google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, September 1, 2020 Catherine Cetta

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Sep 1, 2020

Tuesday, September 1, 2020 Catherine Cetta

Data Backup.  The word "DATA" can be found spelled backwards in each of the theme answers.

17-Across. Topper for a toreador: MATADOR HAT.  Not sure how long the hat stays on in the ring, however,


30-Across. How sale items are priced: AT A DISCOUNT.


47-Across. "I'm so disappointed!": WHAT A DOWNER.

And the Unifier:
63-Across. System administrator's task ... and a hint to what can be found in 17-, 30- and 47-Across: DATA BACKUP.

Across:
1. Remove politely, as a hat: DOFF.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

5. Muscle cramp: SPASM.  //  And 22-Down: Idiocyncratic twitch: TIC.

10. Hang onto: HOLD.

14. Assert as true: AVER.  A crossword staple.

15. One with dreads: RASTA.
Bob Marley (1945 ~ 1981)
16. Out of the wind: ALEE.

19. On cloud __: NINE.

20. Fill with joy: ELATE.  Fun to have this clue and answer immediately follow the sense of being On Cloud Nine.

21. Feature that results in extra legroom on a plane: EXIT DOOR.  Pre-Covid, these seats were hard to get.  Extra legroom is a necessity if one is tall.  I am short and find the regular seats too small.


23. On __: sans contract: SPEC.

26. Bro's sib: SIS.  As in Brother and Sister.

27. Indy 500 letters: STP.

36. Brewed beverage: TEA.

37. Pseudonymous punk rock surname: RAMONE.  The name of the band was inspired by the fact that Paul McCarthy would often use the pseudonym "Paul Ramon" when he traveled.  The original 4 members of the Ramones have all died:  Joey Ramone (né  Jeffrey Ross Hyman; May 19, 1951 ~ Apr. 15, 2001) died of lymphoma; Dee Dee Ramone (né  Douglas Glenn Colvin; Sept. 18, 1951 ~ June 5, 2002) died of a drug overdose; Johnny Ramone (né  John William Cummings; Oct. 8, 1948 ~ Sept. 15, 2004) died of prostate cancer; and Tommy Ramone (né  Tamás Erdélyi; Jan. 29, 1949 ~ July 11, 2014) died of cancer.




38. "This isn't looking good": UH, OH!

39. Turn back to zero: RESET.

41. Picnic pest: ANT.

42. Step between landings: STAIR.


43. "__ girl!": ATTA.

44. Stir up: AROUSE.

46. Press into service: USE.

49. Corrosive solution: LYE.

50. PBS "Science Kid": SID.  I am not familiar with Sid the Science Kid.


51. Crossed (out): EX'ED.

53. Previews that sound like they belong after the film: TRAILERS.

58. Eye-popping colors: NEONS.


62. Little Boy Blue's instrument: HORN.  A reference to the nursery rhyme:

Little Boy Blue come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow the cow’s in the corn.
But where’s the boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under a haystack fast asleep.
Will you wake him? No, not I – for if I do, he’s sure to cry.

66. "In memoriam" piece: OBIT.  As in the Obituary.

67. Speak from a platform: ORATE.

68. River of Pisa: ARNO.


69. Change the decor of: REDO.

70. Gall: NERVE.

71. Like the 10th frame in bowling: LAST.  Hi, Boomer!

Down:
1. Title for Maggie Smith: DAME.  Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (b. Dec. 28, 1934) is such a good actress.

2. Speed-skating rink shape: OVAL.


3. Greek cheese: FETA.  Feta cheese is a brined curd white cheese made in Greece from sheep milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat milk. It is a crumbly aged cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture in comparison to other cheeses.


4. Houses with Greek letters: FRATS.

5. Full house letters: SRO.  As in Standing Room Only.  Probably not permitted by the Fire Marshal in most venues.

6. It may be two on a minigolf hole: PAR.

7. US Open stadium namesake: ASHE.  Arthur Ashe (July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 6, 1993) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.


8. Pringles rival: STAX.  Both are some sort of weird potato chips.


9. French painter Henri: MATISSE.  Henri Matisse (né Henri Émile Benoît Matisse; Dec. 31, 1869 ~ Nov. 3, 1954) was a French post-impressionist painter.


10. Distributes: HANDS OUT.

11. Hodgepodge: OLIO.  A crossword staple.

12. Carson's successor: LENO.  Jay Leno (né James Douglas Muir Leno; b. Apr. 28, 1950) replaced Johnny Carson (né John William Carson; Oct. 23, 1925 ~ Jan. 23, 2005) on The Tonight Show.

13. Bambi and Ena: DEER.  Disney characters.

18. Leave: DEPART.

24. Greek vowel: ETA.

25. Sporty Chevy: CAMARO.


27. Proverbial camel's backbreaker: STRAW.  Possible origin to the Phrase.

28. Canines, e.g.: TEETH.


29. Ziti or rigatoni: PASTA.  Everything you wanted to know about the Difference between Ziti and Rigatoni, but were afraid to ask.
31. Brief beginning-of-class activity: DO NOW.

32. On key: IN TUNE.

33. DIY mover: U-HAUL.  I have used U-Haul a time or two for some moves.  The company is  currently based in Phoenix, Arizona.  The company was started in 1945 by Leonard Shoen (Feb. 29, 1916 ~ Oct. 4, 1999) in Washington State.


34. Loud: NOISY.

35. Stooge count: THREE.  Hi, Chairman Moe!  Welcome to the world of blogging.

40. Erodes, as savings: EATS INTO.

42. Sister of Venus: SERENA.  Venus (née Venue Ebony Starr Williams; b. June 17, 1980) and Serena (née Serena Jameka Williams; b. Sept. 26, 1981) Williams are both tennis stars.


44. Enlarged the house: ADDED ON.

45. Census checkbox: SEX.  The Census it taken every 10 years, and this was year.
  

48. Feel sick: AIL.

52. Window sticker: DECAL.

53. Thunder god: THOR.


54. Courtroom garb: ROBE.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (b. Mar. 15, 1933)
55. Desertlike: ARID.

56. Uncommon: RARE.

57. Betelgeuse is one: STAR.  The name Betelgeuse is believed to be a French corruption of the Arabic word for the bright star found in the constellation of Orion.


59. Gumbo ingredient: OKRA.  We had Okra last week.

60. Sisters: NUNS.  Hi, Lucina!

61. Lady Macbeth's "damned" tormenter: SPOT.


64. Off-road transp.: ATV.  As in All-Terrain Vehicle.



65. Spelling contest: BEE.

Here's the Grid:


Covid is still out there, so please mask up and stay safe.


45 comments:

  1. Good morning and white rabbit, white rabbit all. The new month brings an aptly named new puzzle setter Ms. Cetta. Welcome, and come by and see us.

    Many CSOs today with Moe getting more welcome SOs. We also have the haunting presence of ARTHUR ASHE again today. Also, SERENA while the U.S. Open begins.

    Thank you, Susan and Catherine

    (Autocorrect be damned!)

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  2. Good morning!

    Guess who missed the reveal? Again. Went looking for a theme after finishing and "Aha, it's 'A TAD!'" So close. My only Wite-Out moment was ADOPTED for ADDED ON. Nice debut, Catherine. Enjoyed the tour, Hahtoolah.

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  3. "Do now"? What an awful cross for "Ramone". Poor clue, nasty with a proper name.

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  4. Today's took 4:34, faster than yesterday.
    I agree with (supra) the awkward "do now." I was surprised the doff clue had "hat" which was shortly followed by the answer "matador hat." Maybe that's one of those unwritten rules that's being erased (somehow).

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  5. DONOW fell into place, but after 30 years in college classrooms as a professor and 2 years of nursery school, a year of kindergarten, 12 years of grade school, 5 years of college, and 2.5 years of grad school as a student, I have no idea. Write-overs: EXITDOOR 4 EXITrOw_, EATSINTO 4 EATSaway.

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  6. White rabbit back to you, Lemonade! Who started that tradition on the blog long ago?

    New month, new start with a new constructor. FIR. Yes! But... put EXITrows first and DoEs in place of DEER so lots of ink in that area. WHAT A DOWNER. Put Sos instead of SRO (Why? Senior slippage?) but RASTA fixed that. Wasn't familiar with DO NOW but the perps made sense. I did see the common letters in the theme and like D-otto thought ATAD before I filled in the reveal. Almost left two squares blank before reading Hahtoolah, but I did proofread and saw them in time. Doing better there.

    Thanks to both Catherine and Hahtoolah for today's entertaining puzzlement.
    And happy start to September to all.

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  7. Easy and quick. DO NOW seems kinda strange. As a teacher, we discussed the concept and I gave directions before I said, DO (this) NOW. So far, it seems most of us solvers agree.
    Among the proper nouns only RAMONE was new to me.
    The reveal helped me with WHAT A DOWNER.
    I liked full house letters/SRO. Nailed it immediately.
    I often wondered why film previews were called trailers.Wiki: "The term "trailer" dates back to the distribution of movies on reels of film. The reels were always distributed un-rewound (the theater about to show the film first had to rewind it, as early experience showed the danger of expecting an incoming film to have been rewound). Therefore, the end of the movie was the most accessible part, to which previews were spliced, "trailing" the film."
    Remember when every movie included news reels?

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  8. "Do Now" was new to me, so I googled:

    A ‘Do Now’ is a common name for an activator teachers use ...

    Thank you, Catherine, Congrats on your debut. Thank you, Hahtoolah. You bring some joy to Tuesday mornings.

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  9. Musings
    -A just right Tuesday exercise. I saw the D’s but didn’t reverse course
    -On my way out for golf league. We have a dishwasher repair guy coming this afternoon. I hope he doesn’t EAT INTO our savings.

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  10. Good Morning:

    This was an easy, breezy Tuesday with only one unknown, Sid, and one silly stumble at putting in the ubiquitous SPF for the more obviously correct STP. Funny how habit sometimes overrides accuracy. I liked the Tea/ETA/Eat trio and the visual rhyming of Feta/ET(T)A. CSOs to Boomer at the Last (frame) CC at Olio, one of her favorite words, and to Lucina at Nuns. I don’t understand the clue for, or the answer, Do Now.

    Thanks, Catherine, for a very nice debut solve and thanks, Hatoolah, for a bright and cheerful commentary and eye candy galore. I’m sure I won’t surprise anyone by naming my favorite entry, the Border Collie working from home! The Ant schlepping the watermelon was cute, too, even if the sight of the watermelon caused a shudder or two! 🤕

    FLN

    Ray O, I’m not quite sure what your thank you was for, but you’re entirely welcome! 😉

    Have a great day.

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  11. Well I needed the reveal clue for the theme - at first I noticed many of the theme answers had ADO- so thought it might be related to "Much Ado About Nothing" - but BZZT!

    So glad I was not alone on the ??? around DO NOW - thanks TTP for the link to explain it!

    Need to get to work -
    so Thanks Susan and congrats to Catherine on her debut!

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  12. Well, It took me over 50 years out of high school but, I finally know what "damned Spot" Lady Macbeth was was trying to get out! I thank you for solving that mystery for me before I trundle off to my final resting place. (The Whoo) :)

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  13. TTP, DO NOW might be common, but not to us teachers writing in to this blog so far. I taught in various settings and geographic areas and never came across it. I do see many articles about it on the internet.

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  14. Re. ? About RAMONES clue:
    "As leaders in the punk rock scene, the Ramones' music has usually been identified with that label, while some have categorized their style as pop punk or power pop. In the 1980s, the band sometimes veered into hardcore punk territory, as can be heard on Too Tough to Die.". Wiki

    I worked with a guy who was into that band. He was strange in other ways too. YMMV

    TTP, a timely reveal. Typical newspeak but the gist is "Get their attention". I told my blackboard story, methinks.

    Gary, I'm with you. The AC guy's coming when the part(s) are in.

    My overwrite was EATSaway/INTO. Hahtoolah, always enjoy your write-ups.

    IM, you liked the collie. You'll like tommorow.

    WC

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  15. White rabbit, everyone. I must admit that I had never heard that phrase in this context but the internet can be a source of information....when it is not being a source of misinformation.

    I, also, did not know DO NOW as used in the CW but perps made "short work" of that. FIR without ever really groking the theme.

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  16. Yellowrocks,

    As I solved DO NOW during my speed run, I had no idea what it was about, except maybe some sort of new term for stretching or some other prep work before a guided workout such as Peloton or perhaps some phrase from Yoga or something. I moved on and finished the puzzle, but it was the first thing I looked for in the write-up. Then I googled and found the answer, and went back to the review after reading that article and watching the video in it.

    I don't know how common it is or isn't. My link text using the word common was a copy of the sentence from the article. My intent was to offer it as an explanation of how it fits in case any any others were befuddled, such as KS and Anon, not to refute your statement, or that of Hungry mother, as the two teachers that commented about it. Perhaps it's a concept that is promoted in some certain school districts and not others, or it's simply a concept that's become adopted in the years since you both retired. I'm pretty sure that new math came along after I left school.



    ATLGranny, I may be incorrect, but I believe it was long time commentor Dudley that started writing "White Rabbit" at the beginning of each month. I joined in 2012, and it was already being used back then. But Dudley and other New Englanders seemed to be the most frequent writers of it.

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  17. Good morning everyone.

    Fast and mostly easy solve. Did not know DO NOW, but, a new learning ala TTP. YR has spoken. What sayeth Gary and others of the teaching cohort. Alas, I received no such training so I wonder what might have been. Sigh.
    Congrats to Ms. Cetta on her debut. Well done.
    tooth - TEETH - - History and Etymology for tooth
    Middle English, from Old English tōth; akin to Old High German zand tooth, Latin dent-, dens, Greek odont-, odous
    . Modern German Zahn, L. German Tähn. Dutch tand. I'm guessing it is also a cognate of 'tine', a sometimes visitor to puzzledom.

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  18. Finished in record time but one dumbish inkover INToNE/U. I noticed ATA but "DATA" backwards? C'mon.

    Almost put noise for "NOISY" but held off for the final Y and almost ale for TEA but perp checked first. It showed up later..wait no...that was AIL. UHOH.
    IM: you mentioned ad hominem attacks (a homonym to my homonyms.)

    I agree, why do we call preludes to movies TRAILERS? Thanks for splainin' YR.Thought Roman deity Venus's sister SERENA refered to a Roman goddess. (Actually on the tennis court she is a goddess.) Almost put SELENA but that is a Greek goddess and had the R already from .....DOWNER. not familiar with SID (have to ask the grandkids). Never heard of STAX (add it to yesterday's unknown AERO bar) but then I never eat junk food...😋😋😋

    I would add to that great pasta array what we call"bowties"and the Italians call farfalle "butterfiles"

    Hahtoolah!a you beat me to the Lady McBeth/Spot joke so I erased it...lol ( uh, it would have said When her Scotty peed in the house Lady Macbeth cried "Out damned _____!"... Spot) but now you'll never know...

    Was Little Boy Blue blowing a wind (woodwind or brass?)

    Dame Maggie Smith/Tracy Ulman

    An old upper respiratory treatment starved a fever and ____ cold...FETA.

    "George this caustic solution dissolved my cherry tree!! ". "Father I cannot tell a ______ " ....LYE

    There _____ other leaning towers in Pisa ...ARNO

    Welcome new constructor. Have a daughter Catherine and a good friend named Cetta (short for Concetta).Hope you appreciate the inmput and observation of our well meaning Cornerite crew.

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  19. FIR. Got the theme. Even saw the backwards DATA (well, my data is often backwards anyway).

    Don’t like the EXITDOOR seats. Can’t see out their windows. I want the window seat in the last row on whichever side will offer me the better photo ops (shoreline-side flying back and forth from Houston to Orlando, for example). All the other idiots on the plane just go ahead and jump up and fight your way off the plane. I’ll just sit here and wait, thank you. Besides, back in the good old days when all of the planes were NOT overbooked, I stood a better chance of being by myself in the back of the bus, got to visit with the flight attendants during their down times, and SOMETIMES got extra beer!

    Or as Roger Miller said, “ATTA boy, girl. ATTA way to break my heart….”

    Atta Boy Girl

    Had a few that required perps. Other than that no real problems.

    Gotta run!

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  20. Ok. Bored did Sat. Spoiler alert: It was hard. Like every Saturday since I've been in here. But if Wilbur can solve there's hope for everyone

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  21. Enjoyed this Tuesday puzzle, though it was a bit crunchy here and there--perfectly okay for a Tuesday. So, many thanks for the treat, Catherine, and welcome to the blog. And your pictures and explanations are always helpful and fun, Susan.

    Loved seeing Henri MATISSE turn up in the puzzle. Also DAME Maggie Smith. Took me a minute to remember LENO took over after Johnny Carson. The one that cracked me up, though, was the answer for "canines." I was sure it was going to be DOGS of some sort but that just didn't fit. Oh, TEETH! Like some others, I had the most trouble in the middle with the RAMONE/DO NOW crossing. Finally took a guess, and it worked out thank goodness. So, lots of fun--thanks again, Catherine.

    Have a good month coming up, everybody.

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  22. Fun puzzle, & the Theme is a silly link Goldmine...
    Rather than go link crazy, here are two honorable mentions...

    A

    B

    Betelguese?
    We are all waiting for it to go Kablooey,
    (& it may have already, as it is 600 light years away...)
    but the latest activity was just a teaser...

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  23. (feel free to skip this post...)

    I only post this because, Todays Xword had Uhaul in it.
    Yesterdays Xword had Uhaul in it...
    (& I believe the day before that?...)

    (I take it as a sign to post, for some one out there...)

    Sundays UHaul rental was actually kinda fun.
    While I did not have a rear mirror (blocked)
    the side mirrors had a secondary blind spot wide screen mirror!
    (imaging Bifocals, & yes, you get dizzy looking at them until you get used to it.)

    I post these ramblings for knowledge, or entertainment value.
    (I hope)

    You are up so high, with no engine in front, it is like driving a Bus!
    (I felt like Ralph Kramden!)

    & miraculously, as we crossed the last intersection, the people
    taking the Fire Hydrant, moving out ahead of us, moved out
    ahead of us! (It was a miracle! I swear!)

    The only problem is with the return.

    Since they close at 11AM on Sunday, I was told to leave the Uhaul
    in the parking lot, & drop the keys in the Drop Box...

    Since I had "stuff" in the Uhaul, I stopped off home & got rid of
    anything I did not need so Daughter#3 could pick me up at the Uhaul place.
    Just as I was about to "drop the keys" in the box,
    the was a warning that I should use a smartphone to go online
    and return the Uhaul via "Internet return? BEFORE dropping the keys...

    (Luckily, I did have a smartphone)

    You need an account?
    (Daughters room mate rented the dang thingie)

    You need the contract number?
    (I left it at home.)

    What to do? I just locked the dang thingie up & dropped the keys in the box!

    Upon returning home:
    I found the contract number, went online & went thru the return procedure...
    which involved taking pictures from my smartphone of the Uhaul in
    the parking lot?
    (I was home, 5 miles away...)

    Turning on your smartphones location service & clicking to confirm
    you are in the Uhaul parking lot...
    (I was home , 5 miles away...)

    Next day, I went to call to confirm that everything was hunky dory,
    that is when I saw on the contract that, yes, if you do not use the electronic
    return procedure, a representive can confirm your return the next day
    for a convenience fee of $20-

    For a cheap old fart like me, this was the last straw-Camels be damned!

    So I called up, (@8:30AM) & did not ask for anything, except, since all the charges were
    estimated, I asked what the final total was as it was not on my card yet.
    after a 5 minute on hold wait, I was advise final bill is $137.37 (good enough!)

    Tomorrow!
    The EZ Pass conundrum!
    (one sign said, not recognized-keep moving)
    three others had no recognition displays at all...
    It will take a month to see if I get a bill for tolls
    plus a $50- administration fee (X3) because my EZPass was not recognized...

    (now I know why you are not allowed to have a gun in New Jersey...)

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  24. Hola!

    Thank you, Catherine Cetta and congratulations of this is your debut! I look forward to more of your work.

    And thank you, Susan! I love your choices of cartoon-like illustrations. The dog in covid-19 mode watching sheep was especially funny.

    So now, to the question of the day, DO NOW. No, I don't recall using that exact phrase. I always had some activity on the board for students to work on as they entered the room. But DO NOW is not a term I used. Our day was divided by schedules for each subject and the term I most used was, "it's now time for English (or math, or science)", etc.

    As for the rest of the puzzle, I zipped along very quickly but RAMONE and SERENA gave me pause for a long time. I first thought it might be Selene of the star group but then realized that the tennis player Venus had a sister, SERENA. And with a few letters to help, RAMONE came into view. I'm familiar with the name but I'm not sure if I know their music.

    I'm a big fan of buying AT A DISCOUNT. In fact, Stein Mart is going out of business so I went to do some early Christmas shopping and today I'm going to a birthday party so it was a good opportunity to buy a gift.

    Thank you for the CSO at NUNS. I still have some friends who are NUNS. One of them is 101 years old!

    The Shoen family of U-HAUL fame had a gruesome history of murder and mayhem. If interested the stories can likely be found in the newspaper archives of the Arizona Republic.

    I hope you are all enjoying a SERENE day!



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  25. C E Dave, when that happened to me I wrote to NJ E- Z Pass and explained to them that there was a malfunction. They rescinded the fine and charged me just the usual $1 fee. They must have received many letters like mine.

    Because incidents like your Uhaul saga happen to me, too, I can sympathize. I know some people without smart phones or even computers. Life is not kind to them. (Thinking of my MIL's last years.) Giving up my flip phone has greatly simplified many tasks. And still we have snafus like yours.

    TTP, thanks for looking up DO NOW for us. I was impressed how very many teachers here found the phrase new to them. Like some other issues, we knew the strategy, just not the name. Maybe it is a new name just for us retired folks . Have any of you youngsters heard the term? Seeing how many articles about it are on the internet, it must be fairly COMMON as TTP said.
    One article said to start with easy questions on material already learned and advance one idea at a time to connect the new to the old. I find this works well and cements the new concepts, while building confidence. I always decry the presenting of so many unrelated bits of info.The kids do not automatically make the connections.I have met many teachers who do not make these connections, either.

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  26. Puzzling thoughts:

    MM @ 1:04 --> too funny! I recall that Rocky and Bullwinkle clip ... and the last word spoken by Bullwinkle made me think of yet another homonym:

    (Spoken by the pilot from the cockpit)

    During flight, when he summoned the crew,
    He asked them if there's anything new
    To eat. Perhaps some cheese.
    May I have Stilton, please?
    "How 'bout Swiss?" They said, out of the Bleu.

    HU for thinking the reveal was A TAD, rather than DATA. Clever theme, and congrats to Catherine on her LAT debut. And thanks, Susan for an equally fun recap!

    Hoping that someone will AROUSE me, early enough tomorrow, so I can get MY recap published on time ...

    Like CED, I've had some U HAUL experiences I'd soon forget ... I moved 8 times in 10 years whilst in FL; and then in December 2019 to AZ. No U HAUL on the last move. That would've been too much to handle ... hopefully, this is my last move for a LONG while!

    See all y'all bright and early tomorrow ...

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  27. Best wishes for a wonderful start tomorrow, Moe.

    Now, if I could only stop thinking about how, somehow, to make the Wild Bleu (cheese) over yonder into a gag. And, yes, I know the one about what you get when you cross a Smurf with a cow.

    What kind of cheese is made backwards? C'mon, all you cruciverbalists, this clue is meant to be taken quite literally.

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  28. I liked this puzzle. Thank you, Catherine Cetta, and congratulations.

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  29. I forgot to mention the CSOs to Anon-T and Picard (DATA).

    And as I speak, big kudos to Andy Murray on coming back from 2 sets down to win at Forest Hills just now.

    Two hip surgeries.

    WC

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  30. The notion of a STRAW breaking the Camel's back is definitely related to Oliver Wendell Holmes' wonderful tale of the One-Horse Shay.
    I imagine the camel came first, but there is a genius behind the notion of the shay that falls apart suddenly, all the pieces instantly turning to dust...
    I remember reading that as a kid and being stunned--happily!--by the denouement.

    I imagine there is a technical term for a MATADOR('s) HAT, and not simply "sombrero"....
    I watched two bullfights in my life, and I don't remember the torero fighting with his hat on.
    I loved the pageantry, appreciated the skill and the gravity of the event.
    But I could not enjoy the slaughter--nor the de-sensitizing of the crowd.

    I got it, but didn't "get" why DO NOW is any more appropriate at the beginning of a class, than at any time anything is being done.
    ??
    ~ OMK
    ____________
    DR:
    . We got us a mess of diagonals today, six in all, three to a side.
    Just parsing the main diagonal on the near side gives us at least two anagrams worth noting:

    1) What do we call a seasonal employee who has been thoroughly check out?
    Ans. - (a) "VETTED TEMP."
    No fun, huh?
    Well then, how about
    2) During the worse days of the Cold War, when M.A.D. was keeping both sides relatively safe, what was the greatest fear that might occur with a battlefield general, a regional commander?
    Ans.- (That he might be...) "NUKE TEMPTED"!

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  31. As long as we're on the subject of bullfighting it seems appropriate to share the following with both the Tom Lehrer cognoscenti among us and with the uninitiated:


    In Old Mexico by Tom Lehrer

    Ole !

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  32. MM @ 4:53 -> enjoyed the Tom Lehrer piece. It reminded me of when I used to travel to Mexico (city) for business in 2006-2009. And while there, I did manage a visit to the Plaza de los Toros. Quite an experience. And one that recalled this story:

    On my first visit to Mexico, I went to a fancy, “white table cloth” type restaurant for dinner. Not knowing much Spanish, I decided to order something to eat that looked good. As my waiter delivered the entrees to the table next to mine, I saw and smelled something phenomenal. The platter was covered by a metal cover, and when removed, the dish had two semi-round loaves of meat. The aroma was unlike any I’ve smelled, and was too tempting to ignore. So as the waiter turned to ask me, “Señor, what can I bring you tonight?”, I immediately said, “I’ll have what he’s having!”

    The crestfallen waiter replied, “oh señor, so sorry. That was our only serving of that meal.”

    “Really?” I said. “How come? It looks delicious!”

    “Oh, si señor. Zat ees zee cajones el Toro. A beeg delicacy here in Mexico. We get just one portion each week, right after the bullfight. You must reserve this well in advance.”

    After dinner, I checked their calendar, and reserved a meal of the cajones for my next visit in a few months.

    When my next trip came, I couldn’t wait to return to the restaurant. As I entered, the waiter greeted and seated me, and said the order would be prepared immediately. Sure enough, the covered platter was presented to me with a flair. The metal lid was removed and the dish placed professionally between my silverware. The waiter said, “Salut”, and turned to leave.

    I stared down at the platter, and instead of seeing two ample sized loaves, I saw two oval, maybe walnut-sized pieces of “meat”, and the smell was quite disgusting. I immediately called the waiter back. He looked at me with aplomb, and asked, “is there anything wrong?”

    I said, “Yes! Very wrong! When I was here a couple months ago, these cajones were much larger, more succulent, and had a wonderful aroma. Look at these! What gives?”

    “Oh, señor, sometimes zee bull wins!”

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi All!

    Congrats on the debut Catherine. Having been in IT operations for 15+ years, I enjoyed the DATA BACKUP theme. //I found the DATAs after the reveal

    Excellent expo Hahtoolah. I enjoyed all the images you offered us as well as your RAMONE's choice.

    WO: N/A
    ESPs: SID, DO NOW (didn't even see it until the hubbub began) //TTP - thanks for the DO NOW* Google.
    Fav: PASTA next to TEETH -- al dente; just right.

    MATADOR elicited The Judy Bats' Saturday [3:39]

    NUKE TEMPTED - I like it.
    MManatee - Love Rocky & Bullwinkle! LOL on the poem & the joke [saw that coming] C.Moe! Looking forward to tomorrow.

    Welcome to The Corner (The Whoo).

    Ray-O: LOL Tracy Ulman bit.

    CED - I've never understood UHaul's pricing. The trucks say "Rent me for $29.99/day" but the bill for two days is ~$140?!?

    Cheers, -T
    *asked Youngest - she calls them Bell Ringers

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rabbit rabbit!

    Late to the party. Liked the puzzle. Thanks Catherine. Loved Full house letters for SRO. Obvious after you get it, but fun!

    I’m not sure about Bro’ s sib. He could have a brother, too . But no foul!

    Susan, too much fun stuff to mention ! Always fun! Thanks! Where DO you find those cartoons?

    ReplyDelete
  35. OMK, I also wondered about the real name of the matador’s hat. Surely it’s not called a Hat.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Welcome the Whoo; I am sure most of the males wish they ever looked like your profile picture. I cannot speak for the ladies.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Good evening, folks. Thank you, Catherine Cetta, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for a fine review.

    Puzzle went fine. It is a Tuesday. Caught the theme. Made sense.

    RAMONE was unknown. Perps. Same for SPOT.

    Well, I hope to turn in soon. I have to start getting all my daily pills ready to take. That has become quite an endeavor. See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

    ReplyDelete
  38. DO NOW seems to be a necessary filler for the space and is foreign to this classroom veteran of 52 years.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Welcome to the Times, Catherine! I liked your puzzle.

    Add me to the list of teachers who have used that entrance strategy all their careers without ever once heard it called a DO NOW. Makes sense, but completely new to me.

    When he DOFFs his MATADOR HAT, does a SPASM of excitement run through the crowd?

    Didn’t we just have ATTA GIRL? Like maybe yesterday?

    If we’re not careful, we will use up all the south’s OKRA right here in Crucicity.

    Other than the aforementioned DO NOW, there were no learning moments for me today. Hahtoolah, I really liked the graphic examples you chose today.

    Time to go play radio. Stay safe, stay well.

    ReplyDelete

  40. OMK, DO NOW take a read of the link at 7:52 AM and watch the video to answer your question, and then read the education week article link at the bottom of the article.

    Dash T, I have two young neighbors that are elementary school teachers. I wanted to ask the wife today about DO NOW, but she and the kids weren't outside, and the husband is in Air Force basic training at Lackland AFB. Bell Ringers is cute.

    I'm gathering that it's a new term for a longtime practice, or so it appears. Seems that today's constructor is a retired educator, so she's familiar with it.

    Lemonade, a little google fu would reveal that the avatar is most likely not an image of the actual person: The 2018 Australian Firefighter calendars

    Swampcat, et al, Matador's hat would be sombrero de matador. Again, google tools. This time, google translate.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Abejo - seems like you're feeling a bit better if not worn down by the routine. Keep on keepin' on!

    WikWak - a neighbor has a garden that will keep Crucicity fully stocked with OKRA pods ++more for gumbo. :-)

    TTP - Youngest says STEM classes do the definition (your link) of DO NOW; English etal do notebook or journaling time before the bell / 3 min into class.

    Eldest called from OU - she has 4 kids under her charge [she's an RA] that are now in wait-and-see isolation b/c they came in contact w/ positive COVID kid. I'm sure all open universities will try to push-on at least until Thanksgiving... Oy!

    C. Moe - Good luck (or is it break a pencil?) in your debut tomorrow!

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  42. OK, yeah - I can't sleep and keep looking for something to do says...

    One more thing on DATA BACKUPS - It's one thing to take backups, it's another to test them. I can't tell you how many times I've consulted for companies who's tapes didn't quite work as planned during an actual test (or real "Oh Sh**!" moment).
    //Oh, um, yeah... the tapes got missed that week; no one noticed though (??!!??).
    A recovery plan isn't one if you don't perform exercises. My Military Bros (& SISs) know this.

    It's like Reservations[Seinfeld]; anyone can TAKE DATA BACKUPS but you gotta test [hold] 'em.

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete

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