"Let me "elbow" my way in here"
OR
Leverage Buy Out
Hello Cornerites, C-Moe here on his second straight Friday, courtesy of Lemonade 714 graciously swapping this week for next. And unlike my normal "ad nauseum" recaps, this one will be short, sweet, and to the point. I'm pretty sure that this is the first Craig Stowe puzzle I've recapped. I know Husker Gary has review Craig several times; often with themeless puzzles.
Today's Stowe had a well-hidden theme that fortunately had no circles attached, otherwise it would not have been "Friday-worthy". This Friday's (for me, at least) solved much more quickly than I imagined, and had maybe one or two W/O's, and no cheats. Not that many proper names nor any sports references (unless 10-Down counts); clean fill and clever clues. What's not to like??
In 5 (or 6 if you count the reveal) of the across entries, Craig figured out how to use the letters "L" "B" and "O" (in sequence in either one word or a two-word phrase) to provide a phonetic reveal: 64-Across. Hands-free greeting aptly depicted five times in this puzzle: ELBOW BUMP. The "ELBOW BUMP", like the "FIST BUMP" has become an accepted way to greet one another during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your elbow, unlike the hands and fingers, is not able to transfer germs to your mouth or eyes, or ears, for that matter. And while it's a bit awkward (to say the least), I don't think it will soon leave us. Even our politicians seem comfortable with it . . .
16-Across. Obsolescent collection site: TOLL BOOTH. Craig Stowe is a Canadien (CSO to C Eh!), and the last time I was driving in Canada, all of the TOLL BOOTHs were gone from the pay-for-use highways, and special cameras and or sensors replaced them. These devices detect the traffic to register their fees. Here in the US, though, TOLL BOOTHs do exist although they are slowly converting TOLL roads into the Canadien model. As for the puzzle, the last L in TOLL "BUMPS" the "BO" in BOOTH
18-Across. Unexpected profession, in modern lingo: L BOMB. A complete unknown to Moe, at first; but after re-reading the clue, the word "profession" means the same as an utterance or expression. "When someone drops the L BOMB" unexpectedly, it tells you that they love you. Usually comes out of the blue when you least expect it and are not prepared to respond. Urban Dictionary. And you can see again how the L bumps the BO
33-Across. Clothing chain founder Rudolf or Nancy: TALBOT. I've heard of this clothing chain but that's about all. Women's clothing. Here's more info on the company. In this example the L BO is in the middle of the word TALBOT
51-Across. "Tuesdays With Morrie" author Mitch: ALBOM. "Tuesdays with Morrie" is a memoir by American author Mitch ALBOM about a series of visits ALBOM made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS. The book topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Best-Sellers List for 23 combined weeks in 2000, and remained on the New York Times best-selling list for more than four years after. In 2006, Tuesdays with Morrie was the bestselling memoir of all time. Wikipedia. L BO, again, is found in the middle of the name
And last but not least: 52-Across. Frodo inherited his ring: BILBO. BILBO Baggins of The Hobbit, "Lord of the Rings". And one of the names that spurred this limerick many moons ago:
BILBO Baggins was recently scarred,
And the news really caught us off guard.
He expired from infection
After getting an erection.
Guess it's true that old Hobbits die hard.
The rest of the Across clues and fills:
9. Bygone ruler: TSAR.
13. Echoing remark: SO DO I, and 25-Across. Playground retort: I AM SO.
14. Short site?: LOC. Abbr for LOCation I think
15. "Unity of humanity" faith: BAHA'I. The Baháʼí Faith stresses the unity of all people, explicitly rejecting racism and nationalism. At the heart of Baháʼí teachings is the goal of a unified world order
19. "No argument here": I SEE. Or, if you were playing Texas Hold'em, one might say: "I SEE your bet and raise you another 500,000 chips"
20. "__ you been up to?": WHAT'VE. Me? No good, mostly . . .
22. Loos, briefly: WCS. Last Friday the clue was WC and the fill was LAV. I still think that one was wrong, and LOOS is the more correct answer. British
23. "Anaconda" rapper Nicki: MINAJ. Not my music "genre", but then, neither is 47-Across
27. "__ use!": IT'S NO. IT'S NO use, I can't make my recaps short and sweet!
30. "You're too much!": OH STOP.
32. Luck, to Shakespeare: HAP. According to Google: HAP(n.) luck, chance, accident
36. Facebook button: LIKE. Along with other images to describe your "LIKE:
39. Paint type: OIL BASE. I put ACRYLIC in first, but that clearly didn't fit
41. Spendthrift: WASTREL. Not a word in my lexicon
43. Movement in "The Nutcracker": PLIE. Got this on the first go-around
44. Least feral: TAMEST. I guess it helps to know what feral means. As in a pet. A cat, e.g. A feral cat or a stray cat is an un-owned domestic cat (Felis catus) that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched. The opposite of it would be a TAME cat
46. Artistic medium: INK. This answer also applies to TAT's
47. Electronic genre: TECHNO. See 23-Across for another genre Moe dislikes. Here's an example:
49. Some singers: ALTOS. SATB = Soprano/ALTO/Tenor/Bass. ALTO refers to the female singing voice a pitch below a Soprano, and is usually sung in harmony. But it also can refer to the overall pitch of a female singer whose musical register is lower. Many popular artist female singers are ALTOS
55. Bobbie Gentry wrote one to Billie Joe: ODE. Bobbie Gentry was an ALTO
56. Many a surfer: WAHINE, and 6-Down. (56-Across hi:) ALOHA. A WAHINE is a young woman, especially a surfer. And when they say "hello" or "goodbye" it's usually the word "ALOHA"
58. Villagers below the Grinch's cave: WHOS. A Christmas Classic
62. Frenemy, at times: RIVAL. Frenemy: a person with whom one is friendly despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry. Many of the golfers on the PGA/LPGA/ and Champions Tour are RIVALs/Frenemies, but not always to the level that this definition describes. Most of them actually "like" each other, but are still RIVALs
66. Looks badly: LEERS. OGLES fit
67. Sheltered: LEE. Confederate General also fit as a clue
68. Put on the line: WAGER. Line betting is a form of betting where the market is handicapped to make both betting outcomes equal. The bookmakers achieve this by giving both teams a margin, known as a line. If the bookmakers believe that one side is 12.5 points better than their opposition, you can back them to win by 13 or more points. Literally, when WAGERing, you are "putting it on the line"
69. __ log: YULE. The penultimate item that the Grinch who Stole Christmas took from the WHOS' house's fireplace
70. Drug originally synthesized from ergot: LSD. A popular hallucinogen when I was a teen, but I never tried nor wanted to
71. Dramatic literary device: IRONY.
Down:
1. Wine region east of Turin: ASTI. Your resident Sommelier knew this. Most folks see the words "Asti Spumante" on a wine bottle and don't realize that the word ASTI is a region, not a grape varietal. Spumante literally means "sparkling". Most ASTI Spumante is sweet, but not all. If you see the words "Barbera d'Asti" on a wine bottle, it's the grape (Barbera) from the ASTI region. Which is pretty big
2. Herd voices: MOOS. COW sounds; not COWL (see 48-Down) sounds
3. Hardly working: IDLE.
4. Heavy: SOLEMN. "Serious" is the unifier
5. One of the fam: SIB. SIS fit, too
7. Found work: GOT A JOB. Tough to say I "GOT A JOB" when collecting unemployment pays more than the JOB does
8. Vier und vier: ACHT. ACHT = German word for 4 + 4. EINS, ZWEI, DREI, VIER, FÜNF, SECHS, SIEBEN, ACHT, NEUN, ZEHN. 1-10 in German. A CSO to Spitz
9. Bill: TAB. See 61-Down for another carry-over word from last Friday
10. Support the team, say: SHOW SPIRIT. These kids sure know how!
11. Transmission repair franchise: AAMCO. AAMCO is an American transmission-repair franchise founded by Robert Morgan and Anthony A. Martino in 1957 in Philadelphia. Martino eventually ended his affiliation with AAMCO to manage the MAACO autobody-shop franchise, but Morgan stayed on with his son, Keith Morgan, succeeding him as CEO. Wikipedia. I had MAACO for the longest time before the perp with TSAR corrected it
12. Rack that's rubbed: RIBS. My most favorite clue today. I use a dry "RUB" on my ribs to help seal in the juices and keep them from getting too dry
15. Pasture cry: BLEAT.
17. Personal: OWN. Used here as a pronoun. "Your decisions are your OWN"
21. Panoramic views: VISTAS. How's this one? From C-Moe's personal pics. A trip he took to Ireland. Ring of Dingle
24. Shred: IOTA. Friday clue - shred the noun, not the verb
26. Slough off: MOLT. Interesting that Thesaurusaurus shows MOLT and slough as synonyms, but not slough off and MOLT
27. Denny's competitor: IHOP.
28. Bone head?: TAIL. I couldn't make heads or TAILs out of this one. You?
29. It has staggered stories: SPLIT-LEVEL. Our first house was a SPLIT-LEVEL, as I am guessing many first time home buyer's are. Here's a typical one:
31. NHL legend Gordie: HOWE. OK, I lied; there is a sports reference in today's puzzle! #9 for the Redwings, aka "Mr. Hockey"
34. Often-allergic condition: ASTHMA. If I had this we wouldn't have a cat in the house
35. Slim: LEAN. Like this "Slim"
37. Gambling game: KENO. I only played KENO when I needed a break from the BlackJack table. I find it quite boring but the cocktail servers will still offer a free drink if you're playing
38. Part of BPOE: ELKS.
40. Telly network, with "the": BEEB. As in the nickname for the BBC
42. Try: STAB.
45. Cells, to Brits: MOBILES. I was thinking the cells in "gaols" and the word "PRISONS" was erroneously entered
48. Monastery wear: COWLS. What a great word! The COWL (from French coule, itself from Latin cuculla, itself from Gaulish Celtic cucullos, which all originate from the Greek κουκούλα : koukoúla, meaning "hood") is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves.
Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak. In contemporary usage, however, it is distinguished from a cloak or cape (cappa) by the fact that it refers to an entire closed garment. Today it is worn primarily by most Catholic and Anglican monks when participating in liturgical services. Wikipedia
50. Type of exercising squat: LOW BAR. Video shows it better than I could describe it
53. Not up: IN BED. Where C-Moe is most mornings when this blog "goes live"
54. Two before Libra: LEO. And two after Libra is SAGITTARIUS
55. Paris airport: ORLY. The other is Charles DeGaulle
57. "Other people," to Sartre: HELL. “HELL is Other People.” That's actually a famous line from French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre's 1944 play, “No Exit.” In the play, three characters arrive in Hell
59. Sci-fi award: HUGO. The HUGO Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier award in science fiction. Wikipedia. Here are the 2020 winners
60. Sign: OMEN.
61. Light-footed: SPRY. Didn't I just have this word appear in last Friday's puzzle?
63. "Blessed __ the meek ... ": ARE. ". . .for they shall inherit the Earth. Matthew 5:5
65. JFK was born during it: WWI. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born May 29, 1917. World War I lasted from Jul 28, 1914 – Nov 11, 1918. During World War I JFK's father, Joseph P Kennedy, was an assistant general manager of a Boston area Bethlehem Steel shipyard; through that position, he became acquainted with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
The grid:
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Hey Moe! Did you forget something?? Oh, yeah, the clue and answer for 51-Across. It may be bid: ADIEU. What I am going to "bid" you all for awhile. Just taking a needed vacation. No details. Lots of driving, though. desper-otto will be doing my August blogs; and for me? Well, as the old song goes:
Notes from C.C.:
1) Have a fantastic trip, Moe!
2) Here's a sweet picture of Yellowrocks (Kathy) and her son David. I also dug out another picture from our Blog Picture archive. That one was taken in 2016.
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57 comments:
Good morning!
I was on Craig's wavelength this morning and zipped right through to success...without noticing there was a theme or looking for one. Enjoyed it Craig and C-Moe.
TOLL BOOTH: I used to drive through a couple of 'em during my daily commute to work. I read this past week that they're being converted to EZPass-only.
TAMEST: We've got a couple of feral cats in the neighborhood who have learned there may be a breakfast handout chez d-o.
MOLT: Only one of our cats is long-haired (Saints be praised!). Kitten-A (we were stumped for names when she showed up) is almost finished with her spring molt.
ODE: Bobbie Gentry also wrote and recorded another hit, Fancy. Reba McEntire did a popular cover of it. Gentry has been a recluse for decades; nobody seems to know why.
I hope you have a great vacation Chris. 28D is simply TAILBONE which is still painful to fall on.
Even as a little fill - HAP it is nice to see Will Shakespeare on a Friday, along with WASTREL which is a good description of Prince Hal...
Welcome D-O
FIWrong. LOt + AtHT. LOCation never came to mind, even with an alphabet run, and ACHT might as well have been ελληνικά.
The construction of this gimmick leaves me in awe! Even one of those ELBOW bumps seems fantastic, but FIVE of them?! I saw the L-BO's, but the E's and W's only when I tried to figure out the BUMP part of the reveal!
I'll take a CSO at VISTAS, as the condo community I live in is Zia Vista. WASTREL would probably fit me, too, but I think I'll pass on that.
HUGO Gernsback published magazines,
An early pusher of the "scientifiction" scene.
So now his fame
Is a trophy's name,
A future he probably hadn't foreseen!
Once a follower of BAHAI
Took a trip to Bali Ha'i.
He BID ALOHA,
That's all I know-a.
He thinks it Eden, and SO DO I!
{B+, B+}
I found this Saturday tough until it wasn't and it was finished
Fln, -T, wierd seeing Jagger in that get-up looking pretty
C-Moe, I'll take ad nauseum it's always entertaining
So that's what LBOMB means(and profess-ion)
Here's a sample of Mitch Albom writing
Priceless re. BILBO
Oh SnaP/STOP
Last fill was M on SOLEMN
I've heard "ACHT du lieben"
I had the same AAMCO/MAACO problem
We'll miss you C-Moe, drop into the J
WC
So it's not Victor HUGO
FIR, but erased whatch, oil, albam and wahene.
BAHAI Honda is a beautiful state park in the Keys. Good place to stretch and people watch on the way to Key West. Spanish for Deep Bay.
I used to hate driving in Chicagoland because of the time required to get anywhere due to the TOLL BOOTHs. Made me hate toll roads. With EZPass (and Sun Pass for the winter) I have reversed my opinion. Our locals and visitors will pay for our tunnels and roads, thank you. We shouldn't ask residents of Tacoma (or Blacksburg, for that matter) to pay for them.
I always think of Talbot's as a chili place for some reason. It is always disappointing when it is a clothing chain.
Now that I've been happily married for all these years, the rack that I rub IS ribs. Earlier in my life, not so much.
I'll bet that C-Moe will understand TAILbone after his long drive.
Thanks to Craig for the challenge. Favorites were MOOS and TAILbone. And thanks to Moe for the great review. One nit - Oddsmakers set the line based on the number they think will result in equal money being bet on each side. For example, if the Angels are playing the Yankees, the bookies in LA will have a different line than the bookies in NYC, because their customers are biased for their home team.
I wrote my comments before reading the expo. Sorry Moe, but you need to revise the grid you posted, you only got the tip of the gimmick today. Each 'bump' bends over a black cell like a speed-bump on a road:
LBO
E█W
28. The word TAILBONE puts TAIL ahead of BONE.
Good Morning:
Had no clue about the theme until the reveal and then it was oh, LBO, Aha. I think the short themers, Albom and Bilbo, hid the theme, somewhat and that’s fine with me. I found the solve pretty easy for a Friday and all of the unknowns were easily perped: Talbot, Bilbo, L Bomb, and Whos. My sole w/o was Lot/Loc. I liked the duos of Moos/Bleat, Lee/Lee(rs), Wahine/Aloha, and So Do I/I Am So. CSO to Moe at Asti. Yesterday we had the A Game and today we have the O Game: Techno, Bilbo, AAMCO, Keno, Hugo, Leo, I Am So, and It’s No.
Nice work, Craig, and very nice commentary and links, Moe. We will miss you but you’re leaving us in the very capable hands of DO, so safe and happy travels.
YR, nice picture of you and David who looks as happy as a clam at high tide!
FLN
Anon T, welcome back. Glad you had a fun and exciting time with your bros!
Pat, thanks for posting Socrates’s picture. He looks very sad but, hopefully, with your loving care and attention, he’ll perk up and find a happy home. Thanks for all you do for our best friends! 🥰
Saratoga Racetrack had a record-breaking Thursday Opening Day crowd of 27,000+ which bodes well for the 40 day meet.
Have a great day.
Good morning all. After the unheard of LBOMB I noticed the LB in TOLL BOOTH but not the LBO. Didn't even consider it for TALBOT or ALBOM which were unknowns. BILBO was the only other LBO fill I'd ever seen. 3/5 of the short theme fills completely filled by perps.
Plus there were other unknowns filled by perps- HELL, HAP, LEO but not LEE, MINAJ, LOW BAR.
Watched the video- High Bar, Low Bar? With my bad hip it will be NO Bar; I sit up from a chair 20 times or do squats holding onto something to assist me.
'Spendthrift"- my first thought was CONGRESS but it wouldn't fit. But my two grandsons make Jack Benny look like a WASTREL.
TOLL BOOTH- last Sunday I paid $5.00 to the toll booth agent to cross the 24 mile bridge spanning Lake Pontchartrain.
Jinx- my opinion of tolls if the opposite of most people. The LOCALS are the ones who should pay more than the occasional tourist or passerby. They NEED the road or bridge; the others don't. But as usual the politicians stick it to the outsiders.
Nice catch, Owen.
Evan Birnholz does those as well. For yet another, solve today's David P Williams crossword at Universal.
Good morning everyone.
Was on Craig's wave length enough to eventually get it all. Theme fill came readily, but seemed a bit bland. Otherwise and interesting puzzle to work on.
ACHT was a gimme, but 'vier' is not seen often so I would expect others may not have liked this entry.
MOO - In German, cows say Muh.
IM - Interesting about Saratoga attendance.
C. Moe - Enjoy your trip.
Initially, a daunting puzzle. I always start at the Northwest and proceed across and down. Today, I was all over the the puzzle before getting a handle.
Well constructed, Craig. I thoroughly enjoyed the exposition, C-Moe. You do not have to worry about keeping your comments "short, sweet, and to the point". Your comments were entertaining and insightful. I got a real kick out of the Bilbo limerick.
I did not see the theme until the reveal. I too had acrylic instead of OILBASE. I had onlINe before WAHINI. LBOMB appeared but I did not get the connection until the blog.
Lotsa head scratching.
FIR, not as crunchy as some Fridays. Thank you, Craig, for a fun puzzle absent of clunkers and thank you Moe for an interesting, informative blog. Have a great trip.
OKL, good catch about the LBO speed bump. This bumps up the cleverness of the theme. Too bad I didn't see the them on my own.
HELL needed ESP, I hadn't seen this quote. LBOMB was all perps, too.
I know LBO and F BOMB. I soon guessed that meaning of profession, but not LBOMB = LOVE BOMB. I kept searching for my mistake.
I have EZ pass, but what will happen to those who don't?
I read "Tuesdays with Morrie" twice. I read his novel, "The Five [people You Meet in Heaven" and saw the movie twice.
FIR today, thanks to Craig's manageable puzzle. Needed the reveal to see what was happening with the theme. WOs were amtoO/I AM SO, OHenuf/OH STOP, rObeS/COWLS and uNdEr/IN BED. The rest was smoothly filled. Enjoyed seeing ORLY and ADIEU next to each other. Also enjoyed your review, CMoe. Bon Voyage. We'll miss you. Check in when you can!
Nice to see the pictures of you and David, YR. Looking forward to more comments from you AnonT now that you're home. Fun that you were caught on camera at the HR Derby. Unusual for me, I watched the All Star Game Tuesday, thinking about you and our Denver family. And finally thanks to OwenKL for explaining HUGO and seeing the black squares BUMP to add to our appreciation of the puzzle. TGIF everyone!
"No puzzle for YOU!!"
I'll be out of the loop for a couple days ( Is that a collective sigh of relief.
Hey..I'm right here 😲)
As I mentioned earlier in the week..Her Majesty the Queen of Chicago will be visiting along with her long-suffering consort (DW's older sister and hubby, the Prince of Wails) till Monday. The motorcade arrives in an hour or so heralded by the usual trumpet fanfare. DW has been working diligently to make the house sparkle while I've been laboring with the landscaping "painting the roses red 🥀"
Just hope we have enough flower petals to strew along the entranceway. 🌼🌼🌼
😁
Have a great trip, Moe!
Not sure what to wish you regarding your visitors, Ray. But, all the best.
As for the puzzle, FIR with a few WO's or whatever we call them on a computer screen. I grasped the theme late and even noticed the "drop down" W's as in LBOw bend. I did not see the E of ELBOW until OwenKL pointed it out, above. It's 8 a.m. now, here, so I've got about nine hours until it's time to bend an ELBOW.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Finished but didn't get it until Moe's explanation. Definitely a Friday level puzzle for me.
I don't eLBOw bump in addition to not shaking hands anymore. At most I nod or do a slight hand wave. Some form of acknowledgement is the key.
For a long time I resisted getting an EZPass because I don't like the idea of Big Brother knowing everything that I do. However, in this day and age, there is no real privacy anymore so I gave up and got an EZPass. It's nice being able to go through some toll stations at 70mph.
Ray-O: Sounds like you and your BIL should get out of the house and go to a ball game or something like that. Whatever you do - Good Luck.
It's National Ice Cream Day, so everyone should celebrate.
Have a great day everyone.
Hi Y'all! Very clever puzzle, Craig. Thanks also to CMOE for 'splainin'. Enjoyed both.
Got the theme with the reveal. Still don't get what OKL is talking about.
The NE corner was white for a long time. No idea what AAMCO is. Apparently don't have them in our area. LBOMB was a BOMB for me alright. Finally had to red-letter to get toeholds with RIBS & SHOW.
We're told to cough into our ELBOW but also to BUMP them and expect no germs transfer? I dunno about that. Well, they have masks on. Why touch in greeting at all? We need to just bow to each other as some Asian cultures do. if formal greeting is needed, from 6 ft. apart.
DNK: TALBOT, ACHT = vier, HUGO, HAP (is that the base word for HAPpy?)
Shocked that I remembered ALBOM. I read it 20 years ago.
Facebook "button" doesn't seem like it describes those emojis.
WAGER: I don't bet on anything. WASTREL I'm not.
Kathy, nice to see you and David with big smiles.
I noticed immediately the ELBO with the W underneath the O, which helped me, but this was still challenging.
Given that, I kept looking at OILBASE that had the LB but where was the O and W? I knew the BEEB was correct (being a big fan of the BBC-America channel). [Oh I see now--it has to have a black square under the B to bend around it. Missed that. Thanks, OWENKL!]
Never heard of L-BOMB, only dropping the F-BOMB
Toll Booths are NOT obsolete - we have tons in NY and NJ. Thus I was an early user of EX-PASS. Loved cruising past long lines at the Whitestone Bridge to get to LaGuardia at rush hour.
Had URL at first instead of LOC
HAP? As in Happenstance? Is HAP actually in any Shakespeare works?
Had OH-SNAP at first but that really didn't fit the clue.
Took me a while to dredge up WAHINE.
Okay, after the third perusal, I got OKL's reveal of the entire ELBOW BUMP theme. WOW!
Ray - O @9:58 AM You needn't worry Ray-O - we'll overlook the absence of your homonymic posts as long as you keep as informed on the "arrival of the Queen of Sheba" (I can almost hear her bustles rustling up the red carpet now). I hear that Angela is going to be in town for the week. You should call Joe and invite him and her to a State dinner. I'm sure DW wouldn't mind setting a couple of extra plates.
Friday toughie for me, as usual, but also fun, as usual--many thanks, Craig. And fun pictures, Chairman Moe.
I started out with WHAT'VE and VISTAS, which got me started on that corner. Liked seeing the ALOHA and WAHINE combo too. Haven't been to Paris in decades, but got ORLY. Is IRONY really dramatic? I always think of it as a bit subtle.
Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.
Hola!
Fit for Friday! thank you, Craig Stowe. This puzzle had a bit of crunch and challenge.
TALBOT! Not my favorite store but I do occasionally buy clothes there. They tend to be more tailored than other stores but they do fit nicely.
I was all over this puzzle, failing to find a place to land but finally it slowly came together. ALBOM was my first fill and I wanted WAHINE next but it seemed too unusual. Eventually it filled the spot.
I've learned BILBO and other hobbits from CWDs. Is is IRONY that it's crossed by OMEN?
PLIE is a CSO to my daughter and granddaughter who both studied ballet.
Safe travels, CMOE! And thank you for the review.
California has both EZ-Pass and toll booths.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
One ongoing challenge for Friday bloggers is looking for the added twist that makes the puzzle a Friday. LBO was fun but the
LBO
E W
makes it special. If it seems too easy, it prbably isn't. I had the same thing happen to me early in my blogging days. It is all good
Potpourri:
Woohoo appeared today in the WSJ puzzle. I guess it really is a word.
Saw the ISS pass overhead last night at 2132 local time.
The NYS Thruway inactivated and began removing all TOLL BOOTHS last November. No E-Z pass? No problem; they photo your license plate and send you a bill.
WSJ also had 'haik', a N. African garment. (Probably lurking to appear in the LAT sometime soon.)
As to hands-free greeting, there's always saluting; the military has been doing it for some time, now.
MOOS - Herd voices. One time my sister brought home a Sousaphone from school to practice on. As she was playing, our whole herd in a nearby pasture romped over to the nearest section of fence and stuck their heads over and ears forward so they could hear every note. They were the raptest ruminants I had ever seen.
Got a phone call today from a friendly sort wanting to help me with problems with the IRS. I asked him if his mother knew he was playing with phones.
Maneuver seen on winding roads and taverns: ELBOW BEND
Thought of that looking at L's diagram
On my second hour at VA. DR recommends shingle shot per VA P&Ps. Good idea?
WC
YR, no problem for those who travel sans EZPass. The tolling agency just bills the registered owner of the vehicle by mail. They add a nominal fee (I think it's $3.50 here). Not too bad if you don't live where electronic tolling is used, but tough if you have to pay it often. Around here you also get a small discount on the toll for using EZPass as well.
OC, I don't like the trackimg aspect either. I read somewhere that there are sensors on some roads that don't collect tolls, but are used to look for missing persons (silver alerts), stolen cars and wants & warrants.
Most toll I ever paid was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike a couple of years ago, traveling from northern Indiana to Shanksville PA. Cost $20 just to get on the road with my motorhome towing my CRV, then maybe another $50 by the time I got to my destination. Had the turnpike been in great shape I could have understood the expense, but it was more patches than road. Very rough drive.
First read through was daunting, but a foothold in the SW lead to the fill spiraling in clockwise….easy-peasy.
WC, oh HELL yes, if you've had chicken pox. You do not want shingles!
WC…get the SHINGRIX shots…there are 2. You do NOT want to get shingles. For a preview of what that feels like, just set your skin on fire. Or rub your skin with sandpaper and then apply salt. Imagine the discomfort. For weeks and weeks.
This Friday go wasn’t too bad, although I simply despise clues such as 8D. C’mon, German addition? Weak.
18A was a poser. “Profession” threw me off.
Write-overs…OHSNAP/OHSTOP, OIL/INK.
HAP…as in HAPLESS.
See you tomorrow.
Thank you Craig for one the cleverest puzzles that I've ever BUMPED into on the Corner. To top it all off it was a Friday FIR. And Chris we're going to miss you, so I'll bid you ADIEU with a thank you for another excellent review. And thank you for leaving us in the capable hands of desper-otto. Maybe I'll finally find out what he's so DESPERATE about!
The IRONY is that not only did I sail past the LBOs, but was ELBOWED into CMOE's 'splainin that that's all there was to it (thank you OwenKL). I WAGER that it was due to Chris's short timer attitude and so I'll give him an EZ-PASS.
But I have to re-iterate my admiration for Craig's construction skills: juggling 3 synchronized fills and a SPEED BUMP for 5 themers, all topped off with a reveal. Amazing cruciverbalist legerdemain!
18A Never heard of LBOMB and thought it might have something to do with gender issues, but was touched to find out what it really meant.
23A I'm with MOE on MINAJ.
32A The Baltimore Sun used to have a staff artist named Charles R. Hazard. A name like that is an occupational hazard: his moniker in the newsroom from the day he started was "Hap". As to whether this word actually appears anywhere in Shakespeare, I'd HAZARD a guess that it does.
46A "Pen and INK drawings" was what I thought of at first. Such thinking could be the mark of an intellectual, but by definition I'm NOT an intellectual: the first thing I think of when I hear the William Tell overture is the LONE RANGER and then those immortal words of his sidekick TONTO: "What do you mean WE Kemosabe?"
47A I'm not of the opinion that machines could ever create ART, let alone "understand" what it is. I certainly don't.
62A Good RIVALS learn from each other.
70A ERGOT is a fungus that grows on RYE grain. It's believed that spoiled grain was occasionally responsible for mass outbreaks of hysteria and hallucinations in the Middle Ages.
1D MOE, so if BARBERA is a varietal, do wines that mention it have a higher or lower "denominazione controllata"? In plain Inglese, do they cost more or less?
10D Sound's TECHNO to me.
31D A CSO to CanadianEh! actually.
40D BEEB. One of my fav networks.
50D LOW BAR. My puzzle printout truncated after "SQU" and I thought maybe it read SQUARE, i.e. some kind of MAT. I did finally get it on perps.
54D A CSO to our LEOIII!
57A I never read "No Exit", but of course this quote is famous. The IRONY is that Sartre never stopped to seriously consider whether life was even possible without other people. I did read a play that sounds thematically similar, called "Ivan & Adolf: The Last Man in Hell" by Stephen Vicchio, but about a hell for which there IS AN EXIT. Ivan is a character from the "Brothers Karamazov" and Adolf was the former Fuehrer of Germany. The third character is the maid Sophie, who takes care of the other two and bides her time waiting for them to leave. A great short read.
Cheers,
Bill
WC @12:46 PM My Uncle Arthur contracted shingles. Not pretty.
Surprised myself: (1) remembered ALBOM, and (2) spelled it right. Also MINAJ.
66a had to be ogles or LEERS; waited for perps.
"Àdieu, àdieu, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye ..."
>> Roy
I again had no idea what the theme was until coming here. Thank you, Moe, Craig, and OwenKL! The theme is extremely clever, and I really like the mental image of the ELBOW curving around like that. I imagine that this grid was very difficult to construct, but it did not feel forced at all. Great job, Craig!
I'm also impressed that you came up with a clue for WHATVE that allowed me to fill that in right away. Very nice cluing in general.
Have a great trip, Moe!
Thank you Craig for a uniquely, mind bending puzzle. Thank you Moe and OwenKL for your explanations and review.
I remember a few optically enhanced puzzles like this, very few, .... a theme of hebrew words, .... one with the words spelt backwards etc. This must have been a complicated undertaking. I did not get the reveal until it was pointed out.
LBOMB seems odd, ... Love shouldnt have to be so difficult, as if to stun somebody ... after all, it is the ultimate compliment, meant sincerely. Or, do we have to put the hype in everything, like drama queens.
Have a nice day, and a great weeekend.
A Friday worthy puzzle, thank you Craig S. I needed several look-ups to be sure of my entry. Thank you for the expo and links, C. Moe. I had no idea of the theme, as usual.
Unknowns, LOC, L BOMB, HAP, AAMCO,HELL, and probably a few more.
Fav:Villagers below the Grinch's cave WHOS. Scroll down the page to see Cindy Lou Who
Irish Miss, I had just taken a picture of Socrates, the phone made a noise and he was trying to figure out what was going on. A puzzlement, for sure.
Have a good vacation, C Moe! You don't need to pare down your blogs, they are fine the way they are.
More rain tonight and tomorrow. Why can't Mother Nature figure out a way to share this resource fairly around the world?
This is for Ray O Sunshine, who's expecting Royalty to visit him /them.
Ray, you know, ofcourse, the etiquette HM the Queen goes by ....
She always, always carries a purse, color coded and matched, and changes it often during various times of the day. She has a few banknotes, in it, ..... not because she has to pay for anything ( at all -) but in case somebody asks for her photograph and autograph.
Also, she never says,'Pardon' ... she says 'Whaat'... because she does all the pardoning ( and 'executing' ) as the case may be.
And watch out for her Corgis , they have a sharp nip.
some homo-nyms/phones/ wahtever , in yur honor....
WAHINE ... what some (hawaiian -) women do all day....
SODOI ... sisters of H.G. Wells aliens, the ELOI .. war od the worlds.
ALTOS ... what you see of a hi level diver, when you're looking from the level of the pool ...
MINAJ ... a tiny glass of apple juice.
OHSTOP ... an obscene word in an old style telgram ( See LBOMB )
LBOMB ... what a frawnch Gerson serves on your plate, and watches you while you figure out
whether its an animal, mineral or vegetable.
( Arabic version .... AL-BOM - other meanings also. )
ALOHA .... a poor quality joke, not for refined company.
ELBOW BUMP ,,, what a spouse does to dig into your tummy, because you did not get the joke in refined society.
Have a great week, and mind those roses.
Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, Craig and CMoe.
I FIRed and nearly forgot to look for the theme. I saw the LBO with W BUMP, but did not see the bumped E. D’uh.
My newspaper does not credit the constructor 🙁👎, but I wondered at 6A if he/she was Canadian. (Note to C Moe re the second a. Canadien is French, as in the Montreal hockey team. I would be the feminine Canadienne in French. Lesson for the day😁)
Then I noted Loo=WC, BEEB, MOBILES, for a British flavour. But it looks like I had Canadian advantage at 16A, as I have not seen a TOLL BOOTH here in years. And no misspelling either😁😁👍
Yes, waseeley, we had HOWE too (not our usual Canadian NHL player ORR).
I did a short alphabet run to C for LOC and ACHT.
I really wanted ALEE but there was no room for the A.
I would use a LIKE button on this site when I agree with a post or enjoy a link, photos. Often, I forget to post my appreciation later (please note, Picard et al.)
I smiled to see ALOHA and ADIEU, BLEAT and MOOS.
Wishing you all a great day.
I liked this puzzle and surprised myself on being able to FIR without looking anything up. (Surprised because yesterday's and Wednesday's puzzles stumped me and this one didn't.)
Only after reading Chairman Moe's terrific write-up did I see the LBO gimmick and only after reading Owen's comments did I see the entire ELBOW. Neato.
I already had the AA from TSAR and BAHAI so AAMCO emerged easily. I always get fooled by odd letter combinations such as AA being the first two letters of a word. So I also got flummoxed by WHATVE for a while. "Hagen! What've you done?" (What the onlookers exclaim in Wagner's Götterdämmerung right after Hagen kills Siegfried.)
Good wishes to you all.
See, I needed a LIKE button for those photos, YR.
And a HaHa button for Ray-o’s post.
And a ❤️😂 for Vidwan @3:54
Musings
-18 holes with oldest granddaughter today.
-What a fun gimmick!
-The Hawaii University men’s teams are the Rainbow Warriors and the women’s teams are the Rainbow Wahines
-Does IRONY make you think of O. Henry?
-Lovely pix, Kathy!
Pat @3:35 PM Love the pups Pat. Keep 'em coming.
STITZ: Re ISS, saw it last night also. Went right through the Big Dipper "handle". Seemed like forever until it disappeared in the low north east. Nasa.gov sends me a message on my "master" (cell phone) when it'll be visable here in Token Creek. Time, elevation and direction.
Speaking of love
Hi All and thanks for the welcome-backs.
Craig's puzzles are always a challenge but themes make 'em easier. Thanks for the puzzle, Craig.
Nice expo (and taste in music), C. Moe. You gamble like I do - for the cheaper drinks :-)
Enjoy the vacation and the road-trip... It's not about the destination; it's about the travel.
OKL - OMG!, I see it now - ELBOW goes over/around a black square (under the 'O's and the 'bump') every time.
I was thinking it was a phonics-theme i.e. 'L-BO'. Extra props to Craig.
WOs: LEa -> LEE, BIblO
ESPs: AGA | ACHT, BAHAI, ALBOM | COWLS | WAHINE, LBOMB, MINAJ
Fav: Blessed ARE the MEEK [Python]
Runner-up: Herd voices clue.
Saved by a perp (cz|tsAR) & dyslexia: AAMCO filled smudge-free.
{A+ #SciFi!, B+}
FNL - I hope SOCRATES finds a good home, Pat. Cute pup.
Nice photo YR! Thanks for sharing.
Ray-O: Re: Chicago in-laws: Tell us how you really feel... :-)
Jinx - we thought of rubbing racks the same way :-)
MManatee - It's five-o'clock somewhere...
Vidwan - LOL all the way home.
Waseeley - Pop does some amazing pen & INK drawings. He did my house from memory and sent it to me framed. Really nice.
Then he sent another one... "I got your address wrong the first time and, since I don't think you'll move across the street, I had to do it again."
When wooing DW, I'd say "I Love you" before hanging up the phone. One day, instead of "I like you too", she dropped the L-BOMB.
Me: "Did you hear what you just said?"
"I think so..."
"Did you mean it or was it reflexive, you know, like with your parents..."
"I. I. I'll talk with you tomorrow.
"OK, Love."
"Bye"
That was good enough for me :-) //the gander, TTP?
Cheers, -T
Can someone explain iota for 24 down ? Thanks in advance
Ron @ 1938 - - Think of "a teensy bit. There is not a shred of evidence ………. ; There is not an IOTA of evidence..
At least that's the way I thought of it. Hope this helps.
PVX etal, I got the first shot. Second scheduled in Sept.
Spitz , got a FB Chat/Insta? msg but unknown to the scammer the real person was incapacitated. I did show said real the msg(UNDEV program???)
There's friend, frenemy, and nemesis
No theme to help you tomorrow, Anon-T. Extreme P&P can get it done. I waited an hour at VA for shot and got ½ done. Then it was a piece at a time. Much wailing and grinding of teeth coming.
WC (has to shut up right now)
Good FIR Streak going but haven't checked Saturday answers
Another aspect of COWL. My favorite sweater has a COWL neckline
Link text
I had just typed the same, Spitz. You beat me to it.
shred, a very small amount, not of a shred of evidence
iota, a very small amount, smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, not an iota of truth in the
accusation.
Owen @ 7:39 —> thanks for exposing the additional EW and black square to the ELBOW BUMP. I completely missed it
Bill @ 1:48 —> regarding the Barbera DOC and DOCG: yes, these tend to be more expensive, but they’re also a designation that the Barbera comes from ASTI, and the “G” means it’s “guaranteed” to be what it is. Essentially, producers submit their wines to the “government” and receive a stamp of approval. It helps both the producers and consumers
Puzzling thoughts:
Thanks for the kind vacation wishes all. I’ll recap the trip when we return. And yes, my TAIL bone may be a bit sore from all the “windshield” time, but we’ve carved out plenty of time to relax and enjoy the sites we have planned along the way. First “layover” is with my daughter, SIL, granddog, and 14 month old grandson!
MM —> I went to an incredible Bourbon Bar and restaurant last night, and today I stopped at a wonderful liquor store with some fun selections. Picked up a Talisker Game of Thrones for < $50
If I can find a moment here and there I’ll pop in, but they’ll be cameo moments for sure. Stay well all; WC, glad to hear that you’re getting your Shingles shots!
CMoe:
Safe travels!
Yellowrocks:
I've been meaning to tell you what a nice photo of David and you! He is a handsome young man.
TTP @4:28 PM Canada geese mate for life and apparently "in sickness and health".
Anyone want a story?
So, on our way back from St. Mary's Glacier, Bro wanted to stop for lunch at a new brew-pub in Idaho Springs, CO (Westbound & Down). Nice place with some good beer.
Across the street was a little place called Echos Hippie Shop . I thought I might find a couple of t-shirts for the Girls there so I went across the street while we waited on our lunch order. I did, in fact, find some groovy Ts for the girls. (ok, they only liked one of them - I called today to order another... No fighting! :-))
I go to pay for the shirts and the lady, as I handed her my credit-card, said, "Use the screen."
"Oh, you have Square? Wait, this isn't Square..."
"No, they wouldn't take us because we sell 'paraphernalia.' It's less than 5% of our business but..."
"So you're saying,... Square are the squares?"
//insert your own rim-shot while I see myself out ;-)
Cheers, -T
Hello craig,
I'm confused on WC - is it a british reference or a new thing?
Best,
Ethel
Ethel:
I'm not Craig.
WC == Water Closet == LOO ~= LAV. The head, toilet, can, (John) Crapper, the sh**er, er, bathroom.
Yes, WC is a Brit thing but, watch enough BEEB, & you'll hear it. It's not new.
Hope that helps.
Cheers, -T
Bill, I couldn't figure out why you were repeating to me what was written in the article I had posted. Specifically, the comment that the geese mate for life...
The funny thing is that the original news story that I read in another Nexstar news outlet from Ohio had the following paragraph:
"Canada geese, which live to about 25 years of age in the wild, usually find a mate around the age of 3 and will stay with their partners for life, Department of Natural Resources experts say."
But that paragraph wasn't in the source Nexstar article from WPRI in Providence, Rhode Island. That's the one I linked in the blog comments. Otherwise, they are word for word. Weird.
Then I came across this while looking for the original one I read: 7 Canadian creatures that mate for life
In the "I hate when that happens department"... we had baked panzerottis delivered right around 4:30. Now it's 2:30 in the morning and I've already got my eight hours of sleep in...
Dash T, sounds like you had a good time and good break. Good on you for keeping the peace by ordering another, but what are you going to do with the unwanted one ?
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