google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, January 19, 2021 Andrea Carla Michael & Kevin Christian

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Jan 19, 2021

Tuesday, January 19, 2021 Andrea Carla Michael & Kevin Christian

Vowel Progress with the letter "B".

17-Across. Where Alcatraz sits: SAN FRANCISCO BAY.


23-Across. Disc sport popular on college campuses: ULTIMATE FRISBEE.


38-Across. Give-it-a-test-run advice: TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.  "I" sound with a "U" vowel.


48-Across. Storied pot-of-gold spot: END OF THE RAINBOW.


59-Across. Hiding-your-eyes parent-baby game: PLAYING PEEK-A-BOO.   "U" sound with an "O" vowel

Across:
1. Prepared, as a bed: MADE.


5. Scuttlebutt: RUMOR.

10. Col. Sanders's chain: KFC.  Formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken.  KFC seems to be very popular in Egypt.  We saw many KFC restaurants in Egypt, but chose not to eat there, opting for local fare instead.


13. Soft palate feature that translates to "little grape": UVULA.  Today's Latin lesson.  This "little grape" has become a crossword staple.  It's function is to seal off the nasal cavity from the throat during swallowing.  It works well, except when you are barfing.



15. Battery terminal: ANODE.


16. Right-angle shape: ELL.

20. Towel embroidery word: HIS.


21. Like many meds: ORAL.

22. "A __ Day's Night": Beatles song: HARD.


28. Shakespearean fairy queen: MAB.  Queen Mab is referenced in Mercutio's speech in Act I, Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliette.


29. Jay of late-night TV: LENO.  Jay Leno (né James Douglas Muir Leno; b. Apr. 28, 1950) was the host of the Late Show with Jay Leno in the '90s and aughts.  I though his humor had a mean streak.



30. Lady's man: LORD.



33. "A Room of One's Own" author: WOOLF.  Virginia Woolf (née Adeline Virginia Steven; Jan. 25, 1882 ~ Mar. 28, 1941) is considered one of the most important modernist 20th century authors.  Sadly, she also suffered from depression and died by suicide at age 59.



35. Admirer: FAN.



42. Kiki, Sandra or Ruby: DEE.  Kiki Dee (née Pauline Matthews; b. Mar. 6, 1947) is a British singer; Sandra Dee (née Alexandra Zuck; Apr. 23, 1942 ~ Feb. 20, 2005) and Ruby Dee (née Ruby Ann Wallace; Oct. 27, 1922 ~ June 11, 2014) were both American actresses.

43. Brainiacs, maybe: NERDS.  Also the name of a candy.


44. Mass __: an I-90 nickname: PIKE.  The Massachusetts Turnpike is a toll road.


45. Fair: JUST.

46. "Dude!": BRO.

56. Achy: SORE.

57. What a slob makes: MESS.


58. Nitrogen-based dye: AZO.

64. Veer off course: YAW.




65. Vegan and Paleo regimens: DIETS.

66. Roadside hot dog seller: STAND.  The famous Lucky Dogs.


67. NBC staple for 45 years: SNL.  Saturday Night Live is also a crossword staple.

68. Daisy variety: OX-EYE.


69. Three in a deck: TREY.

Down:
1. __ pork: Chinese menu item: MU SHU.  Food! as our friend Steve would say.


2. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.

3. Kirsten of Spider-Man films: DUNST.  Kirsten Caroline Dunst (b. Apr. 30, 1982) also stars in On Becoming a God in Central Florida.


4. Toymaker for Santa: ELF.  Fortunately, they wore their masks this past year.

5. Charged: RAN AT.

6. Mom's brother: UNCLE.  My mom had no brothers.

7. "Surely you don't mean me?!": MOI.


8. Has too much, briefly: ODs.  As in Over Doses.

9. __ center: REC.  As in a Recreation Center.

10. Skewered dish: KEBAB.  Yummers!


11. Bell-bottom bottom: FLARE.


12. Only non-rhyming Pac-Man ghost: CLYDE.


14. Roastery draw: AROMA.

18. Many a Mideast native: ARAB.

19. Very, very: OH, SO.

24. Website for film buffs: IMDb.  As in the Internet Movie Database.

25. Polar bear hangouts: FLOES.


26. Bank (on): RELY.


27. Inside scoop: INFO.

30. Inc., in England: LTD.

31. Underground find: ORE.  A crossword staple.

32. Pastrami holder: RYE.


33. Value: WORTH.

34. Chicago airport code: ORD.  The airport code is ORD because it was originally known as Orchard Depot Airport.  The airport was renamed to O'Hare in 1949 in honor of Edward O'Hare (Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), a navy aviator who was shot down in World War II.

35. "The X-Files" org.: FBI.  The X-Files ran from September 1993 until May 2002.

36. Arctic seabird: AUK.  It's name is derived from the Icelandic word álka.  They look a little like penguins, except they can fly and are found in the Northern hemisphere.



37. TV's "Science Guy": NYE.  Bill Nye (né Willima Sanford Nye; b. Nov. 27, 1955) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.



39. Plenty, in texts: ENUF.

40. Gala: FEST.



41. "Once __ ... ": UPON.  Once Upon a time there was ... a piece of wood.  Do you know which children's story that is the opening line to?

45. Kangaroo kid: JOEY.


46. Diamond bag: BASE.


47. Daredevil dangers: RISKS.

48. TV sports awards: ESPYS.

49. Hall of Fame pitcher Ryan: NOLAN.  Nolan Ryan (né Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr.; b. Jan. 31, 1947), pitched for the New York Mets, the California Angels, the Houston Rockets Astros, and the Texas Rangers.  He was inducted into the Baseball of Fame in 1999.



50. Southern twang: DRAWL.



51. E, on a gauge: EMPTY.


52. Peanut Butter Cup creator: REESE.  Yummers!



53. Storybook elephant: BABAR.  Babar the Elephant first appeared to entertain children in 1931.  The books recount the story of a baby elephant orphaned by a hunter, who finds his way into the city.


54. Layer with a hole: OZONE.  Below is a graphic of how the Ozone layer is formed.




55. "Toy Story" cowboy: WOODY.  Voiced by Tom Hanks.


60. "Yes, indeed!": I DO!


61. Give a thumbs-down: NIX.  This informal word comes to us from the German nichts, which means nothing.

62. "__ whiz!": GEE.

63. Law firm fig.: ATT.  As in an Attorney.


Here's the Grid:



חתולה






55 comments:

OwenKL said...

On e-BAY, a BEE went to BUY a BOW,
To guard his hive from falling low.
If faced with a sting
Shot thru its wing,
A hornet would go by and never say BOO!

In space you'd weigh nil at zero GEE.
But you'll not get there with grades of DEE.
You have to work
To leave this turf,
Don't fritter your time with a flying FRISBEE!

{A-, B.}

Boomer said...

Boomer here. I am really sorry I mentioned the "Peoples Puzzler" show on the game channel yesterday. I tuned in but I only lasted about 15 minutes. Where does TV come up with this stupid stuff ??

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Does BAY-BEE-BUY-BOO constitute a theme? Oh well, it went fast, and the theme answers were interesting. Wite-Out was only needed once: FETE/FEST. Thanx, Kevin, Andrea, and Hahtoolah (loved your illustrations).

NOLAN: Nowadays he pitches his own brand of beef and foundation repairs.

WOOLF: We had to read To The Lighthouse in Freshman English. I can't tell you a single thing about it.

SNL: I suspect their cold open sequences will be less popular going forward.

RELY "Bank": When asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton said, "Because that's where the money is."

AUK: Do you suppose the entryway to an Icelandic house is the álka hall? (I'll go to my room now.)

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Crossword friends. Stay warm and stay safe. Please continue to wear your masks.

QOD: Never buy anything that you can’t illustrate on the back of a napkin. ~ Peter Lynch (b. Jan. 19, 1944), American investor

Wilbur Charles said...

CSO to OMK with Mercutio's speech re. MAB. Interesting use of poetry sans rhyme.

Thanks to Tip O'Neil*l, the PIKE was extended, first to Boston and then via the "Big Dog" to Logan airport. To save money the contractor used Summer epoxy, the girders collapsed (right onto a passenger's lap) and the Ted Williams tunnel had to be closed for a stretch. And Boston learned it couldn't function without the third tunnel.

I never could stand SNL humor. Generation thing, eh -T? I'm pre-boomer so don't say it.

NYE was a guest here too

The demise of neighborhood baseball led to the demise of sliding technique.

Ah the NOLAN Ryan for Jim Fregosi trade, a Mets disaster.

Shifty Henry said to Bugs, "For Heaven's sake
No one's looking, now's our chance to make a break"
Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said, "NIX NIX
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks." Can you name this song?

Merveilleux, Hahtoolah. This was the Monday xword we're used to. Nicely clued, no Naticks. A handful of clues I only found via the write-up.

WC

* Traded for Reagan's weapons build up

Wilbur Charles said...

And kudos Owen for two tres merveilleux poems. "Alka hall" good one, D-O

David Ball said...

Nolan Ryan pitched for the Houston Astros - the Rockets are a basketball team.

ATLGranny said...

Today's puzzle went fast with only one WO, WOlfe before WOOLF. I started only doing across clues to make it last longer. FIR and saw the aeiou sounds progress in the theme endings. Thanks, Kevin and Andrea. Good teamwork again today. Thanks also to Hahtoolah for explaining the puzzle and adding so many fun illustrations. OwenKL, nice limericks today!

Heading out soon to walk to an appointment, bundled up against the chilly temperatures. Hope you all have a good day!

inanehiker said...

Creative twist on the A-E-I-O-U progression with it being those sounds in order, but not the letter progression!

Like D-O I had FETE before FEST - but easily changed with perps!

Thanks Susan and Andrea Carla & Kevin!

staili said...

Sometimes, you're just on the same wavelength as the creators. I filled in SANFRANCISCOBAY (having been to Alcatraz -- really interesting and well worth a visit), ULTIMATEFRISBEE and ENDOFTHERAINBOW right away, which made the rest of the puzzle fall into place without too much trouble. I don't know if I've ever before gotten 3 puzzle-spanning answers immediately without needing any perps.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Easy one today. The five grid spanner acrosses MADE it so. Clean solve; FIR. Always like seeing OXEYE.
NIX - Low German 'Nix'



Madame Defarge said...

Good Morning.

Thanks, Andrea and Kevin, for a fine Tuesday offering. I have no idea why, but I didn't struggle with the long fill--of course without getting the theme. Those entries gave me lots of help on the downs. While I was working my way across, I kept wondering how D-O was faring theme-wise. ;-)

Thank you, Hahtoolah. I particularly liked your cartoon selections today. Nice chuckles.

Have a sunny day everyone.

Kevin Christian said...

Hi, this is Kevin Christian. Andrea and I made today’s puzzle.

There were so many theme answers possibilities for this puzzle that I put them all into a big spreadsheet. We decided to go with five length 15 answers because that gave us an easy way to narrow them down. We went through a few failed grids before we found one that worked.

Originally END OF THE RAINBOW was TASTE THE RAINBOW, the Skittles slogan, but Rich asked us to change it.

We put cheaters in the NW and SE corners in order to avoid WUSHU at 1-Down. We thought WUSHU was too obscure but MUSHU was totally fair.

Thanks everyone for solving!

Shankers said...

FIR with Mab and IBDB as WAGs in GT (Good Time).

Malodorous Manatee said...

Using a spreadsheet to help compose a puzzle! Great idea.
Thanks, Kevin and Andrea. Thanks also to H for the writeup with the instantly recognizable "clean" graphics. I did recognize the one used for FLOES.

Shankers said...

Oops. Meant IMDB.

Bob Lee said...

A-E-I-O-U! Loved it!

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Relatively simple as the long horizontal clues were easy to parse. Thanks, Andrea & Carla & Michael & Kevin & and you too Christian. Quite a collaboration! Great write up as usual Hahtoolah.😀

The theme? 🤔 hmmm each answer's end.
BAY, BEE, BUY, BOW, BOO? The sounds of the vowels in order? Yes! Take it away... Chairman Moe! 🎶

Speaking of vowels: K_B_B, waited till perp-filled since the spelling is so variable. roastery?? (Wha?)

Inkover: fête/FEST...(actually the same word, the circumflex over the first êindicates it was once followed by an s).

A drawlb (prolonged drawn out speech) and a twang(doubling a short vowel sound , "bay-at" for "bat) are not the same. **

TREY: technically 4 in a deck. NERD more like the a "square"...IQ unrelated.

When I was a kid my best bud's father brought back this odd plastic disc toy from an out of town meeting. We thought it was called a Wham-O because that was the name on the bag. We tried throwing it like a boomerang but it just flopped on the ground. "Frisbee" was stamped in the middle of the disc, I figured the name of the company that made it since I had a class mate with that last name. We saw no purpose to it, left it in the garage and went back to tossing a ball....

The bride wore a long train but not _____ AVAIL
Lyric poem....ANODE.
Be sorrier....RUMOR
Unlike penguins, these birds can fly so not as _____ ward. AUK

** YAW 'll hay-ave a naahhhce day.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A fun, clean puzzle with five vowel-progression grid spanners!
-Motel Clerk - “Do you mind making your own bed?” Tourist - “That’s ok.” Motel Clerk - “Great, here’s a hammer and a saw.”
-Mean? Who’s Afraid Of Virginia WOOLF dialogue is vicious!
-To no AVAIL: I keep saying, “A vehicle can YAW (crabbing) and still be on course” but we keep seeing the same cluing.
-Will the Chiefs have to RELY on a backup QB this weekend?
-Many a leg injury has resulted from sliding into an immovable BAG
-My high school classmate traded in his midwestern speech for a southern DRAWL when he moved to Tuscaloosa, AL
-I DO! In the BBC’s The Crown, it shows Charles was forced into saying it to Diana
-Lovely job as always, Susan!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I finished the puzzle with no clue about the theme but, after a few minutes of staring at the themers, the sound progression finally dawned on me. Hand up for Fete before Fest and I needed perps for the unknown Clyde. Otherwise, it was a quick and easy Monday solve. Lots of fun pairings: Ore/ORD, Try/Trey, Ell/Elf, Nye/Rye/Eye, and letter homophones, Ell/Dee/Gee. And, we had an O day with Leno, Bro, AZO, Boo, Oh So, Info, and I Do.

Thanks, Kevin and ACME, for a Tuesday treat and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the sparkling summary and fun visuals. That pastrami sandwich sure looks yummy!

Madame Defarge, nice to hear from you. (I really miss PK and hope she’s okay.) I also miss SwampCat, BlueHen, Oas, oc4beach, WikWak, and others who used to post regularly. However, life goes on, it seems, and circumstances change.

Have a great day.

Lucina said...

Hola!

Thanks you, Kevin and Andrea! And thank you, Hahtoolah! It was all fun: the puzzle, the expo and the funky illustrations.

It also helped to finish fast. I join others in the FETE/FEST switch but I also had LONG before HARD on the Beatles' song. My wite-out correction pen is drying up so it's time to replenish the stock.

The OXEYE daisies I've seen have a dark center not yellow and maybe that's regional.

I was asked to help count the collection money so today I shall be at the church office.

Tata until later. It rained last night! That is a rare event in the desert. Have some fun today.

desper-otto said...

I imagine you've heard of the Frisbeetarians. They believe that when you die, your soul flies up on the roof and gets stuck there.

Tinbeni said...

Hahtoolah: I always enjoy your write-up's & links.
They are as much FUN as solving the puzzle.

Well I must say it is a GREAT TIME to be living in the "Tampa Bay" area.
Especially if you follow Sports.

(1) Tampa Bay Lightning WIN the Stanley Cup.
(2) Tampa Bay Rays make the World Series. ... OK, we lost 4 games to 2 ... but we were in it!
(3) Tampa Bay Buc's are in the NFC Championship game ...
UGH! It is being played in Green Bay ... we are not known for playing in cold weather ... but at least we are playing in it.

Hope everyone is "Safe-N-Sound."

I will be "Toasting All" of you at Sunset.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

The easy theme answers provided plenty of perps, although I didn't see the theme. Quite few downs were filled before I got to them. DUNST was all perps.
I love mu shu dishes, I especially like the hoisin sauce in them.
My family enjoys pastrami or corned beef Reuben sandwiches on rye bread with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. David likes them closed and grilled. Alan likes them open and broiled to melt the cheese. Thinking of yesterday's cole slaw discussion, I am hungry for a deli sloppy joe sandwich. In NJ it’s a triple decker sandwich—cold deli meat and cheese on dense rye bread—glued together with coleslaw and Russian dressing. A Jewish sloppy joe omits the cheese as they can't mix meat and dairy. The crunchy cole slaw makes it sloppy but delicious.
There is also a sloppy joe sandwich that has ground beef in tomato sauce on a bun.
IMO when SNL uses slap stick I don't care for it. I like satires that spoof actual traits of the character. They are funny because they ring true. Long ago there was a great skit about the 50's. The parts that rang true were hilarious. I could relate to them, but then SNL went off the rails with irrelevant slapstick. The spoof of Queen Elizabeth is not funny to me, because I can't find her personality in it. When they have Sean Spicer push the podium forward that just seems dumb to me. When they have Mika jump in Joe Scarborough's lap and kiss him fervently I don't find that funny. It doesn't ring true to character.
I got WOOLFE, but I was confusing A Room of One's Own with A Room with a View, which I enjoyed reading.

Big Easy said...

So it's A-E-UY-O-OO for AEIOU&Y TODAY.

Mass PIKE- that name has never made it down to the mouth of the Mississippi. Perps.
CLYCE- Ahab The ARAB's camel would have been known by more people- didn't know that Pac-Man ghosts had names until they showed in Xwords. Perps on that one also.

Hahtoolah- the late owner of Lucky Dogs (Doug Talbot) was best friends with one of my friends. And at my friend's daughter's wedding Doug had a Lucky Dog cart outside the wedding reception.

Kirsten DUNST didn't show up at my house when the movie scene being filmed because she wasn't in that scene.

Hungry Mother said...

Nice one today. FIR in spite of having unDerTHERAINBOW at first, until the perps straightened me out. I grew up a couple of blocks away from the SANFRANCISCOBAY in San Mateo.

Yellowrocks said...

The Rueben/sloppy joe post was mine. I forget to add YR when I use the community computer which has a better keyboard than this Kindle.
I won't be getting a computer until I am comfortable having David go with me. He thinks the Covid 19 cautions are overhyped. I remain leary.

CanadianEh! said...

Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Andrea and Kevin, and Hahtoolah.
I FIRed in good time. After filling the first two themers, I thought the theme had something to do with the FR repeat. But 38A had only one F. Then I saw the last three letters, but thought that it was a letter progression and not the sound. Here I was muttering that 38D should have been at 59A, and 38A should have been something like "Taking by the BIT". Duh!

I did notice that we were a Q short of a pangram.

Hand up for Fete before FEST.
We have LTD in Canada.
With ANODE crossing "Charged", I was misdirected before RAN AT appeared.
I can never remember about ANODE, diode, cathode and LIUed. I was reminded that a Diode has 2 terminals, the positive ANODE and the negative CATHODE. Hahtoolah, is that diagram correct??? It seems to have the reverse polarity.

That hole in the OZONE layer apparently is affecting global warming and those FLOES for the Polar bears.
PolarBear

Yes, I recognized your post YR. I am used to Sloppy Joes as the tomato/Ground beef type.

Wishing you all a great day.

NaomiZ said...

What a delightful puzzle, Kevin and Andrea! Nice of Kevin to drop by and comment. Once again, it's interesting to learn how Rich has helped me out with the cluing. And Hahtoolah! I would not have seen or appreciated the theme without your review, so thanks for that! I had a few spelling challenges today -- my third attempt to spell KEBAB finally worked -- and a couple of unknowns, including CLYDE the ghost -- but FIR without undue difficulty. I appreciate that a few of our solvers are speed demons, but really liked learning that ATLGranny looks for ways to make it last longer. Lovely!

Misty said...

Very much enjoyed your delightful puzzle, Kevin and Andrea, especially since I got the whole thing with just a bit of work. That's how Tuesdays should be! And Hahtoolah, your pictures are just amazing, one after another, all of them clever and funny and delightful. Many thanks for that too. And, Owen, thanks, as always, for your poem.

Had to laugh at seeing Miss Piggy illustrate MOI. Nice to see Virginia WOOLF in a puzzle--she doesn't turn up very often. However, LENO does. Never heard of AZO--new one for me. And ROASTERY was new for me too, though I got it and its AROMA right away.

Have a good day, everybody--and an even better one tomorrow!

AnonymousPVX said...


...and now I want a Reuben.

Anyway, a nice Tuesday puzzle solved sans drama.

I am an SNL fan, looking forward to the new show later this month. I do think that Jim Carrey’s impression of Biden was super-poor, more like Fire Marshall Bill than Biden. Glad he won’t be the Biden guy going forward.

Speaking of Biden, looking forward to tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Lucina said...

That last picture commenting on Turkish people drinking coffee was interesting because in present day custom Turkish people are more apt to drink tea. On my visit there we were surrounding by tea drinkers and it was available everywhere. The only place to find coffee was in our hotel.

Counting the money took only a short time as it was from the 5 P.M. Sunday Mass which probably has the smallest attendance.

Winter has finally arrived here with temperatures in the 60s, cloudy skies and more rain expected.

oc4beach said...


Nice puzzle but I didn't get the theme until Hahtoolah's great tour through the grid explained it.

I got four of the five long clues right away which helped a lot with filling in the rest of the puzzle. I wanted "Take it for a Drive" but that was wrong. However it didn't take long before it got corrected.

Are we going to see OXEYE for a while in upcoming puzzles? It was in C.C.'s Universal the other day and this one today.

A Reuben really sounds good. It's one of my favorite sandwiches along with a Monte Cristo.

Irish Miss: Thanks for missing me. I'm sort of back now, although I have been busy taking care of my DW.

On Election Day, DW suffered a medical trauma which resulted in an ambulance ride to the ER. After that was dealt with I brought her home where she started exhibiting signs of confusion that looked like she was having a stroke to me, so I didn't wait for an ambulance this time. I loaded her in the truck and went back to the ER where they put her through the Stroke Protocol with the full load of scans, tests and drugs. She ended up in the ICU for three days while they ran more tests and analyzed all of the results before they decided she did NOT have a stroke. Although they tried to get me to leave the ICU, I stayed and slept in a chair. They said her condition was "Transient Global Amnesia" where she suffered a sudden memory loss probably because of the trauma of the first event and ER visit. She is doing much better, but she has a hole in her memory that the doctors said will probably never come back. She doesn't remember anything about the ER visit and the initial event and some of the time before the event and part of the ICU stay. Which isn't really a bad thing, because I think it's the body's way of trying to protect itself.

So, we're back to dealing with the daily realities of CoVid and wondering when we'll be able to get our shots.

I hope everyone has a great day and please wear your masks.

Hahtoolah said...

I would be remiss if I didn't wish Bobbe a big Happy Birthday. Bobbe is a long-time lurker, but enjoys the daily crossword and reading our daily commentary.

Ol' Man Keith said...

A smooth EZ pzl from the Christian/Michaels team! Thank you!
Excellent response from Hahtoolah!

A pleasant way to start the day.
We appreciate things running smoothly these days. Especially now on the eve of--Hm, what can I say?--stimulating and promising events.
The whole country is just Biden its time.
~ OMK
___________
DR:
Only one diagonal today, NE to SW.
It offers a couple of anagrams, nothing very exciting.
The first is suggestive of someone preparing to distort the truth, perhaps an erring husband privately practicing some lies to tell his wife (or maybe it's just an actor struggling to get "off book").
This would be his...
"FIBS REHEARSAL"!
(13 of 15 letters)
-or-
on a happier note, it could be the baggage toted by some cheerful bloke as he prepares to go forth and "spread a little sunshine."
I am referring of course to his...
"SOLAR BRIEFCASE"!
(14 of 15)

Jayce said...

I very much enjoyed this puzzle and Hahtoolah's exposition. Hand up for FETE before FEST.

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

Ray-O @ 9:11 --> once again you and I were having a mind-meld! I loved watching that Stooge clip with the B A BAY, B E BEE, B I Bippy I, et al. Perfect! Thanks for the SO

Kevin and Andrea --> great puzzle! Getting 5 15 letter spanners into the grid; having the progressing AEIOU vowel sounds; and best of all, making it a fun and easy puzzle to solve! Kudos!

Susan --> great graphics and videos as always. Loved them all.

My lone write-over before I FIR was to replace the vowel in 39-Down. Which then created this Moe-ku:

I am frustrated
By text abbreviations!
Enough is ENUF!

CrossEyedDave said...

Happy birthday Bobby,

this cakes for you....

CrossEyedDave said...

Dang @#$&% spelchack
I meant Bobbe

Wilbur Charles said...

Loved your Moe-ku, C-Moe

WC

waseeley said...

Thank you Michael and Kevin for a nice straightforward Tuesday puzzle and thank you Susan for your colorful elucidation of the theme, which as usual went right over my head (the theme, not your explanations). I nevertheless FIR. The graphics were great, but I didn't get the point of "How to: Make Your Bed". You mean there's more to it than that?

CanadianEH! @11:03 AM I think Susan's battery diagram is correct. A battery and a diode are two different circuit devices, although they do use the same terms for their leads. A battery GENERATES current, which flows internally from the CATHODE (negative terminal) to the ANODE (positive terminal). A diode simply PASSES current from its CATHODE lead to its ANODE lead, but never in the opposite direction. Typically the ANODE of a battery would be connected to the CATHODE lead of a diode and the ANODE lead would then be connected to the rest of the circuit. I'm sure Dash T could come up with a simpler explanation than that!

Bill

The Curmudgeon said...

I had "PEEK-A-BOO, i see you" before perps contradicted me.

>> Roy

CanadianEh! said...

Thanks waseeley. Obviously I am not a electrical engineer. (I just know enough to keep my finger out of a socket!😁😁We learn from each other here.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! thanks for thinking of me, Irish Miss.My iMAC crashed in early sept.I had no computer until my kids gave me a laptop PC for xmas.My computer whiz son set it up so he has access from Oklahoma. My local son who has the same kind of computer (but is not a whiz) worked on it at my home so I could use it. since then I have been struggling along with a keyboard a different size than I was used to. I hit keys in strange combinations when I am typing, including once having the words type out backwards in the middle of a message to the whiz. Neither son knew what I'd hit to do that. I finally became comfortable enough to start doing the puzzle last week. Had really missed it and 'talking' to you all at the corner. Came to lurk for the first time on Sunday.Glad to see all my friends seem to have survived the pandemic & other stuff. two of my kids & their families have tested positive for covid but are all okay now. I've always had someone well enough to pickup my grocery order. I haven't been out in public since feb.

Vidwan827 said...


C=Eh and waseeley

Re: The Flow of electric current in Hahtoolah's blog diagram...

1. The diagram, shows the (neon green block) Cathode with a (neon green) positive sign ( on the outside of the block ...),
AND, .... a (salmon pink) negative sign, next to the (salmon pink block) Anode.

This is misleading, because, by Convention (!) and by Definition .... the Anode is always the positively charged Electrode, and the Cathode, is by definition, always, the negatively charged electrode....
... the signs imply something opposite to convention....

2. Secondly, by the force of reality, electricty is the movement of Electrons ... which are, themselves , .... a negative charge.
So, the electron force on them is directed OPPOSITE the field, or towards the anode.
This force makes the electron current flow from the cathode to the anode.

HOWEVER !!!!

The flow of electricity, BY CONVENTION (!), is shown by the flow of ANIONS, the socalled (+) charges, which are opposite to the flow of the electrons....

this was decided a long time ago ...SO DONT BLAME ME FOR IT ! ;-o)

The Anode has the Oxidation reaction, and is the positive terminal, and the Cathode has the Reduction reaction, and therefore is the negative terminal.
In a standard Galvanic Cell, inside the cell itself ... the electrons flow, from the Anode to the Cathode.
However, the Anode is called the Anode, because the flow of Anions, in the Salt bridge, inside the cell, ..... which flow to the Anode.

3. Outside the cell, in the electrical wires, the direction of the electrical current, is BY CONVENTION, the direction in which the positive charges would flow. Thus, the current in the external circuit is directed away from the Anode, through the (Lamp light ) towards the negative terminal, the Cathode.

However, ..... the elctrons move through the wires in the OPPOSITE direction.....

CONFUSED ??? Do not be confused !

Tomorrow, is a VERY IMPORTANT DAY, when the US govt changes hands.... we need clear minds and thoughts about us ...... !!!


4. FINALLY, since our MAVEN Hahtoolah, got this diagram from the Internet itself,

And since the Internet is NEVER wrong ...

ERGO, she must be RIGHT !


By the Way, Dear Hahtoolah ... Absolutely, LOVED your blog ! God Bess You !

Vidwan827 said...



HI PK .... Glad to know you're OK.

PK is OK....

Computers can be replaced .... Lives cannot.

Irish Miss said...

Kevin, thanks for dropping by.

oc4beach, I’m so glad you checked in and brought us up to date. Sorry to hear of your wife’s medical issues and turmoil, but glad it wasn’t any more serious. Please give her my best wishes for continued good health. Stay safe.

PK, what a sight for sore eyes! I’m glad that your absence was due to technical problems and not health-related. We miss your droll humor and your folksy anecdotes, especially during these difficult days. Stick around, please!

Yellowrocks said...

PK, so relieved you are okay. Missed you and your posts. I hope your computer continues to "behave."
oc 4beach, how upsetting! Glad your wife is back home and I wish her steady and complete improvement.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

And welcome (finally!) back PK! We've missed you.

Thanks Kevin and Andrea Caria for a very nice Tuesday puzzle; what C. Moe said about impressive construction w/ so many themers.
Thanks Kevin for stopping by The Corner with some inside-baseball (and, yes, I had to Google Wushu - a martial art, it seems).

Lovely expo Hahtoolah; LOL "frivolous law suit" comic and I always get a Lucky Dog when in New Orleans.

WOs: I thought there was a z in Frisbee; FEte at 1st (Hi D-O, inanehiker, IM, & Lucina! And Jayce :-))
ESPs: DUNST, DEE, MAB
Fav: I thought LORD's clue was cute.

90% of the time that I see or hear SAN FRANCISO BAY, The Blues Image's Ride Captain Ride starts playing in my head.

{B, A}
LOL #1 OMK

Oc4 - sorry to hear of the trauma in your life. God Speed to you & yours.

D-O: I think proclivity for gaffes will keep SNL's cold-open in business :-)
WC - do you like other sketch comedy?
PVX - I LOL'd at Jim Carrey's Biden (well, at least the first time)

Waseeley - I always liken to water. A battery's cathode is a water tower of electrons that flow down-hill through the neighborhood (circuit) being drained off by houses (resistance in the circuit). A diode is a valve in a pipe that only allows water to go one way. //not a perfect analogy but easier for folks to visualize.

Today I made DW & myself ham & swiss on toasted RYE w/ lettuce, tomato, crack'd pepper, mayo, and stone mustard. Dill spear and chips on the side to complete.
Youngest just wanted roasted turkey & swiss on a bagel.

T-14 hours and counting...

Cheers, -T

Hahtoolah said...

PK: so glad to “see” you again. I have really missed you.

LEO III said...

Once again, the long fills came fairly early and easily.

Got everything except AZO/BABAR; couldn’t decide which vowel to use, and I chose the wrong one. I’ve never heard of either one. Also, I didn’t know MAB, DUNST or AUK, but perps got them.

Since ENDOFTHERAINBOW was one of my first fills, I didn’t have to worry about the FEST/FETE problem.

CanadianEh! said...

Vidwan- 😮😮😮😮😮.
AnonT- thanks for another analogy.
I may never forget anode, cathode, diode.

Oc4- sorry to hear what you and DW have been going through. Hopes for continued healing.

PK- good to hear from you. We missed you🎶

oc4beach said...


Thank you all for your good wishes and thoughts.

I should be back on-line more often now.

Lemonade714 said...

Once again I woke, did the puzzle, wrote a brilliant, incisive, and witty post then forgot to hit send. You all did a great job, H. you continue to raise the bar. Kevin, thank you for being one of our regular visitors. PK, welcome home.

Wilbur Charles said...

-T, I can't think of any "Sketch comedy" unless Newhart counts. My latest laugh fest is 2 1/2 Men.
Seinfeld,Cheers,Frasier,Monk,Mom all favs of mine

Interesting day. I started Thursday and found it impossible. Went to dentist and lunch. Got home and xword filled like a charm. Theme was right up my alley. Circles.

A lesson for all. Don't give up.

WC