Air Conditioned for summer. The letters AC are incorporated into one word of a common phrase to give it a new twist. Notice that the addition of AC is found at the end of a word on the first two answers and at the beginning of a word on the last two answers.
17-Across. What turtles use to keep up outward appearances?: TORTOISE SHELLAC. The common phrase is Tortiose Shell. Did you ever wonder what was inside a Tortoise Shell?
27-Across. Cashew family shrub's observation?: COGITO ERGO SUMAC. The common phrase is Cogito Ergo Sum. Cogito Ergo Sum is a Latin phrase for Je pense, donc je suis, credited to René Descartes (Mar. 31, 1596 ~ Feb. 11, 1650). The English translation is: I think, therefore I am.
46-Across. Ad offer Wile E. Coyote really regrets accepting?: COME FLY WITH ACME. The common phrase is Come Fly with Me. Come Fly With Me, in addition to being a Frank Sinatra Song, was the theme song of Pan Am Airlines.
61-Across. Old MacDonald's bookkeepers?: ACCOUNTING SHEEP. The common phrase is Counting Sheep. Counting Sheep is supposed to help one go to sleep.
Across:
1. Dash meas.: MPH. As in Miles Per Hour. You can find your rate of speed by looking at the Dash board on your car.
4. "Unstoppable" cleaner: DRĀNO.
9. Dealer's abbreviation: MSRP. As in the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, also known as the List Price.
13. Brother of Athena: ARES. Greek mythology. Ancient Greece had two gods of war ~ Ares and Athena. Both were powerful, but had different philosophies when it came to fighting in battle. Ares was brutal and and cruel. Athena, on the other hand, used strategy and was wise in battle.
16. First-rate: A-ONE.
20. __ demon: SPEED.
21. Persian Gulf resident: QATARI. // And 49-Down: Residents along the Persian Gulf: IRANIS. Qatar is that tiny country, near the UAE, that sticks out in the Persian Gulf.
22. Tall trotter: EMU. A male EMU can grow to a height of over 6 feet. It is the largest bird native to Australia. It can't fly, so had the ability to run at a rate of 30 MPH if being hunted. If cornered, its sharp toe claws can eviscerate its hunter, so be warned.
24. "Grab __": "You're pinch-hitting": A BAT. Baseball!
Rafael Devers AT BAT.
35. Ducks in Eugene: OREGON. The Mascot of the University of Oregon, which is in Eugene, Oregon. Why the Ducks you ask? Back in the 1890s, the State of Oregon was known as the Webfoot State. This name came from the early settlers of Oregon, many of whom were descendants of a group of Massachusetts fishermen who participated with George Washington in a surprise attack on a British stronghold during the American Revolutionary War. These fisherman were known as the Webfoots. The University of Oregon's original nickname was Webfoots, after their East Coast ancestors. Not exactly a threatening name for a sports team. In the 1940s, the team name was changed to the more fearful Ducks. I'm scared. (P.S., the University has a special license agreement with Disney, so it duck is a based on the Disney's Donald Duck.)
36. Blow it: ERR.
37. Gross __: TON.
38. Turner on a screen: LANA.
Lana Turner (née Julia Jean Turner; Feb. 8, 1921 ~ June 29, 1995)
39. Shakespeare's Athenian hermit: TIMON. I was not familiar Shakespeare's play Timon of Athens. Maybe our Shakespeare scholar can provide some insight into this play.
41. It's chilly in Chihuahua: FRIO. Today's Spanish lesson.
42. Yamaguchi rival: ITO. As in Midori ITO. She makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles. Both Kristi Yamaguchi and Midori ITO are skaters.
Kristi Yamaguchi (b. 1971)
Midori ITO (b. 1969)
43. Tour opening?: ECO-. Think of Ecotourism.
44. Title song words before "My love has come along": AT LAST. As sung by Etta James (who makes frequent guest appearances in the crosswords.)
50. Bring up: REAR.
51. Stephen who played Inspector Bucket on "Dickensian": REA. Dickensian is apparently a BBC drama that reimagines many of Charles Dickens' characters together in London. Inspector Bucket was a character from Bleak House. Stephen Rea (b. Oct. 31, 1946), who makes frequent guest appearances in the crosswords, plays the main character.
52. Mount Rainier gateway: TACOMA.
56. Twists: WARPS. Let's do the Time Warp, Again.
65. It might pop up: MENU.
66. Giant Chicken on "Family Guy": ERNIE. I have never seen this show.
I assume Ernie is on the left.
67. Spelling start?: ABRA. My favorite clue of the puzzle. The phrase Abra Cababra may come from an Aramaic phrase meaning: I will create as I speak. It's used today by magicians when creating "magic."
68. Brigitte's bridge: PONT. Today's French lesson. Did any of you learn this song in French class?
69. Reason to raise goblets: TOAST. It isn't always necessary to use a goblet.
70. Quick: APT.
Down:
1. Yoga accessories: MATS. I go to yoga class at least twice a week. I'm not as flexible as this woman. Maybe I should go to yoga class more often.
2. Item on a set: PROP.
3. "__ lies ... ": HERE.
4. SADD focus: DWI. As in a Driving While Intoxicated.
5. Off-color: RISQUE. These bathing suits were once considered very Risque.
6. You might have to find it in geometry: AREA.
7. Egg holder: NEST. Cute clue.
8. Fed. workplace watchdog: OSHA. As in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
9. Surfrider Beach city: MALIBU. My first car was a second-hand Chevy Malibu.
10. Juárez heater: SOL. More of today's Spanish lesson.
11. Genetic letters: RNA. The difference between RNA and DNA.
12. Bench press target: PEC. Short for the Pectoral muscles.
14. Bus. card letters: STE. As in Suite, I assume.
18. Poetic opening: ODE TO.
Ode to Billy Joe.
19. Historical times: ERAS.
23. Talk TV's Williams: MONTEL. Montel Williams (né Montel Brian Anthony Williams; b. July 3, 1956), was the host of a long-running talk show, which ran from 1991 until 2008.
25. Land-and-sea military vehicle: AMTRAC.
Not to be confused with the train system, which is spelled with a "k".
26. Lao-tzu's philosophy: TAOISM.
27. Tummy trouble: COLIC.
28. JFK, notably: ORATOR.
29. Mapping subject: GENOME.
30. "Hometown Proud" market chain: IGA. As in the Independent Grocers Alliance. The Bet-R Store is an IGA store. It was also used as a set for the 2011 movie Battle: Los Angeles. The owner said, Never again would he allow a film production use his store. It was very disruptive, especially to his customers.
31. Do more lawn work: RE-MOW. I have to re-mow my lawn every week in the summer. (Notice I said I mow the lawn.)
32. Miracle-__: GRO.
33. Richly decorated: ORNATE. The mosaics at the Alhambra Palace in Spain are very ornate.
34. Benjamin's bill: C-NOTE. What's in your wallet?
40. Hard to drive on: ICY. I initially tried Ice. (Sorry, Tinbini!)
41. Common destination for snowbirds: Abbr.: FLA. As in Florida. Snowbirds can travel to visit Lemonade and Tinbini.
45. Signs of spring: THAWS.
47. Patronize Pizza Hut, say: EAT OUT.
48. German title: FRAU. Today's German lesson.
53. Tech tutorials site: CNET.
54. Spanish survey option: OTRO. More of today's Spanish lesson
55. __ Harker, heroine in Stoker's "Dracula": MINA.
57. "The light dawns!": AHA!
58. "Fancy" singer, familiarly: REBA. As in Reba McEntire (b. Mar. 28, 1955).
59. One who did it: PERP. As in the Perpetrator, not the Perpendicular in the crossword puzzles.
60. Squabble: SPAT.
61. Roadie's armload: AMP.
62. Board leader: CEO. As in the Chief Executive Officer.
63. Round-the-clock news pioneer: CNN. As in the Cable News Network.
64. Catch, as a cold: GET.
Here's the Grid:
Here's the Grid:
I'll leave you with a QOD: If people did not sometimes do silly things, nothing intelligent would get done. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein (né Ludwig Joseph Johann Wittgenstein; Apr. 26, 1889 ~ Apr. 29, 1951), German philosopher
59 comments:
FIRight, but it was hard! Center West and SE were last sections to fill. W/os ENS/EMS > MPH (measure of printing dash instead of race, was waiting for perp), OREGON > TACOMA (area where I grew up -- then OREGON showed up elsewhere), TORI > ABRA.
When roads are ICY, they may cause a driving flaw.
That's when all the snowbirds retreat to sunny FLA.
To bask beneath ol' SOL
Is their winter goal,
Until the Northern climate sees a THAW!
Should you give a TORTOISE shell a coating of SHELLAC?
Think it over, COGITO, ERGO in the shade of a SUMAC.
If your thoughts COME FLY
WITH ideas, then ACME buy.
The ACCOUNTING SHEEP are counting that as APT!
Do you wonder if maybe Atari
Would have done better in QATARI?
Sold tacos in TACOMA?
Or OREGON region aroma?
Played Guitar Hero with IRANI guitari?
{A, B-, C.}
Hi Y'all! Thank you, Pam, for a Friday challenge. Thank you, Hahtoolah for another great expo. I'm beginning to recognize your style sooner. Quote was very true.
Most of the theme answers were amusing and understandable. COGNITO ERGO SUMAC: neither the clue nor the answer (after perps filled it) held any meaning for me. Very frustrating. I did parse it right.
EMU: The recent commercial with LIMU in it would discourage me from ever buying insurance from that company if I were in the market.
DNK: TIMON, FRIO, REA, ERNIE, MINA, AMTRAC. All learning experiences.
Went back to sleep yesterday evening after posting. As near as I can figure, I must have slept 17-19 hours out of 24 yesterday. Wonder what that's all about. Hope I'm more "COGNITO" today.
Wonderful AM you Cornerites, and Cornerettes!
I'm putting my cruciverbalist cart before my horse. I have yet to solve, and review today's CW, and yet I have the gall to thank Hahtoolah, and Pam Amick Klawitter for their parts in my pleasant future fun.
Ðave
Good morning!
The top and bottom filled quickly, but that center section took some time (and Wite-Out). I immediately inked in MASCOT for the ducks until IGA convinced me otherwise. Also tried TINA before LANA and SIMON before TIMON. Ugh! But I got 'er done, and even figured out the theme. Apparently there was no reveal for me to miss. Thanx, Pam and Hahtoolah.
PONT: The only song we learned in French class was Frere Jacques.
ODE TO/REBA: Interesting that you chose two Bobbie Gentry songs, Hahtoolah. Was that on purpose? She's best known for 1967's Ode to Billie Joe, but two years later she recorded Fancy. She wrote both of 'em. In addition to a successful recording career, she even had her own TV show. Then, at the peak of her popularity, she disappeared from public view. Interesting story. Earlier this year Mercury Rev released a new album of her songs: Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited. Pretty good album, too.
After drawing a complete blank in the NW, I was wondering who was the PERP who constructed this. I guessed the wrong theme at SHELLAC and filled in TOITOISE, thinking TURTLE WAX. So it would be some type of substitution-WRONG. I caught the AC insertion later. Tough to finish today but got it done.
Plenty of unknowns filled by perps-TIMON, PONT, FRIO, STE, ERNIE, MINA,- and 'know' fills by unknown clues-REBA, AT LAST.
JFK an ORATOR? I thought ADULTERY was earlier in the week. For some strange reason people are still infatuated with the Kennedys and it makes so sense.
STE- I still wonder how that fit. No idea
FIR, but erased tina for LANA, ice for ICY, cher for REBA, and amphib for AMTRAC. We don't see AMTRACs around here, but we do have lots of these amazing LCACs training on the Chesapeake Bay.
CSO to moi @ "common destination for snowbirds". Leaving for Silver Springs in eight months. Maybe again at RISQUE.
I thought this one was easier than Wednesday or Thursday, but lots of fun. Thanks, Pam. And thanks to Hahtoolah for the tour. I agree that the best fill was ABRA.
Three days off, then teaching M - F. After that, I'm off until August unless an unexpected opportunity arises.
Very clever theme - after TORTOISE SHELL-AC, I was off to the races!
The Latin phrase is COGITO ERGO SUM like it is in the puzzle- without the N in COGITO - not usually the blog corrector, but since I am one of the early posters today - I'll throw it out there!
My grandma's middle name was TIMON (why? - I have no idea and neither did she!), so that Shakespeare play is in my memory banks!
Off to coffee with friends! Thanks Susan and Pam!
Good morning. Thank you Pam Ann Klawitter and thank you Hahtoolah. Loved your review.
Solved the puzzle and theme sans error. Got the added AC early and it helped with the other themers.
Was going to enter Wendy for "Talk TV's Williams" but the answer required 6 letters. Forgot about MONTEL until the perps provided an assist.
Shellac is made from the shell of the lac bug.
Not just the EMU. A cassowary killed a man in Gainesville, FL in the last two weeks. They can reach over 5 feet in height and have three dagger-like toes on each foot of their strong legs. The males can weigh up to 120 pounds and the females up to 160 pounds. They are considered the most dangerous birds on earth, and are categorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission as Class II animals that pose a danger to humans. They are in the same category as alligators, honey badgers and clouded leopards. Lions, Tigers and Bears are Class I predators. Paraphrased from a CNN article.
Me too Hahtoolah. I mowed the lawn Monday and it's already 6 to 7 inches tall. Have to do it again today. Tulips have bloomed and the weather has been beautiful. The forecast for tomorrow is for 3 to 6 inches of snow.
Desper-otto, thanks for the article on Bobby Gentry.
I also enjoyed solving yesterday's puzzle and reading Steve's write-up and the comments.
Big Easy, STE for suite. It's in Hahtoolah's write-up.
⭐️
Good Morning:
This was a cute theme with some clever wordplay, but it was a FIW for me due to the Remow/Timon crossing. I originally had Resod, then changed it to Resow, not noticing how odd Tison looked. I thought my error was in the Ernie/Mina crossing as those were WAGs, having never heard of either. Oh, well, I enjoyed the solve, any way. I, too, had Ice before Icy and A Wire before Wires. Other than those few glitches, smooth sailing.
Thanks, Pam, for a Friday challenge and thanks, Hatoolah, for the detailed and informative review; I especially enjoyed the Ducks' back story and all of the vibrant visuals.
PK, I'm with you on the Emu commercials. I'm not sure which insurance commercials are the silliest, but I find Progressive, Liberty, and Farmers ridiculous. Geico is a mixed bag; some are cute and humorous, while others are off the wall.
FLN
YR, sending lots of hugs and kind thoughts your way.
Have a great day.
I turned on the red letters to see my 2 or 3 bad cells which I quickly changed. No patience today. I thought the puns and the theme were fantastic. Hahtoolah, great inserts. You put so much into a blog. Thank you.
I like Reba's songs, Alan endlessly watches her old shows, often the same episode over and over, although he has all the seasons.This month it's the Brady Bunch.
I never did parse OREGON until coming here. I hadn't thought of the Ducks team.
Yes, Hahtoolah, we learned Sur Le Pont, which helps me remember PONT.
Brigette's bridge made me think of Bridget Kelly of Bridgegate fame who was just sentenced. None of the higher ups, including Gov. Christie, were charged. She and a colleague were left holding the bag.
Rococo before ornate.
My mom showed us her old bathing suit like those in the picture.
Thanks for the support, my dear friends. Contrary to what you may think, I am very happy and relaxed to have ASlan going to such a good place. I will see him frequently. I am getting too old and tired to give him so much support. My frustration is that my sweet son has become a real pill these last two weeks with plenty of 'tude - negative, snippy, argumentative, and impatient. I understand it, but I had hoped for a pleasant last week together. It hurts my feelings and adds to the stress. I have so many details on my mind.
ABRA CADABRA- "It's used by magicians today when creating "magic"
The three wise men from the east were magi. Not sure if they were wise. They were more like shamans. Anyway, "magi" is the root for the word magic. They were from Persia. Modern day Iran.
Almost mind blowing. Google Abra Cadabra triangle. Study it for a minute or so. Who could have come up with this? And why?
"ASlan" -- cute typo, YR.
Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, Kim and Hahtoolah.
Definitely crunch today, but I FIWed and found the added ACs immediately with SHELLAC. AHA moment. No need for ACs here with expected high today of only 15C (59F) and low tonight 3C (37.4F). Lucina, you had 99 yesterday!!!
I started with an inkblot thinking of Mrs. Dash and TSP before Auto dash=MPH.
Katari changed to QATARI (interesting there is no U; that was saved for RISQUE).
DUI (Driving under the influence) is more familiar to me than DWI.
This Canadian had to wait for CNOTE to fill with perps to decide which American bill was graced with Benjamin Franklin. (But I knew it was green in colour; such boring currency LOL!) I have a lovely red Canadian $50 bill with William Lyon Mackenzie King on the front in my wallet. (There's a new clue for KING for some CW constructor!)
MONTEL, MINA and ERNIE were also unknown. PERPs to the rescue. Thanks for clarifying AMTRAC and Amtrak, Hahtoolah. I was confused.
I had no idea about those Ducks in OREGON.
Hand up for Ice before ICY (and yes I thought of Tin).
I echo Big Easy's question about STE on business card. Hahtoolah says maybe for Suite. Perhaps. Usually clued as Fr. holy woman or Sault ___ Marie. I wanted Tel. My memory wants to think that we may have had similar business card cluing previously here???
Many languages today with Spanish FRIO, OTRO, SOL, French PONT, German FRAU, and Latin COGITO ERGO SUM.
RNA and GENOME in same CW was interesting. It is DNA that is mapped.
It is almost time for Miracle GRO for the garden. DH mowed the lawn for the first time yesterday. Then he will fertilize and complain that he has to REMOW!
TIMON of Athens was presented at the Stratford Festival in 2017. Here's a link for brief plot expo, photos and trailer. I did not get to see it.
TimonOfAthens
Wishing you all a great day.
Musings
-I am showing Ken Burns’ Dust Bowl while subbing today. Very depressing
-Duh, farmers would not have ACCOUNTING CROWS
-Has anyone ever paid MSRP for a car
-Baseball peeps remember when Tommy Lasorda told Kirk Gibson to GRAB A BAT in 1988 World Series
-TACOMA is the TAC of SEA-TAC airport
-Captain Kangaroo always said, “ABRA Cadabra, Please and Thank You”
-TAO and Pooh
-It’s hard to pick a favorite JFK ORATION. “Ask not…” works for me
-REMOW happens here every 3-4 days in the spring
-Some famous people are making a PERP walk these days
-Well done, Susan!
Oregon Ducks a learning moment for me. Speaking of ducks, the Aflac duck amuses me.
Hola!
Thank you, Pam Amick Klawitter! Your puzzle was greatly amusing. And thank you, Hahtoolah, for your outstanding review. I'm surprised to learn that you mow the lawn but then, women do it all, don't they?
I love COGITO ERGO SUMAC! What is your question about COGITO, inanehiker? Cognito means I learn, read, peruse and COGITO means I think.
Tina Turner crossed my mind but she is not an actress and LANA immediately came to mind. I also thought of Wendy Williams but it didn't fit. MONTEL emerged when I had the M in EMU.
I don't recall learning PONT le sur but knew PONT so perhaps I did; definitely frere Jacques.
Canadian Eh!:
I believe the final high temp yesterday was 100 degrees.
Later today I'll go for my root canal. Jayce, it is needed. I'm sure of it.
Have a beautiful day, everyone! I'll send some virtual sunshine.
I'm a devotee of the daily and Sunday crossword puzzles in the Chicago Tribune. The humor in so many of them is one of the reasons why. The "cogito ergo sumac" is my all-time favorite to date.
Business cards often have addresses on them. STE is a common abbreviation of suite. Just as telephone might be abbreviated as TEL or T or P, you might see STE in the address on a business card. Just search "suite business abbreviation".
I tried to find an image of a business card that abbreviated the word suite, but the ones I found all spelled out the word completely. But what else makes logical sense ? I doubt that Saint Teresa handed out business cards in France that said Ste. Teresa. LOL.
Speaking of that lawn mowing...
I googled our urologist and found this address:
Urologist in Denville, New Jersey
Address: 16 Pocono Rd STE 302, Denville, NJ 07834
Alan is calmer today and more respectful, so I am calmer and happy. Yesterday afternoon I said, "I won't talk to you very much if you speak to me like that." The only talk I initiated after that was short necessary sentences. "Your lunch is ready." "We are going to CVS now." I gave very brief answers to the little he said. This morning I was my normal chatty self. Alan's attitude is much improved. I am no longer willing to be anyone's whipping girl when they feel out of sorts. It does gain one respect and comity. We are both happier this way.
Lucina, good luck with your root canal today.
I've had a great crossword week, but this Friday one was a toughie for me, and took some real cheating. Still lots of witty clues and answers, many thanks, Pam. And Hahtoolah, your pictures today were just amazing! What a lot of work you put into this commentary. I put in LAGUNA, my town, for the Surfrider Beach city--hey, we have a lot of surfers too--but it didn't work with across items and had to change it to MALIBU. Put in OREGON quickly but was sure it was going to be wrong--but that one turned out to be right. Also put TINA before LANA but also remembered that movies weren't her thing. Okay, I'll ask: what does ABRA have to do with 'SPELLING'? I got it, but still don't totally get it. Anyway, fun Friday morning, thanks, Pam and Hahtoolah.
PK, hope you feel rested and can have a good day.
Yellowrocks, hope Alan adjusts to his new home soon and you get some calm time for yourself.
Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.
Hello everyone.
ice intro, Hahtoolah. Thanks.
Got hung up with being too sure about 'resod' which boluxed up parts of the center - SE. REMOW would not have caused the logjam. I don't know of any use of the word except in CW's. Each mowing of the lawn or subsequent alfalfa cutting in a hayfield is a fresh MOWing. One must have a pretty dull blade or sickle to have to do a RE-MOW.
STE - I'm assuming it's a business card in Quebec. Many STE's up there.
ORATOR - I agree with Big Easy. But you don't have to be exemplary to be an ORATOR. I would say more but am trying to be mindful of the blog rules.
I liked COGITO ERGO SUM(AC) too. Liked the addition of AC to the SUM of the theme fill phrases.
SOME unknowns for me in this Friday puzzle.
Started off quick in the north, then.....trouble.
I thought that 55D and 66A was a Natick....never heard of Mina. I watch Family Guy and I had no idea the Fighting Chicken had a name.
I have NEVER watched one of the daytime talk/fight shows ever....could not recall Montel, and had Simon for 39A.
So not only a markover....MANA/MINA, but also a bad cell MOSTEL instead of MONTEL. But no regrets, I’d rather have the bad cell than watch the daytime garbage.
Have a great TGIF.
AnonymousPVX, you let MOSTEL stand? I'd give you a zero for that.
Hahtoolah, that Wittgenstein quote is a gem. Thanks for that.
Ta~ DA!
Not easy, but fun. Thank you, Ms Klawitter!
Our Yorkie, little Louie, is home from the specialty vet. We are fortunate to have a DVM neurosurgeon just a few miles away. Twice in this little dog's lifetime. Dr. Berry has saved him.
About nine years ago, Louie lost the use of his rear legs. The good doc intervened just in time to relieve the pressure on his lower spine.
This time, Louie--who is usually a supremely happy dog--was in a lot of pain, and an MRI showed growing pressure on his neck vertebrae. The operation was successful. Now we have about three weeks of recovery time ahead. But all the signs look good, and this little guy is nothing if not resilient. A little toughie.
We've learned a lesson though. Next dog gets med insurance.
~ OMK
____________
DR: Another single diagonal--again on the mirror side.
The anagram?
A curious one. Obviously a niche label.
This one designates an emergency turnpike exit for epileptics. It is a...
"CLONIC RAMP"!
So much fun doing this puzzle today! I love Pam's work. Absolute favorite clue was for ABRA. Wasn't Abra also the name of a young woman in Steinbeck's East of Eden? I loved Julie Harris's portrayal of her in the movie.
I had heard that Abracadabra is the name of one of the several gods and goddesses (or demons, if you will) invoked in Satanism. It is possible the name is related to Abraxas stones. To me the most frightening demon is Asmodeus.
Gerome, thanks for pointing out the Abracadabra triangle. Veddy interesting!
There are many Arabic words that we spell with the letter Q with no U. In Arabic, the "forward" sound that we represent by the letter K is phonemically distinct from the "guttural" or "throaty" sound that we distinguish by the letter Q. (We English speakers cannot hear the difference.) Qatar is a good example. So is Iraq. There is a city in Egypt called Saqqara,the site of one of the oldest step pyramids. The name of the former dictator of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, is often spelled Qaddafi or Khaddafi. My friend Sherif explained to me the different spellings are due to the different ways his name is pronounced in different dialects. He can tell, by your dialect or accent, if you are Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, or Iraqi.
I didn't correctly distinguish Amtrac fro Amtrak.
No Benjamins in my wallet!
Hahtoolah, I liked the photo of the SPATS in your excellent write-up.
Very interesting about Bobbie Gentry.
Speaking of insurance companies, a few days ago someone asked how it is possible that every insurance company will cost you less than the one you are using? Good question.
May only good spells befall you all.
The RC was relatively painless, only uncomfortable for 90 minutes. The Dr is quite young and gentle; he frequently asked me if I felt anything and then injected more painkiller if I nodded. It happened twice.
d-o:
LOL! Zero Mostel!
OMK:
I'm glad your Louie is doing better and hope he fully recovers.
I believe JFK was the greatest ORATOR in recent memory with FDR a close second. Ted Kennedy was excellent, too.
Jayce @ 1401 - - And then there's the Qattara Depression in Western Egypt. It stands ~200 - 400 feet below sea level, and extends over 7000 sq. mi. Back in the 70's - 80's there were some Blue Sky ideas about transforming it into a hydro electric project by diverting Mediterranean sea water to the depression and then letting it evaporate. (At that time there were also ideas for using the Dead Sea in the same way.)
Misty: When casting a SPELL, Tori Spelling might use the magic word ABRAcadabra. Harry Potter fans will also recognize it as the source for the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra. And Dick Tracy fans will recall villain Abner Kadaver.
My mailing address, according to the USPS, is 1704 Llano St., Ste. B, #345. It's a printing shop in "suite B" of a little strip mall. A lot of businesses that use PO boxes refer to them as STE instead of Box to make it sound more like a place of business rather than a mail drop.
Spitzboov, interesting about the Qattara Depression. I am researching it to learn more. Thank you for "lifting the corner of the page."
Lucina, glad it went well.
Thanks Pam for a crossword the required a lot of perping and thinking. I admit to using the version with red letters, but I still had to work.
Thanks also to Hahtoolah for the write up and inserts. I saved all the song urls for later listening.
Everyone else said what I was going to add. For instance, I had heard about the man-killing Cassawary.
I will add a bit about Montel Williams. I believe I heard in a radio show that he had gotten very ill from the slew of vaccinations they give you at the end of the Naval Academy. He became blind in one eye and as a result he went into intelligence and not active service. He now believes this was the first sign of MS, but it wasn’t diagnosed until much later.
A long Interview with Montel about MS
The Wikipedia article is skimpy about this earlier event.
Wikipedia on Montel Williams
Hope everyone has a good Mother’s Day
VS
Jayce, very interesting about the pronunciation of the Arabic Q sound. I have studied several languages and find the hardest part for me was making the sounds that are not present in English. I am also among the 10% of the population who cannot sing in tune, though I usually can hear "off" notes. My foreign language problem and the music problem seem related.
I was better at reading and writing foreign languages than at listening and speaking, probably due to my tin ear. I love languages. I wanted to be a translator. I especially related to ESL students. After more than 50 years, I have forgotten most of the languages I learned. I believe that the only language which I could possibly recover by emerson at this stage of life would be German. My dad's first language was PA "Dutch." As an adult he could speak high German, as well. My high school classmates spoke PA Dutch and English. My German minor would come in handy in relearning German. These days, my interest in foreign languages benefits me in only a bookish, nerdy way, such as crosswords. I should have specialized in Spanish. There are multiple oppotunities to practice it here.
Lucina, glad you are not in pain. I agree with you about the great orators.
OMK, I am glad Louie is feeling better. I wish him a successful recovery. Pet medical bills are quite expensive, but if the pet recovers, that seems worthwhile. My Gypsy, a Dalmation, didn't survive after a large expense.
In this NY metropolitan area many addresses have suite or STE numbers. It is not only a Canadian issue.
I must add this comment. I just loved the show the Masked Singer.
Owen, I also thoutht of TORI for Spelling. Had to get ABRA from perps.
Tori Spelling was recently on the Masked Singer show.
TORI SPELLING AS THE UNICORN
Live Well and Prosper
VS
I liked this puzzle! Any time a revealed themer makes me chuckle is great in my book, and all four of these did that. Also, when getting the theme helps solve the other themers, it's a well thought out and tight theme. I enjoyed the non theme fill as well. Only nit is the clueing for QUATARI and IRANIS. Unless the clues are identical, I prefer having totally unique clues for paired entries. But hey, I'm not an editor so YMMV.
[PDF]Publication 28 - Postal Addressing Standards - Postal Explorer; Appendix G prescribes STE as the official abbreviation for "Suite".
Good afternoon everyone! Finished this Friday challenge without help, but just by the skin of my teeth. The mid-section almost defeated me, although looking back I’m not sure what was so tough. This was a fun take on the added letters theme – TORTOISE SHELLAC was my favorite. Thanks, Pam, for a challenging but ultimately doable puzzle. Great expo, Hahtoolah – loved all the pictures and links. Got a chuckle out of your visual for SPAT. I agree with Spitzboov’s comments @12:34 regarding REMOW. STE as an abbreviation for Suite posed no problem. I came across it frequently on business cards in my former job.
We are awaiting the arrival of our fourth grandchild, due any day now. I’m excited to meet him, but not looking forward to the 10-hour drive to Iowa.
Lucina, I’m glad the root canal went OK. Yellowrocks, I hope your firm stand with Alan continues to improve the mood for the rest of this transition week. You deserve a break.
FIR finally. It is 4:32 PM and I completed the CW without help. The SE cell was the worst, but I had white spaces everywhere.
Ðave
Hi All!
Thanks Pam for the COOL puzzle (get it A/C? - hey it's 87F here*). Thanks Hahtoolah for the sparkly expo w/ a great QOD.
FIW: I had MORE lies (I know, no Politics). AROS looked good enough and a Dash is a measure (oh, Dashboard).
Like OKL, I had a heck of a time in the Central West. TINA (Hi Lucina! - I was thinking of movie Tina & Ike) Turner didn't help; one Google.
WOs: Michel b/f MONTEL. I put ACME at beginning of 46a. Misspelt TOR?TiSE at first (I was back-filling; forgot there was an O in there). When I got the G from IGA I jumped at Mighty Ducks - oops, G is off by one spot.
ESPs: Yep, plenty of them & WAGs too.
Fav: The SO to Frankie - Not only was COME FLY WITH (AC)ME there but so was Board, as in Chairman of the, in 62d's clue. And sometimes one guy is both CEO and Chairman.
{A, B-, LOL A-}
CLONIC RAMP(?) - LOL!
YR - don't take his 'tude as hurt on you. He's facing change and lashing out - you just happen to be there. Stay strong and YellowRocks to you.
//I wrote that b/f your update - good work on your part!
IM - I kinda like the Farmers commercials - in schadenfreude sort of way [reminds me, I need new water-heater]
Lucina - DW has NEVER mown the yard. She weeded once or twice. Glad to hear your procedure went well.
Jerome's Abracadabra.
TTP - TEL is now 'o.' for office and 'm.' or 'c.' for mobile/cell. What get's my ire is those who use dots between area-code, exchange, and number [eg. 212.555.1212] instead of Dashes / EMs.
HG: I thought of COUNTING Crows [Mr. Jones 4:31]too. SPAT stopped that train of thought. Loved your TAO & Pooh link; thank you.
Wishing everyone a Happy Friday!
Cheers, -T
*C, Eh! - you beat me to it :-)
Agree, D4E4H, the SE was the last to fall.
Thank you, Lucina & Yellowrocks, for the good wishes for Louie. I'm sorry, YR, that your Gypsy didn't make it. Dalmatians are such beauties!
But, yes, pet bills are enormous. I feel fortunate that we could afford his treatment & think how sad it would be if we couldn't.
And especially how awful it would feel if Louie didn't make it--as with your sad loss.
I'm not sure how much of the expense could be covered by insurance, but in future we're sure going to look into it.
~ OMK
Yellowrocks, I wish I had studied German instead of French. Our daughter-in-law spent much of her youth in Munich and speaks fluent Bavarian. Now, living in California, I wish I knew Spanish. I only 50% regret having taken 4 years of Latin; 2 years would have been quite enough. I know you once studied Japanese and got pretty good at it. I took it for 3 years and was never able to "get" it; my mind just never seemed to be able to wrap around it. Like you, I love languages and linguistics and the study thereof.
Sometimes my desire for precision, both in engineering and in language, drives me nuts when I hear, so much more often these days, (deliberately?) sloppy use of language in the news. Perhaps it is their desire for sensationalism over accuracy that leads them to use terms like, for example, "battle" and "fight" and "grapple with" and "brace for" in describing situations where there is in fact no battling, fighting, grappling, or bracing involved.
I could rant on for pages, but will stop now.
Icy? The clue seems to call for a noun.
Is APT a synonym for Quick? ( Vaguely, "quick to" ; "apt to" )
TTP, very informative re: EMU
RNA vs DNA always requires perps for me.
Hahtoolah, The QOD is some comfort. :)
Nothing apropos...
While at the gym this afternoon Jeopardy! was on the TV (with sub-titles; Classic Rock was blaring).
I assume what I saw is last night's Jeopardy! but, just in case, I won't mention Qs & As but only the category that I'd stop my workout (to the chagrin of my trainer) and read the Answer and TOTALLY nail the Questions. Category was Monty Python. My trainer was quite impressed [he's only 20-something].
Wish I'd have taken a snapshot of the TV - I'd have tweeted it to Eric Idle :-)
Back to your regularly scheduled blog. Cheers, -T
Ha! [WARNING - Thread could contain spoilers; it was today's show].
Someone got a snap of Jeopardy! and got a like from Eric Idle!!!!
Lucky, Lucky, Bastard..
Cheers, -T
We use Stamps.com for all our mailings. Their software forces the use of STE for suite by auto-correcting whatever you had used.
Hmm,
Gave up long ago on this Busy, Busy Friday...
Now that I have seen the answers, I may try to complete the puzzle.
(believe me, this is harder for me than it sounds...)
But, my one thought would be:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...
If "I" (CED) were to ever Construct a puzzle,
it would probably add "ACK!" to the theme answers...
(& possible have the shortest reveal ever...)
Hmm,,
You are an apt learner. You are a quick learner.
Jayce, anyone who disagrees these days is said to lash out. I long for a more accurate verb.
Re. pet insurance for your dog. Years ago we had an Old English Sheepdog (photo as my avatar.) We got pet insurance. They usually cover a lot less than the entire bill. If your dog needs some medical intervention right after you get enrolled, you might come out ahead. But rest assured, over the long haul, your premiums will be more than their reimbursements. So your medical expenses (premiums) are spread out over a long period rather than a big expense all at once. Kinda like getting insurance for your kitchen appliances or an extended warranty.
Lions and tigers and bears
One of the answers on Jeopardy! today was CNOTE.
DNF
Got a lot of answers from perps. Didn't grok a lot of them.
Did not see COGITO ERGO SUM|AC.
Also COME FLY WITH AC|ME.
Alan and I had a great day. Love that smile.
David just called. His wife is back in the hospital with a dislocated hip. They were able to rest it under anesthesia without surgery. This is her third hip incident in 5 and a half months.
Oops, not rest but reset. Spellcheck, please MYOB.
So cool that James Holzhauer characterized his last name as meaning “wood whacker.”
Inanehiker: thanks for the correction on my post of COGITO. That is strange because I looked over that phrase several times and noted it as COGITO. I was thinking that the only similar word I knew I knew was inCOGnITO and wasn't even sure what that meant except going masked or disguised, etc. I entered COGITO in my notes to post then typed it wrong.
YR: I have one child who punishes me any time anything unfortunate happens in her life whether or not I was involved in any way. Very tiresome.
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Pam Amick Klawitter, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for a fine review.
Got through this slowly this morning. Caught the theme with TORTOISE SHELLAC and then COME FLY WITH ACME. Then others then became easier.
Liked WIRES for 15A. Clever.
MINA was unknown. Perps.
AMTRAC was unknown. Perps.
Wanted MONICA before MONTEL worked better.
Anyhow, it is late. Just got home from Chicago.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Thank you, Owen--now I get it.
Many years ago I got pet insurance for both my dogs. I don't believe anyone ever told me that it would not be renewed after 8 years. So when my dogs began to have problems after that--when problems normally kick in--no more pet insurance. I haven't bothered to get it since. Be sure to check it out carefully and calculate the costs realistically.
Stratford's production of Timon is available on DVD. It's gotter very goo reviews. Unfortunately we missed it too. (We go to Stratford every year.)
Mr Devers had a big hit for our Sox last night. He started at 3rd so he already had a bat.
I blew it with S/TIMON and forgetting the spelling of MONTEL Williams. I was familiar with both but the ol’ bean lacked juice
I needed the great write-up from Hahtoolah to grok ABRA. Of course”Spelling” had a ?
Just for the record I FIW hier on two boxes because of PREFIX. ARENA was so simple but the clue threw me
YR and OMK, I lost a conure after paying a hefty pet bill. Not like OMK's must have been. Betsy replaced the one bird with 6. BTW, I thought we'd get some professional info on TIMON, one of Will’s later and less known efforts.
This is very late, barely better than never. Overall not that difficult but tricky enough. Let's try Saturday
WC
Hier = Yesterday .I slip into French sometimes .
Freon@12:12- thanks for updating re Timon. Yes, they often film performances at Stratford for later viewing by a broader audience. Do you live in Canada or cross the border to visit Stratford Festival? Ever come to the Shaw in Niagara on the Lake?
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