google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday December 9, 2018 Paul Coulter

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Dec 9, 2018

Sunday December 9, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Culinary School"- Each cooking utensil is punnily re-phrased:
 
23A. Pie company exec?: PASTRY WHEEL. The big wheel.

25A. Bad brunch review?: OMELET PAN.  Our Steve has a Japanese style Tamagoyaki pan.
  

37A. Neighborhood with meat purveyors?: BUTCHER BLOCK.

55A. ATM code you rotate regularly?: ROLLING PIN.

84A. Thief at a fertility clinic?: EGG POACHER. Never used one.



98A. Nasty group of directors?: CUTTING BOARD.

16A. Stadium for a boxing match?: PUNCH BOWL.

118A. Journalists covering a spicy story?: GARLIC PRESS. Makes me smile. Thinking of our Garlic Gal.

What a fun theme. Tight set and amusing clues. 

I think Paul is a foodie and often makes puzzles while hungry.

Across:

1. 8 for O, e.g.: AT NO. Atomic Number.

5. Quibbles: CARPS.

10. "M*A*S*H" actor: ALDA. Four A's in his name.

14. Like bachelor parties: STAG.

18. Excel: SHINE.

20. Autumn color: OCHRE.

21. Tea party host: MARCH HARE. Sparkly fill.

26. Find new quarters for: RE-HOUSE.

27. Winter fall: FLAKES. So lucky that the big snow fell here only after Boomer completed his radiation. 

29. Film units: REELS.

30. Michelangelo masterpiece: PIETA.

31. MSN competitor: AOL.

32. Cooking fat: SUET.

34. Guadalajara girls: NINAS.

43. Air freshener scent: LILAC.

46. Performed, in Shakespeare: DIDST. Just DID now. We also have 108. Old will?: SHALT.

48. How surprise party guests should arrive: EARLY.

49. Blanched: WAN.

50. Yours, in Tours: A TOI.

51. Doc bloc: AMA.

52. Keisters: SEATS.

54. "Momo" author Michael: ENDE. Not familiar with the book.


59. FICA benefit: SSI.

60. Unit in Ohm's Law: AMPERE.

62. Costa del __: SOL.

63. Female antelope: DOE.

64. Mellow: SOFTEN.

66. Looked lecherously: LEERED.

67. Suffix meaning "living substance": PLASM. Dictionary gives these three examples: endoplasm,  neoplasm and cytoplasm.

69. Not yet on the sched.: TBA.

70. Coast: GLIDE.

72. Like many churches: SPIRED.

75. Light: IGNITE.

78. Adaptable truck, for short: UTE.

79. "Bravo!": OLE.

82. Barbershop parts: TENORS.

83. Batman and the Boy Wonder, e.g.: DUO.

87. AA and AAA, e.g.: ORGS.

88. Takes from a deck: DRAWS. Deck of cards.

90. "Do Ya" rock gp.: ELO.

91. "I see": AH SO.

92. Starry-eyed agreement, often: I DO.

93. Area below the abdomen: GROIN.

95. Leslie of "Gigi": CARON. "Crazy Rich Asians" flopped in China. It just does not click with Chinese.

97. Holders of roasts: SPITS.

101. Like Dennis the Menace: PESKY.

103. Part of Q.E.D.: ERAT.

104. Bit of baby talk: GOO.

105. Leg bone: TIBIA. And 125. Bone on a menu: OSSO.

111. Work (out): REASON.

114. Inflexible: ADAMANT.

121. Wood preservatives: CREOSOTES. I learned this word from another puzzle.

122. Farm refrain: E I E I O.

123. Spock's father: SAREK. Another learning moment for me.



124. Firm employees: Abbr.: ATTS. One tiny letter dupe with 100. Dept. of Justice bigwigs: AGS.

126. Some NCOs: S SGTS.

127. Time at the inn: STAY.

Down:

1. Cleopatra killer: ASP.

2. Choreographer Twyla: THARP. So flexible.


3. Japanese-American: NISEI.

4. Without delay, as payment: ON THE NAIL. Is this a common phrase? Never heard of it.

5. Intimidates: COWS.

6. Advil target: ACHE.

7. MLB scoreboard abbr.: R H E. Runs, Hits, Errors.

8. Homes built indoors: PREFABS.

9. Traitors: SELL-OUTS.

10. Crazily: AMOK.

11. Like a flimsy excuse: LAME.

12. Backstage theater workers: DRESSERS.

13. An MRI may reveal a torn one: ACL.

14. "Fiddler on the Roof" setting: SHTETL. Yiddish for "small town".

15. Bind, in a way: TAPE. D-Otto told me about this tape, which fixed our dryer vent leaks nicely.


16. Asian sea: ARAL.

17. Mil. bigwigs: GENS. Generals.

19. Arousing: EROTIC.

22. As a result of this: HEREBY.

24. Chinese currency: YUAN. Chairman Mao's image is on all the paper money.


28. __-rock: ALT.

33. Modern address: URL.

35. Commonly used saws: ADAGES.

36. Gullible sort: SIMP.

38. Cut out: CEASE.

39. "You lose a lot of time, __ people": Marian Anderson: HATING.

40. Dog tag datum: OWNER.

41. Close-knit group: CADRE.

42. Injured, in a way: KNEED.

43. Drummer Ulrich: LARS. Metallica.


44. "Am __ late?": I TOO.

45. Hang loosely: LOLL.

47. Place for an honoree: DAIS.

53. Collection of heir pieces?: ESTATE. Fun clue.

54. Blunt blade: EPEE.

56. Do-nothing: IDLER.

57. Wikipedia policy: NO ADS.

58. Words indicating a delay: NOT NOW.

60. Thomas associate: ALITO. Supreme Court.

61. Euripides tragedy: MEDEA. Lemonade knows the full story.

65. "Criminal Minds" agcy.: FBI.

67. Some Olympians, nowadays: PROS.

68. Leaf's central vein: MIDRIB.

71. Two-time Tony winner Patti: LUPONE.

72. Zeno, notably: STOIC.

73. Concealed: PERDU. French word.

74. Bullion unit: INGOT.

76. Natural fertilizer: GUANO. Not HUMUS.

77. Hungarian wine region: EGER.

79. "I wasn't expecting you": OH HI.

80. "__ we forget": LEST.

81. God with a quiver: EROS.

85. Hardly haute cuisine: GLOP.

86. Large South American rodents: CAPYBARAS. Learning moment again.


88. Easy paces: DOGTROTS.

89. Misers: SCROOGES.

93. Saddle-holding bands: GIRTHS.

94. Tiny messenger: RNA.

96. Keats, in a Shelley title: ADONAIS.


97. Economizes: SKIMPS.

99. AT&T and Verizon: TELCOS.

102. Opp. of legato, in music: STAC.

106. Still: INERT.

107. Baffled: AT SEA.

108. Humane org.: SPCA.

109. On the disabled list, say: HURT.

110. Without __: riskily: A NET.

112. Farm females: EWES.

113. "Not to mention ... ": ALSO.

114. Came down: ALIT.

115. "Vaya con __": DIOS.

117. Bit of heckling: BOO.

119. "Andy Capp" cartoonist Smythe: REG. Stranger to me.



120. __ blue: SKY.


D4E4H's caretaker Lynn sent me this email yesterday:

"This is Lynn writing. David wanted me to tell you what's going on with him. A week ago Tuesday he had a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital and put in ICU for 7 days. During that time they put in two stents. One on the left on Friday of that week and one on the other side on Monday. They couldn't do both the same day because of his kidneys being bad. They also want to put in a Pace Maker but had to send him to another hospital downtown for that. When that new hospital took him down for this Pace Maker they found he had an infection in his legs so postponed it until he could get rid of the infection. They are scheduled to put it in Monday, Dec. 10th. If he still has the infection they will send him home and wait until the infection clears up and then bring him back. Meanwhile he says he is on vacation just sitting in his room eating and watching TV. "
 
I then called Dave. He said the nurse at his assisted living place made the right decision and sent him to ER. He still has his humor intact, admitting he's "stubborn as a mule".  Hope the surgery tomorrow is smooth. Please keep Dave in your thoughts and prayers.



Happy birthday to dear Hahtoolah (Susan), who's been with our blog for almost 10 years. She's an incredibly fast learner. I was stunned to see a scheduled post with perfect format just a few hours after I emailed her the puzzle and the blog instructions. She never ceases to amaze me with her astute observations and spot-on quotes. Thanks for being part of our blog team, Susan!

Boomer Updates:

The side effects from the radiation seem to be mostly gone. Now Boomer can swallow food without any discomfort. He does have stomach ache at times, esp after a meal. Not sure if it's from Zytiga or ibuprfen or oxycodone. 

Monthly meeting with Dr. Thomas Downs next Wednesday, then a blood draw. Eager to see if his PSA is lowered further.

Thanks for your continued support. Boomer and I get emotional and encouraged reading your comments and emails.

C.C.

38 comments:

OwenKL said...

BTW, since no one else mentioned it, here's an article about the incense/weed in yesterday's poem. False, doggone it. It ought to have been real!
Also LIU MARCH HARE, and found hares act mad as hatters during their mating season in March.

ON THE NAIL (on the head) is for getting something exactly right, but I've never heard it have anything to do with money. I've also heard it with regard to spindles used for skewering bills and/or receipts, but not payments.

'Twas MARCH, and two HARES were courting,
A DOE and a STAG, cavorting!
Acting like FLAKES,
Pulling out all the stakes,
And in hare-brained ways just consorting!

There was a fine church that aspired
To have a tower and be SPIRED.
So it bought some rogain,
That it poured on its frame,
And the congregation by the steeple was inspired!

Sonny bought a new chair and a clock,
And a table in the style "BUTCHER-BLOCK"
But his wife said, "No way
That's going in our bay!",
He tried hard, BUT CHER BLOCKED!

{A-, B+, C+.}

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

I earned a genuine DNF today. Reason: I never heard of Twyla Tharp, Tharp looked just as improbable as every other variation, and - even though we’ve had this trick before - I couldn’t suss Atomic Number.

Otherwise, no huge roadblocks. Couldn’t recall Sarek right away - he and Amanda Grayson, Spock’s mother, didn’t get much screen time.

Morning, C.C., thanks for the Boomer update. I continue to be impressed at the resolve you both have mustered. Keep on keeping on!

Happy Birthday Hahtoolah! It’s a pleasure to have you on the team of Corner Commentators.

Jayce from last night - sorry to hear of your DIL’s burden. That’s an awful lot to cope with all at once...strength and courage to you all.

Abejo from last night - my condolences on the loss of your friend. The suddenness, and the randomness, would leave me reeling. Peace be with you.

Lemonade714 said...

A fun theme from Paul C. and a nice tour from C.C. with the added joy of her comments and updates on Dave2 (get better) Susan birthday- HBDTY and many more, and Boomer (also get better and better, we need you).

Barbershop parts: TENORS was nice; Euripides tragedy: MEDEA not only do I know the whole story of my predecessor Jason, but one of my first jokes came from my grandfather, the tailor. "Grampa, what was the Euripides tragedy?" : You rippa dese pants and I'll show you tragedy."

While a pioneer and very successful REG SMYTHE probably is not as well known by name as he should be, because his name is so common

SAREK appeared in only one episode of the original series - Journey to Babel, episode 44, but the actor, who apparently had a classic Romulan/Klingon look MARK LENARD had nice career playing Sarek and others like him.

Paul C. said...

C.C., you're right - I love to cook. Since I have the family over on Sunday afternoons and make crosswords on Sunday mornings, I'm often thinking of food as I construct. Owen, BUT CHER BLOCKED was very good. Thanks for my chuckle of the day.

Some theme entries that didn't make the cut -

HONEYDIPPER - Guy doing a bendy dance move with his sweetheart?
PRESSURECOOKER - Make demands on the chef?
LOBSTERPICKS - Selections at a dockside stand in Maine?
BREADMACHINE - Automatic teller?
MEASURINGSPOON - Assessing a cuddle?
CHAFINGDISH - Annoying a real looker?
APPLECUTTER - Tech employee who skips work in Cupertino?
BAMBOOSTEAMER - Large ship made out of tall grass?
FISHSCALER - One who climbs onto a perch?

TTP said...


Good morning. Thank you Paul and C.C.

Paul, your clues didn't match up with a lot of my answers.

Dug quite a hole this morning, and couldn't climb out. Should have erased and started all over. It started at the top with PASTRY CHIEF for pie company exec. I thought we were adding an I, and it kinda sorta fit with the Culinary School title. Bzzt ! Chief also gave me CHI for MLB scoreboard abbreviation, but I wondered if it might be PHI.

Had CABAL instead of CADRE, couldn't flush PAR (boiled) for "blanched" where WAN belonged. Never heard of ENDE and had no idea on Euripedes tragedy. It didn't help that I was locked in on current, voltage and resistance for Ohm's Law, and it took too long to get AMPERE. Dog tag datum ? Let's see. Name, Rank, Serial # and Religious Preference. None fit.

Had REARS where SEATS belonged, never heard of Marian Anderson, and had SLIDE instead of GLIDE. Only got the R in EGER because I finally remembered the R in CARON. I know I've seen the name Patty LUPONE before, but in this morning's haze her new surname was LUPINO.

Not really familiar with SIMP for "gullible sort", and I thought Spock's dad might be SOREL, and Dennis the Menace was PESTY rather than PESKY.

Perps filled in ON THE NAIL, PERDU, THARP, SHTETL, and ADONAIS. Not familiar with any of those.

Other than that, it was a smooth solve. Not. I'm going back to bed. Must need sleep.

C.C., I also thought HUMUS before GUANO.

Dudley, I was disappointed that it took so long to get AT NO, and thought, "Dudley would have got that answer immediately.

Boomer, good to hear you are past the radiation part.
Get well soon D4E4H Dave.
Happy Bithday Hahtoolah !

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Struggled, but finally prevailed with the assistance of Wite-Out. Stumbling blocks were DEALS/DRAWS, MAD HATTER/MARCH HARE, REARS/SEATS, among others. MIDRIB was slow to appear, and that area was the last to fall. But I do-ed it, so no whuppin' today. Thanx, Paul and C.C.

OMELET PAN: Just ordered a new one from A-to-Z yesterday. Somebody used a metal utensil on the old one. Can't get anybody to admit it, though.

EGG POACHER: Use my Calphalon at least a couple times a week. The non-stick is pretty much worn off the cups, but it keeps soldiering on.

ON THE NAIL: Not familiar with the payment reference. It's where you should hit with a hammer, as opposed to on the thumb.

CREOSOTE: In my ute the wooden telephone and electric poles were always treated with creosote to make 'em last longer.

Best wishes to D4 and Boomer. Keep hangin' in there.

Happy birthday, Hahtoolah. You're a fine addition to the daily rotation.

Didn't experience any flooding here, but areas north of us got hit pretty hard. All of that water is now headed downstream. Peach Creek, which flows through our town, is expected to crest near flood-stage today. Our house is high and dry, but it may be difficult getting out of town.

Lemonade714 said...

Paul C., thank you for stopping by and showing us how much goes on in your mind. Is the clue for ON THE NAIL yours. If so, I do not get it. I know there is - BRITISH
(of payment) without delay - but why am I thinking over the pond?

I like the idea- bendy dance.

Jerry S said...

Struggled today because of a few errors. Finally decided to blank out any uncertain entries and that cleared my mind. Also googled a few

Glad for the Boomer update. Keep the joy, wherever you can find it

maripro said...

Thanks C.C. and Paul. It's always nice to hear from the constructor.
Glad Boomer is able to eat again. Keep up the good fight!

Paul C. said...

Lemonade - For ONTHENAIL, I had, "Immediately (chiefly British)"

Barry T. said...

"Without delay, as payment: ON THE NAIL. Is this a common phrase? Never heard of it." I wanted "IN THE MAIL", which is a more direct / appropriate answer given the clue? Have also not heard of this phrase being used as clued.

"8 for O" got me... I "finally" sussed a relationship between "8" and "Octo", but that didn't help... at all!

Best wishes to Boomer for a speedy recovery!

billocohoes said...

Since THARP is the only Twyla I know, that was a gimme. She's been with the American Ballet Theater for 30 years now.

Hand up for CAbal and MAd hatter

STOIC was also in the NYT puzzle today.

Was trying to fit Chupacabra into CAPYBARAS. In my mind because the NYT theme today is Cryptids (legendary animals), but it didn't have chupacabras in it.

ON THE NAIL sounds like a phrase from the past, like cash on the barrel. Maybe because fewer people pay cash for major purchases now.

Big Easy said...

Dang, this sounds like bad news Sunday. Let's hope Dave and Boomer are feeling better. 'Infection in his legs'- the shorter the STAY in the hospital the odds are better for NOT becoming infected by something that can't be cured.

Paul's puzzle gave me fits and it shouldn't have, as there were not that many unknowns-Michael ENDE, SAREK, Vaya con DIOS, Patti LUPONE, PERDU, EGER, SHTETL,REG- and all the theme fills were easily guessable. LEST we forget- should have been Thursday.

ON THE NAIL- that was a difficult fill because I'd never heard it used that way(financial). Usually used when you make a correct answer or hit the right number. Or to be exactly right.

EGG POACHER- I bought a couple of 'plastic' ones from BB&B. Spray with PAM, put the egg in, and set in boiled water (turn OFF the heat) for 7 minutes with the lid on the pot. Comes out perfect every time.

Andy Capp- a cartoon that once ran in our local paper. It was about a British man who was a bum and would never get a job in spite of his wife's insistence. Being on the dole was good enough for him. I guess making fun of able-bodied people who refuse to work is now considered politically incorrect.

PAUL C.- what was you clue for 'Chafing Dish'? Now that would be a misogynist clue, it it referred to a good-looking woman.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

I agree about "ON THE NAIL". Never heard it used this way. A Brit term maybe? A few perps needed, but mostly solvable w/o stress.
80d - LEST - - USNI Proceedings has a monthly feature "LEST We Forget" that is the first page I turn to when I receive it each month.
12d - DRESSERS - - BH'S niece is a DRESSER in Hollywood. She has met some well-known stars, but it seems like hard, demanding work.
97a - SPITS - - Homophone SO
KNEED and GROIN in the same puzzle
27a - FLAKES - - German & L. German 'Flocken'. Dutch 'vloken'

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Great fun puzzle, Paul, but it would have been impossible for me without red-letter redirects. Tried up to five guesses on some things. I was proud to know Twila Tharp from a PBS special on her career many years ago. Didn't get ATNO until C.C. explained it in her great expo. Thanks.

Belated Happy Birthday, JzB. Keep entertaining us, please.

Happy Birthday, Hahtoolah! I enjoy your blog day and appreciate all your posts.

Thanks to Lynn for letting us know about Dave4. Prayers for you Dave! Hope all the surgery & meds make you all better. A pacemaker did worlds of good for my brother.

Continued prayers for renewed health for Boomer & strength for C.C. Hugs to you both.

Jayce: compassion & prayers for your DIL. Life gives us more than too much sometimes.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

We've been treated to a lot of Paul's puzzles recently and I enjoy his work very much. I loved today's theme and I started out the exact way as TTP with Pastry Chief and Chi (also considered Phi!) but filling in Omelet Pan turned the light on. I thought all of the theme entries were spot on, as was the clever cluing. However, I was "O" verwhelmed by these entries: Boo, Goo, I Do, I Too, Duo, At No, Elo, Ah So, Osso, Also, Guano, Alito, and EIEIO! I am not familiar with On the Nail, as clued, nor Dog Trots, also as clued. Sunday puzzles usually contain lots of proper names which, inevitably, need perps, for me: Ende, Sarak, Eger, Lars, Perdu, Reg, and Capybaras. The delightful theme and most of the fill more than make up for any perceived shortcomings.

Thanks, Paul, for a fun solve and thanks, CC, for being our faithful and informative guide. Glad to hear that Boomer is improving and I send my best wishes and loving thoughts to you both.

I also send my best wishes for a speedy return to good health to Dave. We miss you, so get well soon and come back to the Corner.

Happy Birthday, Susan, hope it's a special day. 🎂🎉🎁🎈🍾 Thanks for your joining the blog team; you're doing a great job.

FLN

Jayce, I'm so sorry about your DIL's loss and heartbreaking health issues.

Abejo, sincere condolences on the loss of your friend.

Have a great day.

Lucina said...


Happy birthday, Hahtoolah! I hope you celebrate in style! As has been said, you are an added star on the weekly rotation.

Paul Coulter, I loved this puzzle! I eat up puns!

And I also know Twyla THARP from PBS and of course, "vaya con DIOS" was easy (go with God)
However, PASTRYWHEEL is not in my wheelhouse so that caused many problems. I had PASTRY chief so couldn't come up with COWS, RHE or SELLOUT. Drat! Finally I just left some blanks.
In Hong Kong we spent dollars but on the mainland YUANS were required.

Otherwise this was a quick sashay with some sparkling fill! I loved EGGPOACHER and PUNCHBOWL as clued! CUTTINGBOARD, too.

CAPYBARA surprised me; I was thinking it was Australian. I've forgotten so much of what I once taught! It's scary.

C.C., thank you for posting the news about Dave and if you contact Lynn, please assure her we are thinking of him and praying for his quick recovery.
It's good to know about Boomer's progress as well. I pray for him daily.

FLN:
Jayce, I'm praying for your DIL, too, hoping she can cope with all her travails.

Abejo: deepest sympathy on the loss of your friends.

Thank you, C.C., for your insightful review. The cheerful attitude displayed by both you and Boomer is inspiring!

Enjoy the day, everyone!

Spitzboov said...

Happy Birthday, Hahtoolah. I feel privileged to be part of your long association with this group. Thanks for all your thoughtful comments. Hope you have a great day.

Dave - Sorry for your recent medical dustups. Sounds like you have a very capable nurse in your assisted living set-up. Best of luck.

jfromvt said...

Sorry, but this puzzle wasn’t my cup of tea. Too many arcane and archaic answers for my liking. Oh well.

Time for a little football, hopefully my Patriots beat Miami and win another division title!

Misty said...

Very clever Paul Coulter puzzle, and thanks for checking in with us, Paul. I needed lots of help with this one, as I usually do on Sundays, but still got items in lots of different places and enjoyed working on it. Like Barry T. I too had 'IN THE MAIL' for the quick payment and still don't like ON THE NAIL as the answer. Am I the only one who waned PERKY for Dennis the Menace? I kind of like that smarty-pants little kid, I guess. I always like seeing Alan ALDA in a puzzle, and he shows up a lot, doesn't he? Hope he does the puzzles and enjoys seeing his name. Anyway, lots of fun, and great write-up as always, C.C. And so glad to get the promising report on Boomer's condition. He is in my daily prayer too, and I look forward to seeing him do the report tomorrow.

Please let Dave know we are rooting for his recovery. What a difficult experience he's going through.

Best wishes for a wonderful birthday, Hahtoolah!

And have a great Sunday, everybody.

Yellowrocks said...

Very clever puns, Paul. I liked your bread machine/ATM pun, too.
FIR. I loved the challenge. Pastry chief held up the NW until last. COWS broke that section open and led to WHEEL.
ON THE NAIL was very perp friendly. LIU just now. It seems to be a Britishism. Fair game. We have had other Britishisms.I rationalized it by relating it to "nailed it."
DO, I remember when telephone poles were creosoted. So was the fencing in state parks. I have never forgotten that scent.
Hasn't THARP become crosswordese?
NISEI mean second generation of Japanese immigrants, i.e. children of immigrants. This term is not used in Japan.
Tomagoyaki - tomago means egg and yaki means grilled or fried. The pan allows the cook to make a perfect rectangle of the omelet before rolling. Neatness counts big in Japan. Tomago sushi is a slightly sweet omelet served over rice. When we visited a middle school in Japan the cooking class made tomago sushi for us. N.B. not all sushi has raw fish.
REG and SAREK were unfamiliar to me, but perpable. I look on them and other perpables as learning experiences.
CC, please let Dave know we are pulling for him.
Abejo, condolences on losing your friend in a terrible accident.
Jayce, my thoughts are with your DIL and grandson.
A very happy birthday to Hahtoolah.

OldPhil said...

The answer to 59 across "SSI", does not accurately correspond to the clue "FICA benefit." SSI is a welfare program administered by the Social Security Administration, but it is funded from general revenues, not the FICA taxes that are the basis for social security payments.

billocohoes said...

PERDU and ENDE were unknowns.

TTP, SIMP is short for SIMPleton. Not a kind way to describe someone.

DOG TROT is easy to visualize if you've ever walked a dachshund - short legs churning away while its back stays level.

My memory of CREOSOTES was taking shortcuts by walking on railroad track ties. Very pungent on hot summer days. I think creosote may now be banned, or at least recommended to be used with many precautions for domestic applications.

Marian Anderson was a performing contralto from 1925-65. Famously sang an outdoor concert at the Lincoln Memorial after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her sing to an integrated audience at their Constitution Hall in Washington, DC.

TTP said...

Jayce, sorry to hear about your DIL and her father. I missed that earlier this morning when reading yesterday's posts.

Jayce said...

Deep in my archived memory banks I recalled a snippet of a song that had the lyric "Cash on the nail." I thought it might have been Roger Miller's King of the Road but after looking it up I learned I was wrong. It is a lyric from a song in Jesus Christ Superstar called "Damned for All Time/Blood Money" sung by Judas and the priests he made the deal with. Specifically, Caiaphas sings, "We'll pay you in silver, cash on the nail. We just need to know where the soldiers can find him." I knew I had heard that expression somewhere.

A really good puzzle today. Like TTP, with PASTRY CHIEF for pie company exec I thought we were adding an I. I think I got the same buzzer he did.

In fact, with enthusiastic sincerity I quote TTP:
Boomer, good to hear you are past the radiation part.
Get well soon D4E4H Dave.
Happy Bithday Hahtoolah !

Thanks for all your good wishes for our DIL and grandson. Good wishes to you all.

Picard said...

CC thank you very much for the update on D4E4H and Boomer. Good news about Boomer. Scary news about D4E4H. The latter was the first person to contact me off the blog via email. A very friendly, outgoing guy. He also got me to put blogger's names in bold to stand out. I do wish him the best.

Paul Coulter thanks for stopping by. And thanks for sharing your additional theme ideas. I loved the clever theme.

But I am sorry to say some of the fill left me rather unhappy. I love creative cluing. And I am fine with learning unknowns. But not so happy when there is a cluster of obscure unknowns with no way to unravel them.

CAROl/LUPOlE seemed just as good as CARON/LUPONE. And that evil mess in the East with ENDE? Forget it! I had OrdER/EdDy/KeyED which seemed to make as much sense. FIW.

SAREK of course was a gimme for this Star Trek fan. In the original episode with SAREK, Spock never even mentioned that Ambassador SAREK was his father. Until Captain Kirk suggested Spock beam down and visit his father. "Ambassador SAREK is my father."

TWYLA THARP was a gimme, too.

Here are some of my photos with TWYLA THARP and her dance group.

They did a weird dance performance in the park, too. Another set of photos. Another time, perhaps.

When I saw COAST and GLIDE I thought of one of the most amazing experiences of my life: Attending a huge unicycle festival in the exotic land of Monrovia.

Here are some of my photos of unicyclists demonstrating their COAST and GLIDE skills. ESPN was there filming, too.

Can you guess which is a COAST and which is a GLIDE?

My companion in my AVALON photo set was a GUADALAJARA GIRL.

Our family story was an exact duplicate of the FIDDLER ON THE ROOF story. Our family lived in a SHTETL exactly as shown in that excellent film.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Ya know those puzzles where you’re on the constructor’s wavelength? This wasn’t one of those for me but I loved it and obtained a hard-earned “got ‘er done”!
-Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR over the Marian Anderson snub
-Woodpeckers, cardinals and starlings are enjoying our SUET cakes
-“Why so pale and WAN fair lover” has stuck since HS English
-Google translate says - À TOI et à moi is Yours, mine and ours
-C.C., what are these prices seen in Beijing?
-Matt Damon’s character in The Martian wore nose plugs because of what natural fertilizer he was using
-2 eggs, Pam spray, 54 seconds in the microwave. Viola!
-HBD, Susan and thanks for the Boomer and Dave updates!

Picard said...

From yesterday:
Jayce and Abejo you have my deepest sympathy. Very sad.

CrossEyedDave thank you for the NICE photo! Yes, women really do bare their breasts there. NICE! Yes, the "beach" indeed is made of stones, not sand. I have very sensitive feet. I had to walk right to the water with sandals. But the water was warm and delightful!

NICE looks very similar to our own little Santa Barbara. But there are some extra benefits to NICE! Probably my top choice if I ever needed to move!

Lemonade714 said...

I must confess that the German Fantasy author, MICHAEL ENDE as clued was beyond me. While I am familiar with The Never Ending Story both book and movie, I never heard of MOMO though the PLOT sounds familiar but it must have been used by somone else. In General, a long dead German fantasy author clued by something other than his most famous work seems a bit much for a Sunday. Spitz? Kazie?

Hahtoolah said...

Good afternoon, C.C., and friends. Interesting and punny puzzle. I caught the theme with EGG POACHER, even thought OMELET PAN was my first theme answer. I had PASTRY _HE_L, and tried Pastry Shell, before determining we were looking for the CHEF.

I wanted Lard in lieu of SUET. SUET is for the birds!

Interesting to have a Female Antelope and Female Farm Animals ~ DOE and EWES, respectively.

I wanted my Leg Bone to be a Femur before the TIBIA.

I also thought of Shore before settling on GLIDE for Coast.

I agree with all the comments regarding ON THE NAIL. I'm not familiar with that expression.

Jayce: so sorry to hear of your daughter-in-law's travails. She is in my prayers.

I hope Dave 4 is doing well and his surgery can proceed as scheduled.

All the best to Boomer as well.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. This year my birthday coincides with the last night of Chanukah.

QOD: I handed my passport to the immigration officer, and he looked at it and looked at me and said, “What are you?” ~ Grace Hopper (Dec. 9. 1906 ~ Jan. 1, 1992)

Lucina said...

ENDE is totally unknown to me but the fill around it was solid and so it emerged. I was once a member of a consulting CADRE that assisted other teachers, primarily new ones entering the teaching profession.

MEDIA was a guess; that's something else I no longer recall, the Greek tragedies.

My wrapping is 95% finished! Whew! Cards are mailed. Now it's time to decorate. It used to be my favorite part of Christmas but now it's too tiring so only a small tree goes up.

Picard:
Wonderful photos! Those unicyclers are amazing.

Spitzboov said...

Lemonade @ 1434 - I didn't know him from a bag of apples. But Momo is one of his top 2 or 3 works according to Wiki. His writing seems to be quite popular. The man had an interesting life which I encourage you and others to read about if you have the time.
As to the Sunday thing, I would note that Paul Coulter had last Sunday's puzzle in the NYT, so maybe he was comfortable there and got Rich to go along. Since ENDE crossed 4 easy short fills, I viewed it as a way to introduce a newer word/clue. YMMV

Spitzboov said...

You tube just offered me this video of the MV Paul R Tregurtha entering Duluth Harbor from Lake superior on 2 Dec 2018. Thought you might enjoy seeing it.
The vessel characteristics are below.
I guess its bow thruster allowed it to enter the harbor entrance in the very high crosswind.

Class and type: Lake freighter
Tonnage:
14,497 net register tonnage
36,360 GT
Length: 1,013 ft (309 m)
Beam: 105 ft (32 m)
Depth: 56 ft (17 m)
Installed power: 2x MaK M43C 6-Cylinder Inline Four-Stroke Diesel Engines Rated at 8,560 b.h.p each
Propulsion:
2 × 5.33 m (17.5 ft) controllable-pitch propeller
Bow thruster: 1500 hp
Speed: 15.5 knots
Capacity:
Iron ore: 68,000 long tons
Coal: 63,616 long tons

Lucina said...

Spitz:
Thank you. That is fascinating! What an immense ship.

Abejo said...

Good Sunday evening, folks. Thank you, Paul Coulter, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.

Happy Birthday, Hahtoolah, and many more. Enjoy your quotes, always.

Jayce, best of luck to your family. Things happen fast.

Keep on trucking', Boomer. You are tough as nails!

Thank you all for your kind comments regarding my friend that was killed. If you knew him you would feel just like I do. He was a school teacher and an ordained Minister. He was one of the finest persons I ever knew. He did everything right. Enough said.

The puzzle started fairly easily. The theme was excellent and I picked up on it and it did help me along.

There were some tough clues/answers that dragged me along for quite a while. Thank you perps and wags.

Even 1A took me a while, AT NO. I should have gotten that easily.

TWYLA THARP has been in puzzles before.

PERDU was a new word for me. However, five perps and it was mine.

Nice to see ERAT. One of my favorite terms, Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

What I remember about CREOSOTES and creosote treated wood is that is burns real well. With a lot of smoke. Do not cook hot dogs over it.

SAREK, I must have missed that episode and many others. I never watched that show a lot.

CAPYBARAS? How in the world could I not know that word?

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Anonymous T said...

Sunday Lurk Say...

Exhausting day... Christmas tree & lights are finally up (we're waiting for Eldest to get home from OU b/f putting on the ornaments). A good nap and some chili and I'm back.

{A, B+, B}

Happy Birthday Hahtoolah! WEES, we love your Corner Comments and new weekly blog.

Jayce FLN - Stay strong for your Boy; he's going to need it. Sorry to hear about DIL's health.
BTW, your train of thought today from King of the Road to JC SuperStar is hilariously brilliant...

Abejo - condolences... You had no time to prepare...

D4 - So, I was thinking "He found a girlfriend at his new home and dropped us Cornerites like a hot potato." Sadly, I'm wrong but glad Lynn was there for you. Looking forward to reading you again. Get well soon.

Boomer, you sound like you're on the Rise. #41 did this to us for years :-)

Play tomorrow! Cheers, -T

Wilbur Charles said...

Late as usual. But here it is, composed late yesterday
Right off the start I had ANSI* thinking of the hex of O. That blew that corner although SHINE came to me while water walking.
I was thinking of Thomas Edison's associate Tesla. Then some perps appeared. And... I was thinking of Dr Spock.

Picard, what you know of Star Trek should make up for the Sports.

Wow Owen, #3 was a W from here.

Best wishes Abejo, D4-Dave and Jayce

WC

Hex 8 would be H, eh -T

Eric Selje said...

It's not fair that March Hare and Mad Hatter have the same number of letters. Had MA and just went from there. Took a minute to figure out something was up.

Fun puzzle, though some of the smaller fill was a little annoying.