google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 Gary Larson

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Aug 25, 2020

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 Gary Larson

On the Home Front:  While the men were off fighting, the women worked on the Home Front.  The last word of each theme answer can be placed before the word Home to give us a new concept.


17-Across. Crowdfunding website: KICK STARTER.  Starter Home.

25-Across. Recliner part: ARM REST.  Rest Home

49-Across. Sprint rival: T-MOBILE.  Mobile Home

59-Across. "The Silence of the Lambs" Oscar-winning actress: JODIE FOSTER.  Foster Home

And the Unifier:
35-Across. Civilian activity site during wartime ... and what the end of 17-, 25-, 49- and 59-Across can be: HOME FRONT.

Across:
1. Massage reactions: AHs!

4. Hungarian stew: GOULASH.  Here's recipe for traditional Hungarian Goulash for those inclined to cook.


11. Watch chain: FOB.

14. Watch: SEE.

15. Entertainer: ARTISTE.

16. Make fun of: APE.  A crossword staple.

19. Medicinal bath site: SPA.  Lots of Europeans travel to the Dead Sea Spas for the bath and mud spas.


20. Starts a poker pot: ANTEs.

21. Fabled loser: HARE.  A reference to Æsop and his fable about the Tortoise and the Hare.


22. Sporty Pontiacs: GTOs.

1968 Pontiac GTO

23. "__ here": "The place is empty": NO ONE'S.

27. Surly mutt: CUR.


28. Squalid: SEAMY.  //  Which crossed with 24-Down: "It's not how it __": SEEMS.  Maybe it's not as Squalid as it Seems!

31. Stand for an oil, say: EASEL.

32. Superman's symbol: ESS.  As in the Letter "S".


33. Notable period: ERA.  //  Rearrange the letters, and you get 29-Down: "__ you joking?": ARE.  Note that these two answers also cross.

34. Sinclair Lewis preacher Elmer __: GANTRY.  Elmer Gantry is a satarical novel written by Sinclair Lewis (né Harry Sinclair Lewis; Feb, 7, 1885 ~ Jan. 10, 1951) in 1927.  Elmer Gantry was the fictional evangelical minister with a taste for chasing women, power and money.  When it was first published, it created quite a furor and was banned in several cities.  The books of Sinclair Lewis are surprisingly readable and relevant 100 years later.


38. Sultans' groups of wives: HAREMS.

41. Non-neutral atom: ION.


42. Covert missions: OPs.

45. Deck out: ADORN.

46. Can't stomach: HATES.

48. Zodiac critter with horns: RAM.


51. Wander from the talking point: RAMBLE.

53. Virtual video game people: SIMS.  Anyone out there play this game?


54. Food for horses: OATS.


57. Magician's cry: VOILÀ!

58. "Mork & Mindy" planet: ORK.  Mork and Mindy was a sit-com that ran from September 1978 through May 1982.  Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 ~ Aug. 11, 2014) played an extraterrestrial from Ork.



61. Service charge: FEE.

62. Like many bazaars: OPEN AIR.


63. Had a bite: ATE.

64. Cook in oil: FRY.

65. Oppressive rule: TYRANNY.

66. What Dr. Leary tripped on: LSD.

Down:
1. Suspicious way to look: ASKANCE.

Sophia Loren is looking ascance at Jayne Mansfield.

2. Shockingly evil: HEINOUS.

3. Circle parts, in geometry: SECTORS.


4. Hydrogen and oxygen: GASSES.

5. Uneaten morsel: ORT.

6. Nevada neighbor: UTAH.

7. Old Roman money: LIRA.  Not ancient Roman money, just the currency before the Euro.

8. Off the mark: ASTRAY.

9. Navigate: STEER.

10. Sailor's pronoun: HER.

11. First to the finish: FASTEST.

12. One against: OPPOSER.

13. Really awful, as weather: BEASTLY.

18. Barbie's beau: KEN.

22. President with fitting initials: GRANT.  Ulysses S. Grant (Apr. 27, 1822 ~ July 23, 1885) given name was actually Hiram Ulysses Grant.  The "S" was a clerical error that was written on his nomination to attend West Point.   But, that error eventually led to his being known as US Grant, hence the fitting initials.  Other interesting facts about President Grant.


26. Intend: MEAN.

30. Underworld society: MAFIA.

34. One who's done for: GONER.

35. Kitchen rack lineup: HERBS.  Because Spices was too many letters.

36. '70s-'80s Dodge model: OMNI.  Last week Omni was a Hotel Chain.

37. Nonsense: ROT.

38. "Let's tip our caps (to) ... ": HATS OFF!


39. Fan who might be secret: ADMIRER.

40. Item a hotel guest might forget to return on leaving: ROOM KEY.  When you stay at a hotel with a key like this, you don't forget it in your pocket upon leaving.


42. Relating to a planetary path: ORBITAL.

43. Portable warehouse platforms: PALLETS.



44. Ruined the reputation of: SMEARED.

46. Aptly named soccer shot: HEADER.


47. Like umami's taste: SAVORY.

50. Eccentric: LOOPY.

52. Yr.'s 12: MOs.  There are 12 Months in a Year.

55. Singer Turner: TINA.  Tina Turner (née Anna Mae Bullock; b. Nov.26. 1939) is retired now.


56. Penn name: SEAN.  Sean Penn (né Sean Justin Penn; b. Aug. 17, 1960) was once married to Madonna.  He just celebrated his 60th birthday.


59. Write quickly: JOT.

60. Half a sawbuck: FIN.  A Fin is slang for a $5 bill, and a sawbuck is slang for a $10 bill.


Here's the Grid:


And on the Home Front, just when you think the year can't get any weirder, we continue the year 2020:


45 comments:

OwenKL said...

Do I wander, do I RAMBLE?
Am I like GOULASH from Campbell?
My poems are like a dish
Cooked by an ARTISTE,
Are they good? That's a gamble!

I look ASKANCE at BEASTLY manners.
I HATE to wave my grammar banners
To make a scene,
But sometimes it SEEMS
HEINOUS behavior for it clamors!

{B-, B+.}

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

The Home "Front" turned out to be a Home Back. No, d-o didn't get the theme. No, d-o didn't read the full reveal clue. Déja vu all over again. Seszt Lah Vye. Had to use my Wite-Out on IT'S NOT -- only six letters were wrong. Thanx, Gary and Hahtoolah.

Looks like Laura will spare New Orleans to the west and Houston to the east. But woe unto those who live in Port Arthur, Sabine Pass, or Lake Charles. I'm scheduled for a M-o-W route on Thursday, but it'll likely be canceled.

Lemonade714 said...

My thoughts are with all those who are being impacted by the twin terrors of the hurricane season. The BOGO comment is all too true.

The puzzle was nice. Gary has become a very productive and entertaining puzzle maker.

Thank you, Gary and Susan

inanaehiker said...

Well this was a fun straightforward theme - except- as D-O noted- the HOME FRONTs came at the back of the theme answers!
One answer wanted to keep changing- it was SEEDY and then became SHADY and then landed on SEAMY once MAFIA was the underworld society instead of HADES. LOOPY changed to LOONY for eccentric. I always think of LOOPY more when people have been given meds like Versed to have a procedure and very happily RAMBLE on!

Thanks Susan and Gary!

TTP said...



That was fun. Thank you, Gary and Hahtoolah. Good way to start the day.

I especially liked the facts about U.S. Grant and the BOGO humor at the end.

Heard on TV this morning that there is a change.org petition to change Laura to Polo.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Got it all without help. FIR. SEAMY was not my first choice, either.
T-MOBILE and Sprint have merged, I believe.
GRANT finished writing his memoirs while living out his last days at Mt. McGregor at a friend's summer home, just north of Saratoga Springs, NY. The site is worth a visit if you are ever in the area.

Have a great day.

Bob Lee said...

Nice puzzle, although I agree that SEEDY was my first choice over SEAMY.

Also I had to change the answer to 1/2 a Sawbuck..I thought that was 'Ten' at first but realized on the cross giving an 'F' that a Sawbuck was $10, and a FIN is a $5 (probably from old gangster movies).

Hungry Mother said...

FIR, easy enough, but many write-overs: HEINOUS 4 Horific, SEAMY 4 SEedY, JODIEFOSTER 4 JODYfos_TER. Lots of Ys today.

Wilbur Charles said...

In my days of basketball betting I'd shout "That was a HEENUS Foul". I got corrected but Hey-nus just didn't have the same panache. I also like DAY-nounent with the accent aigu.

I was traveling North on I 75 towards Ocala and got caught in a TEMPEST. All drivers had emergency flashers on despite the technicality that they are illegal to be displayed while driving. Not minding the small technicality that vehicles were invisible without them. I try to get behind a semi but they were all driving too fast and weaving.

This was a fun Tuesday xword. Thanks for the write-up Hahtoolah. Other than being unable to fit horrific in before HEINOUS this went wite-out* free.

WC

*Don't use it ergo Saturdays can be a mess.

Ps, FLN. The Debit card has pin protection and is marked Visa

ATLGranny said...

FIR today, hooray! And got the theme easily. While JODIE FOSTER was an early entry, others in the area took some thought. Yr.'s 12 made me think of high school so I entered srs/MOS. Had LOOnY first, which slowed down seeing OPEN AIR. SAVORY was my last entry for the day, leaving a good taste in my mouth.

Thanks, Gary, for a fun Tuesday puzzle. And many thanks to Hahtoolah for her extensive review. It looks like you managed the Blog changes just fine.

Best wishes to all today.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was a fun theme but would have been more challenging if the revealer wasn’t solved so early. Not to worry, though, it was still a nice Tuesday romp. Hand up for Ssedy before Seamy. Seems crossing Seamy stood out as did Ram over Ramble, and the duos of Her/Her(bs, Hare/Hare(ms, and Ort/Ork.

Thanks, Gary and Susan, for providing a nice diversion and plesant solve.

Stay safe all those in harm’s way.

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you Mr. Larson for a fine, doable puzzle, and Ms. Hahtoolah for your always, enjoyable blog review and entertaining links.

Ms. Loren is glancing at JM with more covetous looks rather than askance.
First time I've seen Madonna sans makeup.

Two years ago, we went to Israel, and went along the Dead Sea. We stayed at a Dans Hotel, past Qumran caves and Massada ( where we made a mid morning trip and trek). The hotel was a couple of hours south of Massada. We didnt have a mud bath, because we were dusty enough, already. We spent 30 secs in the sea, face up....without getting our face or nose wet ...the guide had warned us several times. The viscosity of the 'seawater' coupled with the wet sand, broke my beach slippers. The breakfasts and dinners were fantastic and would put smorgasbords to shame.

Is Goulash a staple food at Halloween.?
Them Curs are fine looking dogs, good enough for an AKC show.
The first time I heard of Elmer Gantry, I figured it must be a brand name for an Overhead type of Crane.

Keep safe, everyone in the affected areas, and the rest continue to wear your masks.

Irish Miss said...

Seedy, not Ssedy, Autocorrect must be sleeping in!

Malodorous Manatee said...

Good Tuesday CW. Very good, and entertaining, write up.

OPPOSER is not a word often heard and NOONES was a bit contrived. Still, if those are my only bits to pick...

I recall seeing the Elmer GANTRY film as a child. I didn't understand much of the sinful (fun?) stuff but it did instill a sense that some leaders pitch malarkey to their followers. Dylan said it well. "Don't Follow Leaders (and watch your parking meters)." Okay, the second part is a bit inane.

Time to get ready for the daily walk. Earlier than usual because of the heat. At least it's not hurricanes.

Stay safe.

Tinbeni said...

Hahtoolah: Outstanding write-up & links. Good job!

When they first posted the "path" for Laura it was going over the state of Florida ...
Now you are getting two storms in a week ...
Hope you are safe and sound.

A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.

Cheers!

Wilbur Charles said...

If there was a caption Sophia might say "Are those real!?"

Dead Sea Scroll scholarship has been extremely contentious. Dating is a big issue as is "handwriting". Barbara Thiering had a book(s) so controversial that I had to buy it from Canada. Eisenmann thought "The Wicked Priest" was St Paul.

WC

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Typical Tuesday. Not sure why it was necessary to start with AHS (like its friend ohs, oohs and aahs) usually needed for some mid puzzle awkward fill, not the lead off. Need I say I did not get the theme. Partially in my defense I noticed that the few times I've done the puzzle online the themed answers light up in gray.... a bit of a giveaway that doesn't obvious happen in the newspaper.

FIR with 2 inkovers. Opposed/OPPOSER , loony/LOOPY kind of extreme for someone who is simply eccentric. Greta Garbo and Bill Gates weren't/ aren't loopy.

First zodiac sign to pop in my head was my own Taurus but even bull was too long. Actually took a few synapses firing to come up with the obvious RAM. Haven't seen a roomkey in ages. Hotels all use reusable magnetic cards.

Parsed her first name had to be JODIE not Jodi or Jody or there were not enough fill letters
....."Clllaaarrriiiccce".......

These are loopy, not eccentric....

Donkey feeder.....ASTRAY

Query mother's sisters....ASKANCE

Sitter for a portrait....OPPOSER

COVID 19 need.....FASTEST.

Never refer to QE II as your _____ ...HEINOUS.

Western shoot out tentatively scheduled for high _____ ...NOONE.

Raining...can't coup de gras (French for "mow the lawn.") Save it for Humpday.

SwampCat said...

Thanks, Gary, for the diversion from our BOGO hurricanes. My favorite was What Dr Leary tripped on for LSD. Well, yes he did, but I pictured him falling. We dodged Marco and Laura seems to be going west. D-O, stay home!!

Hahtoolah, the pictures and sillies were just wonderful, and much needed today. BOGO indeed! And I love the tortoise going home.

TTP, changing Laura to Polo was just a groaner. Thanks for the fun.

Owen, both A’s.

TTP said...




Swampcat, I heard it on the telly this morning, and it's true. Just looked it up.

Someone named Amber Lee from Port Saint Lucie created the petition 2 days ago and it's nearing 7500 supporters.

Not to be outdone, someone named Robert Ducros from Metairie also created one 2 days ago, and it has over 360 supportes.

I don't think the WMO, NOAA or the NWS will take any action on these petitions :>)

I do hope all lives are spared and damage is minimal. Just heard Laura is picking up steam.



Ray-O, it was necessary for the constructor to start with AHS. They are each crucial letters in the correct spelling of the down answers ASKANCE, HEINOUS and SECTORS :>)



Wilbur Charles, from yesterday, I got caught up on the Evan Birnholtz WP Sunday puzzles a few days ago. You didn't miss much by not getting the theme on the August 9th puzzle. It was kind of meh. You just had to look for the pairs of answers with ME or OK...

Wilbur Charles said...

TTP, I did 8/16 first then 8/9. Do you or multiple solvers get your xword clues mixed up with CC clues?

But there was a tie in with "Tutti Frutti". Then again my short term memory is horrific, borderline heinous these days.

Plus, having the weekly xwords insert on Sunday I solve ahead and have completely forgotten when the day comes.

I just solved Wednesday and there's a giant CSO to one of our steadfast solvers.

WC

Shankers said...

I usually do the United Feature puzzle first because it is much easier and warms me up for the LAT. Today, however, Gary's puzzle went faster than United Feature which only happens maybe a couple times a year. The only write-over for me was seedy to seamy. Otherwise, smooth sailing.

Lucina said...

Hola!

This was fast and fun! Thank you, Gary and Hahatoolah!

One of my friends from long ago, now deceased, made the most delicious GOULASH I have ever tasted! Her family background was Czech or Hungarian. Paprika was the secret ingredient.

I noted the crossing of SEAMY/MAFIA and HOME FRONT.

Not too long ago a PALLET fire occurred and the smoke was visible for many miles.

Yes, the weather here is BEASTLY hot but no hurricanes to contend with.

The History channel had a documentary of Pres. GRANT a few weeks ago and I learned so much about him. Since I recorded it, I'll have to watch it again to refresh my memory.

SEAN Penn has grown up from his bad boy days to be a true humanitarian, first in Haiti to bring relief and now in L.A. HATS OFF to him and his team!

Have yourselves a joyous day, everyone and if you are in Laura's path, please stay safe!



Ray - O - Sunshine said...

TTP @ 11:06

Guess I'm just not a fan of ah, ahh, oh, ooh, uie, uey, owie etc.

Just my humble opinion is all.

😐

Misty said...

Woohoo! Woohoo! I had a great Tuesday start by getting the Crossword puzzle, Sudoku, Kenken, and Jumble, all perfectly. A total delight! Many thanks, Gary, for a fun puzzle.
Neat to see JODIE FOSTER--a favorite of mine from long ago.

And, Susan, I just loved all your pictures. It was a relief to learn, from your dog picture, that my dachshund Dusty is not a CUR. Also your clever HARE cracked me up.

Owen, I'd give your poems an A this morning--thought they were neat.

Have a great day, everybody, and stay safe.

oc4beach said...


Nice puzzle Gary. I also liked Susan's tour and graphics.

I breezed through the puzzle without any trouble and actually didn't see all of the clues because most of the words were filled in before I got to the down clues.

The History Channel show about GRANT is a must see. He was really misunderstood during his times. If you're interested in good Civil War literature, I recommend "The Fierce Patriot" about William Tecumseh Sherman.

So, Have a great day everyone and please wear your masks.

TTP said...

Just funnin' ya, Ray-O. Didn't you see my emoticon ? :>)

I think most of us have some level of aversion to various spellings of sounds and abbreviations.

Just necessary additions to make crosswords work, so what can you do ?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yellowrocks said...

Ray, your post reminded me of this 1958 song.
Witch Doctor

I am wending my way through the insurance paperwork maze and looking to buy a nearby used car. Having a rental with no trade in I have to have the car delivered to my door.

I notice that although 99.9% of the people here wear masks, too many wear them below their noses. What a wasted effort.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

YR...Dont give the constructionists any New ideas for clues..��

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

🙄

Unknown said...

FIR, and in pretty good time too. I even got the theme and the unifier, AND there were no unknowns. Thanks Gary and Hahtoolah!

The OMNI was also the basketball and hockey arena in Atlanta, until it met the wrecking ball.

The good news is Jim Cantore is in Lake Charles, LA (about 165 miles east of me on I-10); the bad news is Paul Goodloe is here in Houston. In fact, the Mayan Temple-looking building behind him on TV (Heritage Plaza, formerly Texaco Heritage Plaza) is where I worked for 12 years or so. My cubicle was on the 44th floor, facing south - the other side of the building. Had a great view of everything!

(For those of you who might not watch The Weather Channel regularly, if Cantore is there, you DON’T want to be! He ALWAYS goes to the worst-forecast place, so much so that it has become a bit of a grim reaper thing. I think he gets combat pay!)

We moved the museum’s pride and joy (our 1942 Lockheed L-18 Lodestar --- (N31G, for anyone who might be interested) into the hangar Sunday. It had been down outside the museum since the lockdown, so that we would have at least one plane for the visitors to see. We wanted to get it back into the hangar, so that it would be safe. Of course, the last time the plane had any storm damage, IT GOT DAMAGED INSIDE THE HANGAR! Go figure!

I guess I’m about as ready for the storm(s) as possible. This ain't my first rodeo! Straightened out the garage yesterday, so that I can get MY car into it. I do have to go out and get a new battery for my cellphone today. The one in it now just doesn’t hold a charge, but what had been an annoyance has now become a necessity.

If the forecast holds true, I’ll be on the “DRY” side of the first storm. Also, I have a bunch of old crossword puzzles to do!

Later….

LEO III said...

What's with this UNKNOWN stuff? I know who I am! I think that because I was logged onto both of my Gmail accounts, it couldn't figure out which one to use. Anyway, those were my UNKNOWN comments @ 1:19.

FLN --- MM and Picard: Glad to see some other Tom Lehrer devotees among us. I had completely forgotten about Tom Lehrer's having been on The Electric Company! I was shocked - SHOCKED, I SAY (and also very pleasantly surprised) the first time I heard his iconic voice on The Electric Company. My daughter was watching TV, and I was in the kitchen. Upon hearing his voice, I dropped everything and hustled in to see WHAT she was watching. What a great surprise!

-T --- Bubba had coup against THE MAN! In preparation for a previous (1980s, I think) widening of the Southwest Freeway (US 59 then, I-69 now), the powers that be condemned Bubba’s Burger Shack, because it was IN THE WAY under the freeway. They paid him a tidy (at that time) sum of money. Rather than folding his tent and moving on, though, he actually moved the building a few feet (I heard the number 10 feet, but I know it wasn’t very far), re-plumbed the joint, and kept on keeping on.

Also, there used to railroad tracks across the road from Bubba’s. The tracks ran from town past Bubba’s and out past my house in beautiful downtown Clodine, TX, and then points west. Whenever a train went by, one could get a “Choo-Choo Beer” --- buy one, get one free!

We eventually traded in the railroad tracks for a toll road, so they ain’t no more! Where the Mayflower warehouse used to be, there is now a Micro Center, a Walmart, three or four fast food joints, and a Sam's Club across the street. AIN'T PROGRESS GRAND!!!!!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Gary’s great quad stacks of “sevens” made for a lot of available open cells
-The cost of our STARTER HOME wouldn’t pay for a half a lot today
-We have only been allowed to go to Joann’s mother’s REST HOME twice since March
-The FOB pockets on today’s Levi Jeans are an anachronism
-Burt Lancaster was a true ARTISTE in his portrayal of SEAMY Elmer GANTRY
-The Wheel of Wheel Of Fortune is divided into quite a few SECTORS
-This vehicle used super cooled liquid oxygen and hydrogen rather than GASSES
-U.S. also came to be known as Unconditional Surrender Grant
-We think we always want people to “say what they really MEAN”, but…
-At 13, I was a secret ADMIRER of Haley Mills in Parent Trap
-Well done, Susan.

WikWak said...

Hey everyone.

Got an early start today instead of my usual crack of noon so here I am.

Flew through the puzzle and enjoyed it muchly. Some less common fills spiced it up a bit, such as HEINOUS and GOULASH (is that the result of burning a goul?).

H. Gary, you’ll have to fight me for her. I saw The Parent Trap several times, including once in Mexico City where the dialogue was all in Spañish with English subtitles.

90 degrees of Fahrenheit here; I’m at a small lake in a forest preserve near home, “fishing” with my grandson. Fortunately we’re in the shade and there’s a good strong breeze. (Needed the quotes around fishing because what he’s mainly doing is feeding the fish—he’s just 5 and it’s a treat to have him by himself.)

Thanks, Gary, and come back soon. Hahtoolah, your links and exposition were your usual fine job.

Abejo, I hope you’re soon feeling better. It’s absolutely no fun feeling poorly day after day (after day).

Wear your mask, wash your hands, and be well.

WikWak said...

... and I know it’s spelled GHOUL, but it doesn’t work as well that way.

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle and solved it quickly. Enjoyed Hahtoolah's write-up, as usual, and especially the HATS OFF cartoon.

I forgot that ASKANCE is spelled with a K.

I totally loved Burt Lancaster as Elmer GANTRY in the movie. I actually grew my hair long enough to swoosh up to look like his.

When I was a "starving student" at Yale, I frequented a greasy spoon joint just down the road, called Sid's, that served some really good GOULASH at an extremely affordable price.

Interesting that neither GRANT nor Truman actually had a middle name beginning with S.

Good wishes to you all.

CanadianEh! said...

Terrific Tuesday. Thanks or the fun, Gary and Hahtoolah (thanks for explaining GRANT’s initials to this Canadian).
I FIRed in good time with several inkblots, and got the theme.

Hand up for Loony before LOOPY.
Nobody changed to NO ONE’S, and Abbra changed to VOILA.
I corrected c to K in both ORK and ASKANCE.
Spices wouldn’t fit; HERBS did.
Plenty of AHS at those SPAS.

Irish Miss noted many of the duos already.
Hungry Mother noted Ys; I noted a plethora of ERs - STEER, HER, OPPOSER, HERBS, ADMIRER, HEADER,, KICKSTARTER, ERA, JODIE FOSTER. But only a few REs appeared - HARE, ARMRESTS, HAREMS, SMEARED.

Wishing you all a safe day.

NaomiZ said...

WEES: fun puzzle, good review. If I could solve all those puzzles like Misty, including the numerical ones, I would woohoo, too! Misty, here's looking at you, kid!

Yellowrocks said...

"Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant" is a fascinating book.
autobiography

Malodorous Manatee said...

Leo III and Picard (and everyone else), yesterday, had I not been asleep at the wheel (sorry, Ray Benson), the bird-themed puzzle comments could have included:

Tom Lehrer - Poisoning Pigeons In The Park

Yellowrocks said...

Gary, this may not help, just a thought. Could you all meet your MIL through a patio door or window, sitting on either side of it and talking via cell phones? This was my original thought, but they allowed us to talk through the screen door wearing masks six feet apart, both seated comfortably.

Misty said...

Many thanks, kind NaomiZ, for your sweet words!

Ol' Man Keith said...

A delightfully revisionist version of AESOP. Thanks, Hahtoolah

Yellowrocks ~ Quite right about Grant's memoirs. I didn't read them until last year. A remarkable life and terrific account. Why is he so underrated as a hero of our country? The Jim Crow South made sure he was demoted in our national memory.
Yes, he was too noble of mind to be on top of his corrupt associates, but even if that aspect of his presidency is in shadow, his brilliant military mind (outclassing Lee by far!) saved our Union, and his progressive spirit helped Reconstruction despite southern terrorism and resistance. Time to restore Grant to more than a face on a bill.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
. A 3-way on the near end.
The main diagonal offers a somewhat tawdry anagram.

Trigger Warning
Please DO NOT READ BELOW if you prefer to avoid vulgar imagery.
The two most obvious readings ~
1) The proper word for those who would engage in bullsh***ing you:
"(Taurine)DEFECATORS"!
-and-
2) A gentleman only mildly interested in a romantic dalliance:
"A TAD ERECT"!

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thanks for the puzzle Gary. Thanks for the review Hahtoolah - loved the HAT & Tie.

To your Q: I've not played The Sims but I did play SimCity. It was the last time I played a video game.
//DW & I got lost in it for ~24 hours and didn't even realize it [like, didn't eat, sleep, go to the bathroom...].

WOs: eyE -> SEE, bAbBLE b/f RAMBLE, read 'Spirit rival' and entered jetBluE @49a which started Opal as my Dodge
ESP: GANTRY
Fav: HEINOUS made me think of Bill & Ted

MEAN, SEAM(Y), [Not to mention SEEM(s) & SEE[n]] rhyme but not with SEAN. The whole list of differently pronounced 'EA' (SMEAR) is SAVORY.

{B+, A-}
Cute DRs.

YR - you're onto the insurance woes; I guess that means you're physically healing fairly well?

TTP - Those petition people are in the Gulf so they should know better;
1) we need to go through N & O names b/f getting to Polo and
2) It's predetermined - P is going to be Paulette.
//Though Hurricanes Marco & Polo would be the only amusing thing about 2020

LEOIII - I'm reading @1:19 and thought, "That's Leo." Funny about Bubba; I've been to the Micro Center many times - for a while, when they were selling the Raspberry Pi (model Zero W for $5 (one per visit), I went nearly every day after work :-)

After just two days, school it's canceled. Not for Covid but for Laura. DW's school ends tomorrow too but at 3p.
My work? Sure the office is closed but what's new there. We're to keep working until our power goes out :-)

Cheers, -T

Spitzboov said...

so -T; did you decide about the generator?

Lucina said...

OMK & others:
As you noted, there was a concerted effort to smear Grant's reputation, according to the documentary but fortunately it's that same documentary and others like it that are attempting to right that wrong.