google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday May 3, 2021 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

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May 3, 2021

Monday May 3, 2021 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: R AND B (69. Ray Charles' genre, and a hint to the answers to starred clues) - Each theme entry is in the patter of R* B*.

 17. *Dilapidated car: RUST BUCKET.

 27. *Bowling alley's "start over" device: RESET BUTTON.

 46. *Unscrupulous 19th-century tycoon: ROBBER BARON.

 62. *High-fiber cereal with dried fruit: RAISIN BRAN.

Boomer here. This  is probably the last grid Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke (GAB) created together. May she rest in peace.

Gail and Bruce

I certainly can relate to RUST BUCKET as I was the proud owner of a 1953 Dodge that could not make a trip over 20 miles without overheating.  I junked it and bought a 1955 Oldsmobile which served me a bit better.  This was in 1964 because you needed to be 16 to get a driver's license in MN. 

I have not changed my attitude of the Twins, although they did have a 5 or 6 home run game against Cleveland.  I thought Cleveland was going to change their nickname out of respect for Native Americans   How about the GROVERS? 

 Across:

1. Quench, as thirst: SLAKE.  In our 10,000 lakes, I am sure you might find in an "S" shape.

6. Musical pause: REST.  Who said anything about MUSICAL?  C.C. and I planted some flowers in our front garden which required a lot of REST.

10. Osbourne of heavy metal: OZZY.  Reminded me of OZZIE and Harriet Nelson. I'm old.

14. Item sold in reams: PAPER.  Our stores seem to be well stocked with Toilet PAPER again.  One year ago was a different story.

15. Nevada city: ELKO.  Traveled through several times on I-80 on my way to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno.



16. London lavs: LOOS.

19. Cooked just right: DONE.

20. __-Z: classic Camaro: IROC.  As I mentioned my 1955 Olds, I could only drool when passed by an IROC.  However I assume that I received less speeding tickets.


21. Lively Irish dance: REEL.  It can hold your fishing line in the land of 10,000 lakes.

22. Discourage: DETER.

23. Fuel-eating cars: GAS HOGS.  Speaking of IROCs, I think the Z-28 had a 350 cubic inch engine with a four barrel carb.  Can you say "Oink, Oink"?

25. Listening organ: EAR.  Yup, I listen to the organ at church over the weekend.

33. Irregularly sharp-edged: JAGGED.  "On top of Old Smokey".

37. Fiber source: ROUGHAGE.  PIZZA did not have enough letters.

38. Man's name that's a green fruit spelled backwards: EMIL. Lime.

39. Persistent noise: DIN.  What? I cannot hear you.

40. Assures, as a win: ICES.  Or knocks the puck down to the other end of the hockey rink.

41. Personifies: EMBODIES.

44. Butts, in slang: TUSHES.

48. Early Olds auto: REO.  A lot earlier than my 1955 4-door sedan.

49. Very excited: AROUSED.  When I get out of bed in the morning, I would not call it "very excited".

54. Anglo-__: SAXON.

58. Mark Harmon CBS series: NCIS.


60. Bull or ram: MALE.  Okay guys, which one are you??  I decided that I am a Bull because I am full of it.

61. Tree branch: LIMB.

64. Jai __: court game: ALAI.  I think that this is only popular in Florida.

65. Late evening, informally: NITE.  I'm Hairy noon and NITEY, NITE,NITE. The Cowsills.

66. "Whooping" bird: CRANE.

67. Attention-getting whisper: PSST.

68. Bellicose Greek god: ARES.

Down:

1. Parsley or sage piece: SPRIG.  I thought Sage was a black powder.

2. With 42-Down, Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner in "Marriage Story": LAURA. 42. See 2-Down: DERN.

3. Lhasa __: Tibetan dogs: APSOS.

4. Two-masted vessel: KETCH.  A two-masted sailboat that they would pull UP from the sea and put it on hamburgers.


5. "Tarzan" creator's monogram: ERB. Edgar Rice Burroughs.

6. Students' play period: RECESS.  Those were the days.  We would have a softball game every day, weather permitting.

7. Sommer of "A Shot in the Dark": ELKE.  Some times I would pull over in ELKO on my way to Reno and take "a shot in the" casino.

8. Bony-looking Halloween costume: SKELETON.  Trick or Treat.

9. Tyke on a trike: TOT.

10. Word often seen before "shoppe": OLDE. Some people just have trouble with spelling.

11. __ suit: '40s apparel: ZOOT.  I am way too young to wear one of these.


12. The "Z" in ZIP Code: ZONE.  I heard on the news that the Postal service is a bit screwed up, so we are no longer to expect ZIPpy service.

13. Belgian river: YSER.

18. More than suggested: URGED.

22. The "D" in FDA: DRUG.  Also a big part of my lunch.

24. Lode load: ORE.  These loads of lode are mainly loaded in Oregon.

26. __ Dhabi: ABU.

28. 1974 pension plan legislation: ERISA.  Employment Retiree Income Security Act.  Graybar has treated me well.  Have you seen the sign in the left center outfield at Bush Stadium, St. Louis ??


29. "What's __ about?": THIS.  It's about advertising on a major league baseball fence.  I was there once for Game 5 of the 1987 World Series - Twins vs. Cardinals.  We lost that game but went home and took two games for the title.

30. It measures rpm: TACH.  Have they designed one yet to measure R.P.M.s of  a golf ball?? 

31. Curved molding: OGEE.  O GEE, I suppose I have to hit it first.


32. Monster's loch: NESS.

33. Taunting cry: JEER.  I suppose most non-Yankee fans might JEER JETER..

34. Rifle range rounds: AMMO.

35. Bee Gees surname: GIBB. "Ooh it's a HOLIDAY" The Bee Gees.

36. Lump of clay, say: GLOB.

39. Sophisticated and charming: DEBONAIR.

43. Angry feeling: IRE.  I'm sure people from Ireland and Notre Dame must hate this word.

44. Body trunks: TORSI. Torso plural.

45. Crazy Eights cousin: UNO.  I never liked this game.

47. Poker strategies: RAISES.  Not too happy about poker RAISES either.

50. Planetary shadow: UMBRA.

51. Cling wrap brand: SARAN.  Drives me nuts.  I cannot reel off a piece without it sticking to itself.

52. African antelope: ELAND.

53. Huge star in Cygnus: DENEB.


54. Open-handed hit: SLAP.  Really hard and fast hockey shot.

55. Is hurting: AILS.

56. Dec. 25: XMAS.

57. Closing words?: OBIT.

59. Formally commend, as for bravery: CITE.

62. Cellular messenger: RNA.

63. ATM maker: NCR.  Another black man was shot in Minnesota, and protesters ripped off the ATM at our Wells Fargo bank.  The bank was boarded up for over two weeks, but now protests have subsided.

Boomer



52 comments:

OwenKL said...

His RUST BUCKET was a real GAS HOG.
But his work was too far to slog.
To SLAKE its oil thirst
Was a strain on his purse.
It had too many rattles to catalog.

An enterprising sprout from ELKO
Thought ROBBER BARON was the way to go!
Ficus elastica trees
He grew with great ease,
Became a rubber baron as they'd grow.

{C, B-.}

KS said...

Small nit, but that was not an ogee molding. It was a chair rail.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

And so begins day four Internet-free. I did get to talk to a human being at SoddenLink yesterday. She said she didn't know why service was out. Thanksalot!

Zipped right through this one, No problem (or Wite-Out) in sight. Thanx, BV, the late GG, and Boomer.

ERB: In my ute I'd visit my aunt in Appleton every summer, and I'd go swimming at the pool in Erb Park.

PAPER: I heard on the news yesterday that swimming pool chlorine tablets have become the new shortage item, the new Toilet Paper if you will.

Back to "resting assured" ...

TTP said...



Boomer, my worst RUST BUCKET was a 10 to 12 year old Toyota Corona Mark II station wagon that was used only for winter driving a couple of semesters in NE Ohio. It had a good powertrain, brakes and battery. The lights and turn signals worked. Pieces of plywood and pieces of house carpet kept the road slush from coming up through the floorboards. My GF wouldn't ride in it. We took her much safer, (we thought) newer Ford Pinto when we went anywhere together.

The 1987 World Series Championship team was one of my all time favorites, and I was pulling for the Twins all the way. A true team effort over 7 games brought them the crown.

THat before THIS.

We had OZZY Osbourne and a clue for ELKE with "Shot in the Dark" which was one of his hit songs.

Happy Birthday today to Paul Coulter !

Gotta run.

ATLGranny said...

FIR today, only because a final proofread caught "torso," instead of TORSI. I had already changed "that" to THIS in "What's____about?" (Hi TTP) and "twig" grew into a LIMB with perp help. Although it's not a blemish-free grid like DO's, I'll accept the WOs. The theme was easy to see and I thank Bruce and Gail (RIP) for an enjoyable puzzle. Maybe others are still in the pipeline? Thanks Boomer for your witty review, cheering up this rainy Monday.

Hope you all are doing well.

inanehiker said...

Nice smooth Sunday solve - which I would expect from Gail (RIP) and Bruce!

My RUST BUCKET was the car I drove my senior year of college 1980-81 - it was a 1964 Valiant that I called "Prince". A friend sold it to me- he like to work on cars so mechanically it was fine - but it did have a lot of rust - and no back upholstery to speak of but some blankets - which was fine for my dormlings (I was an RA) to pile into. (no seatbelt laws then!) I bought it for 350$ and sold it a year later for 400$ - it was definitely not long road trip safe!

Thanks Boomer - we have Graybar here in JC - I think of you as I drive by!

Yellowrocks said...

Today I sussed the exact reveal wording from the first two long answers.
I looked up DEBONAIR images and did not find many of them fit my image of debonair. I suppose I am old fashioned. I like these better.
Debonair
I sometime think we are in today's version of the ROBBER BARON era.
I like sage with pork or stuffing or stuffed pork chops. If sprigs are not available, the I use dried.
Catch-up day today after a weekend with Alan.

Cleveland Indians and Cowboys said...


Boomer, thank you for your usual entertaining and tongue in cheek blog.

I have to however comment on the Cleveland Indians.
I agree that our team is soo bad, that, if and when we attended the game(s), we rooted for the OTHER team. ! No, really, it was a lot of fun. My employer used to pay for the match tickets, and an paid afternoon off, so the stands did not look deserted. This was long before COVID.
Covid had not been invented yet...
I haven't attended any games, since they moved to the new Jacob's Field Stadium in 1994.

The 'Indians' were named after a baseball grate, er, great, named Socks-a-lexis, who happened to be a native american. Presumably, he wore elastic socks, though I can't be too sure, that elastic socks had been invented yet.
Most of the indian tribes had better sense to just move away from this area, altogether.

But, the name is still better than the Cleveland Naps ( just put people to sleep ...) and the Cleveland Bluebirds and the Cleveland Spiders. For all I care, they can name them the Cleveland Champions, and they'd still lose. They are about as efficient as the Keystone Kops.

Have a nice day, all.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

No problems with the solve today. FIR. Forgot to worry about the theme but didn't need it for solving.

Have a good day.

Lou said...

What did I miss? Comments no longer get emailed to associated mailbox. There is no share button anymore. What happened?

Please respond to Magilla Go-Rilla at

koko.want.banana@gmail.com


Thank you



Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Fun fill and cluing that went well with my RAISIN BRAN this morning
-Daughter’s ex-MIL called us OZZIE and Harriet. Her and her sibling’s marriages were all train wrecks
-Our regular 17-yr-old waitress ICED the State Championship with two clutch free throws Scroll down for good video!
-NCIS had the strangest exit of a character when Pauley Perette (Abby) left the show. She was so mad at star Mark Harmon (Gibbs) they didn’t even shoot scenes of the same day. Awkward!
-Readin’, ritin’, rithmetic and RECESS provide the FOUR R’s for learning
-The “spin rate” of a golf ball with a driver is usually between 2,000 and 4,000 RPM’s
-Cleveland Indians and Cowboys – A baseball “match”? You must be British! :-)

Yellowrocks said...

HG, right on! The 4 R's. Recess is important. Scholastic.com, "Research shows that when children have recess, they gain the following benefits: Are less fidgety and more on task. Have improved memory and more focused attention. Develop more brain connections."

Husker Gary said...

Musings 2
-That is so true, YR! You also learn about social dynamics, for better or worse, with your peers.
-One downside was that we had penmanship class right after RECESS and my handwriting has been lousy ever since. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Coda
-The winning free throws to which I linked above were made by Sydney Emmanuel after her sister Kaitlyn made the three-pointer to tie the game. Next year they will be joined on the team by their freshman sister Breanna. Small town life can be kinda cool!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Bittersweet moment upon seeing Gail’s byline but thankful for the many G and B solves over the years. This was a perfect puzzle for newbies to chew on, although Umbra, Deneb and ERISA might pose some challenge. The R and B themers gave away the reveal early on, but that didn’t detract one bit from the satisfying solve. Some cute duos include Elke/Elko, RNA/NCR, Reo/Ore, Limb/Torsi, and Ails/Alai. CSO to CEh, Inanehiker, and Ray O (Drug).

Thanks, Gail (RIP) and Bruce for a pleasant start to the week and thanks, Boomer, for the chuckles and commentary.

YR @ 8:11 ~ In my dictionary, there is only one person personifying Debonair and that is the one and only Cary Grant. IMVHO, no one had his charm, sophistication, good looks, mannerisms, or presence. I rest my case. 😊

Have a great day.

Husker Gary said...

Musings 3
-Carrie Fisher said in her book Wishful Drinking that her mother Debbie Reynolds asked Cary Grant to talk to her daughter Carrie (our ubiquitous cwd Princess LEIA) because Cary had once took LSD in a controlled situation under a doctor’s supervision. Cary helped her a lot with her LSD addiction and so add “good guy” to the adjectives for DEBONAIR Mr. Grant. @ 3:10 in the video

Yellowrocks said...

IM, yes, Cary Grant!

HG, we had penmanship right after recess, too. So that's why my teacher would call my penmanship atrocious? I LIU, "of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant." Wow, that bad! And now aging has made my penmanship even more atrocious. Even my typing skills have been degraded.
I used to help my ADHD grandson with his homework. I gave him short breaks to run around in the yard, which my son thought was babying him. It really did increase Kenny's focus and attention span. What does a doting grandma with a lifetime of teaching experience know?

Wheels42 said...

The ELKO/ELKE crossing was my downfall. Hadn't heard of either and ELKE was too unique a female name for me to suss out. I also struggled with the KETCH/IROC crossing.

I did not realize that Gail had passed away. That is sad to hear - my condolences to her friends and family.

Bob Lee said...

I also had THAT before THIS. And with all the Bs, I had BLUFFS instead of RAISES and crossed that with MUFFIN BRAN instead of RAISIN BRAN but these were quickly fixed.

Edgar Rice Burroughs also wrote the John Carter of Mars series. After reading his Tarzan stories (all because of watching Johnny Weismuller as Tarzan in the TV series long ago), I went on to read his John Carter ones which got me into reading more science fiction. I always loved Weismuller's iconic Tarzan yell (11 seconds)->
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwHWbsvgQUE

Lucina said...

Hola!

Sad and glad at the same time to solve one of Gail and Bruce's puzzles. R.I.P, Gail.

It all came together on the east side and tumbled over to the west side. R AND B was obvious.

The brothers GIBB! My favorite group and so sad that only one is left, Barry.

Here in the arid desert climate one doesn't see RUST BUCKETs unless they travel from another state.

Boomer, it's edifying to note your restraint on seeing bowling "alley". I expected a full rant. Thank you for a witty review.

Have a lovely day, everyone!



NaomiZ said...

Many thanks to Bruce and to the late, great Gail for this fine, fresh puzzle. Happily for me, I just learned IROC from the crossword this weekend and was able to FIR.

Boomer, you're a hoot. Nice to KETCH up with you.

oc4beach said...


Very nice puzzle from Gail (RIP) and Bruce. Boomer's great write up was enjoyable.

I had a couple of WO's today. OZIE before OZZY and ACES before ICES. Perps, as usual, filled in the errors.

I didn't see the theme until I had finished the puzzle, but it wasn't necessary to solve the puzzle.

Boomer: I bought a 1958 Desoto for $400 in 1964 so that I could work as a Co-Op at Boeing in Philadelphia. It wasn't a RUST BUCKET but it had so many mechanical problems that it didn't last very long. My 1975 Camaro (not an IROC) was the RUST BUCKET. I used a lot of Bondo in the quarter panels and rocker panels trying to keep the car from disintegrating. It was a lot of fun to drive, though.

HG: DW and I are watching all of the NCIS episodes on NetFlix. We're currently finishing up season 7. You're right, the whole Abby departure was weird in the show and in real life. A lot of mystery surrounds the whole departure of Pauley Perrette. The next question will be is Mark Harmon coming back after this season. He is apparently in contract negotiations with the show.

Have a great day everyone.

Picard said...

Fun easy theme! Afterwards, I realized how many things would fit the R AND B theme. Would have been fun to see ROCKET BOOSTER or ROCK BAND.

EMIL was my father's name. The source of many of the photos that I post here.

Here is a giant Father's Day card I made for EMIL back in 2009 using some of his photos.

From Yesterday:
NaomiZ Glad you agree about creative puzzle themes and clues being so much more enjoyable than dealing with obscure knowledge.

Interesting conversation about pronouncing NEVADA and other Spanish words. Special thanks to Lucina for weighing in.

PK Thank you for your further comments on BISON and Beefalo. And for sharing more of your life story. I am in awe of how many different careers you mastered in your life and how you made do with so little. This is getting to be a lost art.

Anon said...

Good Monday puzzle. I thought slake is an uncommon or hardly used term for quench. Also, didn’t agree with ices for assures a win.

Anonymous said...

Rioters not protesters

Misty said...

I was so happy to see a Gail and Bruce puzzle this morning, and startled to learn that Gail was no longer with us. So I immediately looked up her obituary, and although it mentions her busy crossword puzzle work over the years, there was not a single mention of her collaboration with Bruce Venzke. That surprised me. Oh well, sad beginning to a very nice Monday puzzle. Thank you Gail, even so, and Bruce, very much. And thank you, Boomer, for your kind information.

Liked seeing the picture of OZZY and Harriet, Boomer. Would also have liked to see a picture of LAURA Dern, another favorite, Oh, and of ELKE Sommer, too. Didn't get EMIL until I got LIME--fun clue.

Have a good week ahead, everybody.

Yellowrocks said...

ICED is sports talk. He hit a grand slam that iced (clinched)the victory for his team.
"A grand slam occurs when the bases are "loaded" (that is, there are base runners standing at first, second, and third base) and the batter hits a home run." Four runs score.

SLAKE is found in countless news articles about slaking one's thirst, either literal or figurative.
"These are wines to slake our thirst, as we enjoy warmer weather."
Washington Post Jun 1, 2018
"Copper, granite, concrete and marble are slaking people’s thirst for interiors that don’t look like wearying generic condos."
Wall Street Journal Jun 1, 2018

Lemonade714 said...

Anon@11:47; please, we do not need random political opinions here.

It is interesting how many of the most debonair actors were admitted or alleged gay men. I think the list is great, but is it the flair that gets them there?

KS, if you are going to chip at the blogger, check the origin of the picture, which is plain molding not anything to do with chairs.

Lucy, I applaud you for applauding Boomer for his restraint, also Tin with the ice comment. Are we taking comments in People ,US etc at face value now? I still like some episode of NCIS especially when compating to all the 'scripted' reality TV.
I also am using streaming services to watch shows featuring actors I have enjoyed like THE GUARDIAN from 2001-2004 starring Simon Baker and Dabney Coleman.

It takes so long to post...rest well Gail

Anonymous T said...

FIW - SLAtE. I was thinking sate and have no idea what a KETCH is until Boomer's expo.

Hi All!

A tip of the hat (and a bow of the head) to Gail and Bruce.

Thanks for the expo Boomer

WOs: bLOB, TORSo, NEC -> NCR
ESPs: tETCH, ERB, ELKE
Fav: Crazy Train [don't click - you probably won't like it :-)] started playing in my head at OZZY.
Nice catch TTP - I didn't connect ELKE's clue w/ The Oz

Ray Charles with the Blues Brothers [3:15]

{A+, B}

FLN - I like the thought of Spirit in the Sky, HG. And no crying! I too want to be cremated and I want DW & my ashes mixed and then our wedding rings fused and embedded into the side of the urn. She's not so keen on that so whoever dies last gets to decide.

Being in the south, w/o snowy-road's rock-salt, I've never had a RUST BUCKET in my driving years. But, DW brought to the marriage her '76 Torino. She didn't (doesn't?) know much about cars but it was in her price-range and a "pretty blue." We had it until Sophomore year of college.

Enjoy'd reading everyone.

Play later. Cheers, -T

AnonymousPVX said...


MASH….Radar quote….”I think I’ve been slaked”.

This MONDAY crossword was fun, if a bit sad concerning the late author Gail. I hope Bruce is doing ok.

No write-overs today.

“JAGGED” reminds me of the Alanis Morrisette album. That was one angry woman.

I was talking to my son about the last year. I told him I was thankful for 2 things, not sure I’ve mentioned it or not….

KRINGLES from Ohdanishbakery and….the Bidet. So both ends of the long tube so to speak. But zero shortage of TP here in this house.

Stay safe.

AnonymousPVX said...


Also, ANONYMOUS @ 12:48….why are you trolling for a political argument? Please go elsewhere.

unclefred said...

Zipped right along and thought I might set a new Monday time record, until I got to the bottom half and everything slowed down. Still, FIR in 15. Lovely Monday CW, Gail and Bruce, thanx! I loved the RANDB theme! And thanx for your usual witty and entertaining write-up, Boomer.

CanadianEh! said...

Marvelous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Gail (RIP) and Bruce, and Boomer.

I started this CW while awaiting my dental appointment and had some white space in the centre. (Some Canadian disadvantage with ERISA, plus I was looking for a name instead of ROBBER BARON.) But with clean teeth, I finished quickly and saw the R AND B theme. (Dental offices are considered essential and are open in our current lockdown - my outing for the day. Too bad I can't get a haircut!)
But I arrived here to discover that I did not proofread; I had Ragged instead of JAGGED. Who knows what "Taunting cry"=Reer means. OK JEER makes sense.

As I penned SLAKE for my first entry, I said "Wow, on a Monday!"
Hand up for noting ELKE and ELKO. We also had CITE crossing NITE.
This Canadian guessed at ZONE for your ZIP code Zed. We have Postal Codes. But I did know FDA (thanks for the CSO IM); we have Health Canada.

Wishing you all a great day.

Anonymous said...

Boomer started it with his last comment

Anonymous T said...

Do I dare???

Anon Troll - put on someone else's boots and take a hike. If you want it broken down with humor: SNL Cold Open.

@Moderator - delete us all.

Cheers, -T

Ol' Man Keith said...

I join with Misty, Lucina and so many others in lamenting the loss of Xwd Constructor Gail Grabowski and in wondering why her obit doesn't mention her significant alliance with Bruce Venzke.

A fine PZL today, one to remember her by....

Anonymous @11:47 & 12:48 ~ One person's rioters is another's protesters, no?
Except perhaps for Jan. 6. "Insurrectionist" seems to be the agreed-upon label of choice.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
One diagonal on the far side,
yielding an anagram (13 of 15 letters) that designates an arsonist who uses his "talents" to entangle people in arguments.
Or, perhaps, a self-proclaimed "chef" who uses a patio grill to over-cook steaks and chops.
I mean a...
"PYRO-EMBROILER"!

Wilbur Charles said...

Jeter was the only Yankee not JEERED at Fenway. Boos were for Arod

I had trouble with the GIBB/GLOB corner. I was thinking Vince Gill.

It was Sockalexis Not "Socks ". Joe Dugan had Sockalexis stories from his Holy Cross days. Another Penobscot Sockalexis ran marathons.

Umbra was a Saturday killer a few weeks back. IROC was also in Saturday as noted.

Xword went quickly but as noted some clues needed perps. I should time myself someday

RiP Gail.

WC


TokenCreek said...

I'll take a "Thumper"

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Good one, Bruce, thanks. RIP Gail, I learned a lot struggling to fill her puzzles. As for mentioning Bruce in the obit, one of Gail's survivors or other person who wrote the obit obviously didn't consider him that big a part of Gail's life.

This theme was so easy to suss, it almost SLAPs you in the face.

Not "drink" or "sate" but SLAKE. Not me. I never do that. Sounds nasty.

LAURA DERN was a lucky WAG after counting the spaces. Never heard of that movie or that she won.

Speaking of ZIPpy service: I mailed my son a birthday card with enclosed check on April 1. The check had not been cashed by April 30 when my bank statement came. Called son yesterday and learned he had found the card May 1 in a pile of junk mail he happened to glance thru before trashing it. No idea when mail carrier delivered it. I think he thot I'd forgotten him.

DNK: ERISA. Never heard of Graybar before "meeting" Boomer. Another great expo, thanks!

Picard: thank you for your kind words. Learning to do many things well makes life more interesting, don't you think? Frugality is a challenge.

AnonT: My parents had a 1976 baby blue Torino with black vinyl top which my girls inherited for college driving. Big old bomb their dad fixed up for them. I don't want to remember my old rust bucket-driving days.

Wilbur Charles said...

PK, letters are often wrapped in grocery fliers. So much junk these days. And....

Refund checks say from insurance etc come in envelopes which look like monthly statements.

I was lucky to open one I didn't recognize and found a $475.00 ck.

How many have I missed?

In AA we have trolls that ask "Are we recovered or recovering alcoholics? And waste an hour *

WC

*If we are actively working our program we are in recovery. To outsiders, yes, we are recovered

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Quick 'n' easy Monday

A sign of aging.... those of us who recall pre ZIP code days, we had simply zones. My address was Mohawk St. Utica NY, Zone 3. (If you even bothered to include the zone)....Busy day, did the puzzle in pieces and forgot about a theme.

RANDB? ohhhh... R & B...my RUSTBUCKET in college (67-71) was a white 1962 Plymouth Valiant with push button gears. The driver's side floor board rotted out and cut the brakeline replaced with a piece of plywood. Ran on 5 cylinders, when one piston blew.

In HS we had yearly square dance "training" in gym class with the girls. The "square" dances went OK but the Virginia REEL was a disaster.

What kind of job did Ozzie Nelson have on the TV show or Ward Cleaver for that matter.

Do as Ms. Witherspoon asks, what____ RECESS.
Being a teen is a _____....ROUGHAGE.
What a gravedigger does....EMBODIES
Serpentine fish country..ELAND

A posthumous CW: a nice tribute

Thanks Boomer.

sasses said...

In 1965, we drove from Boston in a Chevy Impala to rent a 1920's bungalow on Sierra Bonoita in Hollywood. It was formerly owned by Ozzie and Harriet. Fun! Fun! Fun!

sasses said...

Sierra Bonita

Anonymous T said...

Ladies - Mel Brooks on Cary Grant on Carson. Cheers, -T

D4E4H said...

Good evening Cornerites.

Thank you Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke for your enjoyable Monday CW.

I was busy today celebrating my 77th birthday but Carol and I FIR the CW in 19:46 min.

Thank you Boomer for your excellent review.

Ðavið

Anonymous T said...

How'd we miss your Birthday D4?
//CED - please bring a cake.

Nice to hear from you D4! And happy 77th.

Cheers, -T

The Curmudgeon said...

Picard: What qualifies as "obscure knowledge"? To me, most sport clues are obscure knowledge.

Oh well, à chacun son goût.

>>Roy

Jayce said...

I loved this puzzle and laughed out loud at the clue for EMIL.

The Curmudgeon said...

WC: After reading the Louis Sockalexis link, I think they should rename the Cleveland MLB team the Penobscots. After all their NFL team is named after Paul Brown.

>>Roy

Yellowrocks said...

Ray-O in my school the Virginia reel was easier and more appreciated by the guys than square dancing was. Also the Virginia reel was the real thing and square dancing was just a weak facsimile.
PK I have often been annoyed that important mail was hidden inside circulars and magazines.

Lemonade714 said...

Boomer was speaking of the effect on his local branch but not the poltical implications of the response from the people. As soon as we put labels on people we have begun a contentious discussion that has no absolute "right" answer. The point is anon at various times, this is not the place to discuss those events.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Late to the party. That's just as well as I would have been tempted to jump into the back and forth. Thanks, Gail (posthumously) and Bruce. Thanks, Boomer.

HBTY, D4!

Anon T, that Melvin Kaminsky clip is a riot. Especially the shtick about Marvin Schwartz.

TTP said...



Earlier this morning I got caught up reading the comments in this blog post. All I can say is, BE NICE people.

At 11:47, if you were trying to make a distinction between lawful demonstrators as protestors versus the unlawful actions of rioters, then a more tactful and clearer statement could have been made. You might have written, "Boomer, the people that damaged the ATM and other property were rioters, rather than protestors."

Given the responses, I don't believe I was the only one that first interpreted your statement "Rioters not protesters" to mean that all the people that were protesting were rioters.

However, I'll give you credit of the doubt and take it that you simply meant to clarify the difference between those that would march in protest versus those that join protests to riot or cause rioting. I think I know (we know) Boomer well enough to understand his statement.

It is possible to speak up without starting a showdown.