18 A. Controversial excavation method: STRIP MINING. Instead of digging tunnels, the top layers of soil are STRIPPED away, revealing an open pit from which ore or coal can be removed. Forests, top soil, other plant life, and even entire mountain tops are removed. This is a very environmentally hostile technique. In theme context, we will STRIP off the old paint - or, perhaps, wall paper - to reveal a fresh surface for redecoration
20 A. Beach house?: SAND CASTLE. Not a class home or rental on what 38A suggests, but an ephemeral bit of perhaps artistic handiwork near the shore line. Check these out. I couldn't pick one. On a somewhat less grandiose scale here are some of my grandchildren filling the moat on their construction at Coldwater Lake in 2006.
You SAND the surface using SAND paper, to remove foreign material and provide a smooth substrate for the next steps.
38 A. Beachfront property, often: PRIME REAL ESTATE. It's always pricey along the water. At this point I was confused about the theme. What did STRIP MINING have to do with expensive beach front property? But the theme uses a different sense of the word PRIME. To get a good, smooth finish, you often need to PRIME the surface. This seals pores in the material, provides better adhesion for the top coat, increases durability and provides more robust protection for the painted surface.
59. Handyman's work suggested by the starts of 18-, 20-, 38- and 57-Across: RESTORATION. Returning something to its prior or original condition, or - in this case - making over and improving a property or item. A new PAINT job can be a part of that freshening process.
Hi, Gang. It's JazzBumpa here to supervise the job. We outsource this sort of work. It relieves me of a burden, and helps keep the economy moving. And to be honest, it gets done better. Let us keep moving and see what we can uncover in the rest of the project.
1. Punk rock subgenre: EMO. More complex and emotionally driven than punk rock in general.
4. Catches red-handed: NABS. Capturing the miscreant in flegrante delicto. By analogy to catching murderer with blood on his hands.
8. Medieval stringed instruments: REBECS. As you can see here, there are two ways to hold it.
15. Many a homecoming attendee: ALUMnus/na. A graduate of an educational institution.
16. Covent Garden offerings: OPERAS. This place is London's main theater and entertainment district, and home to the Royal Opera House.
17. All-Star pitcher: ACE. the best starting pitcher on a baseball team, and generally the first in the rotation.
22. Little biter: GNAT. Any of many small two-winged flying insect that often form large swarms. There are biting and non-biting varieties.
23. Bible book between Daniel and Joel: HOSEA. The same 8th century B.C. Old Testament prophet of doom who appeared in my last blogging effort here. Due to failing eyesight in his later years, he was often asked, "Hosea, can you see?"
24. Biblical pronoun: THY. Wrinkle not THY nose at my attempts at Biblical humor.
25. Nursery cry: MAMA. Baby talk.
26. Form 1040 agcy.: IRS. Infernal Revenue Service, as they used to say on HeeHaw. Or so I've been told by people who actually watched it,
28. Permanent sites?: SALONS. Hair dos.
30. Sounds of contentment: AAHS. Spa noises.
33. __ Fables: AESOP'S. He was an old Greek story teller.
37. Criticize harshly: RIP. A figurative, not literal, rending.
41. Org. for netmen: ATP. Association of Tennis Professionals. They have an objective, merit-based system for determining entry qualifications and seeding in tournaments.
42. "Barney Miller" star Hal: LINDEN. Harold Lipshitz [b 1931] began his career as a big band singer in the '50's. The Barney Miller series, named for the character he portrayed, ran from 1975 to 1982.
43. Linear: ONE-D. One dimensional.
44. Biathlon weapons: RIFLES. This is hybrid sport that combines shooting for accuracy and cross country skiing for speed.
46. __ Bund: Swiss newspaper: DER. Meaning THE Union, this publication has fallen on hard times in recent decades.
48. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper: CLEM. A country bumpkin character who was slow witted and kind hearted.
52. Tut-tutted: TSKED. A tongue-clicking sign of disapproval.
56. Scottish family: CLAN. A kinship group having a sense of shared identity.
61. Shortest surname in Cooperstown: OTT. Mel [1909-1958] played right field for the New York Giants from 1926 to 1947. A 12-time star, he finished his career with a .304 bating average, 488 doubles and1860 RBIs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.
62. Kin of jujitsu: AIKIDO. a Japanese form of self-defense and martial art that uses locks, holds, throws, and the opponent's own movements. "The name Aikido is composed of three Japanese words: ai, meaning harmony; ki, spirit or energy; and do, the path, system or way. Aikido is the way of the spirit of harmony. Martial arts are studied for self-defense and self-improvement but Aikido is different from other martial arts in that practitioners seek to defend themselves without causing injury to their attackers."
63. Yours, to Yves: ATOI. French
64. Once known as: NEE. Referring to a married woman's maiden name. Also French
65. Planted a red herring, say: MISLED. Figuratively sending someone in a wrong direction.
66. Poolroom powder: TALC. It's used to reduce moisture and friction in the pool players hand that is used as a bridge for the cue stick.
67. Drop the ball: ERR. A defensive mistake in baseball.
Down:
1. Cybermoney: E-CASH.
2. Chinese gambling mecca: MACAO. A former Portuguese colony that was returned to China in 1999. It has a separate system of government from the rest of mainland China.
3. Forebodings: OMENS. Events presumed to foretell ensuing good or evil.
4. Sprint Cup org.: NASCAR. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is headquartered in Daytona, Fla.
5. Utah ski resort: ALTA.
6. Break open: BURST.
7. Word for word?: SMITH. A wordSmith is a skilled user of words, but the sense of this clue escapes me.
8. Tiber River capital: ROME. In Italy.
9. Center starter: EPI-. Prefix for loanwords from Greek, meaning upon, over, at or near. Center comes to us from Greek, via Latin.
10. Cincinnati player: BENGAL. Professional football.
11. "Happy Days" actress: ERIN MORAN. [1960-2017] She played Joanie Cunningham.
12. Inhabitant of ancient Palestine: CANAANITE. Any member of several ethnic groups who occupied parts of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan during the bronze age and earlier.
13. NCO rank: SSGT. A Staff Sergeant is a Non-commissioned officer.
19. Work at, as a trade: PLY. Related to "apply," meaning to work steadily at one's business or trade.
21. Reason-based faith: DEISM. Belief in the existence of a creator as "first cause" that rejects notions of miracles, revelations, or a God that interacts with humans
25. Easter liturgy: MASS. The liturgical service of the Christian Catholic church. Masses are certainly held on Easter - as well as every other day of the year. This is a very poor clue.
27. One-piece dresses: SARIS. The SARI, or saree, is traditional garb from India.
29. Floored it: SPED. Pushing the gas pedal to the floor boards.
30. On __ with: A PAR. Equivalent or similar.
31. Constitution section that creates the executive branch: ARTICLE II. Article I creates the legislative branch. Article III creates the judicial branch.
32. On-the-sly alcohol containers: HIP FLASKS. A container that can be slipped into a pocket.
34. Poetic time: E'EN. Evening.
35. Downcast: SAD. Unhappy or depressed.
36. Bullfight cheer: OLE. From Spanish-speaking countries.
39. K thru 6: ELEMentary school grades.
40. Upper body: TORSO. The trunk of the body, exclusive of the head and limbs.
45. Soup legume: LENTIL. A small, round, lens-shaped bean. As a food crop, the majority comes from India, Canada and Australia.
47. Cultural, as cuisine: ETHNIC. Relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition.
49. Sheep's cry: BAA. Or MAA. You never know.
50. Occupy, as a desk: SIT AT.
51. Santa __ racetrack: ANITA. The Santa ANITA park is located in Arcadia, CA.
53. Scandinavian coin: KRONE. Currently equal to about $0.12.
54. Fragrant compound: ESTER. They occur in many natural products and provide the aromas of most fresh fruits.
55. Discourage: DETER. Block, impede, hamper.
56. Pull an all-nighter: CRAM. Last minute studying for a big test. Probably not a very good ides.
57. Urge: PROD. Poke, jab, nudge.
58. Item in a kit: TOOL. A device or implement - in this case hand held - used to carry out a particular function
60. "__ to My Right Knee": Rita Dove poem: ODE. A lyric poem in elevated style addressing a particular object. This one is not exactly an homage.
That completes this project. Hope the results are pleasing.
Cool regards!
JzB
FIWrong. EEr > EEN + LIrDEN > LINDEN, and a natick I WAGed at RuBECS > REBECS + uPI > EPI.
ReplyDeleteSTRIP, SAND, PRIME, and PAINT.
Be as careful as a saint!
That’s to RESTORE
To what was before,
Or turn a car into what it ain’t!
Do you dream of SAND CASTLES
Inhabited by viziers in tassels,
Where AESOP weaves
His tales of thieves,
With animals in place of damsels?
The ageing diva was an ALUM of the OPERA.
She once sang in a barge as Cleopatra!
There a fake ASP
Bit her on her, uh, tush,
And she hit a higher note than before or afta!
{C, B, A.}
Good to see you up and at em early OKL, the poems were lovely. I am curious what an UPICENTER meant to you Owen, though not surprised REBECS did not jump to mind. We have not had it often but we have had it before, last in 2017.
ReplyDeleteI see the puzzle as a progression of someone restoring some wooden furniture, something my ex-father in law did often. It was fun to watch a beat up piece come back to life.
The Rita Dove poem did not resonate for me, but then I do not know her right knee. Thank you JzB and Jeff.
Great morning Cornies.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jeff Stillman for this crunchy Wednesday CW which I eventually FIR.
Thank you Jazzbumpa for your detailed review which I have barely scanned.
The Meriam Webster CW for MARCH 30, 2019:
shows at 30 A - Natick, to Boston: SUBURB
I found that to be interesting.
Ðave
When I checked the link to Merriam Webster, I found that the CW for MARCH 30, 2019 has dropped off the listing. You may solve today's CW.
ReplyDeleteÐave
ReplyDeleteGood morning. Thank you Jeff Stillman and thank you Jazzbumpa.
Bounced around until I was left with a few unfilled cells like the C in the unheard of REBECS, the N in ONE D, and the T and first I in ARTICLE II. I first had kLEM for CLEM Kadiddlehopper, and that made ARTICLE II hard to see.
I liked the theme today. Have I mentioned that I was a STRIPPER ?
JzB, nothing too deep on the "Word for word ?" clue. Just a compound word. eg, word for book might be worm, word for wood might be worker... For me, given Rich's consistency, the question mark in the clue suggests to expect something unexpected / not literal.
I saw a piece on the news about a museum in Missouri that had been proudly displaying a civil war era cannonball for decades. Until recently. A buff noticed that there had been no holes drilled in it, and suggested to the staff that it was probably still live. Yep, the bomb squad was called in, the cannonball removed to a safe location, and then detonated.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteAAH, a Wite-Out-free day. OTT sneaked in unnoticed. Noticed AIKIDO, didn't recognize it, but let it stand. Thanx for the outing, Jeff, and for the esoteric elucidation, JzB.
Two to go, counting today. Gotta hit the road for Cleveland (TX, not OH) in a few.
C.C. has a puzzle at USA Today this morning.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Jazzbumpa and friends. Fun puzzle.
ReplyDeleteREBECS is a new word for me.
Mel OTT was from Louisiana. He was killed in a car accident in 1958.
I wanted Macau instead of MACAO.
The order of books in the Bible differ depending upon one's theology. In the Hebrew Bible, HOSEA is found immediately before Joel and Daniel is found 18 books after HOSEA.
QOD: We must have standards, no matter how low. ~ Anne Lamott (b. Apr. 10, 1954), American novelist
FRW, not knowing AIKaDO and (surprise) misspelling LENTaL. Erased "cee" for "center starter" and nba for "org for netmen".
ReplyDeleteBest err from MLB yesterday here.
CSO to our dear Yellow Rocks with wordSMITH.
Ode to My Right Knee? Oh my achin' buttocks. GET A JOB, RITA! [OK haters, let the RIPping begin.]
Santa Anita is my second-favorite track. First place: Keeneland in Lexington, KY. Both places have enough of my money to build a Jinx annex.
Thanks to Jeff and JzB for the fun challenge. Off to Myrtle Beach for a golf boondoggle, so I might be incommunicado until Tuesday. Depends on WiFi / 4G coverage at the condo.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteEventually FIR. Had 'eon' before EE'N; which then got me PRIME REAL ESTATE. No searches were needed. Appropriate Wednesday prickliness.
REBEC - We had REBEC a long time ago; maybe from before whenI joined this merrye groupe.
EEN - L. German and Dutch for a, an, or one.
You know you're getting old when you get that one candle on the cake. It's like, 'See if you can blow this out.' Jerry Seinfeld
I certainly didn't notice the wood preparation on this one. I halfway remembered REBEC but spelled it REBAC until ARIN MORAN (unknown) just didn't look right. Changed it to ERIN after changing PAN to RAP to RIP.
ReplyDeleteThe ARTICLE was easy, but I wasn't sure about the jujitsu relative but knew it wasn't AVKIDO or AXKIDO, so that made it ARTICLE-II. And speaking of 'red herrings', how about the idiotic one that has been chased for the last two years. Talk about being MISLED.
Gotta go. On my way to my pickleball league at 10:am. Where? The Mel OTT gym.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Jeff and JzB.
ReplyDeleteJust a little crunchy today. I got the theme and saw the RESTORATION work, but other areas gave me problems.
This Canadian has no idea about your American "Constitution section(s)" and ACKIDO seemed as good as anything for the unknown "kin of jujitsu"; the result was a FIW. 101 ARTICLEs seemed OK to me. (I also toyed with and L,X or V instead of the I.) I just LIUed and my learning moment for the day is the fact that the US Constitution has 7 ARTICLEs.
My "Poetic time" was an EVE before an EEN.
Yes, JzB, I too scratched my head at SMITH for "word for word?".
I don't know my army/navy ranks (I had trouble with COL yesterday also) and moved from SARG to SRGT to SSGT.
I waited for ETHNIC to appear to decide between Dar and DER.
Wait - "center starter" isn't CEE?! (Hi Jinx)
REBECS was all perps. Thanks for the video, JzB. Lutes would not fill the space.
I loved the new clue for OTT.
Enjoy the day.
Got it, but never head of a PRIMEREAL ESTATE, of course it was PRIME REAL ESTATE...duh...
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Unlike yesterday’s ANT COLONY, this gimmick stood out like a brick in a punchbowl
-STRIP MINERS are doing better at RESTORATION
-Some people with beachfront property got really hurt in the recent floods
-KC Royals seems to have all jokers and no ACES
-In biblical times, Ann Landers would have said, “MTOB”
-In France – OTDTO - Occupe-TOI de tes oignons
-The BENGALS just hired a former Husker QB to be their head coach
-I count 8 sgts
-Speaking of rank, can you recall the classic film that featured a fatuous Lt. STILLMAN? (no offense to our talented constructor!)
-Would grammarians prefer, “Desk AT which you SIT?” :-)
-Every TOOL at my MIL’s house used to reside here
Lemon: I didn’t realize I was looking for a prefix, thought “Center starter” was a basketball position, tho I did try CEE first.
ReplyDeleteAlso hand up for MACow, PAN>RAP>RIP,
I was a stripper, too, since I used to produce a web-comic strip.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jeff Stillman, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteCould not get started in the NW corner, so I headed to the North. Those were easier.
Slowly worked my way to the bottom and then came back to the NW corner and got it. That was my finish.
Caught the theme. All made sense.
Lentil soup is one of my favorites. With some ham cooked in. And carrots. Today I am making potato leek soup with dumplings. For our church Soup Supper tonight.
Never used a HIP FLASK. I do not drink hard liquor.
35 degrees and windy this morning as I guarded the crossing. Boy was that a short summer.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
TTP at 6:38 AM
ReplyDeleteYour mention of a Civil War cannonball brought this sad tale to mind.
Christmas Eve 1941 was cold and wet at Fort Macon NC. Two coast artillerymen who
were stationed there for the duration of WW2 decided to build a fire in one of the
fireplaces. For andirons they used two rusty old Civil War cannonballs. One was a
solid shot but the other one was a shell. Boom! The local headlines read "Last shot
of Civil War fired at Fort Macon. Two Yankees wounded".
Just lurked Yest. Helping Daughter #1 move...
ReplyDelete(P.S. - you cannot park anywhere in Manhattan during the day)
(without getting ripped off...)
But last night She put on a 1-1/2 hour show singing that blew our socks off!
(I will try to post Facebook video links if you are interested)
(note that I compared this kid to Ethel Merman when she was three...)
But anywho, todays puzzle was restorative,,,
but I have to walk the Dog, so I will leave you with this...
Thank you Jazzbumpa for your very entertaining commentary.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed solving the easier than normal puzzle though I was not familiar with the Rebec.
Thank you Lemonade for the comment on her right knee ... I didn’t read enough of the ode to know what knee she was referring to ... your humor is delightful!
Thank you Hahtoola for your comments and especially the funny QOD ..
Have a nice day all.
An obvious, but good, theme which I forgot to check. Fine puzzle. Always a satisfying expo, JazzB.
ReplyDeleteIsn't "plant a red herring," a mixed metaphor? Usually the verb preceding red herring is a verb of being, is was, etc. Would "used" a red herring be better?
"The sense of red herring as something deliberately distracting actually comes from the literal sense of red herring — as in the fish — which when smoked turns red. Such red herrings (also known as kippers,) were used to create trails for hounds when teaching them how to follow a trail of scent." The dogs learn not to follow the scent of the red herring. "Distract" is the operative word concerning red herrings.
Pols use many red herrings to distract from their failures or bad press. .
WORD FOR WORD - Meh! But thanks for the kind CSO, Jinx.
Hey, Tin, do you have Scotch in your hip flask?
The strip mining in WV leaves terrible scars to the beautiful land. There is some restoration, but too much of it looks like HG's first picture. Miles and miles of devastation. A real shame!
I love many kinds of bean soup, but not lentil soup. Navy bean and ham is a favorite.
Ending a sentence with a preposition:
Grammar Girl
CED, congratulation on your talented daughter.
Hi Y'all! Excellent puzzle & theme, Jeff! Also excellent expo, TTP!
ReplyDeleteI think I can lay claim to the theme as a CSO after 15 years of RESTORATION work on a stone house built in 1872 as well as family antiques. I was a dedicated STRIPper during the warm months when I could have the doors open and the other processes followed. I later did the finishing of woodwork in my son's new house. Nothing is said here about the dirty work of tearing down 100-year-old lath & plaster ceilings and walls, but I did that too. Glad I did, but I still have a nightmare where I open a door in my old house and find another wing that needs restoring. Wake up in a panic.
I "Floored" it the other evening. Fell on both hands and knees (no I won't write an ode). Hurt and shocked me for a while. Had difficulty in dragging myself up into my chair. Other than a raw carpet burn on one knee and a few tender places, I seem to have no damage. In fact, unbelievably, something that was pinching a nerve in my foot for three years has now unlocked and I'm walking better. Yay me!
Has anyone been watching Jeopardy? James Holzhauer set a record yesterday for a one-day total winning of over $110,000. I saw this guy "beat the beast" Mark LaBett on The Chase some time ago. It is one of the few repeats I watch over. Remarkable minds.
I liked this puzzle. Any puzzle with words in it like CANAANITES and AIKIDO in it is nifty in my book. Forgot REBECS but eventually got it from perps. Hand up for entering CEE before EPI. I think LINDEN trees are beautiful; if I had to be a tree I'd probably choose to be a Linden tree. Liked the clue for SALONS. Lots of plural entries today.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I thought MISLED was pronounced as the past tense of "misle" (rhymes with King Faisal).
JazzBumpa, thanks again for an enlightening and interesting write-up.
Good wishes to you all.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteNo problems with the solve but the theme was a mystery until the reveal. Only unknown was Rebec. Favorite C/A was Beach house=Sand Castle. Flask was apropos as I just bought one to use in lieu of a Rubbermaid container to transport my Dewar's when I need to BMOB. (Bring My Own Booze) It's covered in ☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘
Thanks, Jeff, for a mid-week treat and thanks, JzB, for the wise and witty summary.
I saw my family doctor this morning and based on the results of the X-rays taken in the ER, he believes I sprained my foot when I fell three weeks ago and then exacerbated the injury by excessive walking last week. (The X-rays showed severe osteoporosis, arthralgia, and a contusion.) If I see no improvement in two weeks, he'll order an MRI. In the meantime, ice and rest are advised, and Tylenol, if necessary. Thank you all for your concern and well wishes.
Have a great day.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteGracias to Jeff Stillman for a clever puzzle and to Jazzbumpa for a terrific and illuminating commentary. Cute pic of your grandchildren and their SANDCASTLE.
I loved the puzzle and it recalled a memory from high school when one summer some of my classmates and I were assigned to STRIP and stain a set of dining room chairs. Remember I was in a convent boarding school.
REBECS took a while to suss then I recalled it from a long time ago.
Since I had the H from ECASH, HOSEA just slipped into place. In my Bible HOSEA is 10 books down from Daniel and Joel is four later. Speaking of Daniel, I just finished reading the fascinating book, Game of Queens by India Edghill, about Queen Esther and Ashti. It faithfully follows the biblical story line except with added dialogue. India Edghill is a brilliant writer who brings biblical women to life. Daniel plays a role as advisor to the Queen and in fact, to all who come asking.
I couldn't make sense of the fill crossing ARTICLEII because in an OCD moment (Hi, AnonT) I wrote ARCITLE. That was soon corrected. Sigh.
I love Rita Dove's poetry (Hi, Jinx) and when she became Poet Laureate she was teaching at ASU and I bought one of her books at the time. The world needs poets just as much as engineers and other skilled people to provide a perspective on life IMHO.
Mel OTT is one of the few sports figures that comes to mind easily. Maybe because it is so short and is often crossword fill.
YR is certainly the wordSMITH par excellence but I believe all who solve CWDs can also call themselves that.
IM:
I hope your foot heals quickly and without much pain.
Have a happy day, everyone!
Ta ~DA!
ReplyDeleteI was only bothered by 24A, THY--clued as a "Biblical pronoun."
But it was my problem, not the editor's. I always think of pronouns as personal, forgetting that a possessive is also technically a pronoun.
Irish Miss ~
Glad you have a diagnosis, but sorry your foot has to endure all the aches.
I have just (yesterday) bade farewell to my knee pain! So, I know how good you're going to feel when you reach the other end of your ordeal.
An OMK Maxim: We never appreciate fully the health of our body--or its parts--until it is taken from us, and then returned. AAH....
Jayce ~
I believe you are unique. To have pronounced MISLED to rhyme with "Faisal" is pretty darn special. I believe the common error is to rhyme it with "Missile" (American, not Brit. pronunciation), or in this tense, "Chiseled."
~ OMK
____________
DR: Two diagonals today, one on either side.
The near side doesn't offer much, anagrammatically speaking.
But the mirror diag. gives us a choice between a couple of ETHNIC observations.
The first anagram remarks on a hefty linebacker who fails to show up for field practice. It's a reference to the ...
"MISSING SAMOAN,"
while the second possibility is the reason for the Vietnamese mother to chastise her mouthy son. She calls him to account for his ...
"SAIGON SASS"!
From the Urban Dictionary
ReplyDelete"Smith is a universal word. It is the word of all words. It can be put anywhere in a sentence and is considerd grammaticaly and socially acceptable."
I still don't get it.
Had to attend a meeting this morning for the Emeriti Board for retired faculty, and so didn't finish the puzzle until I got home. Filled in very nicely except for the top right, where, like others, I had trouble with REBECS. But nice puzzle, many thanks, Jeff, and enjoyed your write-up with some fun quips, JazzB.
ReplyDelete"Happy Days" was one of my favorite programs for many years, so had no problem getting ERIN MORAN. Also loved the Lone Ranger and Tonto, but didn't know that Scout was a PAINT HORSE (perps helped with that one). AESOP's fables show up a lot in puzzles, surprisingly.
Have a good day, everybody.
Thank you Jeff for a fun crossword and JazzBumpa for a good review.
ReplyDeleteI knew I had to come to the corner to see what a REBEC was. I was hoping for an explanation of clue for SMITH. There is none, evidently.
I have been watching Barney Miller reruns for 3 weeks, but LINDEN didn’t pop into my head. I had to do some perps.
I love watching the opening credits because the show is old enough that the New York skyline still has the World Trade Center. The final credits also have a skyline view, but I am not sure which side of Manhatten they are on.
New York Skyline before 9_11_2001
IM @ 1306 - Glad you got your foot looked at, and that nothing appears broken. I hope it mends as the doctor expects. Is there some kind of PT that would help?
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a full recovery.
So glad your knee pain is better, O'Man Keith, and sorry to hear about your ongoing foot problem, Irish Miss. Take good care of yourself, we're all wishing you well.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased to be acquainted with all you word smiths. (PS,I still find the clue, WORD FOR WORD, puzzling.) No one to whom I describe this blog "gets" it. Aside from our sharing our love-of-words type discussions they are amazed at our comeradie with strangers. Even my friends and my little sister who love solving crosswords do not get it. They solve or don't solve it and forget it. No postmortems. Thanks for sharing your love of words and your virtual friendship.
ReplyDeleteWe had a good group home meeting today. Alan will move in on April 30. David will assist the move and bring his large cargo vehicle. Alan is so excited about it. One of the residents is looking forward to having Alan for a buddy. The financials are still murky, but everything else is settled.The agency is a very competent, caring organization and the staff is wonderful. Alan and I were both ready for this stage of our lives at the same time. I am sure it will be great. I am finally an empty nester, 58 years after David's arrival.All is well.
Oh my soul! Forgive me Jazzbumpa for attributing your great expo to someone else. I'm a day behind.
ReplyDeleteCED: Would love to hear your daughter sing.
FLN, Didn't know what you meant re. "Lt" -T
ReplyDeleteRoutine solve if one knows some Bible and some Happy Days
IM, glad you're healing.
WC
ReplyDeleteI had little trouble with this Wednesday puzzle...nicely clued (with one exception) and constructed.
The exception....7D. I believe this would have made more sense as “Word for worker”....”word for word” doesn’t make any sense to me.
And no markovers today.
Glad everyone seems to be healing up.
Miata is in the shop for Step 2 of the supercharger upgrade, belts, hoses, timing belt, engine mounts, the whole 27 year old car maintenance. Step 3 waits, the actual SC install.
Enjoy the day.
PVX, word for worker YES! Brilliant! Do you suppose thar was what was intended?
ReplyDeleteAt 7D I got SMITH from the perps. Upon further reflection, I think that was a superb clue for wordSMITH. I used to hear the word bandied about when meeting with bureaucrats or crafting a document with lawyers. They were all good with 'weasel' words and, as an engineer, I learned a lot about writing from them.
ReplyDeleteOwenKL
ReplyDeleteI don’t get “smith” either.
Virginia Sycamore:
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting that pic and the intro to Barney Miller. One thing I miss these days that was so prominent in that show is the names of the actors with their images. Often, especially with young, new actors, I have no idea who is who and would really like to know. Just seeing their names at the beginning does not help.
I have a small, clear plastic souvenir in the shape of the trade center buildings which I hold dear, having visited and toured the trade center exactly one month before the bombing.
I think the intent of the "word for word" clue is that if you are editing a document (i.e. word smithing it), you are changing words for other words.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI had an M where ANImA and A-MOI... I knew moi was French so why not?.... FIW.
Thanks Jeff for a fun puzzle to suss as speakers tested their mics / got their PowerPoints ready. //HouSecCon was fun and, not only did I catch up with some buddies, I learnt a few new things
Wonderful expo JzB - I think TTP (and Spitz) hit the nail on the anvil w/ SMITH. //OKL - I don't much trust the UrbanDict.
WO: mANAANITE b/f something clicked at REBECS during an ABC run. ER(a?) b/f REAL ESTATE became obvious.
ESPs: HOSEA, ATP [not Advanced Persistent Threat (state-sponsored hacker)]
Fav: LINDEN; Lately, I've been watching Barney Miller late to help be wind-down (Hi VS! - don't you just love that base-line?)
{A, B+, A+}
HG - MTOB(?)
Spitz - LOL re: Seinfeld's quote.
TTP - A 100+ year un-exploded ordnance?... double-facepalm.
AnonDon - LOL!
PK - Old maps of SPI show Pop's house was there when Lincoln was just a lawyer. Your story of RIP'in' out lath & plaster reminds me of the time my 4 Brothers & Sisters helped (for his Birthday) Pop tear out the attic for his GQ (Gentleman's Quarters) renovation. There was also 100+ years of soot (from the fireplace that collected over time) behind the plaster. The picture of all of us post-project: looks like we just walked out of the Riverton coal mine. [why so many Italians were imported - we're short and fit in the shaft]
//BTW, get one of those life-alert things! What a horrible fall. [you too IM!]
Lucina - I'm with you on poets be needed. I'm partial to the likes of Billy Collins. On his cat as thanks to CED and his links for The Corner.
//there's another on aging that follows - listen at your own risk.
YR - that's so good to hear about Alan. Mother of the Century, you.
Nap time. Play later //remember, DW's out of town starting today; y'all are stuck w/ me...
Cheers, -T
Another easy midweek puzzle, Glad it didn't take long, I am already mowing grass, It was 82 here today. I feel sorry for all of you people in Minnesota where the blizzard is hitting.
ReplyDeleteLucina, we already have OKL. (There may have been just a little of my tongue mislocated into my cheek for that original comment. But that has to be the most pretentious title I've ever heard. Evokes memories of John Belushi smashing the guitar in Animal House while the coeds were being mesmerized by the sappy song "I Gave My Love a Cherry".)
ReplyDeleteVirginiaSycamore @ 1536 - - Both the opening and closing credits depict Manhattan with the East River in the foreground. The first is looking SW from near the Brooklyn Bridge toward the Battery area. The second is looking WNW from near the Brooklyn Queens line towards around 41st ST. You can see the UN building on the right side. So both show the lower eastern side of Manhattan Island
ReplyDeleteI had no problem with Word for Word being Smith, but I must be wrong since YR is worried by the phrasing.
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteQuite late to the game today, so at this point , WEES. YR covers for me on smithing!
Thanks, Jeff. Fave C/A: SAND CASTLE!
Thanks, JazzB. I didn't know REBECS, but I do now! You always provide a music appreciation class! Merci Beaucoup!
See you tomorrow.
English teacher, please teach me. I have been hoping all day to read a good explanation. I am always willing to learn. I love discovering what the constructor was thinging. It bothers me when I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteAn Ode To My Right Knee. (for Jinx & Lucina)
ReplyDeleteMy right knee is weird, it has these spots.
At first I thought twas bedbugs, but it's not.
It gave my doc a pause,
I still don't know the cause
But it doesn't seem to bother when I trot!
I'm with YR. I haven't seen an explanation for SMITH yet that makes sense enough to be right. Word word-processing program? SMITH-Corona typewriter? Pun on wright/write?
ReplyDeleteJinx:
ReplyDeleteDid you read the poem? I thought it quite lovely and possible the title was literally for her own knee. It sounds as though she might have been in pain. What else to do if you're a poet? Why, write a poem, of course. Odes have been written to many strange objects including a Grecian Urn.
OwenKL:
Thank you! You made me laugh.
Anon T @ 6:17 pm
ReplyDeleteMTOB = Mind Thy (Thine ?) Own Business
re: Husker Gary @ 9:34 am
What movie featured a character named Lieutenant Stillman ?
@11:19p - I thank Thee.
ReplyDeleteVS - The Barney Miller I wound-down with tonight... What I like is the gentle pace and the META of the program (this one especially so - TV Exec & 'critic' arrested!). Oh, and Christopher Lloyd is in it.
It's hard to find TV like that today w/o a Prime-subscription.
Cheers, -T
Anon T: Had to laugh at you & sibs covered in dirt & soot. My house had ceilings full of dirt blow in during the "dirty 30's" when the dust storms hit our area. Cedar shingle roofs overlap and gap to allow for air circulation in the attic. Then they poured pulverized newspaper insulation atop the dirt. I looked just as bad as you guys did, I'm sure. By the way, did you know it was National Sibling Day on the 10th?
ReplyDeleteYR - No I didn't. We all talk at least once a month.
ReplyDeleteSoot Pic: Pop's the one that looks like Joe Biden [he's gonna hate that :-)]