google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday July 19, 2021 Paul Coulter

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Jul 19, 2021

Monday July 19, 2021 Paul Coulter

Theme: SEASIDE RESORT (52. Coastal vacation center, major elements of which are placed as they might look on a picture postcard)

20. The Gulf Stream and others: OCEAN CURRENTS.

33. Summer Olympics sport played on sand: BEACH VOLLEYBALL.

41. 2010s HBO show set in Atlantic City: BOARDWALK EMPIRE.

Boomer here.  

C.C. and I have had the pleasure of visiting both oceans that are east and west in the United States. We visited my sisters in San Francisco and had an outdoor brunch looking out over the Pacific at the retired Alcatraz. Then, below, we had a great trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where we got in a few rounds of golf and a walk on the Atlantic Beach.  

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, May 2002

Across:

1. Smoothie superfruit: ACAI.

5. Chatter on and on: PRATE.

10. Daily paper fodder: NEWS.  "Though it never made the New York Times, in the Daily NEWS the caption read"  Simon and Garfunkel. 

14. "Scram, fly!": SHOO.

15. Moray fisher: EELER.  I suppose if you call a person catching a fish a fisher, You might call someone desperate enough to try for a Moray an EELER.

16. __ B'rith: B'NAI.  Sons of the Covenant.


17. Windshield glare reducer: TINT. I remember when it was a broad strip of blue/green across the top of the windshield.  Now they just lie and tell you it's in there.

18. Environs: AREAS.

19. Includes in the recipe: ADDS.

23. "Heaven forbid!": OH NO.  Apolo OHNO will not be in Tokyo.  He was an Olympic skater.


24. Running shoe brand: AVIA.  Pretty fancy and expensive.  We will probably see some of them in Tokyo.

26. Hank Aaron's 2,297, briefly: RBIS.  Hank had the most as he passed Babe Ruth.  However Mr. Pujols is third right now and continues to add.  Albert is very popular in my baseball card world.


29. Spring mo.: APR.  Normally is welcomed In Minnesota with a temperature that allows golf. 

31. Eggy seasonal drink: NOG.  I have never had this but I have heard it may have something other than eggs mixed in.

38. Facial spots, maybe: ACNE.

39. "May I take your __?": server's offer: ORDER.  I took a few orders from guys with stripes on their sleeves.

40. Suit to __: A TEE.  Indeed I will be matching a golf ball and a driver to this today.

44. Yang partner: YIN.

45. Handspeak.com subj.: ASL.

46. All-purpose vehicles, for short: UTES.  I think this has changed to SUVS.

47. "Shane" star Alan: LADD.  Also Charlie's Angel Cheryl.

49. "Battle Cry" author Leon: URIS.

59. __ one's nose into: meddle: POKE.  My nose is not that big.

61. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA. Yeah, the Olympics will miss her but Tony the Tiger said she was GREAT.

62. Operatic song: ARIA.  I will no longer bore you with Benjamin Britten, Now I only sing "God Bless America" in Church.

63. Like the Sahara: ARID.

64. __ 99, Maxwell Smart's co-worker: AGENT.  Barbara Feldon.


65. Annie Lennox, by birth: SCOT.

66. Lions' homes: DENS.  Also a meeting place for Cub Scouts.

67. Prickly heath shrub: GORSE.

68. Bowler and boater: HATS.  I keep sayin here that I am a BOWLER but I am not a HAT

Down:

1. Concerning: AS TO.

2. Fashionably smart: CHIC.  Home of the Cubs.

3. See 22-Down: A ONE. 22. With 3-Down, zero: NARY.

4. Letter before kappa: IOTA.  I do not have an IOTA of knowledge of the Greek alphabet. Besides Alpha, Beta and Oh Yeah, O.M.E.G.A. (Older More Energetic Graybar Alumni.)


5. Cobbler fruit: PEACH.

6. "Peanuts" comic strip these days, e.g.: RERUN.  Yes I watch "Law and Order" a lot.

7. Last Olds model: ALERO.  Good Old Oldsmobile.  I owned several in my lifetime.

8. Drop of sadness, often: TEAR.  I think I shed a TEAR when GM discontinued the Olds.

9. Gaelic language: ERSE.

10. Hoops cable channel: NBA TV.  I do not visit there.  Spend time on the MLB channel though.  "Quick Pitch" for all of the last night's action.

11. Produces no winner: ENDS IN A TIE.  That's why we have Extra Innings.

12. Gum, after use: WAD.  I prefer a WAD of bills in my pocket.

13. Female sib: SIS.  I have three. The youngest is visiting Minnesota in a few days.

21. On-the-run snack: NOSH.

25. Desktop Gold users: AOL-ERS.


26. Shrink back in fear: RECOIL.  When I first learned to use a shotgun, it hurt for the rest of the day.

27. Slippery slapstick prop: BANANA SKIN.

28. Cupcake decorator: ICER.  Also a hockey defenseman when in trouble.

29. Fashion model Wek: ALEK.

30. Dad in Dijon: PERE.

32. Delight: GLEE.  I think I may have mention my High School GLEE club in the past. Our 55th reunion was delayed last year due to Covid.  It has been rescheduled for August.

33. Newborn: BABY.

34. Wedding exchange: VOWS.

35. Said aloud: ORAL.  I think ORAL Roberts is well named.

36. "Bad" cholesterol, initially: LDL. Low-Density Lipoprotein.

37. Pres. Clinton, religiously: BAPT.  I am not sure that religious choice of a President of the U.S. should be publicized and scrutinized.  

42. Arp's art: DADA.

43. Poet's inspiration: MUSE.  I really like Minnesotan Robert Zimmerman's work.  Of course you probably know him as Bob Dylan.

48. Accomplishments: DEEDS.

49. Organ with milk: UDDER.  I have a deceased cousin whose husband is a dairy farmer in California.  I think his business is good.

50. Stagecoach driver's controls: REINS.

51. About to explode: IRATE.  Miss a three foot putt, or a 5 pin.

53. Unexpected issue: SNAG.

54. "Otello" baritone: IAGO.  Sorry but I will never know why Shakespeare is so famous.

55. Pageant adornment: SASH.

56. Aptly named "Jaws" boat: ORCA.  Also JAWS was an apt name for a big fish. 

57. Life-of-the-party type: RIOT.

58. Ink on skin: TATS.  I never bought one of these.  I just could not see a reason.  Sorry if I offended any reader with some ink.

59. Low-tech note-taking aid: PAD.

60. Cal.'s northern neighbor: ORE.  Boy, did they ever get HOT up there recently. 

Boomer



 

49 comments:

OwenKL said...

Ugh. FIWrong on a Monday. And an exceptionally easy one at that. Those totally superfluous circles drew me to fill in those items first without any perps. (Well, the first two, anyway. The third was unknown but easily guessed with only a few perps). The natick that thew me? AVIs + sOLERS. Shouldn't A.O.L. be clued as an abbreviation? AVIA has been in crosswords so many times, should I take it as a sign of dementia that I couldn't remember it?
The theme, I'm sorry to say, was about as lame a one as I've ever seen. Especially with the circles, which I'm sure were Rich's fault.

Muse is a SO to my dearest love, ERATO. ORE. may be a CSO to me, since that was where I grew up.

Foodies may PRATE about the berry called AÇAI
(Three syllables put together as A-sigh-ee)
They are, of course
More healthy than GORSE.
For the sigh-ers of healthy, they'll make you a sigh-ee!

{C.}

unclefred said...

Got ‘er done. FIR but took me 26 minutes, dreadfully long for a Monday. Not sure if the CW is a bit crunchy or maybe I’m not fully awake yet, but I struggled more than I should have for a Monday CW. Very nice CW though, thanx, PC. Only one W/O, BANANAPEEL:BANANASKIN, which made a mess of the SW. other than that, pretty straight forward. I managed to quickly WAG each of the theme entries, which should have made short work of this CW. I’m not sure WHY it took me so long. Anyway, nice CW. Terrific write-up, too, Boomer, thanx.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Nice, easy romp to start the week. My only ink-over was PEEL/SKIN (Hi there, unclefred). Pretty obvious theme. I agree that the circles were superfluous. Nicely done, Paul and Boomer

ORAL: We always called him Anal Roberts. Mom would get upset when we'd lay hands on the TV screen and shout, "Heal!"

Paul Coulter said...

Thanks, Boomer. Like you, I've had the pleasure of viewing both the Atlantic and Pacific. When I go down the shore, as we say in the Philly area, I'm loyal to my local Ocean City, NJ. How about it, folks? What's your favorite seaside spot?

My revealer for SEASIDERESORT was "Coastal center for vacationers, and where you might view the circled words from the south?" I liked the image of the grid as a map, but I also like Rich's postcard angle. I also like ACAI, which I now know how to pronounce, thanks to Owen.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, and a rare day with no erasures. Didn't know NBATV or ALEK, and thought Bill Clinton worshipped "organ(s) with milk." I'm sure that Bill and I share the love of women's BEACH VOLLEYBALL.

My greyhound Zoe POKEs her needle nose into every cracked door and behind every curtain she encounters. She is the most curious dog I have ever known.

I only know GORSE from watching The Open Championship (we yanks call it the British Open). No GORSE this year at St George's, but there will be plenty in next year's 150th edition at St. Andrew's.

Thanks to PC for another fun puzzle, this one being easy even for me. My only nit was the mismatch in number between plural RBIS and the singular stat - the one for Hammerin' Hank. Like saying runs batted ins. Guess I listened to too much Vin Scully before my divorce from MLB. He would never have said "Cey alrady has five RBIS today," but would have said Garvey's 3 and Cey's 5 RBIS powered the victory."

Thanks to Boomer for another fun review. Hope you him 'em straight today. I play four rounds in Myrtle Beach every year. This year I saw a TEE declaring that MB is "a great drinking town with a golf problem."

FLN: Spitz and Lucina, TACOMA is another name for Mt. Rainier: "Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma or Tacoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest..."

Boomer said...

Thank you everyone. I have to say that the trip we took to Myrtle Beach was probably the most memorable. Now we just go to Las Vegas in the winter for the Graybar OMEGA reunion. It is also a great time but no time for golf. The photo of Albert Pujols today is actually a Topps 2001 Traded series of a Pujols rookie card. I recently sold one of these on EBAY so now I can pay for golf for the rest of the summer !20

Bob Lee said...

Ugh...the cat woke me up early, so even tho a bit woozy I had an easy time of the puzzle. Liked the theme as I love the beach. As others, I guessed BANANA PEEL instead of SKIN at first.

I have too many e-mail IDs: AOL (free web version), multiple GMAILS, XFINITY. Double Ugh.

Luckily I can say the Greek alphabet. I also know the military version of abcd...z from taking flying lessons in my 20s -- you tell the tower any letters in your tail number that way: Alpha Bravo Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel...Yankee, Zulu

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Fun & fast, thanks, Paul & Boomer.

DNK: ALEX WEK but it filled before I got to read the clue.

I put my feet in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico & Gulf of California in a 2-year span when I could still travel. I was down the shore in New Jersey earlier & on the beach at Myrtle's fine resorts. Also went to Puget Sound/Strait of Juan de Fuco and bussed up Ranier/Tacoma. Ah, those were the days!

ATLGranny said...

A FIR Monday, but not a perfect WO-free grid. When I got to the used gum clue, my first thought was cuD/WAD, but perps quickly changed that. Hand up for BANANA peel/SKIN. Also I had atvS/UTES, remembering being rescued by EMTS driving an ATV after I fell while hiking on Stone Mountain last winter.

Thanks Paul for an enjoyable puzzle today with a scenic theme as well as for stopping by. Thanks also go to Boomer for a cheerful review on a rainy day. Our favorite SEASIDE spot is St. George Island off the Florida panhandle. Not wanting to PRATE any longer, I will wish you all well and hope you get a glimpse of the sun!

inanehiker said...

Typical smooth Monday solve except for WEES about the BANANA PEEL to SKIN switch. Circles were totally superfluous for solving. I've been to 3 of the major oceans but have never been to the Arctic or Southern (now the name for the OCEAN by Antarctica).

My favorite beach is Cannon Beach in Oregon
https://traveloregon.com/places-to-go/cities/cannon-beach/
We go there every other year with 3 other families from our college days- always a welcome break in August from the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes of the Midwest at that time.

SEASIDE is actually the next town up on the coast - but we try to avoid it except for a run to the larger grocery store - it's your typical tacky tourist beach town.

Thanks Boomer and Paul!

Madame Defarge said...

Good Morning.

Due to the overcast sky, this morning's sun was a giant RED ball. I tried to get a photo, but mother nature is very protective of her skyscapes.

Thanks, Paul, for a good run this morning. I knew GORSE, but couldn't retrieve it from my old brain. Hand up here for that BANANA peel! Set me back a bit. I have seen ALEK in print many times, but today I learned her name.

Boomer, thank you for the tour. I love that your Pujols card is paying for your golf. Perfect!

We have been very busy here working in many different directions. At least we are maintaining our sense of humor about it all. Have a sunny day--impressive rise or not.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Interesting way to float a theme. I enjoy Paul's puzzles. More a mid-week difficulty, but that's the editor's call. Always enjoy fill with water, vistas, etc. Bob Lee, I had Peel before skin, too.
PRATE - In Dutch, 'praten' means 'to talk'. It is not pejorative.

Jinx; Thanx for the Tacoma info. I thought of the Brit golf venues, with GORSE, as well. Learnt it is a legume.

Good job, Boomer.

Yellowrocks said...

Very easy puzzle. ALEK was the only unfamiliar fill. Circles were not needed. I do not try to avoid WOs. I often lightly pencil in my first thought knowing it is likely not to stand. If it does stand, I have not forgotten it. Online I use the same strategy.
This time I really expected PEEL to stand.
The only eggnog I like is homemade. Commercial eggnog tastes so fake.
We saw plenty of GORSE while hiking in Scotland.
We Jerseyites say, DOWN THE SHORE and SLEEP OVER MY HOUSE. Where? On the roof?
My favorite beach resort is Wildwood Crest, where this week's photo of David and me was snapped. David and Motoko have a condo on the beach which they rent out in July and August. David goes down every Sat. when the renters leave and checks out the condo before the new renters arrive. He spends the afternoon on the beach and rinses off and dresses in the condo's beach dressing room. We are invited in Sept.
From yesterday's puzzle: Orreries and diagrams are useful for many things, but it bothers me that they are misleading as to scale, especially to children.
Inanehiker, I agree about Seaside, NJ. It has deteriorated greatly since the 1950's.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was certainly an easy, breezy Monday with only one unknown, Alek, which perped itself. I agree that the circles were superfluous but I know that a Monday demands their presence. Circles only bother me in late week puzzles because they lessen the challenge considerably. My only minor nit is Banana Skin which may be technically acceptable but Peel is the usual reference. The theme was a visual treat for the rain-soaked, sun-deprived, Northeast denizens.

Thanks, Paul, for getting the week off to a good start and thanks, Boomer, for brightening our day, as usual. Good luck on the links.

FLN

PK, re three letter words: It’s not the words themselves that bother me, it’s the excessive number of them in some puzzles. I realize and understand that they are a necessary evil, but when over used, they’re annoying and distracting. However, as Jayce pointed out, they’re less bothersome when they’re actual words, rather than an abbreviation, acronym, or initialism. (I’m still in awe of CC’s Sunday grid a while ago that had only 18 three letter words. Compare that to yesterday’s 38 and you can appreciate what an achievement it was.)

Have a great day.

CanadianEh! said...

Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Paul (thanks for dropping by) and Boomer.
I FIRed with just a little crunch for a Monday. (Hand up for starting to enter Peel before SKIN on that BANANA).
But I thought the theme was a little weak.

I have visited the Atlantic Ocean side of North America from Florida to Newfoundland. On the Pacific side, I have only been on Vancouver Island.
(Recent news item showed the huge amount of plastic waste being deposited by those OCEAN CURRENTS.)
BeachCleanup

I had to reverse 3D and 22D to get the order and make sense.
ALEK was unknown, but perped.
This Canadian did not know NBA TV. We have TSN or Sportsnet. But I know AOL by now.
I was trying to create a new word, Ignate, for “about to explode”, until perps gave me IRATE. D’uh!

We had EELERS, AOLERS and ICERS today. Ugh!

Wishing you all a great day.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-I tell my friends who are scared of the LA Times puzzle to at least try on a Monday. Today they would have encountered PRATE, ERSE, ALEK, DADA, AOLER, GORSE, etc. which are standard for us but…
-Many now say RBI for Runs Batted In and not the seemingly redundant RBI’S
-NARY A ONE seems like it be would be said on The Andy Griffith Show
-Charlie Brown strips are of course RERUNS and they have a character named RERUN
-All of my students have heard the story of the RECOIL when I fired my first shotgun at 11 years old
-Me too, Boomer. Excuse the mixed metaphor but a big diet of Shakespeare is not my cup of tea. I do love some of the quotes
-My favorite is Cocoa Beach because I have such great memories of taking thousands of kids there after KSC
-YR, I agree about the scale but I the ORREY shows seasons, day/night, moon phases, eclipses, etc. very dramatically.

Yellowrocks said...

From Common Errors in English Usage:
"RBI / RBIs
Some people reason that since “RBI” stands for “runs batted in,” there is no need for an additional “S” to indicate a plural, and speak of “120 RBI.” However, though somewhat illogical, it is standard to treat the initialism as a word and say “RBIs.” In writing, one can add an optional apostrophe: “RBI’s.” Definitely nonstandard is the logical but weird “RsBI.”

The same pattern applies to other such plural initialisms as “WMDs” (“weapons of mass destruction”), “POWs” (“prisoners of war”), and “MREs” (“meals ready to eat”); but “RPMs” (“revolutions per minute”) is less widely accepted."

HG, yes I have used such orreries and diagrams for those reasons. I always point out that the diameters and distances apart are way off. If the earth were the size of a pea, the distance to the sun would still be hundreds of miles.

CrossEyedDave said...

Learning moment: Gorse

I do not believe I have ever experienced this plant.

The puzzle?
It reminded me of having a beach house...

CrossEyedDave said...

Oops,
Forgot to copy and paste.

Trying again...

puzzle reminded me of having a beach house...

oc4beach said...


I loved Paul's beachy theme. Boomer's guide through the grid was enjoyable

Luckily for me the words that I didn't know, PRATE, SCOT and GORSE were filled in with the help of perps. There were also a number of the down clues that I didn't see because they were already filled in by the Across clues.

Paul: During my college days in the early '60's I worked in Ocean City, NJ in the summers and lived in a ground floor apartment on Asbury Ave. right next to Kaj's Bakery which was on the corner of Asbury and 11th Street. The aromas coming from the bakery were always great. Now I go to Ocean City, MD because I have a beach house there.

Walking in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is something I have enjoyed many times. I really don't swim, but I love to walk in the surf. One day on a business trip, I got up early in San Diego and walked the beach at sun up then headed for the airport to head back home to the DC metro area. After arriving home, DW and I headed for the beach in OC MD and I was able to walk the surf in the Atlantic just before midnight. Two oceans in one day. Don't think I'll ever be able to do that again.

Spending a not so great day at the beach is better than spending a great day at work.

Have a great day everyone, and I hope you get to stick your toes in the sand and surf a a beach.

Wilbur Charles said...

Speaking of 3ft putts. Jordan Speith missed one from half that distance at 18th on Saturday. Haunted him in his chase for the Claret Jug.

The Covid miracle berry was elderberry. Manishevitz had it in wine but Publix etal wouldn't stock it.
Paul C, as a kid we'd take we the Nantasket Boat to said beach. Big storm coming back which I slept through. And of course the Siuth China Sea

RBI, RBIs, tomato, tomahto Let's call the whole thing off .

Boomer, wow, who needs bitcoin. I used to do that with out of the money options.

WC

Picard said...

Paul Coulter Thank you for the puzzle VACATION to the SEASIDE RESORT and thank you for stopping by. I feel privileged to live at a SEASIDE RESORT all year round. But the water is cold here in Southern California for most of the year. My favorite SEASIDE RESORTs are where the water is warm and clear for good snorkeling! In the US? That would be Hawaii!

Hand up never heard of BANANA SKIN; had to switch from PEEL. Learning moment. As was the unknown GORSE and ALEK WEK.

Here I was unicycling with my friend Danielle along the OCEAN at our BEACH in Santa Barbara on our BOARDWALK.

Our BOARDWALK is made of concrete, though!

From Yesterday:
Jayce and Lemonade Thank you for the validation that BILL and COO is a term you have heard of. I spent much of my life on the East Coast and never heard it. Perhaps it is a generational thing. I was wondering if COO referred to Chief Operating Officer while thinking of BILL in financial terms.

I also remember Marilyn McCOO and BILLy Davis, Junior as a singing duo.

waseeley said...

Good morning and thank you Paul for a pleasing, breezy stroll down the BEACH to a Monday FIR. And thank you Boomer (and C.C.) for your picture, showing us how to do it. The theme reminded me of yesterday's: facilitating the FILL, instead of kicking up a lot of SAND in its face.

Lots of FAVs:

5A PRATE "I resemble that remark!"

16A Thank you Boomer. DNK the translation for B'NAI BRITH. The very essence of Judaism is the Jewish covenant with GOD.

25A DNK "Gold Desktop". "AOLERS" was the last to fall. Are they fishers of AOLs? Hand up from anyone who has or is still using this UI.

52A The reveal reminds me of a great Aussie streamer called "SEA CHANGE", starring Sigrid Thornton. It's about a burnt out judge from Sydney who, discovering her husband's infidelity, moves her family to the Southeast SEASIDE and sets up shop at the local courthouse. Much hilarity ensues, with great writing, great romancing, and beautiful vistas of the Southeast Australian coast. Highly recommended.

27D BANANA PEEL fit, but it wasn't very appealing to the perps.

30A Pere Dijon. Was he the Mr. Mustard in CLUE?

42D We were ARPed just yesterday. Is Rich slowly drifting into DA DA Land?

Really liked the crossing of 54D IAGO with 62A ARIA. Iago's signature aria in Otello was "Credo in un Dio Crudel" ("I believe in a cruel god"). I found a couple of good YouTube performances, but decided not to depress my friends with one on a Monday morning. It's really a tossup as to whether IAGO or SCARPIA in TOSCA is the vilest villain in all of opera.

Since I can't leave you on that down note, how about an ARIA from AGENT 99.

Cheers,
Bill

waseeley said...

Paul @6:29 AM

As I'm easily sunburned I don't tend to go to beaches, although there are a lot of great ones on the DelMarVa peninsula across the bay from where I live: Rehoboth, Bethany, Ocean City, Assateague Island, etc. But if I had to name just one it would be Port Royal Cove in Bermuda: soft pink sand bordered by rugged rocks. I've only been there once, on a family cruise to celebrate my Mother's 80th birthday.

Bill

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Outside the USA, Orient Beach in St. Martin is my favorite. Haven't been there since hurricane Irma visited. In the USA, Waikiki Beach on Oahu is my favorite Pacific beach, Clearwater is my favorite on the Gulf of Mexico, and South (Miami) Beach is my favorite Atlantic beach. Inland USA, my favorite is Boonsboro State Park just south of Lexington, Kentucky.

YR, you may be right, but it still grates on my ears (and today, my eyes). BTW, can't a single individual be a POW? Akin to the commonly written "alot" when the writer means "a lot", and "irregardless" when "regardless" is called for." I'll grumble about it all the way to the ATM machine.

AnonymousPVX said...


This Monday go had some crunch.

Write-over….BANANAPEAL/BANANASKIN. please note I even used the incorrect PEAL in the wrong initial answer, kind of a twofer.

See you tomorrow.

CanadianEh! said...

Ah waseeley, if we are going to Bermuda, I have wonderful honeymoon memories of those beautiful pink sand beaches😁🎶💕
Port Royal Cove is at the western end of Horseshoe Bay, one of Bermuda’s best-known beaches (and close to the ritzy Fairmont Southampton). Did you get to see Gibbs Lighthouse? I should put Bermuda on my post- Covid travel list.

Paul Coulter said...

I'm enjoying hearing about everyone's beach favorites. oc4beach - the bakery I like in Ocean City is Mallon's on Bay Avenue. Terrific Sticky Buns! Wilbur - I went to Nantasket a few times during my college years in Boston. For swimming, my girlfriend and I liked Singing Beach on the North Shore.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Thank you, Paul for the sea air. A nice way, indeed, to start the week.

Thanks, Booomer, for the write-up, too. Pujols is doing okay for the Dodgers.

Yellowrocks said...

Paul, from yesterday, to me the term, BILL AND COO is very common, if a bit dated, but then I am old enough to know the term and to remember fondly those days.

Jinx, we are all so different. To me the plural, two MRI, grates on my ear.

OwenKL said...

FLN, since Picard brought it up again, Bill & Coo goes back a long ways. The song credited there to Helen Kane (the real-life Betty Boop), although recorded long before I was born, was still popular during my childhood, and was covered by Betty Boop, Bing Crosby, and others.

I've never been to the Atlantic, but spent a lot of time in the Pacific growing up in OREgon (including B'nai B'rith summer camps), and at Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico during a couple college years in Mobile, Alabama.

Bill, enjoyed that 99 clip, though I had to look up the lyrics on a different website.

AnonDon said...


Bob Lee. When serving in the U.S. Army in the early '50s one of my duties included rapid radio transmissions using the phonetic alphabet. The powers that were decided to change it overnight. My call sign changed from Dog Roger 39er to Delta Romeo 39er. I managed to muddle through it.

Paul Coulter. Always enjoy working your puzzles. I spent all my summers in the '40s in Ocean City N.J. Stayed on 4th St. and later on 15th St. Great times except for the daily reminders that a war was being fought just off the Jersey coast

waseeley said...

CEh! @12:38 PM I don't remember a lighthouse, but must have seen it. The thing I remember best and will never forget was the High Tea that we had in the Fairmont. Très élégant!

Jinx in Norfolk said...

OKL, we were talking about Dauphin Island just day before yesterday. Our regular server at Mack's Barge (on the banks of Knitting Mill Creek in Norfolk) is from Pensacola. I admitted to her that we had considering moving to LA (Lower Alabama, for those who only know the imposter in California) until we figured out that hurricanes hunt Dauphin Island like tornadoes hunt trailer parks.

waseeley said...

OwenKL @1:18 PM Thank YOU for including the lyrics, especially for The Magic Flute. I would have guessed that that was Papageno romancing Papagena, but it turn out to be that blackguard Monostatos lusting after Tamina.

Jayce said...

I enjoyed this puzzle. I did not know ALEK Wek but her name was already filled in by the time I read the clue.

Speaking of BANANA SKIN vs banana peel, I'm a tiny bit miffed that it was allowed. Here's why. Several years ago when C.C. was mentoring me in puzzle construction I had FAMILY SEDAN as one of the answers. It was rejected, on the grounds that it is not an in-the-language phrase (i.e. "nobody says that") while FAMILY CAR would be acceptable. Well, by golly, who says "banana skin"? Especially in the context of the clue as a slapstick prop, in which the good ole banana peel is classic.

Favorite beach? LW and I love Heceta Head in Oregon and always stop there whenever we drive along the Oregon coast. The nearest town is Florence, where LW and I used to consider as the place we would most like to live when we retired. (We are still in San Jose, CA, however.) Another of our favorite stopping places is Devil's Churn, at Cape Perpetua in Oregon, not far from Heceta Head.

Within California, LW and I like a place called Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, near Moss Beach, where we enjoy exploring the tide pools. A perfect day would include clam chowder and fish at Barbara's Fish Trap, a small joint overlooking the marina at Pillar Point, near Half Moon Bay. My go-to lunch there is the fish and chips with vegetable tempura. And Grolsch beer.

On the east coast my favorite beach is Forked River, NJ. Loved to go to my uncle's beach house there and do "beachy" activities. This was long before I met my wife. Lewes Beach in Delaware also holds good memories for me.

Dang, now I'm hungry! Good wishes to you all.

CanadianEh! said...

waseeley - oh yes, High Tea at the Fairmont would be wonderful. Bermuda has so much British history.

Lucina said...

Hola!

I'm really late to the party but enjoyed all the talk about BEACHES! I have fond memories of Pismo BEACH in California where we went when our children were small. And of course, Hawaii, especially Honolulu has wonderful beaches though always crowded. One of the most beautiful ones I remember is Morocco. It is a wide, expansive beach with glistening white sand and the time I was there, no people. I've seen pictures of it when it was very crowded. Europeans apparently flock to it in August especially. Western Greece also has a lovely, small beach. On the Mediterranean side, Spain, has great beaches, too. I was at the Costa de Oro. In Europe it is not unusual to see women in topless swim suits but quite shocking for our unaccustomed eyes at the time.

Most recently we went to Huntington Beach, CA on a fourth of July weekend and though crowded, it is wide and long enough to accommodate the huge crowds that gather there.

Mission Beach in San Diego is also fun as well as is Oceanside. I understand from friends that the once clear, undeveloped coastline is now overrun with condos, homes, etc.

And back to the puzzle. I liked it. Thank you, Paul Coulter. I never time myself but I know it was very fast. I'm not familiar with BOARDWALK EMPIRE but it was no trouble to fill it.

CSO to Owen at MUSE.

I agree that a president's religion should not be either a point of discussion or contention.

Have a beautiful day, everyone and may you have a BEACH day in your near future!

Wilbur Charles said...

Paul, Nantasket Beach had an amusement park. One f the rides was a whirly-gig where the top would cover you up during the ride

Perfect for Billing and Cooing out of sight of prying eyes

Re. Presidential Religion. Remember JFK, a Catholic, heaven forbid. Pardon the PUN.

Spitzboov said...

CanadianEh! - - When our Task Group visited Bermuda for R & R, we anchored in the lagoon, where the cruise ships do now. The Navy had a seaplane base in the area. I remember the seaplanes making their landing approach from over Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and then swooping down into the lagoon.
Swam one evening at the beach where "The Admirable Crichton" was filmed.

(About 10 years ago, we took a cruise to Bermuda and drove by Gibbs Hill.)

Ol' Man Keith said...

Harder than usual for a Monday.
But maybe that was just me, feeling off my game.
Anyway, FIR anyway.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
Only one diagonal--far side.
Its anagram (13 of 15 letters) makes me think of a couple of inexperienced fatherly equestrians, out for a trail ride & pretending to be cowboys.
I have a mental image of ...

"DADS ASTRADDLE"!

Ol' Man Keith said...

I used to LOVE Stinson Beach, in Marin just about a half hour from San Francisco.
I see it is still unspoiled, though I'm viewing it from afar on the web--from my home in SoCal.

Anybody else familiar with Stinson?

I used to go hiking & climbing overnight through Mt. Tamalpais. With my backpack and half tent.
By Sunday I would descend the slope on the western side and head right into the waves.

There's nothing like the Pacific to wash away all the sweat & grime & fatigue of a long solo hike.
~ OMK

Jayce said...

Ol'Man Keith, yes, LW and I are familiar with Stinson Beach and have enjoyed it a number of times. I think it was there that we collected (perhaps illegally?) a bucketful of mussels which we steamed and ate back at our campsite. Been up Mt. Tamalpais a number of times, too, but we drove up, didn't hike up. Ah, to be 30 years younger again!

Lucina said...

Speaking of amusement parks, Vienna, Austria has an antique ferriswheel with enclosed cabins that can seat several people inside. Misty, are you familiar with that ferriswheel? It was fun to ride in it. I just LIU and it is located in Wiener Riensenrod.

CanadianEh! said...

Yes, Lucina, we had a ride on the Riesenrad when in Vienna on our Switzerland/Austria tour. It is located at the start of the Prater amusement park. The cabins are large (if I recall correctly, we had 6 or 8 of our tour group in one cabin), and it takes about 15 minutes for a ride (1 rotation). Beautiful view of Vienna. It was used in the filming of The Thin Man.

Misty said...

Fun Monday puzzle, Paul--loved the BEACH theme (hey, I live in Laguna Beach). Thank you for checking in with us. And, Boomer, what a lovely picture of you and C.C. on the beach!

How sweet to see BABY not far from where that couple made their wedding VOWS.

Ironically, I got SKIN before BANANA--just because POKE, ARID, and DENS were so easy. And so the slippery cue didn't give me any trouble.

I love seeing NADIA Comaneci do her fantastic tumbles.

Lucina, sadly I don't believe I ever enjoyed that Vienna ferris wheel. Now I suspect I'd get dizzy at this time of life.

Have a great week coming up, everybody.

Becky said...

I'm back. Been at my CO cabin which has no wifi even though they say they are building new towers And I never went into the Westcliffe Library to use their computers, since I couldn't do the puzzles anyway.

But we had lots of beautiful birds and critters, and yes, even a bear on the deck in the daytime stealing bird food. Am back in Park City now, so I'll be around somewhat.

My favorite beaches in SoCal are El Matador, El Pescador and Nichols Canyon. We always used to check for low tides, because the tide pools were and probably still are, fantastic. Anemones, starfish, sea cucumbers, sea snails and hermit crabs.

Glad everyone seems to be doing well. I'm doing the puzzle tomorrow!

Becky

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thanks Paul for adding a bit of crunch to our Monday morning and for swinging by The Corner.

Thanks Boomer for kicking-off the after-party.
//I looked up Pujols rookie card on eBay. Some were selling for $350-$450 and others were over $3k - what's the difference?

WO: AVIs (Hi OKL! //I had to do an ABC-run b/c SOLERS didn't make sense - V8 hit off the bat at Alpha)
ESPs: PRATE(?), BNAI, GORSE, ALEK, PERE
Fav: Who doesn't love someone slipping on a BANANA [PEEL (Hi IM & Jayce!)] SKIN
Runner-up: AGENT 99. I loved Get Smart [Politics?] and Feldon was smart, er, CHIC.

AOL is still a thing? I should pull out one of those old (free) CD-ROMS and check it out :-)

{B}
Fun DR, OMK.

Welcome back Becky.

Beaches? Growing up in IL, the Ocean was only a dream.
First time near one was Jr year of HS with friend's family and it was really just the GoM -- Pensacola, FL.
Second time around, I recall a campfire at Moss Landing in CA with college chums and our kids. I also recall the cioppino at Phil's Fish Market - that was good stuff.
On that same trip to CA, we went to the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

Oh, and a different trip, the fam hiked down to the beach in Carmel one night. That was fun.

I've only seen the Atlantic from Boston's harbor and Ellis Island.

Have a great eve!

Cheers, -T

Lucina said...

On several of our trips to Charlotte we traveled to Myrtle Beach. One of our trips was disastrous! Some other time for that story.

Yoli's B-I-L lived in Shalotte, NC. We liked that BEACH, too. Sadly, he died last year so no more visits there.

I've been to two beach weddings. One was my daughter's in Santa Barbara (hi, Picard). We spent the weekend there.

The other was in Molokai where a nephew got married. Many family members went and stayed in some condos there. The wedding party rented a house that was near the BEACH. All the food and provisions had to be airlifted there because there was nowhere to buy anything except a very small store that barely had bread and some canned goods. It was a fun weekend. The lepers had long ago been gone.