Theme Partial Periodic - four of the elements are name-checked in the theme entries:
17A. Getting on in years: GROWING OLD. It beats the alternative.
25A. Gets plastered: TIES ONE ON
38A. Owns part of: HAS AN INTEREST IN
47A. Classified item: FOR SALE AD It took me a little while to figure this one out, I was looking for something "secret" at first.
and the reveal tells us what to look for:
59A. Holmes' comment about the ends of the four other longest Across answers?: ELEMENTARY. Did you know Conan Doyle's Holmes never said "Elementary, my dear Watson"?
A neat theme from Bruce and some tidy construction - those stacked nines in the down entries are nicely done and there's some sparkle in the fill which is always good to see. The two nines, two tens and a grid-spanner for the theme entries account for a satisfyingly weighty contribution to the acrosses.
Let's take the tour:
Across:
1. Mind: OBEY
5. Old lemon: EDSEL
10. What's under a beret: TÊTE. I think I'd have liked more of a nod to a French word in clue, but no harm done.
14. Oxford tightener: LACE It's the lace that defines the style; they have "shoelace eyelet tabs that are attached under the vamp". So now we know, I thought it was a plain shoe with a toecap.
15. Pledge drive gifts: TOTES. Here's one from the folks at our favorite online encyclopedia:
16. YouTube journal: VLOG. From "video log". They can get quite addictive - there's one that I follow by a chap who lives aboard a narrow boat on the UK canal system. He's oddly entertaining.
19. Lobed organ: LUNG. Nor EARR then.
20. Web pioneer: AOL. Trying to cram Tim Berners-Lee in there didn't work too well, so I cast around for alternatives.
21. Polish place: NAIL. Polish or polish?
22. Couldn't help it: HAD TO
23. Document feature with size options: FONT
28. "See You on the Radio" essayist Charles: OSGOOD. Also the host of CBS News Sunday Morning. I heard him say once that he imagined he was just talking to his sister when he broadcast.
30. Dull sound: THUD
31. Transplanting need: SOIL. Nice cluing today. Potting compost didn't fit, so soil it had to be.
32. Some allergy symptoms: RASHES. I don't really have any allergies, but any I do manifest in sneezing fits. There is a specific combination of some kind of chili pepper together with cumin that sets me off. I've never figured out exactly what the magic formula is that sets me off.
35. "So that's what's going on here!": AHA!
41. Well-suited: APT
42. With enthusiasm: AVIDLY
43. Ronnie in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: LOTT
44. Rtes. often numbered: AVES
45. Pack animals: LLAMAS
52. "Let's do it!": I'M IN
53. European toast: SKOAL. I tried SKOLL first, but that didn't work that well with the china. I associate "Skoal" most with the snuff, not the Swedish toast.
54. Chucklehead: BOZO
56. Atlanta-based health agcy.: CDC. Somewhat in the news at the moment.
58. Document settings: TABS
62. "Return to Mayberry" grown-up: OPIE
63. Frost-resistant flower: ASTER
64. Golfo contents: AGUA
65. Ice cream buy: PINT. Tried "cone", was wrong.
66. __-Japanese War: RUSSO. My first thought was SINO, came up a little short on the letter count.
67. One of the Ivies: PENN
Down:
1. "Quantum of Solace" actress Kurylenko: OLGA. Thank you, crosses.
2. Cake on a dish: BAR OF SOAP.
3. EPA scientist: ECOLOGIST. Let's give a little sympathy to the EPA scientists in the light of the recent government decisions to roll back a lot of the protections. Say no more.
4. Longbow wood: YEW. A longbow is as tall as the archer, that's one hell of a big bow. You can make a longbow from a single piece of wood, or from laminate. The English got pretty good at archery due to the on-again off-again fight with the French over eight hundred years or so. There is still a law in England that you have to practice your archery every Sunday or be fined three pence. The "two-fingered salute" hails from those times.
5. Italian smoker: ETNA. Here's my favorite Italian smoker - Sophia Loren.
6. Slack off: DOG IT
7. Skyy shelfmate, familiarly: STOLI. I don't buy either, but I'm familiar with the brands.
8. __ sauce: sushi condiment: EEL. So not SOY.
9. Trippy '60s drug: LSD
10. Cable network with classic sitcoms: TV LAND. I'm sure more viewers over the past few weeks as people delve into the archives whilst "working from home"!
11. Get past: ELUDE
12. Jay Silverheels role: TONTO. Heigh-o Silver!
13. Prod: EGG ON
18. "What have I gotten myself __?": INTO
22. __ cat: HOUSE
24. Mardi Gras acronym: NOLA
26. Musical star Merman: ETHEL
27. Grammy winner Crow: SHERYL. She got into a little argument for her "Tuesday Night Music Club" album which was a collaboration with other artists. However, the first single from the album is nothing if not catchy!
28. Hazmat monitor: OSHA
29. Rot: DRIVEL
33. Sambuca flavoring: ANISE. I once set my face alight with flaming Sambuca, that's a story for another day.
34. Avg.: STD.
35. Period spawned by the Manhattan Project: ATOMIC AGE. Lovely clue/entry. I wanted "nuclear era" at first, then saw the space I had to work with and the crosses.
36. Baseball strategy for a contact hitter: HIT AND RUN. Bothered by "hitter" in the clue, I held off filling in the entry until it was apparent that was the correct response. Maybe "contact batter" would have worrked better?
37. Little marchers: ANTS
39. Maritime: NAVAL
40. Bridge feat: SLAM. A grand slam, to be perfectly correct. All 13 tricks. EUCHRE! is my midwest shout. I was taught to play by a friend from Ohio. He was bummed when I figured it out.
44. How china is sold: AS A SET. My last fill, complicated by not-smart decisions on the crosses.
46. Fuzzy film coward: LION
47. Shooter's setting: F-STOP. Wide for depth of field. Narrow for sharp focus. Or was it the other way around? Hello automatic camera.
48. Congo critter with striped legs: OKAPI. Funny, I thought this was the plural. I guess there's no Okapo. Nor Okape.
49. Dick Grayson's alter ego: ROBIN. Batman buddy. I always loved the sight of them walking up the side of a building on a rope. Holy vertical drop, Batman!
50. Does some fencing, maybe: ABETS. Great clue. In my memory, you can't aid or abet singularly, you are always nabbed for "aiding and abetting". A two-fer when the magistrate hands down the sentence.
51. Stadium toppers: DOMES. No, the sky tops my favorite stadia.
55. Terrible test score: ZERO
57. Ink cartridge color: CYAN. Did anyone know cyan or magenta were even colors before inkjet printers? "OK, we need four colors - black, yellow, that's easy - then we need ummmm wait, cyan, there we go and what else? Oh! Magenta! Stupid us!"
59. Corn serving: EAR. Not COB then. Goof.
60. 2020 NCAA FBS champs: LSU. Lousinana State U. It almost seems odd that a sporting event was played out in front of a full crowd. Our perspectives have changed.
61. Touch-screen touch: TAP. When a tap doesn't seem to cut it, try a prod or a poke. A stab sometimes is more effective. In extremis, a reboot generally sets things right.
I think that's me done. Here's the grid, thanks again to Bruce, please all be vigilant and keep safe.
I saw a gaggle of cyclists yesterday ride past my house, no masks, "sponsored" jerseys, pretending they were all riding the Tour de France or some nonsense. You might be fit, healthy and 30, but you're not immune, nor are the people you come into contact with.
Wake up.
On the plus side, I had a great conversation with one of our blog readers who lives not too far away from me and reached out for a chat. If this goes on, then let's think about a group "puzzle solve" happy hour on Zoom.
Be safe!
Steve
17A. Getting on in years: GROWING OLD. It beats the alternative.
25A. Gets plastered: TIES ONE ON
38A. Owns part of: HAS AN INTEREST IN
47A. Classified item: FOR SALE AD It took me a little while to figure this one out, I was looking for something "secret" at first.
and the reveal tells us what to look for:
59A. Holmes' comment about the ends of the four other longest Across answers?: ELEMENTARY. Did you know Conan Doyle's Holmes never said "Elementary, my dear Watson"?
A neat theme from Bruce and some tidy construction - those stacked nines in the down entries are nicely done and there's some sparkle in the fill which is always good to see. The two nines, two tens and a grid-spanner for the theme entries account for a satisfyingly weighty contribution to the acrosses.
Let's take the tour:
Across:
1. Mind: OBEY
5. Old lemon: EDSEL
10. What's under a beret: TÊTE. I think I'd have liked more of a nod to a French word in clue, but no harm done.
14. Oxford tightener: LACE It's the lace that defines the style; they have "shoelace eyelet tabs that are attached under the vamp". So now we know, I thought it was a plain shoe with a toecap.
15. Pledge drive gifts: TOTES. Here's one from the folks at our favorite online encyclopedia:
16. YouTube journal: VLOG. From "video log". They can get quite addictive - there's one that I follow by a chap who lives aboard a narrow boat on the UK canal system. He's oddly entertaining.
19. Lobed organ: LUNG. Nor EARR then.
20. Web pioneer: AOL. Trying to cram Tim Berners-Lee in there didn't work too well, so I cast around for alternatives.
21. Polish place: NAIL. Polish or polish?
22. Couldn't help it: HAD TO
23. Document feature with size options: FONT
28. "See You on the Radio" essayist Charles: OSGOOD. Also the host of CBS News Sunday Morning. I heard him say once that he imagined he was just talking to his sister when he broadcast.
30. Dull sound: THUD
31. Transplanting need: SOIL. Nice cluing today. Potting compost didn't fit, so soil it had to be.
32. Some allergy symptoms: RASHES. I don't really have any allergies, but any I do manifest in sneezing fits. There is a specific combination of some kind of chili pepper together with cumin that sets me off. I've never figured out exactly what the magic formula is that sets me off.
35. "So that's what's going on here!": AHA!
41. Well-suited: APT
42. With enthusiasm: AVIDLY
43. Ronnie in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: LOTT
44. Rtes. often numbered: AVES
45. Pack animals: LLAMAS
52. "Let's do it!": I'M IN
53. European toast: SKOAL. I tried SKOLL first, but that didn't work that well with the china. I associate "Skoal" most with the snuff, not the Swedish toast.
54. Chucklehead: BOZO
56. Atlanta-based health agcy.: CDC. Somewhat in the news at the moment.
58. Document settings: TABS
62. "Return to Mayberry" grown-up: OPIE
63. Frost-resistant flower: ASTER
64. Golfo contents: AGUA
65. Ice cream buy: PINT. Tried "cone", was wrong.
66. __-Japanese War: RUSSO. My first thought was SINO, came up a little short on the letter count.
67. One of the Ivies: PENN
Down:
1. "Quantum of Solace" actress Kurylenko: OLGA. Thank you, crosses.
2. Cake on a dish: BAR OF SOAP.
3. EPA scientist: ECOLOGIST. Let's give a little sympathy to the EPA scientists in the light of the recent government decisions to roll back a lot of the protections. Say no more.
4. Longbow wood: YEW. A longbow is as tall as the archer, that's one hell of a big bow. You can make a longbow from a single piece of wood, or from laminate. The English got pretty good at archery due to the on-again off-again fight with the French over eight hundred years or so. There is still a law in England that you have to practice your archery every Sunday or be fined three pence. The "two-fingered salute" hails from those times.
5. Italian smoker: ETNA. Here's my favorite Italian smoker - Sophia Loren.
6. Slack off: DOG IT
7. Skyy shelfmate, familiarly: STOLI. I don't buy either, but I'm familiar with the brands.
8. __ sauce: sushi condiment: EEL. So not SOY.
9. Trippy '60s drug: LSD
10. Cable network with classic sitcoms: TV LAND. I'm sure more viewers over the past few weeks as people delve into the archives whilst "working from home"!
11. Get past: ELUDE
12. Jay Silverheels role: TONTO. Heigh-o Silver!
13. Prod: EGG ON
18. "What have I gotten myself __?": INTO
22. __ cat: HOUSE
24. Mardi Gras acronym: NOLA
26. Musical star Merman: ETHEL
27. Grammy winner Crow: SHERYL. She got into a little argument for her "Tuesday Night Music Club" album which was a collaboration with other artists. However, the first single from the album is nothing if not catchy!
28. Hazmat monitor: OSHA
29. Rot: DRIVEL
33. Sambuca flavoring: ANISE. I once set my face alight with flaming Sambuca, that's a story for another day.
34. Avg.: STD.
35. Period spawned by the Manhattan Project: ATOMIC AGE. Lovely clue/entry. I wanted "nuclear era" at first, then saw the space I had to work with and the crosses.
36. Baseball strategy for a contact hitter: HIT AND RUN. Bothered by "hitter" in the clue, I held off filling in the entry until it was apparent that was the correct response. Maybe "contact batter" would have worrked better?
37. Little marchers: ANTS
39. Maritime: NAVAL
40. Bridge feat: SLAM. A grand slam, to be perfectly correct. All 13 tricks. EUCHRE! is my midwest shout. I was taught to play by a friend from Ohio. He was bummed when I figured it out.
44. How china is sold: AS A SET. My last fill, complicated by not-smart decisions on the crosses.
46. Fuzzy film coward: LION
47. Shooter's setting: F-STOP. Wide for depth of field. Narrow for sharp focus. Or was it the other way around? Hello automatic camera.
48. Congo critter with striped legs: OKAPI. Funny, I thought this was the plural. I guess there's no Okapo. Nor Okape.
49. Dick Grayson's alter ego: ROBIN. Batman buddy. I always loved the sight of them walking up the side of a building on a rope. Holy vertical drop, Batman!
50. Does some fencing, maybe: ABETS. Great clue. In my memory, you can't aid or abet singularly, you are always nabbed for "aiding and abetting". A two-fer when the magistrate hands down the sentence.
51. Stadium toppers: DOMES. No, the sky tops my favorite stadia.
55. Terrible test score: ZERO
57. Ink cartridge color: CYAN. Did anyone know cyan or magenta were even colors before inkjet printers? "OK, we need four colors - black, yellow, that's easy - then we need ummmm wait, cyan, there we go and what else? Oh! Magenta! Stupid us!"
59. Corn serving: EAR. Not COB then. Goof.
60. 2020 NCAA FBS champs: LSU. Lousinana State U. It almost seems odd that a sporting event was played out in front of a full crowd. Our perspectives have changed.
61. Touch-screen touch: TAP. When a tap doesn't seem to cut it, try a prod or a poke. A stab sometimes is more effective. In extremis, a reboot generally sets things right.
I think that's me done. Here's the grid, thanks again to Bruce, please all be vigilant and keep safe.
I saw a gaggle of cyclists yesterday ride past my house, no masks, "sponsored" jerseys, pretending they were all riding the Tour de France or some nonsense. You might be fit, healthy and 30, but you're not immune, nor are the people you come into contact with.
Wake up.
On the plus side, I had a great conversation with one of our blog readers who lives not too far away from me and reached out for a chat. If this goes on, then let's think about a group "puzzle solve" happy hour on Zoom.
Be safe!
Steve
FIR, but erased soy for EEL, hwys for AVES, and getting OLD for GROWING OLD (read the clue, Jinx).
ReplyDeleteCSO to our swampies @ LSU and NOLA. Must be a mistake - when the season started the pundits said the SEC was finished as a dominating football conference. And to Tin @ (INTERES)T IN.
Cheryl Crowe was a backup singer in the Coral Reefer Band, Jimmy Buffet's group. Could foster a Saturday clue.
Interesting that cats can spread COVID 19 to each other, but dogs apparently cannot.
I never wanted to be avg., and I try to avoid STDs.
Nam vets know the F-105 as the THUD.
Fine Thursday puzzle, Bruce. My favorite was "does some fencing, maybe" for ABET. And thanks to Steve for he interesting tour.
Today was supposed to be the first day of the Masters golf tournament. With apologies to Hahtoolah I’ll offer the golf quote of the day, this one from Ben Hogan. “Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.”
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteAnybody else try ZEBRA? Thought so. This was a nice romp with an easy-to-see theme...once the reveal appeared. EEL SAUCE? Eww. I'm glad that was already filled in. Thanx for the diversion, Bruce (is that why you included Dick Grayson?), and Steve (I say Hi-Ho rather than Heigh-O).
SLAM and NAVAL: Double CSO to Spitz.
RASHES: I'm mortally allergic to stinging insects. In the spring I suffer from tree pollen. I have to walk faster just to keep up with my runny nose.
ECOLOGIST: Are there any scientists left in the federal government? If so, I suggest they lie low.
It's time for my annual physical, and the doctor's office called yesterday to set up a video appointment for this morning. I assume that after the "chat," she'll issue new scrips for my maintenance meds. I've never done a video chat. Took me quite a while to figure out how to re-enable the camera and microphone on my PC in preparation. Since I'm feeling fine with no visible symptoms, I'm not sure what the advantage'll be over a simple phone call. We'll see (and hear).
I didn’t see the theme until I was done, but enjoyed the construct. Only write-over was ETHEL for ETHyL. Was the Edsel a lemon, or just not immediately popular?
ReplyDeleteSteve, wonderful write-up as always, but I think beret being a French word and hat, the TÊTE was easy. You do a wonderful job pointing to all the great fill.
ReplyDeleteBefore I forget, JINX your spelling challenge is underlined by your reference to CHERYL CROWE who with either spelling was not really a member of the CORAL REEFER BAND.
5. Old lemon: EDSEL - 5 spaces, hmm. JASON fit!
Interestingly, I recently read about OLGA KURYLENKO.
Thanks Bruce and Steve. Be careful, be safe
D-O, EEL SAUCE is a sauce that is made to go with eel, not a sauce made out of eel. I think it's mostly soy sauce and sugar.
ReplyDeleteEel is a big part of sushi platters, but it's always cooked. Its texture is not that much different than fish.
D-O you and I share the same allergy patterns. Were you born prematurely?
ReplyDeleteLemony, Wikipedia says she was (at least on Off to See the Lizard:
ReplyDeleteThe Coral Reefer Band:
Jimmy Buffett - guitar, vocals
Jay Oliver - keyboards, percussion
Peter Mayer - guitars
Jim Mayer - bass
Roger Guth - drums
Robert Greenidge - steel drums
Michael Utley - organ
Greg "Fingers" Taylor - harmonica
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
"The Nuff Brothers" - Alan Rubin, Birch Johnson, Lou Marini - horns
Diana Canova, Sheryl Crow, Frank Floyd, Peter Mayer, Timothy B. Schmit - background singers
I read it on the internet, so it must be true.
Good morning fellow GROWING OLDers. I started in a fog thinking TEND or SOUL for "Mind" before I saw the clue for YEW and then I woke up. I was also thinking of Tim Berners-LEE for the 'Web pioneer'; AOL was just an ISP, and OLGA was an unknown.
ReplyDeleteThe ELEMENTARY words were hiding in plain sight. Never noticed and even after solving I was thinking elementary SCHOOL. Duh!
VLOG is a new word for me. I use YouTube when I need to repair something or listen to a particular song. Not interested in anybody's podcast of their miserable life.
ECOLOGIST- a person who knows a little biology, chemistry, and geology but not smart enough to major in any of them. So they major in ecology and have a college degree.
HIT AND RUN- that's what uninsured drivers do.
LSU-Clemson game on Jan. 13 and a full crowd. Mardi Gras in NOLA was Feb 25. On March 1 there we only 30 known cases of Covid19 in the USA. Somebody (nobody will ever know) brought it to town. As of yesterday the death count total in Orleans & Jefferson parishes was 357 out of 9,062 confirmed cases. The NE part of Louisiana has very few cases and less than 10 deaths. The Daytona 500 had a huge crowd but obviously nobody there was infected.
Jinx- F105 fighter-bomber. Not good at either.
Hungry Mother- ETHYL was the higher octane gasoline. I always bought 'regular' for 3 cents a gallon cheaper.
ReplyDeleteSo imagine you are a seventh grader, and you get an assignment:
All Day Long (The Coronavirus Song)
Had to share it. Back later after I finish my assignment of tomorrow's puzzle.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGot it all without erasures or searches. A bit fuzzy on TOTES but perps were solid. Later I saw why that was a good clue. Had trouble parsing FORSALEAD the way it plopped in, but then saw FOR SALE AD per the clue. 50d ABETS offered misdirection, too. Favorite clue was for DRIVEL.
D-O, thanks for the SO. No bridge now until COVID19 abates.
PK FLN - Sorry for your losses. I admire the way you stay in there and keep in touch with us. Your life experiences are instructive and inspiring. Continued best wishes.
Thanks for solve. Tough one for me.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI'm always pleased to see Bruce's byline because I know I'm in for a fun and enjoyable solve. Today's theme was a little more straightforward than his usual tricky wordplay, but it was clever and well-hidden and that suits me just fine. Needed perps for Lott and Olga and needed corrections for Yale/Penn and Lahr/Lion. I threw in Bar of Soap without a second thought and was pleased that it was the right answer. I appreciated that the themers were all strong "in the language" phrases and that they all spanned two words. My favorite C/A was Does some fencing=Abets and I noticed a mini sub-theme of body parts, I.e., Ear, Lung, Nail, and Tete.
Thanks, Bruce, for a Thursday treat and thanks, Steve, for the grand tour.
FedEx just delivered my order of haddock and scallops from Maine for Good Friday's meals.
FLN
PK, I'm so sorry for your many recent losses.
YR, how is Alan doing under the present circumstances? It must be very hard for him to have his routine so altered and restricted.
Stay safe, all.
Very cute, TTP. One of the guys I used to work with now lives in Mundelein. I lived a tad north of there in Lindenhurst.
ReplyDeleteLemon -- no, not premature. Eight-plus pounds. Mom was already 40 and almost named me Quits.
Anon-T, FLN, I thought of you when Prine sang, "I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long." BTW, how are you doin' with that?
Musings
ReplyDelete-I TEND to be disappointed when I miss 1 Across
-I thought A(O)L invented the web
-This OSGOOD was the bane of my high school athletics
-The stable of AHA, AHH, OOH, OHO, OOO provides a fill today
-Niner Ronnie LOTT was one of the most feared defensive players in his time - THUD!!
-“On the AVEnue, Fifth AVEnue…” no bonnets there this year
-My doctor’s office doesn’t let you TAB through and update the previous form. It’s pen and paper from scratch.
-Negotiating the end to the RUSSO-Japanese war garnered Teddy Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize
-“What have I gotten myself INTO?” Often said after I volunteered.
-Sorry Steve, “contact batter” clangs off my ear :-)
-AHA!! Holy Camera Angle!
-CYAN and magenta figured prominently when I taught the physics of color
PK, sorry for your losses. It has been such a tough year for you.
ReplyDeleteI like this theme. I saw GOLD right away, but needed the reveal to realize I needed the other elements. Drivel was tricky, a great clue and my last answer.
Alan's favorite channel is TV LAND. BTW he has a girlfriend and is thrilled about it. He is doing well and the staff is taking excellent care of him. He has become accepting of not coming home. We talk on the phone 4 times a day. He is less lonely there than at home with four other housemates and a very friendly staff.
One of my sisters was sent to the hospital yesterday. She has been failing mentally more and more these last few years with poor judgement, slow processing, poor self care. She is very independent and hard to help. Yesterday she took a tremendous overdose of aspirin. The hospital staff is trying to save her organs. The docs took a brain scan and found parts of her brain are atrophying. We believe she will need nursing home care from now on. If her organs recover, it is probably for the best that she will now have round the clock care.
Thanks Steve! I wish I could say "Does some fencing, maybe" was my clue for ABETS, but that was all Rich. He made quite a few of my clues more difficult- I was more on a Tuesday/Wednesday level. My favorite entries were BAR OF SOAP and ATOMIC AGE- had fun making this one. Bruce Haight
ReplyDeleteA "batter" who doesn't strike out much is a Contact Hitter.
ReplyDeleteThis was just my speed. When a corner had nuttin, along came EDSEL, TONTO , ETNA etc. I think it was the look of the EDSEL. "Designed obsolescence" was the MoD of the late fifties and up to the Japan invasion. A little too much D-O (hi!) perhaps in the EDSEL.
When I opened the blog GOLD popped out and then I hunted down the elements.
I enjoy Steve's write-up for the English slant. Btw, speaking of.. I believe it was Basil speaking to Nigel that gave us the immortal words. And… Speaking of (Doyle) we get :
"What of the bow?
The bow was made in England:
Of true wood, of yew-wood,
The wood of English bows;
So men who are free
Love the old yew-tree
And the land where the yew-tree grows."
WC
I was thinking of the "105" as the artillery piece(shell). The "thud" is when it leaves the cannon. Now the best example of the sound a rocket makes ((coming in) is from my days in Jamaica Plain, Boston. The elevated trains made the identical racket as the rockets arrival.
ReplyDeleteLoud to say the least. But good ol' Wilbur managed to sleep through one attack that had the Marines still shaken at 8am.
WC
Hola!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bruce Haight! This was fun! Fun! Fun! Not too easy, not too hard, but just right.
TOTES? I have a bunch I should get rid of. Some I use for grocery shopping though in the current climate it's not allowed unless I bag my own purchases.
The clue for ABETS was my favorite, too.
I agree, ZERO is a terrible grade.
TETE did seem obvious since beret is a French word as Lemonade noted.
No, I didn't see the ELEMENTS and ELEMENTARY did nothing to dispel the mystery.
CSO to Spitz at NAVAL and bridge SLAM.
My niece's maternal grandmother was named ETHEL and one of the nicest women I ever knew.
Thank you, Steve! How are your UK kin doing in this AGE of covid-19? I hope all are well.
Be safe but be happy, everyone!
The acrosses were tough, but the downs helped a lot,
ReplyDeletewhich made this puzzle a lot of fun to do.
Never did realize the theme, everything was filled in
& I forgot to look...
Steve! I thought I was the only one watching that long boat Vlog!
I am hooked! I watch it nightly.
It all started when I watched a video on starting up a steam locomotive.
(It took over an hour of tweaking & oiling)
(sort of like me getting out of bed...)
Then I watched starting up a Long Boat.
Now I watch this guys Vlog & many others.
Going through the locks & TUNNELS is fascinating, so much so
I Google Earth'd satellite photos of where all these canals are!
On another note,
my favorite Sheryl Crow song was actually written by Cat Stevens...
Which brings me to themage silly links for today.
I first found a great pic of a dog for Irish Miss,
but when I scrolled down, there was some words she might take offense to.
Disappointed, I moved on. I found this, which is kinda Meh. (so,so)
& then I realized that the dog pic would go with the cat pic perfectly!
Here ya go Irish Miss!
FIR with errors...cone for PINT. Span for SLAM (and the bridge commentary is right above the CW in our paper)
ReplyDeleteAs usual didnt grasp the theme.
VLOG unknown. EEL sauce? Yuck!
I hear having an AOL email address dates me as a GROWING OLDter
"ELEMNTARY" with Lucy Liu one of my favorite seres.
Alternatives
"Hot Latin lover Fernando".....LLAMAS
"Born under a bad" ____ ....CYAN
"He finally ____ to the prom. She said yes!" .....ASTER.
For your Spanish penance say "tres ____ Marias".....AVES
Kenny Loggins..
(Your Daddy Don't Rock & Roll)...
"OUT OF THE CAR, LONGHAIR! "
With the barbershops closed..... beginning to fit the above description. Considered having DW cut my hair but not sure I trust her with anything sharp that close to my neck.
Happy Thor's Day
TTP at 8:39 thank you for the “All Day Long Song” I will be humming it all day long.
ReplyDeleteSteve, great idea for a Zoom group crossword solve/happy hour, I’m in.
TTP @ 8:39 - Thanks for posting that video. What a talented young lady! She certainly brightened my day.
ReplyDeleteYR @ 9:50 - Sorry to hear of your sister's health issues. Dementia is such a cruel blow to everyone in a family. Thanks for the uplifting news about Alan. I'm so glad he's adjusting well and having a girl friend should add to his well being.
CED @ 11:19 - Both pictures made me smile. Thank you, too, for brightening my day.
Well, Thursday puzzles always begin to be a bit tough for me, although I got pretty good chunks of this one all the same. Many thanks, Bruce, and thanks for checking in with us. I might have aced your pre-edited version. I began with TONTO ("The Lone Ranger" was the first program I watched on black-and-white TV when I came to this country in 1954). Fun to get ELEMENTARY as the reveal--but I didn't get the hinted elements until Steve revealed them. And I had all the starting problems Jinx had. But still, a fun puzzle, thanks again, Bruce and Steve.
ReplyDeleteAnd have a good day, everybody.
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Bruce Haight, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for a fine review.
ReplyDeletePuzzle was a little sticky, but it is Thursday. I got it all after some deep perusal. Could not put the theme together. Of course I was thinking of Holmes, etc. It turned out good, just a little tricky for me.
Jinx: I just got a Friend request from Larry Grimm.
17A was easy. That is me, GROWING OLD. Just turned 74. I used to take it 10 years at a time. Now I take it one year at a time.
Our old friend YEW. Get that tree a lot.
I actually tried LLAMAS and it stayed. Good for me.
Good puzzle today.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Yuman, etal; ditto on"All Day Long". Pleasant ear bud. So Roy and Gene yesterday and Lone Ranger and Tonto today. Now for the double jeopardy:
ReplyDeleteName what the Sidekicks rode(Tonto bring one etc).
WC
ReplyDeleteD-O, Yuman, Irish Miss, et al., if interested, here's the NPR story and interview:
The NPR Story "All Day Long (The Coronavirus Song)"
Back to the grind.
See all y'all later n'at !
Jinx:
ReplyDeleteAppears to be a different Larry Grimm.
Abejo
Tonto rode Scout. Dale Evans rode Buttermilk or maybe you meant the dog, Bullet. Pancho rode Loco (Bonus answer -- he was the Cisco Kid's partner).
ReplyDeleteD-O, excellent, especially Buttermilk. Now on the TV show Gene's sidekick was Pat Buttram. Note my wording as in this example:(More for Boomer and the Sports crowd)
ReplyDeleteName the Heisman Winners and the Armed Service teams they played for. Note: Otto Graham didn't win the Heisman.
So in both cases pay attention to the wording. In my case it has some relation to the 'Nam 105 reference
WC
Wonder which of Dale's 4 husbands included the horse in the divorce settlement
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteGreat puzzle Bruce. And I always enjoy Steve's take on the grid. Enjoyable.
It took a bit to get going, but after going through the grid the first time, both across and down, it started to fill in. I got the theme early and was able to fill in the remaining elements and then figured out the rest of the clue for each element. Perps, as usual, were a big help.
I initially had YALE vs PENN, EARS vs LUNG (I didn't notice the singular at first), DOLT vs BOZO and HWYS vs AVES (This is the only one I had a problem with accepting).
The Republic F-105 Thud was initially a Cold War airplane designed as an Atomic Bomb delivery vehicle. Of course as usually happens, it ended up being a tactical bomber of non-nuclear ordinance in Viet Nam. It could carry a large payload and was supersonic. It couldn't go toe-to-toe with a Mig, but it could outrun them. There are a number of examples of planes excelling in areas that they weren't initially designed for.
It took a minute or two to come up with TOTES. It could have been any one a number of things that charities use to get you to donate. Blankets (didn't fit), clock, shirt, etc.
DW sewed a few cloth masks to go along with the molded (Dust) masks that we have. She has come up with some interesting ones with various patterns on them. She makes quilts, so she has some unique material.
Here in PA, the State run Liquor stores are closed, so, I won't be able to join Tin in a toast each night.
I hope everyone stays safe.
ReplyDeleteThis was a bit of a toughie, just right for Thursday.
No write-overs today.
From yesterday...Melissa Bee....there are laws against price gouging. I would suggest you report them.
The Edsel was a decent car that premiered during a recession...the nose didn’t help, but few were looking for a bigger car when it came out.
So I get to go to the SCDMV tomorrow for my license renewal, upgrading to a REAL ID. It was kind of funny in an OMG way when the SCDMV said they were only going to allow one person per workstation to be admitted into the facility. So what did the rest of the folks do? They lined up outside. 6 feet apart? Haha haha haha.
So in record time, especially for SC, they came up with a reservation system. I go tomorrow at 1:30.
Take care, stay safe. See you tomorrow.
BH, thank you for stopping by. HG, another connection revealed. I was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter when I was 12. Small world.
ReplyDeleteDALE EVANS had a long and interesting life.
Ok, in case I forget. Pat Buttram "Rode" Nelly-Belly, a Jeep. Anybody remember that.
ReplyDelete? And if you Google, the Army had three: Messrs Inside and Outside:Davis and Blanchard plus Pere Dawkins later.
Navy had Joe Bellini from Winchester, MA and Roger Staubach. And...
Quantico Marines had a Heisman Winner: 1968: Roger Staubach played for them.
WC
I agree about reporting the TP price gouger. It is a crime
ReplyDeleteOMG, Preview is fixed. Gracias , merci beaucoup
ReplyDeleteWC, you have your PATS mixed; it was PAT BRADY who was Roy's sidekick who drove the jeep.
ReplyDeleteThen there's Smiley Burnette who played sidekick to both Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, but not at the same time.
ReplyDelete@Lemon - thanks for the correction. I allow myself one typo per write-up :)
ReplyDelete@Lucina - the UK folks are doing well, thanks for asking. The shelter-in-place rules are a little more strict than here - absolutely no social interaction which the police are enforcing. Parking lots in public places are closed to deter people from driving to a public park, for example, to exercise. You are meant to restrict yourself to an hour of any outdoor activity. My daughter was furloughed a couple of weeks ago, she is the publicity coordinator for a theater in London, and obviously the theater is dark. She also is the weekend manager for a late-night club in London, so that's a double whammmy for her as both businesses are shuttered for now.
My brother had an operation in November to remove a lung and he's just got through chemo and radiation therapy so his immune system is shot. Safe to say he's not going anywhere for a while.
I'm up for an electronic confab as well. Wait a minute, that means I'd have to shave and comb my hair. What the hey, I'll try anything.
ReplyDeleteTa ~ DA!
ReplyDeleteI almost despaired 'cuz this one started slow for me.
But P+P won the day.
A clever pzl from clever Mr. Haight...
I must join the gang that didn't get the elements until Steve was kind enough to 'splain them.
~ OMK
____________
DR: A 3-way on the far end.
The main diagonal's anagram points us toward a pop sensation.
It's the tune that supports these wonderful lyrics:
♪♬ "Leave them alone,
And they will come home ♩♪
Wagging their tails behind 'em!" ♬
Right you are!
It's the...
"BO-PEEP HIT"!
WC think the jeep was called NellyBelle.
ReplyDeleteSteve, thank you for your response. I guess the UK is suffering as much as any place and perhaps more so. I'm sorry to hear about your brother. He is certainly more at risk from this virus.
ReplyDeleteRe: Longboats
ReplyDelete(I.E:Canal living)
There are many videos out there that make me want to try it,
however, I am partial to this one with the Cats...
But enough of this idyllic nonsense,
Let's get down to the nitty/gritty shall we...
IM, your caring remarks are much appreciated. You are a dear.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWC et al: Nellie Belle was a 1946 CJ-2A that was owned in real life by Roy Rogers.
Late to the dance. Just too much real life stuff. We are now on complete lockdown. We can walk to garbage chute (thank goodness!) and the laundry room.
ReplyDeleteBut Bruce’s wonderful puzzle was a welcome distraction. Even FIR, and loved ABET and those YEW bows.
YR I’m so sorry to hear about your sister. Prayers from here.
WC, I knew all the sidekicks, even Nellie Belle but it was fun remembering them.
D-O I had something dreadfully lever to say to you, so important that I can’t remember it. Ah well.
Stay safe, everyone. Drinking at 5 appeals to me.
Roy Rogers "Sidekick" was Dale Evans who rode Buttermilk. Gene Autry may have had more than one sidekick but on 50s TV I remember Nelly Belle. And admittedly from memory Pat Buttram Rode Nelly-Belly.
ReplyDeleteWhile searching for Quantico Marines football info I came across this guy. A decorated WWII Marine, a Quantico Marine, a BC Eagle and NFL HoFer. Art Donovan
WC
I haven't read any of the blog today, but thought I should check in after missing yesterday.
ReplyDeleteMy newspaper had two CW puzzles today (due to no paper tomorrow for Good Friday); neither CW was dated and of course I picked the wrong one to complete. I came here and took one look at 1A and decided to wait to view until tomorrow.
All is well here.
Stay safe out there.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteA 'heavy metal' puzzle lit by NEON. Fun ATOMs Bruce.
Steve, I gotta ask, did the Sambuca incident involve a coffee bean or two? Good stuff.
I don't know what the UK is doing for Covid-related job loss; hopefully it is as good as or better than US. God Speed your brother too.
WO: SHEReL
ESPs: OKAPI, OLGA, LOTT (not Trent), OSGOOD
Fav: (Bruce's) LACE as clued. (Rich's) ABETS - I had the E from 59a and want'd EPEES so badly :-)
Catchy ditty in the DR.
D-O: Give me a 9-mile long drag.... It's been 9 days. I thought then [9 days ago] that I'd smoked the last in the house (and going out for smokes would get me double-killed) and resigned myself to 30 days... But Sunday I found a whole pack in DW's side drawer that she'd stolen from my glove box >6 months ago. Now I'm fixated on those :-)
Mind you, weeks before the 'last cig' I was smoking <1/2 a cig/day - just a few glorious puffs at bedtime.
Our local hacker group just finished up our 1st virtual meeting via Zoom. It was kinda nice - folks that moved away pop'd in; it was ike a little reunion.
Enjoyed reading everyone today!
Cheers, -T