Chairman Moe here, with a CSO to Boomer, Husker Gary, TTP, and yours truly (others, too?), who are admitted golfers who also like to solve (and blog) crossword puzzles. Bruce Haight gave us a semi-themed puzzle today that evoked a plethora of play-on-words, all related to the sport purported to have been invented by the Scots several centuries ago. Most of these were "tap-ins" for this former "scratch" golfer.
And while I found a "fair way" to solve the golf terms, I was hitting "out of the rough" on many of the crossing words. Too many to list here but I suppose others didn't hit all of the "greens in regulation". If I had to (54-Down. Formally record(s),): POST(s) my golf score on this puzzle, I'd say that I "shot over par". But soon after solving, I visited my personal "19th hole" and had a celebritory libation! Let's see if you all found this a fair test, or were always hitting out of a "bunker".
18-Across. Difficult golf shot?: HARD DRIVE. My first HARD DRIVE I can recall was on the hole following the hole on which I had my first hole-in-one. My playing partners offered little pressure, but if I recall, I snap-hooked it and wound up getting a double-bogey.
The play-on-words phrase HARDDRIVE is a reference to the device that operates your computer, which must have pleased the 25-Down. Nerdy type(s): GEEKs.
24-Across. Breakfast spot for golfers?: DOUGHNUT HOLE. Ok, who else among us first entered "SAUSAGE LINKS" as this answer?! I know I did!! Not that DOUGHNUT HOLE isn't a good entry, but I wish Bruce had used the other, as it would've saved me a number of three-putts!!
But for breakfast, I know I've had these before:
38-Across. Low-quality golf equipment?: MICKEY MOUSE CLUB. As the perps emerged, I saw the erstwhile MICKEY MOUSE CLUB come into view. The term "Mickey Mouse" has been used to denote something of lower quality. I have a good friend who used to work for WDW in Orlando, and whenever I visited him he treated me to a round of golf on several of the courses there. We even saw this famous rodent teeing off:
49. Golf simulator shot?: COMPUTER CHIP. Very clever! Golf simulators have been around for several years, and I'm guessing their HARD DRIVES must use a COMPUTER CHIP to capture the images portrayed on the screen.
A CHIP shot is one that is hit from an area close to the putting green, usually with a pitching wedge. But as the video below shows, pro golfer Phil Mickelson has perfected a CHIP shot that no simulator could ever match:
60-Across. Place to meet single golfers?: DATE RANGE. Another clever use of a computer phrase (see image) that is used primarily on Excel Spreadsheets
As well as perhaps where wouldbe lovers might arrange for their first "date", as this clip from one of my favorite golf movies suggests; there were so many to choose from:
As I recall, there are 18 holes in golf, and we've but played 5. Actually there are far more than 13 clues and solves remaining. And since common courtesy among golfers is to complete the round in 4 hours or less, I will do my best to maintain a brisk pace of play!
Across:
1. Hard to rattle: STOIC. Being STOIC is being calm and almost without any emotion. When you're stoic, you don't show what you're feeling and you also accept whatever is happening. This little guy being STOIC with his rattle!
6. Easy-to-read sign: NEON. I'm pretty sure that this purveyor used NEON in his tavern's sign. I can read it just fine!
10. Two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and teammates: METS. First golf and now baseball?? I bet the solvers of this puzzle who aren't sports fans must be livid right now!!
14. "The Metamorphosis" author: KAFKA. All right! Finally, a clue that is not sports-related, but is all about the fine arts. Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist. "The Metamorphosis" tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect. Biographical?
15. Big show: EXPO. EXPO's, aka "trade fairs" are business and industry's means to show off, in a big way, their merchandise and services. This blogger spent many years participating in the PACK EXPO, which was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. With over 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, McCormick Place is the largest and most flexible use convention center in North America.
16. Miami Heat coach Spoelstra: ERIK. Golf, then baseball, and now basketball, too??! Erik Jon Celino Spoelstra (born November 1, 1970) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2012 and 2013, with star forward LeBron James, the Miami Heat won back-to-back NBA Championships
17. Gather: INFER. Sometimes a picture is worth a 1,000 words
21. Approximately: CIRCA. An old word that refers mostly to an old, and approximate date in time. As in this example: c. 1732 – 1799: The beginning year is approximate; the end year is known precisely; where the c. is the abbreviation for CIRCA
23. "__, right?!": I KNOW. The phrase made popular by Jimmy Fallon (c. 2000) and probably attributed to Tina Fey. Or maybe in this song that I randomly found ... "Google" it and you can find it ...
27. Deck chair wood: TEAK. This hard wood comes from a deciduous tree that grows in tropical regions of the world. Known for both its strength, durability, and water resistance
34. Dismissive sound: PFFT. For fans of The Office:
42. Número pequeño: UNO. Literally translated, Número pequeño means a "small number". UNO, Spanish word for "one", is both a small number as well as a lonely number, as the '60's Rock 'n' Roll band "Tres Perro Noche" tells us:
43. WNBA broadcaster: ESPN. Oh dear God, when will these sports clues end??!! Women's National Basketball Association --> Entertainment and Sports Programming Network . . .
44. Fretted fiddles: VIOLS. Once again, Wikipedia to the rescue. The fun of blogging is learning things you thought you knew but didn't
45. Easygoing folks: TYPE B'S. But what if their blood is "A Negative"?!
48. Desk set: PENS. Remember when PENS were something fashionable and had status? I doubt many TYPE B'S owned one of these:
55. State in two time zones: IDAHO. Off the top of my head, I am thinking that TEXAS would've fit as another 5-letter state spanning two time zones. I am seeing IDAHO more and more these days in xword puzzles; it's akin to MAINE and OHIO as being small-letter states with multiple vowels. Always good for a constructor to use in crosses
58. Wide variety: ARRAY. Moe-ku:
The poster with wide59. Italian diminutive suffix: INO. Wiktionary has a boat load of them
Variety of Dad jokes?
ARRAY-O-Sunshine!
62. Soup veggies: OKRAS. Looks yummy
64. Sporty Camaro: IROC. I had TTOP at first. Hot Rod Dot Com has an interesting opinion about this model of Camaro
65. "That Is NOT a Good __!": Mo Willems children's book: IDEA. How can anything written by a guy named "MO" be bad?!
66. Food pkg. info: NET WT. The net quantity of contents is a statement on the label that shows the net weight (often abbreviated, NET WT.) of food in a package. Only the net weight of the food is included in this statement; the weight of the container, wrapper or packing is not included. However, any water or other liquid added to food, or propellant used in an aerosol, can be included in the net weight. This statement must be distinct and must be placed in the lower 30 percent of the principal display panel.
67. Like dungeons, typically: DANK. Unlike this definition: "The term 'DANK' is often used to describe a meme in which the comedy is excessively overdone and nonsensical, to the point of being comically ironic. I can relate to that!
68. Support at sea: MAST. This is another word that fits into a lot of xword puzzles with its common letters. There are 15 four-letter words that can be made with "__AST"
69. Makes more bearable: EASES. See 68-Across comment, but there are only 11 five-letter words using "__ASES" . . .
OK, on to the back nine!
Down:
1. Made tracks?: SKIED. Cross Country Canada has a tutorial for making snow tracks. They will hopefully look like the picture below afterwards . . .
2. Non __: not so much, in music: TANTO. Learning moment. Defined as an adverb: (especially as a direction after a tempo marking) too much. "allegro non tanto". Hmm ... and I was thinking this Moe-ku instead:
The LR's sidekick
Was excessive. Masked man said:
"You're TANTO, Tonto"
3. One working a security detail, perhaps: OFF DUTY COP. This article offers some insight into OFF DUTY COPS and their moonlighting details . . .
4. Mike and __: candy: IKE. These were Eisenhower's favorites. Notice the "NET WT." on the package
5. "Fast & Furious" staple: CAR CHASE. "Fast and Furious" the movie series. Nine of 'em. And in case you wondered, the correct order to watch them is: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 3, 7, 8, and, (for now) "Hobbs and Shaw." There are also two official "Fast and Furious" shorts that take place before the second and fourth movies. There's also another film, "Better Luck Tomorrow," which is considered a prequel for franchise character Han. So many clips to choose from:
6. Indira Gandhi's father: NEHRU. He's a fashion designer, no? Fortunately my body size and shape was not a candidate for wearing one ...
7. __ change: EXACT. Most toll roads are going away from booths and collection lanes (EXACT change only) in favor of the E-ZPass or as we had in Florida, SunPass. I'd vote for getting rid of toll roads completely ...
8. Harpo Productions CEO: OPRAH. Harpo is OPRAH spelled backwards
9. Go-ahead: NOD. For the Guardians of the Galaxy fans, "I am Groot":
10. German chancellor since 2005: MERKEL. Angela Dorothea MERKEL (née Kasner; born 17 July 1954) is a German politician who has been Chancellor of Germany since 2005. Lots of info about her if you click on this link
11. "The Night Circus" novelist Morgenstern: ERIN. Erin Morgenstern (born July 8, 1978) is an American multimedia artist and the author of two fantasy novels. Here she is in 2011
12. Record for later: TIVO. Using the word "TIVO" as a verb fits this clue. "TIVO" as a noun is a brand name for a Digital Video Recorder. After a quick read of its history, TIVO seems to have lacked the marketing and/or sales leadership to have captured the digital video recording market when it had the brand recognition
13. Slant: SKEW.
19. Pickle herb: DILL. All you ever wanted to know about DILL
22. HP product: INK. Hewlett-Packard. Printer. INK.
26. Stable supply: OATS. They say that horses are among the smartest animals
29. Top choices: POLO SHIRTS. A Friday clue for sure. "Top" as in what you wear between your waist and your neck. POLO SHIRTS can denote either a generic type of pullover top (usually made of cotton or synthetic fiber) or the specific brand. And since today's puzzle is about golf, why not show an image of a Pro Golfer who's paid by Ralph Lauren to wear their POLO SHIRTS?
30. Fidel's successor: RAUL. The Brothers Castro of Cuba. Since today's puzzle is about golf (and other sports popped up, too) I might've suggested that Bruce use the clue: Madrid footballer
31. Golf balls, e.g.: ORBS.
32. Salacious stuff: SMUT. Hmm. I don't see salacious below . . . must be the "Friday" definition for SMUT!
33. Lilliputian: TINY. The Lilliputians are a society of people around six inches in average height, but with all the arrogance and sense of self-importance associated with full-sized humans. From the book Gulliver's Travels
34. Indian VIPs: PMS. Prime MinisterS. Moe-ku:
She had P.M.S.
Her Doctor said, "It's just an
Ovary action."
35. Clotheshorse: FOP. In the literal sense of the word:
36. First answer in the first-ever published crossword: FUN. The first-ever crossword puzzle ran in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. Looks like FUN!
39. Polite assent: YES'M. Contraction for "yes ma'am". Which is a contraction for "yes madam".
40. All of us: EVERYONE. How's EVERYONE doing today?
41. POTUS, per Article II, Section 2: C IN C. Commander IN Chief. #46 began his 4-year term as CINC on Wednesday
46. Payment option: E-CHECK. Provide the on-line merchant with your bank's routing number and your bank account number, and "voila", you've created an E-CHECK
47. Uncultured one: BOOR. Moe-ku:
Crude South African48. Soup veggie: PEA. Clecho; didn't we have OKRA as today's soup veggie?
And a few ill-mannered Brits
Fought in the BOOR War
50. __ Express: fast-food chain: PANDA. I've never had PANDA. Does it taste like chicken?
51. Impulses: URGES.
52. Pick up the tab: TREAT. Do you think that Tramp picked up the tab?
53. Dazzled: IN AWE. I'm IN AWE every time I finish a Friday puzzle. You?
55. "Look what __!": I DID. Every kid's favorite saying!
56. Uber CEO Khosrowshahi: DARA. Perps solved this. I had no clue other than what Bruce gave us, and that didn't help. Here is a brief biography
57. Oodles: A TON. 2,000 pounds (A TON) would be oodles, methinks
61. Asset in darts: AIM. This guy's got phenomenal AIM. Amazing
63. Mauna __: KEA. Well, it was going to be either KEA or LOA. And to end the "round", how about one more golf photo with Mauna Kea in the background?
The Grid:
So, how did YOU hit 'em today? See you soon . . .
FIWrong. :-( Had no idea about the Miami coach, and 10d was one of my early entries, but I misspelt her as MaRKEL.
ReplyDeleteThe Internet of Things is coming your way!
Not even tomorrow, it's already here today!
Your fridge will give you news,
Coffee maker book your cruise,
And Tinder be updated to your new DATE RANGE display!
I'll bet you remember how it used to be,
Before we had TIVO, or even D.V.D.
For Annette you'd long
And daily sing the song:
"M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E!"
{B, A.}
Wilbur asked yesterday if there was a patron saint of crosswords, so I've been doing some research, and put together this report.
ReplyDeleteSt. Lawrence, aka San Lorenzo
At the beginning of August 258, the Emperor Valerian issued an edict that all bishops, priests, and deacons should immediately be put to death. Pope Sixtus and others were beheaded within days, leaving Deacon Lawrence the ranking Church official. On 10 August, he suffered a martyr's death.
After the death of Sixtus, the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence turn over the riches of the Church. Lawrence defied him by giving all the material wealth to the poor, and conspiring to hide and protect the written documents of the Church. (For this, Lawrence is known as the patron saint of archivists and librarians.) The prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared with hot coals beneath it, and had Lawrence placed on it. (Hence Lawrence's association with the gridiron and puzzle grids.) After the martyr had suffered pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he cheerfully declared: "I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!" (From this St. Lawrence derives his patronage of cooks, chefs, and comedians.)
In the splendid basilica La Neapolis Sotterrata - Complesso Monumentale San Lorenzo Maggiore, there is, not surprisingly, a cryptic riddle "Quid? Omnia. Quid Omnia? Nihil. Si Nihil, cur Omnia? Nihil ut Omnia" (that means: "What? Everything. What is Everything? Nothing. If Nothing, why Everything? Nothing for Everything" or "Nothing like Everything" because in Latin "ut" could mean "for, in order to" but also "like, as").
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteSlogged through this one, but it was a lengthy slog. Still, finished in C-Moe's "4 hours or less," so life is good. I usually like Bruce's puzzles; this one, not so much. Thanx for 'splainin' it all, C-Moe. (I'm one of those TYPE Bs who is A Negative. The Navy screwed that up and made me A Positive on my dogtags.)
TEAK: The flight deck on our aircraft carrier was made of TEAK. A ship's original crew are known as "plank owners." When the ship was decommissioned, they were presented with a commemorative piece of the deck.
TIVO: For several years I had a TIVO-branded DirecTV receiver. Those were the pre-DVR days.
C-Moe wrote: "Comedy is excessivly overdone." That seems appropriate for the latest TV offerings starring Ted Danson and Mayim Bialik. Blech!
Finished the course in 7:46 today. "Pfft" was the last hole for me because I'm unfamiliar with "clotheshorse" and I wasn't around for that first crossword puzzle.
ReplyDeleteBelated happy birthday to the blog.
Arrrrrgh! I missed the R in IROC and DARA. Both unknowns but I guessed N. Maybe next time I'll remember the Camaro model. So close...
ReplyDeleteI saw the theme with no problem and EASEd around the puzzle enjoying the clever clues. A few WOs as I tried different possibilities for AIM, SMUT, and BOOR. Yes, IDAHO is shaping up as a useful state. Thanks Bruce. No complaints from me. And thanks C Moe for all the information and humor! Enjoy the beginning of the weekend, EVERYONE.
Good Morning,
ReplyDeleteI didn't get to yesterday's puzzle until last night. Thank you for all the Birthday wishes. I appreciate them and all of you very much. Yesterday was amazingly busy. After my ZOOM Italian class, I went out to lunch with my dearest friend. Well, since all the restaurants here are still closed--except for a renegade few--we were able to eat outside on a bench. It was a beautiful sunny day, so the 40 degree temperature felt like Spring. I know, I know. . . . No I'm not kidding! The rest of the day was telephone time. All my kids called, and my son, who lives nearby, stopped in with his family. Everyone wears masks, and we have "assigned seating" in the living room. Some of the best calls were from my now-teenage grandkids! We had lovely visits. Fun!!
CC: You gave me a break, I'm really 73--60 years older than the Corner. Thank you. Also, thank your for posting the photo of the four of us. Those lunches were such fun. Missing Brad. . . .
CED: Thanks for the amazing Birthday Cake!
Bill G: Hugs and more hugs. Don't be afraid to reach out here or to local grief groups.
Grazie. Merci. I appreciate your good wishes. I'm off to do today's puzzle. See you again later, Janice
Traditionally, caddies originally were the cadets that carries Mary Queen of Scots clubs during her exile in France myth or not
ReplyDeleteThose Scots have an expression: "If there's nae wind, there's nae golf."
For 14A I thought of metamorphoses by Ovid
I had to perp the K on Spoelstra. Lost LeBron but kept his job
Was it yesterday that we learned OKRAS bruise easily?
I had NO MSG for a wo along with Tape/TIVO and that c/K.
We had Mass PIKE recently. The toll was sold as temporary. The excess, on top of maintenance should go straight to Public Trans. Right, Picard?
PANDA is the only place in FLA I've found that cooks chow menu right
C-Moe, if you're AWED finishing Fri you'll be dazzled if you finish Sat
The Tampa Trans Comm fought Uber tooth and nail. They had the odd idea that since cabs and other publix trans payed a fee to pick up at TPA then Uber should too. Such fools*.
Owen A indeed. The Sixtus equivalent is banning on Twitter
My last change for the FIR was KoA to KEA
WC
* Then they enlisted cabbies to spy in Uber and the TB-Times* was up in arms.
* So much for being a liberal newspaper
Good morning EVERYONE.
ReplyDeletePerps were ample and several WAGS were spot-on, so FIR. The DARA/IROC crossing was a Natick for me; just guessed right. Verrry lucky. The theme phrases were all very much in the language, so that made the overall solve EASier. Agree with the IDAHO comments. Friday tough but fair. BZ to BH.
DOUGH…… - - Another example of English losing the glide 'G' sound. German Teig; L. German Deeg, Dutch deeg.
Morgenstern translates to "morning star".
FLN - Swamp Cat; thank you for the kind word.
Thanks CM for another excellent 'hot wash-up' (A debriefing held immediately after an exercise has ended.)
Bill, I just read last night’s postings. I feel so bad for you but am glad Barbara is out of her pain. My thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeleteTalk about being on the constructor's wavelength. Couldn't believe how fast this went for a Friday. A fun theme from Bruce as usual. I was fairly good at most sports as a youngster, that is, except golf. Nice swing, but no control over the direction of the ball. Too frustrating and unwilling to put in enough practice to improve so I gave it up to save my sanity. Think of all the money I've saved over the years. Come to think of it, where is that money anyway? Thanks again Bruce for a satisfying FIR.
ReplyDeleteChairman Moe: Outstanding, informative write-up & links. Good job!
ReplyDeleteWell I didn't figure out the theme until Moe explained it to me.
There were several answers that needed E,S,P. (Every-Single-Perp) but I still "Got 'er done."
Suffering with a Beautiful sunny day and 72 degrees ... it's tough living in Tarpon Springs, FL.
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset ... should be a good one.
Cheers!
Bill G, so sorry to hear that Barbara is gone. You know you're always welcome here.
ReplyDeleteJanice, a belated happy birthday to you. I saw the notice yesterday...and then forgot to mention it. They say the mind is the second thing to go.
POLO SHIRTS: I ordered a "Four Seasons Landscaping" T-shirt before Christmas. It was supposed to arrive on Jan 4-5. But on that day the USPS tracking just said, "Delayed." There were no further tracking updates until yesterday, when it was finally delivered. Now it's been so long that I've forgotten why I ordered it in the first place.
Thanks Chairman Moe- nice write-up!
ReplyDeleteMy first try at this puzzle had SHOWER CADDIE and IN FULL SWING, which Rich did not like. Golf is my favorite sport, so this had special meaning for me. Hope this stimulates you to get out on the links!
Musings
ReplyDelete-A wonderful puzzle that made me sad because of the weather this time of year.
-My course could get really crowded because it was just ranked #2 in America in The Golfers' Choice 2021: Top 25 Short Courses
-Pro and amateur basketball now is too much perimeter passing and tossing up a 3-pointer. Meh…
-At our JH dances, we always hired an OFF DUTY COP just to plant a seed
-There is a $1.25 and a $1.00 toll between Orlando International Airport and Disney World
-Don’t you feel uneasy when you send someone your charge card number and bank account info?
-My tightwad friend had a very expensive PEN collection but would wait for many rounds before he would TREAT hoping that EVERYONE would have left by then
-Nice job, Chairman
Hola!
ReplyDeleteI'm giddy with excitement! I finished a sports themed puzzle with no help though I was tempted a couple of times especially with DARA and ERIK. P and P all the way!
I finally figured out that CINC meant Commander in Chief so that finished CHIP and POSTS where I had LISTS at first. IROC has appeared in puzzles before and wasn't OKRAS in a recent one?
So that's what ESPN means. INFER is one of the most difficult concepts to teach in ESL.
After several hours of shopping at the mall, it's comforting to go to PANDA Express and have a nice meal. My favorite is sweet and sour chicken on rice.
STOIC over KAFKA tickled me for some reason though I have no idea if it applies to him.
Thank you, CMOE, for your EXPO and Bruce for the bruising.
EVERYONE have a wonderful day! I'll be elated all day after this triumph.
I have a nice fountain PEN which I rarely use because finding INK is challenging though OfficeMax occasionally stocks it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the theme fills were easy or it would have been a DNF for this TYPE-B BOOR who never liked fountain PENS. The NE had three fills that were complete unknowns- ERIN, ERIK, & Jacob deGrom (METS) that took some grinding to complete. Morgenstern (morning star) that I've heard of- RHODA. DARA & TANTO were filled by perps.
ReplyDeleteE-CHECK- not in my lifetime. Credit card only.
Don't like toll roads? Take the slow lane. But tolls are billed oppositely of the way they should be billed. They discount the tolls the most for those who use them and wear them out and stick it to the occasional user.
Golf? Moe's "hitting out of the rough" is my fairway. I haven't hit a ball in 18 months due to bursitis, sciatica, and a couple of pulled muscles. Need to get back on the course. I've seen Phil hit those shots before but he mentioned 'holding or carrying' the ball on the club. I've sorta done it TWICE on the same hole, not on purpose. On my follow through my wedge caught the MOVING ball and sent it backwards-away from the green. Bad stroke plus a penalty for hitting a moving ball. Ended up with a 13 on the hole. Also put it in the water-twice.
MOE- JT is on the PC police's feces list and they coerced RL to drop him.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWell, I got a good laugh at myself when I discovered my sure-thing entry of Mickey Mouse Trap was incorrect. But it fit the theme so well! My other faux pas were Ini/Ino and Dark/Dank. I liked the duos of Fop/Cop and Kea/Pea and the crossing of Eric and Erin, both unknowns, as was Dara. My favorite C/A was Top choices=Polo Shirts, which took forever to parse. The only themer phrase that I was unfamiliar with was Date Range.
Thanks, Bruce, for treating us with your word play talents and thanks, Ch. Moe, for a super-duper write-up and great links and visuals. Lady and Tramp brought a smile, as usual.
DO @ 6:57 ~ I haven’t seen Mayim’s show-I don’t even know the title or when it’s on, but because I’ve always liked Ted Danson, I tuned into the pilot and after 10 minutes of excruciatingly sophomoric “humor”, changed the channel. Thinking maybe I was too quick to write it off, I tuned into the second show and that mistake lasted only about 5 minutes. I have concluded that today’s humor, e.g., what passes for humor, leaves me cold.
FLN
Bill G, I’m so sorry for your loss and pain. We are here for you, always.
Have a great day.
A puzzle filled with Haight
ReplyDeleteLike the first clue I started off STOIC, as I knew I was doomed right off. In the NE corner I stuck with save for TIVO: ergo Coach Spoelstra, the Cy Young winners and Morganstern's name shot blanks. In the opposite SW corner Kosrowshahi (there's a mouthful) and the sporty camarro also drew an empty square
Though being 70 and thus too young to play golf plus possessing only basic computer skills the rest of the puzzle was a fast, fun Friday. .
Can't leave out the obligatory Enoun. OPRAH is in the clue spelled backward(s). (Bending but not breaking CW rules? 🤔)
My niece played the viola in a string group. But VIOL? LIU: (see Moe's wiki reference) also called viola da gamba "leg viola" played against the leg like a cello...INO, Italian diminutive suffix, thus violino, violin, "little viola" (don't know why the gender shift). Italian augementative suffix, one "la tromba", the trumpet, "il trombone" the big trumpet (another gender shift) add a "slide" and you have our trombone. CIRCA (cheer-kah)"about"...There's the bell, class is over. 🥱🥱
Munching on my breakfast cereal before school wondered where the NET was mentioned in print on the box 😲.. Enjoyed an occasional DOUGHNUT HOLE till I started using MEDICARE .
PETA targets, those _____ INFER
Crackpot personality....TYPEBS.
Old skit...EXACT
Ke-mo sah-bee utterer....TANTO
C Moe: since mid 80's I used to attend the Radiological Society of North America international conference ( largest in the world) at Mc Cormick Place.Trouble was they kept enlarging the facility to the point it was impossivle to get from one lecture to another on time. I stopped attending 5 years in favor of smaller venues.
I remember the place had its own landing strip!! 🛩
Ray-O-Sunshine, that's no landing strip, that's U.S. 41 -- it has been mistaken for a parking lot.
ReplyDeleteJust read last nights comments,
ReplyDeleteBefore I read today's I just wanted to say to
Bill G we are here for you and I will be checking up on you
Like you did for me during hurricane Sandy.
Re; puzzle
DNF
It was way out of my ballpark...
However,
I would like to post "again"
Robin Williams talking as a Scotsman about golf,
But I guess I would be taking a Mulligan...
However,
I take exception with "a tool that only works in water."
This clue/answer not only stumped me,
But reminded me of a story...
(Your cue to fast forward)
I had to buy an inflatable boat (dinghy)
Because it was only 5 dollars.
I went out and bought a 15 dollar oar to go with it.
However, when I blew it up it was only big enough for my butt...
(Hilarious pics of me floating in my pool avail on request)
The oar was relegated to my garage,
Until DW insisted I buy 25 bags of red mulch and redo the dang landscaping.
Rather than get down on hands and knees, I dumped the mulch in
Separate little piles, and used the oar to spread it around.
It also worked well as a trowel to add scoops of mulch under
Hard to reach areas like under hedges...
Because I refuse to waste 15 dollars,
Tomorrow I will try it out as a golf club...
missing image from above post
ReplyDeleteThanks Bruce for a fun and challenging puzzle. It was one of those that started out with very few gimme's but over time things came into focus - very satisfying that way. My first theme answers were HARD DRIVE and COMPUTER CHIP so I thought there would be a golf/technology tie-in. Even DATE RANGE could be considered computer related. So a bit of a let down when that ball didn't drop, but all good. Especially liked the mental gymnastics needed for C-IN-C.
ReplyDeleteThanks C-moe for the ALL PRO nod to the underloved GOAT! It put a smirk on this New Englander.
Re. "Gave up the game because…"
ReplyDeletePerfect P-Name, Shank-ers. Btw, I was a golf fanatic from picking up a club in the 80s to ironically coming to FLA and not having the time. When I'm away from the game I hate to go out and play poorly. One of my classmates used to get me out once a year. On the back nine we played Senior tees and with 7-wood and short irons I nearly broke 40 but I still had to putt.
Yep, Tin, didn't we have a beautiful sunset hier.
Gary, I agree on current state of b-ball.
IM, the Danson trailers were all I needed. He's come a long way since Cheers (down)
BillG, Misty put it succinctly and perfectly.
CED, lol. We're currently mulching ourselves, what a great idea.
WC
DO: Maybe this is what I saw out the window hurrying to the next lecture
ReplyDeleteThe runway at Meigs Field was nearly 3,900 by 150 ft (1,189 by 46 m). In addition, there were four public helicopter pads at the south end of the runway, near McCormick Place.
Very easy for this late in the week. I used to play golf when I was in elementary school. I tell my golfer friends that I’ll take it up again when I get too old to run. My wife was an English teacher, so I know more about literature than what I’ve read myself, including KAFKA.
ReplyDeleteA few too many sports names for moi, today. Otherwise, an engaging Xwd from Mr. Haight.
ReplyDeleteLoved Owen's opening poem!
Glad to learn about the first ever cruciverbal fill at 36D. Oh, what they started!
~ OMK
____________
DR: Only one diagonal today, on the far side, NE to SW.
It is a good one, though. It explains why, even before the current pandemic, we were well inclined to observe social distancing from many a 25D.
The answer will be found in the anagrammatic (14 of 15 letters!) response.
The cause is the...
"DORK'S HALITOSIS"!
ReplyDeleteFrom yesterday....
Bill G - so sorry for your loss. You always have friends here. Day by day...
Also from yesterday...
I drink Tetley British Blend tea. But because I drink from a mug and not a teacup I use 2 bags to allow for the extra water. I also worked with an Englishman before retirement, one day he wandered over and asked about the tea aroma. I gave him some bags, after brewing he told me it was as good as anything he drank in England.
Lots of names today. Usually I just plow through but it did seem to be an excessive amount of names,
Stay safe.
Frantic Friday. Thanks for the fun, Bruce (thanks for dropping by) and CMoe.
ReplyDeleteOfficially a DNF as I got bogged down in the NE and SE corners.
My age is showing since I was trying to "record for later" with a tape. TIVO is the modern way! And of course, I needed to Google ERIK.
In the SE, I was Agape instead of IN AWE.
But it was a learning experience today, and I LOLed at MICKEY MOUSE CLUB!
Lots of golf in the themers plus ORBS and POSTS. Loved how you expanded on the golf theme CMoe. (And your ARRAY-O-Sunshine!)
It took a while to parse TYPEBS and POLOSHIRTS.
OAR clue brought a smile.
There was almost a Natick cross of ERIN and ERIK, but I WAGged correctly. "I KNOW, right" was a little obscure also IMO.
My "Easy-to-read sign" was Stop before NEON.
I debated between Dark and DANK (hello IM).
I noted TEAK crossing GEEK.
Interesting to see Indian PMS and NEHRU (their first PM; Indira Ghandi was their first female PM). But PMS could have also been clued as Canadian VIPs.
This Canadian does not have your Constitution Articles and Sections memorized but I did think of Commander in Chief. Do you really shorten it to CINC?? The first foreign leader call by your new POTUS (CINC) Biden will be today with our PM Trudeau.
I'm with Big Easy about ECHECKs. I don't think they are readily available/popular here in Canada (although I see they can be used at Casinos!). I prefer E-transfer which does seems to be more controlled by the buyer/donor and frequently also requires a password.
PANDA Express is not familiar to me. I LIUed and we have 8 in Canada (6 of which are in Alberta, 2 in Toronto area).
FLN - thanks AnonT for explaining WORD. I have never heard it used as an agreement word like Amen. Another learning moment.
BillG - I am so sorry to hear of your loss. You will have many years of memories, which may be painful at first, but hopefully will also bring comfort. We are here and happy to listen to you express your sadness. And maybe doing the CW and listening to our reactions, stories and banter may lift your spirit.
Wishing you all a good day.
AnonymousPVX: I was raised on Red Rose Tea and find "off-tastes" in any of the other brands. But I do love a cup of Darjeeling Tea (using tea leaves) if I am indulging in High Tea at the Prince of Wales Drawing Room in NOTL.
ReplyDeleteTea is always better IMO when steeped in a teapot (rather than dropping the tea bag into the cup). Our Canadian tea bags have no attached string! I make a whole pot of tea (about 6 cups) for DH and myself at supper with just 1 teabag and we drink 2 cups each from the whole pot. (I have been known to water my hydrangea in the summer garden with cold tea!)
I should have added a step to my recipe: 4A - remove teabag from pot with a spoon.
Tea cozy will keep the pot warm for the second cup, and removing the teabag will prevent the tea from becoming too strong.
FLN, LOL Michael re adding the bourbon or whiskey (whisky in Canada)!
Thank you Bruce for this "hard driving", pun filled puzzle, which was totally engolfing. I almost made par, but was trapped in a NATICK bunker in the SW. Had not heard of either the Camaro IROC or DARA Khosrowshahi, swagged at an N not an R and thus FIW. Spitzboov did the opposite and won. And thank you CMOE for pointing that out, as I had swaggered confidently onto the course thinking I had FIR. I think it was the wind. Loved your commentary on Panda Express. And I thought only frog legs and rattlesnake tasted like chicken.
ReplyDeleteOne usually doesn't here the term NON TANTO to describe music, but rather NON TROPPO which translate the same, but doesn't fit. More common still is NON MOLTO but it doesn't quite fit the clue translating NOT MUCH.
FLN to Hungry Mother @3:21 PM re CP/M and Gary Kildall - Kildall did not go on to found Symantec. He founded Digital Research, which is no longer in business. The "legend" I cited was apparently one of many that popped up after he lost out to Gate to get a deal with IBM for what eventually became MS-DOS.
Bill
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteBruce Haight @ 9:48 -> thanks for dropping by and letting us know more about this puzzle. Still wish you'd have used "SAUSAGE LINKS" instead of "DOUGHNUT HOLE"!! :)
HG @ 9:52 -> North Bend GC looks great! The max distance (5,700 yds) is now about my norm. I used to play from the "tips" when I was a younger man, but no longer
Big Easy @ 10:29 -> Did not know about JT being ousted by RL. I should've looked deeper into the images and found another PRO who wears POLO (brand) SHIRTS
ARRAY-O-Sunshine @ 10:48 -> Another EXPO I visited both as a guest and exhibitor is in Dusseldorf, Germany. You ever been? It's way bigger than McCormick Place
WC @ 11:57 -> I, too thought about our poster shankers when I penned this blog, but I rarely use the "S" word when speaking of GOLF. That is a "disease" that is both embarrassing and difficult to cure when it shows up during a round ...
Glad that I was able to provide both insight and humor ... now, if I can only work on brevity ... one of my many New Year's Resolutions that went by the wayside!
Moe:
ReplyDeleteNever been to a conference outside the US.
Hard to imagine a place that huge.
Unrelated...Who is this "Rich" mentioned by Bruce and others bestowed with unlimited power to alter a constructionist puzzle? 😲
I no longer have a "delete" button..Happen to anyone else? Puts me in grave danger despite previewing a comment of the inability to take back something stupid once printed.🙄
Ray @ 3:49 --> Rich Norris is the editor for the LA Times Crossword Puzzle. He "works" with the constructors with their entries as well as the clues. From what I've "learned" as a newbie constructor, the editors will change the clues to either make them easier or more difficult (depending on the day the puzzle appears), as well as to make sure that certain clues are not used repeatedly.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the "delete" button either, but when I post a comment on my PC I have the choice of deleting it with the "trash can" icon located at the bottom of the post, next to the time and date stamp. That same "option" doesn't seem to follow me when I post from my iPhone. Maybe TTP can comment?
Since this puzzle was golf themed I will tell you how surprising it was to find that St. Andrew's golf course in Scotland is really small. Of course I didn't play on it (I'm not a golfer) but it was clearly visible from the bus as we drove by it.
ReplyDeleteSome more Scots golf maxims:
ReplyDeleteIf there's nae 'scuses there's nae golf
If there's nae bragg'n there's nae golf
If there's nae gambl'n there's nae golf
If there's nae cheat'n there's nae golf*
If there's nae cuss'n there's nae golf
WC
* Ok perhaps it's just telling DW you worked late or to paraphrase an old golf joke: "I'm late because I went to a strip show and made wild sex into the night!". Kaslam!! "Liar! You were out playing golf!"
The trash can icon has disappeared here. Is it still visible on other sites?
ReplyDeleteMy Trash Can is still available.
ReplyDeleteRIP Hank Aaron.
Yes, C-Moe, I probably did shank a lot of drives off the tee which makes perfect sense owing to my last name. And, so sad to hear of Hank Aaron's passing. One of the truly genuine gentlemen in baseball along with my personal hero Ernie Banks. RIP.
ReplyDeleteJustin Thomas, whose picture you used for the polo answer, was recently dropped by Ralph Lauren for what he was caught saying on camera after a missed putt.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteWhoot! Nailed It! No Googles, No WOs just a perfectly clean grid.
Thanks Bruce for the cute theme and perfect Friday challenge. Thanks for popping into the Corner as well; always love some backstory.
Moe - LOL odeKu to Ray-O. Enjoyed Blues Traveler (didn't know of that song) and Three Dog Night. Thanks for your Friday EXPO.
WOs: N/A
ESPs: ERIK | ERIN, KEA, TANTO, DARA, C IN C (really?), VIOLS
Fav: DANK - a fun word.
{B+, A} //thanks for the info on Lawrence - I just leart somthin'
LOL DR OMK - Many of my GEEK friends would only shower when their work was done; social distance indeed :-)
HungryMother - If it wasn't for DW's PhD in English, I wouldn't have heard of KAFKA either.
Speaking of DW - FIL would call stuff/situations MICKEY MOUSE Lollipop bullsh** when things were sub-par / child like. That's a Marine for you :-)
Waseeley - re: Kindall at Digital Research: hence DR-DOS which many of us ran instead of MS-DOS.
C, Eh! Our floor-admin (she helps us nerds manage schedules, events, what to get DWs for special occasions, etc) would chime in with "I KNOW, Right?" when one would complain about something that shouldn't be. Her DH is in IT too so she knows how to wrangle us :-)
Cheers, -T
Dash T @4:52PM IIRC PC users had the option of using either MS-DOS, DR-DOS or DOS-86(?). In a another Gatesian move, MS-DOs was free and the others cost extra.
DeleteCouldn't have been DOS-86 as the first PC used an 8088 processor. There was a third option though.
DeleteMoe...just to clarify...I only post from my phone..the delete buttom just recently disappeared (the word DELETE next to REPLY is gone).
ReplyDeleteI struggled with this puzzle, as I am not knowledgeable in sports. But being sort of a car buff I did know IROC. Our former neighbor had an IROC Z of which he was very proud and which he liked to show off. The last cell to fill was the K crossing ERIK and SKEW.
ReplyDeleteMy wife often, very often, says, "I know, right?"
Our deck furniture is mostly made of redwood, as is the deck itself.
I would say I'm definitely a TYPE B person.
Excellent write-up, Chairman Moe. Thank you.
OwenKL, so interesting about St. Lawrence, aka San Lorenzo! Thanks for the info.
In college we were forced to read The Metaporphosis. Many fellow students and I didn't understand it and were unable to answer the teacher's essay question on what the "symbolic meaning" of the violin music was. (I still don't know. Or care. Sheesh, just enjoy the story or play or movie or painting or photograph and don't analyze the damn thing to death.)
I used to have to attend or participate in trade shows at McCormick Place. We would all stay at the Continental Congress Hotel and walk there and back. The big bosses stayed at the Palmer House and took taxis.
Good wishes to you all.
In the military we saw terms like CINCNAV (Navy) and CINCPAC (Pacific) often.
ReplyDeleteMy posts still have the trash can icon so I can delete them after publishing. I am using a PC.
I remember that massive goof that Gary Kildall made. I had met him before, and he seemed like an affable, nice guy, not at all an arrogant CEO type of person who would snub anybody. I remember feeling so disappointed. Maybe he was a little bit too "laid back." At least his wife did give those IBM guys afternoon tea. Don't know if it was Red Rose or not.
Waseeley - IIRC, you're right; DR-DOS was ~$20 but was a bit better than MS-DOS. I didn't pay the $$ 'cuz one of my buddies passed around the install disks.
ReplyDeleteI remember that first "mine" computer - a 386DX w/ a math co-processor. It came with Windows 3.0. I wiped it (Windows) off and put DR-DOS on the box muttering "If I wanted a Mac, I'd have bought a Mac." I used that machine all through college & grad school. Even ran LISP on it, I did.
Cheers, -T
-T, what was the Microsoft operating system before windows! I never liked having to go to Windows. I felt I lost control.
ReplyDeleteI was used to Vax-Vms
WC
WC, it was MS-DOS. I didn't like Windows either. The pitch was that GUIs were "user friendly". It is still quite possible to write bad software using Windows.
DeleteAnonT: thanks for letting me know about Abejo's passing. Must have been just after my computer crashed. I knew he was in bad shape, but still sad.
ReplyDeleteSpent Friday on the computer/phone trying to get a Covid vax to no avail. Spent Sat. Morning on this slog ...DNF 1) I refuse to put "s" on OKRA which already is plural (L.A.T. editors: take note from an old English teacher!!) and never heard of DATE RANGE. NOW ON TO SAT. PUZZLE!
ReplyDelete