16 A. *"Righto!": YOU BETCHA. Emphatic vernacular agreement, with some merriment at the end.
20 A. *Big boss: HEAD HONCHO. Vernacular nomenclature for a corporate executive. I've laughed at several - from behind.
34 A. *2005 Emma Thompson magical role: NANNY MCPHEE. She is the grotesque looking woman who shows up in the home of widower Cedric Brown to bring order to his 7 unruly children. Each time the children learn a lesson, she becomes a bit less ugly. I won't give away any more of the plot - mainly because I don't know it. It ends with comedy - at least in the context of this puzzle.
51 A. *Cold-water salmon-like fish: ARCTIC CHAR. This fish lives in the far north, in rivers, lakes or the ocean, and always spawns in fresh water. It is variable in color, and closely related to both salmon and lake trout, displaying characteristics of each. This is not only fishy, but also a fish with a funny tail.
And the unifier -- 56 A. Ultimate satisfaction, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: LAST LAUGH. The early bird gets the worm; but the second mouse to the trap gets the cheese. So the early LAUGHER might not be the one who ultimately prevails. There could be a moral here about delayed gratification.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here as your MC at the comedy club today. Let's see if this puzzle is anything to LAUGH at.
Across:
1. Fall sign: LIBRA. The 7th Zodiac sign, generally spanning from September 23 to October 23.
6. Medic: DOC. Physician. That's what I would name my dog, if I had one, so I could say, "Physician, heel thyself."
9. 6-Across's "Pronto!": STAT. Quickly, with urgency, from the Latin statum, meaning immediately.
13. Keep clear of: AVOID. Or EVADE. Always needs perps.
14. Sorta cousin: -ISH. Suffix indicating in the manner of, or approximately similar to.
15. "Leaving on a Jet __": PLANE. Peter Paul and Mary classic.
19. Enters the wrong area code, say: ERRS. To err is human, and not just in baseball.
22. Unburdened (of): RID. No longer having to deal with some unpleasant person or thing.
23. "Mean Girls" screenwriter Tina: FEY. Of SNL fame
24. Coder's conditional construct: IF-THEN. A hypothesis followed by a conclusion, noted as p -->q. If p is true, then q is also true. If this is the case, then the conditional statement is true.
25. Navy builder: SEABEE. Derived from C. B. for Construction Battalion. I'm trying to decide if this qualifies an an acronym. Thoughts?
27. Ink spot?: TAT. Body art. Can be found on almost any SPOT on the body. I'll admit that the fascination with ritual mutilation baffles me. In keeping with todays theme, I went in search of funny ones. They are mostly not very laughable. Here's one I'm willing to share.
30. Apple's virtual assistant: SIRI. Apple acquired SIRI in 2010. The original development team had various explanations for the name. Dag Kittlaus, the Norwegian-American CEO of SIRI, once considered using SIRI as the name of his child and liked the Norse meaning "beautiful woman who leads you to victory." It also means "beauty" in Sinhalese, and "secret" in Swahili.
31. Lose one's shirt: GO BUST. To lose all of an investment. More literally, expose one's bust. Hmmm.
37. Hurricanes and blizzards: STORMS. Violent disturbances of the atmosphere involving some combination of strong winds, thunder, lightening rain and/or snow.
38. Enjoy, as benefits: REAP. Expanded from the original meaning of gathering a harvest.
40. Mauna __: KEA. Or LOA, again requiring perp help. Mauna KEA is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, and at 4207 m. above sea level, the highest point in the State. Muana LOA, another of the 5 volcanos that make up the island, is only slightly shorter at 4169 m. It's most recent eruption was in 1984.
43. Mattel product: TOY. Child's plaything.
44. Tippi of "The Birds": HEDREN. Nathalie Kay Hedren [b 1930] is an American actress, animal rights activist and former fashion model. Her daughter, Melanie Griffith, later married Tiipi's The Harrad Experiment costar, Don Johnson.
46. Parkway feature: ON RAMP. Entrance to a limited access roadway.
49. Spring sign: BUD. An emerging leaf, flower or shoot.
50. Con's opponent: PRO. Against and for something or someone, respectively.
54. Summer sign?: PLUS. "+" Found in math, not the Zodiac, contra 1A.
55. High-tech eye surgery: LASIK. Using a laser to correct vision by reshaping the cornea.
58. Far from klutzy: AGILE. Dancing granddaughter Amanda is supple, limber, acrobatic and fleet of foot. She also walks into walls. Go figure.
60. 1973 Stones ballad: ANGIE. It characterizes the end of a romance. There is speculation as to whether the title refers to an actual person, and what her identity might have been.
61. Dropped in the mail: SENT. Using actual physical mail, SENT via the Postal Service. How quaint.
62. Oui or hai: YES. Affirmative declarations in French and Japanese, respectively.
63. Western flatlands: MESAS. A flat topped hill with sheer sides. Mesa is the Spanish word for table, and these are also called table lands.
Down:
1. Features of lasagna and tiramisu: LAYERS. Alternating quantities of different component ingredients.
2. They may be tickled: IVORIES. Refers to playing the piano.
3. Late host of "Parts Unknown": BOURDAIN. Anthony Michael BOURDAIN [1956 - 2018] was an American TV personality, author, traveler and celebrity chef.
4. Corduroy ridges: RIBS. Corduroy is a durable fabric made from parallel cords that are stitched together.
5. Citrus suffix: - ADE. A drink made form a citrus fruit.
6. Unpredictable: DICEY. Said of something uncertain, risky, and perhaps dangerous.
7. Whistleblower-protecting org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
8. Landlocked African nation: CHAD. The Republic of CHAD is surrounded by Lybia, Sudan, The Central African Republic, Camaroon, Nigeria and Niger. Lake Chad, for which the country is named, and it's capital, N'Djamena, are both located along the western border, where the thin northern projection of Camaroon separates it from Nigeria.
9. Bias: SLANT. Both literally and figuratively
10. Meditative exercise regimen: TAI CHI.
11. Country music?: ANTHEM. Every country has one.
12. "Grand" mountains: TETONS. Google translate tells me this means "big nipples."
15. Duke VIP: PROF. College PROFESSOR.
17. "How do I love __?": Browning: THEE. Let me count the ways.
21. Ask (for), as money: HIT UP. Not to be confused with HIT ON, which is a different kind of request.
23. Deceptive move: FEINT. A deceptive or distractive move in boxing, fencing, or other activities, intended to create an opening that can be exploited. In hockey, it's called a deke.
26. Tops in a lingerie catalog: BRAS. Undergarments that cover and support a lady's bosom. That is as delicate a description as I can contrive.
27. "Pinball Wizard" show: TOMMY.
31. Greek lamb sandwich: GYRO. Pronounced yeero, it is a sandwich on a pita made from a dense lamb meatloaf cooked on a vertically rotating skewer. For my money, the best GYRO in the region is from the Senate Coney Island at the corner of Stark and Plymouth in Livonia. They also have the best chicken-lemon-rice soup. This has been an unpaid, unsolicited testimonial.
32. Rip to pieces: SHRED. Cut up, tear up, grate, mince, macerate or grind.
33. Really annoyed, with "off": TEED. Couldn't come up with a sensible derivation, and that really bugs me. First known use in this sense [rather than a golf stroke] is from 1951.
35. Unacceptable to some, for short: NOT PC. To be Politically Correct is to attempt to be neutral, sensitive and anodyne. Ironically, some people get TEED ODD by this behavior.
36. Protection from snorers: EAR PLUGS. Inserts for the ear to eliminate or reduce external sounds. I wear them as protection from the trumpets. They don;t help with tinnitus.
39. Italian city that hosts the annual Eurochocolate Festival: PERUGIA. The capital city of Umbria in central Italy. The festival started in 1993, and draws over 1 million people each year. Next event is Friday, Oct. 18 to Sunday, Oct.29, 2019, so plan ahead.
40. Eucalyptus munchers: KOALAS. The eucalyptus provides the vast majority of the meager nutritional needs of these asocial, sedentary, arboreal Australian marsupials.
41. Really rile: ENRAGE. Is this worse than TEEING someone OFF?
42. Inverse trig function: ARC SIN. I'm not going to try to explain it.
44. Offended: HURT. Cause someone to feel upset, annoyed or resentful. A different sort of negative emotional reaction than being TEED OFF. Perhaps as a reaction to something NOT PC. Is this another mini-theme? Is it annoying?
45. Snacks: NOSHES. Munchies.
47. Not straight up: ATILT. Leaning, caused by a SLANT.
48. Greenberg or Golic of sports-talk radio: MIKE. Both of ESPN, among other things.
49. Catches some rays: BASKS. Lies exposed to, as the warmth of the sun.
52. Potter's medium: CLAY.
53. His nap cost him the race: HARE. From one of Aesop's fables. Choose your nap time carefully.
57. Felon's flight: LAM. Flee and escape.
Well, I had a few smiles along the way. Hope you found the experience to be somewhat amusing.
Cool regards!
JzB
53 comments:
Hi Y'all! Debbie got the LAST LAUGH on me because I didn't "get" the theme. Very tricky & cute. Fun puzzle. Thanks. Also thanks, JzB for your amusing guidance.
Several opposites to laughter here with HURT, TEED, ENRAGE. Top layer seemed to have a lot of slang & unknown references which TEED me off momentarily. Had "Tick" before TEED.
Last fill was the NE corner: "F" & "EM" in the PROF (oh, that Duke!)/IF THEN/IMS/ANTHEM (oh, that country!). Duh!
ARK: tripped over this by reading it as "odd couple" rather than "old couple".
OSHA also has mirth at the end. Whistle blowers go aHA, GotcHA. Most apt.
Never heard of ARCTIC CHAR and forgot the first "C" in ARCTIC. (HAR always reminds me of Splynter.)
DNK: TOMMY or PERUGIA.
DOC: we had a dachshund named DOC. He usually slept with our youngest, but if someone was ill he'd sleep on or by their bed keeping vigil.
No Tada again for me today... The E in Perugia got me and did not know 3 down, but the crosses got it in for me....
I don't get PLUS for Summer sign.. ????? Explain ??
Jazz Bumpa you close on the Google translation of Tetons, In Cajun Country they are what the nipples are attached to... Politest way I can describe it....
Gotta get outta here...
Plus Tard from Cajun Country.........
Good morning. Thank you Debbie and JzB.
My fancies were tickled before the IVORIES were tickled.
Loved the clue, "refuge for very old couples"
Deke on the ice, FEINT on the basketball court. Same diff.
PK, good name for that dog then.
Boo, Summer = one who sums, i.e. one who does addition. It was a good misdirection after 1A Fall sign (libra) and 49A Spring sign (bud).
TEED (off) Maybe it evolved from P*ssed off, to peed off to teed off ?
Boo, one who adds things is getting SUMS thus becomes a SUMMER
Good morning!
Got to the reveal...saw CHA, CHO, PHEE, and CHAR. Head-scratching ensued. D'oh! In the end, if worked to produce a DNF. I knew Tippi's last name, but apparently not how to spell it (Hi Boo!) and didn't know that Italian city. Bzzzzzzt! Thanx, Debbie and JzB (Did you mean to write TEE ODD? Odd, that.)
IF/THEN: To the coder it means If [some expression is true] THEN [do this] ELSE [do something else].
VOIP: Our technically-challenged household doesn't own a smartphone, but our home phone is VOIP from Vonage. Calling Germany is a "local" call. Good thing, because DW and her mom chat daily for 20-30 minutes. The downside of VOIP: When the Internet goes down, so does the phone. You can't call to report the problem.
Almost a FIW, but a lookover when I didn't get a ta-da found a suspicious cross at HEDRoN + unknown PoRUGIA.
ARCTIC CHAR needed ESP, so I read the reveal before I found the theme. Not sure I would have found it on my own. Oh, eventually I would have, but hadn't done so yet, altho I had searched already. The first two were slang, the third might have been -- hybrid Mary Poppins and Archie McPhee.
Loved the "Fall sign"/"Spring sign"/"Summer sign" trilogy!
Here is "Winters sign"
Winters sign -- funny, OKL.
Grand "TETONS" and underwear model sporting cleavage in a BRA? Okay, who has the LAST LAUGH on that 'Mini-theme"? Or is it the news media SLANT and what those 'powers that be' consider to be NON-PC? I would say they are ATILT.
Good Morning. A 'funny' midweek puzzle with just a couple of unknowns- MIKE & PERUGIA- that I somehow managed to blow by spelling HEDREN as HEDRIN and misspelling PERUGIA. Go me too BOO.
Construction Battalion is shortened to C.B. and lengthened to SEABEE. It's just C.B.
SIRI, ALEXA, OK GOOGLE, and Microsoft's CORTANA- I think GOOGLE will win that battle because SIRI only works on APPLE products.
desper-otto- if you have a gmail account and download Google Talk or Google Voice, you can use your computer to call anywhere except 1-800 numbers without picking up a phone.
Always assumed TEED off derived from "ticked off" but don't know why ticked would be offensive or need to be shortened by one letter.
FIR. Had BOURDAI? x ?ANNYMCPHEE and WAGged "F". I know of Emma but not the host, and neither of the shows.
I thought of Led Zeppelin at "lose one's shirt", for you know sometimes words have two meanings.
Since I'm only a couple of miles from The Villages, that was my first thought for "refuge for very old people".
Actually, Duke has only one VIP and his name is Mike Krzyzewski. Actually, "god" might fit him better than "VIP", at least among the alumni.
I love it when radio personalities have the first name "Mike". Also car salesmen named Otto.
Thanks for the very fun puzzle, Debbie. And your intro was great, JazzB, even if I am data-limit constrained and can't click on youtubes.
Make that FIW, not FIR.
Good Morning:
An amusing puzzle to tickle our fancies (or Ivories) and a comical and colorful commentary. What more could we ask for on a Wednesday? I needed perps for Tommy, Angie, Mike, and Perugia but had no w/os. My favorite C/A was Ink spot=Tat and I loved the seasons' clecho, especially Summer sign=Plus.
Thanks, Debbie and JzB, for all the fun and laughs! (Loved the Jonathan Winters video.)
FLN
YR, sorry to hear of your carpal tunnel affliction. I, too, have hand issues so I can relate to your pain and restrictions. I hope you can avoid surgery.
CED, I didn't realize you suffered from that, also. It certainly hasn't affected your sense of humor or mischievous manner. I loved your "Patti" cake; I hope Patti V saw it.
Have a great day.
I have followed this blog for a long time but never commented before. I thought I would point out that theme answers were ha across and ha down for haha, also hohem, teehee, harhar. Correct me if I am wrong. Thanks.
Good morning everyone.
Easy enough Wednesday. Liked the theme fill but didn't really get the LAUGH progression until reading JzB's erudite write-up. YOU BETCHA - - very Minnesotan. CHAD or Mali - - DOC and HEAD…… took care of that.
PLUS had a great clue - - Summer sign?
ADE - considered 'ate' first as in "citrate".
ARCTIC CHAR - A favorite fish to order when eating out at a seafood restaurant. I think of it as a "Cadillac" salmon.
LAUGH - German lachen, Dutch lachen. English seems to have a few words where the 'gh' glided gutteral sound has morphed into an 'f' sound as in 'laugh', 'enough', and 'trough'.
Hi Gang -
Anon @ 9:16. You might be on to something, though Ho-HEM is not a laugh pattern that I recognize. I'll admit that I did not spot these possibilities, having one-dimensional vision, I guess.
Points for - the arrangements you've noted.
Points against - the theme-related answers were indicated by asterisks in their clues, and none of the downs were so indicated.
On balance, there are enough examples to strain coincidence. Maybe think of them as Easter eggs, rather than included in the theme proper.
Kudos for your sharp eyes!
Cool regards!
JzB
Anon @ 9:16: Very observant to notice more laughs across & down both. There they are, so how could you be wrong? TEE HEE! Debbie is more amusing than we knew.
Jazz: Wonderful write-up & links. Good job!
Debbie: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle. I really enjoyed your theme.
Happy New Year!!!
Well it is great to be "Back in the US of A". Though I did enjoy a week of winter and "Toasting Y'all" from Red Square.
Tarpon Springs is only about 60 degrees warmer than Moscow.
Hmmm, I think I will have a GYRO for lunch today ...
I'm in the right place to get one.
Cheers!
Good puzzle from Debbie and JzB's write-up was enjoyable.
Got through it in typical Wednesday time with only a few hiccups along the way. I didn't know NANNY MCPHEE or RAITT although I did know Tippi Hedren, but I misspelled it at first. Perps, as usual, saved the day.
JzB: You have to view the Grand Tetons from the proper perspective to see what the first Frenchmen saw and therefore named them anatomically. It also might be possible that they probably hadn't seen a real woman in a while.
Have a great day everyone.
Fun puzzle, although I missed the theme. I liked summer sign, PLUS. Fancies before ivories. SERI before SIRI, duh. TOMMY and Mike were perped.
I've heard of Perugia in novels. I didn't know about the chocolate festival. Easy to wag.
Welcome back, Tin.
You betcha, always makes me think of Sarah Palin whose folksy charm got on my nerves. I was so surprised after the election that she turned off the folksiness and was easier to listen to.
Hand up, billo. I thought teed off was short for ticked off. Google supports the p(issed) off conjecture.
IM and CED, I am sorry to hear you have carpal tunnel syndrome, too. One of my sisters and a niece had successful surgery to correct it. I love my new brace and find it comfortable. I wore it to watch TV last evening and then all night in bed. I finally got a good night's sleep and woke without pain. Of course, the pain returned after I removed the brace for 20-30 minutes. Today I drove Alan 35 minutes to an appointment and back. My hand just ached and I couldn't wait to put the brace back on. I think I will wear it as much as possible. My hand and wrist are small even for the SM brace. I need to add Velcro dots because the straps extend way beyond the Velcro strip and flap around.
oc4beach, your picture explains Grand Tetons well.
Musings
-Debbie, how dare you hide the gimmick in plain sight in your fun puzzle! :)
-I’ll bet C.C. has heard people say “YOU BETCHA” in Minneapolis
-Doncha just know it? LIBRA or VIRGO - _ I _ _ _ KEA or LOA - _ _ A. FANCIES or IVORIES _ _ _ I E S
-I eventually learned that LAST LAUGH was NOT the name of this great song
-RID – Some teachers don’t mind seeing some kids walk out the door for the last time
-For some voters – IF name is followed by a D (or R), THEN put X in box
-Unlike phone conversations, IM messages allow you to think a little before responding
-My dear wife scented the mail with Tabu she SENT me in college
-Oops! Gotta run yet another errand at MIL’s house!
I'm on my way to an Emeriti Board meeting at the university this morning, so had to hurry with this fun puzzle, whose theme reveal made me laugh out loud. Cheated on only one word because I wanted PANDA instead of KOALA and that just wasn't working. But loved the clues, the ARK refuge for old couples among my favorites. PLUS for Summer signs was also funny, I thought. And how nice to see a reference to Peter Paul and Mary's "Jet Plane." I actually saw them sing that on a stage in Ann Arbor, I think, in my younger days. Fun write-up, Jazz B. thanks to you too--and of course, many thanks to Debbie for a really fun puzzle.
PK, my dachshund Dusty liked your DOC story.
Have a great day, everybody!
Bonnie RAITT has won ten Grammys. Her father John was a major Broadway star in the 1940s, in Oklahoma!, Carousel, Pajama Game and others.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Debbie & JazzB (love the video of your granddaughter).
Like d'otto, it took me an Aha moment to see the theme. Then, like Anonymous@9:16, I saw the other "Easter eggs" that Debbie gave us, with the vertical HA, HEM, TEE, HAR crosses creating more laughs. Very clever.
But officially a FIW, with the Natick of PERUGIA and PLUS. I was not looking for a mathematical inference with Summer; probably I was thrown off by the Fall, Spring, Summer sign clechos noted by others here. Hand up for difficulty with remembering the spelling of HEDREN.
I noted the contrast of 61A SENT with 29A IMS; also smiled at ARK when it filled.
SLANT and ATILT brought a smile also.
ARCSIN was not remembered from my Trig days. This Canadian also required perps for SEABEE.
Hand up for changing Loa to KEA when KOALAS appeared.
JzB, I noted your use of a semicolon in your 36D comment "They don;t help with tinnitus." Was this just a typo or a clever response to FLN comments (Billocohoes, Lynne Truss). HA HA!
Enjoy the day.
I would agree the crossing of TEE HEE and HAR HAR and HA HA do not look accidental HO HEM leaves me cold, but only Debbie stopping by can answer that speculation.
Thanks as always JzB and Debbie.
Good Morning, JazzBumpa and friends. I sped through the top portion, but ARCTIC CHAR was the last to come to me. Getting the LAST LAUGH helped fill in the CHAR portion, then I guessed the ARCTIC.
I liked seeing the Spring, Fall and Summer Signs. I learned, however, that a Spring Sign is not Mud, but BUD. I remember so many muddy Spring days when the snow was melting and the ground was all mud.
My favorite clues were: (1) They may be tickled = IVORIES; (2) Country Music = ANTHEM; and (3) Ink Spot = TAT.
Yesterday it was nearly 80F and I worked in my garden. Today it is 60F. Cooler, but still nice.
QOD: If geniuses can sometimes make mistakes, cannot the rest of us on occasion be geniuses? ~ Joseph Epstein (b. Jan. 9, 1937), American essayist and writer
Hand up struggled a bit with somewhat Natick crosses BOURDAIN/NANNY MCPHEE and HEDREN/PERUGIA
BOURDAIN was unknown to me except that he has been in the news as a result of how he died.
Solved the whole puzzle, then struggled to get the HA, HO, HEE, HAR theme.
Thanks, Anon, for the interesting hidden observation.
Debbie thanks for the fun puzzle. Please check in and let us know if that was intentional!
JzB thanks for the illustrations, amusements and explanations. I generally find TATs to be hideous. That one you found was amusing. I wonder what is his day job.
Favorite clue was for ARK.
By amazing coincidence, I had just bought this ARK joke birthday card yesterday!
I had this very rare treat to hold a KOALA a few years ago.
I was at a conference for work at the University of Brisbane, Australia and they arranged this unique opportunity.
On Christmas Day, DW and I were in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. We ate here at Park GYROs.
Most restaurants were closed for Christmas, so we were grateful for this GYRO place!
From yesterday:
CanadianEh I am happy you enjoyed my HARP videos and photos of your fellow countryman Josh Layne!
Misty, TTP, OwenKL, desperotto, CanadianEh, Irish Miss, Spitzboov, Yellowrocks, Hahtoolah Hand up I also found the SIGNs sequence very clever! Each one a different meaning of SIGN!
JzB - I think we all know what a BRA is, really didn’t need a complete description...lol.....nice picture though!
A typical Wed. puzzle...didn’t get the Summer Sign clue, now obvious...duh, had PLOS which I knew was wrong. Other than that, 100% correct!
I didn't get it until the comments mentioned math. One who adds (does sums) could be a summer, hence the need for a plus sign.
Winter has descended on the Upper Great Lakes. The Coast Guard is active and you may be interested in reading about this Rescue off the St. Mary's River on the border with Canada.
BTW The Paul R. Tregurtha is anchored in Bete Gris Bay in the lee of the Keweenaw Peninsula on L. Superior riding out a winter storm. Presumably bound for Two Harbors, MN near Duluth. She is listed for Winter layup at Sturgeon Bay, WI after Jan 14.
Remember the New Years Day log from the USS McCampbell? This is where she apparently was bound: Freedom of Navigation
This Wednesday puzzle presented little difficulty, other than figuring out that “summer sign” referred to addition, as others noted.
No markovers today.
Not much to add.
Have a great day.
I liked this puzzle. Finished it all but didn't get tada; scanning the puzzle with my eyeballs didn't reveal what letter(s) was/were wrong so I turned on red letters. It turns out I had typed X instead of S at the crossing of RIBS and ERRS. Loved the cluing for ARK, PLUS, and IVORIES. I knew PERUGIA but that word always makes me thing of a meat pie.
Good wishes to you all.
Well, I'm no genius, but I still make mistakes.
Also, I'm a poor proof reader.
";" for "'" is a common one for my klutzy fingers.
Sharp eyed readers might find others in the write up.
Cheers!
JzB
“Physician, heel thyself” — [groan]. This comment upsets me because I wish I had thought of it! Good one, Jazz! Actually, good one all the way through. And Debbie, I really enjoyed today’s puzzle. Special favorites included YOU BETCHA, PLUS (you didn’t fool me on “Summer sign”!), and DICEY.
This was a 10 minute cakewalk today... much appreciated after a few days of struggling with the crosswords.
It’s early yet—go tickle some ivories or something!
Anon @ 9:16, excellent observation! I never would have seen it!
But I am not sure I appreciate a crossword puzzle with a laugh track...
My 1st thought was to link hilarious cat videos, but I will spare you...
Which brings me to the last laugh,
I dunno, I'm wondering why they died the same day?
(must have been a bad joke...)
In computer coding, IF...THEN tells the program which of a set of possible values to use or which instruction to execute next. IF...THEN or IF...THEN...ELSE steps or statements are the heart of all useful computer programs and applications.
FLN. TTP, I didn't have any other abbreviation for "before" handy. There's two mega FA's out there and if anybody has$200 mil to spend it's the Yankees
I couldn't see how PLUS fit until I started reading the write-up. Then it hit me: SUMMER as in Adder.
So. .. I opened the trunk with the electronic button, put something in, answered a question from a passerby, hit the close button, reached for my keys and... aaarrgghhhh!!! LOCKED OUT!!!! Mr S. Strikes again.
Locksmith around the corner. Lost time=30 min. $$=60.00. I can get$50 back from Metropolitan. Education? Priceless
I remember Tippi in "Torn Curtain".
Prescience? I put a hint link on the J to Ebony and Ivory where the solution was "Tickled Pink"
Whoops. Boo just made me realize that I spelled HEDRON not EN. I was distracted by the U in PLUS
I'd better post.
WC
I try to be the opposite of the theme,
but when it's funny, what the hell am I supposed to do?
Thanks, JzB ~
for the pronunciation of GYRO. Have always wondered about that.
- and for the pic of the bald headed TAT. Very funny!
Ta~ DA!
This was a excellent puzz from Ms. Ellerin, a fine test but doable w/o too much effort.
I don't get the gag about "old" couples finding refuge in the ARK.
Misty--or anybody!--can you explain what amuses you? I mean I get the (non-humorous) idea that couples took refuge there, but the clue insists that the pairs are "very old."
Is it because Mr. and Mrs. Noah are presumed to have been old? Or is it meant to contradict evolution theory because the animals are presumed to be as old as in Genesis--and not recently evolved?
~ OMK
____________
DR: One on each side today. The main diagonal (NW to SE) offers several anagrams, none of them particularly inspiring.
Here are just two:
"GUMLESS FISH"
-and-
"FUDGE SLUMPS"
Hm.
Take your pick.
Ol'Man Keith, I took JazzB's explanation to mean that it's the story of Noah and the biblical ARK that is mythologically old, not any people couples or even the animal duos that are saved by riding on the ark. Not necessarily funny, but kind of cute, don't you think?
Greetings!
Thanks to Debbie and JzB!
FIR. Needed perp help with ANGIE, BOURDAIN, TOMMY, PERUGIA, MIKE and ARCTIC CHAR.
See you tomorrow!
Thanks ya'll for the PLUS brain fart........ I'm glad i'm not the only one on that one and Perugia.....
I did notice the Hee is intersected with Tee, Har with Har, Ha with Ha and Ho with Hem .... I don't think Ho and Hem go together though.....
Speaking of that though LOL......... Spitzboov you mentioned the GH for a F sound....
What if someone would Bow down to the King or Bough down ???? Or Bow up to someone or Bough up to him ????
Just a thought on pronunciations......
BLQ @ 1828 - - To bow :: sich beugen (reflexive verb); bow (noun) :: Bogen. (all hard g's)
Spitz ..... I was meaning bough or bow as in Boughs of Holly as in the Christmas song.......
Or bough up or bow up to someone as in Bow and Arrow.... Some people in different areas call them Pine Boughs as in Bow and Arrow......
On another subject about the Grand Tetons.... I hope thin link goes thru as a link..
My buddy Travis wrote this Mardi Gras song and at 0:38 he mentions the famous mountain range.... Or does he ???? LOL.....
https://youtu.be/-mRl_WmjKWQ
Hi All!
Thanks Debbie for this (literally?) LOL puzzle.
JzB - Re: your comment (“Physician, heel thyself”) @6a... you put the pun in punishment :-)
Thanks for the excellent expo. D-O & Reg clarified IF THEN for non-programmers
WOs: TEeTON, Yero [as pronounced? :-)], oh GYRO. LASIc, Adept b/f AGILE (20% right!). I had HEDRuN but didn't like the looks of PuRUGIA and had 1/5 vowel chance; sometimes I get lucky.
ESPs: HEDREN, MIKE
Fav: c/a for ANTHEM.
Runners-up: Seasons' signs.
Anon @ 9:16 - I didn't notice. Thanks! [maybe it's just Ho-He?]
Enjoyed "What's My Line" OKL.
Picard - Nice pics. Are the KOALA'S claws sharp?
So glad you're back CED - LOL Shrubbery!
Welcome back Tin!
HG - I kinda got onto DW for wanting to vote straight-ticket. Trusting each other, we divided the unknowns on the ballet and did some research to see who was the best candidate and voted that way.
I like BOURDAIN's approach to life [:30 - stop at :27 b/f MA]
Cheers, -T
BLQ @ 2006 - (tree) bough :: AST; completely different word.
History and Etymology for bough:
Middle English, shoulder, bough, from Old English bōg; akin to Old High German buog shoulder, Greek pēchys forearm
Thanks, Misty ~
OK, yes, I kinda got that. It just seemed that several colleagues enjoyed it more than just for being "cute." I thought I was missing out on a joke.
~ OMK
Strange thing happened early this afternoon. I was reading the blog when I heard a loud WHAM then my electricity went off. I went to all my windows and then outside and couldn't see anything. Heard a bunch of sirens and there was smoke in the air. Couldn't tell where the sirens were going. I'm a block from a major intersection through which firetrucks frequently go. Worst thing about electricity being off was my recliner was in up mode and didn't work. After an hour, the electricity came back on, but I'd already gone to bed for a nap. Slept through the local news so didn't learn what had happened. Nothing on internet. Really sounded like a big vehicle hitting a power pole. May never know.
Oops, I had just found an open window re: @15a. I got the wrong song [Box Tops] playing in my head, but I nailed PLANE.
PK - sounds like maybe a transformer pop'd. Was it more 'Boom' or 'Pow' than 'wham'? In our neighborhood, when things get windy, we'll lose a transformer-- sometimes two and then it's hours b/f power returns.
BooLQ's link [3:23 - has the rhythm of Kink's Come Dancing, no?]
OMK - I forgot re: your DR. GUMLESS FISH? A Swedish Fish left in the sun? :-)
Cheers, -T
Anon T it does have a lil similar ring to it, so I got with him and he said, "nope" didn't copy the style, just playing the accordian to make it sound like words.....
When we play Cajun music the accordian, fiddle and steel guitar mimic's the words.....
BooL - I wasn't accusing Travis of nothing... Come Dancing came to me as 'Mardi Gras with No Bra' started playing; my brain has a weird way of making associations and music really triggers it.
//Often, I'll hear or read a phrase and song will start playing in my head - just jump in without my asking. Worse, I'll just start singing said song aloud. Not always welcome in meetings :-)
Anyway, I love the all the images of a real, not-NOLA "big", Mardi Gras.
Laissez les bons temps rouler, -T
What a day this was! First, thanks to Debbie and JazzB.
I finished the puzzle quite early but then my friend arrived for brunch and then we went to see Mary, Queen of Scots. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! It was too slow, little or no dialog in many places, and graphic sex scenes. From reading, I know a lot about that era so I was prepared for a top notch movie with great speaking parts. Instead, we got long pauses and the meeting between the two queens was less than stellar. The acting was good. No complaints there. Just disappointing is all I can say.
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