Theme: "Hi, C!" - SH is changed into SC in each phrase.
22. Disturbance on the cruise ship pool deck?: LIDO SCUFFLE. Lido Shuffle. 1977 Boz Scaggs song. New to me.
32. Youth organization skills contest?: SCOUTING MATCH. Shouting match.
51. Fraud involving bedding?: PILLOW SCAM. Pillow sham.
70. Prison guard's subjugation, slangily?: THE TAMING OF THE SCREW. "The Taming of the Shrew".
93. Hardly a bountiful burg?: SCANTY TOWN. Shanty town.
110. Transport for old-fashioned folks?: SQUARE SCOOTER. Square shooter.
126. Passenger leaving Edinburgh Airport?: PARTING SCOT. Parting shot.
Can you explain the title to me? To me, H is C here, not HI.
Always
to see Mark's byline. He's a mentor and friend to many constructors.
Super tight theme, some would have just gone with H to C change, but
Mark added the extra S layer.
Across:
6. Small openings: PORES.
11. B-boy connector: AS IN.
15. TV father of Rod and Todd Flanders: NED. From "The Simpsons".
18. Japanese brew: ASAHI. 朝日. Meaning "morning sun".
19. Virtuous sort: SAINT.
20. Words said with a finger wag: NO NO.
21. Vatican figure: POPE.
24. Bet using inside info: ACT ON A TIP. Fantastic fill.
26. Chicken tikka __: curry dish: MASALA.
27. Fixed look: STARE.
29. Pleasure seeker: HEDONIST. Where's Tinbeni?
30. Not as much: LESS.
34. 5 mL, in recipes: TSP.
37. Avoid: SHUN.
39. Cork coin word: EIRE. Cork, Island. Here's an Irish euro coin.
40. Cowboys or Broncos: TEAM.
41. Lotion additive: ALOE.
43. Prep for publication: EDIT.
45. Oxford notables: DONS. My favorite Don. My mentor.
47. Valleys: DALES.
54. Rigs on the road: SEMIS.
57. Put in the mail: SENT.
58. Surrey racecourse town: EPSOM.
59. Massive: EPIC.
61. Pack (down): TAMP.
62. Poetic tribute: ODE.
63. The Arno runs through it: PISA. Oh, our other Pisa guy. Sorry for the loss of your father-in-law, Picard!
Picard, Eiffel Tower 2015
66. Overnight spot: INN.
67. Resorts with springs: SPAS.
69. "Stat!": NOW.
76. Run out of juice: DIE.
77. Bro and sis: SIBS.
78. Shoe part: TOE. I bought these ice cleats from Amazon earlier this year. I feel safer going to our mail box or take out the garbage over
the icy roads.
79. Texter's "Too funny!": LMAO.
80. "Do __ solid": ME A.
81. Bouncy tune: LILT.
83. Quaint oath: EGAD.
85. Montague teen: ROMEO.
89. Island that's the westernmost point of Alaska: ATTU.
91. More than one would hope to pay: STEEP. Price.
96. Seventh-century pope: JOHN V.
98. Arduous journey: SLOG.
100. Red-wearing duck triplet: HUEY.
102. __ High Stadium: MILE. Demolished in 2002.
105. Blockhead: CLOD.
107. Strong lager: BOCK.
109. __-Caps: SNO.
115. Puckery: SOUR. Have any of you tried Trader Joe's Golden Berries? They're a bit tangy. Taste like the baby of a pineapple and a tomato.
117. Audio tape making a comeback: CASSETTE.
118. Living room staples: SOFAS.
120. Low tie: ONE ALL.
124. Observed Passover, in a way: ATE KOSHER. Another solid fill.
128. They may be black or yellow: LABS.
129. Fleck with a banjo: BELA.
130. Heist film series surname: OCEAN. Danny Ocean.
131. Full of passion: FIERY.
132. Martini order: DRY.
133. God of love: EROS.
134. Earth, in some sci-fi: TERRA.
135. Over-__: sports bet: UNDER.
Down:
2. Sri Lanka locale: ASIA.
3. Blokes: LADS.
4. Submerged ridge: SHOAL.
5. Supermarket sections: AISLES. Boomer is particular about what
he eats and I often buy the wrong kind. He only likes Golden Tater Tots,
but I've mis-bought Golden Crispy Crowns, Golden Crispers and Tater
Tots Minis. I'm getting closer. They all look similar to me.
6. The Big Ten's Nittany Lions: Abbr.: PSU.
7. Clumsy sorts: OAFS.
8. Splits: RIFTS.
9. Wrap around: ENLACE.
10. MLB's __ era: STEROID. I don't like Jose Canseco.
11. Actress Gasteyer: ANA.
12. Russian city that hosted the 2014 Olympics: SOCHI.
13. Purpose: INTENT.
14. Pester: NOODGE.
15. Tag cry: NOT IT.
16. Anglican denom.: EPISC. Episcopal.
17. Poor essay's lack: DEPTH.
21. Tropical toppers: PANAMAS.
23. Nut from the tropics: CASHEW. Great with chicken.
25. Wanderer: NOMAD.
28. Continental coins: EUROS.
31. Brewski: SUDS.
33. Basic principle: TENET. Palindrome.
34. Sticky or ticker: TAPE.
35. Minor error: SLIP.
36. D.C. veterans: POLS.
38. French Riviera city: NICE.
42. Emulate Monroe and DiMaggio: ELOPE. "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you ..."
44. Easy putt: TAP IN.
46. Many a tennis winner: SMASH.
48. Spaghetti Western director Sergio: LEONE.
49. Fund for the long haul: ENDOW.
50. Meal in a bowl: STEW.
52. Forgets about, maybe: OMITS.
53. Artistic Chinese dynasty: MING. From 1368 to 1644. My hometown Xi'an was part of the dynasty then. Tibet was not.
55. Push forward: IMPEL.
56. Jerk: SPASM.
60. Monetary nickname based on a Roman numeral: C NOTE. C=100.
64. Heads out of port: SAILS.
65. Scope: AMBIT.
68. Spine-tingling, maybe: SCARY. And 73. Confused states: FOGS. Reminds me of the first day when Boomer was out of the hospital. He asked for a pill so Wicked Witch would not kill Dorothy.
70. Connect with: TIE TO.
71. Hershey's __ bar: HEATH.
72. Dots on some charts: ISLES.
74. Give lessons: TEACH.
75. Ancestry: ROOTS. Sorry about your tooth trouble, D-Otto!
76. Key of Brahms' Symphony No. 2: D MAJ.
82. Phone service outfit: TELCO.
84. Apply crudely: DAUB.
86. Janitorial tools: MOPS.
87. Scottish Gaelic John: EWAN. Here's the most famous one. Ewan McGregor
88. "I'm __ your scheme!": ONTO.
90. Bares, in a way: UNMASKS.
92. Golf shop array: POLOS.
94. Modernists, briefly: NEOS.
95. Leader that rhymes with a storm: TYCOON. Typhoon.
97. Small greenish songbird: VIREO.
99. Deteriorate: GO TO POT.
103. Doesn't disturb: LETS BE.
104. Old Testament queen: ESTHER. Queen of Persia. Book of Esther.
106. Cover with graffiti: DEFACE.
108. Panda's skill, in a 2008 film: KUNG FU. Panda. Po.
110. Burn badly: SCALD. Thanks for the New Skin info, Vidwan. Hope your procedure went smoothly last Friday.
111. Arabian Peninsula land: QATAR.
112. Words before some dates: USE BY.
113. Green with Grammys: CEELO.
114. More red, but not visibly: RARER.
116. Epoxy, e.g.: RESIN.
119. Cast topper, usually: STAR. Movie/TV cast.
121. Prevented a return from: ACED.
122. Tales of the past: LORE.
123. Astronomical dist.: LTYR.
125. Coll. dorm figures: RAS.
127. Words with nutshell and pickle: IN A.
We
only went to the VA hospital twice last week: regular Monday PT and
Tuesday OT. Both ladies eased up the therapy on Boomer since it's the first week after his chemo. They were very caring and constantly asked him how he was feeling after a few exercises, he would reply "I'm tired", "tired", "I'm just so tired". Broke my heart to see him so fatigued.
We think Dr.
Downs might have upped the dosage a bit on Boomer's March 3 chemo. Not
sure. Boomer seemed to have more pain this time. We had to leave the church earlier again last night.
The
good news is that Boomer will receive his next chemo at our local VA
clinic. It's an easier drive. Only 20 miles away from our home.
Thanks again for your always encouraging comments, cards and letters. Some of them are from readers who never commented on our blog before. Boomer is so happy that he has many fans and supporters.
C.C.
FIRight, tho the last letter I filled in was a WAG at the natick of CEELO + BELA.
ReplyDeleteThe gimmick was simple and complex together. I'm amazed at the collection of so many phrases it's applied to -- paired off in length, besides!
Looking for l'ick words, I noticed a lot of words with ASI: AS IN, ASAHI, SAINT, SAILS, PISA.
If you're in Japan, looking for a BREW,
A bottle or can of ASAHI will have to do.
When you're with your buds
To share some mugs of SUDS
Just don't be driver, if you had a few!
Just think, if ROMEO,
Had gone and stubbed his TOE,
His words to Juliet
Might have been an epithet,
Not high Shakespearean, but vulgar and low!
{B+,B+.}
The blog is happy to have gotten to know Boomer and to be here to root/pray for his return to health. he has provided us much enjoyment and a peak behind the curtain of our awesome founder.
ReplyDeleteMark is another of the very helpful puzzle makers who mentor many and who create a prolific catalog of fun puzzles.
C.C., I was hoping you would comment on Rich's retirement and successor. I know you have gotten to know him well in the years we have been blogging the LAT. I wonder if we will see any more Lila Cherry or Rich Norris bylines?
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteEven d-o could C what the H was going on with this one. Cute theme. Even in my foggy "leap forward" state, this one came together very fast. Nicely done, Mark and C.C. (Otto-correct changed your "Ireland" to "island.")
Thanx for the update on Boomer. It's inspiring the way he's keeping his spirits up, despite the trials he's having to endure.
FIW, missing OKL's Natick with a "r" guess. Erased ports for PORES, send for SENT, sass for SOUR, nil-nil for ONE ALL, and theme for DEPTH.
ReplyDeleteDNK CASSETTE tape is making a comeback. Hope they carry digital tunes. Analog music on them is poor, even with help from Dr. Dolby.
I'll take a CSO at TELCO.
FLN - I think that "cheat" is sometimes used like "aides", as in "cheat sheet". I call my trusty checklists "cheat sheets" without a bit of shame.
Thanks to Mark for another gem. And thanks to CC for the fun tour, and more importantly, the Boomer update. He continues in my prayers. I've made it so Savannah so far. On to Fayetteville, NC today. I didn't know that DST started this morning, but my body must have. I woke up an hour earlier than usual.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI liked and enjoyed this particular Sunday grid more than I normally do for two major reasons: a) It didn’t have the usual plethora of unknown proper nouns and b) The three letter word count was only 14 (if my eyes are to be trusted) which is an impressive feat, especially when a recent 15x15 grid had 30. In addition, I liked the theme and the very strong in-the-language themers. My only truly unknown was Vireo and my only w/os were One One/One All and Orbit/Ambit. Eire was timely with St. Paddy’s Day ☘️ around the corner.
Lots of fun pairings include: Clod/Oafs, Tape/Cassette, Pope/John V, Saint/Hedonist, Ocean/Terra, Aisles/Isles, Asahi/Bock/Suds, and Episc/Epic/Epsom. Many CSOs today, as well: Lucina (Dale(s), Owen and Moe (Ode), Ray O and Anon T (Pisa), CC (Ming), Jinx (Sails), All Academics (Teach), Jinx and TTP (TelCo, IIRC), andAll Golfers (Polos and Tap In.) Last but not least, we had a mini O parade with No No, LMAO, Romeo, Sno, Tie To, Vireo, Ceelo, TelCo, and Onto.
Thanks, Mark, for an pleasant Sunday solve and thanks, CC, for your usual on-point observations and analysis. I’ll have to make a return trip to enjoy the links and visuals. Thanks, also, for the update on Boomer. I’m sorry that he’s having so much difficulty and discomfort. You’re both amazing examples of grit and courage.
Belated welcome back to Lucina whose cheerful, chipper commentary was missed!
PK, it’s great to have you back in the saddle! I hope your absence was not health related. Your wit and anecdotes were missed, as well.
Have a great day.
CC, thanks again. Send my thoughts and wishes to boomer.
ReplyDeleteQATAR had to be a look up and SW corner popped. Did SEND instead of SENT then corrected. Didn't understand LOW TIE, had YORE instead of LORE. And still don't understand "More red, but not visibly" this ended up as INFRA (as in infrared which is not visible), but finally got RARER with crosses.
Fun theme.
FIR, despite not knowing vireo, which spell-check desperately wants to correct
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get on the usual comment section, so I'll just say I FIR, and leave it at that.
DeleteNCFloridaGator, a RARE steak is red on the inside, not visible until you cut into it.
ReplyDeleteOh, now it's letting me comment. What I wanted to say before was that I had a couple of w/o's: "polos" not "poles" and "rarer" not "rawer." And at first I thought "go to pot" was "go south." Also I didn't know "LMAO" but it makes perfect sense. Like I said, FIR, so I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteI think title is a greeting to the letter C as it enters theme words and alters their meanings.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Unknown VIERO is a bird and V was the logical Roman numeral. A true “got ‘er done” finish.
-The 3-letter Simpson crossword cast includes Moe, Stu, Apu and NED
-Inside Info – Guilty or not, I admire that Martha Stewart took her punishment and moved on
-Surprising use of DON
-DIE – This would be my constant fear with an electric car
-More than you want to pay – STEEP. Less – STEAL
-Disney colors – Granddaughter had to teach me that each princess has her won colors
-Vehicle audio devices – 8-track, CASSETTE, CD and now none, just Sirius and streaming
-A one-page, double-spaced ESSAY on causes of WWI, might lack DEPTH
-SCALD – Be careful removing dinners from microwave
Keep fighting Boomer. I know you hate that you're so tired all the time. It's hard not being able to be active. God bless you. GC
ReplyDeleteBoomer gives me chuckles every Monday,
ReplyDeleteso I will try to return the favor...
my 1st attempt...
(Gosh, that was terrible!)
There has got to be something better out there for Lido Scuffle?
honourable mention...
Cont...
A smooth Sunday FIR. It seemed easier and the theme was not hard to see. I enjoyed doing it, Mark. A few WOs to mar the clean grid: tsks/NO NO, karate/KUNGFU, SENd/SENT, Sock/STAR, and aReS/EROS (mixed up gods!) but no proofreading misses for a change! I remember we had AMBIT before but NOOGE was new to me.
ReplyDeleteC.C. I enjoyed your helpful review and am impressed that you can manage to do the reviews as well as take care of Boomer. Sorry to hear he is feeling tired but hope the chemo has a good result eventually. We are all keeping you both in our thoughts.
CC Thank you for the update on Boomer. Much sympathy and empathy for what you are both going through. And thank you for the shout out and condolences on my wife Merlie losing her father Merlin.
ReplyDeleteShe did not get along with him for much of her life. But he had his own demons growing up as a child refugee during WWII, fleeing the fighting. But the past few days were quite an emotional roller coaster. He carried a bag with him that he absolutely would not let go of, even in the hospital ICU. We now found out that there was a lot of cash in that bag, as we suspected.
But he also was carrying this photo of us.
And this photo of us.
They are a huge family. There were a few other photos, mostly from his younger years. But in that limited space of the bag he would not release were those photos of us. If only we knew we meant so much to him.
In his final hours my wife was singing to him via computer link. His final words in the world were to tell her he loved her. I think that was the only time in his life he said that to her. So sad.
By the way, here was the PISA photo of me.
By the way, I found this puzzle very difficult, but managed to FIR. Got the H->C but missed the SH->SC. Impressive. Now... Can someone please explain the title? I also never heard of SCREW with that meaning. Anyone else?
Scouting Match?
ReplyDeletepillow scam...
Cont...
Fun puzzle today with clever theme answers and interesting fill. Like others, I had to correct one one to ONE ALL, vales to DALES, and I went completely off the rails with sybarite for HEDONIST. Never heard of VIREO, so add another bit of knowledge to my list of stuff I’ve learned at the Corner.
ReplyDeleteSad Duke lost last night - I even wore my Duke t-shirt for luck, but to no avail. It was definitely the end of an era.
Brief comment on my Watchman device. It’s been two months, and things are going well. No more blood thinners, except baby aspirin, which is wonderful. Also, since the arteries in my legs were roto-rootered, I am pain free and walking more mikes every day. Amazibg!
C.C., Jack and I send warm thoughts and loving prayers to you and Boomer. You both are an inspiration as you face Boomer’s challenges with grace.
Taming of the screw:
ReplyDeletea public service link
Note:
The last method using a Dremel tool...
If you have never used one, or do not want to buy an expensive tool
you may never use again, Harbor Freight has a cheap knock off
For $6.99 that comes with a complete kit of accessories.
I have used it for woodworking, cutting, sanding, polishing, and
Even removing caulk from between bathroom shower tiles as prep
For recaulking. If you cut a slot in one screw it will have paid for itself.
Come to "thnk of it," aren't all shanty towns scanty towns?
Apologies for the typo - Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI loved this puzzle. I usually like Mark McClain's puzzles. I think the title "Hi, C!" is a play on "Oh hello there, letter C!" and the soft drink Hi-C.
ReplyDeleteExcellent comments, everyone.
In many old film noir movies, prison guards are called "screws" by the inmates.
ReplyDeletePicard , I am told that “Screws” is a term used for prison guards, pretty much out of use these days.
ReplyDeleteWatch to the end to
ReplyDeletesee how to soup up your scooter!
And,
Please accept my sincere apologies for this parting scot....
ReplyDeleteThank you Mark McClain for a challenging Sunday puzzle, which I enjoyed ! I knew this would be long, but it was also sophisticated, and I didn't get the substitution in the long answers, but I understand it now. Very brilliant.
Thank you CC for your illuminating review. I did not get the 'screw' reference either, but I assumed that the "screw" refered to a prison guard in an argot that I had never heard before.
There are a lot of early americanisms that I am not familiar with.
CC and Boomer, my prayers and hopes and best wishes will always be for you.
Pain in any form and especially continuous or sharp can be very debilitating, and I hope that is the first thing your docs are trying to minimize, as much as possible. In fact that is just about the only thing that any doc can do for a human body, reduce the pain as far as is practicable.
Both my wife and eldest daughters ae Mds in pain management, but in totally different fields, settings and applications. I personally avoid all pain medications as much as possible, but lately I have been forced to take an awful lot of 650mg of Tylenol.
Seriously, I wonder if chinese acupunture could be used to handle Boomer's pain. About 50 yrs ago, 1974-75, at the UNiv. of Rochester, NY, I was working, as a computer and data analyst, in a NIH study involving chinese acupunture, but I had to pull out before the final conclusions could be reached. ...
I'm sure, since then, ..... there have been hundreds of double blind clinical studies involving acupunture, and the procedure seem to have benefits and promise, for far more benefits than draw backs or side effects.
Although, I am unfortunately not in the field altogether, I am sure maybe the Mayo Clinic or others may have some info on acupunture which could be used to help Boomer's case.
Have a great Sunday, you all, and let us await the easy Monday, tomorrow.
Hi Y'all! Lot of "learning moments" in Mark's interesting puzzle. I got the theme but thought it had to be more. So many unknowns it took over an hour and a half. But hey, I knew vireo altho I've never seen one.
ReplyDeleteC.C. & Boomer, prayers & virtual hugs for you both. You are so important to many of us.
Thank you for the welcoming comments for my return. They mean a lot. The past four months, I have had nightmare health situations as well as storm damage, utility outages, and just plain weird occurrences to deal with. My laptop has been doing strange things. I have been able to read the blog explanations but couldn't get the comments page to enlarge enough to be able to read all your fine comments. Finally found a way to enlarge it a few days ago. Hope that continues to work okay. I missed y'all!
ReplyDeletePK, I forgot forgot, forgot, to mention, I missed you and your blog posts as well.
Hope everything works out for you and things get better. My prayers are for you as well, that these problems will hopefully pass soon.
God Bless.
Worked swiftly for an hour and got three quarters don't. Tripped up on SE corner. Stopped to take grand kids to Jamba Juice then returned to finish in 15 moon. Really liked Mark's clues -clever but not defeating. Actually University-attending Granddaughter helped unknot SE logjam ..got "low tie" ( ONE ALL ) SMART YOUNG LADY! (Of course, I'm prejudiced)
ReplyDeleteSunday Lurk say...
ReplyDeleteC.C. Thanks for the update on Boomer. Sorry to read he was tired from PT; his expos sure don't expose his fatigue.
//Boomer getting 'cards & letters from people he don't even know?' Glen Campbell :-)
C.C. - For your edification - Boz Scaggs' Lido Shuffle. I remember when I was 8yrs old: Pop had Boz's record and would turn it way up in his (then) bachelor-pad.
//ok, it was a trailer on the (unfashionable) NorthEnd of SPI.
Picard - we still have you in our thoughts as you deal w/ you & yours' loss.
CED - I have a Dremel. They are way too proud of their blades! (which break after 3 seconds of use).
I got me a oscillating tool [18m but @1:04 you'll get what I mean] that Pop calls a 7-way. Much more perfunctory.
Gotta tend to my stew. [last cold weekend in Houston, so I had to build one :-)]
Cheers, -T
Wendy, don't count out Duke quite yet. They are the #2 seed in Gonzaga's bracket (West Region). I would love to see Coach K go out with a national championship, but I'll still root for Kentucky against all comers. UK isn't consistent enough to go very far, I think, and probably won't make it deep enough to meet Duke.
ReplyDeleteCED - I should have distinguished between Dremel's rotating tool and their osculating one. I have the rotating one that breaks blades before you think about them! :-) =T
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteEnded up with one Natick: CEELO/BELA
Lots of w/o's, too
I think that Mark was saying, "Hi, C; you're replacing H
Mark has helped me with my crossword construction hobby, and we regularly "speak" on Facebook
CED, you outdid yourself today - stop by this Friday as I think you'll enjoy the puzzle
Best to Boomer, CC. Prayers are being offered. Hang in there!
Thanks, Mark for the fun Sun(day)
Lovely puzzle. Sussing the cool theme early on made it easier. FIR, No lookups, red letters or lists. The top two thirds went quickly. The small SE corner slowed me up until I got BOCK, my Rosetta stone there.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Gael Moral said...
"I think title is a greeting to the letter C as it enters theme words and alters their meanings." My thoughts, exactly.
We were snowed and iced in yesterday, but this morning the bright March sun quickly thawed the ice. Welcome, sweet spring time. And I love the late afternoon/early evening daylight with DST. Energizing and cheerful.
Have a good week.
22A- I caught the H to C change at LIDO SCUFFLE-heard the song many times but didn't know if referred to the island or the LIDO deck of a ship, which was where I've been for the last week on a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship. Rest of the theme fills were easy guesses after a few perps but TAMING OF THE SCREW didn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteHEDONIST- I was also thinking Tinbini.
HUEY- didn't know his outfit was red but I do remember Donald Duck cartoons being banned in Finland because they weren't wearing pants.
OCEAN- perps; never knew it was a person's name.
VIREO- only seen it in a crossword puzzle but didn't know it was green.
Friday afternoon on the cruise someone JUMPED OVERBOARD between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Ship had to backtrack and circle but nobody was found.
SCREWS. I knew folk would point out prison jargon.
ReplyDeleteBELA was a WAG for the FIR
Not terribly difficult but it had its moments:eg casts as theatre not on a leg
The long themes were cute and filled a lot of boxes for perps which were needed here
I like Kentucky a bunch; it always takes Cal a season to mold his freshmen
Boomer my best wishes. Chemo+PT is tough.
WC
PK, nice to see you back