Theme: SAY UNCLE (57A. Give up, or what you might do before the starts of the answers to starred clues)
20A. *Founding Father who inherited a malthouse: SAM ADAMS. Uncle Sam.
25A. *"War and Peace" author: LEO TOLSTOY. Uncle Leo from "Seinfeld".
37A. *"Hee Haw" cohost: BUCK OWENS. Uncle Buck.
51A. *Outlaw associate of Cole Younger: JESSE JAMES. Uncle Jesse from "Full House".
Boomer here again, filling in another blog slot. A big shot for a blog slot!
Sam
Adams is a brand of beer sold in over 50 places in Minneapolis. Not to
me though. I liked Uncle Leo in Seinfeld. Uncle Buck was John Candy
and he now appears in costume on Discover ads. Jesse James robbed a
bank in Northfield Minnesota. There is now a bowling center in
Northfield called Jesse James Lanes. I finished second in a senior
tournament there a few years ago. Also as a Graybar sales rep, I called
on Carlton and St. Olaf Colleges. Both very upscale institutions of
learning. Have you ever heard of "Malt O'Meal?" Yup, factory is in
Northfield.
1. Contentious marketing clash: AD WAR. As we near the election there are always plenty of AD WARS on TV.
6. Firmly fixed: FAST. Stop eating between meals during Lent.
10. "Capisce?" response: I SEE.
14. Hang loosely: DRAPE. We use the plastic shades about 8 inches wide. I had to fight with several stores before someone would sell them to me. They have been fine for 23 years.
15. Lunch box treat: OREO. This sounds like one of those black and white cookies that people with diabetes (me) need to stay away from.
16. Work at a keyboard: TYPE. My blood is O neg. I am a universal donor.
17. Cliff dwelling: AERIE.
18. Caboose: REAR.
It always looks like a little house on wheels. Do train employees
really ride in it. So do they play poker or something to keep them
busy??
19. Kuwaiti ruler: EMIR.
22. Packs down: TAMPS.
24. Many corp. logos: TMS. Trademarks. Or Some kind of magnetic stimulation performed at the Mayo Clinic. I have been by there in Rochester, MN but I never had the pleasure of being a guest. I suppose that's a good thing because they treat nasty diseases.
28. Student's second try: RETEST. We never got that option, just an "F".
31. Went undercover: HID.
32. Poem of homage: ODE. "It was the 3rd of June another sleepy, dusty, Delta Day". ODE to Billie Joe (Bobbie Gentry).
33. Kitchen enticement: AROMA. A nicer word than smell.
34. Demean: ABASE.
36. Litter sound: MEW. "And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, Little Boy Blue in the man in the moon." Harry Chapin.
40. Backboard attachment: RIM. That's the thing that most of my shots bounced off from.
43. Snaky formations: COILS. Lots and lots of wire.
44. Type of pool or wave: TIDAL. California could probably use one of these to put out the fires. The marijuana plants are burning!
48. Make a move: ACT.
49. QB's miss, maybe: INT. Don't mention football in Viking's territory.
19. Kuwaiti ruler: EMIR.
22. Packs down: TAMPS.
24. Many corp. logos: TMS. Trademarks. Or Some kind of magnetic stimulation performed at the Mayo Clinic. I have been by there in Rochester, MN but I never had the pleasure of being a guest. I suppose that's a good thing because they treat nasty diseases.
28. Student's second try: RETEST. We never got that option, just an "F".
31. Went undercover: HID.
32. Poem of homage: ODE. "It was the 3rd of June another sleepy, dusty, Delta Day". ODE to Billie Joe (Bobbie Gentry).
33. Kitchen enticement: AROMA. A nicer word than smell.
34. Demean: ABASE.
36. Litter sound: MEW. "And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, Little Boy Blue in the man in the moon." Harry Chapin.
40. Backboard attachment: RIM. That's the thing that most of my shots bounced off from.
43. Snaky formations: COILS. Lots and lots of wire.
44. Type of pool or wave: TIDAL. California could probably use one of these to put out the fires. The marijuana plants are burning!
48. Make a move: ACT.
49. QB's miss, maybe: INT. Don't mention football in Viking's territory.
50. Former Spanish currency: PESETA.
55. Wondering word: WHY. "WHY are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side?" Kermit.
56. Extremely small: MICRO. I grew up 65 years ago without a MICROwave. So I go without one now.
60. Class of merchandise: LINE. Also the thing on the end of a fishing rod.
61. Day for Caesar to beware: IDES. Around the middle of March - "How many eggs did you have for breakfast Caesar ? Et tu Brute."
63. Track specialist: MILER. After Jim Ryun in 1968, I sort of lost track of track.
64. Mathematician Turing: ALAN.
65. "Great shot!": NICE. I think shots are good. Putts are nice.
66. Serving holder: PLATE.
67. "SNL" segment: SKIT.
68. Fresh talk: SASS. Who me?? Never.
69. Embroidered, say: SEWED.
Down:
60. Class of merchandise: LINE. Also the thing on the end of a fishing rod.
61. Day for Caesar to beware: IDES. Around the middle of March - "How many eggs did you have for breakfast Caesar ? Et tu Brute."
63. Track specialist: MILER. After Jim Ryun in 1968, I sort of lost track of track.
64. Mathematician Turing: ALAN.
65. "Great shot!": NICE. I think shots are good. Putts are nice.
66. Serving holder: PLATE.
67. "SNL" segment: SKIT.
68. Fresh talk: SASS. Who me?? Never.
69. Embroidered, say: SEWED.
Down:
1. To the stars, in mottos: AD ASTRA. Everyone likes Brad Pitt.
2. One with aspirations: DREAMER. I think you need to be young to have aspirations.
3. Becomes fond of: WARMS TO.
4. Capital of Samoa: APIA.
5. Wetland plant: REED. I think I saw all 275 episodes of the Donna Reed Show. After all -- Shelley Fabares?
7. Playground comeback: ARE SO. ARE NOT !!!
8. __ of Tranquility: lunar plain: SEA. Many people do not know this, but 45 years ago, Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon. It landed in the Sea of Tranquility and he took a two stroke penalty.
9. Fabled slowpoke: TORTOISE. I thought he won the race because the hare goofed off.
10. Tabloid twosomes: ITEMS. Well we have twosomes in golf now and then but avoid the tabloids.
11. Chills or fever: SYMPTOM.
13. Poetic contraction: EER.
21. Pilot's datum: Abbr.: ALT.
23. Pasta preference: AL DENTE.
26. Warming periods: THAWS. I usually let it thaw and cook it before it gets warm.
27. Source of pliable wood: YEW. Yew betcha !!
29. Diplomatic HQ: EMB. I don't think we have an embassy in Minnesota. Ve Yust let Da Svedes and Norvegians take their place in the land of 10,000 Lakes. Ya Sure Dont'cha know.
30. Relatively risqué: SAUCIER.
34. Muscular Japanese dog: AKITA.
35. Big tin exporter of S.A.: BOL. Bolivia.
38. Brings together: CONJOINS. "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."
39. Female in the fam: SIS. I had three but no bros.
40. Indian friend of Sheldon and Leonard: RAJ.
42. Pentateuch peak: Abbr.: MT SINAI.
45. Mammal's digit that doesn't touch the ground: DEWCLAW.
47. Like lasagna, say: LAYERED.
50. "Gangnam Style" performer: PSY.
53. There are 60,000 of them in a min.: MSECS. Milliseconds.
54. Simplifies: EASES.
58. Rules on plays: UMPS. Also known as REFs in Football.
59. Cairo's river: NILE.
60. Vegas opener: LAS. We are skipping Las Vegas next year. The virus looks threatening out there.
62. Lunes or martes: DIA. Composed of Home, first, second and third Base
Boomer
Notes from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Pat and her husband, who were born in
the same day and same year. Pat is a few hours older than her husband.
Java Mama (left) and Pat at the shelter where they
volunteer.
FIR without knowing DEWCLAW. Wonder WHY?
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteGot 'er done, but needed the reveal to figure out the theme. DEWCLAW? If the animal sits down does the dewclaw become a dewlap? Jeff, nice outing. Boomer, thanx for your yeoman service filling in today.
CABOOSE: I'm not sure what purpose they originally served, but trains no longer have 'em.
MICROWAVE: We've had one for years. The current one is an oven/microwave wall unit. We don't cook in the microwave, but use it frequently for reheating.
ALAN: One of the cleverest crosswords ever, IMO, is this Cryptic Tribute that George Barany published in 2012.
"Wheaties Box": Quaker Oats was one of the larger employers in Cedar Rapids. Don't know what product they were making, but it stinked (stank?) up the whole town. Awful.
Happy Birthday, Pat.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Pat!
Thank you, Jeff Stillman and Boomer for doing double duty. You look well in that photo.
Spanish and literary references make a NICE solve for me. LEO TOLSTOY, DIA and PESETA filled that role. Latin also helps, AD ASTRA.
I know AL DENTE is a pasta preference but I like mine cooked a bit more.
Today the names in the puzzle were familiar though I had to wait for PSY. How quickly we forget. ALAN Turing is now familiar thanks to the book and movie about him.
MEW crossing YEW amused me for some reason.
That is a strange clue for SCENT.
Wishing everyone a fabulous day!
Good Morning.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeff, for some Wednesday crunch--just enough to make me think outside the box a bit more. Initially, I was flummoxed by the ungrounded digit. Ah, I haven't thought about DEWCLAWs in a good long time. Besides, I spelled PESETA with an A for the second E.
Thank you, Boomer, for the second tour this week. I always enjoy your humor and links. Nicely done.
Have a sunny day, everyone.
Oops, almost forgot:
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Pat!! Enjoy your day.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteMy, Lucina, you’re an early bird today! This was an easy, breezy solve with no w/os and unknowns, per se, although I didn’t know who Uncle Lou (not a Seinfeld fan) was and I conflated the actor’s real name and thought Uncle Jesse referred to Modern Family’s Jesse. I liked Miler crossing Athlete and the duos of: Scent/Aroma, Nile/Nice, Sea/See, and Mew/Yew. We also had a critter-related theme with Tortoise, Akita, Declaw, Mew, Scent, Aerie, and Coils.
Thanks, Jeff, for a midweek treat and thanks, Boomer, for pinch hitting and giving us a double dose of Boomer Humor!
Happy Birthday to Pat and Hubby, hope it’s a doubly special day! 🎂🎈🎉🎊🎁
have a great day
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Pat and Hubby. Have a wonderful day ! They say two people born under the same zodiac sign rarely get along well together. Our family is composed of Virgos and we are living proof of that. But, we also have very strong Inertia, and that has kept us untied er, united for >45 yrs...
Thank you Mr. Stillman, for a very nice puzzle, and Boomer for your hilarious review (!).
I kept looking for the word 'uncle' in the long answers, and found none ... ;-(
What sort of theme is that ? I finally said,'uncle' and came to the blog ...
Boomer, I looked up on what Graybar does. I had thought it was either a pub for yuppies ( gray's barred -) or a cake of soap with a black hair dye thrown in to prevent gray color ....
I am also a O-neg. We're very useful for others, but we can't use anyone else's blood.
Lets face it, we're a dying breed ...
It is interesting the clue mentioned the EMIR of Kuwait, who just died two days ago. He was very friendly towards the USA, especially since we got him his kingdom back again in 1991. Also he had been treated, for cardiac problems, at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, in YOUR Minnesota, five years ago. ( That, probably did him in ....) He was 91.
Have a nice day folks.
If you see someone not wearing his mask, squirt him with a water gun.... and run like h---
ReplyDeleteGoof morning. Thank you, Jeff Stillman, and thank you, Boomer !
Happy Birthday, Pat ! And to your husband !
Had JESSE JAnES. D'OH !
I once read maybe the first 20 or 30 pages of War and Peace, bookmarked it and put it down. When I got back to it, I had to start all over again. Still made no sense to me. I went back to Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, et al.
FIR today again. So far so good this week. It was a slow start, finally getting a fill in the NE and working around clockwise. I was ready to crY UNCLE when it finally came clear: SAUCIER, not ShadIER. Fun to see UMP at the PLATE, though I first tried refS. Also put net before RIM, showing my sports deficit. Those were my inky spots, but I really enjoyed the puzzle, Jeff. Thanks! And thanks for helping out today, Boomer. I knew UNCLE SAM, but needed to be introduced to the other uncles of the theme.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Pat and her husband! So special to have matching birthdays. And I hope everyone else has a special Wednesday.
NW started slowly, I skipped to OREO, an xword staple as well as lunchbox. AMS led to SAM AD, then the bottom of the quadrant and finally ADASTRA.
ReplyDeleteNICE has been replaced by Sweet but no Boomer inc Boomer would ever voice it. PES_TA: Finally changed A to E for DEW/DaWCLAW.
Another of my pet journeys was to pick up an AKITA. Dog did not like cats and vv. Had to move him.
SAUCIER was a sweet* clue (oops NICE)
WC
* I refuse the new Boomer classification that includes the war years. '42-45 is closer to the post roaring 20s generation.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteNot much to add to the earlier comments. Very well said. No problems with the solve. FIR.
REED - - L. German Reet (pronounced 'rate'.) Dutch riet
CABOOSES provided shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, and overheating axles.. I imagine the earlier babbitt-lined bearings overheated a lot, and needed frequent lubrication attention.
For Capisce: I originally entered Si si...shout out to C.C.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know a couple of the uncles, but they filled nicely with wags.
Thanks to Jeff and to Boomer for his always entertaining review.
MO
I would like to add a story to comment by vidwan827 regarding Minnesota's Mayo Clinic. Graybar has a small branch in Rochester which I visited many times as part of my job. I learned that many Shieks and other big shots from Saudi would fly in to get treatment for an illness. They never bought anything from Graybar, but they all used to spend thousands of $$$ on jewelry.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-The UNCLES of my yute would torment us until we yelled UNCLE
-Featherbedding in cabooses is a thing of the past
-A good golf swing involves COILING and then UNCOILING
-“What’s the fellow’s LINE?” “Never worries ‘bout his LINE”. “Never worries ‘bout his LINE?!” “Or a doggone thing. He’s just a bang beat, bell ringing, big haul, great go, neck-or-nothing, rip roarin’, every time a bull’s eye salesman. That’s Professor Harold Hill, Harold Hill”
-Alan Shepherd landed in the Sea Of Rains and never told anyone what brand of golf ball he hit there despite lucrative offers to name one
-Space begins at an ALT of 50 miles above the Earth
-Happy conjoined Birthday Pat and spouse
Good morning. For me this puzzle was harder than a Wed should have been. The UNCLE theme was out of my wheelhouse as I only knew of uncle SAM. I've never watched Seinfeld or Full House so Uncle LEO and Uncle JESSE were new to me. I had no idea who Uncle BUCK was: is John Candy coming back from the dead to join Jimmy Dean to do commercials.
ReplyDelete19A "Kuwaiti ruler" EMIR- he died YESTERDAY. Weird that it would appear in the puzzle today. " · Kuwait’s 91-year-old Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah died on Tuesday in a hospital in the United States"
AD ASTRA & DEW CLAW were unknowns filled by perps today. No other problems.
SCENT- I see Lucina's not a bloodhound or she would have found it easily.
Boomer- I read that one of those fires in CA might wipe out over 400 marijuana farms (90% not legal farms) and the growers are refusing to evacuate for fear that someone would steal their crop. Dope dealers would never do that, would they? They are 'honest people'.
General Mills, Quaker Oats, & Purina- back in the stone ages when I caught the trolley for Jr. High it passes two companies that were across the street- Sunbeam Bakery which smelled so good and then Purina which made you want to gag. They made dog food. I just looked it up on Google Maps and the Purina Animal Feed place is still there 60 years later. Bakery? Long gone.
It seems to me that we are losing a lot of feel good stuff such as pot and wine to these fires!
DeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY PAT! My "First Sunset Toast" tonight is to YOU !
ReplyDeleteWell, now we have a choice.
Either go to the STANLEY CUP victory parade ...
or watch the Tampa Bay Rays baseball game on TV ...
What to do? What to do? ... Probably BOTH.
Cheers!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle from Jeff, but I had to cry UNCLE when it came to figuring out the theme. Boomer's second tour of the week was as good as the first.
No real problems, but there were two erasures that were necessary today. NET before RIM and REFS before UMPS. Other than that it filled in nicely.
Thanks to the "Big Bang Theory" I knew Turing's first name.
I knew TOLSTOY, but had to wait for perps to fill in LEO.
FLN: Broken bones - collar bone from an ROTC Drill Team accident, finger from sliding in to third base in a softball game, ribs and hand from going over the handlebars in a bicycle accident and multiple bones in my foot from landing on concrete when a ladder collapsed under me from two stories up while painting my house. Sounds like I'm accident prone, but not that much for as many years as I have been walking around this planet.
Happy birthday Pat.
Have a great day everyone and please wear your masks.
I prefer Uncle Jesse on Dukes of Hazzard.
ReplyDeleteRailroad workers would sleep in CABOOSES when they were working on the tracks.
I have several WHEATIES boxes over 20 years old that have never been opened.
Clockwise, too easy peasy
ReplyDeleteThanks for an enjoyable puzzle, Jeff, and for an entertaining write-up, Boomer! I did not recognize all the uncles, but was still able to FIR quite FAST FOR ME. How about YEW?
ReplyDeleteAD ASTRA per aspera (to the stars through hardships) is the state motto of Kansas.
ReplyDeleteSAMuel ADAMS Octoberfest is my favorite American beer. But it's only sold from August thru October.
Looking more closely at the clues I see that I misinterpreted "manhunt" as Manhattan. Don't ask me why. I now understand SCENT better, Big Easy.
ReplyDeleteAs I've said before, I don't understand the fascination with beer. It tastes bitter to me. My mother loved it and some of my siblings do also.
I also read War and Peace and what really tripped me up was the long and complicated Russian names.
Being TYPE O+ made me a universal donor, too.
ReplyDeleteI did not understand the theme answers because I never heard of any of those UNCLEs except for UNCLE SAM. Anyone else?
From Yesterday:
inanehiker thank you for the "Tincture of Time" explanation regarding my many BROKEN BONES. Yes, that is exactly what the orthopedist said to me! In some countries they do set ribs, but not in the US.
Lucina, beer is an acquired taste. If you can buy beer at 18, but must wait until 21 to buy wine or liquor, that provides plenty of time to acquire it.
ReplyDeleteNice Humpday challenge...many old friend clues/answers AERIE, EMIR, AROMA, ODE, SASS....OREOs offered so often I gained 5 lbs! Almost wrote in esses for COILS.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to capisce? is "capisco" (I understand). Spelt (I like that version) Tolstoy with an I, perp corrected. EMB ? C'mon that's EMBarassing. (Next time CON for "consulate"?).
Is Disney planning a "Tolstoy Story" movie? Thought everyone would know DEWCLAW but me, not a dog person since DWs shih tzu ruined our sectional. Just replaced with a new one to gnaw on. 😡 Grrrr. A topic of "Saturday Night Fights" Don't get me started.
But I regress...
4 complete proper names but didn't see a theme. What's gnu. Ah so they're all Uncles!
SAY UNCLE....
" _____ again, Sam"....PLATE
" Still haven't paid back what ______ , ______ me " YEW, ODE
When is an Army camp not a camp? When it's ______ ABASE.
"His Royal Highness" for ex. .....TIDAL
Recently sentenced _______ the prison population....CONJOINS
Looking over the hump I SEE Thor waiting for us.
HBD Pat.
Thank you, Jeff, for an interesting puzzle. Sadly, I put NET for RIM and couldn’t see MT SINAI, so I FIW.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Boomer, for a double whammy this week.
I am pleased to be introduced to Louise Penny by Can.Eh!, Swampcat, and Mme. Defarge. I’m reading “All the Devils... “ and enjoying it.
May I also recommend Jojo Moyes, who wrote Giver of Stars and several other excellent books.
Happy Birthday, Pat and husband. What fun to celebrate together every year.
Atl. Granny, I love the Polish pottery mug in your profile picture. I have several pieces, and find it’s like eating peanuts - you can’t stop getting “just one more”.
Great day for sports! Go Cubs! Go Lakers!
91degrees today in Dana Point. Way too hot, but at least no fires, so no complaints.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Jeff and Boomer.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed with several inkblots, and found the UNCLEs (although I didn't recognize them all).
Hand up for Refs before UMPS, and Net before RIM (I concede that the Net is attached to the RIM which is attached to the backboard).
IM beat me to ATHLETE crossing MILER. But I also noticed EPISODE crossing ODE.
My "Snaky formations" were Esses until COILS forced it out. (Hi Ray'o)
Am Too changed to ARE SO.
Boomer, I had to think long and hard over your comment for 62D. Lunes or martes: DIA. "Composed of Home, first, second and third Base". I was focusing on the Spanish for Monday and Tuesday as Days of the week; lightbulb moment when I got your humour with DIAmond!
Let me count the "Poetic contraction"s that we meet in CWs - Ope, Oer, Een, Tis, Til . . . EER it is today!
I will let AnonT chime in about "Capisce?". Some references mention that it is pseudo-Italian slang and may be considered rude because of its dismissive or threatening overtones.
I'm was leaning toward OMaxN's "sì sì" as being amore appropriate answer to an Italian clue, but if it is anglophone slang, then I SEE is OK.
Lucina, I need a Spanish lesson to help me decide when the city names start with Los or LAS. Is it masculine and feminine again??
Happy Birthday Pat and your DH.
Wishing you all a good day.
Good fodder for 67A last night. All that this Canadian will say is that I am glad to be on this side of 60A.
ReplyDeleteThis post may disappear AD ASTRA (like Picard's perhaps) if too political.
Thank you, Jeff, for the puzzle. Thank you. Boomer, for taking an extra day of solving and posting.
ReplyDeleteMy brain wasn't working this morning. I had HanKOWENS/BUCKOWENS, net/RIM, esseS/COILS, fern/REED. I did get the names and figured out the theme. Not my best work.
FLN: broken bones. Many years ago I broke a toe, taped it to the next to it and let it heal. Last September I lost my balance, fell, had a compression fracture of a vertabrae in my low back (L3). I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, started on Fosomax which caused me to have excruciating muscle cramps. This went on for a week until I got more used to the med. Spent most of October, November and half of December on the couch or in bed. DH was a trooper and walked the dog every day until I could handle the hills again.
Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes. I've been able to do this puzzle, read the blog, go to the shelter--what more could I ask for. It's a good day.
Wendybird, SwampCat, MadameD - wow, we have all gotten hooked on Louise Penny!
ReplyDeleteI stayed up late finishing All the Devils are Here. Best yet IMO (although I have a couple of nits). But no spoilers here!
Tinbeni - Yes, both our Toronto hockey and baseball teams seem to stumble while playing Tampa.
Boomer, thank you for your response and comment on Arab sheiks being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. We, too, have a choice rival medical facility, of the same class,... The Cleveland Clinic, who treat VIPs from all over the world. They have branches in 18 cities including Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi (the capital city) UAE and the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Muscat, Oman.
ReplyDeleteI remember the memorable summer of 2002, when Sultan Qaboos bin Said ( died Jan 10, 2020, age 80 yrs.) the ruling Sultan of Oman, visited the Cleveland Clinic (C.C. ) for a routine kidney transplant. He brought along with him, three 'volunteers' who were very anxious to donate one of their kidneys, and had been tested to be medically compatible. He also brought all his wives, and the entire Omani cabinet and senior army chiefs, ( presumably, to discourage a coup back home ...).
Among other actions, he leased 60- 65 SUV's for transportation and security, an entire medical floor at the C.C., and three floors at the Hotel Intercontinental and four floors at the Sheraton, downtown. His wives, meanwhile, looked at six mansions for temporary accomodation ... and decided to buy all of them.
The kidney transplant was successful and he rested for a month. His wives, properly chaperoned, spent several days at the local Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom and Halles and gave a big boost to the local economy.
After 30 uneventful days in recovery, on the 33rd day, he was wheelchaired to the main entrance of the C.C., accompanied by a regiment of doctors, and staff, .... for a short trip to the airport, and then the trip back home.
He got up from the chair, refused all assistance or helping hands, walked down the main stairs, and slipped and fell and fractured his hip... ( you couldn't make this up.)
Good afternoon everyone! Thanks to Jeff Stillman for a just-right midweek puzzle, and thanks to Boomer for pinch-hitting on the recap once again. I always enjoy your sometimes sideways take on the clues and answers.
ReplyDeleteThe theme answers came readily enough, but I needed the reveal to piece it all together. Didn’t get “Uncle LEO” til Boomer ‘splained it; didn’t help that I started out with LEOn TOLSTOY before I ran out of room. Got to be sure not to skip the DEW CLAWs when trimming my cats’ nails.
A very Happy Birthday to Pat and her hubby! Sounds like you’re having a fun day!
Take care everyone.
Curiously easy for a Humpday pzl.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know any of these UNCLEs, but it didn't matter much. The Uncle's names were all familiar on their own.
PSY was the only pop name I didn't know. Looking at his photo, I see why. Not a dance step I recognize.
Debate? What debate...?
~ OMK
____________
DR: A 3-way on the Southside.
The central diagonal's anagram refers to the Teflon trait of certain politicians, how insults do not seem to stick (or matter?) to them.
It is their...
"INSOLENCE 'PAM'"
Happy birthday, Pat. My, what a hard time you had with your fall. Glad you are okay now.
ReplyDeleteI foolishly wore backless shoes on a ladder. I fell onto a concrete floor and shattered my foot, needing total reconstruction, with a cadaver bone heel, and a large metal prothesis to rebuild my arch. It was the most painful recovery I have ever had. No weight bearing for three months. I had to remove the air cast to wiggle my toes and foot as I sat and to excercise on a bath seat. The ortho said I would probably never dance or hike again. Wanna bet? I won.
Vidwan, what an ironic story about the sultan. All his minions and wives could not protect him from his pride.
I like Sam Adams ale. As a waitress I had to be on my toes. Adam's ale is what the biblical Adam drank, water, ha ha, not Sam Adams ale. Sam Adams was a colorful Founding Father. I have recently read several Revolutionary War historical novels.
I love my microwave for a quick heat up. I seldom use it for complicated cookery.
TTP. I tried War and Peace and quit for lack of interest. I no longer read any book just because I "should."
I signed to sell my condo yesterday. Already on Monday I am having a long 360 degree video made of every nook and cranny. I'm scrambling to remove mementos and knickknacks and make everything sparkle. There are tons and tons of forms to fill out for the continuing care community, the realter, and the attorney. Tired.
I liked this puzzle. Having filled RAJ and MT SINAI, and registering only the word "Outlaw" in the clue, I (over)confidently entered JOSEY WALES at 51a. I was so proud of myself! I deflated like a used balloon to learn it was wrong. No broken bones, though.
ReplyDeleteGotta run. More later, maybe.
Wendybird at 1:07 PM
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Polish pottery is addictive. I first discovered it 30 years ago when we lived in Bonn, Germany and have been adding pieces ever since. Different patterns but tied together by the color blue. They make me smile.
Russian literature was a minor I picked up at BC. I liked Tolstoy but "The Idiot" by Dostoevsky was my favorite. I have peculiar ideas on "The Foundation". Asimov referred to it as history.
ReplyDeleteVidwan, thanks for the adventure of the (would-be) ambulatory Emir. Nice to get some Petro $$s back.
Along with Adams ale, is City gin. YR What're some good rev-war novels?
WC
Very late to the party today. FIR, for whatever that bit of info may be worth.
ReplyDeleteNow I will go back and read all of the comments.
C.C. has a puzzle, "The Great Escape", at USA Today. Also, "People With Connections", on Sept 27, 2020 at the same site.
ReplyDeleteI have solved both of those puzzles and they were both great fun. Very creative.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeff for the puzzle. Thanks Boomer for pulling double-duty this week.
WOs: go geter [sic] b/f DREAMER
ESPs: PESETA | DEW CLAW(?)
Fav: AL DENTE - love my pasta!
Cute DR - I first read it as INSOLENCE PAT and thought, "On her Birthday?"
Happy Birthday Pat (and Hubby).
Fun EMIR story Vidwan.
CABOOSE - I thought it was also a break-car as well. I LIU.
Purina used to make the cereal Chex that you put in your mix.
C, Eh! Capisce - usually follows a threat :-)
Actually, I use it like "OK, you're going to clean the dishes, bath, and bed. Capisce?"
They know what's up :-)
Cheers, -T
Late to comment as I have been in the midst of a kitchen remodel.
ReplyDeleteWas anyone else troubled by the mismatched verb number at 58 down?
A singular Ump Rules on plays.
The collective Umps Rule on plays.
I scratched my head for a few trying to fit a four letter singular noun starting with U until I just shrugged and went along.
ReplyDeleteKen, True, but consider:
"Bob umps the games on the weekends."
Or, "Linda refs the basketball games."
So ump not as a noun in its plural form, but as an intransitive verb.
I see your point TTP. I suppose it is all in how one interprets the abbreviated clue. It could be "(He) rules at games vs. (He who) rules at games. Wasn't a big deal, just a comment FWIW. Thanks for pointing it out.
ReplyDelete