google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 Jake Halperin

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Aug 7, 2018

Tuesday, August 7, 2018 Jake Halperin

"Break a Leg"

17. Rare baseball event: TRIPLE PLAY.

24. Antiterrorism legislation of 2001: PATRIOT ACT.

37. Nightlife sphere of activity: CLUB SCENE.

53. Race terminus: FINISH LINE.

62. Theater direction ... and a hint to 17-, 24-, 37- and 53-Across: STAGE RIGHT.

Hmm...

What about.... 65. Actor's part: ROLE ?    Shouldn't this have been part of the theme, and included in 62A ?   Or perhaps edited out ?

I don't know.  I only have a "bit part" to play in this production.  Let's "chew the scenery" while you think about it.

Across:

1. Knock for a loop: AMAZE.

6. "The jig __!": IS UP.

10. Wing measurement: SPAN.

14. The "N" of USNA: NAVAL.   Unites States Naval Academy.   Brief History

15. Beer-brewing mixture: MASH.

16. Taper off: WANE.

19. 28-Across (ONE), in German: EINS. In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus: Eins, zwei, g'suffa!


20. Troubling Nixon records: TAPES.

21. Supermarket walkways: AISLES.

23. Falafel bread: PITA.

28. Single: ONE.

29. Double-helix molecule: DNA.

30. Slake, as thirst: QUENCH.

31. Hardly current: PASSE.  Slake seems hardly current.

33. Bridges of Netflix's "Bloodline": BEAU.

36. Snob's "in the air" body part: NOSE.

40. "That sounds painful": OUCH.  Clecho at 40D.   Thought I broke bones when my footing gave way last Thursday.  Managed to land prone, but my legs didn't clear the scalloped concrete landscape edging.  Large bone contusions on my left femur (golf ball sized) and right tibia (half of a tennis ball) kept me off my legs until Saturday. 

43. Brussels-based defense gp.: NATO.

44. Clear data from: ERASE.

48. Like a damaged atmospheric layer: OZONIC.

50. Letter after pi: RHO.

52. World Series org.: MLB. Major League Baseball.


56. Smear, as paint: DAUB.

57. Narrow waterway: STRAIT.

58. Coins of 59-Down: RIALS.

60. All-encompassing: A TO Z.

66. Narrate: TELL.

67. Celebrated chef Ducasse: ALAIN.  I had to read the Wikipedia article on him. That should help the next time his name appears in a puzzle.

68. Intuit: FEEL.

69. Canadian gas brand: ESSO.

70. Big Apple 52-Acr. player: NY MET.

Down:

1. Colony insect: ANT.

2. Tennis great Navratilova: MARTINA.

3. Takes to the skies: AVIATES.  Dudley does this !

4. Frank of avant-garde rock: ZAPPA.

5. Magazine with the column "Ask E. Jean": ELLE.

6. Little devil: IMP.

7. Dinner course, to Heinrich: SALATRecipes for Authentic German Salads

8. TWA rival: US AIR.

9. Body structure: PHYSIQUE.

10. Equal or Splenda: SWEETENER.

11. Italian pal: PAISANO.

12. "Bel Canto" novelist Patchett: ANN.  I had to read the Wikipedia article on her. And the one about the book.  That should help the next time her name appears in a puzzle.

13. Video game letters: NES.  Nintendo Entertainment System

18. Little League broadcaster: ESPN.  One of many amateur and professional sports programs broadcast by the "Worldwide leader in Sports."   ESPN.com is their online portal.

Wilbur Charles, to atone for my July 24th embedding the video of Aaron Boone of the Yankees hitting the dramatic 2003 Game 7 ALCS walk-off home run that eliminated the Boston Red Sox, I offer the following ESPN.com article link:  This just might be the best Red Sox team ... ever 

22. Singer Rawls: LOU.

23. Jack-in-the-box sound: POP !  goes the weasel.

25. Limerick's rhyme scheme: AABBA.

26. Emails a dupe to: CCs. The electronic carbon copy.  And a CSO to our Blog Leader !

27. First word of numerous Grisham titles: THE.   I'd say so.   The list:
  1. 1991 - "The Firm"
  2. 1992 - "The Pelican Brief"
  3. 1993 - "The Client"
  4. 1994 - "The Chamber"
  5. 1995 - "The Rainmaker"
  6. 1996 - "The Runaway Jury"
  7. 1997 - "The Partner"
  8. 1998 - "The Street Lawyer"
  9. 1999 - "The Testament"
  10. 2000 - "The Brethren"
  11. 2002 - "The Summons"
  12. 2003 - "The King of Torts"
  13. 2004 - "The Last Juror"
  14. 2005 - "The Broker"
  15. 2006 - "The Innocent Man"
  16. 2008 - "The Appeal"
  17. 2009 - "The Associate"
  18. 2010 - "The Confession"
  19. 2011 - "The Litigators"
  20. 2012 - "The Racketeer"
  21. 2016 - "The Whistler"
    Miller, Erin Collazo. "The Complete John Grisham Book List." ThoughtCo, Jun. 27, 2018, thoughtco.com/john-grisham-book-list-362085.

    29. Md. neighbor: DEL.  Regular reader Bluehen hails from the state with the fastest Internet speeds in the country,  no sales taxes, and according to Kiplinger ratings,  the top state for retirees in terms of economy, crime, demographics, and overall tax rates.

    The Delaware River and the Delaware Bay both predate the name of the state. In 1610, English naval officer Samuel Argall named the bodies of water after the governor of Virginia, Thomas West, the 12th Baron De La Warr.

    25 Delightful Facts About Delaware 

    Use the + - buttons to zoom in and out.  


    32. German veal dish: SCHNITZEL.  Wiener Schnitzel,  Kartoffelsalat und Bier !

    34. Approximate fig.: EST.

    35. Oak-to-be: ACORN.

    38. Not pure: UNCHASTE.

    39. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.

    40. "That sounds painful": OOF.  The sound of the air expelled from my lungs when I fell.  The good news is that the house is almost done.   A couple of small sections of wall and the trim paint on the windows remain.

    41. Action film weapon: UZI.

    42. Bring comfort to: CONSOLE.

    45. Composite dental filling material: AMALGAM.  There are safer choices.

    46. Flavored icy drink: SLUSHIE.

    47. Recede, as a tide: EBB.

    49. Syr. neighbor: ISR.

    51. Often hyperlinked word: HERE.

    54. Low-cal beers: LITES.

    55. Tilted type: Abbr.: ITALS.

    56. Newspaper frequency: DAILY.

    59. Tehran's land: IRAN.

    61. Clog front: TOE.  The shoe, not an obstruction.

    63. Mop & __: cleaning brand: GLO.

    64. Blasting letters: TNT.

    Time to Exit...Stage Left


    Here's the grid:

    59 comments:

    OwenKL said...

    FIWrong¡ I had NEc instead of NES. And my German is close to non-existent, so I thought EINS should be EINe¡ Neither C nor E got me my ta-da. I did at least get the theme, a CSO to OMKeith.
    And a CSO to me at 25d!
    The prescience of the Blog: one of my l'icks yesterday had a punch-line about TOES!

    THE band once had them dancing in the AISLES!
    The CLUB SCENE lines seemed to stretch for miles!
    It was a bygone day,
    Now they're PASSE.
    You'll hear them in the supermarket check-out files.

    Fritz's POP would make wiener SCHNITZEL,
    A tasty dish that made him FEEL special!
    So he became a fixer
    Of toaster, fridge, and mixer.
    Fryer on the fritz? Who'll fix it? Fritz'll!

    My rhyming scheme is A.A., B.B.A.
    It's like a limerick in that one way.
    But to meter I say, "Gee,
    Here, have some T.N.T.!"
    Anapest is a pest is what I say!

    {B+, A-, B+.}

    fermatprime@gmail.com said...

    Greetings!

    Thanks to Jake and TTP!

    FIR with a few unknowns: ALAIN, ELLE, SALAT, ANN and OOF. Did not like OZONIC.

    Worked another puzzle in which a clue was COLOR COMMENTATOR’S TIDBIT. The answer was STAT. Can anyone tell me why?

    Still over 105 degrees here.

    Hope to see you tomorrow!

    Krijo said...

    Hi,

    today under 7 minutes without any mistakes - this must be the record.
    Few points to yesterday:
    Love the Monty python sketch, he even mentions Czechoslovakian sheep cheese. It is called Bryndza and is quite special: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryndza

    Today:
    SCHNITZEL - it is Austrian not German!! Wiener Schnitzel, meaning from Vienna.
    EINS - means ONE as opposite to EINE or EIN which means A
    MARTINA - glad to see her in the puzzle
    BEAU - always the worst actor from the Bridges family for me. Cannot think of a good movie he was in.
    MLB - can anyone explain to me, why is it called World series, when vast majority of the world does not even understand rules of the game? I have nothing against baseball, just curious.

    D4E4H said...

    Good morning Cornies.

    Thank you Mr. Jake Halperin for this enjoyable Tuesday CW which I FIR in 27:32.

    Thank you TTP for the educational review with the special items that follow:

    - - 19 A: EINS - I'm so glad I hear fluid German beer!

    - - 26 D CCs are also called a "Courtesy Copy" since many people don't remember carbon copies. I attempted to verify this meaning sans luck. has any one else heard this meaning?

    - - 32 D - The SCHNITZEL looks delicious.

    - - Exit Stage Left, my ears hurt!

    Ðave

    TTP said...

    fermatprime, there are usually two people "calling the game" in broadcast sports coverage. The first is the "play-by-play" announcer whose primary role is to keep the audience informed about the game as it progresses. e.g. "Bases loaded, Aroldis Chapman on the mound, Sox down 4 to 3 with two out in the bottom of the ninth as JD Martinez strides to the plate..."

    The other booth personality is the color commentator. The foil to the play-by-play announcer. Usually a retired jock that fills in the voids in the play-by-play coverage and humanizes the players with anecdotes and stats, e.g. "Great match-up with the heat-throwing Cuban-born fast-baller facing Martinez. JD is an aggressive hitter and won't be sitting on the first pitch fastball that Chapman is likely to throw... JD was born in Broward County and is of Cuban descent. He's hitting 385 with runners in scoring position and two outs..."

    Krijo, yeah I know, from Vienna, but I went with it since German veal dish was the clue. Similar to calling Jack Daniel's a bourbon. It's actually "Tennessee whiskey" and not a bourbon. Schnitzels in Germany are most often pork cutlets (Schweineschnitzel), but you can surely order Wienerschnitzel in many German Gasthaus. I prefer Jägerschnitzel.

    Dave, I have heard Courtesy Copy" as well.

    desper-otto said...

    Good morning!

    Everything's Jake this morning. Skated through this one in under eight with only one stumble: SLURPEE / SLUSHIE. Thanx, Jake.

    TTP, your OUCH/OOF dissertation sounds painful, indeed. I avoid ladders whenever possible.
    Hand up for your preference for Jägerschnitzel. I like mine with spätzle. Hand down for your "next time...in a puzzle" -- I predict you won't remember 'em past Thursday.

    Lemonade714 said...

    Krijo, I enjoyed THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS but maybe that was all Michelle Pfeiffer. I also did not find this as straightforward as you did. AVIATES and OZONIC set my teeth on edge; ANN , ALAIN and ELLE as clued all took time.

    Enjoy August

    Jinx in Norfolk said...

    FIR, but had to erase "nome alaska" for FINISH LINE. And I was SO PROUD when I filled it in on the first pass! Wean for WANE too.

    Rarer yet is the unassisted triple play. Usually a blown hit-and-run with runners on first and second. Line out to short, steps on second and tags the runner coming from first. MLB has seen it occur 15 times, 3 by Cleveland.

    I thought "pal" in Italian was Amici, as in Don or my favorite restaurant in Suffolk, VA. I think LITE is a trademark of Millers. Bud, Coors, etc are LIGHTS.

    DW lived on the grounds of LLBB in Williamsport in her ute. Her late father was friends with Tommy Lasorda. (She also lived in a nearby federal prison. Interesting childhood.)

    Best color commentator I ever heard was Joe Nuxhall with the Reds. He knew the game well, pitching in his first MLB game when he was 15 years old. He praised great plays and ragged on players who made mistakes. "Outfielders learn in Little League to hit the cutoff man. Had (player's name) hit the cutoff man we would have a man on first instead of third." He also HATED pitchers who couldn't bunt. I learned a lot about the sport from him.

    Thanks for a fun puzzle with a little crunch, Jake. And thanks to TTP for 'splainin' it.

    Abejo said...

    Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jake Halperin, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, TTP, for a fine review.

    TTP: Hope you heal up OK. No fun getting hurt.

    Puzzle was fine. Zipped through it. Theme was easy to catch.

    Did not know NES. Not into video games.

    I still have piles of RIALS. Was hoping I could use them again.

    ALAIN was unknown. Perps.

    AMALGAM was a word I have heard variations of, but no idea it had to do with tooth fillings. I am sure I have some of that in my mouth.

    You can keep all the LITES.

    Love Wiener SCHNITZEL, especially at the Berghoff in Chicago.

    AVIATES is a shout out to Dudley! Also reminds me of the 1946 Ercoupe that landed on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago a couple weeks ago. Perfect landing, flew under a bridge to do it. All during rush hour.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

    Yellowrocks said...

    TTP, great review. Jake, great puzzle. A little crunchy for a Tuesday, but FIR. I never heard of Ann Patchett. I have heard of Chef Ducasse, but not his first name.
    SLAKE and many words like that are so familiar to me I don't realize they are passe. I suppose reading period novels accounts for this.
    I liked the progression: A play is divided into acts, acts are divided into scenes,scenes are divided into lines. ROLE would be only peripheral to this progression.
    That Wiener Schnitzel looks delicious. Surprisingly, the best Wiener Schnitzel I ever tasted was in Denmark.
    I know several people who retired to Delaware for economic reasons, including taxes. I don't wish to uproot myself from familiar surroundings or to be more than an hour or two away from David and Kenny.I will stay here.
    Krijo, I, too, often wondered why it is called "World" Series.
    TTP, OUCH! I hope you are feeling better soon. You are lucky you didn't damage your face, landing prone.

    Yellowrocks said...

    Continuing:
    OZONIC as the adjective form of ozone makes sense. OZONIC is most often teamed with odor or acid, ozonic acid, ozonic odor.
    "On less uproarious days one gets all along the downs the rich, ozonic odor of the deep sea for a fundamental delight."
    Old Plymouth Trails

    "The rules of flying in an emergency are first you aviate, then you navigate, then you communicate," says Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor at Flight Global.
    BBCJan 17, 2017

    I am off to see one of Alan's many doctors, another reason for staying put. I would hate to start from scratch on the medical merry-go-round.

    Irish Miss said...

    Good Morning:

    This was a delightful Tuesday offering that had a bit of crunch but only a bit. DO, I too Slurpied instead of Slushied; is there such a thing as a Slurpee? I caught the theme quickly (as I'm sure Keith did) and I also noted 65A Actor's part=Role. I have seen this example of an entry relating to the theme, but not part of it, described as an Easter Egg. An added treat, so to speak. I liked the Rials/Iran and Ouch/Oof crossings. (The latter not so much after reading TTP's ladder mishap!) Lots of CSOs today: Dudley, CC, Keith and Owen. And, my personal favorite for CED ~ Imp. Every time I see Imp in a cw puzzle, I see Dave's face.

    Thanks, Jake, for a Tuesday treat and thanks, TTP, for another spot-on summary and stunning visuals. Hope you'll soon be rid of those bumps and bruises. I loved your excellent analysis/example of the roles of the sports commentators; you missed your calling! BTW, that list of Grisham's books omitted "The Painted House", which was his second best novel, after his very best, "A Time to Kill." Naturally, this is my personal opinion. Perhaps TPH wasn't included because it had nothing to do with lawyers.

    Becky E, enjoy your vacation and keep puzzling! 😎

    Have a great day.

    desper-otto said...

    IM: Is there such a thing as a Slurpee? Yes, there is.

    Lemonade714 said...

    IM, the book is A PAINTED HOUSE and I think his best books are those not about lawyers. I liked PLAYING FOR PIZZA

    Also, who is Becky E? HI RB. anyway, YR I was not questioning the legitimacy of the words AVIATE or OZONIC it was their sound to me, which is discordant- hence the teeth comment.

    Spitzboov said...

    Good morning everyone.

    TTP - Great intro explaining things making today's trip thru the tulips more enjoyable.

    No problems with the solve. No searches needed. Liked the long downs.
    EINS - Did not like the cluing. EINS means 'one' like Krijo said. Should be EIN with an inflected ending as needed.
    SCHNITZEL - Other SCHNITZELS are German, particularly Schweineschnitzel, Jägerschnitzel, and others. There seem to be different opinions about whether Wienerschnitzel originated in Vienna. Romans mad a schnitzel-like dish around 1 BC.
    AMALGAM - Columbia College of Dental Medicine says about safety as follows: "Many studies on the safety of amalgam fillings have been done. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluated this research. It found no reason to limit the use of amalgam. The FDA concluded that amalgam fillings are safe for adults and children ages 6 and above." YMMV.

    Picard said...

    Clever theme. I was impressed with the sequence PLAY-ACT-SCENE-LINE in order!

    A bit of a Natick at EINS/NES but I did WAG it correctly. MASH/SALAT had me a bit concerned, too. FIR!

    This CLUB SCENE I visited in Manila was quite interesting.

    Those beautiful women are not what they appear to be.

    Did anyone else think of Snagglepuss with STAGE RIGHT?

    Could only find that clip of him saying Snagglepuss Exit STAGE Left

    Hahtoolah said...

    Good Morning, TTP and friends. For me, today's puzzle was much easier than yesterday's puzzle.

    Today's puzzle had Old Man's Keith's name on it ~ just for him!

    Hand up for trying Slurpee before SLURPIE.

    I read ANN Patchet's novel Bel Canto several years ago. I highly recommend it. It is fiction, but is based on the Japanese embassy hostage event in Peru in the late 1990s. I believe this it is also a soon-to-be-released movie.

    QOD: Some politicians like to kiss babies. I like to kiss the baby’s mommas. ~ Edwin W. Edwards, former Louisiana Governor (b. Aug. 7, 1927)

    Misty said...

    Many thanks for this fun puzzle, Jake. Bit of a toughie in spots, but I got the whole thing. Yay! Three German references--wow--and here I am, born in Austria, and I haven't had a Wiener-SCHNITZEL in years. I'm embarrassed that I never learned how to cook one. (Now I'm hungry). I too liked all the shout-outs to Owen with his limericks, and Ol'Man Keith with all the STAGE references. Congratulations to you both! And TTP, now neat that you listed all those Grisham titles (not that I've ever read a single one of his books, sadly). Finally, have a good recovery from your fall--so sorry to hear about that.

    I had what felt like a troublesome emergency this morning. My dachshund Dusty went outside to pee and came in crying and holding his right leg up in the air and unable to walk. Ironically, we had a vet appointment later to have his teeth checked, but the vet thankfully let us have Clauder bring him in right away. He had to carry him to the car. Thankfully, I just got a call saying that the injury was caused by a bee sting. Great relief!

    Lucina said...

    Thank you, Jake Halperin and TTP! Nice puzzle and splendid review.

    As others have noted, this was a quick romp with only a half cup of coffee!

    I liked PHYSIQUE crossing QUENCH. Those Q words don't get much grid space.

    Among all the CSOs is one to Tony at PAISANO.

    But for all the ease of this puzzle, the SE corner gave me problems. MLB did not come easily and I had NLB (why not National?) and never having heard of Chef Ducasse, had to LIU then NYMET, why not NYNET which is what I had. Sports almost always defeats me. AMALGAM is new to me.

    I did like the theme.

    A happy Tuesday to you all!

    Lucina said...

    TTP:
    I hope your injury heals quickly. Believe me, I can relate! But yours sounds much more serious and painful.

    As for the Grisham novels, I read the first four and The Painted House but haven't read any others because they all sound alike. I've liked most of the movies made from them if I've seen them, A Time to Kill and The Rainmaker come to mind.

    billocohoes said...

    "Break a leg" isn't just used in American theater. "Hals und Beinbruch" (break a neck and leg) in Germany, "Toi, Toi, Toi" (corruption of saying the devil three times to ward off a hex) in opera, "Merde" (poopies) in French, and "in boccu lupa" (into the wolf's mouth) in Italian are all used to avoid a bad performance.

    It's bad luck to say good luck on opening night

    AnonymousPVX said...

    A bit of crunch for this Tuesday puzzle, but no issues.

    And not a lot to add....I’m old, I stayed up late Sunday for nothing but aggravation, and now it’s Tuesday and I’m tired. And stay off my lawn, haha.

    PK said...

    Hi Y'all! Thanks to Jake for an enjoyable puzzle & theme.

    Thanks to TTP who managed this very informative expo despite his OUCHies. Hope they heal quickly.

    Understudies to the theme were not only ROLE but "Narrate" = TELL.

    AMAZE was a good word to start into the MAZE a/k/a grid.

    We had "one" in German then in English. Hmmm.

    DNK: ALAIN, ANN, "E.Jean" mag, hyperlinked = HERE.

    I've read all of THE Grisham books, some several times. Besides the favorites of others above, two of mine are "The Pelican Brief" and "The Client". "A Painted House" rather than THE because the mother wanted one.

    Madame Defarge said...

    hello.

    Running a million errands before I leave for Dallas Friday morning. It's not hot enough for me here I guess. Ugh!

    Nice puzzle: Thanks, Jake.

    Thanks for the tour TTP. I suspected something was amiss. Take care of yourself--Can you hire a college kid to finish the bit that's left?

    Irish Miss: yes, we are headed back to Maine in October. I do love Stonewall Kitchen. It's such a fresh cafe, and, of course, there are plenty of their specialties to peruse.

    Back to getting organized here. My laptop is acting up. I need a new battery, so I took it our and I'm running on electricity until my tech guy can do a remote on Thursday and fix some of my minor problems.

    Off to the races. Have a good day. Be well, everyone.

    Ol' Man Keith said...

    TA- DA!
    A fine effort by Mr. Halperin, and yes, I do appreciate the several theatrical references - and the shout-outs from colleagues who connected them with me.
    I'm only afraid I must take issue with the theme clue at 62A ("Stage direction"). STAGE RIGHT is a stage position, or a location in relation to a given actor, not a "direction." If that actor is instructed to "move STAGE RIGHT," then that would be a proper direction.

    billocohoes ~
    We also say "Merde" - like the French - and "in bocca al lupo" these days. Theater culture is increasingly international. And we don't really believe it's bad to say "Good luck."

    Otherwise, this was a very pleasant Tuesday pzl.

    ~ OMK

    ____________
    Diagonal Report:
    Just the mirror line today. I couldn't spot an anagram that would use all 15 letters. (It's that *#@! "Q" in the middle!)

    Ol' Man Keith said...

    PS. But I don't recall anyone - ever - whistling backstage.

    For that matter, I can't think of a play that requires an actor to whistle.

    Irish Miss said...

    DO @ 9:16 ~ Thanks for the Slurpee verification. (I'm not a 7 ~ 11 patron.)

    Lemony @ 9:17 ~ Thanks for the correction. Wasn't it just yesterday that I mentioned that my memory isn't what it used to be?

    Madame Defarge @ 12:52 ~ I kind of thought your visits to Maine were in October. What a lovely time of the year to be in New England, especially on the Coast.

    I was at the supermarket earlier today and met a woman who was a classmate all through grade school and high school. I swear, except for a few strands of gray hair, she looks exactly like she did in eighth grade. Alas, I cannot say the same for moi!

    CrossEyedDave said...

    When I saw the title of this clip,
    I thought it had to do with The Big Bang Theory stairs
    and why Leonard always exits left. I was mistaken...

    Irish Miss? Imp?
    Hey! I try my best...

    Jayce said...

    I liked this puzzle somewhat. Hand up for entering SLURPEE before having to change it to SLUSHIE. Only needed the easy ACORN to know it was BEAU, not Jeff. Thought, and still think, the word OZONIC is interesting. Liked the clue for NOSE. Felt the clue for PAISANO was a little bit sloppy. I've heard my dentist use the word AMALGAM enough times that I remember it. I've always liked the word SLAKE and have often made it my "word of the day."

    TTP, thank you and I hope you heal quickly and completely.

    Misty, how is your eye? What news?

    Best wishes to you all.

    CanadianEh! said...

    Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Jake and TRP (glad your injuries were not more severe!) .
    This CW was a little crunchy for a Tuesday but I finished and saw the theme (and thought of OMK immediately).

    I saw a couple of mini sub-themes: Baseball with TRIPLE PLAY, MLB, NY MET, and Little League broadcaster.
    Then there was all the German (advantage to Spitzboov HERE): EINS, SCHNITZEL (yum!), SALAT. .

    HAND UP FOR Slurpee before SLUSHIE, and Eine before NES forced EINS.
    I parsed A TO Z (lots of Zeds today) but had difficulty seeing NY MET.
    Allan instead of ALAIN held up the Tada.
    OMK, you couldn't find an anagram but we had an AMALGAM , and we're just a J,K, and X away from a pangram.

    Enjoy the day. I am recovering from company for our Civic holiday yesterday.

    xtulmkr said...

    Didn't get the TADA due to the crossing of SLUSHeE and ALAeN. I echo my comment from yesterday; brand names have confused our spelling. If SLURPEE has two e's why not SLUSHIE?

    Misty said...

    Thank you for asking, Jayce. My eyes are the same even though I put compresses on three times a day, put eye drops in six times a day, etc. etc.--and I've been doing this for nearly two months now. The blessing is that my vision is not effected and remains fine, and I have no pain or discomfort--much to be thankful for.

    Husker Gary said...

    Musings
    -A very easy puzzle on a spectacular summer day – low temps and humidity
    -Sherlock starts with “The game is afoot” and the FINISH LINE is “The jig is up”
    -NBA WINGSPANS
    -In 2010 10,000 RIALS = $1, today 42,000 RIALS = $1
    -The character April Kepner in Grey’s Anatomy was CHASTE in her first appearance then went off the rail the other way

    Anonymous said...

    pai·sa·no (pī-zä′nō) also pai·san (-zän′)
    n. pl. pai·sa·nos also pai·sans
    1. A countryman; a compatriot.
    2. Slang A friend; a pal.

    Anonymous said...

    Any brand can advertise that its product gives spick and span results. Spic and Span brand name differentiates itself.
    To be different from a generic slushy drink the makers made up Slushie for slushy, Icee for icy and Slurpee for slurpy. A cereal example is Froot Loops instead of fruit loops. Etc. Etc.
    A brand name does not want to be a generic word.

    Irish Miss said...

    CED @ 1:45 ~ Your link proves my "Imp-y" vision of you. Little Devil, Rascal, Rapscallion, Imp, they all fit you to a T. (In a nice way, of course! 😉)

    Lucina said...

    I believe Kleenex is now used as a generic word as is Clorox; those come to mind but I'm sure there are others. That's good news and bad news for the product. Good in that it's universally known, bad in that it's not much differentiated from other brands. I've heard people say, "I have to buy some Kleenex" and come home with Puffs or some other kind. Also, "do you have a Kleenex" when they mean tissue. The same with bleach.


    OMK and billocohoes:
    Your mention of "merde" reminds me of my maternal grandmother. She loved to say, "mierda" in Spanish, especially when she was annoyed at someone, "que coman mierda" let them eat s**t.

    Bill G said...

    Hi everybody. Nothing new to add. WEES. Thanks for the entertainment, Jake and TTP.

    Gary, I'm envious of your description of your weather. That doesn't happen very often. I think this part of California's weather is normally about as good as it gets anywhere but this heat wave has been stubborn.

    I went to the car wash today. It was almost too hot to do that. No bike ride.

    Getting central A/C and solar panels a year or so ago was one of the best decisions we've ever made.

    Wilbur Charles said...

    TTP, the weekend vs Yankees EFFACED Aaron's fateful blast.
    I FIW'ed on ALAIN/AMALGEN/GAM-SLUSHIE/EE. Carelessness. I see xtulmkr did similar. Aaarrgghhhh!! I just noticed MET not NET. Haste makes ... I do the xword via the downs for speed. What was my hurry? I've started"cabbing" local folks to TPA-Latest too hot political subject? "Stand your ground".

    Btw, re. Trump rally last week.. His line that silenced 11000 raucous voices: "Greatest President since Lincoln". That line doesn't work in the old Confederacy which is still going strong.**

    Lucina I agree on Grisham=formula.

    And "World" Series probably was coined when Boston played Pittsburgh in 1903. MLB did tour Europe after WWI with no success.

    WC

    *That's not intended as political, just an on the scene observation. He should have said Jackson.

    Sandyanon said...

    When my daughters were growing up, they laughed at me for saying "merde". It was my favorite swear word because I didn't want to say "s--t".

    oc4beach said...


    I just finished reading "Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham. There was no "The" in the title. It was published in October, 2015. It was about a lawyer who takes on the toughest cases where the clients are probably guilty. It seemed to ramble through a few disjointed cases where there didn't appear to be any theme that tied the cases together, but eventually they all wound down to an end that showed how they were tied together. A very different Grisham book. Actually it was probably a little bit like what a real lawyer's life could be like.

    The clue was correct, but only 23 of Grisham's 40 books and short stories started with "The". I liked most of them, but I think a few were real clinkers like "The Testament", "Gray Mountain" and "A Painted House." Just my opinion.





    billocohoes said...

    Aspirin is another brand name gone generic. I was surprised recently to learn Bundt pan and Crock-pot are still under trademark.

    Mike Sherline said...

    Don't forget Q-Tip.

    SwampCat said...

    My daughter is a patent attorney and gets livid over Kleenex and Clorox. But most of us normal people don’t seem to care.

    I didn’t know bundt pans until a recent CW, but I remember my mom’s friends saying Frigidaire when they meant refrigerator.

    SwampCat said...

    I’d forgotten Q tip, Mike Sherline!!

    Yellowrocks said...

    Painted House, my favorite Gresham novel, among many great ones. What an author! I read Painted House three times. After a time, I found most of Gresham's novels formulaic, but now and then I dip back in with fresh eyes.
    Lucina, yeah, I think that some brands like Kleenex and Band Aid have become generic, muddling their brand differentiation. OTOH, that proves how successful they are.

    TTP said...


    Jinx, I read about Joe Nuxhall in my youth but never heard him. HOF'er Bob Prince called play by play for the Pirates and was often his own color commentator. I remember him telling the story about a game where an ump made an obviously bad call late in a game and fans started throwing their beer cups onto the field. The crew chief didn't stop the game to have the ground crew clean up the cups, or more cups were thrown out after they did (I don't recall the specifics), and told the teams to play on. The next batter hit a single to the outfield that went into one of the beer cups, and the fielder was picking up and throwing down cups until he found the one that had the ball in it. In the meantime, the winning run scored. Have never been able to find the story online, but haven't looked that hard.

    Yellowrocks, I landed mostly in the flower bed and managed to get my arms down in time so no facial bruises. All the pushups paid off. Smashed a clump of day lilly plants with my hard head. Then tore a flexor muscle in my right wrist/arm yesterday. That really bites because I'm playing last year's league champion tomorrow, and I want to take him down a peg or two.

    That reminds me, I have to go make some xeroxes of the league standings.

    BTW, I didn't fall off a ladder though. I stepped onto the concrete planter on the side of the porch, and the mortar between the caps failed. So now I have a small masonry job to add to the list.

    Abejo, in all of the years here, I haven't eaten at Berghoff's (DW has), but have eaten at Mader's in Milwaukee a couple of times. $$$ but worth it. I read that it has closed.

    Lucina, after your fall, I'm sure you can relate.

    Misty, sorry you Dusty got stung. That reminded me of how my boy would snap at them if they buzzed too close. If he ever got one, I never noticed, and never saw him have a swelled tongue. He did not like bees, but of course with all of the flowers, we have plenty...

    Madame Defarge, yes I should've hired the college kid that posted on Nextdoor that was looking for summer work. DW nixed the idea, fearing a potential lawsuit. That, and I think she's trying to hasten my demise. :>) BTW, can't believe we've already had 18 days with 90+ weather. That's the annual average for number of days here, and it's only the 6th of August. And you're heading to Dallas ?

    Wilbur, I watched game 4 of that series with the Yankees, and then watched the late-night replay again on ESPN. UN BELIEVE ABLE comeback !

    Mike Sherline said...

    Swamp Cat - and I'd forgotten about all my mom's friends referring to their "frigidaires". We always called ours an icebox - we actually had one when I was little.

    Ol' Man Keith said...

    We just called ours a "fridge," even though it was probably a GE.
    Or a Capehart. Does anyone remember that brand? They made furniture, then TVs, etc.

    Mike S ~
    You say you had one when you were little. You mean a fridge or an icebox? We had an icebox of course back in the early '40s.

    HE COMETH!
    The iceman would come once or twice a week. If we needed ice we put the diamond-shaped "I C E" sign in the front window. He would haul the huge block of ice in, using large calipers to balance it on the rubber mat that protected his shoulder.
    With a grunt he'd heave the thing into the square compartment at the side of the icebox.
    Meanwhile, outside, the neighbor kids would be swarming the back of his truck to get the loose shards and crystals. He'd go out and shoo them off before they could take picks to the fresh blocks.

    ~ OMK

    PS. We didn't have a lot of room inside the icebox, so certain items, like bottles of milk, were kept in a wire cage outside a backporch window. Foggy nights and shady days in San Francisco were all the cold they needed.

    SwampCat said...

    Hehehehe. Mine now is fully electric and I still call it my icebox!! What?? It keeps stuff cold!

    Wilbur Charles said...

    I remember a Yankee fan saying my Sox have one weakness: 2nd Base. And now they have the compleat professional, Ian Kinsler*

    Tomorrow, no FIW . I'll recheck .

    WC

    Darn .I just heard he's on DL with hammy whammy

    Misty said...

    Thank you, TTP. Apparently the vet pulled a small thing out of Dusty's foot--the bee sting, I guess, but I had no idea they could be long enough to be seen. Anyway, it's wonderful to have Dusty at home and in good shape again. Thank you for your kind comment.

    D4E4H said...

    Young Man Keithat 8:24 PM
    - - We didn't have an icebox, but your story about ice reminded me that we did have a milk man. I can picture the bottles of milk on the front porch with cream on the top. This was circa 44 - 51.
    - - I have an icebox now. It is a small styrofoam cooler, and is replenished twice a day. I must go to it now for cold water, and ice in my bedroom.

    Ðave

    Bill G said...

    I have memories of a milk box sitting on our back porch. The milk delivery included several bottles of 'cream line' milk with cardboard stoppers. In freezing weather, some of the milk would freeze and expand, popping up the stoppers. That cream was good stuff. By comparison, today's Half and Half is closer to whole milk than it used to be.

    My grandmother had a really old Frigidaire, so old that the Frigidaire company used it as an advertisement for the longevity of their product, bought it from her and gave her a brand new model.

    Bill G said...

    I was watching America's Got Talent. One of their acts was a quick-change duo. The woman can change dresses in a flash, two seconds or sometimes less. I've seen those kinds of acts before but I still don't know how they do it. Just magic I guess...

    Ol' Man Keith said...

    Dave & Bill ~
    Yes, the milkman came on a regular basis, two or three times a week. I don't remember him so much because he didn't need to come into the house - like the lugging iceman. Our mom had a standing order, and if anything needed to be changed she'd just leave a note with the empties.

    It was good the bottles had those cardboard caps. Anything sturdier might have resulted in broken bottles on freezing nights. We didn't worry about that in SF, but in the east it would have been a real problem.

    We had a lot of deliverymen and roaming artisans back in the day. My favorite was the guy with the long horse-cart, who called, "Rags, bottles, sacks...!"

    ~ OMK

    PK said...

    Our neighbor across the street brought us milk from the cow named Marilyn who lived in the barn & pen behind their house. I personally knew the cow, having tried to feed her hay once and got my middle finger painfully bitten. We loved her and liked to play in the barn loft which we called the "hay mow".

    Lucina said...

    What a trip down memory lane! I recall all those things: the icebox, the ice man delivering, the milkman delivering, and the man with the magic cart. When he pulled up the side of the cart, his wares were exposed. There would be everything displayed: shoes, pots and pans, gadgets, etc. Times have really changed since then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    WikWak said...

    Late to the party again—and this time I’m late in Pacific time, which makes it even later, somehow...

    Greetings from Mendicino County CA. Spent today among the redwoods in Humboldt County and am still in awe of these giants. We drove our car through the middle of one; way cool. Finally got home from an excellent dinner and did today’s puzzle. WEESAEE. Liked SLUSHIE, didn’t care much for OZONIC, didn’t feel much one way or the other about most of them.

    TTP, that doesn’t sound like a fun way to spend an afternoon! Aren’t you about done by now?

    Gonna ride the Skunk Train from Ft Bragg (California, not Carolina) tomorrow. Puzzle when we get back.

    I'd say to have a great day, but this day is almost over, even here on the left coast. Pleasant dreams, all.