Michael Paleos
1A. Pickle: DILEMMA paired (7) with 8A. Important biblical river: JORDAN (6) which together gives us a MAJOR. Then knowing the rule of symmetry we go to the very last row and find:
67A. Oregon city where Nike was founded: EUGENE(6) paired with 68A. Comes back: RALLIES (7) which together gives us a GENERAL. Now to find two more rows...you can quickly discard rows 2 and 3, but behold! Row 4 has the delightful pairing
18A. Rundown: RECAP (5) paired with 19A. IMPURE: TAINTED, which together gives us CAPTAIN. Then go up 2 rows from the bottom to maintain the grid symmetry and locate 56A. High wind: PICCOLO. (7) Very tricky, a high wind instrument paired with 59A. "M.O." rapper: NELLY (5) which gives us COLONEL. And now you know how I solved the puzzle. Michael needed many "cheater"(helper?) squares to make this work, 8 in all which are shown with a pink sign in the black squares in the grid.
Across:
14. Whale-watching excursion, say: ECOTOUR. I found this definition of ECOTOURISM: “Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past, and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples.”
15. It's about 80 miles SW of Buffalo, N.Y.: ERIE, PA. Major (pun intended) to our Erie folk. Do you this BILLIONAIRE?
16. Hot and spicy: PICANTE.
17. Only Jet who was a Super Bowl MVP: NAMATH. The Jets along with the Tampa Bay Bucs and New Orleans Saints have each played in and won 1 Super Bowl.
21. Photo lab abbr.: ENLarge.
22. That, south of the border: ESO. Spanish, man.
24. Food additive: DYE.
25. Something you can stand to lose: LAP. Not a racing lap, the one that goes away when you stand.
28. Lyric tributes: ODES.
30. Med. school subject: ANATomy.
32. Name on a banana sticker: DOLE. This multinational company is at the forefront of growing ORGANIC FRUIT.
33. Winery cask: TUN. I like the definition: an imperial measure of capacity, equal to 4 hogsheads. Cutting the quantity in half each time, volumes were measurement went as follows: tone (tun), butt/pipe, hogshead, barrel, kilderkin, and firkin. While working at a start-up brewery my son reintroduced the firkin as a part of both brewing and sales.
35. Iconic San Francisco sight: CABLE CAR. This is not just a sight, it is a really fun way to get around the city and not get totally worn out by the hills. LINK.
41. Landmark 1973 decision: ROE V. WADE. Now it is all politics.
42. Oxford, to Oxonians: UNIversity.
43. Pay to play: ANTE. Poker and other gambling card games.
44. Mideast seaport: ADEN. Again no comment, but you can watch.
46. Natural floor covering: MOSS.
50. __ green: PEA. Or green pea.
51. __Kosh B'gosh: OSH. My boys were dressed in this children's clothing manufacture when they were young.
53. Louis XIV, par exemple: ROI. I hope you remember this from two weeks ago. He was a French King.
55. Something you might grab in a hammock: NAP. Also, the sides to keep from falling off.
61. "Okay, that makes sense now": AH, I SEE.
63. Budget carrier headquartered near Kuala Lumpur: AIR ASIA.
66. Nordic Council member: ICELAND.
Down:
1. Hinge (on): DEPEND.
2. It's pointy and cold: ICICLE. They look very pretty at first.
3. "Livin' la Vida __": LOCA.
5. Many a fed. holiday: MONday.
6. Chop meat: MUTTON. This was tricky because in the US we think only of lamb chops or beef, pork and veal as chop meat.
7. Calculation often using pi: AREA.
8. Spinning __: weaving innovation: JENNY. The STORY of this invention and its impact on the industrial revolution.
9. Provide an address: ORATE.
10. Frosty coating: RIME.
11. Stalemate: DEADLOCK. I am not sure why but I had trouble with this dead-heat being the last to fall away.
12. Fitting: APT.
13. "You're dreaming": NAH.
18. Speed Wagon make: REO. The Reo Speedwagon was a very creative vehicle from Mr. Olds and his Reo company. REO Speedwagon was a band.
20. Aid in reuniting a lost suitcase with its owner: ID TAG.
23. Coffee brand with an orange cap: SANKA. It was all there was for decaf for years unless you wanted to drink grain like Postum.
26. Word of regret: ALAS.
27. __ se: PER.
29. L.A. Clippers owner Ballmer: STEVE. I love that he could be called Steve "Basket" Ballmer, but he is much MORE.
31. Blemished, in a way: ACNED. Meh.
32. Commonly blue fabric: DENIM. Levi Strauss started with Canvas because the miners needed strong pants to hold their gold.
34. Motor City org.: UAW. United Auto Workers.
36. Musical Mars: BRUNO. Two for one. 41D. Cardi B genre: RAP.
38. Fillet's lack: BONE.
39. Recording over: RETAPING.
40. Panhandle state: IDAHO.
45. Beethoven's Third: EROICA.
47. Browsing, nowadays: ONLINE.
48. Tortilla shell fillers, perhaps: SALADS. When? okay, there is lettuce and tomato along with the cheese and meat, but really, just salad?
49. Special Stratego piece: SPY.
51. Broad expanse: OCEAN.
52. A co-star might steal one: SCENE.
54. Taken together: IN ALL.
57. "Woe __!": IS ME.
58. Villain's hideout: LAIR.
60. Morales of "NYPD Blue": ESAI.
61. Great service?: ACE.
62. Astros, on sports tickers: HOUston.
64. Shinto, for one: Abbr.: RELigion.
You already have the grid above so don't be greedy. Welcome Mike and I hope you stop by and say hello. I enjoyed reading your comments when your NYT was published. Lemonade out.
Hi Y'all! Thank you Michael for an early morning adventure. Great expo, Lemonade.
ReplyDeleteThought the puzzle was very clever and groked the fact that the theme would be about military. However, I couldn't find any of the ranks. Was starting with the non-coms which weren't there. Gave up too soon knowing Lemony would tell me without the brain strain.
I had trouble filling the entire NW quarter of the puzzle. NE filled easily. Worked down, filled the bottom and then moved back up the grid.
ROE V WADE is an annual on-going argument which will never really be settled satisfactorily.
Never heard of the board game Stratego so didn't know its pieces.
Didn't know SANKA had an orange cap so perps & WAG.
Forgot how to spell EROICA.
DNK: STEVE, LAN.
Just learned the word GROK yesterday, and now here it is in context!
DeleteWhat happened to EUGENE (Oregon) and RALLIES?
ReplyDeleteFIR in 42:26 min.
ReplyDeleteFantastic Friday friends!
Thank you Michael Paleos for this crunchy CW.
Thank you Lemonade for your excellent review.
Ðave
Anon at 5:21 they became GENERAL as listed in the discussion of the theme answers.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteI've gotta learn to read the entire "reveal" clue. Didn't realize 38a was a reveal clue. Didn't realize today wasn't Saturday; thought this was a themeless. No need for Wite-Out, so life is good. Thanx, Michael (are you as old as your name implies?) and Lemonade.
SANKA: Appropriate for this morning. I walked into the kitchen to discover that the coffeemaker had crapped out. Didn't realize how much I rely on my morning coffee. Fortunately, there was a spare coffeemaker in the office closet.
ÉTAPE: Only know this from doing cws.
RETAPING: Nobody uses tape anymore...except to wrap packages.
BRUNO: This was timely with the recent release of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.
DENIM: It's been more than two years since I've put on a pair of pants made of anything else. Yesterday I got a shipment of four new cotton polos to wear with 'em -- uniform of the day.
Since one of the rules of the blog is to not discuss religion, I guess we can talk about the the clue/answer for 64d as most Japanese do not consider Shinto a religion. Of all the world's religions from which Rich had to choose, I'm surprised he landed on Shinto.
ReplyDelete"The nature of Shinto as a faith should not be misunderstood. ... Because ritual rather than belief is at the heart of Shinto, Japanese people don't usually think of Shinto specifically as a religion - it's simply an aspect of Japanese life. This has enabled Shinto to coexist happily with Buddhism for centuries."
- BBC.co.uk Oct 30, 2009
Nuts !
ReplyDeleteNo tada today. Worse that the fact that I didn't ACE it was that I was so frustrated by not finding my error... that I forgot to look for broken ranks.
I had REPLIES for 68 across "Comes back." In retrospect, that would probably be an answer for "Comebacks."
Pretty doggone brilliant Michael. Keep 'em coming !
FIW. Had AsiA SIA and RepLIES instead of AIR ASIA and RALLIES. Erased oH I SEE, spinning wheel (was gonna link a tune from Chicago), hoar and ReturnS for the equally wrong RepLIES.
ReplyDeleteI want to read WOE IS i by Patricia O'Conner. But by the time I get around to doing so the language will have "evolved" to make it acceptable.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but TAINTED Love excites me. But sometimes you just have to jump in your REO Speed Wagon and Take It On The Run.
Thanks for the fun toughie, Michael. And thanks to Lemony for the fun tour. But haven't you ever eaten a taco salad? You can eat the bowl, usually made from a flour tortilla to contrast with the corn ones used for nachos.
Speedy solve for a Friday. Never looked back to see the theme.
ReplyDeleteJump in your REO Speed Wagon and Take It On The Run.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis had a Friday crunch, but perps were fair so no complaints. I had Salsas before Salads and In One before In All. I did need perps for Nelly, Air Asia, and Spy. (Hi, PK!) I enjoyed seeing (Broadway Joe) Namath and the CSOs to Abejo (Erie, PA), Anon T and DO (HOU), and CED (Nap/Hammock), and WikWak (Just Nap). I wasn't keen on Acned and I don't associate Dole with anything other than Pineapple, plus I never buy bananas. It took me a while to parse the ranks, but, eventually, I got them all.
Thanks, Michael, and congrats on your LA Times debut, it was a clever and challenging outing and thanks, Lemony, for the guided and entertaining tour.
Misty, I hope you're feeling better.
Have a great day.
Easier than many Friday puzzles. I liked the theme and realized what to look for. I solved the puzzle in the coffee shop and then had to leave without time to look for the ranks. I forgot to go back and find them later.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated anniversary Spitz and Betty. Happy belated anniversary, Canadian and DH.
Dave 4, condolences on the passing of your uncle.
Miuty, I hope you are feeling better.
I used to play Stratego with my grandson.
I buy bananas with the DOLE sticker on them.
I have seen etape only in novels and crosswords. Have you who have been in the military heard it used?
Moss can grow on the forest floor. Floor here is used as "ground." Lately in books and newspapers I have read that people fall to the "ground" indoors, instead of floor. Seems strange to my ears.
ERIEP_ Huh? The I realized it was ERIE PA.
I believe that Woe is I is not likely to become popular.
Irish Miss, you asked about David and his family a few days ago. I answered it in an email to your gmail address.
We are celebrating David's birthday tomorrow, although it was really on the 20th. This morning I will make a graham cracker crust cream cheese pie for him. No cakes for birthdays in our family.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Michael Paleos, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Lemonade, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteWell, I did this last night via cruciverb. Got through it pretty easily for a Friday puzzle. By the time I finished I was ready to cash in my chips for the night. I hit the sack. Upon getting up this morning I totally for got to look for the theme. So, I logged on here and then saw the theme. I wish I had looked for it. Oh well. It was done expertly. Great Job, Mr. Paleos.
Upon getting into the puzzle, I noticed immediately that my home town was there at 15A. ERIE, PA. Nice to see it again. I will be going there in August for my 55th high school reunion. I clicked on Lemonade's link to Erie and saw the article about Thomas Hagen, probably Erie's only billionaire. On the same page as the article is an ad for the Arthur F. Schultz Company in Erie. My father worked for Arthur F. Schultz for most of his life. So, I am very familiar with that company. I remember that Arthur F. Schultz started in business in 1913 selling tobacco on street corners in Erie. He built that into a vending company that was the largest in Erie. Then he got into home appliances and furnishings. Eventually he sold the vending business to Canteen. That is when my father went from Arthur F. Schultz to Canteen. He worked there a few years and then moved to Florida. I guess I will shut up for a while.
I watched that Super Bowl Game where Joe NAMATH pulled the Jets through fro the Title. What a Game! Against Baltimore Colts, I think.
I have ridden the CABLE CARS in San Francisco. We did a job there in the early 1980's and that is how I got around town.
Tried DEAD HEAT before DEAD LOCK worked much better.
Never heard of BRUNO Mars. Perps.
Anyhow, I have stuff to do. I am feeling a little more energetic now. A few days ago I was not. I guess all part of the healing process.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Michael Paleos in the NYT & WSJ? Maybe they pay MORE MONEY than the LA Times.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what the reveal would be but was I ever clueless. I only had to make one change before finishing; OH I SEE to AH. Like I.M., I was also thinking for SALSAS before SALADS for the taco shells.
NELLY was perps and RAP was a WAG for Cardi B. Thanks for the photo; never heard of her. Ditto for me and PK on Special Stratego.
CABLE CAR- I was thinking ALCATRAZ before the perps took over. But the real "Iconic San Francisco sight" (if you've been there lately) is the bums sleeping on the streets in front of the stores, along with all the associated filth and needles.
ETAPE- an old Xword staple. Ditto for D-O and Yellowrocks.
SANKA- 'sans caffeine" is where the name came from.
Misty, I meant to ask you whether you are feeling better now. Sorry for the misspelling. I don't how U got in there in place of the S.
ReplyDeleteA good example of why many immigrants give up on learning English...Colonel, which is pronounced kernel. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteBig Easy- Bums? Where's your heart, bro? It's estimated that 35% of the homeless have severe mental problems. Tough to get a job and keep it. There are a ton of problems and circumstances that can lead to someone being homeless. Give them a break and some sympathy. And while your at it, a few bucks for some food.
Good Morning.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike. AND congrats on your debut here. I'll be looking forward to more CWs signed by you. I found BREAKING RANKS, but couldn't make any sense of it. I experienced a great Eureka moment when I read Lemonade's explication. Sweet! Thanks, Lemony!
Wait! I thought the ERIE PA billionaire was certain to be Abeyo!! ;)))
Have a fine day today. Storms are looming, but the sun is out so I'll take that.
Musings¬
ReplyDelete-¬Well assessed, Lemon
-Broadway Joe NAMATH is now doing basic cable commercials
-A California CONMAN has put the Omaha Schools pension fund in a billion dollar hole
-NAH – My standard response when I hear from a former acquaintance with a great economic opportunity
-I videoed a spectacular early morning shuttle launch while at KSC. At home I promptly RETAPED over it “on accident” (as kids say today)
-Seven Rhode Islands could fit into the AREA of IDAHO County, IDAHO
-The Wolf’s LAIR, where Hitler was nearly blown up, is now a tourist attraction
-From yesterday: Yes, D-O, every Dragnet had the line, “IN A moment the results of that ___ (usually trial)”
Good morning, everyone! Fun Friday offering from Michael Paleos. Look forward to seeing more from him. Thanks for the illuminating expo, Lemon. Got the reveal first, then went back to search for the broken ranks. Very clever!
ReplyDeleteFIR with only a few hiccups. Was sure DILEMMA was spelled with only one “M”, which made for a slow start. Hand up for DEAD HEAT before DEADLOCK. Was delighted to see my youngest’s name, JORDAN, at 8A. Nice little bit of misdirection at High Wind = PICCOLO. Since my retirement, I still wake up around 6:00 AM but treat myself to a morning NAP after coffee (no SANKA!), breakfast and the puzzle.
Belated Happy Anniversary wishes to Spitzboov and Betty, and to Canadian Eh! and DH. Condolences to Dave on the loss of your uncle. Hope all who are ailing are on the mend.
Summer has definitely arrived in the Queen City, with temps in the low 90’s and high humidity to boot. At least we get a break from all the rain.
Have a fantastic day all!
Great Thursday puzzle, Michael--hope to see many more from you. I got very little up north, but as I moved down, I got more and more and the bottom half filled right in. Lots of fun clues--took me a while to realize that the high wind wouldn't be a tornado but a PICCOLO. Also liked the ICICLE clue (now that one was weather)and ICELAND, for that matter. Beethoven's Third is coming up often enough in puzzles these days that I'm getting EROICA instantly. Anyway, many thanks, Michael, and you gave us a fun and helpful write-up, Lemonade, thanks for that too.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your kind comments, Irish Miss and Yellowrocks. Not feeling much better yet but have a string of medications to take all day so am hoping for improvement soon. Thanks for asking.
Have a good day, everyone.
HG, someone at the pension fund has some 'splainin to do. Why would anyone entrusted with those funds be doing any business with an individual, or anything other than large going concerns like TIAA, Fidelity and Vanguard or directly with the federal government?
ReplyDeleteJerome, IMO the country was a lot better off when mentally ill people could be institutionalized before they hurt themselves or others, and when the imperial federal government ran four drug prisons. (Yes, I saw "one flew over the coco's nest. It was not a documentary.) In addition, San Fran is breaking EPA rules by allowing all that raw sewage to flow into storm water drains and out into the Bay. Where are all the tree huggers? Maybe they ran out of picket signs.
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks to YR and JM for the good wishes.
FIR. Fun to work on. But no notes taken during the solve, so, no comments. I agree with YR that this seemed easier than most Fridays. I didn't think about the theme until reading Lemon's intro.
HOU - CSO to -T
ETAPE I've seen in xwords before but never in the Marine Corps.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the details but had my doubts about Shinto as a RELigion. I'll ask Phil who's all about everything Japanese.
I think the movie had it right in that Stauffenberg left but somebody moved the bomb suitcase where it didn't directly hit Hitler.
Day 5 no Decaf nor regular coffee. Icetea still ok.
This was done at 8am and the fastest Friday in memory. I had stuff to do and just did the write-up. Recognized Lemony's handwriting.
It was only when I opened up the CC that I checked for the broken ranks. And there they were.
No lieutenants, wah.
WC
The EROICA was my favorite classical piece as a kid. I played that one record over and over. I think I was drawn to it by its backstory, how it was begun as Beethoven's tribute to Napoleon, and how he became so disillusioned by his idol's abuse of power.
ReplyDeleteIn my college days I used to take the Powell Street CABLE CAR to my weekend job selling ladies' shoes at Leeds on Market Street. I would transfer from the 45 bus on Geary. It was fun riding the CAR downhill.
If I was in a hurry, of course, I would walk.
Misty ~
Sorry those new meds haven't done much for you yet. Your "cold" seems to be lingering longer than usual, no? Did your doc consider a possible allergy?
Pete Hernandez @7:17 ~
Interesting observation about Shintoism. The emphasis on ritual (over belief) can provide a form of physical therapy--busy work to occupy the hands and senses while the brain can rest.
In its way it exemplifies the Buddhist ideal of emptying the mind.
~ OMK
One of my problems in trying to find the theme ranks was figuring out in which words I was supposed to look. Stars would have helped (or the dreaded circles maybe altho I wouldn't have seen them on Mensa). Oh well, Lemonade fulfilled his purpose for that. That was about the only thing that was Friday difficult once I got rolling.
ReplyDeletePS. Good thing I didn't bother with the theme. I was blithely unaware that any such thing was in play. It certainly would have bogged me down.
ReplyDeleteI marched steadily through Mr. Paleos' cleverly clued pzl, enjoying the wit while filling one word after another, and reaching my final Ta~ DA! without looking back.
Only when I reached Lemonade's brilliant exposition did I realize how stunningly encrypted were the creator's gems of BREAKING RANKS. Bravo!
I can appreciate the cunning genius of it all while at the same time feeling glad it whistled right by me.
~ OMK
Ol' Man Keith, I saw the doctor on Wednesday afternoon, so have been taking the meds for only two days so far. I suspect I need to give them a bit more time before getting improvement. But I'll keep the possibility of allergy in mind if things don't improve.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI blew it in the south with RepLIES (hi TTP & Jinx!) instead of RALLIES - FIW.
Thanks Michael for this devilishly clued puzzle. Fun RECAP LEM, I also enjoyed the background on Mr. Paleos. [funny re: name, D-O]
And, OH, Taco SALAD.
D-O: I pulled the same Saturday-mindset as you 'cuz the puzzle was that crunchy.
WOs: OH->AH I SEE (hi BigE!), hoar->RyME->RIME, doce->LOCo->LOCA, retorts->RepLIES-> D'oh! FIW
ESPs: ESAI, EROICe, REp
Fav: NAP - It's Friday afternoon and no one is home...
LAP's clue was cute too but I've known that riddle since I was a kid - filled it sans perp.
{}
Glad to read you're up and around Abejo. Hope you feel better soon, Misty.
I didn't hear a cSO to our Thursday Sherpa, STEVE.
MUTTON Bustin' in HOU.
Youngest is in San Francisco. I don't know how many CABLE CARs she's riding this trip - Aunt Suzie has a driver now :-)
I loved the CABLE CARS. The last few times we've been in SFO, I'd just get passes for the family and we'd hop on and off whenever we wanted. Fantastic way to get around and enjoy all parts of the city.
Cheers, -T
Pretty easy Friday, didn’t need the theme to finish it. This is an example of a puzzle that can be completed without circles in the grid.
ReplyDeleteWell Michael did say there were four. CAP TAIN was my first find. I had forgotten the theme but looked before the reveal.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to show more patience with these riddles.
Misty, if you have what I had in May then bed rest, fluids is all you can do.
Then you wake up and you're ok.
We hope
WC
Hi everyone! Constructor here... really excited to be debuting in the LAT today. Big thanks to Lemonade for the sparkling write-up (including an impressive cross-publication bio!). And thanks to all the commenters for the kind words.
ReplyDelete@Lemonade - it’s funny that you mention putting the ranks in ascending order... because that’s exactly what the first version of this puzzle had. The only problem was that the first themer was CADET (across AMERICA / DETAILS) but Mr. Norris wasn’t convinced that it qualifies as a rank. So the MAJOR entered the picture and became a Major Bummer when he would only cooperate in the top row.
@desper-otto - you hit the nail on the head. My (Greek) family’s last name was originally Palaiologos which translates to “old word”. It got clipped in the immigration shuffle to the much more manageable Paleos, so now I’m just “old.” I’ll take it.
To date I’ve mostly hung around NYT blogs and I have to say it’s fascinating being in these parts... it feels like I’m on the dark side of the moon. You guys even have your own vernacular... perps? WAG? FIR? What are these strange things of which you speak? East Coast minds would like to know.
I’ve got another acceptance on deck with the NYT, and three coming up in the WSJ. Nothing further in the LAT queue, but I hope to remedy that soon!
Nice making your (virtual) acquaintance everybody. Happy trails until we meet again.
Michael Paleos ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for your fine work, and thanks for visiting this Corner!
Lessee:
Perps = connecting (usually perpendicular) crossing words.
P+P = Persistence and Patience.
WAG = Wild Ass Guess.
Ta~DA! or plain Tada = Filled it all in w/o cheating.
I'm sure my colleagues will help with more...
~ OMK
Welcome to The Corner Michael!
ReplyDeleteNormally, we tell folks to visit Olio Abbreviations but, you being the Man of the Hour, ....
Perps - perpendiculars, the crosses where answers meet.
FIR - Finished it Right
FIW - Finished it Wrong
DNF - Did Not Finish
WAG - Wild Ass Guess
FLN - From Last Night
LIU - Look it Up
ILU - I Look'd-it Up
DH | DW - Dear Husband | Wife
BH - Better Half
CSO - (coincidental) Shout Out
WEES - What Everyone Else Said
Give us a "heads-up" when you publish at WSJ (we can play for free) and the NYT. When we Cornerites find a constructor we like (and you qualify in my book), we tend to play all their puzzles so we know how you think. :-)
Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteHello,and Welcome, Michael...
If you look on he right side under OLIO you’ll see Abbrs.....
Perps....Perpendiculars, WAG....Wild Ass Guess, FIR...Finished It Right.
And this Friday grid was cleverly constructed.
No markovers today.
Had the central air tuneup today....$130 for the visit and cleaning, an additional $140 for a 40 uF capacitor, and it’ll be another $40 for the blue light bulb. It’s not cheap to stay cool, haha.
And on to Saturday.
Thank you Lemonade for your review, and having Michael Paleos visit us was the icing on the cake!
ReplyDeleteJayce, the NYTimes has a specialof $1.00 a week for the basic subscription for 1 year, and you can add all the NYTimes Crosswords
for1/2 price ($20.00) a year. My husband likes their financial section and I can do the crosswords so it’s a win win for us.
I forgot how to spell ICICLE. I kept thinking ICE SICKLE and of course that wrong on two counts. DEAD EVEN became DEAD HEAT which only much later evolved into DEADLOCK.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the military I never heard or knew of the word ETAPE.
The homelessness problem began during the Reagan administration which cancelled ALL funding to the states to help them run mental hospitals and the mentally ill were turned out into the streets. Look at photographs of the White House before then and you won't see any homeless people; you also won't see that wrought-iron fence/barrier between it and Pennsylvania Avenue. Look at photos taken after that time and you can see plenty of both. Can you identify one single mental hospital anywhere in this country, other than a V.A. facility?
I agree with Pete Hernandez about Shinto.
I agree with Lemonade that ACNED is Meh.
We have never filled a taco shell with SALAD. As Lemonade pointed out, lettuce and tomato, sure.
Abejo, glad you are feeling better and more energetic.
I love the EROICA symphony and am fascinated by its back story, not only about Beethoven's change of heart about Napoleon but also how he came up with the theme of the final movement. If you're interested, look up Daniel Steibelt.
Good wishes to you all.
Jayce, exactly right. The overrun southern border can also be traced directly to Reagan. He idiotically trusted the Dems when they promised boarder control in return for amnesty for illegal aliens. But he did engineer the fall of the Soviet Union, so he's got that goin' for him.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder when one administration is blamed for something that is an ongoing problem. For instance, is Obama to blame for Obamacare or is Trump and the Republicans of 2017/18 to blame for not overturning it.
ReplyDeleteIf Reagan introduced the homelessness problem, why didn't the Clinton administration fix it? Or why didn't Obama and the Democrats in Congress fix it when they fixed the healthcare problem? (sic)
Who was to blame for the Vietnam fiasco? Kennedy? Johnson? Nixon?
Or Afganistan? The Soviet Union? Clinton? Bush? Obama? Nope it's all Trump's fault.
How ridiculous to place blame on one person or administration! We are all one or E Pluribus Unum or we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Gotta say how much I liked this puzzle! Welcome !
ReplyDeleteI have been fighting respiratory problems with all this Saharan Dust business. It plays havoc with my asthma . Good puzzle. Great write up.
I’m going back to bed!
Michael: Ευχαριστώ. I did study Greek for a year and then my oldest boy became a Classics major digging in Italy and Greece, so some of it came back. For some reason, my easiest memories are το γάλα and σκύλος
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you made a big impression here and you are welcome anytime, even when you have no puzzle.
Thanks Michael and Lemon.
ReplyDeleteAlong with AnonT, I LOVE cable cars. I always tried to ride on the outside standing on the 'running board.' The simple but effective brakes used when going downhill are responsible for the aromatic ambiance of San Francisco in the vicinity of the tracks. The cable car museum is free and shows all of the simple and clever mechanisms that make it all work so well. And then there's my favorite stop at the end of the Hyde Street line, The Buena Vista, birthplace of Irish Coffee and a great place to enjoy breakfast.
Thank you, Wilbur--I'll give it my best shot. How nice to have Michael checking in with us.
ReplyDeleteA few others
ReplyDeleteNatick -- a single cell through which both perps are totally unknown and unguessable.
LW -- depending on your generation, Little Woman or Loving Wife.
SIL, NIL, etc. -- Son-in-law/Sister-in-law, Niece-in-law/Nephew-in-law, etc.
HBD, HBTY -- Happy BirthDay To You.
WEES -- variations are WHS=What Hahtoola Said, WDOS=What Desper-Otto Said, etc.
w/os -- Write Overs or White Outs (or wType Overs).