google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday, July 31, 2020 David Alfred Bywaters

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Jul 31, 2020

Friday, July 31, 2020 David Alfred Bywaters



"P END"


17. Really cool traffic sound?: KILLER BEEP.

29. Reaction to an impressive flower?: GREENHOUSE GASP.

37. Summer getaway for a young Peter Parker?: WEBCAMP.

45. Waterproofer's guarantee?: LONG TIME NO SEEP.

60. Part of a bad restaurant review on Yelp?: DINING CARP.

68. Remain unsettled, or, read as two words, what five of this puzzle's long answers have: P END.

How fun was that ?  The theme answers, esp. Dining Carp, made me laugh.

You probably got an idea of what to look for after seeing the ending P in a couple of those answers, didn't you ?   Knowing that the P was coming helped me with the others.   I really liked the way David tied them all together with PEND as the reveal.

It was interesting to see consecutive answers at 29 and 30 Down both end with the ING suffix.   David handled the consecutive letters in the crossing answers skillfully.  

BTW,  David offers both old novels and crosswords for you to download at his blog.    In the "About" tab,  David writes, "You can find reviews and All the crosswords here have themes involving modifications either in language or its interpretation.  Their purpose is rather to amuse than to baffle.  I care nothing for hipness; I make no effort to include the latest neologism, celebrity, or TV series."

Sounds to me like that would be a great source of crosswords for the solvers who don't care for all of the pop culture clues and answers.   And as you'll notice when you review the clues and answers for  today's crossword, there's a scarcity of them.  For the few that do exist, I wonder if they are David's clues or the editor's clues.

Moving on.  Let's check it out:

Across:

1. Thing with three feet: YARD.   First thought was tripod.  Too many letters.

5. Mucho: LOTSA.   As in the expression, lotsa gusto. 

10. Life __ know it: AS WE.   has changed for most of us.   Mind your three W's. 

14. On the quiet side: ALEE.
15. Has a go: TRIES.

16. Steady guy: BEAU.

19. __'acte: ENTR'.   "Between the acts".   Last Saturday, the clue was    52. Entr'__: ACTE.

20. Hardy: STOUT.

21. Makes blue, maybe: DYEs.   Dye, Green and Brown were cousin's surnames in my family. No Blues.

23. Friendly opening?: ECO.

24. Literary count, familiarly: DRAC.  ula

27. Up in the air: ON HIGH.  

33. Feat: DEED.

34. Large cask: TUN.

35. Mediterranean island nation: MALTA.

36. "__ not over": IT'S.    Yes it is.   Roy said so.


Shankars is a big fan of Roy Orbison.  

40. Go awry: ERR.

41. Kitchen magnet?: AROMA

43. Game with a "Moo!" version for preschoolers: UNO.   U no I didn't know, but it was an easy guess.

44. Future atty.'s hurdle: LSAT.

49. Rio Grande city: LAREDO.  About a 300 mile drive for Dash T.   We normally get Marty Robbins singing Streets of Laredo, but how about some Jim Reeves this time ?



50. Env. directive: ATTN.   Envelope / Attention

51. Short-order order: BLT.   Abejo would order his BLT sans mayo.   Abejo,  I hope you are able to harvest some home grown tomatoes.  We did not plant any this year.  My error.

52. Ceremony: RITE.

54. Beasts of burden: ASSES

58. "How the Other Half Lives" author Jacob: RIIS.   "...a pioneering work of photojournalism by Jacob Riis, documenting the squalid living conditions in New York City slums in the 1880s" - Amazon Book review.

63. Cornerstone word: ANNO.   Latin for year.

64. In need of a sweep: SOOTY.  Like the chimney or hearth of a wood burning fireplace.

65. French friend: AMIE.  Vince Gill, with long hair in 1979: 

That guy can hit some high notes.  Shades of Roy Orbison.

66. Like custard: EGGY.

67. Beginning: ONSET.   From the get go.  Jump street.   Square one.
This song has an instantaneously recognizable beginning:


Down:

1. Shaggy beasts: YAKs.  Goes on and on.

2. Came to rest: ALIT.

3. Pull up stakes for one's co.: RELO. cate.   Happened to me.   Houston to Chicago.  From the 5th largest city in North America to the 3rd largest. 

4. Played for a chump: DELUDED.

5. Env. insert: LTR.   Envelope / Letter

6. Eye, to a bard: ORB.

"Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight
Red is grey is yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion"
Graham Edge of  The Moody Blues - A modern bard.

7. Headed for extra innings: TIED.   Major League Baseball is back !

Did you hear about the lineup that Toronto (North America's 4th largest city) had in their opening game of the season ?

The Blue Jays had Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Vlad Guerrero, Jr. and Travis Shaw batting one through four.   Those first four batters are all sons of retired MLB players.  A first in ML history.

8. "Bye now": SEE YOU.  Later, alligator.  After while, crocodile.

9. Shivering trees: ASPENs.   Quakers.

10. Japanese prime minister since 2012: ABE.   Two syllables in Abe.   Shinzō Abe.

11. Dakar residents: SENEGALESE.  Immediately keyed in Sengallis and almost just as quickly corrected it.  Why in the world I tried Sengallis or where it came from is unknown.

12. What prevents time from slipping away?: WATCH STRAP.  Loved the clue.

13. German capital: EURO.  Gee. 

18. Raison d'__: ETRE.   The most important reason.  

22. One of the Stooges: SHEMP.    Chairman Moe is a fan, as his avatar of Larry, Moe and Curly would suggest.   Shemp was an original stooge but went solo, and was replaced by Curly.   Curly had a stroke in 1946.    Shemp returned to make the trio of stooges complete again.

25. Penny-__: ANTE.   Often meaning petty.   At other times, a poker game that won't break the bank.

26. Fish used for bait: CHUB.   Now this was tricky for me, because chum is fish parts and blood used to attract other fish, typically predator fish like sharks (as in that scene from Jaws).   Chub are freshwater fish, and are commonly used as bait for other larger fish such as bass and catfish.   SansBeach, and other fishing aficionados, please chime in.

28. Supermarket franchise initials: IGA.   Independent  Grocers Alliance.  With the slogan, "Hometown proud."    Not International Grocers Association, even though they are also in Canada, Australia and the Philippines.

29. Initiate: GET ROLLING.  Rock.  Get it ?  You know, Rolling Rock Beer, the beer that made Latrobe famous ?    Or was it Arnold Palmer that made Latrobe famous ?    Do you know who else was from Latrobe ?   Fred Rogers.  Yes, Mr. Rogers !    Plus, there was an apprentice pharmacist from Latrobe that is credited as the inventor of the banana split.    Now where was I ?    Oh, the review.   Time to get rolling. 

30. Striking a chord (with): RESONATING.   My first thought.  Funny how some word associations are so strong.  Like Rolling Rock, and the Laurel Highlands.  It just seems to resonate.

You don't usually see words like resonating in crosswords.  Surely someone somewhere has used it, but I've never seen it.  (I think Lemonade has some tools to check these kind of things.)   But having only about eight years of solving history, I don't have a great purview. 

31. As prompted: ON CUE.

32. Hair line: PART.   Two words in the clue.  Cute word play by David.   Hairline (one word) would be the edge of one's hair, or a very thin or fine line.

33. Old TV control: DIAL.  They used to have these on old phones, too.  Most readers here should have a good visual image of both of those dials.

37. Word with buffalo or wings: WATER.

38. "Frozen" sister: ANNA.   Knew it had to be Elsa or Anna, so I looked to confirm with a perp.  The first one I got was the last A.  

39. Academic: MOOT.
"Whatever was done is done
I just can't recall
It doesn't matter at all" - Greg Lake.

42. Dept. head: MGR

44. Shot spoiler: LENS CAP.

46. "You couldn't have!" retort: I DID SO.

47. Security lighting trigger: MOTION.  

48. Deer sir: STAG.

51. Highlands hillside: BRAE.

53. Short-lived spinoff of "The Dukes of Hazzard": ENOS.   I wonder if this was David's clue ?   Doubtful, given his predisposition to "...make no effort to include the latest neologism, celebrity, or TV series."   He probably had something like "Grandson of Eve".

55. Identical: SAME.

56. Sportscaster Andrews: ERIN.   I wonder if this was David's clue ?   Doubtful, given his predisposition to "...make no effort to include the latest neologism, celebrity, or TV series."   He probably had something like "Welsh name for Ireland".

57. Went fast: SPED.    Answers flowed today.  Got the scheme early.   Never saw the reveal until starting the write up.  Shame on me.  Then realized how clever it was.

59. __ sauce: SOY.

61. Mineral suffix: ITE.  A few examples would be  jerrygibbsite, jimthompsonite and joesmithite.

62. Paper read on the LIRR or Metro-North, perhaps: NYT.   Long Island RR, and the common abbr for the New York Times.




61 comments:

D4E4H said...

Good morning Cornerites.

Thank you David Alfred Bywaters for your enjoyable Friday CW.

Carol and I FIR in 34:10 min.

Thank you TTP for your excellent review.  The music was good, and the CSO links were clever.  The link for DasH T confused me because it did not take me to his Blogger info.

Thank you for the link to CWs by D.A.B..  I have another source of quality CWs.

Ðave

Hungry Mother said...

FIR, no write-overs, no problems. I visited Senegal on a 28 day cruise that started in Rio and ended in Athens. I’ve eaten at the TUN Tavern in Atlantic City and hence know the name of that vessel. TGIF, although meaningless for this retiree.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I caught the "P on it" theme, but missed seeing the reveal. Again. No problems on this Wite-Out-free day. ABE -- a half-CSO to Abejo. Enjoyed the outing, DAB, and the musical interludes, TTP. (My last corporate RELO was the opposite -- Chicago to Houston.)

SENEGALESE: TTP, were you thinking of Svengali? I wondered how many countries there are in Africa. Turns out to be 54. Who gnu?

SHEMP: When we moved from Houston up to redneck land in '07, we moved three kittens -- MOE (solid black), SHEMP (Siamese) and CURLY (gray with short, straight hair). MOE is the current matriarch chez d-o. The other two are long gone.

DIAL: Yes, I remember that clunk-clunk-clunk to change channels on the TV. Remote? What's a remote? You had to actually get your butt off the couch and walk over to that floor-standing TV (which had only recently replaced the floor-standing radio).

Wilbur Charles said...

FLN' That Lewiston Bridge* with the cables looks familiar. That "Nervous Norbus Ape Call" got me thinking Tarzan. Yes, "Ropes" were cables. I got very "Nervous" crossing that thing. Then again it could have been the (Intl) Rainbow Bridge. And yes, QEW not 401.

I agree with Abejo on the no-mayo BLT except the need to hold the BLT together. A light flavored Mayo �� except as I've ranted about, "THEY" want us to have copious Mayo, Ketchup etc.

I notice DAB's novel selections mirror RIIS's classic.

Re. Bo Bichette etal. Reflective of the intense work necessary to develop baseball skills at a young level. Hockey very similar. Genes help.

Curly made the Stooges. Wasn't there another one? Perhaps C-Moe will inform.

Aha, that explains PART.

The opposite of MOOT could be "Meet" as Shakespeare would use it(eg Germane)

____ Slaughter also wouldn't be DAB's style I'd guess. In the Curse saga ENOS' score on a single in '46 WS GETs it ROLLING. You've seen my take on the "Curse" thing. 1945 and the phony Negro tryout at Fenway.

ERIN became famous because of a stalker

I do recall Fri being easier than Thursday. The P at the end became immediately obvious. Excellent clueing and I love all the links in TTP's write-up even though I thought it was Lemonade. Even though the latter was referred too. Glad I solved this Tuesday not this morning.

WC

*Spitz, I assume you meant BUILT in 1963/4

OMaxiN said...

One most right in front of you Friday puzzles in recent memory.
Sailors and rock band enthusists know helms ALEE.
The last across clue was a great help parsing P END instead of pend.
FIW. ERRor at the intersection of deluded / drac.
Enjoyed David's puzzle and TTP's review.
MO

Anonymous said...

11:30. I initially parsed it as "pen d", which incidentally, didn't help at all.

Bob Lee said...

I commuted on Metro North to Manhattan for many years and read the NYT on the way, but what would really amaze me was all the people who did the daily NYT crossword puzzle in PEN! No Way (at least not for me!)

I had to laugh at DIAL for TV control, as I told my son the other day that when I was a kid, there were no remotes--I was the remote! I would lie on the floor watching TV and my Dad would say during commercials, "See what else is on." I'd have to reach over and turn the dial and he'd say, "What else?" to make me turn the dial again. And then after I was back on the floor for a bit, "Go back to ." I didn't have flabby abs for sure with all the sit ups and back and forths.

Big Easy said...

Why did I like this puzzle today? A 'scarcity of pop culture clues and answers'. ERIN, ENOS & ANNA fit for the pop culture. SHEMP is too old for that, yuk yuk. Oh, that's Curly.

The P-END was easily figured out a KILLER BEE-P. CHUB was an unknown filled by perps.

Hungry M-everyday is also a holiday.
D-O, I think George Wallace made he term 'redneck' a common word. I guess it refers to all of us who live in Dixie.
Wilbur- the ONLY reason I'd heard of ERIN was because of the stalker.
Bob Lee- ink only for me.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was a very easy Friday solve with only two w/os: Stoic/Stout and Chum/Chub. (Hi, TTP, my husband was an avid fisherman, so I heard Chum often). No unknowns except Enos, as clued. I liked the Anno/Anna duo and my favorite C/A was Deer sir=Stag. The theme was obvious but the P end reveal added some extra pizazz!

Thanks, David, for a fun challenge and thanks, TTP, for the fun and interesting summary. Listening to a Roy Orbison song is always a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane.

FLN

Anon T, sorry, I got the daughters mixed up, but it seems as though they’re both proficient in the kitchen.

Have a great day.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

WC @ 0729. The link I gave last night clearly states that bridge was removed in 1963. It was replaced by the high-level bridge atop the Niagara escarpment, and which is a major border crossing. I crossed the old bridge about 1962. It's not there anymore.

Woohoo, a FIR and no white-out was needed. Parsed P END and pre-filled the P on WEB CAMP. Cool beans for the theme. Toyed with RIIS and saw the 2 I's would work on the …ING downs. Enjoyed David's puzzle.
HIGH - Another silent GH English word. German 'hoch', L. German 'hooch', Dutch 'hoog'. The 'ch's and the 'g' in hoog all have a glided 'g' sound; like the ch in 'ach' or the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'. The 'o's above all sound like the 'o' in 'rope'.

Have a great day.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Thanks for the puzzle, David, and for the explanation of his approach in the write up, TTP. I will check out the link to his blog.

I also got the P theme pretty quickly but that caused a bit of a head scratch. Before I realized that the theme answers were all Across (no Downs) I tried to figure out how WATCH STRAP, with that ending P, fit with the theme. A fool's errand.

Speaking of blogs, the link on this blog to Diary of a Crossword Fiend (Crossword Fiend, here on the list) needs a bit of repair work. Simple enough to do (with access) and the Page Not Found message that is reached tells how to do it (remove the /blog following crosswordfiend.com).

Tinbeni said...

TTP: Wonderful write-up.

Yup, it is "Hurricane Season" and we got one coming at us ...
Though I can't pronounce or spell it's name.

Time to go get supplies ... Hmmm...
1) Fill up gas tank.
2) Get extra cash at the ATM
3) Scothch, Rum and Ouzo
4) Cigs
5) Cans of pasta ... they can be consumed cold if we lose power
6) Chips and snacks
7) Small 7-UP

Well we need the rain ... Guess everything will be OK

Cheers!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A fun gimmick capped off by a clever reveal!
-GREENHOUSE GASP? -This scene in In The Heat Of The Night
-This current map of the NW clearly shows the dry conditions on the ALEE side of the Cascades
-When I was selling boys’ clothing, STOUT meant something else
-Any day is improved with a dose of ROY!
-Store bought winter T’s in BLT’s are tasteless
-A lesser blogger might write, “I wonder if he’s an honest ABE?” Not me!
-GET ROLLING - My first thought
-If a soprano hits the RESONATING note of fine crystal... Won’t work on Tupperware

Husker Gary said...

p.s Nebraska in July anomaly – I had to go back inside this morning and put on TEE because it was a little chilly for a tank top

PK said...

Hi Y'all! What a fun & chuckle-worthy theme & puzzle, D.A.B.! So much easier than most Fridays, I checked to see if I had my days mixed up. Great expo, TTP! Thanks to both of you.

Got the theme with the first BEEP.

DNK: SHEMP, RIIS. Hand up for CHUm before CHUB.

Really cute clue for WATCH STRAP. Hand up for thinking it was a theme entry until I realized WATCH STRA didn't stand alone.

I liked ERIN Andrews on Dancing With The Stars with Tom Bergeron. I hear they have been replaced by Tyra Banks who is going to shake up the show. I quit watching that Runway show & America's Got Talent when she took over the host position. I'll watch ONE new DWTS but my interest was already waning because of all the flashing lights & some unlikeable contestants. Nuff said. Reserving judgment.

Shankers said...

Just the right amount of difficulty for a Friday. I thought I had one wrong square with the "c" in drac. Couldn't understand it until coming here, so that officially meant a FIR. Good way to start the weekend. My favorite was longtimenoseep. Made me laugh. And, yes indeed, thanks for noting that I am a huge Roy Orbison fan. I always like seeing Ernie Banks in puzzles too. Two of my mainstays growing up.

Picard said...

Hand up enjoyed the fun theme and the relative lack of celebrity names. Never heard of that ERIN which slowed things down a bit. Hand up WATCH STRAP confused me for awhile after I got the theme. Liked crossing of TIED and DYES. I sometimes wear TIE DIES.

There were many GREENHOUSE GASPs at the viewing of this Titan Arum Corpse Plant.

It is located at the GREENHOUSE at the University of California Santa Barbara biology building. It does not bloom very often and the bloom only lasts two days, so there was a long line to view it. Has anyone else ever experienced this IMPRESSIVE FLOWER?

Picard said...

From Yesterday:
Malodorous Manatee good to know you also made it to the LINDBERGH grave in Maui.

Lucina I agree that LINDBERGH having at least three known families was less than honorable. But I was referring to the fact noted by the ANON poster after you. LINDBERGH made comments that seemed to disparage Jews and he was an activist to prevent the US from entering World War II to fight the Nazis. That may have had a measurable effect on the course of history. Hard to know for sure.

AnonymousPVX yes we have a lease. Essentially the same lease for 31 years which was month to month. That made no difference. Whatever the term, they would likely have evicted us at the end of the lease. Hard to know for sure. Yes, I consulted many lawyers. In the US people seem to have no right to stay in their home unless they are an "owner".

Yellowrocks and Anonymous T thank you for the further discussion of DEAD TO RIGHTS. Not sure why, but that term still is bugging me. Caught Red Handed has a much clearer meaning.

Picard said...

TTP thank you for sharing the Pure Prairie League song AMIE. The song always evokes bittersweet memories for me of a certain lady by that name. I love the tune!

Misty said...

Woohoo! I nearly, nearly got a Friday David Alfred Bywaters puzzle--Woohoo! Yes, I had a tiny bit of trouble with the northwest corner, but only with two words. After reading TTP's helpful explanation I realize the puzzle was probably so manageable because of the near absence of pop culture items. So, thank you, thank you, David, for getting my Friday off to such a great start.

There were so many fun clues, like 'makes blue' for DYES and 'kitchen magnet' for AROMA. Getting DRAC for 'literary count' also made me laugh. And some of the long answers were also pretty funny, like LONG TIME NO SEEP for 'waterproofer's guarantee.' A real delight.

I needed perps to get ERIN because I don't know my sportscasters. But as soon as it fell into place I remembered her vividly because I used to love watching Erin Andrews on "Dancing with the Stars." Thanks for the reminder, TTP.

Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.

NaomiZ said...

Today's puzzle suited me to a P, and would have been just a bit better if clued as TTP suggests at 53 and 56 down, using more general knowledge than the throwaway cultural clues supplied. Picard's reference to the Corpse plant is a perfect illustration for GREENHOUSE GASP. Enjoy the weekend.

TTP said...




D4E4H, this excellent video explains the meme better than I ever could:
The Story of the Best Meme EVER

Malodorous Manatee, thank you for the notice about the bad link. I fixed the link to Crossword Fiend.

Husker, I saw that the forecast for this general area was going to be about 81, but 71 near the lake. I can hardly wait for the 60s and 50s and even colder.

Bob Lee, that's the way it is on our house. I hold the remote, and she says, "What else is on ?"

Desper-otto, perhaps that was it. Made me think of Svengoolie. One sister used to watch Svengoolie for her sci-fi and horror movie fix, and also, Chiller Theater, a Pittsburgh area TV series of the same genre hosted by "Chilly Billy" Cardille.

Chiller Theater was so popular in Pittsburgh that when SNL debuted in 1975, it wasn't shown on the local channel for the first four years. We had to turn the dial to a Youngstown station to get SNL. Fortunately, by the time SNL deuted, my sister was married and out of the house.


My neighbor had, and still may have five or six of those excessively stinky corpse plants. He's so proud of them. His are big but not that large, so probably not the "Titan" variety. They make you gag and walk quickly out of his garage.


Anonymous, the post was moved to the prior day's comments for continuity. The links were lost in the transfer.

NaomiZ, as you are aware, the editor gets the final say about the clues, and strive to test us in many areas. I always enjoying reading the comments from constructors, and especially take note of their original clues. Unfortunately for us, David doesn't seem to chime in on his published crosswords. I guess we'll never know.



Lucina said...

Hola!

Thank you, TTP and DAB! I liked this puzzle!

Deer sir, STAG, was my favorite clue and fill. It is still RESONATING with me. LONG TIME NO SEEP was my favorite long fill although they were all clever. WEBCAMP was cute. I also liked WATCHSTRAP as clued.

Yes! I certainly do remember those DIAL knobs on the TV and the rotary DIAL on the telephone. Interesting to see them in old movies, too.

I believe I've mentioned before that SOY also means "I am" in Spanish.

If you saw Sunday Morning on CBS you heard about the most recent KILLER BEES that are attacking domestic bees. Very fierce and aggressive, they are.

I have no idea who ERIN Andrews is but the perps knew.

TIED/DYES, shades of the 60s!

I did not know that the information about Lindberg had been deleted. Why erase well known information about a cheater? Perhaps that comment will also be deleted. Not many things make my ire rise, but a cheating man does! Especially one with multiple families.

Have a beautiful day, everyone! WARM greetings from sunny AZ!



Wilbur Charles said...

Spitz, this link shows the bridge being BUILT in 1962
Lewiston Queenstown Bridge

From the home page: "The Lewiston–Queenston Bridge, also known as the Queenston–Lewiston Bridge, is an arch bridge that crosses the Niagara River gorge just south of the Niagara Escarpment. The bridge was officially opened on November 1, 1962. It is an international bridge between the United States and Canada"

WC

It looks like the 1962 bridge replaced the one built in 1915

Spitzboov said...

WC - Read your link in detail. The picture you linked is listed under previous bridges. The current bridge is the high arch bridge. The low level suspension bridge was disestablished in 1963

AnonymousPVX said...


Well, this Friday grid filled, but stalled.

My last blank was _EMCAMP...did an alphabet run and got nada. Changed 26D from CHUM to CHUB and the W worked.

But I have NEVER heard a fisherman say “I’m going to CHUB the water for a bite”.

So yes, CHUB is a fish...but that’s all it is, to use it or any other fish or part of a fish to attract other fish is to CHUM.

WRITE-OVERS...ONHOLD/ONHIGH, CHUM/CHUB.

PICARD....hard to understand the logic of the ”month to month” lease....it’s sets your rent and little else....I’m thinking you might want to get a “real” lease this time, with a time period - like a year - as well as the rent specified?

And on to Saturday. Stay Safe, Mask Up.

Spitzboov said...

The clue for CHUB is: "Fish used for bait".
In Europe, CHUB are used for bait. The clue seems OK to me. Actually, a learning.

unclefred said...

Only one write-over: “sooty” over “dirty”. Fun CW, although it did take me 34 minutes. Sitting here in FLL waiting for storm. I’ve lost track of how many hurricanes I’ve endured. Lost count after 15. This one looks not too bad.

waseeley said...

Wow TTP! I've been collecting minerals since I was 8 and I'd never heard the examples you cited. The first two that came to mind were Pyrite (Iron Sulfide) and Cassiterite (Tin Oxide). Exotic stuff!

Ol' Man Keith said...

My answer, TTP?
I'd say, Pretty fun.

Ta ~ DA!
This was a friendly pzl from start to finish. Mr. Bywaters knows that a relatively easy Xwd needs something extra to recommend it, and here he supplies us with just the tonic--a fully amusing theme.
The added "P"s helped in solving, but even more to the point, the fills were truly fun to discover.

I'd have thought DRAC's friends would have called him VLAD, but never mind.
I don't wanna CARP.
Good on ya, mate!
~ OMK
___________
DR:
. Nice to see a 3-way on the near side.
We have quite the selection of anagrams today, all from the main diagonal.
The first that pops up refers to the now dis-favored practice of a majority ethnic group appropriating aspects of a minority’s heritage. I refer here of course to a…
CULTURAL SIN”!
Next, for all those afflicted with S.A.D., we can find a mix of the weather report with the downward mood of a manic-depressive:
“Today’s high should be bright & sunny, but the low is predicted to be…
CLOUDILY SAD”!
And, lastly, we see what accompanies the symbiotic joys of a Hollywood Yang.
Naturally, it is our infamous…
LOTUSLAND YIN”!

TTP said...

Tinbeni, don't forget the flashlight, batteries and a can opener. :>)

I'm sure - like Unclefred said and like so many other Floridians - it's not your first rodeo.



Waseeley, as I pasted in those mineral names, I was thinking that some would think I was pulling their leg.

It took awhile for me to find the article again. I thought you might find it interesting. Here it is:
How Do Minerals & Rocks Get Their Names?

CanadianEh! said...

Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, David and TTP.
I FIRed in good time for a Friday with just a short holdup in the centre as Vat changed to Urn and then TUN. I got the P END theme and at first thought it was a little meh!, but then I warmed to the idea as a reviewed the theme phrases with the added P.

I had forgotten SHEMP, but I know my Frozen characters from watching with the granddaughters.
I started to enter Dirty for 64A but quickly changed to SOOTY as a thought about "sweep".
On Hold changed to ON HIGH (Very UP in the air!).
Thanks TTP for explaining DRACula. I was thinking of some editorial word count, not a title - D'uh!
After the other day's pronounciation of Worchestershire discussion, I smiled when I say 59D ---sauce. But of course SOY fit the spot!

Those Blue Jays have had trouble finding a home and now an opponent with all the cancellations due to Covid-19. TTP, my sources say that the spectacular lineup is not the first time as the Dodgers did it in 2012. But "Toronto’s quartet holds a separate distinction, as its four big league legacies occupied the top four spots in its batting order, too." So we will celebrate it as a very special occurrence!
SolidStock

Off to dinner on a patio. Read you all later.
Enjoy the evening.

Gaspasser said...

Crazy weather in OK - like a fall day here instead of HOT!
Good to see video of a native Oklahoman - Vince Gill, from Oklahoma City.
Nice puzzle, caught the added letter quickly.

Lucina said...

Stay safe all you in the path of hurricane Isaias (ee-saw-ee-yas)

Wilbur Charles said...

We bought three crimson breasted conures and named them Earth,Wind and Fire. Wind flew off, Earth (Fifi) got eggbound and vet couldn't save her. Fire is still as feisty as ever and has three new girlfriends: 1 crimson two green-cheeks.

As Misty says about ERIN, Shaq apparently became more familiar from his ads with the General than his HoF NBA career.

Re. Solid Stock. SF Giants have a grandson of a HoFer, Mike Yastrzemski.

Spitz, I agree. The old picture of that Bridge evoked my nightmare but the bridge I used was probably the Rainbow Bridge. No swinging vines but seems pretty narrow and looks down on that raging river.

As someone said, I had plenty of opportunities to grab me a few Tim Hortons scones earlier.

WC

Ironically, coming to Florida and driving limo van I traversed the Skyway Bridge a thousand times and barely noticed(after getting used to it)

Wilbur Charles said...

Ok, several hundred

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

When I read the clue to 22d, I got excited there might be a CSO to yours truly; but seeing 5 letter blanks I knew ‘twas either SHEMP or Curly or Larry. Shemp, Moe, and Curly were brothers in real life. My favorite trio of Stooges are Moe, Larry, and Curly, with SHEMP being the next favorite I suppose. Joe Besser and Curly Joe who both cane well after, when just Moe and Larry were still active, were not as funny or slapstick comical, IMO ...

Thanks DAB and TTP for the great puzzle and recap ... only write-over was DUSTY/DIRTY before SOOTY filled itself in.

I know this is going to sound sophomoric, but I always equate the word CHUB with something else ... “oh look! He’s got a ____ie!” Well, looks like we’ve hit the trifecta then for adolescent solvers: DD’s on Weds, CIALIS on Thurs, and now CHUB on Friday. Seems about right for this old fart ... get aroused after two days have passed!!! 😂😂😂

In my best Ray-O-Sunshine impression:

Where would you corral donkeys? In ASPENS

Moe-ku du jour: (Somewhat on theme)

What the mama bird
Asked before her hatchling slept?
“Don’t you have to peeP?“

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

This puzzle was LOTSA fun for a Friday but Mucho inkovers: uphigh/ONHIGH, chum/CHUB (fat shaming?), keg/TUN, start/ONSET (always tricks me), getrunning/ROLLING.

PENNYwise/ANTE (stay away from clowns in sewers! "It" 1 & 2).... Isn't there a old adage "Penny wise and clown foolish?"

I actually figured out the theme early including p end cause my Prostate had me hopping out of bed a few times last night.

Almost tried El Paso but waited for perps to take me to LAREDO.

Our hospital side street is called "Bonnie Brae."

Been meaning to ask Chairman Moe. Why is your avatar Curley and not your namesake?

Other questionable comments:

It's freezing in here cuz the AC was set _____ RELO

When I was young _______ now easier to just buy clothes.....IDIDSO.

Double clue....

Ask TRUMP, _____, ENOS ...if not,_____ .....ASPENS.

----------- & time wait fo no man.....TIED.

What a day....finally over.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Fun p-p-pa-pa-pa-puz...um...grid, DAB! Themers were chuckle-worthy.

Really TTP? You're gonna DELUDE us w/ maybe a Houston->LAREDO map and then RickRoll us?!?
LOL!
Loved the Pure Prarie League and ELP videos ++ Nights & White Satin finale.
Thanks for the expo.

WOs: enc->LTR, started SASE b/f ATTN, LARaDO, DINe->DINING. Hand-up for CHUm.
ESPs: RIIS, ERIN,
Fav: c/a for STAG was cute (Hi Lucina!)

Embarrassed to say, I knew ENOS as clued. As an impish Midwest kid, I loved the Dukes of Hazzard's bending of the rules. Alas, I was too young to understand the hate inherent in the symbols. //DR #1 OMK? :-)

No one else wanted Kids for 33d? I see BobLee was also the remote :-)

BigE - You weren't channeling Styx, were you?
Every day's a holiday when your lips meet mine / The music's keepin' time with our love [Second verse of Light Up. [Live '76]

IM - no worries. Both girls took what little I taught them in the kitchen and spread their wings. //I've never made scones.

Picard - that's the one that smell like rotting flesh, right? We had one bloom in Houston and there were long lines... I didn't get it:
"This smells like sh**! Here smell it."
"Um, no. I'll take your word."
Nice pics.

Lucina - Japanese honey bees can fight back against the Murder Hornets.
Let's hope US honey bees learn the trick.

To our FL contingent in Isaias path, stock-up and stay safe.

Cheers, -T

Chairman Moe said...

Ray-O-Sunshine @ 4:19 —> great question! IIRC, when I went to upload my moniker to this chat board, there was a “size” restriction in how large an mpeg you could upload. At the time, this was the only one that “fit”, though I’d prefer to have just Moe. As I looked at the info I have in my “blue profile”, it appears I need to update that. I’m not sure if I remember how, though! My email address is different as is my location ..

BTW, if you haven’t already, I APED you today with a silly pun. Glad to see you used a DIFFERENT pun with the quaking trees! 😂😂😜

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle. Got a pleasant chuckle from LONG TIME NO SEEP. Hand up for interpreting "Literary count" as some sort of word count in a literary work, not as the title of "Count." Also hand up for answering CHUM at first. Love the c/a "Deer sir"=STAG. Had to change EL PASO to LAREDO. A very enjoyable puzzle.

Chairman Moe said...

Ray-O-Sunshine, Et al ...

My User Profile has been updated! My MOE-niker is now appropriate, and my email, job, and address are current.

That is all ... carry on!!

Jayce said...

"Don't touch that DIAL! We'll be right back after these words from our sponsor."

LEO III said...

FIR! Got the theme fairly early, no lookups, very few perps, little bit of Wite-Out, and it took a little time, but I’m getting better! CHUB and TUN were unknowns, and I didn’t get the DRAC clue until TTP’s expo. Wasn’t really sure about RIIS, but it worked.

Yeah, the DIAL…. The latest iteration I’ve seen of one of the oft-occurring Facebook memes is, “When I was your age, I had to walk 10 feet through shag carpeting to change the TV channel.” Of course, my current favorite is, “Honestly, it’s not the way I look that reveals my age; it’s my use of complete sentences when I text.”

ENOS was also in 45A.

TTP said...

Canadian Eh, yes, that was what I was trying to convey. Batters one through four in the lineup were all sons of retired MLB players, a first in MLB history. But now I can see how it may have been construed as simply the four batters were all sons of ex pros.

How about the first four batters in Toronto's lineup were all sons of retired MLB players, and that is an MLB record. ??? Does that make it more better ?

Probably not. We'll go with the way you stated it. Thanks !


Chairman, the new avatar of Moe reminds me of a surprised Ken Burns !


Dash T, I'm not sure if I agree with the logic on the estimate (in that video) of how many people have been rick-rolled, but he was earnest and it was interesting.


Leo III, "Honestly, it’s not the way I look that reveals my age; it’s my use of complete sentences when I text” has to be one of the funniest lines I've heard recently.

LEO III said...

TTP --- I cannot text with my thumbs either, so I'm at a great disadvantage. It takes me FOREVER!

Malodorous Manatee said...

Tinbeni, as far as I am concerned if you've got good Scotch the Ouzo and Rum are superfluous.

Chairman Moe, sophomoric, yes, but hands up if anyone else has the same thought.

Hand up.

Lucina said...

Thumbs? I text with the tips of my thumbnails.

Anon-t:
Thank you for posting the BEE video. It's fascinating! Bees are really survivalists!

Big Easy said...

Multiple families? Dallas oil billionaire H L HUNT had three families, two in Dallas and one in Shreveport, LA.

Big Easy said...

Shaq was definitely well known before all his recent ads. Especially in this LSU family. My daughter was in two classes with him, and yes he did attend classes.

Big Easy said...

Tony- every day is a holiday when you are retired.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Chairman Moe

Had a super busy day. COVID cases way down so outpatients returning for deferred procedures in droves. Hardly had time o do the puzzle amd jot down my usual nonsense.

Left work and drove directly to camp to chill. Catching up on comments.

Your Moe avatar is great. He looks like a cream pie is headed right for his face!!.

Bill G said...

Hi everybody.

"... it’s my use of complete sentences when I text.” Good one!

I've been trying to use the word 'impecunious' in a sentence.

Oh wait, I just did...

My son just showed me how to use Netflix on my TV. I am experimenting with a movie he recommended called "100 Humans." Seems interesting so far.

~ Mind how you go...

Jayce said...

Lucina, I gather that you have long thumbnails. I didn't realize that a device keyboard could detect just the tip of a nail, that it needed the touch of the pad of a full fingertip. Makes me think of the click click click sound of a dog's nails tapping on a hardwood floor.

Bill G, I will, guv.

Yellowrocks said...

Late to the dance. Easy puzzle for a Friday , but LOTSA fun. The P end did help the solve. I liked dining carp the best.
My grandfather was an avid fisherman, as was my father, and David when he was younger, so I know CHUB. You don't chub the waters, you attach a chub to your hook as bait. Chub were common in PA. "Semotilus atromaculatus, known as the creek chub or the common creek chub, is a small minnow, a freshwater fish found in the eastern US and Canada."
Resonate seems like an everyday word. "When I think back on our chat, this is what resonates the most with me." Slate Jul 23, 2020. Resonate/strike a chord.
"The deep sounds of the bassoon resonated through the concert hall." Resonate/make vibrant sounds.
BLT with mayo. Yummy. I can start having BLTs again. The tomatoes no longer taste like cardboard. However, my home grown tomatoes this year are misshapen and don't taste right. What a disappointment! I have to go to the farm market to buy them.

The Curmudgeon said...

Shemp was the greatest of the Three [Six] Stooges.

Lemonade714 said...

Picard: Month to Month is not a lease but a tenancy at will.

Tin, I so glad you included the small 7-Up.

As he grew up in an impecunious household, he knew much about surviving on very little.

I missed Vince Gill's time with Pure Prairie League

Be safe from any hurricanes of viruses coming your way

TTP said...

No one questioned the three W's ?


As it is a quiet night, I'll share the following:


An old physician,Doctor Gordon Geezer , became very bored in retirement and decided to re-open a medical clinic.

He put a sign up outside that said: " Dr. Geezer's Clinic . Get your treatment for $500 - if not cured, get back $1,000."

Doctor Digger Young , who was positive that this old geezer didn't know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer's clinic.

Dr Young : " Dr. Geezer , I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?"

Dr Geezer : "Nurse, please bring medicine from the box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young's mouth."

Dr Young : 'Aaagh! -- This is Gasoline!"

Dr Geezer : " Congratulations ! You've got your taste back. That will be $500."

Dr Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days figuring to recover his money.

Dr Young : "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything."

Dr Geezer : "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Dr Young : "Oh, no you don't -- that is Gasoline!"

Dr Geezer : " Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500."

Dr Young (after having lost $1000) leaves angrily and comes back after several more days.

Dr Young : "My eyesight has become weak --- I can hardly see anything!"

Dr Geezer : "Well, I don't have any medicine for that so, "Here's your $1000 back" (giving him a $10 bill).

Dr Young : "But this is only $10!"

Dr Geezer : " Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500."

* Moral of story * -- Just because you're "Young" doesn't mean that you can outsmart an "old Geezer” .

*Remember:* Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to tick us off.

Wilbur Charles said...

As far as pushing American neutrality one need look no further than Joseph Kennedy Sr, ambassador to Court of St James. This greatly infuriated Churchill. Kennedy wasn't necessarily pro Nazi but anti WWII.

Deighton (LEN) seems to hint at a history that's completely unwritten. I'd have to pore through ten books although the middle three(Hook, Line,Sinker) seem to have the meat of the embedded under story. "The sins of the father…."

Then again the kidnapping of the Lindbergh's first born launched enough conspiracies in itself.

WC

PK said...

TTP: Your statement about being old and mad about it is too true.

After all the talk about Lindbergh having a second family in Germany, I'm wondering why I never heard this before. This is such an educational blog!

TTTUUUVVVXXXYYYZZZ said...


TTP @ 8:31 PM. said.....No one questioned the three W's ?

I see they are missing !