google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday May 27, 2019 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

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May 27, 2019

Monday May 27, 2019 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: CAUGHT IN THE RAIN (52A. Surprised by a shower ... and a hint involving certain outer letters of 20-, 32- and 40-Across) - RAIN is broken up in three different ways.

20. Olive Garden, e.g.: RESTAURANT CHAIN.

32. Winning big: RAKING IT IN.

40. Breakfast cereal with dried grapes: RAISIN BRAN.

Boomer here. 

Greetings from the land of the Minnesota Twins!  They are off to a great start of the season.  We'll see how they do against better teams coming up.  Brewers, Rays, and Indians.  So the puzzle theme is RAIN.  We have had plenty of that recently up North, but I am not complaining.  

The devastating tornadoes in Missouri breaks my heart.  I cannot imagine if my home was destroyed by weather. In church yesterday, we offered a prayer for those in the Show Me State that were affected.  
 
Across:

1. Boxing contest: MATCH.  Smokey the Bear says "Only you can prevent forest fires."

6. Covered with frosting: ICED. Iced tea is a great summer drink

10. Morticia Addams, to Gomez: TISH. Itt's true.  You rang?  My sister used to call me Lurch.

14. Beef recall cause: E. COLI.  Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson battled this in the off season.
Kyle Gibson


15. __ Scotia: NOVA.

16. "Sounds good": OKAY.

17. Pulsate: THROB.  Could invade your legs with too much golf.

18. Long, hard trip: TREK.  Star Trek - Gateway to the final frontier.

19. Curly salon job: PERM.  If this hairdo is a permanent, why do you need one every six months?  Yeah, I know... You grew different hair.

23. Tokyo, formerly: EDO.  Do Japanese husbands and wives say this at the altar?

24. USN NCO: CPO.  Remember CPO Sharkey Don Rickles.  I don't, I never liked Mr. Rickles.


25. Enlightened cry: AHA.

26. HBO rival, briefly: SHO.  I bought Showtime for awhile in the 1980s.  I never missed "Bizarre" hosted by John Byner .  Live from Toronto Canada. I never paid for HBO.

27. Cologne squirts: SPRITZES.

35. "Did __ something wrong?": I DO.  I know Americans say this at the altar.

36. Suspicious (of): WARY.

37. Pelican State sch.: LSU.  One of the many sports teams with a nickname of the Tigers.

38. Strings at luaus: UKES.  National music maker of Hawaii.  (Tiny Bubbles)

39. Adam's mate: EVE.  I don't think they ever had to say I DO.

44. "Ask Ann Landers" sister column: DEAR ABBY.  Dear Abby is a celebrity grandmother of Dean Phillips who happens to be our third district congressman from the state of Minnesota.

46. Feel poorly: AIL. "Ail, Ail, the gang's all here".

47. Mex. neighbor: USA.  Wishing all a solace Memorial Day.  "God Bless America."

48. Former JFK lander: SST.  I believe the Super Sonic Transports are now all grounded.

49. Govt.-issued aid: SSI.  I have one.  Never put it on line or give it to a junk phone caller.

58. Gorbachev's land: Abbr.: USSR.

59. "What a great __!": IDEA.

60. No longer squeaking: OILED.  I have also heard of this to be an adjective of one who may have over imbibed.

61. Mets' old stadium: SHEA.  Shea Stadium replaced the old Polo Grounds where Willie Mays got his start, and Bobby Thompson hit "The shot heard 'round the world". (Both in 1951).

62. Expected result: NORM.

63. Wind instrument commonly played horizontally: FLUTE.  We have a musician in the choir at church who plays the flute.

64. Sassy: PERT.

65. Yucky stuff: GLOP.  I believe this is what cost Maximum Security big time in the "Most exciting two minutes in sports".


66. UPS competitor: FEDEX.  I little more sophisticated than UPS.  I think they fly (almost) everything to Memphis in the first hours, then sort it by destination and send it by plane to the addressee the next morning.

Down:

1. 39.37 inches, in Liverpool: METRE.  How many METRES are required for a first down ?

2. Felt the pain: ACHED.  A round of golf will make your body ache, but nothing is worse than a bad tooth.

3. Trunk of the body: TORSO.

4. Solidify: CLOT.  Great to stop the bleeding, but not good in your lung.

5. Small charcoal grill: HIBACHI.  These were popular when tailgating was a great picnic before a sports game.  Now a lot of the parking is in ramps, or tailgating is prohibited.

6. "101" course title word: INTRO.

7. Former "Iron Chef America" chef Cat __: CORA.



8. Tied, scorewise: EVEN.  OR Making a par on every hole, or balancing birdies with bogies.

9. '60s TV show whose title means "doctor" in Swahili: DAKTARI.


10. Astaire headwear: TOP HAT.  I am not old enough for Fred Astaire, but I remember seeing many pictures of past Presidents wearing Top Hats in inaugural parades.

11. Swedish retailer: IKEA. We have one near Mall of America.  I went there once but was not impressed.  I would be interested in your comments, because the brand seems successful.

12. Delhi dress: SARI.

13. Choir number: HYMN. In church yesterday, the choir ended with "America the Beautiful" in honor of Memorial Day.

21. "... wish __ a star": UPON.  Thank you Jiminy Cricket, and Walt Disney.

22. Spot for stubble: CHIN.  Double this and get the name my sister Connie calls C.C.  

C.C. & Connie, Feb 2019
 26. Wild blue yonder: SKY.  "Off we go".

27. Spacek of "Bloodline": SISSY.

28. Spitting sound: PTUI.  This is pretty gross.  I do not see it often nor do I do it.

29. Viral concern at the Rio Olympics: ZIKA.  I have heard that mosquitoes carry this virus.  We have plenty of mosquitoes in Minnesota, but I have heard of no virus.

30. Garden of __: EDEN.  Many cities have borrowed this name.  We have Eden Prairie, a Western suburb of Minneapolis.  A nice place to visit but I can't afford to live there. 

31. Maritime emergency letters: SOS. … --- … Save our ship

32. Enthusiastic review: RAVE.

33. Room size calculation: AREA. They used to use measuring tape.  Now it is done by laser technology.

34. Smooth-talking: GLIB.  Go Lie In Bed

36. Abandon bachelorhood: WED.  When people say I DO

38. Website ID: URL.  I used to know what this meant, but now I am so tired of three letter acronyms, I just don't care any more.  LOL

40. Foolhardy: RASH.  There is a PBA Bowler named Sean Rash.  He is not a favorite among competitors and they gave him the nickname of "Diaper". 


41. Letting up: ABATING.

42. Bandmate of Crosby and Stills: NASH.  "You, who are on the road, must have a code, that you can live by."

43. Attempt "more than one can chew," in an idiom: BITE OFF.  This would be a good name for a remedy that would ease the itch of mosquito bites.

45. Nickelodeon toon tot: RUGRAT.

48. "Forever" post office purchase: STAMP.  It's really a great idea for the USPO.  I bought a hundred when they were still 50 cents, and now I save a nickel every time I use one.

49. José's "L'chaim!": SALUD.

50. Seven, in Spain: SIETE.  Sieben in German but I'm not sure if I spelled it right.

51. Handy list in the back: INDEX.

52. Zodiac transition point: CUSP.

53. Tennis legend Arthur: ASHE.  A tragic story.  Ashe was a great tennis champion and a revered black athlete when there were not so many. Mr. Ashe had a heart problem and was given a transfusion of bad blood, which ended up causing his death at age 49.

54. Icon tapper: USER.

55. Talent show for 17 seasons, briefly: IDOL.  A so called talent show where some winners advanced to fame, while others proved they had no talent.

56. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.

57. Stir to anger: RILE.  I know it has no reference, but the answer reminded me of an old TV show with William Bendix called "The Life of Riley".  Something every man pursued in the 1950's.

Boomer



54 comments:

Michael said...

No Monday puzzle posted at LA Times' site, or Mensa, as of 0130 PDT (0330 CDT), 27 May.

D4E4H said...

Boy am I behind. I composed this on Sunday morning, 5-26, but did not post it. It is now Monday, and I am still solving Sunday.

Original post:

Good morning Cornies.

I have completed Saturday 5-25's CW, which means I solved it, I read the review, and the comments.

On to Sunday.

Note to CED, I compose on GMAIL, then copy paste to the corner. That way I have the back up to go again if something fails.

Ðave

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Got the Rain Theme early on, but thought it was one of those spelling variation themes: REIN, RAIN, etc. Nope. My only misstep in the race to the bottom was PTEW...PTUI. LSU fixed that. Thanx, Bruce and Gail. Boomer, you must've stayed up late to get this one online. Well done.

DAKTARI: Thought that was a John Wayne movie. Nope, that was Hatari.

RESTAURANT CHAIN: We just got a new Olive Garden in our neighborhood -- well, 7 miles away, but we consider that to be close -- it opened on the 20th.

CHOIR: No, it's not 25. That would be the number in a quire.

NOVA: One of my favorite TV programs. It turned 45 this year.

FEDEX: Recognized in the advertising world for the cleverly hidden arrow in the company's logo.

ZIKA: So far as I know, there's no zika in the Houston area, but we do have West Nile. The first cases have already showed up.

inanehiker said...

Thanks to all for your kind words yesterday! I'm glad that we had the gutting and new carpentry work done, but not any of the plumbing or electrical yet as far as what was lost!
I feel for our neighbors who we have been helping sort through the damage for their belongings, and finding places for people to stay whose homes are unsafe. As it is a low income neighborhood, many do not have the resources to have options for repair and relocation - there are some wonderful groups already on the ground helping!



Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR with no erasure, but had to print it out at the Virginian Pilot web site and their rendering software isn't good. Squishes clues and grid into the left half of the page, leaving the right half blank.

DAKTARI must have aired on something other than NBC, the only network we could receive.

I have never watched a TV cooking show. nor anything on Nickelodeon.

Boomer, I though that it meant "Save Our Souls", since the loss of the ship is usually a foregone conclusion by that time. "Mayday" is used in these days of voice communications, but SOS was easy to pound out in Morse code (... --- ...).

Thanks to Bruce 'n Gail for another fun puzzle. And thanks to Boomer for the witty review. Sorry tailgating is being banned in your neck of the woods. Not likely to be a common problem in the South.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Easy enough. No searches were needed. Finally sussed the RAIN theme on my own. Only very minor nit is @ 27a. The clue asks to translate a plural 'squirts' so I think it should be Spritzen. (I know we would say SPRITZES as used in English.)
RAIN- German, L. German, Dutch: regen. L. German has an expression: "Petrus hett de Luke apen." (St. Peter has the hatches open.)

Anonymous said...

If you use cologne as a type of scent rather than a German city,then squirts cologne means spritzes cologne.

Anonymous said...

perfume spritzes, eau de toilette spritzes, cologne spritzes

Anonymous said...

SSI — Govt issued AID? How is it aid? I have paid into it much more than I will ever get out of it. And yes, it is a true entitlement because I’m entitled to get MY money back. Rant over!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-1.5” of RAIN, overcast and windy makes cemeteries a mess today
-Squeaking in our house is cured by WD-40
-First down and 9.144 METRES to go
-Our friend had to have security nearby for when she denied Supplemental Security Income to someone who couldn’t prove they were not able to work
-Daughter and husband used to drive to Minneapolis for IKEA and now they can drive to K.C.
-Simon Cowell on American IDOL ushered in the shows that now offer honest, brutal critiques

Madame Defarge said...

Good Morning.

Thanks, Bruce and Gail. That was fairly breezy for me.

Nice tour, Boomer. I'm with you on Mr. Rickles. I never saw the humor in abasing people so thoroughly. He'd have made a great internet troll.

It's going to be mostly sunny here today. I hope the same is true for you.

OwenKL said...

(Written ~3am -- still waiting for CW to become available.)
Had some interesting fun yesterday. A tiny songbird came to visit us! Barely larger than a hummingbird, it must have just left the nest. Cute little thing, hopped around right at my feet. Seemed more curious about us than scared. The cat just seemed bemused, not sure if she even realized this bird was there, or that it might be a fun toy.
The big mystery is how did it get in? our unit is practically hermetically sealed, and neither of us had been out yet that day. The cat door leads to a screened catio, and I don't think this little thing would have been able to open the cat door even if she had slipped under the screen. Anyway, Brenda finally managed to catch her when the bird sat down next to her, and released her outdoors.

Otherwise, I've been a mass of frustration and despair! I finally got my new computer back, supposedly with all files transferred from my dead machine. Uh-uh. All my passwords are missing, all my customizations and add-ons to my browser, all my reminder notes, with the URLs many contained, all my accumulated search engines, all my puzzle-games, gone, gone, gone! I feared a massive amount of my writings were gone, but after a couple hours searching I was able to recover them.

I'm taking the time now, when I should be composing the day's poems, to write this in hopes it may be a catharsis of sorts to my anger. Flag day this morning helping put up flags for my Lions Club, so I'd better get on to those poems while I still have time.

Spitzboov said...

Anon @ 0806. I think you're right. If in the German city was meant, then the clue should have said Köln vs Cologne.

TTP said...

Third time is a charm.

Still no puzzle available online.

Anon at 8:16, I think you might be confused inre: SSI. Here's a link that will clarify the difference between SSI and Social Security benefits.
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) OVERVIEW - WHAT IS SSI?

OwenKL, sorry to hear that. For about $50, you can get a Western Digital Passport storage backup that will automatically save everything on your computer. Just plug it in a USB port and follow the prompts. There are other brands available. I got mine on Amazon.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I'm always happy to see G and B's byline as it bodes well for a fun and enjoyable solve. Today's was no exception. Like DO, I thought the theme would be a variation on Rain, Rein, etc., until Raisin Bran appeared. So, the reveal was an Aha, after all. My only w/o was Wife/Tish and there were no unknowns. I liked the Ashe/Shea crossing and the CSO to our Louisana contingent at LSU. I have no memory of "Daktari"; does anyone remember any of the actors?

Thanks, Gail and Bruce, for a pleasant start to the week and thanks, Boomer, for your cheerful commentary and review. "I do" believe you outdid yourself this morning!

A very belated compliment to Hatoolah on the lovely photo CC posted.

Inanehiker, continued thoughts and prayers to your community.

The family outing yesterday was blessed with nice weather, lots of good food, and 45 attendees ranging in age from 5 to 93.

Remembering those who sacrificed so much for our freedom. God Bless America on this somber day.

Chaps said...

Happy Memorial Day everyone.

Although typing that oxymoron feels a bit off. But I'm sure all those who had sacrificed would want us all to enjoy a nice day of eating and drinking with our family and friends! So go out there and celebrate my friends but remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

To all those Gold Star families out there, we are thinking about you today. To all those veterans who lost their battle buddies, we are thinking about you today. To all those who lost a friend fighting in a war, we are thinking about you today.

Til Valhalla, brothers and sisters. Fair winds and following seas.

OwenKL said...

Finally got the puzzle from the Chicago Trib website (I usually use only for the Sunday Jumble). It has a very different interface (buggy, IMHO). E.g., it won't let you advance to the next word by tab, enter, space, or arrow until you finish filling in the word you're working on! The only way to move is with the mouse!

Inspired by Boomer's comment about frosted tea:

Did you see the A-Team episode
When a truck of GLOP crashed on the road?
The sugary stuff
On the group's tough
Made him Mr. ICED T from the load!

EVE felt she got a raw deal,
Evicted for a raw fruit meal.
But she got EVE-EVEN
For loss of EDEN,
When her progeny polluted the real!

{B, B.}

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Fun puzzle, thanks, Bruce & Gail! Very fun expo, Boomer! Thanks!

Owen, I think I did the puzzle on the Chicago Trib site, too. Very tedious going, but better than nothing.

The RAIN theme was very apt for what is going on lately. Only about two days in last few weeks with no substantial rains Most if not all of the man-made lakes in Kansas are closed this Memorial Day. Traditionally the parks have a major influx of Memorial Day celebrants camping there. The campgrounds & boat ramps are flooded with more rain expected.

As I feared, my spring crops are not planted because the farms are too muddy to take in machinery. If they release water from the lake, several of the acreages will be under water. I never remember such a long siege of nasty wet winter and spring weather in all the years I have been a farm wife/owner.

Inanehiker: when you showed the before and after picture of your house that was destroyed. I would have bet that it had been gutted and plumbing removed by the utter destruction. I had to do two special newspaper issues in 1992 after a tornado cut a 12-mile path through our rural county. We viewed destruction and interviewed those with losses. After a while we could see a pattern of what shattered and what stood. Some friends had built on to their old house which had lathe & plaster walls & ceilings and old cast iron/zinc pipe (?) plumbing. New section which was beautiful with pvc pipe & sheetrock, etc. blew away. Old part was still standing. Lots of crazy heartrending stories. No deaths.

Anonymous said...

What intrigued me most about the photographs of the tornado destruction, other than the sadness of the loss of property, were the trees. I've witnessed tornado damage first hand and I was amazed by the trees. The strength exhibited by their being the lone surviving structure in a field of devastation was amazing. However, the leaves were stripped off almost every branch. I was surprised to see trees full of leaves beside a house that was leveled. I know tornadoes can destroy one house yet leave its neighbor intact but it was still surprising to see the tree closest to the destroyed house look so green.

oc4beach said...

The Chicago Tribune has today's LA Times Crossword Puzzle for 5/27/2019

I'll be back in a bit.

oc4beach said...


As others noted there was no puzzle for today on the LA Times website, MENSA site, or Merriam Webster page. I finally found it on the Chicago Tribune page as Owen mentioned.

It was a good puzzle from Gail and Bruce and Boomer's tour was all inclusive.

I agree with Owen that the Chicago Trib site is buggy. It only allows you to move to the next clue by mouse or filling in the last letter of the previous word. I didn't see many of the down clues because many of the across clues were already filled in and the puzzle would only go to the blank cells. However, it did allow me to do the puzzle.

I think my only "erasure" was GOOP vs GLOP. Otherwise it was a nice easy Monday puzzle.

I hope all who gave their all are honored today.

Misty said...

I love Bruce and Gail puzzles and this one was a great doable Monday treat. Like Irish Miss, I too started out with WIFE for Morticia and that just didn't work with the downs. Finally changed it to TISH and then everything else fell into place. (Nice of you to remember ITT, Boomer). Can't believe I got HIBACHI, not a common word in my vocabulary. The three theme items and the grid spanning theme answer all filled in readily, and there they were--all the split up RAIN words. Fun puzzle, Gail and Bruce, many thanks.

Good question about PERMs, Boomer, and witty commentary all around. I loved seeing the picture of C.C. and Connie.

Owen, I hope your computer problems are soon resolved. You work so hard on this blog and the Jumble, it clearly has been a huge frustration. So sorry about that.

Appreciated all the Memorial Day commentary--many thanks.

We have a sunny day today. Have a good week coming up, everybody.

CrossEyedDave said...

Desper-Otto,
I would have been Three when that rain song came out...

A little something for the "younger generation...

SPent 3 days last weekend on the 1st camping trip of the year,
most of the weather was beautiful, (but the Ticks were horrendous...)
However we got hit with a Monster Storm the 2nd night.

Normally, I would have been like this...

But I spent the Winter YouTubing how to set up tarps and Guy Lines
& we had our own 12 x 20' living room in the rain, & a canopy over the table.
Note stock photo, we don't use table cloths at our campsites...

We did have other things to make the rain a little more bearable...

CanadianEh! said...

Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Bruce and Gail, and Boomer.
Worked this CW in my newspaper on the drive to babysit the other set of grands. 14 minutes fill time with a few glances to view the beautiful spring scenery on this sunny day. (But our RAIN has not been ABATING recently, and our farmers are not able to get on the muddy fields to plant either, PK.)
I got the theme and was impressed by the progressive movement of the R A I N storm.
I see that I FIWed with GOOP and the unknown Idoo! No red letters or Tada to set me straight.

I smiled at EVE and EDEN.
SIETE was all perps.
And of course this Canadian loved METRE spelled the "proper" British way.
Yes, Canadians are thrilled with the Raptors win and advancement to the NBA finals!! But the games will start so late (9pm) that there will be a lot of sleepy workers for the next few weeks!

Wishing you all a great day. Your Memorial Day sounds similar to our Remembrance Day in November. (Well-said, Chaps at 9:22)

CanadianEh! said...

FLN, I can't believe that AnonT did not lurk and see the Rush clue with PEART,

Rick Astley, are you from that wonderful city of Toronto? All Canadians have become Raptors fans.

Inanehiker, sorry to hear and see about the tornado destruction. Thoughts and prayers for you and the community as the long road to recovery begins.

Misty said...

Inanehiker, what a difficult time your community has to deal with. I do hope that assistance will be offered to those in such severe need.

Boomer, your mention of William Bendix in "The Life of Riley" (spelling?) brought back a delightful childhood memory. After coming over from Austria at the age of ten, I was very excited about being able to watch television. We initially lived in an apartment over a tavern in Lancaster, and every Friday night we went to a church service and then to the bar under out place for supper. We did not yet have a TV, but I was able to watch TV there and "The Life of Riley" was my absolute favorite. A very fond memory.

AnonymousPVX said...


This Memorial Day Monday puzzle went well.

Zero markovers today, always nice.

It’s record hot here, set a record for 100° degrees yesterday, will probably do the same today.

I’m inside, AC on watching the Yankees. A hotdog is in my very near future.

Enjoy the day, see you tomorrow.

Also....I get a printout from the SSA every year showing my contributions and estimated payout. I’m 66, that’s full age for me.

Over my career I put in just a bit less than $120k.

If I had taken it when I turned 66 I’d be getting $2646\month. That’s $31,752/year. So I’ll be “paid back” in about 4 years and then be getting more than I ever put in after that until I no longer collect.

So I have no idea how someone says they’ll never get it back. You will unless you die early, and if you’re thinking about how SS screwed you as you take your last breath I can only wonder why that seems important.

But that’s me.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Good to see another from the Venzke/Grabowski team. A solid offering to start our week--fairly easy w/o being too easy--and pretty much avoiding the predictable fills, except for AHA (and maybe EDO and SST).

Interesting to see HIBACHI when the news media are reporting that POTUS celebrated his Sumo wrestling photo-op with an HIBACHI dinner w/ prime minister Abe.
And the thought of HIBACHI takes me back to grad school days when just such a grill was a cherished item among our economical kitchen supplies.
Sukiyaki... Mmm.
~ OMK
____________
DR
Four diagonals today. After several days with no diags, now we have one on the near side and three in the mirror.
"When it rains, it ..."
But anagram prospects are limited by the dearth of vowels.
On the front end, we can find a reference to a TV show that is either based in Los Angeles' international airport, or one that plays loose with its morals. (Maybe both?). I refer you to a...
"LAX SITCOM"!
And on the opposite side, it seems to be a capsule review, a viewer's response to a deeply romantic episode, consisting in the main of...
"HEART SIGHS."

oc4beach said...


AnonPVX @ 12:48: I don't know why it is, but the first hot dogs and hamburgers done on the grill in the summer really taste good. I just did a few burgers and a package of hot dogs and grilled the buns for them on the gas grill. Really hit the spot.

Later in the season, chicken, ribs, steaks and eye round roasts on a spit will be the order of the day, but the hot dogs and burgers will always reign supreme.

Enjoy.

Michael said...

oc4beach @ 10:50 ...

Thanks for the pointer to the Trib for today's puzzle. For some reason, the LA Times' site still doesn't have it at 11:40 Pacific.

Wilbur Charles said...

"too much golf." Perish the thought. Hooray for Kevin Na. He lost five years ago at Valspar when Selden made some incredible shots. Na hung around n against the golfing God's so I've liked him ever since.

Especially when Jordan Speith faded again

91.4401828804 metres/100 yds*

"nothing is worse than a bad tooth" tellmeaboutit!!! I'm heading to a dental clinic. Hopefully the holiday will ABATE the crowd

"Now a lot of the parking is in ramps, or tailgating is prohibited." I remember the wild and wacky days of Sheaffer Stadium when the staties decided the tailgaters needed some encouragemet to move. They lined up in phalanx order with billies bristling and charged.

My late friend Joe,ex Staties, loved the sound of breaking heads a la there aforesaid Vietnam protest days.

Time to go to the dentist.

WC



Wilbur Charles said...

Isn't the cel-phone handi-calc wonderful

Abejo said...

Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.

I tried cruciverb this morning to get the puzzle. No cigar. I tried it when I came home from the parade I was in and it worked. So, I solved it via cruciverb this afternoon. I also tried Mensa this morning and they did not have it either. Must be the holiday.

Puzzle was easy. Caught the theme after 20A and 52A. No problem.

Did not know CORA. Perps.

Do not remember the show DAKTARI.

Hope all the tornado affected people come out of this OK. Hope they get the aid they need. That has to be tough to deal with.

Was going to cut the grass today, but the rain started just as I was getting home from the parade. Oh well.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Ol' Man Keith said...

oc4beach ~
Hot dogs and burgers always taste good when one is hungry.
But I agree w/ you that they taste especially good when grilled for the first time in the season (not yet summer, but spring will do!), and I'm sure the taste buds are helped by the mixture of the open air with the aromas of the meats.
And we mustn't discount the visual. A wiener that lacks scorch lines loses a quarter of its proper flavor. It's just a fact.

But since our family has already inaugurated our springtime with burgers & dogs, our Memorial Day menu will featured jerked chicken on buns.
Mmmm, so good.
~ OMK

Gershwin said...

OMK

I dont care what the meteorologists say. Its Memorial Day weekend, its 80+ degrees, the flags are flying, the pools are open, kids are graduating, the grass is growing, baseball bats are cracking, the grills are smoking, the top is down, fish are jumping and the girls are sporting bikinis. Sounds like summer to me!! Enjoy the chicken.

Lucina said...

Happy Memorial Day to one and all! Thank you, Veterans for your service and rest in peace all who gave their lives fighting to preserve our freedom.

Thank you, B & G and Boomer! Bruce and Gail always amuse and what a treat to be further amused by Boomer!

As is our custom every year on this day some other family members and I attended a Mass at the local Catholic cemetery then took flowers around to our loved ones. The cemetery staff put flags on all the vets graves so it looks very patriotic and festive today. It was windy so the flags were really fluttering! In fact the whole congregation was bundled up in jackets and sweaters to keep warm as the temperature remains unseasonably cold. Normally we would be sweltering in the heat.

I enjoyed this puzzle and saw the RAIN theme. Of course, I always appreciate some Spanish in the grid so SALUD and SIETE gained my applause.

The name DAKTARI sounds familiar though I doubt very much that I saw the show. Recently I saw a review of Fred Astaire on PBS and noted his TOPHAT.

I'm off to run some errands. Later.

Have a wonderful day, everyone! Let's celebrate freedom and those who died for it.

Jayce said...

Gail and Bruce nailed it again. Such sparkly fill and fun cluing. My only trip-up was putting in WIFE and finally figuring it had to be TISH. Sort of odd looking to have two Spanish words, SALUD and SIETE, side by side, but it wasn't a stumbling block.

Hand up for not liking Don Rickles. Amy Poehler turns me off for the same reason. "I don't have my wallet, so ..." [looking pointedly at man standing next to her]. Not funny.

Memorial day wishes to you all.

TTP said...

oc4beach, thanks for that link. It worked for me. I had a different one bookmarked that was still loading the Sunday puzzle. I agree about the first hot dogs and burgers of the season.

Anonymous PVX, nice job explaining the math, but it was probably pointless.

Madame and Abejo, I got the yard mowed just before the torrential downpour started. It has stopped again, but another round is supposedly on the way.

PK, I would tend to believe that the fact that only the plaster walls and cast iron sewer lines stayed intact was purely a fluke. I've never been near an active tornado, but I have driven past areas where they've hit. The Moore, Oklahoma from a few years ago, as well as the Joplin, Mo one that killed 161 people and destroyed the city's Mercy Hospital.

The one that struck closest to us was this one 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak that killed 27. Virtually nothing was left after the F5 struck except the concrete slabs, as it devastated an entire subdivision that was well constructed. It literally stripped the roads of the asphalt.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

A sunny Monday puzzle from Gail & Bruce to wash away the RAINs... Thanks for the fun Memorial Day run.

Fun expo Boomer. Speaking of PERMs, who (male) will admit to getting one in the '70s for the "white AFRO?" [one of my Uncle's friend did; I always found it funny].

WO: GoOP b/f GLOP (hi Oc4!)
ESPs: DAKTARI, SALUD, & SIETE
Fav: USA and USSR [Sir Paul - 3:02]

{B+, B}
Way to makeup for lost time OMK! Fun DRs.

CED - technically, it's Reign but I won't quibble since it's The Who [5:06]

C, Eh! - I did Lurk yesterday but no time to post w/ Eldest just back from SFO and DW taking off for DC today. Family-time and all that (movie + Indian curries take-out). I did notice that TTP called out The Canadian Stooges.
Also, FLN - inanehiker, I was so sad to read of and see your loss. God Speed in rebuilding.

TTP - I lived in Norman, OK the first time Moore was leveled [three buddies I worked with at TAFB lost their homes] in the '90s. I asked a buddy, who was studying at The Severe Storm Labs, why OU has never been hit. He said, with a straight face, "It's Indian Holy Ground." //After a bit, he conceded something about the Canadian River's coolness that keeps Tornadoes away from it.
With Eldest now in Norman, I made it clear that spending the night or even watching a movie in Moore is verboten.

Re: Rickles... Now, I know I'm part of the younger crowd here and may not know the same Don Rickles comedy that turns y'all off, but.... Everything I've read or seen (the Roasts, Carson re-runs, etc.) were funny as he played to The RAT Pack (a dangerous line to toe!). Those knew him closely said he as a great friend - aka Mr. Warmth.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day! I hope I hear from my Bro stationed in Kuwait.

Cheers, -T

Anonymous said...

PK

I understand the point you were making. While some tornadoes are obviously capable of wiping any evidence of human development off the map, others are not. They are rated on the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF0 through EF5. Evidence of an EF5 is seen in Joplin and Moore whereas evidence of an EF0 or EF1 is what PK witnessed where only the weakest part of a structure is affected such as weakly attached tin roofs and poorly constructed add-ons.

And yes, it is sad that we are discussing meaningless details while so many people are still suffering this Memorial Day weekend.

WikWak said...

Madam D, I haven’t seen the weather report for your part of the world, but just now I am enjoying two inches of sunshine here in DuPage. Tornado warning out for just about the entire southern part. Half-dollar size hail measured at the weather bureau’s site in Romeoville.Tornado warning. Gak.

Back later if I can get around to it.

Anonymous said...

where is the PUZZLE for today

Spitzboov said...

Anon @ 1630 - If you click on CC's LAT link, today's puzzle is there.

Yuman said...

I use the Washington Post web page, and get the crossword daily without any problems, very reliable.
Tonight or NatGeo I am going to watch “The Hot Zone” the new 6 episodes mini- series on the 1989 Ebola scare in the US.

Bill G said...

Best wishes and sympathy for all those affected by tornadoes, flooding and other very bad stuff.

I can't remember if I linked this video before. If so, I hope you'll enjoy it again. I did.

HOW GREAT THOU ART at the mall.

CrossEyedDave said...

CPO Sharky
(AKA Don Rickles)
Breaks Johnny Carsons Cigarette Box...

Anonymous said...

Thanks CED for some Rickles love. He and Johnny had such an obvious and great friendship.

PK said...

Jayce & Anon at 3:43: Of course, the magnitude of the storms differ. The storms I was talking about were definitely rated higher than E0 & E2 and had multiple twisters in them. I can't remember the ratings. Would have to go back and look. I watched one "tail" ooze down the swale between our house and a relative's half a mile away, then I ran for better cover. We both had damage with at least two separate "tails" half an hour apart. Theirs was much worse than ours. Flying debris does a lot of the damage in heavily populated areas. A swirling wind is bad enough, but when it is full of battering rams, it is worse.

Inanehiker: I commiserate with your city's losses. The trauma on the human spirit will last for years.


Anonymous T said...

@9:22 - What am I? Chopped-liver over here? Didn't you read my @3:37 re: Rickles? Some people in this town; whatta gonna do?

No, go ahead. Cut my throat. But I have friends I want you to know...

//That's the best Rickles I got :-)
More Love: Don and Larry King [27:28]

Cheers, -T

Anonymous said...

AnonT!!! I cant believe did that! I saw yours, left for awhile and then checked back in. I had forgotten your link and only remembered the anti-Rickles from earlier today. Lo siento!* Of course I should have known You would appreciate his humor also. Thanks for the double shot.

*Want to/need to learn Spanish and just started a free 7 day trial using the app Duolingo. Any thoughts or better alternatives anyone?

D4E4H said...

Having Solved Sunday FIR, at last, on to Monday.

Monday FIR in 23:57 min. I am up to date on solving.

Ðave

Anonymous T said...

@10:11 - I have Duolingo on my iPhone [someone else at The Corner recommended it] trying to relearn the Italian beaten out of my Grandfather by his Pop [Yous in 'merica you speaka da English *smack* (that's Gramp's story, for what it's worth)] and it's a bit tedious but pretty good at the rote drills. Capisci?

Cheers, -T

Jerome said...

PK- I hope your safe... I hope you stay safe. I know what your going through. Before I go to bed at night I go out on my back deck and wish all is well with everyone. I'll give you a wave and a hug.

PK said...

Thanks, Jerome, we need that!