google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday August 3, 2020 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

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Aug 3, 2020

Monday August 3, 2020 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: BUSINESS LETTERS (40. Company correspondence ... and a hint to the abbreviation hidden in 17-, 24-, 52- and 66-Across) - INC is hidden in each theme entry.

17. High-intensity indoor cycling group: SPIN CLASS.

24. Cinderella's ride: PUMPKIN COACH.

52. Pipe unclogger: DRAIN CLEANER.
 
66. Feature of New York-style pizza: THIN CRUST.

Boomer here.  

I suppose most of you use a pencil when completing a puzzle, but today you might want to use pen and INC.  

Major League Baseball is finally on TV but no fans in the stands. It just doesn't seem right.  However the Miami Marlins lead the league in positive tests, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals.  C.C. and I are still virus-free, but I have to scratch my head and wonder how these organizations of millionaires cannot stay healthy.

Across:

1. Like "le" in Fr. or "el" in Sp.: MASC. Masculine. Maybe they should wear a MASC?  Okay, bad joke.  Minnesota passed a mandate last week. 

5. Scissors sound: SNIP.  Spell it backwards and knock them down.  When we get a vaccine?

9. Stuffed shirts: SNOBS. I don't stuff shirts any more. I lost a few pounds but kept the same wardrobe.

14. Utah ski resort that means "high": ALTA.  I don't ski but I heard it's a nice place if you do.


15. Statistician Silver: NATE.  He wrote a book about "Why so many predictions fail, ...but some don't."


16. __ buddy: BOSOM.

19. Video game name for nearly 50 years: ATARI.  We had a new garage door installed last week so C.C. and  I had to move some stuff (baseball cards) out of the installer's way.  Holy cow!!  I was surprised to find my ATARI games in the garage, and the black and white TV that I used to play them on.  We have a nice two car garage but I can barely fit my van into it.

20. Bar mitzvah scroll: TORAH.

21. __-Cola: COCA.  I prefer Diet Pepsi.

23. Variety show bit: SKIT.

27. Barrio grocery: BODEGA.  You know, I hear this word on "Law & Order" reruns and in Minnesota we certainly have a bunch of corner grocery. Pop, and cigarettes stores, but I have never heard a Minnesotan call them a BODEGA.

30. "Nope": NAH.  Sounds like a Discover Card commercial.

31. Many a Monopoly prop.: AVE.  They also have "Place, Company, Works, Gardens," but none of those words fit.

32. Microwaves: ZAPS.

36. "Agree totally!": SO DO I. -- And I DO TOO !

44. Protein-building acid: AMINO. I watch too much PGA golf but I am no fan of Bryson DeChambeau.  I don't know if he uses amino acid, but it is told that he drinks six or seven protein shakes each day.  He sort of has the body of Hulk Hogan and hits a golf ball over 350 yards, but it is seldom straight.  Plus he wears one of those flat sports car hats which I consider to be an insult to Payne Stewart and especially Ben Hogan.
 

45. Settles a bill: PAYS.  We use our computer to take care of  bills.  Saves on those 55 cent stamps.

46. Epitome of slipperiness: EEL.  Slipperiness??  Describes the lane conditions at the Peterson Classic bowling tournament in Chicago.

47. Bath fixture with claw feet, perhaps: TUB.  Have you seen the walk-in tub advertised on TV.  They tout that the tub empties quickly so you don't have to sit there in the cold.  I wonder what it's like sitting while the tub fills.

49. __ Vision: eye care chain: PEARLE.  They are pretty good.  We have one near our home.

58. 500 sheets of paper: REAM.

59. Scratching post users: CATS. "Oh the CATS in the cradle with a silver spoon." Harry Chapin.

60. Duo Hall & __: OATES.  Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. Bing Crosby and others.

64. Gillette razors: ATRAS.


68. Jotted (down): WROTE.

69. Lamarr of old films: HEDY.  Born in Austria and became famous in the U.S.

70. Mandatory bet: ANTE.

71. Nine-player chamber group: NONET.

72. Part of GE: Abbr.: ELEC.  Also part of Graybar.

73. Overflow (with): TEEM.

Down:

1. Sail holder: MAST.  And maybe you can make many MASKS out of the sail when you're done with it.

2. Friskies sister brand: ALPO.  I am seeing a lot of ads about "Farmers Dog" food.  I don't have a dog.  I wonder if it's any good on pizza.

3. Pudding recipe direction: STIR.  STIR ?? Nope, toss it in the blender and use #4.

4. Cocktail party nibble: CANAPE.  I wonder if they use CANned APE in Farmer's Dog food.

5. NBC skit show: SNL.

6. Rights org. since 1909: NAACP.  I have mentioned that I was in Fort Campbell on the evening that Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered.  The memory came back as I watched some of the memories on John Lewis last week.

7. "Not to worry": IT'S OK.

8. Joe of "Home Alone": PESCI.  My favorite was Nicky in Casino.


9. Agcy. that helps startups: SBA.  Small Business Assn.  Not so sure about startups these days.  They may be trying to help small businesses stay afloat.

10. Just fair: NOT SO HOT.  My bowling is still pretty good, if we ever get a vaccine.  My golf is "NOT SO HOT", but I get by and stay healthy.

11. Japanese port: OSAKA.

12. Antiseptic acid type: BORIC.  BORIC acid comes in powder or tablet form.  I have never used it so I am not sure for what it is used.

13. Worker suffix with black or silver: SMITH.  Paul Revere was a famous silversmith.  I wish I still had all of the silver money I spent as a kid.  It's probably worth as much as the baseball cards I bought.

18. Drink all at once: CHUG.

22. Gothic novelist Radcliffe: ANN.

25. Puzzle with paths: MAZE.  Or at least the silver ball that I needed to guide through the wooden MAZE with two knobs on the sides.

26. Group bowing to a curtain call: CAST.  Been there, done that.  I was Noah.  Benjamin Britten spelled it Noye's Fludde.

27. Ali __: BABA.  And the Forty Thieves.

28. Egg cell: OVUM.

29. Arnaz of early TV: DESI.  Ricky Ricardo.


33. Deadly viper: ASP.  Cleopatra had one.

34. Awareness-raising TV ad: Abbr.: PSA.  I don't know about TV ads.  I get the test in my blood for Prostrate Specific Antigen.  For my age a PSA reading of 1 - 4 is normal.  My last one was 0.89.  Seems okay but previously I was 0.23.  My oncologist checks my blood every 6 weeks to 2 months.  He keeps telling me that my PSA is okay, but C.C. is not too convinced.

35. Devious: SLY.  And the Family Stone.

37. Leaper in a tractor company logo: DEER.  Doe, a DEER, a female DEER.  Ray, a drop of golden sun.  "The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music".

38. Hershiser of baseball: OREL.  Great Dodger pitcher who won over 200 games in about 18 years.


39. Land in the ocean: ISLE.  We have a city of ISLE, in Northern Minnesota.  Sorry, no where near an ocean.

41. Very personal: INTIMATE.

42. Part of speech after "the," often: NOUN.

43. Sports bar channel: ESPN.  They had a lot of reruns there for about 5 months.  Now maybe they have a game to show once in awhile.

48. Discreetly send a dupe email to: BCC.

50. Fair-hiring agcy.: EEOC.

51. Noah's landfall: ARARAT.  Did he really take two mosquitoes on the boat??

52. Sketched: DRAWN.

53. In style again: RETRO.  Maybe bowling will become RETRO next year.

54. Composer Copland: AARON.  Of course - thoughts follow to Hammerin' Hank or maybe even "ALL RISE" Mr. Judge of the Yankees who may be chasing some of Hank's records.

55. Wood shop tool: LATHE.

56. "I Love Lucy" role: ETHEL.  I always wondered how the writers chose the last name of "Mertz".

57. Actor-to-audience remark: ASIDE.

61. Bring into pitch: TUNE.  Or Maybe send the message to the bullpen,

62. 90° from norte: ESTE.

63. Wineglass support: STEM.  Also supporting our cucumber plant crawling up our home.

65. Good to go: SET.

67. Five-bor. city: NYC.  Yup, "ALL RISE" hits HRs there.




Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Melissa, who gave up her job and everything to fight for her brother and criminal justice. Melissa founded Adopt an Inmate project and has successfully facilitated over 1,200 adoptions.

Here is a podcast Melissa did with Plague Talk. I teared up listening to some of the ordeals she went through. What a beautiful, compassionate and courageous soul!

I hope you can support Melissa and her mission. Anyone who donated to Adopt an Inmate will receive a never-published puzzle I made with Melissa's talented brother Rick Fisk. We spent lots of time on the puzzle finessing the theme set and clues. It has a fresh & playful theme. You will receive the puzzle and answer grid in puz or pdf format.

Thank you!

41 comments:

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Thanks, for a fun puzzle, Gail & Bruce. Keep the chuckles coming, Boomer, thanks!

Took a while after all was filled to see the INC but I did.

I had trouble with SBA, PSA, BCC & EEOC. I just don't think in initials this early in the morning -- if ever.

DNK: NATE. Knew PESCI, but not how to spell him.

Had to leave 'em and go on then come back several times: MASC, SNOBS & BOSOM. I had trouble with SNOB yesterday too.

BORIC acid: I think I used that as an eye wash for babies?

Boomer: I've also wondered about sitting while a walk-in TUB fills. Wish I had one tho.

Happy Birthday, Melissa! Keep up the good works.

PK said...

FLN: YR, glad it wasn't COVID, but a bad sinus infection is certainly no fun. Glad you are getting over it & dropping some weight as a bonus.

Lucina, sorry you aren't sleeping when you would like. My sleep patterns are entirely crazy too. Lately I've been going to sleep in the middle of the afternoon then waking up around 4 a.m. for the day. I do seem to get more accomplished in the early morning hours, but mostly piddlin' little stuff. I do a little something then rest & read.

Hungry Mother said...

FIR, no write-overs, no sweat. I’ve had a sole proprietorship, a partnership, and a LLC, but no INC. I used to do SPINCLASSes, but now I just use my bike trainer at home and do Sufferfests on MWF.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Zipped right through this one. Even found the INCs after the reveal appeared -- and I actually noticed it. Thanx, GG, BV and Boomer. (I take it your ALL RISE reference isn't the TV show -- that one's set in L.A.)

BODEGA: IIRC, Hitchcock's The Birds was set in the small coastal town of Bodega Bay.

HEDY: She was more than a pretty face; she was one smart cookie.

PAYS: Still need the checkbook for the property taxes and for the safe deposit box rental (I don't have an account at that bank). Everything else is paid online.

SPIN CLASS: Nope. We pedal around town on Saturday and Sunday, and walk three miles through the 'hood every weekday.

Happy birthday, Melissa.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Happy Birthday, Melissa. Hope you have a great day.

Happy Civic/Provincial Day to CanadianEh!. Nice to have an August holiday.

Easy solve. No erasures were needed. Wondered about SKIT. Also used in the clue for SNL. Isn't that considered bad form?
TUB - Ads seem to be in every Legion magazine.
I favor THIN CRUST, but I'll eat Chicago deep dish any time it's offered.

Bob Lee said...

I love Mondays--a nice easy puzzle to start the week.

I had to explain to my son that here in NY, you need to fold the thin pizza slices in half to eat them. It's a NY thing. (Cue Travolta in Saturday Night Fever)

And along the lines of 'bad form', I thought that five-bor. city answer NYC sort of repeats 'city' also.

Wilbur Charles said...

FLN
"Absorb is when two materials chemically combine. Adsorb is when one material sticks to the surface of another. In absorption one material is taken internally into another. In adsorption one material coats the surface of another". From web.

I see "prop." was abbrev for property.
Yep, that's the PSA I was thinking of too.

OREL made a crack about ASTRO cheating. The response:"You never threw a dry ball in your career!"

AARON had already perped in and I wondered if the xword world was ready for "Da Judge"

Another nit is "City" being in answer and clue(NYC)

HBD Melissa.

WC

Ps, smooth sailing on this one. Mostly the across and then try to guess the clue for downs (or VV)

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

It’s always a treat to see Gail and Bruce’s byline as it means a clever theme, a clean grid, and a satisfying and enjoyable solving experience. I saw the Inc as soon as I read the clue for Business Letters. I thought the four themers were very strong, in the language choices. No unknowns and only one w/o with Swig before Chug. Fun duos with Boric and Amino, Cast and Mast, PSA and Asp, and Desi and Ethel. I also enjoyed the mini-critter theme with Asp, Deer, Cats, Eel, and, for good measure, Alpo.

Thanks, Gail and Bruce, for a pleasant start to the week and thanks, Boomer, for your fun and folksy commentary. You were in extra fine fettle this morning!

Happy Birthday, Melissa B. I hope your day is a special as you are! 🎂 🎉🎁🎈

I didn’t comment yesterday but I loved the puzzle and enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. On that note:

Welcome to Atl granny! Join the fun.

YR, glad you’re feeling better. I, too, am enjoying the fresh corn and tomatoes from the farm stands.

Naomi, your Dad’s fly fishing story struck home with me. My husband was an avid fisherman and particularly enjoyed fly fishing in the Battenkill in Vermont. He had more than one custom-made fly rods over the years, and there weren’t too many days when the UPS delivery man wasn’t at our door with some item from Cabela’s, Orvis, Pro Bass, etc. He was strictly a catch and release fisherman; in fact, he didn’t eat fish at all.

Have a great day.

Malodorous Manatee said...

I had a lot of fun solving this morning's puzzle. I allowed the app to move from clue to clue (first across, then down) without manually reversing direction to cross check. Sometimes this results in a faster solve but not today as a couple of corrections were required. I guess I was just feeling a bit lazy and, as usual, lazy approaches ultimately result in more effort being required rather than less. Still it was enjoyable to see how many initial responses were correct. This technique is not recommended on Saturday. Or, maybe .... Is solving a crossword puzzle permitted on the Sabbath under orthodox law? What if the app does all the moving around sort of like when a elevator has been pre-programmed to stop at every floor?

BTW, Boomer, you are correct, Alta is a great place to ski. It was the first place where I had the experience of traversing out across snow stained dark gray by blasting powder. IIRC, "what am I doing here?" was my thought at the time. Years later I watched as my daughter did the same thing at Alta.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-I wonder if the reveal hadn’t been in the middle if I would have seen the gimmick eventually
-Assigning gender to NOUNS still baffles me
-NATE and other pollsters took their lumps in 2016
-Marcelino posted this bad check in his BODEGA
-Microwaves are great at ZAPPING two favorites of mine – popcorn and bacon
-Much of a CAT’S misbehavior can be eliminated by offering alternatives
-DESI was 34 and Lucy was 40 when I Love Lucy started. Vivian/Ethel was 42 and Bill/Fred was 64
-Happy Birthday, Melissa! I really admire what you’ve done.
-My lovely bride and I are asymptomatic but we have COVID testing at 9:30a.m.

Tinbeni said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Melissa ... My "first" Sunset Toast is to YOU!

Well this was a FUN Monday puzzle. Thank you Gail & Bruce.

Hope everyone is "Safe-n-Sound."

Cheers!

desper-otto said...

Husker, are those alternatives dogs and ferrets?

Dr. Doolittle said...

HG: You do realize that if you are asymptomatic it means that you have the disease, you just aren't exhibiting symptoms. By all means get tested. If it takes 3 - 5 to get the results, please stay in a self-quarantine if you think you are asymptomatic. And don't leave your house without a mask when you go to take the test.

Regarding genered nouns: It's just a classification and has nothing to do with the sex of the word. Don't fret over it.

OMaxiN said...

Don't always FIR a Monday puzzle, but success today.
BODEGA Bay is a neat little California coastal town off the main grid. Tippi Hedren born in MN, turned 90 this year, mother of Melanie Griffith.
HEDY Lamarr 1914-2000. Posthumously inducted into The National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Thanks Gail and Bruce for today's puzzle, and to Boomer for his usual entertaining write up.
MO

Shankers said...

Super easy peasy today. Couldn't write fast enough. Hey, Hungry Mother, what in the world is a sufferfest? As for pizza I prefer wood fired thin crust. For me thick crust is too doughy and heavy. Another week of 110°+ in Phoenix/Scottsdale.

Malodorous Manatee said...

I have appointments at both the dentist (cleaning) and doctor (annual physical) today. I have no symptoms of Covid so it will be interesting to see if I am given a test.

I am curious about the use of the term "asymptomatic". I know that it can mean showing no symptoms when one has a disease. But, if one does not have that disease, and therefore obviously is not showing symptoms of that disease, can the same term be used? Dr Doolittle and Husker Gary seem to have different takes on the subject. Merriam Webster somewhat ambiguously says it means "presenting no symptoms of disease". Other online sources definitely tie the definition to either having recovered from, or being in the early stages of, a disease. Vocabulary dot com seems to imply that the term can be used in either context: "If you're asymptomatic, you don't show any signs of being sick. In some cases, you can have a disease but still be asymptomatic."

Lucina said...

Hola!

Happy birthday, Melissa! I hope you can celebrate and congratulations on your fine work with inmates. Just having finished reading The Brethren by John Grisham, my attitude about inmates might be a bit jaded but I realize it's fiction.

Thank you, Gail and Bruce, for this rapid romp! I don't time myself but I can tell you it took only a half cup of coffee.

I love seeing DESI and ETHEL, too! I Love Lucy was such an entertaining show.

When I first heard the name OREL Hershiser many years ago, it registered as very odd and have, therefore, remembered it. But I thought he was a football player. And I don't recall seeing his photo before now. The first part of the newspaper that I discard is the Sports section.

PK:
Today I awoke at a normal time and had no trouble falling asleep last night. Yay!

HG:
Regarding gender in nouns, having grown up with Spanish speakers it seems natural to me and I believe all Romance languages have that characteristic.

Boomer, thank you for the chuckles and the amusing narrative!

Have a delightful day, everyone!

CanadianEh! said...

Marvelous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Gail and Bruce, and Boomer.
I FIRed with just a few hesitations and saw the INC theme (although we use LTD here more often. NOT SO bad changed to HOT. I waited for perps for the correct order of EEOC. NAACP was an American abbreviation that required perps also.

I smiled from the start when MASC crossed MAST. Then ALTA crossed ALPO. TEEM and REAM came at the bottom of the grid.
DESI and ETHEL today. And we had an acid pair with AMINO and BORIC. (Boomer, Boric acid can be used to kill ants; it is not used as much now as an antiseptic (it may still be used in a drop for swimmer's ear).

I smiled at DEER without the E, but the crossing PEARLE needed it.

Time to make BLTs for lunch. Yes, those tomatoes are finally producing!!!
Read you all later.
Enjoy the day. Civic holiday here.

Misty said...

A delightful treat to start the week with a Gail and Bruce puzzle. I had a little trouble with the northwest corner for some reason, and so got off to a bit of a slow start. But soon things started filling in and by the time I got the grid-crossing BUSINESS LETTER, I could already see a few INCs popping up here and there. I love the variety of clues and answers in your puzzles, Bruce and Gail--art, sports, expressions, music, bible--a wide range of stuff. Many thanks for that.

Thank you too, Boomer, for a fun commentary. Loved seeing the picture of LUCY and DESI--and neat to have them both turn up in the puzzle today. You also always give us a bit of melody, which then plays in my ear now and then in the day. Enjoyable.

Nice to get AARON, ATRAS, ATARI, ALPO, ALTA, AMINO, ASP, and ARARAT--lots of interesting A words.

Happy Birthday, Melissa, and thank you for your good work.

Have a great week, everybody.

oc4beach said...


A very good Gail and Bruce puzzle. Boomer added to the fun.

My only initial errors were ESTa and TEaM. Just had to stick in the proper vowel E.

Boomer: Actually during this pandemic, there are more people trying to start new businesses than usual. As a member of the Central PA SCORE Chapter we are seeing an increased number of applicants looking for Mentors to help them start new businesses. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and has been mentoring small business owners for more than forty years.

Happy Birthday Melissa. Have a great day.

Wear your masks and be careful out there.

CrossEyedDave said...

Is it Monday?
(I have lost track...)

Could not find the theme.
I think I have hit rock bottom,
I could have used circles?
(& on a Monday?!?)

I think the most famous Asymptomatic would have to be Typhoid Mary.
(don't be a Typhoid Mary...)

How'd they get the name Mertz?
Wiki excerpt: "Casting the Mertzes, as they were now called (the surname taken from a doctor that Lucy scriptwriter Madelyn Pugh knew as a child in Indianapolis), proved to be a challenge."
I luv Wiki...

Happy Birthday Melissa!

CanadianEh! said...

I'm back after a yummy lunch and have caught up on the above.
I see that Irish Miss beat me to noting many of the pairs (and she found even more).
She and others (Lucina, Misty) also share my enjoyment of DESI and ETHEL (and I Love Lucy).
Misty noted A words, and Irish Miss found critters; interesting what we all notice.

Thanks for the Civic Holiday wishes Spitzboov. It is not a statutory holiday in Ontario and some businesses are open (no government services). No American holiday in August?? (we love having a long weekend every month all summer!)

PK, you may well have used boric acid solution as an eye wash for babies. (The level of boric acid in an OTC eyewash is low — generally around 0.02 percent, but not used too much any more I don't think.)

Hungry Mother - I, like Shankers, am wondering about your sufferfest. Sounds like a "no pain, no gain" exercise session? Shudder!

Happy Birthday melissa bee!!

AnonymousPVX said...


Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl.

Mondays are usually crunch-free, not so much today.

But no write-overs.

Waiting out Isaias today, it’s already raining but no wind, not even a breeze....and that’s not a complaint.

Got to run a couple errands before the rain gets serious.

Stay Safe, Mask Up. See you tomorrow.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Fun fast Monday but one inkover to La Marr a perfect puzzle....Hedi intead of HEDY...shoulda coulda but dinna wait for the obvious NYC perp.

I thought I was so sharp picking up the IN theme...but I was singing the wrong TUNE...its INC.

(Didn't anyone besides Noah have a BOAT?)

At first I thought the clue was a trio"Duo, Hall, and OATES"...(she's a cannibal or a "Maneater")

Is a high end BODEGA...bodacious?

To begin the week nonsense.....

This math formula ain't workin' where's the ______?....ARARAT

Diminutive Grandma......NONET

SNL's Gilda Radner's famous imitation of ______ Wawa....BABA

The governor granted _______ of execution...ESTE.

April's showers bring ______ flowers.....MAZE

Busy Monday ...gotta run..ciao.

LEO III said...

Very nice puzzle today. Zipped right through it without any write-overs OR Wite-Out! Having had a career writing business letters, I even saw the INC! Thanks, Gail and Bruce and Boomer.

Thanks, WC, for making me laugh at the Hershiser story. Hadn't heard that one. Apparently, he is still at it. Last week, after Jose Altuve struck out, the Dodgers' play-by-play announcer said that Altuve might have been fooled by the pitch selection, perhaps guessing something else. Hershiser (Dodgers' color analyst) said, "Guessing is harder than knowing." Luckily, Preston Wilson (a former all star outfielder who played for a number of teams, including the Astros), shot back on Twitter: "I faced Orel when he pitched for the Mets, and everyone knew the way his pitches moved was not normal,"

My take on the issue has ALWAYS been:
Day #1: Baseball begins
Day #2: Signs are invented
Day #3: Signs are stolen by the other team
Moral: If you don't want your signs stolen, DON'T HAVE ANY SIGNS!

BTW, I'm NOT condoning what the Astros did.

Malodorous Manatee said...

I should hope not! My mother hailed from Brooklyn and I from Los Angeles. :-) ;-)

Anonymous said...

Back again....

Planned to comment this morning after enjoying Bruce and Gail's puzzle but life got in the way.

Tried making the puzzle more challenging by only doing the across clues the first time through, as someone here mentioned a while back. Finished up with the downs that remained, then confirmed I had no sloppy errors by reading Boomer's helpful account. A good start to the week.

Stay well.

Greetings from ATLGranny
(I'll see if I can turn blue using my gmail account soon when I'm feeling up to it.)

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Another fine Monday puzzle from Gail & Bruce and humorous expo from Boomer - thanks all yous.

Boomer - Which ATARI? Could be worth something [See: #4 after scrolling down] (I've actually seen them on eBay for >$1k!?!)

WOs: Suits [vs. Dungrees - WKRP] b/f SNOBS. Joe PEcCI (Hi PK!).
ESP: N/A
Fav: HEDY. She had more brains that beauty, which is saying a lot. //Not D-O's link [which is somewhat better :-( ]
//then there's always this Hedy (that's Hedley!). [Blazing Saddles]

I have (and did read!) The Signal and the Noise by NATE Silver. If you've never visited FiveThrityEight it's worth it for statistical predictions' breakdowns. #StatsFun
//HG - Re: 2016 - interesting read.

FLN - I failed to welcome ATLGranny. Your moniker gives away your area, gender, and relative age; given that, you'll fit in perfectly at The Corner.
//Hope you feel upto Bluing yourself soon... Get well(?)

FLN - I failed at counting and shortchanged (get it? :-)) myself $10: it was $691 according to the bank teller.

Pizza - THIN CRUST with little bubbles of "burnt" on the underside. The pie should have no more than three (fresh) toppings over olive oil OR tomato sauce. Cheese optional.* Moot point any yous arguing this truth :-)

LEO3 - The sign stealing ado really hurt me - like square in my little hurty-spot.
'Course they weren't the only team doing it but, apparently, they cheated so poorly they got caught. That's just being bad at cheating...
I expect more from World Series winners :-)

Happy Birthday mb! Your work (outside of crossword-commentary) is incredible and commendable!

Cheers, -T
*In one of the Cinque Terre towns (Vernazza(?)) I had a Basil slice. #OMGYummy!

Anonymous T said...

Wait - I just re-read my "mb! Your work (outside of crossword-commentary) is incredible and commendable!"
Um, that's not to mean your crossword-commentary isn't both too, just...um, well you know; You're a hero to many and fun mid-week.
-T

Wilbur Charles said...

My son loved I Love Lucy reruns. He identified. 'Nuf said*

Leo, I was paraphrasing. The gist is correct: OREL had a spitball as did many others. And… It's not "stealing" signs that was the issue. It was using electronics and video to do so.

And where does the blame lie? With MLB itself. They could have greyed out the catcher's signs and , as they're belatedly doing now, clearly stated rules about said video which was freely available.

I remember my HS Chem teacher leaving the Table of Elements in clear view during the test that employed information off said table.

Was I NOT to look? We're these 'winning is the only thing' kids NOT to use an advantage given freely?

YMMV

WC

'Nuf sed McGreevey of Boston Bartender fame during the 1900-1919 Redsox dynasty.

Wilbur Charles said...

"grey out" CSO to C-eh on his holiday.

The Curmudgeon said...

LIU Sufferfest. Too much work for me

Chicago-style, or Sicilian, or New York-style, or just about any style. But not Hawaiian.

>>Roy

Ol' Man Keith said...

YES, happy birthday, Melissa! And thank you for all your good work!

A fine Monday pzl, a serious week-starter. Glad to see the prolific Grabowski/Venzke team leading us off.

1A was a SLY mis-direction--certainly the reason some of us were slow to crack the NW sector.
We needed convincing that an English article shouldn't fit into that 4-letter fill.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
Two diagonals, one to each side.
The leading diag's anagram honors my childhood tone-deaf buddy. Gavin was my...
"AMUSIA PLAYMATE"!

Wilbur Charles said...

Wow I love pineapple on Pizza. Thin crust but crosscut not 6-8 slices.

Anonymous T said...

WC - Oh, yeah.... square-cut pizza is the best. #NoshyNoshyNoshyNosh
Fresh pineapple (w/ Canadian Bacon) is perfectly fine over red-sauce. Yous gots sweet, sour, salty, crispy all in one bite. #NomNomNom

Cute DR OMK.

So, if you read my HEDY link from earlier, you mightn't know how Mel Brooks handled HEDY's lawsuit filed over her name being used in Blazing Saddles. Click and you will.

Just got a text that Eldest arrived safely at OU! Too bad she has to unpack the car solo; there's a lot o' shtuff we stuffed into the car.

Cheers, -T

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle. Filled in mostly from the acrosses, so didn't even see some of the down clues and answers. Usually I make a point of going back to read (and enjoy) them anyway, but didn't today. If I had, I would very likely have wrinkled my nose at "Five-bor. city". Otherwise, I liked this Gail and Bruce production.

Happy birthday, Melissa.

Ol' Man Keith said...

I like pineapple on my pizza too. The cut doesn't matter a whit.

But I PREFER pineapple upside-down cake. Who wouldn't?
But when was the last time I had it? Jeez.
~ OMK

Ol' Man Keith said...

Thanks, Anon T, for the Brooks/Lamarr link.
It's a sweet, funny bit.
Gracious.

"Tell her where I live..."
~ OMK

Malodorous Manatee said...

Tell her where I live, too.

CrossEyedDave said...

Tell her where I live, also...

PK said...

The pizza I fixed yesterday was a disaster. I had ordered a popular brand from the store. Can't use my oven but I expected to have directions to microwave it. Wrong. Tried anyway. Hard tack almost unedible on the outer crust. Doughy uncooked on the middle. Tried zapping it another 5 minutes. Well, I picked off the pepperoni and ate that. The rest went straight to the garbage can. The only good thing is now I am NOT hungry for pizza.