google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, December 13th 2018 David Alfred Bywaters

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Dec 13, 2018

Thursday, December 13th 2018 David Alfred Bywaters

Theme: Eying "OR" - we look and find an alternative within the theme entries:

17A. Should we name the kid after the eldest Brady son or the James Bond author?: GREGORIAN? Greg or Ian?  Mr. Fleming had rather a rakish look about him:


I worked for the family bank in London a number of moons ago - Robert Fleming & Co. are no longer with us. Not my fault, or at least, not all my fault.

26A. Should we roll this old piano away or put it in order?: WHEEL OF FORTUNE? Wheel off, or tune? This one was the standout of the theme answers - the OR is not in any way at all easy to parse.

45A. Should we read a religious pamphlet or watch a movie ad?: TRACTOR TRAILER? Tract or trailer?

61A. Should we work on the experiment or go for a swim?: LABOR POOL? Lab or pool? Fortunately for the US audience, "labour" has lost the apparently superfluous "U".

I liked this one. The OR appears mostly where you might expect, and then the "Wheel of Fortune" entry quite takes you by surprise. I wonder if this was the seed entry that David saw and then went looking for more?

I didn't speed through this, I had a more NW-SE progress, then worked back and across. The top right corner was tricky, I didn't know Ngaio Marsh, but the downs eventually filled that in for me.

Let's see what else we can find:

Across:

1. "__ just won't do": THIS

5. "What a relief!": PHEW!

9. New Zealand mystery author Ngaio __: MARSH. So far from my wheelhouse that the house didn't even have a place to put the wheel. I'll need to go and read some back catalog from one of the "Queens of Mystery".

14. Automaker whose name means "Hark!" in Latin: AUDI! Very festive. "Audi" is more literal than the more poetic "Hark!" - "Listen!" would more fit the bill. However, let's try this stab at translation - I probably butchered it, but I gave it my best grammar school shot:

Audi! En canentes angeli:
 "Gloria Regi infanti;"

15. Peace of mind: EASE. Crackly audio but this will never get old. I sounds like it did coming out of my cheap stereo when I was a kid.

16. Expiate, with "for": ATONE

19. Done in: SLAIN

20. "Cray" and "totes adorbs," e.g.: SLANG. Oddly, I know that it should be "cray cray" for completely crazy. Why "adorbs" means "adores" I'm lost. The "totes" part is obvs, being as I live in the Valley. Totally. Whatever. Talk to the hand.

21. Same old routine: RUT

22. Moans and groans: CARPS. "Totes Carps Deems". "Seizes the Day" in the Valley.

23. Trip letters: LSD. Bad trip, good trip, roll the dice. Interesting history for the drug though.

25. __ it coming: HAS. Jumped in with "HAS". Should have waited.

34. Word in many hymn titles: PRAISE!

35. Bit: IOTA

36. Unheard-of?: NEW

37. '50s-'60s car features: FINS. Cadillacs. If you want a fun read, "How the Cadillac got its Fins" by Jack Mingo is an old book I found in my Hilton hotel room back in 1994. Want to know how the Post-It note came about? It's all in there.

38. Continental currency: EUROS. Sneaky plural.

40. As it happens: LIVE

41. Swampy area: FEN

42. Places for me-time: SPAS

43. Some party reminders: EVITES. Usually annoying.

48. Operate: RUN

49. Neutral possessive: ITS. Not IT'S. Not sure? Learn from "It's an apostrophe". I love that, saved my grammatical life a few times.

50. Sharp: ACRID

53. Mass vestment: ALB. I paid enough attention as an Altar Boy to know which was what.

55. Swear words: OATHS

60. Self-reproach: SHAME

63. Low prime: SEVEN. 1, 3, 7, 11, 13 ...

64. Lying on: ATOP

65. Austen's aspiring matchmaker: EMMA. My eldest nephew is getting married in Winchester next week - site of Jane Austen's tomb and the home of my Alma Mater. I'll be blogging from the UK next week.

66. Unexpected pleasure: TREAT

67. Mailed: SENT

68. Move slowly: SEEP

Down:

1. License plates: TAGS. Really? I put my tags on my license plate, they stick in the upper-right corner. I just renewed mine.

2. Spew, as insults: HURL. Also a less-pleasant act into a handy receptacle.

3. Notion: IDEA

4. One finger for a fastball, say: SIGN

5. According to: PER

6. Salon creation: HAIRDO

7. Isaac's eldest: ESAU

8. Departed: WENT

9. It may run during a sad movie: MASCARA. This one I loved. Thank heavens I don't wear mascara, I'd be blotchy-cheeked most movies. I cry at the slightest provocation.

10. Classic song title words before "my love has come along": AT LAST! Etta James classic.

11. Bust a gut: ROAR 

12. Tonsorial sound: SNIP. A tonsure is a monk's haircut - the "pudding bowl and bald bit on top" look. Not the most fetching, in my humble opinion.


13. Cooped-up layers: HENS

18. Looks untowardly toward: OGLES

24. Consider overnight: SLEEP ON

25. Uncomfortable situation: HOT SEAT

26. More twisted, in a way: WRIER. There's usually one entry each week that I didn't see until I came to look back at the puzzle. This one filled itself in. Personally, I'd have tried WRYER first? This a new one on me.

27. Quick Draw's co-creator: HANNA. Quick Draw McGraw. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. I was honored to visit with Joe in his Orbit City office just off the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. It was furnished like an 18th century library. Quite an amazing experience. This was the front entrance, you would never have guessed what was behind it:


28. Oktoberfest cubes: EIS. You put ice in your beer? Not me!

29. Guinness adjective: FIRST. This had me for the longest while. I was fixated on the stout, not the Book of Records.

30. Rock's __ Fighters: FOO

31. Make one: UNITE

32. Not once: NEVER

33. Ovine animals: EWES

34. [It disappeared!]: PFFT!

39. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, 1958-1971. Egypt and Syria.

40. Short, for short: LI'L. Quick - any offers other than Li'l Abner?

42. Campus figure: STUDENT

44. Sun screen: VISOR

46. Black Sea peninsula: CRIMEA

47. Colorful prize: RIBBON

50. Second: Abbr.: ASST.

51. Pop diva in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again": CHER

52. Wild party: RAVE

53. Word often said with a sigh: ALAS

54. Stuck in traffic, say: LATE. I hate being late, but I had to call just today and say "I'm stuck in traffic, I'll be there about ten minutes late", and this is when I allowed myself an hour for a 35 minute drive.

56. Big primates: APES

57. Weighty work: TOME

58. Browser button: HOME. I'm just looking at my browser as I type this and I don't see anything that looks like a "home" button? Can someone point it out for me?


59. Manual comeuppance: SLAP

62. Choose: OPT. Out or in?

And, there we are. A fun puzzle, I'm packing for my first two-week vacation in about 25 years or so, I'm going back to the UK for the wedding, Christmas and a lot of relaxation. I'm so used to travelling with a carry-on, I'm not sure what do to with a checked bag!

See you next week from the other side of the common-language divide. And here's the grid:

Steve



Notes from C.C.:

1) Have a wonderful vacation, Steve!

2) D4E4H had his Pacemaker installed on Tuesday. He was feeling a bit weak when I talked to him yesterday, but he sounded cheerful. He'll be out of the hospital today. Hopefully he will show up on the blog once he gains his strength. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

61 comments:

  1. Long ago, some monks took a chance,
    Their monastery to try to enhance.
    WHEEL OF FORTUNE Casino
    Featured roulette and bingo,
    "Bet your money, take GREGORIAN chants!"

    She drove an AUDI with vanity TAGS.
    Using the plate to share her brags.
    Actor and singer
    She had a zinger:
    "C HER" had both her name and flag!

    {A-, B-.}

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  2. SW corner almost did me in. THAT for THIS and LEFT for WENT to start but all sorted out quickly. Theme came to me at TRACTOR TRAILER. ⛳️

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  3. Good morning!

    THIS, not THAT. PFFT, not POOF. PHEW, not WHEW. And so it went, but I got 'er done. Cute theme, thanx DAB. Enjoy your vacation, Steve, but first I must take you to task for a couple of items...

    "1, 3, 7, 11, 13" -- Whahoppen to 5?

    "Totes adorbs" -- I'm pretty sure that means totally adorable.

    "Bridge Over Troubled Water" -- I've got the boxed CD set of their complete recordings. One of the only times where the vinyl sounds considerably better than the CD. Shame on you, Sony.

    TAGS -- Here in Tejas folks kept peeling/stealing the renewal stickers off the license plates, so the guvment did away with 'em. Now we get a renewal sticker that goes on the inside of the windshield. I'm amazed at how many folks drive around with expired tags, some of 'em out of date by years.

    AUDI -- Did not know that meant "Hark." I have a walking buddy named Harold whom I refer to as Hark. You know, Hark the Harold...

    FINS -- My dad had a pre-FIN Cadillac hearse. The first time he took it to the gas station he couldn't find the gas cap. Neither could the folks that worked there. You had to push a round circle on the tail light, and the whole assembly would hinge upward, exposing the gas cap. That vehicle also had a car radio sans push buttons and sans tuning knob...only the up/down "find a station" button. Ridiculous! "Who cares in a hearse?" I hear you cry. Sometimes you had to drive hundreds of miles to pick up a body, and you'd want some entertainment on the long drive. Since state law didn't permit leaving the body unattended, we went to drive-in restaurants. "Is that a real live dead person back there?"

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  4. Hi Y'all! I thought this puzzle theme by D.A.B. was pretty tricky. Thanks for the fun! Thanks for the interesting expo, Steve. Hope you have good weather for your vacation.

    I did know Ngaio MARSH because my daughter was a Rotary Scholar to New Zealand many years ago and brought me one of Marsh's books. Couldn't get into it for some reason.

    No idea AUDI meant Hark! Is that really why the car company came up with that name? I know, LIU. Don't speak Valley SLANG either -- two "foreign" languages in a row. Took perps & WAGs.

    TAGS. I keep forgetting to put the sticker on my TAG. It's in an envelope on the front passenger seat of my car. I keep forgetting to take something out to clean the tag so it will stick. My old sticker expired in Nov. Not too worried the cops will ticket me. The car is dead in the garage again.

    Couldn't remember Quick Draw. I put a McGraw with it, but couldn't remember what he looked like or who created him: HANNA. Oh!

    My browser doesn't show a HOME in the toolbar either.

    D4: Best wishes for rapid healing with your pacemaker. Hope it serves you well.

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  5. En canentes Angeli,
    “Gloria Regi, Infanti;
    Pax in terra. et Deus
    concors cum mortalibus.”
    Laeti, omnes populi
    Cum caelestibus iuncti,
    Praedicate “Nunc Christus
    Est in Bethlehem natus.”

    Chorus:
    En canentes Angeli,
    “Gloria Regi Infanti.’'

    Adoratus caelitus,
    Christus, semper Dominus.
    Serius advenit spe
    Genitus a Virgine.
    Carne tamquam obsitus,
    Homo ex Deo factus,
    Volens ut par sit honos,
    Commoratur inter nos.

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  6. And for all of you, the commercial hit:

    Adsunt Ruens et Saltans
    Exsultans et Rixans,
    Comans, Cupidus,
    Tonans, Fulguransque,
    Sed quid de illo praeclaro
    omnium cervo?
    Rudolphus, cervus nasum
    rubicundum habebat

    Quem si videre possis,
    elucere referas.
    Ludificare cervi,
    deridentes solebant,
    Neque sinebant eum
    comminus colludere.
    Ecce dixit Nicholaus
    pridie Festum:
    “O Rudolphe, nocte hac,
    visne traham ducere?’'
    Quam tunc iucundus fuit,
    cervis iubilantibus.
    “Rudolphe,” tunc dicebant:
    “Notus eris posteris.”

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  7. Look what you started Steve; my many many years of Latin were not enough so the carols are cheats but it was still fun. Your write-up and DAB's puzzle were great. The perfect cluing for the difficult to parse fill - Should we roll this old piano away or put it in order?: WHEEL OF FORTUNE? was the highlight for me as well. The rest just took persistence, but I have read most of the books written by NGAIO MARSH and her hero RODERICK ALLEYN who also has been in movies and TV LINK

    Enjoy

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  8. Lemonade, your Latin lesson is falling on deaf ears for this guy who thought "carpe diem" was about a fish extinction event.

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  9. The primes start are 2,3,5,7,11 etc One is not a prime number.

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  10. Great fun puzzle .
    Not too difficult for a Thursday.
    No look ups needed as the unknowns filled by perps.
    Just the other day my only grrand daughter talked about her math studies in university and claimed the longest known prime number had over 23 million dgits and concluded that prime numbers continued into infinity. Why do I need to know this?
    Hi Ho Hi Ho

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  11. Enjoyed the clever puzzle- though I had to come here to find out how to parse the WHEEL OFF OR TUNE!
    o/w pretty much what D-O said! I will need to read a MARSH mystery- not an avid mystery reader- but I do like them on audio when driving- I need something with suspense to keep me awake while driving.

    Enjoyed the blog Steve- have a wonderful vacation/ time with family/ holiday! Thanks David- I keep wondering if you are from KC originally- I had a friend whose brother was David Bywaters.

    D4E4H - hope you recover quickly- it's easier now that the pacemakers are so small- so much less discomfort in the chest wall while recovering!

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  12. As seen on a T-shirt: "I like my puns intended". Thank you, DAB! Nicely done.

    GREG or IAN and WHEEL OFF OR TUNE gave me the IDEA of the theme. PHEW or WHEW? PER decided for me.

    New learning: AUDI means hark. Latin was too long ago to recall.

    Tonsorial sound: SNIP. The tonsure was in fact meant to evoke humility in monks by not looking attractive.

    PK and Lemonade:
    It's amazing to me that you know of Ngaio MARSH! It seems obscure to me and was my last fill.

    C.C.
    Thank you for the news about Dave.

    Have a fine day, everyone!

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  13. Thank you, Steve, and safe travels to you!

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  14. Loved the theme, caught on early. It really helped the solve. Marsh was unknown and last to fill.
    We call license plates "tags." We no longer have the little yearly add-ons which were used only for a short time and were superfluous. We have always had the windshield stickers. They are color coded by year so there is very little noncompliance here.
    Hark! The herald angels sing. Listen to the singing to the messenger angels. I had an Uncle Harold. When I was very little I wondered why his name was in the song.
    Audi indeed means listen. From Wiki, "The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder, August Horch. "Horch", meaning "listen" in German, becomes "audi" in Latin. The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company."
    Time for our commute. Catch you later.

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  15. A DNF for this boy today. Not enough toeholds in the NE; had SLAIN & HENS but nothing else. MARCH was a total unknown, MASCARA- I don't wear it, DW does- and tear-jerkers are not my cup of tea. Thanks for the 'Tonsore' explanation because as my DW often says, I was 'clueless' about what it meant. 'Moans and groans'- I kept thinking PAINS, wouldn't ever think of CARPS and "sounds from a porno movie" wouldn't fit.

    The theme was neat and I solved the theme clues easily.

    Quick Draw McGraw- 'kweeks draw' was what I remember one of the characters saying.
    "Cray & adorbs"- SLANG by perps- NEVER heard of either. AUDI was also perped.
    Oktoberfest cubes-EIS in bier? Nein.
    HURL- I doubt 'vomit' would ever make it as a clue, at least for a newspaper Xword.

    Referring to CHER as a diva would be equal to calling a YUGO a luxury car. She can't sing and well a YUGO is (was) a pile of....

    D-O, across the Sabine River our license renewal stickers have the license plate number on them. But Safety Inspection stickers are mainly for the purpose of showing that the car has liability insurance. No insurance; no sticker. That's what the police look for.

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  16. Fun puzzle!! I have to disagree with “Big Easy”. I grew up listening to Sonny and Cher. Especially loved listening to her back then. IMHO, I think she’s got a great voice!

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  17. Good morning. Thank you David Alfred Bywaters and thank you Steve.

    Pretty neat puzzle. Really enjoyed the theme answers. Pretty much top to bottom solve, except for the NE and SW.

    In the NE, I had no clue about Ngaio, but the RS combo was the only combo I could find that made the area work. I was thinking about overeating for "bust a gut" and didn't understand tonsorial.

    In the SW, I couldn't build anything around orgy (where RAVE belonged), and STaDium (where STUDENT belonged) but after re-reading all of the clues in that area, I saw the clue at 48A was not past tense operated, but present tense. Changing that A to U led to STUDENT, and then it was easy to complete for the TADA.

    Didn't understand the SLANG, and didn't try to, but after reading Steve's explanation, I get it.

    Steve, will your nephew be tying the knot at the cathedral ? The Winchester Cathedral ? Enjoy your holiday.

    D4E4H, get well soon !

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  18. Good morning everyone.

    I really liked the theme, but I was nonplussed with cluing for EIS (easy enough) and ASST (not so easy). Much of the puzzle was quite easy, but it did have a good Thursday bite. The SW was the last to fill; I kept wanting ''orgy' where RAVE should go. Once ASST was entered, CHER dropped in.
    EIS - The clue would be a bit more Deutschified if it said Oktoberfest Würfel. It must be hard to edit these kinds of things.

    Tschüüs

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  19. It's a pleasure to appear here again.

    WHEELOFFORTUNE, far from being the seed entry, was in fact the result of a desperate attempt to replace FACTORANALYSIS (Should we read the articles or the editorials?), which, along with CASTOROIL (Should we encase it in plaster or just apply a soothing ointment?), Rich Norris had rejected from my original submission.

    So, much as I want my work to be accepted always and without hesitation, I will grudgingly admit that editorial intervention might have improved this one.

    David Alfred Bywaters

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  20. The word "or" appearing in the theme answers' clues is a little off but i dont see a better way to clue these and the answers are too good to throw out the theme. WHEEL OFF OR TUNE alone is worth the price of admission.

    Steve, I'm still looking for the link the Toto's Africa. :)

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  21. B-E, Tejas did away with the safety inspection stickers. But you still must get a safety inspection in the 90 days prior to registration renewal, and you must show proof of insurance to get a safety inspection. They're killing two stones with one bird.

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  22. Our inspection stickers imply proof of insurance and up to date registration. You cannot pass inspection without both, so it is not necessary to indicate current registratio9n.

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  23. On Chrome the home button is hidden by default. If you open settings you can show it. Firefox, Safari, and that other browser may show it by default.

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  24. Steve:

    "I'm so used to travelling with a carry-on, I'm not sure what do to with a checked bag!"

    PRAY!

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  25. Good Morning, Steve and friends. What no food for Steve! Interesting puzzle. I caught the theme with LAB OR POOL.

    I liked how FINS were directly above the FEN.

    I learned that Operate is not Use but RUN, and that Sharp is ACRID and not TANGY.

    I also learned that a Low Prime is not Three, but SEVEN. And yes, there is an infinite number of Prime Numbers.

    Nice to see that the STUDENT is a Campus Agent and not the usual Dean.

    I grew with License Plates, but when I moved south, I now have License TAGS.

    My favorite clues were Trip Letters = LSD and As It Happens = LIVE. Cooped Up Layers was a fun new clue for HENS.

    Totes Absorb is a new expression to me.

    QOD: The secret to keeping moving is keeping moving. ~ Dick Van Dyke (b. Dec. 13, 1925)

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  26. Musings
    -Subbing today with no lesson plans. Teacher had emergency surgery this morning
    -WHEEL OFF OR TUNE? Wow! Me too on NE, Steve
    -This LABORATORY is for the first two syllables not the last four
    -For good or ill, some people seem incapable of feeling SHAME
    -If you don’t HURL those insults, you’ll might avoid ATONEMENT
    -A cosmetic aid for some catcher’s SIGNS
    -“If I ain’t startin’, I ain’t DEPARTin’ – Garry Templeton on turning down an All Star Game invitation
    -There are many people on the HOT SEAT now that should have been there years ago
    -I thought Europeans eschewed EIS in their BIER
    -Here’s some LIL’S No comment.
    -Gotta run, I just sent 5 boys to the welding shop!

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  27. Hatoolah, totes absorb is the new tagline for Bounty commercials that will debut during this years Super Bowl. It will have Alicia Silverstone reprising her role from Clueless as she deals with a spilled milk situation.

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  28. Good Morning:

    I'm pretty impressed by this theme's freshness and ingenuity. I had a bit of a bother in the SW corner due to holding onto Orgy for so long. Having Tryst for Treat compounded the confusion. I also chose That before This. Audi, as clued, was unknown. I liked Tome abutting Home and Alb over Lab(or) Pool, and the Snip ~ Hairdo duo. Fav C/A was Trip letters=LSD. CSO to Jinx at Unite. Always enjoy the ubiquitous creatures, today's being, Apes, Ewes, and Hens.

    Thanks, DAB, for a fun Thursday and for stopping by and thanks, Steve, for the grand tour. Enjoy your vacation and family and holiday festivities. Safe travels.

    CC, thanks for the update on Dave.

    Dave, get well soon and rejoin your friends on the Corner.

    FLN

    TTP, I share your wife's frustration with the egg conundrum. I follow the tried and true method that others have mentioned but with ever-changing results. Sometimes (rarely) the peeling is as easy as pie and the egg is pristine, but other times (mostly) the eggs end up looking like they were mugged. It doesn't really bother me as I'm not making deviled eggs, just egg salad where they get chopped to pieces, anyway. (However, the peeling itself can be tedious.)

    Have a great day.

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  29. Big Easy I don’t know much of Cher’s music but as a teenager Sonny and Cher’s “I got you babe” became “our song” for snuggling and smooching. Ahh the memories of yesteryear.

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  30. Once I heard CHER singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, I was hooked! As are the millions of fans who have bought her CDS.

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  31. I agree Cher is not singer, but I'll give her the "pop diva" moniker ala Britney or Madonna, and understand she has millions of fans. But so does lil bow wow. Definitely not of the quality of a lady gaga or christina Aguilera. Cher is known for her autotune singing which makes me cringe. Do you believe in....

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  32. As a usual read-only observer of the blog, not a commentor, I want to say I think the theme answers today are among the cleverest ever! My usual MO is to finish the puzzle (if I can) and then turn to the blog to learn how everyone else solved it.

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  33. Wees, Orgy b/4 rave, that b/4 this, had b/4 has etc...
    Had to Google quite a bit, so I guess I have to take a DNF.
    Lots of puzzling fun though,
    I might even have fun with the theme, but have to walk the neighbors dog asap...

    (before she goes...)

    Hmm, maybe there is a reason they sometimes
    hide the browser home button...

    Learning moment: Audi = Hark!!
    ( I thought it was something rich people say when they get a boo Boo )

    Who is this KweeksDraw person? Musical Interlude 2:54

    & FLN,
    TTP, Millenials? Tuna Cans?
    (say this in an Irish Accent) - It must be the Teach'n...

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  34. Time to stop and rest my back, but I am thoroughly enjoying sorting through the boxes of Christmas ornaments and decorations. What a treasure chest! I have written names and dates on most boxes. Each object I pull out is a fond memory of loved ones, wrapping me in the glow of love and friendship. Though I had to summon the energy to start, now I am eagerly unwrapping each piece. I have some items from my kids when they were little and some from my students in the 70's. My angel choir is shaping up, each angel a messenger of affection from the past.
    I do most of my shopping online, so I enjoy listening to carols while I work

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  35. I agree with Wendybird that this was a really really clever puzzle. Many thanks, David, and thanks for stopping by with additional information. Thursdays are sometimes tough for me, but I got most of the top and bottom before I had to start a bit of cheating for help in the middle. Getting GREG OR IAN and LAB OR POOL helped me notice the Os in the other long answers and helped me get the OR theme. Interesting to see EVITES--I've been getting them as party invitations but they are still pretty new to me. Like Desper-otto I too had POOF and WHEW before PFFT and PHEW. Anyway, fun puzzle, thanks again, David. And have a great Christmas vacation, Steve.

    Interesting poems, Owen.

    Took me a while to get your hymns, Lemonade, but they help start up the Christmas spirit.

    Have a good recovery with the pacemaker, Dave.

    And have a good day, everybody!

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  36. David Alfred Bywaters thanks for a fun puzzle and thanks for stopping by! I was quite impressed with the innovative theme! Especially the ones where the individual words disappeared in the answer! In the case of TRAILER and POOL the words were still separated. But GREGORIAN and WHEELOFFORTUNE indeed were brilliant!

    Learning moment about AUDI. I did take two years of Latin, but don't remember AUDI. Some of our Early Music concert pieces are in Latin. Learning moment about CRAY and TOTES ADORBS. Wow. I never would have figured those out. Just know about the CRAY supercomputers.

    Total unknowns: The AT LAST song, MARSH, TONSORIAL (it actually means relating to hairdressing.)
    Anyone else think TONSORIAL had to do with tonsils? Learning moment.

    Here I photographed mating toads as a kid at a local FEN, MARSH or SWAMPY AREA.

    My grandfather had one of those Cadillacs with FINS. Not sure if I have a family photo somewhere. He dropped out of school young and went into the food business. He never understood why my father spent all that time in school becoming a scientist. Scientists don't even make enough to buy a Cadillac with FINS, so what's the point?

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  37. From yesterday:
    Mike Sherline we are on the same page when it comes to VCRs and how we watch TV. If not for the magical banned Philips recorder I would not watch TV at all. I can skip commercials and I can save important programs to DVD.

    Often a friend will be in the news and they are very grateful to get that DVD. Try doing that with a TiVo.

    I should add that the banned Philips recorder allows programs to be watched at 1.4x speed. For many programs this is the perfect rate!

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  38. CC thank you very much for the D4E4H update! That sounds encouraging!

    Abejo what is the latest news of your sister?

    TTP thanks for the Winchester Cathedral music video! I am not sure I understand the meaning of the song, but it is a fun song!

    Hand up I like CHER.

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  39. This was a crunchy Thursday IMO, the theme quite clever with just 4 giveaway cells once I got the theme, not bad. And filling in those 4 really didn’t help or hurt much.

    Markovers....GONE/WENT, SAW/HAD, TWICE/NEVER, COWS/EWES...and that was it.

    Til tomorrow..

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  40. Uh, "if" this is legit,
    I have no idea how to solve it...


    tractor trailer?

    Hmm, I found this while looking for silly link for labor pool...

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  41. CC, please tell Dave4 I am pleased he is doing well and I pray for his continued healing. I hope he is soon well enough to join us here.
    DAB, loved your clever puzzle. Steve, fun, informative blog.

    No Latin needed for Audi. Hark means listen.
    Hark, hark
    The dogs do bark.
    The beggars are coming to town,
    Some in rags,
    Some in tags,
    And one in a velvet gown.


    What car maker's name means listen? Auditory, audit (as a class), audition, auditorium, Audi.

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  42. do @ 6:54 -- Speaking of fins, there was also a Chevrolet sedan, maybe 1956 or '57, which had the gas cap inside the left tail fin. A real knuckle-scraper for us poor gas jockeys!

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  43. So much going on here since I last was here.

    Anon 7:19AM; you are correct, but why not present the fact that the prime numbers from 1 to 100 are: 2, 3, 5, 7,11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89 and 97 as an interesting fact, rather than a nit? Part of the definition of a prime number includes the phrase "a number, greater than 1."

    I agree about checked baggage; Oo and I brought two bags to Thailand, checked at Fort Lauderdale, straight through to Chiang Mai. Only one arrived with us. The other apparently want a tour of NYC, because that is where it was sitting when we told them we did not have it.

    Plates are TAGS in Florida and the offices are TAG Offices.

    TONSUREis shaving of the hair, not necessarily the bowl Steve linked. Completely off also counts; see the link when I got back with my step-son picture.

    The idea of Rudolph in Latin was very appealing.

    I love Cher, and singing is one of those talents that are subjective IMO.

    Hi Wendybird, do not be a stranger.

    Dave, many of my friends now sport a pacemaker. It is apparently a new status symbol. Be well.

    DAB, once again thank you for not only saying hello but sharing inside info and insight.

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  44. Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, David and Steve.
    I got the OR theme and smiled widely at the WHEEL OFF OR TUNE in the centre.

    PHEW today not Whew; also PFFT.
    MARSH was a mystery.
    I changed Blame to SHAME and Riot to ROAR; the NE and SW corners were the last to fill.
    I had See it coming before HAS.
    Sun screen was a VISOR not anything to do with SPF.

    Must run off to a hockey game. I'll try to read all the posts later.
    Thoughts and prayers for a full recovery for Dave.

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  45. Lil' Kim
    Lil Wayne

    I'm done- get better Dave, and Boomer, Alan and all the rest

    Have a great vacation Steve; take pics

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  46. I got GREG (Brady) OR IAN (Fleming). When I glanced up and read GREGORIAN, I realized the theme.

    We discussed the wh/ph alternation recently. I entered WHEW first.

    I thought "trip letters" couldn't possibly be LSD, until perps showed my first thought to be correct.

    I set my browsers to show the HOME button; I also set the home page to about:blank. It's useful for leaving a page before deciding where else to go.

    I do enjoy Ngaio Marsh's work.

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  47. CED, the only words that seem to fit are DONKEY PUNCH, but I don't know what that might mean.

    One of Car Talk's weekly Puzzlers on NPR involved a joyride that was cut short because the thieves couldn't figure out how to put gas in the tank.

    The '57 Chevy had the most upright tailfins, by '59 they had gone to low, wide bat-wing fins. I wish they's standardize putting the gas cap on the driver's side, instead the passenger side like my wife's Mazda.

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  48. @TTP and @Picard - what is quite astonishing is that the song won the Grammy for "Best Contemporary Song" in 1967. Look at the other nominees:

    The Beatles, "Eleanor Rigby"
    The Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations"
    The Mamas & The Papas, "Monday, Monday" and
    The Monkees, "Last Train to Clarksville".

    Someone was smoking something powerful on the voting committee.

    The wedding didn't merit the Cathedral, but my school would hold services there for Founder's Day and other auspicious dates on the calendar. All us oiks' initials can still be found carved into the back of the pews. The current building itself is close to 1,000 years old and stunning.

    @Everyone - thanks for the "primes" corrections.

    @Anon 9:24 - the Toto link is here but far more entertaining is this cover by Norwegian metal-head Leo Moracchioli.

    Thanks to everyone for the vacation wishes!

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  49. Billo, me, too. My gas cap is on the "wrong" side. Often it is impossible for me to join the waiting line on either side of the pumps. Why not standardize the location?

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  50. CARPS was my best WAG.

    Steve, how was the Eucharistic Wine in your day?

    TAGS is actually the terminology in FLA
    Duh, I was thinking of tonsils. I see Picard did too

    The only unknown re Ngaio MARSH was that it's a SHE. Reminds me of someone telling me "Did you know (my heart surgeon) was a HE?

    In 1972, tooling around in my Pinto, my girl and I sang "Candy Man" together with the line "You can even eat the dishes!".

    Sans a LIU I believe the Chant and the calendar are two different Gregory's

    D4, we miss your pithy puns. Be well

    PVX, if you return later . .. I sat and solved a NYT xw dated 1202. The "theme"??!! was so wacky I thought of you. I'm going to check out Rex's Take.

    WC

    Enjoyed the write-up Steve .

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  51. Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, David Alfred Bywaters, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for a fine review.

    Picard, & others: Thank you for your concern about my sister, Sherry Bufalino. She was to be moved today from the ICU to a regular room. To me that is a step in the right direction. It was reported to me yesterday that she is beginning to talk better and has more use of her right side.

    D4E4H: Hope you feel better soon and are back on line.

    Boomer: Keep getting better!

    Steve: Have a great vacation!

    The puzzle was a good Thursday level. Not easy, but not too hard. I liked the theme. Very clever. Must have taken a lot deep thinking.

    GREGORIAN gave me the theme. That helped me get the others.

    SW corner was my last to finish. ACRID and CHER helped after I got those.

    Recently had EMMA, so that fell oil place.

    No idea about FOO, but who can argue with solid perps.

    Liked TOME for weighty work.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  52. FOO Fighters are a Seattle alt-rock/grunge band founded in 1994 by ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl after Kurt Cobain's suicide. They've won four Grammys (Grammies?) for best rock album.

    Named from the nickname of UFO's reported by Allied pilots in WWII.

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  53. My favorite Foo Fighters video:


    Which is kind of tough, I mean everyone has there own
    preferred style of music here on the Blog. So linking Music
    can appeal to some, and annoy others.

    So, may I suggest a little something for the older crowd here on the Blog...

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  54. Actually,

    a story from the Bible,

    You can't go wrong with some Bible? music...

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  55. Hi All!

    DAB, you couldn't have cleo'd 41a 'Swampy area' for 9a's MARSH?!? Arggg... I had to turn to Google to crack the NE. Technical DNF.

    Thanks for the amusing and very entertaining puzzle and for stopping in with some inside-baseball. Re: 26a - We WHEEL'd OFF and TUNE'd this piano from a neighbor [Eldest got it for free if she got it out of neighbor's living room].

    Like Roy @3:54, I saw the theme glancing back up at GREG OR IAN but, for a spell, thought we'd be looking for names. WEES about W-O-F: priceless.

    Excellent Expo Steve. @15a I thought you were going with Boston [5:35] Enjoy your Holliday!

    I just confirmed with a 16yro Girl - "totes adorbs" means "totally adorable." "But dad, that SLANG's passé; use it ironically."

    WOs: N/A - I was very hesitant w/ all entries checking against two perps always today. That slowed my solve greatly.
    ESPs: SNIP [yes, Picard, I was thinking tonsils too - SNIP elicited a nasty visual until Steve explained (wasn't much better then, either :-))]; wish MARSH was one. Most everything took major perpage to see.
    Fav: Outside of the theme, I got a giggle out of Swear words=OATH.

    {A+, B+}

    Thank you C.C. for the update on D4! Good news indeed. D4, if you're reading, we're pulling for you. //Well, we're pulling for you even if you're not reading :-)

    What D-O @9:32a said. It's called the Texas Two Step to get our TAGS renewed. I lost my custom tag for the Alfa [86 ALFA] because I couldn't get it inspected last year - it wouldn't start. :-(

    CED beat me to The FOO Fighters link. They (FOO Fighters) introduced RUSH into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (Google it at your own risk [MA - Language]) Then there's Foo Fighters dressed as early RUSH as the boys from Toronto joined in. [13:11] //CED - nobody said folks have to click. If RUSH isn't their cuppa, no click-y... I'm going to watch it again :-)

    Cheers, -T

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  56. After 5 years of Latin at least I know I can still translate " O Come All Ye Faithful, and "Rudolf the Red- Nosed Reindeer".

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  57. Fun puzzle, very creative theme. Liked WHEELOFFORTUNE the best.

    Like some others, took a while to get the NE and SW corners.

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  58. Took me a while Steve - LI'L RUSH [1:27 - South Park intro to Tom Sawyer]

    Cheers, -T

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  59. Anyone got [14:18]? Foo's Dave Grohl on 60 Minutes.

    Ok, I've got to get a nap before tomorrow starts. Cheers, -T

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  60. CED, good thing dad was around to help that youth get that vacuum cleaner going. Also, Learn To Fly is my favorite Foo Fighters song. I'd never seen the video before, so thanks for that too !

    Of course, the Dash T Law of Rush goes into effect afterwards. The law basically says that he'll never go more than 100 comments without getting a Rush video linked or some mention of Geddy Lee, Neil Peart or Alex Lifeson. He never comes close to seven degrees of separation. He'll find some tie-in to Rush in most everything ! Ya know I'm funnin' ya T. :>) Thanks for that Li'l Rush link, and I loved that interview w/ Dave Grohl.

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