board.  So that person might study English as a Second Language.

34. Many Olympic events: RACES. Running, swimming, various down-hill events

35. Wolfs (down): SCARFS. Gobbles, devours.

40. Vistula River city: KRAKOW.  Second largest city in Poland, and an academic, cultural and artistic center that dates from the 7th century.  Early settlements there go back to the stone age.

46. Chef's hat: TOQUE.  Does the hat matter as much as what's under it?




47. Little untruth: FIB.



50. Ewe-ish?: OVINE.  Does this one have Jeffrey feeling sheepish?  How wool we ever know?

51. Uncertainty: DOUBT.   Maybe; maybe not.

52. Master: ACE.  Someone who exhibits excellent skills.

53. Medieval weapons: MACES.  A MACE is a heavy club with a metal hear and spikes.

57. Game before the finals: SEMI. Game involving the last four eligible teams.  The winners move on to the finals.

58. Doughnut finish: GLAZE.  A mixture of confectioner's sugar in milk, applied to a fresh donut and allowed to dry.. 

59. Analogy words: IS TO.  A is to B as Y is to Z.

61. __ II razor: TRAC.  A double-bladed razor.

62. One wearing gloves to work: BOXER.  An athlete who engages in pugilistics.

63. Poolroom array: CUES.  Sticks used to strike the CUE balls.

64. Tax form IDs: SSNSSocial Security Numbers.

65. Pipsqueak: TWERP.  An insignificant silly and annoying person.

66. Omar of "House": EPPS. [b 1973] American actor, rapper, song writer and record producer.

Down:

2. Starbucks purchases: HOT TEAS. Alternatives to coffees.

3. Lake Placid, vis-a-vis New York City: UPSTATE.  A place or area farther north, from the coast, or at a higher elevation from one's present location.

4. Jazz vibraphonist Jackson: MILT. [1923 - 1999] His nickname was "Bags."



5. Spritzer mixer: CLUB SODA.  Carbonated water with either potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate or both added to enhance flavor.

7. Intimation: OVERTONE.  A subtle quality, implication or connotation.

8. Blossoms-to-be: BUDS.  a BUD is a growth element on a plant that develops into a leaf, flower or shoot.

9. Subject to court judgment: TRIABLE.  Able to be put on trial.

10. Common paella ingredients: MUSSELS.  Edible marine bivalve mollusks.

23. Skinny toon Olive: OYL.



25. Mysterious craft: UFO. Unidentified Flying Objects, typically suspected of being of extra-terrestrial origin.

31. Stammering sounds: ERS.  Along with ems and ums.

32. Disapproving sound: TSK.  Tongue clucking sounds.

35. Criterion: Abbr.: STD.  Standard, or benchmark against which something may be judged..

36. Craftsmen paid by the barrel?: COOPERS.   They make and repair barrels and casks.

37. Atlantis dweller of comics: AQUAMAN.  I mis-read this as Atlanta dweller, and was vary confused.  He first appeared in MORE FUN COMICS #73 [November, 1941]; then in the late 50's became a founding member of The Justice League.

38. Protocols: RUBRICS.  Statements of policies, purpose or action.

39. Greek cheese: FETA. A Greek white cheese made from the milk of ewes or goats.

41. Tomato variety: ROMA.  A firm, meaty, flavorful tomato, suitable for canning and making paste and sauce.

42. Greed: AVARICE.  Extreme covetous materialism.

43. Creates, as a fuss: KICKS UP.

44. Ragtime dance: ONE STEP.  Shortest direct route from A to B?  With possible KICKING UP.



45. Director Craven: WES.  Best known for horror films of the slasher variety.

47. Uncultivated, as farmland: FALLOW.  Plowed, but left unsown, to restore fertility as a part of crop rotation.

48. Mountaineer's aid: ICE AXE.  Item used by climbers to cut footholds in the ice.  It has a fead with one flat and one pointed end, and a spike on the foot.

49. Richard of "Law & Order: SVU": BELZER. [b 1944] American actor, author and comedian.

55. Pride parade letters: LGBTLesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered.  The initialism has been adopted as self-identification by those so described, and is intended to emphasize the the diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures.

56. Heist puller: PERP.  The original meaning of a term [that we have adopted here for some fell purpose of our own] is as the PERPETRATOR of a crime, i.e. the guilty party.

57. City map parts: Abbr.: STS.  Along with Aves. Blvds. and Pkwys.

60. CIA predecessor: OSSOffice of Strategic Services, founded in 1942 to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all armed forces branches.  other functions included the use of propaganda, subversion and post-war planning.  It was dissolved by President Truman in 1945, and it's functions assigned to other agencies.  In 1946 the Central Intelligence Group was formed by the Presidnet.  The National Security act of 1947 established the Central Intelligence Agency, which then took up OSS functions.

Having completed our maneuver, we are now safely PARKED at the finish line of this UNPARALLELED puzzle.  Hope you enjoyed the excursion.

Cool regards!
JzB


83 comments:

  1. Thanks Mr.Jeffrey Wechsler for this enjoyable Wednesday CWP which I FIR in 20:45.

    Thanks Jazzbumpa for your educational review. I'm even taking time for the links today. I particularly enjoyed Jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson.

    Ðave

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  2. It's a myth that women can't PARALLEL PARK,
    Tho it's really not that far off the mark.
    When LURED for a treat
    In a lover's lane seat,
    You can park, but not parallel in the dark!

    Sheldon COOPER'S a very strange FELLA.
    He's familiar with phenomenon, stella.
    At SCIENCE he's a whiz
    But in L.A. he lives
    'Cause he can't open up an umbrella!

    It is the EAST, and Juliet is the sun!
    I gave my heart, as she is The One!
    My heart, it is TRUE,
    Inscribed "I LUV U",
    Because she's got the cutest little buns!

    {B+, A-, A.}

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  3. I dont know why some people view a MCJOB as lousy.

    It's a job. Its respectable. Its teaches structure and responsibilities. I value my time there. It's not wall street but I'm thankful for that.

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  4. Yup. Low level is not a bad thing. Its just the beginning. We all start at the low level, doesn't mean its necessarily lousy.

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  5. JzB you really outdid yourself today- how much time did you spend on this write-up?

    My Friday friend JW shows his versatility with a very doable mid-week puzzle. I did not know Vistula River city: KRAKOW but the perps brought it home.

    I have enjoyed RICHARD BELZER in many of his incarnations. He was a very successful comedian before becoming an actor.

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  6. I agree with anons (a rarity) that a McJob is a wonderful thing. It is important for young people to learn some responsibility. Both of my sons began work at 14, as soon as Florida allowed. The learned to interact with more than just their friends.

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  7. Good morning!

    I liked this one, though the theme remained a mystery until JzB 'splained it. My only write-over was EAST for MOON -- Shakespeare and religion are beyond me. Thanx, JW and JzB.

    TRAC: I prefer the Sensor razor. When did razor blades become so expensive? You almost need to take out a loan to buy 'em.

    RUBRIC: Learning moment. I thought it had something to do with a cube.

    MCJOB: I had one in my early teens, clerking in a Rexall Drug Store for the princely sum of 85¢/hour ($1.25 on Sundays).

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  8. Thanks Jeffrey and Jazzbumpa .

    A little trouble in the South west sussing AQUAMAN , RUBRIC and TOQUE .

    McJob WEES.

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  9. Hi gang -

    The point of calling some types of employment McJOBS is that they are specifically NOT stepping stones to something better. It is not a temporary or fill in assignment a student might take during the summers. It is a menial, low paying, full time job, with limited prospects for advancement, that a generally over-qualified person settle for, because nothing better is available. This is not a criticism of the job holder. It's a recognition of certain harsh realities in the world of employment.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  10. Glass half empty? Lighten up Francis

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  11. JzB, Ya gotta get out more (no, not LGBT-type of OUT). There are plenty of well-paying jobs to go around, although they might involve packing a suitcase. In fact there are more job vacancies than people on the unemployment rolls.

    FIW again! I had aRIABLE x aMC and AVARaCE x aS TO. Even erased HBO for aMC and still didn't catch the error. Don't know that I've heard "TRIABLE", but if it came from JW (or our dear Yellow Rocks) it must be right. Ditto TWERP for "pipsqueak".

    A sweeter and shorter text, at least to send to your nautical lover, is "143". Doesn't work in CWs though.

    DW can parallel park just fine, as can I. In our neighborhood of mostly 100+ year old houses, street parking is the norm.

    Thanks to Jeffrey for another gem. And thanks to JazzB for yet another sterling tour.

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  12. Love seeing JW in the byline. Hate seeing JW before Friday/Saturday. Enjoy the grind of late week JW puzzles when the chewiness index is high.

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  13. Good Morning, JazzBumpa and friends. I like this type of puzzle, with starred clues that relate to a unifier. Several answers were filled in by the perps before I read the clue.

    I first encountered the word TOQUE from doing the crossword puzzles. I even remember it when it reappears!

    I learned that HMO is not a Competitor of STARZ, but TMC is.

    Before she was a renown chef, Julia Child served in the OSS.

    QOD: The only boring people I know are bored people. ~ Elizabeth M. Gilbert (b. July 18, 1969)

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  14. Good morning everyone.


    Liked how the THEME was executed - with 5 PARALLEL downs. Mostly easy for being a Wechsler crossword. Only mess-up was with TRIABLE. Not familiar with the word.
    JURASSIC - Named after the Jura mountains whose strata type was adopted to describe the period which JzB outlined.

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  15. I'm a northern Yankee and sussed HIS'N right away. Loved the clue and answer, didn't feel it was a stretch.

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  16. -JZB, neato. Great links, especially Milt. Jeffery, the puzzle is neato, also. Has anyone heard that word recently. It seems to me so old fashioned. MILT and BELTZER were perped and unknown.
    -JzB @ 7:32 I agree. For various reasons, including health and rural location, lack of money for an affordable car, etc. etc. my niece who is in her late 40's finds her only option is a Mc JOB. My sister has taken her in to help her survive. Not only is the hourly pay lousy, the number of hours a week are uncertain and often meager. How can anyone budget like that? Neither my very practical sister nor my niece can find the niece a better job. "Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins." American Indian proverb. My niece says she has middle aged and older colleagues for whom this job is the only source of income, no benefits, no health insurance, no paid sick leave.
    -For sweet text I thought of the little valentine Sweet Tarts with the I luv u message.
    -I love moo shu anything. The hoisin sauce makes it really special. I always ask for extra sauce.
    -I learned that science park is a real thing. I fact check the constructors, as well, but since they fact check themselves they are seldom mistaken. When I couldn't associate park with science I stopped looking for the theme. If I had tried the other clues, I might have found it.
    -Wikipedia: -The traditional meanings of the word rubric stem from "a heading on a document (often written in red — from Latin, rubrica, red ochre, red ink), or a direction for conducting church services".
    I came across the red rubrics in our church service book (Missal) as a young child. Always curious, I asked about them. Later, on as a teacher, rubrics cropped up again as a way of guiding and assessing writing assignments.
    I was looking for a fancy Starbucks word, instead of hot tea.

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  17. Good Morning:

    Well, a nice mid-week treat from JW. I, too, prefer Jeffrey's more challenging, late week puzzles but I'll take whatever comes my way. My only w/os were Scrub/Mc Job and HBO/TMC. I keep forgetting that TMC is a pay channel, unlike TCM. Unknowns, as clued, were Milt and Kraków. The reveal was a big surprise as I had no clue of the theme before filling it in. I was a little iffy with Science Park but I do understand the meaning, although I'm more familiar with the term Tech Park in this area. A big CSO to us all with Perp. My favorite was One wearing gloves to work=Boxer.

    Thanks, Jeffrey W, for a fun, straightforward Wednesday offering and thanks, JzB, for your outstanding review. I enjoyed several of the links, especially the incomparable Ella. Maybe it's me, but I found the Ernie Kovacs skit lacking in humor. Then again, I don't really remember much about his comedic talent.

    Hatoolah, thanks for the Julia Child link. She was quite an accomplished lady, wasn't she? I enjoy seeing reruns of her and Jacque Pepin cooking together. I also enjoyed the movie, "Julie and Julia," even if some of it was "Hollywood-ized"; Stanley Tucci was perfect as her husband.

    Have a great day.

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  18. Thank you Jeffrey and thank you JzB. Nice puzzle and great review.

    Sensing that the solve was going to run over 10 minutes, I quit checking perps. Gotta quit playing beat-the-clock.

    We've had wolf down, gobble down and similar clues and the answer has almost always been SNARF. I usually miss because the word was always "scarf" (up or down) where I grew up. So today when I got to that clue, SnARFS went in and I didn't double-check. We finally get SCARF and I blew if. No tada.

    Perhaps another regional usage, like soda or pop.

    BTW, what do most people in your area commonly call shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also often used for everyday wear ?

    Gotta get back to work. The pay isn't great but the work is rewarding.

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  19. What a midweek treat! Thanks, Jeffrey, I beat ya and I’ll take why I can get, even if it is only Wednesday. So much to like here. ewe-ish was just delicious. Former JFK lander had to be an airline, didn’t it? Nope.

    I’ll take a CSO at New Orleans time zone. I assumed it was something silly like Cocktail Hour. Oh. Just the actual time zone. Jeffrey you are devious even when you are not! Such fun.

    Hahtoolah, some friends of mine stayed at the Child family summer home in Maine one summer. In the rustic kitchen one wall was covered with pegboard. Julia had painted outlines of all her kitchen utensils, spatulas and whisks, etc, so anyone who used the kitchen would know where to replace the equipment. It was colorful and decorative but also very useful.

    JzB, thanks for all the interesting links and detailed information.

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  20. Oh dear... that “why” was supposed to be “what “.

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  21. Wikipedia: The term "sneakers" is most commonly used in the Northern United States and South Florida. It is also used in North Carolina and Canada. The British English equivalent of "sneaker" in its modern form is "trainer". In some urban areas in the United States, the slang for sneakers is kicks. Other terms include training shoes or trainers (British English), sandshoes, gym boots or joggers (Geordie English in the UK[3]), running shoes, runners or gutties (Canadian English, Australian English and Scottish English), daps in Welsh English, runners in Hiberno-English, sneakers (North American English) and (Australian English), tennis shoes (North American English and Australian English), gym shoes, tennies, sports shoes, sneaks, takkies (South African English and Hiberno-English), rubber shoes (Philippine English) or canvas shoes (Nigerian English)

    Everywhere I have lived we called them sneakers, but my older sister has called them sneaks all her life. I don't think the subject has come up in my speaking with people from other parts of the country. Somehow I have heard sneakers called tennis shoes here very occasionally. I read novels by many British authors, so it's trainers for them. What is your experience?


    SC, interesting how Julia Child outlined her chef tools on the pegboard so they would be replaced accurately. After guests helped dry my dishes, two or three times it took me months to find certain small things.

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  22. CC: Can you please explain why sometimes it is written MOO SHI instead of MOO SHU?

    Got the theme fairly quickly and laughed out loud!

    Here we literally went to JURASSIC PARK to PARK on Sunday!

    We went to Universal Studios City Walk and were told the inside scoop that the JURASSIC PARKING lot would be free. Whereas self parking would cost $35!

    Not sure if anyone saw my post yesterday of this unique FLIGHT that I took there.

    Last to fall was SCARFS/TOQUE/COOPERS/DOUBT/RUBRICS. Hand up that area was a challenge. But FIR.

    desper-otto: Were you being funny with the RUBRIC Cube comment? I was thinking the same thing! I did know this meaning of RUBRIC, but I was actually hung up not getting DOUBT!

    DW is taking swimming lessons now from this instructor who has AQUA in her name!

    How appropriate is that?

    JzB: Thanks indeed for the extensive write-up. I loved the Cathy cartoon! So true!

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  23. I love Jeffrey Wechsler puzzles and hoped I would get this one completely, but the northeast corner gave me a bit of trouble and I had to cheat just a tiny bit. But I liked the way all the downs filled in and the way they lined up for the PARALLEL theme. Very cool. Nice variety of clues, with both comics (CATHY and OLIVE OYL) and Shakespeare, although like Desper-otto, I too at first put MOON before EAST. Anyway, great fun and many thanks, Jeffrey. And JazzB, your write-up was amazingly detailed and informative this morning--many thanks for that too.

    Swamp Cat, loved hearing the Julia Child kitchen story.

    Have a great day, everybody.

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  24. Yes, Picard, my tongue was firmly emplanted in my cheek.

    YR, we called the high-topped ones tenny-runners or tennis shoes and the others sneakers.

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  25. DNF for me as I could not get the first letter of 4A/D. Clever that all the PARK clues are indeed parallel in the fill. Well done.

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  26. Hi Y'all! Great unique puzzle by Jeffrey. Thanks. Chuckleworthy expo, JzB.

    I got the PARALLEL PARKing part with all the downs, but the mental gates to the PARKS remained closed. Duh!

    Protocols = RUBRICS, learning moment. Never heard the word except in connection with the famous cubes. I guess you have to do the cubes a certain way (protocols) or never solve them. I never did.

    Any job is worth doing well and if someone wants to pay you, be thankful. When I first started writing for publication, it was more a public amusement or public service than a paying job -- hobby status for me. My first publishers laughed, saying they realized their income the first year after starting the paper qualified them for food stamps. My publisher actually said, "I'm glad [your husband] is a good provider so I don't have to pay you what you're worth." McJob paid more. However, as circulation grew, so did the pay and personal satisfaction.

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  27. Musings
    -What a wonderful Wednesday Wechsler! Say that 3 times quickly.
    -I have a SCIENCE degree and have taken thousands of kids to THEME parks but have never heard of a SCIENCE Park but no prob
    -Disney THEME PARKS are so far SOUTH they are not in the DEEP SOUTH to me
    -MCJOB – The sharp girl I had at McDonalds today will be “movin’ on up” quickly. All work has dignity!
    -I’ve had that conversation Irving!
    -He might want to select another CUE
    -40 miles UPSTATE from NYC you can be “up the river” at Sing Sing
    -Our tomato blossoms have become the wonderful ingredient for real BLT’s
    -All our lessons had to be tied to a State STD and employ a RUBRIC to teach it
    -COOPERSTOWN, NY I discovered was so named because it was founded by James Fenimore Cooper’s dad not barrel makers
    -FALLOW ground is called idle acres here

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  28. A Jeffrey Wechsler on a Wednesday is indeed a treat. I especially got a kick out of THEME being one of the theme answers. Clever.
    I had dress shoes, sneakers, and flipflops in my closet and would wear each according to the planned activity.
    Any job has some kind of potential. There are franchise owners who started as burger flippers, or the Wal Mart greeter who had millions of dollars in stock when she retired. Not so bad after all.

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  29. Most (U.S.) Americans call athletic shoes "tennis shoes" but in much of PA., east through N.J. and upward through New York and New England, as well as south FL, they are ccommonly called sneakers. Chicago and Cincinnati are major exceptions to either tennis shoes or sneakers. In those two cities, you are more likely to hear "gym shoes."

    A couple of more questions that reflect regionalisms.

    Americans generate a lot of household waste. What do you call that bin you use to throw away your household waste ?

    What do you call hard candy on a stick ?

    Gotta run. Golf tournament this afternoon.

    OK, one more. You are in a PARK or some other public place. What do you call that thing you drink water from ?


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  30. In answer to TTP's (and others') questions: sneakers, trash can, sucker, water fountain.

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  31. YR: Please stop quoting Wikipedia. Your so-called lecturing is so annoying. If you must lecture us, at least use a better reference source. We never allow students to cite Wikipedia on their research papers.

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  32. I’m fascinated by this discussion of sneakers. I’m not in the north or Florida and I’ve never heard them called anything other than sneakers. I am aware of other terms, but I never hear anyone using them. I’m not convinced it is a regional issue.

    Running shoes are entirely different, much thicker soles and support to absorb the pounding as you run.

    TTP, sneakers, trash can, lollipops, water fountains . Interesting question.

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  33. Tennies, waste basket (for paper and non-food waste), garbage can (the one under the kitchen sink and the one out back), lollipop, drinking fountain.

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  34. Picard, my favorite teacher was Mr. Hamm. He was also the drama coach.

    Listing both New York and South Florida is redundant. Especially Southeast Florida. Anyway, in Eastern Kentucky we called 'em tennis shoes.

    HG, Idle Acres should be an upscale retirement community. Kind of reminds me of the Hee Haw TV show's Empty Arms Hotel.

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  35. No More Wiki, I agree with you 100%. Genuinely smart people need only their brain to make those around them feel smarter. I miss Argyle.

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  36. TTP - shoes, trash, sucker, icky :-) Play later. C, -T

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  37. I liked this puzzle. A fun theme and some excellent clues and fill. As Jazzbumpa said, "quite stellar." My favorite clue, which evinced a smile, is "Ewe-ish?" Hand up for entering MOON before being reminded that it is EAST. I also tried OCHRE and OCHER before UMBER. Got a small kick out of seeing TWERP cross PERP.

    Just the other day I was ruminating on the various "language suffixes." Of course there is ESE as in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Portuguese, Burmese, etc. There's also IAN and it's variant AN, as in Belgian, Italian, Cambodian, Croatian, Serbian, Norwegian, Russian, German, Korean, etc. A big one is ISH, as in English, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Polish, etc. Friends of ours from Zurich, Switzerland, joke that our friends in Bern speak an unintelligible version of German they call "Bernese." Then, of course, there are the "irregulars" such as French, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Afrikaans, Yoruba, Hausa, Zulu, etc. Although I am not a ruminant, I like to ruminate.

    Best wishes to you all.

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  38. FIR

    Having lived in several dialect areas, I may use several different terms:
    1. Sneakers (my preference), athletic shoes, tenners
    2. Trash can, garbage can, ashcan, wastebasket
    3. Lolllipop, sucker
    4. Bubbler, fountain, water fountain, drinking fountain

    SCIENCE is from the Latin scientia, knowledge. The Engliah term refers to a field of study or knowledge, usually the natural SCIENCEs. Therefore PoliSci can be considered a SCIENCE.

    To continue pevious discussion, UPSTATE NY can mean everything above "The City" and its suburbs. This includes "downstate" (the Binghamton area). A number of us on the blog live in "the Northeast" (NY understood).

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  39. Ta- DA!
    Probably the easiest Wechsler any of us have seen - in memory. The NE corner was slightly challenging, but even it was resolved pretty quickly.

    Jayce ~ What an excellent rundown of language suffixes! You have a knack and the patience. Have you considered a new career as a lexicologist?

    ~ OMK

    ____________
    Diagonal Report:
    None today.
    Move on, please: nothing to see here.

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  40. I’m from CT, they were and are “sneaks”. Sneakers... more formal.

    Really a nice puzzle, themed but no giveaways.

    I never really understand when someone posts up a comment like “I’ve never heard of a ....”. Today it was Science Park. I understand that this might be a new term but a simple Google search reveals much.

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  41. I echo HuskerG "What a wonderful Wednesday Wechsler!" Thanks for the fun, Jeffrey and JazzB.
    I finished with a few ink blots. Like PK, "I got the PARALLEL PARKing part with all the downs, but the mental gates to the PARKS remained closed!"

    Hand up for Ocher before UMBER. Thank goodness for PERPs.
    My pipsqueak was Teeny before TWERP.
    I was looking for a fancy Latin word like Verso for the Prefaced clue; the simple LED INTO filled in.
    My lie became the smaller FIB.

    This Canadian calls them running shoes, garbage cans, suckers and water fountains. That would be Canadian English (with the IAN suffix Jayce was mentioning).
    This Canadian does not associate TOQUE with a chef's hat, but rather a winter hat. (We have discussed this before.)
    We recently discussed UPSTATE also.

    Enjoy the day.

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  42. Hooray! A Jeffrey Wechsler I could do!
    Several unknowns, (Rubrics et al...)
    but all easily perped.

    FLN, Lemon, I saved your drink link to peruse when I have more time.
    However, I found Ramune so intriguing I had to see more...

    Also, I think Tinbeni is going to love that Chicken Marsala recipe!

    Silly trivia: Re; Ski lifts
    Before T-bars,
    J-bars were used for a short period.
    But quickly replaced (for obvious reasons...)

    Welll, that puzzle went fast,
    Now what am I going to do?

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  43. Anonymous PVX, I suspect when one of us says “I never heard of....” it is just pointing out a difference in experience rather than a disagreement .

    One of the values to me of the Corner is our varied experiences and areas of expertise. I always learn something I never heard of. JMHO

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  44. Yellowrocks, I actually learn a lot from your informational posts, and I'd miss them if you discontinued them. Just wanted you to know that.

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  45. Ol' Man Keith, speaking of having a knack,
    this guy really has one!

    Seriously, I love language and took several linguistics courses in college. One of my term papers was a syntactical analysis of "And the mome raths outgrabe" which is different whether or not you include "All mimsy were the borogoves" in the analysis. Another paper I wrote was a comparison ("compare and contrast") between swearing in English and in Chinese. Fun stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hand up for Sneakers, Garbage can and waste paper basket, Lollipop, and Water fountain. As an aside, on the Pioneer Woman cooking show today, Ree was icing a cake. I would be frosting a cake. (Actually, I wouldn't be doing either as I don't bake and I don't eat cake. 😉)

    Whenever I'm asked where I'm from, the answer is Upstate New York, near Albany. (Troy is not as well known as the capital.) I always thought Binghamton was referred to as the Southern Tier, Roy.

    Swamp Cat @ 2:39 ~ I agree 100%. Whenever I say I've never heard of something, it's a statement of fact only, not a criticism. And I always try to qualify any criticisms of questionable or "iffy" clues or fill by saying IMO. And, I believe, we can freely express an honest opinion in a civilized manner.

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  47. Madame Defarge @ 0856 yesterday: the cap TTP pictured for 17a in his excellent writeup yesterday was called a piss cutter by people in all the branches who wore them (per my father, a B-25 pilot). I guess if one was being official or very polite, one could call it an overseas cap, as PK said. Also a major use of epaulettes was to store the cap when the wearer had to be uncovered while indoors and covered outdoors. Military rules (as PK also mentioned @ 1213).
    (PS - I tried to post this on yesterday's comments and got something like "Error 403 Not Allowed" of "Forbidden").

    ReplyDelete
  48. Let's stop disparaging Wikipedia. I have seen many studies that uphold Wiki's accuracy, not perfectly, but to a large degree, and especially for serious subjects other than pop culture. I love research and am not so naïve as to believe that any one site has the ultimate answer. I usually consult many sites before I post and find that Wiki is more concise and understandable. Dismissing Wiki out of hand, without looking at other research is unreasonable.
    I'm not a snob.
    One of the many sources I use shows how the word in question is used by NYT, LA TIMES, Washington Post, Money, Fortune, the Times magazine and others. Posters say that this word is uncommon, unheard of, not used, regional. BOSH! Also many of the disparaged words are found in literature and modern novels.
    Instead of impugning Wiki's authority, why not cite authoritative sources with counter arguments? You could easily convert me.

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  49. PVX, WSCS. To me “I’ve never heard of a ....” is logically the same as saying "learning moment". Unless the context is to challenge the validity of the constructor, I just think it is a matter of style.

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  50. CED: What to do now? Well you can improve your mind, or you can come over to the Jumble site and chat with our friends over there!

    ReplyDelete
  51. For me it's: (1) Sneakers (although when I was a kid it was PF Flyers); (2) Garbage Can; (3) Lollipop; and (4) Drinking Fountain. And, as IM noted, we had Frosting on our cakes.


    ReplyDelete
  52. Is Wiki mostly accurate

    Toady's anti-fact, my opinion is paramount, society is driving me nuts.

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  53. Holy smoke -- this was a Wechsler?!!? Either I've coevolved with Mr. W , or someone dialed down the Intensiometer today.

    In the Army, long ago, "Lifers SCARFED UP the Bennies", that is, career soldiers soaked up all the benefits of military life.

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  54. A little background on the Ernie Kovacs [pronounced Kovach] -- Chef Molnar clip that doesn't amuse everyone the way it does me.

    When I get together with my relatives, their family names are --

    [wait for it]

    Kovacs and Molnar.

    Hungarian for Smith and Miller, by the way.

    I am NOT making this up.

    Cheers!
    JzB

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  55. Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Jeffrey Wechsler, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for a fine review.

    This puzzle was pretty tough. I did get it though.

    Really liked the theme. Helped me finish the puzzle.

    Starbucks sells more HOT TEAS now than before since they acquired Teavana.

    Thought MOSCOW would have been the word for 40A since I had the W. No cigar. KRAKOW won out.

    JJM: See if you can email me. Cornerites from the Chicago area are meeting tomorrow at 11:00 at Pasta Mia in Bartlett.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  56. YR: don't mind the detractor. Your research often save others of us from having to google. As for "No more Wiki" at 1:24: On the Corner we're not doing research papers for a grade or degree in case you are confused about that. Do what you want to in your own classroom.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Obviously,
    we do these things for the fun of puzzling things out...
    (Duh!)

    And I use WIKI a lot.
    And, if I ever saw something I disagreed with
    I would add my two cents to Wiki...

    OwenKL,
    One thing I hate is the frustration of not being able to
    puzzle something out...
    Unified field theory...
    Gravity...
    Women...
    And, especially,
    How do I make a 5,4, and 2 letter words out of SERGATOAPSY?
    ACK!

    Common sense is the answer!
    and if you had any you would not take this test!

    ReplyDelete
  58. I always called it a bubbler until I realized that nobody knew what I was talking about. That one is a true regionalism for the upper midwest, especially Wisconsin. Oh, and that lollipop was a sucker. Some even qualified as all-day suckers.

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  59. They’ve been tennies ever since (on HS graduation) they quit being gym shoes.
    I had a colleague who always called that thing on the wall in the hallway "the bubbler". I’ve always called it a water fountain.
    In Illinois there’s Chicago (usually including the six collar counties); everything else is called "downstate."
    WEES about EE. Very enjoyable puzzle, and much friendlier than his later in the week ones. FIR in just over 9 minutes.
    JzB, you outdid yourself today!
    Looking forward to lunch with fellow Cornerites tomorrow!

    Have a great day, all.

    ReplyDelete
  60. D-O and WikWak, this is the fun for me. All the different ways we say the same thing. There is NO right or wrong..., Only what you heard and like!

    ReplyDelete
  61. To the debate on Wikipedia I must add that my objection to it isn’t that it is wrong. It is often just too generalized and vague to be useful. Since anyone can add to it or edit it I never trust the information.

    YR I think the link you gave us is a good one. The information is mostly correct.

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  62. CED, I must have none. I took the test!!! Hehehehe

    ReplyDelete
  63. desper-otto: Glad you were tongue in cheek!

    PK: You have me worried today. I hope you know it is RUBIK'S CUBE. Named for Ernő Rubik. Maybe you were also being funny?

    Jinx: Amusing about Hamm as a drama teacher, too. Names do have an effect on the profession people go into. And on who they marry.

    Yellowrocks: I trust Wikipedia about as much as any encyclopedia. Wikipedia articles offer references which is more than you can say for other common sources. They will also warn if an entry does not meet its standards. It is an impressive accomplishment. I donate to them every year.

    TTP:
    Garbage Can or Trash Can
    Lollipop
    Drinking Fountain
    Sneakers or Tennis Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  64. CrossEyedDave: I took the common sense test. I got most of the questions I considered to be fair. Some were were just silly. Some were wrong.

    I would not think Noah had to put any sea creatures on his ark.

    And the map showed a way to cross the river by going around the lake at its end.

    I do remember the plane crash on the border riddle from when I was in elementary school. I am guessing some of the questions are in that category. Kids have heard the joke already.

    I did fail the bungalow question.

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  65. As CED said if we had any common sense we wouldn’t take a silly test!! But I’ll bet most of us did!! I did....

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  66. OMK from last night in regard to witchcraft and the Spanish Armada. Of course now we consider ourselves too enlightened to believe in witchcraft, but Elizabeth Woolfield’s Mother was tried for witchcraft. It was s big deal then.

    And c’mom. Isn’t witchcraft more fun than weather and guns?! Hehehehe

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  67. I see in my last post Elizabeth WOODVILLE was changed into Woodfield. But what the hay. She’s dead. Would she care?? Autocorrect knows no history!

    ReplyDelete
  68. I can’t resist.

    “He made a vow while in state prison
    Vowed it would be my life for HIS’N
    I’m not afraid of death but
    What would I do if I lose you”
    What?????

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  69. SwampCat - you're in rare form today. Heh heh indeed...

    TTP - trash can if there's no food scrap in it, garbage if there is. Sneaks or sneakers. Water or drinking fountain.

    TTP - I think the trick is to think of a word or phrase that answers the caption. But I don't have any common sense either.

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  70. Ah, Jayce,
    that Dilbert cartoon is hilarious!

    Interesting what unites such disparate professions - engineering, lexicology, and theater. In this case, the unifier is Lewis Carroll.
    Your syntactical analysis of Jabberwocky overlapped my work in two ways. For a year-and-a-half I traveled the state of Virginia with my one-man show as the Rev. C.L. Dodgson (not the name we used on the flyers) and, more to the point, a decade later I trained a team of university students to dance and chant a hip-hop version of the poem*:

    'Twas brillig (hunh!)
    and the slithy toves
    Did gyre and gimble in the wabe
    (uh-huh!)

    Yellowrocks ~ Your knowledge of terms for tennis shoes (I called 'em that, but also sneakers and, when a kid, Keds) is extraordinary, giving Jayce a lexicological run for his moolah!

    ~ OMK
    ____________
    *This was part of an act taken into neighboring high schools to promote interest in a college education in the arts.

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  71. Two usage questions that showed up in today's posts.

    I always said stuff like, "This one is different than these others." My daughter told me her English teacher taught her that instead of "different than," you should say "different from." I don't completely understand it but I have tried to incorporate that as a guideline in my speech.

    Unique means "one of a kind." So if you say you had a unique experience, you probably should say an unusual or very unusual experience. At least I try to make that distinction.

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  72. I enjoyed the puzzle but the unusual grid and the 'reveal' didn't help but rather confused me. I missed the theme entirely. Rats!

    Picard, I share your opinion about Wikipedia.

    SwampCat, "Do not forsake me oh my darling..."

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  73. Swamp Cat ~
    I'm a bit puzzled about the dates relative to Elizabeth Woodville (the name I presume you mean, right?), her Mum (Jacquetta), and/or the Spanish Armada.

    Can you enlighten me?
    I mean, Elizabeth was Edward IV's queen in the 15th century, whereas the Armada was during Elizabeth Tudor's reign - over a century later.

    It's true that Jacquetta was tried for witchcraft - and acquitted. I guess they figured her magic was too weak to bother about...

    ~ OMK

    July 18, 2018 at 9:17 PM Delete

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  74. Picard: thank you for worrying about me. Now I'm worried about me. An enlightening comment from you: Rubik's cube not RUBRICS cube. Duh! I knew it was named for Erno too. Wish I was just being funny, but I'm going to laugh it off anyway. Not much else I can do. Just call me Mrs. Malaprop.

    "Do not forsake me oh my darling, on this our wedding day...." Is this from "High Noon"? "I never cared for gold (?) but oh what would I do if I lose you?" The answer has to be "without".

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  75. Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Hi All!

    First I noticed JW's grid lacked y-symmetry, so I knew it was going to be interesting --especially with the 4 triple-7stacks. JW, you didn't disappoint. Thanks for a fun concept grid with loads of sparkly words.

    JzB - You're always fun; I liked the chef :-)
    I'll back you up on the McJOB - it's not that it's not noble work, it's that there's no upside / future - a sweatshop if you will. In the company's eyes, your a shit-cog and nobody cares. It really doesn't apply to McDonalds. I think it was coin'd around the same time as McMansion and when non-menial jobs were hard to come by. //I read the same report last week Jinx - know anyone who wants to be an over-the-road trucker? [51,000 open positions, IIRC]

    WOs: aSTO; LEDoNTO
    ESP: N/A though many took a plethora of perps.
    Fav: I'll go w/ JURASSIC - always makes me think of the MAD Magazine issue "JUR ASS has had it PARK."

    {A, A, A-}

    Picard - $35 for parking at what has to be a $75 entry-ticket? Down-right troglodyte.

    WikWak - and those 'down-state' hate that Chicago holds all the power and is 'Blue.' (Just ask my family in SPI :-)). Full report on lunch expected tomorrow!

    Swamp - what was in your Wheaties this morning? :-)

    Re the Wiki-P: It can be an "authority" for certain things (like the pin-out for a SCSI drive) but it's pretty good as a point-in-the-right-direction if you know nothing of something.

    Jayce - I resemble that cartoon :-) Fun stuff.

    Cheers, -T

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  77. Enjoyed the JW puzzle and JzB's in-depth tour of the grid.

    Hand up for Sneakers, Sucker and Lollipop, along with Water fountain (never heard it called a bubbler). A Trash can is the large can with the contents from all the inside trash and garbage receptacles that you put on the curb for the trash-men to take; the garbage can is the kitchen can that all wet and dry waste goes into in the kitchen and waste paper baskets are small cans that go in other rooms and only hold paper including used tissues (Kleenex).

    The day is over. Off to bed.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Swamp Cat ~

    Can't resist, eh?
    Nor can I.

    Alas, there's no HIS'N in "High Noon."
    Here's an example of how our ears can deceive us - actually two errors in the same line of the song.
    Check out the official lyrics, as sung by Frankie Laine:

    He made a vow while in state prison
    Vowed it would be my life or his, and
    I'm not afraid of death, but, oh
    What shall I do if you leave me?


    'S okay!
    You're welcome ....

    ReplyDelete
  79. We have a big, ugly, green dumpster that stinks in our 110+ heat.
    Pancakes, flapjacks, or fry cakes?

    ReplyDelete
  80. O' Do Not Forsake Me [TMBG; so listen closely, 'tis funny]

    My cheeky comment @1:50p is pretty much it; though I can make a distinction when needed for dress, running, tennis (just casual sneakers), bike (with clips), cleats, etc.; water fountain (icky and I had to drink from one today!*), lolli if I'm feeling jovial but just suckers if I have to get some for a sick kid (hey, they need a treat).

    The waste-bin, trash-can, etc... What I didn't hear, er [@31d but in caps looks like Emer. Room], read today... recycle-bin(?). Under the sink, garbage on the left, recycle on the right.

    Cheers, -T
    *Long story-short: I promised DW I'd get a personal-trainer. Today was day-one and he goaded me into drinking water instead of coffee. Next time I'm bringing Gatorade.

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  81. Yuman - Nice to see you again...

    As to your Q: depends, whatcha makin'? Pancakes are fluffy (and I add vanilla to the batter), flaps are similar but not as fluffy. Hot/Fry cakes if we're camping 'cuz I wouldn't eat that at home -- but out here, they're delicious.

    But I can rough it only so much - you've got real Vermont or Canadian Maple Syrup for these or not? :-)

    C, -T

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  82. When I read the article, I was pretty certain that Desper-otto would know the water fountains as "bubblers." I once taught a seminar in Green Bay, and I heard bubbler. The next day I taught the seminar in Appleton, and made a joke about the team in Green Bay calling the water fountains bubblers. They too insisted that they are called bubblers. If you visit that belt of Wisconsin, calling it a water fountain or drinking fountain is probably a dead giveaway that you aren't from around there, like yinzers in Texas.

    Anyway, here's the link: Reader's digest - Regional Sayings and Phrases

    As with any of these polls and surveys, the phrases or terminology may not reflect your personal usage. We're all individuals, and our choices are reflective of our experiences, our readings, and our preferences. In text-speak, YMMV. The maps are colored to reflect what the majority of respondents answered.

    ReplyDelete

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