Theme: "Hangers-On" - ERS is added to each theme entry.
23A. What the acrobatic landlady liked to do?: JUMP OVER BOARDERS. Jump over board.
32A. TruTV show for board game enthusiasts?: REALITY CHECKERS. Reality check.
52A. When a pro might practice at Augusta National?: BEFORE THE MASTERS. Before the mast.
69A. Gym employees for those getting in shape fast?: EXPRESS TRAINERS. Express train.
90A. Gold medal winners at the Renaissance fair?: TRIUMPHAL ARCHERS. Triumphal arch.
104A. Wedding chapel's main form of advertising?: HITCHING POSTERS. Hitching post.
120A. Where bills should be put after an audit?: BACK IN THE FOLDERS. Back in the fold.
Heavy theme with long theme entries. Total 109 theme squares. Lots to deal with.
I
think this is George Telfer's debut. Congratulations, George! Mark
McClain is a veteran and has been our regular LAT constructor for a few
years.
Across:
1. Avian mimic: MYNA.
5. Selling point?: STORE. Great clue.
10. Weasel cousin: STOAT. Not SABLE.
15. Passed quickly, as time: FLEW.
19. Pigeon calls: COOS.
20. Kind of column: IONIC. Appears in our grid more often than DORIC.
21. Stands at lectures: PODIA.
22. Lead in a movie, say: ROLE.
26. Wile E. Coyote supplier: ACME.
27. Run-of-the-mill: ORDINARY.
28. Former LeBron team, on sports tickers: MIA. Miami Heat. 39. Former LeBron team, on sport tickers: CLE.
29. Lost on purpose: TANKED. Often a clue for DIETED.
31. Buds, possibly: BEERS.
37. Sorority letter: ETA.
40. Takes a breather: RESTS.
41. "The Simpsons" retailer: APU.
44. "Chain of Fools" name: ARETHA.
47. Out in the yacht: ASEA.
49. Bite playfully: NIP.
56. Departed: GONE.
57. "Once __ a time ... ": UPON.
58. Yon yacht: SHE.
59. Name in a Tolstoy title: ANNA. Anna Karenina. Russian novels are always so complicated. Same with classic Chinese novels.
60. Formal split: DIVORCE.
62. Electric wheels: TESLA.
64. Second-tallest living bird: EMU. What's the tallest?
66. Inform: TELL.
68. Skin-related: DERMAL. 88. Often painful crack: CHAP. Try Aquaphor.
73. Don't hold your breath: EXHALE.
76. Antelope playmates: DEER.
77. Musical muscle car: GTO.
78. Agave plant: YUCCA.
82. "The wisdom of many and the wit of one": Russell: PROVERB.
84. Dread: FEAR.
86. Bigelow product: TEA. They have jasmine tea. We also have 107. 86-Across variety: PEKOE.
89. Cut with a small knife: PARE.
94. Thesaurus wd.: SYN. Synonym.
95. Doing nothing: IDLE.
96. Cabinet department: ENERGY.
97. Minute: WEE.
98. China's Zhou __: ENLAI. Here he is with his wife Deng Yingchao. They did not have children. Both well-loved in China.
101. QB's stat: ATT.
102. Shocked text letters: OMG.
111. Vacation destination: BEACH. Last time I was at a beach.
Boomer & C.C., Myrtle Beach, May 2002
Boomer & C.C., Myrtle Beach, May 2002115. Caroline Islands components: ATOLLS.
116. Rescue squad initials: EMS.
117. Rant: HARANGUE. Sparkly fill.
119. Fictional plantation: TARA.
125. "Slippery" trees: ELMS.
126. "... but I could be wrong": OR NOT.
127. Celestial ovine: ARIES.
128. Shuts down: ENDS.
129. Colorist's supply: DYES.
130. Price enders, often: NINES. Oh, like $9.99.
131. Category: GENRE.
132. Obliterate, in Oxford: RASE.
Down:
1. Menial work: MCJOB.
2. "__ it!": YOU'RE.
3. __ plume: NOM DE. And 6. Start of an adage about humanity: TO ERR. Partials.
4. Have high hopes: ASPIRE.
5. Hindu "Destroyer": SIVA.
7. Sandwich shop order: ON RYE.
8. Often tickled bone?: RIB.
9. "Foucault's Pendulum" author: ECO.
10. Diagonal sail extender: SPRIT. See this.
11. Now: TODAY.
12. Pindar piece: ODE.
13. Make widely known: AIR.
14. Samples: TASTES.
15. Stadium staples: FRANKS.
16. Eastwood's "Bronco Billy" co-star Sondra: LOCKE. So pretty!
17. Fictional hunter in a floppy hat: ELMER.
18. Signs of garden neglect: WEEDS.
24. GM subsidiary: ONSTAR.
25. Guy's girlfriend: AMIE. French "gee".
30. Comedy __: ACT.
33. One may be dull: ACHE.
34. Trek pack animal: LLAMA.
35. Algonquian language: CREE.
36. Picked up: HEARD.
38. Trojan War god: ARES.
41. Touch: ABUT.
42. Nickname for José: PEPE. I did not know. The two sound so different.
43. Eerie fliers: UFOS.
45. Old anesthetic: ETHER.
46. Like many crosswords: THEMED. Our LAT Saturday grids are themeless.
47. "Up" star: ASNER (Ed)
48. WWII prison camp: STALAG.
49. Standard: NORM.
50. Subject of Huáscar: INCA. Read here. Never heard of the guy.
51. Orange discard: PEEL. Chinese desserts often feature dried tangerine peels.
53. Legally off base: ON LEAVE.
54. Baited insect collector: ANT TRAP.
55. Beans or greens: SIDE.
56. Scalia's successor: GORSUCH (Neil). Fresh fill.
61. Enhancing word: VERY. So very touched reading Jerome's post. He went through what I'm going through now.
63. Shaft between wheels: AXLE.
65. Handy: USEFUL.
67. Trivial: LITTLE.
70. Vivacious: PERT.
71. Words near an "F," maybe: SEE ME.
72. Musical handicap: NO EAR.
73. Omar of "In Too Deep": EPPS.
74. Doctor's order: X-RAY.
Piece of cake. The MRI was tough for Boomer last time. He did not use
the toilet before the procedure, thinking it would be over in a few
minutes. It took almost an hour.
75. French __: HORN.
79. Consider carefully, with "over": CHEW.
80. Attention: CARE.
81. Basilica recess: APSE.
83. Astros catcher McCann: BRIAN. Ex-Astro. Back with the Atlanta Braves.
85. Bonnie Blue's dad: RHETT.
87. 2012 Ben Affleck film: ARGO.
91. "Gotcha!": I DIG.
92. Casino game requirement, often: ANTE.
93. Symphonic disc: CYMBAL.
98. Mercedes line: E-CLASS. No idea. Not into cars.
99. Kings' org.: NHL. LA Kings.
100. City from which Vasco da Gama sailed: LISBON.
101. NBA part: ASSN.
103. Driver's license info: GENDER.
104. Hardly favored: HATED.
105. Volta's birthplace: ITALY.
106. Musical Mel: TORME. "The Velvet Fog".
108. Drops: OMITS.
109. German river, to locals: RHEIN. And 114. German state: HESSE.
110. Less risky: SAFER.
112. Gemini docking target: AGENA. What does this word mean?
113. Lumps for Miss Muffet: CURDS.
118. Climbed: ROSE.
121. "Exodus" protagonist: ARI.
122. "The Situation Room" airer: CNN.
123. It's game: TAG.
124. Longtime Eur. realm: HRE. Holy Roman Empire.
Boomer Updates:
Boomer
completed his radiation last Wednesday. He still has problem swallowing
food and continues to feel run-down, but Dr. Esther told us that these
side effects will be gone in one to two weeks.
Boomer
also started the chemo drug Abiraterone (Zytiga) last Thursday. He's
been a good and cheerful patient. The staff at the radiation oncology all liked him.
 |
| Boomer, Nov 28, 2018 |
Wherever that a pigeon COOS,
ReplyDeleteWherever a small kitten mews,
That's where we met --
The internet,
And our time and chances FLEW!
In this mixed up day and age,
Even a nude BEACH sees rage
When someone slips
To kiss the lips
Of a GENDER they mis-gauged!
{A, B+(R).}
It is great seeing Boomer and his continued good spirits.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun but very doable Sunday, with Diagonal sail extender: SPRIT my only unknown. The themers were humorous and I must comment, if Mark has Mentored George in this debut LAT how consistently nice and helpful everyone I have ever communicated within the crossword world has been. Remembering that it was Don G. who helped unleash the creative force that is Zhouqin, I have had had such positive interaction from so many including C.C. who has guided me to two publications, Marti Duguay-Carpenter with whom my first was born and Jeffrey Wechsler for the Mel Brooks tribute that was here. But others such as John Lampkin, Jeff Chen, Matt Skockzen and Jerome Gunderson have provided insight and information. I also have had encouragement from many others. Thank you all.
Happy Chanukah all as the festival of lights continue.
BTW, the Ostrich, which can be 9' tall and somewhat intimidating in person, is the tallest bird.
ReplyDeleteGot lost on the range and couldn't see the deer for the antelopes. Went awry with Ari for Uri in 120A. Got Rhett, but Google tried to convince it was Billy Idol's daughter. Frankly I didn't give a damn. Other than that everything fell into place. It sounds as if Boomer is getting excellent therapy and with your love CC and God's help he will overcome this. You two are a beautiful couple. I will pray for him (eleven year survivor of PC with PSAs now less thann 0.1)
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteLate to the party because I did the shower/shave routine immediately upon getting out of bed this morning. I liked this one, probably because it was another of those rare days when d-o got the theme. Tried OTTER for that STOAT. Had no idea which cities Le Bron may have played in. Still mystified by the QB's ATT. (all-time throws?) Those short answers perped nicely, so no problem. Thanx, Mark, George and C.C.
AGENA: C.C., this was a rocket stage used in NASA's early Gemini space missions. Later Gemini missions practiced docking with the Agena stage in preparation for the Apollo program which followed.
Good to hear that Boomer remains in good spirits. He's in the battle of his life, but I believe he can do this.
Mr. Seeley, thanks for the knowing encouragement for Boomer. But, what is PC?
ReplyDeleteLemonade, I'm pretty sure PC is prostate cancer. Ergo the PSA.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, C.C. and friends. Fun THEMED puzzle. I got the theme with the HITCHING POSTERS on my second pass.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of Guys and Dolls, so tried Moll before AMIE.
I also learned that Time Passed Quickly is not Sped, but FLEW.
I tired Doric before settling on IONIC.
Fun to see both RHETT and TARA in the same puzzle. I read Gone with the Wind years ago.
I read Name of the Rose, but not Foucault's Pendulum, but I knew that Umberto ECO (1932 ~ 2016) had written both.
Sending Boomer all the best.
Happy Chanukah!
QOD: A candle is a small thing. But one candle can light another. And see how much its own light increases, as a candle gives its flame to the other. You are such a light. ~ Moshe Davis (Jan. 12, 1916 ~ Apr. 10, 1996) [Chanukah began at sunset on December 2, 2018.]
Thanks C.C., Mark, and George. I flew through this one, and enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to Boomer. Keep up the good fight!
Tom, sometimes I am quite blind to the obvious. Thanks
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDelete"Flew" through this offering pretty quickly as the theme was obvious early on and the themers were straightforward enough. A few hiccups: Rug/Tea (I don't drink tea but am familiar with Bigelow carpeting), Erie/Cree, and NBA/NHL, which was a mistake due to haste. Unknowns were Hesse, Agena, Inca, and Siva. Aries took longer than it should have for someone with an April birthday. I liked the creature sub-theme: Myna, Stoat, Emu, Deer, Llama Ant, and Coos, Flew, and Nip.
Thanks, Mark and congrats, George, you're in good company with Mark and thanks, CC, for the detailed and informative tour. Lovely picture of you and Boomer. Thanks for the update and best wishes to you and Boomer. I hope he feels more like himself very soon. We're here for you.
DO @ 7:13 ~ ATT is Attempts. BTW, only you would consider 7:13 as late to the blog. 😉
Happy Chanukah to Lemony and Hatoolah.
Have a great day.
So today we are presented with a ORDINARY THEMED puzzle, which seems to be the norm these days; not my favorite type. After JUMP OVER BOARD-ERS, any X-word vet will realize just to add ERS to the end of any THEMED clue. I have never heard of BEFORE THE MAST but the MASTERS was a gimme. Ditto for REALITY CHECK. Wanted TRIUMPHANT before the perps made it end in AL.
ReplyDeleteBigelow, Huascar, BRIAN McCann, "In Too Deep"- unknowns. PEPE was a WAG
Tallest bird- Ostrich? NO. It's Big Bird on Sesame Street. It's so strange to see OSTRICHE on the menu of every Italian restaurant down here. Oh, they are oysters.
Aquaphor- Dr. told me to use it when I had the shingles; bought a big jar.
Now allow me to brag on my DW. This past Friday night Diane Simpson was one of three people inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame along with a NCAA men's singles champion (Donny Leaycraft-1989) and tennis coach John Bryan, who coached multiple Collegiate National champions and four Wimbledon Champions.
http://www.louisianatennis.com/press-room/2018-Hall-of-Fame-Inductees-Announced
Usually see the sail extender as "bowSPRIT" which gives more room for the jibsail(s) on the ..um..bow of the boat.
ReplyDeleteA "tin EAR" is a handicap, "NO EAR" must be nearly disabling.
ELMER Fudd's hat has a shape, it's not really floppy
https://dks.scene7.com/is/image/GolfGalaxy/17FNSMFSPGMNTDYDCAPA_Khaki?wid=1200&fmt=jpg
I am confused by Hahtoolah's and lemonade's posts. Has Hanukkah already started? Your verb tense suggests it has but then you also say it began at sunset on the 2nd which has not occurred. On to Google to help understand.
ReplyDeleteit's already Dec. 3 in Australia, so Happy Chanukah!
DeleteFIW! I am one, but entered AirES. Bad spellers of the world, UNTIE!!!
ReplyDeleteErased left for GONE, quip for CHAP, YOU do for YOU'RE and mull for CHEW.
Like Bill O I thought of a bow SPRIT. Modern racing boats use them to carry larger spinnakers. Of course, sometimes more sail area is NOT an asset.
Loves me some Wile E. Cyote.
Wanted Roach Motel before ANT TRAP.
I liked that we has stadium staples, then also the Staples Arena team, the NHL's Kings at 99d.
Thanks for the fun puzzle, guys. And thanks to CC for another solid review. And of course the medical staff loved Boomer. Who wouldn't?
Sunday fun today! Thank you to Mark and George; excellent grid.
ReplyDeleteI also FLEW through this; I don't recall seeing PODIA before but it makes sense as the plural of podium. Changed it from AMBO. MIA/AMIE was my last fill. It took some thinking to recall that Guy is French and I did vaguely recall that LeBron was in Miami so the M went in.
SEE ME is a familiar phrase for this retired teacher. I also liked seeing both TARA and RHETT.
YUCCA: tequila is made from it. There is a restaurant in Scottsdale called Cien Agaves (100 agaves). Tacos and tequila is their specialty though all the food I've had there is excellent. My brother was the former owner.
I'm not sure how ELMS can be slippery. Eels, yes, and I wonder if that was the original intended fill.
IrishMiss:
Good catch on the animal theme.
Thank you, C.C. I enjoy your many asides. Interesting to know about ENLAI and his wife. I send my continued good wishes for you and Boomer.
My shopping continues and I'm almost finished. Per my daughter my grandchildren all need clothes so it's piling up along with some surprises.
Have a delightful day, everyone! Happy Chanukah, Lemonade, Hahtoolah and anyone else who observes. It's the first day of Advent for us.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Even the title was fun on this entertaining puzzle!
-Time FLEW? Didn’t I go to Spring Training just last week?
-The 76er’s TANKED for years but still charged full price for their NBA games
-“Dearly departed” and “dearly beloved” are parts of two very different ceremonies
-In 1968 Tammy Wynette spelled it out
-Two boys did TELL administrators when they saw another boy enter our high school after kids were mostly gone with a gun (turned out to be a BB gun) in his waistband last Thursday. A 10-block lockdown was declared.
-My FB Huskers will be IDLE during bowl season but next year…
-We could answer every snarky Anon here, OR NOT!
-Why does $3.99 sounds so much less than $4.00
-TO ERR is human...
-I only buy GM cars and every salesperson is obligated to pitch ONSTAR. I, uh, have a cell phone.
-Hogan’s Heroes - STALAG 13 and William Holden - STALAG 17
-In Verner Von Braun’s scheme to get to the Moon, docking was VERY necessary
Musings 2
ReplyDelete-D-O - Everything you need to know about ATT’s
JB: in accordance with the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at sunset. We will light the first candle of Chanukah will be tonight. The reason for the “day” beginning at sunset is due to the verse in Genesis about the Earth’s creation.
ReplyDeleteHusker, hard to believe that somebody actually keeps track of that stuff. You'd think they'd call 'em PAs rather than ATTs. Did Ma Bell have something to do with it?
ReplyDeleteLucina, slippery elm is a real thing, but it doesn't grow in Arizona. It's bark has purported medicinal uses for coughs, GERD, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Thanks, Mark and George, for this lovely Sunday puzzle with just enough crunch... for me. C.C., your write up was fun and informative. Thanks for the update on Boomer. He looks good!! Prayers continuing .
ReplyDeleteHG, you beat me to the explanation of ATT. Not a very compelling stat to me. I guess you have to attempt if you are going to complete, but someone does have to catch it!
Happy Chanukah!
Interesting chart for ATTs Husker. Football fans will notice how the top entrants are all from the present era where, due to rule changes in passing defense, throwing the ball has become more common thus allowing recent quarterbacks to dominate the chart. There is one outlier, however, in Fran Tarketon. Since he played for the Minnesota Vikings, I wonder if Boomer has any insight as to why he threw the ball more than his contemporaries. I've always seen him described as a scrambler who ran the ball more than the average qb. I guess he threw the ball more than them also? Was he the whole offense for the Vikes?
ReplyDeleteAlso, if I had 500 guesses to fill out the top 20, I dont think I would have ever landed on Kerry Collins. I'm aware of him from his days at Penn State to his career with the Giants but I would never had guessed at his longevity.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone.
ReplyDeleteEasy puzzle and theme today. Used the repeating ERS theme endings to pre-fill.
10a - STOAT - - Also called 'ermine' especially the winter phase of its coat.
Both ARES and ARIES, TODAY.
Supposed to get to 46º here today. We'll see.
My thoughts and prayers are with you Boomer. Keep fighting the good fight.
ReplyDeleteMy mind was in other places the Xword took a few minutes longer than usual... but finished.
Enjoy the warmer (43º in CHI) today!!!. At least I can go ride after not doing so for a week.
Big Easy at 0922 - Congratulations on DW's accomplishment, and to you for being prescient in recognizing her talent.
ReplyDeleteAfter checking your link, I went to CC's Ginger roots to make sure I understood the relationship clearly, namewise. BZ
Woohoo! Woohoo! This has been my best Sunday puzzle effort ever! Woohoo! Many thanks, Mark and George. I patiently worked my way through this one and had to cheat by looking up only one single word, but got everything else perfectly. Can't remember that I've ever done this well on a Sunday. A total treat. And how nice to get that wonderful picture of you and Boomer on the beach, C.C., and the very promising update on his treatment. Such good news that will inspire my ongoing prayers for him.
ReplyDeleteThis great Sunday morning start is especially welcome after a really trying day yesterday. My friend Becky and I started out for the DMV office at 10am, where I would take my written driving test. Once we got there I had a four hour wait until I was finally able to take the test after 2pm. And then disaster, I failed the test (you fail if you miss more than three answers). I couldn't believe it. But I was allowed to take the test two more times and on the second one I decided not to do it on the computer, but to ask if I could do it on paper. This allowed me to ponder over all the questions that puzzled me, and this time, thank goodness, I passed the test. A huge relief, because otherwise I might have lost my driver's license on my birthday, December 23. I was totally exhausted when I got home yesterday, but this morning's puzzle, Jumble, and C.C. posting, have all restored my spirits. Thank you!
Yay, Misty! You passed.
DeleteWhat a day, Misty! I am so glad you passed your test. Giving up driving would be very difficult.
ReplyDeleteBoomer, I am rooting for you, Boomer. You seem to be staying strong.
HG - "“Dearly departed” and “dearly beloved” are parts of two very different ceremonies" Apropos to both: "A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he's finished." (Zsa Zsa Gabor).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can just about recite the OnStar salesman's spiel: "Your cell phone can't call for help if you are in a bad accident and you are unconscious. It can't track your car if stolen. It can't scan the OBD system for malfunction codes and tell you if a problem can wait." Am I close? (I helped roll out the system under strict secrecy. We were told that it was called 5-Star and that the client was Mercedes.) Still not enough to sell me a GM vehicle (except I would love to have a 'Vette).
Misty, I'm so glad you will continue to be mobile. Too bad about the wait time at the DMV. That started when Proposition 13 was passed. Instead of cutting back on night basketball and cleaning the beach restrooms once a day instead of four, the first and biggest cuts were to the DMV. Taxpayers think THEY run the state? We'll show THEM! Hard to believe Californians haven't forced a fix to that problem.
A nit on it. 123D "It's game". "It's" is a contraction for "It is" making the clue "It is game". TAG is the game of "You're 'it'". The possesive form of "It" is "Its". The clue should be "Its game".
ReplyDeleteMaverick, you make a fine point. But I think the editor want's to call for the possessive of the word IT and not the normal pronoun 'it'. JM2¢.
ReplyDeleteMisty - Woohoo. I'm glad you're back in the saddle again. BZ
I liked this puzzle and all your comments very much. Yep, I pre-filled the ending ERS like Big Easy and Spitzboov did. Congratulations to Diane.
ReplyDeleteGlad you passed your test, Misty.
Continuing good wishes for a full recovery for Boomer.
Happy Chanukah!
P.S. Just as chess was Kasparov's game, so is tag It's game. ("It" being the person's "name.")
Chiming in late today; deadlines and commitments. Thanks C.C. for the nice write-up, and all for comments. George is a cohort of mine who hangs out at the same local coffee shop. He shares the byline on this puzzle because he came up with some puns, one of which was the inspiration for the puzzle - he also helped a bit along the way, but isn't actually an aspiring constructor - hopefully he'll generate more theme ideas. I really wanted Rich to go with the "Complete the clue" cluing scheme that I designed. That would have made some of the entries a little more lively (I think. e.g. "The golfer's memoir was titled "Two Years ... BEFORE THE MASTERS" (Two Years Before the Mast is a fairly famous book). Gold medal winners at the renaissance fair included ... TRIUMPHAL ARCHERS). Anyway, I guess that style of cluing has gone the way of AROA and ANOA. So be it.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! Another great Sunday challenge. Thanks, Mark & George! Another great expo, thanks, C.C.
ReplyDeleteBoomer humor is the best way to get thru this recent life challenge. I commend you for seeing that, Boomer! Still praying.
ERS...I got the theme early which helped with the big bunch of them. Red-letter mode was necessary since it took two to five tries to come up the the right entry on a number of fills such as STOAT, LLAMA, FRANKS. Had Poe before ECO. Duh! not the pit! Knew better. DNK: SPRIT, LOCKE, AGENA.
LeBron clues were a gimmee. Now he is a LA Laker in his quest for yet another championship ring. He can't find teammates who live up to his standard of excellence.
Big Easy: Congratulations to Diane! Wow!
Misty, after four boring hours in the DMV, it is amazing that you even remembered your name let alone the traffic stuff. Congrats on retaining your license. My experience has been it is the hardest thing for we seniors to give up -- the means to independence. Scary.
Happy Chanukah! I started re-reading the first Faye Kellerman novel a few days ago and am now half-way thru the second. She writes of the Jewish religion along with crime. I decided it must be my tribute to the season. I sure am having trouble getting in the spirit of Christmas.
I've only heard of Slippery Elm from old-time baseball pitchers chewing on it to generate more saliva for their spitballs (I know, eeew, TMI)
ReplyDeletePPE, IIRC Fran Tarkenton was a "scrambler" not running to gain yardage, but running for his life behind the line of scrimmage. Bad offensive lines with both the early Vikings and the late-60s Giants.
Of course you have to keep track of ATTs. Players in most sports are evaluated by the ratio of success to failure (hits to at-bats in baseball, yards per carry in football, shooting percentage in basketball, etc. Right down to our favorite crossword STAT, ERA (earned run average). Attempts by themselves aren't very important, only as a perspective on how many tries it took to get the successes.
Smooth solve today - unknown AGENA - but solved by perps. Thanks Mark & George.
ReplyDeleteHaving a busy weekend, as my older 2 and spouses were here. We had an open house for Sam & Taylor, since many from here couldn't make it up to northern Wisconsin for the wedding. Friday went to an annual event here called Living Windows - where all the merchants downtown have various groups performing in their front windows, Governor's Christmas Tree Lighting and mansion tours, they have wagon rides, the Grinch, Santa, etc. to visit and a live Nativity scene. The kids enjoyed sharing it with their spouses! Today was 2 different Christmas cantatas.
Happy Hannukah! Happy for Boomer to finish radiation and for both Boomer & CC to be done with the daily drives for it!
Congrats to Misty for passing her driver's license test. Barbra Streisand did James Corden's Carpool Karaoke and she talked about having to pass hers as well - stardom doesn't get you out of taking the test, but I bet she didn't wait for 4 hours at the DMV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSG7Os-Uzlk
Your puzzle and the answer in the Houston Chronicle did no match today (12/2/2018)!
ReplyDeleteFred Olenick
My goodness--so many kind comments about my passing the written driving test. Many thanks, Yellowrocks, Jinx, Spitzboov, Sandyanon, Jayce, PK, and Inanehiker. I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteSunday Lurk say...
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! Woohoo! Congrats Misty! Sometimes the second time is the charm. //We knew you'd do it!
C.C. - it's funny to me how you keep commenting on actress' beauty. Don't take this the wrong way, but, you're not so bad yourself. And your real beauty is how you care for Boomer through all this. Keep up your spirits; I'm sure Boomer keeps himself entertained in his own mind :-)
Good on Diane BigE. She deserves recognition for 30+ years of volunteering!
Thanks Mark for the back-story on George. You'll get him hooked for sure :-)
Well, the paper said it was supposed to get cold this week, so, I thought "Chili!"
I start my chili w/ suet. While at the grocery store, I asked the butcher for some. He had to ask another butcher what suet is.
The second butcher said, "It's not something we normally sell."
"Well, can we make this the exception?"
"Um..."
"Never mind," I thought as I walked away, "Kids these days!, I'll just start it with bacon fat."
It's Yankee-style chili (w/ beans to stretch it out an extra meal or two). It's been simmering all day and I just dipped a cracker into it. #OhHellYeah!
I digress. Speaking of the paper:
Um, FredO, The H. Chron (or Barnacle as D-O calls it) runs last week's NYT on Sundays. The give-a-way is "Edited by Will Shortz" up top.
Happy Chanukah!
Cheers, -T
Anonymous T - FETM* Y2K** was a piece of cake, since we knew at least two, maybe three years ahead to start preparing. Of course a few people really milked the overtime "testing".
ReplyDelete* From Early This Morning, yesterday's puzzle
** Year 2000, the hyped end of computerized civilization at the turn of the century
Fun theme, but I was surprisingly slow to catch on to it! VOLTA'S BIRTHPLACE really had me confused. I was trying to remember what town he was born in. I did not expect they just wanted the country name! There were also two unusual spellings of words I knew quite well: MYNA/MYNAH and SIVA/SHIVA. Anyone else?
ReplyDeleteBig Easy congratulations to your wife. Quite an honor.
CC thanks for the Boomer update. Wow, 16 years since you have been to the BEACH? I get to the BEACH several times a week as it is just a ten minute bike ride away. I appreciate it every single visit.
No one seems to have answered your question about the origin of AGENA, though. I filled it in right away as I remember the name from my childhood. Glued to the TV during those historic rocket launches. But I cannot seem to find any explanation for the origin of the name AGENA. Anyone?
YUCCA is quite common in this area. Here I captured three of them with their fruiting stalks.
Here is another set of my RENAISSANCE FAIR photos.
No ARCHERS in that set, though.
Speaking of ELMER Fudd, does anyone else know of Fudd's First Law? Fudd's First Law states:
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over.
But, it seems this comes from a different Fudd.
Misty congratulations on the DMV success! That is awful to have a four hour wait. That would fluster anyone. In California there are reservations for specific time slots.
ReplyDeleteBut that doesn't mean there's never a wait!
DeleteFellow Californian
Picard, I've been perusing some of the pics you have posted here recently. I'm wondering if your beard is grey now? I thought some pics were out of order but in the bday cake pic you dont have grey while earlier ones, you do. Sorry for being nosy but I want be sure if I was looking for the proper person?
ReplyDeleteCC and Picard @ 1859 - AGENA - - I LIUed Agena and came up with: β Centauri (Latinised to Beta Centauri) is the star's Bayer designation.
ReplyDeleteIt bore the traditional names Hadar and Agena. Hadar comes from the Arabic حضار (the root's meaning is "to be present" or "on the ground" or "settled, civilized area"[15]), while the name Agena may ultimately be derived from the Latin genua, meaning "knees".
Hadar and Agena appear to be interchangeable.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Mark, George and C.C.!
Easy puzzle~
Things that required a few perps: GORSUCH,
BRIAN, RHETT, CYMBAL, NHL, LISBON. CNN and AGENA.
Thinking of you, Boomer!
Hope to see you tomorrow!
The Agena name was suggested by the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency for the star Beta Centauri, also known as Agena, because this upper stage would "ignite in the sky". This followed Lockheed's tradition of naming products for stellar phenomena.[
ReplyDeleteBeta Centauri, also known as Hadar or Agena, is the "knee of the Centaur." Hadar (also known as Agena) is a star that is visible from the Southern Hemisphere. It is the second-brightest star in the constellation Centaurus — another name for it is Beta Centauri — and the 10th brightest star in Earth's night sky.
No one is very sure where the name "Hadar" first arose, but astronomer David Darling points out that Agena means "knee of Centaur," the constellation to which the star belongs. ("Agena" was also the name of a docking target used during NASA's Gemini program to practice joining spacecraft together, back in the early days of the space program in the 1960s.)
Spitzboov thank you very much for the AGENA explanation!
ReplyDeleteJB thanks for asking about my varied beard color in photos. I am surprised no one asked before!
I have been coloring my hair and beard for many years. Back in 2010 I was going out with a woman just before I left on a long trip to Europe. When I returned, my coloring had faded. My then lady friend said I looked "adorable" with the gray beard. She looked way younger than me even with my colored hair. Blonde with fair skin. But I went along with her suggestion and stayed with it long after she moved away.
Until one day when someone mistook me for a friend who is about my parents' age. I went right back to coloring my hair! That is the long answer!
Sandyanon and Misty I fortunately have little experience with the DMV. I will take your word for it, Sandyanon. Misty: Where do you live?
From yesterday:
Avg Joe thanks for the amusing PECAN story! I think I pronounce it both ways.
d-o:
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information on slippery ELM. I honestly didn't think it was real. Good to know it's medicinal.
Misty:
Congratulations! It's wonderful that you passed your test and how wise of you to ask for a written form. I'm sorry to hear you had a four hour wait though. Here we can make an appointment if we wish.
BigEasy:
Congratulations to Diane on her award! You must be so proud of her.
More wonderful congratulations, thank you, AnonT, and Lucina. Picard, I live in Laguna Beach, California, and called one or two months ago to make an appointment, but was told there were no appointments being made in November or December, but they recommended going on a Saturday, when they said it would be less crowded. So that's what I did. Anyway, it worked on my second try and I'm so relieved it's over. I'm supposed to get my license in the mail in two weeks, and just pray that my picture isn't as ugly as my distress may have made me look by the time they took it.
ReplyDeleteMisty, I would love to hear from anyone who really liked their driver's license picture.
DeleteAnyone?
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Mark McClain and George Teller, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteLiked this puzzle. the theme appeared fairly early. That does not always happen with me.
TEA caught my eye. I often drink Bigelow Earl Grey tea. It is very good.
Liked RHETT for RHETT BUTLER. Great book and movie.
CNN reminds me do not care for that network.
I don't get SEE ME for 71D.
Went to Old Warsaw for supper tonight with a group I belong to, the Grotto. Great Polish food.
Time for me to hit the hay.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Lurk is back say...
ReplyDeleteI just got of the phone w/ my Mom and heard about the devastating tornadoes in Taylorville, IL yesterday. [Taylorville is about 20 min North of Mom].
If you have 6min - watch this guy chasing a twister near Beardstown. [the end is kinda funny].
I'll ask my elders from IL - have you ever heard of tornadoes in December?!?
Abejo - If you get an F on your paper (or turn in crap to a boss-man), you may get "SEE ME" returned to you. And, oh buddy!, there goes the stuff at the fan...
Cheers, -T
Abejo:
ReplyDeleteAs AnonT just referenced, teachers often write SEE ME on their students' papers if the material is substandard. It means a one on one conference is required.
Sandyanon: my last driver's license picture actually had me looking pleasant and alert. Best DL picture ever I had. Several of my pharmacists have remarked, "Hey, you got a good picture -- never saw one before on a DL." Didn't look like I'd like to look but it did look like I do look.
ReplyDeletehatoolah @ 11:06: "The reason for the “day” beginning at sunset is due to the verse in Genesis about the Earth’s creation."
ReplyDelete"And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." (Gen 1:5), yes, going from dark to light.
Thank you all for the Chanukah wishes. The festival started at sundown as we lit the menorah with one candle burning, having first lit a helper candle. My holiday is already great with the granddaughter sending a video, saying the prayers. It is a school night so they are home and so are we.
ReplyDeleteI see I never posted. Xword was refreshingly easy after a tough weekend. But enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteComplicated? Perhaps but AK, the Idiot, War&Peace were worth the effort. The right translation is important.
IM, no mistake, Sacramento Kings are NBA
Picard, your spelling of MYNAH is mine too. I think SIVA is a var.*
Misty glad you're on the road. DMV tests are ridiculous . I got two wrong on the sample test. That stupid sign and one other.
WC
Remember when clues had that word (abbreviated).