google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday March 4, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

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Mar 4, 2019

Monday March 4, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: Where's My Car? - S is added to the given name of each famous person whose last name is a car.

17. Poet's Rambler?: OGDEN'S NASH.

23. "High Noon" actor's Mini?: GARY'S COOPER.

36. President's Continental?: ABRAHAM'S LINCOLN.

47. "Pillow Talk" actor's Hornet?: ROCK'S HUDSON.

56. First lady's Mustang?: BETTY'S FORD.

Boomer here.  

I am done complaining about the weather. A sign of Spring, the Topps Heritage baseball cards for 2019 showed up Saturday. I only purchased two boxes.  (So far).  I have been a collector for many years and was a store owner and card show dealer in the past. Not so much anymore. 

Speaking of the past, my mother drove a Nash back in the fifties and I also remember the Hudson Hornet. I do not like the current Mini Cooper ad on TV when the guy substitutes "tall concrete" for "cottonwood trees" in "Don't Fence Me In".  "I hate it when they get the words wrong!"  spoken by Crash Davis in "Bull Durham".  

Bowling is improving. Last Thursday I had two games over 200 in my three game set. First time since I went on the DL.  No 600s yet but stay tuned.


Across:

1. Moorehead of "Bewitched": AGNES.  Darrin was not a big fan of Endora. Shout-out to our blog Agnes (Irish Miss).

Eileen (sister of Agnes) and Agnes, 11/22/2013
6. Whole bunch: SCAD.  Move the S behind the D and you might have some luxury cars, but not a whole bunch of them.

10. This is one: CLUE.  I think it was done by Miss Scarlett in the Kitchen with a knife.

14. Sparkling topper: TIARA.

15. Extremely: OH SO.  I think he is a Japanese baseball player with the Angels.

16. "With this __ ... ": RING. I thee wed.

19. Gas brand in Canada: ESSO.  I have seen this before, initially in Germany.

20. Ronan Farrow's mom: MIA. Most famous for "Rosemary's Baby" in my opinion.  Was hitched to Frank Sinatra for a year or two.

21. Ding in a car: DENT.  Yankee shortstop BUCKY was a World Series MVP in 1978.


22. Parcels (out): METES.

26. Most-feared Hun: ATTILA.  Of Course he was the most feared.  How many names of Huns can you remember ?

 31. Canonized pope who kept 26-Across from invading Rome: ST LEO. "The Great"

29. 2001 scandal company: ENRON. As the collector that I am and have said before, I have some Enron golf balls. Maybe they will be worth something some day.  (Of course, I also still have some Mark McGwire rookie cards.)

30. Deity with goat legs: FAUN.


33. Gumshoe: TEC.  They left out some letters de tive.

40. Stocking flaw: RUN. to the city of refuge.

41. La Scala solos: ARIAS.

42. Dijon darling: AMIE.

43. Touch of color: TINCT.

45. Most slippery, as roads: ICIEST.  Plenty of these all across the upper Midwest.

50. Complex tales: SAGAS.  I thought this was "SuperAmerica Gas".  But they changed the name to Speedway.

51. Tale teller: LIAR.  Pants on fire.

52. Tour gp. with tees: PGA.  Watched the "Bear Trap" over the weekend.  I do not have enough balls to play a course like that.

55. School attended by many English statesmen: ETON.

59. Has a cold, say: AILS.  Ail Ail, the gangs all here.

60. Rowboat movers: OARS.  Gently down the stream.

61. Like horror film music: EERIE.  One of the Spooky Great Lakes.

62. Fuss: TO-DO.  I think this is two words about nothing.

63. Cloudy: GRAY.

64. Most high schoolers: TEENS.

Down:

1. Split bit: ATOM.  Mr. Terrific was A Tom.

2. 1958 Chevalier musical: GIGI.  I thought a 1958 Chevalier was a General Motors compact car.

3. Nothing, in Spain: NA DA.  It's nothing in the USA as well.

4. Before, poetically: ERE.  A poetic Great Lake.

5. Open-toed shoe: SANDAL.

6. Cher's singing partner: SONNY.  I Got You Babe.  Sadly lost an argument with a tree while skiing.


7. Online talks: CHATS.

8. Beast of burden: ASS.  Okay, I won't make a comment on this one today.

9. Head-slapping word from Homer: DOH. I can honestly say that I have never watched a full episode of "The Simpson's".


10. Sleazy sort, in slang: CREEPO.

11. "Pay attention when I speak": LISTEN TO ME.  I hate it when people say this.

12. Racing family name: UNSER.  I have heard of Bobby and Al.  I guess there were a few more drivers.

13. They may clash on film sets: EGOS.

18. Toxin fighters: SERA.

22. Dummy: MORON.  Famous word uttered by Rex Tillerson.

23. Actress Torres of "Firefly": GINA.

24. Phones in pockets or purses: CELLS.  I think you can even have a smart or a flip.

25. "That's __ haven't heard": ONE I.

26. A distant place: AFAR. We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse AFAR.

27. "Forbidden" perfume: TABU. In my address book it's the TAB between T and V


28. What things do when touched by Midas: TURN TO GOLD.  Except at the muffler shop, where the only thing is how many ounces you will need to pay the bill.

31. Actress Jada Pinkett __: SMITH. Pretty common name. We have Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota. She took Al Franken's place.

32. Flight safety org.: TSA. Visited a few of them on Feb. 10.  Passed through with flying colors.

34. Fans of college sports' Bulldogs: ELIS.

35. Tech product review website: CNET.

37. Actor Tom who said, "There's no crying in baseball": HANKS. "A League of Their Own".  Enjoyed him better in "Forrest Gump."

38. Curved parts: ARCS.

39. Eve's firstborn: CAIN. The story goes that he killed his younger brother, Abel.  Glad I did not have an older brother.

44. "No problem for me!": I CAN SO.  We always said "I Can Too."  How about you?

45. "By Jove!": I SAY.

46. Tight undergarment: CORSET.  Not sure why anyone would wear one of these.  Doctor had me wearing a big plastic corset for about 6 weeks and I hated it.

47. Betting odds, e.g.: RATIO.  Odds are usually expressed in whole numbers. 2-1, 3-1, 6-5, etc.  A ratio is usually expressed in fractions.  Mathematics professors may bite my head off if I am wrong.

48. Michelob diet beer: ULTRA.  I suppose there is no corn syrup in it.

49. Rattlebrained: DITSY.  Brother of ITSY and BITSY.

50. Chair or sofa: SEAT.

52. Skin opening: PORE.

53. Broad smile: GRIN. and Bear it.

54. Citrus drinks: ADES.

56. Peat source: BOG.

57. Organ with a drum: EAR.  If you hear with an ear, and speak with a beak, why is your nose not called a Mell

58. Lawyer's charge: FEE.  Some may call it a fee, others may call it a ransom.

Boomer


Notes from C.C.:

I mentioned last Wednesday about the 42nd American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 22 to March 24, Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut). Mike Alpern, who organized the annual  Cru Dinner, told me that "The response has been great and next week, an invitation to all tournament rookies will go out which should fill the remaining spots. If you would, please let your fans know that if they're thinking of attending the Cru Dinner, the time to do it is now."

So contact Luca's grandpa Mike soon. You don't want to miss a precious mingling opportunity with other solvers and constructors. If you're a rookie, you'll get a nice surprise gift.

51 comments:

D4E4H said...

Thank you Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette for this easy Monday CW which I was able to FIR.

Thank you Boomer for your humorous review. I would be hard pressed to select my favorite comment.

Ðave

OwenKL said...

There was a 'TEC' who searched for a CLUE
For who did what, and how, and to who?
He let his instinct
Detect any TINCT
Of guilt, to tell him just what TO DO!

AMIE had a SCAD of OH, SO many suitors!
Not only guys, but lezzies and neuters!
That may sound EERIE,
But she was such a dearie
And as an A.I., she was on all their computers!

ST. LEO faced off with ATTILA the Hun
Who thought sacking Rome would be OH, SO much fun!
But the Hun couldn't cope
With a CREEP-O DITZY Pope,
And so with his army took off at a run!

{B-, A-, A-.}

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Zip, zip, done. No "D'oh" required. I remember my grandfather's blue NASH. Every winter he'd drive to Florida for a couple of weeks, and come back with a suntan and a crate full of oranges and grapefruit. Should've said barely remember -- he died when I was four. Nice CSO to I.M. Thanx for the automotive tour, Kurt and Jan-Michele. Enjoyed the expo, Boomer.

ENRON: When the stock fell to less than a buck, my boss bought 100 shares on an impulse. Figured he could give away the certificates as gag gifts. He didn't realize he'd get just one certificate for 100 shares and was about $100 poorer. The gag was on him.

GINA: Firefly was a pretty good series that nobody remembers. It starred Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds played by a much younger Nathan Fillion.

SONNY: He may have lost that argument with the tree, but he made quite an impression.

Anonymous said...

Poor Sonny, the tree must have made a bigger impression on him.

Oas said...

Thanks for the easy Monday morning run Kurt and Jan-Michele
Thanks Boomer forthe review.
I couldn’t quite understand why gumshoe was a TEC or why TINCT was a color but the perps needed them that way so ta dah.
Interesting that GIGI and GINA shared in the solve.
Caught the theme at OGDENS NASH and the rest went smoothly.
OwenKl thanks :-/
Cheers

inanehiker said...

Fun run and speed run on the puzzle and pun run on the blog!

The"Firefly" series was short lived, but quite a sci-fi darling/cult favorite that re-runs on channels like SYFY and one of the first Joss Whedon creations aftr "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Off to work- the roads look to be all clear!

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Boomer and friends. Fun celebrity car puzzle. It was ABRAHAM'S LINCOLN that was my Rosetta Stone for this puzzle.

Nice start to the week's puzzle with a CSO to our Irish Miss.

Boomer: You said you were glad you didn't have an older brother, but did you have a younger brother ...

My favorite clue was This Is One.

Stay warm everyone! March has really come in like a lion this year.

QOD: I have always believed that when you’re feeling sorry for yourself, the best thing to do is help someone else. ~ Patricia Heaton (b. Mar. 4, 1958)

jfromvt said...

The Lincoln car company was named after Abraham. The founder, Henry Leland, is from Barton, Vermont, not too far from where I grew up. Eventually he sold the company to Henry Ford.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased ATilLA for ATTILA. Bad spellers of the world, UNTIE!!!

Didn't know TINCT, and only know TEC from CWs. Show biz stuff always evades me, and today it's GIGI, GINA and SMITH. Sounds like the cast for a remake of Charlie's Angels.

Thanks for the fun, easy Monday puzzle, Kurt and Jan-Michele. My favorites were all the cars in the theme answers. Least favorite was CORSET. Nothing wrong with the clue or fill, but I HATE trying to undo all those hooks with one hand. That's NBA-level skill (National Bra Association), and I'm still just an NCAA prospect. BTW, when I read Jan-Michele's byline I thought of Jan-Michael Vincent, a troubled actor best known for his substance abuse problems (and less so for his role in the television series Airwolf). Hope your life is going much better than his.

And thanks to Boomer for the funny tour. Glad to see your scores are improving. I only broke 200 once, and that was 50+ years ago.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Nice intro from Boomer. Glad to see you in good humor.

Easy solve with no searches needed and no erasures. Got the theme early and allowed me to pre-fill ABRAHAMSLIN…… early. Immediately saw the CSO to IM. CC is in WSJ today so I'll probably do that later.
HUDSON - - My Dad had a '47 HUDSON which he used to deliver eggs and broiler chickens to customers in the nearby towns. In addition to the manual shift, it also had a 'vacuum' shift (no clutch needed) and 'hydramatic' shift; akin to today's automatic transmission. The last weeks he had it, it could not be put in reverse, so we had to push it out of the garage, and he would park in town at the end of a block facing the intersection so he could have a forward egress.
MIA - I once sat at a table near MIA and Woody in the Russian Tea Room in NYC. (mid '80's)

LISTEN TO ME:

"A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audience's attention, then he can teach his lesson."
John Henrik Clarke (1915-1998)

Prairie Woman said...

Good morning. Starting off with a nice run through the puzzle and a fun-to- read review is a great beginning to the week. Thank you constructors and Boomer. Good news about your bowling scores.

The Hudson answer brought back memories. In our small town elementary school one teacher was the wife of a car dealer. About every six months she would be driving a new car. Most of us rode in older model Fords and Chevrolets so the Hudson was a different looking car. We students looked each time for what “funny-looking”.car Mrs. Bernard would drive next.

It was 2 degrees here this morning, so a good day to stay inside. We are in the process of downsizing and getting a house ready for market; this means I must try my hand at removing wallpaper.

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Yellowrocks said...

The cute theme which appeared almost immediately with OGDENSNASH made this Monday puzzle enjoyable.
I like Michener's multi-generational SAGAs. I especially enjoyed The Source, Chesapeake, and The Covenant.
Hi there, Agnes. Welcome back, D4. I am glad you are feeling better.
We used to play Clue quite a bit. When Kenny was quite young I modified the rules so he could play. Soon he was ready for the whole megillah. The board has been updated, but I still prefer the old version. I like the old version of Monopoly best, too.
Long ago we saw Rosemary's Baby with another couple. We didn't care for it. Florence and I wanted to get past it and enjoy the remainder of the evening, but the men harped on it all night.
I have seen TEC used in detective stories and in blogs about detective stories.
TINCT, a touch of color or lightly colored, comes from the same source as tincture. It is common enough that I needed only the initial T.
I am playing Afternoon of a Faun as I type.
I have done so much paperwork and reporting in these last weeks. Today I have to review my documentation for my tax return and mail it to ny CPA son, David.
The snow is a beautiful white blanket and the looks lovely on the trees. It is like a Christmas card. It would have been great from late December through February, but now I want spring.

Yellowrocks said...

News about Alan.
Sometime in the next few weeks he will be moving to a group home 40 minutes from here. It is a converted home where the other 4 clients have ordinary bedrooms. Lucky for Alan, the room open for him is the master suite with a huge bedroom, three closets, a sitting room and an ensuite bathroom. Alan is thrilled. We are having dinner there next week. Now that things are settled Alan is over his teen-like angst and is back to being his own sweet self. We will continue to visit and when I can no longer drive, the staff will help Alan and I get together.
My to-do list is getting much shorter, but I still have along way to go.
Prairie Woman. me, too, in re downsizing and getting ready to sell. I hope to stay here for maybe five more years, but I will need that time to get ready. It takes me two or three days to do one day's work now.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

What a delightful way to start the week and being "#1" was pretty neat! I knew what was going on as soon as I entered Ogden's Nash. This was such a simple, obvious theme but oh so much fun to solve. The fill was fresh and lively and just right for a Monday. My only w/os were Lots/Scad and Tinge/Tinct.

Thanks, Kurt and Jan-Michele, for a joyful ride and thanks, Boomer, for being our chauffeur! You are in rare form this morning! Good luck on the lanes.

YR, that is excellent news about Alan's transition plans, particularly his attitude and excitement. I hope he'll be very happy and enjoy being among peers.

Have a great day.

Yuman said...

Thank you Yellowrocks for introducing a new word to me, “Megillah” has it been used in crosswords?
The whole megillah means the entirety of something, especially something that is an entanglement of intricate arrangements or a long, complicated story. The whole megillah is an American idiom taken from Yiddish. In Hebrew, the Megillah is one of five books read on special Jewish feast days.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Agnes disdained that role but was happy to cash the checks
-My friend’s NASH had this huge feature
-Ava Gardner said of Sinatra’s marriage to MIA, “I always knew he’d marry a boy”
-Stocking RUN: One critic said it was a “goof” that none of the women wore stockings in Pearl Harbor
-Somehow we get to go into the TSA priority line and get to keep our shoes on and computers in our carry-ons
-The only Tom HANKS film I really disliked (55% on Rotten Tomatoes)
-I remember Anna trussing up Lady Mary getting in a CORSET in Downton Abbey
-I told my lawyer I would never ask him what time it is because he would treat it as billable hours!

Irish Miss said...

HG @ 9:50 ~ I don't remembering cashing any checks. 😉 Two learning moments, though, with that Nash bed and that Tom Hanks movie. I never heard of either one.

billocohoes said...

I remember when ESSO was sold in the eastern US, too, before S-tandard O-il of NJ changed the name to Exxon in 1973.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Kurt Mengel &Jan-Michele Gianette, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.

Zipped right through this puzzle. Had to print it from Mensa. Cruciverb was out to lunch.

Got all the theme answers way before I finished the puzzle. They were clever, but quite easy.

TINCT was a new word, but the perps were solid.

Hey, my old lake with an E infant, EERIE.

Spelled SANDAL wrong, but quickly fixed it after GARY'S COOPER.

3 degrees below zero today, actual temperature, when I went out to guard the crossing. Brrrrr. That first cup of Earl Grey tasted great when I got home. I learned long ago not to drink tea before I go out to cross.

Lots to do today. see you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

oc4beach said...


Like others I found this to be a delightful puzzle and Boomer's tour was a fun romp.

The only problem I had was with TINCT. It took perps to fill it in. Then I remembered having TINCTure of Iodine applied to my many childhood cuts and scrapes. It stung a little as I remember.

HG: I'm inclined to agree with you about "Lady Killers" although it does help show the range of characters that Tom Hanks could play. Some actors can only play one character, themselves.

I had to clear the sidewalk and driveway again today. Getting tired of it. C'mon Spring.

Have a great day everyone and try to stay warm this week.

Tinbeni said...

Boomer: Good job on the write-up & links.

Kurt & Jan-Michele: Thank you for a FUN Monday puzzle.
Really enjoyed the "Auto's" theme.

Abejo: I would die if the weather outside was 3 degrees below zero.
Guess I will suffer the overcast 73 degrees here in Tarpon Springs.

Cheers!

Lucina said...

What a merry Monday ride!

I loved this car funfest and with OGDEN'SNASH was ready to fill the garage, er, grid.

It was also fun to see AGNES' CSO in the first fill. GIGI (great grandmother) is what I want my great-grandson to call me. He will be born in late June or July.

I have not seen that Tom Hanks movie but agree that his acting range is immense especially in forgetting himself and becoming the person he is portraying. One who, IMO, doesn't forget who he is, is Harrison Ford. The only one of his movies I like is Air Force One.

Boomer, it's so impressive how you can relate almost any clue or answer to baseball! It makes me GRIN. Thank you for the witty review.

YR:
What a relief it must be to you to have found a good place for Alan.

Have a tranquil day, everyone!

Lexis said...

I wonder if Joe Isuzu is on the cutting room floor. Remember him? Most people disliked him but I enjoy offbeat humor.

Funny that Lucina mentioned Harrison FORD today of all days. Lol. Was that intentional?

Spent too long trying to funny by working my "toy Yoda" into a relevant comment but it wouldn't be Acura-te.

Misty said...

Wonderful fun puzzle to get the week off to a great start--many thanks, Kurt and Jan-Michelle. Like others, I loved seeing our AGNES right off the bat, but I also fondly remember Moorhead's role in "Bewitched." I don't know cars very well, but that caused no problems with the theme because the names all filled them in easily. Loved the clue for "Clue." Don't know the Bulldogs but the ELIs turn up in puzzles so regularly, I got it right away. Had FAWN instead of FAUN for just a minute, but of course there was no question about what Midas turned things into. So, delightful puzzle, and fun Boomer write-up. I too love your great spirit every Monday.

Yellowrocks, Alan's new home sounds wonderful, so happy to hear that.

Enjoyed your car story, Prairie Woman.

Great to have you back, Dave.

Have a wonderful week, everybody!

CrossEyedDave said...

Fun puzzle, I really want to post that Nash
Rambler link but it has been on the Blog many times...
(beep, beep)

Firefly was an exceptional series, IMDB = 9.0 rating!"
that died too soon. Fans rebelled, and they made a movie (serenity) to wrap it up.
(Awesome, but sad. Key characters get killed...)

The only Faun I know is from Pan's Labyrinth, the creepiest
film on the 100 movies to see before you die...
I found an English speaking version somewhere, which helped the understanding a lot.
but this is one movie that will suck you in, chew you up, and spit you out,
and leave you forever researching what the hell you just watched.

Here are some car names not found in the puzzle...

Have you noticed that the world is getting weirder?

Jinx in Norfolk said...

RIP, Luke Perry. Former teenie hearts are breaking all over again.

I echo the encouragement regarding Alan's good news, YR. Good for him and for you.

Tin, get out your woolies. High in the low-60s and lows around 40 for he next couple of days. I guess I'll have to find the partly-cloudy shovel to dig out of this mess.

TTP said...


Good afternoon. Thank you Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette and thank you Boomer.

Picked up the theme at OGDEN'S NASH and tried to anticipate the what the rest would be. Ford was the only other brand in my immediate guesses. Thought for sure Dodge would have been one of the theme answers.

We had SOHIO stations when I was young. SOHIO was the original Standard Oil Company gas station. Our closest SOHIO closed when I was about 12, and then an EXXON opened in its place.

Just watched High Noon again the other day. It is one of my favorite oaters.

Yellowrocks, glad to hear the good news.

As Abejo noted, it is cold today. Much lower than normal. Wind chill was -25 earlier this morning. Wind chills are now at -10. Temps are supposed to return to normal at the end of the week and be with us through next week. Hope this is the last of the winter blasts.

CrossEyedDave, I only recognized 2 of those funnily named cars. One high school friend bought a VW Thing new, and another friend bought a used Gremlin. He then got a used Pacer after he totaled the Gremlin.

Boomer, I almost spewed my coffee at a couple of your lines. I'd take additional sleeves for the Bear Trap, but chances are slim that I'll ever play it.

Also, we lost all 7 points to the second place team in position round last Thursday night. They are the defending champions. We're still in first place but now only by 2 points. Two of us had bad nights. We lost the first game by 4 pins. We were up by about 50 going into the frame. 5 bowlers managed 1 mark. I bowl 4th and missed a 10 pin in the 10th, and then our anchor threw a 4-10 split. We never recovered. 538 series for me. 537 series for our anchor. Not a good night.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Thanks, Kurt & J-M, for a cute theme and fun easy run. Chuckled greatly, Boomer. Thanks.

Went thru this at full speed except had to jump over the CLUE/CREEPO spot for awhile. DOH! Then I couldn't think of ROCK HUDSON/RATIO. I thought Cary Grant was in "Pillow Talk". Saw it 60 years ago so that's my excuse. Poor ROCK died a scandalous death. I remember during his last (?) role on Dynasty how sick he looked and how upset I was about him kissing Crystal looking so sick. I didn't know what he had but it didn't look like something Crystal should catch. Boy, was I right, tho my DH teased me for having a fit about it.

Another of MIA's husbands, Andre Previn, just died at age 89. They were married 1970-1979 and collected children. She had a talent for marrying unexpected ill-matching men.

YR: How great that you have secured a place Alan is eager to live. Such a relief to you, I'm sure.

Had a jolt last night, reading about the tornado and deaths in Alabama. My bro & SIL have their camper parked on the Alabama Gulf of Mexico for the winter & are there. This morning I have messages that they are fine. Tornado was north of them. Sympathy for the tragedy for so many people. Very scary weather in so many places. 11* here today.

SwampCat said...

Fun puzzle and great expo, Boomer. Thanks to all. I loved Agnes in the #1 spot!

All my kids are here for carnival and we have been going non- stop. We’ve had warm weather till today and now it’s sunny and cool (50 degrees). My DIL had never been and has been shocked at how kind people are at the parades. Everyone sharing beads and doubloons. She caught a stuffed teddy bear and was thrilled... until she saw a small boy eying it wistfully. As she said, What could I do? When she gave it to him his joy was her reward!

It’s been a fun time!

SwampCat said...

YR, so happy for you and Alan!!

Welcome back, Lorraine and Dave4.

Lemonade714 said...

A megillah is one of the five scrolls added to the five Books of Moses and incorporated in the Hebrew Bible. The scrolls are Ruth, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther.
Esther is ten chapters long, and it is all to be read at Purim. which is coming to a synagogue near you soon. 2019 HOLIDAYS . That led to the expression, "the whole Megillah"
We had a commenter used Megillah in their Icon.

I hated the LADYKILLERS a terrible remake of a fun Petter Sellers movie.

I loved Pan's Labyrinth.

AnonymousPVX said...


This was a smooth Monday solve. Zero issues.

And zero markovers. I waited for the Z or S in DITSY.

YR...best of luck to you and Alan.

Roy said...

Seeing the name one of one of the constructors, I can't help thinking of the Todesengel. Sorry Kurt, I'm sure you've heard this too many times.

Had all the cars but the first, but when perps gave NASH, OGDEN was obvious.

Tinbeni, et al.: I keep praying that these strange weather patterns blow the subzero temps down to Florida for all you gloaters.

FAUN is not a god. Pan was the goat-legged god; the Romans also had Faunus and Fauna. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faun>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faun</a>

Roy said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faun

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle and, as a car guy, the theme. LW and I have had discussions about car brand names and people's last names, observing that many car brands are named after the person, such as Ford. Fun stuff.

Really a pleasure to read your witty and informative remarks, Boomer. You seem like the kind of person it would be fun to hang out with. So, do you, er, did you have a younger brother???

So glad that Alan is happy and looking forward to moving into his new home.

Lucina, from last night: five courses? Holy cow! Glad the conversation was outstanding. You seem like the kind of person it would be fun to hang out with.

Good wishes to you all.

fermatprime@gmail.com said...

Greetings!

Thanks to Kurt, Jan-Michelle and Boomer.

Not improving in rehab. Fear I will never get home.

See you tomorrow maybe.

Yellowrocks said...

Our dear Agnes, knowing my interest in how words become acceptable, suggested this Ted Talks clip. Fantastic! Thanks, Agnes. I agree completely. I find the change in the English language fascinating, not at all upsetting. Without change a language becomes a dead language.
Ted Talks
Lorriane, you are in my thoughts. I am hoping for healing and brighter days for you.

Bill G said...

Dear 3, 5, 17, 257, 65537...,

I sincerely hope you are wrong and can come home soon. Good luck!

Thanks Kurt, Jan-Michele and Boomer. I enjoyed the solve.

Dear Lucina, I agree with Jayce about you.

Re. Megillah, I have heard the expression "The whole Megillah" from time to time. I knew what it meant but had no idea where it came from. Now I do. Thanks Lemon.

RIP André and Luke.

Lemonade714 said...

Great news YR.

Hang in Lorraine, attitude helps the healing. We are sending you uplifting thoughts and prayers


BTW, MEGILLAH has appeared infrequently in crossword puzzles.

New York Times - Sept. 19, 2018
New York Times - June 12, 2014
LA Times - May 14, 2008
Washington Post - Feb. 13, 2006
New York Times - May 18, 1991

CrossEyedDave said...

Wasn't sure at 1st what you meant by The Bear Trap,

here is an overview for the non-golfer.

Lucina said...

Jayce and Bill G:
Thank you but the truth is I have some really bright and gregarious friends who always enliven our conversations. They are the ones who are fun to hang out with. I cook and invite them over. Some of you may remember Jeanne who occasionally shared recipes with us. I love her cream of carrot soup so that's what I made and they were ready to lick the plates! Yes, it's that good. Luckily I still enjoy cooking and setting out a good table.

PK said...

Lorraine: it is so hard to be patient with a break like that, I know. Please just take it one day at a time and accept what helps at all. But if rehab is not working or they are mistreating you, give 'em hell, honey!

CanadianEh! said...

Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Kurt and Jan-Michelle., and Boomer.
Hand up for finding the theme cars quickly. Three men and then BETTY. Barely an inkblot today.

Token Canadian ESSO today, but we needed GRAY instead of grey.
Ado was too short and the fuss became a TODO.

YR, God news re Alan.
Dave, good to have you back.

Enjoy the evening.

CanadianEh! said...

Lorraine, Hope things start to improve. I echo PK's "one day at a time".

Ol' Man Keith said...

I won't complain of the weather either--so long as it stays within our typical "Mediterranean" climate here in SoCal.
But I sure would raise a stink in Alabama. 170-plus MPH winds and 23 dead is truly something to complain about.
What is that expression? "To clamor to high heaven"?!

On a much lighter note, I appreciated today's pleasant Xwd from the Mengel/Gianette team. And my thanks to you, Boomer for your witty write-up.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
Stand back! We have a 3-way on the mirror side today. Its central anchor line offers a variety of anagrams--so many that it is hard to choose the champion.
They all seem to fix on the common adjective for illness. Here are just two that struck my fancy:
If you have ever seriously banged your foot and examined it the next day, you can remember the horror at staring down at your …
SICK TOENAILS”! (Yuck!)
Switching to a sci-fi vision, but keeping with the SICKness theme, we can imagine a contest among ETs. Between Predator and, say, the Prawns of District 9, who would you say is the …
SICKEST ALIEN”?
Who else would you choose?

Misty said...

Fermatprime, so glad to see you back, but so sorry things are still so tough for you. Take good care of yourself, and hope you'll be back tomorrow too.

SwampCat said...

PK, I echo your one day at a time!!

Has your granddaughter been involved in Mardi Gras so far? I usually avoid it, but this year has been wonderful.

Lucina said...

Lorraine:
I'm sorry that rehab is not going well. Sad to say but as we grow older healing takes longer. I hope that's the only reason. I'll send prayers for your recovery.

Wilbur Charles said...

Didn't Mia also marry...? and step daughter later marry Woody?
Boomer!!!You had to mention that bleep'n name!!!! After aceing the weekend I felt great

I inked in SPREAD and HUNDAI. I forgot the last name matched the first. Now, if Doris Day had married Hernando DeSoto...

WC

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Late today... Taking care of DW's Rx took two hours and still ain't done [for some reason her insurance got rejected at the pharmacy; $500 until we get this squared away]. Anyway, the reason she's not 100% since Russia, those who ate shell-fish on their last night there got parasites. Yech.

Thank yous Kurt and Jan-Michele for a swell puzzle. Somehow, I read 17a wrong and thought we were PUN'in' names w/ a change-a-letter - OGDEN'S NOSH. That really held-up the north-central. ABRAHAM'S LINCOLN set me straight.

Fun expo Boomer - LOL enough "balls" to play that course.

WO: Wrong CAne [Untie!]
ESPs: MIA / GIGI w/ a WAG of the I, TINCT (remembered the word after it filled).
Fav: clue for CLUE
Runner-up: Getting AGNES (Hi IM!) right out of the gate.

{B, A-, A}

YR - Good news about Alan (and for you!)
Nice to read you Fermat! - stiff upper-lip and all that... You too D4.

Thanks Dow Jones (FLN) on the heads up on C.C.'s pzl. C.C. - that was a hoot!

OMK - DR: I'll go w/ Alien :-)

Wish I had fun links but I've got more work to do.

Have a great evening!

Cheers, -T

D4E4H said...

Thanks to each of you who contacted me while I was away, and who welcomed me back to the Corner.

Ðave