Saturday Themeless by Brian E. Paquin
Here's another fun puzzle from our great cadre of Canadian constructors. Today Brian Paquin, who lives on the north shores of Lake Ontario in Kingston, Ontario, provides a fun and challenging puzzle. He graciously shared these thoughts:
Hi again Gary,
I think that this is one of the cleanest grids that I've ever produced. I kind of like the long entries, especially 5D AMENTOTHAT and 42A TIPPYTOES. Of the not-so-long entries, 11D BROHUGS and 38D AMILATE are kind of sparkly, I think.
There are more black squares and cheaters than I normally use in a themeless, but there is nothing especially obscure to be found in the grid.
41A SAMI is tough: I had it clued as "___-Am" from Dr. Seuss, but that might be too much of a gimme. I managed to avoid everything from my list of dreaded tiresome entries, like AREA, EKE, ONO, etc. You know the ones.
I didn't remember that 30D TROI was partially 31D TELEPATHIC, so that was a good catch by the editors.
In terms of stats: Of the 68 entries, 27 of the clues were changed significantly, so about 60% of mine survived (16 exactly the same, 25 fairly close). The only new clue that I found to be strange was for 45D EATEN ("Taken in"). It didn't quite click with me, but I will be interested to hear what others thought of it.
I hope that everyone will have a good holiday season. Let's hope that the next one will be back to normal!
Brian
Across:
1. Kitten cry: MEWL - I don't know when a kitten's MEWL turns into
a cat's MEOW
5. Top-notch: A-PLUS.
10. "Fawlty Towers" network: BBC - A hilarious vehicle for John Cleese, et al
5. Top-notch: A-PLUS.
10. "Fawlty Towers" network: BBC - A hilarious vehicle for John Cleese, et al
13. Not a brick-and-mortar operation: E-SHOP
15. Squirrel's pal, to Boris: MOOSE and 22. Boris' sidekick: NATASHA.
15. Squirrel's pal, to Boris: MOOSE and 22. Boris' sidekick: NATASHA.
16. Mess up: ERR.
17. Cone topper: SCOOP
18. Send: ELATE - Here's some ear candy for your Saturday using this 50's slang!
17. Cone topper: SCOOP
18. Send: ELATE - Here's some ear candy for your Saturday using this 50's slang!
19. Surname suggesting anonymity: DOE.
20. Ride __: SHOTGUN - Below is the genesis of that phrase. I rode SHOTGUN (sat in the front passenger seat) many times but never with a firearm
24. Agent taking a cut?: REPresenative
25. '70s-'80s televangelist show "The __ Club": PTL - They had a lot of 'splainin' to do when they got charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud with their Praise The Lord Ministries
27. Disgust: ODIUM - See above
28. Endures anxiously: SWEATS OUT - Might make you 32. Not at all cool: EDGY.
33. Assets of KFC and Coca-Cola, e.g.: SECRET RECIPES
36. Relentlessly: TO THE LAST - Prepare to be moved
37. Classic '60s hit that mentions a roller coaster: PALISADES PARK - A hit for Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon
42. Much ballet dancing is done on them: TIPPY TOES - This lovely seasonal music is from my favorite ballet, ok, the only I've ever seen but the music - это так красиво (it is so beautiful)
44. Kid's transport: TRIKE.
46. Inverness objection: NAE - The Loch Ness is just SW of Inverness, Scotland. I suspect if you asked most residents if they have 48. As a minimum: AT LEAST seen the monster, they would reply, "NAE!"
47. White or Black: SEA.
54. Genetic messenger: RNA - Messenger in the clue signals RNA not DNA
55. Tusk, in fact: TOOTH.
57. Has status: RATES - "Hey, how do you RATE going first?"
58. Examine carefully: VET - Failure to VET an prospective employee or candidate can lead to real embarrassment
59. Same old same old feeling: ENNUI - L'ennui by Mireille Potvin. I wonder if our art curator Jeffrey Wechsler is familiar with this piece.
60. __ nous: ENTRE - S'il vous plaît, gardez cette histoire ENTRE nous (Please keep this story between us)
61. "... __ the set of sun": "Macbeth": ERE - "Receiveth out of Stratford On Avon ERE the set of the sun" said Shire Reeve Bill. 😊
62. '90s-'00s band with a star in its logo: NSYNC.
63. Hardy girl: TESS - Thomas Hardy's TESS of the d'Urbervilles Read a squashed version in 50 minutes
Down:
1. Mr. and Mr.: MESSRS - An 1917 ad for a Standard Dictionary by MESSRS Funk and Wagnalls
2. Shuns: ESCHEWS.
3. "Yay!": WHOOPEE - The Newlywed Game changed the sense of the word
4. Haul: LOOT - Not the verb but the noun
5. "I couldn't agree more": AMEN TO THAT.
7. Grant alternative: LOAN.
8. Court org.: USTA.
10. __ manner: BEDSIDE.
11. Guy greetings: BROHUGS.
12. Like bisque: CREAMY
 |
| Lobser Bisque |
14. NBA scoring stat: PPG.
21. Riles: UPSETS.
23. Able to do well: ADEPT AT.
26. Cleverly attracted: LURED IN.
29. Do an impersonation of: ACT LIKE.
30. Half-Betazoid aboard the Enterprise: TROI and 31. Like 30-Down, to an extent: TELEPATHIC - Listed sixth on her card
34. Wyoming's "Oil City": CASPER.
35. Guessing game for a road trip: I SPY with my little eye a black and white car with a flashing red light coming up quickly behind us. Any guesses?
37. Associate: PARTNER.
38. Comment from one hurrying in: AM I LATE - Couldn't resist this 2020 school cartoon
39. Floral cake decoration: ROSETTE - Wow!
40. Fish that measure up: KEEPERS.
41. Fast to the extreme: STARVE - I told Brian I struggled with this until I finally saw Fast as "not eating".
43. Acts smart with: SASSES.
45. Taken in: EATEN - I wasn't taken in by the alternate meaning of this phrase.
49. Word in family business names: SONS - The Don's SONS went into the family business
50. One of Tommy Tune's ten: TONY - He has won TONY awards for acting, directing, choreography and lifetime achievement. Yes, that's his real name, he was born Thomas James Tune in Wichita Falls, TX.
52. Steam: IRE.
53. Is unable to: CAN'T.
56. Vineyard vessel: TUN - As you can clearly see, a TUN is equal to four Hogsheads or 252 gallons
53 comments:
Re 37D: As a retired lawyer I can tell you that associates want to be partners. They are not the same.
Good morning!
Looked like this one was headed to a dreaded DNF, but no. In true Silky fashion, it slowly pulled together. SASSES showed up in the exact same spot where it appeared in another puzzle yesterday, I think. ENNUI showed up to elate IM. Stumbled with PBS before BBC showed up. What really slowed me down was putting TOTE where LOOT needed to go. Once I took it out, SHOTGUN became obvious, and that corner was mine. It's one of your best, Brian. Husker, thanx for the always-sparkly tour.
I SPY: Once patrol cars were black-and-white, then for a number of years they were all sky blue. Now they're back to black-and-white again. Who decides these things?
ESCHEW: I thought the pinnacle of wit was my "Eschew Obfuscation" bumper sticker.
PALISADES PARK: Freddy Cannon had a whole slew of good-time songs back in the '60s: Tallahassie [sic] Lassie, Transistor Sister, and the totally forgettable Abigail Beecher. (And why does "forgettable" have two Ts?)
Typically, I browsed through this Saturday xword picking up a few low fruit. fe. EATEN for "Taken in" was similar to other clues.
Being from Boston, I knew Freddie and PALISADES PARK(not to speak of Tallahassee Lassie). But, Star Trek is not my metier although after a few perps (w/o of eloi) I had TROI which led to her special power(What would Randi say?).
But NW was a struggle. I naturally inked MEow and having PEE I then went to oh yiPEE. ESCHEWS and MESSRS were easy once I recalled the C. I even suspected the noun usage for Haul. And I'd inked Pts. Pts,Reb, Assists were often box score headings for NBA.
Finally SCOOP and MEWL* dawned on Marblehead**. I was frankly thrilled to FIR on this Saturday. I started Wed and finished Thursday. PTL apparently is familiar to the lay person, only vaguely for me. MOOSE, squirrel,Boris and NATASHA were other hanging fruit.
So enough perps to expand and grok *GUN and *HUG. I think we had SAMI once before
WC
*I asked a pet person and she affirmed MEWL as pet person vernacular.
**Mass. Joke: Name three towns in MA named after Governors?
Peabody, Marblehead and Athol.
I see D-O was close to my wave length. Yes, I recall Abigail. Along with "Boom-Boom we had his disc jockey buddy, Woo-Woo Ginsberg and Juicy Brucy Bradley. As the Scots might say: If there's NAE Jockey there's NAE Music.
WC
And we'll surely see Picard drop in to give us background on TROI. Speaking of "distopian" (Which Robert ESCHEWS) I picked up Farenheit 451 and am wading into it
I fondly remember Andy Devine who played the role of "Jingles" as sidekick to Wild Bill Hickok during the 50's and is driving the stagecoach in today's blog. "Hey Wild Bill, wait for me"
Excellent Saturday puzzle - just tough enough without being impossible. Especially liked the clue for ELATE - obcure for a GenX but an "oh yeah" moment when it revealed itself.
I guess there's a Picard on the Corner, but I guess I'll beat him to the punch as a fellow Trekkie. TROI was empathic not telepathic. She could read people's feelings, not their minds. I can't believe even that playing card had it wrong. (!) It didn't prevent the solve but it did rile and steam me a bit.
Husker Gary: Excellent, informative write-up & links. Good job!
Thank you for the email Christmas Card.
This was a FUN Saturday puzzle and solving experience.
Hope everyone is having a Safe & Sound Holiday.
A "Toast-to-All" at Sunset.
Cheers!
Nice puzzle. As the constructor said, nothing too difficult. Finished in under 13 minutes, with the top left requiring more time than perhaps the other quadrants combined. I had etail first. Eschews and Messrs. took a very long time to come to light. Didn't know "Palisades Park."
For me, most Saturday puzzles are not as amusing as was this one. It was both fun and helpful to find the MOOSE and Squirrel references early on in the solving.
As for Deanna TROI, if only I was three hundred years younger.....
Spot-on graphics in the recap. Thanks, Gary.
Now I need to get the PALISADES PARK ear worm to go away (and it has been there since yesterday morning when I solved the puzzle). The song was written by Chuck Barris. Yes, that's the same person who created The Gong Show and The Newlywed game that was references by Gary at 3 Down.
This started out really tough for me as the NW was the last to fill. I knew the 1A was going to start with ME waiting for perps for the WL vs the OW, but still couldn't get a foothold at first. So ended up solving NE swooping down through SE to SW and finally conquering the NW!
I had to switch DATA for TROI for the Star trek character and I wanted the 31D to end with EMPATHIC - which had to switch to TELEPATHIC. I also had to switch TIP OF TOES for TIPPY TOES. Ballet dancers are so graceful the answer seemed to clash with that. I also switched BRUSQUE manner for BEDSIDE - which is ironic for me! And AMEN SISTER changed to AMEN TO THAT with perps to the rescue again!
We are having a sunny day up into the 50s before we dive into colder temps into the week, so we'll try to get out for a good walk.
Thanks HG for the entertaining blog and Brian for a challenging but ultimately do-able puzzle!
A Saturday puzzle in my wheelhouse. No unknowns other than the song PALISADES PARK. Gary- I looked it up on YouTube- never heard if before. Maybe it was popular in NJ.
Proper names- only Boris, NATASHA, & MOOSE- where's ROCKY) to go along with the d'Uberville girl TESS Durbeyfield.
MEWL- never seen it except in a Xword puzzle.
My daughter said that my orthopedic surgeon had bad BEDSIDE manner. I couldn't care less. I wanted a doctor who knew what he was doing when I had my knee replacement.
Good Morning:
I started out at a good clip but then ran into some head scratchers, especially in the SW corner. Surprisingly, I finished in below Saturday average time but needed perps for the usual suspects, unknown proper names: Palisades Parkway, Natasha, Sami, *NSYNC, and Troi. Several w/os slowed me down, as well: Emmy/Tony, ETail/EShop, NPR/BBC, and Vat/Tun. The Emmy/Tony error was made by being too hasty because I know Tommy Tune is a Broadway legend, not a TV performer. And, as DO noted, I was amused by seeing Ennui two days in a row.
Thanks, Brian, for a smooth and enjoyable solve and thanks, HG, for your stellar summary, links, and visuals.
Jayce and Dave have been AWOL; hope all is well.
Have a great day.
Prologue:
DW: "Put down the paper before you start that Satuday crossword that is soooo hard and takes sooo long and shovel the front walk" (note to self, COVID has left the building)
Oh my achin' back,😫 but on the bright side easiest Saturday in a while. Clues were clever but not over-the-top.
So BROHUGS is a thing. Not a Trekkie, so LIUed: Google says Deanna TROI has the psionic ability to sense emotions. HEY so do I. When DW is hollerin' at me I sense she's angry.😤
Changed whoohoo to WHOOPEE (as Husker points out you can make it. Anybody have a new SECRET RECIPE?)
Not the 700? ...nope that club is still on the tube. Perped PTL (Pass The LOOT?.)...PALISADESPARK shoulda been easy for us Cornerites of a certain age but I misspelled it Palasades first. Changed Jasper to CASPER.
Our lake has been overrun with artificially introduced bass eating the native trout. Great fun to fish but the Adirondack Park Agency has asked us to "catch and not release". (all KEEPERS 🎣)...We had a lake community bass fish fry summer before this.
C'mon...ESHOP? another answer with an E stuck in front of a random noun? Also why is the answer almost never DNA?
Had Lapp first for Nordic Language..perp corrected. (The Finns call their country Suomi..maybe a connection to SAMI?)
Horse/ass mix....MEWL
AMILATE? Yes, what's your? ______ ESCHEWS
Graphic guesthouse.....LUREDIN
Where's my Advil?
I got curious about the Troi situation myself, and it looks like she could communicate telepathically with her mother and certain other individuals. So I think that the editors got it right. They don't have many research failures, if any.
Hola!
Sigh. Not Gary Larson. Will this never end? Still, very nice, Brian Paquin. Thank you.
One of the easiest Saturday solves which started in the basement and flowed slowly up to the attic. I like the image of TIPPY TOES and recalls the after school/Saturday trips to ballet classes for both my daughter and her daughter.
I like the word ESCHEWS.
My carpool friend of long ago lived in CASPER, WY, for a time and regaled me with stories on our ride to work. She and her husband were from Loveland, CO but attended college in CASPER.
I love the ROSETTEs on that cake!
Thank you, Gary, for another colorful Saturday display!
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
FIR but struggled in the NW. Too much ink used before finally seeing ESHOP and SCOOP. SWEATS OUT also was slow to come for some reason. Otherwise fairly clean grid. I did try ROSEbud, but should remember ROSETTE next time. We've had it before. I also was going to "eye" before VET to examine carefully. But overall a worthy challenge for Saturday. Thanks Brian for the puzzle and the comments. Thanks Husker Gary for the enlightening tour. Ready for tomorrow now. Onward!
Stay warm and well, everyone. The holidays are upon us. Enjoy!
Brian Paquin @ 9:58 and commentary
What I have difficulty wrapping my head around is the time and cerebral energy you devote to creating a challenging puzzle only to have big chunks edited my "others".
I would find this quite frustrating and would probably open a window and scream.
When we comment about a clue or answer in the blog it might not even be yours
Our newspaper has you as author but no editor listed.
Good morning everyone.
Got most of it but needed help in the NW. E-SHOP was a fill too far. Fair puzzle for a Saturday.
SAMI language - - ~ 30000 speakers of several dialects scattered across 4 countries. In the same language grouping as Finnish.
ESCHEW obfuscation.
At first blush it certainly appeared daunting, especially with the spanners in the center, but patience and perseverance prevailed. Like many others I had meow before mewl, PBS before BBC, pts before ppg and Jasper before Casper, but it eventually all came into focus with the NW being the last to fall for a satisfying Saturday FIR. Was there ever any funnier or clever toon than Rocky? Fractured Fairy Tales, The Way Back Machine, etc. Sophisticated humor not found anywhere, anymore.
Shankers, try The Simpsons.
I know "send" in a similar modern slang sense, meaning "highly amuse"--as in, "That kitten video is sending me!" But I did not get ELATE--had to run through the alphabet for that one.
I too wanted to object that Counselor TROI is empathic rather than TELEPATHIC, but it's true that her powers are presented as a sort of "watered-down" version of the telepathic powers her mother's species has. So I guess I'll give it a pass.
I thought Palisades Park is hardly a “classic”.
D-O, I have never watched The Simpsons. For some reason I thought it was rude and crude and unsophisticated. Am I wrong? Anyone else care to chime in?
So, today's puzzle theme is ... Pack In (the) Brain ?
The tortoise and the USB Mouse.- Modern ESHOP's Fables.
Since I was ELATE, I missed the beginning of the ZOOM meeting.
ODIUM - The feeling you've taken too many nonRx drugs.
Yes, Lucina, I too got Gary Larson instead of Brian Paquin as the constructor this morning. Will this never end?
So, thanks, Brian for a challenging, but fun, Saturday puzzle, and Husker Gary, thanks for your commentary. Nice to get TESS at the end, and had a bit of trouble both with the misters and the guy hugs at the top. I too liked ROSETTE.
Have a good weekend, everybody.
WilburCharles thank you for the shout out again. Yes, I totally had the hots for TROI. Malodorous Manatee glad you feel the same way. I was delighted to be able to meet her at the one Star Trek convention I have attended.
Here are my photos of TROI actress Marina Sirtis being seductive and silly
memforest I totally agree that TROI is EMPATHIC and not TELEPATHIC. That had me stuck with the puzzle solve. But that is because she is only HALF-BETAZOID. Full BETAZOIDs like her mother are TELEPATHIC.
shankers thanks for asking about The Simpsons. Yesterday we had FUTURAMA, also created by Matt Groening. As is the case with Star Trek, these shows have much deeper meanings than the surface appearance. Groening is able to slip in profound social commentary because it is "just a cartoon". I definitely recommend watching a few episodes.
Messenger RNA is huge in the news now with the first two COVID vaccines being RNA based.
This article in the British magazine New Scientist is the best explanation I have seen about these vaccines and how they really work.
Learning moment that TOMMY TUNE is a real name. And that he has ten TONYs. Never heard of him except here, but he must be worth knowing about.
37A immediately brought to mind Buddy Holly's "Everyday, it's a-gettin' closer,
goin' faster than a roller coaster..." but that was the 50's. PALISADES PARK eventually filled in but it took a while to get Buddy Holly out of mind.
Re: Simpsons and The Bullwinkle Show
The Bullwinkle Show was sophisticated humor.
The Simpsons is sophomoric.
Hi All!
WHOOPIE! I got a Sat. Thanks Brian for the puzzle and the inside-baseball re: the grid.
Great expo HG - Loved the LURED IN graphic.
Started at BBC and worked my way out from there. STARVE was last fill after VET went in - cute, Fast, Brian.
WOs: left out the H in ESHCEW, WHOOPiE (easy fix), Pts -> PPG, Deanna TROy(, NY -- Hi IM!)
ESPs: SAMI, PALISADES PARK
Fav: Boris and NATASHA | MOOSE and Squirrel
Taken in - I kept wanting 'adopted' or some such until 4 out of 5 perps turned on the light-bulb.
Special thank you to OMK - If he didn't type MESSRS a few times a month, I'd not have known.
WC - I loved Fahrenheit 451. I think dystopian SciFi is there to warn us (Brave New World, 1984, I am Legend (how fast did we rush this vaccine? :-)) //if you don't know the plot - my (likely misremembered) synopsis: a shot was invented that altered RNA and turned us into brain-eating zombie monsters. Will Smith is working a vaccine for the vaccine while dodging zombies with super-human strength. //haven't read Picard's link yet.
D-O: Like Supper and Dessert, which has two Ps and Ds respectfully, it's 'cuz you want seconds, Forgettable had two Ts 'cuz you have to learn it twice :-)
//I think apologize should have two Ps 'cuz you're really sorry...
Interesting Lucina that you didn't get Brian as the byline - Houston Chronicle (which has tracked re: same wrong bylines as you) actually got it right today. I know it's (puzzle) just a file that's passed out by Tribune Media Service to all the subscribing papers (that's why we all see the wrong byline) but now, how did H-Chron get it right your paper didn't.
Shankers - The first few years of The Simpsons where crude and mostly unfunny and I didn't watch. Then the girls started watching new episodes a few years ago (I think their friend-groups were into it) and I caught some. Ok, those were funny.
Ray-O: You had to shovel snow, I had to clear the leaves backing up the storm-grate out front before the rain swallowed Youngest's car. I'm dry now.
Also - when you construct a puzzle, you target a day-o'-week (e.g. Monday-Tuesday hard) but then the editor needs a Thursday so difficultizes [TM - I own that word now :-)] the clues via modification. Or turn it around and make a Wednesday Monday-easy.
Also, sometime, just maybe, a constructor is cute-by half and the editor slaps it down. *humbles head* :-)
Cheers, -T
Ballerinas do not dance on their tippy toes. Point shoes are designed to support the foot at the bridge, which is directly behind the toes. When Anna Pavlova was being considered for the Russian School of Ballet (I may have the name wrong) I guess now it's the Bolshoi, her feet were looked at very cary carefully. She had a wide bridge, a great arch, and I think maybe her first three toes were about the same length. That would go a long way to being comfortable in point shoes. Although lambs wool certainly helps. Can anyone one tell I once took point?
That being said, I loved the answer tippy toes.
Becky
Hooray, sasses in xword same spot two days in a row. Samis live in the northern areas of Scandenavia. They are treated like second class citizens, much as the African Americans in the USA.
Becky - I know of what you speak...
Both my Girls were in Ballet and one went onto En Pointe class (she still dances but competitively at the HS with a team). The slippers/shoes have blocks around the toes supporting the ball of the foot and are not cheep! [~$150]. AND they only last a couple of months when the Girls really get going.
-T
Becky: aren't braced/reinforced/supported tippy toes still tippy toes? If not, then it's hard to imagine what use that phrase could have.
Enquiring minds want to know...
Inquiring mind say...
Brian - I've associated (PARTNER'd?) TIPPY TOES with toddlers or children frolicking though the Tulips (no, I will not link Tiny Tim)...
So, I did a little Google'ng and found this article [it's the internet so - be a bit skeptical]. What I found interesting in that article - my left foot is clubby (no, not the party-scene) and I fall on the light-side of the autism spectrum.
And! I do walk/run sans heel. My trainer has been working me to move my weight heel-back and to the left while dropping my left shoulder - it's really helped the lower back and left knee (which kept popping out of joint).
TMI? :-)
Cheers, -T
I shared your pain today.
Wow! Marina Sirtis really is that gorgeous! Thank you for posting the photos, Picard.
I've never watched the Simpsons either and likely never will. I just don't like animation.
My grandson asked for Pokemon cards and it appears that EVERY store is out of them! He will have to wait until his birthday.
Saturday Stumpers are way out of my league,
but I can still aspire, can't I...
Brian Paquin, re: taken in = eaten
I actually liked it.
Let's say the clue was "consumed" instead.
Easier yes, but lacking Taken ins double meaning...
however, being very silly,
I would have clued "eaten" as "kicked out of a premier English College..."
What struck me as a stretch was send = elate.
Yes, I guess it could be true, but only in the frame of reference of one generation.
I just can't see anyone sending someone as a good thing outside of the 50's...
(unless you boxed some one for a cheap flight...)
What really has me wondering, is why some one would put Messrs in a puzzle,
and then clue it Mr. & Mr.???
If I got stuck with Messrs, I would give up puzzle constructing
before using what I interpret as an English abbreviation for a French abbreviation.
(but then I give up just trying to solve the dang thingies...)
Unfortunately, I have no recollection of Tommy Tune.
Whenever the name comes up in puzzle,
it makes me think of Tommy Steele...
Hmm,
instead of aspiring,
I am happy to just keep on respiring...
CED - I read Tommy Tune and kept thinkin' of Tommy Tutone [8675-309 - 3:52] and wanted -ON- == song 'cuz he only had that single that hit the charts.
While I have your attention CED (aka Mr. Flight Simulator) - What do you think of Circular Runways? Pro and NAE
//I heard about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and L'dIU 'cuz it was pouring buckets and I could't get to chores.
Anyone with more flight experience outside of CED's video games care to chime in?
Bound to over-post today - aka, -T say
Cheers!
Addendum:
If you have never seen Finians Rainbow,
You are missing 3 hours of a very silly movie
with great music...
"And"
(spoiler alert)
If you watch it all the way thru, you will find out
how Menthol Tobacco was invented...
If you watch the Simpsons,
you will find out
how Tomacco was invented...
As usual, I don't like Larson's cluing style. I started in NE and went around the globe easily until I caved in the NW. One example: SWEATS OUT for SWEATS IT OUT. But mentioning a Jay Ward character "Bullwinkle" reminded what a genius Jay was. He was clever at making a kid's cartoon show appeal to an older audience by inserting clever palindromes referencing current events and celebrities (i.e. "the Kirwood Derby") in all of his work. My favorites were his "Twisted Fairy tales". Still watch them today.
Unknown, I'd forgotten about Kirwood Derby. Yup! pretty damn funny stuff, even for kids.
The Boris et al semi-theme made me recall this from a couple of years back on FacePlant, and it's worth chiming in: Moose y Squirrel
ANon-T?
Circular runways?
I watched with interest, as it would solve some problems.
but as a Flier, I was thinking this is going to be terrible
on wheel rubber wear, as all those turns?
(not to mention side slip/cross wind/how do you keep up)
(with the goddamn crosswinds etc)
But before I went on to watch the Naes,
I thought, this may be a possible venue for a new type of racing.
When snowplows clear the runway, we can bet on the winner!
(insiders get a handicap...)
Naes...
Hmm, I think it just makes the Rat Race a little more interesting...
(plus, you could not pay anyone to to do air traffic control...)
Trying to figure out how I became Gary Larson..
But it seems that I had forgotten something that I used to know very well, that tippy toes does not have to mean the tips of the toes. Walking on just the flat toes qualifies as tippy toes. It's been a while since I was a kid.
Brian,
Don't mess with the Crossword Syndicate,
(they will change your name...)
Anon-T (& others...)
You reminded me of a fable...
Kirwood Derby needs linkage for context say...
Love the MOOSE & SQRRL TAG link AveJoe! -T
//If I had more posts, I'd tell the whole story of my workstation that I named NATASHA from said cartoon and about the time I broadcast-ed the message "Bite Me" by accident (a netbios netsend meant for one guy but I put a * in the command...) which almost got me fired. I took the blame with boss but the client thought it was the new girl, serendipitsitly (word?), named NATASHA. She didn't get fired either (she wouldn't have know how to it) but it was funny - Imagine >300 computers on the floor beeping and getting a pop-up that says 'Bite Me' going off at once.
Ooops. :-)
I have always thought of TIPPY TOES as what you are on when you are 46" high and the cookies are on a 60" counter just daring you to grab one and eat it. You can almost fly. I have seen pictures of ballerina's feet... no thank you. It is interesting that in doing crossword puzzles (which I have done since I was a very little boy) and now discussing them here at the corner, I have learned much about myself. For example, I am a foot snob, with my own concept of pretty feet.
The SIMPSONS has both sophisticated and childish humor. Speaking of which the Thai word for "husband" is sami (สามี).
BP, thank you for all that you do for Saturdays and entertaining our band. HG, you are a gem. Tony, you are irrepressible.
Tony, yup! Kirwood Derby with Boris kissing ass so vividly is a genuine trip back to an innocent childhood. Those were indeed the days!
To my knowledge, I've never been guilty of a "reply all" faux pas. But it's only been by the grace of whatever deity might have been watching out for me. I can see clearly how you might have been drawn into that scenario.
Re: the R & B show.
During training, whenever a colleague received something in his mailbox we'd ask
"Fan mail from some flounder?"
Brian Paquin thank you for stopping by. I very much enjoyed your puzzle.
I am not sure why MESSRS got such a hostile reaction. I first heard the word when I was eight years old when my father bought his only Beatles record: Sgt Pepper. The song "Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite" has a relevant line.
MESSRS K. and H. assure the public Their production will be second to none
Is anyone else familiar with that use of MESSRS?
Lucina thank you for the kind words about my TROI/Marina Sirtis photos. Yes, she was even more beautiful in real life than on the screen. And also hilariously funny!
I agree with everyone who noted the brilliance of the Bullwinkle cartoons as also having great depth despite "just being cartoons". They are the court jesters of our modern times. They are able to say things that cannot be said directly.
Becky thank you for the learning moment about how ballerinas are able to appear to stand on their TIPPY TOES. As one who sometimes rides a six foot high unicycle, the TIPPY TOES ballet thing impresses me a lot!
...and who could forget forget The Ruby Yacht of Omar Khayyam
Rock & Bullwinkle - The Ruby Yacht
Oh my! The Kerwood Derby and the Ruby Yacht of Omar Khayyam brought back such memories. The obvious tagline about the yacht was a hoot in that Bullwinkle said "if your waiting for me to say it, you've got a long wait coming" and the jeweler said 'I didn't' have the guts to say it". Then Rocky laid out the punch line which was so fun for adults and just another line said by a cartoon character. Gotta love it!
Rocky and Bullwinkle was a great adjunct to my Mad Magazines.
Brian really added a lot to our discussion today as well!
I often find myself looking at the world through the eyes of Don Martin.
No doubt about it. Blogger needs a rec button!! Yar!
I used to watch Rocky and Bulwinkle and I swear I think I'm the same age-ish as everyone here, but that reference would have gone completely over my head.
although my sister taught me a lot about Omar Kayyem I think we're spelling the name wrong
We're talking about a jug of wine a loaf of bread and you in the wilderness? Or someplace?
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