Getting Ahead. The word Beat can be placed "ahead" of the first word of each starred theme answer to give a common phrase.
22-A. * Online business-building method: CROWD FUNDING. If you go shopping on August, you can Beat the Crowd for Christmas shopping.
27-A. * Las Vegas pros: ODDS MAKERS. You can Beat the Odds of getting that "must have" Christmas item if you shop in August.
48-A. * Guinness entries: RECORD SETTERS. Can you Beat the Record for running the mile?
81-A. * User's nightmare: SYSTEM FAILURE. If you try to Beat the System, you might find yourself in jail.
102-A. * Zapping direction: HEAT ON HIGH. If you travel to Antarctica, you can Beat the Heat in Summer.
107-A. * Nine-to-fiver: CLOCK WATCHER. Did you Beat the Clock in finishing this puzzle?
31-D. * Overextended: SPREAD THIN. Did you Beat the Spread in the Super Bowl?
51-D. * Where one might idle away the time?: TRAFFIC JAM. If you leave for work at 4:00 a.m., you may Beat the Traffic in the morning.
And the Unifier:
27-A. * Las Vegas pros: ODDS MAKERS. You can Beat the Odds of getting that "must have" Christmas item if you shop in August.
48-A. * Guinness entries: RECORD SETTERS. Can you Beat the Record for running the mile?
81-A. * User's nightmare: SYSTEM FAILURE. If you try to Beat the System, you might find yourself in jail.
102-A. * Zapping direction: HEAT ON HIGH. If you travel to Antarctica, you can Beat the Heat in Summer.
107-A. * Nine-to-fiver: CLOCK WATCHER. Did you Beat the Clock in finishing this puzzle?
31-D. * Overextended: SPREAD THIN. Did you Beat the Spread in the Super Bowl?
51-D. * Where one might idle away the time?: TRAFFIC JAM. If you leave for work at 4:00 a.m., you may Beat the Traffic in the morning.
And the Unifier:
94-Down. Michael Jackson hit ... or what you can do to the start of each answer to a starred clue: BEAT IT.
Across:
1. Unstressed, as a syllable: ATONIC. Not the easiest starts for a puzzle.
7. Painter of melting watches: DALÍ. As in Salvador Dalí (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).
11. iPhone purchase: APP.
14. A deadly sin: LUST. My first thought was Envy. It was the right number of letters! The other deadly sins are: Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Anger, and Sloth.
18. It's split in a boat: BANANA.
Oh, you wanted this kind of a Banana Split:
19. Command to a junkyard dog: SIC 'EM!
19. Command to a junkyard dog: SIC 'EM!
20. Early internet pioneer: AOL.
21. Not fooled by: ON TO.
24. Common Woody Allen character disorders: NEUROSES.
26. Send back, as into custody: REMAND. Please don't say "remand back." That is redundant, since the word already means to send back. One of my pet peeves.
29. Iraq's main port: BASRA.
33. In the past: AGO. A long, long time Ago ...
34. Comic actor Amsterdam of old TV: MOREY. Morey Amsterdam (né Moritz Amsterdam; Dec. 14, 1908 ~ Oct. 28, 1996), is best known for his role as Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran on TV in the 1960s.
35. "Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail" writer: DONNE. Words from the English poet, John Donne (Jan. 22, 1572 ~ Mar. 31, 1631). // And the cross-reference of 12-Down. 35-Across output: POESY. An archaic word for Poetry.
36. Call into question: OPPUGN. Yes, this is a real word. According to Merriam-Webster, the word has been around in the English language since at least the 15th century. It comes from the Latin verb Oppugnare. Op- meaning "against", and Pugnare meaning "to fight." It originally referred to fighting against something or someone, either physically or verbally. Okay, now, everyone, use this word in a sentence. Just kidding! Please do not!!!
38. Features of academic gowns: HOODS.
40. Less lax: TAUTER.
41. St. Patrick's land: EIRE. Also known as Ireland.
42. F equivalent: E-SHARP. A musical reference.
45. Like radon, say: INERT. The gas may be inert, but it is formed by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil. According to the American Cancer Society, there is a link between Radon and Lung Cancer.
47. "Norma __": RAE. The name of a 1979 movie starring Sally Field (b. Nov. 6, 1946).
51. Pre-flight frisking gp.: TSA. As in the Transportation Security Administration.
54. One may be played with sticks or brushes: SNARE DRUM.
56. Misplay with matches?: ARSON. Fun clue.
57. Hawkish god: ARES. It's Greek to me!
58. Composer Milhaud: DARIUS. Darius Milhaud (Sept. 4, 1892 ~ June 22, 1974), was a French composer. I am not familiar with his work, but here is his piece entitled A Frenchman in New York.
59. Hard-to-meet condition: BIG IF. You want me to do what!!!???
61. Apple browser: SAFARI. I liked how Safari crossed with 62-Down: Acrobat maker = ADOBE.
63. Former Bears coach: DITKA. As in Mike Ditka (b. Oct. 18, 1939). He also coached the New Orleans Saints in the late 1990s.
65. Satan: BEELZEBUB. Beelzebub is mentioned in this Queen song:
68. Tips, as a hat: DOFFS.
69. Minerva's Greek counterpart: ATHENA. You don't even have to leave this country to see Athena. There is a large statue of Athena in the Parthenon in Nashville.
71. Smith, at times: SHOER. As in one who shoes horses.
72. End in grand style: TOP OFF. Meh!
74. Baseball's Speaker: TRIS. Tris Speaker (né Tristan Edgar Speaker; Apr. 4, 1888 ~ Dec. 8, 1958) was born and died in Texas, but began his major league baseball career with the Boston Red Sox.
75. 1970 Neil Diamond hit: SHILO. Not a fan of Neil Diamond, so you'll have to find this song yourself.
77. Deactivating: DISABLING.
80. Author Rand: AYN. Any Rand (née Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; Feb. 2, 1905 ~ Mar. 6, 1982), is probably best known for her books, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
84. Company VIP: CEO. As in the Chief Executive Officer.
85. Prom attendees: TEENS.
86. Out of class: ABSENT.
87. Open a bit: AJAR. When is a door not a door?
88. Muted to the max: SILENT.
91. Bill's attorney general: JANET. Janet Reno (July 21, 19938 ~ Nov. 7, 2016), served as the 78th United States Attorney General. She served during the Clinton Administration, from January 1993 until January 2001.
93. Remove by melting, say: ABLATE. Another word in today's puzzle that I will probably never have need of using.
95. Pungent green: CRESS. Cress is a green vegetable in the cabbage family.
96. Indelicate: CRASS. Nice to have Crass next to Cress, with only a vowel change.
98. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ. A reference to The Big Bang Theory. Not a fan of the show.
101. "__ World": "Sesame Street" segment: ELMO'S. Having no young children, I am not up on all the segments of Sesame Street. I guess he likes to play a SNARE DRUM, though.
104. Seasonal song words after "gay apparel": FA LA LA. Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly ...
106. Superhero-themed kids' wear: UNDEROOS. It would be 97-Down to show kids in underwear!
113. Future viewer: SEER.
114. See 103-Down: ARK. // And 103-Down: 114-Across Builder = NOAH. A Biblical reference to Noah's Ark and the 40 days of rain.
115. Main blood vessel: AORTA.
116. Manly: VIRILE.
117. Nine-digit IDs: SSNs. As in Social Security Numbers.
118. "Psst!": HEY!
119. Visual okays: NODS.
120. Tinier than tiny: ATOMIC. Also a song by Blondie.
Down:
1. Easy comparative: ABC. This puzzle was almost as easy as ABC.
2. Paving material: TAR.
3. Strawberry Fields benefactor: ONO. O, NO! It's Yoko ONO!
4. Rural turndown: NAW.
5. Like some "La Cage Aux Folles" dancers: IN DRAG. The original French version was even better than the American re-make.
6. Rick's, in film: CAFÉ. A reference to Casa Blanca.
7. Followed a Hippocratic dictum: DID NO HARM. The Hippocratic Oath is historically taken by new physicians and they are directed to Do No Harm in the treatment of their patients.
8. Corrosive stuff: ACID.
9. Novelist Deighton: LEN. Len Deighton (né Leonard Cyril Deighton; b. Feb. 18, 1929), is best known for his spy novels. Tomorrow is his 90th Birthday, so be sure to wish him a great day!
10. "No more for me": I'M GOOD!
11. Docudramas airer: A AND E. Usually seen as A&E.
13. Choice: PLUM.
14. Observation point: LOOKOUT. Here's a lookout point at Mt. Katadin in Maine.
15. Not yet posted: UNSENT.
16. "Tristram Shandy" author: STERNE. As in Laurence Sterne (Nov. 24, 1713 ~ Mar. 18, 1768). I have never read any of his works. The full title of this work is The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and is published in 9 volumes. That would take some time to read through.
17. Salad preparer: TOSSER. Awkward! You might want to Toss a little CRESS into your salad.
19. Reel trouble: SNAG.
23. Actress Thurman: UMA. Uma Thurman (née Uma Karina Thurman; b. Apr. 29, 1970) is probably best known for her Kill Bill movies, and the famous dance scene in Pulp Fiction.
25. Navigation aids: RADARS. Radar is an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging. Also used by police to check on speeders.
28. "Frasier" bros., e.g.: DRs. Both Frasier and his brother Niles, were doctors; psychiatrists, in fact.
29. Transvaal settlers: BOERS. Transvaal is a province of South Africa.
30. Like lives in hives: APIAN. Think of the Bees.
32. Have remorse for: RUE. Also the French word for Street.
34. Cleaning tools: MOPS.
37. "__ say more?": NEED I. This puzzle is quite clever. Need I say more?
39. Chicago airport code: ORD. The airport is O'Hare. Originally, however, the airport was known as Orchard Field, hence, the airport code ORD. In 1949, the name was changed to O'Hare to honor Edward Henry O'Hare (Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), a World War II flying ace, who was killed in the War.
40. Beach divers: TERNS.
43. Clean with S.O.S: SCRUB.
44. Provides home care services?: HOUSE SITS.
45. "There's no use": IT'S FUTILE!
46. New start?: NEO-. As in Neoclassic. The United States Capitol Building is an example of Neoclassic architecture.
48. Played again on TV: RERAN. Or you can watch a Rerun.
49. Hankering: EAGER.
50. Windy City newspaper, for short: TRIB. As in the Chicago Tribune.
52. Feudal worker: SERF.
53. Sale stipulation: AS IS.
55. Tools with tines: RAKES. .
57. CIO partner, familiarly: AF OF L. As in the American Federation Of Labor. A bit awkward, I should think. I am familiar with AFL-CIO, which stands for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
59. Bud's promise: BLOOM. Think of flowers. My roses are already in their first bloom of the season.
60. Suffix often meaning "to make": -IZE. Here is a CustomIZEd vehicle. What is it, a car or a motorcycle?
63. Facts and figures: DATA.
64. Modest admission: I TRY.
66. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty": EHLE. As in Jennifer Ehle (b. Dec. 29, 1969). She is currently 49. I never saw Zero Dark Thirty and don't recognize this actress.
67. Deck crew boss: BOSUN.
70. Thus far: AS YET.
73. Medicare component: PART A.
76. QVC sister station: HSN. QVS stands for Quality, Value, Convenience and HSN is the Home Shopping Network.
77. Draws attention (from): DISTRACTS.
78. "Terrif!": NEAT-O!
79. Injures, as a matador: GORES. From Sonny Stitt's album, The Matadors Meet the Bull.
81. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.
82. Cheerful group?: FANS. Because the Fans full up the Cheering Section of the arena.
83. Debater of Stephen in 1858: ABE. A reference to the famous (Abraham) Lincoln-(Stephen) Douglas Debates.
85. Marketing hirees: TESTERS. I suppose. Usually the testers are volunteers recruited by marketeers.
87. Tide competitor: ALL. Both are brands of laundry detergent.
88. Speedy ski run: SCHUSS.
89. Dunne and Ryan of cinema: IRENEs. Irene Dunne (née Irene Marie Dunn; Dec. 20, 1898 ~ Sept. 4, 1990) was before my time with respect to her acting career.
90. Plodding: LEADEN.
91. Sporty wheels, briefly: JAG.
92. Art movement typified by Sloan's "McSorley's Bar": ASHCAN. The Ashcan School was an American Art movement that focused on the daily life of the working-class.
96. After-school job: CHORE. Or, in my house, what we do on the weekends.
97. Not without danger: RISKY. See 106-Across.
99. __-Seltzer: ALKA.
100. Hinged mouth part: JAW. Moose Jaw is the 4th largest city in Saskatchewan. The city used to boast the Largest Moose Statue in the world, but is currently battling with Norway for that title.
104. Shallow crossing: FORD. Not Gerald, the former United States President.
105. Kilauea flow: LAVA. This Hawaiian volcano has been erupting almost continuously for over 35 years.
108. Canterbury can: LOO. British bathrooms.
109. Vel follower: -CRO. More than you ever wanted to know about VELCRO.
1
10. "Tell __": Streisand/Dion duet: HIM. I'll spare your ears on this song, too.
10. "Tell __": Streisand/Dion duet: HIM. I'll spare your ears on this song, too.
111. Yalie: ELI. A crossword staple.
112. Remote button: REC. As in the Record button.
Hope you all had as much fun with this puzzle as I did. Here's the Grid:
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Ed and Hahtoola!
Nice puzzle! FIR, but didn't know SHILO, ABLATE, CRESS, ONO, ATOMIC, DRS., ORD, ASHCAN and HIM, right off hand. ABLATE and SHILO were all perps.
Have a great day!
DNF. I had one last cell I just couldn't get. Finally turned the red on, 3 of the 4 bad cells were surrounding my lone blank cell. (The 4th was a simple misspelling.) SHadO < SHILO, caTS < SITS, c?OER, E?dE Even after I corrected the wrong letters, I still couldn't identify E?LE + S?OER, so gave up and used the cheat/solve button.
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassed I didn't get SHOER. Did an alphabet run on it, but at H I heard it as "show 'er" instead of "shoe 'er", and passed it by.
I'm a ghost, to wail and lament.
Too late now to reform or repent.
My best post ever,
Astoundingly clever --
But I can't press a key -- it remains UNSENT!
Ringo thought it was kind of dumb,
But he went on SAFARI just for fun.
He thought at least
He'd catch a beast,
Perhaps trap a tiger -- with his SNARE DRUM!
{A-, A.}
57d should be parsed as AF OF L. Just cringeworthy fill. Never seen AFL used this way before. And if this is the answer shouldn't the clue have hinted to it by using C of IO. No, because that would have been even more ridiculous. Oh well, I see that construction is tough and some fill must be manipulated to make things fit into place.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anonymous. I made the correction.
ReplyDeleteQOD: Shoot for the moon and if you miss, you will still be among the stars. ~ Les Brown (né Leslie Calvin Brown; b. Feb. 17, 1945)
AF of L is actually common, American Federation of Labor. My father was a local treasurer and always used it that easy.
ReplyDeleteThought the first and last across clues were unusual, atonic and atomic. A planned construction or it just happened?
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteGot the theme easily enough and made good progress throughout most of the puzzle, but then I totally crashed and burned in the center section. Couldn't figure out how to spell BEELZEBUB and went with BEEZLEBUB instead. No idea who EHLE was (and that still doesn't look like a real name). Thought "hankering" was a noun and simply couldn't come up with EAGER as a synonym. I should have figured out BLOOM from the "tricky" clue, but the misspelling of BEELZEBUB gave me a Z in the word and I just couldn't think of it.
Ah well...
Thanks Bob. Maybe I was too harsh in commenting before the coffee kicked in. If people do say it this way and the term "familiarly" is the hint to the unusual (to me) parsing, then maybe it's not so bad after all.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteDidn't get the theme...and once again forgot to read the puzzle title. No excuse. Went astray with DANTE before DONNE and CLOCK PUNCHER before WATCHER. Still, I finished in good time, so life is good. Thanx, Ed. Hahtoolah I was pretty sure it was you, then AJAR gave it away. Well done. (Actually, it was Orchard.)
OPPUGN: New to me, but I knew IMPUGN, so let it stand.
MOREY Amsterdam: In the early '40s he ran across this song and copyrighted it in the US. It was too sexy for some radio stations, but still became a monster hit for the Andrews Sisters.
AF of L was common before the merger in 1955 and appears in the dictionary.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that OPPUGN and IMPUGN which are pronounced pyoon comes from the same root as PUGNACIOUS . Don't OPPUGN my reputation.
Dr. Ed used actress JENNIFER EHLE in his December 29, 2018 puzzle featuring her part in the 1995 PRIDE and PREJUDICE
President Coolidge is known to most who grew up in New England; Mike Ditka was a great football Tight End before becoming a coach and sportscaster.
I did not know DARIUS MILHAUD
Good Morning.
ReplyDeleteDidn't wait until later to get to the puzzle. That usually results in not doing it at all on Sunday. Thanks, Ed. I enjoyed it. Nice mix of clues and answers. ATHENA/Minerva is my back-up muse to Madame Defarge. UNDEROOS brought some chuckles. I suppose my kids have moved on from Super Hero underwear.
Hahtoolah, thank you. A very thoughtful tour with lots of fine links.
I really enjoyed yesterday and last night's discussions. The Corner is a remarkable spot.
Have a fine finish to the weekend.
111d I think you want staple, not stable.
ReplyDeleteYalie: ELI. A crossword staple.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAfter filling in Crowd, Odds, Record, and System, I thought we were dealing with a gambling theme but the other themers said no, therefore, I was quite surprised and pleased at the Beat It reveal. W/os included: Atonal/Atonic, Slalom/Schuss, and Disarming/Disabling. Unknowns were: Oppugn, Darius, Underoos, and Ash Can and Donne, as clued. Liked the proximity of Cress and Crass and the crossings of Virile/Him and Noah/Ark. What really caught my eye was the abundance of entries ending in A: Alka, Aorta, Athena, Banana, Basra, Data, Ditka, Fa La La, Lava, Part A, TSA, and Uma. (I missed the Atonic ~ Atomic placements that Bob Niles caught. I, also always heard and used AF of L-CIO.)
Thanks, Dr. Ed, for a very enjoyable theme and solve and thanks, Hatoolah, for a detailed and informative summary. I guessed early on that you were our tour guide today. Appreciated your many nostalgic links.
FLN
CED, I enjoyed learning about the numerous features of your Smart Phone. Too bad none of them can walk your neighbor's dog! 😈
Have a great day.
Easiest Sunday puzzle ever! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy a good portion of a puzzle being factual, fewer puns.
Good morning all. Thank you Ed Sessa and thank you Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI failed where Barry did, and for the same reasons. But I also had UNDERdog for the superhero underwear clue. And didn't guess correctly at the intersection of DONNE and STERNE.
Still fun though.
Didn't remember SHILO until an alphabet run. OPPUGN and ABLATE were learning moments.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to go to Nashville to see ATHENA. A statue of Minerva (Athena's Roman avatar) is in the science library of the State U of NY at Albany. She's also on the school seal. Goddess of wisdom.
Photo
Also, the women's teams of the combined Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps Colleges in Claremont, CA are known as the ATHENAs. (My niece was a Mudder.)
Things that can be BEAT? Big Easy today. ATONIC & OPPUGN are two unfamiliar words and never having seen La Cage Aux Folles, IN DRAG was not to be had. Why go to a show? Forget the French or American versions. Just walk around the French Quarter on Labor Day and you'll get a lifetime's fill.
ReplyDeleteDARIUS, EHLE (ditto with Haatoolah), ABLATE (B,C,or D-FLATE wouldn't work), CRO (ugh), RAJ, STERNE- all solved by perps. POESY needs to go into the ASHCAN of the English language. Add ABLATE to that list. Only found in crossword puzzles.
BEELZEBUB- I knew; how to spell it had to wait for the perps.
Irene Ryan-Moses? I never knew that.
Our address is on Parthenon Pl -- named for the Greek temple to ATHENA. Obviously, something you'd expect in a Roman Forest. (????)
ReplyDeleteABLATE: I've had Ablation Therapy -- stick an endoscope down the throat and ABLATE away. Still not sure if it was necessary or did any good.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Clever ONO cluing was a speed bump in the NW
-Some fans regret leaving early to BEAT the CROWD
-Five minutes of 1955 BEAT THE CLOCK TV
-Boomer would say of TAUTER – What Anne Sullivan did for Helen Keller
-This prestigious music school is offering BIG dollars for my drummer grandson to go to school 1,500 miles from Lincoln
-Router or cable won’t work? DISABLE it and do a restart
-Suing a DR for DOING HARM is a tough row to hoe
-Our HOUSE SITTER is also charged with the care of our much-loved kitty
-Hahtoolah, is showing our capital building below FUTILE in your nice write-up a Freudian slip?
-Yes, JAGUAR (either 2 or 3 syllable pronunciation) also makes these
Musings 2
ReplyDelete-Today marks the 52nd year Joann has been my bride and we are going to Lincoln this afternoon to watch talented, aforementioned grandson play in the Lincoln Youth Symphony and eat at Culver’s. We’re a cheap date!
No LA Times this morning when I got up, but I looked the puzzle up online and this time--I don't know how--I figured out how to print it. Yay! So I got to do an Ed Sessa Sunday puzzle--many thanks, Ed.
ReplyDeleteMy first answer was DALI--I remember those melting watches well. Then DONNE and STERNE fell into place--great to get literary clues in that corner. But things got tougher as I went downhill, and so of course I did have to cheat before the end. Found it fun to get NEUROSES for the Woody Allen clue. I haven't worn my academic gown since I retired so went to my closet to see if it had a HOOD, as it's called--and sure enough, there it was. We get LOO in so many puzzles it's always interesting to see what the clue will be: 'Canterbury cans' cracked me up. But I've never heard of OPPUGN, and so that corner drove me crazy. Still don't like it. But otherwise a fun puzzle, thanks again, Ed. And great write-up with lots of neat pictures, Hahoolah.
Have a great day, everybody!
Haloolah, interesting and informative. Fine puzzle, Ed.
ReplyDeleteI regret that ATONIC was my last fill, right after ONO and ABC. My college days were long ago and it took perps and deep depving to dredge it up.
I have seen many of Sally Field's dramas. I think she is so talented and brings authenticity to her characterizations. It is hard to believe she started with silly movies like Gidget and the Flying Nun.
I find most docudramas I have seen in movies and on TV take tremendous license with the facts. The same is true for the Broadway show, Hamilton. Some books take the same license, but I can pick and choose the authors who are most factual. The best of them have a section at the end where the author tells us the departures from fact that were taken.
My least favorite fill was VEL CRO.
I know ABLATE as a medical term. My SIL had a cardiac ablation.
The clue refers to the glaciological and meteorological sense of the word."Ablation refers to the melting of snow or ice that runs off the glacier, evaporation, sublimation, calving, or erosive removal of snow by wind."
I wagged oppugn from perps, as it is similar, but not the same, as impugn.
Some church groups volunteer as testers and contribute their pay to the church.
Tristram Shandy is a very familiar name which I know nothing else about.
Spielberg's Lincoln (2012) with Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln was scored by historians as quite accurate.
ReplyDeleteI liked the historical novel, My Dear Hamilton, told from his wife, Eliza's, point of view. That story, too, was scored well by historians. The writer did much research from primary sources. Of course, the reader must take into consideration Eliza's point of view. The book was very interesting and lively.
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Ed Sessa, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteBarry G: Nice to see you again.
Puzzle went fine. Took me about two hours. Got it all done. Caught the theme after I was finished. Good theme.
Puzzle went fine when I gave up in the north and headed for the center. Did quite well there and then just spread out.
IN DRAG was with perps.
We just had JANET RENO recently I believe.
I skied for a couple years, but did no SCHUSSING. After I did not break any bones, I quit skiing. Quit while I was ahead. Skied in the Middle East believe it or not.
Liked BLOOM. Clever.
We got dumped with snow this morning. So, I am going out now to deal with it.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
FIW, guessing BEaLZEBUB x aHLE. Bad spellers of the world, UNTIE!!!
ReplyDeleteThere is a great DALI museum in St Petersburg, FL. An art dealer got my name from the guest register and tried to sell me his works. I got a nice catalog and a CD of Mile Wallace interviewing DALI on 60 Minutes, both smoking like chimneys. I had forgotten that was once allowed. Even so, Mike lived to 93 and Dali died at 84.
As mentioned earlier, ablation is a common medical procedure and an option for those of us with atrial fibrillation (now THERE'S a CW fill for you).
Congrats to HG on your anniversary. May you have many more.
Thanks to Ed for the fun puzzle, even though I didn't get it right. Plenty of hard fills, but fair perps kept me happy. And thanks to Hatoolah for another fun tour.
First of all I want to say how pleased I am to be among such doggone smart people. Yesterday's discussions were especially invigorating and revelatory of the tremendous troves of knowledge and wit you all have.
ReplyDeleteShoot, gotta go for now. Will post more later.
Thanks Ed and Hahtoolah. I was whelmed by the theme as well as oppugn and atonic, but I enjoyed the solving of everything else.
ReplyDeleteGary, congratulations to you and Joann!
Like most of Ed Sessa's puzzles, this one was fun with every cell a surprise. BANANA split made me laugh!
ReplyDeleteLike Misty I also liked the crossing of STERNE and DONNE with Woody Allen's NEUROSES thrown in, too. Just thinking about MOREY Amsterdam makes me smile. He was funny.
Jennifer EHLE is familiar to me from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice which I have viewed several times. I was surprised to learn she is American.
UNDEROOS is fun! DARIUS Milhaud is unknown to me; six perps needed. ABSENT is so familiar to teachers!
I botched IZE/BIGIF/SHOER and EAGER. But I knew DITKA! Ha! Sports.
Thank you, Ed Sessa and Hahtoolah. I'm sorry you don't like Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand. I love them both and have many of their CDs. You have a pleasant blogging style.
I hope everyone is enjoying this peaceful Sunday!
This puzzle was a lot of fun after I managed to claw my way out of the NW corner. I slipped on a banana peel and really missed the boat on 18A.
ReplyDeleteWhile Dali is most associated with surrealism, his works run the gamut of nearly every genre of Western art. He was a child prodigy who systematically mastered each of these styles by the time he was 21. If you are ever passing through St. Petersburg, FL, you owe it to yourself spend a day in the Dali Museum there - it has what I believe is the large collection of his works in the world. IMHO he is the greatest artist of the 20th century.
Jennifer Ehle is probably best known for playing Elizabeth Bennett opposite Colin Firth's Darcy in the 1995 BBC mini-series "Pride and Prejudice". Before that she played Calypso in the BBC's scandalous "Camomile Lawn" and more recently she played Anastasia's mother in "50 Shades of Grey", which I haven't seen.
Darius Mihaud's best known works are probably "La Creation du Monde" (The Creation of the World) and "Le Boef sur le Toit" (The Bull on the Roof). An early 20th century jazz-influenced classical composer. Very accessible.
ReplyDeleteGary, Happy Anniversary to you and Joann. (You must be very proud of your grandson; Eastman is a very prestigious music school, as I'm sure you know.) What do you and our other golfers here think about the Matt Kuchar brouhaha?
ReplyDeleteSunday Lurk say...
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah - that was a heck of an expo with a nice selection of music. Thank you.
Athena? She's just a girl - (she's a bomb) [The Who 3:35]
Happy Anniversary HG and Joann! To love and care for that long is a wonderful thing. //DW gets home tomorrow!
OK, it's nap time before taking Youngest and 3 of her friends to Mamma Mia!'s final dress-rehearsal [my workplace is a patron; free tix]. Youngest loves musicals and when she saw they were orchestra seats went over the moon. I don't really want to go but, you know, good dad and all that.
Thanks all for letting me just sit in the Corner and listen - fun stuff w/ Dali museums, MOREY, Athena, Sally Field's rolls, and, um, OPPUGN(?).
Cheers, -T
BEELZEBUB was easy because it was in the comic "Over the Hedge" yesterday. They've been analyzing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" all week.
ReplyDeletegocomics.com
I'm OK with separating Vel and CRO. It's named as a combination of Velour and crochet (Crochet being the French word for Hook, so if you work with crochet hooks that's another redundancy.) Invented by a guy who used a microscope to see how burdock burrs got stuck in his dog's fur.
Sorry to disagree with all you puzzleholics out there,but I flew the white flag after being unable to complete NW corner after an hour struggle. Please don't provide me the condesentions about looking for "easier" puzzlers. I've been doing the LAT Sunday Puzzles for over 50 years and, though I Google for more info lately, I have never given up so early. I LOVE clever challenges, but hate being flummoxed by puzzle constructors who seem to want to display their esoteric wiliness rather than their knowledge of language, geography, history ... I will continue struggle with the LAT Sunday puzzle each weekend, AND give my opinion on the quality (good or bad) of same when needed.
ReplyDeleteJENNIFER EHLE was born on 12/29/1969..not 1949. I was born in 1950 and I thought she looked way too good in that picture to be 70!
ReplyDeletedesper-otto- My husband had Barrett's esophagus and if it weren't for radio frequency ablation @ UCI medical center, I don't think he'd be here.
There are those of us who enjoy this kind of puzzle. Please keep them coming. On other days of the week there are other kinds of puzzles for those who do not care for this kind.
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss,
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Matt Kutcher brouhaha, there was a gentelemens handshake on the percent the fill in caddy would get, however Kucher is a multi millionaire and can afford to do the right thing. Golf is a game of skill, rules, and traditions. I will now go back to my knitting and finish watching the Genesis PGA tournament from CA.
Owen, unless you're Cantabridgian and therefore all Yalies belong in the stable.
ReplyDeleteThe J factor got me again. Yesterday it was RAJiv, today we had RAJ but the J that got me was JANET.
Earlier I showed Phil that I was stuck on OVPUGN. "One of the Downs is wrong, Dad". Yep, I needed APIAN. If I'd listened I'd've checked the hint "Bill". And, of course, MAG wheels seemed obvious (then)
Just the other day I remarked how my Dad always referred to the Football League as AF of L. (Perhaps there's one Wilbur reader and it's Rich)
"thanks, Hatoolah, for a detailed and informative summary.". Ditto. And..
"Gary, congratulations to you and Joann!". Jinx, I'm embarrassed to say I've yet to go to the Dali Museum. I lived there ten years and I'm just across the Bay now.
I was completely stuck in the NW until re-reading the clues for the NTH time, the BANANA hit me in the head. So. Yoko was somehow a "benefactor" to/from SF? ,
WC
*Obligatory Sweet Caroline in 7th inning
It's been a long time since I read"Burr" by Vidal re "factual" accounts. I read a bio of Hamilton as a kid and only remembered that he was born in the Islands. Is that why "Born in the continental US " was in the Constitution? I'd bet on it regardless of the facts.
ReplyDeleteTRIS Speaker was my fav as a young ballplayer courtesy of "The Connie Mack Baseball Book" I played a shallow center too.
WC
How is Yoko ONO a "Strawberry Fields" benefactor?
ReplyDeleteBOSUN is incorrect. The word is BOATSWAIN; the phonetic is BOS'N.
3. Strawberry Fields benefactor : ONO
ReplyDeleteStrawberry Fields is a memorial in Central Park in New York City. The memorial is a triangular piece of land found directly across from the Dakota Apartments where Lennon lived and was murdered. At the center of the triangle of land is a circular pathway mosaic of stones with the word “Imagine” in the middle. Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, contributed over one million dollars to help pay for the memorial’s design and upkeep.
Thank you Lucy. That was very helpful
DeleteWC
I liked this puzzle, because it was a challenge and in spite of it being a challenge. I usually like Ed Sessa's work. I also liked your write-up, Hahtoolah, and enjoy your knowledge and wit.
ReplyDeleteDIL is in Mexico (Puerto Peñasco) participating a wake, a celebration of the life of her father, who died recently. (He and his wife, our DIL's mother, have lived in Puerto Peñasco for many years.) She herself has already lost her hair from the treatments she is receiving for her triple negative breast cancer, and we all are so glad she is feeling up to riding along on the 8-hour drive. Her sister did the driving. LW and I have become quite diligent in counting our blessings.
Good wishes to you all.
BOSUN - - Bosun – The phonetic spelling of ‘boatswain.’. Per the Haze Gray and Underway site.
ReplyDeleteIM, I thought you'd never ask(about Kuchar). I wanted to talk but was afraid no one would be interested . Let me sketch it out.
ReplyDeleteYuman covered the "official" version. Let me sketch out the real story*.
Kuchar gets paid very handsomely to advertise a certain brand of Golf shoe. Why, because everyone loves "Kuch". Then he gets portrayed as a CHISELing ingrate.
Said Sponsor gets wind of it. "A measly 50k? Are you kidding,, we're talking millions. Pay the man!".
Or even better, we'll pay him and here's the script to tell the press and the IM's of the world.
So... Sketchers paid the caddy and Kuch now looks even magnanimous for his generosity and humility.
Btw. Bobbi, an honest point of view. After seeing how the NW filled I for one would be slapping banana peels against my head.
I had inked TAR but couldn't make it fit. PIE wouldn't fit either. But a three letter word vis a vis the Beatles with N in the middle...And I had it.
WC
* My story and damn the facts
That's not Katydin in the look out photo but another spot on the Appalachian Trail - McAfee's Knob in Virginia. Only know this because we hiked through there last year and it's the most photographed spot on the trail.
ReplyDeleteThose were some obscure Irene's and the dictionary should start retiring some words like oppugn
Hi Y'all! Enjoyed Ed's puzzle except for WEES. Thanks! Thanks, Hahtoolah, for a great expo. I caught on early that it wasn't C.C.
ReplyDeleteGot the theme with the reveal. Usually don't see the sneeky little reveals like that one, but did catch this.
I happened to catch "Antiques Roadshow" in the wee hours a few nights ago. Some guy was showing a CALDER mobile which was a larger version of the one shown today. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known CALDER.
Happy Anniversary to Gary & Joann. May you have many more years of joy together.
YR: I agree with your words on historical accuracy. After seeing the cast pictures of the play, I think Hamilton and the other founding fathers would have been very offended to have their names associated with anyone not lily white. This is not my prejudice but what appears to have been theirs in that era. Wilbur: I bet you're right about the "born in the continental USA" stipulation.
IM: You asked about my DIL's rash several days ago. She finally got to see her surgeon after having to have her hometown doctor give her several shots of cortisone and antibiotics. Surgeon was sure it couldn't have been from the adhesive he used to glue her wound shut or the tape he put over it. In other words, he couldn't possibly be at fault. He thought it was probably from the antibiotic body wash they used before surgery. Since she's shown allergic reaction to latex tape before, I have my own opinion. She needs to know what to avoid if she has future surgery. The rash is finally subsiding enough to allow her to sleep. Also the cervical disc implant seems to have cured the problems associated with it.