google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, October 21 Mike Peluso

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Oct 21, 2020

Wednesday, October 21 Mike Peluso

Theme - The unifier says it all, so let's start there.

38. Cautionary workplace axiom ... or a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues: SAFETY FIRST.  A statement advising caution to prevent accidents and injuries.  The word SAFETY combines with the beginning of each theme answer to yield an in-the-language phrase.

16. *Old bowling alley employee: PIN SETTER.  Before there were automatic pin setting machines,  this job was done by hand, and it was dangerous.  A SAFETY PIN is a pin with a point that is bent back to the head and is held in a guard when closed.

23. *Pass prevention strategy: ZONE DEFENSE.  In football, a strategy in which defensive players are responsible for certain areas of the field to deter passing into that area.  A SAFETY ZONE is a marked area at or near a roadway for pedestrians, such as a bus stop.

50. *Bad homes for critics?: GLASS HOUSES.  Figuratively, a position in which one's vulnerabilities with regard to a certain issue are exposed, used as an admonition to avoid hypocrisy.  SAFETY GLASS is a type of product designed to resist breakage, or be less likely to cause serious injury when broken.  I spent the majority of my professional life dealing with it, and could go on at great length, but will spare you all of that

61. *One-on-one golf competition: MATCH PLAY.  A type of play in which the score is determined by the number of holes won rather than the total number of strokes.  A SAFETY MATCH is one that will only light when struck against a specific surface.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty to keep up all safe today.  Let's see what hazards this puzzle presents.

Across:

1. "... where the sun / Came peeping in at __": Thomas Hood: MORN.  That's starting the day off right.

5. Willie Mays, twice: MVPMost Valuable Player - an honor bestowed upon an individual for outstanding performance.  

8. Bowler's test: SPLIT. A situation where the first ball of a frame knocks down the head pin, but leaves standing two or more non-adjacent pins.

13. Carpet calculation: AREA.  Total amount of floor to be covered.

14. China setting: ASIA.  The continent.

15. Soccer star Rossi: PAOLO. [b 1956] His career spanned from 1973 to 1987. He is regarded as one of the best Italian players of all time. 

18. Cry of dismay: OY VEY.  From German, via Yiddish.  The English equivalent is "Woe is me."

19. Country singer Womack: LEE ANN. [b1966] 


 

20. Even things: ATONE.  Make amends or reparation.

22. Part of ESL: Abbr.: ENGlish as a second language.

28. Editor's change of heart: STET.  Indication that a correction or alteration should be ignored.

30. "I agree!": AMEN.  An utterance meaning "So be it."

31. It's north of Afr.: EUR.  The continents of Africa and Europe.

32. Not very exciting: HO-HUM.  Boring.

35. Seasickness symptom: NAUSEA.  Stomach upset with an inclination to vomit.

40. Elk: WAPITI.  From the Shawnee language.

42. Pre-discount prices: LISTS.  Manufacturers' suggested retail prices

43. Not well: ILL.  Sick

44. Dollop: GLOB. A lump of a semi-liquid substance.

46. Pacino's voice, at times: RASP.  Rough talk, talked roughly.

55. Golf standard: PAR.  The number of strokes a first-class played is expected to require to complete a hole.

56. Deal with: SEE TO.



57. Capitol feature: CUPOLA.  A dome.

59. Like four Sandy Koufax games: NO HIT.  A complete game in which the pitcher give up no hits to the opposing team.

64. It's good in Chile: BUENO.  Translation into Spanish

65. Agree with: ECHO.  Repeat the same thing.

66. Shoppe modifier: OLDE.

67. Shakespearean forest: ARDEN.  A wooded area in Warwickshire, Eng.

68. 2000s TV forensic technician, to pals: DEX. A show set in Miami in which Dexter, the eponymous hero, is a forensic specialist by day who by night hunts down and murders murderers who have escaped the law.

69. Fly high: SOAR.  Flew so high my arms are sore

Down:

1. Breakfast condiment sources: MAPLES.  Syrup suppliers.

2. Get one's bearings: ORIENT.  Align or position something relative to defined reference points.

3. Go back on a promise: RENEGE.  From medieval Latin meaning to deny. 

4. Org. in the biodrama "Hidden Figures": NASA. National Aeronautic and Space Administration. Tells the story of the African-American women who made outstanding contributions to the space program, while dealing with oppressive sex and race discrimination.

5. WY winter hrs.: MST. Mountain Standard Time.

6. Compete: VIE. Strive for victory or superiority.

7. Pre-Rose Bowl tradition: PARADE.

8. Many an "SNL" skit: SPOOF.  satirical skit

9. Two-time U.S. Open winner Stewart: PAYNE.

10. Illicit rendezvous site: LOVE NEST.


 
Close enough


11. La Corse, par exemple: ILE.  The Island of Corsica, in French.

12. Play (with): TOY.  A verb that looks like a noun.  You can TOY with a TOY.

14. 53 for I, e.g.: AT. NO. The Atomic Number for Iodine.

17. Split __: New Zealand band: ENZ


 
 From 1980

21. Court sport: TENNIS.  It's a racket.

24. Astro's finish?: NAUT.   They didn't quite get to the World Series, so, yeah - they're finished  But, sorry, this is a really ugly clue for an affix.

25. Harris of country: EMMY LOU.


 

26. Take to court: SUE.  Institute legal proceedings against (a person or institution), typically for redress.

27. Stat for Justin Verlander: ERA Earned Run Average.  JV had a series of injuries this year,  the most recent requiring Tommy John surgery, which he had about 3 weeks ago.  He only pitched 6 innings this year, and will miss the 2021 season.

29. Spicy cuisine: THAI.  Available in a variety of heat levels.  I like to get something made with coconut milk.

33. Time and again, to Yeats: OFT.  Often, to me.

34. Driver's license datum: HEIGHT.  Not my first thought, but there it is.

36. Poetic verb: ART.  [archaic] As in thou ART . . . [fill in the blank.]

37. Cold War letters: USSRUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics.  Our foes in those days, and the Russians still to this day. 

38. Made waves?: SPLASHED.  Moved water with your hands or feet.

39. Slight fabrications: FIBS.  At what point does a FIB become a lie?

40. Freak (out): WIG.  Go ape.

41. Every bit: ALL.  The whole enchilada.

45. Rose ominously: LOOMED.  Appeared in an impressively great form as an impending occurrence, usually in a dangerous or threatening manner.

47. Swing era Harlem hot spot: APOLLORead about it here.

48. Tea since 1892: SALADA.  An innovation in foil packaging preserved freshness and a more uniform flavor.  This lead to great commercial success in the early 1900's.

49. Supplication: PRAYER.  Petition or entreaty from a position of humility.

51. River to the English Channel: SEINE.  It is 482 miles long and drains most of northern France.

52. Resolute about: SET ON.  Bound and determined, as the old phrase had it.

53. Danish shoe brand: ECCO.  It was founded in 1963, and now produces other leather goods.

54. NFL defensive end Ndamukong __: SUH. [b 1987] He has played for the Lions, Dolphins and Rams, and is currently with the Buccaneers.

58. Med. plan options: PPOS. Preferred Provider Organizations.  A PPO is a type of managed care program of medical service providers that offers reduced rates to clients.

59. Home to Kings: Abbr.: NBA. In the National Basketball Association, the Sacramento Kings finished 12th in the Western Division

60. "__ Gang": OUR.

62. Versatile card: ACE.  Can be the highest or lowest card in various games.

63. "Much appreciated," in texts: THX. Thank you!

That completes another Wednesday.  Stay SAFE out there - wear a mask, keep you social distance, and wash your hands

Cool regards!
JzB




55 comments:

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Did d-o get it all? No SUH! DNF. I WAGged "Split END" for that NZ band, and wound up with a DONE DEFENSE. Looked weird, but it got to stand. Bzzzzzt. I was going to complain that West Virginia is not in the Mountain time zone, but a closer look revealed it as WYoming. Completely missed the reveal, so d-o also didn't get the theme until coming here. Thanx, Mike and JzB.

PIN SETTER: My first paying job was at the local 8-lane bowling center. Each of us handled two lanes and would earn a princely 10¢ per line (game). Those pins are bigger than they look. It was a trick to pick up two by the neck in each hand and pitch them into the appropriate slots in the rack.

LEE ANN: I've got a handful of her albums on my music server and more than two dozen by EMMYLOU Harris.

PPOS: Do you have a Part D drug plan? If so, I urge you to go to www.medicare.gov and check out the 2021 drug plans. My lowest cost 2020 plan dropped to #10 for 2021. Yup, I've already switched, and saved over $240 in the process.

Wilbur Charles said...

On second look, I saw the theme. This might have been the easiest of the week, so far. I did them all yesterday. Saturday was an Eric Agard bear. Amazing how the brain works. Even though one simply can't grok various answers, they finally come. I'll have to talk to my neurologist about this. Who was it that had to tell analog time, recently.

I guess around here the grim neurologist awaits.

I saw AT NO but didn't go back and check the clue. That type caused an FIW once. I think I told you that my Junior year Chem. Teacher left the periodic table chart down during the exams. 1. Was I expected to ignore it?. 2. Would that be classified as cheating?* 3. Did he think it wouldn't be used and if so more power to the user?

Thank you Spitz for the music and the APOLLO Link. I can never remember: two P's or two L's?

WC

** At the least it shows that cheating is not black and white (c. ASTROS). BTW, One of the fallouts is players can't review their at bats because there's no video while game in process. It was a pitcher that RATTED the Stros out so the pitching fraternity gained.

Anonymous said...

Took 6:29. Split Enz seems obscure, so does the Italian soccer player that isn't even clued with any of the usual qualifiers (e.g., "all star"). Nothing to induce any "nausea" or make me "ill" though.

Mark said...

Enjoyable Wednesday. I believe today was my 200th straight puzzle. Thanks COVID!

A few years back I found this blog and want to thank CC and you all for being here. Reading your comments is almost better than the puzzle!

Back then the first comment was usually posted by Barry. Whatever happened to Barry?

desper-otto said...

Barry's employment situation changed, and he could no longer participate every day. He still shows up here now and again, often on Sundays, and usually on his birthday

desper-otto said...

Period (.)

Big Easy said...

I never noticed the unifier before I filled SAFETY FIRST. If the unifier is in the middle of the puzzle I always work around it to keep the puzzle from being too easy. A little slowdown in the NE, PAOLO was unknown and never sure of the spelling of OYEVY but the perps took care of both of them.

Other unknowns -DEX, ENZ, SALADA, SUH- never heard of them. Finished in the normal quick Wed time.

PPOS- Pre-Medicare we had one. The problem with PPOS was you never knew if the doctors listed were actually on the plan and YOUR doctors who were not on the listed plan were on the plan. After I turned 65 I went to straight Medicare and pay Blue Cross for Part-B & D.

Lucina said...

Hola!

Thank you, Mike Peluso, for the morning challenge. Even with all the names I finished in good time.

Some names I can recall just from having heard of them briefly such as LEEANN Womack, PAYNE Steward, (did he die in a plane accident?) and EMMYLOU but have never heard of PAOLO Rossi. All those just emerged.

SUH is totally unknown as is ENZ. Hello, d-o. I also left END/DONE and had SAFETY DONE which didn't make sense but I was flummoxed and could not change it.

It was lovely seeing the ARDEN forest, though. Muy BUENO.

SALADA tea also left me puzzled so thank you, JazzB for that as well as for your always interesting and thorough commentary.

Enjoy the day, everyone!

Lucina said...

My insurance is paid through the AZ state retirement plan and the booklet just arrived yesterday so I'll have to study it. Currently we are offered United Health and I am happy with it.

Hungry Mother said...

FIR with one write-over: MORN 4 dawN. I wasn’t sure how the PAYNE v. PAiNE would work out, but guessed right. I think DEXter is returning. It was a favorite show.

Tinbeni said...

Jazz: Good job on the write-up.

... tears ... the RAY's lost Game 1 ...

Oh well, there is another game tonight.

Cheers!

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

DNF...Didn't know the Golf Competition crossed with Danish Shoes and the NFL defense player. NZ band or 53 for L. (I thought it was an upper case I and not a lower case l.

I hardly get the easy themes...forget this one! Hairy Mike.

IMHO... raspy not RASP. Thought it was pin spotter. La Corse (ÎLE) is too advanced français for an English CW particularly for Wednesday n'est-ce pas?

I just started binging "Dexter" on advice from friends on Monday (DEX) starting from the first season (early 2000s) as most of what I been watching recently concluded or had a season finale this week. Enjoying it so far.

Wrote in ATONE convinced it was wrong. Clumsy clue.(even things means come to an understanding not make up for a wrong). So "Love Nest", the theme of the Burns & Allen show was about an illicit rendezvous site..hmmm.

Also illicit.....

If you like our kitchen wait'll you see ____ ARDEN.
The skill needed to weave the giant carpet ______ large...LOOMED
___ not in Kansas anymore....EUR.
What to rename the Siamese people ended in a ____ THAI

On to what Thor has in Stor.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

W C - I haven't linked yet today.

OY VEY; I had 'Split End', too. And DONE DEFENSE. Sigh. Also got 3 squares wrong in the bottom center. DNK DEX nor ECCO. But I got most of it and the theme. Knew Corse from French. Zoos frequently label their Elk exhibit as WAPITI. Had reasonably good guesses with all the names I didn't know. Lots of fresh fill.
SEINE - Here a link showing most EURopean Watersheds

Thanks JzB for another fine intro.

Bob Lee said...

Loved the puzzle. I also had DAWN at first instead of MORN.

The bottom left was the last to fill until I figured out GLASS HOUSES.

LOL..it reminded me of an old joke about the King having his heavy throne on the top floor of the glass house, which then falls through killing him, the moral being, "People in glass houses shouldn't stow thrones." [Sometimes told as grass houses.]

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This puzzle could easily have a second unifier: Be A Sport, as in MVP, Split, Paolo, Zone Defense, Safety, Par, No Hit, Match Play, Pin Setter, Tennis, Payne, NBA, Suh, and Ace! We also had Suh/Sue and ILL/Nausea. I capitalized ILL because Ill looks odd. My unknowns were Paolo, Dex, Enz, Ecco and Suh. CSOs to HG at NASA and Oo at Thai.

Thanks, Mike, for a fun theme and solve and thanks, JazB, for the detailed and informative summary.

I’m driving my sister, Eileen, to an appointment with her ophthalmologist and then will come back to my house for lunch. I think a Bloody Mary might be in order, also. We can have a nice, long visit while the dilating drops wear off and she’s able to see clearly enough to drive home.

Have a great day.

CanadianEh! said...

Wednesday workout. Thanks for the fun, Mike and JzB.
Hand up for ENd and dONE DEFENSE. (I would have entered the British C but “take to court” is not cUE. LOL Even my Canadian spellcheck wants Defence.) (and BTW, my Canadian server will not give me access to the Emmy Lou video due to copyright concerns).

Let me count the inkblots.
Ad lib changed to SPOOF; BLOB CHANGED TO GLOB, Shlussed to SPLASHED (not Sploshed today!)

SALADA now makes Red Rose, my tea of choice.
I noted EUR and ASIA, Bowling clenching at 8A and 16A. We did have many sports today with NBA, football 23A, baseball 5A and 59A, soccer 15A, TENNIS 9D, golf 55A, 61A et al.

This Canadian is thankful that I do not have to worry about PPOS or any other coverage. Universal health coverage covers me if I am ILL, have NAUSEA or worse. BUENO.

Welcome Mark. Keep posting.
Wishing you all a great day.

inanehiker said...

Creative puzzle - smooth solve. It took the ZONE DEFENSE to change the NZ band from END to ENZ!

PAYNE Stewart was my gimme for the day. Yes, Lucina, he died in a plane crash in 1998. He was such a fun and flashy golfer - he always wore knickers often in bright colors. When alive he had done a lot of charitable giving and his family continues it with the Payne Stewart Family Foundation. I've volunteered at camps for inner city kids down at Table Rock Lake/ Branson, MO area and they had a whole program for teaching golf to kids to help them build self esteem and his foundation had built the driving range and golf course.
https://paynestewartfamilyfoundation.com/about/

Thanks JzB - loved the music links and thanks Mike for the puzzle and stopping by.

Edward Duarte said...

Shotgun approach.
Scattered solve all over the place

oc4beach said...


I got through it in reasonable Wednesday time today. Good puzzle, even though I didn't see the theme until JzB 'splained it. Good tour today also.

Only a few hitches along the way today. I had MEDiterranean before EURope, ENd before ENZ and GIL (Grissom from CSI) before DEXter. Perps helped.

A little bit of country with LEE ANN and EMMYLOU. Could have added more like REBA, DOLLY, SHANIA, etc. to make it a total country theme.

CanadianEH!: It's too bad you couldn't link to EmmyLou Harris' video. She was born in Birmingham, AL, but she does have a Canadian connection.

I guess a takeoff on the Glass House joke would be that "People who live in Tin houses shouldn't throw can openers."

Have a great day everyone and please wear your masks.

NaomiZ said...

FIR thanks to memories of dear old Dad, who loved to quote the verses of Ogden Nash, including:

"There goes the Wapiti/ Hippety-hoppity!"

Shankers said...

A slight bit slower speed-wise the a normal Wednesday. Liked seeing oy very for a change. DNK and had to guess Enz, Ecco and Dex. Also needed to change dele to stet, and blob to glob. Everything else filled itself for a FIR in just under 18 mins. Who really cares?

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Irish M @ 9:58

After a couple Bloody Marys Your Sister Eileen may still not be able to see straight...
🧉🧉

Anon said...

I think you can get a Medicare Advantage Plan that covers Parts B and D at no cost.

Lucina said...

inanehiker:
Thank you for confirming my memory which these days is a bit shaky. I do recall that PAYNE Stewart was a colorful person and much was written about him when he died. I believe his airplane lost pressure and crashed. It's good to know he left such a wonderful legacy.

Our family has decided not to hold the traditional multi-family gathering for the holidays. It really saddens me but we don't want to risk anyone getting ILL. I haven't seen the nieces and nephews and their children since February. But it's for the best.

Misty said...

Fun Wednesday puzzle--many thanks, Mike. And helpful and neat commentary, JazzB, thanks for that too.

I don't know why MAPLES occurred to me right away, but that was a big help to getting started. China setting was a clever clue: I first thought of TRAY, you, know, where you'd put china at a party, But VIE and PARADE made it clear that this China was set in ASIA. TENNIS and NAUSEA helped me get the sweet LOVE NEST answer, since I already had ATONE and OY VEY. And so it went, lots of fun, even without really getting the theme.

Like Lucina, I never heard of SUH or ENZ.

Irish Miss, I wish you and Eileen a good day, and a nice lunch together.

Ray, your italic puns always crack me up.

Have a good day, everybody.

billocohoes said...

ZONE DEFENSE is also used often in basketball, and occasionally in lacrosse and probably other sports.

CanadianEh! said...

THX oc4beach. Interesting info re EMMYLOU.

I see that IM beat me to the Sports Theme . . . and listed more of my et al!

desper-otto said...

Anon@11:32, about 30% of Medicare beneficiaries choose a Medicare Advantage (HMO) plan which specifies which doctors you can visit and requires permission to see an "in-plan" specialist. This is not a "no-cost" plan, you still have to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Medicare forwards that premium to the Advantage provider.

The other 70% of Medicare beneficiaries choose Conventional Medicare. They can see any doctor who accepts Medicare and can see specialists without asking permission. Most of these folks also purchase a Medigap plan (to cover the 20% of Part B expenses not covered by Medicare) plus a Part D drug plan.

During Open Enrollment, which is going on now, folks in Advantage plans can select a new provider, as can folks in Part D drug plans. Folks in a Medigap plan can switch to an Advantage plan during Open Enrollment, but they may have to stick with Advantage plans for the rest of their lives. The Medigap providers would subject former Medigap policy holders (and any Advantage beneficiaries wishing to switch to Medigap) to underwriting. Pre-existing conditions could make these people ineligible for a new Medigap policy.

I know, TMI.

Malodorous Manatee said...

FIR in a bit more time than the usual Wednesday puzzle takes. The Sandy Koufax clue and EMMY LOU Harris were both gimmes and, fortunately, I knew SUH. The theme was grok'd about halfway through and it helped will some fills after that. FWIW, thought that the Astro's finish clue was clever. ART clued as a Poetic Verb was also clever but a bit of a stretch for Wednesday. THX for the write-up, JzB!

ATLGranny said...

FIR pretty easily today and got the theme after the reveal. SAFETY FIRST also helped me spell EMMY LOU. My writeover today was when I ScOfFed before I SPOOFed. I knew ECCO since I have some sandals by them. I too noticed all the sports references, IM and C Eh, but perps were helpful. WAPITI means elk in German and elk means moose, which caused confusion at first when discussing animals with friends there.

Thanks, Mike, for today's puzzle, and THX, JzB, for all the helpful information. Welcome, Mark. Look forward to your posts. Hope everyone is doing well this week and not feeling ILL.

Wilbur Charles said...

Oops, I got my Z',s mixed up. Thank you JazzB got the write-up.
. WC

Brian said...

I noticed that one of the clues used a Boomer pet peeve in 16 across, "Old bowling alley employee". He prefers the term "Bowling Center".

AnonymousPVX said...


D-O...you wrote what I was going to write. I will emphasize...once you go “Advantage” you are pretty much stuck as Medicare only takes all comers at 65, if you want to go back to regular Medicare you will pay for pre-existing conditions. Add that the joy of finding a participating doctor if you are traveling and away from your home area. No Thanks. I have a MediGap and a Part D plan and am totally pleased, my only out of pocket is the Part B cost that everyone pays, the Medicare deductible, and the Part D deductible.

Oh, the puzzle....had HMOS b4 PPOS, that was it.

LEO III said...

FIW today. Had “S” instead of “X” for DEX and THX. Didn’t know DEX, and as mentioned before, I rarely use shorthand when texting. Also didn’t know PAOLO or ENZ, and never heard WIG used that way, but perps got them.

I got ATNO filled in correctly, but I had no idea what it meant.

Figured out SAFETYFIRST fairly early, so I got the theme.

Knew SUH. When he first came into the NFL, he had a reputation for being one of the dirtiest players in the league. I don’t know if he has calmed down now or not.

A very sad day...

Payne Stewart Crash

At one time, there was worry about what to do if it looked like the plane would go down in a populated area.

Anonymous said...

Loved today's puzzle. Got everything except for Dex.

Irish Miss said...

Mark @ 7:50 ~ Come join the Corner!

Ray O @ 11:28 ~ When I was very young, I used to get teased every time I said My Sister Eileen, thanks to that movie. (Eileen was christened Noreen but has always been called Eileen. Major Irish ☘️ donnybrook between Mom and Dad!) Big Bloody Mary failure today. I had purchased a mix from Stonewall Kitchen in Maine thinking it would be good, based on their other products. I couldn’t drink it because it was so spicy my throat was burning. Sis finished hers but passed on a refill. Oh well, live and learn. The best Bloody Marys are those made from scratch using V8, IMO.

Lucina @ 11:36 ~ Is that the tamale marathon, or another family gathering?

Misty @ 11:59 ~ Thanks for your kind wishes. We did have a nice visit and tasty lunch, despite the Bloody Mary disappointment. 🍹

Ol' Man Keith said...

Ah, yes, the Forest of ARDEN.
It appears in Shakespeare's As You Like It. It was already quite familiar to Ol' Will, as it was the very familiar woodland that surrounded (and still does) his home in Stratford.

Many years ago I had the good fortune of seeing Vanessa Redgrave in her first appearance at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Stratford--in the role of Rosalind in As You Like It.
There she stood in the play's first forest scene, tall & proud, the daughter of a well-established family of Shakespearean actors.
She took one look outward and said her line,
"So this is the Forest of Arden!"
It brought the house down.

A good chewy, do-able pzl from Mr. Peluso! Enjoyable throughout.
I was undone by that atomic number thingie, but I got beat fair 'n square.
No hard feelings.
~ OMK

Ol' Man Keith said...

Dear Irish M ~
You may already have had this discussion, but if so I missed it.
Anyway,I just want to weigh in on Bloody Marys. After years of experimenting with various recipes and homemade mixes, including V8-based, I have made my peace with the Tobasco brand.
I like a spicy drink. When I first ordered this I thought I'd have to goose it a little, maybe with extra Worcestershire or summat.
But no.
Other than adding the vodka and a stalk of celery, I take it straight from the bottle.
These days, I only have it once a week. I'm a traditionalist, so I down it on the Christian Sabbath.
Yum.
~ OMK

CrossEyedDave said...

This is the first puzzle that I ever got ATNO correctly...
(Rote does work...)

While the theme revealed itself easily enough,
Some of the fill (it is Thursday after all) left me with a DNFwh
(Did not Finish without help...)

Now I have railed (riled?) for years about frawnch in English puzzles,
I now have a new gripe. Elk=Wapiti =Shawnee?
Ok, I have matured (a little) and IF, the perps are kind, I would overlook
Such a transgression. So I examined the perps for Wapiti carefully,
And they all are reasonably gettable with the possible exception of Wig.
But since I am freaking (out) over such a minor nit,
Wig & wapiti are more of a v8 can to the head these days...

Now, silly theme links, oh the overabundance!

cats?

computers?


but I prefer to be realistic this time...


Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

THX Mike and Ron for the fun entertainment on this glorious hump day in the AZ Valley

A few write-overs, and ultimately a NATICK/FIW in the deep south. W-O's were SPARE/SPLIT (hey, both give me a test); HMOS/PPOS; and SPLASHES/SPLASHED (didn't read carefully the verb tense of the clue). The Natick was THX/DEX. I had TIA/DEA

WAG'd ENZ as I knew it was ZONE DEFENSE

SUH/SUE and ECCO/ECHO homonyms; two C&W singers. Sort of a Noah's Ark of pairs today

So, speaking of pairs, here are 2 Ku's for you:

Would you say that when
Siamese Twins are angry,
They're fit to be THAI'd?

Two pro golfers who
Lit the course on fire, were just
Involved in MATCH PLAY

CrossEyedDave said...

Irish Miss,

Vodka is not my drink of choice,
But when my bloody Maria is too spicy,
(Actually, it has never been too spicy...)
Just add more v8 and tequila...


Hmm,
Actually,
Considering world affairs,
Spending the night making "The Perfect" Bloody Maria
Sounds good to me...

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-_ _ _ E DEFENSE – DIME DEFENSE is deep in the woods
-China Setting - Here is the current time in C.C.’s hometown of Gangzhou China
-WAPITI is one of those words I only see in cwds
-These CUPOLAS are now no longer around
-I loved the scene in Hidden Figures where Kevin Costner takes a hammer to the “Colored Rest Room” sign
-The Rose Bowl Parade was a big checkmark on my bucket list
-Verlander said he wished he “had said more” during the Astro cheating scandal
-Ndamukong SUH is a former Husker who has given a lot money back to the university

jfromvt said...

Lots of sports references, including bowling, so this was right up my alley.

Malodorous Manatee said...

A new abbreviation, perhaps, to add to the lexicon? CD = Crossword Drek.

Irish Miss said...

OMK @ 3:35 ~ Yes, we’ve had this discussion before and I agree 100% about Tabasco, but, unfortunately, it isn’t available in this area at retail. I mostly have a Bloody Mary when I go out to lunch (a rarity, these days) or when my sister is here, like today.

CED at 4:26 ~ I don’t think adding anything would have lessened the spiciness of this mix. And, to be fair, my sister didn’t mind the heat level, she just didn’t like the taste. As I mentioned above, Tabasco is our favorite but is not readily available. At least I can look forward to the satisfaction of my Dewar’s later.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

People who live in glass houses

Spend a fortune on Windex.

Chairman Moe said...

Ray-O-Sunshine @ 5:09

On the contrary, if people lived in stone houses, should they not throw glass?

Jayce said...

Hmm, kinda meh puzzle to me. Proper name crossing proper name (PAOLO/PAYNE), 3-letter abbreviations (MVP, ENG, EUR, MST, ERA, NBA, THX), many 3-letter entries (ILL, PAR, DEX, VIE, ILE, TOY, ENZ, SUE, OFT, ART, WIG, ALL, SUH, OUR, ACE). Pacino's voice is, at times, RASP? Not RASPY? Maybe you could say his voice does RASP sometimes. That would be like cluing "Jayce's voice, sometimes" = WHISPER. Comparing a noun (voice) to a verb (RASP or whisper or shout). Meh. IMO a far better clue would have been "What Pacino's voice does, at times".

Sheesh, OY VEY, and dagnabbit. Grumble grumble grumble.

Now I'll hop back in bed and get up on the other side. Good wishes to you all.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Chairman..

People who live in grass houses shouldn't light candles.

I get the feeling that all the Anonomi are actually one cornerite with Multiple Personality Syndrome.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Maybe we can get Kofi Annan to come back from the dead and mediate.

The Curmudgeon said...

The noun RASP, as defined in Wiktionary:
1. A coarse file....
2. The sound made by this tool when used, or any similar sound.
I believe 46a fits definition 2.

>>Roy

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thanks Mark for the grid. NE was gnarly.

Thanks, JzB, for the expo.

No WOs report today - left my puzzle at the dealership, I did. :-(
ESPs: Names!
Fav: HO HUM was fun.

Welcome to The Corner @7:50a Mark.

Theme? SAFETY Third. //They were giving similar away at Defcon (where we're all Anonymous!) last year :-)

LOL 'Ended in a THAI' Ray-O. Fun Ku's Moe!

I know there's other fans here... Tom Lehrer is putting his songs in the public domain.

Billy Joel's 7th studio album is called GLASS HOUSES.

Cheers, -T

Malodorous Manatee said...

Anon-T thank you for sharing the news about Tom Lehrer. He has made a very generous gift to the world.

Sandyanon said...

Thanks, Anonymous-T. I was a great Tom Lehrer fan.

Lucina said...

IrishMiss@3:09
We were discussing the upcoming holidays when the entire family traditionally gathers for dinner. Sadly it's not happening this year. The Great Family Assembly to make tamales has not yet been decided and not too many weekends left.

My own small family and one of my nieces will be here for Thanksgiving but not my grandchildren. The parents have an arrangement whereby they alternate holidays with each other and this year they will be with one family for Thanksgiving and with the other for Christmas. Such is the consequence of having blended families.