The ESSENCE of S. What happens when you add the letter S to the beginning and end of a common word? You get today's rhyming puzzle puzzle! Our constructor, Bruce Haight must like the letter "S". His Friday puzzle also added an "S" to give us a sleepy-time puzzle.
17-Across. Run out of pants?: LACK SLACKS.
25-Across. Steal tent holders?: TAKE STAKES.
40-Across. Share sewing cylinders?: POOL SPOOLS. These pool noodles are the closest I could find to a Pool Spool.
44-Across. Praise Guinness products?: TOUT STOUTS.
52-Across. Discuss cornfields?: TALK STALKS.
67-Across. Cook escargots perfectly?: NAIL SNAILS.
Across:
17-Across. Run out of pants?: LACK SLACKS.
Poor Peter Rabbit. He is without slacks!
25-Across. Steal tent holders?: TAKE STAKES.
40-Across. Share sewing cylinders?: POOL SPOOLS. These pool noodles are the closest I could find to a Pool Spool.
44-Across. Praise Guinness products?: TOUT STOUTS.
A Stout Man Touting Stout.
52-Across. Discuss cornfields?: TALK STALKS.
67-Across. Cook escargots perfectly?: NAIL SNAILS.
1. Singer Cyrus: MILEY. // 1-Down. Long-distance runner: MILER. I liked how Miley and Miler crossed. Miley Cyrus (née Destiny Hope Cyrus; b. Nov. 23, 1992) has come a long way since her Hannah Montana days.
6. Captain with a whalebone leg: AHAB. Captain Ahab is a fictional character in Moby Dick, the whaling novel by Herman Melville. As the novel begins, we learn that the Captain had been on a previous whaling voyage and a great white whale had bitten off the Captain's leg, so he now depends upon a whalebone prosthetic. Moby Dick is basically a revenge novel, where Captain Ahab is out to strike back at the whale.
10. Secretly sends an email copy to: BCCs. As in Blind Carbon Copies. Although the actual Carbon Copy is now obsolete, the abbreviation for it remains.
14. Cry of domination: I RULE!
15. Sensible: SANE.
16. "Well, hello there": OH, HI!
19. Dickens' Little __: NELL. Little Nell is a character in The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens. It is about a young orphan girl (Nell, of course), who lives with her grandfather in his shop. The novel was published as a weekly series, and was a real nail biter for its readers. Sort of like an old-timey Game of Thrones.
20. Airport approx.: ETA. As in Estimated Time of Arrival. This is a crossword staple.
21. Vintage Ford: MODEL T. Henry Ford is supposed to have said about the Model T that "any customer can have a car painted in any color that he wants so long as it is black."
22. Many a bagpiper: SCOT. My sister plays the bagpipe. This is not her.
23. Relaxation: REST.
27. Apt. units: RMs. As in Rooms in an Apartment.
29. XV ÷ V: III. Roman math. 15 ÷ 5 = 3.
30. For a specific purpose: AD HOC.
33. Remington rival: BRAUN. Both company make electronic grooming tools.
37. Hamilton's bill: TEN. I recently say a production of Hamilton. Sadly, Lin-Manuel Miranda did not play Alexander Hamilton in the version I saw, but it was still fantastic! Oh, and Alex is the face of the $10 bill.
42. Choose in a booth: VOTE.
43. Pharmacy tablet: PILL. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
46. Benchmark: Abbr.: STD. As in Standard.
47. Carb-loading meal: PASTA. Yummers! I particularly like squid ink pasta.
48. Fill in for: ACT AS.
49. Lap dog, briefly: POM. As in a Pomeranian. They are cute dogs. My sister had one, but it was a nasty little thing.
51. Spot with saunas: SPA.
58. Kudrow of "Friends": LISA. I was never a fan of Friends. I don't think I ever watched an entire episode. I found Lisa Kudrow's character particularly annoying.
62. Arouse, as an appetite: WHET.
63. Skin care brand: AVEENO. // And 73-Down: 63-Across rival: OLAY. Aveeno is a brand of skin care products that is owned by Johnson & Johnson. One of its active ingredients is derived from Oats, hence the name, which is a derivation of the Avena sativa, the scientific name for oat. Olay is owned by Proctor & Gamble. Aveeno is more of a total skin care line, whereas Olay is more of a facial line of skin care products.
65. Eminem genre: RAP. Rapper Eminem is his professional name. His given name is Marshall Bruce Mathers, III (b. Oct. 17, 1972). He never looks very happy.
66. "You betcha!": YEAH!
69. Cut with a surgical beam: LASE.
70. Fish organ: GILL.
71. "Fiddler" busybody: YENTE. Written as יענטאַ in Hebrew. It's actually a Yiddish word, and was originally just a girl's name common in Eastern Europe. It became synonymous with a busybody in the United States in the 1920s.
72. Yemen's Gulf of __: ADEN.
74. Medical pictures: X-RAYS. So that's where my ring went!
Down:
2. Steaming mad: IRATE.
3. "Star Wars" creator George: LUCAS. George Walter Lucas, Jr. (b. May 14, 1944) created Star Wars over 40 years ago. Sequels and prequels are still being made.
4. Yellowstone grazer: ELK. Don't mess with a Mama Elk and her baby. There were some incidents of injury to people earlier this year.
5. Polite rural assent: YES'M.
6. Carne __: burrito filling: ASADA. It's grilled beef, but the secret is in the marinading.
7. Czech diacritical mark: HACEK. It looks like an inverted circumflex. An example can be seen in the name of the city, Český Krumlov, which known for its beautiful castle. I was there exactly 11 years ago today while visiting my cousin who lived in Prague. For our blog readers, may I suggest The Book of Splendor, by Frances Sherwood. It is a novel mostly about Prague, but some scenes take place in Český Krumlov.
8. Joint for a bracelet: ANKLE.
9. Outdoes: BESTS.
10. Tree in a tray: BONSAI. This was my favorite clue of the puzzle.
I am Groot.
11. "Look at that!": CHECK IT OU!
12. Actress Sevigny: CHLOË. Chloë Sevigny (b. Nov. 18, 1974), has been in a number of independent movies and cable TV series. She's about to be in a new movie with Bill Murray and Adam Driver called The Dead Don't Die.
13. Delta deposits: SILTS. More than you ever wanted to know about the Mississippi River Delta.
18. A great deal: LOTS.
24. Social media troublemaker: TROLL. We occasionally get Trolls on the blog. We try not to feed them.
26. Element #50: TIN. Hey, Tin! Come back, there is no Ice in today's puzzle!
28. Mic holders: MCs. As in Master of Ceremonies.
30. Phone downloads: APPS.
31. "Finish that job!": DO IT!
32. Polite "Hang on": HOLD, PLEASE.
33. Chorus for the villain: BOOS.
34. Lopsided win: ROUT.
35. Utah ski resort: ALTA.
Looks like some rugged skiing.
36. Battleship initials: USS. Commissioned ships and vessels in the United States are designed with USS, which stands for United States Ship. Care to guess the name of this ship?
38. "At Last" vocalist James: ETTA. She was my guest the last time I provided commentary for the blog.
39. Loch with monster stories: NESS. Earlier this week, the BBC reported that the Loch Ness monster might be real.
41. Student advocacy gp.: PTA. As in the Parent Teacher Association.
42. Outspoken: VOCAL.
45. One in a bar array: TAP.
47. U.K. leaders: PMs. As in Prime Ministers. Theresa May just resigned from her position as Prime Minister. How will the United Kingdom select its next PM?
50. "In that case, fine": OK, THEN.
51. Govt. IDs: SSNs. As in Social Security Numbers.
52. Choreographer Tharp: TWYLA. In the 1960s, Twyla Tharp (b. July 1, 1941) formed her own dance company.
53. In first place: AHEAD. You might be inclined to shout 13-Across if you win.
54. Latin ballroom dance: TANGO. It takes two.
55. Be useful to: AVAIL.
56. Soprano role in Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers": LEILA. We recently saw a production of this at the Houston Grand Opera.
57. Green shade with an Irish name: KELLY.
59. Skater Slutskaya with two Olympic medals: IRINA. Irina Slutskaya (b. Feb. 9, 1979), won a Silver Medal in 2002 and a Bronze Medal in 2006 in the Olympics. She also a two-time World champion skater.
60. Like the ocean: SALTY.
61. Vaulted church areas: APSES.
The Apse of the Notre Dame Cathedral before and after the fire.
64. Black gemstone: ONYX.
68. Bubbly prefix: AER-.
Here's the Grid:
Here's the Grid:
I'll leave you with a QOD: I just read an 800-page history of the Scottish Enlightenment and, honestly, I may as well just start it again now, because I cannot remember a single thing. I can barely remember where Scotland is. ~ Hugh Laurie (né James Hugh Calum Laurie; b. June 11, 1959)
IRINA was a girl who said, "I RATE!
ReplyDeleteI RULE over those whom I hate!
HOLD, PLEASE, no doubt.
I insist, CHECK IT OUT.
If I'm not a despot soon, I'll be IRATE!"
I once bought an electric razor, a BRAUN.
I thought I could use it while a-jawin'.
But I had to keep my chin
Level while the blades did spin,
Which is why my head falls backwards when I yawn!
Captain AHAB, it's agreed, was not SANE
As he prowled and patrolled the bounding main.
He chased Moby Dick,
With a harpoon he was quick,
As a thorn in Moby's side he was a pain!
Ford's MODEL T had its day,
As also did his Model A.
But what about the rest,
Model B thru Model S?
Then as now, men just wanted T & A!
{B+, A-, B, A.}
FIR in 26:48 min.
ReplyDeleteTerrific Tuesday Corner Writers!
Thank you Bruce Haight for this enjoyable Tuesday CW.
Thank you Hahtoolah for your detailed, excellent review.
8 D -- Joint for a bracelet: ANKLE. The bracelet really dresses up her high heels. Is she on house arrest?
Ðave
6:08. Definitely saw the theme today. I was surprised "Czech diacritical mark" was a Tuesday clue/answer. I get the benchmark clue, but also surprised to see "STD" as an answer. I wanted Yenta for Yente (and apparently, so does spellcheck). "Friends" is a great tv show.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWell, for the second day in a row, no tada. Somehow, my "Yellowstone grazer" was an EEK rather than an ELK. Just sloppy on my part.
Loved the puzzle though. YEAH, some will carp that once they got the theme, it made filling in the answers too easy, but I saw beauty in the construction.
Loved your blog, Hahtoolah. It made me smile today, and that was hard to do given my disposition when I woke up. Loved all your imagery. I know the name of that ship, but won't give it away.
I changed my definition of CC / BCC from carbon to courtesy years ago.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteZipped right through, getting the theme (double-speak?) right out of the starting gate. The later theme answers almost filled themselves. Thanx, Bruce and Hahtoolah.
BRAUN -- My toothbrush is a Braun Oral-B. My razor is more primitive. I change the blade every three months, whether it needs it or not.
POMERANIAN -- My maternal great-grandparents were from Pomerania.
This morning I'm off to Houston so a doctor can shove a camera down my throat. The worst part is no fluids after midnight. I get really cranky without my morning coffee. The procedure is scheduled for 11, but they want me to show up at 9:30. I figure 10:15 is plenty early.
Heres a quick clip that combines a shout out to 17a and 58a.
ReplyDeleteChandler makes an observation.
Fiends was a show that I enjoyed but I used to discuss with friends whether it was comparable to Seinfeld which was in production at the same time. I would say are you crazy!?!?! Speaking of which...
SALTY pretzelsmaking George a little crazy.
Ooops. I may be making myself a little crazy. I wanted to post a Seinfeld clip of Kramer when he TOUT STOUTS or something similar.
ReplyDeletePraise Hennigans product?
Musings¬
ReplyDelete-¬Even obscure skaters and Bizet characters didn’t detract from this fun puzzle!
-Early tee time but I look forward to reading comments this p.m.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteBruce took us to new Haights today! Thank you, Bruce and Hahtoolah. I especially liked the graphics and I'd love to visit that castle.
The double speak made this an easy solve but still fun.
The division sign in 29A was unclear so first I multiplied, then added and finally divided 15/5=3 (iii).
As a former spare time seamstress I really liked POOLSPOOLS which brings to mind the numerous bobbins filled with colorful threads which I still have.
BONSAI as clued was also my favorite today.
HACEK filled with all perps.
Have a grand day, everyone! It's back to bed for me.
Hahtoolah, I love your info and your pics. Thanks for blogging
ReplyDeleteGetting the theme made this puzzle very easy, but, hey, it is Tuesday and the theme was clever.
That pom is cute. I wonder whether some little dogs are feisty because their small size makes them feel they need to protect themselves.
I have seen HACEK before, but needed perps to help to spell it.
Boomer, I admire you for your bravery and your humor. No matter what, you just "keep on keeping on." Hang in there.
Fun theme, thanks to all. Did anyone else notice that Eminem is giving us all the middle finger salute?
ReplyDeleteRe: the QotD. Here's a meme/quote of Hugh Laurie I circulated a few years ago. It's regarding religion, so skip it if anti-theism offends you, or discuss it over on the _J forum, which is laxer on religion only because it's shorter on discussion topics.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! When you turn Bruce loose with a grid, he makes a fun puzzle. The rhyming words were a give-away for the theme. I didn't notice the "S" addition so much. Thanks, Bruce.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your great expo, Hahtoolah! But Squid Ink PASTA? Girl, are you kidding? We don't eat so exotic in the landlocked middle of the country. No SNAILS either. Our garden SNAILS are too tiny.
As a seamstress I had a big box of empty thread SPOOLS with which my little girls liked to play while I sewed their little clothes. Would the box constitute a POOL of SPOOLS? If someone gave me some SPOOLS, would that be POOLing them?
DNK: CHLOE (read it CHOLE, which didn't help), BRAUN (Remington: I thought guns or the artist), LEILA, BCCS, HACEK. Quite a list for a Tuesday.
1a across contains a slight error.
ReplyDeleteAccording to wiki, Miley's actual name is now Miley Ray Hemsworth per USATODAY February 8, 2019.
So in respect to her and her husband Liam 1a should have been clued as:
1a Singer Hemsworth
Or
1a Former Cincinnati Reds manager
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hahtoolah for a fine intro.
FIR with no searches. Amusing theme. Liked how ROUT crossed TOUT…….
Finally parsed MODEL T. Favorite clue was 'tree in a tray' for BONSAI - - as I see it was for Hahtoolah.
Are 5d and 66a - YES'M and YEAH a clecho?
The POM is a breed of dog of the Spitz type.
"You betcha!" sounds Minnesotan somehow.
Sarah Palin from Alaska, "You betcha."
ReplyDeleteGood morning, folks. Thank you, Bruce Haight, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for a fine review.
ReplyDeletePuzzle was a little sticky for a Tuesday. Got through it with some perps. The theme was the easiest part. Liked it. Clever.
The ship you showed was Old Ironsides. My wife and I toured that ship in Boston many years ago. A good friend of mine, now passed away, was stationed on that ship in Philadelphia in WW-II.
Our old friend AHAB. My brother just had a new grand son. The parents named him Moby.
Hacek was unknown. Perps. I do like Czech food. Lots of it in Chicago area. A little south. Cermak Rd, etc.
LEILA was unknown. Perps. I did remember TWYLA Tharp. I believe we have had her before.
IRINA was unknown. Perps.
Have to run. Getting ready for my surgery tomorrow. Can eat no food today except liquids.
Probably will not see you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
FIR, but erased ease for REST. I also won't disclose the ship's nae, but it is the USA's oldest commissioned ship. They take her out every year for a little event, and she usually goes a short distance under her own power. I took the tour and got the polo shirt.
ReplyDeleteCHLOE Sevigny had an X-rated scene in The Brown Bunny. Supposedly it was scripted to just be a nude scene, but her co-star was a former boyfriend and she just decided to remind him what he was missing. They kept the scene in the movie.
I think I prefer Derek and the Domino's Layla to Bizet's LEILA.
Thanks to Bruce for the fun, easy puzzle. And thanks to Hahtoolah for the visual review. BTW, how does your sister know if her bagpipe is out of tune?
The IRENA that has been in the news for the last several days is IRENA Shayk. She is a Russian supermodel and Sports Illustrated's cover girl. She once dated world renowned soccer player Christiano Ronaldo and more recently actor Bradley Cooper. Cooper and her had a daughter in 2017 but that wasn't enough for Cooper. After filming "A Star Os Born" with pop tart Lady Gaga, rumors persisted of an affair Gaga and Cooper might be having. Well IRINA just moved out of Cooper's house and we will soon be comparing this to the Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie affair. Ain't Hollywood grand?
ReplyDeleteI'd link the picture of IRENA for the guys here that is all over the news this morning if I knew how. I'm sure y'all would appreciate it!
Easy peasy but very clever. Thanks Bruce! Fave was POOLS SPOOLS. All those round O’s in the middle of the words just pleased me. Do they look like spools?
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah thanks for the tour, especially the info. On the Mississippi Delta. I always have trouble explaining that. No one seems to believe the River has changed course five times in the last 5000 years as the silt fills in one mouth and the water carves out another. Water management is fascinating! Thanks!
Owen, all A’s!
I also know the ships name but like Jinx I’ll keep it to myself!
ReplyDeleteThanks Hatoolah- great write up! Seems like this repetitive theme would make for easy solving but a few entries are not so easy!
ReplyDeleteTerrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Bruce (thanks for dropping in) and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteMy tired brain (HOLD PLEASE) took a while to process this CW, but once I saw the added S, things got rolling. I FIRed and saw the added S (resulting in a same word repetition).
Yes, Hahtoolah, I too smiled at the cross of MILEY and MILER.
I also liked "Choose in a booth=VOTE". Political ads are starting to appear for our Canadian federal election in October. Canada also has PMS (one at a time!) and we will choose between top-runners Trudeau (Liberal) or Scheer (Conservative).
(BTW, this Canadian does not know the name of that USS ship; I hope somebody enlightens us eventually!)
I had the bracelet on a wrist before an ANKLE, and my rural assent was Yeah before YES'M (Spitz reminds me that YEAH was used at 66A!).
Perps corrected Irena to IRINA, Twila to TWYLA, and Yentl (that was the Streisand movie) to YENTE.
I fought the final S on the plural but we had LOTS of SILTS.
31D reminded me of the famous Nike slogan "Just DO IT". I love the "Dream Crazier" ad.
JustDoIt
There is a HACEK in the name of goalie Dominik Hašek. (Made me think of Krijo)
Further to above, my tired brain will now have another late night on Thursday after the Warriors BESTed our Raptors (but not a ROUT). BOOS to the fans who cheered when Kevin Durant went down with the injured leg. (Apologies from this Canadian!) Perhaps Karma that Raptors lost by one point.
Wishing you all a great day.
Best wishes to d'otto and Abejo who are fasting for tests and surgery. Hope all goes well.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteTuesdays don't get any better than this: a fun, clever theme from Bruce and a fact-filled, stunning summary from Hatoolah. There was a bit of a bite with Hacek, Leila, and Irina, but the perps were fair, so no nits to pick. I, too, liked the Miley/Miler crossing, although I'm not a fan of Ms. Cyrus and her antics. I never watched "Friends" or "Seinfeld" and I believe it was a generational disconnect, particularly with "Friends." Pomeranians are cute, in a way, but there is something off-putting about them, to me.
Thanks, Bruce, for an entertaining solve and thanks, Hatoolah, for brightening our day with such stunning visuals. Whenever I see a tango being performed, I think of the tango scene in "Scent of A Woman." It wasn't as elaborate or as sophisticated as most, but it was mesmerizing to me.
Abejo, good luck with tomorrow's surgery.
Have a great day.
Thanks for dropping by, Bruce. I was typing my first post when you said hello.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I LIUed but will keep the secret for now.
ReplyDeleteThat USS is the "wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy named by President George Washington ///// (name redacted). She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. She was launched in 1797 . . . . and is most noted for her actions during the War of 1812. . " (Wikipedia)
I should have known (and her famous nickname!).
Lovely Tuesday puzzle, Bruce--many thanks--made me appreciate the great skill that goes into puzzle construction. And Hahtoolah, your pictures and explanations this morning were just amazing, a total treat--many thanks for that too.
ReplyDeleteThe top and bottom filled in quickly, for me--only the middle took a bit of work. MILEY, AHAB, NELL and CHLOE were all familiar names at the top, which helped right away. I got the rhyming added S theme right from the start and found it a delight. Two total unknowns for me were HACEK and BRAUN, but perps filled them in. I've always loved "Friends" and still watch it almost every night. Lisa Kudrow's character is especially funny. Anyway, a great start to a pleasant Tuesday morning, after a good night's sleep (thanks, Advil PM).
Desper-otto and Abejo, have good and successful medical procedures today. Hope to hear from you soon.
Owen, nice to have your poems back.
Have a great day, everybody.
Interestingly MILEY's given name is Destiny Hope as Hahtoolah explains. But her parents began to call her Smiley because of her constant expression as an infant. That morphed into MILEY. So her name somewhat ties into today's theme.
ReplyDeleteSinger Hemsworth dons her favorite expressions? :
Miley Smileys
I don't know the name of the ship but apparently Abejo does so I'm glad he posted it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your surgeries, Abejo and d-otto.
My new normal is now apparently to sleep 4 or 5 hours at a time. But it was so cool at 5 A.M. that I accomplished much especially the patio. I'm hosting book club Saturday so am trying to spiff up everything.
LOL Lucina. I hadn't noticed that Abejo had posted the name of USS Constitution, AKA Old Ironsides!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's Old Ironsides (USS Constitution). I keep a model on top of a bookshelf--not far from my scale copy of the Mayflower.
ReplyDeletePride of place, however, goes to my model of HMS Victory. It is hard to beat the story of victory at Trafalgar while the admiral lies dying on the deck.
Hahtoolah ~
I sympathize (& empathize) with the Hugh Laurie quotation. The weakening of short term memory as we age is a regular frustration. Forgetting the front part of a book while slogging through to the end is a common problem--as is losing track of who's who on TV shows.
The latter is particularly exacerbated by casting directors who choose only brunettes (or only blonds) between ages 25 and 35 for a series' distaff roles.
~ OMK
Abejo & D-O: Good luck on your medical procedures.
ReplyDeleteI think I was on the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor in 1961 but it's been so long, I'm not sure it wasn't some other sailing vessel.
The gas company has a backhoe digging a trench at the base of a huge cottonwood tree in my neighbor's yard. They told me there was a leak they would be fixing. They have brought up some huge roots. Now I'm concerned about the tree staying upright in the next big wind. Could smash a house or two depending on the wind direction.
ReplyDeleteThis seemed like a “normal” Tuesday puzzle to me.
Finally, no markovers today.
From yesterday.....I enjoy 60 Minutes but the fact they label reruns as new....because they might add 20 seconds worth of update to a previous story.....frosts me. So I DVR the show, FF through the rerun part, and then see if there’s an update. Takes about 5 minutes.
Jayce...the Miata does indeed have the up-til-now missing low end torque. I got annoyed when a talking on the phone minivan driver with a load of kids would just dust me at a green light.
If you are curious, Google “Fast Forward Superchargers” and take a look....the supercharger goes on the cold side, NOT over the exhaust. And I didn’t install it, I had it done.
It was either that, or get a new Miata (181 HP in 2019) for ~$36k, or a new Boxster for (I’m not kidding) ~$98k. So I saved a bit.
On to Wednesday.
For those who need to see Irina Shayk here she is with ex- Bradley Cooper. TOGETHER NO MORE .
ReplyDeleteI was hoping for IRINA's revenge "look what your missing" Instagram post from yesterday. Lol. I'm just kidding, I can Google!
ReplyDeleteMy father briefly served on "Old Ironsides" back during WWI. He enlisted late and never did leave the continental US.
ReplyDeleteBack from my EGD. No major surprises. Discharge instructions called for clear liquids and soft foods for the remainder of the day. Well, beer is clear, and Los Cucos fajitas are sorta soft. And they were delicious.
Jinx in Norfolk at 9:50 AM wrote to Hahtoolah "BTW, how does your sister know if her bagpipe is out of tune?"
ReplyDeleteThe same way you know when your butter milk has gone bad.
Ol' Man Keith at 1:28 PM wrote about "The weakening of short term memory as we age..." I come to my room after each meal and fall asleep.
When I awake, I'm not concerned about what I ate, I can't even remember if I ate, and if so, what meal it was.
PK at 1:29 PM wrote about a huge cottonwood tree.
This action may kill the tree.
Ðave
D4: killing the tree is what I'm afraid of. My house could be in its path if it falls over since the digging is on my side. Always something to worry about. However, now that the weather has settled down, my chaotic sleep patterns have settled down too. I've been up at 7 a.m. and in bed at a decent time the last three days. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteThe Naval Register lists the USS Constitution as the oldest US Navy ship in Commission and it is the only such ship without a hull number. (Former IX-21)
ReplyDeleteOMK @ 1:28 --
ReplyDeleteSome of the memory problem is not -- in my experience -- that short-term memory is on the fritz, but that this is the 18,419th time I had to remember where I put my (keys/glasses/wallet/et cetera), so it becomes an issue of which memory to access.
The adult version of “head, shoulders, knees and toes” is “wallet, glasses, keys and phone”
ReplyDeleteNow that our temperature is well over 100+ I add water bottle, I never leave home without one.
Been running (well, walking, actually) errands all day, so got here late. Loved the puzzle. Very much loved the theme execution.
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah, thank you again for your excellent write-up.
AnonymousPVX, thanks for the info on your super charger. Quite the gadget!
Irish Miss, LW and I also like the tango scene in "Scent of A Woman." And Hahtoolah, the clip you linked contains other clips that LW and I have enjoyed watching, as well. Thanks.
Here's a video of a sensual tango that LW and I like very much. I hope you all do too.
At Yale back in the 60's I had a professor named Robert THARP. Interesting guy. Smoked like a chimney. No relation to TWYLA.
Desper-otto, glad your EGD had no major surprises and you were able to enjoy delicious beer. Good luck tomorrow, Abejo.
Keith, I agree about so many TV shows these days casting actors and actresses who look so much alike. Often LW and I have difficulty telling one character from another.
Good wishes to you all.
PK, when I lived in Texas we regarded cottonwoods "trash" trees. They grow fast, but aren't very sturdy. Your variety may be different. But I think that the tree is most likely to fall away from the roots that have been cut. The good roots would hold, while the severed ones can't keep the tree upright.
ReplyDeleteI used to golf at Cottonwood Valley, one of the two courses used when the Byron Nelson was held in Las Colinas (TX). When the cottonwoods were "shedding" it was like finding your ball after hitting it into a driving range. If you weren't hitting a yellow or orange ball, rots of ruck (as Scooby Doo would say).
Dave - Or when your sour cream has gone bad.
Jinx: cottonwood fluff is flying thick in our neighborhood now. Looks like it is snowing. I live down in a swale where there are a lot of very old cottonwoods in other yards. I have only maples in my yard. The tree that worries me got hit by lightning soon after I moved here 16 years ago. It has a blaze streak down the side, but keeps going.
ReplyDeleteCottonwoods are considered a trash tree because the wood is soft and warps if you try to build with it. I had one room in my 100+ old house that had cottonwood floor joists in the 2nd story. You never saw such warping. nothing square. We had to "marry in" new 2X4s starting at the lowest point and evening out for the ceiling in the lower level. Got 'er done. I sat and looked at it and measured for hours before deciding how to remedy the situation. We essentially built a new house inside an old one in most rooms.
OH, HI All!
ReplyDeleteSHOOT, what a HOOT! Bruce. Fun and informative expo Hahtoolah. Thanks both of you.
WOs: N/A
ESPs: HACEK, TWYLA, LEILA, IRINA, ALTA
Fab: WEES, c/a BONSAI
Sparkle: CHECK IT OUT! HOLD (my beer) PLEASE...
What else can we do?
Jaws warning: HARKSHARKS
Dents in an auto: CARSCARS
{B+, B+, B, A}
PK - weapons were also my 1st thought at Remington.
Good new D-O; and very good of you to follow doctor's orders to a T.
Cheers, -T
Had another eye exam today, have cataracts in both eyes, not just one. Surgery scheduled next month on the first one. Not worried about the surgery itself, it's quick and routine. Very worried about my mobility. Had to use my wheelchair today (only about the 3rd or 4th time), and my back was in agony by the time I got back to my car 3 hours later! LW's back was probably in similar condition struggling with getting it out of and into the car.
ReplyDeleteHaving a hard time distinguishing actors is often a sign of prosopagnosia a.k.a. face blindness. I was in my 40's before I knew about it, but have a lot of stories to tell, like mixing up girlfriends.
Good ones -T!
ReplyDeleteHow about this one:
Owl photographers? HooterShooters
Or better yet...ever seen one of these?
Quick shots from a boob cup?
Oh c'mon, I dont care who you are, that's funny right there..
D-O and Abejo, good luck tomorrow. We’ll be thinking about you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bruce & Hahtoola; stellar performance both.
I actually finished this late this morning, but life got in the way and now I finally get to post. Of course, all there is to post is WEES about most everything. The theme gave me a fit of the giggles when I grokked it. FIR in 11 minutes with no help nohow. The only two unknown/uncertains (HACEK & IRINA) were solved with help from the perps.
Time for my first mid-evening nap. Have a good night, all.
Haček is spelled with a haček. (It means hook.)
ReplyDeleteI thought the theme involved a shared letter:
ReplyDeleteLACKS SLACKS
TAKES STAKES
POOLS SPOOLS
TOUTS STOUTS
TALKS STALKS
NAILS SNAILS*
*What is that weird image for the snail?
Interesting take OwenKL. You had me rethink the theme. But then wouldn't the verbs in the clue have a "s" also?
ReplyDeleteI'm not an English teacher so you may be right, I may be wrong.
i.e. TAKES STAKES would require the clue to be, stealS tent holders?
Owen: the clue is singular so the verb in the answer must also be singular.
ReplyDeleteOwen: the trail behind the SNAIL looks like finger NAILS, methinks. Puzzling image.
ReplyDeleteWhen the crosses gave me the TR beginning of SOCIAL MEDIA TROUBLEMAKER , what was I to think? But then more crosses showed me TROLL .
ReplyDeleteCheers
OWENKL, it took some sleuthing but I found it
ReplyDeleteNail Snail
It really is a product! Who knew? Well, Hahtoolah, that's who.
PK - I thought NAIL clipper too.
ReplyDeleteOKL - Me thinks it's first singular second plural but with exactly the same letters repeated. LACKS LACKS re-parsed is LACK SLACKS. Very creative and fun -- which is why I wanted to play along w/ Bruce.
Fire starter at Yosemite? PARKSPARKS :-)
Cheers, -T
Oh, now I see Bruce!
ReplyDeleteThe first word in the answer must be a verb that is similar to the verb in the clue(which also appears first).
So the first ones from -T and my owl joke doesn't qualify. Oh well.
And -T, your last one would work if you change the clue so PARK is a verb. So...
Maneuver Chevys in a garage? PARKSPARKS
Chopped Liver - you're right! The verb is the extra little subtly Bruce gave us. My CAR SCARS fails too.
ReplyDeleteChevy? More like a Ford Pinto :-) //or is there a Chevy Spark [never mind, there is.]
We had one (Pinto)... Why Pop would say, "You can sit in the back - over the gas tank" I'll never understand.
Cheers, -T
Here's one:
ReplyDeleteBemoan the bluffs: CARPSCARPS
Colombo: Thanks! Your sleuthing was better than mine, and that really is weird!
ReplyDeleteWith all the discussion it engendered, I guess my comment about mis-interpreting the theme should have been posted much earlier in the day!
I mean the nail cutter is weird, not that your searching abilities are!
ReplyDelete